"Cause even God herself has enemies
And once the water starts to rise
And heaven's out of sight
She'll want the devil on her team"

All the good girls go to hell - Billie Eilish

👹

I was back in the wretched cell. I lovingly named my cage Tartarus.

This time it was so cold, it bled into bones. Shards of icy glass cutting into my skin, and scraping along long stretches of coagulated blood. I shivered so hard I could barely see in front of me, the stone that caged me in most days. I couldn't even hum to pass the time, my teeth chattered until they ached. Winter leaching into my fingers and toes, stiffening them into rigor mortis.

It had been a year since my initial capture. A year since I have known warmth. A year since I have felt the touch of the moon upon my face, and I am lost.

Please. I am in pain.

Help me.

It seemed like my prayers had been answered. Someone was walking towards me. I willed myself to slide off the bed, using the frame itself to stand. I hoped it was one of the nicer servants, coming to give her blankets. Maybe a small fire if I were so lucky.

I wasn't.

The shadow coming forth in the night was not a servant. A measly noble.

No, it was the King himself.

"What are you doing here?" My voice was weak, unbearably so as I addressed the King. Anger pooled in my stomach. Had he come to gloat?

His usually silky dark hair was ruffled, his lips a dark red, plumped beneath his impossibly straight nose. His golden skin was flushed as his stare was hungry, bright. There was an intensity in his dark eyes that bubbled in my stomach. A feeling I needed to ignore. His golden skin was flushed as his stare was hungry, bright. A robe flowed around his heavily muscled body, flowing open slightly as he paced before her. His skin bleeding through the midnight fabric. My gaze trailed the opening, and I pulled back with a hiss. I hated him.

I hate him. With everything I had to offer, with the entirety of my being. For keeping me here. For letting me die slowly. For only touching me when it was necessary, to claim his blood right. For parading me around his court. For letting his partner torture me. For pitying me. For gracing me with extra food and water. For letting me rot away and sending me longing looks through the cage he placed me in. For visiting me and telling me stupid stories about his life I didn't want to hear, humanizing himself as he drank. For complaining about his life and all the hardship he had been through while I was sitting in a cell at his order.

For sometimes offering me confusing smiles he thought only I could see. But I didn't want him to see me.

I hate him.

His behavior was strange, more than it usually was. He did not speak initially when I addressed him, but kept pacing. I watched with deep distaste, shivering as he ran fingers through his wavy shoulder length hair.

When he finally settled himself before me, grabbing the spiked bars, I startled. His eyes never left my own, trapping me once again. Even as golden ichor started to run down the bars.

"I mated with her tonight." The words parted his lips frantically, his usually assured and strong tone was broken with deep pants rising from his built chest. His eyes furrowing with an emotion I couldn't place.

I avoided the deep pit that opened in my chest, the pang of something painful blooming. The way I felt just as breathless as him as he spoke the words. If he had his pretty white haired queen in bed with him, what did he want bothering me this time of night? I spotted no blankets, no food. No reasons for him to be in front of me, and not in front of her. He rarely mentioned her or her name. The thought of it made me feel sick.

If she found out, the torture might get worse.

Why was he here?

I don't care. Why should I?

I gritted my teeth, so hard an ache began in my jaw, "Wonderful. Tell me more about how you bred your wife as I freeze to death."

The King groaned, letting his head hang in front of the bars. He let out a couple of deep breaths, as he contemplated what to say next.

If I caused him hurt, I was glad. I wasn't in the mood to hear his petty gossip that he tried to fill me with, probably because everyone else was too afraid of him. Or he would have me killed one day, and all he told me wouldn't matter.

The King lifted his head, placing himself closer to her through the bars.

He watched her intake of breath carefully with his thick-lashed eyes that always strayed on her for far too long, "Sorina-"

The sound of it ground out, as if it caused him great pain to say it was too much for me to endure. 

My voice rose over his, pitched with fear and an emotion so shameful I wished it to be banished along with his piercing eyes, "Do not dare speak my name! It is the only thing I have left. Why are you here tonight, your majesty? Is it not enough that you stole me from my life and made me a prisoner because of some fool's curse I don't even believe in? You took away my family, my heart, my fucking sheep! You took away the stars and the ocean, and any warmth I have ever felt. You take my blood. And now, you try to take away my peace by filling me with nonsense of bedding your bitch. How was it?  Did she scream for you, Jae? Did you somehow manage to work your lame dick and your spoiled, lazy-"

I trailed off when he stuck his hand through the cage. The palms covered in gold, the knuckles scratched. My breath quickened in pace, to befuddled to make any sudden noise or movement. He had never tried to reach in before, but now he was. His veined hand stopped before it touched my cheek, and we both stared at each other wordlessly. He, waiting to see if I pulled away, and I, frozen. Rooted in my spot, not from the cold, but just how warm his hand was as it neared my flesh. How the idea of his touch heated me in the places I needed.

The solemn man's full mouth lifted at the corner, before falling flat. Amused, before another frenzied expression crossed his face. An overwhelming, all consuming urgency filling over as he stared at me like he has known me for all his life.

He spoke ardently, conflicted as he avoided my cheek to instead play with a tendril of my hair. My breath hitching as he slid his finger under the raven black silk, twirling it with his finger. When his eyes connected back with mine, he took the last of my breath, "I thought of you. The entire time, I imagined it was you under me. I saw your silver eyes, your dark hair, and your moon skin. I heard your silky voice insulting me, moaning beneath me. I only thought of you, Sorina."

My eyes widened. His words scorched a heat down my spine, my stomach, my thighs. Evoking. Awaking. The burning stare he gave her was enough to swallow me whole, to keep my cell like the warm season for weeks. What was this trick? Was he trying to torture my mind too? To make his captive fall for him, then to let her wither away. I bet he laughed after every visit, plotting with his wife the best ways to make my life a living hell.

