Kingdoms of Suns and Snakes

Chapter II: Family Chaos

I feel a pair of lips on mine, a tongue hesitantly exploring the outline of my mouth. I gasp, and lean forwards into the kiss, but the person kissing me stops abruptly, pulling back.

I feel a weight lifted off my body, and movement. I sit up and reach towards my abdomen, realizing that I've been bandaged.

"I'm sorry Seryllx. It's just... sleeping there, you looked so peaceful, and I couldn't stop myself," I hear the prince explain, and I turn my head towards the sound of his voice. I reach for my lips and gently touch them, feeling the ghost of his kiss.

I'm not shaking, I realize. Even though someone kissed me without my consent. That hasn't happened in nearly four years. I breathe for a second.

"It's okay, your highness. Do you think I could still have that blindfold you offered?" I say.

"Yeah, I have it with me. Do you want me to help put it on?" he asks and I shake my head.

"Do you think I could have a moment alone in front of a mirror, your highness?"

I feel a hand shove a piece of cloth into my hand and then footsteps start to walk away, along with a slithering noise.

"Yeah. Oh, and call me Leriathis please," the prince says, and I nod.

After the door slides shut, I wait a minute in the silence, until I'm' sure that I'm alone. I open my right eye first, sure that it's still black, and survey the room. It's a large room, and elegant too. I'm sitting on a bed shoved in a nook, though it looks like there's a larger bed further down. I see shelves and clutter, and realize that I'm fully alone. I open my other eye and stand up, looking for a mirror. I see one on the other side of the room and walk over there, holding the blindfold.

I stand in front of the mirror and take in my appearance.

My shirt is completely gone, and bandages cover most of my upper body and arms. My hair is fairly messy, and I glance around for a brush. I grab it and start pulling it through my knotted hair as I look at my face.

My cheeks look sunken in, and the bags under my eyes are so heavy that I can't even see my scars. I look at my eyes. My right iris is pitch black, just like it was the last time I looked in the mirror. My left iris, however, is flickering between a dark indigo and a pale fuchsia.

I sigh, and my left iris flickers periwinkle as I gently braid my hair. I put the blindfold around my eyes.

I open my eyes underneath and can see around me, though the world looks a little darker. Thankfully, in the mirror, I can't see my eyes.

I look around and see the doorway I presume Leriathis went through. I head through it, not wanting to mess with anymore of his stuff.

I'm in a hallway. The opposite side opens up to an indoor mini garden, and I see someone basking lazily in the sunlight, sitting on what looks like a throne made out of plants in the middle of the garden with a man-sized serpent resting next to him.

I assume it's Leriathis, and head in the person's direction, but stop when they turn to look at me.

Holy shit.

His short black hair looks darker than drakkonstone, and it's slicked back out of his face, though some of it is still falling in his eyes. His golden eyes are staring directly at me, and I feel as though they can see every inch of my soul. He has a careless look on his face, and yet he looks at me with such authority. I'm immediately filled with the urge to please him.

I try to look away from his intoxicating eyes, but I only find myself glancing downwards, at his body. His haori is open, and most of his well-built chest is showing. His abs are defined, and his skin is brilliantly sun-kissed, probably from all his hours basking in the sunlight.