Chapter Five: Duty of Cowards

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Winx Club properties by writing this story. This story is written for pleasure's sake. All rights reserved.

Fore Note: So this chapter is going a little longer than expected. I have to break it into parts. Excuse all the detours.


Sky looked back and forth between the flaming cove behind him and the Eraklyonite chancery that stood atop a hilltop property ahead of him. He could barely breathe. He held his reigns tightly, his knuckles turning white. He was shocked by his own compliance to leave his parents behind to their demise. He wanted so badly to turn back and fight the monster attacking the Andromachus.

Diaspro sat tensely in her seat in front of him. "We shouldn't be doing this," she said. "We shouldn't have left them."

"They are the king and queen. We do as they will it," Sky said. He did not have much else to say other than the obvious truth. It was their duty to assure the line of succession and that meant leaving their king behind.

"They are your parents," she jabbed.

Sky winced and then his temper flared at her words. He gritted his teeth before he said anything snide. He was a prince and he was above such low behaviour. "You think I forgot that, Diaspro? I didn't want to leave them anymore than you did."

"If your dad dies, you become king," she reminded rather unpleasantly. Her words cut like a knife in his heart. He hated every time someone spoke about his father like that. It reminded him too much about his father's fragile mortality. "If your dad doesn't die tonight," she continued, "you're still going to be king. And what are we doing? Making a 'tactical retreat.' We're running away like cowards."

"Diaspro, watch your tone," Sky reprimanded tightly.

He knew that she knew all about war tactics. She was trained just like he was. King Erendor and Queen Samara had fostered her three out of the four seasons of the year for more than ten years. She had been the sister he never had and she had almost been his bride. She knew about the quiet unrest that was slinking about the empire. She knew very well what she was saying was pointless.

She turned her head back to him. Her eyes were wide with emotion, full of fear and dread. "What are you going to do when we land?" she asked.

"I'm going back for them of course."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not. You're staying in the embassy, Diaspro. I'm not risking you," he said. His parents would never forgive him if something happened to her no matter what she had done, which is why he planned on keeping her away from the danger.

Diaspro stilled, shocked by the fact that he had not included her in his rescue plan. She clenched her fists, incensed by his need to confine her like an animal. "You are not locking me up in a room with a bunch of your mother's ladies-in-waiting!" she yelled indignantly.

"You are my mother's lady-in-waiting and I am your prince, Diaspro," he reminded tersely. "I'm not putting you in danger."

"Sky, I'm not this thing to be coddled. I have a duty to the king and queen, too! I'm not going to sit around and do nothing."

"You forfeited your right to duty when you betrayed us for Valtor!" he growled angrily, annoyed at her constant smart replies.

She turned silent at his tone and she hunched her shoulders.

"Valtor wanted my father killed twenty years ago so that he would not come to Domino's defense. My mother and father took you in and raised you themselves rather than let you become the toy of those pretenders who claim to be your parents," Sky reminded firmly. He stopped himself from saying any more. He knew he would regret it. "You are staying put. You are staying in the chancery under lock and key."

Once upon a time, Sky thought he knew Diaspro. He thought he had understood her despite their differences and despite the distance that had grown between them during his time in Magix. Bloom had been his mistake and they had gotten over it. At least, he thought so. He had his doubts about Diaspro. Her recent conduct in front of all the sovereigns at the Sovereigns Council was a shame that would live with his family and empire for years.

The girl in front of him simmered. "Don't lecture me on duty and family, Sky. When you were away studying at Red Fountain, I performed your duties. I helped your parents run the kingdom. I fought the rebellions in the smaller kingdoms with your father when you were off galavanting in Magix with Bloom. You only care about this family when they're about to die and you're about to be king."

Sky flinched. She was right about what he had done, but wrong at the same time. He cared about his family very much, just like any good son. He worried about his parents health and their advancing age. He worried about the strain of their duties on their bodies and souls, especially when he was in Magix. He just never dared to show such weakness to anybody.