This. This was a wound that could never be closed. His words breathed a fire in me that would tire to burn out. Even when the cold stole my lungs, my heart. I would still feel his stare, his voice a lullaby to an icy lake.

Torment.

I have never hated him more.

"Leave. Get the fuck out of my sight. You disgust me." I waved him off, my face contorted with barely concealed rage.

The King nodded regretfully, backing away from the cell. Taking all of his warmth. He looked once behind me, taking in the stone walls. More than likely grateful he never would spend time in them, not even if he lusted truly lusted after me. Even if the curse was real, and it made us starve for each other. Even if he did want me, it didn't matter. It was not enough to stop my suffering.

It didn't matter, that I wanted him.

I hate him. He is my hell. Fate's cruel punishment.

The unusually ruffled King sent me one more intense look, voice filled with determination as he took in my shivering form, "In time, I will make you understand."

******

Leila

The loud pounding on the door was not imagined. Her door was shaking from the brutal hits, steepening her confusion from the strange dream she had. She was sure she was being sent visions from Sorina, the previous daughter of the moon, but with no new information it was hard to interpret what they meant. The man had to have been Taehyung's father, they looked too similar. She addressed him as the King. But why show her that particular memory?

Her heartbeat still felt slow from the cold, her hands still in tight fists as if she battled the cold herself. Her teeth felt sore from grinding, as if they had been chattering all night. She swallowed harshly, trying to forget the icy feelings in her veins.

"Wake up!" Jimin's voice sounded from the other side of her door. Muffled, but still very blatantly exasperated.

Leila threw on her lavender robe, shaking off the leftover dread from the dream. She rubbed at her eyes, yawning before pattering over to the entrance.

"I am awake, is there a reason you're being so obnoxious?" The princess groaned out, ripping open the door in annoyance.

She was both surprised and bothered to see the advisor right before her. He'd been avoiding her for several days, so seeing his face was welcome. Hearing his voice was a whole other matter.

Another thing she had started to appreciate since living there. Sleep. A precious commodity she never got at home. She could wake up whenever she wanted, and read into the night however late. Which she did last night, starting to make a dent in the box Taehyung delivered.

Leila took in his dark uniform. Yet it was slightly different today, with riding boots and a cape. Her nose scrunched up, as she made her way back to his snobbish face.

The man rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in the doorway, "We are going hunting, and you're coming with us. Don't ask me why, I find it to be a dreadfully moronic idea. Your dear husband can't part with you for longer than a week I suppose, so get ready. We are already late."

Leila stomped her foot, preventing the man from turning and leaving, "And when was I to made aware of this? To agree?"

Her aggravation with the prince spiked. She didn't like the feeling that they would continue as they were before, where he would keep things from her.

Jimin sighed loudly, pinching the sloped bridge of his nose, "Right here, and right now. Look, I can't stand either of you right now. Taehyung with his stupid smirk this morning, and telling me to tie you up if you said no, which is not the reason I want to be doing that. And you taking out your frustration at the wrong person, considering I am not the one who orchestrated this. And to be quite honest, if you continue to flirt through your servants, you will never convince the courts that you aren't fucking each other."

She expected his best friend would still be suspicious of them. He was there when Taehyung threw him in jealous rage. She is not sure what transpired between the men since then, but the treat the prince made against anyone who might touch her was quite clear. Though she wasn't as worried about Lily and Jimin as the rest of the nobles. She was starting to trust them, the young woman recognized. Some trivial emotion squeezing her heart as she stared at the brunette male. Whose not so kind words kept her aloft all these months in an unchartered waters.

The princess nodded despite her slight embarrassment at his little monologue, "Is that why you're avoiding me? Also did you just call yourself a servant?"

Jimin smiled, the movement not reaching his eyes. It was true, that since the night in the hall of mirrors he hadn't stopped by. Was he annoyed to be used as a ploy again for her to lure the prince? She thought he might be proud of her for it.

"I'm not avoiding you. Lily will be with you shortly to get you ready for the journey. Now, please let me go." The advisor urged, despite no part of her tethering him before before her.

Leila felt a twinge of guilt, not liking for once to be the reason he was annoyed, "Can't you just help? I mean you are already here."

The princess extended the olive branch, wanting to show him she enjoyed his company. Even when she wasn't trying to piss off the prince. They hadn't had time to truly connect in a while, her confidant taking the form of his twin. With Taehyung, Lily, and herself all being occupied, the man must have felt lonely recently.

The man shook his head, biting his cheek. Leila had never seen him look so unsure of himself, as he shifted on his feet, his eyes traveling down the hallway and back to her awaiting form. He furrowed his brow in denial, "Taehyung-"

She cut him off with a smile, placing her hand on his forearm. Missing the way his gaze sprinted to where her skin rested upon his, soaking it in.

Trust is a dangerous path.

"Taehyung should come get me himself if he has a problem with it." Leila lifted her brow, resting her other hand on her hip as she pulled him into the room.

The man bit back his smile, rolling his eyes at the stubborn girl, "It's me who will lose my hands, but fine. Sure. Anything for my favorite sacrifice."

Leila smiled back, letting him shut the door behind them. She went into her closet, finding comfortable but heavier clothes for the trip. If they were hunting, she would need wool and heavier materials to keep up with the rest of the party.

"I'm honored," Leila commented, shoving dresses into a case. She paused, looking Jimin in the eye as she addressed his earlier accusation, "Also, me and the prince aren't fucking.We figured out how to dim the curse with magic. We are simply working together."

Jimin sauntered towards her, playing with the cuffs of his sleeves as he shook his head. But technically, she wasn't lying. They hadn't bedded each other fully.

Not yet.

She tried to ignore the flood of anticipation that swept violently through her at the thought. Willing it away before the prince was sent some shocking matter before she had time to berate him for not telling her about this trip beforehand.

