CH94
gs Substitute Bride
Tsuneo
I opened my eyes to the side of the gardens. I looked down into the pool and saw Morgan there and stood. She would be there for quite some time, and we had things to do to be prepared for her arrival. Her ascension, her rebirth. A giddy sort of feeling took over me. I turned to leave the gardens. As I walked through the palace, my mind raced with thoughts of the fure. The events of the past few days had left me reeling, my emotions a tangled mess of fury and anxiety.
She will be fine. Tarofu, as he called himself, said from the back of my mind. Go find Hayato.
It was drawn to hear my father’s name.
wned. How did you know that?
ghed. This is our palace. It will tell us where anyone we to find within its walls is.
That was handy. But once upon a time, I was pretty sure that the palace was essentially the entire
capital city.
That will be true again as soon as we restored. Hurried along. I’d like to get started soon.
I passed the area where Morgan had been poisoned. I remembered losing control. I remember. ripping Keiji’s sister in half and I didn’t regret it.
Don’t. She’ll be fine.
Part of me wondered if he said that about every celestial who had simply sustained physical
injuries.
As I approached my father’s study, I read it myself for what I had to say. It was going to be so odd telling my father to convene a council of Elders, to hold trial, especially now.
I knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
I entered and saw him at his desk. He looked up and seemed relieved to see me, then cautious. He must have seen something about me had changed. But then I noticed that he wasn’t exactly looking his usual self either.
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“Father,” I called out, my voice barely a whisper. “You look exhausted…”
He chuckled, rubbing his forehead. “I suppose it didn’t compute earlier. It has been a rough few days with you unconscious, but I’m. fine. Preparing for the elders to convene. What’s on your
mind?”
I took a seat and leaned on my knees. “Several things, and I want you to hear me out on a few that you will probably not agree with.”
He nodded.
“First. I’m sorry for killing your daughter.”
“She’s not dead.”
I blinked. “Doctor Shang?”
“Partially, yes. She’s still unconscious… Though I understand why you apologized. And also, while you aren’t actually sorry.”
I grinned at that. “You know me so well, Father. Hopefully, she’ll learn to steer clear of my wife…. Secondly, I’d like you to take a break to actually recover from all this. I know the Convening of the is coming up, but you need to rest for that… and I have changes that need to be
made to the palace.”
Celestial Compa
He blinked. He opened his mouth, then he frowned and narrowed his eyes before sitting back. “Go
on.”
Ari’s formal trial.”
Yes, that needs to happen, but she’s disappeared.”
No. She’s actually in an underground prison cell. She’s been down there since the day Morgan as poisoned.”
le blinked. “How can you possibly know that?”
just should vaguely to the walls. “The palace.”
e nodded. “Of course… that makes sense… Well, the elders are gathering, so we might as well do today.”
ireat. After that, you will go take a small vacation…”
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“And you’re going to run the palace?” He cocked an eyebrow at me. “What’s happened to make you change your mood so much? Before, you were avoiding this at all costs.”
I smiled. “I have no more fear about you suddenly disappearing.”
I stood and turned to the door. “Your phoenix will return to you soon. I will head to the meeting
hall.”
If my father said something, I didn’t catch it, but I had full confidence that he would do as I asked. I wasn’t sure what Tarofu was planning with Ari, but it hardly mattered.
Now, go find this girl. A shrouded young woman flashed through my mind. Then, a much younger girl appeared.
“Anya?” I frowned. I turned, heading to find her. Why would Tarofu want me to find Anya? The palace’s corridors bent and shrunk until I was in the servants quarters area. I didn’t know how I knew exactly which room was on this, but I did. As I reached the door, a vision rushed through my mind that fully explained exactly why Anya covered herself from head to toe.
I set my jaw and knocked gently. A moment later, the door creaked open. Anya stood there, her eyes wide with surprise between the slits of her veil.
She bowed her head. “Your Highness, an honor. What brings you to my door?”
“May I come in? It might be a touchy subject.”
She nodded and stepped aside, allowing me into her small quarters. It burned me. Anya was the illegitimate child of a noble and she had been sent to the palace to work here because her father didn’t want her at home with his new wife. As I recall, she had an engagement planned a young nobleman in the kingdom, but it was cut off right around the time that Ari attacked her. At the very least, she should have been living in a better room. She shouldn’t have been doing hard labor at all. She shouldn’t have been serving Ari at all. But I had to hold back my anger about that for now. She closed the door behind me.
“How can I be of assistance, Your Highness?”
“I want you to testify against Ari.”
She went still. “I apologize, Your Highness, I-”
“What was his name?”
“What?”
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“The nobleman you were meant to marry. What was his name?”
She looke
away. “Asura…” She looked out the small window the way birds looked out their cages. He’s the son of a noble to the South. He was married several years ago. Lady Ari was furious.”
“I remember, and I remember that you started to wear your veil around that time… I know what she did to you.”
She rubbed her arm as if hurt, it probably did.
Anya’s eyes filled with tears. “I can’t,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “S–She’ll kill me.”
“She won’t get a chance to.”
“Can you swear that to me?” She asked, lifting her gaze. “Can you swear to me that I’ll be safe when I was here, when it happened? I know that Lady Morgan is very kind, but with Lord Kai and everything going on, her position is tentative. His Majesty’s benevolence is never–ending, even for those who don’t deserve it.” Her breath hitched.” He would just confine her to her rooms.
Everyone will forget. But she won’t, and she’ll be after me.”
I felt Tarofu step forward in my mind. I crossed the room and kneeled, but it wasn’t me who
spoke.
“I swear to you, Anya of the Southern Pass,” her eyes widened. “That you are safe. And she has much darker things
in her future for daring to abuse you and every other servant she has
harmed.”
Her gaze met mine, and I saw no doubt there. Shock, fear, and hope–but not a single glint of
doubt.
okay.”
