The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 67

CH67 Morgan

The hesitation in him gave me pause. I looked up and saw it all over his face and the way his dark opall eyes flickered. He was hiding something from me. Pushing him would get me nowhere, so I said nothing, just watching him struggle with it. He'd confide in me when he was ready. We had at least gotten that far in our relationship for me to know that for certain.

For now, I just leaned against him, enjoying the heat of the baths.

"Should we talk about something else?"

"I don't mean to hide things from you."

"I know" I sighed and closed my eyes.

A few moments of silence passed before 1 thought of something to say.

"Tell me a story," I said, my voice soft, the gentle lapping of the water providing a soothing backdrop.

Tsuneo chuckled, his voice warm. My heart skipped a beat.

"I know you are young, but I did not expect you to be that young."

I nudged him. "And how old are you?"

In your realm's years, or mine?"

....yours."

"Five and twenty."

I blinked at that. I didn't even want to know what the equivalent was. Hundreds? Thousands? I shook my head. This is probably not what one of my aunts meant by marrying an older man, but I doubt she would have complained.

"Well, you're at least older than I am, so tell me a story.

"What kind of story?" he asked.

"Anything," I replied. Something about your realm."

He hummed

the legend of the first

head. "Not a story that's made it all these years. Tell

the first dragon, a creature of immense power and beauty. But with great power came great loneliness, and so the dragon yearned for a companion." I

overthink the stories, they cease

I shrugged. "Go on.

been one for origin or creation myths. It always

stories that I was told as a child, the things our records say. These and the

realm was a place

a place of fantasy.

CHET

that the first dragon, alone in a world of chaos, yearned for companionship. In answer to his plea, a phoenix was born, a

that, but I didn't say

and

continued. "The world was filled with darkness, and there were those who sought to destroy their harmony. The dragon and phoenix fought valiantly and became rulers of the realm. Within

world." He paused.

that the Phoenix also drew the line between

throat. Images flashed through my mind, but I

a beautiful story," I

as though there

same. His eyes searched mine. As if the details didn't quite add up. As

I smiled at him

as though I'm not the

out? The water will

furnace, but I nodded and let him help me out of the bath. We dressed for bed and headed towards our sleeping chambers A sense of peace washed over me when Tsuneo's arm wrapped around me, his body was a comforting presence in the

while later, I felt him shift, His fingers gently tracing patterns on

murmured, his

snuggling closer to him. "I am." I replied, my voice barely a whisper. "But you're restless... What's

hesitated. "I could say the same of

you if you tell

rumble went through him. I don't want

misunderstand anything if I don't know

He chuckled."true"

heart shaded to race under my palm. If you're not ready to talk about it, we don't have to talk about