Hello, people. So, here is the next chapter. We're almost getting back to the Winx and Specialists.Rockmantic made a question that I believe is very important and maybe wasn't so clear: There is one thing I want to know...Are the guys seeing this memories, Catherine showing them everything or are you showing this only to us? The answer is: the Winx have no idea of anything yet, these memories are only being revealed to you. I'm giving you the backstory, not them. They'll find out the truth somewhere in the next few chapters.
Now, here we'll speed up things a bit, we'll have some memories of Flora's adolescence years and new characters are coming, some very important to this story. I can't wait for you to see the part where the Winx will meet some of this characters, it will be awesome.
This story's turning out to be one pregnancy and one death per chapter. It's so weird and unplanned. So I'll warn you that there are more deaths to come. As I've said many times, this story is more of a tragedy. Sometimes I hate myself for putting you through this, but what can you do, some people have to die for the story to work.
IMPORTANT: EVERYONE SHOULD CHECK OUT CHAPTER 14 AGAIN, CAUSE I JUST ADDED A NEW SCENE THERE. IT'S NOT A VERY IMPORTANT ONE, THOUGH.
Shoutouts:
Rockmantic: Precisely! It would be too repetitive and boring if she was another Diane. Queen Isabella is like my favorite character in this story, aside from Flora, Will, Henry and Catherine. Glad you liked the family scenes, there are a few more to come. I wanted to show you that there were happy times, despite all the tragic things that happened and Flora didn't have such a terrible life.
zezily: I was trying to do something different, so as not to repeat the Diane thing. You should consider that Isabella and Henry had an arranged marriage, so it's not as if they were in love or anything. Also, she already loved someone before that, so she knows how Catherine and Henry feel and she doesn't want to get in the way of their relationship. I won't go deep into her backstory, though. Really? That's different, I tried to portray Will as Flora's best friend, not a love interest. I believe you might not ship them after this chapter.
winxkate: Glad you like all the scenes! :) There are many more to come.
LostMirage: Oh, yeah, I had forgotten that you've watched Reign. You'll see it in this chapter already. I almost did too, it was so sad. Isn't she cute? I just love children and babies, they're adorable! Ah, I understand. Yes, I know Lyon, but I've never been there.
AlexisPeaney: That's good! I know this story's very complicated and complex. Yes, I imagined it would be nice to show that Flora has been raised to be a trustful catholic, so I added the Heaven plot. There will be more of it in the next few chapters. I can't answer your questions yet, cause that would be giving away too much from the next chapter. But everything will be clear, I promise.
Windrea: That's okay, I forget too sometimes.Yep, now things will really take a different turn. Yeah, they were never meant to be in love, I just tried to make you think that so it would be more surprising when you found out that Will's her half brother.
Well, this chapter turned out so big I had to cut some parts and add them to the next one. Happy reading!
June 26th of 1541...
In the palace of Paris, joy took over the royal family. It was a hot day, the sun was shining and there were no clouds on the sky. It was perfect, everything was perfect. In the queen's chambers, four people reunited to share this special day. King Henry sat by his wife's side as he stared at the small child in her arms. Catherine Blanchet and her daughter, Flora, stood near them as they watched the scene with smiles, though Catherine's was rather sad and bittersweet. Prince William sat on the other side of the queen as he looked at the newborn.
"She's so beautiful." Henry commented as he stared at the little girl with green eyes, fair skin and a small red head.
"Isn't she? The greatest gift I could have asked for." Queen Isabella told him with a smile and she kissed the baby's forehead.
"If I may say, she's inherited your enchanting beauty, Queen Isabella." Catherine said and the two women shared a smile. Against all odds, they were friends and that friendship had become stronger over the years, Even now, when Isabella held the child of the man Catherine loved, there was no negative energy between them. They both understood each other, understood what the other was going through and that's why Isabella had allowed Catherine to stay in her relationship with Henry and tried her best to make sure Flora was a part of their family. Because they were a family, even if not an ordinary one.
"Thank you. I trust that soon you will be graced with another child of your own." Catherine's smile widened, though she felt like dying inside. Another child. After the death of her dear Rose, she had wanted another child so desperately, needing someone to fill the gap in her heart from that loss just like Flora had filled the one left because of the death of Catherine's parents and younger brother.
