SO SORRY I'M LATE! BEEN A super busy week! But here is a 5k chappie to make up for the long wait hehe

Song of the chappie: Labour by Paris Paloma (its a rly good song so pls do listen hehe but be warned I am a melody enjoyer, not a lyric enjoyer so some songs I write for the tune and not the words!)

King Radius doesn't often get the time to enjoy some leisure, between the kingdom's politics and the peace regime he sanctioned across Magix, he barely had a moment's sleep. But whenever there was a gap between court meetings, he would find myself spending time with his most valuable possession.

The young princess of Solaria.

"Daddy, do you think I'd have to sit in courtrooms one day and listen to old men yell at each other?" Stella, crowned princess of Solaria at the ripe age of 12 asked boldly. She leaned her arms across the railing of the white wood gazebo, her eyes glued to the stream that flowed around it.

Radius chuckled, his shoulders shaking at her tenacity, "The queen's court is whomever you decide is worthy, Moonbeam," He told her with another laugh. Stella smiled up at him as they both watched the fish in the stream.

He called her moonbeam, an extension of her mother, Queen Luna of Solaria's power—something to always symbolise his love for her and her mother.

"I don't like anyone in your court," Stella mumbled and Radius quirked an eyebrow.

"Why is that?"

She gazed up at him, her round hazel eyes magnified under her glasses as she brushed back the loose strands of hair that escaped her headband. She sucked in a large breath as if about to recite a script of why she hates the king's court.

"Well for starters, Chancellor Eadric needs to get rid of that ridiculous hat he keeps wearing. Lord Galen doesn't seem to know what personal hygiene is even if it slapped him in the face, and Sir Magnus gives me the creeps, something about his beady eyes," She blurted and Radius stood there stunned, not having realised his daughter's strong opinion. Silence befell the white wood gazebo for the moment before a hearty laugh erupted from the King's lips.

"I do suppose that hat is ridiculous," He admitted as Stella grinned with her own laugh in her addition to her father's. "What about High Commander Silver?"

Stella pondered for a moment, "He's kind of scary,"

"Oh? How so?"

"I don't know, he's kind of intense like he's angry about something," She added and Radius chuckled at his daughter's remark.

"Yes he does have that look on his face, but I think he is kind of fun," Radius replied with a smile. High Commander Silver and King Radius had been friends as far back as kids. When Radius was just crowned prince, Andreas was his squire and they practically grew up together.

"Dad you're the only person who thinks that," She sighed.

"You know, his son just got back from his training at Red Fountain," The king told her, watching the young princess purse her lips in thought. Red Fountain was a prestigious training school for young fighters, she had heard Prince Sky of Eraklyeon rave about it during his visits to the Solarian Castle.

But this was the first time she had heard about Andreas Silver's son.

"I didn't know High Commander Silver had a son,"

"Well he's 2 years older than you," The king's eyes twinkled at his daughter before his dark hazel gaze flickered up behind the princess as a pair of footsteps ascended the stairs to the gazebo, "And you're about to meet him soon,"

Stella whipped around, following the sound as Andreas Silver's sharp black eyes pierced into her soul, sending a shiver down her spine. That man always scared her, he never smiled and he looked like he ate children for breakfast.

Her hazel gaze trailed down a short moment to the boy walking beside his father and it was like her perception of her surroundings blurred. His brunette hair was cut into short bangs that messily clumped his forehead with equally sharp brown eyes that mirrored his father's scowl.

But goddess, he was handsome.

"Andreas, glad to see you're back!" The king greeted his friend heartily as Andreas stood a couple of feet away from them, "And I see you brought your boy back,"

High commander Silver kept his usual stoic gaze before extending his hand in gesture, "Your Highnesses, this is my son, Brandon Silver," Andreas addressed the brunette boy standing stiffly beside him and he stepped forward firmly.

"Good afternoon Your Majesty, Your Highness," He placed his hand on his chest and bent forward with a monotonous greeting, mirroring his father's demeanour. His emotionless brown eyes flickered to the princess and they lingered for a few seconds before his attention differed back to the king.

Stella pursed her lips, pushing her glasses shyly up her nose bridge before digging her shoe nervously into the wood of the gazebo decking. He was gorgeous, dressed in a navy blue training suit with his sword attached to his hip. Like a knight in shining armour, her mom had read to her from her bedtime storybooks.

He was evidently taller than her, tall for any 14-year-old she'd ever met as he stood next to his father, reaching almost his height.

