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

Elders with a question in his

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

"We cannot host the Convening without him. Preparing for it is a matter of having and executing the plan, which should be mostly oversight for him if the Elders and the Crown Prince are doing their jobs properly." I cocked an eyebrow. Are you telling me that you don't plan to pull your weight

They sputtered.

voice filled with a mixture of disapproval and condescension. "You lack the

never experienced

""That's beside the point.

for hosting the event and leaning on his heir and his Council for the preparations unless you are admitting that you are not up to the task." They flushed and Hayato smiled, his

You have not been married for long. You have a duty

fists, my anger rising. "My wife will be fine," I replied,

firm. "She is strong, she is resilient. And if the Elders had not allowed the monitoring of trade to become so lax, taking kickbacks or whatever else you've done, she would

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

is still unconscious correct?" One of the Elders

for healing," I said. "She

"Son."

I looked at him.

""Is she?"

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CH99

his gaze. "But you need rest. You have lost two children in to my hand and another to

the scales on his neck and worked my jaw. The golden

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

that. "I would know your mind

exhausted," I said. "And things... will change

frowned at that.

better, father. "I am your Crown Prince, aren't I? I am more than capable of

but

"Okay.

"Your Majesty-

son's 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 future of the kingdom is more

and pat my shoulder. "I will