[SILVER RAYNE WILLIAMS]

"TEACH YOU?" I echo.

My ears tingle at his statement, and my eyes remain in his, dumbfounded. I search for the lie, there must be a lie, for I feel I haven't heard right, and if I have— then it is he who has spoken wrong.

Either way, this has to be a sick twisted version of what Fang thinks humor is, but I admit I have heard Fang joke better.

This. This was a bad, bad joke.

I have never heard anything more ridiculous.

Perhaps I have underestimated the Prince yet again.
He can joke.

My lips curve upward, threatening to laugh and I barely manage to choke down my chuckle under his still gaze, snorting instead.

But his gaze remains grave and my heart immediately slams back in his chest, laughter reversing, and my lips straighten shut.

I remind myself who I am talking to especially when I realize he looks painfully serious.

Shit, he's serious. Very, very serious.

To balance the influx of emotions settling within me. I grab the glass and take a sip. I only manage a sip because my hands keep shaking and threatening to spill.

I set it back on the table. It leaves a stale taste in my mouth, but it's calmed my nerves to some extent.

"Teach you how to feel?" I ask slowly. My gaze wonders back to the prince wondering if I heard right.

He does not respond. His eyes remain still in mine.

I press my lips together thinking of a way to respond that would still spare my life. If this is not a bad joke he is certainly mocking me.

Fang don't understand human emotions. They think we overreact often, a testament to his statement before.

And now he was asking a human to teach him how to feel? Or was it a command?

Though the being before me certainly had no emblem of humour I still felt he was pulling my leg.

"A-and how am I going to do that?" I ask my voice in a whisper. My gaze shoots to the ceiling and I take a deep breath my shoulders falling, "How am I supposed to teach a Tribrid how to feel?"

My throat constricts and I open my eyes. I look down at the glass and blink a few more times to get my head straight. I look at him.

"You're speaking of feelings like their something that can be taught and perhaps—perhaps they can..." I trail off, gulping, "but not to you."

My fingers are shaking at my statement. But It is true. I have only spoken the truth.

How am I supposed to teach stone eyes how to echo Sunshine in them?

How am I supposed to teach someone how to feel when he has no semblance of feelings, to begin with?

I am not a witch.

I could not perform magic. For that is what would be required to turn a savage beast into a human.

In fact,  not even magic can live to this task.

It is an impossible feat.

His gaze has not moved from my face. Not once.

My lips remain pursed in a firm line and my fingers fall back to my lap to squeeze my thighs.

I have a big mouth, I scold myself the longer his gas fingers without words to accompany it.

My irrationality sets in and my fear doubles. Shit. I have offended him.

I should have just agreed! This sounds like a way out—a way of death.

"You truly believe it?" he asks quietly.

My gaze shoots back to him.

"That I meant to be this way?" he states.

I stare at him at his blank statement. I do not know what to think of it.

A breath is caught in my lungs. For a moment, the world seems to still be around us.

I study him. Truly study him. His still eyes, his thin lips, his pale face. The way he sits. His posture was stiff and impeccable.

Yes. I truly believe it.

"You said it yourself." my voice is a light whisper, "You aren't supposed to feel, your majesty."

I do not know why I say those words. In truth, I don't even understand them myself. Perhaps throwing his words back to him will reduce his anger and protect my words.

His lips press and for a moment, for a sliver of a second, I think I see something, or it is just that he blinks?

I don't know. But his cold gaze remains solemn and when he speaks he is direct and poised.

"Teach me what you can." He states, "The task at hand is to outwit the Royal court. That is the crux of it. My transformation upon meeting my mate isn't anticipated to result in instant humanity; it's simply about undergoing a shift of sorts.  I am a creature of Habit. Change is a struggle for me. While I grasp the concept of emotion, I..."

He pauses, and his gaze shifts, "I don't understand why it exists and I find it hard to mimic."

His eyes snap to me, "I need a guide."

I blink at this and though I want to ask more questions, something tells me I should take the bone whilst it's being handed to me or risk being ripped apart by the dogs.

My mouth is dry and my throat is constricted, I swallow, "That is all?" I ask.

My voice is soft, "I help you—fool the court and that's it? I will not be punished?"

"Yes."

My heart clenches inside me and I feel a flicker of hope, and my mind begins to think again, and I freeze, my gaze meeting his once more when I remember something crucial.

"But the King. Y-Your father—" His name is stuck in my throat, I refuse to say it, "He wants me dead. I will not survive another night in that court."

