Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well! Sorry I've taken so long, a lot of stuff has happened (like school and losing my dog /3) it's given me major writer's block. Anyway, this chapter is a bit short so I apologize, its more character development lol. By the way I heard that the live action Winx Club will be airing in 2021, just a couple of months away. Don't know if anyone else is excited or maybe it's just me? I'd love to know what you guys think. So R&R please!

Chapter 6: Serendipity

"I thought you'd never make it! We had to tolerate that pretentious blond asking us if we had someone to bail us out!" Icy sneered, "As if we couldn't manage on our own!"

"He probably didn't want his daddy-in-law to see him" Stormy mumbled.

Avalon remained silent with irritation at the three witches.

"Your task was simple! If you ask me, Darkar should dispose of you once and for all" he stated as they left the Precinct. Darcy scoffed.

"I'd like to see you pull off something like that!"

"I could if I weren't so busy doing everything else" he emphasized, "And I couldn't come sooner because naturally, it would've seemed strange that an Alfea professor was bailing three witches in the middle of the night"

"Whatever" Icy groaned. She was exhausted and didn't want to hear another word.

"So what was in those potions you gave us? They worked like a charm" Stormy mused.

"The same dark magic I use on Bloom. Only in a much smaller dosage", he explained, "And we part here" he indicated, leading them into a dark alley.

"I can't risk being seen with you, much less on Domino", Avalon told them. Stormy smirked, triumphantly.

"Told ya"

"We're not all as careless as you, I'm afraid" he said dryly, "And that reminds me…my relationship with Daphne is none of your concern" Avalon added. Icy scoffed.

"Hey, cut us some slack, alright?! We were successful! Bloom and her stupid friends looked just as guilty as we did. And her father was furious, what more do you want?" At that, Avalon smiled.

"So the King came down here, himself? There's something you don't see everyday" he said, highly amused, "Did he say anything?"

"He didn't have to" Darcy responded.

"I guess you finally did something right, you've even given the tabloids something to write about" Avalon said, before disappearing into a portal.

The important thing now was getting close to Bloom. There was nothing he could do while she was away from him and away from Alfea. His intentions had been to get the Winx out of jail himself. But the trix were foolish enough to forget every minimal detail of their plan. As usual. But not everything was lost. Daphne was the key.


Bloom made the short trip to the throne room, wrapping her sweater tightly around her. The heavy rain was coming down all morning, making the palace halls look dim. But on Domino, this kind of rain indicated the end of one cycle and the beginning of another, or something of the sort. Her grandmother had explained it to her once.

To the bystanders, it probably seemed like Bloom had everything she ever could've wanted. But nothing felt the way she thought it would. The way it was supposed to. But her family wasn't the problem, it was her.

"Phillip, is my sister available?" she asked the servant when she noted that the large double doors were securely shut.

"I'm afraid not your majesty, she was summoned for an audience", Bloom hesitated by the door before giving him a sad smile. It would seem like her sister never had time for her anymore.

"You wouldn't happen to know where my father is…?" she tried.

"I'm afraid he's busy your majesty" he said, not really answering her question, as she expected.

"I'll just come by later"

"Very well, Princess" Phillip bowed. Bloom knew better than to believe Philip didn't know of her father's whereabouts. He was one of his most trusted servants after all. But that was how things worked around here, she'd learnt. When the King didn't want to be bothered, his exact location just wasn't revealed. Cased closed. But she had a pretty good idea of where he could be and she wasn't giving up.

"Dad, I can explain everything, it's just-"

"Not now Bloom" he replied coldly, the night before. Bloom had stared at his back, aghast, as he ordered the maids to take her to her bedroom, and retreated into his own without another word. Without his usual welcoming smile.

Stella had advised her to give him time to cool off, but now she wanted nothing more than to talk to him, even if he refused to listen. Bloom would make him. He wasn't just the King of Domino, for Pete's sake, he was her father. Surely, Mike would've listened, she thought wryly.

Bloom made her way to his study determined to make herself be heard. But outside his door was yet another tall, sturdy guard. Bloom was about to say something when she heard more than one voice coming from inside….it was her grandmother's. She'd recognize her smooth eloquent speech anywhere.

"And here I thought those people had done a better job raising her" she said in a tone of disapproval, "Now look at what she's become! Although we can't say it's her fault" she continued.

