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

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

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 yearned for a companion." I frowned. "How could a void of nothing know what darkness is?

stories, they cease to be

I shrugged. "Go on.

for origin or creation myths. It

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"

realm was a place

a place of fantasy.

CHET

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

at that, but

dragon and

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.

world." He paused.

also drew the line between the human and the

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

a beautiful story," I

feels as though there is

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

I smiled at him

though I'm not the only

get out?

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

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

murmured, his

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

"I could say the same

tell you

him. I don't

I cant misunderstand anything if I don't know

He chuckled."true"

ready to talk about it, we don't have to talk about it. I know you're hiding something from me and it clearly distresses you... I had just hoped to