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Mastery of magic
Last Updated:
2023-05-15 08:36:25Related chapters
The Emperor's Substitute Bride Captivating
"Breathe from the pit of your belly, Princess Nerina. Do not breathe like a dying fish," Daegal instructed while he spun a coin between his fingers. Naomi rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time since they set out on their journey to Rynzonia. Daegal had been trying to teach her the ropes of her magic throughout their flight from Estoria to the outskirts of Lamesh, a small town bordering the towering and sprawling prison of Rynzonia. It was a day and some hours into their journey on foot and the only thing she had learned how to do was set a portion of the forest around them on fire which Daegal had hastily doused with a quick flick of his fingers and a spell that sounded nonsensical to her. Afterward, he sent her a glare that almost set her skin ablaze. "You are not even looking at what I am doing, Prince Daegal," Naomi spat as she tried out his instructions once again. "I do not need to look at you to see that you are failing woefully," Daegal replied, his face forward. Naomi's
Last Updated : 2023-06-08The Emperor's Substitute Bride Journey to Rynzonia
The more he stared at her, the more he thought he was caught in a daze, mesmerized by the aura she let out. Months before, he had observed her beauty as something passing. A mere notice. Something he didn't dwell on. Yet... He couldn't help but marvel at how ethereal she was and for some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Not even when she caught his gaze and held it with her cold, ocean-blue eyes. "My Prince..." Naomi murmured. She wondered why butterflies were fighting a thrilling battle in her belly. She was in love with another...but there was something... A pull that seemed to draw her ever closer to Daegal. Their fingers brushed against each other and Naomi almost flinched from the sparks that shot up her arms. Once again, those words from her dream that seemed to be from another time played in her mind. 'I will burn down the continent before letting anyone harm you.' Naomi's eyes fluttered shut and without thinking of anything else but the feelings blooming in h
Last Updated : 2023-06-08The Emperor's Substitute Bride Infiltration
Rynzonia was a hulking structure that erupted from the peak of a mountain, with large towers that touched the clouds. Naomi gazed at the prison where she and Daegal were supposed to infiltrate. She wiped off the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead. The sweltering heat from both the afternoon sun and the forest behind her only added to her worries. Naomi found herself wishing she was back home in her comfy bed, surrounded by the walls of her fully automated apartment. Yet, here she was, an imposter princess about to go against the emperor of an entire continent so she could break out the sister of the man whom she kissed not too long ago. Oh, the man and his sister just so happened to be the children of said Emperor. 'How has my life become this?' Naomi wondered as she shifted one strap of her travel pack to her other shoulder. "Is there a reason we are staring at Rynzonia from the edge of a cliff? It is very uncomfortable here and I am trying my hardest to not look down beca
Last Updated : 2023-06-16The Emperor's Substitute Bride Cliff!
When Nezetta raised her head, a small gasp escaped Naomi's lips. The once headstrong girl that she knew was gone and replaced with someone that she couldn't recognize."Nezetta..." Naomi stepped in front of Daegal and he moved back slightly to avoid touching her. "Naomi? Is that you?" came Nezetta’s shaky voice. "Fucking hell, what have they done to you?" Naomi gripped the iron bars till her knuckles whitened even further from the strain. "You are here. I am not imagining it?" Nezetta rose to her feet and slowly walked over to Naomi. Tentatively, she touched Naomi's hand and instantly, she released a relieved sigh. "You are here. Oh My... I thought you were never going to show up and—" She paused once her eyes met Daegal’s with the flickering flames in his hands. "Brother, you are present as well," She stated with a blank expression on her face. "Nez... Are you alright? Nothing untoward occurred?" Daegal asked, his brows creased from worry. "Nothing happened. I have been here...