"I hope not too soon, I don't think I can handle another little one, after all the trouble we had with these two." Henry joked while pointing at his two children and the three adults laughed.
"Hey, I take offence." Flora complained jokingly.
"I wasn't talking about you, princess, you're a perfect lady. Now, Will, he was the one who drove me crazy." Henry said and Will frowned while Flora laughed.
"Dad! I so did not." He crossed his arms over his chest and Flora laughed even harder.
"Just admit it, Will, you were a difficult one. That's okay, there are some people who are harder than others." Flora tried to soothe him and failed.
"I wasn't difficult. Are you forgetting who almost killed me once?" He asked the three adults in the room and it was Flora's turn to frown.
"Hey, that wasn't my fault! You didn't tell me that those swords were real." She complained and Will just shrugged his shoulders.
"Okay, you two, that's enough." Henry said firmly before the argument could go any further. Then he turned back to his wife. "I must go now to make the arrangements for our trip to England. Are you sure you'll be okay to go?" Queen Isabella nodded.
"I'm sure I will. This is an important trip, we must both go there." She told him in a tone that left no room for discussions.
"That's right, I had almost forgotten about your trip. Are you sure that it will work, I mean, after we made that alliance with Scotland, I don't think they'll be very willing to make peace with France." Catherine asked the two rulers. Henry gave her a reassuring smile.
"I'm sure it will work just fine, love. After I offer to mary Flora to Henry Carey, nephew of the king, an alliance will be made. We might have to end the one with Scotland, though." Henry said and he turned to his younger daughter. She hadn't agreed to that marriage, but she didn't really have a choice. He missed the frown on Catherine's face. This wasn't a part of her plan, Flora needed to marry a prince, she deserved it. Catherine wished that this alliance with England wouldn't work, having no idea of the terrible consequences her wish would cause.
"That's okay, daddy, just remember the agreement we made." Flora told her father firmly and Henry nodded.
"I promise you that if this alliance doesn't work, you'll be free to chose who you want to marry and when. You're not really a princess, so you shouldn't be forced into an arranged marriage. Though you do understand how important this one is, right?" He questioned.
"Yes, I do." Flora obediently said. Henry smiled at her before kissing her forehead and leaving the room.
"Okay, now I'm going to change into something more comfortable. William, can you hold your sister for a second?" Queen Isabella broke the silence that was installed after Henry's departure.
"Me? Why?" Will asked her as he looked around panicky and nervously. Flora laughed before she approached the queen.
"I don't think Will's ready for that yet, may I take her instead?" She gently asked Isabella, who gave her a bright smile before handing her the baby. Flora swifted her so she could be more comfortable and stared lovingly at the little girl. "Hello, Claude. I'm your big sister." She cooed the little girl, who laughed. Queen Isabella smiled at them.
"I believe she's in good hands. I'll be back shortly." With that she was gone. Catherine soon excused herself and Will and Flora were left alone with baby Claude.
"You know, she's kinda cute." Will said as he stared at the baby.
"Isn't she?"Flora said while smiling at her. Claude laughed once again. "And she's the most adorable baby!" Will nodded.
"Yep. I bet when you have your own children, they'll be just as cute." Flora frowned.
"I sure hope I won't be having them with my fiancée at the moment. He's really ugly." Flora recalled the picture she had seen of her future husband.
"Yep, he's horrible, which is strange because his parents aren't so ugly. At least my fiancée's very cute." Will said and Flora nodded.
"Mary's pretty. I hope she can come here soon, I can't wait to meet her." Flora told him and Will excitedly looked at her.
"Yeah, me too. Though I'm not so excited about getting married." Neither of them were. After all, who would be, at ages 14 and 16?
"No, please, don't cry." Flora attempted to calm down the crying baby, unsuccessfully. By the time Queen Isabella came back, the little girl hadn't stopped and she only did so after they had dinner. Everyone sighed in relief once they saw baby Claude sleeping later that night and wondered why she had been crying so hard. hough. Only Nostradamus knew the reason for the child's sadness.
"It's amazing, almost as if she knows about her future." Nostradamus whispered to himself as he sat in the gardens and watched the family having dinner. "But maybe my vision is wrong, maybe no harm will come to her. After all, I've been wrong before." Though he had been able to keep his magic, a courtesy from Catherine, he felt like his powers weren't so right anymore. After all, he had seen Flora's death a year previous and she was still alive and well. So he decided not to tell Catherine of his concerns, so that she wouldn't worry. That turned out to be a fatal mistake.
