Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year, loyal readers! Thank you for your continued patience with this story and the long waits between updates. As mentioned previously, I prefer giving readers long chapters which take time to write and review before uploading, particularly as I was busy over the holiday.
As a special thank you for waiting patiently and as a Christmas present to you all, I will be uploading chapters 25 and 26! The moment you have been waiting for has arrived - Musa and Riven's confrontation. I hope you all love it and it was worth the wait.
Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club or any of its characters, except for my OCs. I also do not own the song featured in this story. It is "I Gotta Find You" sung by Joe Jonas in Camp Rock.
I recommend playing this while reading when you get to this part of the chapter and have saved this song for this moment for months. Been difficult to keep a secret but again I hope it was worth the wait.
I am completely awed at the reaction I have gotten for this story. It has blown my mind and I cannot thank you all enough for the support. I have reached over 250 reviews! This is truly the most successful story I have written and I thank you all so much! This story has been planned for a long time and was in my head while writing other stories. Thank you all!
A big shout out to the following readers who reviewed the previous chapter:
SapphireBlues, You Don't Know Me150, SunshinewithHurricane, Melanie, AngelCutie ChildAtHeart, Prim, Whelefhie, MarinaTheSea, EmotionalBerry, PigtailswithBangs, and all Guest reviewers.
Musa had imagined a lot of ways her conversation with Sir Hammon to go. The worst-case scenario was that he tried to kill her. The best-case scenario was that Sir Hammon was Melodian and all of Musa's problems would suddenly disappear. She imagined a lot of yelling, a lot of tears, perhaps even a fight brought on by frustration and anger. Sir Hammon's question though was something she did not prepare for. If she was being honest to herself, no, she never did wonder who gave her the cupcake. She just assumed Tecna had managed to get around it. The silence in the room was deafening as Musa stared at Sir Hammon in shock. The smug look on his face would normally have irritated her but she had no retort to wipe it off. He was right.
"I take it from the silence, Your Highness, that you never did ask yourself that question."
"You…..you are lying."
Sir Hammon released a sigh of annoyance and rolled his eyes. Clearly, he was over keeping composure.
"You would think someone would get whip lash by the number of times we go around the same topics over and over again."
"Do not dare make jokes."
"I am not. I am stating a fact. Is this how you expect to run a realm, Your Highness? By putting yourself on repeat?"
"How dare you!" Musa yelled. "You have no idea what it takes to run a realm."
"Neither do you and your temper tantrum does not make me forget that you have not answered my question."
"Fine! I never asked, I never thought about it."
"Now who is lying?"
"I am not!"
"Let me guess, you and Miss Tecna were surprised by the cupcake, hoped that it was the prince and you got inspired to convince the prince to fall for you and take the army secrets he shared with you to the rebellion?"
Musa's face instantly went red. From embarrassment or anger? Musa was not sure, could be both. That was exactly what happened.
"Did you ever think about that moment afterwards? Ever wondered if your gut was correct?"
"It was not him."
"Are you sure about that?"
"For the sake of argument, let us say you are correct, that it was the prince who sent me the birthday cupcake. Why do you think it should change anything?"
Sir Hammon gave a soft chuckle. "Your Highness, for years you two grew up together then he is sent away to boarding school. During that time, he became the rebellion leader and comes back to save everything you hold dear. He was supposed to protect you from afar and yet the first thing he did when he got back was send you a birthday cupcake and protected you from his father's rath. Does that sound like something a double-crosser would do?"
Musa was silent and she casted her eyes over to the other side of the room. Again, Sir Hammon left her speechless. Why would someone do that if they had planned to double cross them for a crown? Sure, they grew up in the same house as kids, but they never interacted.
"I….I thought he hated me…." Musa whispered brokenly. Her face started heating up and she knew she was close to tears.
Sir Hammon's face quickly changed from polite smugness to shocked, then quickly replaced with caring. He slowly walked up to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"My dear, why would you think that?" Sir Hammon asked quietly.
A few tears escaped her eyes which Musa quickly wiped away. She kept her focus on the other side of the room refusing to meet the pity in the knight's face. She had to be stronger. She could not let emotion cloud her. She had been doing so well since she woke up. Well, anger-filled fighting aside.
"I…..we never interacted as kids, and if we did it was always with cold indifference mainly from his side."
"Are you sure?" Sir Hammon gently asked. "I protected both of you growing up and I do remember a certain young spit fire who liked defying authority, particularly oppressors."
Musa smirked at the joke causing Hammon to gently squeeze her shoulder in comfort.
"I did try. When no adults were around I tried to find some form of friendship with someone, even if it was the king's son but…..he acted….it made me think he hated me. Hated that I was Melodian."
"I hate to sound like a broken record but are you sure about that?"
Musa was silent as the dream she had flooded back to her. That was only a few weeks ago but it felt like a lifetime.
"Release her!" the boy suddenly yelled angrily and kicked one of the men's legs out from underneath him.
The knight yelped and released his hold on Musa's arm to brace his fall. The second knight, taken completely off guard by the sudden weight, dropped Musa and she fell on her hands on the tiles.
"Riven! Do not interfere!"
The boy ignored the man's order again and glared at the knights, daring them to touch the girl again.
"Mother is avenged," the boy said grimly. "Leave the girl."
"Son, this is none of your concern."
"Sire, your son might be right. If we left this little Siren, we need some sort of encouragement to show the Melodians what happens when they defy you."
"I do not care," the young boy said with disinterest. "She's now lost a mum too. Leave her alone, Father."
"He….he protected me as a child, when you all came."
"He did," Sir Hammon answered. "He was a child who simply saw a young girl who just watched her mum die and could not let you suffer. It had nothing to do with your blood or his."
"He….he was trying to do the right thing."
"Always has," Sir Hammon chuckled. "The prince has faults, Your Highness, and he does have blood on his hands but not Melodian blood."
"He ordered his men to hurt my people."
"No, he was leader of the army for a time, that is true, but under his command he never ordered them to hurt your people."
"He has hurt others for this father though."
