forum It's A Deal Then //Private with Chogiwae//Closed

Started April 07, 2020 by @gracehustle

tune

@Chogiwae Here is the thread for the Fae rp!

Serena Carson has seven rules that she must follow:
1. Never forget the day of the crescent moon.
2. Never forget the Fae with a scythe on his back.
3. Never stay in one place for more than a single night.
4. Never join a human group.
5. Never trust anyone other than Alec and yourself.
6. Never give your real name to a Fae.
7. And never, ever trust a Fae.

With her brother's life, and her own, in her hands, Serena has no choice but to live in secrecy, moving from one place to another in hopes of survival. The Fae cannot be trusted. The Fae are the enemies. She is the mouse, but she'll outrun the cat.

But after a beginner's mistake leads her right into the claws of the cats she spent the entirety of her life running from, Serena must play her own game to ensure the safety of her brother, even if it means selling her own soul to do it..

And when a High Fae throws himself into the mix, her life gets a little more complicated. Now she must battle words that seem too good to be true, bargains that seem more like a life sentence, monsters that are out for her life, and savages that treat her like amusement.

And she won't go down without a fight.

(That is AMAZING!! Also here's Venali lol, though he's more here so I don't forget what he looks like than anything else)
Name: Venali Torren, or more specifically, Lord Venali Torren

Nickname(s): Goes by Torren most of the time or Tor

Age: 325, though appears to be around 23 in human years

Height: 6'2"

Species: High Fae and human hybrid

Appearance: Because of his ancestry with being a hybrid, he actually looks fairly human. Tanned skin that seems to glow golden in the sunlight and a lean but perfectly sculpted body thanks to the Fae side of him. His entire right arm is covered in bronze-colored tattoos and markings (I'll find a reference to this later) His hair is dirty blonde, cut short on the sides and longer on the top (Also will find a reference) The most capturing feature is probably his eyes though since they're the same color as molten gold, only marred by a few copper-colored dots in the mix. He looks borderline perfect every day unless he's been fighting and never looks like he's missed a wink of sleep.

Personality: Venali is a master of wearing a mask, hiding his inner feelings behind a flirtatious, sarcastic and smart-ass wall and an extra barricade of precise and completely fake smiles. It gets him in trouble frequently but he knows it's easier than showing what he truly feels to anyone who doesn't deserve to know him. I feel bad for hiding what he's truly like but I want to be able to let it show through as the rp goes on if that's alright? The only thing I will let out is that he is patient, but if someone manages to push him past that point then he really gets controlled by his feelings and not his mind.

Flaws: Outrageously competitive and always has a motive for everything he does that he won't tell until things have already played out.

Background: He was a mistake to put it simply. His father was the brother to the ruler of the Fae and when his father was younger and stupid he took fancy in a female human. Things happened when their relationship got serious and Venali was born. As soon as he was born and his Uncle found out about the romance between his brother and the human, both his mother and father were killed. Venali was spared by his uncle though and was raised alongside his cousin. The war between humans and Fae started when he was no more than a teenager in human terms and lasted for several years but Venali fought that entire time since his Uncle forced him to.
(I only gave the bare minimum here, I'm trying to sort out the mess of his backstory in my head)

Weapons, if any: He is most skilled with a set of swords but also is close to mastering how to wield dual daggers.

Abilities, if any: Besides being clever with his words and a skilled fighter, no.

Other: Venali is subject to the same terrible ability of not being able to lie as any other Fae, but for some reason that no one has been able to understand, any promises he makes with anyone becomes another permanent tattoo on his right arm. For this reason, he takes promising things almost as seriously as he takes killing.

(Thank you!! And it's fine, it can be easier for our potential stalkers to get to know our characters this way, too!)

Name: Serena Carson

Nickname(s): Rena, Reine.

Age: 20

Height: 5'9

Specie: Human

Appearance: She has red hair which is cropped unevenly just a few inches down her neck, and wears a headband over her head. Her eye color is dark brown, just a few shades lighter from being black. Since she and her younger brother have been on the run for years, Serena barely gives herself the time to take a proper bath, so sometimes she's got mud on her clothes and dirt on her face. Her lips are dried, and there are bags under her eyes. She wears gloves to protect her hands when she's doing dirty work, and her nails are chipped due to a nervous habit. Her features are rough, and she's skinny due to lack of food. She wears cargo pants which are ripped, a grey cap, a black t-shirt, a plaid shirt tied around her waist, and frayed boots.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/643240759253408434/ (a model of how I picture her, though without the physical faults)

