Intoxicating Desires | T. Al Ghul ✔

[04]

Veruna was troubled by the unfolding events, to say the least. The constant murmuring between the assassins, the wave of fear and resentment spreading between them upon her entrance into any area where they were present and the cold wall existing between commander and subordinates.

It all indicated that they resented her and there was nothing she could do to overcome that feeling.

Right then she had been called into Talia's chambers and she obliged though she knew it would only set fuel to an already blazing fire of rumors.

The door was shut and the guards were positioned on either side but seeing her approach, the guards left as if they had been ordered to do so. She stepped forward and knocked on the door and shortly after a reply came from inside.

"Come in."

She pushed open the door and was about to step in but paused. Talia was standing in the center of her room, her knives held in hand that she was throwing one by one at a target suspended from the wall in front of her.

"Veruna, lock the door," her voice too was stiff and she hadn't addressed her as Vera like she usually did. It was enough for her to assess that she was angry and any act out of line would fire up her anger drastically.

So Veruna had to be very cautious in dealing with her at the moment. Talia Al Ghul could be even more dangerous than the Demon Head when angered because unlike him, she did not control her anger and let it erupt like a tumultuous volcano.

All five of her knives had struck the target so without being asked, Veruna retrieved the knives and brought them back to Talia.

But she did not throw them anymore and simply picked one of the knives, tilting it in her hand. Veruna had no idea what she was going to do but right next instant, Talia had turned the knife such that the blade was in her palm and her fingers wrapped around it tightly.

"My Lady, what are you doing?" Veruna was taken aback at that action, blood trailing down Talia's hand that was still clenched into a tight fist over the blade.

Her hand had turned red in no time and it alarmed Veruna who was trying to pry her fingers away from the knife.

"Please stop. Don't hurt yourself," her hands were closed on her wrist and her eyes were pleading with her to let go of the knife, "please... If you're angry, just take it out on me. Don't give pain to yourself, my Lady."

"This is nothing," she spoke up and even though the blade had cut through her hand, no expression of pain or discomfort showed on her face. "The pain I felt when Father doubted me on account of mere rumors hurt much worse."

Veruna understood that Talia had intentionally cut her hand to feel something else other than the hurt she felt from her father's words. The only way she could think of to distract herself from getting angry at her father was by giving herself physical pain.

"But my Lady, you must not hurt yourself. Please let me take care of the wound. Please drop the knife."

Upon her insistence, Talia opened up her hand, two deep cuts visible on her palm and her fingers. "It's not even half as deep as it should be," Talia mumbled, dropping the knife at last, "it should have hurt more..."

Veruna got to work quickly as she placed the bloodstained knife aside, made Talia sit down on her bed and fetched the medical box to cleanse and bandage her hand.

True, the Al Ghuls used the Lazarus pit for their healing needs but she was aware that Talia wouldn't want anyone else to find out about her self-harming so she would prefer not to go down to the pit just yet.

Talia wasn't self-destructive usually but when it came to her and the Demon Head, she tended to go to extremes. She had been the chosen heir and deemed successor despite her siblings Dusan and Nyssa being equal contenders for the title. But she still felt that she had to prove that she was the best and most worthy of that rank.

It made her keep struggling to keep herself in her father's good books and to eliminate any competition she might have.

And ever since Nyssa had claimed that she was also the Demon Head's daughter, although not much was known about where she came from and who was her mother, Talia had begun to see her as a rival. She did not want anything to happen that would lessen her importance in Ra's Al Ghul's eyes and lead him to choose his other daughter as the successor.

So the fact that Ra's had doubted her and given her a warning made her think that she was risking her value in her father's eyes. And that pushed her to punish herself, no matter how twisted it may seem to any other.

That seemed to be the only way in which she could release her pent-up frustration and anger without causing a scene that could further harm her reputation in the eyes of the Demon Head.

Veruna understood that feeling but knew that unless Talia wanted help herself, there would be no way to pull her out of that mess. And in all the years she had known her, she knew her characteristic trait was being stubborn.

She wouldn't easily change her mind.

"My Lady, is there any way I can ease your burden?" Veruna asked as she was cleansing the cuts and wrapping her hand up.

"I wish you could," she sighed softly, "but I have a feeling that nothing would work."

"Please tell me and I will try my best to be of use to you."

She was silent for a while as if thinking about what Talia could ask from her to relieve her burden.

"Stay with me a little longer then, will you, Vera?"

She obliged, placing the last pin in her bandaged hand.

"Talk to me," Talia spoke up, breaking the silence, "say something, anything, to take my mind off this."

Veruna nodded as it wasn't the first time Talia had asked her to lessen her anger as such. Back when they were young and Talia would often spiral out of control in her rage, the only way she could somewhat calm down was by listening to her soothing voice.

With time it had become a habit and Talia often called her to talk her out of any bad decisions she might make when angered.

"Tell me about your day."

"Today wasn't eventful," Veruna replied softly, knowing that if she recounted truthfully what she had to suffer daily it would anger her more, "however, I can tell you about a peasant family I met in the forest last week."

Talia rested her head back and closed her eyes, "alright, tell me about them."

***