Masked guards

The crocodile warriors who were guarding the jungle sent a message to mage Crodius. They finally spotted the group of scorpions with the big barrels. Only 30 scorpions were running in the long line thru the wetland. Half of them carry a heavy load.

The scorpions noticed the crocodiles but did not stop. They had a mission to do. The crocodiles were expecting them so they let them pass. In front of Moss City gate, the scorpion leader changed to human form.

King Gaius went to greet him but the scorpion was very stern." The delivery for Scorpion Queen." the strong scorpion warrior announced. They put the barrels down and left. Gaius sent for Crodius and went to check the wetlands. There was a rumour of two other kings in the area from wild crocodiles, so he went to check it out.

Meanwhile, Crodius's men placed the barrels into a spacious, well-lit ground floor hall in the temple as Sienna requested. They chose one of Crodius's throne rooms as they were really big.

Crodius went to fetch Sienna. "The barrels came! Are you well enough to have a look with me?"

"I'm well now," Sienna nodded and clenched into Bran's arm automatically. Crodius smiled."The kind guards trained her well, she is so docile. She will go wherever the guards go." he chuckled in his mind. He was pleased. Crodius led her down to the ground floor and opened the room with barrels.

Sienna touched the barrels excitedly. "Bran, please help me to open them, "she smiled. She looked at the full barrels. They seemed to be filled with cosmetics to the top.

"It surely must cost a lot of money, "Crodius nodded.

"King Sharchan is very rich, he owns it to you for sparing his and Tyrell's life." Sienna nodded." It will be a great help for starting your business, " she smiled.

"Our business, no?" Crodius asked.

" Your business, you are the boss, no? I'm just helping you to design it and put it together, "she chuckled.

"Yes, you are right," Cridius nodded."He liked the idea of being the boss.

"Shampoo, body scrub, lipgloss, look!"Sienna picked a little with her finger and smear it on her lips." How do I look?" she smiled alluringly. She missed her cosmetics and this was too exciting.

"It suits you!"Crodius smiled. She looked so happy and alluring. Even he could feel his heart go a little softer around her.

Sienna looked at the barrels." It looks like king Sarcos sent more than I asked for, but the barrels are not marked. Crodius, please go get me some more paper, I will write what we got," she smiled gently, "And send someone to get the tins from my room, let's put it together."Sienna clapped her hand excitedly.

Crodius nodded and went. The guards waited in front of the door. Sienna was in the big hall alone. She walked around talking to herself."Hmmm, lip balm, face cream, body lotion,... ah where is my Trojan Horse Leaf Shampoo! The air is finally clear and I can't find it."She called loudly a bit disturbed with a shaking heart.

She knocked the barrels but they were full of cosmetics. There was no Trojan Horse in them! Sarcos did not come!

Sienna felt her heart pinched painfully. She was brave and patient because she knew that Sarcos will come for her for sure as the sun on a new day."What happened? Where is he? Where is he?" her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

Sienna sat with her back to one barrel and stared at the ceiling. She felt defeated."If Sarcos will not come, I will have to keep playing the game and go with Crodius to the south."She thought.

Suddenly the door opened and Crodius's servants brought the tins and canvases. Sienna arranged it neatly and filled a few tins. She felt like her heart flew out of her body. "I got only Bran and Scar now." she thought. She felt so alone.

Crodius was held up somewhere, so Sienna just wrote the basic names on the barrels with chalk. She arranged the filled tins and bottles neatly at the table as a display in the shop but Crodius was still nowhere to see.

A long time passed. Sienna already finished the display and filled all the tins. She stocked them neatly in long piles. She wrote the names on the tins as well. It looked like a handmade expensive cosmetics range.

Sienna sat on the floor and looked at the barrels." Where are you Sarcos? " she sobbed with a heavy heart. The gravity of missing Sarcos fell on her and she started to cry in anger into her hands." How he could not come? Does he want me to accept Gaius and stay here forever or to be a merchant with Crodius and run around the world as his showing-off slave?" she sobbed.

Bran heard her sobs and came inside to check on her."Sienna, what happened? Why are you crying?"Bran crouched to her and smeared the tears on her cheek.

"My Trojan Horse Leaf shampoo did not come."She sobbed and held her heart. " How can I do without it? It was my only hope."Sienna's heart hurt badly.

"Don't cry, it is surely here, I will ask Scar to help you find it, he understands these matters better than I do. "Bran went out to guard the door again.

"She is crying for some Trojan Horse Shampoo, why your men did not send it?"Bran said to Sarcos.

"Because I'm already here."Sarcos bit his lips.

