Hi loyal readers!

I have a MASSIVE thank you to share with all of you! I cannot believe that this story has reached 100 reviews! That is AMAZING! I never thought this story would get there. Not only that, but it is my 4th Winx story to reach the milestone! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, subscribed, or read this story so far. It is so amazing and humbling. Glad that everyone is enjoying it.

To celebrate, this is one of the longest chapters so far in this story and it is the one you have all been waiting for! We are halfway through the story so I promise there are more chapters to come and this story is far from over.

I would like to give a shout out to the following people for helping me reach the review milestone with the previous chapter:

SunshinewithHurricane, Elieza Mae Forever Winx, waterolive, flamecom (thanks for being the 100th review!), Saraaaaaaa, Tiffanypei, MinzyV, musastar2010, ImhereforMR, Luiz4200, AngelCutie ChildAtHeart, Whelefhie, LuckiestWitchAtHogwarts.

Thank you all for the continued support!

Disclaimer: I do not own Winx or any of the characters. This is done for fun, not for profit.


Musa gasped, stunned for a second at once again being thrown against the padded flooring of the training room. She knew the training would be hard, but she did not think the prince would avoid going easy on her. Rather she hoped that he would, at least for the first few lessons. But no. Riven's training had been intense from the beginning and he treated her like one of his own recruits. A part of Musa felt happy about that, knowing that he viewed her training equal to that of his men, but the other part, her bones and muscles mainly, hated the idea. It had been two weeks since the prince agreed to train Musa in hand-to-hand combat. At first, she thought the prince's approval was a trap, so she took Bloom and Tecna with her to check, hiding in the shadows ready to help if guards came, but they never did. Musa continued asking at least one of her friends to hide in the shadows the first few lessons to make sure that Riven was indeed true to his word. Since the prince preferred to train alone and hated being disturbed, their training session was never interrupted, and they had the entire training floor to themselves.

As instructed, Musa met with the prince right after his personal training session finished, avoiding all guards as she made her way to the floor, and immediately started her lesson. Musa was shocked at the prince's stamina. A normal person would require at least a five minute break between sessions, but the prince did not. He merely wiped his face and neck with his towel, his back to Musa as she quietly snuck into the room, and immediately got stuck into the lesson for the day. Much to Musa's dismay, as her brain loves to live in denial, Riven always practiced without a shirt one. Musa found it difficult to concentrate and avoided getting close to the prince the first few lessons with rock-hard stomach and abs staring at you, but determination for her mission pulled her head straight. Every time she left and went to bed, though, Musa could not help but dream of the prince and his workout attire. Of course, she would never say it aloud. She had a job to do. She had to learn combat skills until she found a way to boost her magic. Music alone could not cut it, not in a life-or-death battle. If it cost her pretending that she needed the prince's help and showing her vulnerability to get his sympathy, then she was willing to do it. The bright side was that Musa was a quick study and was being thrown down on the floor much less than two weeks prior. According to Stella and Flora, they thought the prince's willingness to teach Musa were signs that her plan was working and that he was falling for her. Musa's heart desperately wanted to believe it, but her brain always won the argument. Just because a man was hot and physically strong did not mean he was worthy of her heart. She could never give her heart to anyone, not even when her realm was free. She could not risk her realm's safety by falling for someone, even a Melodian commoner. She needed to rule alone.

"Get up," a voice commanded, breaking Musa from her thoughts.

Musa opened her eyes, the room finally still, and sat up. Her chest moving fast with her racing heart. The prince stood in his place on the other side of the mat, staring intently at Musa.

"Stand up," the prince said, his eyes focused and his muscle tense ready for a blow.

"I just need a time out," Musa said, trying to steady her breathing and fighting the urge to run her eyes down the man's chest.

"Your enemy would not give you a time out when you ask. Now get up!"

"I said I need a minute. What is the matter with you?"

The prince raised an eyebrow at Musa's response and took a step towards her. "Valkarians worship strength, power. Nothing else. If you want to fight like a Valkarian, you have to channel all your energy into your strength. Including fatigue and pain."

With her increased time with the prince, Musa had started noticing the changes in the prince's voice with his emotions, if he showed any. She could not help now hearing a slight softness in his voice, almost like he was willing Musa to push through to fight like him. Two weeks ago, the man was complaining that she was pretending to be a Valkarian, now he wanted her to fight like one? Could the man be anymore complicated? How was she supposed to gain his trust if his wants fluctuated like a metronome?

Musa was brought back from her thoughts again when a shadow appeared on the floor in front of her. Musa looked up and saw the prince standing in front of her, reaching out to help her stand.

"I can do it," Musa said, ignoring the hand and slowly standing.

"I do not want anything to happen to you."

The comment took Musa by surprise. Her heart thumped hard against her chest, stealing her breath for a minute. Did she really just hear the prince say that? Perhaps he only said that so he would not be punished by his father, like with Sir Jet. The king was not known for patience. But when Musa stared into the prince's eyes, the dark intensity of his stare was hard to ignore. She felt butterflies in her stomach, a daily occurrence since their training sessions started. Musa had read about the feeling, but she dared not voice the meaning behind it, even to herself. Her brain loved denial, so she forced herself to believe it was churning from being thrown against the floor. Musa decided to ignore the feeling.

"Let us resume," she said, taking a few steps away and standing in position. "I am ready."

The prince continued to stare at Musa for a few seconds, but Musa refused to cave under his intense gaze. The butterflies could be ignored for she had done it so many times before. Noting that Musa was not going to respond to his comment or relax her stance, he resumed his fighting stance.

"Do not be tense," Riven instructed. "Be ready. When you see me expand, you contract. If I contract, you expand."

