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

legend of the first dragon

story that's made it all these years. Tell

dragon, a creature of immense power and beauty. But with

the stories, they cease to be

I shrugged. "Go on.

for origin or creation

say I have not always had my doubts about the stories, but these are the stories that I was told as a child, the things our records say. These

realm was a place

a place of fantasy.

CHET

of chaos, yearned for companionship. In answer to his plea, a phoenix was

but I didn't say

dragon and

But their union was not without its challenges, Tsuneo 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 the chaos, all the creatures Blocked to them and together they built this world and

world." He paused.

said that the Phoenix also drew the line between the human and the

form in my throat. Images flashed through my mind, but I couldnt make

a beautiful

as though

turned to me with a questioning look." I have always felt the same. His eyes searched mine. As if the details didn't

I smiled at him

not the only one

get out?

it, since he seemed to be like a 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 darkness?

I felt him shift, His fingers gently tracing patterns on

murmured, his voice low

I replied, my voice

could say the same of

"I'll tell you if you

through him.

cant misunderstand anything if I don't know

He chuckled."true"

about it, we don't have to talk about it. I know you're hiding something