"My uncle wanted me to take care of some things outside of the city for him, and in return, he agreed to push your trial back two weeks. He never specified what I was going to be doing further than that though." Venali's face held no emotion as he explained, though a hint of a grin made it's way to his face as he continued, "I leave at the end of this week, and then you'll get your wish of not seeing me for a week or two. How does that sound, monster slayer?"
Because of the king's lack of explanation, Venali already knew what he would be doing wasn't going to be something he liked. It wouldn't be the first time he had to do things he didn't like though, and it definitely wouldn't be his last, so the trade-off seemed well worth it. Two or more weeks for her to heal and his chances of dying along with her in this next trial going down significantly. It was a deal that Venali actually didn't regret making.
"Don't call me that," Serena snapped. Maybe she should have been proud; she killed a monster that many really couldn't. She put an end to a creature that had terrorized and killed many humans, but she didn't find pleasure from that title. It made her feel monstrous. And the grin on the Fae's face didn't make anything better.
Then she closed her eyes and tried to put a stop to her irritable attitude. She told herself that the Fae had brought her some time to heal, regardless of what his intentions were. Even if it was to save his own hide. It didn't make her feel better, but she didn't snap again.
"That sounds perfect, though," she finally replied, opening her eyes and meeting his grinning features again. This time, though, she noticed how there was a lack of emotion in his eyes. Usually, there was something. Then Serena stopped herself. Usually? There was no 'usually.' "I'm surprised at how many stand your mere presence."
"Ah, I'm hurt," He replied, rolling his eyes and standing up from the wall, "You have your facts wrong though, most can't even stand my presence, it's a select few that can stomach their loathing of me long enough to deal with me being around." Venali glanced around her cell now that he wasn't just leaning against the wall to talk to her. He had already relayed all the information he had to, and he had no other reason to stay other than to bother her. Bothering her seemed quite fun.
For a minute he just was silent, taking his time looking around before turning back and watching her, "How old are you, Raina?" It was the perfect question to ask her, just enough to let him wait for an answer and stay. He wouldn't deny being genuinely curious about her age though as well.
Because he was half-Fae, Serena assumed. Still, they were at least treated better than humans. She wouldn't hesitate to bet on the fact that his father was a Fae or the fact that he'd gotten Venali's mother through an auction. Most Fae females wouldn't raise a half-human child, and Fae males sought pleasure. Serena knew if she was pretty enough, one of the Fae males would have wanted to undoubtedly stake his claim.
But because Venali was a half-Fae, he was probably not treated as well as a full-blood. Serena didn't voice it aloud, she just continued to think until he burst her bubble with a question.
"… Probably twenty," she finally answered. It was really hard keeping track of her years, but she kept the months in mind through the moon, as well as a calendar she once had. "I'm not sure. It's unimportant to me."
She was twenty? Venali was slightly surprised by that, but he didn't let it show. He would've guessed late teens the first time he had seen her, due to the dirt and mud obscuring most of her features. Now that he looked over her again though, she easily looked twenty. The only thing that threw him off was her hair, seeing as it's short length made her look younger.
"Interesting," He replied simply, giving a small nod and finally making his way towards her door, "Any questions you have for me, trial champion? Or should I get out of your hair now?" One question was enough to ask right now, since as quickly she had answered, the desire to bug her had gone away. Mostly because Venali knew she needed sleep now.
Serena kept her gaze off of the Fae. She knew she probably didn’t look her age. Because she was mostly always making sure Alec was okay and comfortable, she’d forsaken her own health. It had shunned her growth, but Serena didn’t care. It was just a body. Age was just a number. What mattered more was survival. Everything else was not worth it.
“Get out,” she mumbled, her eyes falling shut. She wasn’t really sleepy, no, she just wanted him gone. “Show me your face at dinner or something.”
"It was nice talking to you too." Venali snorted at her curt response, bowing jokingly at her, "See you at dinner." He only waited a moment longer before spinning again and walking out of her cell.
For a reason even he didn't know, her response had made him smile once his back was turned to her. Maybe it was because no one else dared to be that blunt with him, or because she wasn't afraid to insult or tell him what to do. It interested him he decided, even though it also made him mad quite often as well.
He had a few more hours to kill before dinner, and nothing better to do than to train now that his uncle had given him nothing new to do. So that's what he did. Venali wandered through the halls back up to the training hall, looking around for an open area that wasn't taken over by various Fae soldiers training.