Musa nodded her head and watched as the prince's face went neutral and he prowled around her, eyeing her stance. Riven had to check that Musa's legs were braced, and her feet with planted shoulder-width apart. Using her training, Musa watched him carefully back. Keeping her chin low, she threw a punch. Riven blocked it with his forearm, and she pulled back, looking for an opening. She did not find one, so she decided to make one. Musa shifted as if to kick the prince, and his arms dropped a fraction of an inch. Her opening appeared, and she swung, slamming her fist into his stomach.

Riven grunted softly, although Musa knew it felt like a love tap to the man. "Good," he commented in a neutral tone. "Your swings are weak and limp. That is not how I taught you last week." Riven grabbed Musa's arm and shook it like a wet noddle. "You do not have a lot of upper body strength. Your strength is here." The prince placed his hand in front of Musa's stomach, causing her to flinch. "You will inflict more damage this way. When you throw a punch, your torso and hips should move with you."

Musa nodded and did as instructed. She missed the second punch, the prince dodging out of the way, but she could feel the difference in the swing. The pair continued sparing for a few more minutes until the prince dropped to the floor and swung his leg underneath Musa's, causing her to fall against the floor again. She starting to feel slight pain in her hips and rear, causing her patience to wear thin.

"Stop doing that," Musa said in frustration.

The prince stood up and grinned down at Musa. "Stop falling for it then," he teased.

Teasing was another tone of the prince's that Musa started noticing in their training sessions. But added with the grin? It got Musa fired up. Why did he have to have such a…..charming grin? It was the kind Musa knew numerous girls in the palace had fallen prey to. Musa doubted any of them regretted that fall. Did she? No! She has not fallen for anything. She could not.

Her stomach tumbled again when she saw the prince walk over and stand next to her head, grinning down at her, his face blocking the ceiling light. He stood under the beam of light as if he was blessed with eternal light. Sweat dotted his broad, high cheekbones and the straight line of his jaw. His strange but beautiful eyes seemed to almost glow in the light. Wait….glowing? Musa concentrated on his eyes and saw a shimmer barely visible around his eyes. Perhaps the prolonged combat practice was stirring up the prince's Valkarian blood.

"You need to work on your situational awareness," the prince said with a slight grin, breaking Musa's thoughts.

"My situational awareness is just fine," Musa huffed.

"Then why do you remain on the floor?"

"Why do you keep throwing me down?"

"How else do you plan to learn? Young recruits would have learnt the signs of a leg sweep by now."

"As you so eloquently told me weeks ago, I am not a Valkarian, so I tend to take longer at learning your moves," Musa retorted with an eye roll.

"And as I so eloquently said earlier, your opponent will not give you time to learn. You need to learn quick."

"Well handing my butt to me does not make me learn faster."

"Such language from a lady," the prince smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why are you so talkative during training?" Musa huffed. "I think I preferred it when you ignored me."

"I never ignored you."

Musa scoffed and mimicked the prince's stance. "Really? Then how do you explain all those years of not speaking to me or your rude and very short remarks since your return from school?"

The prince said nothing in response.

"Because to me, Your Highness, it seemed like you did not care to speak to me until I changed my roots. Roots, I might add, that you continue to question and get annoyed with. I do not side with the rebels nor endorse what they do, so you and your father have nothing to be concerned with."

"If I had any concerns about your intentions, Lady Musa, believe me, we would not be holding these sessions."

"You said a Valkarian values strength and power. That day with Sir Jet….I did not display that. I cannot allow that to happen again."

The room fell silent after Musa's comment. Part of her statement was true, that she could not allow her to be caught out again without some sort of defence. She had to show vulnerability to the prince so that he would not view her as a threat. The silent stretched long and Musa started to fear that the prince would end the session early, but he did not.

"Strength can come in many forms," Riven eventually said sternly. "Strength to continue on when we have lost those the most. Strength to fight even though the odds are against you. From what I heard, you displayed those that day."

"I could not win against him."

"No," Riven agreed. "But you did outlast him until help arrived. He was a Valkarian knight, trained to kill without hesitation, and yet you escaped his grasp."

"Not all of it," Musa whispered back, looking down at the ground. "I ignored my instinct. I should have taken someone with me."

"You blame yourself." Riven's reply was not a question. Musa did not answer. "You are brave." The prince yet again took Musa by surprise and she lifted her gaze to his. "Brave to go up against one of my top knights and outlast him. Even getting a blow on him or two. You were brave to go up against him unarmed and untrained."

"I do not think it was bravery." Musa returned to starting at her hands. "I think it was fear."

The prince was silent for a few seconds. "Fear and bravery are often one and the same. It either makes you a warrior or a coward. The only difference is the person it resides in."

"How philosophical of you, Your Highness," Musa smirked in response.

"And you are procrastinating your training."

"Have we not been through this? I need a break."

The prince sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes again. "Your opponent will not care and neither do I. We are also improving your stamina so you will not need breaks when the time comes."

"When the time comes? You say it like I am going to be in danger again. I am doing this as a just in case scenario, but believe me, I have no intention of using these techniques."

"The rebels will continue as long as you and your father are still alive, or until they are flushed out. There are people out there who will try to hurt you."

"I am very much aware of those facts, thank you very much."

Musa found it strange to hear the prince discussing flushing rebels out. Surely, the palace was unaware of the secret base the girls had smuggled soldiers to. If so, why had it not been discovered yet? The prince said it like it was a fact. Did he believe Darcy's whispers after all and merely tried to downplay it with his father? No, Musa thought. It was just an expression. The prince was right, as long as her and her father were alive, the rebellion would continue. Riven was smarter than his father to understand that. The king is too arrogant to think clearly and Musa's presence is merely the victory prize in his eyes.

"Then why do you procrastinate? You are the one who came looking for my help."

"Yes, I did, and I am grateful for it, but I am not one of your Valkarian recruits! I take time to learn and I require breaks. You cannot expect to hold me at the same standard as your men."

"I need to so you can fight just as well as us."

"I am trying! Lord knows I am trying, more than you could possibly know, but you have to meet me halfway."

