Vienna was visibly shaken up. He had his hands on the table staring at her as she was sitting behind the desk leaning back as far as she could from him. His stare was directed deep into her eyes as though he was looking deep into her soul. Some said, if you found your soul mate one day, they could see right through you. That was how it felt. He was staring into beyond what anyone else could see or rather tried to see. His expression gave nothing away. His cold eyes had no hint of any mercy in them. He was Tristan O'Neil. The one who even put Vincenzo on guard who saw him as a dangerous rival. He was an O'Neil but also a Giovanni. He had the wisdom of both sides. He had the ruthlessness and efficiency of both his bloodlines. He had the intelligence to use his gifts and all he had been taught. He always got what he wanted. Nothing and no one stopped him. So Vienna was resigned to her fate. If he wanted her hurt, he was going to get her. He was a non-prisoner taker character just like Vincenzo. You either gave him what he demanded and said what he wanted to hear or he gave you hell.

Tristan shook his head speaking in a hard tone "Private Rosario. You can not afford to waste a chance when you are given one by someone like me. I rarely give chances but when I do, everyone makes the most of it. Let me tell you... There is no mercy and forgiveness in our world. There are only deals, treaties, alliances, exchanges.... that can get you out of trouble. You can't afford to make that mistake again. Once you are given an opportunity to save yourself some pain, you must take initiative. You tried to convince me to forgive you by just asking. Tell me Private Rosario... Do I look like I am convinced? Do I look convinced to you?" He then walked around the desk as Vienna followed his movement.

Tristan started circling the desk as she was looking at him. She was scared. She wished she could find a way out of trouble. He looked serious. She whispered instinctively "I am really sorry Sergeant..."

Tristan shook his head as he was circling the desk looking away from her. He put his hands behind his back as he was circling the desk and turned to her with a smirk " Did I ask you to talk Private Rosario? I do not recall asking you a question. The rules clearly forbid you from talking to your superiors unless you are addressed or its absolutely necessary. You must be familiar with the rules.

Vienna gulped as she watched him circling the desk slowly as his stare was on her making her feel wary. His focus on only on her and he looked so cold "Sorry...Sergeant O'Neil." She was breathing hard. This was the worst situation she could find herself in. At his mercy again and this time he was her superior in a serious setting.

Tristan stopped behind her chair and leaned close to her ear with his hands behind his back "I asked you a question before you spoke without my permission. You never answered it. You must remember what I asked? For your sake, you should remember. I don't like asking twice. In fact I hate asking twice. What was the question I asked you."

Vienna jumped as she heard the harshness of his hard tone. She gulped "You asked me ... Do I look convinced to you...."

Tristan nodded. "Good." He then walked around the desk and stood opposite her. His towering figure was handsome but too bad, his eyes held no emotion. He was truly an angel faced assassin "Well, do I look like I am convinced of forgiving you?" He looked into her eyes with his ice cold eyes with an intimidating posture with his shoulders back and straight and his hands behind his back.

Vienna shook her head and breathed "No Sergeant." She looked away not being able to hold those hard eyes. She was trembling now.

Tristan chuckled darkly "Private Rosario. Look up or I will have to give you another strike." 

Vienna took a deep breath and looked up. She had no choice. He looked scary in business mode or was this his business mode? She was sure he was softer to her compared to how he was to others. He tried not to ever be too harsh in front of her but she had glimpses. The most recent encounter was when she had heard the tone he had used on her brother. That order towards him to get his hands off her was still fresh in her mind. She could see her death if he addressed her like that. She also could tell the difference in how he ordered people around the survival camp. He spoke to her in a less harsher tone... Either way she was trembling and finding it hard to push down her nerves. She was afraid of what he was going to do to her. Was he going to teach her a lesson when no one was around. She could do nothing.

Tristan stated in his serious tone " I am glad we have an understanding.... You tried to plead to me to forgive you. I asked you to pick a punishment but you pleaded for forgiveness... Lets say forgiveness comes at a price in our world. Sometimes the price is a simple punishment and sometimes its death..... Private Rosario, you must learn this lesson that pleading doesn't work with me and it certainly doesn't work with anyone I know in our world." He then thought to himself "Including your father. He doesn't respond well to pleading at all..."

His towering figure intimidating her. She didnt dare look away not wanting to get a third strike. She had seen how Tristan gave sanctions easily for even minor offences. He leaned slightly closer as he was towering over the desk while her pale form was sitting opposite on a chair she was clinging onto "So lesson number one is to never plead for forgiveness when you are dealing with the likes of me... It would make things alot worse.... "Now, lets go back to your offence that landed you the second strike that I am about to punish you for....You questioned me and demanded me to let you off the hook when I clearly asked you to go to my office. That was the second offence. Here you repeated that offence when you asked me to forgive you when I had asked you to pick a punishment. You did not answer the question and demanded something you shouldn't have....Don't you think?"

