Headed by a Snake

Imperia dipped her bare feet into the starlit stream, the flowing water calming her spirit.

All her life, she'd followed Mother's plans for her.

She stared at her rippled reflection... wondering just when that broken girl started to doubt.

In only the past few moons, she'd learned more about life and living than she had in over a century.

When Neptune's Revenge ship docked at Thorne less than a moon prior, she was rescued by the last creature she could have expected...

--a human named Willow

And she wasn't just a human. She was an orphaned girl-- not even an adult.

She had a younger brother, too... an innocent fool, but honest and kind.

They taught Imperia that not all humans were horrible... and that not all siblings had to be her enemies.

Before meeting them, she met Mina.

The mermaid girl was a literal servant whose sole purpose was to attend to nobles and heroes.

Yet for her... she wasn't indentured or captured in battle. Servitude was her duty. She took pride in it. She turned it into her strength...

It was a baffling concept-- something Imperia had never seen of any of her attendants...

Everyone around Mina strove to stand a little taller, speak with more confidence. Imperia had no doubt that the crew of the Neptune's Revenge would die for her-- they loved her so...

Then there was Prince Tycondrius.

The first time she met the Ivory Prince, she learned humility.

Imperia thought she would hate him. It was so easy to hate. She was prepared to ignore every insult, every motion he made to degrade her.

It's what she'd have done if their statuses were reversed.

After Imperia signed with the crew, she treated him cordially out of fear. She thought he was a fake, just like she was-- toadying to whomever gave him greatest advantage and bullying anyone he was superior to.

Then... when he dropped his guard, she would take her revenge.

But that man... he betrayed all her expectations.

Even though he was the strongest person in the crew, he deferred to Krysaos. He followed military customs and courtesies without fail.

Tycon treated Imperia with no less respect than he gave to even the lowliest Coral Boy. Not once did he put her down or make her feel inferior as a person.

Whenever he reprimanded his crew, it was never out of personal satisfaction. There was always a reason-- cold, hard logic.

That mask of honor and respect... it never dropped. The Prince of Poison was that way because he was a noble-- a true noble who led by example.

Eventually, she began to look to him for guidance. He was an older, wiser, and more cunning mentor... brave, yet patient... honorable, yet merciless.

But... Tycon wasn't the reason Imperia had changed so much.

The first man she met... was Captain Krysaos...

She could never forgive that man... for making her fall... in...

Imperia cupped her fist and smacked her forehead.

Stupid.

...So stupid.

Krysaos might as well have been her mortal enemy.

He was a commoner... without an onze of royal blood flowing through his human veins. By trade he was essentially a thief-- a criminal with a different title. He spoke roughly... and didn't know respect if it--

No...

That was wrong.

Imperia felt her face start to burn... and she felt tears pooling at the corners of her eyes.

If there was anything that man knew how to command... it was respect. It was so much, that to gain her favor, he risked his very life to challenge the Elven sovereign in martial combat.

And what did she do? She refused to give Krysaos face.

She strove to find fault in him if he so much as breathed near her.

How could she be so stupid?

She didn't realize it then... but she had always wanted to convince that person that she was a noble. It became her goal... her obsession.

Tycon was a noble. By comparison-- Mina was more of a noble than she was.

Imperia... she was just a whiny b*tch.

...And it'd been far too long for her to apologize.

Krysaos hated her. He HAD to have hated her.

Humans were nothing like elves... with but a single exception.

They did not forgive.

Even if Imperia did try to take it all back, he'd just laugh in her face...

And... and then she'd probably say something to make it worse.

That's just what she did.

She'd been a b*tch her entire life.

She cupped her hands into the stream and splashed it on her face to wash away the tears.

It was all Mother's fault.

As much as Imperia hated herself for it... she couldn't change who she was.

She was a Princess. Even though her house was worth less than the sand below her feet... the blood of House Vulkoori flowed through her veins.

It was the same blood that flowed through her mother-- the same mother that forbade her from being together with Krysaos.

Mother had been clear.

Imperia needed to complete the mission... she needed to establish a relationship with the Elven sovereign... with the King from Across the Seas.

House Vulkoori needed to control him.

House Vulkoori needed to be the one that prevented the prophecy... the song of which legends were sung...

And if Imperia were to fail... if she couldn't even do that much--

...Then the Realm would be destroyed, reduced to naught but ash and fire.

But even if the worst didn't come to pass... Mother would still send her assassins for Krysaos' head.

Imperia placed her hand on her chest, her heart throbbing painfully at the thought.

It was the same feeling when she watched Krysaos nearly lose his life during his foolhardy duel.

She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let that get even close to happening.

If anyone were to kill Krysaos, she'd do it herself!

Oooh, that worthless man! If he knew what she was doing for her...

...If only he knew-- then maybe things would be different.

Maybe he could rescue her just like he rescued Lady Mina from the Amphitrite Reefs... or even like Willow's sister from the Thorne villagers.

But was it even possible?

Could Krysaos rescue her from herself?

Before Imperia realized it where her bare feet had taken her... she made her way into the Elven sovereign's tent.

She was doing as Mother asked. She couldn't renege on her promises.

She was a Princess... ever-loyal... ever-obedient.

It was all she knew... all she was good at.

She was in the Ancient's presence, watched over by the golden light of his eyes...

She refused to raise her head as she undressed... feeling the cold bite of the night air, sharp against her skin.

She got to her knees... embracing the sovereign at the waist.

"Please, Lord..." She cried... "Let me warm your bed.

"Even if only for tonight.

"I'll do anything..."

Krysaos' face flashed through her mind...

Anything and more.

"Those scars..." King's growling voice thrummed in the pit of her stomach... "Did your mother put you up to this?"

Imperia couldn't answer. She opened her mouth to speak, but she choked as a sob caught in her throat, "P-please..."

King's eyes glowed crimson and his body trembled in barely-contained rage.

"Dress thyself, Sapling," He spoke through tightly clenched teeth. "Put on thy clothes... and. get. out."