"Finally..."

He murmured in a raspy voice, weary as, after so long, after all those years away, he could finally return to his island, to his kingdom... To you, the love of his life. His makeshift boat docked in the harbor, sinking as soon as it touched the wooden deck, letting out a low, ironic laugh as the sea swallowed the old timbers. How long had he fought against the sea, against that vengeful god, who were now merely old acquaintances?

He covered himself with an old, tattered cloak; the intense red that once stained it was now dull, and even stained with his blood or someone else's—it no longer mattered. The only thing that mattered was that no one could recognize him yet. The old king still didn't want to see his subjects, only you, his queen, and the son he never knew beyond his first two months of life. Everything was so changed; The town was bigger, there was more trade, more people docking at the ports... And the palace remained the same, though there were more faces. He soon learned that they were suitors for his queen.

He remained hidden for a few more days, not because he wanted to, but because he wanted to see how things were going, what he might face. Then he heard them: "Haven't you noticed who's missing? Don't you know the prince is not around? I heard he's on a diplomatic mission, and I heard he's coming back to town today." He couldn't recognize the man, of course; he was young, probably the age of his son, but the more he listened, the more disgusted he felt, and the more traitors that snake was recruiting.

These men were fed up with rejections; they would take the throne by force, they would kill his son, they would take him by force, and he couldn't allow that. He wasn't going to allow them to harm HIS family. Another fight? For you, his queen, and his son, he would stop that rebellion during that night's banquet; he would kill the head of the snakes' nest.