The sun shined through the high windows of the infirmary. The room was deserted except for the last bed. Samara was staring at the ceiling. Her hair was a mess, her eyes carried by dark circles and her skin was quite pale. She looked like hell, exactly how she felt. The pain in her leg that had been present almost the entire night, was now subsided to an annoying sting. But that was not all that bothered her right now. She wasn't sure if it was because of the painkillers or because Palladium was the last person she had seen before she fell asleep. Perhaps it was a combination of the two. All she knew was that last night she had a dream. She was standing outside in the forest near a lake. It was dark and the moon was shining bright. As she turned around she saw Palladium walking towards her. He had looked so handsome in the moonlight. They started dancing, holding each other close. And finally they were about to kiss, just at the moment Samara's leg started to hurt and had woken her up. She hadn't slept since.
"Good morning." Nurse Ophelia said as she walked into the infirmary. "How are we feeling this morning?"
"Great…" Samara said.
The nurse showed her a knowing smile.
"Let's have a look shall we?"
She walked to the end of the bed and carefully took the cast between her hands. The cast looked a lot thinner then when it was put on.
"Good…" Nurse Ophelia muttered.
She suddenly took out some sort of small hammer and tapped the cast three times. It broke into pieces revealing Samara's foot and shin completely healed.
"Wow that's amazing." Samara said. She carefully wiggled her toes.
"Everything looks in order, can you try to stand up?"
Samara looked at the nurse with raised eyebrows. "Stand up?" She repeated. "Already?"
"Yes, it should go fine." Nurse Ophelia said.
Samara sat up and carefully threw her legs over the edge of the bed. With one last worried look to the nurse, she pushed herself off the bed onto her feet. The pain that she anticipated, did not come.
"It's normal that your leg still feels a bit fragile." Nurse Ophelia said. "You should take it easy the coming days."
Samara nodded and slowly took a few steps forward. It went fine.
"Good, looks like you're ready to go back to your friends." Nurse Ophelia said. "You can go to your lessons if you want."
Samara frowned. She wasn't even sure which lesson she had today. Or what day it was exactly…
"Nurse Ophelia?" A voice sounded at the door. "Can we come in?"
Both Samara and nurse Ophelia looked to the other side of the room to see Tecna and Flora waiting by the door.
"Yes you may." The nurse said. "Just in time to pick up your friend."
"Oh you're looking a lot better then you did yesterday." Flora said with a relieved smile.
"Thanks…" Samara said.
"Still a bit pale though." Tecna said.
"She's had a rough night." Nurse Ophelia said. "You girls should keep an eye on her for the next few days."
"We will." Flora said.
"Do you know which lesson we have today?" Samara asked.
"First Potionology and in the afternoon Transformation." Tecna said. "Professor Palladium will be glad to see you, he was asking about you this morning."
"He was?" Samara said, feeling her cheeks blush a bit.
"Alright girls, I have to get started on my routine." Nurse Ophelia said. "Samara, if there is anything wrong you come to me, understood?"
"Yes, thank you very much."
The girls left the infirmary and headed to the potion lab. It took them quite some time to get there and class had already started. Flora opened the door and after a nod of Palladium, the three girls took their seats.
"As I was saying, today we will make a vanishing potion." Palladium said. "This potion will allow us to temporarily be invisible, or to make an object invisible." "Open your textbooks to page 34."
The class went by as normal. By the end of it, everyone had managed to make a potion strong enough to make a small object become invisible.
"Excellent everyone, now for homework I want you all to study this chapter and find out how to make the potion strong enough to make bigger object disappear, such as your schoolbags." Palladium said. "And remember no experimenting without my supervision, if you have any questions you can always ask me in between classes."
The students didn't really pay attention as they stuffed their textbooks in their bags and left the lab. In the far corner, the Winx were also packing their stuff.
"Oh no, no, no!" Stella cried. "Where is it?"
"Where is what?" Tecna asked.
"My ring!" Stella said. "I made it disappear with the potion but I don't know where I put it."
"Seriously?" Bloom sighed. "After all the trouble we went through to get your ring back now you've decided to make it invisible?"
All of them carefully felt around the table with their hands. Palladium walked up to them.
"Something wrong girls?" He asked.
"Stella lost her ring." Musa said. "It's invisible and she can't remember where she left it."
"No worries, I can make it visible again." The professor said.
He took a small vial out of his pocket and sprinkeld some powder in his hand.
"Close your eyes and hold your breath." He said.
The Winx did as they were told and Palladium blew the powder around them.
"I still don't see it." Stella pouted.
"It's right there, around your finger." Samara said pointing at Stella's left hand.
The princess of Solaria gasped. "Oh that's right, I put it around my finger to be sure I wouldn't lose it."
The other girls groaned simultanously.
"Come on Stella, we're gonna miss lunch because of you." Musa groaned.
"If we hurry we can still grab something to eat." Tecna said.
Samara looked down at her leg and sighed.
"Or…we can just head to Wizgiz classroom." Bloom said looking at the fairy of the Moon. "To make sure we get the best seats."
Samara smiled. "You go ahead and get something to eat." "I'll go to Wizgiz's classroom and save us all some good seats."
The other Winx looked at each other.
"It will be fine, just make sure to bring a sandwhich for me or something." Samara said.
"I actually have to go see professor Wizgiz, I could walk with you?" Palladium said.
"I would feel better if I knew you weren't walking alone." Flora said.
"Fine then, off you go." Samara said.
The five girls quickly walked out of the lab.
"Thanks professor." Samara said as the both of them walked out of the lab as well.
