Sorry for taking so long everyone! Enjoy! :)

It had been a rather rough two days.

For the past couple days, she avoided the outdoors, the family gardens, she had even had her servants remove the plants from outside her doors. She figured she had embarrassed herself enough, and the fact that she had been bested by Mephisto had her on the rocks. Izira had questioned her on her lack of enthusiasm, especially when she informed her of Iris and the girls visiting to see the new developments on the city. Talia had offered a mere, "Oh. Good."

She marked it off to her sister as being tired, but she knew deep down it was shame. The worst part was that he had been right. He had basically figured out what she had failed to learn; the exact point her own sister had been trying to teach her. She had been so busy dwelling on her own pain, on her own kingdom, she hadn't thought of everyone else. Her own people had lost nearly everything because of Gramorr. What had he lost?

She didn't know.

She didn't know where he was from, who his parents were, any of it. And she knew mostly everything! Groaning, the young princess turned over in her bed, pulling the sheets over her head. Had he lost his family too? Or was he abandoned as a child? Maybe his family was evil; he had mentioned it was an inherited job. There were so many questions...

TAP!

Talia opened her eyes, rubbing away her slumber. Was it all a dream? She wished so much that it was.

TAP!

She rose, alert, and gazed towards the doors of her balcony. The glass doors were coated in elegant golden swirls that offered streams of light to shine into the darkness of her bedroom. She looked around, but the room was empty.

TAP!

She paused, looking towards the balcony as another knock hit the crystal encased doors. Cautiously, she slid from the bed, her silk white and blue satin night dress trailing behind her as she crossed the room. Her brows furrowed, and with a deep breath, she flung open the doors.

CLUNK!

The princess winced as she was brained by some foreign object, dead center of her forehead. She let out a yelp at its impact, her hands nursing the spot as she let out a string of curses. Who the hell was throwing...Mulberry Nut? She stared at the fruit before shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

'What the hell? Who the hell?'

Talia marched over to the ledge, leaning over the balcony to see Mephisto, standing at the edge of the garden below her room. She barely had time to react when he threw another, shielding herself with her magic.

"Mephisto!"

The man in question jumped at her voice, finally noting her arrival. He quickly hid the tiny fruit in his hand behind his back, waving sheepishly.

"Mephisto! It's what, six in the morning? Can you not?!"

"What?!"

"I said 'Stop!'"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU! SPEAK LOUDER!"

"I SAID- ugh, just HOLD ON! Crystal Scala!"

Her magic began to smooth over, creating a smooth path. Mephisto raised an eyebrow, confused by her actions. Rolling her eyes, she leaped from the balcony, sliding down the path with expert precision. Or at least, she thought so. She hadn't completely taken into consideration where she would land, and with Mephisto being his usual self, decided the perfect spot to wait for her was in front of her landing spot. She flew into him with crushing speed, sending them both rolling across the stone path leading into the garden.

Mephisto groaned, rubbing his head, "Okay, ow. You know, you're lucky the grass here is so plush and soft, otherwise I'd-Talia? Hey, where'd you-"

"Remove your hand or lose it!"

Mephisto screeched as he removed his hand from her bottom, falling off his cushion, or rather, Talia. She quickly stood, dusting off her gown.

"Uh, s-sorry! Do you do that often? You seemed pretty experienced escaping from way up there."

"We will never speak of this." Talia narrowed her eyes at him and he gulped, nodding enthusiastically.

"Right! What's there to speak of?" His cheeks tinted and Talia, crossed her arms. She was certain the amount of times she rolled her eyes at him in the past few minutes alone could break some sort of record.

"What were you doing near my balcony, and why on Ephedia were you throwing Mulberry nuts at me?!"

"That's what these are? I thought they were pebbles." Mephisto squinted at the nut as if it had lied to him.

Talia sighed, extending her hand, "It's not a rock. It's just a type of nut indigenous to Xeris. It only grows here in the northern part of the kingdom. You found these in the garden, correct?"

Mephisto nodded, but he looked uncomfortable.

"They're edible."

