Vienna got changed in the dressing room after practice and made her way outside the girls' changing room block seeing Viggo from far waiting for her. He looked deep in thought. She walked to him "Hey. Where is Vincenzo?"
Viggo shrugged " He is trying to get Letizia to come to our house tonight so he can tutor her in engineering. He never gives up. He caught up with her in the basketball court just when she was about to leave and still talking to her. There is a slim chance she would show up for dinner tonight."
Vienna nodded "Ok. Lets hope he is not too late and doesn't keep us waiting too long. Father doesnt like it if we don't arrive back on time..."
Viggo sighed "Vienna..... Can you be honest me if I ask you something?"
Vienna nodded "Sure."
Viggo spoke "How did you get Tristan to change his mind about Trent and I? I am grateful for what you did. I really am... but how did you do it?"
Vienna tried to deny it "What do you mean?"
Viggo spoke "Look, Tristan took Trent and I aside and told us he changed his mind after you spoke to him. But I know him well. He hardly ever changes his mind like this. He is super strict when it comes to team discipline. You must have .... given him something ...Please tell me the truth... It's really killing me... I thank you for this but i need to know..."
Vienna looked away and bit her lip "I gave him a promise."
Viggo's eyes widened "What did you promise him?"
Vienna spoke truthfully "I can't tell you because you will tell father..."
Viggo spoke urgently "Please tell me what you promised... Vienna he is not one to be given promises. If you promise him anything you have to honour it. But Vincenzo and I can protect you if you don't wish to. Just tell me so I will know."
Vienna looked up at his brother "Look. It's not a big deal. I can make my own decisions. You said it yourself."
Viggo spoke "I did. But promising Tristan and not honouring it is suicide. If you can't do what you promised, you must tell me and Vincenzo so we can protect you. Vincenzo can get you out of it. You don't know Tristan like I do. He is dangerous. Do you know who you are messing with? I have seen how he can mentally crush you if he is not respected and honoured. He may come across as a perfect guy and a gentleman when it comes to treating you but he is brutal if he is crossed. I have seen it. I have witnessed what he does to people who cross him, displease him or do not honour his promises. It's not about just what he does to people physically.... He may not hurt you that way.... But he knows mind games and plots Vincenzo and I even can't work out sometimes. He may be honourable like his father but he is also Sancia Giovanni's son. That woman has taught him so much. Don't forget that...."
Vienna shook her head "But he can't hurt me. He wont. I know he wont. Besides we are Rosarios. He is an O'Neil. We can take care of ourselves if the time comes."
Viggo spoke "He may not hurt you in ways you might think. But he might hurt you somehow. I have seen it. He is very precise when he hits someone where it hurts.... Come on Vienna. you do know that Vincenzo and I can help you and will die for you but .... if Vincenzo and I don't know what you have promised him, we can't protect you when it counts if you can't meet whatever demand he has. Tell me please..."
Vienna spoke "I have no intention of breaking my promise..."
Viggo spoke "I know that but what if you can't fulfill it. What if you are not capable of doing it. You might fulfill half of your promise or you forget or you may refuse to when the time comes. Please tell me. Failure to honour his promise has consequences. Vincenzo and I need to know what we are dealing with if you can't honour your word."
Vienna had no idea why Viggo was so over reacting "What exactly have you seen him do. He is a gentleman and he is honourable...."
Viggo sighed "I can't tell you. It's too graphic to talk about. Lets say he can rip anyone apart easily with mentally and physically easily if he decides he needs to in ways I can't just like Vincenzo. Imagine what Vincenzo can do if he holds a grudge. Tristan is the same..... Look, I am not just talking about school. I have been on business trips with father and have been in a room where I have seen his dark mind working at it's best. Please be wary of him. He is kind to you and he can be trusted but he is ruthless if he wants to make someone pay. He may not hurt you but he may hurt those you love hurting you in the process.... Please vienna... Tell me..."
Vienna held her hand up "Viggo, enough about this. A promise is a promise. I wont break it. I don't mind it. He kind of asked me to ... the prom after he agreed to let you and Trent go. I said yes of course... I don't mind going with him...."
Viggo was looking at his sister in horror "No... You can't force yourself to do that. You can't...."
Vienna spoke "Look. I have no problem going to the end of year prom with him. I think he wont give up until I go. I understand enough to know how important this prom is to the boys. I can't go with anyone else. He is keeping his distance. I don't feel pressured honestly."
Viggo spoke "I know he is keeping his distance. He does that because you haven't done anything wrong. if you do, he will get you back. Vincenzo and I can only protect you if we know..."
Vienna spoke "That's not true. When he thought i was cheating on him he didn't do anything to me..."