Jimin's answering laugh was scratchy, "God, you and him are inferior at lying. But you're better at it. You should take the lead at council meetings. He looked like he was holding onto the table to prevent himself from pouncing on you the other day."

It had been several days since that meeting, with no contact from the prince. Just the note from the book delivery, a promise of his interest. Luckily the man had slipped her the poem from the daughter of the moon, allowing her more time of sole contemplation. She shook her head, pulling out a dress suitable for riding, and a fur lined cape.

Jimin watched her as she set herself up in front of the mirror, shimmying out of her nightgown. His eyes left her body, his gaze finding the ceiling. Which she found to be odd, considering he had already seen her in various states of undress. She rolled back her shoulders, placing on her more simple undergarments and urging him closer.

"Don't be ridiculous." Leila remarked, finding his eyes and he walked to his place behind her.

Helping her step into her dress, and weaving some of the ribbon together. As he pulled tight, she thought of how many things had changed since the last time he aided in her dressings. How his movements have become more tense, his gazes avoidant or lingering a bit too long. She was about to ask if he was okay, before he spoke in an inflammatory manner. His gaze disbelieving on her own as they met in the polished glass.

"Don't be obtuse. Trust me, you convinced our friends, and you alone. That dead-eyed stare you do is convincing everyone you have no heart. That you don't care to rustle around in the sheets with the prince, no matter how long he undresses you with his eyes. But that is what sets Jeongguk on edge. His parents were guarding Taehyung's the night the massacre happened. Let's just say he is very wary of any alliance between you and the prince." The advisor finished tying up her dress, his hands lingering around her neck.

Gaze locked on the line of her throat, her chin lifted to stare back at him. The skin golden, but smooth. So smooth. His hands remained wrapped so delicately around her small throat, she barely even noticed the touch was there.

Leila reeled back at the shocking revelation, her movement making Jimin's hands fall to his sides as she turned around to question him.

"Massacre? More than just his parents were killed?"

A shiver ran down her spine, imagining the power of the moon splintering through the halls. Her chest wished to light, but she pushed away the feeling of immense power surging in response. No wonder why it had a gloomy feeling. Ghosts of screams and bodies haunted the place. As much as she understood Sorina's anger, she couldn't help but feel sorry for everyone else it affected.

The advisor nodded, moving away from her to fix the buckles on her trunk filled with her personal items.

"Yes, as the useless prince did not mention, over fifty were killed that night. But forty-eight were collateral. She only wanted his parents."

"I understand him a little better, why he feels wary of me."

Someone like her had taken away his family. She was sure if she was in his position, she'd want him caged and far away from her.

Jimin laughed, taking in her disturbed expression as he pulled the trunk with him to the door, opening it and gesturing for her to start walking out into the hallway.

Frowning at him as she as passed, he began to speak to her again, "For someone who was raised to be without feeling, you're turning soft. He's a tosser. He's only likable after a nice round of feasting. He's even more uptight than Taehyung."

The door slammed shut behind them, and she scoffed at his lamentations. Of course, his dislike of the man wasn't in concern for her. He probably just enjoyed Leila when she was at her most uncaring, because in that part of her he found a kindred spirit.

"I like how all your reasons for why he is terrible don't include him wanting to kill me."

The man paused by her side, words catching in his throat. Leila did not notice his subtle reaction, as he never fell too far behind.

Jimin schooled his voice carefully, taking in her reaction as he willed himself to not sound too fervent, "Killing is done for many reasons. Dislike. Duty. Passion. Love. I'm sure you've read about the ancient Helen of Troy? Everyone who wanted her seemed to die, or kill for her. Or tried to kill her themselves."

Leila wrinkled her nose, reminding herself to look for this story in the large library. She was always intrigued by the old ideas of love that predated the black sun.

"Killing someone isn't love."

"No, it's something much more potent. Ruination." The man whispered out the last word, leaning closer to her ear as he did so.

Leila laughed, ignoring the pit in her stomach that developed at his jest. He seemed very serious about this topic, as his eyes roamed along her to see her reaction. It felt charged. Leila wasn't sure if she liked it, not one bit. She swallowed down the weird feeling, ignoring her gut. It was just Jimin. He had those bursts of intensity that usually fizzled out when something else distracted him. He must be tired, or stressed from the lack of hunting and that was making him behave strangely. The lines of purple around his eyes were deep and sunken in, as if he hadn't slept in weeks.

"Dramatic. The roads must be getting icier by the minute. Must you hunt when it's snowing?" Leila commented, changing the subject as she took a glance out of the hallway windows. They were only a couple steps from the main hall.

She groaned internally, knowing the dead of winter was getting worse. Growing up in fairly warm climate, the cold never was a worry. Here, she refrained from going outside now that the snowy season started. It was going to be a long journey for her, since despite her ability to turn sand to glass, her magic provided no internal warmth.

Just as they made it to the large opening of the main castle doors, Jimin sent her a wink, "We have to hunt on the full moon. It increases our stamina."

Leila rolled her eyes back at the man, catching his innuendo, "I'm sure you need all the help you can get."

She couldn't hide her smile when the usually arrogant man's shoulders dropped, letting her clothing trunk fall to the floor. It felt like she was finally learning to beat the petty man at his own game if insults. Leila swore he hid pride behind his bothered expression.

A cough brought their attention off each other, Leila's laughter petering out. A new presence just behind her. She felt him before she saw him, a prickle of awareness pinching at her neck. Jimin's sudden change in expression also helped.

The princess turned to find a cold prince staring back at her. Dressed in fine, dark riding clothes he was as handsome and regal as ever. His eyes were devoid of expression as he cocked his head back, looking at her through his lower lashes. Her heart twinged pitifully in her chest, even as he stared her down and offered no pleasantries.

"Jimin. Princess." Taehyung grits out after several moments of silence, eyes pacing between the pair.

Leila took a deep breath, saying nothing in return. Jimin must've made a gesture, for the prince nodded stiffly, looking behind her.

