Late morning in Moss City, Sienna was busy drawing and painting. She mixed pink, green and blue pigments with water and designed the labels for the tins. With black ink, she draw leaf shapes and symbols for lips, face or body, similar to the ones on products she used in her world.
Sienna was tired from her woman's days, so she slept long and then spend the rest of the day designing, drawing and painting till nightfall. Then she rush for a quick bath and went to bed because the sunlight was gone. The first three days of painting almost felt like a dizzy dream, like one long day, because she was deeply immersed in her work. It gave her the feeling of escape from her reality when she was at her weakest.
Her portraits were almost done, she was just finishing little touches, but she had to be careful, so Crodius do not see them. She asked Bran to let her know when he will be coming."It is very stressful when the mage just came in when I work on my portraits, only you and Scar can barge in, because I trust you," she said seriously. Sienna did not want Crodius to find out she is planning to leave yet...and if he saw her portraits, he might get an idea of it!
Bran smiled at her." We will do anything at all for you." he nodded.
Crodius went to check on Sienna a few times too. Bran always greeted him loudly and asked him silly questions, so Sienna had enough time to hide her portraits before he came in. She always welcomed him with a cute smile, showing him excitedly the new designs for tins.
Crodius just walked around with his hands behind his back looking like a serious teacher. Sienna stuck the labels on the tins. The designs were ready, it was missing just the names of the products, but she has to wait for what Sarcos will send to her. She also wrote a few leaflets with modern beauty routines on removing make-up before sleep, using night cream and day cream, face cream, body scrub and so on.
She made it look cute so it could be used as wall decor. She made it look like a mirror frame and wrote the manual inside with pretty pictures. "Crodius will be able to reproduce them easily." she thought.
Crodius liked what she was doing. He saw she is really talented and he was excited. He was kind of glad, she is so serious about making the range with him, and he felt better, having someone to share his passion for cosmetics. He felt less weird...lol
Sarcos and Bran made sure Sienna had enough supplies and food. Crodius was glad the guard just took care of the queen and did not ask him anything, he got used to it. He was so impatient to see the final product. He spent his time preparing to leave and walking near the river. He dreamt of that villa on the beach. He imagined himself fishing at the sea as a big crocodile, crushing the waves and chasing huge fish, while a cute gold-haired queen was watching from the shore and clapping her hands in praise for his big catch. He saw himself travelling south and becoming the best beauty expert... Crodius had many dreams for himself and they were getting closer to his reach than ever!
Four days pass as water, Sienna was ready with drawings and she also felt a bit better. She went to bed with a shaking heart." I hope Sarcos will come soon for me," she sighed as she fell asleep.
The following morning Gaius sent her an invitation for a private dinner. " We go with you, if you like, " Bran noted as he gave the letter to Sienna.
" Thank you," Sienna said." I would like you to come everywhere with me." she nodded.
Crodius went to see her too straight after. He looked at her with sharp eyes, "Well, four days passed, are you sure it is coming?" he asked her.
Sienna nodded, "It will be surely here tomorrow. The barrels are big, maybe scorpions can't run with them as fast as Sharchan with me. "He was slithering so fast that I saw trees as one line!" Sienna noted."It will make shampoo into a bubbly mess if you rush so much with it." she chuckled a bit nervously.
Crodius nodded."We will see tomorrow then. You might be right. But if they don't come, you will have to help me to make some products by myself." he lifted her chin with his finger.
"It will come, just be patient one more day."Sienna smiled and pulled away from him nonchalantly...
Sienna watched as Crodius went out of her room with a pounding heart. She felt so uncomfortable. She decided to do fashion design drawings to calm down a bit and gobbled up a whole bowl of blue grapes just to feel something sweet!
Later that day, Bran came in and gave Sienna a new dress. "It is a gift from us, Scar and me," he smiled in his eyes," I hope you accept it."
Sienna nodded." Thank you both. I do like it a lot. I'm so happy you are here. Otherwise it will be unbearable." she sighed.
