Sharchan was standing in the room full of mirrors. He saw hundreds of different Sienna's reflections.
"Here is the lovely queen." Crodius nodded approvingly. She looked even better in that white silky robe."You have 5 minutes to recognise her, king Sharchan, "Crodius said."Which queen is the real one?"He stood behind with a sneaky smile. "The snake has no chance," he chuckled in his mind.
Sharchan looked around the room, It was full of mirrors and in each stood the beautiful Sienna's figure in the white silky dress. Her golden hair shone in the light of the fire. Sharchan walked around, but they all looked the same. He tried to decode where the sound came from, but it was hardly accurate, his time was going fast. He picked one of Sienna's reflections, he could hear a faint heartbeat behind it, but the noise was echoing gently from around the room and was distorted.
"Go get her!" said Crodius with a sneaky smile.
Sharchan wanted to touch Sienna's hand but his strong hand passed thru the cold glass. He was wrong. The glass shattered to his feet.
Sienna watched with tears in her eyes."Sharchan!"She cried out. He picked a reflection in the mirror just next to her. Sharchan saw her tears in the other mirrors. He felt his heart shatter to pieces. He understood he made a huge mistake.
He broke the mirror where Sienna stood as well, she touched his hand briefly but the guards pulled her away from him. Sharchan attacked the guard, but the masked guard at the front smashed him into the wall with enormous strength, breaking countless mirrors in the process. Sharchan was in shock. "That man is stronger that me! How is that possible?" he was thinking in disbelief.
Sarcos felt great satisfaction from hitting Sharchan hard. He wanted to show him, that he should not rely on his strength that much, that there is always someone stronger or sneakier, so he should be not so proud and reckless! He wanted him to suffer losing Sienna over his dumbness. He hoped it will help him to learn a lesson, hopefully.
Crodius watched his guards take Sienna back to her room with a sneaky smile. "That men are strong, I should keep them around the queen, no one will get to her." he thought. "Calm down king Sharchan, your queen is mine, you lost." said Crodius, "You can go see king Tyrell, your lives belong to me now."
Sharchan stood from the floor and bit his lips. He was covered in pieces of broken mirrors. He was too impatient. He decided to see Tyrell, so he followed behind the guard. He watched as they opened the secret door and left him alone."Get your friend. "Crodius said and left. He was satisfied. He got the queen and two strong servants!
Sharchan changed to a snake and pulled Tyrell up. Sharchan's expression was that of a stone. He looked as if he lost his heart. He looked beaten up and humiliated. He felt really stupid too.
"What happened?" Tyrell asked Sharchan."Where is Sienna?"
"I lost her and our lives too, to Crodius. I got tricked." Sharchan hissed.
"That is not good, but still I'm happy to see you brother. I'm so grateful you came!"Tyrell hugged him." Be calm, we need to find Sienna." he whispered.
Sharchan and Tyrell went out of the door, but the guard stopped them."You see the queen soon enough," said the guard politely."Wait here for your next orders. The king wants to talk to you." he noted.
Gaius saw Crodius going to check on Sienna, so he went to talk to Sharchan and Tyrell.
King Gaius entered the room by himself and came to the two kings confidently."You are kings, same as me, if you let me be your queen's mate I will let you go." he said seriously.
Sharchan looked at him. "You serve the mage, you are not a real king yet!"
"You just lost your life, your queen and your brother's life, so you are too serving a mage." Gaius noted."And yet, I can still see you are a king. I have an offer you will like. Help me to get rid of him, hm?" he chuckled. He kind of liked Sharchan.
" That will feel good!" Sharchan nodded." Deal."
The young king smiled. "I will try to get closer to the queen and find out why Crodius wanted her so much," he said.
"Good idea, make sure she is safe!"Sharchan nodded."Then we find the way how to kill him."
"Sure, "the young king smiled, he was really to overpower the mage.
The two strong guards took Sienna back to her room. She was sobbing uncontrollably as they led her thru the corridors. " "Don't be sad, everything will be fine. We are here for you ."Bran hugged her shoulders.
"But why did you take me from Sharchan?" she sobbed.
" He lost you and it is not the right time yet. We need to find out what Crodius want to do with you, otherwise, you will be not safe in the future, so try to be nice to him, to figure it out."Bran whispered." Remember, whatever he will say or whatever happened we are always on your side, we are your guard, not his. We will protect you at all costs against everyone, including the mage." he whispered.
Sienna nodded." Thank you, I do what I can." She said and tried to stop sobbing."Will you help me to save Sharchan and Tyrell too? Do they live?"
" Yes," said Bran."They are together now." They will have to serve the mage because Sharchan lost. The mage tricked him. It was impossible to find you in there."
