Building Bridges

If Shenxin was honest with himself, he had little belief in the Snake Prince actually listening to his demands. In fact, he had half expected the child to have wrecked more of the room in a fit of rage. This dread followed him ever since he had closed the door on him to the next morning knowing he was going to have to face the Snake Prince and he would probably have to throw his weight around. He really hated having to do anything besides talk things out peacefully: at his core he was a lover not a fighter.

That morning, he made his way to Cobra’s, the Snake Prince, room. While it was right next to his own, the walk felt like it took forever. The room never got any closer. Or perhaps he was just really dragging his feet, trying to avoid the inevitable confrontation. After what was eons, he finally made his way in front of the dark stained wooden door. As he stood staring at the door, he realized that there was a cobra inscribed upon it. Most likely done by Genesis in order to mark this as his room, and well maybe make him feel more like it was his own little home? He wasn’t completely sure of the change, but it was a nice addition he wished he realized sooner.

Shaking his head at himself, he reminded himself that was not what he was here for and he really should stop stalling. Bringing his left front to the door, he gently knocked. “Cobra,” he called out, “I am here to check on your room. May I come in?”

He heard some angry inaudible mumbling followed by a low, “Do what you want.”

Shenxin let out a long sigh at the not so nice reply, yet also felt a sense of relief that it was not an outright denial of him. 

As he stepped into the room, he first noticed that it no longer looked like a tornado had come through and then wild animals had a party. Most of the furniture was righted. The stains that were so apparent the day before seemed to be less so, some even looked like they were completely gone. Any signs of the knocked over food were gone. And the dirtied sheets were piled high in the middle of the room. The room wasn’t perfect. It still was a little displeasing to the eye and there was a funky smell coming from somewhere that Shenxin couldn’t pinpoint, but honestly, it was a good start and showed forward progress. Considering it felt that there had been only backward progress with the Prince, Shenxin would take it.

While Shenxin was studying the room, Cobra laid in his bed, curled up in a ball eyeing the Prince with narrowed eyes. Whenever the Prince would glance at him, he would shift so that his body became invisible. Once the eyes had left, he would become visible once more.

Finally Shenxin looked at Cobra who immediately went invisible. Trying to not let out an exasperated sigh, Shenxin spoke, “The room looks much better. You did good. Perhaps we can try to clean it up and make it sparkle today. We can start by doing the laundry,” he announced, grabbing a few sheets and throwing them over his back. He took care to make sure the clean looking sections touched his back and the dirty areas ended up folded on themselves. He walked towards the door and then motioned out. “Come,” he said, “I’ll show you where the laundry rooms are so you may clean your sheets.”

Shenxin walked out of the room hoping Cobra would follow, but not counting on it. As he took more steps, almost reaching the end of the hallway, he all but decided that Cobra was not going to come. 

However, he was soon proven wrong as he saw to his right the purple, black and white quirl was walking by his side with the remainder of the sheets. The stallion refused to meet his gaze and seemed tempted to go invisible again. For a moment, he wondered why the stallion did not go invisible, but then he realized that it was most likely due to the fact that the sheets on Cobra’s back would still be seen, in fact they would appear like they were floating. Which would bring more attention to him than if he were just visible. It seemed that this Cobra was more than a pain in the ass, he actually held some intelligence. Shenxin could feel a smile pull at his lips at that thought.

Cobra’s eyes flickered to Shenxin’s face, narrowed on his smile, and then shot away as if they hadn’t looked at him. “Tch!” Cobra snarled, not even daring to look at Shenxin again. Whatever he saw, it did not make him happy one bit.

Shenxin simply shook his head at the childish behavior and continued to focus on leading them to the laundry room. There were battles to fight and some to leave be. This one was definitely one to just let be.Perhaps in the future he would feel more up to the challenge, but for now, it was one to flick off like swatting an annoying fly.