Sir Hammon was silent for a moment. "We all have blood on our hands in some shape or form, Your Highness. We all have things in our past we wish to erase but we cannot. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and strive to be better. Despite that, his heart is true. For the sake of the rebellion, hear him out. He may have Valkarian blood, but he also has Melodian blood. Remember, he is saving his mother's people too. Why would he double cross his own people? He is a child of both worlds and is learning to connect with the other half of himself."
A knock on the door sounded and the pair turned to see Faragonda standing in the half open doorway.
"Apologies for interrupting but Your Highness, it is time."
"Time for what?" Musa asked confused.
"There is something your father and I wish to show you."
At the mention of her father, Musa gave a smile to Sir Hammon before rushing out of the room. Standing in the hallway was her father and she jumped into his arms.
"I hope you did not give Hammon a hard time?" Hoe-Bo chuckled.
"She was tamed, Sire," Hammon replied as he walked out of the doorway next.
"Good and thank you, Hammon, for keeping an eye on her all this time."
"It was an honour, Sire," Hammon said before he bowed and left the trio alone in the hallway.
"My dear, I know you have been through a lot and are still being hit with things since you woke up, but I do have a surprise for you."
Musa could not help the smile that appeared as she took her dad's arm and allowed him and Faragonda to lead her down numerous hallways. They followed the similar path she took to get to the meeting room however they took a left before the eating area and headed down a new hallway. Musa was silent as she tried to remember the journey. Soon, the trio stopped at a new set of doors with a treble clef on the front in gold paint.
Musa gave a questioning look to Faragonda and her father before Hoe-Bo chuckled and said, "go ahead, open them."
Musa did as instructed and gently opened both doors and stopped short. A large ballroom sized room was inside. A small mezzanine sat at the back wall and all kinds of instruments were laid on the left-hand side of the room on the wooden floor. On the right side were potion ingredients and potion bottles on shelves, and training equipment at the back underneath the mezzanine.
"Welcome Musa to the music room," Faragonda said happily as she gently pushed Musa further into the room.
"The rebellion had this specially made for Melodians to practice music, for people to watch on the mezzanine level, and for fairies to practice their magic with Faragonda," Hoe-Bo explained.
"This….this is….." Musa stuttered but could not find the words.
Her gaze drifted over the instruments, multiple guitars of various kinds, violins, drums, trumpets and a grand piano, were scattered on one side of the room. As soon as she saw the piano, she rushed over and ran her fingers over the white keys.
"I know this piano is not the same as your mother's in the palace but we hope that it will be enough for you to practice your magic," Faragonda explained.
"And practice your music," Hoe-Bo added. "I promise we will get your mother's piano back. Faragonda was kind enough to lend us the school's instruments for now."
"It is amazing," Musa said as tears filled her eyes. "Truly it is."
"You are welcome here anytime, my dear," Faragonda said. "Everyone is permitted to play music here. No one will be punished for it."
"And I will help teach you music, Musa, if you want."
"Of course! It is more than I could have hoped for," Musa said before she ran to the two adults and pulled them into a hug. "Thank you."
"Would you like a lesson now?" Hoe-Bo offered.
"Normally I would but there is something else that I need to do, Father," Musa said with an apologetic smile.
Hoe-Bo nodded his head in understanding. "Another time then. Do you need us to escort you somewhere?"
"Thank you but I think I will be ok. I will see you two at dinner?"
"Would not miss it for the world," Hoe-Bo answered.
Musa gave her father and Faragonda another hug before she quickly walked out of the room. She wanted to play that piano to her heart's content but seeing the room and how it came together made her yearn for her mother. It reminded her of the music room back home and how she wanted to be close to her mum. Since they were in Magix and a long way from home, there was very little around that made Musa feel close to her, but she knew there was one thing that her friends smuggled out. After a few minutes and one too many dead ends, Musa managed to find her room. She rushed over to the wooden chest at the foot of her bed and opened it. She rummaged amongst the few items the girls smuggled out of the palace during the raid and found what she was looking for. Musa closed the book it was hiding in and slowly sat on the bed staring at the handwritten envelope in her hands. Musa had been avoiding reading the letter ever since she found it but now more than ever did she want to feel close to her mum. Sometimes a girl just needed her mother. With a slow steady breath, Musa gently unsealed the wax on the back and pulled out the letter. She instantly recognised her mother's beautiful handwriting, she always loved calligraphy.
My darling Musa,
If you are reading this then I am no longer in the physical world and for that, I am eternally sorry. Please know that I would never intentionally leave you and know that although you cannot see me now, someday you will. I am always with you, never forget that. Every day you wake up, I am there watching you. Every time you hurt; I am at your side. There are many things that I want to say in this letter but there is not enough time or words to do that. I wrote this letter after the passing of a dear friend of mine, Queen Miranda of Valkaris. Whatever stories you have heard about her passing are not true and anything that followed that was not your fault. Nothing that happened to me, or your father was your fault.
We tried everything we could to prevent evilness from spreading in the world and if I am not with you today, it is not because I failed but it is because fate has put that responsibility on you. I am sorry that the burden has been put on your shoulders, my darling daughter. I am sorry for not watching you grow up into the kind, beautiful, strong young woman that I saw when I first looked into your eyes. I know now that my role was to bring you into this world to help stop evil from reigning and bring Melody into a peaceful new era. Never doubt that you are loved, my darling. You are surrounded by so much love that you may not see it now. It is in the hearts of the family around you, your father, your friends, your people. My love for you is eternal and it is with you every day and my spirit is always with you. I am sure you have many questions that I was unable to give you growing up. The answers you seek are in the Melodian crystals. They give us strength, you give us all hope for a better future, and the love around you will protect you. Never let people change who you are, my darling daughter. You light up anyone's world by your presence, your voice is angelic and deserves to be heard by the world. Do not let people steal your light or your voice and, if they make you think they did, it is because they are jealous. As a child you were always making new friends; with the staff, your people, other royals, and your smile was infectious.
Love is not weakness, Musa, it is our biggest strength and only through love can we bring peace. Never change who you are and never let anyone take away your light. My little light bringer. I know you may be hurting right now but I am always with you. I love you, Musa, and I know we will see each other again.