She tossed it back to him, and almost smiled at the way it bounced off his forehead and into his hands. He winced, and glared at her, and she smirked in response. Payback's a bitch.

"How the hell do you eat these when they're harder than crystal?" Mephisto frowned, holding up the fruit.

Talia's lips twitched with amusement, "Put it in your mouth."

"What?"

"Put it in your mouth and suck on it."

"No way, you do it." Mephisto held it out to her, "You won't trick me into doing something stupid."

"Mephisto, trust me, I wouldn't have to trick you for you to do something stupid." Talia argued, taking the nut from him. She held it up for him to see before popping it in her mouth. Her eyes clenched shut at the sour, tangy taste that tickled her taste buds. Her jaw became sore as the nut's hard shell began to soften and melt away, a new found sugary sweetness mixing with the zesty flavor. She giggled as the center became chewable and the berry-flavored kernel within burst with flavor.

She swallowed, smiling at the taste, "Wow. I had forgotten how good those were...it's been so long since I had a Mulberry..."

Mephisto cocked his head, pulling another from his pocket and looking at it nervously.

"Don't be such a baby, Mephisto, try it!" Talia encouraged, and with a hard swallow, he put it in his mouth. "Don't chew it! You'll break a tooth. Wait until it starts to taste sweet."

Mephisto raised his eyebrows at the excessively sour flavor, and as his face twisted at the taste, Talia laughed outright. He looked at her as if she had been in cahoots with the nut, and she bit her lip at his accusatory expression. He suddenly straightened, and her small smile grew into a full blown grin.

"Whoa!" He smiled, finally chewing on the center, "That's insane! It's so sweet!"

Talia nodded, "These were my father's favorites. My mom use to scold him over sneaking them to us at night before bed..."

"Really? Sound's like something I would do." Mephisto chuckled, tilting his head in thought.

"Hm. Mother hated it 'cause father would always bite into them to early. He broke three of his molars on them one day when we..." She paused, her brows furrowing as she swallowed. Mephisto's lip twitched at the unusual expression.

"When what?"

"Nothing. What did you call me here for?" Talia frowned, her eyes distant as her memories were pushed back.

"I, um, kind of need your help."

Talia scoffed, "You want my help. The irony."

"Yeah, well, I don't know anybody else here! Not really. Everyone kind of avoids me and I've never done this before. Prax and I aren't exactly the most like people in the world. Isn't that what you do? You help people?" Mephisto scowled, crossing his arms. They were doing fine for a minute, but once again she turned on him in a heartbeat. It was as if she was incapable of acting normally.

"Mephisto, unless your problem has something to do with your daily tasks, I can't help you." Talia crossed her arms, walking past him towards the palace.

"So glad you say that, Princess, because it just so happens that it does. Seeing as I have been assigned to care for the Royal Gardens, I'm responsible for figuring out what exactly will be planted in said garden, and I need to go over that with the Head of Reconstruction, aka, you." Mephisto smirked down at her, and her eyes widened as her face became hot. He had gotten her into a corner, and he knew it.

Groaning, Talia slowly turned to glare at him, "Fine. Lead the way."

Mephisto grinned, walking into the garden, and with a roll of her eyes, she followed reluctantly. The walk was silent, and they could both feel the uncomfortable aura emanating between them. It hadn't been too long since their yelling match in the garden; barely a few days since he had forced her to see him as a victim. It didn't make any sense to her. She was certain he only served Gramorr out of simple enjoyment over wreaking havoc on those lower than him, but he had made his employment seem like so much more. There was so much pain in those bright eyes, so much regret. It made her feel so small; so guilty for celebrating her victory in some way she had never felt before.

"So...um, do you know much about the plants here? I mean, in Xeris?" Mephisto asked, looking a bit out of place.

"Yes, don't you?" Talia arched an elegant brow, looking at him with confusion.

"Not a clue." Mephisto grinned, "I mean, some of the plants grow back home, but I never really took care of them. All of this is pretty new to me. We never really got to come to Xeris growing up. Our parents did, but...well, we never came around."

"You're parents use to come to Xeris often?" Talia's eyes widened with surprise, but he merely shrugged.