Radius glanced down at his skittish daughter, twisting, and writhing apprehensively before him with a shy smile. "Go on then, moonbeam," He smiled knowingly at her, pushing her forward playfully, "Introduce yourself,"

Brandon's cold brown eyes shifted from the king down at the young princess once again and Stella stood there gawking at him despite his continued frosty exterior, "Uh- I- my- I'm Stella, uh – Princess Stella, p-pleasure to meet you,"

He didn't hesitate for a beat, as if he was programmed to respond without emotion.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, princess," he told her frigidly and Stella blushed furiously at the shred of attention he was offering despite his obvious disregard. She couldn't wait to tell her mother about the handsome boy she met today when she returned to the palace.

Andreas stepped forward, and the boy glanced expectantly at his father, "Your majesty, if I may discuss our order of business," Andreas murmured lowly, his tone dropping to a more serious note as if he wasn't serious enough as it was. The content smile on the king's lips disappeared as he glanced down at his smitten daughter still gawking at the high commander's son.

"Moonbeam, why don't you take Brandon on a walk about the garden?" Radius asked, forcing a smile to hide the severity of the topic they were about to discuss. Unaware of the tension between the two adults, the princess grinned.

"Of course, da- father," She corrected herself quickly and turned to smile warmly at the future high commander standing in front of her with a disinterested expression, "I want to show you my marigolds!" They were her mother's prize possessions and something Stella would water religiously, to the point where she had begun treating them as her own children.

Brandon glanced up sharply at his father who nodded with his permission.

"As you wish, princess," He told her with a slight bow and Stella immediately bounced off in the direction of the flower beds on the east side of the Solarian gardens. Within the first 5 steps towards the marigolds she was taking him to see, Brandon immediately regretted coming along with his father and agreeing to accompany the girl.

The young princess had a voice box powered by the sun itself – she would not stop talking. The commander in training walked beside her quietly, on the stone lain footstep that she giddily treaded over, a small bounce in her step, "-and mom- mother, she loves marigolds so father planted them by the castle's flowerbed for her to see from her window,"

Brandon flickered his gaze at her, watching her grin to herself in between her consistent yapping, "I don't personally like marigolds that much I am more of a sunflower girl actually- I painted them all over my bedroom wall- OH! What's your favourite flower?"

He blinked, trying to keep up with the amount of topics she had switched from within the minute, "I don't have one," He replied monotonously, and Stella frowned.

"Right, boys don't like flowers," She murmured to herself before her megawatt grin returned and she switched her question, "What flowers does your mother like?"

Brandon didn't meet her gaze this time, he just held his cold eyes forward as he walked, "I don't have a mother,"

Oh.

"I'm sorry," She blurted out quickly, biting her lip at the thought of bringing up a painful topic, "I didn't mean-"

"It's fine, she died a while ago," He replied icily, and Stella stared at the stone-lained path quietly. She felt more ridiculous than Chancellor Eadric's hat for letting her mouth run wild and offending him. The silence that followed was unbearable as the young princess cursed herself for mentioning something that ruined any good notion he had of her.

Granted she didn't know what he must be feeling, "Um, how did she-?"

He didn't even glance at her before retorting back, "With all due respect princess, it's not something I want to be talking about with you," Geez he was cold.

"Y-Yeah I get it, we're practically strangers," She replied with a meek laugh and the young commander sighed exasperatedly. He actually preferred her constant yapping to the uncomfortable silence that hung over them at the moment. He prayed she would ask to go back to the palace and he could be rid of her within a moment, but his father had tasked him to take the princess about a turn of the garden and he did not want to shirk his duties.

But alas, she spoke again, "I- My mother is sick," She blurted, fidgeting with her fingers from the uncomfortable atmosphere that was smothering them. Brandon stared ahead, his silence giving her leeway to continue. He didn't care, but he was in no position to outwardly express his distaste to her highness, the future queen of solaria at that, "The royal physician doesn't think she'll make it till the end of the year,"

Her voice softened, placing out all of her vulnerable emotions out to a stranger she just met, "I don't want to believe it, but she isn't getting any better,"

Brandon wasn't in the mood to hear any of this, he didn't care about her sob story and he cared less about her. He was here on behalf of his father, for the duties that he would soon inherit. Nothing more nothing less, but he let her continue in silence out of his obligation to the crown.