She couldn't ask what was wrong. Not in front of Jimin. They were bound when others were in their presence, to an unfeeling civility. Leila tried to catch the prince's eyes, to question him silently for what plagued his mood, but after their initial welcome, he avoided her stare.

"Are the horses ready?" A bored voice asked, one that she rarely heard sound so casual.

Leila was grateful for a second, for the tense air being broken. The graciousness evaporating when she realized the only other noble joining them would be Jeongguk. He was dressed in all black like the others, his face passive as he played with the ring on his lip. He glared at her from his place behind Taehyung, as if he was not made aware she was coming either.

Since he had a death wish for her. What was the prince thinking? And still, he refused to meet her eyes as he placed on leather black gloves, securing them around his wrists. Her anger flared then, unable to tell whether it was for the noble or he just felt like being miserable towards her.

"What is he doing here?" The young woman of the moon blurted out, making her disapproval obvious.

Neither of her closer companions answered. Instead, it was the devil himself who cocked an eyebrow, his tone mocking, "I have more of a reason to be here than you, don't you think?"

The man walked to the gates, pressing his palms flat to them before opening. The flurry of dark blue swallowing his dark form as the snow flurried into the stone buildings.

Leila was left speechless, muttering curses under her breath as she watched the hostile man leave first.

Jimin walked up to her, his shoulders lifting as he gave her a feigned look of pity, "He has a point."

Traitor.

She was jolted as he clapped her shoulder, flicking at Taehyung's arm before he stepped out into the wintry abyss.

Taehyung had yet to say anything else, his jaw clenching as he turned and walked away from her as well.

Great. She was stuck with three pissy men stuck in a small, artic carriage and she was only sure that one of them had the control to drain her completely of blood. Amazing.

Leila took a deep breath, deciding it was now or never to leave and brave the snow. She shivered as she got closer to the open doors, flecks of white and ice starting to pelt her skin. No, indeed she was not made for this. The urge to run to the carriage and press herself into the prince's warm skin was winning over her own sanity.

When she finally made it over, the three men were still packing the car. Her teeth clattered together, her hands freezing as the prince held onto the black, wooden carriage, his back facing her. The girl could barely breathe right, the cold stealing oxygen from her lungs.

This was torture. Akin to the cold she felt this morning in her dreams. A bone searing cold that never truly left oneself, even when they found warmth again.

She waited, watching the prince open the door to the carriage. Leila turned to say something snarky to him about getting in first, but he stepped onto the side of the carriage and waited. The man held out a black, gloved hand. Looking everywhere but her, licking his lips as his dagger earring kept grazing the side of his veined neck.

Why does he have to be pretty when I'm mad?

Still the princess played it off well as she grabbed his hand, pretending the simple touch didn't send a thrill into her stomach. Or the fact his bad mood just made him all the more striking, with his jaws and muscles all tensed. Instead she made a 'hmph' sound, lifting her chin and crossing her arms to avoid his stare as she settled in the cabin.

Even when she felt his stare finally settle on her. That was until his stare lingered for so long, her skin started to itch. Her thighs pressed together as she played with her fingers, unsure of what to do. She was used to him being aloof, and being all consuming. These in between was infuriating.

"Are you going to take up the whole seat, Princess?" Taehyung asked, and not so kindly.

She looked up, feeling the full intensity of his ember stare through locks of inky black. He was surrounded by the blue and white glow of the outside. Snowflakes clung to his dark form, melting from his heat.

Leila let her hips widen, taking up more room. His gaze followed the motion, darkening. A tick in his jaw clenched, his hold on the carriage walls tighter.

"I don't know, are you going to keep calling on me coldly, prince?" Leila asked, pitching her voice higher.

He hadn't used her name once today. Ignis was off the table in front of their companions. She didn't like it, not one bit.

The prince's mouth parted, his expression losing none of its intensity. His eyes narrowed, his voice pulling from deeper within his chest, "What would you have me call you then?"

The princess couldn't help but close her legs. It was a reflex, a response the way he seemed to wind her up, just to help her let it all go. She wanted to smack the slight smirk off his face when he saw that she moved, cocking his head to the side as he found her irises again.

'See? I always win' he seemed to say.

Jimin's muffled voice groaned from behind the prince. How long had he been standing there? "Oh for gods sake get in the carriage! If I could feel the cold I would be freezing my ass and my-"

Taehyung held up a hand, shifting into the carriage. He landed somehow gracefully next to her, his spice and cedar scent already setting her on edge. She shifted closer to the window, refusing to let his enticing heat lure her to him. They couldn't. Not with Jeongguk in the same carriage.

Jimin filtered in after, sending them a glare as he plunked himself across the way from her. Jeongguk stepped in after his nose curled at his seating partner, "I don't need that visual."

Taehyung sighed, so stiff she swore the snow had frozen him. His breathing was quick and controlled, but again he refused to look at her, his left hand twitching where it was placed beside her. The man lifted his hand, tapping the carriage roof twice, and they were off to wherever the fuck they were going.

The first hour of the ride was filled with silence, not that Leila really minded. She had taken out her notebook, using a reusable ink pen to write down every detail of her dream. She also tried to out ignore Taehyung, who was ignoring her.

She'd just have to ignore him better. Leila would make loud sighs, to which the prince would have to look her way. When he realized she was doing it just to get his attention, to then avoid it, he would click his tongue, resting his head against the back wall. She felt every part of him, even as they sat beside each other un touching. It was torture, to know what he felt like and not be able to experience it every moment in his presence.

Jimin just fell asleep, as he usually does when he's uninterested. She wanted to kick him to stop the snoring, but knew he'd probably shred into her for doing so. Her actual enemy was staring out the window. Despite his previous malice, he again was smart of enough not to treat her less than in front of the prince.

