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Plot twist

Author: Khaluchi
last update Last Updated: 2023-12-15 07:12:57
"You love me?" Naomi repeated slowly, still tingling from their mind-numbing escapade.

Naomi yelped as Daegal grabbed and pulled her on top of him. When they were flush against each other, she lifted herself a bit and began tracing patterns on his broad chest with her fingers.

Daegal pushed her raven-black hair away from her face and gazed into her eyes. "Of course, I do." He paused and then continued after a heartbeat. "You are as lovely as the day I lost you... I never want to lose you again, Naomi. Ever."

"You won't." Naomi placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "I promise." A moment later, she spoke again. "This is the first time, you know?"

"What is?" Daegal questioned, brows knitted together.

Biting her lips, Naomi murmured, "It's the first time you're telling me that you love me."

Daegal chuckled and sat up, back against the headboard. Naomi adjusted herself and straddled him. "It is not. But the time that I did, you were not..." He looked her over. "... You."

"Damn. She got
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  • The Emperor's Substitute Bride   Unrelenting fog

    "N-no," Naomi moaned through the cloud of sleep she was nestled in. Sweat beaded on her brow; eyes moving rapidly under the cover of her eyelids as her breathing sped up. "S-stop... I'm sorry... Please," She murmured, hands fisted as if fighting an invisible enemy. The next instant, however, Naomi jolted from the bed, chest heaving. In a panic, she looked to her right and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Daegal was there, asleep. His breath was even, coming out in small puffs while the moon illuminated his long lashes, straight nose, high cheekbones, and full, sensuous lips. Slowly, she traced the sharp angles of his jaw with a featherlight touch and let out a small smile when she felt him lean into her touch even in his slumber. But suddenly, Naomi's stomach churned as nausea overwhelmed her senses, ripping her moment of admiration away. She scrambled out of bed with a hand over her mouth and hurried to the empty wash basin on the table a few inches away from th

    Last Updated : 2023-12-23

  • The Emperor's Substitute Bride   Drawing her out

    Naomi didn't say anything for a while and only nuzzled closer to Daegal's warm body as if she wanted to enter his skin. Daegal, however, welcomed the contact. He quickly found out that he needed the closeness even more than Naomi did. Daegal almost thought she had fallen asleep until she spoke. "I can't make sense of it... I mean, I have been trying but it's all so..." "Vague?" Daegal suggested. "Exactly." Naomi nodded in agreement. "I haven't dreamt in quite a while so this took me by surprise. I can't decipher the elements I saw. I can't...see a connection," She explained. Daegal hummed. "If you can, please tell me anything you can remember. I might be able to help you connect the dots," he said. Naomi tucked a strand of her behind her ear and started drawing circles on Daegal's bare chest. "There was death... Everywhere. It hung over me like a cloud. Also, it was hot, unbearably so. I don't know where I was but bodies were piled up around me." She paused for a second then c

    Last Updated : 2023-12-23

  • The Emperor's Substitute Bride   Aelyna

    “Absolutely not, Daegal.” Naomi crossed her arms under her breasts. “It is just a trial. I will be there and nothing bad will happen. There is no reason for you to be scared, love.” Scoffing, Naomi shook her head and planted her feet into the stable grounds. “I’m not going anymore. I thought I was ready but now I realize I was being impulsive. It’s a literal dragon! I can’t stop thinking about how Dreygor tried to eat me on more than one occasion.” Turning his head away from Naomi, Daegal snickered into his palms. Then he cleared his throat and faced her again. “I am right here with you, just as I promised. Hey, look at me, love.” He tipped up her chin with his thumb and index finger. “I am certain that the last dragon is meant for you. You are strong, resilient, and perhaps the kindest person I know. You have so much love inside of you and those are the qualities you need to bond with her.” Naomi bit her lips, brows knitted in thought. “I don’t know…” Daegal kissed her forehead

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  • The Emperor's Substitute Bride   Child of fire

    His encouragement spurred Naomi and she took off the glove on her right hand and held it up to the dragon. Then she decided on a name in the heat of the moment. “Aelyna!” Naomi took more steps to the dragon who watched her with shrewd eyes. The she-dragon’s breath puffed out from her nostrils like steam. “Disce,” she said, repeating what she had heard Daegal say to Dreygor the first time she came to the arena. Aelyna bared her long, sharp teeth at Naomi and leaned her head forward, interest piqued by the human without dragon’s blood in her veins trying to stake a claim. Naomi cleared her throat and to every supernatural being out there, she prayed that Nerina’s singing voice wasn’t horrible. She closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and began to belt a slow song that her father always sang to her whenever she was nervous or terrified about something. The song always calmed her down and Naomi hoped that it would have the same effect on Aelyna. When she whispered the last verse of the

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  • The Emperor's Substitute Bride   Dragon speech

    “Is it done? The bonding?” Naomi asked Daegal as she stroked the side of Aelyna’s thick, rough-scaled neck after they both alighted from their respective mounts. Before Daegal answered though, a voice—both ancient and young— rang out in Naomi’s head, clear as day. “If it was not complete, do you not think I would have thrown you off my back the moment we took flight?” Naomi lurched back, frightened. “Did you hear that?” she questioned Daegal just as he came up beside her before she could fall. “Hear what?” Naomi swallowed. Then she straightened and looked at her dragon. It was almost as if Aelyna was smirking at her. “There’s someone in my head.” When Daegal raised an eyebrow in confusion, Naomi grabbed his arm and made him face her squarely. “I think Aelyna is in my head.” Daegal’s eyes widened a fraction. “Aelyna? How?” “I don’t know,” she sighed. “You are more than you think you are, Naomi. It is a shame that you do not know the measure of your abilities. Now this is going t

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  • The Emperor's Substitute Bride   An expected guest

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  • The Emperor's Substitute Bride   A feud between siblings

    Naomi chose not to answer the obvious taunt and glanced down at Nezetta’s outfit—a gown, tight at the bust and waist but with a flowing skirt made with the richest material in the darkest shade of black.“You look different,” she commented.“What can I say? Black is my color.” Nezetta raised her eyebrows and smiled teasingly.The music reached a crescendo so Nezetta spun Naomi and then dipped her. Upon being upright again, Naomi said, “Doom’s mistress? Really?”“Ah.” Nezetta chuckled. “You have heard of my sterling reputation. Wonderful.”Naomi sighed and interlaced the fingers they had held out. “Look, There’s something you have to know. I wasn’t myself… I haven’t been myself for a while. Daegal told me that you left after you supposedly had a conversation with me but it wasn’t me, Nezetta. It was Nerina.”Nezetta at least had the decency to look shocked. “Wh-what?” she sputtered.“Yes. I was under…” Naomi trailed off when she met Daegal’s eyes while he danced with one of the female

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  • The Emperor's Substitute Bride   A Meeting

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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

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