Sarcos came to Samuel and put his hand on his shoulder.
The spider guard bowed his head.
"Samuel, you proved your loyalty, you will be the next Spider King," Sarcos said.
"How could I be ?" said Samuel, "I betrayed my own king."
Sarcos looked at him."Your king was cursed sick. A sick king means the end of his nation. Besides Thurssa had no heirs, because he was so confident he was immortal and changed his concubines to immortals for his food stash."
"But why do you not rule this city? You can clearly take over it. I'm not sure I'm worthy to be a king."Samuel bowed his head.
"I have no interest to rule the Spider City. Samuel, be the king and my trading partner. You are an honest man with a good heart, that is enough to be a good king. Besides, you saved this city. If you did not offer my queen help to escape, I will just take her and burned all this city to ashes with everyone inside."Sarcos said seriously and the flaming scorpion appeared in his dark eyes for a moment.
Samuel nodded. He knew Sarcos said to Thurssa he will do that. And he saw the beautiful tomb design at the Mehrat table as well.
" Samuel bowed. "I will be forever in your debt my king."
"You will be a good king."Sarcos smiled." Keep it simple, no more immortals."
Samuel nodded.
"Get the city ready tomorrow morning, assemble people at the big Forum square." said Sarcos."I'm taking it over tonight. I'm sparing it for your sake to show you my gratefulness for helping my queen, but Sienna with you will still need to beg for your city publicly to satisfy the war protocol and to let all people know, that it was spared because of your kindness."
Samuel nodded. "Thank you, my king," he bowed to Sarcos. Sienna smiled. She understood Sarcos well. Thurrsa's female eating actions demanded Silver city be destroyed. Only she, as Sarcos's queen, could beg him to spare it.
Sarcos looked around Sienna's room and picked the silken bed cover."Come here my love, I'm going to sneak you out of the Silver City," he stood Sienna up and covered her like a fabric roll, then he covered himself in a long cape and picked Sienna onto his shoulder like a bag. He looked like carrying a thick fabric roll. Sarcos decided to sneak Sienna out, so he doesn't alarm the city guards. He preferred to take over the city without bloodshed.
Sarcos and Samuel slid out thru the castle. The big guarding spiders did not stop him as he was with the Castle Guard. They let him pass out the Market gate of the city freely. It was a bit weird to carry out fabrics at this hour at night, but Samuel shook his head as the guard approached him. The guard was thinking, he probably had some special order from the king and let them be.
Sarcos and Samuel strode straight to the Sarcos's army camp. The army guards stopped them strictly and Sarcos almost start laughing. He put down the cape from his face and the scorpion's faces lit up. "The king is back!" the news spread thru the camp. Sid rushed to Sarcos. Sarcos brought Sienna to his tent and unpacked her carefully.
Sienna's face was red. She was sweaty from being inside the cover and woozy from swaying." I need a bath!" she sighed as she fell onto the soft carpets. Sarcos nodded. He had Sid arrange everything for her. Sid was glowing with happiness when he saw his king carry that load, he knew it was the queen. He was the one to take care of her often and he will recognize her everywhere.
Till Sienna waited for a bath, Sarcos sat next to her on the floor and asked her? "Why did you even go there?" Sarcos had an idea but wanted to hear it from her as well. Sienna told Sarcos how Voltoire took her, Magnus pretended to chase after him and she had to get him water and got trapped. "Magnus betrayed me, he sold me out. The king said it."She sighed.
Sarcos nodded. He will make Magnus pay.
The bath was ready and Sienna dropped her clothes and jump in it. Sarcos crouched next to her and help her to wash her hair and her body with his strawberry-scented soap. He felt so good, to feel Sienna under his hands. He was so worried about her.
Sienna needed the bath, the familiar scent and caring Sarcos's hands, she wanted to forget, she was ever in the spider castle. When he finished, Sarcos took her out and sat her in his bed of cushions on the soft carpets. He helped her dry and put a fresh pink light tunic on. He got everything ready for her because he knew he will get her with him sooner or later."Go rest my love, "he kissed her lips.
"Do you have any food?"Sienna asked him.
"Do they starve you?" Sarcos furrowed his brows.
Sienna shooked her head."I was not able to come to food often. I was just so busy."
Sarcos gave her some mangoes, grapes, peaches and bread. Sienna started eating hungrily.She felt so hungry suddenly. Sarcos looked at her with a smile.
