I wasn't sure whether to put this chapter in Vices and Paradises or here. But since it revolves around the children of the Winx, it will be placed here.
THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M
The Eraklyon Royal Family- Power
Kenna couldn't sleep. It had been a long evening filled with meetings as the Heir Apparent to the throne and on top of that, her mother and father's friends had decided to pay them a visit. Kenna had always enjoyed seeing the families of the people her parents called friends, but with the stress of being next in line to the throne, a very precarious position, Kenna wished that they hadn't come.
Not that her brother had any worries.
Everyone loved him and the court would rather see him, a male, on the throne than her. But what grew between his legs seemed to be all that mattered to the court. Kenna took her position seriously, knowing how hard her mother had to fight for her to even be named as the Heir Apparent by the court. Aiden on the other hand, all he had to do was simply show up.
It was no secret that the two siblings had a growing animosity towards one another. It had been that way for years. Kenna, now in her mid-twenties and Aiden at the beginning of his had been eyeing the same elusive prize. Her mother had told her that the crown and the kingdom of Eraklyon were hers when the current king, her father, had passed away. But things were not that easy and Kenna was prepared to fight for what was hers. There was no way that her younger brother was taking the throne.
She was born to lead.
So when Kenna walked down the long and quiet corridors of the palace and heard an all too familiar noise, all she could do was roll her eyes and carry on.
Aiden might as well be the son of Queen Stella and her Prince Consort for the way that he had women throwing themselves at him. But Kenna knew that when their parents' friends came over, there was a certain curly-haired witch that had always found her way into his bed.
Kenna knew that even though Aiden had a way with women, the only woman who had ever shared his bed was Mireya Saladin, the daughter of her mother's former college roommate. Kenna couldn't care less who Aiden spent the night with, it would only distract him enough so that she could become better than him. However, Mireya Saladin being common and a witch brought a smile to Kenna's face.
Every time she heard that witch moaning from Aiden's chamber, Kenna knew that her position was slowly becoming more secure.
Mireya was common. The court would never accept her. Sure, Kenna herself had been an exception to the Eraklyon tradition of male-only heirs, but a commoner on the throne? Eraklyon was not Solaria. While Flora and Helia were highly respected individuals, they were not royalty and the court would make sure that the royal bloodline would not be tainted by common blood.
But the best part was that Mireya was a witch. While tolerance had grown for witches and as much as Kenna loved Mireya as a friend, the stories of the Ancestral Witches and the actions of the Trix had been burned into the thoughts of those who had lived through the constant attacks. Mireya was kind, if not a little feisty, smart, strong, powerful, and beautiful...but she was a witch. The court would sooner watch the kingdom burn to the ground than having Mireya, a witch, sit on the throne.
Hearing the muffled moans coming from Aiden's room that night was frankly music to Kenna's ears. Let her brother be smitten with the common witch, it only hurt his chances for the throne. He loved her and Kenna could see that Mireya loved Aiden too. Mireya was just as much of a flirt as Aiden but just like the Queen and Prince Consort of Solaria, no matter how much they flirted with other people, Aiden and Mireya always found their way back to each other.
And as Aiden's sister that made Kenna happy.
Kenna wanted the throne, that she could not deny. But seeing Aiden sneak quick glances at Mireya from across the dining room table and seeing the way that Mireya smiled back and gave an uncharacteristic blush helped Kenna to remember that at the end of the day, Aiden was her brother and she loved him. She loved seeing him and her friend happy together. Too many times Kenna would walk into secluded rooms of the palace and catch Aiden and Mireya stuck together in a heated makeout session and on a few occasions, caught her brother and Mireya in very compromising positions that no sister should ever see her brother and good friend in.
Mireya made her brother happy and made Kenna's claim to the throne even stronger. Kenna had nothing to complain about.
But that didn't mean that she didn't bother her brother about it.
As Kenna walked further into the hallways of the palace, the moaning noises stopped as she assumed they had finished. Kenna continued to walk closer and closer before reaching the door to her brother's room and without knocking entered into his room.
