The Viper's Nest Series

Chapter 4

Chapter 4-

These last few months I've become friends with Dexter even though I've seen less and less of King Vrant aka Drake. One day I was walking down the hall when I heard voices, walking quietly I moved closer. Drake was talking to Dexter.

"She's getting curious about my past,"

"Meaning no disrespect sir, but, why don't you tell her? If you feel this strongly about her."

"Because she doesn't need to know,"

"But, sire..."

This is when I chose to sneeze, abruptly and loudly and completely accidental. I cursed myself then ran to my room worried that I would be punished for eavesdropping. Seconds later the door banged open and Drake stood there, breathing hard, eyes crimson with frustration.

"You want to know what happened in my bloody history?!" he roared.

"Yes!"

"Before I was bitten I was a normal bloody child, with a loving family and a gaggle of friends. Do you know what happened to me? Some people massacred my family, murdered them in cold blood. I didn't even know then that they were vampires, disgusting vile creatures, until I got bitten. They changed me into one of them, but I refused to follow their path. I was adopted by the Serpent People and I was made their king. Then those same vampires killed everyone I loved and I was forced to run and hide like a coward. For years I have mourned them, for years I have searched for these fiends who steal the people I love. I refuse to let..."he stopped suddenly, pink rising in his cheeks.

"You refuse to let what?" I asked, voice ragged with the unshed tears.

He shook his head then left, unable to speak.

Drake's POV

I told her everything and I was about to let it slip. Let it slip that I knew something was different about her, that I had feelings for her. But I didn't know myself entirely what that meant. I was 100 years old and she barely twenty, even in the Serpent People that's not considered very good. When I saw her face, her sorrow because of my past, I couldn't speak, my throat closed in. Even when I left the room and shriveled on the wall outside of her door listening to her sobbing, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't tell her my secret, I couldn't let her know anything else about me or...

Or it was possible that she would hate me, maybe even forever. If she realized how much damage I had already caused and was still causing to not only her family name, but her, in general, she would see the fakeness in her parents' smiles at me, the forced polite strained in their voices. It was hard to detect but it was there, hidden in some deep, mysterious cavern. The ancestors for so many centuries had respected me until I started on my secret, now they turn their heads in dismay offering no remorse or mercy towards me.

My past written all over the walls in Hemlock, was glittering in the darkness, like dark eyes wondering about my life. I spoke Hemlock fluently, but these words were gibberish to me. They were unforgiving, cold words on the recollection of our wars and deaths and how I came into power. These walls began closing in on me, like my throat and I had to slither away to my throne.

Once there, I noticed that there was a messenger waiting for me. His blue bandana wrapped around his forehead gave his messenger status and he stood waiting patiently if somewhat bemusedly while studying the walls.

"What is the message?" I asked, startling him.

"Um yes, sire," he replied bowing low. "The queen in the northeast has summoned you for a visit, she says that 'this scandal has gone on long enough, my daughter awaits you here'."

"Well then, I must visit her at once and tell her that there is no need, I have already found a reasonable suitor." I replied haughtily, sick of far away queens trying to boss me around.

Now, just who would I pretend was my suitor?