"No problem, how…how are you feeling?" Palladium asked.
Samara noticed an nervous tremble in his voice.
"Quite good actually, my leg doesn't hurt anymore." Samara said.
"You look quite tired, are you sure you can manage a full day of lessons?"
Samara smiled. His worry was quite sweet.
"So far so good." She said. "But I didn't sleep much."
Palladium nodded but didn't say anything. They slowly made their way through the corridor. Halfway Samara noticed that her leg began to sting again. She frowned but kept quiet. It was only a little further to the classroom.
Palladium eyed Samara nervously. He wanted to tell her what happened after she fell asleep. But he didn't know quite how. They were almost at Wizgiz's classroom. This was the perfect moment.
"Uhm…" He started.
He stopped walking as did Samara. He turned towards her and felt his face turn red. "There is something I need to tell you…"
He looked her in the eyes and frowned. Samara's face had turned white and she was swaying on her feet.
"Are you okay?" He said as he took her by the arm to support her.
"No…" She mumbled. "Not really."
"Come on, sit down." Palladium said.
He guided her to a windowsill and gently helped her sit down.
"How are you feeling?" He asked her.
"A bit dizzy." Samara said. "And my leg stings."
"That's normal, seems you've been pushing yourself too far." Palladium said. "Here, this might help."
Palladium said a fast incantation and a wheelchair appeared. Samara looked at it and felt a resistance build inside of her. A voice sounded through her mind.
Whatever bothers you, reputation comes first. Members of the Royal Family cannot be seen weak.
"No thank you." She heard herself say. "I don't need it."
The elf raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"
Samara nodded and stood up. Even though her leg hurt and she still was a bit unstable, her pride was stronger. With her head held high, she walked the last bit to the classroom. Wizgiz was already there and watched as she walked in, followed by Palladium.
"Ah good to see you up and about." The leprachaun said. "I hope the night wasn't too hard on you?"
He cast her a simpathetic look. Samara didn't like it at all.
"It was fine, a bit uncomfortable that's all." She said while taking her seat.
Professor Wizgiz nodded with a smile and turned his attention to his collegue.
"I suppose we have a logistic problem now that Edith is banned from the project?" He asked.
"I believe so." Palladium said. "What do you suggest?"
"It's not fair to exclude one of team Swords's members." Wizgiz said.
"I was not even planning to do that." Palladium said. "All my students are in top form."
"That means one of my students will have to participate twice." Wizgiz said. "Can I choose which one?" He added with a mischivious glint in his eyes.
"If that makes you feel better after you lose." Palladium smirked.
"Not this year you darned elf!"
"We'll see about that!"
Samara sighed. At that moment the rest of the Winx came in.
"Here you go." Musa said as she handed Samara a cup of apple juice and a chicken sandwhich.
"Thanks." Samara said.
"What's going on between those two?" Tecna asked pointing at the argueing professors.
"Now that Edith is banned from Sword and Shield, team Shield will have to pick one student to participate twice." Samara said.
"Oh I hope it's not me." Flora said. "I can barely stand my own…"
Stella smirked. "It won't matter because we are going to win this thing."
"How can you be so sure about that?" Tecna asked. "You haven't seen us in action yet."
"Well we do have a pretty strong team." Musa said. "Especially Bloom, she's the strongest of us all."
Bloom looked up and started to blush slightly. "I'm not better than the rest of you."
"Alright than I'll pick one right now!" Wizgiz suddenly said.
The Winx looked to the front of the classroom to see a heated discussion between the two professors come to a close.
"It will be Samara."
Said fairy just took a big gulp of juice and spit it out right away.
"What, me?" She asked. "Why me?"
"You can't choose her to participate twice!" Palladium said. "She's still recovering."
Samara felt the same weird resistance and pride well up in her again.
"I can do it." She said looking directly at the potions professor. "No problem."
Wizgiz shot her a questioning look but the determination in her eyes convinced him.
"You heard her, besides we have two weeks to go." He said.
Palladium now looked directly back at Samara. There was a weird look in his eyes but finally he sighed.
"Fine, Samara will participate twice." He said. "I will let headmistress Faragonda know so she can update her schedule."
By now the other students came into the room. Palladium said goodbye to Wizgiz, waved to the Winx and left.
The rest of the day went by uneventfull, for which Samara was happy about. She was even more happy when she finally crawled into bed. Her leg was stinging like crazy. Not that she let anyone know. Not after how she humiliated herself in the corridor in front of Palladium. A wheelchair, god no, only the idea filled her with shame. She was the princess of Eraklion and even though she hated all the rules and obligations that came with that title, she still had a reputation to uphold. She could remember the time she was about ten years old, a Royal ball was held in their palace. Dressed in a miniature version of the Royal Dress, Samara walked into the ballroom with her parents and Sky. Everyone was watching as the family made their way to the thrones. And when they were halfway, the girl tripped and fell down. Tears welled up in her eyes as her knee burned with a fresh scrape. She would never forget her mothers words. You are the princess of Eraklion. Whatever bothers you, reputation comes first. Samara had gotten back on her feet and resumed her way to the thrones as if nothing had happened.
Samara was relieved that she didn't have to go to the concert all by herself. Instead she had read a book in the common room. The other Winx were busy cleaning the school from top to bottom. She had heard Stella mention to invite the specialists to help them and Bloom suggested that Samara came downstairs to party with them after the clean up. But the fairy of the Moon was not in the mood to be surrounded by others right now. She made herself comfortable and fell asleep quite easily.