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

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

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

rose 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 frowned.

chuckled. "If you overthink the stories, they cease to be enjoyable... don't

I shrugged. "Go on.

origin or creation myths. It always seemed so

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 and the versions I kamu" When wrote the records

realm was a place

a place of fantasy.

CHET

yearned for companionship. In answer to his plea, a phoenix was born, a creature of light and

that, but

dragon and phoenix

of balance and harmony. Together, they brought order to the world, their love a beacon in the darkness. 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

world." He paused.

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

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

a beautiful story," I

as though

searched mine. As if the details

I smiled at him

though I'm not the only one who's overthinking

shall we get out? The water

doubted 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?

His fingers gently tracing patterns

his

in agreement, snuggling closer to him. "I am." I replied,

"I could say the

smiled. "I'll tell you if you tell me

him. I don't

misunderstand anything if I

He chuckled."true"

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