"I know I deserve the insults, but pissing off the only Fae in this building that wants to help you is probably not a good idea," Venali said, rolling his eyes and digging into his food. It was the same as hers, chicken and rice covered in some sort of sauce and a heaping serving of veggies. "Do you want me to explain this competition now? Or after we're done eating?"
This was one of the few meals Venali actually liked, and one of the only perks of being royalty..besides knowing what was going to happen in the tournaments that is.
“You only want to help me because my life is tied with yours,” Serena said quietly, eyeing the spoon held awkwardly in her hand. She’d tried eating with it once, the first time she ate here, and had ended up with curry on her already too-dirty cargo pants. So she tossed it to the bed, tore up the chicken with her hands, and ate the rice with her hands.
She opened her mouth to eat when something… green… caught her eye. It was a tiny green ball? She’d never had that before. But carrots, she once stole carrots from a group of humans, and also raided an unlucky Fae’s storehouse. She’d seen potatoes, too, and had lettuce when she and Alec were with other humans first. Before they went rogue. Serena quickly stuffed the rice and chicken in her mouth, licked her fingers clean, and then held one ball in between her index finger and her thumb.
“What is… what is this?” she asked in between her bite, slowly squeezing it and widening her eyes when it squashed under the slightest of strength. It was so soft. “This little green thing, what is it?”
Venali watched her with a look of both confusion and amazement. The way she tossed the spoon to the side meant that she had probably never used silverware. He would have to teach her how to use them sometime, if she survived the first competition that was. That thought made him snap out of his calm manner slightly, but he pushed it away, focusing on his food.
While Raina took the route of just using her hands, Venali ate with his silverware. He had been raised royalty after all and having manners when around other people had been engraved into his mind. "It's a pea, a type of vegetable," He said, a tiny hint of a smile flicking onto his face at her curiosity, "Try it. I think they're really good." The remainder of his food was polished off in a matter of moments, his plate set down at his side. As much as he didn't want to talk about more pressing and serious issues, they had to. It was Raina's only chance at an edge in a competiton.
Serena slowly put the pea in her mouth and bit down on it, chewing softly. He was right. They were good. How much had she never tried? How many foods were there that she didn’t know about? How much had the Faeries stolen from them, really? The thought made the sweet-tasting vegetable bitter in her mouth.
She began to eat, careful to avoid making a mess, and then washed her hands from the water in the bucket.
“Okay, explain it to me,” she finally said, her voice back to being detached. “How many trials? What do I have to do?”
"For now it sounds like four, but knowing Eldon, that could change at any moment," Venali started, messing with the hem of his cream-colored shirt, "I came to get into specifics about this first trial." He glanced up and watched her through the door of her cell, opening his mouth to say something but decided not to before any sound came out. "This first trial is fairly basic, but that doesn't mean it's easy in any way. In this one, you're just trying to survive for the longest by whatever means necessary…do you want me to stop at that? I can get more specific otherwise."
Serena simply fumbled with her dirty shirt while he talked, feeling his eyes on her but not returning the eye-contact. She listened to him talk, her mind already thinking of certain scenarios until he stopped talking.
"No need," she said, running a hand through her hair and removing her headband. Truthfully, she'd never really known what she looked like. Her family used to describe her appearance for her, but they always made it sound like she was pretty, even when all she was, was a sack of bones and blood. She knew she had red hair and brown eyes, as well as slightly tanned skin, but that was it. She didn't feel sad about the realization, either. Looks were just looks. What mattered the most to her was survival.
She shook her head, snapping herself out of her thoughts when she realized she hadn't elaborated or said something to further the conversation. "Who's the hunter in the first trial? A Fae, or a monster?"
(The monster I'm thinking of having in the trial is a modified manticore of sort, I'll get specifics in my next response)
"No need."
Venali had just nodded at her words, slowly standing to leave since she didn't want any further explanation or detail. He stopped when he heard her next words though, his response short and sweet, "Monster. Thankfully only one too." Neither option was good, but at least monsters were released to hunt in the trials on their own accord. Fae in the arena were usually bribed on who to kill or were bound by deals to hunt only specific competitors. Monsters were something Venali could help with. He could find out more about them, how they hunted, what to look out for. Fae were unpredictable.
(All right!)
A monster, just as she thought. She didn't question her survival skills, and Venali claimed she could survive through any means necessary. A little, mocking smile covered her lips. No matter what monster it would be, Serena knew it would end up being her prey. She'd had her fair share of kills, and she was well-educated in traps.