"Yeah, so, anyways," he walked over to the bench under a large tree as they entered the heart of the garden, "They gave me this checklist so I could figure out what seeds need to be ordered. I don't recognize any of these names and there are no pictures. Do you recognize any of these plants?"

Talia took the clipboard from him, looking over the list before nodding, "Come on, I'll show you which ones are which. At least I can tell you of the ones I remember. We can figure out the rest later."

Mephisto smiled, running after her as she came to the bushes surrounding the center. She inspected the leaves, eying the rosy berries decorating the bushes before nodding with decision.

"These are called Ethermints. They're usually used for medicines and cooking." She pricked one leaf off, breaking it into two pieces, popping one in her mouth and offering him the other half. He ate it much quicker than the Mulberry, and she took it as a small sign of trust. At least he was willing to learn.

"Huh! Minty."

"Exactly. This one's pretty easy, so try not to forget it. That sweet, crisp smell is coming from them. They surround this place because our family usually uses it for gatherings. It keeps it smelling pleasant."

Mephisto nodded, eying the bush before following her out to another branch of the garden. She paused before pointing at a white lily with a violet center, "These are Lace Flowers. They're usually used to cure, well, they're for women. Their oils are typically used to relieve pain and numb during childbirth. They're toxic if you ingest them."

"Oh. But they're so pretty!"

"Pretty can be dangerous, Mephisto."

"So I've learned." Mephisto gave her a knowing smile, and she opened her mouth to respond, but found herself unable to do so. She turned away quickly, ignoring the way her stomach twisted at the comment. He had been facing multiple princesses, of course he knew that. It was definitely off handed, nothing more.

"See that green and yellow spotted one with the violet bulbs growing behind it?" Talia pointed, and Mephisto cocked his head before nodding. "That's Ambrosia Srianna. It's commonly used to stop headaches and pain. The sky blue berries on the bushes are called Egress Thistles. They're used in pastes to stop bleeding, but you have to be careful when you pick them, because the leaves have little spindles that can numb if you get poked or cut."

"I'll try not to do that."

"Good luck with that." Talia snorted, putting her hands on her hips.

"Hey, I can be careful."

Talia just laughed, walking around the plants, "Sure you can. Those over there are Bitterweed, used in medications and potions to soathe sore throat, toothache, that kind of thing. Over here we have Twisted Poppies, they're used for nerve pain; Ash Tongue are the grey and orange ones, we use them for most medications, they're like anti-inflammatories, and Blizyum, the white blossoms in the trees with the navy blue tips, are used for when you're low on magic. They're a natural source of magical energy, but if not prepare properly, they can kill you through swelling of the tongue and throat."

Mephisto gulped, "That sounds...yikes..."

"There's more here, but those are the ones I can remember in this section. This is the section of the garden where our healers come to gather ingredients for the family and for staff. Further this way, I'll show you one of my favorite parts on the other side." Talia grinned, grabbing his wrist and dragging him back across the garden. He took the moment to look around, noting on the small streams that coursed in a decisive pattern throughout the gardens to nurture the plants. He noted the marble fountains and statues he passed and the small bridge they crossed made of graying stones over a stream similar to the other one, but much larger in size. When he had first arrived, everything was covered in black crystal, but he and a couple others worked on removing it all.

"Whoa!" He gaped as they came into the much larger half of the garden, where hundreds of trees full of fruits and rows of plants decorated the ground.

She stopped at a clearing, letting go of him and looking around the orchard, "This is one of the first places cleared out after the war. I'm sure it was a hard clean up the black crystal, but it was worth it in every way. This is where we get all of our fruits and vegetables. Our seasonings come from here too aside from the Ethermint and the Zifrigon Figs."

"Zifrigon Figs? You guys have some? I thought those only grew out in the forests!" Mephisto looked stunned and she smiled proudly.

"Looks like you have a lot to uncover about Xeris. Come on, I haven't eaten yet, and I'm starved." Talia motioned for him to follow her to a set of bushes, "Okay, these are called Inkberries. They-"

"Let me guess. Are used to make ink?" Mephisto grinned, looking to her expectantly.

