The kind impostor

Far away in the Snake Castle, Sharchan's sneaky twin brother was on his way to fetch Sienna from the kitchen. The handsome almost Snake King was walking the stony corridors thinking what to do next. It was not that easy like he imagined it! The queen was beautiful, but he could feel Sienna is clever, so he had to be careful till she will mate with him, after that he will be Snake King for sure. S was also wary of Lord Ziran. The burly tiger was watching the queen closely and it bothered him. S was not sure if he would be strong enough to kill him secretly."How do I get rid of that annoying tiger?"He thought furrowing his brows.

Meanwhile, a few levels down in the kitchen, Ziran was shadowing Sienna with rags, cleaning the wet floor behind her with his foot reluctantly. Sienna was cooking with anxious heart and shaking hands, so she was making even bigger mess in the kitchen then usually. It seemed that everything she touched just fell on the floor!

"How can you be so clumsy?"Ziran shook his head in disbelief.

Sienna looked at him with tears in her eyes; she was holding them in, trying not to cry. She was thinking about Sharchan and the heaviness in her heart was growing tall as a mountain. She find hard to concentrate on cooking like this!

"Calm down, I'm here to help you. "He bit his lips and watched how Sienna tried to cook rice with sweetcorn. She spilled the water on the floor and rice on the table. She started to cut sweetcorn kernels but they kept flying in the different directions when she tried to cut them from the freshly peeled sweetcorn corn.

Ziran watched her worriedly. "I understand now, why you said you can't cook."He nodded his head.

Sienna just felt her heart flinch and ignored his comment. She had full mind of Sharchan. She put the rice, sweetcorn and salt into a big iron pot with water and hanged it over the fire. She was thinking how to keep S entertained and find her Snake King.

Ziran started to open the kitchen cupboards to check what else they have in there. "It is not much female food in the kitchen." he checked the big larder. "I will need to get more food for you."

Sienna watched him to snoop around." I can have rice for a week. I prefer you stay with me at all times," she said worriedly.

"Well, we can go market together, if S will let you go."Ziran nodded." You need at least some lentils, mushrooms and apples. We don't know how long we will have to stay here."

"If you think so," Sienna nodded and went to wash some fresh grapes and put it in the bowl to take with her for later on. Ziran went to check the rice and took it from the fire.

"Is it done already?"Sienna looked at him in surprise.

Ziran looked at her firmly and took for her white painted terracotta bowl full of rice.

Sienna sat at the table and looked at it proudly."I think my cooking is not that bad," It was a bit overcooked, but tasted nice, because she was very hungry!

"You almost burned it!"Ziran looked at her in unbelief."And you put more sweetcorn on the floor then in the pot!"He noted.

"It flew away by itself." Sienna shook her shoulders innocently."Maybe it is the flying sweetcorn."She giggled a bit sweetly, bit sadly.

Ziran looked at her seriously."You will need to play this well. You need to look happier."He touched her cheek and smeared a few tears with his finger.

Sienna bit her lips and looked away from him. It was hard to be happy when something was going on with Sharchan!!

"And you will be not cooking here anymore. From now on you be sitting down and do only small tasks." the burly tiger talked to her firmly.

"Like what?" Sienna furrowed her brows.

"Eating! "Ziran sighed.

"Why?"Sienna asked a bit surprised.

"I do not like to clean this much unnecessary mess."He shook his head.

"I did not do it on purpose and I could clean it after the food. It doesn't make sense to clean before you eat, because the food will just get cold."She shrugged her shoulders and bit her lips. She did not like to be told off for her cooking!

"Well, you can cook and clean the same time, that way it will be less work afterwards."He tried to teach her probably his mama's ways and it irritated Sienna enormously.

"I don't like to cook like that," Sienna shook her head."You still have dishes to clean after eating anyway."

"But it is less mess!"Ziran noted.

"From when you are so picky, Lord Ziran?"Sienna tilted her head satirically.

"From today, as I saw you in the kitchen." he said a bit brutishly.

"Well, I made a mess, but that doesn't mean, I would not clean everything after." she pointed a bit upset. Ziran was making her feel bad with his comments because she did not order him to clean after her!"Like he doesn't have more important things to worry about right now!"Sienna was raging in her mind! Unfortunately, she could not lash out at him too much, because she needed him to protect her. Instead she looked at him pitifully and was glad he is not her mate! More he opened his mouth about it, more she was pushing him into the friend zone!

Ziran kind of started to feel her growing disdain and looked at her suspiciously. She was eating slowly and biting her lips, not reacting to his comments at all, but he could feel he made her angry inside.

"Is something wrong?"He looked at her brutishly.

"No," she finished her rice."I'm, going to wash the dish!" she stood up abruptly and took her bowl." Feel free to get out for a moment, I need to think." she said quietly.

"About what?"Ziran lifted his eyebrow.

"I just need some peace, "she looked at him wildly."Wait for me outside and let me know if you hear S coming."

"Did I annoy you?"Ziran asked straight forward.

"Just your words," Sienna said firmly.

