The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 87

CH87

Hayato

The days turned into nights, and the nights into days. I watched over Tsuneo, heart aching with every passing moment. The palace hadn't allowed me to go back to the garden, so I could only hope that was a good sign.

But how much longer did I have?

The sedatives were wearing off. Doctor Shang had to administer them every hour now, and they were looking to stop being effective at all soon. Tsuneo would wake, and I had no answers for him.

My eyes ached from lack of sleep, my body heavy with exhaustion. But I refused to rest. I paced back and forth, my mind racing, searching for a solution.

Whoever had sold the poison had vanished into thin air, but I made it a point to locate anyone who might have possession of its ingredients and the finished form and ban the sale of it in the kingdom. The palace was in chaos. The kingdom had been thrust back into a state of terror, the same terror that had plagued us for the years Tsuneo was unconscious but worse. The nobles were squabbling, the people were restless.

I turned to Doctor Shang.

"Is there anything else we can do?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

He shook his head, he looked just as tired as I was. Resigned and utterly hopeless.

"The sedative is the best we have," she replied, her voice barely a whisper. "But it won't last much.

longer."

"How much longer do we have?"

"Hours, perhaps..."

A wave of despair washed over me. Would that be enough time?

My heart ached. "By the heavens and waters... will it never end?"

Majesty," he

motion."

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eye, rolling down my cheek. I had failed him, I had failed

want you to start making preparations to evacuate the palace. No one but the guards, the Knights, trained members of the Imperial forces is to remain." I looked over at him. don't

could. He could also wake and kill us all... I am a prudent king of nothing else. Go. Have the

He nodded and left.

grow more aware slowly. He wasn't waking up just

over me.

that you love her! I know that your heart and soul cry out for her. She is in the arms of the phoenixes in the hidden spaces of the palace. I... I have no way of getting to her. I have no update to give you, but if you feel her. If you feel her presence even remotely, I need you to hold onto that, to anchor yourself in that

know you've also feared that I would simply slip away into death after your mother. That is not the case, son. I have anchored myself and went little I could feel of her presence, and I've held out

to be my heir. I need you to

a frantic knock sounded

"Come in," I said.

burst into the room, his face pale

when

I

Majesty," he gasped, his voice barely a whisper. "We

heart pounded in my chest. A

it from?" I demanded, my voice filled with a

messenger hesitated, his eyes darting nervously from side to side. "From the Kingdom of Danta,

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My eyes

was the kingdom of the tigers, led by the line of the white tigers. We had been at war with them on and off for centuries. I thought that when my wife was declared dead and my air comatose, they would have attacked, but they didn't. I suppose they were just lying in wait

does it

handed me a scroll, his hands trembling slightly. I unrolled it, my eyes scanning the words. As I read, a wave