"Mother, I'm sure Mike and Vanessa did everything they could for Bloom, they're good people", they were blaming this on her parents? Bloom frowned and tiptoed closer to the door, earning a skeptical look from the guard.

"Then explain to me why we find ourselves in this situation" Regina questioned, unwaveringly, "I've said it before and I'll do so again, Bloom should begin to mix with the people of our society, I'm sure they'd be a magnificent influence"

"If I may your majesty" she heard another voice intervene, "it's clear that our Princess is a decent girl, unfortunately she lacks the capacity to tell wrong from right. A dangerous flaw for someone who could someday serve as your replacement in the Council" Replacement?

"Perhaps it's those friends of hers…" Regina mumbled to herself, sounding troubled.

"Your majesty-" the guard whispered. Bloom placed her index finger over her lips.

"Shhhh…"

"There are other options of course. Other nobles to take into consideration"

"I know you wish not to pressure her, your grace" his advisor said, more calmly, "But if the court were to turn a blind eye on this impasse, I'm afraid next time we'll be forced to do the same".

"Let us be reminded that lord Darkar has presumably returned. We cannot have the Princess walking on unsteady ground when the dragon flame is needed most" another member of the court replied sternly.

"The princesses of Andros and Solaria were also there, they too were fooled" Emmett mediated. It wasn't his intention to throw Bloom's friends under the bus, but given the circumstances, what choice did he have? These men were chewing her up alive. Oritel's jaw was set.

"In case you haven't noticed, Bloom isn't the Princess of either of those realms. Solaria and Andros may deal with their Sovereigns however they want. Let me deal with my daughter my way" Oritel commanded. Bloom staggered at how decisive his tone was. He still sounded pretty uptight. Bloom took a deep breath, remembering why she'd come here in the first place. It's now or never.

She raised her fist to knock but the guard surprised her, taking her by the wrist.

"The King doesn't want to be disturbed" he said, impatiently. Bloom took a good look at him for the first time. He reminded her a lot of Brandon. Disheveled brown hair, muscular, but his eyes were a wintery gray rather than Brandon's soft brown. Bloom scoffed.

"But I need to talk to him, it's important!" she pressed. Why did having a minute of her father's time have to be so complicated?

"That's not how things work around here. The King's orders apply to everyone", he told her sternly. She wasn't one to talk back to the palace staff, but this guy was being obnoxious. She briefly considered casting a freezing spell on him, but all things considered, it probably wasn't the best time.

"Alright since you seem to know the rules, how else can I talk to my father- without having to make an appointment?" she added, placing her hands on her hips. The guard stared at her in amusement.

"Through the court, of course" he said, as if it were obvious. Bloom narrowed her eyes.

"I'm the princess, doesn't that count for something?"

"Not unless you're the Queen or the King's mother, it doesn't"

"Ughh…who makes these rules?" she groaned.

"Well, actually-"

"It was a rhetorical question, I think I can guess" she held up a hand, rolling her eyes. He smirked at her annoyed expression.

"So…may I know your name? You know, so that I don't have to keep calling you 'my father's guard'?" she asked, a little irritated.

"Gavin" he replied, "And I didn't know you talked about me" he said, grinning. Bloom blushed. Did this guy ever know when to stop?

"I do not"

"Why else would you refer to me as anything at all?" he continued teasing her, clearly enjoying her reactions.

"I'll have you know that-"

Suddenly, Emmett opened the door catching them both in the middle of their quarrel. He stared at Gavin in a strange way, then at his dear, little cousin.

"Bloom…?" she cleared her throat. This is exactly what she'd been waiting for. More or less.

"I'd like to speak to the King", she told him. Emmett didn't let her in right away, instead he stared at her hesitantly.

"Emmett..?" she could hear her grandmother's voice coming from inside. Reluctantly, he stepped aside allowing her a full view of the other guests.

"Your majesties", she entered and bowed nervously.

Her grandmother simply nodded acknowledging her presence while her mother smiled sympathetically. A few members of the court casted a downsizing look upon her, while her father seemed busy with something on his desk. He hadn't said a word since last night but it was agonizingly obvious that he was irritated with her. At least, that was what it looked like. Bloom didn't know her biological father well enough yet to read his expressions like she read Mike's.

Before the ground could swallow her up, Oritel cleared his throat.