"You will." The prince replies, "Under my protection."

I am not thinking when I court in confusion, "You would defy your father's orders?"

"Drake Alistair has ruled for nearly fifty years. His reign is nearing its conclusion. If he is to relinquish the power he has grown to love, he must remember who truly wields it."

My heart thumps steadily at this.

I understand what he says between heavy lines of black and white, for  I know deep down there is only one person more powerful than the King

The heir awaited.

The miracle. The savior.

The Tribrid Prince

For the life of me, I know that the King should hold more power, but something tells me, yes, something about the prince's calm gaze—

I think back to the ball. The growl, the guards backing off. I think of breakfast I had with the royals, how his prescience seemed to stop the world and even now the influx of power buzzing around my ear that I could feel even as a human, making me feel insignificant tells me in the hierarchy of things even King Drake Alistair bows to someone.

And that someone is the being before me now.

The realization strikes me harder than ever before and fear grips me tighter.

He wants me alive now because he wishes for something. My mind tells me.

All that can change in an instant.

In an instant, I could be of no use to him. I could be dead. And I wouldn't see it coming. He said it himself. If he wishes to kill me, he would.

It was as easy as that. A simple wish.

A simple want.

I placed my trembling hands on the table and entertained them. Now is the time to think. Silver.

To barter for my life.

I thought of Dad. His words echoed through me. Every lesson he taught me, he always repeated how careful I should be. Look at the problem from all angles he would say. Not all solutions are the best.

I had a problem. The Prince offered me a solution.

But was this what was best for me?

If the solution is not agreeable, make it agreeable.

Think silver. Dad's voice echoed through my head. Don't be afraid to Ask questions. Sometimes survival depends on it.

"For how long?" I asked quietly. "How long will this last? How long do you need me?"

"Until I ascend," he responds.

He is quicker this time and I realize it is because I am speaking faster and calmer.

"6 months," I state.

Because I know.

The royal family's business is my business. That was my Dad's and I's policy. It was important to know the enemy.

I knew the prince's birthday by heart, everyone knew it, but I knew every little thing I ever read in the papers about him.

Yes, there wasn't enough information about the trbrid prince even when his pictures were published regularly but I did know the date of his coronation.

My voice is coarse.

Six months.

I will be protected for six months. And then after? Am I a sitting duck? No, this was not a lasting solution- it was a solution. A solution for the princes' problem. I had to mold into something agreeable to my situation.

My gaze flashes to him, "I-I want something in return." I blurt.

"Is your life not enough?" he asks.

I purse my lips at this, and my heart pounds roughly within me. My entwined fingers tighten and my lips feel dry but I feel myself slowly shake my head.

"No," I state.

The word is soft against my lips. I swallow, pulling at an invisible thread of confidence.

"Not if I am to be sent back to Crsscent as I came. Not if I just accomplish nothing. I want something to show for it."

I want to leave a mark.

He studies me for a moment. And the silence is deafening. My gaze is stuck on his lips, wishing for him to say something.

Anything.

Silence.

My fingers tighten—

"One thing," he speaks.

I let out a short breath, and nod. I think through carefully. One desire tugs at my heart.

My gaze flashes back to the prince. He was the most powerful being in Fang Court. His word held the highest weight. It was a command no one could deny.

"I want a place with my sister at West House. I want a guarantee that I will have and always have a place there." I blurt out.

Silence.

He blinks and lets out a short breath.

"You have my word."

My heart feels light. Warmth fills my eyes. For a moment. The world is no longer dark. I abandon any traces of fear. For it is bright, and for the first time since this dreaded night began my heart beats slower and a thousand times more calm.

My gaze meets the prince and although fear seems to creep out slower I am still highly cautious.

I blink for a moment. I want to think past the light in my heart. I think of the deal made and my gaze reaches his.

"Teaching you how to feel," I repeat. I try to curve my excitement. With his endorsement, I have a home
Beside Vella. I will see her again.

I have won—

To some extent. This particular battle is won.

I study the prince and then down at my shaky fingers. I think back to what I have to do to get this future.

"I have to be near you every day," I realize. It hits me like a bus. I am to teach the prince.

Teach the prince.

The scary prince who can kill me before a thought.

And if I fail which is HIGHLY likely.

Aren't I dead?

"Everyday..." I repeat mostly to myself.

