｡･:*:･ﾟ★"It's always the fucking patriarchy."･:*:･ﾟ☆

｡･:*:･ﾟ★"Do you need a mate bond to love someone, Riven."｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Irene

Beatrix did not in fact kill him, which was a relief and a disappointment all at once.Stella had managed to heal him before any real damage set in but from the glare she was giving Beatrix I would say plenty of damage has been done elsewhere.

"All of you, to my office. Now." Dowling seethes quietly.

"But it's a part of the event, Farrah." Andreas smirks and I can't help but smile as well as I walk to Bea side with one hand resting on my stomach as I feel the baby's magic shift and grow.

It's really fucking weird if I'm being honest.

But I'm not focusing on the technical side of the pregnancy or else I will get freaked out. I'm just going to enjoy the fun, light hearted stuff, appreciate the small moments and cry whenever I want while pretending like I don't feel like death itself every morning when I'm hunched over the toilet bowl being sick. Not even Saul's murmuring words of comfort as he holds back my hair can change my hatred of that last one.

Not to mention actual childbirth. With all that pain, and blood and being stretched open and having my body convulse in spasms-

Nope. not thinking about it.

"He has a point." Saul agrees and Andreas smirks at him, a flicker of that old love in his eyes as he no doubt remembers what it was like to have Saul fight with him instead of against him. "They did fight by the rules they set."

Farrah sighs, "They're getting no points. I'm not encouraging this behaviour."

"Fair enough." I state, nudging Beatrix with a teasing smile as I try to lighten her spirits. "You weren't trying to win the blade anyways."

She doesn't need one considering she told me that Octavia got her a dragon blade, a blade literally formed under a dragon's fire, for her 16th birthday. Perks of befriending the princess in charge of military defence, she's got access to all the fun weapons. Like those little exploding flash bombs, the fire whips that are literally whips on fire, or the shadow daggers that magically reappear in their holsters after hitting their target.

But Beatrix didn't care about weapons in this fight, didn't care about glory, she was hurting and wanted Brandon to hurt as well.

"Come, Beatrix." I whisper as Farrah walks off to the temporary stage to no doubt beckon everyone inside for the results. "I would like to take a walk around the grounds but could use some assistance."

Of course Andreas and Saul's attention snaps to me in instant at the false confession of needing help.

"Why? Are you tired."

"In pain? You should rest."

"Should we call for Harvey? Or Stel." Oh good, Sky has joined their worries as well. "She's got really good with her healing magic."

"I'm afraid I have business to attend elsewhere." Beatrix gracefully states, interrupting the boy's concerns. "Thank you for the offer though."

I watch with a sad smile as she walks in the direction of Stella who is adamantly ignoring my daughter. She's going to get her heart broken. And she barely talks of Ricki. I can't help but worry that she is hiding from her grief of losing a mate rather than facing it. Though that is a task easier said than done.

"I can walk with you around the grounds." Andreas states.

"Why would I want to walk?" I snap, glaring at the male who has captured Stella's attention and ignoring the looks shared between the males in my life.

"I'll come with you." Riven states with a subdued smile. "I have much to catch you up on."

I nod, giving him a curious look a she offers me his arm. We give the concerned males who have now taken to glaring at us in concern with narrowed quick smiles before hurrying off. We walk peacefully in silence for long minutes, weaving through the waning crowds as people follow Dowling's commands to make their way to magically extended courtyard to see the awards.

"What's on your mind Riven." I ask as we both look out to our surroundings instead of at each other. I watch as his gaze drifts to where Sky and Octavia walk towards the green house, trailing away from the larger crowds.

"You are good for them."

"They're bothering me." He confesses and I hum in thought.

"The two of them together?"

"Me being with the two of them."

"Because you have to share Octavia with Sky?"

"He's my brother, I couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else by my side."

"Rehearsed response." I wave off his claim. "Try again."

He sighs.

"Silva has two mate bonds."

I eye him warily but ponder his silent question, besides how can I expect truths from him when I don't offer up any myself.

"He does."

Doesn't mean I'm going to make it easy for him. I have no intention of sharing more than he specifically asks for if I can avoid it.

"Was it hard for you, knowing your mate was mated to someone else. Someone you weren't mated to."

"Do you need a mate bond to love someone, Riven."

"I would love Tavi regardless of the bond."

"That is not who I was referring to."

He goes quiet and we listen to the birds sing as we slowly walk along the edge of the forest. I feel the baby's magic once again hum with power as the birds flicker closer. They're going to be a Shape-shifter then. That instinctive familiarity with different species is a give away tell. I ignore the way my heart sinks at the revelation. I have one child to worry about right now, that is a problem for a later date.

