Sarcos and Sienna with the eagle warriors landed in the Sand City in front of Sarcos Castle. Sarcos calmed the enraged scorpion guards and went inside carrying half-sleeping Sienna in his arms. Rem was quick to greet him."Welcome back, my king."Rem bowed. He was followed by Sid and a few other warriors. Sarcos nodded and gave sleeping Sienna to Sid."Take the queen to her bedroom and tuck her to bed. " he planted a soft kiss on her forehead and pass her over to him.
Sid nodded and carried Sienna like a special treasure all the way up to the corridors. Sid liked the queen from the first moment he saw her. He put Sienna on the bed, took off her sandals, travelling cape and turban and covered her up with blankets. Then he went out of the room to guard the door till king Sarcos will comes back.
Sarcos went with Rem to his laboratory. He started to mix some potions and chat to Rem nonchalantly."King Tyrell and Sir Magnus asked me to go to Spider KingThurssa to strike them a silk fabrics deal for Crystal City. What do you think of it?"He asked Rem.
"The merchants will go crazy. It will cost them a significant revenue they will lose."Rem replied.
Sarcos nodded and continued."Sir Magnus wants me to take the queen there as a negotiator. What do you think of that?"
"King Thurssa have a harem full of beautiful females. Why would he want the queen?" asked Rem.
Sarcos looked at him with amusement in his eyes. Rem was too young and inexperienced in female matters.
"How many of his concubines have blue eyes and golden hair?" asked Sarcos.
"None, the only one that I know of is our queen! "Rem replied thinking.
"Here is your answer. Thurssa is excentric. He is a collector. I will not take the queen to meet him. Less he knows of her is better."Sarcos said with furrowed brows.
"What about the deals?"Rem asked.
"I will simply deliver them to him. Is up to him to decide to accept or decline." said Sarcos."I presume he will decline. He is too busy to deal with other tribes. He doesn't trust them."
"Then why you are going there then, my king?" Rem did not understand.
Sarcos looked at him with a cheeky smile on his lips."To get Tyrell's week with the queen of course. One day visiting Thurssa is a small price to pay for an extra six days with her. It means I got to keep her two weeks just for myself."
Rem nodded with understanding."You must love her so much my king."
Sarcos nodded."That too. But remember for the future. The more you mate with your female, the bigger chance is she will bear your offspring first."
Rem's face blushed burning red almost matching his hair. Sarcos laughed quietly at him. He still needed to teach him a lot, but he was loyal to the letter and that Sarcos appreciated the most.
"When you will depart to the Silver City?"Rem asked.
"Just before sunrise." Sarco's answered."Send king Thurssa a letter now with my personal falcon to let him know of my arrival tomorrow."
Rem nodded. Only his king can write to other kings late at night. Rem bowed and left. Sarcos finished his mixtures. Then he went to rest on his floor cushions and stared at the rough stone sealing. He wished to make Sienna pregnant with his child first.
Meanwhile, in the Crystal City, Tyrell was writing in his office room letter to Sarcos, when Magnus barged in.
"My king, I heard about the fire, I hope the queen is ok." Magnus bowed deeply. He was so worried about Sienna because she was his high card for collecting powerful and dangerous kings. Sienna was his secret weapon to use, to get power and those big armies he wanted so badly. Even though she got no idea about it, Magnus was planning to use her much as possible. Magnus wanted to be sure she is well.
Tyrell nodded."She is fine. Sarcos made the fire on purpose and he stopped it as well. Queen left for Sand City with him. I'm just writing him a letter, not to take her with him to Spider King Thurssa."
Magnus was surprised" Is anything wrong, my king?" Magnus asked. This was bad news for him. Without Sienna, his deals will be indeed refused. He promised to Thurssa to send the queen to negotiate in a secret letter.
"We don't think it is a good idea, I do not wish to discuss it further."Tyrell said sternly..."Get me an eagle guard to deliver it." said Tyrell.
Magnus furrowed his brows."That is an important message, let me carry it with me personally."
