Dinner with the "Addams family"

Mathyas and Marath walked Sienna to the long medieval-looking dining room. It had rough stone walls decorated with weapons, furry animal skins and colourful wooden carvings of big demon-like lizard masks.

Mathyas sat Sienna on the heavy chair behind the massive black wood table covered in thick linen fabric decorated with colourful writings and twirling lizards and snakes as a celebration-like table cover.

Thyasse was already sitting at the table innocently, smiling sweetly at Sienna. Sienna glanced at her and felt a cold shiver in her bones." I must keep away from her." she thought.

Mathyas sat next to Sienna and Marath next to Thyasse. The black-dressed pale men-servants started to bring dishes to the table.

"Dig in!"Marath smiled at Sienna. His heart was singing songs of revenge."I got Sarcos's heart right next to me! It is beautiful, soft and plum, I just want to dig into her instead of the food!" he chuckled in his mind.

Sienna watched as Thyasse picked little blue colourful dead hummingbirds. She put them in her mouth whole with feathers, crunched them and swallowed!

Sienna sunken in the chair and the colour from her face faded even more. She felt physically sick now as well!

"Here, have some!"Thyasse offered her a beautiful bird. Sienna stared into its little black dead eyes. She felt she wanted to cry!

"I have a belly ache, please excuse me, I don't feel well."Sienna held the tears and her voice sounded really weak.

"Well, you look really pale. Drink at least then!"Thyasse gave her a silver goblet.

Sienna took it."I don't drink vine," she looked at the red liquid.

"Is horse blood, don't worry."Thyasse smiled.

"Horse blood?"Sienna became sicker in her stomach.

"It is our traditional welcome drink. Don't refuse me." Thyasse smiled sweetly.

Sienna looked at Mathyas worriedly."I can drink only water." She said innocently." Please, don't be upset."

"Whatever tribe you are from?"Thyasse looked entertained at Sienna's pale face.

"Mother, she is a guest, please, do not interrogate her."Mathyas took the silver goblet from Sienna's trembling hands.

"I will drink it for you."Mathyas nodded."On my mother's beauty and health!" he lifted the goblet up.

"Thank you," Sienna whispered gratefully and watched as Mathyas started to drink the thick blood. Sienna dropped the silver spoon under the table. She could not watch! Mathyas finished the goblet and looked under the table. Sienna was crouching there, holding her mouth with tightly closed eyes. She was trying to calm down her sick stomach!"

"As a little kid."Mathyas thought a bit amused.

Marath with Thyasse saw his entertained facial expression and looked quickly too. They looked at each other and chuckled. The rumours of a sensitive and kind queen were true then! Thyasse licked her lips. "I will eat this little queen for dinner one day!" she smiled in her mind.

Mathyas reached down and pulled Sienna up to the chair. She looked at him with a faint smile and placed the spoon on the table nervously. She looked like a startled dove. There were no fruits on the table, no rice, no buns, and there was nothing she could eat! Not even water! But no, there was actually liquid resembling water in the decorated glass jug. And it had small live snakes in it! Sienna opened her eyes wildly and watched them twirling the water trying to escape desperately from it.

Thyasse saw her shocked look and picked up the water jug. She drank it with the live snakes with relish and watched as Sienna is about to faint...

Sienna averted her eyes but then she looked at plates full of colourful dead animals and felt sad for them. She watched as Thyasse ate little crunchy snakes and lizards, and Marath ate them relaxedly as if nothing happened. Mathyas had some too. Sienna tried to think clearly."Well he is a black lizard anyway, he eats food lizards eat," she was convincing herself trying to calm down, "At least he doesn't eat people like Thurssa," she sighed in her mind. Sienna just felt sick and started to stare at the decorated walls instead, getting deep into her thoughts.

Marath looked at Sienna's face for a while and saw she is not moving at all."I think the queen still did not recover from the past days." Marath stared at Sienna's pale face.

Mathyas nodded."It was very hard for her in Crocodile land. Crodius wanted to bleed her out and stuff her into little potions."

"Why would he do that? "Thyasse asked curiously.

"Because he was clearly stupid! Sienna made him an amazing cosmetic range instead, mother. I brought some for you. Is waiting in your room. The queen is quite weak but very talented."Mathyas smiled gently at his mother.

"I see."Thyasse smiled."A beauty expert?"

"No, she is an artist. She can paint your portrait, mother."Mathyas smiled and looked at Sienna. She was still staring blankly at the wall. Mathyas touched her hand under the table and press it."Sienna? Will you paint a portrait for my mother as well?"

Sienna flinched at his touch."With pleasure."She smiled faintly. "I'm sorry, I'm really not well."She leaned back in the chair with half-closed eyes. She just could not watch anymore.