July 10th of 1541...
Catherine, Flora and Will anxiously awaited the arrival of king Henry and Queen Isabella from England. It had been a week since the couple had gone there to attempt to make an alliance and there had been no news of them. Princess Claude lay in Catherine's arms and she kept moving around, as if she was just as anxious for the couple's return as the others.
"Why aren't they here yet?" A nervous Flora asked her mother as she stared at the giant clock behind them. It read 12:05, five minutes after the king was supposed to arrive.
"I don't know, Flora. I'm sure they'll get here soon." Catherine answered just as nervously. Claude cried out and she gave the baby girl a sad look. "For her sake, I hope they do." Will and Flora shared a look. It wasn't often that they saw Catherine so nervous and anxious, she was usually calm and collected.
"Yeah, they're only five minutes late, there's no need to be worried, Flo." Will said and he cast his younger sister a reassuring smile.
"Thanks, Will. Hey, why don't we do something to occupy our time?" The green eyed girl suggested.
"That's a good idea. What should we do?" Flora smiled as she already knew what she wanted to do.
"How about a race till the river?" She asked Will with a smirk, knowing that he wouldn't be able to turn down a challenge. The young boy smirked back.
"Okay, be ready to eat my dust." He said and Catherine gave them a stern look.
"Come on, you two, you're not children anymore. Besides, Flora, you'll get your dress dirty." She told the young girl firmly and Flora gave her her best innocent look.
"Mother, please. I'll be very careful, I promise." Catherine sighed, knowing it would be no harm for them to play for a bit.
"Okay, then. You'll meet us back in the throne room later, okay?" The two nodded and ran off as Catherine smiled. She decided that she'd better find something to do as well, so she went back to her chateau and picked a book before heading back to the gardens. Sitting down near the great oak tree, Catherine started reading to the small child, attempting to distract herself.
Soon there was the sound of trumpets and horses as she assumed that they had returned from their trip. She stood up and walked towards the entrance of the palace. What awaited her was a surprise and not a good one. Later Catherine would think about how cruel faith can be and how much more she would have to lose.
"Oh, yeah! I win!" An excited Flora screamed as she reached the river. Will sighed as he stopped a few feet before the river.
"It's no fair, you cheated!" He screamed and Flora raised her eyebrows.
"And how exactly did I cheat?" She questioned and Will gave up under her stare.
"I don't know, but you always cheat." Flora's expression turned to anger as she crossed her arms.
"I so did not." She said firmly and Will shrugged his shoulders.
"Whatever. Let's just do something else then." That was when Flora notice that her dress was covered in mud and her eyes went wide.
"Oh, god. Mother's gonna kill me!" She said exasperatedly and Will looked confused for a second before he saw what she was looking at.
"Wow, you are screwed." He told her and Flora smiled, much to his surprise.
"Not exactly. Mother always tells me that we have to dress our best, so she won't complain if I change clothes because I don't think this dress is appropriate." Will raised his eyebrows.
"Do you really think she'll buy that?" He questioned and Flora nodded eagerly.
"Yep. After all, she's taught me all about manners and etiquette. Now come." She took his hand and started dragging him to her chateau.
"Hey! Why do I have to come?" Will questioned with a frow.
"Cause I need help with choosing my dress." Flora told him firmly and he gave her a look that she ignored. "Come on, I know that you don't like these kind of things, but you're my best friend, so it's your duty to help me." Will was unconvinced by that, so she had to give him her famous puppy eyes to convince him.
About an hour later the two of them reached the throne room, Flora now wearing a green dress instead of the red one Catherine had chosen. The blonde woman barely noticed it, though, her attention was fully concentrated on King Henry as he sat in his throne. Will and Flora were scared once they saw him, because he was doing something a king never did: crying. He cried desperately, but lowly, as Catherine had her arms wrapped around him. She was crying a bit herself and Flora was even more surprised for she had never seen her mother cry, well except for when they had lost Rose.
"Father?" Will asked and the couple turned back to look at them. Henry quickly dried his tears and attempted to form a smile for his son.
"William. I'm glad to see you."Will was extremely confused as Henry slowly stood up and gave him a hug.
"I'm glad to see you too,but what's going on?" The young prince questioned as he stared at his father worriedly.
