Chapter 3: The Serpent king
1169 Words
Selene barely slept that night.
Every time she closed her eyes, memories from the novel resurfaced.
The Beast Kings.
Their hatred.
Her execution.
And worst of all...
The Serpent King.
Of all five Beast Kings, he was the one she feared the most.
Lucien could be reasoned with.
The Lion King valued honor.
The Fox King enjoyed playing games.
The Dragon King rarely involved himself in politics.
But the Serpent King?
He trusted no one.
Believed no one.
And forgave absolutely no one.
In the novel, he had seen through nearly every scheme Selene attempted.
Even when she successfully deceived others, she could never fool him.
The thought alone made her stomach twist.
By sunrise, Selene was already awake.
She sat by the window, staring at the gardens below.
The mansion was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
A calm before the storm.
A knock sounded on the door.
"Come in."
A maid entered and curtsied.
"My lady, a royal messenger has arrived."
Selene's heart sank.
She already knew why.
"The Serpent King?"
The maid looked surprised.
"Yes, my lady. His carriage entered the capital an hour ago."
Right on schedule.
Just like the novel.
Selene rubbed her temples.
Maybe if she stayed inside all day, fate would leave her alone.
Unfortunately, fate never worked that way.
"The messenger is waiting downstairs."
"Tell him I'll be there shortly."
The maid bowed and left.
Selene released a long sigh.
There was no avoiding this.
The Serpent King had been summoned by the royal family to investigate a series of attacks along the northern border.
His arrival was considered important enough that every major noble family had been invited to attend a welcoming banquet tonight.
Including the Ashbourne family.
Including Selene.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
That evening, the royal palace glittered beneath thousands of enchanted lights.
Music drifted through the grand ballroom.
Nobles laughed and chatted as servants moved between guests carrying silver trays.
Selene stood near a marble pillar, quietly sipping juice.
Her nerves were stretched thin.
She knew exactly who everyone was looking for.
The guest of honor hadn't arrived yet.
The Serpent King.
Across the ballroom, she spotted Lucien speaking with several nobles.
The Wolf King noticed her almost immediately.
Their eyes met.
His expression remained as unreadable as ever.
Then he looked away.
Progress, Selene supposed.
At least he wasn't glaring.
The ballroom suddenly fell silent.
Every conversation stopped.
Every head turned toward the entrance.
Selene's grip tightened around her glass.
He's here.
The massive doors opened.
A tall figure stepped inside.
Black hair.
Sharp features.
Cold emerald eyes.
The room seemed to grow quieter with every step he took.
Power radiated from him.
Not loud power.
Not the kind that demanded attention.
The kind that made people instinctively lower their voices.
The Serpent King.
Soren Veyn.
And unfortunately for Selene, he was looking directly at her.
Her heart nearly stopped.
No.
No, no, no.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
In the original novel, he hadn't noticed Selene until much later.
Why was he staring at her now?
Soren's gaze lingered for several seconds.
Then he looked away.
Selene released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Lady Selene."
She nearly jumped.
A noblewoman standing nearby smiled politely.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"No."
The lie came too quickly.
The woman glanced toward Soren.
"You're fortunate."
Selene blinked.
"Fortunate?"
"The Serpent King noticed you."
If only she knew.
Being noticed by Soren was the opposite of fortunate.
It was practically a death sentence.
The novel had proven that.
As the evening continued, Selene did her best to remain invisible.
Unfortunately, fate seemed determined to ruin her plans.
A royal attendant suddenly approached.
"My lady."
Selene's stomach dropped.
"Yes?"
"The king requests your presence."
Every alarm bell in her head went off.
The king?
Why?
The attendant gestured toward the front of the ballroom.
And there she saw them.
The king.
Lucien.
And Soren.
Waiting.
For her.
This had definitely not happened in the original story.
Selene wanted to cry.
Instead, she forced herself to smile and followed the attendant.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
When she finally stopped before the group, she lowered her head respectfully.
"Your Majesty."
The king smiled warmly.
"Lady Selene."
His attention shifted between her and Soren.
"I hear the two of you have never properly met."
Selene froze.
No.
No.
Absolutely not.
The king continued.
"Allow me to introduce the Serpent King."
As if she needed an introduction.
Soren's emerald eyes settled on her.
Cold.
Sharp.
Calculating.
Like a predator studying prey.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Soren extended his hand.
The gesture surprised everyone nearby.
Including Selene.
Slowly, she placed her hand in his.
His fingers were cool.
Almost unnaturally so.
A strange silence followed.
Soren studied her face.
Not politely.
Not casually.
Intently.
As though searching for something.
Finally, he spoke.
"Interesting."
Selene's pulse quickened.
Interesting?
What did that mean?
Nothing good.
She was absolutely certain of that.
The king laughed.
"It seems you've made an impression."
Soren's gaze never left her.
"No."
A chill ran down her spine.
"I simply find it curious."
Selene swallowed.
"Curious?"
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
Not a smile.
Something far more dangerous.
"People rarely change overnight."
Her blood turned cold.
The ballroom seemed to disappear.
The noise.
The music.
The conversations.
Everything faded.
Only Soren's words remained.
People rarely change overnight.
The same thing Lucien had implied yesterday.
But somehow it felt different coming from Soren.
Far more dangerous.
As though he wasn't making an observation.
As though he already knew something was wrong.
For several terrifying seconds, neither looked away.
Then Soren released her hand.
"Enjoy the banquet, Lady Selene."
His voice was calm.
Polite.
Yet somehow it sounded like a warning.
Selene forced a smile.
"You as well, Your Grace."
The moment she stepped away, her heart began pounding wildly.
This was bad.
Very bad.
In the original novel, Soren's suspicion of Selene had taken months to develop.
Now?
He had met her for less than five minutes and already looked suspicious.
Selene resisted the urge to scream.
Why was the story changing?
What was happening?
And why did she have the horrible feeling that the Serpent King knew far more than he should?
Across the ballroom, Soren watched her disappear into the crowd.
His expression remained unreadable.
Beside him, Lucien folded his arms.
"Well?"
Soren's eyes narrowed slightly.
"She's different."
Lucien sighed.
"So you noticed it too."
The two Beast Kings exchanged a glance.
Neither looked convinced.
And neither trusted her.
Far above them, hidden among the shadows of the palace balcony, a young woman smiled.
She had been watching everything.
Every conversation.
Every reaction.
Every change.
Her gaze followed Selene through the crowd.
A cold laugh escaped her lips.
"So you've finally arrived."
The woman leaned against the railing.
Her smile widened.
"Let's see how long you survive this time."
And for the first time since entering the beast world, Selene's true enemy watched her from the shadows.
- Writer