"I am meeting you halfway by going behind my father's back and training you. If he found out what you were doing….."

The prince could not finish the sentence. It had been an unspoken agreement between the pair that they would not bring up the fact that Musa's training is considered treason for the crown. Since it was the prince, the king would not gravely punish his son, but Musa would be in danger if she were found out.

"If you are so concerned with your father finding out then why did you agree to this in the first place?"

The prince yet again was silent. Musa growled in frustration.

"How is it that you never answer any questions? And if you do, it is always with a question right back. Oh right, you are the prince and do not have to do anything."

"Why are you so frustrated?"

"I am frustrated with you, Your Highness!"

The prince merely looked at Musa for a few seconds in response, still not uttering a word. Soon, he turned and started heading for the other side of the room. He put on his shirt, much to Musa's torn relief and sadness, and started putting on the belt that held his sword at the hip. Musa could not help but admire the way the gem at the top of the handle glistened in the light. She suddenly noticed a small dagger attached to the other side of his hip.

"What are you doing?"

"I think it is time to end our session."

"Why, because I am poking at a sore spot again?"

"Training will not be effective while you are frustrated."

"Sounds like you are running away."

The comment caused the prince to tense. He turned immediately and stormed over to Musa so that he was an arm's length apart from her.

"I do not run from anything."

"You are running now. We still have a training session to finish."

"And here I thought this was your break time."

"Why can you not allow me a break?!"

"I am teaching you to survive! Is that not important to you? A simple 'thank you' would suffice."

"And I told you that I cannot learn as quick as your precious recruits."

"And I told you that I do not care. You will learn this, and you will learn it my way. Something is holding you back from being completely open to my lessons and until you figure out what, I am not going forward."

With that, the prince started to turn and begin storming out of the room. Musa was too angry to think straight so she did the only thing her body craved. Working on its own, her left arm shot out and grabbed the dagger hanging on the prince's hip as he turned and walked away. The prince got halfway out the room when he noticed the dagger missing. He quickly turned around long enough to see Musa grip the handle of the dagger, flipping it so she held it by the blade. She cocked her arm back—

"Don't," the prince warned.

Musa threw the dagger directly at his annoyingly handsome face. She knew deep down that she would completely miss him for her aim was atrocious, but she was so angry that she did not think straight. She just wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. The prince spun, just as Musa thought he would, and then caught the dagger by the handle, plucking it out of the air like it was nothing. It was….impressive. Musa was shocked, and a little jealous. No one could have done that, not even the king.

"I am aware that my hair is a tall, but it does not need a trim," the prince said. "Your aim is off. You should really work on that."

The prince returned the dagger to his holster, not noticing the gem at the hilt, much like the sword, come off and fall to the ground. Musa noticed the gem fall but she was in too much shock for it to compute in her mind. She stood in complete shock at, firstly her clearly uncontrolled anger and frustration, and secondly the prince's skills. She knew that he was born and bred to be a warrior but to see his skills in action were a different story. She remembered then just the power and strength he had over her and it suddenly terrified her. She just threw a dagger at the prince. The son of the man who torments her! She completely blew her chance to learn combat skills and survive the rebellion. Musa's heart started to beat fast, slamming against her chest, her pulsing racing so loud she could hear it everywhere. Her breathing picked up, her mind entering panic mode. The prince was going to rat her out to the king. She was a goner. She had to leave quickly. Without a word, Musa started running for the door.

The prince threw out an arm and caught Musa by the arm. "I think—"

Instinct sparked, seizing control of Musa. She spun and twisted under the prince's arm. Shocked flickered his face, bringing small satisfaction through Musa's panic state. She popped up behind him, dipped low and kicked out, sweeping the prince's legs from under him. He dropped Musa's arm to throw out his hands and stop his fall. Without a word, Musa started running again towards the doors. Something caught her shirt. The force spun her around and forced her back against the wall. Musa started to pull away, but it was futile. Musa felt her breathing increase further and she was close to passing out. The panic was making the room feel small, slowly encasing her until she was stuck completely with the prince and the fear of what he would do to her.

"Your skill is starting to show and clearly you have some natural talent with a dagger. Too bad I have not taught you yet how to evade capture."

Anger and panic flooded Musa's system once more, overwhelming her. Acting on instinct, she trusted her knee up, aiming for a very sensitive part of him. He sensed her move and shifted, blocking the knee with his thigh. "There is no need for that." He said, shoving his leg between Musa's, preventing any future kicks.

The scent of the prince's natural smell of spice and sweat overwhelmed Musa, increasing her sense of claustrophobia, and she growled in panic and frustration. The prince raised an eyebrow at Musa's emotions, suddenly sensing her inner turmoil.

"Musa, do not fear—"

Before he could finish the sentence, Musa lifted her hips off the wall, attempting to throw him off, but she accidentally pressed a very sensitive part of her body against the prince's thigh. The friction created a sudden, jarring heat, like a strike of lightening, through Musa. Musa sucked in a startled breath, stilling her, and pulling her slowly from her panic attack. The prince stilled with her, his tall body tensing against her. What….what was happening? Musa's skin buzzed, sending her hairs on end, as if energy currents danced along her skin. Neither of the pair moved for several minutes. Musa was too terrified to move in case she moved incorrectly against the prince. The feeling was exciting but terrifying all at once. The only good thing was that it stopped her panic attack, but it did not stop her fear. She had to get away from the prince.

"You do not need to worry about my father," Riven said softly, finally breaking the silence.

Musa was extremely grateful the prince did not bring up the electrical feeling she, and she bet he too, felt. A scoff escaped Musa. "You know nothing."

"Maybe." The prince let go of Musa's arms, and before she knew what he was up to, his fingers touched her right cheek. Musa gasped at the contact and started to draw back but realising the wall behind her kept her immobile. "Maybe I know more than you realise."