All my love,
Mum xoxo
Tears were rushing out of Musa's eyes as she finished reading the letter. Musa clutched it to her chest as she fell back against the pillows. She thought that she would feel closer to her mum after reading the letter but now she felt further away from her. Though what her mum said did make Musa feel a bit better. Of course, her mum would know just what to say in her letter without even knowing.
"So, Timster has found himself a lady?" Brandon cheered as he walked with Helia, Sky, Nabu and Timmy down the hallway.
Brandon pulled Timmy into his side and ruffled his hair like a child. Timmy playfully pushed him away and tried to fix his hair while the others laughed.
"Cut it out, Brandon," Timmy said as he fixed his hair.
"What? It is not every day that the nerd finds a girlfriend."
"We have not officially put a label on things," Timmy corrected.
"From what I hear though you two were pretty cosy in the hallway," Brandon smirked.
Timmy stopped short as his face lit up like a hundred tomatoes.
"What? How did you know that?"
Sky scoffed. "We all know, Timmy. A couple making out in a hallway near one of the most public rooms is not exactly subtle."
"Well, you know it was not one of my best decisions," Timmy coughed out as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I am happy for you, Timmy," Helia said with a smile. "The others are just jealous."
"Jealous?" Brandon scoffed. "We are not jealous. I am happy for you, Timmy, I am just teasing."
"Besides, Brandon has been secretly meeting up with Princess Stella between training sessions," Sky teased.
The others gasped and started teasing Brandon and playfully shoving him.
"How did you know that?"
"Princess Bloom likes to talk," Sky replied with a smirk.
"Between make-outs," Brandon pretended to cough to hide his comment.
"And yet Helia and I are struggling to get close to Princess Layla and Flora," Nabu sighed.
"How are you two struggling?" Sky asked. "I thought Helia has been getting time with Flora while working in the med bay with the other Linpheans?"
"Yes, but she is not the easiest to start a conversation with," Helia said quietly.
"But she sees so nice," Timmy said confused.
"Oh, she is! She is an angel sent to live amongst the mortals," Helia swooned. "She just seems to stutter and be short with me. She is lovely, do not get me wrong but-"
"Dude, she is crazy for you," Brandon laughed. "She sounds nervous around you because she likes you. Just be up front and ask her out."
"Ask her out? We are in the middle of a war."
"Even more of a reason to cut out the middleman and be straight with her. Why waste time during war? We are on limited time."
"I would say borrowed time," Timmy corrected.
"Well that just sounds like we are all destined to die in this war," Nabu said with an eye roll.
The sound of piano keys echoing down the hall towards the group halted their bickering.
"Is someone finally using the music room?" Sky asked confused.
"It should not come as a surprise since the king showed Musa the room earlier today from what I heard," Timmy said.
"She is finally playing music? After the ass kicking she gave Darcy before with a small amount of winx and music power, I would love to see what happens now," Brandon said before running down the hallway.
The others shrugged before running down the hallway towards the music room. The group halted and Brandon slowly opened one of the doors and peaked inside. What he saw was not what he was expecting. Brandon quickly closed the door and turned back to the group.
"What?" Sky asked.
"You are not going to believe who is inside."
The others looked at each other with confusion before they grabbed both doors and opened them loudly causing the person inside to stop playing the keys.
"What the hell are you guys doing?" The person inside asked confused.
The boys quickly shut the doors and rightened themselves. Brandon casually leant against the door and gave a smirk to the person sitting at the piano.
"The real question is, what are you doing, Riven?" Brandon asked.
Riven sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes.
"Something that apparently you all will turn into a big deal."
The group walked over to Riven as he sat casually at the piano, his hands now off the keys.
"We are just surprised to see you in here," Helia said. "We thought Musa would be after her father showed it to her earlier."
"Firstly, do not let her catch you calling her by her name. She will kick your ass, trust me, I know."
"I thought she allowed you to call her that, because, you know, she kissed you," Brandon smirked.
Riven instantly stood up from the stool, causing it to tumble to the floor, and the others jumped away from the piano. Riven's gaze turned dark and his expression serious as he stared at his friend.
"Do not say that again," Riven threatened.
"Why? It is true," Brandon said. "Sky and Timmy told us as much. They saw you kiss while undercover."
Helia rubbed the bridge of his nose as he sent a silent prayer for him as Nabu, Timmy and Sky took another step away from Brandon. He sure knew the best way to get killed. Riven stared at his friend for a second before he smirked. The look normally would calm him if it was seen on someone else but since it was Riven, it was a look a predator would give a prey knowing that they cornered them before pouncing. Within a second Riven had pulled Brandon close by his arm and spun him around so his arm was pinned to his back. Then he pushed him against the piano, pinning him.
"Ow, man! That hurts!" Brandon yelled.
"Good," Riven replied. "Let me tell you this once more. Do not say that again."
Riven held on for a few more seconds before releasing Brandon completely and stepping away. Brandon stood upright and rolled his shoulder to loosen it again.
"Jeez, man, what is with you? You are very touchy lately."
"Let me think on that," Riven replied sarcastically. "I just betrayed my father, fought with him, had to kill some of my men that were trying to kill all of us, saved the woman who lied to me and called me a monster, and we are hiding under ground. Cannot think why."
The group was silent for a moment after Riven's rant. They normally do not get straight answers from him, and they went to school together.
"So….the piano is to what, relax you?" Brandon asked.
Riven rolled his eyes. "I am trying to, you know, learn more about my mother's heritage. I thought playing a few keys would make me feel closer to her somehow."
"But you do not know how to play piano," Brandon said.
"She did though, from what I remember at least."
"Is that why you learnt the guitar at Red Fountain?" Sky asked.
"I thought playing music would be a good step in learning more about Melodian culture," Riven shrugged. "But my father banned music once mother died so I could never play it on Melody. I guess he could not handle the memory of her without feeling pain."
"You did learn about your mother at Red Fountain, and about Melody," Helia said gently.
