[Queen's Paradise: Prologue - Queen of Snakes]

[18:50] <!CYOA-sama> [Queen's Paradise: Prologue - Queen of Snakes]
[18:50] <!CYOA-sama> In the dark of the night, the palace hallways are deathly silent.
[18:51] <!CYOA-sama> Only the footsteps of the king can be heard as he walks silently to the library.
[18:52] <!CYOA-sama> "Do you think it's wise to break into a building surrounded by armed guards in the dead of night, milady?" Aldeas asks as he stops suddenly.
[18:52] <!CYOA-sama> No reply comes from the darkness.
[18:52] <!CYOA-sama> "..... So be it, stalk me for as long as you like."
[18:53] <!CYOA-sama> The young king continues onto the library unconcerned with his shadower.
[18:54] <!CYOA-sama> He opens the double doors and enters the room.
[18:54] <!CYOA-sama> The shelves are lined with tomes of all manner, from fantasy novels to magic textbooks to military strategy manuals.
[18:55] <!CYOA-sama> Aldeas takes a seat at the large table in the center and picks up a book with a marked page and immediately begins reading.
[18:55] <!CYOA-sama> A haunting silence creeps slowly over the library only interrupted by the sound of pages turning.
[18:56] <!CYOA-sama> "..... Do you intend to never sleep?" A frail wispy voice asks from the darkness.
[18:57] <!CYOA-sama> The tone is soft and breathy as if it would be blown away with the slightest breath.
[18:57] <!CYOA-sama> "Why? Are you waiting for me to fall asleep?"
[18:57] <!CYOA-sama> "......" Again there is no reply.
[18:58] <!CYOA-sama> "Well be patient milady, I'll finish a few chapters and return to my chambers, whatever you have planned for me can wait until then."
[18:58] <!CYOA-sama> "...... Why don't you fear me?" The delicate voice whispers.
[18:59] <!CYOA-sama> "Because you aren't my enemy." Aldeas responds without looking up from his book.
[19:00] <!CYOA-sama> The sounds of scales gently scraping across the surfaces in the library can be heard as the reptilian queen slithers from wherever she was hiding.
[19:00] <!CYOA-sama> From the corner of his eyes Aldeas catches glimpses of her purple tail or a loop of her extraordinarily long body rolling over a bookshelf.
[19:01] <!CYOA-sama> The echidna draws closer to Aldeas, contracting her form that must be some several dozen feet in length to a much smaller and more manageable size.
[19:02] <!CYOA-sama> A flash of something in his peripheral vision draws Aldeas' eyes from his book.
[19:02] <!CYOA-sama> "Hello there...." He says with a smile.
[19:02] <!CYOA-sama> The frail looking serpent girl peers out at him from behind the bookshelf.
[19:03] <!CYOA-sama> Her delicate light purple eye poking out from beneath her fringe of silken black hair.
[19:03] <!CYOA-sama> Her bangs are cut along an angle as if to hide her face from the world, and her hair is shorter in the back than it is in the front.
[19:04] <!CYOA-sama> Her pale skin is as fragile looking as paper and covered in coiling dark markings along her arms.
[19:05] <!CYOA-sama> The flat chest of the snake woman is covered by an ornate purple and gold shoulder-less blouse of sorts and her hips are wrapped in a silk cloth the same shade of violet as her scaly tail.
[19:05] <!CYOA-sama> She trembles slightly as she peeks out at the boy king.
[19:05] <!CYOA-sama> "You're not scared even though you have don't guards..... a-are you super strong?"
[19:06] <!CYOA-sama> "That doesn't matter unless you're here to fight." Aldeas replies.
[19:06] <!CYOA-sama> The echidna physically recoils at the word fight.
[19:06] <!CYOA-sama> "You must be extremely powerful yourself if you're queen of all the lamia races."
[19:07] <!CYOA-sama> The fragile looking girl shakes her head furiously.
[19:07] <!CYOA-sama> "I... c-can't fight. My mommy-... m-mother was the queen and I inherited the position from her.... all I can do is weave shadows."
[19:08] <!CYOA-sama> "Master Shadowweavers can wipe out armies alone, I'm starting to get nervous." Aldeas says with a smile that could be called anything but nervous.
[19:09] <!CYOA-sama> "The treaties you proposed.... if I agree to them will it stop all the fighting between humans and monsters." The girl asks.
[19:09] <!CYOA-sama> "Do you dislike fighting?"
[19:09] <!CYOA-sama> "Y-yes...."
[19:09] <!CYOA-sama> "Do you like humans?" Aldeas asks with a grin.
[19:09] <!CYOA-sama> "S-some of them..."
[19:09] <!CYOA-sama> Aldeas smiles ear to ear.
[19:10] <!CYOA-sama> "I hate fighting too." He says as he closes his book.
[19:10] <!CYOA-sama> "I can't guarantee that the treaties will end all the fighting, that's the whole purpose of having the queens meet here."
[19:10] <!CYOA-sama> "But, that is my goal."
[19:11] <!CYOA-sama> Aldeas slowly and cautiously approaches the fragile echidna.
[19:11] <!CYOA-sama> "I am Aldeas, I'd give my surname but I've officially abandoned it. I am the sole king of mankind."
[19:12] <!CYOA-sama> The frail snake-girl holds out her pale hand, sheathed in a violet satin glove.
[19:12] <!CYOA-sama> Aldeas takes it gently and plants a kiss on it causing her pale cheeks to tint a rosy pink.
[19:13] <!CYOA-sama> "I am Merith.... Queen of Snakes."
[19:13] <!CYOA-sama> "Are you a viper or a garden snake?" Aldeas asks as he looks into her eyes.
[19:13] <!CYOA-sama> Merith breaks eyecontact.
[19:13] <!CYOA-sama> "I-I'm actually an echidna."
[19:14] <!CYOA-sama> Aldeas laughs at the innocence of the thin queen and turns his back on her as he heads for the exit.
[19:14] <!CYOA-sama> "Shall I show you to the chambers we prepared for you?"
[19:15] <!CYOA-sama> "W-will you be staying there with me?..." The delicate girl asks as her cheeks flush crimson.
[19:15] <!CYOA-sama> Aldeas sighs lightly.
[19:16] <!CYOA-sama> "As much as I would love to you're far too adorable, I wouldn't be able to control myself, and that would give you unfair leverage in the peace talks." He says with a sly grin that causes Merith to cover her face as if it will render her invisible.
[19:17] <!CYOA-sama> "S-sorry..." She says as she slithers behind him.
[19:17] <!CYOA-sama> "Don't be, for a moment I was honestly tempted." Aldeas reassures her, though it only causes her further embarrassment.
[19:18] <!CYOA-sama> As the pair arrive at Merith's prepared quarters she slithers into the room and peaks her head out the door.
[19:18] <!CYOA-sama> "G-good night, your majesty. I look f-forward to working with you..."
[19:19] <!CYOA-sama> "You as well Merith, sleep well." Aldeas says as he grabs the snake-girls chin and kisses her gently on the forehead.
[19:19] <!CYOA-sama> Merith explodes with a blush and quickly slams herself in her room.
[19:19] <!CYOA-sama> Aldeas turns and walks down the hall laughing.
[19:20] <!CYOA-sama> The image of how Lucia would react to that scene keeps a smile on his face as he returns to his bed.
[19:20] <!CYOA-sama> [Queen of Snakes - End]