Personality: Serena is defensive and paranoid, and because of this, barely gets any sleep. She wears a cold, withdrawn mask occasionally. Because of her paranoia at being caught, she keeps away from groups, even if they're human survivors on the run just like herself. She believes being in a group would lead to their capture since too many footprints can't be controlled. Serena is stubborn, but she's also cunning and smart. Though she appears weak, she knows how to hold her own ground, and is an excellent huntress. She doesn't smile very often, and if she does, it's only for her younger brother, Alec. She wears a lot of masks and is a natural at lying, which makes it easier for her to play different roles to work things in her favor.

Serena is also extremely loyal and would do anything to protect her remaining family. She is pushy towards her brother, teaching him whatever she knows about the Fae in case something happens and she can't protect him anymore. She doesn't know how to show proper affection, so she's quite hard on him, but her actions show just how much she cares for him.

Flaws: Too paranoid, stubborn, loyal.

Background: Serena lived a life of secrecy when she was younger. She and her family were constantly on the run from the Fae, and she learned much about hunting and protecting herself through her parents and oldest sister. However, when she was twelve, they were all caught by the Fae. To protect the siblings, her parents distracted the Fae while Serena's sister, Cynthia, took a twelve-year-old Serena and four-year-old Alec and hid them. Instead of hiding with them, Cynthia ran back for the Fae and their parents as an attempt to distract the Fae. Alec was too young to remember anything, but Serena clearly remembers the screams of her parents and sister screaming, and those sounds haunt her daily.

She and Alec stayed hidden for nearly a whole day, Serena being too paranoid to come out. Starving, they stumbled upon another group of surviving humans, and knowing she couldn't protect her brother on her own, Serena joined their group. However, three years later, she took Alec and escaped, and the two have been on their own since then. Until, of course, they finally get caught by the Fae.

Weapons, if any: Hunting knife.

Abilities, if any: A good huntress.

Other: Paranoia keeps Serena constantly checking on the traps she's set out. She prefers using knives instead of guns as they're quieter. She's quick on her feet and remembers details very well.

Well, anything else we need to figure out here or are you ready to start? :D

Serena ran her fingers through the dirt-matted hair of her brother, who was curled up in her lap, asleep. As usual, she kept guard while Alec slept, knowing if she did, she'd only hear the torturous screams she could never forget. If she ever fell asleep, those were the only things that haunted her.

Serena hugged Alec to herself tightly and pressed a soft kiss to his brow, the young boy shifting in her arms but otherwise not waking.

"I'll protect us," she promised quietly, just like she always did, every day. "I swear on my life, they will never get to you."

She didn't realize just how quickly that promise would break.

---

Gagged and tied up, Serena could only glare at the ray of sunshine that gleamed down at her, almost as if it was mocking her for her stupidity. If only she had dismantled the trap and hidden her steps before returning with the food she'd hunted. She had gotten a bit carried away with the fact that for once in such a long time, she had caught two rabbits. That meant more food.

She should have been more careful.

But now she was here, with Alec, tied down in a carriage with nowhere to escape to. Her brain was out of ideas, and she didn't dare try anything funny, not when a Fae sat close to her dear little brother, a knife clutched in his hand. She knew where this was going.

Alec, too young to fight in the tournament, would be auctioned off. And Serena… well, it was either the tournament for her, or… needless to say, the only option she liked was freedom. So she sat in her uncomfortable position, unmoving, quiet, her eyes hiding everything and showing nothing. She knew how these Fae worked. She knew their little tricks, and she knew how to manipulate them.

And even when they reached the Fae headquarters, even when the siblings were thrown at the feet of the High Fae, Serena remained silent. She would play this properly.

The Fae wanted a game? Oh, she'd give them one. She'd give them a game they'd never forget, and she'd enjoy every second of their anger.

Venali hated being a member of Fae royalty most of the time. Hated was an understatement. He loathed being royalty. Especially when he was called to the judgment room by his uncle to watch more humans have their fate decided. His place on the left side of the throne gave him a front-row view, his cousin, Aine, took the right side, looking perfectly regal and emotionless. She was a spitting image of her father, though thankfully didn't receiver her father's unforgiving personality.

He would bet anything that he knew the outcome of this trial before it even began. There was no variation in the sentencing of these boring things, death, the tournament, auctioning off of the young children, a combination of three occasionally.

