｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

｡･:*:･ﾟ★"You were content to reduce me to nothing but a dog yapping at its master, why can I not talk to you as the cowards you are?"･:*:･ﾟ☆

Octavia

"Tag and test them?" I suggest looking at Lýkos in question but pause when he stares at me with that new light in his eyes. I blush slightly at his obvious pride in seeing me become so confident in my role, it would appear he has calmed down from our argument on Thursday but I know we will still need to discuss it. Ideally before Stella comes back from her ministers meeting about health and poverty.

"Tag?" Dowling asks.

"Electronically and magically," Lydia adds on, nodding in appreciation towards me. "We can dart them, set up traps to have them fired upon, have them step into ankle traps, good old fashioned sharp shooting if need be."

"We could then link the spells and technology to separate maps, so we can track any issues with our tools and then combine the two to create one large tracking sheet. We'd record their movements, if they're anything like last time plus their apparent evolution then we may be lucky and they've developed the pack instinct or even the homing beacon of bees and wolves."

"Bees?" Riv whispers to me in amusement, and I step on his foot till he groans in pain and shuts up.

"How close would we have to get?" Irene asks, sitting up to scan the sheets on the table.

"Depends on the weapon." Lýkos grumbles, voice low as he stares at me, something darker in his eyes this time. I've said too much, revealed too much. Last time he saw me in this position I was a naive girl still depending on his advice, then I moved in with Andreas and the next time we were together was because of the Ricki incident. I've changed. I wonder if he has too.

"How long will it take you train the specialists up to standard?" Lydia asks Silva.

I hate abdominal exercises.

Mostly because I can't do them.

"I knew you didn't have much muscle," Andreas drawls," After the whole, imprisoned and experimented thing." I tense at the reminder.

"But this is absolutely pathetic" He indicated my position on the floor. I'm laid belly-down on the ground, having collapsed after trying to hold a full-body plank.

"Aren't you supposed to be my inspirational teacher?"

"You can't do more than five seconds."
"And how long can you do?" I spat.

"Five minutes."
I push up onto my elbows to glare up at Andreas. "I'm sorry I haven't had 40 years of fancy specialist training."

"I asked you to hold a plank for thirty seconds."

I rolled up onto my knees, stomach aching. He'd had me doing curls upward, then leg extensions while lying on my back, and then lifting a five pound weight over my head while I tried to raise myself from lying prone into a sitting position using only my stomach muscles. I hadn't been able to do more than one or two of any of them before my body gave out. No amount of will or grit could make it move.

"Fourth years are ready to go. It might take a few weeks to brush up the third and second years, but they can learn on the job." Irene answers, looking at her mate who nods, even if he looks a little put out at being interrupted.

Dowling frowns at Irene. "First years?"

"Reconnaissance only." Irene shakes her head. "Nowhere near ready, but we can have them in the control rooms and running the outpost treks though."

Lýkos nods and looks around the room, before his curious gaze settle on me. "What was all that chemical jargon during the main meeting?"

I roll my eyes, old people.

"The Burned Ones were essentially hibernating in the caves. While they were there they leant against the walls, sat on the floors, whatever. As a result, the sediment of the minerals slowly travelled through water onto them which they then adsorbed, and in some cases the heat from their bodies mixed with these minerals and began crystallising whatever charr it came in contact with."

"And we can track them through that?" Lydia asks sceptically.

"Like Octavia said in the meeting," Riv interrupts, staring at the Defence Minister with mild annoyance. "The minerals can be specific to certain regions, certain caves, and if they have the pack instinct then they need a home, a nest of some kind."

"How will you get these samples?" Dowling asks, shock clear on her face at our developments.

Time changes, you old cow, get with the program.

"I have a contact working on getting samples from the caves for us to compare Burned One residue to."

"You're sending someone into the caves that are possibly infested with Burned Ones for minerals?" Silva winces in question.

"Yes." I state into the awkward silence.

You're best friend in fact who still won't tell me why he's pretending to be dead.

Fuck.

Andreas is pretending to be dead, he raise me for half of my life and I just went and had sex with his son.

Who doesn't know his father is alive.

For the love of Helios-

"So we best get to planning then." Lýkos states and claps his hands together.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

I stride out of the meeting, papers in hand as I hastily move to the cafeteria, desperate to escape before Sky or Riven could catch up to me.