"She is heartbroken. What else you are waiting for? " Bran looked at Sarcos.

"I have a feeling Crodius is planning something more," Sarcos told him.

"Forget the mage, you are strong enough anyway, just go to her before her heart will shatter into little pieces like that mirror!"Bran had enough of waiting."I guard!"

Sarcos nodded and went in." Bran is right, it doesn't matter what Crodius will do." he said to himself.

Sienna felt Bran was so kind to try to help her. But she filled tins and glasses from all containers and all of them were normal."No, double barrels. It is nothing Scar could do really. "She thought and leaned on the barrel with shiny lipgloss, it smelled so well of fresh berries. Sienna breathed the scent in deeply. "How could he not come!" she cried out painfully.

Suddenly a strong hand grabbed Sienna's waist from behind. She felt the man pull her tight to himself and his cheek rubbed around the back of her neck.

Sienna's heart stopped for a second and then pounced loudly. The wave of familiarity passed thru her body."Your Trojan Horse Leaf Shampoo is right here," Sarcos's voice sounded cheeky as he petted her hair. Sienna wanted to turn around, but he did not let her.

"Sarcos, how did you manage to find me?"Sienna breathed out in relief, the tears falling down her face.

Sarcos turned her around. Sienna expected to see her handsome Scorpion King, but she stared into Scar's masked face.

"Scar...Sarcos!"Sienna looked into his eyes and breath out."You are with me from the beginning! And I was thinking you were just a shy guard, you were hiding from me, so I can't recognize you! Why don't you tell me! I was so scared! How could you?" she told him off, but her hands were holding tight onto him. He was still irresistible to her and felt so safe as if a sun came out in the middle of the storm.

"Forgive me please, my love, "Sarcos held her in his embrace." I wanted to find out what is going on around here. And I wanted to see how your plan will work. You did a good job," he pointed at the neatly displayed tins.

"You hurt my heart, I was thinking you did not come!"Sienna sobbed again."I'm really upset with you right now."

"Forgiveness will let your soul fly free," Sarcos smirked and took the mask off his handsome face. He lowered his face to Siennas and touched her nose with his. Sienna breathed in his closeness.

"I will forgive you if you kiss me."Sienna pouted her lips and stared into his dark eyes.

Sarcos pressed his lips to hers. Sienna felt his warmth and all her emotions were wiped out by pleasure. The time and place stopped existing and she was flying with Sarcos high in the clouds.

Suddenly Sienna felt the kiss broken off and her soul fell down to the ground into a room inside the crocodile temple. She could hear the noise from outside. Bran was trying to distract Crodius.

Scar is helping the queen to move the barrels and fill the tins"Bran was informing the mage.

"Is he not the most helpful," Crodius shook his head and went inside.

Scar was closing the barrels with his head bent down and mask on already. Sienna came to Crodius and smiled happily."Do you have the papers for me? I will stick them to the barrels, they last longer than chalk," she smiled

Crodius looked at her lips. The lipgloss was smeared and her lips were swollen a bit. He smelled the pheromones in the air.

"The queen must like this Scar. I can use it."Crodius thought.

He reached the papers to Sienna. Sienna wanted to take them with a sweet smile. She grabbed the papers but Crodius did not let them go. She pulled stronger with a bit of a surprised expression, but he held the papers tight.

Suddenly Crodius took her hand and pulled her to himself. He glanced at Scar. He was calm. Too calm. Crodius could smell the faint scent of berry lipgloss from him.

Crodius looked at Sienna." Your lips look really nice with that lipgloss, but it seems smeared a bit. Were you kissing the guard?" he asked coldly.

"Yes," Sienna nodded."I was testing the lip gloss. I need to know how long it last," she smiled innocently.

Crodius stared shocked at her fast confession.

Sarcos chuckled in his mind."I'm a lip gloss tester, now. How deep I fell from being the king...hahaha."

Crodius held Sienna's shoulders."So can I test the lip gloss on you too?"

"It is tested already."Sienna smiled alluringly," I have all the information I need now. Besides, you are a business boss, I can't use you as a mere tester."Sienna chuckled innocently.

Crodius smiled loudly. Then his facial expression hardened. "You are the queen. What will your kings say to it?"

"Well, I can kiss my guards if I want to," Sienna smiled sweetly."King Sharchan and Tyrell allowed it once already." she shrugged her shoulders.

"Aha..."Crodius nodded his head." The queen is wilder than I thought. I will have to keep a better eye on her." he thought in his mind.

"Scar, come here," he called the guard.

Sarcos came obediently to him. Crodius looked at the muscular masked warrior. "Take off your mask!" he ordered him.