Last Updated : 2023-06-22The Emperor's Substitute Bride A war is coming
"Tell me you knew about this and have come up with some method of escape. Do not tell me that all your silence was for nothing!" Naomi glared at Daegal whilst moving away from the sharp edge of the cliff before her.More silence from Daegal and the howling of the wind was all she heard."Fantastic," She muttered, rolling her eyes."There is supposed to be a bridge here. It was used to bring in prisoners from the west but it got blown away in a heavy storm and I believe they saw no reason to fix it when they could just bring the prisoners in from the south, east, or north," Nezetta chimed in with a shrug of her shoulders."Of course. That is very helpful information at this moment," Naomi responded. Her tone was acerbic as she folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot against the rocky ground.She didn't want to be mean but her irritation had grown exponentially and even when it wasn't Nezetta’s fault but Daegal’s, she found herself transferring the aggression to Nezetta."M
Last Updated : 2023-06-22The Emperor's Substitute Bride The truth is revealed
Naomi stood frozen in place as Daegal’s eyes roamed over her nude figure. The damp cloth she used in drying herself hung limp in her hands. Their eyes clashed in a heated gaze. Not one of them wanted to look away. Until Naomi snapped out of her daze and brought her hand up to cover her breasts. That was when Daegal finally blinked out of his stupor and turned away. "Oh...Princess Nerina. My apologies," He coughed into his palm, glancing everywhere except at her. "It's-it's fine." Naomi shook her head, wondering why she was stuttering in the first place. Why was she flushed? Why wasn't she screaming bloody murder or making an effort to cover the rest of her body? Against his better judgment, Daegal’s eyes returned to her skin which still bore droplets of water. Without giving a single thought to her actions, Naomi's hand fell from her breasts, revealing them to Daegal once more. 'What the hell am I doing?' She chided herself internally but still, she made no move to hide a
Last Updated : 2023-06-23The Emperor's Substitute Bride The return of the princess
"I swear I can explain, Daegal." Naomi wracked her brain for a lie. Anything that would make her not have to admit what she had been hiding from the minute she stepped into the continent. It was too difficult to talk about all that had happened from the beginning. Although Naomi meant to let Daegal know who she was eventually, she couldn't do it as she was yet to find out exactly what Nerina and Chief Topher's motives were. Telling Daegal would put him in danger. Naomi's body trembled that instant when the realization that she couldn't let anything untoward happen to Daegal, crossed her mind. "How did I not notice that I've fallen in love with this man?" She questioned herself, hiking the soft towel higher over her chest. Daegal's face remained stoic as he walked over to her tall wardrobe, pulled the doors open, brought out a floor-length baby blue gown with long sleeves and a high neckline, and threw it at her. She caught it with one hand and raised an eyebrow at him. "Dress.
Last Updated : 2023-08-19The Emperor's Substitute Bride A palace murder
Nerina struggled to hide the discomfort from her face and body as Dreygor made another jarring turn through the skies. 'What the hell was I thinking? Why didn't I fake an illness or something?' Nerina scolded herself as she held on to Daegal. She tried to relax her body to avoid him noticing her fear and tension but he still did. "Naomi? Are you okay?" Daegal spoke up past the howl of the wind around them. Nerina rolled her eyes. When Naomi had free rein over her body, everyone addressed her by her name, Princess Nerina. Now that her body was hers again, she was being called Naomi. Annoyance flooded her entire body but she pushed past it and cleared her throat. "I am fine but my right thigh aches," She complained. "Oh. That is why you are so tense?" Nerina nodded even though he couldn't exactly see her. "Precisely, my Prince," She agreed with his conclusion with no hesitation. 'He can believe what he wants to as long as it's to my benefit,' She decided in her mind. Sudden
Last Updated : 2023-09-16
Latest chapter
The Emperor's Substitute Bride Vows