Viggo spoke "But he went after Edward. Didn't he? That would have hurt you. That would have been on your conscious Vienna. I don't ever want you to feel guilt. Ever. It's not your fault that he is in such a rush to get close to you..."
Vienna spoke "Look. I told you. It's not too fast. End of year prom is months away. It's on the last day of school....."
Viggo spoke "Exactly. You may change your mind by then... but you didn't promise him anything else. Right?"
Vienna shook her head "No... But from before, I promised him to save a dance for him at Clarisa's party next week at the O'Neil mansion where we celebrate end of half term exams.... It's only a dance. Relax Viggo... And that prom is just a prom. Nothing more. You are over thinking this...
Viggo took a deep breath " I guess it's not that bad but you have to be careful. As long as you are comfortable I don't have a problem. i just want to make a point that you have to be careful with him. If you change your mind, you will tell me or vinncenzo. We will fix it or rather... father may fix it..."
Vienna spoke quickly "Please don't tell him. I want to be the one to tell him I am going to the prom..."
Viggo sighed "Father finds out everything. You don't have to tell him anything. One sign from you and he will act. But I would look forward to see what he does to Tristan when he finds out. Vincenzo and I are betting he would interrogate any one who wants to go to prom with you for days straight. Tristan is no exception. But still you need to be careful what you promise Tristan. We can't help to repair any damage he does. We can only prevent it.... But having said all this, Tristan is honourable because he is an O'Neil but O'Neils are ruthless and reckless too. He also has a Giovanni side. if his anger comes to the surface properly, you would be afraid. I have seen that side of him."
Vienna sighed "You are freaking me out...."
Viggo got the message and smiled weakly "Sorry, I am just telling you the worst case scenario. Father has taught me and Vincenzo, to always think of the worst that can happen and expect the worst. You may be right. He is honourable and I don't deny that. But be careful and if he forces you to do anything you will tell us. Just tell me one last time, are you sure you want to go to the prom? I would rather do the 1000 push ups and 1000 sit ups than you doing this for me."
Vienna spoke "I would not lie. It's scary to be around him sometimes but he hasn't ever done anything wrong and he keeps his distance. He is very gentle and gives me space. He ... treats me with respect. That is why I didn't want to say no to him and didn't mind accompanying him to the prom even though he scares me sometimes with the looks he gives me. He is so ... sincere when he talks to me. He respects me...."
That was when Viggo looked past her "Speaking of the devil..."
Vienna turned around and saw Tristan, Trent and Clarisa walking alongside the path to the car park. Viggo and Vienna's waiting spot was quite far out in the lawn area and they couldn't hear Tristan from there but they could tell he was just too occupied with whatever he was talking about with Trent to notice them. He didn't seem pleased.
Viggo spoke "I feel sorry for whoever he is going to crash on."
Vienna spoke "It's his mother he is going to. She forced him to attend her meeting when he was meant to be spending time with his father and Trent to attend a tour of a studio the O'Neils are investing in. So he wasn't happy he had to cancel."
Viggo spoke " Oh, joyful times for him then. A meeting alongside his mother."
Vienna looked on as Trent and Clarisa waved goodbye to their brother and they separated their paths as Tristan went to the direction of his mothers office and Trent and Clarisa went to the car park to go home. In some ways she felt sorry for him. He had actually opened up to her about his mother pushing him away from his father. His parents had a complex relationship. Tristan called his parents relationship status "A war and peace marriage." According to him, they were arguing at times and trying to out perform each other in businesses that they separately managed.
Vienna had no idea about what it felt like to have both parents as heads of criminal organisations. Her mother was a doctor who had not much idea about her fathers business just like her. But of course having a mother who also was running some underground criminal organisation of her own must have been a different experience. Tristan had told Vienna how he had felt he was in the middle of a tug of war sometimes. His parents had a happy marriage on personal level. They were deeply in love and acted like normal caring parents. Their personal life was perfect but their business life created so much tension according to Tristan.
Vienna really felt sorry for him. Tristan had told Vienna how his father was trying to influence him as much as he could to get him to learn as much as possible about the O'Neil way and at the same time how his mother had some expectations of him that only Giovannis did and his father didn't approve of. His father was less strict than his mother in many ways. How Tristan had opened up to her as they were watching the drama auditions may have had alot to do with why Vienna suddenly felt comfortable enough to even say yes to his prom question. She had seen him in a new light. She had realised he had to face many challenges she didn't have and couldn't even imagine. Her parents weren't competing against each other in any way for their child's loyalty and affection. She really felt Tristan's biggest pain. His loneliness and his inability to tell anyone about his life. He had confided in her what he had never told anyone. he trusted her and she had found herself trusting him to tell him about some glimpses of her own life.