"Okay," she hummed, fumbling with her headband in her hands. "Sounds good. Anything else, Venali?"
"I want to warn you Raina, don't hunt this monster during the trial. You won't survive." Venali said, resting against the door of her cell and sighing, "It's the only one of its kind, there's nothing similar that you could ever compare it to. It's a killing machine, it loves to make a game out of hunting down prey." He stopped there, remembering the last time his uncle had decided to let this monster loose. It had been a blood bath, only three survivors out of all the humans that had been competing.
Quickly he shook the memory out of his head, "I'll tell you more tomorrow." A tiny mock smile flashed over his face and Venali shrugged as he opened her door, "The faster you give me your plate and silverware, the faster I can leave. Someone will come get you in a little bit to show you to a bath, if you want one."
"So it's like you Faeries," Serena couldn't help but make that comment, mimicking his mocking smile. What he described the monster was something she could totally relate to. After all, she'd spent her entire life running away from monsters who wanted to hunt her down for their own petty amusement. There was no way she couldn't, wouldn't, relate that monster to the Fae.
Then he was opening her door and she was handing him her plate and the unused spoon. At his last words, she blinked, eyed her dirty attire and body, and tilted her head to the side.
"I would prefer a bath, yes," she nodded, knowing she really did need a bath. "I haven't had a proper one in… well, never."
He simply snorted at her comment, rolling his eyes, "I'm Half-Fae, so thank you for not directing that comment fully at me." Venali took her plate and spoon then shot back a comment of his own, "The lack of a bath was quite clear. You stink to high heavens." With that he slipped out of her cell, locking the door behind him and winking at her, "See you tomorrow Raina."
Even meant as an insult, the similarities were seeable in her comparison. He knew he wouldn't be able to get the point across of how dangerous this monster was, and she would always see his kind as the same, so he let the subject drop.
Serena growled at his comment. She knew she didn't smell good–of course, she didn't, but that didn't mean he had the right to mock her for it. It was the fault of his and his kind that the humans suffered like this. They barely had any food, freedom, nor any rights. One day, she'd see the day the Fae were reduced to ants to their feet. One day, she'd love to see karma bite their asses and give them what they deserve; misery.
His little wink and the disregard of her insult towards him further increased her anger, but before she could lunge at him, he was gone, the door locked behind him.
Next time, Serena swore to herself. Next time she'd rip out his tongue and make him swallow it. That'd make him think twice before speaking.
True to his word, a few minutes later a guard came, accompanied by a girl who looked no older than she did. "Bath?" The girl asked gently, smiling at Serena and then glancing up at the guard, "For safety reasons, you need to be cuffed until we get to the baths if you don't mind." While most fae had an air of..magic almost around them, this girl seemed normal. Human.
Serena looked up the second she heard footsteps and the door opening. Venali hadn't been tricking her when he said there would be a bath. Then again, he couldn't really lie. Her eyes trailed over the girl, finding no such power a Fae let out. She kept her mouth shut, though. Whether she was a human or not mattered little to her.
Instead of speaking, Serena simply held out her wrists for them to cuff. She really wanted that bath and proper, fresh clothes. Even though this outfit meant a lot to her. Maybe if she asked, they'd return them to her after they were cleaned. She'd do it herself if she had to.
The guard opened the door and quickly fastened the cuffs around her wrists, leading her out of the cell and down the hall after the girl. While the guard hadn't said a word yet, the girl was almost chattery in comparison. She dropped back to walk alongside Serena, as she talked, "I'm Arya, what's your name? Venali assigned me to be your helper, starting with bringing you to a bath." Ayra smiled lightly at her, "When you are finished bathing, do you have any preference in what type of clothing I bring back for you?"
(If you're curious, her name is pronounced: Ar-yuh)
Serena was irritated by how much the girl, Arya, talked her ear off. Alec was talkative, too, but they’d always been afraid of being caught, so they both always kept silent.
“The type of clothes I’m wearing,” she said flatly, following them into the bath. She didn’t provide a name, considering every Fae in this vicinity knew who she was. Or, at least, her fake name. “Easy to move in.”
The guard stopped outside of the room Ayra was leading her into, handing her the key and standing right outside of the door. Inside the room was a large bath built into the floor, currently filling full of water. Along one wall was a set of built-in shelves holding towels and bottles.