The school is eerily quiet considering it's a Sunday but Stella mentioned something about the village so I'm hoping they're all on a trip and not being attacked by Burned Ones or some other ridiculous worst case scenario.

The minister meeting is in 30 minutes so I need to grab some lunch before-

"Octavia!" I turn to see Lýkos chasing after me, steps unhurried but still faster than normal.

I pause and smile at him, waiting for him to catch up. I feel my smile waver slightly when I catch sight of the two specialists trailing behind him.

"Found your boys here lost without you." He grins and drapes an arm over my shoulder and I hear Sky and Riven's footsteps fall into rank behind us.

"Figured you and I should have our chat before Stella gets back from the forest." he smiles down at me.

"Forest?" I frown, she's supposed to be in a meeting.

"With a red head? Something about preparations for some fairy thing?" he makes a face at the words, he's never been fond of fairy magi - he doesn't understand it well enough for his tastes.

"Beatrix?"

"Not sure, didn't seem like her."

I hum, hoping it isn't the redhead I think it is.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on with you?" Lýkos mutters, hiding me with a hand on the small of my back through the halls.

"What do you mean?"

He snorts at my small voice. "The outburst on Thursday, whatever forced your mother to take your powers and all this Burned One knowledge you suddenly appear to have."

"Is it so hard to believe that I was concerned for my people so I investigated-"

"Oh cut the bullshit." He exclaims with an exaggerated eye roll as we reach the cafeteria teeming with students coming back from the village.

Why did he take us this way? There's so many people here and there are so many less public routes. I wince when I catch sight of Stella talking to the Winx girls, Bloom by her side pretending to listen to Terra while her eyes are fixated on me.

"You're telling me you had confirmed the changeling had no involvement before you told the ministers to leave her alone?" He arches a brow and I hear the students slowly quieten down, the noise still bustling but I know they're all still listening. "Or did you just decide to let this Peters girl go without punishment because she's flirting with your guard?"

A public display of power. To regain what he lost on Thursday. If I talk back I could look petty, childish; if I allow him to continue then he's scolding me like a child and I look incompetent, putting the Burned One plans at risk of not being signed off by the other ministers if they find out an 'incompetent child' planned them.

"A guard you failed to mention during the meeting is Erakylon's heir, Andreas' son. Not to mention your own personal guard who is related to the minister of Justice"

"Their heritage does not define who they are." I snarl, stepping closer. "You of all people should understand that where we come from does not define what we can achieve."

"Do not play the race card on me, little girl." He all but growls at me as the cafeteria descends into silence. "I've been playing this game for longer than you have been alive."

"Then you should understand my reasons."

"What reasons?" He states, calming down but I can see the urge to fight poorly concealed in his eyes. "From what I can see you protected the changeling as a personal favour to an heir that threatens the Solaria-Erakylon peace treaty. You have made a mountain out of a molehill with the Burned One situation and done nothing but incite fear-"

"The Burned Ones are a threat, General." Irene croons, standing at the entrance to the room. For a second, I can see the Queen she would make if that was her destiny, standing in an arched doorway at the top of the stone stairs, her scar worn like the finest of jewels and looking as though she were a god of war.

"To suggest otherwise is to insult the soldier's lives we have lost to this war." She begins to descend down the stairs as Lýkos slowly drifts into the centre of the room, prowling through the gaps in the lunch tables.

"A war?" His tone is incredulous and condescending. "What would you know of war?"

I follow after him until all three of us are in the middle corridor of the dining room with all eyes upon us, not a single student daring to breathe as Irene's heels click down the steps. Looking up, I spy Dowling and Silva standing in the doorway where Irene came from and I distantly register in that odd way that allows me to know where Sky and Riven are that they have come the flank me in the middle, each having a hand on the pommel of the knives at the side.

"What. would I. Know. Of war." Each word emphasised in such an odd way that I saw the students around us shiver at the unusual psychological tactic. "I survived the Black Woods Massacre, I killed hundreds of Burned Ones at Eastcliff," She prowls down the hall towards the general, mouth twisting into a snarl of rage.

"I have been chained, mainmed, tortured and raped, all in the name of the greater good." Her eyes darken at the words and I feel the boys tense behind me, mirroring Silva's own raging stance and I realise there may be an even darker story to the scar on her face than I realsied.

"I have had friends die in my arms, I have buried family with nothing but my hands to dig the graves. I lost a daughter to the war and gained a son," She spares a glance to Sky, her hand drifting protectively to her stomach with such sadness and longing in her eyes that a tear is brought to mine. But then her predatory glare fixes itself on Lýkos. "Do you know what kept me going through those long years of bloodshed?"