"I hate that the physicians can't do more, I hate that her magic can't save her. I hate the pitiful looks I get from the staff and the way the royal court has begun speaking about replacing her already," she whispered, tears brimming in her waterline, "I hate the world for wanting to take her from me,"

Brandon didn't so much as offer her a glance as she wiped the stray tears from her face and sniffled. Great. Not only was he babysitting, but he was babysitting an emotional cry baby.

He turned to face her after a bit, opening his mouth to ask if she would like to go back but to his utter surprise she was already staring at him. Brandon blinked in astonishment as he watched the smile stretch from ear to ear and she closed her eyes from the intensity of it despite her blotchy nose and tear-stained cheeks, "But I can't be mad at the same world that gave me her as my mother, so what can I do but to accept it,"

She stopped and he followed, standing in the garden between the trees and shrubs as she wiped more tears with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," she told him, "I haven't told anyone that,"

Brandon's shoulders tensed at her words as he gazed away, "It's fine, princess,"

She let out a small forced laugh trying to lighten the mood from her emotional outburst, "I bet you get a lot of girls telling you their sob story on the first day right?"

He continued to watch her, a blank emotion on his face as if she was speaking to a brick wall, but she didn't seem to even notice his icy attitude as she lifted her glasses up and wiped more tears.

Stella felt awful for bursting into tears in front of the cute boy she had just met. She wanted him to like her despite his rigid personality and now she had gone and possibly pissed him off with her crocodile tears.

Shaking her head, she gazed up at him with a grin, "Anyways, sorry – I was going to show you my marigolds," She watched as his eyes flickered up from her face to something behind her.

Before she could turn around and address what he was looking at, he bounded forward and wrapped his arm behind her back. One moment there was a considerable gap between them and the next she was pressed against his chest. She could hear the sound of his blade being drawn at the sharp pierce of metal hitting each other.

She could feel her heartbeat spike rapidly as she stared up at him hastily. His eyes had darkened into a glare as he stared behind her with a sharp look.

"Send the palace guard, there's been an assassination attempt on the princess," He commanded into his earpiece but he continued to stand there with Stella pressed against him.

An assassination attempt.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the floor beside her. There was a dagger sitting a few feet away, red handle and sharp blade enough to pierce right through something vital like an organ.

Brandon's sword was drawn behind her back as it stood in the same stance as when it intercepted the blade meant to hit her right through her flesh.

The panic hit her with an intense wave as she began panting to calm down her nerves. Someone was trying to kill her, she could've died. She almost died. It could've hit her.

She- She-

"It's alright princess," Brandon's calm voice broke into her runaway train of nasty thoughts, "I've got you,"

She gasped, snapping her neck up to stare at his face. His jaw was clenched tightly as his sharp eyes remained glued to the direction of the threat. Whether it was duty or not, he didn't let go of her and for the first time in her life, she felt something more than a simple crush.

Her heart had stopped pounding in her chest, reduced to calm loud beats as she studied his face in silence. The speed, and tenacity he had displayed in drawing his sword and saving her life was unlike any boy she'd ever met.

There was a strength, a power in his eyes she had never seen before.

He was truly incredible.

A soft knock on the door awoke the tired former princess as she turned over under her covers with a groan. She sat up and shook the thought of her dream out of her mind, her body feeling a lot more energised than she did yesterday morning before staring expectantly at the door. Usually, the people who barge into her room don't knock.

After a few moments of silence, she finally called out, "Yes?"

The door opened slowly, and the familiar navy-haired pixie appeared in her room, "Good morning Your Highness!" He chirped giddily.

Stella sighed, relieved to see it wasn't High Commander Silver here to force her to get bloody and bruised again, "Morning Digit," She chuckled, pulling the covers off her body as she stepped out.

Despite only getting 5 hours of sleep from her late night last night, she still felt exponentially better than the last couple of days. Maybe she might have enough energy to deal some real damage today – but she didn't want to keep her hopes up.

Brandon was ridiculously strong.

Stronger than the boy she remembered in her dream last night.

"The kitchen has prepared breakfast! Should I bring it to your room, or would you like to eat in the dining room?" Digit murmured, fidgeting with his small fingers as he spoke the latter option.

Stella gazed out the glass balcony window of her guest room at the first sun that had just broken over the horizon, "Does everyone have breakfast in the dining room?"

Brandon doesn't usually force her to train till the second sun rises, so she had an hour or so to have some food before going back to being tortured again.

Digit frowned a sad little look on his adorable face, "No one eats in the dining room. Tecna has her meals in the lab and the rest of the High Commander's Platoon leave before breakfast,"

She pursed her lips in thought, "Alright, I'll have breakfast in the dining room,"

"Really?!" The pixie exclaimed eagerly, and Stella nodded with a laugh, walking into her bathroom to freshen up. The pixie floated in her bedroom, peering through the clothes he had stocked in the guest room closet for the princess to get changed into.