When she felt the Fae leaving, Serena opened her eyes, keeping them on the wall in front of her. He confused her. When she talked back, she expected him to get angry, or become explosive. Faeries didn’t like being talked back to, much less by a human, so Serena was quite puzzled. Venali… he laughed at her as if she was joking and he was joining in it. It burned her. She wanted him to explode. She wanted him to show her that he really was just a son of a—
No, she didn’t need any reason to hate him. He was a Fae, and that was a reason enough to do so. But her life was in his hands, and his in hers (though she honestly cared less. If she died, she’d be incredibly glad she took along a bastard with her), so she had to bear with him until she could get away with Alec.
“Sleep, Serena,” the woman told herself, closing her eyes again. “Deal with this when it’s time for dinner…”
In the back of her head, almost as if it was taunting her, Venali’s little promise to teach her how to eat ‘properly’ echoed. It frustrated her to no end.
Time Skip: Dinner
Venali felt like he had been hit by a train after an afternoon of working out and training. His perfectly combed hair was a mess and he wasn't wearing his fancy royal outfits anymore, instead sporting an off white shirt and tan pants that were both comfortable and sturdy. There was a sparkle in his eyes that showed he was relaxed and somehow happy after all of this though. Training always helped him feel better and put him in a good mood. And not even Raine would be able to topple his good mood.
He hoped she wouldn't at least, as he descended the steps down to where her cell was. "Raine, your favorite half-Fae is back," He said once he reached her door, carrying two plates that were stacked with food as well as two full sets of silverware. It would be easiest to teach her how to use silverware if he was in a good enough mood to be patient, so there seemed like no better time to. "I brought food too, if that makes you slightly happier than I think you are. Not seeing me for a whole afternoon has probably put you in a bad mood."
Serena didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep, but apparently she had. After Venali had left, she had tried to sleep, but failed, so she walked around for a bit. Not too much, but just to work her muscles. Staying seated for too long wasn’t very good since she had broken ribs.
But after she had sat back down upright, she’d fallen asleep. And woken up brutally by Venali’s annoyingly smooth voice. Serena’s eyes snapped open, her body tensing, before she winced. When she saw it was Venali entering her cell, she groaned. There went her peace and quiet, and here came in the pain in her back.
“Not seeing me for a whole afternoon has probably put you in a bad mood.”
Serena snorted and ran her good hand through her hair (which felt so soft and smooth, a striking contrast from the matted, dirty and greasy hair she had before).
“No, I was in a good mood until you decided to show your face,” Serena said, pressing the pillow to her stomach a little tighter right before she sneezed. Pain wracked her again, but it was bearable. The painkillers were helping. “And you are not my anything, nothing except an enemy.”
"I wouldn't call the one person that wants to help you an enemy, I would consider them a friend, or at least an ally," Venali said, shrugging as he sat down at the very edge of her bed and held out her food. His own plate sat in his lap, both pairs of silverware balanced on his leg. "Remember when I said I was going to teach you how to eat properly? Well, I'm going to do that right now."
Teaching someone how to use silverware was something he could confidently say he had never done before, but it couldn't be that hard he figured. All he had to do was teach her how to hold them, it was simple enough. Or at least it sounded easy.
“You’re not my friend,” Serena snapped, her voice raspy from sleep. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when the male sat down on the edge of her bed, and instantly folded her knees. She was about to question him because usually he ate outside her cell instead of coming inside. She slowly took her plate from him, crinkling her nose at the spoon, and moved to set it away when his next words filled her ears.
“I do not need to be taught how to use silverware,” the redhead said instantly, narrowing her eyes and gripping her place tightly in one hand. “I can eat with my hand just fine.”
And she really could. She wasn’t messy, she washed up well, but that was probably because what she mostly ate was up on a stick. Still, she would not be ridiculed by a Fae who had everything the second he was born.
Venali just nodded, holding out her silverware towards her patiently, "Ally works too, or even just acquaintance. As for eating with your hands, I have no doubt you can eat with them, but you do need to learn how to use silverware. It's less messy and you can dazzle all the other humans with your fork wielding skills."
Working out before this had definitely been a good idea, leaving him in a patient enough mood to hold out her silverware until she took them. Hopefully, she would learn quickly enough that he wasn't going to leave until she let him teach her how to at least use a fork. Baby steps would just be more tedious and time-consuming to teach her than just doing it all at once.
"The faster I can teach you this, the less time you have to be around me, remember?"
