Brandon was pacing back and forth continually. Stella, overwhelmed by the recent events, was slumped on a chair in one of the palace rooms, watching her boyfriend. Her normally calm and highly controlled boyfriend. After his confrontation with Icy, he had expected to deal with different and more irritating matters, but instead, he was faced with an ultimatum. Valtor was Brandon's cousin. As if that weren't enough, Valtor was the reason why Brandon's father, the King of Nyxoria, had hidden the fact that his son was alive from the very beginning. The reason was rather simple: Valtor would kill Brandon.
The King of Nyxoria had kept this a secret for years, even from his wife, the Queen of Nyxoria, and the rest of the kingdom. But years had passed, and Brandon had become a highly skilled knight. Even though his father was proud of him, he believed Brandon should stay away from Valtor until he was sure his son could protect himself. What he hadn't foreseen was that Valtor wanted power, not the kingdom or the crown. While Stella was dealing with Icy, Brandon had a nervous breakdown and almost killed his own father. His mother, unaware of the situation, had watched from a distance, trying to understand the conversation she couldn't hear. Stella, thinking everyone was calmly smiling at her as if nothing had happened, was relieved to learn the reason behind it. After all, how could anyone stay calm with such a big problem looming?
Brandon had vented most of his anger, and the rest had dissipated after seeing Stella in her moon fairy transformation, replaced by pride in his girlfriend's beauty and power. Brandon suddenly stopped and looked at Stella. The young fairy, gazing at him with mixed emotions, didn't want to provoke him further or drag him into something unknown.
"I don't know what to do, Stella." Brandon knelt before her, resting his forehead on her knees. Her hands immediately found his messy hair, and Stella sighed, searching for something to say. Somehow, nothing came to mind. Even Bloom, after reviving her frozen planet and bringing back her family, had received ample help from Stella, who proudly claimed to have melted Domino single-handedly. Though it reminded her of the lost sun, Stella wanted to think of Brandon more than herself at this moment. As her hand slid from his hair to his cheek, she gently made him lift his head and look into her eyes.
"You've found your family, Brandon. And no matter how many difficulties you've faced in their absence, this truth won't change. You can't stay angry at them for the rest of your life, not even your mother, who knew nothing of this. But your father tried to protect you, and I believe he was right to the end."
Brandon frowned, taking Stella's hands and pulling her down beside him. Stella sighed as she settled into his lap. No one knew Valtor better than the Winx; even the Trix lacked sufficient information. Given how quickly Icy had given up, it was clear Valtor had done them more harm than good. The three sisters had obeyed his every command, leaving them exhausted. Yes, they had gained new powers and put the fairies in difficult situations multiple times, like with Tecna and Flora. But no matter what, as Winx grew stronger, the Trix's gained powers diminished. It wasn't due to overconsumption; Valtor had given them flames from the dragon fire that burned only for a limited time. While the Trix thought it was an endless source, Valtor abandoned them, showing it was a temporary situation. Stella sighed as she traced her finger over Brandon's furrowed brow. It had been a heavy day, and she couldn't help but see herself as an inadequate girlfriend.
"That bastard tried to kill you."
Stella nodded, swallowing. Many had tried to kill her, but it didn't matter. "He even sealed your father and made him order his daughter's execution. Stella, you were dying because of someone from my bloodline." Thinking of it this way made it even harder to bear. He couldn't just brush it off. She nodded again, pressing her forehead to his. "He failed though."
Brandon grumbled as he pulled back, unable to stand with Stella on his lap. Instead, he stared at the ceiling, waiting to calm down. For some reason, that calmness never came. Stella had almost been killed by a dragon he had trained himself, and it was all because of that bastard. Realizing something, he furrowed his brow even more and turned to Stella, asking the question he hadn't thought to ask before. "How did you defeat Icy so easily? Isn't the power of the sun stronger than the moon's?"
