Imani had been out of it for the rest of the previous day. She woke up in the morning and she was pissed at the events from the previous day. She quickly to her bath and headed straight to the throne room. She wore her white dress and had her hair tied into a simple ponytail. "Call all the council members!" She commanded and the palace eunuch did as he was told. He left the queen sitting on her throne tapping her fingers. Adara entered the room with Dain and the other council members. Adara and the others bowed to the queen. She stood from her chair and walked down to the council members. "We can't seem to kill the human boy, we also can't seem to kill the serpents because my brother seems to but in everytime. How are we going to solve this?" She asked them angrily.. the council members whispered upon themselves and this didn't please the queen. "Why are you whispering? The iris flower is back to life and Jahzara will come back to this world if my brother is not stopped!" She reminded them. "Maybe we do not have to kill the human or the serpents. Our problem is Khari let's deal with Khari." Aiwel interrupted from the entrance. She and the two other priestesses walked into the throne room. They all bowed to their queen and Imani acknowledged their presence. "Speak Aiwel." The queen commanded her. "We need to kill Khari, take out his heart and place it in the valley to stop him from falling in love. Killing the human won't stop him from falling in love but killing him will." The priestess suggested to the queen. Adara who had been questioning everything raised her head and looked at the priestess. Zahari also looked shocked at the suggestion. Aiwel was one of the oldest priests and she had been there during the time of Jahzara's reign. She was radical and didn't compromise when it came to the safety of the Guardians. "I think we do that. Adara assemble your guards and go to the dark forest." She commanded. Adara bowed her head hesitantly, for the first time she had felt so hesitant to carry out an order. Zahari saw it in her eyes as Adara walked out.
Zahari bowed her head and followed Adara out of the palace. She walked quickly so she could catch up with her. "Adara." She called out to her. Adara stopped, turned and bowed her head to the priestess. " Walk with me Adara." Zahari said to her. The two women began walking together. "I saw you hesitate in there." Zahari said to Adara and the chief commander quickly jumped in to her defense. "No I was not hesitant, I'd never disobey the queen's orders." She tried explaining herself. Zahari smiled. "I think you are right to hesitate. There is more to Khari than what meets the eye." The priestess quickly explained to her and Adara looked at her shocked. "All I am saying is trade carefully, I think Khari might be an answer to what has been missing." The priestess went on to say to Adara. "I think so too. Something about him just doesn't make sense. First he kills his mother, the queen, then he threatens his sister with the humans but now he is protecting them." Adara tried to wrap her head around it all but it didn't make sense to her either. Adara stood closer to her. "We need to watch the prince very carefully and we also need to know more about him." Zahari told Adara and she nodded her head before leaving. Zahari turned to walk back when she was met by Eshu. "This is a dangerous game you playing Zahari." She warned her. "I know but we can't afford to make mistakes and let fear make things worse. You know I am right something is just not clear with the prince." She told her fellow priestess. Eshu walked closer to her. "We are not to interfere, we serve the Guardians." She reminded Zahari. "No we serve the Gods, the late queen could not have put on a curse that can be broken unless the gods willed it. I am not going to sit by and watch." She told Eshu and walked away but Eshu grabbed her hand. "I really hope you are right for all our sakes because if you and Adara are not right and something happens I will not be able to save you." Eshu warned Zahari. Zahari removed Eshu's hand on her arm. "You don't have to. Go and speak to the Gods." She said to her. Eshu didn't say anything but she just sighed and Zahari shook her head. "You can't because you too are afraid that we Guardians have been wrong all this time." Zahari told Eshu as she walked away. Eshu looked in the sky anxiously and she stood there for a while before walking away.
Adara arrived with her guards just outside the border Khari had set up in the dark world. She planted them in places and she went and sat in a tree nearby. She kept thinking about what Zahari and her had talked about. She couldn't stop thinking about it that she didn't even see Pea arrive. Pea handed her a cup full of tea but Adara didn't see it. Pea took her hand and placed the cup in her hand. Adara was surprised to see Pea in front of her with the cup in both their hands. Pea had beautiful green eyes as the color of her serpent skin. Adara thought she was beautiful and she wondered when she began to think the serpent was this beautiful. She had a playful and innocent look. "Take the tea, you need it if you going to stay here watching us all day and night." Pea told her as she kept on holding the cup in Adara's hand. Adara just looked at her and Pea smiled. "Oh dear God, it's not poisoned. See!" She told Adara as she tried to take the cup so she could drink it but Adara quickly took the cup and drank tea. Pea smiled and sat next to Adara. "I came to say thank you." She told Adara and the commander looked at her. "Thank me for what?" Adara asked Pea quietly. "I saw you hold back on the whip. So thank you bulldog." She said as she stood up to leave but Adara reached out and grabbed her hand. Pea fell down on her buttocks and looked at Adara shocked. "My name is Adara. Call me by name." Adara said to Pea softly. Pea opened her eyes wide open in shock and she smiled at her. "Nice to officially meet you Adara. I am Pea but I think you already knew that." Pea introduced herself to Adara cheerfully. Adara smiled more seeing how cheerful she was. She continued drinking her tea. "You know we could be friends if you were not trying to kill me all the time. I have never had a friend before." Pea said to Adara and she looked at the serpent. "I'd still like to be your friend Pea. You could visit me and tell me more about yourself." Adara said to Pea and Pea smiled excited. "Really?! I can tell you about me!" Pea told her and Adara laughed. Pea stopped laughing. "Why did you hold back?" She asked Adara and Adara swallowed hard before replying. "I think you are not a bad person and I want to live I guess." Adara replied her honestly. Pea could see the sadness in her eyes so she moved closer and sat right next to Adara. Adara looked at Pea and smiled more.
