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 a question in his

Tsuneo, while I'm sure the king welcomes your

"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."

They sputtered.

Elders said, her voice filled with a mixture

father has never experienced a Convening, either.

""That's beside the point.

off resting and preparing for hosting the event and leaning on his heir and

be focusing on her. You have not been married for long. You have a duty there that should come first.

rising. "My wife will

not allowed the monitoring of trade to become so

They didn't care what happened to Morgan, but they didn't

she is still unconscious correct?" One of the

have no talent for healing," I said.

"Son."

I looked at him.

""Is she?"

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CH99

him, meeting his gaze. "But you need rest. You have lost two children in to my

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

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

that. "I would know your mind

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

at

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

it, but Hayato's eyes seemed to

"Okay.

"Your Majesty-

"He will have his own part to play in the Convening, and if I cannot trust my heir with... planning

and pat my shoulder. "I will check in with you