@scrawl-your-heart-out tysm for the prompt!
âTake my hand,â urged the villain.
âTake my hands,â they whispered again, pushier this time. The hero hesitantly reached out, and the villain interlaced their fingers with their own.
The heroâs cheeks heated. That was one reason to be thankful for the lack of lighting. âWhat, scared of the dark?â
âNo, idiot, Iâm proving that neither of us is the killer.â Then, quieter, âIâm proving to myself that youâre not the killer. That I can trust you, just a little.â
Their cheeks flared hotter. Oh, this was the last thing they needed. âThis proves nothing to me,â they snapped. âI know full well what youâre capable of, how many hands you have on your side. Just because yours are occupied with mine, doesnât mean your henchmen arenât turning their talents to assassination elsewhere.â
âTheyâre not henchmen,â the villain chided. âSpies would be more accurate.â
âKnives in the dark?â the hero added pointedly. The villainâs hands were soft and delicate, every knuckle protruding. They fought down the urge to go soft, dug their nails in instead. âYou canât fool me.â
âShame, that.â The villain squeezed gently, their blinding half-smile almost visible in the darkness. âWould make my life much easier.â
âI do not live to make anything easy for you.â
âExcept the view,â they replied, and oh there was a full smile, radiant and on the edge of glowing. âYou do tend to make that easier on the eyes.â
They did not blush. They did not. âYouâre an improvement on the blood and bodies at least.â
âHow charming.â The villain paused, then raised their voice. âEveryone pair off. One Relian to every Tarai, clasp hands or hold wrists. Donât let go until the lights come back on. I want to know immediately if anyone so much as loosens their grip. Am I understood?â
Murmurs of assent rose in both languages, and shuffling sounds filled the room. The hero scowled. Goddess, they hated how persuasive the villain was.
Of course, their persuasiveness was why this tentative peace had been sprung in the first place. How the fountain of all that was unholy had talked them all into a ceasefire, the hero didnât know. Perhaps these sudden deaths were the punishment for promising pacts with their prophesied nemesis.
âWhy the scowl, hero?â
âIâm considering which cell will best hold you when the lights come up.
The villain tutted. âNow now, that doesnât sound very peaceable of you.â
âMurdering people isnât very peaceable of you!â
The villainâs smile dropped for the first time. âI told you, itâs not me. I genuinely abhor the sight of blood, canât stand dead bodies. Why do you think all my conquests have been through bribery, flattery, coup, and alliance?â
ThatâŚwas actually true. Not for the first time, dismay fluttered in the heroâs chest. Was this dinner the villainâs first step in conquering their own nation? âThat doesnât fill me with confidence either.â
âDifficult to please, hmm? Thatâs alright, Iâm an expert at giving pleasure.â They winked, tongue caught between their teeth. âAs Iâm more than willing to demonstrate.â
The heroâs blush dipped right down to their collarbones. âThis is ridiculous,â they hissed. âI am not touching you while you insult my devotion to my goddess. Let me go.â
âOh, I didnât mean-â
âI donât care what you meant, let me go! You murder our ambassador, shut down the lights, make up excuses to hold my hands, and insinuate that you want to do- want to do deprived things to me! I wonât have it! I shouldnât have let you in here in the first place-â
âNo, you canât convince me otherwise, your pretty words wonât-â
âHero,â they snapped, âshut up. Another body just dropped.â