Nothing seemed different about this 'trial' than any other. Two humans, both extremely thin and dirty, just like every other time. His Uncle Eldon's face showed he figured the same as he strode into the room with a billowing black cloak decorated with golden embroidered designs, the dramatic entrance enough to rival any that Venali had. Normally his cousin ran the trials, but today was different apparently.

The High Fae King himself came to oversee this trial.

"State your names." The king commanded, sitting down on the solid stone throne situated several feet in front of the humans. It was quite a sight, the king's black outfit matching the throne whereas his vibrant golden skin and hair stood out against the throne but matched the two flanking the sides of him.

Serena kept her face down, one of her hands gripping her brother's tightly. One of the first lessons she'd learned, and taught to Alec, reverberated in her mind: never give your real name to the Fae, not unless you want them to have absolute power over you. Serena finally lifted her face and looked scornfully at whom she assumed was the Fae king. A cynical smile covered her lips. Alec, rightly so, kept his mouth shut, though she knew he was afraid. But just like she taught him, he didn't show any of it. His grip on her hand told her how scared he was.

"Your Highness," her voice was sarcastic, almost as if she was mocking him. And Serena most definitely was. She'd seen too many horrors; a Fae king afraid of humans snatching his throne was not one of them. Her eyes swept across the room, to all the royalty present. The sneer never left her lips as she continued, "I didn't realize the High King had the time, nor the balls, to see to mere humans. I feel quite important."

Nothing could describe just how much Serena loathed the Fae. While the humans suffered under their reign, they sat on their high chairs and continued the torture. If Serena could, she'd take her hunting knife and stab them right in the heart, and watch their life drain away slowly. Maybe then those screams would stop haunting her.

"Ah, don't let your minuscule human ego get the best of you girl, you're less important than a fly to me," Eldon said, unclasping his cloak and draping it over the side of the throne with a bored expression, "It is new to have someone with the guts to stand up to me, especially when they risk dying without leaving this room. Now, your names? Or will I have to find them out the hard way?"

This girl had a death wish, Venali decided. No one talked back to the king, not even he did, but he couldn't help but admire her mocking tone. His face remained almost expressionless though, only a flicker of amusement flashing through his eyes. Tournament for her definitely. For the young boy beside her though, he guessed the auction. Eldon wouldn't care about their obvious sibling relation, he didn't care about anyone except himself and Aine anyway.

"Venali, fetch the thick restraints." The King said, barely sparing a glance at his nephew as he reclined back on the throne, "And a knife." His gaze fell back on the human and he waited silently for any sort of an answer.

Venali was eager to snap a snarky response at Eldon, stopping himself before anything could escape his lips though. It took an amazing amount of self control to spin on his heel and head out a doorway on the side of the large room, feeling like a dog trained to fetch whatever was needed.

Another amazing perk of being a royal.

Serena's gaze didn't slip away from the king, even at his order. She barely glanced at the Fae he addressed, focusing her attention on the bastard who was responsible for the death of her family, even if he hadn't killed them personally. The Fae she would do anything to kill, especially since his death would get her one step closer to protecting Alec.

To any other Fae in the room, Serena seemed perfectly still. However, she had slipped a small blade out from the inside of the sole of her shoe, something she'd stored there in case she needed it. Without letting her expression or her movements betray her, Serena carefully began to saw the ropes her wrists were tied with, careful to miss the hand of her brother. Since they were tied up back-to-back, he provided a good barrier. She heard his sharp exhale and she released a controlled breath, biting back any snarky response.

She needed to protect Alec.

"Raine," she finally responded, the fake name she often used, especially when they ran into human survivors. "And this is my brother, Alaric. Pleased to meet your acquaintance."

The alias was originally a nickname. When Alec was a baby, he couldn't pronounce her name. Instead of Serena… Raine slipped from his lips, and Serena loved the nickname to death, almost as much as she loved Alec.

The Fae king must have known the restraints currently holding Serena and Alec wouldn't work, especially if they were to be separated. She waited until any of the Fae bastards came close. Then she'd strike.

The king nodded at their answer, knowing that any human with an ounce of common sense wouldn't give their actual name. He didn't bother asking again though, moving on with the trial as Venali returned. "Any begging, bargaining or threats you want to get out of your system before you receive your fate?"

Listening to his uncle drawl on was worse than nails on a chalkboard. At least that's what Venali decided as he brought the restraints to the humans. They were thick metal handcuffs bound together with a thick chain, unbreakable to weak humans. He dropped the cuffs to the floor, unbothered by the noise as he took the knife and gently pressed it to the boy's side.