"Do your teachers not teach that way?" he asks.
He doesn't sound sarcastic. He doesn't sound anything. I am unsure if he is genuinely curious or simply mocking me.

My heart pounds, and I know for my piece of mind I need to get this out.

My gaze flashes to him, "My teachers aren't afraid of me."

He studies me quietly. I think he sees I'm trying to say something more. I struggle and fear tugs at me when my head reminds me that I'm seated across the Trbrid prince and Internally list all the dangers of an Arc, or the true blood of which he holds.

I fail to speak for a moment, but when I do, I don't remember my mouth confessing until I hear my voice.

"I'm afraid of you." It is dead quiet confession.

I know that telling the enemy you're afraid of him isn't exactly the smartest move on earth but it is now, because I want him to understand why I need what comes next.

"That is apparent," he replies nonchalantly.

I nod, thinking again, my words slower this time to slow the shake in them.

"I-uh.." I swallow, "I find it hard to breathe when I'm around you," as if on cue my chest grows heavy and I take a large breath in, "I think you're going to kill me."

He stares at me but nods.  "I know."

"A-And you have," I add. I purse my lips, continuing, "tried to kill me. That is."

His eyes never waver, "I have never tried to kill you. As I said, if I wished to kill, I kill."

I nod and nod longer than I should because his words rattle me. He speaks of death like it's making tea in the morning.

If I want tea, I'll just make tea.

But this is death. Taking someone's life.
Spoken so nonchalantly.

Like a true monster.

I grab the water and down it all till it is emptied and I lay the glass flat on the table with shaky hands.

This in the least bit seems to give me one last push of confidence I need to make my demands.

"Whatever it was, if I am to do this, I need to function around you, actually function and not shut down. Because I will, I
Will shut down," I ramble, "I will faint. A lot," I add, my gaze snaps to him.

To cope with it, my brain itself will shut down. I know this.

He is like the boogie man to Me.

"So I need to f-find a way to be around you without thinking thinking, maybe I'm going to die today,"  I explain. My eye twitches at the statement but my words are clear and cut. A ramble but straight.

Silence.

"And how will you defeat this fear?"

I pause, "I have three conditions"

His gaze lingers.

"3 conditions..." he echoes, "And now you bargain." It sounds like a scoff, "What do you need?"

My gaze drops to the cup and I keep it there because I can't look him in the eye any longer not whilst I say this.

"The first. You can never hurt me in any way." I purse my lips ignoring the shiver that runs down my spine, "This also includes, not killing me, sending someone to kill me, or even threaten to kill me." I state.

My gaze flashes to him, "Never."

He pauses and then nods. "That is the first condition."

I stare at him momentarily, "I Suppose we will be spending a considerable amount of time together?" I ask

He nods.

I nod too, "Okay.."

Deep breaths out, Silver.

"By any chance, even the slightest. Could this affect our..." I pause, hating the very concept, "Our bond?"

His gaze seems to harden in mine at those words. It is not the best worded sentence but I know he understands what I am asking.

"C-Could being close to each other for some reason beyond our perceivable reality somehow spark the bond between us?"

If this bond truly exists.

He looks at me, searching my eyes momentarily, his voice quiet when he reapplies.

"It is a one in a million occurrence, but yes. That can happen."

Shit.

Okay. Deep Breaths.

Deep, deep, deep, breaths.

At least he is being honest. I inwardly nod at this.

Think. Think.

I swallow looking at him, "Alright. Here are my final two conditions."

He is listening attentively:

"I want to know the precise moment you begin to feel anything through the bond. I don't care how small or insignificant it is. Or you think it is. I want to know," I purse my lips, "I need your word that you will let me know."

He studies me, and I know he can sense my reservation. He has no reason to agree but he does.

"You will be informed if that ever occurs."

I nod, leaning back. I feel better.

I breathe bettwr.

"And the last condition?" he asks.

Yes. He is being very attentive.

I look him in the eye. I needed to protect myself now. These were dangerous waters. Now that I knew the depth of the risks.

I paused for a moment, my voice sounded coarse and grave, "Give me your word that I will never be forced to stay in Fang Court against my will, no matter the circumstances."

He searches my face and silence envelopes us.

This silence is longer than any. He studies me for what feels like minutes on end. For the first time it actually feels like the prince is in deep thought.

My heart pounds at the silence. Thoughts of my mother fill my head. Her fate. It can never be mine.

And then—

He simply nods, "Is that all?"

I nod, my breath holding.

"It is done."