She quickly changed into a dark green tunic top that flowed behind her with a pair of brown pants that cut off at her thighs. She paired them with some brown boots to complete the look. It had been a while since she had the option to choose her outfits, and they weren't just limited to her training gear or combat suit.

Digit waited for her outside, an eager smile on his face as Stella stepped outside into the hallway. Without thinking, her eyes immediately flickered to the part of the runner in front of the king's study.

It was clean.

There was not a trace of blood, even on the door handle where she so clearly remembered seeing some streaks.

Maybe someone cleaned it.

Shaking the thoughts out of her mind, she walked alongside the pixie who hummed a merry tune as he floated towards the dining hall. Digit was Tecna's bonded pixie, which meant she probably knew as much as Tecna did regarding Stella's implant.

It had been in her body for 7 days now and something told her she had only scratched the surface of its capabilities. She had never heard of such a technology even to exist before it was forced into her system.

"Digit, what do you know about this?" She asked, referring to the Silver emblem carved on her skin.

They continued to walk as the navy-haired pixie turned to face the former princess, "What do you want to know, Your Highness?"

"How is the high commander able to control my transformation?" She asked curiously and Digit tapped his small chin in thought, mirroring Tecna's thinking face.

"Commander Silver has one too," He replied, "It's the controller end of it, so it's only active when the receiver end of it is," That explains the golden glow that mirrored the emblem on Brandon's forearm just before she transforms.

"How do you remove it?"

Digit gave her an unsure look but decided to answer her question anyway, "It's dark magic, your highness, it can't be removed by normal methods,"

Dark magic?

"Where does the High Commander have access to dark magic?"

"He doesn't," Digit darted his big eyes side to side furtively before answering, "The High Lord has a dark wizard who does all his bidding," He shivered at the thought of it and Stella frowned, looking annoyedly at the emblem.

So it wasn't something she could pull out. Perhaps she could destroy it with enough magic power, "What happens when one or the other is destroyed?"

The pixie looked uncomfortable at this question, as he fidgeted with his small fingers, "One can't be destroyed without destroying the other," He sighed woefully.

"What does that mean? If I destroy it-"

"You can't destroy it without killing yourself, Your Highness. The dark magic will consume its host," He murmured, "And one can't live without the other, It will also kill the High Commander too,"

What?

Stella froze in her tracks, a sudden sense of realisation washing over her. He couldn't kill her without killing himself. That's why he'd bring her to the brink of death and make the sceptre heal her.

The fact that he was keeping her alive because of this curse of fate rather than having a shred of compassion enough for it sent an odd constriction through her chest.

What did she ever see in him 4 years ago to be so in love with him?

"How many of these are there?" She asked, shaking her head to push away the unwanted thoughts about her past with the man she hates the most right now.

"Just the one," Digit replied, "Tecna has multiple nullifier implants, but they don't control, they just stop the flow of magic. This one is different. This one is imbued with dark magic,'

That would explain all of Tecna's test subjects that didn't make it. A shiver ran down her spine as she walked at the thought of those who may have suffered in that very chair as a lab rat.

Such a cruel fate.

Digit floated beside her concernedly but didn't voice his thoughts as they walked into the dining hall of the Sun Palace. Stella stopped at the door, taking in the glorious sight of the dining room where she had all her meals as a child.

The tiered chandelier hung from the middle of the room, overlooking the elegant teal table and matching chairs that stretched from one end to the other. Gorgeous arch windows spread from roof to floor lined with gold to bring in the bright sunlight from outside, illuminating the room.

Stella's gaze flickered to the table that she expected to be empty, only to find someone else sitting alone with their eyes glued to a magic tablet and a buttered croissant hanging from between their teeth.

"Master Timmy!" Digit exclaimed from beside the princess, flying excitedly over to the strawberry-blonde man seated in the dining room. His hazel eyes flickered up as he pulled the croissant out of his mouth, "You're back!"

"Good morning, Digit," Timmy smiled, his eyes crinkling at the sides behind his red-rimmed glasses, "How many times have I told you to stop calling me master?"

Digit grinned, ignoring the man's pointed request as he rambled, "When did you come back?"