Tyrell nodded and gave the letter to Magnus, who left in hurry. Magnus smiled under his nose, holding the letter and went to find Voltoire."Let's go to Sand City. I need Thurssa to meet our queen."he said darkly.
Voltoire shook his head, "I do not think she will be interested in Thurssa, she is scared of spiders."
Magnus looked firmly into his eyes, "I do not care what she likes or not. I need only Thurssa to like her. I need that revenue from the silk trade, at least a bit of that gold which is going to Sarco's coffers for now."
Voltoire sighted, "I still think it is wrong." Magnus glared at him, "Do as you are ordered, you still need to serve me four years to pay for your's brother life."
Voltoire bowed his head and changed into a huge vulture. Magnus climbed onto his back and they flew into the night, fast into the Sand City.
Deep night in the Silver City. In the big baroque-looking castle, a tall young king wearing a silver curly wig was dancing with a few damsels. The females wore expensive silver brocade and silk puffy ballgown dresses with tight corsets, exposing their cleavage more than modestly. They were moving slowly and gracefully like in a slow motion.
King Thurssa was in his thirties. He was tall, well build of slim composure, with iron-hard lean muscles hiding under layers of silk clothing. He was a dangerous predator hidden under a joyful appearance.
Thurssa's skin was very pale, his features delicate, his big round eyes were black as onyx and even in his human form, he got a tiny set of round black eyes on the side of each big eye like everyone from the Spider tribe. Most of them had six eyes together and some of them even eight.
Thurssa liked to paint them colourfully with make-up. He loved his white powder and blush for his cheeks. The best way to describe him would be as a baroque crazy narcissistic monarch mixed with a blood-lusting vampire. He was elegant and refined, cruelly wicked in thinking and overly theatrical.
He loved fashion, dancing, parties, theatre and social games. It was his greatest passion to dress up his concubines in different costumes and made them perform poetic plays for him. He loved to dance slowly and enjoyed ancient old wine and music.
His Royal adviser, unrealistically slim and tall Mehrat was slowly approaching with a folded message."Pardon me, my luscious king, the message has just arrived from king Sarcos. He likes to come to visit you tomorrow."
Thurssa's eyes flicked. He left the dancers and walked with Mehrat to a small golden table in the corner of the dancing hall. He sat down and looked at the letter. He smelled it carefully and his eyes got glowing even more." I heard King Sarcos got a new queen, is he bringing her along?" he asked excitedly.
" He did not mention it, your highness. Probably not," said Mehrat.
" I want to meet her." said Thurssa."Send out our spies to find out more. I'm dying of curiosity." he put his hand on his forehead theatrically."And of course, write to him, that I'm expecting him with open arms. He is my only trade partner after all. I want to share his happiness."Thurssa smiled under his nose and stood up nonchalantly. "Let's dance my damsels," he hugged the waists of the women dressed up in big flowing ivory-coloured dresses and silvery wigs. They bowed with giggles and formed a circle around the king. Thurssa leaned on his silvery decorated walking stick he used as a fashion accessory and murmured under his nose..."Blue eyes and golden hair.How exotic and rare."
Sienna was sleeping soundly in the Sarco's castle when a tiny rustling sound cut through the quiet night. The noise of rustling feet revealed a brown soft spider who leapt over the windowsill. The spider was big as a human palm, he climbed up the tall mirror and stared into Sienna's sleeping face not moving his small black four sets of eyes from her while memorising her features.
Sid, who was standing outside, heard an unfamiliar sound and went inside Sienna's room to check it out. He saw the spider but was too slow to catch it, so it ran away out of the window. Sid closed the windows tightly and checked the room for any more intruders. Then he went out and stopped the first warrior passing by."Go to find the king and tell him the spider spies were here."
The warrior nodded and went hurriedly. Sarcos was just on his way to his room when he got the message. Sarco's face went dark with anger." Thurssa got my letter then." he thought. He went straight to Sienna's room. Sid told him what he saw."You will guard the queen inside of the room," said Sarcos and went hunting into the dark night. He needed to calm down his anger and he hoped to encounter more spies, which he will kill mercilessly on the spot.