｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

｡･:*:･ﾟ★"Take your petty spat elsewhere, the adults have things to discuss."･:*:･ﾟ☆

Sky

I was in fact, not fine.

I'm dying from overheating and Silva is smirking down at me in triumph.

"Listen," He mocks in amusement as he watches me do bench presses with Riv as my spotter. "I know you've always had a 'thing' for long sleeved, form fitting, black and dark colours-"
Riv sniggers and I know the two of them are sharing a knowing look.

"Oh ha, ha." I mock, grunting with the effort of lifting the weight.

"Now isn't really the time for making a fashion statement." Riven jests and I hear Silva chuckle before walking off.

Well obviously not you two idiots but I can't not wear it now. I'd never hear the end of it.

"Stop being a stubborn bastard." Riv mutters to me.

I roll my eyes at him.

"It's just a jumper, Riven." I move to do another rep.

"Exactly," He exclaims, "It's just a jumper and Octavia is just a friend."

The weights suddenly drop down as I flinch in shock, I quickly fix my form as Riven steps in to support me slightly before stepping back to allow me to continue. I go to say something but notice some first years watching close by, so I quickly close my mouth and carry on.

"I mean, I totally understand why you had sex with her," Rive muses, "She's a stunning female after all."

"Riv," I begin, feeling guilty. "I know the two of you seem to have some kind of emotional thing going-"

"We finally got together last night." Riv states.

Well, fuck me.

I'm the arsehole in this situation.

Guilt overwhelms me as I realise that Octavia probably wasn't fully into it, she had just lost her shadows, started an emotional relationship with Riven which I know she would struggle to do, and I was overpowering the whole time and I never specifically asked her if she was okay with sleeping-

"Oh don't get all pouty puppy on me Sky." Riv complains with a frustrated movement. "She was loving every second of it."

Then why is he-

"Does this mean you've pulled your shit together and the two of you are finally on decent terms again."

I don't know what to say. I've literally just slept with his girlfriend, why is he so calm? Dumaris are territorial, to the extreme at times.

"I'm not sure what you want me to say." I stutter.

"That you're done being an asshole to our mate and that you're going to get on your knees and start grovelling?"

The metal bar fully clangs against the holders this time as I jerk upright to gape at Riven who's staring at me expectantly, eyes filled with a light that I haven't seen in a long time.

"Well?" He demands, "That's what this is about isn't it? You were freaking out about finding your life long partner so you avoided the problem by treating her like shit and gallivanting with Bloom."

I-

No? I don't think so.

"Octavia isn't my mate-"

"Bullshit." Riven snaps, glaring down at me. "Why are you being so difficult about this, it's so obvious."

"You didn't even know about any of this until a week and a half ago." I snarl, standing quickly to face off against him. "How would you-"

"Because I'm not as emotionally repressed in that regard as you Sky!" He exclaims with a dramatic gesture. "I might be shit at dealing with anxiety and depression but I'm pretty good on the lust and love and family front."

"What depression?" I frown in confusion.

"Not the topic of this conversation, Sky!"

"Well maybe it should be." I snark, voice filled with frustration as I feel a headache come on.

"No, what we should be talking about is Octavia and what you're going to do to get on her good side." Riv states with a determination I've never heard from him. "Becasue sex is a good start but I don't think it's going to cut it here."

I stare and stare at him, panic and rage and confusion all beginning to build up within me. Octavia can't be my mate. I would know wouldn't I?

I've been treating her like shit, I know that now., but the rage I felt towards her was real. I always thought that mates couldn't think ill of each other. They could argue of course but they could never truly hate each other, never truly be driven to cause their mate harm. Yet it would seem I've been causing Octavia plenty of problems and she I.

And Bloom, I feel calm with Bloom, like I can get a breather, like I'm not constantly fighting. With Octavia it's like I'm burning with emotions, drowning in them. But those moments, in the peace of the morning when we go out and run just the three of-

Three of us.