"Hm, looks like you actually do use that brain of yours. They're usually used for dyes and inks, paints, all that stuff, but when in their raw state, they're very similar to what Eathlings call 'blueberries'. Very sweet." She picked one, tossing it to him, and taking one for herself.

"Mmm! These are awesome! Praxina would totally be into these. She loved blueberries back on Earth, even if she never admitted to it." Mephisto shrugged, popping another berry into his mouth.

"Praxina? To be honest, I always figured she hated everything." Talia chewed thoughtfully, pausing as she swallowed.

"Oh, she does. She just hates some things more than others. She really loved blueberries and strawberries in her smoothies."

"Praxina drinks smoothies?!" Talia laughed, looking at him incredulously.

"Hey, we had lives outside of plotting to destroy you. You guys went to that smoothie place almost every day." Mephisto wiped at his lips, leaning back from his spot on the grass.

"Iris was exceptionally thirsty." Talia smirked before standing and heading over to another plant, crouching and pointing, "Ever had a Zushroom?"

"Um, no? Are those even legal?"

Talia choked with laughter, "Of course they are, they're completely edible. They're some hallucinations possible with the root, which is usually broken off before cooking. Its extremely dry and bitter anyways. It's always cooked before being eaten, as you're more likely to get sick when it's raw but it holds a lot of flavor when it's paired with seasonings like Silver Duscle, which is similar to 'salt' back on Earth, or Spice Blossoms, which are a type of crushed peppers imported from Volta."

"Nice. Spicy foods are my favorite!" Mephisto licked his lips, eying the vibrant ruby peppers she had pointed out, "I dare you to eat one."

"What?"

"I said, 'I dare you to eat one'." His fangs glistened in the sun, now high in the sky. His challenging grin was lopsided, and she was annoyed with his cocky tone.

"I'm not going to eat that. I'm not too big on spicy foods." Talia cringed, eying the peppers.

"Why? Can't handle it?" Mephisto teased, crossing his arms, "You can fight me, but you're scared of a little pepper?"

"It's not that. I just don't want to!" Talia blushed, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she turned up her nose at him.

"See, you won't even take one bite. You made me try a bunch of strange stuff, but you won't try a Voltan pepper? Talk about lame. Prax was right, you are stiff." Mephisto smirked, lounging next to her.

"I am not!"

"Lame."

"Stop it!"

"Laaaaame."

"Would you cut it out!" Talia growled, smacking at the ground.

"Lame-o!"

"Ugh! Fine!" Talia snapped, grabbing at the pepper and taking a rather large bite. She instantly started to regret it as her face stung and her eyes watered. Voltan peppers were imported because they bred the spiciest in all of Ephedia. Her mother and uncle were fond of them, and in some dishes it was toned down, but never raw. Her throat burned at she began to fan her face, "This was a mistake, this was definitely a mistake!"

Mephisto was too busy rolling on the ground in hysterics, "Oh my god, you actually did it! I can't believe you ate like a whole pepper! Oh geez, wait 'til I tell Prax!"

Talia wiped at her eyes, but they only began to burn more. The more she rubbed at them the more intense the boiling sensation in her eyes erupted. She let out a whimper and he paused in his laughing, noting on the way she let out a sob.

"Uh, Talia? You okay?"

"No you idiot, I can't see! It hurts!" Talia winced , the tears spilling from her eyes as they clenched shut, "I got some of it in my eyes, you ass!"

"Uh oh! That probably hurts."

"Mephisto! Water! Now!" Talia cried, trying to stand, but she stumbled over. She let out a gasp as a pair of hands caught her, lifting her up off her feet. She could feel the wind blowing against her body before being encased in magic. Black Magic. She suddenly felt afraid; she had become vulnerable in front of someone who had attacked her and her friends on multiple occasions, and now he had her right where he needed her to destroy her. She was about to call out for help when she felt her body encased in a welcoming cool. She gasped as she came up for air, the icy water of the stream they had crossed cooling her body as she struggled to stand.

