Bound by Venom: The rise of the serpents

Chapter two

Queen Marissa's angry voice thundered from her chambers, echoing through the castle corridors. "And what does that mean?" she demanded. "Why can you not keep an eye on your mistress, Yotta? Saphina has always done nothing but cause trouble to the entire court. Did she not know about the evil presence of my captive?"

Yotta stood before the queen, her expression calm and collected. "Yes, Your Majesty," she responded coldly.

Queen Marissa sighed, her anger momentarily subsiding. "Take some men and find her quickly. She couldn't have gone missing. Find her and bring her to the cave."

Yotta's eyes narrowed slightly, her confusion evident. "The cave?" she asked.

Queen Marissa's expression turned stern, her patience wearing thin. "Do you have a problem with that? Will you do as I asked?"

Yotta bowed her head, her voice obedient. "Yes, your majesty." She turned to leave, but Queen Marissa's words halted her.

Queen Marissa was a complex woman, her actions often contradicting her words. She was a model queen, beautiful and refined, yet her behavior towards Lady Saphina was often puzzling. Sometimes it seemed as though she didn't care about her daughter's well-being, but her actions always suggested otherwise.

Yotta made her way to the archery range, searching for some men to accompany her on the queen's mission. As she entered the range, she spotted Lady Saphina shooting arrows with precision and skill.

"My lady?" Yotta said in surprise, approaching Lady Saphina.

Lady Saphina turned, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Yotta," she said simply, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear and pulling out another arrow.

"I didn't know you were here," Yotta said, her eyes scanning the range.

Lady Saphina shrugged. "You know I come here often. What changed today?"

Yotta hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "Nothing. Just that Radna's presence is enough to send fear through us. I'll go inform Queen Marissa of your safety."

Lady Saphina's eyes widened, her expression incredulous. "She thought I was missing? Unsafe? Dead? What?"

Yotta's expression was calm. "Missing."

Lady Saphina snorted, her voice laced with sarcasm. "She couldn't have. She never cares about me."

Yotta's eyes met Lady Saphina's, a hint of warning in her gaze. "You never know, my lady. I think it's time to stop. Queen Marissa requests your presence in the cave."

Lady Saphina's eyes narrowed, her grip on the bow tightening. "Am I getting punished again? What cave?"

Yotta's expression was neutral. "Radna's cave. Queen Marissa had him locked up in a cave located in the castle's underground."

Lady Saphina's eyes sparkled with curiosity, her voice barely above a whisper. "Radna's cave?"

Her fingers instinctively tightened around the bow, her knuckles whitening as she struggled to process the queen's command. Radna, the infamous prince of darkness, the serpent lord whose mere words could weave a spell of temptation, awaited her presence? The thought sent a shiver coursing through her veins, yet, to her surprise, a thrill of anticipation fluttered in her chest, like the soft rustle of leaves in an autumn breeze. What terrified her more - the prospect of facing the dark lord, or the undeniable excitement that stirred within her at the mere thought of encountering him?

Twenty-Three Years Ago

Young queen Marissa sat at her vanity, her golden hair slipping through her fingers as she brushed the same lock over and over, her emerald eyes fixed on her reflection. But she wasn’t truly looking at herself, her mind was lost elsewhere, trapped in grief.

The door creaked open behind her. She didn’t flinch. Only one person dared enter her chambers without knocking.

King Nero. But tonight, he wasn’t alone.

Marissa turned slowly, her brows furrowing as she took in the sight before her. The King cradled a sleeping infant in his arms, wrapped in a simple cloth.

“Whose child is that?” Her voice was sharp, unwelcoming.

King Nero stepped closer, his expression soft. “Ours. My queen it's our child.”

Marissa’s breath hitched. He placed the baby into her reluctant arms, and for a moment, she only stared. The child was impossibly small, its tiny fingers curled into delicate fists.

“Where did you get this baby?” she finally asked.

“The merchant who supplies our weapons found her abandoned,” Nero said. “He kept her for three days, but no one came for her.”

“And you believed that story?”

“He has never lied to me, Marissa.”

“This could be a stolen child.”

“She’s not stolen. Her mother probably got attacked and killed, or even abandoned her because she couldn't fend for her.”