Soon enough, the duo found themselves in a grey stone room, the floor had a slight slant to it all directed downwards to the middle where a drain lay. To their left were large basins filled with water and each had its own rack filled with a large selection of soaps. On their right were the same wash basins, but in the middle there was a door labelled “Drying”. As the name suggests, the cloths would be dried there. 

“Come Cobra,” Shexnin said, walking into the room. He breathed a sigh of relief that no one was there. No need to test the Snake Prince more than he needed. He motioned towards the first wash basin on their left. “Let us place the sheets in there. No need to do them yourself, a caretaker who is more adept at working with these cloths should take care of them should be here soon to wash and dry them. If you would like, we can wait around here until they are ready and then return to your room?” Shenxin suggested.

Cobra seemed to ignore all of his words until the last suggestion where he finally replied, “I’m good. I know where here and my room is. I don’t need you babysitting me,” he spat. He turned towards the door with such confidence that it seemed he had no care, but the look of his eyes seemed to be begging Shenxin to go along with him. “Now if I may, I am returning to my room. I will come back here -- on my own -- and take care of the sheets,” Cobra announced with the slightest hint of uncertainty.

Shenxin nodded his head slowly. “Why of course. Make sure to grab breakfast on your way up Cobra!” he called out to the Snake Prince who had already left the room. 

It seemed perhaps they were making some kind of progress. Maybe. At least Shenxin wasn’t having to throw his weight around.

*~*~*

Shenxin held the basket gently in his mouth. He could feel the basket sway with his hoofsteps. Normally, he would take his lunch in his study or one of the courtyards. However, he decided that it would be best to continue reaching out to Cobra as well as making sure that the Snake Prince is eating. He had a feeling that he probably wasn’t eating.

He knocked on the door announcing, “Cobra? This is Shenxin, I’m coming in.” When he opened the door, he saw that all the sheets they had washed earlier today were either tucked neatly on the bed or folded and placed into a storage bin. The corners of his mouth curled up into a smile seeing that the Snake Prince had followed through with his word. Speaking of the Snake Prince, he was curled up in the same spot on his bed as he was this morning.

Closing the door behind him, Shenxin made his way to the middle of the room where there was a coffee table. As he set the basket down, he looked at Cobra expectantly.

Cobra kept shifting in and out of being invisible. Perhaps he was trying to be okay with the attention, but it still made him quite uncomfortable. “What is it?” he hissed, pulling his head back with narrowed eyes.

Shenxin motioned to the basket with a smile on his lips. “I brought lunch!” he announced, pride coating his tone.

“Well, you can just drop it off and leave then,” Cobra grunted, motioning to the door with his head.

With a sly grin, Shenxin sat down. “I couuuld, but then you wouldn’t get any lunch.”

The purple stallion sat up more in alarm. “What do you mean? I thought this was for me!” he cried.

“Only if you eat it with me!” Shenxin explained, beaming brightly. 

Cobra opened his mouth a few times before he simply went invisible. He reappeared next to Shenxin, a frown deepening on his face. “Fine, but just this once,” he conceded peering into the basket.

It was filled with so much food that it would almost be impossible to decide which one would be best to start with. There were a rainbow of fruits, a beautiful meditteranean salad, and some pastries. To drink there were some fresh made juices and of course tea. 

Shenxin beamed. “Help yourself!” 

*~*~*

The lunch was devoured in silence. Neither talked. Shenxin kept quiet knowing that he was really pushing boundaries here. He wanted Cobra to make whatever moves he felt comfortable making. While Cobra seemed more than happy to devour everything in silence and flicker to invisible should Shenxin stare at him longer than he felt necessary. Once they had completely cleaned up everything, Shenxin packed up the dishes and left without a word, considering it a success.