A small measure of unease crawled across Musa's skin, replacing the pleasant feeling she experienced. The prince bent his head, pressing his cheek to the left side of her face. "He will not know of the dagger but promise me you will not do that again."

Musa was still in too much shock to utter a word, so she softly nodded her head in reply. The prince stared down at Musa for so long it felt like a small eternity had passed. Then he stepped away from the wall, letting her go. Cold air suddenly hit Musa's skin and a part of her missed the warmth of his body. "Go back to your quarters. We will finish this lesson later."

Confusion held Musa in its grip for only a few seconds, but then she snapped out of it. Musa eased away from the wall, took a last look at the prince, and ran out the room. Even though Musa did not look back, she knew he did not take his eyes off her.


"How did you lesson go today?" Bloom asked as the girls sat in the secret music room with tea.

It had only been an hour since Musa's lesson got cut short. As instructed by the prince, Musa ran all the way back to her quarters, only resurfacing to meet the girls for tea. Since they were guests at the palace, the girls were permitted freedom to roam the palace, and they took the advantage to secretly search for entryways to sneak the rebellion in when the time came.

Musa stilled from her place on the piano, her fingers hovering above the ivory keys.

"Um…it was….fine," Musa answered softly.

Her reaction gained the attention of the girls who looked on in concern.

"Is everything ok?" Flora asked.

Musa nodded her head in reply. Since hiding out in her room, her mind kept replaying her interaction with the prince on repeat. The prince had said such odd things to her, some that made her heart skip a beat, then he said he would not tell his father that she threw a dagger at him, and then the electricity. Musa was too confused and embarrassed to say anything to her friends, not until she understood what happened herself.

"Musa," Tecna called softly, causing Musa to look at her dear friend. "You are acting different. Are you sure you are ok?"

Musa knew she could not lie to her friends forever, but she could distract them.

"The prince said something during the training session."

"Like what?" Stella said. "It seems lately that all he does in training is talk. We are still getting our heads around that."

"He said that I need to learn to fight and improve my stamina as the rebels would continue as long as my father and I were alive, or until they were flushed out."

"Flushed out? As in out of hiding?" Layla questioned. "Surely he does not know that rebels are hiding in Melody. We took extra precaution to ensure that we were not found out. We are so careful that even you do not know where they are."

"Do we take his comment seriously?" Bloom asked. "I mean, do we move the rebellion to another location just to be sure?"

"How do we know that this in itself is not a trap?" Tecna asked. "If you move the rebellion, we could be found out which is what they could want."

"Tecna is right," Stella said. "Prince may not know and is using this to make us worry so we slip up and prove his suspicions."

"Or he does know and is choosing not to attack," Flora added. "Why would they not attack?"

"Are we sure we are not reading too much into things?" Musa asked. "I mean, he said it as a side comment during training. He probably always thinks a rebellion will exist as long as my father and I remain alive. It is a fact of life, one that is not wrong."

"I still think this training is a bad idea," Tecna said. "Either way, it puts you in more danger."

"But she is gathering important information, just like we planned," Bloom defended.

"There is more," Musa said, caving to her mind's constant auto-replay. "I…..I threw….a dagger at the prince."

The silence in the room was deafening, until Layla decided to break the ice.

"Way to go, girl," Layla smirked.

"Why!?" Stella shrieked. "Why would you do that?"

"I am sorry!" Musa said. "I just…I got so frustrated with him and his teasing and smug face. I just did not think. I knew subconsciously that I would miss so it was not like I wanted to stab him."

"But you still threw a dagger at the warrior prince in a fit of rage," Bloom said concerned. "Musa, he could run to the king and blow everything."

"He will not," Musa defended. "He said that I should not need to fear the king, that he would not find out if I promised not to do it again."

"That is even more concerning!" Stella shrieked again. "How can we believe that?"

"He was not angry, Stella. More amused. He made a joke when he caught the dagger—"

"Wait—" Tecna interrupted. "He caught the dagger? Mid-air?"

"…..yes….."

"Your aim actually was true?" Flora asked in shock.

"…..yes…."

"….Impressive," Layla said in shock while the other girls remained silent.

"That is kind of hot," Stella replied softly.

"Stella!" Bloom chastised. "That is the prince of Valkaris!"

"I know but, come on, like we were not all thinking it. Imagine those hot knights of his doing that too."

"Stella," Bloom groaned again while the blonde giggled.

"No seriously! I know those knights that hang around the prince like lost puppies are hard to see with those helmets, but I can tell they are hot. That height perfect for heels….those strong muscular arms perfect for wrapping around someone to make them feel safe…those eyes—"

A shriek coming from the blonde broke her train of thought as a splash of water suddenly hit her face. Layla smirked at the blonde as her right hand ceased glowing and she lowered it.

"Layla!" Tecna scolded. "Be careful! You know it is a huge risk using our powers on Melody! If you were caught—"

"We will not be caught, Tecna," Layla interrupted. "We are in a secret room. You and Musa may be forbidden from magic in the palace, but we are not. We just try not to, so they do not view us as a threat."

"Do not get complacent," Tecna warned.

Layla nodded her head in apology. "Please tell me you are not crushing on Valkarian knights, Stella" Layla smirked, her attention going back to the wet-faced blonde.

"I do not think they are Valkarian," Stella huffed as she took a towel from the coffee table and dried her face. "Their eyes are all different shades."

"The Valkarian army does have non-Valkarians in it. Not Melodian, obviously, but men from other realms that immigrated to Valkaris before the queen passed away."

"Ok, fine, so Stella gawking at non-Valkarians is not entirely bad, but they are still working for the enemy," Layla said.

"Unless we all follow Musa's strategy," Flora said softly. The girls all turned to look at her. "Clearly the prince is taken in by Musa. Perhaps we should get closer to his knights as well? Get information from them too. We have yet to find a suitable entrance to the palace that is not heavily guarded to sneak the rebellion in. Those knights patrol the castle and if they work for the prince, they know to trust us. There are only three of them, it should not be hard."

