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

you know the legend of the first dragon and phoenix?"

shook my head. "Not a story that's made it all these

beginning, there was only chaos. A void filled with darkness and despair. And then, from that void, rose the first dragon, a creature of immense power and beauty. But with great power came great loneliness, and so the dragon

chuckled. "If you overthink the stories, they cease to

I shrugged. "Go on.

had never been one for origin or

was told as a child, the things our records say. These and the versions I kamu" When wrote the records was my first thought. But then hardly mattered. He was

realm was a place

a place of fantasy.

CHET

dragon, alone in a world of chaos, yearned for companionship. In

that, but I didn't say

dragon and

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 the next. the Phoenix drew

world." He paused.

drew the line between the human and the supernatural world. When humans

a lump form in my throat. Images flashed through my mind, but I

a beautiful story,"

feels as though there

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

I smiled at him

as though I'm not the

out?

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

felt him shift, His fingers

his voice low and

in agreement, snuggling closer to him. "I am." I replied, my voice barely a whisper. "But you're

could say the same

"I'll tell you

low rumble went through him. I

I cant misunderstand anything if I don't know

He chuckled."true"

about it. I know you're hiding something from me and it clearly distresses you... I