"You Guardians surely live a sad life don't you?" Pea asked Adara cheerfully and Adara just looked at her. "When we were enslaved by Jahzara we lived more like you. She'd ride us wherever she wanted and let us cause havoc. I was pretty sad." Pea went to explain to Adara. There was a dead silence between them for just a few minutes. "And now? Are you happy?" Adara asked Pea. She was genuine and Pea could see how she genuinely wanted to know if she was truly happy. She looked into Adara's eyes and smiled. "Very happy, I have been happy since I met Khari." She told Adara who just nodded her had. "I know you Guardians hate him, maybe coz he killed you queen but he is not a bad person." She tried to tell Adara but Adara interrupted her by holding her hand. It was so warm that it had Pea let out a little scream. "I am sorry if I startled you. I just wanted to let you know that I believe you." Adara said to Pea who kept staring at her with her green beautiful eyes. She couldn't say anything and she couldn't quite figure out why. "Pea, are you alright?" Adara asked her and Pea just nodded her head. She felt her heart beat fast and she kept staring at Adara and listening to her heart. She quickly stood up and walked on the branch. "I have to leave now!" She said to Adara and she turned into a serpent and slithered away forgetting her cup. Adara didn't understand if she made her uncomfortable with her touch so she just stood on the branch looking at Pea slither away.
When pea got back inside the boundary she turned back into a human. She stood there listening to her heart and it still beat so fast. She touched her hands and they were sweating. "This is weird, I never sweat, I am a snake and I am cold blooded." She said to herself. She saw Nile sitting under a tree with Amara. She ran to them and crawled in between them. Nile looked at her and he saw her face. He knew something was up with her. "What happened? I saw you taking the tea to the chief commander." He asked her curiously and Pea's heart beat faster from the mention of the chief commander by Nile. She took the cup of water that was on the ground and gulped down the water. Amara and Nile looked at her laughing. "She touched my hand and my heart just can't stop beating fast. I feel hot!" Pea explained unaware of what she was saying. Nile and Amara broke into laughter. "I think someone has a crush on the chief commander." Nile teased Pea and Pea looked at him puzzled. "Huh?" Pea asked shocked. "I think you like our Guardian but I think she might like you too." Amara told Pea and Pea just looked at her shocked. "What makes you think she likes me or I like her. I don't like her!" Pea was all defensive and both Nile and Amara laughed. "Would you both stop laughing!" She warned them and they laughed even more. "She held back on the whip and it was the way she kept looking at you when she had that whip around you." Amara explained to Pea and opened her eyes wide. "You saw that too?" Pea asked Amara and she nodded her head. "Then you don't think master would mind if I am friends with her right?" Pea asked Nile and Amara worried. Nile smiled at her and pat her shoulder. "I do not think he minds. Besides I'd tell him off." Nile showed off his influence on Khari and they all laughed.
Pea visited Adara the next day and spent the day with her. she brought her more tea and snacks this time. She even brought some for the guard next to her and she gave her snacks too. Adara smiled when she saw Pea giving her fellow soldier snacks and tea. "Thank you for taking care of us Pea, but you don't have to do this." Adara said to her and she just smiled. "I know but I want to be your friend and friends take care of each other. When Jahzara comes back we will need each other." Pea told Adara smiling. Adara's expression changed. She stopped smiling and looked sad. Pea saw this and hurriedly tried to rectify her comment. "No, if you do not want to join me in the fight against Jahzara it is alright! don't be sad!" She quickly said. Adara looked at her shocked. The things she heard about the two serpents was totally different from what she saw. She was kind, gentle, full of life and always knew how to put other first. "I am not sad. I do want to fight alongside you Pea. I just felt sad when I realized how much you hate her too. We just grew up knowing she was evil and wanted to reign over the world. But you experienced it." Adara said to Pea. She felt sorry for her and she felt guilty for trying to kill her all this time. Pea sighed. "I don't think anyone hates that woman like me and my sister. We were only children when we were sold to her and she made us do the most despicable things. No wonder your kind hates us." Pea told her sadly. She looked like she wanted to cry but she held back her tears and forced a smile. She still managed to smile even though she was remembering the most painful thing. Adara held her hand and Pea looked at her. Her heart beat fast again. This time it was pounding. "I don't hate you Pea." Adara told Pea and they both looked into each other's eyes. Pea blinked a lot and she bit the inner of her lower lip. "I should thank you for making me want to live." Adara went on to tell her and Pea smiled. Adara had always known to be the straight, cold and strict soldier. Pea had a way of softening her up and the guard standing next to her just smiled and she carried on looking inside. Path saw Pea and Adara together. She wanted to walk over to stop them but Khari held her hand. "Don't she means no harm to her." He told her. Path looked at her master in shock. "She held her with that whip, how can she mean no harm?" Path asked Khari. He looked at her and replied. "She held back, she cares for her. You told me we need allies, this is how make allies Path." He walked away from her and she stood there watching her sister laughing with Adara. She didn't like it one bit but she couldn't do anything about it.