"Does not seem enough though," Riven said sadly. "There is still so much I do not know about Melodian culture. I want to know what it was like for her as a child, how all kids grew up on Melody, you know before my father ruined it all."
"Have you tried asking the king?" Nabu asked. "I am sure he would be willing to answer any questions. He also was friends with your parents before your mother died too."
"Does not seem appropriate. He is the king, and I am merely a soldier here."
"You are the rebel leader, he needs you as much as we need him," Sky replied. "You are the person who helped save him and his daughter and bringing hope to stop your father. I am sure asking questions about your mum and her life is not inappropriate."
"I just like how music makes me feel, seems enough at the moment," Riven said. "I will think about asking the king later."
"How does the music make you feel?" Brandon asked interested.
Riven shrugged. "Whole. Like a part of me is not missing. Stronger or empowered. I know this all sounds crazy."
"It is not crazy," Helia said. "I feel the same with my art. You are part Melodian. Makes sense for the music to have some impact on you, even if it is small. Is there something that you want to play now to feel closer to her? Maybe we can help."
"Well…..there may be something but I can play by myself. You all have other more important things to take care of."
"You are our friend, Riven," Sky said, clasping his hand on Riven's shoulder. "If you are needing some connection to your mother and we can help, then we will. Look, how about you take the guitar, and we will jump in where we can. Just play what is on your mind."
"This seems silly."
"This is what Melodians do, Riven," Helia said with a smile. "They play what they are feeling. Music gives them strength; the crystals just amplify them. Crystals cannot create music, so just give it a go. There is no harm in trying."
"We promise not to make fun of you either," Brandon joked.
Riven smirked and rolled his eyes at his friend.
"Fine," Riven said as he walked over to the instruments and picked up an acoustic guitar and sat on one of the nearby seats, back facing the piano.
"That is the spirit," Helia said with a smile before he sat on one of the other chairs with the rest of the boys.
Riven was silent for a moment as he felt his friends' stares on him. He never played in front of people, only ever played in the comfort of his tutor's room at Red Fountain, and it had been a long time since he held a guitar. He took a few breaths before he ignored his friends and started strumming his fingers on the strings.
"Every time I think I'm closer to the heart
Of what it means to know just who I am
I think I've finally found a better place to start
But no one ever seems to understand
I need to try to get to where you are
Could it be you're not that far
You're the voice I hear inside my head
The reason that I'm singing
I need to find you
I gotta find you"
The boys were shocked at Riven's singing ability and how he remembered to play guitar after all that time. Sky looked around the music area and saw an electric guitar and set of drums. He nudged Brandon and pointed to the area who nodded in response.
"You're the missing piece I need
The song inside of me
I need to find you
I gotta find you
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah"
Riven's eyes opened in surprise at the introduction of the drums and electric guitar. He looked up and saw Sky playing the electric guitar and Brandon on the drums. They gave an encouraging smile for Riven to continue. Riven hated to admit it, but he did feel a bit better playing the song and guitar after so long. He wrote the song when he discovered his true heritage at Red Fountain but never thought he could play it aloud. As he continued to play, Riven felt a bit lighter, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"You're the remedy I'm searching hard to find
To fix the puzzle that I see inside
Panting all my dreams the colour of your smile
When I find you it will be alright"
Unbeknownst to the group but the introduction of additional instruments caused the music to echo not just outside the room but throughout multiple hallways in the complex. Musa laid silently on her bed still holding the letter to her chest when she heard the echoes of music coming through the walls. She slowly sat up confused but the melody was heartbreakingly beautiful, and it drew her to follow it. She laid the letter gently on the bed and opened her door, the sound slightly increasing upon stepping into the hallway. Musa walked down the end and turned the corner before coming to a quick stop to avoid hitting her friends.
"Musa!" Stella said happily. "There you are. We were just coming to find you."
"What is going on?"
Stella did not answer but simply grabbed her hand and started dragging her down the hallway with the others.
"There is something we need you to see," Bloom said excitedly.
Musa did not question her friends and merely let them steer her to their destination. Soon, the group arrived at a small single door in the hallway opposite the music room. Bloom signalled for everyone to be quiet before she slowly opened the door, the music further increasing, and quietly walked up a flight of stairs. The music was very loud when they reached the top and Musa realised they were on the mezzanine at the back of the music room. Musa was shocked to see other people on the mezzanine, including guards, Faragonda and her father. She smiled at her father before he walked up to her, hugged her, and gently turned her around. Musa stumbled a bit when she saw Riven and his men playing the beautiful melody and the Valkarian prince singing.
"I need to try to get to where you are
Could it be you're not that far
You're the voice I hear inside my head
The reason that I'm singing
I need to find you
I gotta find you"
Musa knew she needed to, but she could not stop the tears from forming in her eyes. She needed to get a grip on her emotions today. She could feel the prince's pain and hope in the music. He wanted to find the other half of himself. Hammon's words echoed in Musa's mind the more that Riven played.
'He is a child of both worlds and is learning to connect with the other half of himself.'
Perhaps Sir Hammon was right. If the prince was wanting to connect with his Melodian heritage, would there even be a chance that he would double-cross his mother's people?
"You're the missing piece I need
The song inside of me
I need to find you
I gotta find you
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah"
Musa loved the song and the music. They all were playing very well, and Musa could see that her father was impressed with Riven's singing. But there was something missing, another instrument was needed in there. Would that be admitting defeat? Hammon did have a good point that fighting internally would make the rebellion weak and she could not allow that to happen. He did have a good point. Suddenly, she quickly turned and started heading for the stairs again. Hoe-Bo quietly called after her, but it was ignored. The girls shrugged as they watched her friend leave. They were about to follow when Faragonda stopped them.
"I think she needs to figure this out on her own," she said.
Musa ran down the stairs, through open the door and ran down the hallway before taking a quick turn and coming up to the main doors of the music room. Musa took a deep breath, knowing what will happen once she went in, before quietly opening them.