"Alright, do you have any desire for me to wash the ones you are wearing?" She asked, seeming unbothered by her flat response. Ayra gently grabbed onto her shoulder and turned her around, unlocking the cuffs before she took another step. The cuffs dropped to the floor but she didn't bother to even try to pick them up, already walking around the room to gather soap and towels for her to use.
Serena held back her awe when she stepped inside the room. Once her cuffs were off, she slowly walked over to a large… she didn't even know what it was. It had water in it, and when Serena touched it, she found it strangely soft, but also hard and cold. The water, on the other hand, was hot. She'd only ever washed in cold waters; it was a strange change.
The Faeries had so many luxuries, yet they continued to rob humans of every little thing they possessed. Serena hated them more and more.
"Yes," Serena responded, looking down at her clothes. They were a little ripped, but Serena loved them. She lifted her eyes to watch Arya move about in the room, picking up bottles and a bar of she knew was soap, as well as a soft-looking cloth. "Are you staying here while I bath?"
"I can if you want me to, but I was going to get your clothes while you bathed." Arya said, setting the armful of things down next to the small set of stairs leading into the water, "What would you prefer?" She looked over at the girl, then motioned to the water, unbothered by the next words she said, "Undress and get in, I need your clothes you're wearing if you want them cleaned."
Serena looked a bit startled. It wasn’t like there was anything to hide, but it was one thing having Alec on watch while she’s bathing and another to have someone look at her.
But she still shrugged off her jacket and kicked off her fraying boots. Her socks had long torn up, so she never wore them. She dropped her jacket on the floor, her headband following. Inhaling sharply, Serena peeled her black shirt off of her dirty skin, dropped it to the floor, and then got rid of her pants. Without wasting another moment, she stepped into the bath, the hot water feeling great against cold skin, and sighed softly.
She picked up a bar of soap and sniffed it, instantly recognizing the scent.
“Jasmine,” she breathed out, remembering the jasmine flowers around the bun of her mother’s hair.
Arya busied herself with picking up some fallen bottles while she undressed, waiting until she heard her get into the water before she turned around again. "There are other scents if you aren't a fan of that one," She said, scooping up the dirty clothes and smiling gently, "I'll be back, if you have any questions or problems there is a guard outside the door." Without another word, she left, humming softly to herself as she walked out.
Serena washed herself up with a sponge, the water turning dirty fairly quickly. She rubbed soap over herself, and then felt her skin instantly feel smooth after she was done. And for the first time in forever, she shampooed her hair. Not greasy anymore. Not dirty. Clean.
Once she was done, she emptied the bath and then rinsed herself up with the shower. It was when she dried and wrapped herself around the towel did she see her reflection in the mirror.
The female slowly walked towards it, blinking at the girl staring back at herself. Dark circles under her eyes, unhealthy features staring right back at her. But her eyes—dark brown, red hair, brown skin, it was all there. She felt as if, if she’d been a bit healthier, no bags under her eyes, she could have been… well, prettier. Not up to Fae beauty, but close. Then she instantly disregarded the thoughts.
Beauty was just a false depiction of someone. Having it meant nothing.
"I'm back," Arya said as she stepped back into the room, holding a stack of clean clothes as well as a brush. The smile on her face was bigger than before, like she didn't mind helping her out. "I just guessed at what size would fit you, and I brought a brush too in case you wanted to comb your hair or wanted me to braid it." She set the clothes on a small stool tucked into the corner and busied herself with cleaning the already almost spotless room.
Serena spared the girl no glance as she turned away from the mirror and made her way to fresh clothes. Was she supposed to thank Venali for this? She crinkled her nose in disgust. She’d rather gut herself than thank a Fae, especially if that Fae was a royal. Even if he was trying to help her.
Which, of course, was only because he was linked to her through life.
With a shake of her head, Serena pulled on the black, half-sleeved t-shirt over herself with the towel still on, and then dropped the towel when her upper half was covered. Then she wore a rather soft underwear, and then a pair of rugged pants. She liked that choice, because tight clothing made her feel constricted and limited movements. Finally, she pulled on the jacket and felt her head for a missing headband. She sighed.
“I don’t need to braid my hair,” she said dully, rubbing the towel over her shoulder-length hair. Then she ran a brush through them, the softness making it easy for the tangles to untangle. “I appreciate your help, Arya.”