"Loyalty. Not to any nation, not to a general who hides behind his soldiers but to my family, and to my soldiers that I had the honour of calling friends."

They're standing toe to toe now, barely two feet between and if by the same cue Silva and I begin walking slowly towards the pair, Riven and Sky following a step behind.

"So do not presume to stand there and tell me I know nothing of war."

Silence.

Such unending silence that I fight the urge to grin in feral delight. Fuck it. My face lights up in pure feral glee at her words.

"Princess, Octavia." Irene states my title with such conviction that I can't help but feel as if she just proclaimed me ruler of the seven realms. "Know what she is doing, she had trained with the best of the best, ensures her information and sources are sound and accurate. Every move she makes on our behalf is calculated to save the most lives. She is one of your rulers, the leader of Solaria's defence," My throat tightens at her words, no one has ever believed in me like that. "Do not pick a fight you cannot win, General."

Sweet Helios, she did not pull any punches.

"And if anyone, and I mean anyone." She steps closer to whisper in his ear but her words can be heard by all. "Questions, my sons because of their biological families again, I will show you exactly why I earned the honour of calling myself their mother."

I hear Riven's breath catch in his throat at her words and my heart clenches for him, after everything he told me about Olivia and his mother and the sheer lack of acknowledgement for his father I know Riven presumed he would never have a family like that again. I silently link my pinky through his, breathing a sigh of relief when he curls his finger around mine.

Irene huffs out a little laugh and turns on her heels, striding confidently as she sways her hips in that seductive 'I just crushed your puny balls' way towards Silva, who is staring at her with such lust and love in his eyes that I blush and look away. No one wants to see that.

"So your children really are bastards then."

I will sign Irene's pardon for murder myself.

The shapeshifter freezes in place, such animal stillness that for a second I fear she plans to shift and destroy this room in the process, including the children within it.

"Would you like me to rip out his heart for you?" Silva snarls, glaring at Lýkos with a new found hate.

"No, Mon Guierre. He is not worth the 'clean up' price for his blood spilt on our floors." She doesn't turn and I don't know what the two parents are about to do.

Irene just publicly declared Sky and Riven as her children, if Silva doesn't protect them in a similar fashion drama will ensue. But if neither of them intervene, their claim to the boys will seem weak, and weakness of any kind during a war is not good.

I watch in fascination as Irene turns and her gaze drifts away from Lýkos to behind me and some small part of me knows who it is before I see Irene straighten up and bow her head in the smallest dip of respect I have ever seen.

"Queen Luna," She greets.

"Commander," Luna responds, using Irene's title from the war. "I see you and my General are once again butting heads."

"Just sorting out the pecking order is all, your majesty." Holy fuck, she does not give two shits anymore. Luna hums, clearly angered by the blatant disrespect and implication that she is better than the general hand picked by the Queen. "I don't appreciate my sons being insulted."

"No, and I don't appreciate my daughter consorting with- do they even have a title or are they barely past trainees?" Luna croons and I freeze in sheer rage and horror at her words.

"Leave us." I command, voice echoing around the hall as I finally speak up. "Don't you all have homework to do?"

The cafeteria fills with noise as the fairies and specialists alike hastily grab their things and leave. We remain stock still, none of us daring to break the stand off. As the last of the students leave, I see the winx girls hover by Stella's side at the table and the ministers drift in from the hallway. Turning to face my mother I see Sky's unreadable face as he turns with me to face her royal highness. They both step forward to stand in line with me, Sky staring at the Queen and ministers and Riven not turning to maintain his glare on Lýkos, that Dumaris pack loyalty shining through in his eyes. Irene may have claimed him but Riven also claimed the Silva family as his own and if this is the first chance he gets to prove his loyalty to them I know he will take it.

I tense as I see the Villarreal couple standing among the ministers, having no doubt heard the words exchanged. My attention is quickly captured by Beatrix who slinks through the crowd of ministers to walk towards my twin as she rapidly texts someone, Brandon is close on her heels, looking like a nervous bunny as he takes in the scene.

"Please, forgive my mother Commander Silva." I can practically feel Irene bristle at my words. "She gets blinded by her protective love for us at times, I'm sure you understand."

Irene hums. "I will consider it."

That is not helping, Irene.

