Serpent Emperor's Bride

Chapter 177: The Village of Sah’qir

[House Varoth — Sharukh’s Office — Continuation]

"...but I already sent you the investigation report earlier." Sharukh Varoth frowned slightly across the office table. "How come you returned personally, my lady?"

Across from him, Lady Arinaya exhaled slowly and leaned back against the lower couch. For the first time she looked exhausted, not physically but mentally. As though her thoughts had become too heavy to carry upright.

"My chamber was set on fire."

Sharukh immediately straightened. "...set on fire?"

Lady Arinaya nodded once calmly as her fingers tapped lightly against the parchment resting on her lap.

"At first, I believed it to be an accident. A lantern left burning carelessly. Faulty silk curtains but now..." Her eyes darkened faintly. "...I understand why only my chamber burned."

Silence settled heavily between them.

Sharukh’s expression slowly hardened as realization began forming. "The intruder..."

"He knew the truth would eventually surface through this investigation." Lady Arinaya nodded, her fingers tightening slightly over the parchment. "So before we could expose him...he attempted to erase the evidence entirely."

Sharukh Varoth remained silent for several moments. Then finally asked, "...what will you do now, my Lady?"

Lady Arinaya did not answer immediately because that was the terrifying part. She could prove an intruder existed; she could prove someone wore Serath Min’s face, and she could even prove the Black Serpents had infiltrated noble territory.

But she still did not know who exactly stood before her. How powerful was it? And worst of all, how long had it already been inside Zahryssar unnoticed?

The silence inside the office deepened, heavy and uneasy. Finally, Lady Arinaya leaned back slowly against the couch. And for the first time uncertainty entered her voice.

"...I do not know."

And somehow those four words felt more dangerous than any answer she could have given. Because monsters became far more terrifying once they lost their shape.

***

[Silthara Palace — The Emperor’s Chamber — Evening]

If House Varoth carried tension, then the Emperor’s chamber carried suffering—not emotional suffering but an administrative suffering.

Parchments, scrolls, wax seals, reports, complaints, trade disputes, military requests, eastern border reports, tax records, marriage petitions, and maybe one extremely aggressive complaint about stolen goats.

Every single surface inside the chamber had disappeared beneath mountains of documents. At the center of that disaster sat Zeramet, silent, staring and suffering. A single parchment slowly slid from the pile and landed directly against his face.

Zeramet did not move as his exhausted voice echoed through the chamber, almost offended.

"...I cannot believe that traitor handled all this work alone. Was Naburash secretly three serpents wearing the same face?"

The nearby attendants immediately lowered their heads to hide their expressions. Several shoulders visibly trembled. At that exact moment the chamber doors opened again.

"Malik," Raevhan stepped inside carrying yet another towering stack of parchments.

Zeramet stared at him in horror, actual horror. Raevhan calmly placed the new pile upon the desk, and even the desk groaned.

"These are the remaining documents previously handled by Naburash since becoming your closest ally."

Silence.

Zeramet slowly looked at the new pile, then at Raevhan and then back at the pile again.

"...Raevhan."

"Yes, Malik?"

"Spread a public notice throughout Zahryssar immediately." Raevhan blinked once, and Zeramet continued. "The Malik urgently seeks an assistant before he perishes beneath imperial paperwork."

A dangerous pause and then quieter—"If possible, find someone capable of reading thirty-seven trade disputes without losing their soul."

Raevhan immediately looked away, his shoulders shaking slightly because he was laughing. Internally and violently.

Then suddenly a familiar voice drifted softly from the doorway.

"Are you exhausted?"

Zeramet immediately lifted his head. There stood Levin, leaning lightly against the doorway, and a faint smirk rested across his lips. Behind him stood Iru alongside several attendants carrying cushions, tea, and what suspiciously looked like emergency snacks.

Raevhan immediately bowed deeply, and the attendants followed instantly. Meanwhile, Zeramet practically stood fast enough to knock over two reports and one candle.

"Consort." He immediately crossed the chamber toward Levin. "What are you doing here? Did something happen? Are you hurt? Our child—"

His hand immediately moved protectively toward Levin’s abdomen. Levin sighed softly and calmly added. "I am fine. I came to help you survive this assassination attempt."

Zeramet blinked. "...assassination?"

Levin gestured toward the mountain of parchments.

"This."

Even Raevhan failed to suppress a cough this time. Zeramet looked genuinely betrayed as he lowered his voice. "Consort...You should rest. This work will exhaust you."

But Levin had already entered the chamber fully. His robes brushed softly against the marble floor as he approached the massive desk previously used by Nabuarsh.

He examined it quietly, then sat down. "This will be comfortable enough."