"If you want him unharmed, you'll behave," He muttered, taking a guess that the girl would most likely behave if the boy was in danger. If only he could encourage her to snap at the king again. It would be enough to make his day slightly better. A skinny, malnourished and quite frankly extremely dirty human girl making sarcastic remarks to the King of Fae.

Both the boy and she needed to wash off, preferably as quickly as possible.

That was all it took for Serena to instantly look away from the king and turn her gaze at the Fae. Like every Fae in the room, he was strikingly handsome. His blond hair was longer at the top, but cropped short on the sides, and he. Looked. Perfect. As if he never had to starve, or fight for his own survival, or had to be helpless while his family was slaughtered in cold blood.

Serena’s hatred for the Faeries grew with every passing second, and her eyes flashed when Alec squeezed her hand again. She carefully gave his hand two squeezes: you’ll be all right.

“I’d rather die than beg to you, but…” Serena’s eyes slowly slid from the infuriatingly beautiful male back to the king, her mask set back in place. Alec’s safety came first. She hoped it would work. The Faeries were strong, incredibly so, but this particular one… she’d heard stories, gossips of his plundering. If her plan failed…

She didn’t let those thoughts slow her down. With the last of the rope cut, Serena instantly moved, her hunting knife in her hand. If the Faeries hadn’t been so distracted, she didn’t think she could have pulled it off.

But she managed to slide behind the tattooed Fae, her blade at his throat, her teeth gritted as she pressed the blade slightly harder against his neck, enough to let them know she knew what she was doing. Alec took that moment to slip away from the Fae’s hold, enough so he wouldn’t foil her plan. Serena felt a little pleased.

“I’d like to make a bargain,” she finished, tilting her head to the side. “My brother’s life for your Fae. And, well, if that isn’t enough… I’ll pitch in my participation at the tournament. I survive, Alaric‘s free. So is your little dog here. What do you say, King?”

"Ah, well that took a turn." Eldon said, his face showing nothing more than a mask of boredom, "What makes you think that his life means anything to me?" He motioned to Venali, though listened to her bargain.

It was an expertly planned maneuver, one that Venali was impressed by even with his life on the line because of it. He didn't like the odds of his survival, between a human girl and his uncle, he figured it would end up with his blood pooling out on the floor. He tensed as her knife pressed harder against his throat and he dropped his so he could live a few minutes longer, growling out his own comment, "I am not a dog."

She had spunk, this girl and it interested him very much. Maybe it wasn't a good thing to be on a Fae's radar, but she was on there anyway, this…Raine girl.

"Hm…I think I want to add some of my own touches to this bargain if you don't mind." The king sat up straighter on his throne, the prospect of making a deal with a human was rare and he wanted to have some fun with it. "I will allow your brother to be free under these conditions. One, you let Venali go alive. Two, you can't just survive the tournament, you have to place in it, the better you place the better your brother's treatment is while you're here. And three…Venali will be bound to you. Questions?" The king had a mischievous glint in his eye, though seem unbothered that his nephew's life was on the line as he made deals with humans.

Venali's growl reached her ears, and Serena couldn't help but release a chuckle. She felt pleased with the reaction. She wanted the Fae to be cautious, to realize that she was a threat to his life. That she wouldn't hesitate to slit his throat and leaving him for the dead. He deserved it. They all did. But the king… Serena didn't understand just how cold the king could be even towards his own people. Then again, someone who tortured humans for his own sick pleasure could care nothing less of anything except himself.

It sickened Serena, but she kept up her mask. Alec, on the other hand, gave Serena an alarmed look. She ignored it and instead pressed the blade a little harder, enough to draw blood this time. Her expression didn't lighten.

"I'll say it again," she said in a monotonous voice, having enough knowledge of the language of the Fae. "I want my brother unharmed. I want him treated right. I have no doubt I'll place high in your sick games, but I want your word that he will be unharmed, both mentally and physically, even after the tournament is done and over it. I want it as a promise. Then maybe I'll think about letting your dog go alive."

Lie. She had no plans on leaving him alive once she succeeded.

"Your brother will be unharmed from the moment you agree to the minute he dies, as long as you follow the additions I added that is." The king agreed, though his attention had turned to his nails as he picked flecks of dirt from under them. It was a subtle insult, that this girl wasn't worth his time or focus. "I give you my word."