“You don’t know that!” Marissa’s voice rose, and she abruptly placed the child on the bed as if it burned her hands. The baby stirred but did not wake. “You bought a child? Just like that?”

“I adopted her,” Nero corrected, his voice unwavering. “She will be raised as our daughter.”

Marissa’s hands trembled at her sides. “No. No, you can’t do this to me. I just lost my child, Nero. You can’t bring home a stranger and pretend she is mine. This... this thin... this child can never take my baby's place.”

“I’m not asking you to replace our daughter.” Nero stepped forward, lowering his voice. “I am only asking you to open your heart to another.”

“She is not royalty,” Marissa whispered, her voice laced with bitterness. “She is the child of a commoner, maybe a slave even. Who knows what kind of filth runs through her veins?”

“She is just a child Marissa, she is innocent,” Nero insisted.

Marissa’s throat tightened. She clenched her jaw, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Raise her here if you must,” she murmured, voice barely above a whisper. “But she will be the King’s ward... not a princess.”

"But..." Nero wanted to speak but Marissa’s eye spoke deep.

Nero hesitated, but he had never wished to hurt his wife. Slowly, he nodded.

And so the baby was given a name... Saphina.

Present Day

Lady Saphina tightened the sash of her robe, smoothing the fine silk with nervous fingers. Queen Marissa’s sudden summons weighed on her chest like a stone.

Yotta walked beside her down the dim corridors of the palace, holding a torch. Their path twisted deeper underground, the air growing colder, heavier.

As they reached the entrance of the cave, a shiver crawled up Saphina’s spine.

The Eldribu Cave.

She had heard of it, whispered about it, but never before had she set foot inside.

Water dripped from the ceiling, the droplets echoing in the cavernous darkness. The walls were damp and glistening, rough with age. A thick scent of mold clung to the air, making it hard to breathe.

Saphina hesitated. “I feel… uneasy about this place. What if Radna attacks us? It's dangerous.”

Yotta kept her voice low. “There’s a reason it’s called the Cave of Shadows. It swallows power, my lady. Even the strongest magic dies here.”

Saphina swallowed hard. “Then why keep Radna alive at all? Why bring me here?”

“I don’t know,” Yotta admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “But Radna’s presence alone is enough to bring fear. This cave is our only assurance that he cannot harm us.”

A flickering light ahead revealed figures standing in the dim glow... Queen Marissa, flanked by guards. And opposite her…

Radna.

Saphina’s breath caught.

The man stood calmly, chains coiled around his wrists and throat like steel serpents. He was not thrashing. He was not screaming.

He was simply watching.

Even in the faint light, Saphina could make out his unnerving presence. He was tall, his posture unnaturally still, his skin eerily unblemished. His short blonde hair framed his face, accentuating sharp, sculpted cheekbones.. But it was his eyes that froze her in place.

They were silver. Not the dull silver of tarnished metal, but the kind that gleamed, alive, knowing, dangerous.

A strange tightness wrapped around her chest. Her breath faltered, not just from fear, but from something else. Something she couldn’t name. It felt like a whisper at the back of her mind—something on the edge of recognition, like a name she should remember but couldn’t grasp.

“Your Majesty,” she forced out, tearing her gaze away from the prisoner.

Queen Marissa turned, her expression unreadable. Then, to Saphina’s shock, she smiled.

“Saphy, dear,” the Queen said, her voice smooth, warm. Too warm. Something flickered in her emerald eyes, a glint of amusement, satisfaction.

Saphina stiffened. What? Queen Marissa had never spoken to her this way. She had never shown even a sliver of warmth.

Something was wrong.

“You sent for me, Your Majesty,” Saphina said cautiously.

“Yes, yes, I did.” The Queen gestured toward Radna with an almost playful flick of her wrist. “Come, don’t be afraid. I want you to meet our guest.”

Guest?

Saphina’s blood ran cold.

Radna’s gaze remained locked onto hers, unwavering, piercing.

“I...” Saphina hesitated, her pulse roaring in her ears.

“Come now, child,” Queen Marissa crooned. “Say hello.”

Saphina slowly turned her head. Radna stood there, motionless, his lips curving ever so slightly.

Their eyes met. And in that moment, Saphina felt it... a whisper at the edges of her mind. A presence, brushing against her thoughts. Not a voice. Not words. But a feeling. A shadow.

And it was coming from him...