Because that's how it has been since the start of term, for weeks now. Octavia, Riven and I, with Octavia always running in the middle, making her shields to keep us safe while we scan the forests for threats. Even when we were fighting, when we were arguing we still waited for each other. It was only with the introduction of these meetings that we stopped, that everything got too much.

So when these meetings are gone, will we go back to normal? Just be expected to act like she hasn't fucked both of us as we jog through the forest. Maybe Riven is right, because the thought of just being by her side seems so easy when I take out all the problems caused by the meetings, by the Burned Ones, by the drama with Bloom. Everything else is manageable.

It's just everyday problems. Octavia occasionally losing control like any fairy does, a bit of relationship and friend drama, training together and-

And I can't just take out problems, we don't have that luxury.

Even when the meetings end, and the ministers leave, Octavia will still be plotting against the Burned Ones, she said as much when she was getting ready with the girls before the first meeting. But Riven would be by her side, and so would Irene and Silva. They would all be working together, no matter the outcome of the meeting. I can't just say no to that, I would help, I would have to help, there's no way I could even think of not getting involved.

But if this is a crusade for power like Bloom suggested, then that makes it different. Can I rationalise her motives? And even if it is true and Tavi is hunting burned ones for influence and power should I stop her? The Burned Ones still need killing, that doesn't change.

I frown.

There is a difference between hunting Burned Ones for power and hunting Bloom because of something she couldn't control. Except that doesn't make any sense, because Octavia defended Bloom during the minister's meeting and when Octavia had her run in with the general-

"You look like you're in physical pain." Riven states, standing in front of me with arms crossed, looking so much like Irene that I shrink back in fear.

"What is going on with you?" Irene huffs as she walks over to me, frowning in annoyance as she takes in my form. "You're all over the place today."

"Relationship drama, Mrs Silva." Riv answers mockingly as he glares down at me.

I cower slightly when Mãe moves to stand by Riv's side, mirroring his expression and stance. Helios, she should have just adopted Riven at this point.

"Call me Mãe, Riven." She hums, her scar looking more stark in the midday light. See, she should just adopt him if she's so desperate to be a mother.

"Still too scared of Silva and Sky." Riv sulks slightly.

"Let me deal with Silva." Irene comforts him, patting his arm as her hand drops down to her side, resting on her hip in that 'I'm not in my angry defiance stance yet but I could be in seconds', I shudder at the thought. Poor Silva.

"Sky here will just have to suck it up." She grins at me and I roll my eyes in response.

"Do the three of you genuinely just spend these lessons gossiping?" Silva demands as he glares at us, his stance the far more empowering version of Irene's pissed one. Well, shit. He's finally cracked and decided he can't handle the Irene-Riven duo any longer.

He lasted an impressive amount of time all things considered, a whole year of putting up with their bullshit. Including the summer holidays.

"...no?" Irene says but it definitely sounds like a question.

Silva sighs and drops his stance. "We've been asked to attend the defence meeting, I've asked for you to attend as my personal trainee Sky." He nods to me before looking at Riven who has gone silent, looking away slightly as if he were intruding. "And of course Riven is coming along because well-.... He amuses me."

Riv perks up but frowns in irritation.

"So I'm your court jester?" he mocks but I see the humour in his eyes.

"Well..." Silva jokes and Irene moves forward to swat at his arm.

I swallow heavily at the movement, realising that they are mates and if Riven is right we could have that. Him and I, with Octavia.

"Best not keep them waiting." Silva commands, offering his arm cordially to Irene who accepts with a little grin.

The walk back to Alfea is filled with Silva and Irene's gentle talk as they comment on the specialists they pass. With Irene giving motherly support, while Silva critiques them before Irene decided to immediately overrule Silva's statement by jokingly telling him not to be so polite before turning to the poor sod of a first year and commanding him to pull his shit together and stop behaving like anyone actually cares how many times he fails.

It was surprisingly motivational.

Riven's wrong. He has to be wrong. Maybe he's just confused me with his own mess because of what Octavia and I did. We've been close friends for such a long time that he might have just instinctively included me when he started feeling the mate bond. Unless it's not the mate bond and it's actually one of the dumaris/fairies bonds and Riven just can't tell the difference between the two. It's not like he has lots of experience with them.