The girls were shocked to see Musa down there, even more shocked were the boys. Helia shook his head to the others, seeing Riven's back was to Musa, and motioned for Sky and Brandon to continue playing like nothing happened. Musa started slowly walking over to the piano and quietly sat down, still unnoticed by the prince.
"Been feeling lost, can't find the words to say
Spending all my time, stuck in yesterday
Where you are is where I wanna be
Oh next to you
And you next to me"
The sound of a piano echoing caused Riven to turn and was stunned to find Musa sitting on the stool playing. Musa gave a small shy smile to Riven before nodding him to continue. Riven was too shocked at her appearance to notice that it was the first-time playing piano since she got caught by Darcy and Mitzi. Seeing Musa there and playing the song with him gave him confidence to continue.
"Oh, I need to find you
Yeah
You're the voice I hear inside my head
The reason that I'm singing
I need to find you
I gotta find you
Yeah, yeah
You're the missing piece I need
The song inside of me
I need to find you
I gotta find you
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah"
As the group continued to play, Riven stared at Musa who watched him play and sing and gave him a real smile. She was finally openly playing music in front of her father without fear of punishment. The song made her feel giddy, like he wrote it not just for himself but for her. He was singing to her, right? Seeing Riven's gaze as he continue to sing, almost like he was singing to her, made her heart skip a beat and after the longest time, she was not afraid of the feeling.
"You're the voice I hear inside my head
The reason that I'm singing
I need to find you
I gotta find you
You're the missing piece I need
The song inside of me
I need to find you
I gotta find you
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, I gotta find you"
Once the song was over, the people on the mezzanine erupted in applause. Riven broke his gaze from Musa to turn to the mezzanine and was shocked. His gaze drifted over the rebels to Faragonda and girls to finally the king of Melody, who clapped loudly as he stood above him. When the cheering finished, the king gently cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention.
"Well, Riven, you are a creature of many talents," Hoe-Bo chuckled. "I must say that I am impressed, and your mother would be proud. After the piano, the acoustic guitar was her favourite instrument."
Riven felt his heartbeat fast in his chest at the king's words. The king gave Riven a smile before he started turning and heading towards the exit when he stopped and turned back.
"Oh, and about your glowing eyes,"
"My what?" Riven muttered which went unnoticed by the king.
"Come and see me after you are done here. I believe I have answers to your questions."
Riven could only watch as the king, flanked by Faragonda and the rebels, left the mezzanine, leaving Riven, Musa and their friends alone.
"He is right," Sky muttered, breaking the silence. "Your eyes are slightly glowing."
At that, Stella conjured up a mirror and used her magic to float it down in front of Riven. He stumbled back a step at the sight. His amethyst eyes were darker than normal, but he could see specks of pure white amongst the amethyst, like he was staring into a pure amethyst crystal, and a darker subtle glow around the iris shone back. A part of him felt a bit of relief as he was expecting his entire eye to be completely glowing like a torch, but the sight did unnerve him.
"I get that," a small voice sounded, breaking Riven's thoughts. He turned around and saw Musa standing behind him. "When I am around music or play it, I get that."
Riven used the proximity to look into Musa's eyes and saw the similar thing. The edge around her irises were glowing more prominent that Riven's in the same colour as her eyes with a second ring around the glow that was the same pure bright white light that he had dotted around his. As he stared at her, the pair failed to notice their friends quietly sneaking out of the room and mezzanine, leaving them alone in the music room. It was the first time Musa had been alone with the prince since he discovered her plan and a part of her felt nervous. When Riven realised how long he had been staring and that it was bordering on creepy, he cleared his throat and took a step back to put the guitar back on the stand.
"I never noticed my eyes do that before," Riven muttered as he put the guitar back.
"You never played music before so how could you know?" Musa replied before instantly regretting the words. They sounded much worse aloud than in her head.
The prince seemed undeterred from the comment and merely smirked when he turned back to face her.
"I learnt guitar at Red Fountain but how could you know that?"
Musa let out a nervous laugh before twirling her fingers together. Riven's eyes followed the movements and knew that she was nervous. An interesting emotion from the last time he saw the princess.
"I am sorry to say but I have no weapons on me today so if you want to throw something else at my head, I suggest not the instruments. They are on loan."
Musa cleared her throat. "I guess I deserved that."
"Did it make you feel better?"
Musa raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Did throwing the dagger at my head make you feel better?"
Musa wanted to lie but she knew that continuing this conversation on more lies would not help things, so she decided to be completely honest. It was weird, the first time being alone with the prince with no secrets between them.
"A little," Musa eventually answered.
The prince let out a soft chuckle as he took a few steps towards Musa.
"Good. At least you are not lying."
"Were you testing me?" Musa asked slightly annoyed.
"No," Riven immediately replied. "I am glad you felt better. If you had said no, then I would know you were lying."
"I would not want to offend though."
"Why would you now when you have not before?"
Musa looked away as she crossed her arms in front of her, letting the silence fill the room. Riven's eyes slowly looked over Musa, from her head all the way to her toes, analysing her body language.
"What is going on, Your Highness?"
Musa's body went rigid at Riven's question. It was not the question itself that put her unease but the title. For years she called Riven that but to have him say to her stung a little. She suddenly realised that she did not like hearing Riven say that, not alone at least, and was almost disappointed that he did not say her name. Not that she could blame him. The last time he said her name she threw a dagger at his face.
Riven stood silently as he patiently waited for Musa to answer his question. He will admit that he was surprised to have seen her playing music with him and even more surprised she stayed behind. The silence gave him time to look into her eyes again and he noticed that the glow had disappeared. He imagined his had gone too.
"Do not call me that," Musa muttered quietly as she kept her gaze from him.
Riven raised his eyebrow again. "Do not call you what?"
"Do not call me Your Highness," Musa repeated louder, keeping her gaze away from him.
Riven was even more confused. "Why? That is your title."
"It is not my name," Musa said annoyed, finally turning her gaze back to Riven.
"Last time I called you by your name-"
"I know what I did!" Musa yelled.
"Then I am out of options," Riven sighed in annoyance. "Unless you have other names you want me to use then I am out of luck. I can go around saying 'You There' but it will cause more confusion around the complex."