Serena wanted to argue that she could dazzle them with other things, such as her knife-wielding skills, the way she could chop off fingers, or set up traps expertly in a short time span, but he quickly moved away from the topic and held out a fork to her. Serena eyed it with contempt, then slowly plucked the thing with her hand. Since it was her right arm that was broken, she had to eat with her left hand. She was right-handed, which would be a problem. She gripped the fork by its handle rather clumsily, the awkwardness seeping from her like a stink bug's odor when threatened or killed. She nearly chewed on her bottom lip when she remembered it was injured, and then sighed heavily.
"Happy?" she muttered as she stabbed the meat with her fork as she would with a knife, her hand still wrapped around its handle. She was practically holding it like a knife, probably because that was what she was so used to holding. "I'm not sure why you all bother with such annoyance when you could eat with your hands. Fewer dishes to take care of, and you get to eat faster."
He watched silently as she grabbed the fork, holding it more like a dagger than something to eat with. "Because it's polite, and not everyone wants to have to wash their hands after every meal," Venali explained, faint amusement clear on his face. "Here, let me help you before you stab yourself on accident."
Before reaching out to help her, he set his plate on the ground, as well as his own fork. His movements were gentle and smooth though when he finally reached over, holding her hand still with one of his hands and rearranging how she was holding the fork until it was rested normally in her hand.
Serena was fixated on the fork in her hold, frowning at Venali's comment. She couldn’t understand how she’d stab herself; she could handle knives pretty well, and she’d hardly ever hurt herself. Though in the beginning, as a child, she’d nearly mutilated herself, but that was another story. She had been inexperienced.
Before she could say anything, or even lift her head, Venali was closer, his one hand holding hers while the other arranged the fork properly in her grasp. Her heart had nearly stopped at the close proximity, as well as due to his scent that instantly clouded her brain. It was strong, enough to leave her dizzy, but it was also—
Just as quickly as he’d touched her, Venali pulled away, the warmth leaving her hand. Serena blinked and the bubble instantly snapped. She inhaled slowly. What had she been doing?
“Do not,” she started, her voice low and dangerous, as she looked up, eyes narrowed, her grip on the fork tightening, “touch me again, Half-Fae.”
Her heart was still hammering wildly in her chest for stars knew why, her palms felt sweaty, but she didn’t dare let it show on her face. What confused her the most was the sudden change in title. She’d opened her mouth to call him a half-breed, but she’d shifted from it before she even knew what was happening.
He wouldn't deny that being this close to her might have made him falter in his movements for a moment, though he hid the falter with expertise. Venali didn't want to admit how much he liked being close to her, or that the intoxicating smell of jasmine was enough to make him falter again. He didn't even want to admit it to himself. Before he embarrassed himself though, he finished arranging the fork and moved away, going back to his corner of her bed.
"I won't unless I need to, Raine," He replied, cracking the tiniest of smiles at the fierce look on her face, "I was only helping you, nothing more. Now, try eating again, this time holding your fork like I put it in your hand."
Teaching by showing her what to do also seemed like a good idea, so he grabbed his plate once again as well as his fork. His movements were slower than normal as he ate the first bite, pretending not to pay attention to her so she could copy how he was eating with the silverware if she wanted to.
Serena’s wild heart plummeted to her stomach at the small smile on Venali’s lips and she instantly looked away, not willing to admit anything to herself. So the Fae was attractive. Big deal. They were all attractive; it wasn’t anything new. But Venali was new. This Fae didn’t look at her in contempt. He didn’t think of her as beneath him. If anything, he seemed to only bicker with her, allowing his pride to be hit by her comments.
Serena cleared her throat when he spoke again, forcing away any bits of emotion she had stupidly shown. They were not to be trusted. Perhaps this was Venali’s way of gaining her trust for her to fail. She could never know.
Quietly, she observed the way he ate with the fork, then looked down at her plate. After a few minutes of thinking, she slowly brought the fork to her mouth, closing her mouth around it and then pulling the fork back. She began to chew, eyes falling back on Venali.
“Happy?”
"Better, but you still need work. Try setting the fork down and picking it back up so you can learn how to position it on your hand yourself," He said, motioning what she should do with his own fork, "I can help you again if you need it."
Venali this time didn't pause eating, just watched her out of the corner of his eye as he shoveled rice and veggies into his mouth, leaving his chicken for last. Eating gave him an excuse not to focus on her, to distract himself from the thoughts in his head. It was virtually impossible to do so, but it never hurt to try. At least deny the truth a little longer. If he could just last three more days, then he would have a full week to untangle his newly discovered feelings. Getting to there was what he needed to focus on now though.