"Is there something wrong?" Flora asked both her parents and Catherine sent her a sad look.
"Well, yes, there is something wrong." Henry stared saying and he led the two teens to another room, the library that Flora loved so much. They sat down as Henry and Catherine said nothing while Flora and Will waited. It was the blonde woman who broke the silence.
"You see, my sweet Flora, your father and I have terrible news." She said and Flora's face turned to horror. What could have happened.
"Is it about my marriage?" The young girl questioned, recalling the agreement she had made with her father.
"There is no marriage, princess. There is no way in hell that I'm sending you to marry anyone related to that monster." Henry said, anger and despair showing on his face. Will was extremely concerned about his father's mental state.
"Now, father, when you say monster, are you referring to the king of England?" The young boy questioned, wanting to get he details before he could attempt to comfort him. Henry nodded his head vigorously.
"He's a monster, worse than any other. He should be in hell, where he belongs." Flora was surprised to hear her father speaking like that about someone.
"Why do you speak of him in that way, father? What did he do?" Catherine was the one who answered the question.
"He did the unthinkable. Your father went there to attempt to make peace with those cold hearted protestants, but instead of accepting our offer, they attacked with no reason!" Catherine angrily said and the two teens widened their eyes in surprise.
"Attacked? The english attacked you, father?" Will asked, even more worried.
"They sent their guards at us minutes after we got there. It was a miracle that I came out alive, there were so many of them. They didn't even listen to my proposal." Henry told them and Flora was filled with fear as she realized that there was something missing.
"What about Queen Isa, did they hurt her?" She questioned and Will was curious too.
"Where is she, by the way? Why isn't she here?" The look shared between Henry and Catherine was enough to tell them what had happened.
"She's dead, they killed her. They were coming at me, but she jumped and took the hit instead. Why does she always have to be so selfless?" Henry started crying again and Flora's heart hurt for her father. She climbed out of her chair and sat on his lap as she hugged him. Catherine and Will soon joined them as the broken family tried to strengthen themselves as they cried for their lost friend. After about an hour, a guard came to warn them that dinner would be ready soon.
"I guess we should go, then. Henry, do you wish to have a few minutes?" Catherine gently asked him and he shook his head.
"No, I should go see Claude. She's all I have left of Isabella now and I just..." Will put a comforting hand on his shoulder and cast him a sad smile.
"It's okay, father, we understand. In fact, I think that we should all see Claude now, she'll be happy and it will make us feel better." Henry cast his son a grateful smile and the small family headed back to Catherine's chateau, where an unwilling but understanding Leonardo had been in charge of baby Claude. As they reached the chateau, Catherine couldn't help but feel like something was wrong, so she started running and they followed her.
"Leonardo?" She screamed worriedly and there was no answer. No sound of a crying baby or paintings being made, just silence. Henry opened the door slowly and entered it. The lights were out, giving a creepy look and Flora held onto Will as he wrapped an arm around her. Carefully, Henry walked around the room while holding the candle he had brought. A small light shone around the chateau and everyone gasped. The place was a mess, there was paint scattered around the floor and broken things.
"What the hell?" Will questioned silently and Henry started getting desperate.
"Leonardo, where are you?" He screamed and there was sudden movement in a corner of the room. Flora screamed in fear, but soon they heard a groan and Catherine ran towards the figure.
"Oh, god. Are you okay, Leo?" She asked the awakening man as he looked around the room confusingly. Blood was falling onto his shoulders and a huge gasp was on his side.
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch." He said with a small smile as he attempted to tranquilize Flora, who stared at his injury with wide eyes.
"What happened?" Henry asked as he knelt down and helped Leonardo stand up. He and Catherine half carried him to the couch, where he fell down with a groan.
"I'm not so sure, I was trying to make her sleep when someone came out of no where. It was a man, I'm sure, but it was too dark for me to see him clearly. He attacked me and as I fought back I was thrown back." Flora gasped and covered her mouth.
"That's so horrible. Are you okay?" She asked him worriedly and he smiled at her.
"Hey, I'm alright, flower." Leo reassured her. " I'm not the one you should be worried about." He added with a solemn look. Henry walked away from them as he searched for the missing baby, his daughter and the only thing he had left of Isabella, someone he had been extremely close to. Finding Claude actually didn't turn out to be so hard, she was in her crib. However, the feeling that something was wrong came back as he approached the sleeping baby.
