Spare [Fate: The Winx Saga]

part two.three

"What the fսck's going on? Something's up between you and Beatrix, but she won't tell me" asks the younger boy, desperate to know what has happened between the other two of their trio. 

"Beatrix being cagey. Shocker" says Riven, then with a look of pity, he looks at the other boy. He doesn't like being the bad guy, it's just how it's always been. "I hate to tell you, but it's over, Dane." 

"What about us? Whatever happened, it shouldn't change what we..." he tries, but is quickly turned down by his love. 

"There is no 'we', Dane, there is no 'us'. I thought we were clear about that" he cuts in, his voice low and sorry. He puts the bottle down, and walks up to Dane. "Look, I'm sorry, okay, but... it's not about you. It never was." 

"Stella! Uncle Arthur!" the girl in red walks over to the two other royals. "Oh, uncle, how I've missed you" she sighs, as the older man pulls her into a soft hug. 

"How are you, my child?" he asks, completely turning his back on Stella. Aurora loves Uncle Arthur. He is the only person in her entire family, who sees her as Aurora, daughter of his brother, instead of the spare, the orphan daughter of the dead prince. Arthur and her have many memories together, as he was the one, who raised her emotionally. 

"I am great, Uncle, but they put them on me again, like I'm some sort of criminal" she says with fake tears in her eyes, getting straight to the point. Her dress has long, flowy sleeves, so noone sees the torture they are putting her through each and every day. Her magic has been pulsing through her veins, but it only circled back and forth inside her body, sometimes even burning her. 

"I know, but my sister was out of her mind, we couldn't talk her down from it. But don't you worry, I know who you truly are, Aurora. I will send you a device, that can help you pull it off, as soon as I get back to the castle, I promise" he says, reassuring his favourite niece of his help. 

"Thank you, I will prove my gratitude, I swear" she says, earning an eye-roll from Stella. 

"Go, mingle with the alums. It would please your aunt, I'm sure of that." 

"Can you lend me a smoke, Douchebag?" the boy hears from behind him. A smile curves onto his lips, as he steps aside and extends his hand towards his girl. The other boys, who Riven talked to until that point, compliment her dress and her hair, to which she only replies with soft smiles and thank you's. 

"I still don't fucking understand the point of this" says a second-year boy, so Aurora turns to him, ready to explain. 

"The Alumni Banquet. Every important Alfea grad from the last 50 years is here tonight. You know, my aunt appoints the Headmistress, but officially the alums vote to swear her in, or they vote for her not to be sweared in. It dates back around a nine hundred years, when the first Headmistress, who created Alfea, was murdered, and nobody knew what to do. They gathered the best students, who voted one of themselves as Headmistress. That's when it all started. After a couple hundred years, the night was split into two events. The mixer, or the BEAST, as they used to call it, where the alums and the students chat. BEAST means, Bests and Students Together. And then there is the Banquet itself, which is only alums and VIPs" she explains. Riven watches her in awe, his eyes sparkling with love, as she talks. 

"I guess you are VIP?" asks one of the boys with a cheeky smile. 

"I am second in line for the Solarian throne. There isn't much more VIP, than me. The Queen is not here tonight, but thankfully my Uncle is" she answers. 

"Your uncle?" asks the third boy, and Aurora reminds herself to ask Riven their names, because they are very nice people to talk to. 

"Prince Arthur. Well, he abdicated, so he is not really a prince, now. He sees people for who they truly are, and he is not afraid to say it. That's probably why we have a great relationship, because I'm like that, too" she says, then her phone rings, and Stella tells her: it's time for the Banquet. 

"Stella, sit on an another chair, let you cousin sit next to me" says Arthur to Stella, when Aurora steps into the room. Bloom widens her eyes in shock, not being used to someone, anyone, talking to her suitemate this way. The whole tables watches in silence as Stella gets up from her chair, and sits next to Andreas, leaving a gap between her uncle and herself. 

"I'm terribly sorry, that I am late. I forgot to look at the time" she says, slipping into the seat between her cousin and her uncle, picking out the proper fork for the food on her plate. 

"It is anything, but a problem, my child. The important thing is that you are here, with me" says the man enthusiastically, a huge smile spreading across his lips, looking at the girl. 

"That is very kind of you, Uncle" she answers politely, then turns to Stella, asking the girl in a hushed voice: "How much did he have?" the older girl motions 14 with her fingers, so Aurora only sighs, as she leans to her uncle. "Maybe you should slow down a bit, Uncle Arthur, at least for me" she says sweetly, so her uncle puts down the glass to the table. Aurora completely zones out after this, only noticing her uncle making comments on her newly found friend, Sky.  

"...and at least Sky was lucky enough to be raised by Saul, although talk about the blind leading the blind" he says with a chukle, earning harsh glares from both Andreas and Sky. Aurora puts down her fork, so Stella quickly cuts in before her, scolding their uncle without words. 

"Uncle Arthur!"

"Oh, come on. You know it's true. I mean, no fault to you, son," he says, turning towards the blonde boy "but if you and my niece had stayed together..." he continues "...scandal!"

"Maybe some water" says Aurora to the waitress, who comes over to hand Arthur an another glass of alcohol. He shushes her. 

"Oh, no, don't... don't be that girl, Aurora." 

"Maybe just, um, tone it down a bit" tries Stella, earning a thankful smile from her cousin. 

"Everybody's so delicate" says the man, and Aurora feels something shift in Sky. 

"No, you were just being a royal dick" he says with gritted teeth, earning a laugh from his father. 

"You realize you are nothing. Yes? Less than nothing. I have household cleaning staff who are more important than you" insults Arthur the boy. Aurora grabs his drink out of his hands, and puts in so harshly on the table, the glass breaks. 

"Don't talk to him like that. You cannot come here and disrespect our friends" starts of Stella, but her younger cousin cuts in on her speech. 

"Every comment out of your mouth has been a thinly, or not so thinly, veiled insult. And you're drunk. Yes, I'm being that girl. Go get some water, Uncle Arthur" she says with an angry voice, her eyes throwing curses at the man. 

"My sister was right. You both have changed. What a shame. Maybe you should look for someone else to help with your painful problems" he says, and both Stella and Aurora realize, he is not going to help them get rid of their torture devices.