The next morning Sienna and Sharchan woke up in the little house. Sharchan held her in his embrace tight. Sienna smiled at him and wiggle out of his strong hands. "Good morning."She smiled and went to get ready. Sienna dressed and went with Sharchan for a dancing lesson. She longed to see the girls again and have some fun.
Sienna chat with the girls quite happily, only Nefari was a bit sad, but she was more chatty this time. Sienna really enjoyed the dancing, it felt like a fresh breath of freedom, and it was a chance to let all her past stress and worries melt.
The group of ten very pale dark blue-haired men dressed in silvery scaly attires marched fast thru the Crystal City. They came in for a purpose, it was too clear from the way their furrowed brows scanned the streets. They were looking for someone!
Sharchan spotted them as they pass thru the market and went behind them because they continued to the dance teacher's house direction. He watched how they rushed in long strides. They finally knocked loudly on the beautiful villa's door. Rosella opened with a scared but hard expression."What do you like?" she asked with a firm voice. "Let us in, we came for Nefari." the captain with sharp purple eyes ordered.
"Please wait outside, this is a females-only house. We will be finishing the lesson shortly." Rosella's facial features relaxed as she spotted big Sharchan's figure coming closer behind the pale men. The captain furrowed his brows."We have direct orders from king Nelius! Let us in, or we will use force!"
"Would you? Would you dare to enter the house by force in Tiger King's city?"Sharchan approached them nonchalantly ."You will sit down and wait! My queen is having a dance lesson and no man will enter this house."
Captain looked at the snake warrior in surprise." He sure looks formidable, but we have an advantage in numbers." he thought."Don't make me hurt you."He said coldly." This is none of your business!" the captain noted.
"I just decided it is my business!" Sharchan's eyes lit up."Do you want to fight for it?"
"King Sharchan, please don't fight here," said Rossella with a slight curtsy, "Kill them in the arena if you must, but please don't make a bloody mess in front of my house," she asked politely.
"King Sharchan?" the captain cooled off a bit." Forgive us. We will sit and wait." the pale warriors went to sit next to the other waiting males.
"Good!" said Sharchan and frowned. He heard the merman's blood is purplish and he wanted to have a look."Why did you come for Nefari?"
"Her time on land is up and she is summoned back to the sea. We are here to escort her."The captain explained politely.
Sharchan nodded."Is she so important to your king?"Sharchan asked suspiciously.
Captain nodded.
Sharchan furrowed his brows." Something is off!" he thought. "Mermaid king is too self-absorbed to care this much about someone."
Sharchan sat opposite them and waited for Sienna. He will not let them come close to her! When the class finished Nefari and Sienna went out together. Nefari flinched as she saw the pale warriors. Her face was sad." My time on land is up," she said."I need to come back to the sea."She teared up. With a shaking body, she gave Sienna a long hug. Sienna felt immense sadness from her spreading as a dark cloud.
"You can stay here if you want."Sienna looked at her hopefully.
"I have to keep my deal."Nefari sighted."Was so nice to be your friend Sienna."She gave her back the seahorse bracelet."I will never see you again. Keep this safe for me, I like you as my sister."She bit her lips.
Sienna was disturbed. Her heart bumped like crazy. She felt something was wrong. She held Nefari's hand tight."Don't go! I will write to your king and tell him you stay with me."Sienna looked at her worriedly." I'm sure Sharchan can persuade these men to leave easily." she whispered.
"I have to."Nefari kissed her cheek and went to the pale warriors. They took her in the middle of them and left Crystal City in rush. Sienna felt her heart hurt and hugged Sharchan."Why does she have to go?"
Sharchan shook his shoulders." They said they are bringing her back to the sea, but I don't know, why they make such a deal from it."
"It feels weird."Said Sienna."Sharchan, can you find out for me what is going on? I do not trust those men."
Sharchan nodded. He hissed and a bunch of wild snakes showed up. "Follow them, and bring me the news."He said to them."The snakes slithered off fast after the pale warriors.
Sienna looked at him."You are so amazing!" she held his arm tight."You deserve a kiss.", she kissed him deeply.
"Do you care to go shopping?" Sharchan asked her, trying to lift her sad mood. Sienna nodded."I need a seahorse fabric to match this bracelet."Why did she give it back to me?" Sienna thought.
Sharchan helped Sienna to find seahorse-decorated fabric and took her back to the Tiger Castle. Sienna felt sad and she wandered the gardens in the Tiger castle mindlessly. She felt something was wrong and could not stop thinking about Nefari.
Sea Eagle Prince Damien went to Crystal City to check Sienna out. He landed on top of the tower in the Tiger Castle, pretending he was a simple eagle quard. He saw her walking in the gardens and was smitten. He stared at her from not so far distance, but she was thinking about something and did not even notice him! Damien's heart clenched with hurt pride." How dare is she, not to even notice me! I will have to remind her better of myself!" he chuckled a bit wickedly.
Sienna felt a slight pain in her belly, so she went to her room to check it out. Indeed her days came again, so she took her pads and nested in her bed, drawing pictures of decorations for the city gates reconstruction. Arthur was still at Waterfall City, so she was helping Tyrell with drawing new designs when she could.
She felt tired from her days and rested a lot. Tyrell came to see her at lunch and gave her kisses and cuddles."Don't work too hard." he said."Rest now." he took her drawing away and pulled her head on his hard warm shoulder. Sienna fell asleep in a few minutes. Tyrell smiled and let her rest.