Ziran looked a bit puzzled. He just tried to advice her to do better. He did not understand why she got upset. "She is too sensitive." he thought as he checked the door outside and stood by the door from inside, watching her quietly, still thinking if he should go out or not...

"If he gets upset and leaves me now, I'm done for, "Sienna glanced at him worriedly and sighed in her mind. She washed the dish and wet her dress completely in the process.

"You should take an apron."Ziran stared at the big watery splodges on her dress.

"It will dry," Sienna shook her head."She dried and tidied the dishes. Ziran's stare just made her feel uncomfortable, because he was complaining about the mess she done earlier. She was not sure if he still even likes her anymore at all!

Sienna cleaned the kitchen quickly. Then she fixed her hair looking into the shiny pot.She took her bowl of fruits with grapes and sat at the table to wait for S.

"Don't be upset with me."Ziran grinned as she sat down.

"Be nicer then." she looked at him trying to calm down."You need to be sweeter if you want me to be happy next to you." she lectured him a little.

"That's not why I asked you. You look too tasty when you are angry." he chuckled brutishly.

"Get out."Sienna said seriously.

"Why me? You are the one who needs to calm down."He kept provoking her.

"Wait for a better time Lord Ziran."She smiled a bit wickedly when she saw he is doing it on purpose.

"For when?" he asked.

"For when you became the king."Sienna smiled.

Ziran touched his heart theatrically."This hurts!"He went out with a brutish smirk.

"Clever little minx."He thought as he guarded the door.

Sienna stood up and straightened her drying dress. She combed her hair again with her fingers, checked her reflexion in another shiny pot and waited.

"King Sharchan, "she heard Ziran's strong voice shortly.

"S is here!" the adrenaline kicked into her body.

S came inside confidently. Sienna sat behind the big table and nibbled on the blue grapes. Next to her was a bowl of them she prepared to take to her room just in case.

Sienna smiled at S gently."Is my room beautiful, my love?"

"Yes, of course my queen, if you need anything, just let me know."S smiled familiarly. It was quite tricky pretend to be Sharchan but the queen seemed pleased with him. He just felt a bit insecure under her loving gaze!

S came to Sienna and offered her his hand to stand up. She took it. His hand was strong, but softer then Sharchan's. Sienna blushed and looked into his wild yellow eyes."How much I missed you being so gentleman to me."She smiled. S seemed somehow more polite than Sharchan!

Sienna walked next to him thru the stony corridors trying to remember the way, but it was too much of a maze. Ziran followed them from a slight distance.

"Your room is just next to mine."S smiled gently. "Feel free to come to me at any time." he pointed at the black and gold decorated door and led her to the next golden and black door.

S opened the big door easily for her and let Sienna in."This room has everything you might need, my queen." he smiled gently and show her around.

Sienna looked at the golden room. It was mostly black and gold, but it had turquoise on the bed and cushions."Is this the room Sharchan prepared for me?"She was thinking as she saw the table with a lot of sewing stuff. "Well, I'm so lucky it is not a golden cage here." she sighted in her mind and turned to S.

"Thank you my king, I love it, is beautiful," Sienna beamed happily and walked around the room.

S watched her satisfied. "She looks so cute, how excited she is from the room I just made up so quickly. She is not that hard to go along, "he thought."Or is she just so happy and kind all the time?"

"S?"Sienna interrupted his thinking, "I will need one more sofa here, please, for Lord Ziran, he got permission from you to sleep in my room," she said a bit carefully.

"What?" S was getting angry.

"S?"Sienna looked at him worriedly." It was your idea. Remember how that eagle almost took me in my sleep? From that time you said to Lord Ziran to stay in my room at night. He is my bodyguard after all."She smiled sweetly.

S was upset. He looked at Sienna a bit suspiciously." I needed to get rid of this Lord Ziran fast. The queen is too dependent on him." he thought.

"I will think about it again." he said to her carefully. He was still not sure about this. "This castle is very safe. No one should be able to kidnap you from here."

"That is great, "Sienna smiled, "I was just worried as the windows are quite big," Sienna sat on the golden bed with turquoise cushion in her lap, "How nice you made it for me, you are so amazing." she stretched her hands to him. She noticed he got grumpy, so she tried to placate him a bit to lift his mood.

"I'm glad you like it, "S sat next to her on the bed a bit unsure.

"Thank you," Sienna kissed his cheek slowly.

S felt his heart pounce. He never thought the kiss can feel so sweet! Sienna cuddled up on his wide chest. He did not smell like Sharchan and it hurt her heart a lot. She was worried about her strong Snake King. Sienna decided to bond with his evil brother as well. "He will need to like me, trust me and let me run around freely, so I can find my Sharchan."Sienna thought." So, I will treat him almost as Sharchan. It is his brother after all!"

S felt Sienna breathing into his chest. He felt the sweet feeling of a cuddle and he liked it. It felt as if their energies kind of merged together. He felt as a liar to steal his brother's life, but he was content with it."My new life like a king is starting." he thought satisfied and petted Sienna's hair carefully.