"Can you not joke right now?"
"I am not trying to. I am just trying to understand why you are here and what you want me to do."
"I do not know!" Musa yelled, starting to feel her face heat up with a fresh set of tears. "I do not know about anything. Everyone is telling me so many things that it I hard to prioritise. I need to focus, I need to be strong, I need to stop fighting, to keep fighting, it is hard. What I do know is that I am tired, angry, frustrated, hurt, scared. Yet the only time I did not feel those things is when you sang, and music was playing."
Riven was silent as he watched the princess' eyes well up with tears and she turned around so her back faced him.
"I have so many things I want to say and ask but I do not know where to start," Musa forced the tears back and turned back around. "Was everything a lie?"
"What are you referring to?" Riven asked hiding his emotions and keeping has calm as possible.
"You know what I am asking."
Riven was silent for a few seconds before he slowly walked up to Musa, her gaze never wavering from his.
"Everything about my being a good Valkarian soldier prince was a lie. I trained every day growing up to be the leader my father wanted me to be, but I never liked it. I felt like something was missing. I thought it was my mother. My father burnt any reminders of her and your mother, but he forgot that the schools in Magix hold copies of the same history books he destroyed. The more I read and researched, the more I discovered and the more lies I found. My life was a lie. I lied about being the rebel leader to keep our plans safe."
Musa shook her head. "I should have known. Forget I said anything. Just stick to your part of the plan and I will stick to mine and that way we only have to talk when we are in a room full of people."
Musa turned and started heading for the door when a hand on her arm pulled her back and turned her back to Riven.
"Musa, wait," Riven said, shutting Musa up. "I cannot keep walking on eggshells with you. I do not want to keep sidestepping certain topics. If you want me to be honest then say it but I need you to do the same first. Nothing outside of these walls matter, not right now. There is a reason why you are here and clearly there is something you want to ask me, so just do it."
Musa was silent as she tried to force the tears back before she opened her mouth. Hearing her name from his lips made her feel better. She remembered what Sir Hammon said and her mum. She was sick of running and hiding.
"Was everything between us all a lie?" Musa asked brokenly.
Riven looked at Musa sadly before he gently placed his free hand on her other arm and gently rubbed his hands up and down her arms in a comforting gesture.
"Not to me. It was not my mother that made me feel a part of me was missing. It was my heritage, and it was you." A few stray tears fell from Musa's eyes upon hearing those words. "We were not a lie, Musa, not to me. But it seemed like it was for you."
"What?" Musa said in confusion as she felt like her heart was being stabbed.
"You lied to me too. You were trying to use me to get information for the rebellion. Using my feelings for you to get it."
"You do not understand, Riven."
"I do. My father may be powerful, but he is just a weak man who proves his strength by attempting to humiliate and intimidate those more powerful than he is. Your people were suffering under his rule so you tried to help the only way you could."
"Yes, it is true. I did try to use you for the rebellion, and I did try to get you to fall for me to do it-"
"I do understand but it is also a little hypocritical for you to be mad at me. I should also be mad at you. My job was to get back to Melody, bring rebels into the palace, replacing my army with rebels, and then take my father and Darcy down from the inside. That was it. I was supposed to keep an eye on you, to keep you safe without blowing my cover, but I never set out fall for you. Being your personal guard and falling for you just happened but everything for you was a lie."
"No, it was not!" Musa blurted out before she lost something she would regret later.
"Look, Musa, you do not have to like me. What my father has done to you is inexcusable. You just have to fight with me."
"No, listen! Yes, I started using your soft spot for me to gain your trust and have you fall for me but I…this was not supposed to happen! None of this was supposed to happen for me either. I was not supposed to live under a dictator, I was not supposed to lose my mum and grow up without a father, I was not supposed to lie to you, I was not supposed to fall for the enemy and betray my people, this was not supposed to happen."
"Hey," Riven said gently before pulling her into a hug which she did without complaint. The dam burst open, and all the tears Musa held away from Riven poured out of her. Riven held her to his chest, his arms wrapping around her. "How are you betraying your people?"
Musa shook her head and tried to calm herself down, but the tears kept coming. Riven stood silently as Musa let out her feelings and waited patiently for her to calm down enough to answer. After a few minutes, Musa's breathing evened out enough for her to answer.
"You….you are a Valkarian…."
"Yes."
"I….I c-cannot be in love with a V-Valkarian. My people….they cannot…they will not accept it."
Riven's body froze, and he slowly tilted his head down to Musa who continued to softly cry on his chest. So, Musa's father was correct.
"How can they forgive me for loving the son of the man that tormented them? How can my mother forgive me? I needed to help them and instead I failed them. I could not even get the information."
Riven desperately wanted to blurt out his feelings to Musa but seeing her crying on his chest broke his heart and would not be a romantic way to say it either. He had to help her first. "Listen to me, Musa, you did not fail. You discovered how to get your magic and you used it to stop Darcy long enough for the rebellion to escape with you and your father. I should have said it before I could not blow my cover. What you did to Darcy back in the training rooms at the palace was amazing. I was so proud of you then, and was so proud of you when I heard you summoned your winx. You learnt how to fix Melody and learnt about your heritage and mine on your own. You fooled my father, which I am very impressed with, and survived on your own in the palace. How can anyone think you are a failure?"
"I was not supposed to fall for you."
"Neither was I," Riven said as he gently moved Musa's head to stare into her eyes. He wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "I do not care what other people think. I can take care of myself and clearly you can too. After a few lessons with me, you almost bested me the other day. I care about you, Musa, and so do your people. They will be happy if you are happy, and they are free."
"But my mum-"
"Would be happy if you are too. I lied about many things, Musa, but not about you. I am in love with you. By some grace of God, it sounds like you love me too although I am clearly not worthy of it. I need you in my life, Musa, and if I must put up with angry Melodians to be with you then I will happily do it. I just hope that I am enough for you to take the risk with me."
"I….I am so sorry…." Musa said as another tear fell from her eyes.
