The Dragon King's Substitute Bride (Morgan and Tsuneo)
Chapter 118

CH118 Morgan

Haruka walked me through the coding on the books, they were all financial records that she'd kept and annotate. They'd help me figure out the castle's budget and help Tsuneo manage things. I could tell that she was relieved that she didn't have to teach me accounting from the basics and she could hand it off to me, assured that I knew what I was doing.

We were all excited about planning their trip. Hayato and Tsuneo were off getting Keiji's body still, but the four of us darted around the castle getting the trip together.

"I've sent word ahead to prepare the cottage, Maya said. "It should be ready by the time you arrive."

"So quick?"

"When the bells chimed and you showed up at breakfast, word got out quickly."

She chuckled. "I can only imagine the confusion having the bells ring twice so close together..

By the time lunch came, all the preparations had been made and Haruka looked like she was walking on air. We sat down to eat with the entire royal family again. Anya and Maya joined us as well.

When lunch was over, Tsuneo, Maya, Anya, Kai and I walked Hayato and Haruka to where the queen's carriage was waiting for them. Hayato's jaw dropped.

But-

The Crown Princess commands it dear," Haruka said tugging him toward the carriage. "Are you eally going to deny your best daughter?"

Haruka," he said, chiding her, even as he smiled. He turned back to look at us.

Tsuneo... you're sure?"

promise not to kill anyone else while your gone, Tsuneo said.

aruka snickered and Hayato shook his head before nodding. They climbed in and we stayed there aving them off.

the carriage carrying Haruka and Hayato disappeared down the winding path toward the

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Enchanted Forest, I exhaled a slow breath. The sun was high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the land. The guards that went with them followed the carriage and Tsuneo squeezed me close, "Thank you," he said. "Knowing my mother..."

"It really wasn't hard," I said and leaned into his side.

Turning to him, I gently touched his arm, pulling his attention away from the sight of the disappearing carriage.

"We need to talk," I said quietly, though I could already see in his eyes that he knew what was coming. "About Tarofu and Pyra."

He raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting from relaxed to focused. "I've been thinking about it too," he admitted. "We haven't had a chance to address the body-sharing situation with them... or each other."

I nodded. I was weird to think about, but there was nothing to be done about it. We might be them in an abstract sense, but we were still ourselves, too. The lines between our identities might start to blur, but I wasn't sure what that would look like and if it would be a good idea with the Convening of the Celestial Compass coming up. I shuddered as the battle flashed through my mind again. The thought of it turning into that again sent a ripple of fear and unease through

1. me.

"Let's go," I said, taking his hand.

We headed to my office, the office of the Crown Princess. It was nice that I had one and wouldn't have to use the one meant for the queen now that Haruka was here.

Has

my mother said anything about the veil?"

shook my head. "We haven't talked about it at all.

le nodded, running his hand through his hair.

After you told me about Siora, he's been quiet. Eerily quiet."

Pyra, too," I said. "It's been odd, but... my real concern is about what's happening."

Meaning?"

The more time that passes, the more I think we might end up blending with them. I can feel it- yra's emotions, her memories are starting to blend with mine... and all the other past lives, too."

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CH118

He frowned. "Blend, you said?"

I nodded. "I don't think she meant for me to know about Siora, but it didn't feel like she could help it either."

He nodded. "When you said her name, I had a flash of grief and anr. I saw something, but het pulled it back before I could make sense of it." Tsuneo shook his head. "And he hasn't said a thing since. He says that we are the black dragon, but I'm not sure how long it'll be a we before it feels like an 1."

He shook his head and started to pace. "It would be nice to know, one way or the other if we'll be the ones who persist or we end up swallowed up in their personalities."

"Well, that's definitely not going to happen to me, I said, almost teasing. "Pyra and I don't see eye to eye on most things."

He chuckled. "I suppose that would help."

I tilted my head. "You and Tarofu... get along, hm?"

He nodded, then smiled wryly. "He's intrigued by you."

"Me."

He nodded. "You're so different from Pyra, and yet you are a true phoenix. He's curious... And I think he's a bit excited by the prospect of meeting his wife and falling for her all over again." He sank into a seat. "He's really in love... Probably why we seem to be getting along so much." My face heated, but I couldn't help but smile. Flattered and a little flustered by the warm look on

his face.

"So... about the Convening." He chuckled and sat beside me, taking my hand again. "What do you know about it?"

"It went badly last time, and that's when the realms started to become out of balance," Tsuneo said. "I don't have the details, I just know that it laid the foundation for the way we are right now."

I nodded. "The tiger I saw in the vision..."

L

He nodded. "The kingdom of celestial tigers are the ones who sent the message. The last one was held in their land." He sighed. "I'm still unsure of what made them want to start the Convening up again." "Compass implies four, so where are the other two?

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CH118

"The phoenix and the dragon are never separated, he said, catching one of my curls between his fingers and playing with it. He looked at me. For that reason, we control so much territory." "You mean Pyra has her own kingdom?"

"Of course," Tsuneo said, gesturing to the palace. "This is her palace.

I frowned. "But this is the dragon's palace."

"The dragon and the phoenix are never separated," he said again. "Tarofu says that all he owns is his wife's... as he would have no interest or use for it without her."

A rush of warmth tumbled through me from the back of my mind. I-squeezed Tsuneo's hand.

Tsuneo's expression softened and traced soft circles on the back of my hand.

"I think she replaces it lovely... but that had to have caused problems?"

"Only because the tigers and turtles hate each other." He shook his head. "There was... a disagreement about who Pyra should be with."

Just when I thought things couldn't get more dramatic there was a love triangle at the heart of all of this? A square?

"Are they both men?"

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