Chained to old wounds

CH63

Ari

Fury raged in me. Tsuneo had the mudacity to put me on the spot like that? It didn’t matter that Kai was not his child, he should for him! We had been in love before that human showed up.

I still take responsibility

“How could you ask that?” I asked, glaring at him. “You’re just saying that because of that human wench! We were intimate before your so–called coma. You may not remember it, but I do! This child carries your blood, Tsunco. It is undeniable.”

I Tsuneo looked outright relieved, and it burned me. Tsuneo’s injuries had made it impossible to do much of anything. Even if I had wanted to, there had never been any time to do so. He’d been covered in bandages from head to toe. It had only been after Kai was born that he had looked like his old self, and by then, Dr. Shang had placed guards on his room at all hours.

The Elders exchanged uneasy glances. I could see the doubt in their eyes, a challenge I was prepared to meet.

He didn’t have to be Tsuneo’s child. He just had to be related to him on his father’s side, and he was.

“You want to keep denying, keep pretending like you don’t remember? Fine. Let’s have a lineage test, I demanded, my voice steady despite the turmoil within. “Let the truth be revealed, but when it is proven, I demand what is rightfully mine. You will marry me.”

“A lineage test it will be then,” he turned, and I set my jaw,

He didn’t even look worried or shaken about it. Did he really think I would have started this if I wasn’t certain?

I looked at the king. “Are you really going to wait until morning to get to the bottom of this?”

“Yes,” he said calmly. The child has had much excitement tonight. It would be best to allow him an evening of peace.”

“Well, I don’t feel like staying, I-

Guards,” the king said, walking away from me. “Have her confined to her rooms until tomorrow morning”

w either arms.

They swarmed, grabbing me by

“You cannot do this to me!” I screamed, struggling against them “He is my sons! I have the right to–”

1

“The moment you purported him to be Tsuneo’s child, he became the son of the crown prince,” the king said coldly. “You are neither married nor courting Tsuneo, Arl Be silent and reflec

your actions until morning.”

He walked away from me as the guards dragged me out. The last thing I saw was Tsuneo heading toward where that human woman and my son sat with platters of food between them.

It should be me there. We should have been dancing in front of all these people. I should be wearing the crown. It should have always been me. I had endured so much, sacrificed so much, for that moment. And now, it was within my grasp.

She was going to pay for this, one way or another.

Tsuneo

I headed to join Morgan, but my father stopped me.

“Come with me,” he said. “We need to speak for a moment.”

1 nodded and followed him towards the doors leading to the garden. I needed air, a moment to collect my thoughts.

He sighed loudly, stepping into the moonlight. The cool night air washed around us.

What a dilemu… I said nothing. It’s almost as if by solving one issue, we have created many more.”

I nodded

“You nie certain that you have never been intimate with Ari?“

CH63

“Not

while conscious,” I grit out.

“You understand that if he is of the lineage, a great number of things will change?” he said, his voice low and measured. They’ll say Lady Morgan must be returned to her realm. That her presence here is no longer warranted.”

My skin crawled. The dragon in me wanted to rip through and roar, to demand the truth out of Ari, to murder the Elders for the threat, but I could not. The weight of the kingdom seemed to rest on my shoulders in a way it had never had before. What was Ari thinking?

She had only ever been a little sister to me when she was at her best. By the time I regained consciousness, her visits had been shorter, monitored to keep the secret.

My blood ran cold. “With all due respect… it was their and your decision to bring her here… Even if he is of the lineage, that doesn’t mean Ari has a connection with the veil.”

He chuckled. “I am not worried about that. I only wanted to prime you so you don’t fly

don’t fly off the handle tomorrow when it’s said.”

He sighed. “Your wife is a kind and trusting soul. Cunning, too. She likely sees through this just as you do, perhaps more. As I recall, her ancestor was quite crafty… She reminds me of your mother.”

I looked at him, noting the wistful smile on his face.

Though, it will be nice to have a child’s laughter around again… you and your brothers and sisters grew up too quickly.”

I chuckled at that. “You always say that…

“Do you think you’re calm enough now to rejoin the festivities?”

I nodded.

1, eager to go back inside. We headed back in, and I slowly weaved my way toward where Morgan and the child had settled.

Ari had always been one for manipulation. The child was definitely hers, but her endgame was still strange to me. If she…

If she felt something for me, I had no idea where she would have gotten those feelings from. It seemed the most logical, but I hesitated, a flicker of doubt niggling at the back of my mind.

A crush was

but smile too.

e thing, but she seemed obsessed, I wasn’t looking forward to the next day, but when I saw Morgan smiling at the child, I couldn’t help

dup at me warily, watching me

He looked up

“It’s okay,” Morgan said. “He only looks scary.”

I cracked a smile. “Especially when I’m hungry.”

I looked across the table, spotting the duck. “The duck is very good.”

His eyes lit up. Is it? Lady Morgan, got it from the table.”

“I’m glad shes making you comfortable,” I said. “Why don’t

you tell me about yourself?”

He flushed and dropped his eyes. “Tm… five years old. I’ve never been to the palace before… I’m a little nervous.”

“There’s no need to be,” I said. “You’re perfectly safe.”

I reached mat to pet his head. “You’re in good company.”

He snuled. His eyes filled with relief. My heart ached for him, a wave of protectiveness washing over me. This child, innocent and vulnerable, had been thrust into this nonsense because of Aris games.

As he ate, I talked to him about the palace, about the lineage of the imperial family and the nature of the banquet. Morgan told him about the human world. There was something about her expression that told me she was scheming. It stirred something in me. I wanted to ask. I was dying to know, but ske plavril her hard on mine and squeezed as if to tell me to be patient.