Iru immediately brightened. "Then we shall move additional cushions here for the Malika."

Another attendant added: "And softer lighting."

Another:

"And warm tea every hour."

Levin nodded approvingly. Meanwhile, Zeramet simply stared at him for several long seconds before finally taking his hand gently.

Then pressing a kiss against it, his voice softened. "Thank you, my moonflower. I shall never forget this kindness."

Levin looked at him calmly. "This is not kindness. This is a husband helping another husband survive paperwork."

Zeramet actually laughed softly, rarely, warmly, and really. "Then it is the greatest act of love I have witnessed."

Levin chuckled faintly before reaching toward one of the open reports. "So what exactly are we dealing with?"

Zeramet sighed dramatically as his expressions slowly hardened now. "The eastern border reports. Our knights and mages investigated the caravan disappearances."

Levin scanned the parchment briefly and then immediately frowned as his blue eyes narrowed sharply. "...Orcs? In Zahryssar?"

He looked up immediately. "That is impossible."

"Exactly." Zeramet leaned back slowly as his fingers tapped once against the report. "Orcs thrive within cold mountains or dense forests. But these sightings occurred deep within desert territory where vegetation barely survives."

Levin’s expression darkened. "It feels deliberate."

Zeramet nodded slowly. "Someone brought them here intentionally."

The warmth inside the chamber slowly faded, and once again the empire of Zahryssar moved one step closer toward something hidden beneath the sand.

Levin’s gaze remained fixed upon the parchment for several long moments. The lanternlight flickered softly across his silver lashes while his fingers traced the inked reports carefully.

Then he looked up.

"What village were the caravans attacked near?" Levin asked calmly.

Zeramet immediately reached for another parchment from the towering pile beside him. After briefly scanning it, he handed it toward Levin. "The attacks occurred near the eastern settlement of Sah’qir."

His expression darkened slightly. "A small desert village positioned along the caravan route leading toward the lower salt mines."

Levin examined the report quietly, the deeper he read the more his brows furrowed and he looked back toward Zeramet. "Food supplies. The caravans carrying grains and water reserves were specifically targeted."

Nearby, Raevhan stepped forward slightly. "Yes, Malika."

Levin’s gaze sharpened. "...why?"

The chamber quieted immediately. "If the empire already provides emergency rations during caravan shortages..."

Levin slowly lowered the parchment onto the desk. "...then why are villagers risking death by stealing supplies?"

Raevhan hesitated only briefly. "The detailed village report has not yet arrived, Malika."

Levin nodded calmly once but his expression had already shifted because now this no longer sounded like random violence.

It sounded desperate.

Slowly Levin reached for another clean parchment. Then glanced toward Raevhan. "Send a direct order to the eastern knights immediately."

His voice remained composed, royal and sharp.

"I want a complete report regarding the condition of Sah’qir village." His eyes lowered slightly. "Food reserves. Civilian health. Water conditions. Missing villagers and any unusual sightings near the dunes."

Raevhan immediately bowed deeply. "As you command, Malika."

Levin then turned toward Zeramet fully and the moment their eyes met something colder settled inside the chamber.

"We cannot wait for this situation to worsen." His voice lowered slightly and more dangerous now. "If the orcs continue advancing through the eastern settlements..."

His fingers tightened faintly atop the parchment. "...they will eventually destroy every nearby village."

Zeramet watched him silently and listening carefully. Then Levin spoke the thought both of them had already reached. "We have to deal with this personally."

Even the attendants visibly stiffened. Zeramet leaned back slightly, golden serpent eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "You wish to travel east?"

Levin nodded slowly as his gaze sharpened.

"If someone truly brought orcs into desert territory intentionally...then this is no longer merely a border issue. This is preparation."

The lantern flames flickered violently for half a second. As though even the chamber itself understood the weight behind those words.

Preparation for what? War? Destabilization? Or something far worse waiting beneath the sands?

Zeramet remained silent for several moments, then finally a faint smile touched his lips, not amused but proud.

"My moonflower..." His voice lowered warmly. "...you truly were born to rule beside me."

Levin sighed immediately. "And you were born to drown beneath paperwork if left alone."

Raevhan immediately lowered his head again. Violently hiding his laughter. Meanwhile Zeramet looked genuinely offended.

"I am beginning to suspect my consort enjoys insulting me."

Levin calmly reached for another report. "I only speak truth, Malik."

The chamber softened again briefly beneath quiet laughter and parchment-filled suffering but beyond Silthara Palace—far across the burning eastern sands—something monstrous had already begun moving.

And Zahryssar’s rulers were finally preparing to face it themselves.