Over the next few days, Shexin attempted to wheedle his way in, hoping to break Cobra’s rough exterior. He would invite the Snake Prince to come do laundry with him or even offer to help with cleaning up his room. Most of the time he was give angry remarks and told to live him alone, but sometimes Cobra would oblige. It wasn’t without tons of complaints or long periods of silence, but it was something. Each day, Shenxin would bring lunch to Cobra. At first, the young stallion would spit insults and scream at him to leave him alone, but over time, it seemed that Shenxin’s stubbornness was beginning to wear away. Cobra stopped trying to get Shenxin to leave, but rather just let him enter. Eventually he even would talk a bit. Usually one word or short answers, but it was progress.

It was noticing this progress that made Shenxin felt that it was time to broach the topic of potentially beginning to teach Cobra some lessons.

The lunch for today was an elegant fruit salad cut into fun shapes like different kinds of flowers. The main meal was a garlicky vegetable burger. To satisfy their sweet tooths, nutty cookies were prepared. Bubbly syrupy drinks were supplied to wash all of it down. A very nice line up, and irresistible to devour.

Shenxin took a long sip from his sunset colored drink before he began, “Soooo, Cobra, I was thinking that it might be a good idea to give you lessons….”

Cobra’s head shot up and his eyes narrowed. “What kind of lessons?” he asked, venom dripping in his voice at the word lessons. There was something about that word that rubbed Cobra the wrong way. What kind of lessons did she make her son go through and what was so bad about them that they made the young stallion hold so much negativity towards them? No matter, that was not the focus,

“Nothing bad, I assure you,” Shenxin replied, poking around the fruit to see if there was one that took his interest. “I was just thinking that since you yourself are a Prince, it might be beneficial for you to learn some skills to help run land,” he explained. He finally settled on a strawberry gently carved into an elegant rose. Plopping it into his mouth, he waited anxiously for Cobra’s reply. 

Cobra looked suspiciously at Shenxin as he took a long sip. Once he swallowed he finally asked, “What kind of skills? Interrogation and Locking Up Others?” he sneered. It seemed that his mother’s ways of handling her affairs were not lost on him.

Shenxin shook his head sadly, trying to get rid of the thoughts of Viper and her serpentine chokehold on her land. “No,” he replied, “I wouldn’t dream of ruling forcibly.” Shenxin locked eyes with Cobra’s who shifted uncomfortably -- most likely debating if he should go invisible or not. “I want to teach you how to interact with others and look after their best interests. I want to teach you about this world and the way it works,” Shenxin explained. 

“My mother already taught me how to deal with others,” Cobra pointed out hotly.

“No. she taught you how to manipulate and push around others, not care for them as if they were an extension of yourself,” Shenxin countered. For a moment, Cobra’s eyes widened before they went back to the half-lidded annoyed expression. “I want you to learn what kind of ruler - what kind of person - you want to be. Not who your mother wants you to be,” Shenxin continued his voice hard, daring Cobra to counter him to tell him he’s wrong about Viper. In a low voice, barely a whisper, he added, “I know how Viper can be and I want to give you a chance to explore who you are.”

During the rest of the explanation, Cobra grew stiffer but the rest of his expression remained the same. After a long period of silence he finally locked eyes with Shenxin. “Get out,” he whispered, his voice hard filled with some unrecognizable emotion.

“Of course,” Shenxin replied, making sure to leave enough portions for the young stallion as he packed up everything. He was the one who brought up the sensitive conversation. It was not fair to leave Cobra to starve because Shenxin had touched a nerve.

As Shenxin was about to step out the door, leaving Cobra, he heard a faint, “Prince.”

He turned around to see Cobra looking at him with a conflicted expression. Finally he asked, “If I were to attend these lessons, when and where would they be?”

Shenxin had to hold back a smile. ‘In the evening in my study, you remember where that it is right?” he explained as if coaxing a frightened animal to his side.

Cobra didn’t seem to pick up on this tone and instead nodded simply, saying no more.

Nodding in return, Shenxin replied, “Have a good day, Cobra.” Before he completely shut the door, he added, “And please, call me Shenxin.”