Disclaimer :: I do not own Winx Club - I just borrow the world and characters.
Prompt :: Malachite & Never bite the hand that feeds you.
As a little girl Krystal was known to be a kind-hearted soul. She had one friend who saw her as something other than the Princess of Linphea. But when her magic manifested at the age of nine she was considered unstable, a danger to those around her. She had no control, no way to tame the power exploding from her. The people considered her a bad omen, a sign of impending doom to the peaceful planet.
And then she saved her first life, a baby bunny that had been attacked by a larger creature. Suddenly she was a symbol of hope and life, taken under the wing of the medical personnel inside the palace. Tutors were hired to help master the early manifestation of her magic, rather than conceal it as had been done before. In the span of a few hours the princess had gone from a feared entity to one that was almost revered.
"I use it to make paints," Helia, her best friend, had explained as he pressed a green stone into her hands. "It's called malachite. Grandpa says it helps with healing, something about nature and aura. I don't really know what he means, but it might help you. I think it looks like an eye, so you can always pretend I'm watching out for you."
Krystal had thrown her arms around her best friend that day, thanking him for the gift and laughing together as he pointed out the eye in the green stone. The two of them spent the remainder of the day together, playing around the gardens and palace halls as only children truly can. Not once did the young princess let go of the precious stone that day, and surprisingly her magic didn't seem to reach out for any injured soul once. Later, one of the medics told her they often used stones to help focus their healing magic.
From that day Krystal carried a little pouch by her hip, filled with powdered malachite stones while the one Helia had gifted her hung from a cord around her neck. A talisman of protection.
The day someone tried to assassinate her mother, only to injure themselves in the process, Krystal was ready. Her mother was fine, taken care of by more experienced medical professionals and healers. Meanwhile she crouched over the man who had tried to destroy her family, eyes narrowed in a glare. The young princess knew the man, he was a respected worker in the palace, the head chef to be exact.
Well, Helia's Grandpa always said to never bite the hand that feeds you. She and Helia never knew what he meant by that either and thought him crazy, but she figured it suited the situation best. The would-be assassin had hurt her mother, the woman who had given him a job. And now she must be the hand in the saying, the one taking care of him despite what he had tried to do. He had admitted to wanting her and her mother dead and the crown for himself. That was not okay.
Everyone thought it was a mistake when he died, leaving a ten year old to heal the man surely constituted as one. Krystal knew better. She knew of the powdered malachite she had made him swallow, the false promises she whispered that the toxic substance would heal him. She had felt his soul slipping through her fingers and made no effort to hold it there. And she watched it all, grim satisfaction colouring her eyes.
Later she would break down, let her mother comfort her and reassure her that it was just an accident. Helia would distract her, drawing her into their games and painting little pictures to decorate her room with. And she would put on an act, play the broken hearted girl they all expected of her. But for now, staring into the darkened eyes associated with death, Krystal decided Helia's Grandpa might not be as crazy as they thought.
Chapter two of sixteen, and a darker one at that. This chapter and the previous are actually ones I had written up earlier. What you see is a revised edition of old drafts.
_ Obviously this focuses on Princess Krystal of Linphea and her childhood friend, Helia. His Grandpa Saladin is semi important, mostly beacse I've always thought Saladin likely to sprout old sayings and wisdom.
_ Thank you to everyone has viewed this in the 12 odd hours it's been published. Shout to QueenKhioneandFernis who has also decided to put this story on their favourite and alert list!
_ I'm posting this because I'm sick in the middle of summer and can't watch the Super Blue Blood Moon taking place outside WHILE the Lady Aurora Australis dances with a naked eye glow (beams in camera!). If I wasn't needing to distract myself this would not have been up for another few days. Sickness always strikes at the worst time.
_ Finally, I like your feedback again. Reviews make my heart swell and sometimes entices my muse to keep writing. You don't have to review, though, just know I appreciate those who do and the chance it gives for me to improve my writing.
Published :: Feb 1, 2018
Word Count :: 666
RaaJen.