Despite her appreciation of the quiet, she needed information. And this was the perfect time to get it, while no one could run away from her.

Leila slammed her notebook shut. Loudly. To humans, the sound might have not bothered them. But to three divine and part creature beings, their elevated hearing amplified the sound.

Now, all three men stared back at her with gazes of onyx, dark brown, and suspicion. Great idea Leila.

She smiled cheerily, avoiding the prince still. Instead looking at the men across the way, as she tucked her notebook to the side, placing her hands on her lap, "So, how do vampires feed?"

"We are not vampires." Taehyung added from beside her, sounding aggrieved by her repeated mistake.

That's it.

One slight too many for such a long travel. Leila whirled in her seat, shooting daggers into the side of his perfectly molded face.

I don't know anything because you've only just started to tell me the truth.

"Well-"

The least expected voice prematurely interrupted her tirade.

"Vipera Immortui. The 'immortal vipers'. That is what we are called. Vampires are a myth. Sparkling skin? Cures? Erotica? Terrible gothic house decor? Ridiculous." Jeongguk snorted, sounding positively offended by novel stereotypes.

Leila was surprised that he even acknowledged her. Knowing his history now, she found it astounding he was comfortable to travel in the same vicinity as her. Even with his rude and distrusting countenance, he was at least giving answers. Unlike the other two.

This information was sacred. It explicated the differentiation between the two creatures in the book Elder Fareena gave her. It made just enough sense to shed light onto certain mysteries. The viper in the glass window and the book of the curse could be a metaphor of their name. Or the mode of the curse.

She continued carefully, "What is the origin of your...people? What makes you immortal, is it the blood itself?"

Jeongguk eyed her carefully, before brushing back some of his dark brown, almost reddish hued hair. When he realized none of the other men were going to answer, he begrudgingly spoke, "We feed once a month on the full moon, due to the power the moon feeds to the body. Yes, blood holds the essence of life, and breathes it into us. That is why we die eventually, there is only so much of a life force we can take without giving back. It's a balance. As for our origins, only the prince knows. And I surely hope he wouldn't tell you."

Leila swallowed her discomfort, trying to keep a straight face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Taehyung tense. She understood why he was so desperate to find answers. Everyone expected of him to carry on their ways. If someone like Jeongguk decided to question him one day, he would be left floundering. Ensuring his delegitimization, and allowing for others to bargain for the throne.

Then he would have no say in what would happen to the daughter of the moon.

"Right." The princess answered back, grateful for the explanation. Letting the rest of the carriage fall back into silence.

She wasn't sure where exactly they were going, so she did her best to cuddle up in the corner, and bunch up her cape to make a pillow. The best way to pass time was to sleep, especially with this lot. Despite the bumps and the never ending cold, she drifted off shortly afterward. Thinking of snakes, angry men, and warm red blood.

********

"Wake up sleeping beauty." Jimin shook her roughly, disturbing her slumber for the second time.

She woke up confused, flustered. The young woman's heart pounded as she looked out the window, only to see a frozen tundra before them. The moon was large and bright the sky, fully pregnant. So bright, it illuminated the large, circular clearing filled with snow and ice. The only thing that looked alive were the dark green trees that were dense around the perimeter.

"This is where you hunt?" Leila inquired, wondering how they gather enough sustenance from such a small and barren area.

No one answered. Jeongguk jumped out first, snow crunching underneath him. He brought a large sack off the back of the carriage, walking out into the frozen area. Once he settled on a far away spot, he began to set up camp. The man spread out sheets and long sticks, possibly readying for tents.

The girl held back her whimper at the cold that threatened her through the open carriage door.

Taehyung lifted himself, looking at Jimin and Leila once more before heading out. The prince waited at the bottom, eyes searching around the clearing, already looking disappointed.

Jimin shook her again, urging her to look at him, his eyes blazing, "Yes, do you see why we need your blood now? One deer can feed about ten of us, through our connection with the prince. One feeding of your blood could satiate a hundred men. That's why you're so precious to us."

The man let his knuckle trail down her cheek, and Leila prickled with disgust. She would've bitten his finger to get him off of her, but she was sure he would've liked it. Instead she glared, waiting for his touch to leave her.

He probably just trying to scare her, in his own strange way.

"Jimin, you need to make a fire. Leila can't survive out here without it." Taehyung barked from outside, not even sparing them a glance.

She felt relief, when her friend stopped touching her cheek. He sighed, falling back into his usual manner. Listening to the prince, and providing for him as always, and joined Jeongguk by the burgeoning camp.

"Taehyung, please join me." Leila attempted boldly, wishing for this silly tension between them to rest.

At first, she thought the prince was going to continue to ignore her. To stand in the cold, rather than talk to her. But within a few seconds, and reassurance that neither of their traveling companions were paying attention, the prince stepped back into the carriage. Making the cabin feel a million times smaller, but luckily thwarting the cold when he closed the door.

The prince sat himself across from her, still avoiding eye contact. Crossing his arms like an insolent child, his eyes narrowed.

He was angry. Annoyed. And she didn't know why.

Leila recalled, when observing people in her village, that sometimes after getting physical with a woman, the man would withdraw. Did Taehyung get all he wanted with her? A taste, and he decided he was done? While panic began to rise in her chest, she willed the thought away. There could be a reasonable explanation for his behavior.

"Are you acting like this because you brought along Jeongguk? Also thank you for the warning, by the way." Leila bit at him, wishing to instigate him.

But the Taehyung she'd known before he opened himself to her was in full effect. He barely acknowledged her words, with a twinge of his lips.

"Acting like what? This is who I am Leila. It's up to you whether you'd like to deal with it or not." He answered back, practically monotone as he stared out the window.