Bran blushed a bit under his mask. He felt his heart pounding wildly. "We will be always near you," he nodded."Whatever will happen!" he tried to reassure her.
The dress was a silky pale blue gown with gold embroidered arrows. Sienna liked it. She got ready a bit excitedly." It will be so nice to get out of this room for a bit. "Sienna said to herself and looked into a mirror. Her beautiful reflection stared back at her.
Suddenly Sienna heard Crodius talking to Bran outside. She just stood how she was when Crodius came in." You look stunning," he smiled, "Are you going somewhere?" he walked slowly to her.
Sienna watched his dark reflection in the mirror and nodded."The king invited me for a dinner, I promised him already, that I will come." She said with a loudly beating heart.
" Do you like the young king?"Crodius asked curiously.
"As a friend, for now," Sienna said." May I go? I'm taking the guards with me, you can be in peace." she smiled sweetly.
" What if I don't let you go?"Crodius looked at her jokingly and put his hand on her soft shoulder.
"Well, then the king will have to come here."She replied sweetly. " But he will have to bring the food. I can't cook." She shrugged her shoulder.
" Are you aware that we can change into enormous crocodiles, the king as well?" Crodius stood behind her and looked at Sienna thru the mirror. His dark skin contrasted with Sienna's light one. His tanned dark face looked so rough next to her pale soft skin and blue eyes. He felt a bit dominating, a bit dangerous and a bit sneaky.
Sienna smiled a bit forcibly into the mirror as she stared at his reflection. She hoped for Sarcos to come soon. Crodius squeezed his hand on her shoulder gently." You still belong to me." he said seriously." Your body and soul." he tried to manipulate her mind a bit, staring strongly into the eyes of her mirror self.
"In your dreams!"Sienna thought, but she could not tell him that yet. She shook her head instead." Don't be so serious! So, can I go for that dinner with the king?" she asked innocently.
"You can't take him as a mate till I will allow you." He said seriously.
Sienna looked at him sweetly."It is just a dinner. Have no worries, I keep my plan."
Crodius pressed her shoulder harder."Do not think to trick me, Gaius is not a powerful king yet. I have the power, so you listen to me!" he said to her a bit hard.
Sienna turned to him sweetly." I know my place." she said and smiled alluringly." And is definitely not here with you!" she thought.
Crodius nodded satisfied. It looked like the proud queen started to surrender to him. He let his hand fall off her shoulder and fixed her long golden hair a bit, enjoying their smoothness."You are my most beautiful thing. You may go to dinner with the king. "he agreed nonchalantly. He enjoyed the power over her he just felt."Tell Gaius, I will let him rule after the barrels will come and we finalize our range. Then we will set off on a journey to the south." he looked at her approvingly.
Sienna nodded." I will do my best to make him gracious to you. He must surely know, how much you did for him." She smiled. "Leading people is not a very easy job." She said sweetly." Or to manipulate them." she sighed in her mind.
Crodius nodded satisfied and came out with Bran. Bran closed the door behind him. When the mage went away, Bran talked to Sarcos."Did you hear? How long do you want to stay watching?"He asked.
"Till my barrels will come. I want to see, how Rem is doing in my absence," Sarcos noted.
"You are just testing everyone!"Bran shook his head."What about your queen? It must be hard on her here."
Sarcos nodded."That is what worries me the most, but she is better in that room when she has her days, the travelling will be too uncomfortable for her."He sighed."The smell of blood will be attracting predators too, which is not a good idea in the wetlands."
"Well, she will be better soon, it is just up to you what will happen, "Bran noted.
"Yes, it is," Sarcos said to himself thinking.
In the late afternoon, young king Gaius came to pick Sienna up for a dinner. Bran opened the door of her room. Sienna was waiting in her beautiful pale blue dress and came straight out. Gaius gasped."My queen, you are even more beautiful." he bowed lightly and glanced at Sarcos. He was hiding his face a bit as always, being calm behind his crocodile mask.
Gaius offered Sienna his arm. Sienna smiled sweetly and went with him, Bran and Sarcos followed.