"Kenna!" Aiden shouted as Mireya jumped into his arms and wrapped Aiden's dark blue blanket around the top part of her body.
"Relax," Kenna waved a hand dismissively, "I already heard you two from down the hallway. You two still haven't figured out to be quiet. And I thought that you were trying to be discreet. I am pretty sure the whole palace knows about your little...affair."
"Kenna," Aiden groaned, "get out."
Kenna walked further into Aiden's room and towards the small table at the edge of his room where there sat a half-filled bottle of wine and two empty glasses with the burgundy color of the wine staining the glass. Kenna pucked up a glass, not caring who the previous owner had been, and poured herself a glass before sitting down in one of the large plush chairs nearby.
"Kenna!" Aiden shouted as he reached down on the floor for the pants he had previously discarded when he had been with Mireya, "I told you to get out!"
Kenna smirked before taking a sip of wine, sneaking a glance over to Mireya who was busy gathering her own clothes.
"Like I haven't seen it all before," Kenna rolled her eyes, "or do I need to remind you two of the lovely surprise that I got when I walked into the library at last year's jubilee? Or when I saw you two together in a most unsavory position in the kitchen? Remind me, Mireya, were you on your knees or was it my brother? I really can't remember. You two have a habit of switching."
"KENNA!"
Kenna brought her attention up to her brother who was glaring down at her.
"They will never accept her, you know." Kenna took another sip of wine, still completely unaffected by her brother's look of anger, "She's common and a witch," Kenna looked over at Mireya and gave a saccharine smile, "no offense, of course."
Mireya met Kenna's eyes with a glare of her own. But Kenna, just as with her brother was unaffected. Kenna returned her gaze back to her brother.
"In the eyes of the court she is also used. Even if she has only been with just you. An archaic and sexist qualifier for power if you ask me. But still, the court will only see her as some lowborn who-"
"Jealous because nobody seems to want to share a bed with you?"
Kenna's eyes snapped back to Mireya who had spoken with a smirk on her face.
"Don't be ridiculous." Kenna smiled back, "Sex is nothing compared to the power of the throne. If I must be pure to get it, then I will be chaste until the time I am wed or until the crown is placed on top of my head."
"What a sad thought, princess." Mireya scoffed as she crawled out of the bed, no longer caring about her state of undress as she walked closer to the feuding siblings, "and here I thought that I was the only witch in this room. Witches are supposed to be driven by power, right? But I think that you fit the stereotype better than an actual witch like me."
"Child," Kenna said plainly, knowing how much Mireya hated it when Kenna called her that as they were only a few years apart in age, "you know nothing of the world that you have secretly managed to fuck your way into. To people like Aiden and me, all we have is the power that is bestowed on us by the people who have come before us. All we know is power, how to get it and how to maintain it. I am not driven by power because I am a cold-hearted witch, I am driven by power because that is all I know. And as a woman, I must fight harder to maintain the unstable power that I have. You and my brother can do as you please. But I know and he knows that it will be you or the throne, he cannot have both. I am afraid that you are not going to be happy with the choice that he will make."
Mireya's eyes quickly shot over to Aiden who was still glaring at his sister. Kenna smiled, knowing that her words had impacted Mireya, if only slightly. Kenna didn't mean to be a bitch but it was the truth and it was better to hear it from her than from some old man on the court. Aiden would have to choose. Love or power. Kenna didn't need love because she needed and wanted power. It was her birthright and she would be damned if her foolish little brother took it from her. Either way, Aiden would not win. Kenna knew deep down that Aiden would choose Mireya and she didn't see why he wouldn't. Aiden wasn't meant for the crown but he was made for Mireya.
She would be a bitch if she must. She had to get Aiden to realize where his heart and loyalties really lay. Kenna would be queen and Aiden would be the Prince Royal, free to live a life worry-free with Mireya at his side. Everything would be as it was supposed to be and everyone would be happy.
"You're wrong," Aiden replied through a clenched jaw, "you have no idea how I feel nor the decisions that I would make."
Good, Kenna thought, it was all going to plan.