Venali hissed as he felt a trickle of blood start to run down his neck, though he spat out one more addition, "You don't want to be bound to me girl, he doesn't mean we're going to be chained together. At least ask what being bound to me will mean when you agree." He curled his hands into fists, trying hard to keep his cool. It was hard though. Not every day did he find himself as a bargaining piece between two beings that wouldn't care in the least if he died.

He loathed being royalty. But in this situation, it was the only thing keeping his uncle from just letting her kill him.

"Don't forget, one of my specifications is that you let that boy go alive, slitting his throat will render the bargain useless, and that will pose a sticky situation for your brother." Eldon drawled, seeming to remember something at the last second and looking over at her with the glint in his eyes, "Do we have a deal girl?"

She didn’t need Venali’s advice to ask what the king meant by ‘bound to him.’ So far, though, she felt like things were going in her favor. Unfortunately, she couldn’t know for sure. The Faeries were tricky creatures; she could never trust their word.

“What do you mean by this one being bound to me?” Serena asked, tilting her head to the side, trying not to seem agitated by the way they were addressing her. Girl, as if it was an insult. Her hand, at this point, felt a little sticky, especially due the fact that she was dirty and unwashed. But her paranoia was just a step further, trapping her between choices she didn’t know would work out.

“Raine, don’t,” Alec finally whispered, breaking one of the rules she taught him; never speak up unless she told him to. Her piercing eyes landed on him, but he didn’t dare flinch. “They’re monsters. You know their word means nothing.”

Alec was right, though. They were all monsters, and monsters never kept their word. The second their ego was bruised…

But Serena gave her brother another glare, silence, and turned her attention back to the king.

“What does Venali being bound to me means?”

Eldon reclined back on the throne, casually listing off what it would mean, "It means that he is the Fae responsible for you, making sure you get fed and have water, things like that mostly." He purposely kept his response extremely vague, though he didn't try to point out how open-ended the response was. "Now, last chance human, do we have a deal?"

Venali's blood trickled down his neck, a pale red that seemed to be a cross between a human's dark red and a Fae's natural gold-colored blood. He felt the knife dig in maybe not purposely, but it dug in deeper, causing him to hiss in pain. This girl had a death wish.

"You're going to harm your brother of that knife gets any deeper." The golden-haired boy growled, the blood seeping into his cream-colored top and leaving an obvious stain. It was stupid, but he felt angry that she was letting one of his favorite shirts get ruined.

"I'm being nice girl, agree or let me get on with your sentence." The king said, his bored tone hiding an impatient edge, "I have other things that need to be done yet this day, listening to a human try to bargain is not one of those things."

Serena instantly loosened her hold on the knife, but not enough for him to feel the danger was over. She didn't realize she'd dug the blade deeper into his skin, but to say she regretted doing it was going to be a lie. But she couldn't help but feel a tad bit confused. The blood… was red and golden. So he was a demi-Fae. Half-blood. No wonder the king wasn't bothered with him. Perhaps she picked the wrong Fae to threaten.

"What. Does. It. Mean. By. Him. Being. Bound. To. Me?" she repeated slowly, tilting her head to the side. "I want all the details. You're trying to dodge the real question, king. Or are you afraid of a little human?"

She tried biting back remarks that would surely get her and Alec killed, but for that, she'd wait until the bargain was sealed.

"I am afraid of no one." The king glanced over at her for less than a moment, "You want to know what being bound to him really entails? There is an unbreakable bond between you two, you both get some cute matching designs permanently etched into your skin for one. Effectively it entails that if you die, he dies, leaving our deal void and giving me the ability to blame his death on you and your brother. It gives me the power to hunt down your brother in retaliation for the death of the King's nephew." He had the spark of mischief in his eyes again as he continued, "He is in charge of your care still, as I stated as well. That is what being bound to him means."

And there it was. Venali would make his uncle pay for this one. It was common for his uncle to promise things on his life, but this one was pushing it too far.

In response, Venali glared daggers at the King, trying to imagine the mark that was going to be etched into his skin once she agreed. Correction, if she agreed.

"Still want to make a deal with me, human?"

Serena fell silent, letting possibilities run through her mind. One, she couldn't fathom how cruel someone could willingly, without remorse, put their family's life on the line just for amusement. She couldn't help but pity the Fae in her hold, but then she remembered her parents and sister, and all the sympathy was gone. Two, if the bond was unbreakable… did that mean even after the tournament was over, she'd be bound to him? The idea of it made her sick to her stomach, but then she realized one thing: to protect himself from dying, this Fae would undoubtedly defend her.