"Just stay still, will you!" Mephisto grabbed her wrist, holding her on place.

"Let go!"

"I'm not going to hurt you, you're being difficult!" Mephisto growled, pushing her to land on her bottom in the water. She struggled against him as he straddled her, pushing away from him.

"As if I trust you not to hurt me!" Talia retaliated, fighting him off.

"If I wanted to hurt you, you'd be dead! Just trust me for once!" Mephisto hissed, and she jerked as she felt a wet cloth wiping at her eyes. She froze in place as the water rinsed her eyes and she began to regain her sight. It was all a blur, but she had stopped fighting him. He was careful and attentive, and she realized he honestly was trying to help her. His grip lessened as she calmed, and he she shivered at the way he grasped at her chin, holding her in place. She blinked back tears, from both embarrassment and the leftover irritation, but it was relieving quickly.

"Does it still hurt?" Mephisto's tone was gentler than she had ever heard, and she was almost unable to answer at the concern he seemed to have. The clearer her vision became, the better she could see it in his eyes; those hauntingly pure pools of jade that were almost unnatural in the way the pupils formed thin slits, thinning more as they focused on her own. She gave a light nod, and he dipped what she now recognized as his undershirt into the water before wiping at her eyes again. Her eyeliner was far gone, and she prayed she didn't look so horrid, not in front of him. She'd made a fool of herself already.

"Alright, any better?"

"Y-yeah." She looked around the pond, trying to lock her eyes with anything but him and oh, how she regretted it. If she looked down she got a face full of toned, creamy skin and if she looked up there were those eyes; those tortured, lonely eyes.

"Hey, look at me."

She trembled as his hand found her cheek and he held up a few fingers, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"T-three?"

He grinned, and she flushed at the way those big, round eyes sparkled, "Right. Phew!" She watched him fall onto his butt in the pond, sighing, "That was scary. Don't freak me out like that, I thought you were going blind!"

Talia let out a dry laugh as she rinsed her hands in the water, trembling as the morning breeze found its way through the garden. She sniffed, walking out of the pond and onto land, heading back to the center of the garden. Her mind was slowly processing the way she reacted and how warm his hands felt against her skin. She found the bench she was looking for and sat, staring at the tree across from her. The flowers were large, a plum color with a vibrant red and gold center with cobalt specks. Her head pounded and goosebumps ran along her damp skin.

"Hey, where'd you go? Talia? Hey, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for you to get hurt..."

Talia ignored him, unsure of what to say to him. She reached upward, grabbing a full flower from the tree. She glared at the fruit, tears threatening to bubble over before she blinked them away.

"Here."

Mephisto flinched as she held it out to him. He took the blossom in his hand admiring it. It was a strange pattern, but one familiar to him.

"This looks like a deformed Zifrigon. Is this going to kill me?"

Talia let out a sigh as she sat down on the bench, "Of course not...That's a Tzipporah."

"A what-ah?"

"A Tzipporah. It was a gift from a friend of hers. A wedding gift actually. Zifrigons in Xeris were always too sour, and in Zaterra they had sweeter figs. So they bred these. My mother loved them. We all did."

"Oh...you should have it then." Mephisto frowned, holding it out to her.

"Why? So you can reject my apology?" Talia sneered, sharp eyes catching him off guard.

"No! No, I just meant this trees important to you. It feels wrong to..did you just say 'apology'?" Mephisto gaped, mouth hanging open in surprise.

"Look, I'm trying to be civil. This is...hard. I may or may not feel bad about yesterday…" Talia pouted, kicking at the grass with her bare feet. Mephisto looked thoughtfully before looking at the fruit. Since when was Princess Talia one to apologize? Let alone be nice to him? It was foreign to him, but he had at least another half of the year before his sentence was up. Iris had managed to convince the her mother's council to take pity on him and Praxina after they aided in saving Earth and Ephedia from Gramorr. A year and a half of hard labor was the minimum, but with their previous status as orphaned royals, and their change of heart, they got off easy. Sort of. They still had to find a solution to restoring Zaterra, which the council refused to aid in as a long standing punishment. Not only that, but both he and his sister would not regain their titles until their 20th birthdays; this would get the hard labor sentence off their back, since it would be considered an act of war against Zaterra. Praxina was to take the crown when their Aunt Ravenna relieved it, and he doubted Iris or Izira would want to invoke her wrath. He'd still be only a prince since his mother was, like himself, second born, but having a neutral relationship with the princesses could work on his favor later on.