She wanted to scream. He had spent days now trying to convince her this wasn't the true version of himself. The stoic, unemotional, dutybound statue that he presented himself as to her. Was it all an act to try to bed her? Was it really the curse that swayed him, and not himself? Would he be sweet when he wanted to touch her again? Bile rose in her throat, and she felt her chest start to crackle with energy. Feeling the numbness from her previous years, the empty mass she could barely access anymore. But she felt it, swirling and ready to bite from his words.

Leila couldn't spend another moment with him.

"You're right. I don't want to deal with it. Thank you for giving me an out now, so I wouldn't have to keep pretending I like you when we aren't participating in something physical together. You're more like your father than you thought." She practically growled out.

She didn't even care when his head swung to look at her, his face contorting with something aching and painful. Good.

Leila went swiftly to the door, feeling his gaze like two knives in her back. The cold helped to push away all the emotions other than anger, as she waltzed across the icy ground. It felt invigorating. The pain keeping away all other thoughts.

It was only when she sat down on fur, next to the fire that Taehyung demanded his advisor build, that the guilt started to trickle in.

She had used his one fear against him.

"Trouble in paradise?" Jimin prodded, whispering so that Jeongguk didn't hear.

The teasing words barely registered. She felt horrible. The tears wouldn't come, and if they did they would surely freeze on her face, even with the fire.

He had been so careful to confide in her. And she had thrown it back in his face.

"I am a terrible person." Leila whispered, staring into the orange and red flames. Feeling them lick at her bronze skin, and wondered if this is how the sun would feel. Or if the sun had become another person in her life, one that warmed her merely with his presence.

Maybe the moon was not the sun's lover, but its adversary. Happy when it bowed below the ocean long ago, and never returned.

Jimin nodded, stoking the fire with a stick, "So am I. But it's okay. Bad people always win in the end. And the good people are left wondering if being good was truly worth it, to have nothing in the end."

Leila wasn't sure she agreed, but she like not feeling judged by the man. Still her betrayal towards Taehyung stabbed her heart. She felt like she insulted not him as the prince, but the child that was stuck inside of him. Afraid to rule, afraid to fail.

Jeongguk huffed, interrupting. He had finished setting up the huge tent, that was big enough to hold all four of them.

"As much as I love your nihilistic ideas Jimin, it is time to hunt. We have to go hunt. Leila, you stay here by the fire."

Leila didn't even feel like fighting back. She just nodded her head, wrapping her arms around herself.

The men quickly left, stopping at the carriage to meet with Taehyung, before their figures were blotted out by the trees.

She sat in the cold, holding her hands near the fire for what felt like hours. Every sound, every crackle sent her on edge. All she wanted to do was find Taehyung. To apologize. When she got into that mood, where she didn't feel anything, she felt merciless. She didn't mean to act like that, especially towards person she was starting to truly care about.

As the night trudged along, she was starting to get worried. She swore she heard a wolf howl, and then a subsequent shriek of terror from an animal. Becoming restless, she sat up, ready to go find him. To tell him how sorry she was.

Before she could take another step, an animal walked before her.

A buck, she was guessing, from its faint dark blue outline against the sprawling snow. It's beige fur turned silver by moonlight. It's beady, glass eyes stared back at her. Asking, if she were a predator or a  passerby. It's large antlers sprawled out like branches, looking as smooth as bone.

As she watched, fascinated by the animal, it took a step closer. Snorting, a puff of its breath turning to smoke in the air. Leila stepped into the moonlight, edging closer. A mutual understanding between her and the buck, that they were both hunted.

A crack sounded from beside them. The buck turned the same time as her, to see a blur of black across the expanse of the clearing. When it settled, she saw Jimin. His mouth already covered in blood from a previous kill, and she was reminded of the night she saw him by the fire at her village. The liquid ran down his chin in the same manner. His eyes were crazed, hungry in a way she was not used to. He walked closer to the buck, the animal frozen, as if it forgot every instinct it ever learned.

As Jimin stepped closer, his fangs elongating, Leila panicked. Grasping at her neck, remembering the searing pain of his bite. It would be a painful death for the animal.

"Wait, don't bite it!" She panted out, running closer to Jimin.

The man lifted his head, and snarled at her. His fangs glinted in the night as his face contorted, his stance in more of a crouch form.

She cried out, halting. Her eyes widening, as his interest in the buck lessened, his familiar eyes crawling over in an untamed way. She felt like she was in danger, like this wasn't her friend.

"Leila, step away from him." Taehyung called calmly from behind her, the prince and noble Jeon appearing from behind her. They must have ran from the tree line when they heard her scream.

But she didn't care. The buck stared at her, with its small eyes. She didn't want him to be in pain. With a deep breath, and a flick of her wrist, she channeled the moonlight. No one dared to move as she bent the light from the sky.

And turned it to a blade. Slicing the bucks neck so swiftly, it would not remember its own death.

Jimin let out an outraged cry, before plunging into the animal. Leila tried to not be frightened, as more blood sprayed, staining the white around them. The sounds of slurping and squelching, churning her stomach.

Taehyung stepped closer, his front to her back. He did not touch her, but his form was enough reassurance in this moment.

Especially when Jimin looked up from his meal, his usually dark eyes lightened with fury.

"Was there a reason you ruined my meal, sacrifice? Did you want to take the poor animal's place? Silver would be much prettier spread across my mouth." The man laughed, his teeth, his face coated in blood. Taking in her horrified expression.

The prince shifted behind her. She could tell, from his lack of breath and movement that he was just as enraged. Jimin's gaze flickered behind her, his smile dropping. The man turned, letting out curses as he rubbed his bloodied hands through his hair.

Jeongguk sighed from their side, his eyes hooded, "I'll go hunt with him some more. The starvation effects some more than others."

He took one look at Leila, seeming almost apologetic. But he said nothing more, as he jetted across the icy plain to catch up with the crazed advisor.

Would her friend have truly killed her? Blotted out her life like that of the lonely buck?

Bloodlust. This is why Taehyung was conserving the blood of the previous daughter of the moon. Because if they didn't die out naturally, they would turn into something worse. Uncontrollable.