Tyrell was very busy with his work and strengthening the city defences. Sharchan and Sienna were helping him a bit sometimes. Sharchan helped him to sort out new deals and to find problems to fix in the city. Sienna was helping with drawing designs and sometimes with city budgets and wages for the soldiers. Magnus was dealing with smaller matters in the city, but Tyrell was checking him all the time. Sharchan was still suspicious of him, so Magnus was on his best behaviour. Running a kingdom was a lot of work.
Sharchan had to go check for a few days to snake tribes, so he used the time Sienna was tired with her days and left. Tyrell was very busy, so he let Sienna rest. She spent her days sleeping, drawing, walking in the gardens and chatting with Ziran. Ziran was quite happy to keep the tired queen company.
Ziran noticed a suspicious eagle watching Sienna a few days in a row. He looked like a guard, but his smile was too confident and his hands too soft. Ziran watched Damien in secret and found out the other eagle guards call him "my prince".
" The Sea Eagle Prince Damien!" Ziran realised in his mind and rushed to Tyrell."Tyrell, I am asking your permission to sleep in the queen's room."Ziran asked with a serious face.
Tyrell looked at him with a question in his eyes. He trusted Ziran, but this surprised him.
"There are too many Sea Eagle warriors suddenly, I found it suspicious, "said Ziran.
"But they are helping to guard the city. Are they not?" asked Tyrell.
"Why would a Sea Eagle Prince come to quard a city?"Asked Ziran." I saw him staring at the queen yesterday and today in the gardens, dressed as a soldier. "said Ziran jealously.
"I need to consult it with Sharchan when he returns," said Tyrell, "But you are for sure not to sleep in the same room." he shook his head.
"Sid could!" Ziran said brutishly."And he guarded the queen only from spiders! King Sarcos will surely not mind."
"Let's put metal rods in the windows instead," Tyrell suggested.
"You want to keep queen like in the prison?" Ziran asked. "It will just show your weakness, it is a bad idea." he said."She will be much safer with me." he straighten up his muscular body."Besides, eagles are too strong, you will be not able to forge anything they will be not able to destroy..."Ziran noted confidently because he knew he is right.
Tyrell thought about how he lost Sienna a few times already." She is too alluring." he thought. The tales about her beauty, kindness and happy nature went far and wide."The eagles could take her faster and farther away, it will be hard to track them, not to mention their cruel old king."Tyrell started to consider Ziran's idea.
"You can sleep in the queen's room when I'm not there."Tyrell decided, "But you will be in the tiger form unless you need to protect the queen!"
"As you say!"Ziran nodded. He was excited to prove to Tyrell, that he was right and send the Sea Eagle Prince back where he belonged. To the far away mountains!
Sienna was just getting ready for bed when a huge brown tiger came to her room." Ziran," she smiled and pet his head. She could not resist cuddling up to a big furry brutish tiger with soft brown fur." Did you come to keep me warm? I have a few blankets this time with me." she chuckled, "And Tyrell is coming too..."
"Tyrell will be coming late," Ziran nodded his huge tiger head." I will guard you here." he lay down under the window majestically.
" As you say, have a good night Lord Ziran."Siena turned around on her side and tried to sleep. She toss a bit, but her mind was too awake." I can't sleep!" she sat on the bed abruptly. She came off her bed and sat next to Ziran on the floor, petting his head. After their trip to Azure City Sienna really liked Ziran in his tiger form, she found him cute and cuddly and almost completely forgot he is a man. Ziran quietly enjoyed it and it was kind of sweet revenge to Tyrell, even though Ziran and Tyrell were friends now.
Sienna relaxed and fell asleep on the burly tiger. Ziran changed quickly to a man and tucked her into the bed. Then he changed to a tiger and went to lay under the window. He watched Sienna's beautiful face and golden hair as she slept. She looked so innocent with her long eyelashes.
Soon enough Zian heard a slight noise, he opened his eyes abruptly, hiding more under the window. Two big Sea Eagles landed on the windowsill.
"Look, she is sleeping." said the soft manly voice.
"She is so beautiful," said another one in a stronger raspy voice.
"I wish I can have her." the soft voice moaned.
"You are not a king yet." the stronger voice said.
"Let's take her tomorrow," the soft voice said to the stronger one and they left.
Ziran was listening under the window, his eyes shone murder and his mouth was locked in a crazy grin." I will set up a trap for these two and kill them tomorrow night."he thought.
Tyrell came at night to check on Sienna, he was exhausted and just finished his work. He found Ziran leaning on the wall and thinking." What is going on?" he asked him.
"Tyrell, I just heard two eagles talking here on the windowsill. They want to take the queen tomorrow," said Ziran upset.
"What? You should tell me straight away!"Tyrell exclaimed.
"No, I will not move from her for even a minute!"Ziran shook his head. "They want to do it tomorrow anyway. I have a plan." said Ziran, "But we need Sharchan's help."Ziran smiled wickedly as he explained to Tyrell his idea.
Tyrell sent a quick note to Sharchan straight away via his private fast wild falcon. He and Sharchan got a pair of falcons from Sarcos as a form of the post between the three of them.
Ziran and Tyrell looked after the falcon leaving the Crystal City fast behind. This will be interesting!