Mathyas finish his plate and stood up."Mother, father, let me take her to recover." he said politely.

Marath nodded.

"Give the queen the room to rest, so we can chat more later, I miss the female company," said Thyasse sweetly.

Marath looked at her suspiciously. He knew she wanted to eat the young queen!

Mathyas helped Sienna to stand up. She was shaking as a leaf and holding her stomach.

Mathyas held Sienna around her waist, she felt very dizzy. "Excuse me, please, "She smiled faintly and walk with him. She did not care where he took her, she just wanted to be out of that room!

"Poor child, she can barely walk now."Thyasse chuckled coldly when they left."She is too sensitive, how she will survive here? It will be more merciful to kill her now!"Thyasse looked at Marath."Her beautiful skull is missing in my collection."She chuckled coldly." Imagine she ran away from me! I just wanted to show her my snake form. I almost catch up with her, when I saw you hugging her as a scared chicken in the corridor. Do you like her more than me?" she asked coldly.

Marath looked at his queen seriously." She will belong to our son. You can't kill her just like that. At least wait till they have offspring." he noted coldly.

Thyasse shook her head. "I don't want to wait that long."My collection is more. important than grandchildren." she chuckled.

"Leave her to Mathyas, she is his prisoner and it is his decision to make. For now, she is off your table."Marath said firmly and went out too.

Mathyas took Sienna to a high terrace. She felt dizzy and sick because she still saw the plates of the dead animals in her mind, mixed with skulls, and a huge copper snake queen!

Mathyas held her waist strongly" You are too weak, I told you to eat something."

" I can't, I'm human, "Sienna whispered.

"Don't ever say it here! My mother doesn't have a pure human skull yet."Mathyas hissed. "I understand now Sarcos's worries. Is not so easy to make this queen well." he thought.

"What are you going to eat now?" he asked her coldly.

"Nothing today, I feel too sick."Sienna shook her head and leaned at his shoulder weakly. She tried to breathe in the fresh cold air.

"Well, I can't let you starve. It will be a pity to lose those curves." he pinched her hips slightly.

"Aaaau. Be gentle with me."Sienna flinched.

Mathyas wanted to chuckle but bit his lips.

"Please, let me out of here. Your mother has a place for my skull already."Sienna whispered."On a lovely golden pillar." she chuckled nervously, "She changed into a big snake and tried to eat me. I had to run away. If I don't bump into your father, I'm dead already." Sienna noted."Please, Mathyas."

"Keep next to me then!"Mathyas frowned a bit. He thought that sensitive Sienna is exaggerating!

"But you don't like me anyway, why would you keep me here?"Sienna furrowed her brows.

"Who said I don't like you?" Mathyas look into her eyes seriously.

"I like you quite a bit actually and I need you." he smiled.

"Need for what?"Sienna asked a bit worriedly.

"To lure Sarcos in."Marath approached them smiling.

" Father, I just took her for some fresh air."Mathyas nodded.

"Sure, she looks much better."Marath nodded. He stood from Mathyas's other side." I like the way you pinched her." he whispered to his son."What a funny reaction." he chuckled.

"With this little queen the boredom will be gone, you see father." Mathyas nodded.

"I'm sure of that." Marath chuckled, "But let's finish our business first. The long-awaited revenge."Marath looked into the distance," Look, King Sarcos is here already." he smiled cheekily.

Sienna saw as muscular Sarcos walked confidently to the mountain. Nobody dared to touch him!

"Sarcos," Sienna called hopefully.

"Don't celebrate yet!"Marath chuckled darkly.

"Let's go meet him first. I want him to see us together."Mathyas smiled and hold her hand in his."You walk with me."

Sienna felt more alive and followed Marath and Mathyas down the underground tunnels. The hope started to grow in her heart and she could not hide her smile. She looked like a ray of sunshine in the dark corridors. Totally out of place! Marath and Mathyas glanced at her."She surely looks even more beautiful when she is happy. "Marath smiled and nudged Mathyas's shoulder playfully.

Mathyas just sighed in his mind." I hope your smile will be not washed by tears tonight." he thought darkly.

They came inside of spacious room deep down under the earth's surface. It looked like some kind of weird laboratory. Marath sat in the decorated armchair and Mathyas stood with Sienna in front of the dark crystal dome-like construction.

"What is this?" Sienna asked.

"You will know soon."Marath chuckled.

Mathyas held Sienna's waist tightly and waited.

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*BONUS ALTERNATIVE CHAPTER*

This is not a part of the story, so read it if you are interested in a little alternative inspired by my lovely reader.