Vienna's heart beat faster and faster. She was done for. He could give her a third strike.

Tristan noticed the look of horror in her eyes and the worsening of the trembling of her hands. He looked at her with raised eyebrows "Lesson number two is to never make the same mistake twice especially in our world. Civilians out there can repeat mistakes but we can't afford it. We are in this survival camp now but our whole lives will be spent in plotting our ways of survival... Now, Private Rosario... why don't you convince me of forgiving you. By just stating I should forgive your offences, you wont be succeeding in getting yourself out of this situation... Have you ever heard of negotiations? The businessmen in your family are well known for being the best negotiators in our world. I expected you to be familiar with how to make deals... But make no mistake... You can't always negotiate... When you are given the chance to do so, you must... I asked you to pick a punishment. You had the chance to negotiate with me a fitting punishment that was painless and practical for you to dig your way out of trouble. You failed to do so... Failure is not an option. Mistakes are unforgivable. So tell me now do you regret not taking your chance when you could?"

Vienna breathed "Yes. I do Sergeant."

Tristan gave her a smirk "Good. You are not defiant at least. Private Marciano is defiant and her attitude will get her in hot water. You see when you don't defy those you are dealing with they would give you second chances. So shouldn't cross people you can't take on. Don't defy those who are out of your league. Private Marciano does and she will pay for that at some point....  Actions have consequences. That means even you must be punished. Your honesty, loyalty and lack of defiance in your conduct does not save you from punishment. Only if you make an offer that is too good to be refused, only then you can dig your way out.... My old man says, no one likes to suck a lemon dry. Its better to make lemonade with a hint of sugar to make the most out of sour, bitter lemons. That's tastier. What do you say Private Rosario? Do you like lemonade?"

Vienna nodded " I do."

Tristan stated "Then next time I give you a chance, don't waste it. if I give you lemons, make lemonade because that tastes heavenly compared to the dried up lemons once you let them go to waste. Don't let your chances waste away again because that's like drying up lemons that could turn into lemonade. Because that's what you did. Forgiveness and pleading are not options. Only negotiation matters. The next time I give you lemons, make lemonade.... Now, what shall I do with you?...."

Tristan watched her trembling. She was scared and she should have been. Vincenzo called him the soulless devil when he did hand out punishments. Vienna knew she was in deep trouble if he was the judge of her actions. He didnt show mercy to anyone ... but of course for his beautiful delicate queen, he bent the rules as much as he could but trying to teach her what she was missing.

Tristan didnt want to make her scared of him. That wasnt his aim. Why was she so nervous?  So Tristan then walked away towards his desk. He picked up a sheet of paper and brought it to Vienna. Breaking eye contact helped Vienna to compose herself slightly. He put the paper in front of her "Here. Write down the following until I am satisfied ..."

Vienna needed an excuse to look away and grabbed the pen ready to write. She heard him say " Write this down and say it out loud ..... Tristan O'Neil would never hurt Vienna Rosario. He loves her to death. Anyone who doubts that, would regret it."

Vienna froze as she heard his words. She shakily looked up. She saw the hint of softness in his eyes. He was the same Tristan. He was showing her that she didnt need to fear him.

Tristan's softness in his eyes disappeared instantly and he turned serious with warning in his tone "Private Rosario, I don't like to be kept waiting after I give an order. You are close to getting a third strike unless you start writing... and say the words out loud. If I am kept waiting you wont enjoy the consequences even though I wont hurt you..."

Vienna took a deep breath and looked down. She didnt need to be warned again. The dangerous glint in his eyes said he meant every word. Tristan was a discipline master like Vincenzo. They took no nonsense at all. She found the writing distracting from her situation. She wrote and read the words out loud. She had no idea how she pulled the strings of Tristan's heart every time she read his name out loud. Tristan walked to the window watching over the camp as he was listening to her reading her lines. Everytime she said his name, he felt pleasure, pure pleasure. Her lips said his name and not with hate. Her lips said his name and said what he wanted her to believe truly. He was never going to hurt her and he hoped she locked away her doubts...

He walked away to the open kitchen in the corner and Vienna glanced up looking at him as she stopped writing.