Bran let Sienna into her room and closed the door behind her. Sienna looked around the simple room. She felt heartbroken. She sat on the bed and sobbed. She decided to wait for Sarcos and stall the time much as she could.
Later on, Crodius came to see Sienna. He wanted to see how she is after his victory. The guards let him pass and Bran went inside with him and stood at the door. He wanted to watch him all the time.
Sienna looked at Crodius coldly."You tricked my mate, He did not have a chance to find me!" she said a bit upset.
"It was a game and he lost it. Now you belong to me."Crodius reached his hand to her soft shoulder.
Sienna looked at him coldly." Sharchan has no right to give me to someone. The head of our family is king Sarcos."
"Well, you are here and he is not. Come with me, beautiful queen, I have something to show you. Are you not curious, why I asked you to come?"He said gently.
"I'm really tired."Sienna shook her head, " It was too much for me, I can hardly walk. Sharchan rushed so much, I could not even eat or sleep. Can we see it tomorrow? "she yawned tiredly.
"Of course, forgive me, you surely arrived very fast!" Crodius nodded."Tomorrow then. Have a good rest. I hope you like the room."
"Is clean, I appreciate it," Sienna nodded."Thank you."
He went out and Bran closed the door behind them. Sienna rushed to listen behind the door.
Crodius was nice to Sienna now, he figured out, that she is more likely to listen to sweet words. He was watching the way Bran interacted with her and decided to use him for his plan. He needed her to cooperate willingly.
"I assign the queen to you two."He said to crocodile guards. What are your names?"Bran and Scar." Bran replied.
The other guard just bowed a little, he was very quiet.
" Protect the queen well, her life is important to me," Crodius said.
"With our life."Bran bowed.
"Good men."Crodius said."You two seem strong and capable."
Sarcos watched after his leaving figure." I need to find out his plans." he thought coldly." It was good he let Sienna rest, she needs to get better." he whispered to Bran.
Sienna was so tired, she sat on the bed and ate. She thought of Tyrell, Sharchan, Sarcos, Bran and Scar. "Scar, that was the name of that warm guard. He felt so safe, even his name is similar to Sarcos." she thought. Then she just fell asleep.
Crodius and Gaius came to have a look at Sienna later at night as well. Gaius wanted to know if she was ok, so he bothered the mage till he agreed.
"She is surely exhausted, let her sleep."Crodius looked at his impatient king.
"She is so beautiful. "he sighed. Sarcos watched the king's face. He will watch anyone near Sienna.
Sienna slept till the next day's afternoon, then she got ready. She was full of strength again. She hoped Sarcos was looking for her. She looked from the small window. The city was bustling with life. She decided to find out what is Crodius up to.
Sienna sat on the bed and looked out of the window when Crodius came. She smiled sweetly when he entered her room. Bran was behind him watching as an eagle he was under that crocodile mask.
"Did you have a good rest, my beautiful queen?"
"Yes, I feel so much better, but I still feel a bit dizzy. It must be the moist air, I'm not used to it." she stood up a bit wobbly."I'm very curious, it surely must be something special you want to show me, maybe your guard can help me walk." She smiled innocently.
" Good idea." Crodius nodded. Bran came to Sienna and she clenched to his arm. Sarcos was walking at the back, behind them. Sienna did not try to look at him, she was thinking he is very shy and wanted to be considerate. She hoped he would come to her by himself when he is ready.
"Come with me, sweet queen."Crodius led Sienna down into the underground. She walked slowly down the steep steps.
She looked at her guards. Bran was there and the other one too. He still did not even look at her, but they both went with her. It made her feel better.
Crodius took Sienna thru the big stony door. It was his laboratory.
"Ahh, what's that smell?"Sienna cringed her nose and looked at Bran. He wore that mask, so she could not see his reaction to a weird smell.
"It's my hobby, my new future. I'm making cosmetics. It will be the best and it will make me immensely rich!" Crodius smiled.
Sienna looked into the pots."Who will put that on? It looks repulsive."Sienna cringed her nose again.
" Everybody will if I add your blood to it," he said a bit crazily.
"Is that why you was killing females for?" she asked in unbelief.
"I actually did not kill any females before. You will be the first one I will let bleed out." Crodius pointed his long finger at her.
Sienna pressed Bran's arm worriedly, Bran flexed his biceps twice and she calmed down. "They will not let me be killed! I better find out some more." she thought reassured.
"How is that so? I thought you kill them?"Sienna was curious.
"Well, it was a tradition of my tribe to sacrifice females to our deity, but when I became the mage, I saw the deity is not real, so it was all for nothing. But the warriors were still bringing me captured females, as they got used to it, so I invented the steamy pool and I just kept selling them. I prefer the gold to dirty work." he chuckled.
Sienna nodded."Well done, so tell me why would you need my blood for then?"