Chapter 50- Enter Serpent King

The room was quiet, lit only by a warm golden glow from the enchanted orbs above. Rhiannan sat in the massive velvet lounge chair near the open window, her hair in a messy braid, her swollen belly resting like a mountain beneath her soft robe. Her entire body ached. Her magic prickled and surged. And her mood? Dangerous.

"I swear to the gods, if these babies don't evacuate my uterus soon, I'm going to hex Nythera herself," Rhiannan growled, gripping the sides of the chair.

Lady Kaelith smiled gently from the corner, humming something soothing as her tattoos shifted blue. "They're strong, My Queen. That's why they're taking their time."

"Strong is overrated when I can't fucking breathe, piss every ten minutes, and feel like I've swallowed a boulder."

Brimma cackled from the bathroom, adjusting some enchanted heating pads. "You tell her, Queen. Boom Boom agrees."

Sereth stepped forward, voice calm. "We may need to discuss induction if they don't come soon. Your body is trying, but the strain..."

"Say strain again and I will hex your eyebrows off."

That's when Kaleb entered quietly and knelt by her feet, taking one of her hands in both of his.

"I hate seeing you like this," he said softly. "You've always been the strongest person I know. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I feel helpless. All I want is to take your pain away."

She blinked at him, tears threatening. "You and me both, Wolfie."

Next was Arwen, who didn't kneel, he perched dramatically on the windowsill, watching her with his one sharp eye.

"You're a force of fucking nature, Rhi. But even nature needs to rest. Let us be your roots. Just for a bit."

She rolled her eyes. "That was poetic. Did you write that shit down?"

"I did not. But I should."

Elisha came next, his presence warm and grounding. He knelt behind her, rubbing slow circles into her aching back with strong, callused hands.

"This isn't forever," he said. "The pain will end. And when it does, we'll have three new lives. Three. That's overwhelming even for a dragon. But you've carried them with the strength of ten queens. I've never been prouder of anyone in my entire life."

She let out a broken breath, leaning back into his touch. "Elisha... thank you."

Azarion strode in next, eyes wild with emotion. He dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to her belly.

"I'd burn every star in the sky to spare you this pain, goddess. I hate this. Hate seeing you suffer. But I know you. You'll survive this like you always do. And I will be right here. Forever."

Her hand threaded into his curls. "You better be, sunshine."

Then came Sable, who hesitated longer than the others. He moved slowly, kneeling at her other side, his expression unreadable.

"I don't know how to comfort people," he muttered. "I was never taught. But I'd tear the fucking world in half if it made this easier for you. I love you, and that terrifies me. You terrify me. But I'll be your blade in the dark. Your wall. Your weapon. Just say the word."

Rhiannan smiled for the first time that day. "You did just fine, my demon."

Last was Liam. He waltzed in carrying a tray of snacks, fruit, pickles, chocolate, and some kind of glowing juice.

"I bring bribes, mood stabilization, and a reminder that you are the hottest, angriest, most powerful queen in all the realms."

He set the tray down, knelt in front of her, and pressed a kiss to her belly. "You scare me shitless. But I've never loved anyone more. And I've waited centuries to find a woman this worth the chaos."

Tears finally spilled over as she looked around at all of them with love in her eyes.

"Fuck. I love you idiots so much it hurts."

Lady Kaelith passed her a handkerchief. "Then let it hurt, My Queen. And let us carry you until the hurting stops."

Outside, the moon rose slowly.

Inside, Rhiannan was wrapped in love, even as pain licked at her bones.

Soon. It would be soon.

In the blistering heart of the western Star Scourge desert, where the sun punished the sand and the wind whispered of ancient sins, the self proclaimed King of Vash'ra lounged on a gilded bone throne.

His name was Khezur the Coilborn.

His scales shimmered in hues of copper and black, stretched over a tall, lean frame. His serpentine eyes, golden and slit like daggers, burned with envy as he watched the Faenet projections. Another feast. Another celebration. Another triumph for that glowing bitch queen.

Rhiannan.

His long tongue flicked out in distaste.

She was everything he despised. Everything he craved.

Beloved. Revered. Powerful. Fertile.

He slammed his fist on the stone beside his throne, sending a servant scrambling. "Get me more feed," he hissed. "And bring me the Seer. I want her visions twisted until they bleed."

The desert kingdom was harsh and dry, but it stretched vast and wide. His people obeyed, but they did not love. They bowed, but only out of fear. None had ever sung songs of Khezur. There were no statues built from devotion, only ones erected under threat of death.

He knew what they called him behind closed doors.

False King.

Pretender.

Serpent bastard.

Khezur sneered. "I will make them eat their tongues. All of them."

He slithered from his throne and moved toward the war tent, where his spies had gathered reports from the west. The land of Rhiannans cursed kingdom glimmered with hope and abundance. Her kingdom grew by the day. A goddess with many lovers, magic at her command, a kingdom of unity and love.

Disgusting.

He'd seen her in visions. Heard the prophecy.

She was the light.

But light could be smothered. Swallowed whole.

"She will be mine," he growled to no one. "And she will bear my serpents. Divine children to reshape this broken world in my image. I will chain her, break her, drain her until not even her magic remembers her name."

A loyal general approached, bowing low. "We've identified a weakness in the ward lines to the northeast. Our scouts found a FaeNet relay station. Unprotected."

Khezur smiled, a forked tongue slipping out over his lips. "Excellent. Cut their lines. Disrupt their faith. Let them falter. Let her kingdom fall without a single arrow fired."

He turned to the map and slammed a scaled hand down on their glowing borders. "Prepare the serpent riders. Send a shadow priest to the mountains. We'll start with whispers. And end with screams."

The desert night hissed as if in agreement.