Tristan smiled as he was walking away. He knew his footsteps got her attention. Watching him walk away mattered to her and that satisfied him. He demanded "Carry on writing Private Rosario or you get a third strike. You do know what three strikes in one day mean. Don't you?" He then chuckled to himself as he heard her getting back to writing. He then reprimanded himself for threatening her like that. Over his dead body she was ever going to get hurt on his watch.. He was going to make sure he taught her lessons if she did wrong in his eyes but he was never going to force her to keep those snakes company in that strike three punishment cabin. That was for offenders who deserved it.

As Vienna was writing she noticed him getting close. He ordered "Enough writing. Look up Private Rosario."

Vienna stopped writing and looked up. She was surprised to see what he was carrying towards the desk. He was carrying a tray with two lemons, a sugar packet, a glass of water and a juicer on a tray. He put down the tray and stated " private Rosario, I am more fond of practical learning and not so keen on theoretical lessons. Therefore, I feel that in order for you to remember your lesson, you make lemonade right now. After you do this, I let you go. I think you need to prove to me in practice that you have learnt some lessons.... Do you have any objections to making me lemonade?"

Vienna shook her head "No."

Vienna was confused but wary. He was talking in riddles but she did get the hint. If you were given a chance you weren't to waste it. Making lemonade out of lemons was a lessons he wasnt going to forget.... She gladly grabbed the lemons and started making lemonade. She couldnt believe he was going to let her walk out just like that. She counted herself lucky and knew others didnt have privileges that she had.

He walked closer to her and  stood behind her chair. He watched her cutting the two lemons in half. He smiled as he whispered "Knives are fascinating. You can cut fruit with them and make lemonade. But they can be used for other purposes too. Knives are multipurpose peculiar devices. You could cut up fruit and kill with the same knife.

Vienna shuddered at his words and pressed her lips. He was speaking the truth but truth hurt.

He stood next to her and put one hand on the desk as he leaned on his side as he was watching her making lemonade using the juicer. He continued " So just what you don't suspect can be of use to you and benefit you. Not everything is what it seems. What can kill can save you and what can save you can kill too." He then thought to himself " You are killing me by looking away now. Those pair of eyes give me life and can kill me too. The day you say you don't love me a part of me would be dead but I fight to survive. No matter how hard you try to avoid me and push me away because it's the safe option, I will come after you.,.. you are mine and mine only."

Vienna poured the content of the juicer into the glass of water. She added the sugar and mixed it with a spoon.

Tristan stated "Thank you Private Rosario. You may go after finishing drinking your lemonade." He took a step away from her as he walked to the door trying not to keep her behind any longer. She made him feel pleasure by just breathing the same air as him in that room. He didnt think he deserved to be so close to her. Was he taking too much advantage of her just because he was in position of authority in that survival camp. Maybe he was enjoying it too much. Was that allowed to enjoy it being this close to her. He wanted to get to enjoy it more next week too for sure. He stood at the door and put his hand on the handle as he stared at her standing form.

She had brought the glass of lemonade to her lips. She knew she couldnt question his orders. She didnt want to push her luck even though she wanted him to taste the lemonade.

Tristan sighed. Even though he wanted to badly taste what she made, he stated "I hope you enjoy your glass.... You taste it. You made it. You earned it Private Rosario."

Vienna smiled weakly and drank from the glass... as she was looking into his eyes. She found the lemonade really tasty. As she reached half way, she stopped drinking... To his surprise, she started walking towards him slowly. She stated gratefuly "Thank you for the ... corrections."

Tristan expected her to finish drinking and leave as she reached him close to the door but she didnt finish her glass. Once she reached him, she looked into his eyes shyly and offered the glass to him. "Its really nice. You should taste it too...."

Tristan stated "Those were Sicilian lemons... Of course they are tasty.... Didnt I teach you not to question me Private Rosario.... I pretend I didnt hear you questioning me.... I think you have gone through enough corrections and discipline for one day.  Do watch the disciplinary hearings out there and watch your step because I am keeping a close eye on you..." He thought to himself "Oh, I would love to chase you, my gorgeous queen.... Drink the lemonade Private Rosario..."

Vienna breathed "I like to share it with you.... Taste it" It was true. She felt bad for drinking a heavenly tasting lemonade that he had encouraged her to make.

Tristan thought to himself "I prefer to kiss your lips but if this comes as close as tasting your lips, you don't need to ask twice, my love." He nodded "Thank you Private Rosario for thinking of sharing this glass with me. I hope we can share much more one day. Lets hope we get closer one day..."

Tristan smiled and reached his hand to the glass. Vienna was still thinking of his words and didnt let go of the glass. That was when their hands touched. He lost his breath as his fingers brushed against hers. He wished she didn't tease him like that. He stared into her beautiful eyes and whispered "Don't play with fire, Private Rosario... Teasing me has consequences too... Watch your conduct around me or you will regret it."