"I like the way you think, Flora," Layla smiled. "I think it is a good idea."

"I volunteer!" Stella said, standing with excitement. "I will take the newest one; Sir Darien."

Bloom rolled her eyes. "As much as I….admire your keenness, Stella, I am not sure I like this plan."

"It is the same plan as mine, Bloom," Musa reasoned. "Flora is right. They will help you get information you are searching for while I continue my work with the prince."

"Yeah," Stella said. "You take Sir Caelum, Bloom, and Tecna will take Sir Lance."

"Wait, why am I involved? I am just the handmaiden," Tecna said.

"Yes, which means they already know you and will be more forthcoming to you," Flora answered.

"And why me?" Bloom asked suspiciously.

"Just like you, Sir Caelum looks like the second in charge," Stella replied. "Besides, he looks hot from what I can tell so I am giving you a hand in the man department."

"Gee, thanks," Bloom said sarcastically.

"No problem," Stella smiled, ignoring Bloom's tone. "Sir Hammon is too old for us, so we just have to be careful of him."

"Why are Flora and I not involved in this?" Layla asked.

"Some people need to distract the ladies of the court," Stella shrugged. "Mitzi has been getting agitated since Musa is failing to deliver her the prince on a silver platter. We do not want her getting wise that the rest of the group are flirting with his personal knights either. Mitzi is too proud to admit but you intimidate her, and Flora knows how to work a court without raising suspicions."

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Stella," Tecna said with an eye roll. "We have to take the prince's comment seriously so while Musa continues getting information from him, we will have to cover our end and try the knights."

The girls all nodded their heads.

"There was another thing too," Musa said getting the attention again. "Do you remember the conversation how Tecna and I overheard the prince talking about keeping Melodians away from the crystals?" The girls nodded their heads. "Well, all the knights wear them on their person somewhere and the prince wears them on the hilts of his weapons."

"So what? They would be very difficult to get," Bloom said. "You have to try getting them another way."

"But I did find one," Musa continued. "His dagger. The crystal on the hilt of the dagger fell off when the prince and I fought."

"You mean when you threw the dagger at his face?" Stella teased.

"Yes…." Musa said annoyed.

"So, wait, are you saying that a crystal is lying on the floor of the training room, undetected, ready for the taking?" Tecna asked.

Musa nodded her head.

"Then why are we sitting here drinking tea?" Flora asked, earning a teasing gasp from Stella and Layla. "We have to go back there and get it."

"She is right," Layla said. "If the Valkarians are so determined to keep Melodians away from them, then we are determined to get them back.'

The girls all nodded and snuck out of the music room, casually walking through the palace, until they got to the lower floors. Stella used her magic to fill the hallways with shadows, preventing someone from finding them. Since the prince was no longer down there, the risk of being caught increased. The group was silent as Musa led them to the very last training room at the back of the hall. The door was left ajar and Bloom gently placed her hand on the door and slowly pushed it open. When the group saw that the room was empty, they quickly entered, shutting the door behind them. Stella removed the shadows from the hallway and room.

"A crystal will refract light and give us an easier task in finding it on the floor," Stella said, halting everyone from crawling on their hands and knees.

Stella threw up her arm, casting a bright light in the room. The girls scanned the floor for a few seconds before a bright light refracted back near where the prince once stood. Musa rushed over to the crystal and carefully picked it up. As soon as she touched it, she felt an overwhelming relief wash over her and she gasped. The girls rushed to her side, but she shook her head. She opened her palm to reveal the crystal glowing a faint navy blue-purple hue, matching the colour Musa saw when she saw her magic with the guitar.

"Are you ok?" Flora whispered.

"I am," Musa said happily. "It is like….a warmth enveloped my entire body, like a hug."

"These crystals are a part of your realm, a part of you," Flora replied. "What you are feeling is natural. It is the same feeling we all get."

"The Valkarians see these as prizes of war," Musa began sadly. "Ripping away all crystals from us and donning them like trophies. I thought they were ceremonial, had a special meaning which is why my people fought to protect them, but this feeling….it has to be something else."

"Do you think they know the true meaning?" Stella asked.

Musa shook her head. "I do not know but most likely not. If they have a different purpose, then my people would not share that information to the enemy. The Valkarians wanted them because my people fought to protect them, that is all."

"Like a child wanting a toy because someone else wants it," Bloom said softly. "That is not right."

"What do we do now?" Layla asked.

"We have to find out why these crystals are more important than we realise," Musa said determined.

It was like the crystal heard Musa's voice and a warm buzzing started on her palm. Soon, the hue started flashing and buzzing at the same time. The girls looked down and stared at the crystal.

"What is that?" Stella asked worriedly.

"I….I do not know," Musa answered. She started to back away but Tecna noticed the flashing slightly increase in tempo.

"Stop!" Tecna said suddenly. Musa complied and the flashing slowly down a fraction. "The light and buzzing, it changes tempo when Musa moved."

"A homing signal?" Layla said confused. "How is that possible?"

"We must follow it," Tecna instructed. "That crystal heard your call, Musa. It must be taking us to the answer."

"How are we going to follow the crystal when Musa is still not allowed in certain areas of the palace?" Flora asked.

"I will alter the shadows again," Stella answered. "I can keep them along the walls just enough to be unnoticeable. I will guide us to where the crystal wants and keep the light from being seen."

"And what of Darcy?" Bloom grimaced. "She uses the shadows to move around and spy on people. The more shadows we create around us, the more access she has to follow us.

"She will not follow us," Musa replied. "Not without the king's permission. As long as she does not find anything suspicious to warrant his approval, she should not follow us."

"It is a big risk though," Bloom said. "I know I have been saying that a lot but—"

"No, you are right, Bloom," Musa said. "However, the more we get closer to achieving our goal, the more risk there is. We cannot keep letting the fear of risk stop us from finding our answers."