"He doesn't even care. Such a shame…" Serena found herself whispering quietly, almost to herself, a hint of mockery in her tone before she blinked and cleared her throat. She locked eyes with Alec once, knew that there was no other way for an escape, and finally nodded.

"It's a deal, then," she answered, though she still didn't let go of Venali. "Remember your word, King. No harm will come to my brother, both mentally or physically."

(This is the design I imagined, though instead of on the arm, it wraps around their shoulder right where a cutoff shirt would: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410179478562667707/)

"He's the king, he cares about no one besides himself." Venali spat back, overhearing the girl's words. His words echoed through the room but his uncle just grinned a sadistic grin and snapped his fingers. That was all it took for the deal to be put in place.

"It's a deal." The King said, "I promise no harm will come to him."

Venali bit down on his lower lip as he felt the bond start to fall into place. It never felt good but this was excruciatingly painful, feeling like his shoulder was being mauled to shreds. He groaned in pain but didn't even attempt to move incase the knife was still at his neck. Even after the slices on his shoulder were wrapped around the joint, it wasn't over. He could feel his skin being stitched back together, knowing that now there was solid black stripes melded into his tanned skin.

"Once you're feeling better, Venali, please take care of these two. I have business to take care of." Eldon drawled, standing and fastening his cloak on again before flicking his fingers and watching as his daughter stepped by his side. They left the room within a minute, two guards coming in to make sure he had things under control. They did nothing to help though.

(I love it!!)

---

At first, Serena felt nothing. Then an agonizing pain burst in her shoulder and she gasped, her knife falling from her hand. She instantly moved away from the Fae and curled up, gasping for breath as she felt her shoulder tear and stitch itself up. She didn't dare scream, though.

At first, she thought perhaps the Faeries had lied. She'd fallen to their trick. The pain wasn't lessening. If anything, it was only getting worse. She could barely hear Alec's cry, barely feel his arms around her, holding her; the only thing that was registering was the pain.

Then it was over, her shoulder numb beyond words, sending spasms of pain to the slightest of movement. She felt Alec's cool fingers wiping the sweat off her forehead, his thin arms holding her close.

"You're okay, Raine," Alec whispered in her ear, and she felt proud. Her brother had done well. He hadn't panicked. He hadn't done anything wrong. "I've got you, Raine. You're okay."

The girl could only let out a groan as her vision went blank and she lost herself to the darkness.

Venali curled over himself and grabbed his shoulder, groaning once more as the pain subsided. He didn't want to move. He just wanted to lay down and see what painful design his uncle forced into his skin. There wasn't time for that though.

"Is she alright?" He asked, the question directed at the boy who was currently holding his sister in his arms. Putting any weight on his arm at all didn't seem like a good idea, but it made things very difficult using only one. Especially trying to put the cuffs on the siblings.

The knife laid forgotten on the floor as he grabbed the thick metal cuffs. He felt bad that he had to chain them up, but it had to be done. Humans were never welcome in the Fae palace where they were. If they weren't bound with chains, things would get messy. "I need to put these on both of you." He held out the bonds with his good hand, trying to hide the small spasms and twitches that came from his aching shoulder.

Alec gathered his unconscious sister in his arms, holding her closer. His eyes lifted and locked onto the Fae, Venali, and though Serena had tried to teach him otherwise, let pity and sympathy cover his features. He really did pity the Fae, just like Serena hated them. But at Venali's question, the pity instantly vanished.

He didn't bother answering. Instead, he reached for the knife his sister treasured and fixed his eyes back on the Fae.

"Is this permanent?" he finally questioned, referring to the bond. "Can it never be broken?"

"It won't break until our deaths," He said simply, not dulling the truth down. Venali set one pair of the cuffs next to the boy, motioning for him to put them on. It was a strange feeling, knowing his life was tied to the unconscious girl in front of him. The unconscious human girl. "If you cooperate, you'll be housed together for now, otherwise I'm required to split you up."

Already, just trying to get them into the cuffs was difficult. That was the easy part. Getting them to the cell was going to be torturous.

Venali watched the boy, his eyes not leaving either of them as he tried to rotate his shoulder. It felt like pure fire spreading over his arm from his shoulder down to the tips of his fingers. Perfect. Not only was he bound to this girl, he also couldn't use his arm for who knew how long. Being royalty sucked.