Naomi smiled sheepishly when Daegal praised her and laid her head against his shoulder. Suddenly, a chief threw a question at Daegal. "What happened to Empress Nerina? Where is she?" Everyone else in attendance nodded in agreement and began to murmur the question too. Naomi's eyes monitored everyone and made her observations about them. When they quieted down, Daegal took his time to explain every single event from the beginning till date with Naomi occasionally chipping in. And when he was done, the entire hall bowed down to Naomi and called her their empress. Naomi wiped the tears that formed under her eye. She didn't think she would garner such a support system from people who did not know her well enough but after Daegal's information, they looked at her and saw her. Her true self. A few days before, Naomi had Delia released from the dungeons and she was also very surprised to see the transformation but also knew that something was fish ever since Nerina started to be very ni
The Emperor's Substitute Bride Resurrection
"Are you just going to stand there gawking?" Naomi asked, her voice hoarse. Daegal was immediately by her side with water.After she took a few sips, she sighed and with Daegal's help, sat up against some pillows. "What? Why are you both staring at me like that?"Daegal only smiled at her in response. Love and adoration shone in his eyes in such a way that made Naomi's heart melt from the display.As he brushed her hair back, Naomi reached up to tuck a strand behind her ear but midway into the motion, she caught the color of her hand.Naomi blinked once. Then blinked again. She shook her head from side to side and looked at her hand again."Daegal? Azriel? Am I dreaming?"Azriel laughed and pinched her calf. Naomi let out a small yelp and glared at him."No, you are not dreaming."Naomi returned her gaze to her hand and then lifted her other hand too. Tears of joy streamed down her face as she took in the rich, cocoa color."Can you get me a mirror, please?" she said to Daegal and pro
The Emperor's Substitute Bride Work of art
Master Faizar's brow furrowed in confusion when he saw the grin on Naomi's face that made her look maniacal and downright terrifying.Naomi didn't know where strength came from or even understand what she was about to do but she just knew it was what she was destined to do.She slowly rose to her feet with her hands clamped over Faizar's. She stared deep into his hazel eyes and uttered the words that struck fear into his heart for the first time in his life."This is your end and my beginning, Faizar."She threw his hands down and then pressed her fingers against his forehead. Her eyes shone a bright white light as she threw her head back and opened the part of her mind where she had locked her dream-walking magic in.Fueled by hate, revenge, and anger, Naomi threw herself into his dark, twisted mind. She didn't pay attention to his screams of anguish but only focused on what she realized she had to do.Her magic rippled across the clearing and beyond but the airtight shield around th
The Emperor's Substitute Bride The war
Naomi could smell the saltiness of the sea way before she even sighted the battleground. A wide, grassy plain extended toward the shore of the sea, and about a mile inland, Babatunde's army awaited. Rocky hills that seemed very familiar to Naomi arose at their back with some of their soldiers standing atop it. Naomi and Daegal stood on top of a wide hill overlooking the plain ahead. Thalia and Azriel were close behind while Kabeer and Ser Tare, clothed in their dark armor, gave the order for their armies to halt below. They obeyed them and arranged themselves into predetermined positions. The threat they faced though... Naomi didn't even need to count before she knew how outnumbered they were. "They took every inch of high ground they could find. We have to stick to the lower levels instead," Azriel hissed. "At least we have air power. That will be our high ground," Naomi said. "Precisely," Daegal agreed. "I think I can fight on horseback, Daegal," Azriel said but Daegal shot h
The Emperor's Substitute Bride Speaking from the heart
After Naomi's rescue from Master Faizar's clutches, Daegal didn't let her out of his sight for a single moment. He always made sure she was within sight and hearing distance and would even enter a panic when she wasn't near.An evening later, while alone in her tent, Naomi had earlier sent for Thalia and she entered when Naomi was poring over a tome. "How is Azriel?" she asked upon noticing Thalia's entrance. "Better now, Empress. He bled quite a lot since the arrow went clean through his shoulder but I and the other healers managed to help.""Will he be able to fight?" Thalia bent her head for a moment then looked up. "Azriel is strong but he will need time to heal."Naomi cocked an eyebrow. "Time to heal? Why have you not used magic to speed it up?" "We tried but something is wrong. The process is painstakingly slow so we have to rely on nature this time."Naomi bit her lip and set aside the book that was on her lap. "Please take care of him. I will come to see him later.""Of c