Three days full of seeing and bothering her until Eldon's trip would pull his attention.
(I’m really sorry this is so short. 😅)
Serena paused, peering up at Venali, then back at her fork. She let it drop on the plate, then started to pick it up again properly. It didn’t feel proper when she held it, so she sneaked another look at Venali’s hand, then tried to fix the fork in her hand.
It worked, though she was still a bit awkward. But she had done it. That was something, wasn’t it?
“Like this,” she breathed out, trying to fight off the smile on her lips. “Right? Am I hold it properly?”
(It's ok! mine is pretty short too)
He studied how she was holding the fork, then reached over and made a small adjustment, nodding as he pulled his hand back, "That's almost perfect, you just have to learn to relax with it in your hand, that will come with you getting more used to using a fork." Just to show off, he took his fork and spun it around his finger, asking a casual question, "Have you used a spoon before? Or do I have to come back tomorrow and teach you that?"
Venali already knew she probably needed to learn how to use a spoon, seeing as things like soup, that required a spoon, didn't seem very popular among hiding humans. Maybe she had been taught to use one though, by her parents or whoever she traveled with.
(I'm really sorry for the constant late replies. Motivation has really left me dry these days. I'll try to get back up quicker, though.)
Serena watched Venali spin the fork around his finger, wondering if she could do that, too. She probably could, since a fork wasn't entirely too different from a blade. A knife would be much better. She stuck a piece of meat in her mouth and chewed slowly, then looked back up at his question.
She hadn't used a spoon ever since she was ten, which was ironically ten years ago. It was the same year her entire family was butchered, with only Alec left in her care. After that, she'd been in a group of humans, where utensils were limited. She had forgotten how to hold one, too. But to admit that to Venali was similar to downing a bucket of acid.
"I don't need your help with a spoon," she finally replied with a huff, forcing back the blood and gore and everything that came with the memories of her late family. "I'm perfectly capable of using it myself."
(It's all cool, no one can be constantly motivated, they're not human otherwise :D)
"Perfect then, I'll only have to go over the basics tomorrow then," He replied casually, the last few pieces of meat on his plate disappearing into his mouth, "Any preference in what I bring for breakfast that you can eat with a spoon? I would suggest soup, but it's not the best breakfast food. And also, do you have any questions or requests before I leave?" Her pause after answering didn't even catch his attention as he stood, fixing up the bottom of his shirt.
Knowing Raine, she would most likely shoot back with something like 'yes, never show your face to me again' or something similar. He was almost positive she would respond like that, or with a similar comment, but even though they were always suble jabs at him, he was looking forward to seeing what she came up with. There didn't seem to be a shortage of creative responses yet anyway.
(Thank you for understanding! :D)
Serena chewed on her upper lip, knowing tomorrow she was most likely be made fun of. She couldn't hold a spoon properly either, but how different could it be from a fork? She was a fast learner; she would be able to use a spoon without much trouble.
"I don't have any specific preferences, Half-Fae," she replied, finishing the last bites of her food. It wasn't like she had consumed a lot of liquidy foods. She hadn't; which human had the time in the world for that? The ones on the run, that is. She kept her eyes on her empty plate, not wanting to give the Fae the satisfaction of looking up at him, as childish and immature as that was. He'd probably be looking down at her with that smug look of his, and she really didn't want to stab his eyes out.
But when he spoke his final question, she did look up at him. Though instead of a blank look, she had on a mockingly sweet smile, and in a tone of a woman speaking to her lover, said. "You could break your spine. Or neck, whichever works. I'd appreciate it immensely."
"Ooh see, but then if I do like you want and break my neck, you would end up dead as well, Sweetie," He replied smoothly, matching her sickly sweet smile and tone as he held out his hand for her plate, "And if I break my spine, then you'd be down to just Arya as company and would be clueless about your trials, because there's no way I'm coming down here when I'm paralyzed."
Venali dropped the act as soon as he finished talking, swapping the smile for a roll of his eyes and a snort, "That was by far the least thought out through request you could've asked me, try again next time."
As easily as he had replied to her request, her persistence in getting him to leave was quite impressive. Either she really hated him that much, or she was grateful for his help and didn't want it to show. He guessed the second. Raine seemed to be the type to not admit she liked the help.