Stella couldn't quite understand the sudden change in topic, feeling her shoulders slump under the weight of the question. "I," she sighed, unsure how to phrase it, "The power of the moon seems foreign to everyone now because there was no war during my mother's time, so she didn't have many opportunities to display her powers. And I was born when she was very young, you know that part." Brandon nodded, and Stella licked her lips to continue. "Icy's attacks were very similar to the moon's powers, unlike Stormy's." The mention of the witch made her shudder involuntarily, forcing Stella to swallow again.
"Let's just say she didn't expect me to be this powerful."
This time it was Brandon's turn to swallow hard. How was she so powerful? "Stella..."
Understanding what he meant, Stella nodded, implying he didn't need to continue. "You know that after Domino, the first kingdom and civilization to form was Solaria. And because the dragon fire first touched that planet, it was a meticulous creation." Stella remembered the history her father told her as a bedtime story, playing with her no longer as bright ring. "Whoever is the guardian of the sun, the dragon fire will always burn within them. That's how Solaria's history begins."
Brandon stared at his girlfriend with a different perspective. Why hadn't she mentioned this before? "You," Stella nodded again, confirming, "I draw my true power from the dragon. So, a dragon fire Bloom offers to someone else won't affect them as it would affect me."
"But what if someone else, like you, gave Bloom energy?" Stella shook her head. She knew she was highly advantaged, and if anyone else were in her place, they would probably be dead by now. That night, while trying to save her father, Stella had drawn strength from the dragon's fire, standing up and protecting her father. The power brought by Enchantix was significant, of course, but the real reason was the dragon, as both Bloom and Stella knew well.
He felt like he was looking at his girlfriend for the first time, as if a completely different person was standing before him. As his body warmed up, making his desire for Stella clear as always, Brandon shook his head, trying to regain control. The woman in front of him was a strong woman, and not falling for her, not loving her more each day, was simply impossible.
He covered his face with his hands, taking a deep breath. Now came the hardest part of the conversation. "The King said I should stay away from you for a while. More like he ordered it." Stella felt her blood freeze as she looked at Brandon. What did he say? The King, what? "You didn't agree to this, of course. Did you?"
When Brandon lowered his hands and looked at Stella, all she could see was pure pain. "Brandon! How could you agree?!" She jumped up, unable to believe what she had just heard.
"You won't accept that from anyone, Brandon, not even your father or the mine, and not even me!"
Normally, Brandon would smirk at such a response, but he lowered his head in defeat. He didn't want Stella to deal with Valtor, especially now that she had lost the sun. The King had clearly stated this in front of Stella's parents, indicating that Valtor would make her a target. That was the real crisis and the reason why Brandon had a breakdown, not just finding his family after all these years. As Stella trembled before him, unable to embrace her, the shattered feelings inside him were beyond measure. Clenching his fists at his sides, Brandon took a step towards her, trying to speak, but the look on Stella's face made it clear that everything was in vain.
"Is this how much you love me? Enough to give up on me instantly?"
The tear falling from her eye felt like a wound in his heart as Brandon swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump in his throat. Damn lump wouldn't budge.
"Stella..."
"What? Don't you have anything else to say? Damn it, Stella what?"
Brandon walked over to her and grabbed her arms, using just enough force not to hurt her. Stella instantly freed herself from his grasp and pushed him hard on the chest. The pain building up inside her made her want to scream, but she bit her lip hard to stifle both her sobs and her screams.
"Baby, please listen. Don't you know that I won't leave you? Just until I'm sure Valtor isn't a threat. During that time, you'll be at Alfea, and I'll stay in constant touch with you, I promise." He spoke quickly because Stella kept trying to leave the room, pushing him away. Even if he wanted to, Brandon couldn't stay away from Stella. His body, mind, and heart all belonged to her. How could he stay away? But if she were to get hurt because of his lack of willpower, Brandon didn't think his heart or soul could ever be okay again. Crossing the fine line between being a bad person and a good one was that simple.
"You promised to stay by my side! I need you, Brandon!" These words, echoing in her ears like an admission of helplessness, made Stella instantly regret them, but Brandon had never been one to throw her weaknesses in her face. He still wasn't. Despite all her protests, Brandon grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to his body, forcing her to look into his eyes by holding her chin. "I won't leave you!"