"She is right," Flora said as Stella, Tecna, and Layla nodded in agreement.

Bloom sighed. "Alright. Take us to wear the crystal wants, Musa."

Musa did just that. The group fell deathly silent as they softly walked in a single file along the palace walls as Stella used her magic to fold the light and cast shadows along their path. The entire trip had the group on edge as they passed groups of knights and courtiers. A pair making out against the wall of an abandoned hallway, right in their path, caused a challenge but Flora used her magic to call the plants in the next room to bang on the wall. The pair jumped, quickly fixing themselves as if someone were coming their way and retreated. The rest of the way was less intense. They climbed down a large flight of stairs, well past the training room floor, to a large hallway that Musa felt familiar with. Soon, two large oak doors stood before them, the size of two standard wall heights.

"Queen Matlin, yield!' an echo sounded in the hallway.

The group jumped and turned around but found nothing. Musa knew why the hallway looked so eerily familiar. It was the hallway that she watched her mother die in. Tears immediately formed in her eyes and she tried to force them away. The crystal was now buzzing with such intensity that Musa was struggling to keep hold of it.

"What is this place?" Stella asked in amazement, as she moved towards the doors and found them locked.

"This…." Musa whispered brokenly. "This is where I last saw my mother."

"Musa…." Flora said as the other girls gasped.

"She….she took me here….." Musa stuttered, forcing herself to remain strong. "There….to the left…somewhere is a hidden passage."

"Now she tells us," Layla whispered to Bloom under her breath, earning a nudge.

"I do not….I do not know how….she used it. It just appeared. We….we followed it down so many hallways….down a flight of stairs….to here."

Musa ignored her friends' sympathetic looks and gazes as she slowly walked up to the large double doors. She gently placed a hand on it and the crystal immediately stopped. The girls were silent. The crystal led them to where Musa's nightmares all started. Before they said another word, a loud groaning sound echoed, and gold light shone on the edges of the doors before slowly opening before Musa. The girls gasped and ran towards Musa, ready to defend her. A gust of wind sprung from the open doors, causing the girls to fall backwards towards the ground. Once it settled, Musa looked up and cried out. There, hovering in the centre of the large room was a giant pink crystal. Upon sensing each other, the mini crystal in Musa's hands hovered in the air above her palm, glowing with the same pink intensity as the giant crystal. A gold light joined the small crystal and it transformed into a beautiful necklace with a gold link chain, much like Musa's mother used to wear.

"Hide in there, my lovely Musa," Queen Matlin's voice sounded in Musa's mind. "The great crystal will protect you."

"The great crystal…." Musa repeated softly, almost in a trance.

The girls looked at Musa in silence as she took the crystal necklace hovering in front of her and placed it over her neck. The instant the necklace touched her skin, Musa's eyes shone the same bright pink light as the crystal.

"Princess Musa of Melody, daughter of music," a voice echoed the hallway, like a whisper on the wind around the group of girls. "Welcome home."

Suddenly the light stopped, and Musa's eyes returned to normal, as the large oak doors slowly closed and locked again.

"I think we just found the amplifier," Tecna whispered in amazement.


Darcy knew that something was up. She felt it all afternoon as she tried to have lunch with a few courtiers. She had not felt it that morning, but it came on so suddenly, like she could breathe just a bit easier. Shadows. There were more shadows in the palace. Darcy did not know how for the day was completely sunny. The shadows were not natural. As far as she knew, Darcy was the only one capable of creating unnatural shadows on sunny days like today.

Without uttering a word, Darcy excused herself from the table and immediately stormed out of the room, heading directly for the king. It had to be the Siren and her little fan club. Before they arrived, Darcy had never felt the charge before. They were up to something and Darcy was going to make sure that she knew what.

Darcy shoved the two guards that stood either side of the king's private office aside and banged on the door. The king sighed in annoyance, knowing exactly who was on the other side, and groaned out permission. Darcy threw open both doors and slammed them shut behind her before storming to the king. The king watched as Darcy angrily slammed her palms on top of the desk.

"The Siren is up to something, Sire," Darcy said firmly.

Tired of having the same conversation over again, the king dropped his pen and slowly lent back in his chair.

"I warned you, Darcy," the king said annoyed. "If this turns into another run around, I will severely punish you. You are fully aware that my time is precious."

"I felt an increase of shadow activity this afternoon."

"That means nothing to me."

"How can shadows increase in certain parts of the castle on a disgustingly beautiful, sunny day like today? I am the only one capable of creating unnatural shadows but today I felt it. I felt an increase in shadows. Someone clearly created them to avoid being caught."

The information surprisingly had merit, the king thought.

"I am listening."

"There is someone in the palace who wanted to hide what they were doing, and I never felt this feeling before the Winx turned up. Sire, allow me to have them followed."

The king was quiet as he considered the information Darcy brought to him. He was getting tired of Darcy over thinking and misinterpreting things, but he could not deny her magical abilities. Who was he to say what she felt was correct or not? If she found nothing then the following would be a fool's arrand, nothing more. But if she found something, something that threatened all he had accomplished for his wife, then it would be worth it.

"Very well," the king said. "Follow them but do not allow them to discover you. If you find anything, you are to report to me immediately. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Sire," Darcy said with a bow and smirk. Soon she would finally discover what the Siren was up to.


"Why do I have to go back there?" Musa asked as the girls returned to the music room after discovering the large crystal.

The girls all sat on the couches with their tea long cold on the coffee table. Musa was confused as the words of her friends echoed in her mind. After the group got over the shock at discovering where the amplifier was, and that it was a giant crystal, Tecna raised the concern of the prince discovering the crystal missing from his dagger.

"Musa," Bloom began. "Tecna is right. Now that the crystal has transformed into a necklace, it cannot be returned to the dagger."

"I do not want to return it," Musa said determined.