Luna scoffs. "I am growing tired of your insolence."

"That makes two of us." The shape shifter's steps click forward and I see her from the corner of my eyes brush her shoulder against Riven. "Perhaps it is best for us to leave the celebrations here, no need for a party tonight."

"You don't wish to celebrate all we have accomplished these past few days." Regina mocks.

So the viper finally steps into the ring with the wolf.

"I don't see what plans you have to celebrate, minister." Irene croons, "From what I can tell, the only thing you have accomplished is alienating your own flesh and blood."

I see her wolfish grin. "But it seems your loss is my gain."

"Keep him." Villarreal snarls, glaring at her grandson's back. "I have no use for a suicidal mutt, perhaps he will be better served with his new bitch of a mother."

"Riven is a confidant of the Royal family." I seethe, shaking with rage and I feel the gem in my back burn at her words. "As such, any insult to him is an insult to the royal family."

Back off what is mine, you spineless cockroach.

"And how did he come to achieve such a position?" She arches an eyebrow and strides through the empty tables to stand closer to Luna who has drifted to the side of the main hallway as I stand in the middle with my boys flanking me. "By fucking you?"

I inhale sharply.

"Do not," Riven snarls quietly, his voice so low and dominant as he disconnects his pinky from mine and I see every Dumaris in the room straighten up at his challenge. "Insult Octavia for having a loyalty to her family that you could never achieve, or have you already forgotten why mother was so desperate to leave you?"

My heart clenches at his defence, that he would be willing to go against the two people in this world that seem to bring him the most pain. Power hums and thrums at the thought of what Riven must be enduring for this.

"Don't bring her into this." Regina snaps, eyes bright with tears.

"Why." Riven snarls and for a second he looks just like his grandmother. "You were content to reduce me to nothing but a dog yapping at its master, why can I not talk to you as the cowards you are?"

I don't think its love, but that emotion blossoming in my chest at his words, at his pride and fire is something really fucking similar.

"How dare you." Carlisle seethes, stepping forward to his wife's side. "After everything we have done for you, this is how you repay us? We gave you all that you have, your tuition at Alfea, he clothes on your back, the house that Olivia-"

"Then we thank you for taking care of him." Sky interrupts with such force that I look at him in shock. "But our family looks after our own and as such won't be needing your support anymore."

"Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?" Carlisle snarls, stalking towards Sky with such rage in his eyes that I tense, only relaxing when I feel Riven lace his pinky through mine. "You think because you are Andreas of Erakylon's son that you can do as you please."

"I think if that's the worst insult you both have faced then the war is going to shock you."

Regina strides forward looking intent on killing him.

"Touch my children and I will show you exactly how much of a bitch I can be!" Irene roars, shoving past Lýkos to stand in front of Sky, Riven and I.

The sound of metal blades being unsheathed echos through the room as the battle lines solidify. Lýkos pushes past me, bumping against the gem on my shoulder as he does, I can;t stop my brief gasps of pain. Riven's gaze suddenly darts to me, he loops an arm around my waist, pulling me back until we stand with Silva, Stella and a texting Beatrix who both seemed to join the headmaster during the chaos.

I hear the ministers gasp in shock as they stand at the far end of the room with their guards circling them. A similar noise echoes from the winx girls who are huddled with the specialist teacher Tomen and Professor Harvey against the side of the room. I don't know where Dowling has gone.

"You dare threaten a minister of Solaria?" Regina seethes, voice low and quiet. "The punishment for such a crime is treason."

"Is that a threat?" Silva demands, knuckles white as he clenches his swords, the sound of Riven and Sky's snarls echoing through the room, only to be mirrored by the guards surrounding the queen.

"It's a reminder." Carlisle snaps.

"And what is the punishment for insulting a confidant of the royal house of Siatra and questioning the virtue of a crowned princess?" Sky snarls, stepping forward to push Irene behind him who has gone pale with a hand pressed against her stomach. Something's wrong. She should have snapped by now, shifted.

I twist my head in pain as my power once again tries to break free.

"You dare speak for my family." Queen Luna's voice echoes through the room as her powers burst to life, ready to strike down my Sky.

As the light explodes I can't stop my roars of pain as the gem on my back shatters and the room descends into darkness.

A/N: What do you think of the drama this chapter.

I'm so heartbroken that Fate the winx saga was cancelled. If you want to sign the petition to save the series I have attached a link below.

https://chng.it/sZjqQBVNjM