It would make more sense, and explain why Octavia found it so easy to sleep with me after being with Riven. She didn't feel the mate pull towards him.

"Saul." I look up to see Dowling striding down the Alfea steps towards us, she gives a slightly hesitant glance in Irene's direction. "You're needed in the meeting room immediately."

"We were just on our way." Silva comments with forced excitement before turning to give me a look that clearly says, 'we may have to suffer through boring topics during this'.

"Just you, Silva." Dowling states with an odd gentleness, her apologetic look at Irene has me bristling. Why just Silva?

"Without Irene?" Riven asks incredulously.

Dowling smiles awkwardly.

"Riven." Silva reprimands but there's annoyance in his eyes as well. "It is not Dowling's fault."

Irene looks up at Silva with such a soft expression that I can't help but feel as though we are intruding. They smile at each other before he drops down to press a sweet kiss on her lips before they pull a part, resting their foreheads together as Silva strokes at Irene's cheeks in gentle caresses.

"Go, Mon Guierre." She says, her voice silky in her french accent. "I need to speak with Harvey anyways."

Silva nods, planting a quick kiss on her cheek before jogging towards Dowling. I stare and stare as Irene braces a hand on her hip and presses her other to her stomach in clear discomfort, looking down to the floor slightly as doubt seems to cloud her mind.

Irene suddenly sighs, as though remembering Riven and I are standing there. She gives me a forced smile and gentle touch on the shoulder.

"You should follow him, Octavia will be there and I know she trusts your council." she nods before walking away towards the greenhouse still looking like she's going to be sick at the implication of Dowlings words.

It's worse than I realise then, whatever is going on between her, Dowling and Silva. We've all seen how close Silva and Dowling are, best friends and bonded warriors during the war together until Silva found Irene. We all just assumed that there could never be something there because of how devoted he is to Irene.

Yet, yet I've never seen her pushed out of so many meetings. So many important meetings no less, and I've never seen Silva let it slide so easily. He would always advocate to have Irene by his side, claiming he trusts her advice more than anyone else. Except he doesn't, does he? He trusts Dowling's advice just as much, if not more recently.

My jaw ticks as I watch Silva and Dowling converse easily as they walk, by glare only lessening when I see him look back at his mate in question, a frown adorns his face for a moment until he is once again distracted by Dowling.

I'm reluctant to follow, I've decided it's because I'm pissed off at Silva and not because I don't want to face Octavia after what we did.

Riv nudges me, "For Helios' sake, Sky. Pull yourself together and move, she's not going to kill you on sight."

"She might." I grumble, hastily jogging after the headmistress and headmaster.

Octavia

I am quite possibly the most stupid person in the Otherworld.

Genuinely, what the hell was I thinking? Thank Helios, I don't have the shadows with me, I don't think I could deal with their internal monologues along with my own.

"Reconnaissance missions: sightings only?" Lýkos questions.

I look around at the defence minister, Lydia Madrisol before turning to face the new additions entering the room. I frown when I only see Silva and Dowling enter, where's Irene? My attention quickly drifts from whatever drama the three seem to have going off to the two specialists entering after them, freezing in realisation when I catch sight of Sky unreadable face, though his lack of ability to look at me suggests he regrets what happened. I ignore Riven, too fearful of his reaction.

Nodding to Silva and Dowling in greeting I quickly focus onto the task at hand in an attempt to ignore my apparent boy drama.

"Sightings won't cut it." Lydia states, frowning down at the bored. "We need an accurate estimate on numbers, so we can't be counting the same Burned One twice."

I wince as ideas are shot down around the table, the next fifteen minutes spent with Lýkos and Lydia at each other's throats for command of the Solarian soldiers. I believe they are trying to organise what troops to spare where, who to send to what location and what orders to give them. But more specifically, who is giving those orders.

Heat drifts through the side of my body and I tense up as Riven drifts closer, his back lent against the table so he faces away from the others and can look out the window behind me.

