Adder sat and took a deep breath, he was now staying within the Imperial Palace. The room he had been given was one meant for guardsmen and faculties that lived and worked inside the palace. But with a working bathroom and a shower with that alone Adder was already living like a king in his mind.
Having entered the room just after dealing with Demmas, he happily tended to his needs. Only to find that his clothes had been taken and new clothes placed upon his bed. Adder was delighted by the surprise.
Only to find out that barely any of the clothes left there for him didn't fit. With only the pants barely fitting though they ended at his thighs. Obviously this was not enough for him to walk around the capital let alone the Imperial Palace.
So The great Serpent King was just stuck in his room until he could properly ask the poor soul who got the courage to be the first to visit him. But as Adder sat there annoyed and impatient, he felt it. The movement of eleven people, he felt the vibrations from every single step.
He had discovered this ability during his time with his mother and grandfather, the ability to perceive the surrounding area thanks to feeling the after shock of their movements alone. This ability worked on land, sea, and in the air around him, this too was a sense he had gained from becoming a warden with the Basilisk. Erdush had named this incredible ability, Conducting Eye, this ability combined with Pyre sight gave the Serpent King an unrivaled perception of the world around him. A fact that Erdush would always praise, though the Herald of Judgement should never be caught unaware.
Adder closed his eyes and focused on the eleven figures that strode toward his room. One stood in the middle nobly stepping forward with grace, with the other ten flanked him in rows of two. The ten strode with militant dogma, with each step they made having a held a rhythm.
'The Imperial guards, certainly someone important. I would be summoned to the Emperor, and the Empress would never willingly visit me. It must be one of the princes.'
Adder thought with dread, ever since he walked into Kalynn the Serpent King dreaded the fact he would once again be pulled into the game of factions. Just like that version of himself did, and if on cue there came a knocking on Adder's door. And the Serpent King braced himself for a fateful encounter he wanted nothing to do with.
…
Adder was annoyed by the fact that the servants had gotten him clothes far too big for his emaciated frame; he had done everything right. Yet all he was given was these small pathetic manor, and disrespectful servants.
It was then a knock came from the door, Adder refused to be seen in baggy clothing so he rasped out an apology as pathetically as he could.
"My apologies but I am not well dressed."
A saccharine laughter came from the other side of the door, before an armored guard opened the door and handed him clothes that were much more his size. After quickly getting dressed Adder bounded out of his room, his cane in tow.
He was met with the second prince Romulus, who even as six years younger towered over the eighteen year old Adder. Prince Romulus was the Empire's golden son, a compassionate and intelligent young man who burned with ambition for his homeland to rise to ever greater heights.
And now that very prince, one who while not named was the heir apparent. Was here for little old Adder, a nobody who in many people's opinion got lucky. With his traps just so happening to obliterate the Army of Vermus. Of course he had used his gift to perfectly plan out those traps to remove every member of that Army, but he could not just say that.
Adder bowed before Romulus, but the twelve year old prince hurried the decrepit and weak bearer to his feet. Taking his hand before he shooed his guards away, the two spoke about many things.
Adder's many talents, what they both wanted for their Empire, and how Adder could help Romulus in accomplishing those wild dreams of his. They talked for hours, but before the prince left he had a gift for Adder. Which he happily placed within Adder's sickly hand before waiting for his reaction.
Adder turned it over in his hand, it was a pocket watch inscribed with the image of a snake head stabbed with a dagger. The bearer immediately recognized it as the heraldry of his family. Romulus happily told the tale of how hard the locket was to get. Romulus spoke of how it was a gift given to the founding member of the Serpens family, which Adder's father took the time to restore.
Adder's face changed when his father was mentioned, what was once a hollow grin became a deep sorrowful frown. Adder tried his best to hide from the prince, but the prince had already noticed and did his best to comfort him.
When the prince had to go do an important family matter, Adder could not help but feel totally indebted to the second prince. With the last of the Serpens swearing that he would tell Romulus about his incredible gift, before pledging himself to him and his cause.
…
Adder powerlessly sat down, his head laying on the table. He had returned after meeting with Romulus, the pocket watch sat on the table beside its inheritor. The first meeting between Adder and Prince Romulus, had gone incredibly similar to what had happened with the first Adder with only a few minor changes.
Romulus sat next to Adder and spoke of the very same ideals that he the Serpent King had. This time Romulus had seemingly endless questions about being a True Warden and all the benefits that came with it. Adder, unlike the first time, kept his words short and humble. And just like before the Prince had a gift for The Serpent King, his family's pocket watch.
