Category: Winx Club
Rating: M
Couples: Faragonda/Baltor in 'good' ending, hints of Baltor/Griffin in 'bad' ending.
Warnings: AU, Double Ending, other Warnings given in appropriate ending.
Chapter: 1
Copyright: © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me
Author's note: A rewrite of my previous Forced Marriage, this one too will have a double ending. The 'good' ending is one chapter in this story and the entirety of Forced Marriage 2 (as well as its sequel), the 'bad' ending will be the other chapter. The labels are chosen by me and you might have a different view, but please ignore that in any reviews you might post. :)
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Do you think he's sincere?" Faragonda asked Griffin.
"I don't see why not." Griffin answered. "But I certainly wonder how he suddenly came to have this desire; a wife…"
"How he came to that doesn't matter." Saladin said. "How we will react is the question."
"Do we have much of a choice?" Faragonda's gaze saddened as she once more read the letter send to her. "One or hundreds…"
"Please, Faragonda, you can't save everyone." Griffin pointed out the obvious.
"But send a woman to certain and – even worse – possibly useless death?" Faragonda looked up, her blue eyes burning. "Can we do that?"
"He gave his word, and we can say much, but not that he does not keep it."
"He gave his word in regards to the planets, not the woman. Can we expect him to keep her sane? Healthy? Alive?"
"Your hate of him clouds your judgment."
"As does your former friendship!"
The sound of Saladin's staff being trust against the ground was far louder than it should have been. It did draw both women from their argument though. "Both of you, calm down." He practically ordered them. "We have to focus on this, not who is more biased in regard to Baltor. Griffin, you know him best; what would he do?"
"He would restore everything, as he promised in the letter." Griffin said after a bit of thinking.
"And what if the woman died?" Faragonda asked.
Griffin barely held back a retort about how that wasn't certain and answered. "I can't be certain. It would depend on the woman, manner of dead, etc."
"In other words; whether he would want to cause trouble or not?" Faragonda dryly said.
Reluctantly, Griffin was forced to agree.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Baltor waited and watched as they argued back and forth. He was faintly amused as Griffin and Faragonda seemed unable to agree. Oh, this show alone had made it all worth it.
He had been horrified when after taking over Cloudtower and attacking Alfea his very body had betrayed him. He had never been a man, having been forged with a spark of darkened, tainted Dragonfire; demon would be a more fitting label. And never before had he felt differently from that; he rarely slept, though he well could and food was more of an indulgence than a necessity too. But after that day he had slept, and found himself horrified when he had only dreamt of them!
He had been furious, using far more force suppressing the witches own wills than necessary. He wondered if it had done any damage…
But then he realized the potential; a perfect way to pay them both back. Maybe he shouldn't have given them this warning, but he sincerely enjoyed watching them.
Idly he wondered whether the Trix had noticed that he had abandoned them.
Griffin and Saladin left the office of Faragonda, leaving for their own schools. Fools… You should not leave her like this. You will mourn her loss…
He rose from his seat, gesturing to change the imagery of the scrying-spell. Both Griffin and Saladin had returned to their schools, leaving Faragonda to head for her own private rooms.
She noticed immediately he had entered the room behind her, her hand with energy-ball flying towards him before he had even fully arrived. He caught her wrist, resulting in a brief wrestling match. He grunted when a blast landed particularly painful.
"You really would risk your students like this?" He whispered into her ear when having caught her arms. "Do you think they could withstand us fighting and blowing up the school? Wasn't that why you took to the skies when I first came here?"
He knew he had hit a sensitive spot when she tensed. 'Tsts… so easy to read, Faragonda, as always."
"What do you want?" Her voice was remarkably controlled as she turned towards him. "Why are you here?"
"I assume you received my message?" He asked when she called back her magic.
"Yes." Her voice was sharp and hateful. "Surely you did not invade my school just to ask me that?"
"I was intending to offer my help, yes."
"Help?" She exclaimed, her eyes burning with anger. "Why would I want your help? Leave!"
"No." He caught her arms again. "You are to blame for this, you and Griffin. I will not leave."
"Don't you dare to blame me for your madness!" She fought him then, but concern for her students stilled her magic. Nonetheless he found that he would need force to contain her.
Before she could fully realize it, his magic connected with her neck. She nearly screamed when white-hot flames seemed to travel through her body. She collapsed on the rich carpet.
"I improved my mark. It now is quite a powerful weapon, don't you think?" He towered over her. "And yet, you did not cry out."
"What… do… you… want?" She ground out.
He chuckled. "The message was a courtesy, Faragonda, nothing more. I never intended to give you a say in the matter." He grinned at her expression. "Ah… Faragonda's fury, truly a thing to fear. If you could even stand, that is."
"So you simply intend to take a woman?" The pain made it nearly impossible to concentrate.
"Indeed."
"Then why are you here? Surely you wouldn't want me?"