Leila turned, scared of the swell in her throat. Afraid that all the events of the day would finally get to her.

The prince didn't let her. He pulled her to his side, letting her bury her frosty face into his warm chest as he walked them back to the roaring fire. When she was finally sat, the prince keeping a place beside her, that was when the tears came.

The wood snapped, the fire whispering as she buried her face into her hands. She sobbed until her throat was sore, until the cold didn't feel so chilly anymore. Until she was sure they wouldn't freeze upon her face.

She lifted her reddened cheeks, keeping her eyes on the flame despite how it burned as she let out a watery apology, "I am so sorry for what I said to you. I didn't mean it at all. I said it, because I knew it would hurt you. And I regret using something so personal against you."

Taehyung hummed, "There is no need for apologies, not when there are more intriguing matters to discuss."

She looked up, confused why he ignored everything else she said. When she saw him dangling a piece of parchment near the fire.

"That is too important to tamper with." Leila chastised, ripping it from his hands.

He nodded thoughtfully, his skin made more delicious by the glow of the bright fire.

"More important than the first part of the curse?"

Leila nodded, swallowing anything else she wanted to say not related to the curse or the poem. it was clear the prince was not ready to talk, or forgive her.

"Possibly. I found it in Sorina's cell, its a poem. Or a warning. I am not sure if I can really tell at this point. But you knew her, you might be able to decipher what she meant more than I could. It could be a key to unlocking what we don't know about the curse."

Taehyung straightened, an even more grave expression taking over. He looked at the paper in Leila's hand as if it would bite him. He prepared himself, crossing his legs so he could sit closer. He gestured to the paper, asking for her to give it to him to read.

She offered him the paper, watching closely as he accepted it. His hand shaking slightly.

The man blinked rapidly, holding it so it was lit by the fire. She tried to decipher him, as his dark eyes trailer to and fro across the words from across the grave. The tremors in his hands started to spread, to his arms. His lips, his legs. Soon his breaths came out at a quickened pace, his eyes seeming to blank.

Leila's chest tightened, "Is something wrong?"

It seemed to jolt him back to reality. The pretty man closed his eyes, his head falling back as he took in slow breaths, trying to soothe himself. With an unstable hand, he gave the poem back to Leila for safekeeping.

"Can you give me a moment?" He managed to get out, despite the tremor making its way to his voice.

She didn't like it, seeing the clear pain in his midnight eyes. The bright freckled stars weren't enough to keep the light in them. He was once again the little boy, that discovered his father had too many secrets. Deadly ones.

"Of course. I know this must be hard for you since you knew her personally. I wish I could've met her."

The prince smiled, a line appearing in his cheek. It made her heart squeeze, as he looked wistfully into the night. Bringing her along to listen to his past. His deep voice warmed her through the Winter air, bringing them closer together. He stared at the fire, and Leila followed, as if the images of his childhood would spring from the flames.

"You would've gotten along well. I liked sneaking her snacks from the kitchen after my dad fed on her, to keep her from getting hungry. She'd always tap the end of my nose through the bars, and tell me about her life on the farm before. About her family and her beliefs, her connection to Lunaith. What she was like as a girl, how much I would've loved growing up on the country side right on the ocean coast. She scolded me when she heard about Jimin and I fighting, or if I treated a servant badly. Sorina humbled me like an older sister would from my station many times, and I was grateful to gain her perspective in life or I may have been a different royal. She was brave, resilient. Just like you." The prince paused, looking to her, his smile bittersweet before it fell from his face. Aversion taking over his memories, "How he treated her, it was horrific. Every time I visited her cell, she was less of herself. She never stopped being kind to me though. Not even at the end."

The princess edged closer to the man, wanting him to not feel so alone. It was clear, in the brittle manner of his voice. The tightness of his throat. She understood how it felt to oppress one's emotions. It seemed he had a harder time trying, when speaking of Sorina. Who had been like family to him. They were closer than she had realized.

Leila swallowed, once again thinking of her dream last night. How strange it felt to be privy to some of Sorina's previous memories. It left a pit in her stomach, one that filled her with trepidation. She wanted to tell the prince to see what he would make of it, but didn't want to upset him any further. How desperate the king seemed for the daughter of the moon. Of everything that Taehyung told her, it didn't seem like the king would beg or ask for permission. That his affections for the woman were anything but primal longing from the curse. Or that Sorina had been affected by it equally. But that is probably how it started, before he got tired of asking. The gnawing in her stomach increased. Was it the memory, the dream, showing her just how terrifying the conditions were for her predecessor? Something expanded in her chest. A feeling of knowing on the tip of her tongue.

Something didn't seem right.

"Did he love your mother?" Leila asked, the words dying in the trepid air between them. In Sorina's memory, the queen was also hated. She would not tell the prince, and possibly ruin the closeness he felt to the woman.

The prince looked up, his gaze stealing some of her breath, "I don't know if my father was capable of loving anyone. He only showed me affection in private, and mostly it was when I was younger. As I got older, he always had this look of apprehension when he was around me. As if he truly didn't see me, and only saw the future of what may reign could bring. As if time were running out. He was very hard on me. And every good part of him, any part that I could admire, was ruined by how he treated Sorina. My mother loved me, I know that."

Leila smiled at that. She wouldn't want any other child being neglected by their parents, like she had. Especially not Taehyung. At least he had some sort of figure to care for him.

"What was she like?" The princess asked, fascinated. She wouldn't know how to answer the question, if asked about her own parents. She wanted to see the admiration, the connection Taehyung had with other people. It made her happy.

The prince smiled just as brightly as when he talked of Sorina. The same loving adoration found in the depths, without the sadness. His mother had not been tragic to him, other than her death, "She had silver hair, like starlight. The same color as your eyes actually. An even brighter smile. She read to me before bed every night when I was a child, and was no stranger to affection. My mother was often very tired, and I didn't get to spend as much time with her as I would have liked. She tried to protect me from the court, from political chores. But my father did not allow for her soft heartedness."

