Scales

Drey and Kira ate their meal in an exciting mood, but the two brothers and Trina didn't join. Drey help her with the fish, she was getting used to his care and being pampered. Elder Leah stood behind the King's chair and greeted her teeth silently, looking at Drey's happy face while feeding her.

Kira couldn't deny his help and eat more when he placed them on her plate.

Drey even asked elder Leah to prepare a glass of milk before retiring to bed. This fueled the elderly woman more when she had to warm the milk for Kira.

Kira walked inside the King's private chambers and stood at the window, the moonlight reflecting on her skin white skin. Drey sat in bed and watched her in silence, her every expression reflected on her baby-like face. The cold atmosphere soothes his heated body, as her skin shows goosebumps.

After a long while she walked back and place a bedside chair in front of him. "Would you tell me, Drey?" she inquired, her eyes never leaving his face. He knew it. Her happy face earlier on was something she would put on when she really wanted to ask him something.

"It's already calm after the storm, my little troublemaker."

"Or, you fear they are here for me, again?" she asked, smiling at his frown face. She knew they were the merchants but there is something else Drey was not coming clear about, she wanted to know. But looking at his black eyes now ember she was mesmerized she raised her hand, his eyes showed specks of fire they were burning just like the sunlight. Drey watched her caressing his cheek while directly staring into his eyes.

"The situation might be intense, but I have gone through it once I'm not afraid anymore," she whispered. The deep lines on his face become visible before he said,

"Can you imagine going through the hands of Anna once more?" queried Drey.

She lowered her eyes, the swelling pain on her face indicating she was still hurting, "Has Anna been found?" she asked still gazing down.

"No, but I had an inkling she had been sending people after you two," he informed setting off the candles and helping her to his lap, holding her tightly. "She might also be with the merchants here in Rivea."

"She won't stop," Kira concludes, Anna's intention and her moves. Kira brought her arms around his shoulders as fear crept into her.

"At least she is no longer in hiding," Drey consoles her.

Though Anna was Richard's mother, the boy had got nothing to do with her mother's kidnapping business. He was also affected when his mother decide to sell him with Kira to the prince of Vinita.

This was the very reason the boy had been on guard for several days since he gathered the information about the merchants.

"The people I sent after the merchants when the trading fare was in Vinita said, they were welcomed by a masked aged woman."

"You did that?" she asked aloud, Drey didn't reply.

"Come let's sleep," he brought her to her side of the bed gently tucking her between the covers.

Laying down together Kira snuggles into his embrace silently and soon enough she drifted to slumber. Drey liked now that she can sleep without nightmares, she was a heavy sleeper but at the same, he worried that someday someone would kidnap her while sleeping.

"I know I'm not the right person to take care of you, Kira, but for you, I'm learning to do so," he muttered, sniffing her hair.

With the help of Grandfather, Rico, and Jerome he learned how to care for the people of Rivea and, Drey is willing to learn more.

Unable to sustain the pain building on his body he placed her on the bed kissed her on the forehead, he wore his boots and picked up a black robe, and walk out.

As soon as he stepped out Alex was already there waiting for him, "Your, Highness," he slightly bowed when he saw the King approaching.

"Is Ira ready?" Drey asked about his horse.

"Yes, Your Highness, she is at the back gate," replied Alex.

"Look after her until I return," the King ordered walking away. Alex stared at the King's departing figure until he descended the flights of stairs.

Drey found his horse and rode away immediately, heading towards the river. Riding for a while he came back to this river where it all started, the kingdom building it all began in this place.

The place was calm but his body was not. The water would make sounds several times but he could sense nobody or any malicious eyes on him. Knowing where to start he just started at the calm river water. He didn't know why he had brought himself here. After a while, the animal inside him jumped in ecstasy smelling the rich scent of this place.

Drey granted pain stabbing on his skin, and the scales of the cobra appeared on his body. The black scale was shining when the moonlight reflected on his body, he turned and his head spun almost missing his steps, and his balance went with it.

He stumbled sideways the pain of shedding the skin was severe, his body was beginning to fail him. The signs were unrecognizable to him, he didn't for how long he endured the pain the only thing he felt was his skin burning.

The pain brought him to his knees, and slowly with much difficulty he watched as his feet grew tail so long leaving snake prints behind he moved, his eyes turned ember mesmerizing him by the clear sight of the riverside.

He panted completely long, strong, and heavily beside the river banks his head nearing the water. Hissing. He hissed once again that sound alone was enough to bring all the cobras to crawl toward him. For the next half an hour a den of snakes gathered around.

They celebrated the arrival of the unique and their long lost King. Tongues out, heads raised high and their echoed hisses travel across the river. Drey's mind stopped working he surveyed the den and try to talk but what came out was a hissing sound which made the other cobras retrieve their long tongues.

A shot and fat cobras crawl past others and lay in front of him. It hisses words that he couldn't understand but the applauded hisses from the den were enough for him to figure out it was not harsh words. The only thing his snake mind captured as it tried to process the words was,

"Welcome back King Cobra."