Page 3 of Serpent In White

I swallow at the memory as Gina and I wander up the steps of the porch, smiling and waving at Layla and Timothy as they pass. We’re relieving them of the early shift.

Approximately fifteen Domestics work here in the Den. We serve ashands, if you will, to the Head Priest, handling all the household chores, like cooking, cleaning, serving food; basically getting him whatever he needs.

And because the job requires us to be somewhaton call, our trailers are located on his land. Everyone else resides about a quarter-mile up the drive, between Lake Willow and White Trumpet Mountain; the main stretch of the Expanse. The rest of our territory is made up of farmland.

The Principality is self-sustained. We don’t require anything from Outsiders, though we do have a lucrative import/export business, which I know next to nothing about. It’s not my job to know about it. Actually, not many of the Regnum do. Business is handled by Drake…

The Alchemist.

He’s Head Priest’s brother. Well, they’re not brothers by blood, but they grew up together, and formed The Principality almost twenty-five years ago.

Folklore has it that our Head Priest and his brother left behind a world of pain in their past lives and found solace here in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. They had nothing; no belongings or vanity, but they were able to survive on the providings of God; our Mother Earth, also known asMother.

And from there on out, Mother spoke through them. She gave them shelter and food, tranquility for their souls, in exchange for a sacrifice of the modern world. They gladly gave up their connections to society, the evils of theOutsiders, who destroy our planet any way they can. Darian and Drake started a new community here in the woods, claimed a territory they named theExpanse.

And thus, The Principality was born.

TheRegnum, our family, grew more and more over the years, though it remains small; about a thousand people. Our population fluctuates as babies are born, and the elderly pass away, but that’s about it. No one leaves, and we rarely accept new strays.

To be honest, I’m not sure why not. But again, it’s not my place to know.

As Gina and I get settled inside, I can feel myself sharpening. I’m always on alert inside the Den. I want to make sure I’m at the top of my game forhim.

He doesn’t require a lot… Meals prepped once weekly for quick breakfasts and lunches, though we cook and serve dinner each night for him and his wives.

Yes, the Head Priest haswives, plural. Five of them.I don’t want to talk about it right now…

“Well, kid, get a move on.” Gina taps me on the butt. “Timothy left a menu on the counter. You’ve got a lot of potatoes to peel.”

Yay.

I love to cook, but the prep work sometimes feels daunting. Still, I do so without complaint, because I’m blessed to be here.

None of the jobs on the Expanse are particularly grueling, but I have empathy for Paul and the guys working on the farm. Tending to the land can be back-breaking work, especially when preparing for grow season. A majority of our crops grow in spring and summer, which is basically now, so they’ve been hustling for weeks. And at harvest time? Forget about it.

I’ll just stick to peeling my potatoes.

Getting myself settled in this kitchen I know so well, I throw on an apron and begin my duties. The house is huge, yet still, at every noise I hear, my eyes dart up from my tasks on the off-chance I might catch a glimpse of him.

I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not like that. Sure, maybe my fascination with Head Priest has been intensifying over the last year or so, but it’s no big deal.

I just… admire him. He’s our King. A fearless leader who brought us all together in this great family, and gave us means beyond anything the outside world could provide. He teaches us to love and revere Mother. To appreciate Her and Her gifts, as well as to recognize the part we all play in the great transformation known as life.

Shut up.

Hours pass with me trying not to think about it, and next thing I know, it’s break time. We have an hour to relax before we get started on dinner, and I use the opportunity to go catch up with Jordan.

He’s my best friend. We grew up together, here. He’s older than me by about four months, but according to everyone, we’ve been inseparable pretty much since birth. Truth be told, we couldn’t be more different. Jordan is messy, and crass, and he spends a majority of his free time with his tongue down the throats of various girls. But I love him, regardless of his man-slutting ways.

Walking up the drive, toward Regnum housing, I tilt my face to the sky. My lips curl into a contented smile as rays of sunshine gleam across my face. It’s a beautiful day. Colors are on full display, shades of green in the grass and leaves, yellow buttercups and purple irises sprinkled along the path.

Rushing of the creek’s waters tickles my ears, the nearby birds singing their tunes, reminding me of tomorrow.

“Heyyy, what’s up, you beautiful bastard?” My serene walk is interrupted by the booming voice of my best friend.

Jordan stomps over to me, disregarding the fact that he’s shirtless and sweaty as he pulls me in for a hug.

“Dude! I have to go back to work in forty-five minutes,” I gripe, but he just laughs it off. Typical Jordan.