Nothing made sense.
"Prince Rudra?" Tish asked, she didn't know what she was asking but she had to ask.
She had met people who had worshipped her like a living god. She had met people who had seen her as a useful political pawn. She had met people who had shown curiosity.
She hadn't met anyone who had been so openly repulsed by her very existence.
"Have I offended you in any way?" She tried to take a step towards him.
Rudra didn't move. He remained seated - a mass of hatred and disapproval, "Offending means you have to do something first, Saintess," he said dryly, "But you have done nothing. You can do nothing. Healing, you say?" His eyes travelled from the tip of her head trailing down her face, neck, chest- all the way to her feet, "Dragons can heal themselves. You are useless to me."
And Tish burned under his gaze. She looked down at the ground, suddenly ashamed, she didn't know of what, but just because Rudra's tone suggested she should be ashamed. Her ears burned.
"In your hand. What is that?" The conversation shifted like a river suddenly changing its path. Tish looked up, feeling a little grateful.
"Rice pudding-" she informed. Her voice shook so bad she had to stop, swallow and then continue, "The maids said I should bring it with me for you."
He fell silent again. Like a cruel beautiful god watching a mortal trying her best and failing please him.
"Do you want to give it a try? It's still warm."
Again. No answer. Tish felt her throat tightening, the tip of her fingers getting cold and number. She couldn't look at his face. She just couldn't. So she focused on the box in her hand. She opened it carefully. as carefully as one can with shaking hands. A wet warm smell hit her. It was a mixture of rice, milk and something buttery. It was sweet and suffocating.
"It smells delicious, doesn't it?" Tish urged again. Rudra was so quiet it felt like she was talking with a statue.
But he didn't say no.
Tish scooped a little bit of the pudding in the spoon the maids had given her and offered it to the Dragon Prince, "My Prince, please open your mouth?"
The spoon flew out of Tish's hand so fast it barely registered. The pain came a second later.
Tish dropped the box and clutched her hand that throbbed harder than her heart was currently beating.
The air changed around them. It became drier and terrifyingly hotter - which had nothing to do with the dying summer daylight. Heat rolled off the Dragon Prince sucking away the moisture off the evening air. It smelled different too. The smell of flowers and plants became dull, almost as if the garden was withering around them.
"WHOOOO DO YOU THINK YOU AREEE!"
It wasn't quite a roar, not fully, but it filled Tish up with primal fear- like a prey standing before an apex predator - aware he could take her life on a whim. The sound vibrated in Tish's chest low and rough- like a deep snarl which carried far more weight than any human throat could ever produce without tearing off the vocal chords. It wasn't fully animalistic. Not it was human-like.
It was a sound Tish didn't have any words for.
Rudra was now standing. Tish hadn't even noticed when or how the Prince had moved so swiftly. He loomed over her blocking what little of light was left in the sky, trapping her in pitch black darkness- where the only source of light was his terrifying amber eyes.
"If I ever see your face around me," His voice dropped, quieter now, but not any less terrifying.
"I. Will. Kill.You."
His voice rolled through the garden like thunder given a single furious voice, low enough she felt in her teeth, in the soles of her feet, in the very marrow of her bones.
Tish wanted to run. Away from him. Away from the Parthan Palace. All the way to Benevia - consequences be damned.
But she didn't. "I apologise if I have provoked you," she said, strangely, her voice didn't shake. Rudra stood rigid. He showed no sign of mercy.
If I am going to hell- Tish thought to herself - might as well do it thoroughly.
"But I won't apologise for what I am," Tish added, "I've come a long way to be here. I'd rather you know all of it now, than be disappointed later."
And then she was walking away.
She spotted Saya outside the gate, pacing back and forth nervously. She almost didn't notice Tish. Almost. Then she noticed Tish. Her eyes went wide.
Tish swallowed and tried to conjure a lie or atleast a softer half-truth. That the Prince was agitated, that there was always time for a second chance.
But Saya just threw her arms around Tish. And Tish broke.
The tears didn't stop, wouldn't stop- those stubborn things falling endlessly until Tish's head throbbed, ears ached and her heart felt hollow. Saya had escorted her back to her quarter and tucked her in the bed- a place Tish had decided she didn't want to get out of for the rest of her life.
"You need to eat."
Tish wasn't sure how late it was at night- but Saya came back- her tone almost motherly, "Do you not know the universal rule that no meal should be missed over a man?"
"Go away!"
"Saintess-"
"Stop acting so nice!" Tish pushed back the blanket angrily, "Actually, why are you even nice to me! All the other maids just ignore me! They mock me!" Her voice cracked.
Saya was standing with a plate in her hands. Tish barely noticed the food and didn't even smell it- her nose being clogged for crying for hours.
Saya's face was expressionless, "You want to know what I am nice to you?" She asked quietly, "Because-"
And her head fell.
HER HEAD FELL?
Tish saw a flash- like thunder- behind Saya and her head just rolled away coming to a stop at the foot of Tish's bed. The blood painted the floor, the walls, the curtain made of golden chains. But Tish's bed remained untouched. Her blankets still white and warm.
The body stood for several seconds before it tilted sideways and dropped heavily ,the plate of food scattering away loud and defeaning.
Tish looked up at the person who had come to stand behind Saya.
It was Rudra Azhdar. He didn't even look at her. He was busy wiping his blade. Tish sat frozen. She had forgotten why she was crying. She had forgotten even her own name.
"Clean that up, will you, Tish?" Said the Dragon Prince and turned away, walking, "Make yourself useful to me."
And just like that. He was gone.