His roar sent shivers down her spine, and Stella looked at him with tear-filled eyes. She had stopped struggling and cowered at her boyfriend's shouting for the first time. If this issue hadn't hurt so much, she would have thrown Brandon against the wall and made him pay for yelling at her. But hearing what she wanted to hear kept her rooted in place, almost nailed down. As tears continued to fall from her eyes, Brandon wiped them away one by one, his lips roaming over Stella's cheeks while his hand gently stroked her waist to calm her down. His grip tightened as he lifted her by the waist, his other arm sliding under her knees to carry her in his arms. Since she didn't utter a single protest, Brandon continued walking toward the couch. His lips were still on Stella's skin, trying to calm both himself and her.
He sat on the couch without letting Stella leave his lap, and his lips found hers in a deep kiss, as if trying to draw all the air out of her. Stella kissed him back through her tears, while one of Brandon's hands caressed her skin beneath her dress.
"No orders, no force, no violence can make me stay away from you. Only if you want me to, only if you let me go, will I stay away from you, Stella. Even then, I won't give up on you." As his fingers began to gently stroke her through her underwear, Stella felt her breath catch. She wriggled in his lap, causing Brandon to let out a hissing moan and throw his head back. To feel her better, he slipped his hand inside her underwear and began to move two fingers inside her. Stella straightened her back and pushed herself harder against Brandon's hand, prompting him to increase his pace. She pressed her lips to his neck, knowing they had to be quick because their parents were waiting somewhere outside for them to finish this tense conversation.
As Brandon added another finger inside her, Stella bit down on his neck to stifle her moan, which only made Brandon moan with pleasure and deepen the kiss. As their kiss intensified and their breaths quickened, Brandon began to thrust his hardened member against her bottom. Their positions shifted, and suddenly Stella found herself pressed against the wall, her eyes widening as she stared at Brandon. He swallowed hard, looking at her for permission, and when she nodded, he pressed her harder against the wall, lifting her dress up. Stella instantly cast a locking spell on the room to prevent any unwanted interruptions. As Brandon entered her, they both stopped holding back their moans.
Brandon's trembling hands pulled down the fabric covering her breasts, letting them spill out. Stella threw her head back, moaning deeply as she finally felt the fullness she had been waiting for. While one hand caressed her bottom and occasionally her breasts, Brandon continued moving inside her. He gradually walked over to the table in the room, setting Stella down on it. She pressed one hand against the table for support, while the other gripped Brandon's head buried in her breasts, pulling him closer. Though they wished this moment would never end, Stella knew they were close and continued moving her hips to take Brandon deeper inside her. As his ragged breath filled her ears and mouth, Stella dug her nails into his back, signaling her approach.
They both trembled and reached their climax, Brandon tightened his hold on her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Breathing in her scent as a bittersweet farewell, they both savored the moment. Stella's tears soaked Brandon's shoulder, and he held her tighter, cursing under his breath. No matter what, he knew one thing for sure: as long as he existed, no one, not even his own blood, would harm Stella. Unaware of Brandon's promise, Stella lifted her head to look at him, and he allowed her to straighten their clothes. It wasn't the first time magic had touched his skin, but it was the first time moon power did. First, she cast a spell to prevent pregnancy, then used her magic to tidy the room and their appearances.
"What now?" Brandon asked, his skin still tingling with desire. Damn moon power, he thought. When will I ever get enough of you, Stella? Pressing his lips to her blushing cheeks, Brandon sighed, admiring how beautiful she looked in the dress he had bought for her.
"For a short while, baby. Just for a short while." Stella nodded, burying her face in Brandon's chest, though a voice inside her whispered that it wouldn't be as short as he said. Ignoring that voice, she tried to hold onto Brandon's promise. She knew Valtor, and she knew he would never back down.
"Brandon," she murmured, knowing he was listening as he continued to play with her soft, wavy hair. "Be safe."
Brandon nodded, pressing his lips to her forehead, holding back a sigh. Even though he knew that the only thing that could challenge him was staying away from Stella.