"You may not think it true, but I do love Mireya. I don't care that she is common, I don't care that she is a witch, and I don't care what the court has to think about her. They already disregarded the rules when they named you the Heir Apparent and they are about to disregard the rules for who is to sit on the throne with me."
Wait, this was not going to plan.
Aiden stepped closer to Kenna and bent down so now he was eye to eye with his older sister.
"You are a cold and heartless woman. Mireya is right, you are more of a witch than she is and I refuse to have a witch like you sitting on the throne. I am going to take that crown from you and you will have no choice but to watch me lead Eraklyon with Mireya by my side."
Kenna's bright blue eyes became dark as she set her glass of wine back onto the table and rose up from her seat, Aiden rising up with her.
"The throne is mine, brother." Kenna spat back at Aiden, "Mother fought for my position and nothing is going to stop me from getting the crown."
"I wouldn't be too sure sister."
Kenna looked at her brother and Mireya and huffed.
"Enjoy your time together because the way that it is looking, you two don't have too much time together. Just be sure not to end up...expecting. There would be no chance in Omega that you would be king with a bastard on the way. And when you two are at it, please be a little quieter."
"Get out, Kenna." Aiden commanded one last time.
Kenna picked up her glass of wine and threw the dark, red liquid down the back of her throat before slamming the glass back down on the table.
"Don't worry, I am on my way out." Kenna made her way to the door and placed her hand on the knob, "You might want to get back to your room, Mireya, the palace workers are about to wake soon."
Kenna smiled and turned back around, "Oh, and Aiden, if I was really cold and heartless, I would have told Mireya about how at the last diplomatic meeting with Melody, I heard you and Princess Lyra from down the hall just I heard you and Mireya. Honestly, Aiden, choose quieter women if you are going to make it a habit of bedding so many. It makes me lose sleep."
Mireya looked as if she was going to cry and at that moment, Kenna saw the resemblance that Mireya had to her mother. It made Kenna feel bad. But only just a little. Aiden needed to be taught a lesson and it pained Kenna to know that Mireya had to be caught in the middle of it. Aiden was not fit to rule and Kenna would never let him sit on the throne and if he ever did, he would be miserable.
"Mireya..." Aiden's attention was now on the naked and dejected witch that stood in the middle of his room.
"I see that I have potentially said something damaging." Kenna remarked, "I will take my leave. Sleep well."
Kenna left the bedroom, the door shutting behind her and the muffled cries of Mireya and the pleas of Aiden filling the room behind her. Kenna took a deep breath and made her way down the hall, raising her hand and wiping away a tear that had fallen from her eye.
Mireya had been right. She didn't know love without power. People only gave her love because she was the Heir Apparent but Kenna knew that if her brother ever took that away from her, he would take away the love that she had received because of her power. Kenna loved Aiden, she really did, but Kenna knew that Aiden did not love her. If he loved her, he wouldn't try to fight her for the crown, knowing that she is a far better candidate for it. Kenna knew what love was and Kenna knew that she did not have it. Not real love. Not from anyone.
If her parents loved her, they would put a stop to Aiden. Tell him that the crown was hers. But they didn't. So Kenna had to fight and watch the relationship that she had with her brother crumble in front of her.
So Kenna made her way back to her room, the promise of another day and another fight with her brother sure to be fulfilled. Another day alone. Another day of being the cold and heartless witch. Another day holding on to what was hers.
Another day of chasing and fighting for a love and power that would not be guaranteed the next day.
Well there you have it. I wanted to kind of have this weird, hostile, sibling relationship. Maybe because I have been watching The House of the Dragon (but this story plot has been in my head for a while now and I wanted to kind of make it a long-form story but I didn't know how to piece all of the fragments of story in my head to one long story). I hope that this story made sense. Kind of like Kenna does care for her brother but has the anxiety in her that if she is not Queen then people would no longer love her and that she would be nothing and she resents her brother for trying to take that away from her, both of them knowing that Aiden is not the right person for the job and he is just doing it because he feels entitled to it because he is the prince and traditionally the male heir inherits. Does that make sense? No? Okay.
Let me know what you think!