"But if something is not replaced back on the dagger, someone will discover that it is missing. It would put you and the whole plan in danger."

Stella stood up and her hands glowed a bright yellow before suddenly disappearing. Hovering between her hands was an exact replica of the crystal before it transformed into the necklace.

"This is a copy," Stella said, taking the crystal in her hand. "It is not a real crystal so we have to make sure no one stares closely at it, but it would be enough to fool the prince once it is returned to the hilt."

"That is why you need to go back," Tecna said. "We need you to go and see if his dagger is still in the room and replace the crystal back on the hilt."

"What if the dagger is not there? He sometimes keeps it on his belt with his sword."

"We will figure it out if we cross that bridge," Bloom said seriously. "But the crystal has been gone too long. Any minute the prince or someone else may discover that it is missing and will come looking for it. They will immediately suspect it has been stolen."

"Technically, they are not wrong," Layla joked.

"Yes, but we cannot risk exposure," Tecna agreed.

Musa sighed sadly and took the fake crystal from Stella. "Fine, I will do it." She had a feeling that she would regret the decision.


To maintain their cover, the girls all left the music room and split off into pairs to speak to courtiers and make themselves seen in the palace. They had been gone too long from the public eye. Tecna waved her friend off as she returned to her other maid duties that afternoon, knowing Musa had to return the crystal on her own. Musa walked throughout the palace, greeting courtiers and knights as normal before sneaking back into the training room. She had a bit of time before her dinner with the royal family and hoped that she could easily slip in and out without detection. Musa still felt weird about the situation with the prince, particularly the strange feeling they experienced, and felt a wave of embarrassment. She could not explain it and until she did, she did not want to be with the prince. She needed more time to get her feelings on straight.

Musa was relieved to find the training room empty again and snuck back into the room without trouble. She rushed over to the weapons area on the other side of the room, her heart bursting out of her chest when she found the dagger sitting on top of the table with the rest of the training ones. Something at the back of Musa's mind thought it was odd that the prince's personal dagger was in the training room, but she ignored the feeling. She quickly pulled the fake crystal from her dress pocket with super glue from Tecna and carefully resealed the crystal back on the dagger hilt. Musa managed to carefully put the dagger back and put the glue back in her dress when she heard the training room door close behind her. Musa jumped and turned around, her hand clutching her chest, finding Prince Riven standing with his arms crossed in front of the closed door.

"Never drop your guard," the prince said firmly as he eyed Musa.

"Your Highness," Musa said breathlessly, her heart still beating fast in her chest.

The prince was silent as he looked at her before his eyes slowly went to the weapons next to her.

"What are you doing here?"

Musa stared at the prince and saw that he was back in his workout clothes, sadly still with the shirt on, realising he must have returned to complete his training. It explained why the dagger was on the table. Musa wanted to smack herself in the face. He was right. She should not have let her guard down.

"Ah…I am ready to get back at it."

The prince raised an eyebrow at Musa, her face immediately blushing at the secondary interpretation of her words. The awkward moment she experienced with the prince came flooding back and she wanted to die then and there.

"The training, I mean!" She rushed out. "I am ready to get back at training."

"Is that true?" Musa nodded. "So, let me ask you something, Lady Musa. Why did you ask me to train you if you wanted so many breaks? I mean, why are we wasting our time?"

"You are not wasting your time, Your Highness. I am learning a lot—"

"If it is more important for you to have breaks than to train for a potential attack, then you do not have what it takes to take this seriously. So, until that changes, you need to leave."

The prince was about to gesture to the door when Musa quickly rushed over and placed a hand on his bicep, stilling his movements.

"Wait," she said rushed. Musa could not let the opportunity slip through her fingers. "I am sorry. You are right. I need to have more dedication and I am not used to any of this defence training. I am still getting used to it, but I am getting better. I promise you; you are not wasting your time. I am learning a lot. I had hoped that you were here as I want to resume our session. You said that we could finish it later?"

The prince looked into Musa's eyes for a minute before looking down her body and back to her face.

"Then why are you not in your training clothes from earlier?"

Musa stilled for a second realising her mistake. She needed to come up with an excuse, and fast.

"I….I thought that since….attacks are random, I should prepare for anything, even if it means fighting in a dress. As you said, the opponent would not wait for me to change clothes."

The answer seemed to satisfy the prince for he nodded his head and gently pushed Musa into the centre of the room.

"Very well," he said and took a step back from Musa.

The prince did not hesitate, he threw out his arm to punch Musa, but she blocked it as she was taught. He took a step towards Musa ready to throw another, but she anticipated the move and dove under his arm. Musa popped up behind the prince. He sensed her and immediately dropped low to a leg sweep. Musa learnt from her mistakes and jumped, missing the sweep. Musa stumbled when she got back to her feet due to the weight of the dress, but she persevered.

"Good," the prince said with a neutral tone when he got back on his feet.

Musa wanted to cheer at finally avoiding her butt hitting the floor again, but she could not. She felt the dull ache in her hips from that morning's workout start coming and it distracted her long enough to narrowly avoid an arm swipe by the prince. She stumbled over the dress again and fell. So much for her victory. The prince took a few steps towards Musa. She waited until he was close enough, and then kicked out, catching him in the lower leg. The prince grunted as Musa jumped to her feet, ignoring the ache of the bruised hip. She whirled to the right, and the prince jumped to block her, but she darted to the left. He came right back at her, and Musa kicked out once more—

He caught her by the ankle. Musa gasped, her arms pinwheeled until she steadied herself. Wide-eyed, Musa stared at him. He raised his eyebrows as his gaze travelled the length of her bare leg. "Interesting," he murmured with a smirk. Musa immediately regretted her fashion choice. He dropped her ankle, but before Musa could prepare for a blow to him, the prince caught her arm and yanked her forward.

