Chapter 7.2 – The Puppet and the Poisoned Crown

"A queen's power isn't in her crown—

it's in the venom she hides beneath it."

-Nest Of Serpests

by E.S.Mare

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For the first time, I hated the color white.

I couldn’t bear to look at the mirror.

And I hated myself.

And beneath the hate I bore for myself, the queen’s burned brighter.

The queen was behind me now, tugging the laces of my corset tighter and tighter. The servants had long since vanished—leaving only their silence behind. Now it was just the two of us.

It seemed she wanted the final touches to be hers alone—tightening the corset until I could barely breathe..

The wounds on my back flared with every breath. My eyes watered. It looked like I was crying, but crying was the last thing I wanted to do.

When Alissa had chosen this gown, it was as though she’d known I’d be the one to wear it. She had known—there wasn’t a doubt in my marrow.

And I hated her all the more for it.

The dress had a low-cut front, but the back was covered—that was why the queen hadn’t seen the scars. But even if she had... what difference would it make?

My hair—silver-white and soft—cascaded in waves over the gown, nearly vanishing into the fabric.

The gown had beauty, weight, grace.

But no blood.

Yes—but the word echoed with a bitterness I didn’t voice. If the white fabric soaked in blood, perhaps then I’d be beautiful. Vilas was gone—because I’d sent him. But I needed him now more than ever.

I hated being alone. I feared it—and Vilas had always been the death of my loneliness. That was why I cared for him more than anyone. Why I needed him more than anything.

When my mother finally stepped back, I took as deep a breath as I could manage. She looked at me through the mirror and smiled.

"A vision," she whispered. "My daughter, you wear ruin like royalty."

There was something motherly in her gaze, but behind it—

Snakes still danced.

“Prince Adrastis,” I said slowly. “He’s sleeping with his stepmother.”

She laughed, utterly unbothered.

“If you only knew who King Siles lies with.”

I didn’t even flinch. She could no longer surprise me.

“Did you help Alissa escape?”

“If she hadn’t escaped,” she said, pressing her lips together, “she would have died tonight.”

She said it as if it were undeniable. As if Alissa wouldn’t have survived her wedding night.

It made me sick.

Sick that it came from her mother’s mouth.

“So you did help her,” I said.

She turned me by the arms, eyes filled with that same motherly sweetness.

“My lovely daughter,” she said, “stop thinking of Alissa. She didn’t think of you when she ran.”

Alissa hadn’t.

She had only left me a note.

When the Queen entered my chambers, she’d handed it to me—

I opened the scrap of paper as if it were venomous.

I followed the ink like it would tell me something else, over and over again.

I stared at it until she took it from my hands.

But even then, I could still see it.

Still hear Alissa’s words.

No, my mother hadn’t forced her to write it.

If she had, I would’ve known.

I wished she had.

But I knew—those words were hers and hers alone.

It wasn’t a long letter. Just a few lines.

A few cursed lines saying she was sorry—

But she couldn’t go through with it.

She was sorry.

If I ever found her, I would make sure she never felt sorry for me again.

The sister I loved most had become the woman I wished to kill.

She had no right to do that to me.

If she had wanted to flee, I would have helped her.

But she had been so terrified—of being caught, of being killed—that she’d chosen to seek the protection of the kingdom’s most powerful woman rather than mine.

She dragged me into her own torment.

And she would pay for it.

“Where did he go?” I asked, as if I hadn’t heard her final words.

Alissa couldn’t survive on her own. She had never lived beyond palace walls. She was delicate. Where was my mother hiding her?

In that moment, I became the girl who still cared for her brother, despite everything he’d done.

“Mother, she... she can’t. She can’t do this alone.”

“Think only of yourself,” she said sharply, seizing my chin and lifting my face to hers.

“You are about to be married. Soon, you will be queen. Use your wits, and you’ll find a way to remove the old queen from your path. The prince has already made it clear—his eyes, his words—they’re all for you. Please him, in every way. Give him a crown that gleams.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, my brows furrowing.

She laughed softly. “The king is a puppet, my dear. And it is always the queen who holds the strings. She places a dazzling crown on his head, and the poor fool never sees the strings—too blinded by the shine. So give him that crown, my daughter. Make it so bright she’ll never see what binds him.”

I thought she was mocking me. But she wasn’t.

She meant every word.

When I shook my head, Queen Kalissia released my chin.

