Kapitel 7: A Serpent Encounter

Cassian was right not to trust her.

Selene's long legs stepped out of the wooden bath, droplets of water trailing down her scarred skin as she reached for a towel.

The maids had changed the bath water five times, luckily the water remained clean this time. All the mud between her nails, her hair, she had scrubbed them like never before.

Finally she looks clean. Not like her old self, still all skin and bones and her hair shorter than normal.

The faint glow of the lanterns cast her in shadow, and her movements were deliberate, unhurried, as if she had all the time in the world.

She had tucked her makeshift weapon made from metal underneath the bath, it was no bigger than her thumb, she had carefully placed it beneath the folded towels on the table.

It wasn't much, but it was enough.

Enough to slit a throat or free herself if the opportunity arose.

The soft creak of the door drew her attention, and Selene turned, her golden eyes narrowing.

A woman stepped inside, her frame slender yet commanding. She carried a bundle of rich clothes, dark green and gold fabric spilling over her arms.

Selene frowned, her gaze sharp. The woman's steps were confident, her head held high, her posture unyielding. She didn't bow, didn't hesitate, didn't shiver in fear, her brown hair was in a bun.

"Well, aren't you bold?" Selene remarked, wrapping the towel loosely around herself. "No knocking? No 'pardon my intrusion'? Or does everyone in this castle lack manners?"

The woman's lips curved into a faint smile, her voice smooth and accented, each word carrying an unfamiliar lilt. "I am not here to grovel, assassin. The king requested you look presentable, and I am here to ensure that happens."

Selene raised an eyebrow, stepping closer. The woman didn't flinch, didn't even blink.

She was in the same room with a deadly assasin, Selene could kill her one hand, but then the bracelet made her hesitate.

"And here I thought everyone in this place was terrified of me."

The woman tilted her head, her dark eyes glittering. "Should I be?"

Selene's smile sharpened. "That depends. Are you afraid of what happens when I get bored?"

For a moment, the woman said nothing, her gaze sweeping over Selene's scars with a calm that set Selene's teeth on edge. Then, slowly, the woman's pupils shifted, narrowing into thin, reptilian slits.

Selene stilled, her smirk fading as her instincts flared.

"You think you're the most dangerous thing in this room," the woman said, her voice low and edged with steel. "But I've dealt with worse than a petty human assassin."

A ripple of energy moved through the room, subtle but undeniable. Selene's lips parted slightly, her breath catching as the woman's aura pressed against her like a coiled snake ready to strike.

"Interesting, its been long since I saw a serpant shapeshifter," Selene murmured, taking a step back. Her own eyes flashed, and she said nothing.

"Who are you?" Selene asked, her voice steady but low, like a blade drawn halfway from its sheath.

The woman inclined her head, her expression unreadable. "I am Zariya. And I have no interest in bowing to you or fearing you. Now," she gestured to the clothes in her arms, "shall we dispense with the games? The king does not like to be kept waiting."

Selene's jaw tightened, but she forced a smirk to her lips. "Fine," she said, her voice laced with mockery. "But if you're here to dress me, I'd advise against trying anything funny. I bite."

Zariya's smile was sharp as a dagger. "So do I."

Selene's eyes narrowed, the air between them growing heavier.

She crossed her arms over the towel still wrapped around her body, tilting her head in feigned curiosity. "Interesting. Magic is forbidden here. What's a serpent like you doing in a place where it supposedly doesn't work?"

Zariya placed the folded clothes neatly on the table, turning her full attention to Selene. Zariya met her gaze without flinching, her expression calm. "I cannot shift here, if that's what you're implying. The enchantments in this castle are strong. I cannot practice my form, the best I can do is control my eyes. But my venom?" Her voice dropped, "It is as lethal as ever."

Selene raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement passing across her face. "Good to know. But you didn't answer my question. Why would a snake willingly stay in a place that keeps her caged?"

For a moment, Zariya's dark eyes gleamed with something unreadable. Then she answered, her voice softer but no less cutting. "Because the king allows us to live here. He took us in when no one else would."