It is using the bold lines written by my amazing reader from the last chapter's comments. They are marked with the star * *, so you know which ones :-) This story is a bit like a chess game, so it is played by knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the characters. I really had fun with it. Please keep commenting if you like it and I might do more of this, just to see where it goes:-)xxx

It is starting with Sienna coming to the dining room:-)

Mathyas and Marath led Sienna to the long medieval-looking room and sat her at the table. Thyasse was waiting sitting behind the table innocently as the servants brought dishes to the table. Mathyas sat next to Sienna and Marath next to Thyasse.

"Dig in."Marath smiled at Sienna. His heart was singing songs of revenge. He got Sarcos's heart right next to him!

Sienna looked at Mathyas." Eat something, "he said to her.

Sienna looked at the dishes. The table was full of plates with colourful dead animals and insects! Sienna looked at Mathyas again." Is this the funeral part? "she whispered to him a bit satirically.

"No, this is the dinner," Mathyas noted coldly.

**"I am sorry you will have to excuse me as I have no appetite for tonight's dinner and there seems to be no food prepared for me anyway ." Sienna stood up and walked away.**

She walked fast through the dark corridors looking for the way out.

Thyasse smiled at Mathyas," I will go get her, "she imagined in her head how she will eat Sienna on the way by accident."Once I will swallow her, all her bones and insides will be crushed. It is nothing anybody could do about it." she chuckled darkly in her mind.

"Not you, my queen." Marath smiled gently at her and held her hand, "he still needed Sienna alive to lure Sarcos in!"Mathyas will go, she is his prisoner!"

"Yes father, "Mathyas stood up a bit upset from the table. He did not like to be humiliated in front of his parents! His heart raged in anger. "I will show her who is the master here!" he bit his lips. Mathyas was not called "The King of the Underworld "for nothing. Apart from living in the underground fortress, he was a powerful sorcerer with very little regard for the life of his enemies.

He picked Xander and Ramse first on the way for Sienna. "Your little queen is somewhere in the corridors, go fetch her!" he ordered them.

Xander changed to a panther and followed Sienna's scent quickly, he was worried she might fall into the ditch in the dark underground!

Suddenly golden hair was finally in front of his sparkly eyes. "Sienna wait." he stopped her. He looked in surprise at her messed-up hair and dress, she was walking in circles and could not find the way out! Her clothes were ripped by the sharp rocks and dirty from the dust!

"Xander!" Sienna smiled and hugged the black panther.

Then a tall dark shadow approached."Mathyas."Sienna sighed in her mind.

Mathyas came closer to them."I told you to behave yourself, did I not?"

**Sienna looked at him boldly. " All the males that pursued me at least know my food preferences!"**

Mathyas run his fingers on her cheek coldly, "But I'm not pursuing you, don't think too highly of yourself." he chuckled darkly."I told you, I will never be family with Sarcos. I need you to lure Sarcos in. After I will kill him, I keep you as my toy. That's all."

Sienna stared into his red eyes." I thought you liked me!"

"I do like you, but I'm not a little puppet. You are in my hands and you do what I say."Mathyas smiled coldly."Now come back with me and apologise to my parents ."

"No, I did nothing wrong."Sienna shook her head stubbornly.

Mathyas grinned and pointed to Xander and Ramse."Which one I should kill first to teach you a lesson, little queen?"

"No one, keep them out of it, "Sienna called desperately. She did not want this.

"I don't think so, the king has to keep his word. You will still have one left."Mathyas said a bit sinisterly.

"No, please! Punish me instead."Sienna stood in front of them, she was really worried right now!

"You need to learn I do not joke!"Mathyas flicked his finger and lifted the black panther up into the air. Then Mathyas smashed him to the rocky sealing. Sienna screamed as the blood splattered. Xander was dead.

"Xander!" Sienna called in horror. She felt his blood on her hands." I'm so sorry, Xander, please get up," she cried.

"Is too late Sienna, he is gone! I told you to listen, you can't act up if Sarcos is not here!"Ramse hissed as he picked the dead black panther on his shoulder."I hope I will not go next!" he glared at Sienna.

"I will go bury him." Ramse glanced at Mathyas. Mathyas nodded at him coldly and looked at the broken Sienna. He promised Sarcos to keep her, not anyone else!

"If you want to keep Ramse alive rather listen!"Mathyas took Sienna's hand and pulled her up. She felt her tears going down her cold cheeks and walked behind Mathyas in a daze. She felt like his puppet!

Sarcos arrived at the fortress to see Ramse bury the black panther, "What happen?" he furrowed his brows in surprise.

"The queen did not listen." Ramse bit his lips.

"Is she ok?"Sarcos asked worriedly.

"For now!"Ramse sighed." I think this was not a good idea in the first place."

"Well is too late."Sarcos bit his lips and went in. He did not rush in, because he thought Sienna is safe with Mathyas. He did not expect him to kill Xander that lightly...

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