“No more of these foolish escapes. You will remain in the palace. With your husband. He’ll believe he rules, but the power will be yours.”

As it had been for her, all those years.

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I shook my head.

Think only of yourself!

I would never forget those words.

She kissed my temple. “I love you.”

I shook my head again.

Think only of yourself!

I would think only of myself.

And she would regret it.

Every single day.

The door opened without a knock. The prince stepped into the room—yet his eyes, ravenous and unblinking, hunted only me.

The queen had been right.

His gaze wound around me, serpentine and starving..

“Smile,” Queen Kalissia commanded.

So I obeyed, teeth bared like a blade hidden in silk.

And from that moment on,

I thought only of myself.

“Princess Assra Marian,” the prince said, approaching with a gleam in his eye, “you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”

Did he say the same to the Black Snake Queen?

I dipped my head in polite deference. “Your kind words humble me, my prince.”

In truth, I was queen of the shameless.

He drew closer, his gaze drifting—then returning to my face. The corset I wore had its own cruelty, but at least his hunger kept to the edges.

If Vilas could see me now, he’d choke on the things he’d once said about my breasts.

When Prince Adrastis offered his hand, I placed mine in his.

I would scrub it off—twice, no, three times—until my skin forgot it ever happened.

He kissed my hand lightly.

A cold laugh crept out my lips—uninvited, and bitter as winter.

Four times.

He offered his arm.

I took it.

Five times.

As we approached the door, the queen followed a few steps behind. The prince looked utterly pleased.

Naturally, the soldiers greeted us, but held back to follow at a distance.

The prince leaned in. His breath was warm. The warmth of it brushed my cheek. I would wash my face. Twice.

“You may drink all you like after the wedding, Princess.”

So it was that tavern after all. Perhaps the only truth he’d ever told.

I lowered my head in feigned shame. “I wish you hadn’t seen me like that, Your Majesty. As I’ve said, I was not raised as a princess...”

“No, no,” he said with a grin. “It doesn’t matter. You were captivating. Or should I say... fiery?”

Fiery. I liked that word. I bit my lip, tasting the sting of it.

He laughed, then whispered, “You’re playing the shy maiden very well.”

My eyes sharpened.

I pressed my lips together.

His cunning gaze locked with mine—and then, I showed him the smile I’d kept hidden.

“You’re clever. I like that,” I said.

He laughed again. I knew the queen was watching us with silent disapproval, but the prince seemed unconcerned.

“You as well. Clever and beautiful. That’s why I chose you. You’ll be the jewel at my side—silent, glittering, and mine.”

I didn’t know which part of that statement I despised more, so I clung to the very trait he praised.

“Ah, if you had married my foolish sister Alissa, your life would have been unbearably dull.”

I raised a brow. “And by the Sovereign of the Soil! Teressa? You would’ve chosen that plain creature? She’s not even considered a true princess, being born outside of wedlock.”

“She was only bait for your father,” the prince replied smugly. “And the trap was sprung perfectly.”

“It didn’t work. You only wanted a show. And that’s all you got.”

“When I desire something, I take it,” he said, lifting his chin. “Always. Whatever it takes.”

A veiled threat.

“The soldier I saw with you last night...” He spoke slowly now. “You two looked... familiar..”

My brows arched. “He’s merely a soldier. One of those the queen sent to fetch me.”

“I hope so,” he said, his voice laced with menace. “I’d hate for you to meet the same end as the false princess.”

Another threat.

“Don’t worry,” I said, leaning close to whisper in his ear—smiling like sin.

“What we shared was far less intimate than what you enjoy with your queen.”

That was a threat too.

Her lips parted, a faint gasp escaping. He was angry—I saw it in the flash of his eyes—but then he laughed abruptly.

“Do you know why most men prefer stupid women?” he said. “Because They don’t ask questions. And when they do, it’s already too late. Smart women, on the other hand, recognize danger—and know when to stay silent. So tell me—what are you, Marian?”

Still the threats. But built on sand.

Smart women never held anything back.

They simply waited.

And then struck.

“If my beloved husband wishes me wise, I am wise. If he wishes me foolish, I am foolish. Tell me, Adrastis—what is it your heart truly craves?”

He looked satisfied. “Tonight,” he said, that crooked smile curling, “you will find out exactly what I want you to be, my beloved wife.”

My stomach turned. I could taste the bitterness rising.

I let the bitterness rise.

But I did not swallow it. I only breathed.