"There you are." He said, unsure, and he picked her up and gently kissed her forehead. "My sweet baby." He told her afterwards and the sound of footsteps made him turn around to find Catherine.
"At least she's alright." She smiled at him and he smiled back, but he still couldn't shake that feeling. Catherine looked down at the baby as she held the candle and her expression soon turned to horror. Henry was about to question her, but before he could, she used her free hand to touch the baby's cheek and quickly removed it. "Henry, she's as cold as ice." He understood what she was saying, but he didn't want to believe it. Upon resting his own hand on Claude's face, he realized Catherine had been right.
"She is cold, I'll go get her a blanket." He gave Catherine the baby and walked away. The blonde woman stopped him before he reached the cabin.
"Henry, perhaps we should take her to the doctor, as well as Leonardo." She told him firmly and he turned around. After he gave her a nod, everyone left the chateau and went back to the palace so they could get a doctor. No one noticed the shadow that followed them, a man who held a knife covered in blood, Leonardo's blood. His brown eyes were shining with excitement and he had a smirk as he thought about how easy it had been to accomplish his revenge on the unknowing couple.
As the group approached the castle, Nostradamus came running their way. They stopped once he approached them and he stared at the baby in Catherine's arms with horror. Leonardo quietly kept walking as he seeked the doctor while the others stopped in front of Nostradamus.
"Oh, god. It's true then." Everyone was confused at that statement.
"What's true?" Henry asked him in confusion.
"The child, she's..." Nostradamus didn't finish the sentence, but they understood where he was going.
"She's dead?" Flora asked him with wide eyes. He nodded his head and Catherine gasped.
"She can't be, you're wrong." Henry argued and Catherine gave him a look.
" Henry,my love, I don't want it to be true either, but he's right. I can't hear her breathing and she's too cold and pale." The king shook his head in disagreement and Catherine decided that she'd better leave him alone. "But how did you know that, Nostradamus? Did you see that this would happen?" She questioned him and Nostradamus bowed down in shame.
"I must apologize immensely for not mentioning it before. I saw the child's death on the day she was born, but I assumed that I was wrong." Catherine stared at him in disbelief.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Henry was so mad that he almost punched the psychic, but Catherine put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Nostradamus shook his head.
"I am so sorry. Ever since I had that vision of Miss. Flora's death I assumed my gift wasn't working anymore." Nostradamus said and Flora looked at him curiously. She was used to Nostradamus talking about his gift and about magic, though she didn't really believe in it.
"You saw my death?" She asked him and his face paled.
"Yes, unfortunately." Catherine had a horrified look.
"No. This won't happen, I won't let it." She firmly said as she stared at her daughter. " What happened in your vision? How did she die? Did someone kill her?" She questioned Nostradamus.
"Well, the vision wasn't clear. I saw a knife covered in blood, Miss. Flora's blood. She was lying in the king's arms somewhere in the castle and they were alone." Catherine frowned, this wasn't helpful at all. "Oh, and there was also another man." This sparked Flora's interest.
"A man? Who was it?" The young girl questioned him.
"I don't know, I could only see his back, so all I know is that he had long blue hair. It was weird, he didn't seem like he belonged here." Nostradamus mused and Catherine was angered.
"So he must be the one responsible for it." She said with despise towards the unknown man.
"Then we'll keep an eye out for him. If any man with long blue hair gets near Flora, we'll be sure that they can never set foot on France again." Henry said firmly and Flora stared at her angry parents with raised eyebrows.
"Now you're exaggerating, it's not as if someone will just come and try to kill me." She told her parents and their expression didn't change. "But I'll be more careful, I promise." That eased their worries, as both moved to hug her tightly as if she would be disappearing at any moment. Will just watched them with a look crossed between disbelief and worry.
Once the trio broke apart, they decided to worry about it later, so they went back to the palace and towards the infirmary. They found Leonardo being taken care of and they handed Claude to the doctor. After a few minutes, he gave them the terrible news that they had been awaiting: Claude was dead. The cause, they were told, was poison. So Henry vowed to himself that he would find out who had killed her and make sure that they were hanged.