The Emperor's Substitute Bride Rescue
Nightfall came swiftly. Azriel and Thalia were prepared as they had gone over their plan with Daegal almost a thousand times.They were to sneak through the enemy's camp without drawing attention. Since some might know Azriel, he would stick to the shadows and also wear the helmet and armor that their blacksmiths had created which resembled that of Babatunde's soldiers."Ready, Thalia?" Azriel asked and Thalia nodded in the affirmative.They bid Daegal goodbye and mounted their horses. The ride was silent as they were too focused on their mission to joke or say anything to each other.After thirty to forty minutes of hard riding, they arrived in a thick forest, stopping on a hilltop that overlooked the outskirts of the formidable enemy camp.Master Faizar and Nezetta had used the same kind of spells that Daegal put around their camp to shield it from wandering eyes but thanks to the information that Naomi previously collected from those captured and now dead soldiers, Thalia and Azrie
The Emperor's Substitute Bride Dream walker
"A dream walker?" Naomi echoed as Master Faizar placed the torch in his hand into a bracket. He circled her slowly like she was the prey and he, the predator. He stopped in front of her and ran a hand down her cheek. "Have you never felt the power of going into a person's mind and seeing all their deepest thoughts? Their fears, joys, and sorrows?" Naomi swallowed, her throat stinging from the dryness as she remembered penetrating Azriel and Meriana's minds. Amani's too. "Your eyes give you away, Naomi. So expressive. The magic that you hold is rare, ancient, and terrific. It lies deep within your soul," he said. Naomi scowled. "I don't find anything terrific about it. Sometimes I end up hurting people and other times, no one gets hurt. I don't understand it and I'm not sure I even want to."Master Faizar smiled softly but it did nothing to ease Naomi's worries. She continuously kept trying to access any part of her magic but she couldn't reach it. All she could hope was for Daegal
The Emperor's Substitute Bride Finding Naomi
"Nngh," Naomi groaned as she slowly came to. The last thing she remembered was hugging her parents and...When she fully opened her eyes, there was darkness all around her. She couldn't even see two feet in front of her."Fuck," she swore as she realized that her hands and feet were tied to a pole and as much as she tried to get free by using her magic, it was as if an oily sheen dampened it.'Where am I? Where am I?' Naomi thought to herself as she continued struggling against her binds.Suddenly, a gust of wind blew across her face as something ruffled. A bright light illuminated the space around her as someone stepped through the flaps of the tent.Naomi remained quiet, choosing not to speak but to gauge instead.Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as the figure stalked ever closer to her. Though her heart pounded in her chest, she kept a straight face to hide her terror.Finally, the person shifted the burning torch from his face and his features came into view. He vaguely looked like
The Emperor's Substitute Bride Reunion
Azriel spoke up. "This is them showing their appreciation and undying loyalty to you. Daegal opened their eyes and cleared their doubts."Naomi nodded slowly. "Okay..." Then to those kneeling, she said in a raised voice: "Rise."In seconds, they obeyed her command. Ser Tare gave her a short bow and a heartfelt smile before he returned to his legion. Then she climbed up the podium and whispered some things to Daegal. After a moment, he nodded once. "It is now time for these traitors to face the emperor's justice. Chief Azriel, bring them to me."Six of them were brought up to the platform, still chained. They each had identical haunted looks in their eyes. Naomi cleared her throat before raising her voice. "In light of ours and the creator's mercy, we will give each of you a chance to renounce your allegiance to Chief Topher and Babatunde Alen. Refusal to do so means you acquiesce to your execution."Some of the captured soldiers began to ask for mercy. However, Naomi cast them all
