The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride


    CH131


    87%1


    Tsuneo


    As I headed back to the main part of the pce, the weight of Tarofu’s words lingered in my mind. It wasn’t surprising that he felt that way. I could feel how painful the thought was for him. Being without Pyra for all this time, dormant at the back of my mind or however this worked, had been nothing short of torture. Their love was the basis for why my father had barely been holding on to life after my mother had died. It was why finding your phoenix was so important in the first ce. To think that the other rulers of the Celestial Compass had been enemies before was something new. I walked to stand in front of the tapestry that detailed the history of the celestial realm and its rtionship with the human realm.


    I’d seen it a hundred times before, yet I had never suspected that there was so much more to the tapestry’s story, or that there was such a lie in it. From the anxiousness I felt from Tarofu, it was clear that there was a good chance that the issues that gued the Compass still would.


    If they hade for Pyra once, they would surelye again–and this time, the stakes were higher. Morgan was wrapped in this, and with the veil still up…


    I frowned at that. The veil?


    It won’te down.


    The queen used to be able to manipte it.


    Of course, but your Morgan and my Pyra are not in <b>a </b>state to do <b>so</b><b>. </b>


    My eyes widened. What does that even mean?


    He chuckled. Let’s talk about it further after you have consummated your marriage, hm?


    My face heated and I scowled, turning my mind away from the veil. I followed the colors in the tapestry until my eyesnded on the swirling darkness at the bottom of the tapestry. The power that


    in pool, the ck dragon’s essence, was going to be a problem. Was there a better way to hide


    it?


    They likely still wanted to control. The pce was so unstable at the moment, that there was a good chance <b>that </b>they already had a n to get to it.


    I felt unprepared, and I had no idea how to best start preparing to weed out the rest of the traitors. in the pce.


    CH131


    87%1


    When I reached the courtyard, I saw Morgan waiting for me, her arms <b>crossed</b>, the hint of a smile


    at her lips as she looked at me with a bit of curiosity and concern. I could tell that she


    had


    thing on her mind, that she was turning over some problem in her mind. I was tempted


    to ask what, but as she smiled at me, I pushed the thought away.


    “How has your day been going?” she asked, tilting her head.


    I exhaled and ran a hand through my hair. “It’s been… enlightening. There’s a hidden chamber, an old ce that belonged to Tarofu. It holds the ck dragon’s power–an ocean disguised as a puddle.


    Her smile faltered slightly, her brow furrowing. “A puddle?”


    “Yes.”


    She chuckled. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    “What’s so funny?”


    “It’s just… There’s a saying about dragons rising out of puddles, so…” She shook her head. “So how <b>do </b>you keep people from essing it who aren’t supposed to? Does anyone else know it’s there?”


    “Tarofu made it clear that thest war was partly over Pyra and partly over power–this power<b>.</b>”


    Morgan walked closer, her fingers brushing against my arm as she stood beside me. “Then we’ll do whatever it takes to keep it hidden… There’s no chance you can absorb it or something can you?


    I chuckled. “It came to mind, but he’s not saying anything about it… I’m going to assume that it’s


    ast resort.”


    <b>She </b>shuddered. “I don’t even want to know what he could possibly need an ocean worth of power


    to do.”


    “Me either.”


    We stood together for <b>a </b>moment, sharing the quiet before the storm that we both knew was <bing</b>.


    “I just wish… I began, pausing as <b>I </b>considered my words. “I wish I understood the true nature of what we’re up against. Tarofu… isn’t giving many details, and I know there’s more he’s not telling


    me.”


    Morgan squeezed my arm gently, her voice soft but steady, “Maybe he’s trying to give us time to be young, together… before dropping the realm on us.”


    白气:87%會


    CH131


    I smiled, at the thought. “Maybe.”


    A warm silence passed between us before I nced back toward the pce.


    “How about a <b>snack </b>or something? I need a break before we get back into everything.”


    She nodded, her smile returning. “That sounds perfect.”


    As we made our way inside, I couldn’t help but nce back down the hallway I hade through. It <b>was </b>now <b>a </b>wall, meaning the pce had bent to send me there and bring me to the garden. That was a smallfort, but something told me that it wouldn’t be enough to rely on that.


    I took a deep breath. “What were you doing in the gardens? I was sure you had… meetings or something.”


    Sheughed. “Are you asking me if I’m cking off? Iughed at that. “I finished up, and I wanted a breather. I needed some space to think and talk with Pyra. The gardens just happen to be quiet.”


    “Well, we shoulde back. I could use the quiet, too.”


    Morgan and I made our way through the pce corridors. I found a small group of staff who seemed thrilled to set us up with tea in the main gardens. It was one of the few ces that remained untouched by the chaos of the past years. The air was cool, crisp with the scent of blooming flowers, and the gentle hum of bees filled the space around us. It felt like the perfect ce to escape, even if just for a short while.


    The table was already set beneath the shade of a grand <b>oak </b><b>tree </b>when we got there. They’d set out a simple but elegant tea set and snacks–nothing too extravagant, which was just what we needed. A light breeze tugged at the tablecloth, making the silverware gleam in the midday sun. I pulled out Morgan’s chair for her, and she gave me a yful grin as <b>she </b>sat down.


    “You know, it’s kind of nice having you be so chivalrous all the time,” she teased, her tone light. “I never thought I’d like it much.”


    I smirked, taking my seat across from <b>her</b>. “Consider it the least you’re due for bringing <b>such </b>light


    <b>into </b><b>my </b>life.”


    Her cheeks turned pink for a moment, and I smiled. Charmed at the sight. Tarofu stirred at the <b>back </b>of my mind, and I could almost see Pyra’s light flickering in her eyes.


    <b>She </b>leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table as her <b>eyes </b>sparkled with amusement.


    Do you n to talk like this all the time, or is <b>that </b>Tarofu?”


    CH131


    I snorted.


    Think Tarofu is a bit more dramatic actually.” I smirked. “A poet, through and through. Me? Not so much. I struggled with learning the great poems.”


    “Not the greatest student, eh?”