Nodding to himself, he used his magic to slice the fruit in two before holding out half to the princess. She stiffened at the gesture.

He let out a sigh, "Half Xerin, half Zaterran, right?"

Talia looked taken aback at his comment, but took the half nonetheless. She was quiet, which he didn't like. It felt like he was being blocked out. He hated being ignored.

"Okay, hear me out and stop sulking."

"I am not sulking!" She frowned, but her eyes remained straight ahead.

"Yeah, no, you're definitely sulking. We can't change what happened in the past. We just gotta move passed it. I'm doing what I need to do to get back to Zaterra and save my home. Out goals aren't very different."

Talia eyes him from the corner of her eye, "What are you getting at?"

"A friendship."

Talia gave him a deadpanned stare.

"Okay, a truce sounds more realistic."

"Obviously."

"I'm tired of fighting. I mean, don't get me wrong; I love crushing my enemies and blowing stuff up, but do that for a handful of years and it gets old. Can we at least try to find some common ground. Help each other get away from each other as soon as possible?" He grinned, and Talia flushed.

"So...you want to attempt a civil agreement?"

"Exactly!"

Talia let out a deep breath, "Fine. We'll...work on it. I suppose as a diplomatic figure we all must suffer a little bit in our duties."

"Hey! You know what, I want the fig back!"

"Too late, it's mine now." Talia smirked, finally sinking her teeth into the ripe fruit. She hummed with delight as the sweet juices pricked her tastebuds. It reminded her of her mother's hugs and her father's laughter, of family picnics and long forgotten songs. The warm trail of tears trickled down her cheeks and her eyes fluttered shut as the warm memories flew free.

Mephisto said nothing, opting to eat his half in silence. The fig was perfectly flavored, and he licked his lips as the ruby juice bursts from the fruit. It was unlike anything he'd tried back home, much more accustomed to the sweeter figs his father retrieved from the forest. He twirled the flower in his other hand, admiring the strange hues. He swallowed hard as she stood slowly, excusing herself.

"Mephisto?"

"Hm?"

"If you boil the leaves with ginger root and honey, it makes a really nice drink, hot or cold. Praxina might like it."

"Oh...thanks...Are..are you okay?" He stood, unsure of what else to say to her.

"I'm always okay."

He didn't berate her for pushing back her feelings. Or would only infuriate her. Backing off seemed more reasonable. As he watched her, he stiffened as his eyes widened. She looked miserable. Her hair was unkempt and curling from the spring water and her night gown created a ghostly spindle of sheer fabric, drenched and clinging to her shivering frame. He hadn't noticed it before. The frigid and strict posture, the distant stares, the quickness to anger. She was just as lost as we felt.

What do you do when you've lost dear friends? Your parents? Your kingdom? She was rebuilding herself; how long had she been fighting?

Had she always looked so fragile?

He sighed, setting down his things to ring out his clothes. He didn't really know her like he knew Iris and Auriana. He had know her just as long but felt he understood her less than Carissa and Lyna. There was something deep within that head of hers. He could feel it in the way she pulled him through the garden, like an excited child. Her familiarity with the place and they way she lit up just being there made her seem lively even. What does she have to hide?

Pushing his bangs back he looked to his chart, sitting and looking at it with new understanding. He reached for the last of his fig, only to connect with cool marble. He looked down in confusion. Had he finished it already? He was certain that...wait...is that bush moving?

He glared, creeping forward slowly before crouching and peering through the greenery. He gaped at the sight before him, unsure if he was seeing what he thought was there. Talia was really not going to like this…

Now we're getting some progress. Maybe he can distract Talia from his newfound dilemma with his eyes XD we'll see how it goes...