A king in heat

The politician acted. The prophet spoke. Will the king heed?

of doves and serpents

Innocent as a dove and crafty as a snake. That's what I'm supposed to be, apparently according to AR and Jesus. Innocent as a dove but dumb as an ox does not seem to cut it. The vulture (so predatory), the hyena (so polluted), and the beaver (oh, so industrious) are also excluded. Innocence is axiomatic, but combined with shrewdness? And of which kind: venomous, constricting, or domestic?