It was getting dark and bone-chilling cold. Traveling on the rocky, uneven road and feeling like her insides rattled with every move forward, Zhumu inwardly cursed her mother-in-law. It would be Yelga Dzeiden's fault if her carriage toppled into the ravine or she froze to death. The carriage lurched again, coming to a stop, and this time, she cursed outwardly.

Jiacha Xiega knocked on the carriage window and said, "Are you all right, sister?" He rode on a horse beside the carriage.

"I'm fine. How much longer?"

"We're almost there. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I fear Gesar's mother is the only one who can help him now." The sadness in his words was palpable. "Something must be wrong, or he would have returned as soon as the war ended."

He was right, of course, but she didn't want to think about it. It had almost been twelve years without any news of him. When she married Gesar, she had an inkling of her future—their future. He wasn't just any king but a true leader, and all he wanted was to liberate his people. His entire purpose of existence was to guide his people into an era of enlightenment. For that to happen, they needed to be united and freed from war and hunger. He hated the tribal divisions and uncertainty that plagued their lands. His war wasn't to increase his power, but rather to end all wars and save them all from a reign of terror. And he had done it.

After a long battle, he defeated the demon king at last. King Toda was dead, and the people of Deyu lived in peace in harmony with the people of Ling. Yet, Zhumu waited and waited, but Gesar never returned. There had been no news of him. Meanwhile, his uncle coveted the throne, and she was the only one who stood in his way.

As the queen of Kingdom Ling, Zhumu tried to do her duty. She wasn't the one to cower. After all, there was a reason why people called her Sengcham Drugmo—Lion Sister Dragoness. She earned that title but now, she was getting impatient and tired of waiting. The threat to the kingdom aside, she missed her husband. It was about time he returned.

Jiacha Xiega's horse trotted alongside the carriage. He might be Gesar's half-brother, but he was no leader. As much as he wanted to side with Zhumu, he feared his uncle. Another reason why she needed Gesar. The only person who could keep his uncle's ambitions in check.

Finally, the carriage took a turn, and a lake came into view. The cold had half-frozen it. There was a small hut nearby, but as it turned out, that wasn't their destination. The carriage halted at the beach, and Jiacha jumped from his horse. He helped his sister-in-law to get off the carriage and guided her to the edge of the lake.

Noticing the dark hut and not seeing Yelga anywhere, Zhumu said, "Doesn't she know we are coming?"

Staring out at the icy still waters, Jiacha shrugged. "She knows, but time moves differently in the Naga realm. She will be here soon."

They didn't have to wait for long. Soon a thick mist hovered above the lake and surrounded them. The carriage and the horses hid from their sight. And from the mist, Yelga appeared like a phantom. She rose from the depths of the water and now floated toward them. They watched, transfixed and in awe, as she came closer. Still, in her half-serpent form, she turned fully human only when she reached the beach.

"Mother," they said in unison and bowed their heads as was the custom.

"My, it has been years since I saw you last, dear daughter," Yelga said. The mist drifted away, and she engulfed Zhumu in a fierce hug. For Jiacha she had nothing but a cold glance. Not that anyone would blame her. After all, his mother was the catalyst that led to her and Gesar's banishment from the castle.

It was said the Nagas could hold a mean grudge, and from the steel in her mother-in-law's eyes, Zhumu believed that. The woman was gorgeous with her long black hair, almond-shaped eyes, and curvy figure of a goddess. 'But then,' Zhumu thought, 'she was from a divine race and a Nagi princess, at that.'

"So, tell me, child, what has been happening in the mortal realm and where is my son?" She looked over their shoulders, expecting Gesar to walk up to them any moment.

"Actually, that's what we wanted to discuss with you," Zhumu began nervously. She had heard tales of the Nagi's temper from Gesar and feared what the woman would do when she found out her son was missing. But they must tell her if they sought her help.

When Zhumu first met Gesar, it had come as a surprise to know he was half Naga. And though he couldn't shift to a snake form or breathe underwater, he had inherited his strength and steely resolve from his mother's race. The Nagas were a powerful, proud, and splendid semi-divine race of serpents. They protected the world but could also bring about natural disasters of great magnitude if provoked. Mostly, they were the bringers of prosperity and harmony to the world. Perhaps, Gesar's need to do the same also originated from that side of the family.

Yelga listened to her patiently as she relayed Gesar's exploits, victories, and disappearance. In the end, she said, "Since the Naga realm reaches beyond ours, we hope you might be able to help us find him."

"That's not a problem. As long as there is water, my power can reach it. I can tell you right now where he is. But how will you bring him back, that's the real question."

"Can't you help us?" Jiacha broke the silence that ensued after the statement.

Where she had mastered the art of diplomacy and politics, Zhumu was no fighter. She couldn't lead warriors, nor could she wield magic. If Yelga refused to intervene, she didn't know what she would do. The Nagi princess hadn't left her lake in two decades. Although, she might not have to do that since the Naga realm was an underground world with a network of streams that reached every corner of the earth.

"You know I can't leave the lake," Yelga confirmed what Zhumu had feared.

"No, I didn't know that," Zhumu said.

At the same time, Jiacha said, "Yes."

"It's true. It was one of the conditions of my banishment from Kingdom Ling and the only reason the late King spared Gesar's life. I'll have to spend the rest of my days on this piece of land and water."

"But Gesar is king now, and he can lift your banishment. Can't he?"

"Yes, he can. But he isn't here."

"I am, though. And I'm his queen," Zhumu declared. "I have been ruling in his place for the last twelve years. I can free you of this unjust condition."

This time Jiacha was the one who answered, "Sister, that's not how the magic of the realm works. King's word can't be undone except by him or the next king. Our father banished her to this valley, and when Gesar took his place, she refused to let him lift her banishment. Now, she will have to stay here." He paused and then looked at Yelga. "You can communicate with your people, though. Can't they help?"

The tension between Yelga and Jiacha was palpable. It was brave of him to stand in front of the Nagi princess and make suggestions. For a second, Zhumu feared her mother-in-law might curse him with her venom, but she didn't, and Zhumu admired her for that. Appreciating Yelga's regal posture, she thought her aloof attitude toward the son of her worst enemy wasn't only uncanny but beautiful.

"Let's first see where Gesar is and what's keeping him away from home and his wife."