Selene frowned. "He allows you to live here? A serpent bowing to a man? Sounds like you've lost your edge."

Zariya's expression remained neutral, but her voice sharpened. "You know nothing of survival, Selene Draven. King Alden, he understands balance. What happens if creatures like me are forced to wander without protection? Desperation creates chaos." She paused, her gaze unwavering. "The king is no fool. He keeps us close because he knows what retaliation might look like if he didn't."

The venom in Zariya's tone was unmistakable.

Selene hummed as she reason about the snakes joining hands with the king, an alliance held together by fear and necessity.

"Clever," Selene murmured, turning to examine the clothes on the table. Her fingers brushed over the rich fabric as she added, "But still a cage."

"A gilded one," Zariya replied, "Better than the chains you were dragged here in, wouldn't you agree?"

Selene shot her a sharp look, but Zariya only smiled faintly, as if she enjoyed poking at the assassin's pride.

"You'd be wise to stop asking questions you don't want answers to," Zariya added.

Selene dropped her towel to the floor, standing unabashedly bare in the warm light of the lanterns. "Wise isn't exactly my style," she said, reaching for the silks Zariya had placed on the table. "So, tell me, Zariya. Don't you ever miss your family?"

Zariya's sharp eyes flickered, but her expression remained calm as she unfolded the dress. "No."

Selene raised an eyebrow, slipping the fabric over her shoulders. "Really? Not even a little? You don't think about them when it's quiet?"

"They're dead," Zariya replied evenly, stepping forward to smooth the gown's hem. "What would be the point of missing ghosts?"

Selene shrugged, adjusting the fabric over her hips. "Fair enough." She turned slightly, her gaze sharpening. "What about the dragons? I hear they've been wiped out, too. All those great serpents of fire and flame, and now—nothing. Sad, really."

Zariya's eyes darkened, her hands pausing mid-motion. "The dragons were fools," she said, her voice cold.

"Fools?" Selene echoed, tilting her head.

"They grew too proud," Zariya continued, stepping around Selene to secure the back of the dress. "Too bold. They thought their strength made them untouchable. It made them careless." Her fingers moved deftly as she adjusted the fabric, her touch precise and clinical. "And that arrogance got them killed."

Selene's lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile. "That's one way to put it."

"There are still a few," Zariya added, her tone dismissive. "Scattered across the seas, hiding in shadows. Their forms burnt away by the spell made by the king. But not here. Not in Caeltheria."

Selene turned to face her, watching Zariya closely as she worked. "You speak like you've met one."

"I've met enough," Zariya said curtly, pulling a pin from her belt to secure the dress at Selene's shoulder.

Selene watched the sharp glint of the pin as it caught the lantern light, her mind filing it away. "Didn't think serpents and dragons got along."

"We don't," Zariya replied, stepping back to appraise her work. "They think themselves superior to everyone. And look where it got them."

"Dead," Selene murmured, her voice soft but pointed. "Like your family."

Zariya's eyes narrowed, but she didn't take the bait. Instead, she gestured to Selene's hair. "Sit. It needs taming."

Selene complied, lowering herself onto the bench by the vanity beside the bath. Zariya moved behind her, deftly twisting and pinning Selene's short fiery red hair into an elegant updo, well one that she could manage.

Selene's gaze flicked to the small collection of hairpins Zariya placed on the table, each one sharp and glimmering.

"Tell me," Selene said casually, "what's the king like?"

Zariya's hands paused for a fraction of a second before resuming. "You'll see for yourself soon enough."

"Not one for small talk, are you?" Selene said, her tone light.

"Small talk is a waste of time," Zariya replied, securing the last pin in Selene's hair. "And the king doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Selene glanced at her reflection in the mirror, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Good thing I'm not too worried about his preferences."

Zariya stepped back, her gaze meeting Selene's in the mirror. "Then you're braver, or stupider, than most."

Selene rose from the bench, brushing off the folds of the dress. "We'll see."

As Zariya opened the door, Selene let her fingers brush lightly against one of the sharp pins on the table before following. She hadn't decided what game she was playing yet, but she was making sure she had all the pieces.

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