"I've always loved Sky." Riven confessing. "But I don't think I love him the same way now as I did then."

"There are many kinds of love but they all evolve and change over time."

There, a nice riddle. I am already filling out my duty as a wise old lady in advance.

"Is it harder, loving someone you are not tied to?"

"Do you need the bond to be loyal?"

"No."

"It does not define your love, or your loyalties, many mated couples fail on a personality level due to being chosen for the best breeding prospects. Our pergrin residents can account for that."

He seems so weighed down by this thought,

"Is it because he is male?"

Silence.

"So the mate bond isn't the main problem."

"I chose him." Riven states and I get the impression that's the first time he has admitted that statement to himself. "The bond chose Tavi and I'm grateful for it but I chose Sky and- and it's different."

"Because you're choosing to love a man, risks be damned and not fate. Which would have less risks, so to speak."

"My father is a dick."

"Saul and Andreas might argue but they-"

"I mean my bio dad."

"Oh." I nod silently, blushing in embarrassment at my outburst. "I thought he was dead."

"That would be my mother and sister you are thinking of."

"Ah."

The bastard is very much alive."

"Unfortunate. I can take care of him if you want."

"No... that's okay. I still love him, he is my dad after all it's just.." He trails off and I attempt to read between the lines of his statements.

"He's a raging homophobe?"

"Not even that. He's fine with it, he accepts it. He doesn't understand or agree with it but he acknowledges that what other people do with their love lives is no business of his. Its'- it's just more complicated with me being his son."

" 'Not under my roof' type of person."

"Exactly."

"So you want to move out?"

"I- what? No."

"I mean, your rooms are nearly done in the mates and family section but still, for the holidays and things."

"Maybe. I don't know." He pauses, clearly thinking through his options. "I don't think it would change how I feel about loving Sky."

"Fuck your father Riven. You have us now."

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Octavia

"Why are we here exactly?" Sky asks as we walk to the greenhouse. "We're supposed to be at the ceremony, the one your sister is heading as Royal liaison. I thought you couldn't skip."

"Not really but everyone is going to be distracted and away."

He sighs, "Why do we need them distracted?"

So we can look for whatever Bloom has hidden here.

"What are you talking about?" Sky questions the shadow floating on his shoulder.

She came back from Asterdell with something, some kind of artefact.

"And then she finally returned that book she took from the restricted section."

"She no longer needed it." Sky concludes, brows furrowed in thought. "So she's doing some kind of forbidden magic?"

"A spell I fear."

"Only witches can do spells." Sky states with a drilled in practised ease then pauses. "Unless they draw upon their magic as a source, which is deadly."

"But when you have an earth fairy friend who is gullible and you can trick into connecting you with the land itself..." I trail off and Sky curses.

"What the hell is she playing at?" He demands and I shake my head.

"No clue my love, my shadows can't see what she has hidden. Some kind of spell glamors them."

"Alright then. We don't know what we're looking for, only that it's here. You take the jungle room, I'll raid all these draws." Sky commands and I hide my shiver at his domineering tone. Badly it would seem from the look he gives me but I roll my eyes and get back to the task at hand.

I strike through the door to the jungle path, it's darker and more dense than I remember in the extended room.

Something is wrong. Terra is here, she's upset.

"Ankathi?" I murmur in question as I eye the clutter and broken instruments on the greenhouse tables.

"It's been almost a month and half since we've spoken, there's been many deaths and drama since then and yet you still call me by a nickname." I see tears wells in Terra's eyes as she furiously scrubs at her eyes from her place on the floor leant against one of the trees. The forest seems to have darkened and wanted to match the earth fairies mood, the once bright and colourful jungle clearing hidden within the extension charm of the greenhouse now almost barren bar trees and moss. "Why do you call me that? I don't understand. Stella and Musa said it was a nickname."

"Musa who you have not spoken to, byt the way, in weeks." terra begins to rage and I begin to understand the full depths of what the strong fairy has kept bottled up. "And your sister who you only talk to for political reasons now. And yet you act like everything is fine with them all and not like your time has become so consumed by boys and war that you no longer care. Sky I almost understood but then he became colder and quieter after dating you, he doesn't smile at anyone anymore, he's more reserved and commanding. Yet he still smiles at you and Riven which would be adorable had you both not been arseholes."

"Because you have been, Octavia." She pauses for breath, as though she rushed through her rant in fear of me interrupting but I take on her words with interest. It is rare that anyone tells me the truth of my character bar Lykos and he rarely means it as supportive criticism. Seeing no objection but rather curiosity Terra continues on slowly.