Diaspro continued her tirade. "When your parents were injured in that plane crash, you brought Bloom home with you for what? Comfort? What about me? What about the rest of us? We didn't have time for comfort. War would have broken out in the empire if your father had succumbed to the poison. You left for a Magix faster than a spell as soon as the danger was over. You didn't stay to take over as your father's regent. You didn't even stay to make sure that your parents healed. The king had broken three of his ribs and fractured his arm! It was me who spent weeks nursing them and hovering over them, not you, Sky."

Sky's grip tightened on his reigns. "Diaspro, what do you think I do in Magix? I didn't just stay at Red Fountain and flounce around with girls. I had a job to do at Lightrock for the king and queen, too. I had responsibilities in Magix."

"Right, right, you were our beloved representative within the Council of Magix," Diaspro hissed insultingly.

"Diaspro!" Sky growled. "You think I tramp around in the whore houses and gamble my money? I had to work hard at school and be the best at everything because was it was expected of me, because I was a prince and the son of a glorious warrior king. It wasn't easy for me to leave home either, especially when war was breaking out every month in one kingdom or another. I didn't want to leave for school. I wanted to stay and join the army and fight, but I didn't get that choice because mother and father thought it was inappropriate for the next king of Eraklyon to not at least have a diploma from a reputable school. Everything I did was for the reputation of our king and kingdom.

"I made a mistake with Bloom, and I'm sorry for jilting you like that, I really am, Diaspro. I know you absolutely hate me. I am the lowest of scum to you and I'm sure that you will never forgive me because you think everything I say is a lie. I don't know how else I can apologise and make it up to you."

Sky's grip on his reins was so tight that he was sure that he was drawing blood. At the very least, his palms felt a burning sensation and a numbness in his fingers. He despised how she could easily get under his skin. His hands shook.

Sky did not shake because he was angry. He shook because he was guilty for turning Diaspro into what she was.

This girl, she infuriated him. The sweet thing that he once grew up with had gone away and died somewhere. What came back was a harpy that stood in his way at every corner. She pecked at him and questioned him. She insulted him and plotted against him. People now whispered "traitor" and "witch" around her. The things that she had done, the things that he had done, the distance that was between them—it was all insurmountable now. He had only gone away for a short time and the Diaspro he knew was gone. He knew that he the reason for the insidious thing she had become.

The princess kept silent until Aurora touched down on the cobblestone path inside an Eraklyonite courtyard garden, Sky jumped down and Diaspro slipped down Aurora's side.

He glanced at her face and saw a storm of tumultuous emotions brew beneath her brows.

"Sky, I don't hate you," she said.

Sky stilled, as if he had misheard. He regarded her, looked at her face for clues to her emotions. He saw raw rage, bottomless sadness and utter confusion. He could not fathom her feelings. He looked to her expectantly.

She took a deep breath, as if sighing to herself. "I don't hate you," she said again. She looked like she wanted to say more. She did not.

The prince was not sure of what to make of this admission from her. "Neither do I," he replied. "I don't hate you; never did. I never meant to hurt you, Diaspro."

Diaspro shook her head in disbelief and this made him wince. She crossed her arms, as if cold or vulnerable. She looked to her feet. She had abandoned her shoes not that long ago on the Thunder Spirit to help Sky carry his injured father. "You always tell me that."

"And you don't believe me," he said. "I can live with your hate. I deserve that much from you."

Sky turned and headed for the royal residence before he said anything stupid. His emotions were jumbled and he knew he would say the wrong thing. He felt rotten inside for lashing out at her. His regrets were coming back to the surface and he steadily trampled them down. His own feelings could not get in the way of his father's rescue and he had no time to grovel for her forgiveness.

Inside the residence, Sky and Brandon were greeted by the king's officials and guards who turned to the prince for their next plan of action. Sky turned to Diaspro, making sure she had followed them inside.

The girl was gone.


Note: The assassination that Diaspro is referring to is a story in the comics called "Suspicion and Deceit" (issue 45). You can read it at Winx Comics on Livejournal.