Then offered him a smile my mother would never approve of—

but which, in truth, was exactly what she had demanded of me in that room.

His smile stretched—slow and sharp—as he watched me.

His sharp teeth glinted like a predator’s.

His tongue slid slowly across them.

We did not speak as we descended the stairs.

Thank the Sovereign of the Soil.

Even silence in his company was a torment.

The feast had ended, and the nobles had returned to the great hall. Just before we entered, the sound of trumpets heralded our arrival. Applause broke out briefly—then faltered. But the woman who entered was no Alissa—only a stranger they could not name. They stared, unsure what they were seeing. That face wasn’t Alissa’s. Not yet. Not to them. So the whispers began, rising like the rustle of leaves in uneasy wind.

As we began walking down the path reserved for us, both kings were already standing. The White Snake King, Siles, raised his hands to silence the murmurs. When we approached, he greeted us with the most artificial smile he could muster. I’d bet there was a blaze behind those eyes.

“Today,” he began, “the heavens are unclouded, for justice has unfurled its scales. The lions—traitors to the throne—have met the fate inscribed upon them by the Sovereign’s will.”

Lies never sat uneasily on his tongue.

“And now, my daughter…” His eyes found mine. His grin deepened.

“My daughter, Princess Marian, has been healed by the grace of the Sovereign of the Soil, thanks to your prayers.”

The murmurs rose again. The hollow echoes of joy were almost painful to behold. The crowd would celebrate my recovery, but the nobles... those hawk-eyed men who watched me weren’t celebrating. Their eyes swept over me—searching, hungry—for the slightest crack. But they would find none. It wasn’t arrogance—it was awareness, honed to a blade. My mother carried enough arrogance for the both of us, and every final touch upon me was hers alone.

Well… perhaps I had a touch of arrogance, too. No matter.

“It was a miracle,” King Siles went on. “The Sovereign not only restored her health, but gifted her a future—a future of peace.”

He opened his arms wide.

“We gather today for the wedding of Assra Marian Sallister, Princess of the White Snakes, and Adrastis Salvantes, Crown Prince of the Black Snakes.”

When I slipped my hand from the prince’s arm, he caught it. Our fingers laced together. We turned to one another, gazes locked like lovers beneath a spell. The Black Snake King stepped forward and began the rite, smiling, though his young queen writhed beside him.

“Lesster, Sovereign of the Soil, we are your humble servants,” he intoned. “Unite these two souls whose hands are bound. Bless their home. May their bloodline stretch as long as Kaliss’s days. May their hearts drink each other’s venom.”

Vilas… Curse you. Where are you?

Our lips parted in unison..

“Lesster, Sovereign of the Soil,” we recited.

“Unite our souls. Bless our home. May our line endure as long as Kaliss’s life. Let our hearts taste each other’s venom.”

Vilas. I swear, I will kill you.

“Let your blood flow,” said King Verenos. “Let the stains be your wedding mark.”

Our hands hovered close, reluctant to part. I moved my free hand behind the prince’s arm and wrapped my fingers around his wrist.

He did the same.

A sick twist coiled in my stomach.

As the prince lowered his head to mine, I had no choice but to mirror him.

Vilas. For this, I will end you.

His lips parted again, and this time his teeth had lengthened—sharp, gleaming. I wanted to wrench my mouth away, but I opened it instead. His fangs sank into my wrist, and the sting of it nearly made me bite down in return. I forced myself not to, then let my teeth pierce his skin.

His blood seeped over my tongue, vile as the rotting earth. I flinched. It was vile. But he seemed to enjoy the taste of mine. Even after he withdrew his fangs, he licked the blood, eyes darkened with unholy hunger.

When he stepped back, his smile was red with blood and jagged teeth.

I looked to his wrist—blood dripped steadily from two wounds, falling to the floor. I looked to mine—slower, but flowing. In time, both streams bled into one another. I watched them mingle, seething with fury.

Vilas... I swear, I will bury you myself.

“Mine,” the prince whispered—not a vow, but a command.

But the rite demanded another vow: I am yours. That was the traditional phrase. He had twisted it—deliberately. But he relished the break from tradition. He wanted to make something clear.

And I understood.

But understanding was not the same as acceptance.

I swallowed, hard. “You too...”

One of the great windows shattered with a deafening crash.

A blazing arrow struck the highest step.

The prince pulled me back instantly.

More windows burst, one after another. Arrows blazed as they rained down into the hall.

Screams filled the air.