Unlike the first Adder Serpens, Adder had the common sense to look deeper than the nice words and platitudes. Caretakers were given the wrong clothes, Romulus pretending to have the same ideals as the Serpent King and then gave Adder something that he so desperately wanted during his childhood in the Capital, something from his family.
All this was orchestrated, it was obvious for anyone willing to look behind the curtain. Something that the first Adder was unwilling to do, happy just to string himself to whichever noble that called him smart, brave, perfectly stroking his ego.
Adder's attention then shifted to the item that the gracious Prince Romulus had searched high and low for. The sole relic of his failure of his family. The pocket watch was decorated in the imagery of slain serpents with even the watch face being made up of a single ripped up serpent. With the numbers made up of the sake's torso and the snake's decapitated head serving as the twelfth number marker.
It was a morbid thing that would make his mother faint at the sight of it, let alone it being in his own possession. Adder felt disgraced at his original self, that old man spoke of how He and Romulus had stood side by side as they conquered the world. But even with the power of Judgement he was blind to his station being nothing but a puppet to his lord's whims.
Adder sighed as he hid his face in his arms, and that is when he sensed that someone new was striding towards him. He was alone yet the way he strode as if he owned every square inch of the palace.
Adder could tell from just the way he walked to his room, that he was aloof, undaunted, and arrogant. Adder laughed as he got up and fixed his clothes, for he knew that only one person fit that description, first Prince Reemus.
…
The tyrant, youngest warmonger, doom of the empire, these and many more are the titles whispered behind first Prince Reemus' back. Romulus was the golden son, and his elder brother was the Empire's dreaded shadow. An arrogant schemer that would stop at nothing to receive his birthright and sit on Nalice's throne.
Everywhere he went disaster seemingly followed, the death of his maternal grandfather, the near fatal poisoning of his fiance and her family, the disappearance of his tutor. All had happened when he was near, many thought the first prince was cursed, others who swore by logic and not by baseless fanaticism swore Reemus himself was behind the mysterious circumstances.
And now Reemus stood just before Adder's door, when he opened the door and confirmed it was indeed Reemus he of course bowed. Only for him to be dragged to his feet by the aloof prince, shaking his finger at the beguiled Adder.
"You have not sworn to me yet, lets not have rumors abound after our first meeting"
Reemus said cooly, before he sauntered his way into Adder's room. His hands at his sides strode around the bare room, before the pocket watch caught his eye. The first Prince carefully picked up the timepiece before opening it revealing the watch face to him.
Prince Reemus laughed at that, before tossing the pocket watch over his shoulder which Adder caught in his hand. Reemus pulled out a chair as he took a seat, seemingly prepared to be here for a while.
"Tell me about your Family, and no not that coward Danniels or that wench Victoria…"
Adder's flinch at his own mother's name was easily seen by the keen eyed Prince. Who continued to speak.
"Tell me of Cromb, tell me of the woman who gave you that necklace and ring and speak of the Old man who gave you those glasses. Tell me of the family who gave you safety and allowed you to experience the wonders of hearth and home."
Adder stared stupified at the eldest prince of his troubled nation, before a laugh escaped which quickly turned into a mad bout of cackling, the relic of his family still in the palm of his hand. After his laughter stopped, he raised his hand still carefully holding the sole relic of his lost family. And then crushed it before both of them, before starting his tale of childhood.
"I will start with my mother, my true mother…"
…
Adder told the Prince of his family of course withholding those few secrets even then his story went on for hours, as he told him about the Bailisk, the hydra, and Lerna. He told him of his duty as heir to the Immortal Serpent, and the many duties that he would soon need to shoulder.
He spoke of his grandfather as the warrior of Salem, who traveled in his old age with Abner, his grandson. Who both treated Adder as part of their family, of course withholding the many secrets of the Holy Lancer and Herald of Justice.
But Adder during his mad telling of his happiest years, revealed the fact that he had divine power. A fact that made even the aloof Reemus shift in his chair, as he silently listened on to the story of the Serpent King.
And when Adder was done he was surprised by the applause he received from Reemus. His demeanor burned with excitement, his eyes glinted in hope. He spoke in such a shockingly joyful tone.
"You know."
The first Prince said awestruck, the aloof and disconnected persona fully gone as he continued to speak.
"You know my brother's true ambitions."
Adder started to smile, his fangs adding a bestial nature to his aloof face and body language.
"You know Romulos' true nature."
The Serpent King flashed a cold grin, as he shook his head. Here would be the start of a new path, for Adder, Reemus, Romulos, and the entire Empire.