The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 99

CH99

Tarofu

The Elders looked terrified. I almost laughed.

Good. It was better to have them running scared. It was only a matter of time before Keiji rose

again.

What? Tsuneo roared from the back of my mind.

You have much to learn about being a celestial.

"The Convening won't take place for several weeks.

"How can you be so sure of that?" An Elder asked, his nose wrinkled. "You have no idea when they will arrive."

Jilted my head looking at him. "I suppose neither do you."

He flushed.

"The turtles will travel by ocean from their island, but their travel across land will be slow. The tigers move quickly in bursts, but they will require frequent stops and they are much further away. There is a mountain range between us after all. With the size of the caravans they will come with- guards, nobles, women, servants-it will take several weeks from the time they leave."

They stammered and I pointed to the ceiling. "And the Alignment always falls on the first day of the Convening. It is several weeks out."

Hayato frowned, then he lifted his head, leading the Elders to lift their heads to the giant star compass in the ceiling. They had likely never noticed that it was more like a clock because they weren't keeping track of things as needed. They all looked back at me and I smiled.

"Should I go on?" I asked. "Or you need me to explain how it works?"

Hayato smiled. "Your proposition, Tsuneo?"

"You should take a break."

My father looked at me, his eyes filled with surprise. "A break?"

"Yes, a long, restful break. I smirked. "You need rest. I can handle the preparations."

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CH99

Hayato's eve

at the Elders with

Prince Tsuneo, while I'm sure the king welcomes your concern, we cannot prepare for the Convening without

of having and executing the plan, which should be mostly oversight for him if the Elders

They sputtered.

are too young," one of the Elders said, her voice filled with a mixture of disapproval and condescension. "You lack the

father has never experienced a

""That's beside the point.

I said. "He would be better off resting and preparing for hosting the event and leaning on his heir and his Council for the

been married for long. You have a duty there that should come first. An

clenched my fists, my anger rising. "My

"She is strong, she is resilient. And if the Elders had not allowed the monitoring of trade to become so lax, taking

shirked back. There was no guilt in their eyes but fear. They didn't care what happened to

One of the Elders insisted.

no talent for healing," I said. "She is

"Son."

I looked at him.

""Is she?"

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CH99

Morgan has more than a spark. She will wake soon I leaned toward him, meeting his gaze. "But you need rest. You have lost two children in to my hand and another to her own greed. You have born the brunt of all of this for years, father. The Convening will be stressful

I glanced toward the scales on his neck and worked my jaw.

at least?" Hayato hesitated. "I promise not to kill any of them... Or

at that. "I would know your mind about this.

exhausted," I said. "And

frowned at that.

am your Crown Prince, aren't I? I am more than capable of leading this meeting. I am more than capable of

clearly against it, but Hayato's

"Okay.

"Your Majesty-

wisdom is irrefutable," he said. "He will have his own part to play in the Convening, and if I cannot trust my heir with... planning a meeting, then the

will check in