Suddenly, Musa was against him and on the tops of her toes. Air seized in her lungs at the sudden contact. She was suddenly aware that her breasts were flattened against the hard sculpture of his chest. Thank god he was wearing a shirt, otherwise Musa would have been a bubbling embarrassment. The warmth of his body seemed to bleed through the fabric though, sinking through the thin material of Musa's gown. She internally cursed at the dress. The material left little to the imagination as it was a Valkarian design. Mitzi took it from one of the courtiers after they did not want it. She thought it was perfect for Musa. A flash of heat rolled through Musa as she dragged in a deep breath. He smelled of dark spice, a scent only attributed to him. A flush crept into Musa's cheeks. The prince seemed to sense the heat from Musa too for he stilled against her. The pair stared at each other, breathing deeply from their exercise, waiting for the other to say something or continue their training. From the way she was pinned against his chest, Musa knew that she would be unable to escape the prince's hold unless he allowed it. Her brain was torn between wanting to remain where she was and being far from him.

"Training can wait," the prince eventually said softly, his gaze intensifying "We must stop."

Musa's instantly felt disappointment at his words. "Why?" she whispered.

"The dress is…. impeding your movements. It will be the death of you if you continue stumbling. It….it will also be the death of me."

Musa's eyes widened at the prince's remark. Unfortunately, now that she was pinned against the prince, she could not ignore his strange comments by fighting or running away. She had to face them. Although she needed his trust for the plan to succeed, she was not sure how ready she was for it to come to fruition.

"What happened before, I know you felt it. The electricity."

"I…." Musa gulped. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"Yes, you do. I know you feel the heat between us. I feel your heart slamming against your chest. The pleasure you felt before."

"..No…" Musa tried to move but the prince's grip slightly tightened. She looked away, trying to escape the intensity of his stare.

"It is ok," he said softly.

"No, it is not," Musa said, trying to will the tears away. She will not admit what she felt, particularly not for the prince. He was her enemy; she was not allowed to feel that way.

"I felt it too. I have tried to deny it, but I cannot anymore. You asked me before why I cared. The answer is because I care about you. I care about what happens to you, I care if you can defend yourself."

"You should not. You cannot. I cannot."

"Look at me." Musa shook her head. "Look at me, Musa."

The use of her name without any titles or labels shocked Musa to her core, forcing her to look at the prince with wide, teary eyes. Musa felt one of the prince's arms leave her arm to caress her cheek while the other trailed down to her waist, keeping her close to him.

"I…..I am the Siren…..Your Highness."

"I do not care."

Musa gasped. "I cannot believe you just said that."

"I did. And I will say it again. I do not care what you are."

"But….all those times….I do not understand. You were mad that I was not a Valkarian. That I was pretending."

"Yes, I do not like you pretending. I do not care what you are, and I do not like you pretending to be something you are not."

"I am Melodian. You cannot and should not be saying these things."

"Your blood is Melodian, yes, but you are Musa. Strong like a Valkarian, kind and independent like no other."

"There are so many reasons why you should not be saying these things."

"There are so many reasons why I should not be feel this way and say them to you, and yet, I still do not care. I have fought it, but I cannot no longer."

Musa's heart was screaming at her brain to let the prince kiss her. Her brain, on the other hand, thought it was terrible. Yes, she needed to seduce the prince, and this was a golden opportunity, but Musa's emotions were fighting with her rational, and that was always a recipe for disaster and heartbreak. He was a Valkarian. It was forbidden. He would not want her once he discovered that she was loyal to Melody until the end. He may not care about her blood, but he does not know her true loyalties. He would not want her after it was all over. The prince's hand flattened against her cheek now, and a sigh shuddered through him.

"However, Valkarians value honour and I am not…..I am not being honourable now." His hand slid, and his fingers curled around the nape of Musa's neck for a few seconds before he slipped his hand away. "One word from you will silence me on the matter forever.

Forever? No, Musa thought. She had to seduce him for information. That was her primary goal and here it was, hand delivered on a silver platter and she was chickening out? He said so himself, it would silence him forever and if she ran away from it, the opportunity would not come back again. The rebellion would be lost.

"Your Highness?" Musa whispered, gaining the prince's attention. Her heart crashed like thunder against her chest. She would do anything for the rebellion. "Kiss me. Please."

The prince went so still against Musa that she was not sure if he even took a breath. The request shocked him – shocked her! Musa had never said anything like that in her life. Was she that desperate to not let the opportunity slip through her fingers, literally? Perhaps….or was her heart finally taking over her brain? Her brain was screaming at her to take those words back, that it was wrong and he was the enemy but…..she would not. She could not take back those words. At that realisation, Musa thought she might have stopped breathing. She was pulled from her internal struggle when one hand returned to her cheek.

"You never have to beg."

Before Musa had a chance to comprehend the prince's reply, his lips brushed over hers. She gasped at the soft contact, surprised at how tough and rough his exterior was but how soft the kiss was. Musa swore she felt his lips curve against hers in a smirk. The only thing going through her mind at that moment was 'thank god he was a good kisser'. Were all Valkarians that good? Finally, they were good for something. Tiny shivers hit every part of Musa's body, taking her breath away. She trembled as her hands curled into the front of his shirt, slightly wishing he took it off for training like before. This was Musa's first kiss, and it surprisingly did not disappoint. The gentleness of it shocked her, shaking her to her core. Suddenly, the prince tilted his head, increasing the pressure, deepening the kiss. The passion she felt with every stroke of his lips continued to leave Musa breathless. The pair gasped when they eventually parted, their chests rising and falling quickly. Musa noticed his eyes had a bright magenta colour, the edges slightly glowing, like the Melodian and Valkarian blood in him were fighting, and the Melodian winning as it called towards her. That was when she realised that things were a lot more difficult now. Musa did it, she finally won the prince, but she was also struggling to deny her affection for the enemy.


So what did you all think? Was the slow burn worth it? I hope it was :)

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Till next time!

~AngelAlexandra~