The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 17

The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

CH17

Morgan

Adrenaline surged through me as my body fell forward from the force of his pull. I reached into the robe, drew my sword, and swung quickly at his wrist. He released me, but he wasn't quick enough to completely dodge my follow-up swing. A surprised yelp escaped his lips as a crimson stain blossomed across his chest. I backpedaled, raising my blade into striking form and keeping my eyes on him.

He stumbled back, pressing his hand to his chest. His face contorted in a mixture of pain and fury.

"You...you little human!" he roared. "You dare attack a dragon prince?"

"How dare you attack the queen," I spat back, my voice surprisingly steady despite the rapid thudding of my heart. "You have treason in this world? I don't think pops will appreciate you putting your hands on his extraordinary daughter-in-law." Keiji glared at me, his eyes blazing with rage. He looked down at his bleeding chest and then at the blade in my hand.

Then, he licked the blood from his hand and smirked.

"Fiesty," he said. "You're wasted on my brain-dead brother."

"The heavens must know something you don't," I smirked. "Or something you do."

He laughed. "Tsuneo won't wake up." He licked his lips. "You'd be better off aligning with me, you know? A young woman like you wasted on a comatose idiot? The pleasures-

"You can stop there before you make me sick," I said. "Next time you get the bright idea to touch

I'll take your hand and then your head if I have the chance."

me,

He chuckled and walked around a cart. "We'll see how long you can remain loyal to your so-called husband."

I glared at him. "I don't have a thing for crazy, sore losers: What's your problem with Tsuneo? He's in a coma."

He sneered. "He shouldn't have been born."

thought back to Tsuneo's words about his

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CH17

to be king," I said. "Aren't you missing something for that

he was born first," Keiji said. "When

"See?"

drew a line of sparkling light across his

family. Perhaps you'll start to understand." He chuckled. "All that talk about whose queen you are is far more complicated than they say." "And I'm supposed to

man who can't speak, the grieving

a historical

actually enter the queen's study?" "Chosen by the heavens and blessed

have no idea what that means." "No, but you do. And right now, that's

is

the stairs

more of a problem than I first thought, and there was no doubt in my mind. that he had something to do with Tsuneo's coma. I'd deal with him, but for now, I wondered if Ael would bring enough people and enough horses

like it had been hours since my run-in with Keiji when Ael and others dressed the way they had been from the Trial came down the steps. They murmured among themselves,

at Ael.

"Your Majesty? Are you

alright?" 2/4

noddest and stood, realizing that I

crash course he to move eating

He pulled one out and showed it to me. "When you have it, you

in

thersheld of the mer I pulled my word and came through slow. I looked around. I see a set

the gateway genth I winced and huffed. I could hit myself. 1 my hand on the crate and

into tears

put

lot more, so I hope you

took hours to move everything from the foyer into the cave and even longer to haul it all out of the cave. Ael had organized a whole lesion of caravans

Majesty. Where would you like to