Leila laughed, unable to hide the sound as he talked. His body had stopped shaking, and now he sat back on his hands. How he compared her eyes to starlight, the light of the universe. Enthusiastic as he talked with her in the night. A comfortable silence fell, when the mood shifted.

Taehyung shifted closer to her, his hand trailing over the top of her knuckles. Somehow, that simple touch blazed hotter than the fire which she warmed herself with. She turned her head, catching the prince staring where their flesh met. A look of remorse painting his elegant face. He remained touching her as he spoke.

"Their relationship was strained to say the least. I had never seen them happy. No hugs, no touches, no kisses. My mother told me their marriage was arranged by her parents, who were nobles that served since the beginning of our reign. She had been enamored with him, but they shared little in common as the years went on. There was no shared love between them, just mutual respect. She never questioned him unless it had to do with me. But he never went out of his way to hurt her. He even let her hide when he would publicly join with the daughter of the moon. I have no idea if I am capable of it. I worry endlessly, because I have never seen a good example of how to treat a woman. Of how to be a kind and gentle lover. What if I do it wrong? I seem to have done a shit job already." The man laughed without humor, his voice breaking at the end.

Her heart broke a little, as he wove her his own variance of a sorry. He regretted just as much as she did, which was enough to reassure him that he was wrong. That her words bore no truth.

"You are not." She said with determination, flipping her hand over.

His eyes widened as she threaded her fingers through his own. Marveled as olive met gold, entrenching each other. He squeezed her hand tightly, still holding on as his sheepish gaze flickered back to her.

"I am. I ignored you for hours because you laughed with Jimin. Isn't that ridiculous? My best friend, your new friend. And that is all you wanted, companionship. I don't want my possessiveness to get in the way of your happiness. No matter how much I want to strangle him for looking in your direction." He shook his head, laughing to himself incredulously. As if he barely understood his own reaction.

Leila looked at him, speechless. The frost had finally stopped biting her. Now, she was alight. He wasn't tired of her already. He was worrying about whether she liked Jimin better than him, which was absurd.

He is jealous? Again?

It wasn't the best time for Leila to prove to him that he was all she desired, right here on the large fur blanket. Or to tell him she found it absurdly attractive he wanted to kill for her. No matter what she said earlier about Helen of Troy, when it came to Taehyung the rules never seemed to matter.

The princess gripped onto his hand tighter, using her thumb to brush across the skin. Willing her voice to soften, "You are too hard on yourself, and the fact you already want to break the cycle is a good start. The ocean didn't learn to be the ocean, the moon to be the moon, nor did the seasons learn to change, they just are. You are who you are, despite your upbringing, and nothing less. Besides we promised wouldn't let ourselves go that far, remember? Not before we figure out the curse."

Taehyung swallowed loudly, his eyes falling between her lips and her eyes. Dark lashes fluttering as a slow, small smile lifted his reddened lips. Pink tongue swiping across his bottom lip, causing her heart to race.

"Did we, promise that?" The prince whispered out, making her question every barrier they placed between themselves. Teasing the wall to fall apart. Undressing their inhibitions.

Beckoning her.

She pressed forward just as he started to tilt his head. His gaze was warm upon her, his cedar scent enveloping her. He looked at her as one would stare into the sky. She needed his touch. She needed him. Just as his lips grazed over her, dissipating the space between them, they were pulled apart heard a scream.

The sound carried across the snowy plain.

Taehyung sprung to his face, placing himself in front of her. Leila lifted herself as well, chest pounding for a different reason now as she stared out into the night.

There, she saw two bodies struggling in the distance. One walking beside them.

The prince placed his arm in front of her, a protective stance. She rolled her eyes, trying to step forward so she could see better. As the figures neared, it became clear.

Jimin was holding a woman, who continued to fight against him. His laughter mixed with her cries, and Jeongguk walked with them. His eyes strangely focused on the woman, an angry look on his face.

"What is going on?" Taehyung asked, probably not used to their prey being brought back conscious after feasting.

Leila tried not to get sick. She knew they consumed humans. It didn't mean she needed to see them do it. Whether they kept them alive or not.

They stepped near the fire, making them visible in the darkness. Jimin wrapped his hair in the girl's long black hair, Jeongguk seemingly wound tighter by the action.

"I brought you a gift." The man spit out, lifting the girl's head.

Leila gasped, as the younger girl whimpered, tears burning her soft face raw. She lifted her eyes, recognition crossing over her terrified face.

"Setareh?"

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(A/N: Hello all! So excited for this chapter, again sorry no real spice, but it was one of my faves! It's a lot of info and plot / character progression but I love it. This is when things start to really heat up! 

I really wanted to get another chapter out to y'all this week because I was slacking a little bit. But this one is really worth it and I wanted it to be perfect! I hope you guys enjoyed it.

What are your theories? Questions? Concerns?

Please vote and share this story! I just like reading through comments and seeing people's reactions hahaha. It helps distract from the chaos in silk sheets <333333

CHECK OUT THE NEW SOLACE COVER IM IN LOVEE!!! Got some inspiration from a readers Pinterest board so thank you!!!

Also:

For Eden Rising

Taehyung: Human cowboy

Jimin: Alien

Who do you guys think should be the more sweet one? and not boring sweet, but like the more open one and who do you think should be the more standoffish one? Right now I am thinking "sweet" Jimin like he says whatever is on his mind, even if its inappropriate cuz he has different "customs" but he's  shy and enthralled with MC, which makes him lose his edge, but is secretly like willdddd in other ways....And Tae is the more standoffish and kinda hard to crack open but is always down for the MC? I am tryna figure out the vibes of their character and what would be the most appealing to people. Thank you for your help!!!