Catherine stared at her lover with pain and sadness as she wondered why life had been so cruel to them, why they were forced to love so many people they loved. First Rose, then Isabella and now Claude? It was as if the universe was working against them. However, she vowed to herself that she would find a way to come out of this even stronger and changed things for the better. She vowed to herself to focus on making Flora the perfect queen and finding a prince to marry her. She also prayed that she would be blessed with another child, someone that could heal the wounds that were left by the death of her close friend. Unfortunately, she didn't expect that things would become much worse as time went by. It's what they always say: life isn't fair.
April, 18th of 1543...
It was a hot summer day, too hot for anyone to be outside, but some people didn't have a choice. The royal family gathered near the palace gates, King Henry and his loyal mistress, Catherine, standing side by side with his two children, prince William and Miss. Flora near them. Guards and maids completed the group as they awaited for the arrival of their guest.
Said guest was none other than Mary Stuart, queen of Scotland and Prince William's fiance. The time had come for the young girl to come to France and join him as they would soon be wed. The golden carriage stopped in front of the gates and out came the young queen, with the help of one of her servants. Mary had long brown hair and eyes of the same color and she wore a beautiful golden dress that any girl would die for. She looked at the crowd awaiting her shyly for a minute before she smiled brightly and waved. An open mouthed William waved back and his sister laughed and rolled her eyes at his amazement upon seeing Mary.
Four girls followed the young queen, one with black hair and eyes (1); two blonde girls, one with brown eyes (2) and the other with blue ones (3) and lastly a brunette with green eyes (4). They were dressed richly, though not as much as Mary, and the royals were intrigued as they wondered who they were. The four girls followed Mary as she walked towards the four royals.
"My dear Mary, welcome to France." King Henry told her gently before he bowed down. Mary smiled at him before curtsying.
"Thank you, for such a warm welcome. I already feel at home." Henry laughed at her comment and prince William nervously coughed as he called for her attention. Mary smiled at him, a bit nervously.
"That's good to hear, Mary. I hope you'll like it here as much as I do." He told her nervously and his sister laughed once again. "Also, may I add that you look absolutely beautiful." Mary laughed at his comment and she blushed.
"Why thank you." The young queen responded before her attention turned to the other two people near the king. "I'm guessing you must be Lady Catherine and your daughter, Miss Flora." She questioned them and Catherine nodded.
"Indeed, your majesty." She said simply while Flora looked at Mary excitedly.
"I'm so glad you're here, Mary. It will be great to have some company that doesn't involve silly boys." She said playfully and Mary was surprised at the way she talked about the future king of France, but Will just rolled his eyes and said nothing.
"Oh My God, that was a good one!" The blonde girl with brown eyes laughed and everyone turned to her.
"I'm sorry, I almost forgot. These are my ladies and best friends, Kenna (1), Greer (2), Aylee (3) and Lola (4)." Mary quickly introduced each girl and they politely greeted the royals.
"It's a pleasure to meet you ladies, I do hope that you find comfort in our home." Henry told them with a warm smile.
"I'm sure we will, your majesty. From what we've seen so far, France seems to be a beautiful place and the castle's grand." Lola said, her green eyes shining with excitement.
"Well, why don't we get settled in now? Flora and William can lead you to your rooms while I'll see if everything's ready for the party." Henry said and Mary stared at him a bit confused.
"A party? I wasn't aware that there would be a party tonight." She said and Flora gave her a bright smile.
"It's a welcoming party and also to celebrate your 16th birthday. We thought you'd like to celebrate it here." She said and Mary returned the smile.
"That's so nice, thank you so much." After that Flora and Will lead the five girls to their chambers. Along the way Mary and Will talked as they tried to get to know each other and Flora watched them with a proud smile.
"Will's seems like a great person." One of the ladies, Greer, whispered in her ear while the other three gave them curious looks.
"Yeah, he's pretty cool. Though he's a bit clumsy, so you better tell Mary that." Flora playfully said and Greer laughed.
"I'll be sure to do so." Greer said and the other three ladies approached them as they joined in on the conversation. Will and Mary were too busy talking among themselves to notice them.
"What else can you tell us about him?" Lola asked, a serious look on her face.
"Well, he's gentle and polite, he was taught well." Flora told them and the three girls smiled. "Oh, and he loves cats and has lots of them in his chambers." This caught Greer's interest.
"Cats in his chambers? Now that's something I've never heard!" She laughed at the thought and the other three joined in as well.