He hums, "Stop looking like a scared rabbit."

I swallow hastily, focusing on the maps. He knows I can't say anything without the others catching sight, without Lýkos interrupting and to have the General of Solaria who is very much loyal to my mother know about this? I shake my head slightly at the thought, picking up a reprt on various tracking measures and developments in technological productions in that field.

"You and Sky make a rather attractive pair," He drawls and I bristle, tears threating to form at his words. "I'm a little disappointed you didn't ask me to join."

I freeze, why would I-

"Does this mean the three of us are good now?" he asks quickly, voice filled with a slight longing that has my heart clenching. "We can go back to how we were before these meetings."

Before these- and forget about what happened?

"No, Pixie." I can hear the smirk in his voice. "I know what your thinking and as I told you the other night, I'm in this for the long run. Not casual."

I swallow back tears for a different reason this time, his pure honesty shocking me. Is he seriously willing to forget what I did? What Sky did? I shudder at the though, unable to stop the longing that arises at the thought of the blond.

"And Sky." I mutter, flicking through the reports loudly to smother the sound as I turn slightly, flicking my hair to briefly cover my mouth.

"I'm sure we could find a bed big enough for all three of us." He states with such seriousness that I look to him in shock.

He's serious, he's actually serious.

Panic and confusion quickly flicker though me. I don't understand. I thought Dumaris were territorial, I thought he would be angry. A flicker of hurt settles in my chest, does he not care?

"What about the other outposts?" Silva asks, drawing my attention back to the meeting.

Of course, the one important meeting from this whole mess of a event and I seem to be distracted in it. Pulling out my phone I quickly fire off a text as Lýkos and Lydia prepare to battle again over Silva's words, I need these two to stop mouthing off at each other.

"What of them?" Lydia frowns in confusion.

"What troops do they have on hold, each outpost holds at least three Auxilary teams." Silva states with such sheer conviction that I would believe anything he says. It's odd, to see glimpses of who they were during the war. "They can cover their own lands for tracking, we just need to supply them with orders and supplies."

"How do you suggest we keep track of progress?" Lýkos hums in thought, leaning over the table which I now notice has been covered in maps. "They don't have any technology in some of the outer regions, even the closer ones barely have phone service. Alfea is the only exception."

"We could ride out." Sky interrupts and I see Lydia, Lýkos and Dowling all look to him in shock and insult.

I bristle at their blatant lack of disrespect for Sky, seeing the way he suddenly doubts himself with all of their attention now on him in such a harsh way. Before I can intervene he straightens up and looks to Silva in question, who pauses and then nods for him to continue.

"The main outposts are all accessible by car, if not a bit of trek to the furthest away one." He indicates to the main outposts that arch in a curve on Solaria's border to Erakylon. "Those main outposts, the majority of them have stables, we have specialists who can ride. We get reports the old fashion way, put some of the students to use and have them running relays of information for us."

Specialists who are loyal to us and not Lýkos and the Queen, one's who would report back to Silva without question. Oh you are a genius Sky.

"You want to ask the students?" Dowling asks with an incredulous arch of her eyebrow.

"You don't trust them?" Lýkos bristles.

"Not during a war no."

"Take your petty spat elsewhere, the adults have things to discuss." Irene drawls as she enters the room.

Fucking finally, I thought she was going to leave me on read.

"The specialists can handle this, we have been training them for it." Irene states as she takes a seat at the table, lounging in the plush chair like a cat. "No matter if we haven't been training them for a war."

"I only ever wanted what was best for those children." Dowling tenses at Irene's barbed words.

"And now we must continue to do what is best for them." Irene stares her down, no judgement or hatred in her eyes, just one woman to another talking about the children they both care for. "The world is changing, it's far different to the one we were raised in, far more dangerous and we need to prepare them for that."

Silence.

"Okay," Lydia interrupts, with a nod. "We use the specialists."

A/N: What do you think of Riven's initial reaction?

However, Sky and Tavi are both definitely in denial