Sienna ate and looked around in awe. Sarcos's tent was really luxurious inside, almost like his castle. When she finished her food. She picked one cushion and inhaled the scent. It smelled like Sarcos's home. She bury her face in the cushion and smiled. She closed her eyes.
Suddenly the picture of a huge burning brown spider appeared in front of her eyes, which changed into Thurrsa's pale face. Then just his abyss dark eyes stared at her in her mind." "Don't cry darhling." his voice got stuck in her mind. Thurssa's black eyes were haunting her sleep. Sienna opened her eyes abruptly.
Sarcos was just getting ready to go out. He was about to take over the city.
Sienna stared at him and smiled in relief. Sarcos kissed her forehead." Go sleep. I see you in the morning my love."
Sarcos let Sienna sleep. He said to Samuel to stay at his camp and went by himself to the city gates. The guards were from inside only, as his army was outside, so nobody even saw him.
Sarcos climbed to the top of the gate tower. He took from his clothes the dried herb flower from the goldsmith. He rubbed it in his palms to the softest of powder and blew it to the wind. Like a light blue cloud, the flower dust spread around the city. Sarcos smiled. He jumped thru the gate on the other side. The spider guards were sleeping hardly.
Sarcos opened the Market Gate. Then he lighted a torch and stood at the top of the Gate Tower again. He made three circles in the air with the burning torch. It was his signal.
The colossal scorpion army started to move into the city. Sarcos's army took over the streets and castle quietly, somehow everyone in the city seemed to be sleeping heavily. Only Sarcos knew why. He will reward that goldsmith richly.
Sarcos walked thru the sleeping city. His men were stationed at every house. It was just a few short hours till the sun will rise and everyone will awake to the new day. Sarcos went back to the castle to find Thurssa's diary because Samuel told him, he was writing down Sienna's poems. Sarcos was so curious about what his queen can do to stall the time. He wanted to read them all. He felt a bit upset that Thurssa was the one who brought out her poetic feelings.
Sarcos found the colourful decorated book with ease in Thurssa's bedroom. He sat in Thurssa's armchair to read it when a beautiful letter fell out of it. Sarcos picked it up and read with a sad smile on his lips.
The morning came. Surprised screams ran thru the Silver City. The streets were full of scorpion soldiers. "Go to the Forum," the soldiers told the people. "King Sarcos will address you."
The spiders were in shock." The spider king is dead." the strong voice of Sarcos sounded thru the city."I claimed his life for taking my queen. Your king was sick, he was eating females. This is the end of his reign."
The spiders in the city bowed their heads. They were guilty of serving an evil king and they did not know it. The city deserved to be wiped out. They expected Sarcos's soldiers to start killing them at his orders. Some of the spiders gathered weapons and stood ready to fight. The scorpion soldiers calmed them down sensibly. "Just watch. It is not over yet."
The spiders looked in a daze as they saw the Scorpion Queen with Samuel, the guard of the late king, kneeling in front of king Sarcos and begging him to spare the city. She looked like a golden sun descending to dust as she kneel in front of Sarcos.
Samuel kneeled behind her with a bowed head.
"My king," Sienna looked at Sarcos. "I beg you to spare this city for the sake of Samuel, the guard, who helped me in my predicament. For the sake of those who just live and work and had no hands in inequities. You are victorious and we are joined together once again. Let's not stain this day with the blood of the innocent. Let's establish a new order in this city and grant the gift of life together."
Sienna reached and kissed Sarcos's hands. Sarcos looked at his beautiful queen. "She got really good at begging." he was thinking." To make a speech such as this from her head. She is more poetic than I thought."
Sarcos was reading her poems all night. He could never guess his queen to be this clever actress. "She is a rare talent indeed. Or did she like the late king a bit, and was easy for her to make up the poems for him?" he was thinking with a hint of jealousy.
Sarcos looked at all the spider nation who waited eagerly at the decision he will make. He could end them or let them live and work in peace with the new fair king.
Sarcos looked at Sienna again and picked her up from the dust. He kissed her forehead and said. "Your wish is granted. Here, Samuel will be the new Spider King. I will instruct him to rule wisely, fairly and without wickedness. "
The Spiders and Scorpions cheered. Scorpions were so proud of their king and spiders were grateful. They also knew Samuel was an honest man, so they did not protest for him to become their king. They knew it was Sarcos's decision to make.