"That's kinda weird, but I guess okay. There are much worse boys around here." Lola said and Flora got the feeling that her words were based on real life experience.
"Hey, wait a second. This is the wrong way!" Will said and Flora was pulled from her thoughts.
"The wrong way? How could this be?" An extremely worried Lola asked as she looked around the corridor. Flora's face lightened up as she realized where they were.
"Don't worry, I know exactly where we are." She told the others reassuringly.
"Then where are we, because this place's kinda chilly." Greer said and Flora was about to answer her when Lola screamed.
"And where's Kenna?" She started looking for her friend and the others looked worried too.
"Don't worry, Lola. You know Kenna, she's probably gone off to explore the palace on her own." Mary attempted to tranquilize her.
"But she doesn't know around here, she could get lost." Lola was unconvinced, so Will decided to step in.
"How about I look for her, then? I know this palace like the back of my hand, I'll find Kenna easily." He told the ladies with a warm smile and Mary returned an even brighter one.
"Ah, thanks so much, William. You're such a great help." Flora smirked as the two of them stared at each other as if they had forgotten that the others were still there.
"You're forgetting something. Without William we have no way to get to our chambers." Lola reminded them and Flora smiled at her.
"Don't worry, Lola. I've lived here for 16 years, I know the palace very well too." She told the brunette, who finally relaxed and cast her a smile.
"Okay, then. I'll meet you ladies at the party later." Will said and he bowed down to each girl. When he got to Mary, he took her hand and kissed it. The young queen blushed slightly and smiled. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mary. I can't wait to dance with you tonight, at your party." Flora smiled at both of them.
"You're a lucky girl, Mary. Will's an excellent dancer." She winked at him and Will gave her a thankful smile before leaving to find Kenna. Mary and the other ladies turned to her and she nodded her head before signalling for them to follow her.
"So, where are we?" Aylee spoke for the first time and Flora looked at her, surprised.
"We're close to the library. Your chambers are set on the other side of the palace, so it will take us a while to get there." She answered and Lola's face lightened up.
"A library? I love reading." She commented and Flora smiled at her.
"So do I. Would you like to see it?" She questioned and Lola looked at Mary as if asking her for permission.
"That's not such a bad idea. I do love books myself." The young queen replied and Lola was almost jumping with joy. Greer, however, didn't seem too happy.
"Ah, those two are always dragging me to libraries." She complained and they laughed. "Just remember that soon we'll have a party and I want to have enough time to get ready. I haven't even chosen my dress for this evening, what am I going to do?" Flora laughed at the blonde's desperation.
"Hey, don't worry, we'll have plenty of time." She reassured Greer, who gave her a doubtful look.
"When it comes to fashion, there's never enough time." She said firmly and Flora laughed even harder.
"Is this it?" Lola asked as she stared at huge green doors. Flora nodded and she pushed them open. She could hear the other girls gasp in amazement at the size of the library.
"Wow, this place is amazing!" Mary said as she walked around.
"Agreed. I'll loved spending time here for as long as I stay." Lola said with a smile as she picked a book from the nearest shelf.
"That's so great to hear! I love spending time here, though sometimes it gets lonely." Flora told them with an excited smile."Will sometimes keeps me company since he liked to read, but he prefers to practice sword fighting." Greer rolled her eyes at her comment.
"Ah, man and their swords. I'll never understand what's so fun about fighting." The blonde complained. A voice called out for them and she screamed.
"My apologies, ladies." A young man dressed in servant's clothes said as he looked at the four startled girls.
"That's okay, Leith." Flora said as she recognized him. He had been working at the palace for a few years now and Flora even considered him a friend. She had taken pity on him when she saw how terribly he was treated as he used to work in the kitchen, so she had convinced her father to grant him a better position. Will had come to her aid and so Leith was made his personal servant. That way Leith gained more money and he didn't have to handle any mean bosses, Will was a great boss and they became friends as well.
"Who are you?" Mary curiously asked and Leith bowed down before answering. His blue eyes held a mysterious glow and his light brown hair fell slightly on his face as he spoke. As she looked at him, Greer couldn't help but think that he was cute and different. She didn't realize that once her eyes went back to Mary, who was patiently waiting for his answer, he looked at her with the same intensity.
"I am prince William's personal servant. He sent me here to tell you that Miss. Kenna has been found and she's been taken to her chambers." A relieved smile came to Lola's face.