"Riven is an arsehole, a raging alcoholic and druggie-"

"Judge me all you like little thorn but I will rip your throat out if one more misguided insult falls from your lips." She swallows at my calm threat, pausing to reevaluate her words but coming up short so I sigh and speak for her. "Riven was your friend, a good one who saw you for you and treated you with care. That changed and it hurt, it hurt that your friend left, that they treated you like shit and that they treated themselves like shit because despite everything my mate has done you can't help but still care and worry for him."

"I don't want you to get hurt by him." She whispers, "Like I was. But I see now that you are far stronger than I when it comes to boundaries and friends."

"I wasn't always. It takes practice, determination and the ability to accept that you're going to upset people. But I still screw up, Terra. Look at Stella and I, look at how I treat Musa."

"You did try to help her though, Musa I mean, you did help her." terra mumbles.

I sigh, "Go back to being angry and get it out of your system before it builds up and eats you."

"They truly love you, I'm not sure why if I'm being honest but I hope I find that love one day too." She whispers and I freeze. "If I don't understand how all three of you can love each other when you only seem to hate the rest of the world more as a result. You against the world I guess."

"And Stella is no longer a bitch. Which I don't know what to do with because I feel like she's replacing me." terra confesses and I sigh. "I mean, today at the fighting pits when Brandon was injured people normally turn to me for help because they know I'm kind and skilled and very much father's daughter but they turned to Stella. The princess who has been nothing but cruel to them for years.

I don't get that. I don't get how she can be mean and then do the same things I do but gain more recognition, support and friendship than i do and in a shorter period of time no less. I get though, I do. I'm not what people look for in a friend, she's pretty, powerful and confident and not- not overweight-"

"Terra-"

"No, it's fine, I get it. I understand that I'm pretty and beautiful and I love myself... At times I really do but no one else will. Because I don't conform to them, I don't do what they want how they want or- or look how they want. And it hurts Tavi. It hurts that someone as cruel as Riven can be loved by you, that Sky turn cold but still be respected and loved, that Stella was always loved and cherished even when she was cruel and I'm not. And- and one day, I'm going to be as confident as you are."

Her lower lip wobbles and tears start to fall.

"B- but I don't think tha-that day is going to be any time soon." She sniffles, hastily brushing at her eyes.

"Oh Terra." I whisper, bringing her into a hug as she breaks apart in my arms, heaving sobs wracking her body. "Helios, I don't know what to say because I can't lie to you and tell you the world hasn't been fucked up by the patriarchy and social media. But I can promise you that one day, if it is what you truly want, I have no doubt that you will meet someone who will love you for you.

But you don't need anyone my little thorn. You can't keep trying to love boys in hopes that it will make it all go away when you really need to love yourself."

"It's always the fucking patriarchy." She sniffles and I laugh. "I'm going to choke the patriarchy to death with my vines."

I choke back my own laugh on tear's I hadn't realised were threatening to fall.

"I have no doubt that you will." I answer without hesitation.

"I just want to feel strong again." Terra mumbles. "I want to feel confident and powerful and- and not this... not weak and useless."

"Oh you are not useless."

"But it doesn't stop me from feeling that way!"

I sigh, "No it doesn't. Only you can work towards not feeling that way."

"I'm sorry for being a bitch to you."

"Nah, it's okay. I get it. You were hurting and I've been a bitch myself too."

"No but I believed what Bloom said about you. I was happy to follow her lies and fairytale stories of you being the villain and us the heroes.." Terra states with a self-deprecating scoff but pauses. "I think Bloom genuinely believes all the things she says and thinks about you. It's like something has twisted in her head and she keeps believing her own lies. Fueling the fire so to speak."

Fuck.

That stupid fucking fire fairy.

She's fallen for Rosalind's little games.

"Terra, I have to-"

"Go find Bloom. I know." Terra whispers, voice small with guilt and I freeze. Alarm bells ring in my head but the shadows remain silent as they swirl around the area in agitation. "She's going to free Rosalind with Aisha."

The powerhouse and the brainiac. Helios, she's literally gone and replaced Beatrix and I skill for skill. And Apollo knows what experiments she's going to put them through.

"I thought Bloom loved me." Terra confesses and my heart breaks. "But I see that I was wrong now."

"She said I was to give this to you." Terra mumbles holder out her hand and-

My whole world stops at the vial of purple liquid resting in her hand. I feel my breath come in short pants and distantly registering Terra stating she doesn't know what it is but it's Beatrix's name in her explanations that have me coming back to the present. The images of chairs with straps and needles of burning liquid drifting from my mind.

" -she gave one to Stella to pass along to Beatrix. She said you would understand. That you would see the severity of the situation."

I do. I wish I didn't. But I do.

A/N: Little bit of a breather from the plot line. What do you think of Riven and Terra's worries?