Page 65 of King of Serpents

Elder Goyu hummed quietly in agreement, her gaze drifting over the court. “There are many who want to see the system abolished, but few would openly support it. Many are afraid—and it is why not one of them uttered a word of protest or outrage when Vaoon was murdered. The upper noble houses hold too much power and have hidden supporters who do their bidding.”

“And others will do nothing because reform of the laws means addressing the other stain upon the shinara,” Waena grimly added. “Vaoon’s death was not just because of his desire to repeal the Male Subjection laws; it was because both Vaoon and Zathexia had announced to the court that they were looking at repealing the Uralial Regulation Codes.”

His mate looked at him sharply. “Indeed. Vaoon directly told Matriarch Shel that their house’s ‘enforcement’ of the codes around the shinara was a violation against Shangla herself and all the tenets we hold dear. And you see what they did to him. Made an example of him is what they did, and forced the queen to retreat if she did not wish her whole mother-line wiped out.”

Elder Goyu looked meaningfully at Therxian before looking away to observe the court. The council had threatened him. His life. And that threat was carried forward to the rest of her brood. The message was clear: behave or lose everything.

“Of course, that was never spread beyond the council walls. Not even the guards enter when the council is gathered. Another story was spun that Yilada had him killed for heretical behavior to overthrow the rule of the matriarchs. But the noble households know the truth. And few will openly align themselves to this purpose, whether because of fear or their own prejudice.”

“Uralial have been considered aberrations for generations,” Elder Goyu murmured in agreement with her mate. “Any Uralial who operates within the shinara does so under strict regulations. Only females may enter, and they must agree to sterilization in order to carry out their business. This benefits the shinara without mixing blood and preserving the ‘superior true blood-line of the Seshanamitesh in direct line from Shangla. It is ridiculous,” she scoffed.

“But many believe it devoutly,” her mate rejoined. “Even to the point where some of the upper houses take great pleasure in exterminating ‘impure violators’ who dare to encroach into the Seshanamitesh caverns.”

Therxian’s gaze slid among the females as the elders talked. The younger females sat coiled together as they giggled and exchanged gossip, while others swayed in dance to the music upon their long tails as the adults reclined with their mates, tails entwined. And in the center of the room, his mother reclined with the families of the four upper noble houses directly surrounding her, drinking and feasting together. Zathexa gestured, and Jathella approached, her head lowering to hear her instructions. The captain straightened and bowed, her gavo snapping. Turning, she proceeded from her station at the pavilion to a small group a short distance away, where servers were bringing in more food and drink. The entire atmosphere was one of festivity and gaiety. It was difficult to believe that females who were smiling, laughing, and talking amongst themselves with lighthearted ease held such ugly beliefs, or would engage in brutal hunts. Just from looking at them, he would not be able to pick out from where the threat may come.

“Which houses are you certain of?” he murmured.

“Well, there is Goyu of course. My daughter is there with her family,” she nodded to a far side of the room where a reddish female sat with a doting mate reclined quietly at her side. “Her eldest daughter has fortunately not yet reached the age of her maiden trials, so we were able to avoid all this madness. Then houses Sheem, Zha, Neerek, and Sard,” she continued, gesturing to each family in turn. “They are not of high station, but will rally to aid you with their guards and those who are loyal to their mother-line.”

“Thank you, Elder Goyu. I may call on you for more adv—”

“Poison! Someone fed us poison!” A shriek went up through the room, drawing his attention to the royal pavilion in the center.

Several females from the four noble houses lay thrashing. Ferinia’s mouth gaped and her body spasmed as she dropped in front of the queen. Zathexa drew back from them, but her hand crept to her neck, and she began to convulse and thrashed forward as foaming vomit spewed from her mouth onto the pavilion. Therxian’s heart leaped into his throat and flung himself forward, desperate to reach his mother’s side. Grief constricted his hearts as he blindly pushed through the surge.

“Mother!” His shout was lost among the cries of panic, but Jathella heard him. Her head turned his way briefly as she fought her way toward the pavilion.

“Move,” Jathella shouted as she knocked away a female who attempted to fearfully cling to her. Her jaw gritted with determination, she pushed her way through the panicked females recoiling away from those who had fallen. Her head twisted to her sister fighting her way from her post at the other side of the royal pavilion. “Kitanara, push them back away from the high queen.”

The other female nodded, and Buosoa dropped from above, her wings fanning wide as she herded several females out of the way, giving Jathella and Therxian the opening they needed to finally converge to the high queen’s side.

Zathexa thrashed, her mouth gaping as her eyes rolled wildly as she looked from him to Jathella, and back again. Her spine arched violently, and a strangled sound escaped before she dropped to the ground, unconscious. “Vaoon,” she whispered.

Dropping to his mother’s side, he gathered her into his arms and lifted her. The other noble houses were not faring well. It was almost impossible for them to move their fallen when the males were smaller than most juvenile females before their maiden period. They tugged at them helplessly, but Therxian did not spare them more than a glance as he hurried away from the throne chamber, Jathella barking orders at his side as Buosoa and Kitanara cleared the way ahead of them.

“Hold on, Mother. It is not time for you to meet your Vaoon yet. Not for many more revolutions. There is still much to do,” he rasped as he carried her away to safety.

Chapter 46

Therxian hovered anxiously at his mother’s side as the healer swayed over her. “How is she?”

The female settled back onto her coiled tail and looked over at him grimly. “This poison is not a common one, but I recognize the symptoms. I have treated her with medicine that should control the symptoms for now.”

“Will the high queen awaken, Healer Zhia?” Kitanara whispered.

Zhia looked over at her and inclined her head, her gavo slowly snapping. “Her body needs to stabilize, but she should waken soon, but she will be exhausted and will need her rest. She should be more stabilized by the next rising. However, I must caution you that it is not a permanent solution. The antidote to the poison requires special herbs—poisons that will counteract the one currently flooding her body—that are not available in the shinara.”

“How soon can you get them?” Therxian rasped, emotion thickening his voice.

The healer’s gaze turned to him, and she sighed. “My prince, it is not that simple. I have sent my assistant to the Daliska Market to see if Nashee, the Uralial, has what I need. But truthfully, we do not even know where to start, as I do not even know the exact plants that would be required for the antidote—only that it is an intricate combination of poisons that were used to treat it. The palace library does not contain any references related to it. And unless the merchant is knowledgeable in such things, she is unlikely to be able to assist us. The likelihood that she might have the specialized poisons necessary to create the antidote is also unlikely, as from what I recall she deals mostly in common goods grown by her kind. I will not know until my assistant reports back to me.”

Therxian lowered his head in acceptance, his eyes shifting back to his mother. Her face was no longer contorted with pain as her body writhed in agony. She appeared to be peacefully sleeping.

A polite tapping sound from a spear hitting the stone floor drew his attention to the female standing guard at the door. Buosoa grimaced apologetically.

“There is someone at the door requesting to see you, Therxian,” she murmured.

His gavo trembled with annoyance. “If it is one of those females—”