Riven had been in many fights, both at school and in the battlefield, but no wound he had suffered through had hurt as much as those words did in that moment. Riven nodded his head and his mask return to his face preventing Musa from seeing his emotions.
"Cannot say I did not try," Riven said before gently pulling himself away from Musa.
"What? No!" Musa said grabbing the front of his shirt in both hands and pulling him back towards her. "No, I meant I am sorry for hurting you. I am sorry for lying and having you find out through Darcy, and I am sorry for fighting you the other day. I am so sorry for everything. I have been fighting with myself for so long and, I cannot keep doing it. I want to be happy, but I am scared. I fear how much my feelings have grown so quickly, and I am scared that it is with you, someone who can easily be taken away."
A wave of relief swept through Riven, and he laughed as he lent his forehead on Musa's. "Thank god. I am sorry you are scared, but I am too. How we started does not matter and who our families are does not either. I fear losing you too."
"Sorry," Musa said sweetly.
Riven laughed again as he wrapped his arms around Musa's waist again. "Do not do that again."
"I read a letter from my mum earlier and she said that I should not change myself because of others, that love was not a weakness of Melodians, it was our strength. I….I do not want to be afraid and I do not want to continue being this angry person any longer. I want to take this risk with you."
"Really? If you ever feel afraid again, I am here. I do not want to be my father. Hurt is a risk with love but I would rather love and risk losing you than never try at all."
"Me too. I love you, Riven."
For the first time in a long time, Riven's rare smile appeared on his face, the one where both dimples appeared. Without uttering another word, Riven leant his forehead on Musa's before pulling her into a soft kiss. It was different to others that they had before, ones filled with raw unvoiced feelings but this time it was soft and slow. Both remembering and learning the shape and feel of each other's lips and one filled with love. When Riven pulled away, he gently pulled Musa further against his chest.
"I am sorry too. I am sorry for lying and sorry for hurting you but do not apologise for the fight."
Musa raised an eyebrow at Riven before he gently tilted her head to the side to whisper in her ear, "as I said, it was kind of hot."
Musa let out a small laugh. "There is something wrong with you although a part of me thought the same."
Riven leant back enough so he could look into Musa's eyes. "Really?"
A small blush appeared on Musa's face, and she looked away from Riven's heated gaze. "Maybe and there was also a part of me that thought it was hot when you sang and played that guitar."
"Really?"
Musa shyly nodded her head in response, and she smiled when she noticed how frozen Riven looked. Teasing the Valkarian prince was kind of fun. She released his shirt and slowly moved her hands up his chest to wrap around his neck.
"So is hearing that you love me."
"I love you, Musa," Riven immediately repeated with a smirk.
A bright smile appeared on Musa's face. "I love you too and thank you for saving our people."
"Ours now?"
"Well, you have the glowing eyes to prove it," Musa joked causing Riven to laugh.
"I like that, our people," Riven said before he gently started placing kisses along Musa's neck.
"Riven," Musa said softly as Riven kept kissing down her neck, her hold around his neck loosening.
"Yes, Princess?"
The name sent an excited thrill throughout Musa at the double meaning. She was a princess and to hear it from the prince made her proud but to also hear it in his husky tone sent her heart racing.
"I like that one," she whispered out causing Riven to chuckle before leaning over to her ear. "Good."
Musa brought her hands down from Riven's neck to either side of his face and brought her lips to crash against her. Everything that she had felt the last few months; pain, love, fear, relief all poured into the kiss. One hand slowly moved to Riven's hair while the other moved to clutch his shirt in her fist. Musa could not help to release a soft moan when Riven's hands moved down to Musa's thighs and hoisted her up to wrap her legs around his waist.
"Your Highness," Musa practically purred in Riven's ear, "what are you up to?"
"I never thought I would like hearing that title from your lips again," Riven growled out happily.
"Do not get used to it."
"I promise, Princess."
Musa playfully pulled Riven's hair and placed her lips back on his in appreciation. Only Riven was allowed to call her that from now on. Riven's hold on Musa's thighs tightened as he walked them over to the piano and gently laid Musa on top. She let out a quick gasp when her back met the cold piano. A part of Musa should be worried about breaking her favourite instrument but now she could not, not with Riven's hands slowly rubbing up and down her legs as they continued to wrap around his waist. Musa's hands started moving down Riven's chest and she felt the muscles that she loved underneath the shirt. She would never admit to him, but she did love Riven's training lessons when he went shirtless. She should have been checking in to see if he had been doing more at the complex instead of avoiding him. She will make up for that later.
Musa let out a frustrated huff when she noticed that her gloves were making it difficult to feel Riven's muscles. How would she fully appreciate them without the whole experience? She quickly took her hands away, held them above her head and tried pulling them off in between kisses. Riven chuckled at her predicament.
"You do know how to go from zero to one hundred, Princess," Riven chuckled between kisses. "Though I am liking where this is going."
Musa grinned when both gloves fell from her hands, falling to the other side of the piano, and returned her hands to Riven's chest.
"Sorry to disappoint," Musa smirked as she managed to slip her hands underneath the prince's shirt, and she could finally feel those muscles she had been dreaming about.
Riven let out an appreciative groan when he felt Musa's skin on his. As he groaned, his grip on Musa's thighs tightened and Musa was accidentally inched closer to Riven causing the same spark to shoot through her body. Musa gasped and Riven immediately pulled away, leaning his forehead on Musa's.
"Wait, wait," Riven huffed out as he and Musa tried to steady their breathing, and Riven gently pulled Musa's hands from underneath his shirt, holding them in his.
"What is wrong?" Musa asked worriedly. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, no of course not. You are amazing," Riven answered as he released one of Musa's hands and gently guided his through her hair. "I am unworthy of you, Musa."
"Do not say that."
"It is true. I have blood on my hands and have done things in the past that I regret."
"You are regretting this?"
"No! This is coming out wrong, I am sorry. You are perfect and I am so unworthy of you. How I am even here with you now surely must be a reward for doing something right. Because of that, I want things between us to go right. You deserve everything and although I enjoy what we are doing right now, you deserve for it to be special, have time be taken, not be rushed on a piano in a room someone could walk in on."