"Thank goodness." She put a hand on her heart and Mary sighed in relief.
"So, Leith, you've been working on the palace for how long?" Greer curiously asked as she looked at him. Flora didn't miss the look the gave to each other and the way Leith smiled as she spoke to him.
"About three years. I used to work on the kitchen, but Miss. Flora and Prince William helped find a better job." He cast Flora a grateful smile and she smiled back.
"It's always good to help out a friend." She said and Leith nodded before turning his attention back to Mary.
"Anyhow, would you ladies like something to eat or drink?" He questioned and Mary, Aylee and Lola shook their heads.
"Well, now that you asked, I'd love to find out where the kitchen is. Would you mind taking me there?" Greer innocently said and Leith's smile widened.
"Of course not, Miss..." He tried to recall her name as Will had mentioned it as they met before.
"Greer. And you're Leith, right?" The blonde answered back and Will nodded.
"Right. It's nice to meet you." He politely said before they shook hands. They unknowingly stayed there for a few more seconds as they stared at each other, lost in thought. A cough from Lola brought them back to reality.
"Shall we go?" Leith asked and Greer nodded after they pulled their hands apart, both blushing.
"Wait! Before you go, I would like for you to choose a book here, Greer. I know you said you're not a huge fan, but take one at least, as a welcome present." Flora told her and Greer smiled.
"Okay, then. I don't hate books or anything, I'm just not obsessed like Lola" The blonde said and she ignored the brunette's glare as she searched the shelves for a book. Her eyes set on a red one in the farthest shelf from where they were and she picked it up.
"Which one is it?" Flora asked her as she came back.
"It's called 'Tales of the Winx'." Greer answered as she looked at the book.
"That's strange, I don't recall reading that one and I've read pretty much anything in here." The tanned girl said in confusion.
"It's definitely strange, it was if there was a force pushing me towards that book." Greer commented as she stared at the book in her hand. Making up her mand, she handed it to Flora."Here, take it. I don't want to take a book you haven't read." Flora was about to argue, but the blonde walked away from her and picked a green book. "Have you read this one?"
"Yes, a million times. It's called Romeo and Juliet and it's great." Flora replied and Greer nodded before she left the room with Leith following her.
"So, I'm not the only one that felt like there was a spark between them?" Flora asked once they were gone and Mary immediately nodded.
"I felt it too. It's the same thing I felt when I met William." She replied and Lola looked at her seriously, as usual.
"But is it a good thing or not? I don't have much experience with relationships, so I can't tell." She commented and Flora smiled.
"I think it's a good thing. My mother always told me how she felt sparks when she met my father and the two of them have been in love for over 20 years." She told the three girls, who looked surprised.
"So they're really in love? I thought Catherine was just his mistress." Lola questioned and Flora shook her head.
"No, they really do love each other. The only reason she stayed as his mistress is because they can't marry due to my mother not being royalty." Mary had a smile on her face after the first comment.
"So, do you think that Will and I will love each other too?" She asked and Flora nodded excitedly.
"I'm sure you will, I saw the way he was looking at you earlier, he loves you already." Mary blushed a bit and silence followed that statement as each girl was lost on her thoughts. Surprisingly, Aylee was the one who broke it as she had been silently sitting on a chair.
"So, shall we get back to our reading?" She asked them and they nodded. Each girl chose a book and a chair as they sat down. Flora was first as she already had a book in hand. She took a good look at it and her mind went back to the first question she had thought as she saw the book: what is Winx? She wondered for a moment, considering it might be written in another language or maybe it was a code. Giving up, she started reading.
Isabella: Henry's second wife/Best Friend-Died while protecting Henry
Claude: Henry and Isabella's child-murdered by unknown
Mary: Queen of Scotland, Will's fiancee (16 years old)
Mary's ladies and close friends: Kenna (16 years old), Greer (18 years old), Aylee (17 years old) and Lola (17 years old).
Leith: Will's personal servant, friends with Will and Flora. (19 years old)
So, here we have two things connected to Winx. Can you see now where the story's going?
What did you think of Isabella's death? What about Claude? Who do you think killed her? Also, do you think Nostradamus's vision of Flora might come true?
And what about the new characters we see here? Did you enjoy the romantic scenes in this chapter? We'll have more next one and I'll warn you, Flora X Helia fans, be ready.