"Court dismissed, please give us a moment. In the meantime Emmett, make sure those merchants aren't giving Daphne a hard time" he ordered.

"Yes sir" her cousin responded without hesitation. Marion was the last to leave Oritel's study, giving him a meaningful look that was impossible to miss. Oritel had a seat and shuffled the documents on his desk still not acknowledging her, making the atmosphere painfully uncomfortable. Bloom shifted her weight from her right foot to the left, wondering if this was her cue to start talking.

"Dad, what happened last night" she began, taking a seat across from him…"it was an accident", Oritel raised his brows, seeming intrigued.

"My friends and I weren't looking for trouble, just a place to go-" he remained quiet as she continued to explain herself. Bloom wasn't sure if it was a good sign.

"I guess, what I'm trying to say is it won't happen again, I didn't mean to disappoint you", Oritel sighed heavily and set the archives aside.

"Bloom I know it wasn't your fault. I had the place inspected early this morning to prevent anyone else from committing illegal activities, so I suppose you could say something good came from this" he said, with that deep, quiet laugh of his.

"You know, up until a few months ago, my biggest worry was that you wouldn't like me. Now I find myself trying to bail you out of jail in the middle of the night. It amazes me how things can change in such a short amount of time…But I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not happy about this, Bloom. Daphne will become Queen one day, but that doesn't make your responsibility any less important", he said, firmly. She nodded eagerly.

"As keeper of the Dragon flame?"

Oritel stood up and clasped his hands behind his back, pacing idly.

"When the time comes for me to step down from my job as president of the Council, I'll have to leave someone behind or at least a recommendation, and nothing would honor me more than to commend my own daughter" he stated,

"But there's a long road ahead, there's an image to maintain, and a protocol to follow", he continued. Bloom let his words sink in. These were all things she'd never even considered before. Heck, she was still new to this universe, but to be at the very top of it would be….

"I promise to try harder", Bloom assured him, nodding fervently. Suddenly, she was starting to feel that same pressure within her chest, the one she felt now whenever her powers failed her.

"But beside that" he said, standing before her and taking her hands in his, "I worry about you, your adoptive parents mentioned you've had a hard time adjusting and quite frankly, I can't imagine what it must be like growing up without magic and spontaneously, being introduced to it. It's never been heard of. Perhaps…" his voice trailed off, "I haven't been very understanding of the situation, it's even affecting your health" he frowned, "But I'll try my best to understand, if you can promise me that you'll stay out of trouble" he promised.

"I promise, dad. The Trix led us into that Casino, and then our powers backfired…and…well…." she let her voice trail off, feeling ashamed.

"The trix…" her father repeated idly, "Ah, the three witches in the cell across from you" he realized, "I'm assuming you're not friends…?" Bloom frowned.

"Definitely not. We've been enemies ever since I entered Alfea",

"I see...And before I forget, I'd like for a doctor to see you. You're not okay". He said, tenderly pushing her hair away from her face. His tone was more troubled this time, rather than angry.

"That's not necessary I'm fine now" she insisted. Oritel narrowed his eyes at her,

"Bloom…" he warned.

"Dad, I'm serious. There's nothing to worry about"

"Very well, but if anything like this were ever to happen again sweetheart, you have us. There's no need to travel such a distance in that state", he told her, a crease appearing between his thick angled brows.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I still have work to do. I'll see you later today" he said, instantly sliding back into his dominant side.

"Right" Bloom said strangely and stood up to leave his study. Suddenly, she remembered something.

"Just one more thing…Do you think grandma still likes me?" she asked shyly. For the first time, Oritel actually had a strange look on his face.

"It would seem that way wouldn't it? Don't worry about it, honey, she loves you and Daphne more than anything. It's just her way of…protecting those around her. And she's especially protective of you, believe me" he replied. Bloom nodded and left his office after that.

Oritel waited for the door to close behind her before pressing the income button on his desk phone.

"I need to reach Saladin"

"Sir, other than the shadow creatures discovered in the woods and Princess Layla's claims, there are no signals of the shadow phoenix"

"That's exactly what's beginning to worry me. He may be closer than we think and we have to be ready"


"Done already..?" Emmett asked, entering the throne room. Daphne offered a half smile but her eyes concealed nothing.