Musa let out a smile as she pulled her other hand free and placed her hands either side of his face.
"You are worthy of me. You have done more for me than I realised and are protecting the people I care about. What you just said is exactly why you are worthy." Musa let out a disappointed sigh as she stared into Riven's eyes. "You are right. I want this between us to go right. I know I am sheltered but I do know what you are talking about."
Riven chuckled at Musa's attempt to joke.
"Just checking that you knew that, Riven," Musa added with a small smile. "I want this relationship to work, and I do want other things to be special. Though I do think we need to keep this low key. We cannot risk causing problems amongst our people or let it interfere with our jobs."
"If that is what you want, I will try to accommodate. I can still kiss you though, right?"
"In private."
"And just so we are clear, if you are ever uncomfortable with things like this, please tell me. I could not bare the idea of hurting you or making you uncomfortable."
The hands on either side of Riven's head moved and wrapped around his neck so Riven could not move from Musa's stare.
"Just so we are clear," Musa repeated causing Riven to smirk. "The only person who I want to touch me, and who has ever been allowed to, is you."
Riven's eyes darkened instantly at the unsaid name between them but also at the teasing words Musa said.
"No one will hurt you, Princess. If they tried, it will be the last thing they ever did. That blood is the only one I do not apologise for."
Musa kissed Riven on the lips and played with the hairs on the back of his neck before pulling away.
"He never touched me, you made sure of that," Musa whispered.
"He still harmed you. I failed you then, I failed my task and failed my princess."
"You did not fail, Riven. Even when I hated your guts, I was grateful, remember?"
"Unworthy," Riven muttered before pulling Musa into one final kiss.
Riven gently unwrapped Musa's legs from his waist and helped Musa sit up on the piano. He gently ran his fingers through her hair again before reaching over and passing her the gloves.
"You do realise that I still have to call you Your Highness in public?" Riven smirked as he watched her put the gloves on.
"I do. That will take some getting used to. What do I call you?"
Riven smirked. "Riven remember? I oversee the rebellion; I am not here as the Valkarian prince. I also hated every minute that you called me by my title, and I could not call you by yours. It soured my mouth when I had to call you Lady Musa or Siren."
"I know that now," Musa said as she placed her hands on Riven's shoulder. "I am sorry again for throwing the dagger at you and hurting you."
"I am proud my lessons helped."
"So why did you train me? I told you that I wanted to learn to protect myself from the rebellion. The whole time you were the rebel leader."
Riven was silent for a moment as his hands rested gently on Musa's waist.
"That was not your real reason, you were honest with me that day. You said you wanted to protect yourself for you did not want to feel helpless again. You were not talking about the rebellion; you were talking about Jet. That is why I agreed to train you. I was sworn to protect you so if fighting helped you move on from the incident and kept you safe then I was prepared to do it."
"And the nightmares?" Riven tilted his head in confusion. "The one that you had to use a shower to wake me up."
"Sky was undercover back then and when Tecna told him to get help he did get me, not because he knew I would help, but because you called out my name."
"What? Tecna….Tecna said I never did in front of you or Sky."
"You did once to him but not to me. He only told me when we arrived here."
Musa looked at the ground in embarrassment. "I….I think I was starting to fall for you then and….I was dreaming of the incident and kept calling for your help but you never came, until you did."
"And the sleeping pills helped?" Riven asked as his put some of Musa's hair behind her ear.
"They did actually."
"Do they still?"
"Um…I do not have any. Tecna…the girls did not pack a lot of items when Sky and the others snuck them out of the palace. I have not been sleeping well since I came here. Before waking up, I remember feeling like I was on fire and screaming for help in my head then somehow sleeping afterwards. That was really the only nightmare-free sleep I have had since the rescue."
The grip on Musa's waist tightened and she looked back at Riven worriedly.
"You were suffering, Musa," Riven said softly. "When we brought you here, you were in a critical condition. You were hypothermic and did scream, you did not dream of that. I...I have never heard that before, and I have been to battle."
"You were there?"
"I never let you go the minute you collapsed in my arms. Sky and the others brought you to me by the ships. I held your hand as you were placed on the medical gurney for the flight and when you arrived at the complex. Only till I was pushed aside by the doctors and your father that I did let go but I never left that room. You really did beg for someone to help you and when everyone else was unsuccessful in keeping you still to keep the blankets on you, I…..I knocked you out."
Musa stared at Riven in shock. There had been a few revelations this conversation but that one was a curve ball.
"You….knocked me out?"
Riven nodded his head, his face void of emotion. "Before you kill me, know that I did not physically knock you over the head. I slipped you into unconsciousness to stop you fighting us and avoid the pain."
"….how…then how?"
One of Riven's hands slowly glided up Musa's side till it rested on the back of her neck. "There are two pressure points at the back of the neck that I learnt during training. If you apply the right amount of pressure, it easily slips someone into unconsciousness."
"It really was you. Tecna told me the same thing, but she never said who."
"I am sorry, Princess, but I had to do it. I could not bare watching you scream in pain and hear you beg for help and not do anything."
Before Riven could respond any further, Musa pulled Riven to her by the neck and slammed her lips onto his again. Riven was surprised for a moment before he melted into her embrace. After a few moments, Musa pulled away and placed another kiss on his cheek before leaning back.
"Thank you," Musa said. "I….I remember the pain and I am sorry that you had to do it. But thank you for taking that pain away."
"Anytime, and I will speak to the Linpheans about getting you more sleeping pills. Perhaps they have a tea or potion to help instead."
"Thank you," Musa repeated before she gently pushed Riven away and slipped from the piano back onto her feet. "Now, there is one more thing I had to speak to you about."
"What is that?"
"The same thing I promised to tell you before Darcy took me away." A growl echoed from Riven which Musa quickly diffused which a quick kiss on the cheek. "I know who really killed your mother."
I hope you all liked this chapter and the confrontation was worth it. Always love hearing your thoughts :)
Till next time!
~AngelAlexandra~