"I just figured you would want it out of your face until your headband is clean," She offered, smiling at her and reluctantly scooping up the cuffs again, "You're welcome Raina." Arya set them next to the door before going over to the shelves of things again. Again, she picked out some bottles and towels as well as a bar of soap, setting them next to the steps of the tub. "Your other clothes should be cleaned and dry by tomorrow morning."
Venali had kept himself busy since he left Raina, finishing up more assignments his uncle so lovingly gave him. It would be a lie to say he didn't plot different ways to get rid of his uncle during his tasks, something similar to eternal banishment becoming the best idea that he thought up. Setting that plan in place would take a while, but maybe with his uncle distracted by Raina's deal, he could accomplish it. Getting his cousin to take the throne would be the tough part. Venali didn't want to rule, even with the law stating that the eldest male royal member takes the throne after the current king steps down in some way.
A while later, Serena was back in her cell, on her bed, as she went through the plan to take down the beast. She didn't know much about it, but she knew she'd be able to see which trap would work best when she finally saw it. It was dinner time, and she wondered if Venali would come to see her again. Her shoulder was feeling much better and was no longer sore, which was good. Or maybe it was because of the painkillers Venali provided her with.
Then she scowled. Why was she even thinking of that Fae? Perhaps it was because of the little bond that they shared. She would hate it if the bond became emotional, too. Physically and spiritually was enough. Then she calmed herself down by telling herself that the only reason she was even thinking of that no good Fae was because she had a few more questions that needed to be answered. Such as possible weapons provided, and especially the Fae she wanted dead more than anything.
So she exercised a little and pretended it was just to keep herself in shape rather than pass the time waiting for the Fae to show up.
"I have news that you might like to hear, just no celebrating," Venali called when he finally made his way down to her cell, only balancing two plates this time. He handed one off to a guard for her brother like normal before opening her cell and sliding the other one in. "My uncle gave me a lot to do, so you won't have to suffer through my presence tonight." A joking grin appeared on his face and he shrugged, closing the door behind him as he stepped out of her cell, "Unless you absolutely want me to stay."
He knew she would easily say he wasn't needed around, but it was fun to poke fun at her in retaliation for when she had done it to him. There was no reason she would want him to stay.
Serena scoffed as she grabbed her tray, sitting cross-legged on the stone floor, rolling her eyes. The stupid grin on his face did nothing to ease the scowl on her features.
"Good riddance," she muttered, glaring at him through the bars of her door. "Seeing you every day makes me want to rip my own eyeballs out."
Then she glanced down at her plate, expecting rice and chicken, or something along the lines, but that wasn't it. She frowned, tilting her head to the side as she prodded the dish and lightly touched what she assumed was sauce poured over it. She could see peas, carrots, and was that chicken? She slowly lifted up a piece of food, which gave her the impression of a strand of hair, only thicker.
"What is this?" she finally asked, though she hadn't dropped the piece she picked up. "Is this your way of showing off what luxuries you murderers have, or is it some sort of a sick joke?"
(It's chicken and veggie spaghetti. I love that dish.)
(Ooooo that is really good, I'm more of a fan of chicken alfredo though..now that's a good dish)
Venali snorted and rolled his eyes, ignoring her insult and instead of answering her question, "So much for me trying to bring you some good food. It's pasta, with veggies and chicken, and you'll have to learn how to use a fork to eat it." He nodded his chin to the fork on the side of her plate and grinning in a joking way, "You eat like a slob, the least you can do is learn not get your hands dirty every time you eat."
Already he was wasting his precious time to finish up what he needed to do, so the Fae stepped away from her cell. He waved sarcastically and called behind him as he left, "See you tomorrow, Raina." They would be one day closer to the first trial tomorrow, and both of their possible deaths if she didn't survive. It was a morbid thought, but a necessary one to think about.
(I like chicken alfredo, too! But my favorite has to be chicken spaghetti.)
Serena scowled at his comment, eyeing the fork with disdain. How did one even use it? Why use utensils when you could just use your hands, which was much simpler?
"Oh, I apologize if my eating habits make you feel disgusted," she sneered, wanted to kick him at least once. "Maybe if I hadn't been on the run for my life, I would have learned proper eating etiquette."
But then he was already leaving, reminding her of the trial the day after, and of the threat to her life. And his, too, but she could care less of that prince. She sat back down on the bed, glared at the fork, and began to eat with her hands. There was no way she was going to humiliate herself trying to even hold the thing properly.