"Something like that. Where's Bloom?" she asked eagerly. Emmett raised his brows,

"You avoiding the question..? Come on Daph, you've been in here for over an hour, I know something else is going on. You and my uncle haven't been yourselves lately. So what is it..?" he pressed. Daphne sighed and looked back, making sure the doors were still shut.

"Dad's worried about lord Darkar and he's been under a lot of stress, so I asked him to let me take some of the load off his back. That's it. We just don't want to alarm anyone without reason, Domino's perfectly safe"

"And you don't think that's a job for the Keeper of the flame? It's her duty to protect the Kingdome Daph, not yours. That's why she has it"

"Bloom isn't ready, I think that's become clear" she retorted, walking past him.

"Only because of your over-protection, not out of ignorance or the lack of will" Emmett was quick to clarify.

"She's inexperienced, Em. You heard about what happened last night. Shouldn't that be reason enough?"

"Alright, what would you have done in her place?" he folded his arms over his chest. Daphne gave him a blank stare.

"The same as you. We would've sensed the dark magic in the atmosphere and we would've left. But Bloom hasn't gotten that far yet" she said, shaking her head.

"And you don't think it's weird? Daph, I've seen first year students channel dark magic from meters away. Yet Bloom and her second year friends can't? Even Stella with her scepter…how does that make any sense?" he probed. Daphne furrowed her brows.

"It doesn't…which is why I plan to protect her and the Kingdom until she's ready" she said, turning her back on him and walking away.

"You're not planning on becoming President of the Council too, are you? That's Bloom's place, Daph" he called behind her. She turned and stared at him with disbelief. But changed her mind and left without another word. Emmett shook his head. He loved his cousin to bits but sometimes she couldn't seem to understand that not everything was under her control. And that included Bloom. As long as Daphne kept hovering over her, Bloom would never have a chance to grow, or at least, that's how he saw it.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Daphne huffed as she stepped out into the hall, but stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw her sister.

"Are you ever going to stop?" she heard Bloom say, the guy next to her couldn't smile wider if he tried. Not that it didn't suit him. But it didn't exactly rub well on her either. Daphne tilted her head, curiously. She recognized him instantly as one of the many members of her father's security staff. But then..?

"Forgive me, you probably want me gone now that you've accomplished your mission",

"I may need you around to explain some more rules, don't celebrate just yet" her sister replied, obviously bothered by something.

"Bloom!" Daphne called swiftly, "A word…?" she asked with a tight smile.

"You majesty", Gavin bowed, Daphne nodded.

"You may leave. The King might need you"

"Yes, of course"

"Nice meeting you..!" the redhead called over her shoulder.

"Since when are you friends..?"

"Five minutes ago I think" Bloom admitted. Daphne wasn't accustomed to such familiarity with guards. Then again, there weren't any servants of her age in the palace when she was growing up. At least not that she could remember. They were all in their mid-twenties and thirties.

"So did mom and dad give you a hard time?" she asked empathetically once they were in her room. Bloom flopped down on the bed.

"Mom hasn't really said anything…dad and grandma on the other hand…"

"I'm sure they'll forget about it soon"

"Not if the court can help it" Bloom differed.

"The court doesn't care about anything other than writing laws and making us follow them. They don't realize this was an accident, Bloom, don't let them get to you", Daphne said, offhandedly.

"Did you ever get in trouble like this?" Bloom asked, raising a brow. Daphne looked surprised for a moment before responding honestly,

"Well…no, but then again, my life was pretty different"

"How so?"

"Well, I was home-schooled for the most part, like a lot of other Princesses. Then when I started my studies at the Academy, my closest friends were Politea and other royals like myself, we weren't given the liberty to go out and have fun. Parents can be strict like that" she shrugged. Bloom almost felt sorry for her sister. And insecure because she was nothing like her, she realized.

Bloom could begin to see why her father was so upset. He expected her to be another Daphne. Not that it would be a bad thing, her sister was her biggest role model. But Bloom couldn't compare. Her sister had eloquence, which Bloom seriously lacked. She was responsible and meticulous, while Bloom tended to forget things and wasn't the most organized person. She could begin to see where the problem was. And it wasn't pretty.

"By the way, Avalon's coming home for dinner tonight. He also wanted to see if you were okay" her sister breathed, "Isn't he something?" she nearly sang with happiness. Bloom had an odd, uncomfortable feeling about all of this.

"Yeah, he's the best"