Chapter 24 Let The Games Begin #2
“It’s rather unusual behavior for a queen.
Typically, the snakes in my realm stick to the deepest and darkest parts of the caves, never daring to venture into the formal dining hall, of all places.
” He gave my snakes a pointed look, earning him a hiss from Ember as she stuck her tongue out at the king.
I lightly dragged a finger along the top of her head while narrowing my eyes at the king. “My snakes don’t need to stick to the darkness, for it resides in every inch of my castle.”
All noises ceased to exist following my grim words.
I glanced at the king, noting a hint of sadness lining his eyes.
I had to do something to break the awkwardness, to kill off the pitiful glances I was receiving from Reena and Evander.
Leaning forward slightly, I snatched a champagne bottle off the table, pushing hard to release the cork.
A loud pop rattled through my ears as the cork shot up and ricocheted off the golden, crystal chandelier, making Reena squeal.
Then, as if the gods finally took pity on me, the wooden cork shot straight toward the Serpent King.
Unfortunately, it didn’t smash into his perfect face. Instead, it landed on top of his plate, right on the piece of steak he was about to spear next.
When I saw his lips turn down into a sharp scowl, I lost it.
My laughter was so strong that it shook my snakes, who were still wrapped around my shoulders and arms. Warm laughter intertwined with mine, and I saw through the tears pooling in my eyes that Evander was laughing along with me.
The king threw him a withering glare, which only made his second-in-command’s shoulder shake harder.
After pouring myself a hearty glass of champagne, I passed the bottle to my lady-in-waiting on my left.
“Drink up, we will need all the help we can get if we should survive this journey through the realms with the likes of him.” I winked at Reena before leveling my gaze at the snake across the table, sipping on my champagne with a cruel smile.
It was clear by the way the king’s jaw ticked that he was restraining himself from exploding at my clear display of disrespect. He wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin, before setting it on the table.
“Someone would really benefit from learning a bit of manners before we travel to our first destination.” He smiled down the table, looking directly at me.
“And when will someone learn I despise being told what I should or shouldn’t do?” I smiled sweetly at him over the rim of my glass, before raising it in a mock cheers and downing the whole glass in one go.
He raked a hand through his perfectly slicked back hair, causing a long, dark lock to curl down his forehead, brushing into his eyes. Cracking his neck, he, too, helped himself to a glass of champagne.
Oh, it was too much fun getting underneath the Serpent King’s skin, and I was just getting started. After all, we had a whole journey together for me to irk him at any given chance.
“Where are we headed to anyways?” Landon’s sharp voice cut through the palpable tension between the king and me, causing us both to glance at my bodyguard.
Frankly, I forgot he was in the room with us, with how silent he’d been throughout the course of dinner. The Serpent King assessed Landon, a devious smile twisting on his lips.
“She didn’t tell you about the gods, did she?” The king glanced at me, amusement gleaming in his eyes.
“The gods?” Landon asked incredulously, looking between the king and I, then settling his gaze, regrettably, on me. “Seera, what is he talking about?”
“It’s so interesting you call her by her given name. Rather informal for a bodyguard if you ask me,” the king muttered into his glass, earning him a vicious scowl before I turned to face my bodyguard’s line of fire.
“The Serpent King informed me yesterday that the gods are, indeed, real, and one is messing with our bargain. We are going to work together to stop her.” I shrugged a shoulder, taking another gulp of my liquor as if I didn’t just drop a bomb.
“What?!” Landon and Reena simultaneously exclaimed.
“For Serpent’s Sake,” I muttered into my glass.
Surprisingly, the king distracted their glares from boring solely into me when he spoke up.
“We are headed to the Emerald Glades. It houses one of the largest libraries in all the realms. If there is anywhere to search for information on how to defeat a god, it would be found there.” He took a small sip of champagne, moving to wipe the corners of his lips with his napkin once again.
I glanced sideways at Landon, only to find him gripping his fork for dear life. He looked about two seconds away from flying across the dining table and either stabbing me or the king for our deceit.
Technically, I didn’t lie to Landon . . . I merely withheld some minor details.
My bodyguard continued asking questions, but I didn’t hear if anyone deigned to answer his insistent nagging. The onset of a headache blurred my senses, yet I did happen to overhear one of his questions, making one of my own bubble to the surface like the champagne sizzling in my flute.
“How exactly are we going to gain access to a god’s personal library?” My attention snapped to the king, whose serpentine smile was answer enough.
“It’s easy when your mother is the ruler of said realm.
” He pushed his chair back, the wooden legs screeching from such a harsh motion.
“Well, this was a lovely dinner. Thank you, Seera, for your unwavering hospitality. Now, who is ready to meet the real Serpent Queen?” He rubbed his hands together, his eyes flaring with a wicked delight.
Reena’s gasp rang through the hall right as Evander rose and leaned toward the king, muttering something underneath his breath. I couldn’t hear what they said, as the pounding in my skull grew. The way the king informally addressed me would’ve had me seeing red if I weren’t so distracted.
On top of it all, he had the audacity to call his mother the real Serpent Queen in front of my closest staff.
My grip tightened on the armrests of my chair, my nails digging hard enough into the wood I left behind claw marks. The Serpent King whispered to Evander, all the while throwing a smug smile down the table at me, as if to tell me he won this battle.
I let my own forced smile grace my lips, sending a cruel and silent message back to him. His grin faltered, as he was smart enough to finally look a bit unnerved.
Let the Serpent King think he won tonight’s battle, for ultimately it would be I who’d win the war brewing between us.