"Last night actually," Timmy replied before turning his attention to the former princess standing awkwardly at the door. He stood up, before placing his hand on his chest and bending forward respectfully, "Your Highness, it's a pleasure to meet you,"

Stella stared gobsmack at him, "Please there's no need to bow, I'm not a princess anymore" She laughed awkwardly, waving her hand dismissively, "Timmy, right?"

He straightened up with a smile, a genuinely welcoming one, "Timmy Fraser your Highness, High Commander Platoon's second lieutenant,"

Fraser. That was the name that was branded across most of Tecna's work. Could this be…?

"Good morning Your Highness," Tecna nodded her head in greeting at the princess, walking into the dining hall from beside her as if on cue. "I see you've met my husband,"

HUSBAND?!

The fairy of technology let out a soft laugh looking at the flabbergasted expression on the former princess's face, "We got married last year,"

"Oh…wow, that's-," Stella wheezed, still in shock before shaking her head. An excited grin tugged across her face as she flickered her gaze between the two, "Congratulations!"

So she was Tecna Fraser now.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Timmy chirped in from the dining table as Tecna strolled over to him.

"It would be nice if he were around more often considering he's my husband," She murmured pointedly but nevertheless pecked his cheek. Timmy chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck abashedly.

"Can't help it, High Commander keeps sending me on solo missions," He replied taking a seat back down beside his wife.

Stella watched the two, a soft smile on her lips as she walked towards the table to take her own seat at the array of delicious-looking breakfast items.

"Speaking of the high commander, I haven't seen him this morning," Tecna spoke up, catching Stella's attention.

Timmy frowned in response, "He went to the High Lord's castle last night after our mission, I don't think he's come back yet,"

Stella's mind wandered back to the dimly lit hallway she had last caught a glimpse of him. Covered in blood and had an annoyed expression on his face as he stared at his own bloodied hand. She had clearly seen him walk into the study, but considering there were no traces of blood in the hallways – maybe she had just imagined it.

She decided not to voice what she saw to them as she ate breakfast in silence, followed by some of Digit's urging to eat some more. Timmy was the first to finish his food as he stood up.

Now that she was able to get a good look at him, Stella noted how he wasn't dressed in his military uniform, but instead a simple pale button-up and dark tan slack to match. He looked like a normal person, but she could tell behind his smile lay something hidden and dark.

"I'm heading to town to grab some supplies, would you like to accompany me, my lovely wife?" He asked playfully and Tecna rolled her eyes.

Stella couldn't stop the small smile from twitching on her lips. The way Tecna and Timmy sat before her looked like a regular married couple, in love and contentment, but she knew the blood that covered both their hands. Being second lieutenant meant Timmy engaged in his own fair share of misery and destruction and considering the innocent people Tecna tests her equipment on, she was no better.

Stella had imagined the Drakari to be bloodthirsty monsters but they were far from it, they just looked like normal people, living normal lives hiding a disturbing amount of war crimes.

It made them that much more terrifying.

"Alright fine, only because Digit and I need to grab a few tools to upgrade the training room," Tecna responded, standing up along with him before turning her attention to the former princess, "Would you be alright on your own, Your Highness?"

Stella nodded quickly, snapping out of her unpleasant thoughts. She longed to go into the kingdom and shop for things again but she was ultimately a prisoner and the implant stopped her from leaving the gates without Brandon. Tecna gave her a sympathetic look as Digit continued to stand next to Stella's plate with a frown.

"Hopefully the high commander comes back soon," he murmured sadly and Stella gave him a reassuring smile.

Hopefully he doesn't!

"I'll be fine, have fun," She urged him and a small smile twitched on Digit's lips as he flew up. Tecna had already begun walking out of the dining room as Timmy lingered by the door.

"Alright Digit, time to go." He told the pixie before addressing the princess with a chivalrous grin, "Have a good day Your Highness,"

Stella finished breakfast leisurely after the others had long left the palace and left the dining hall with a few minutes to spare to make it back to her room. The second sun was halfway up and she knew in about half an hour the high commander would most probably come barging in.

She stopped outside her door and held the handle before casting her father's study room door a longing look.

The white double doors sat elegantly, with the golden suns on both sides. She recalled always wandering in there as a child, and the king would welcome her onto his lap as she marvelled at his papers atop his desk.

Without thinking she found herself standing outside the doors. Her eyes wandered up at the height of the door before reaching for the gold hand-carved handle.

Her mind kept flashing back to the hazy glimpses of the high commander covered in red. Neither Timmy nor Tecna had seen him this morning – maybe he left the palace?

Before she could stop herself Stella had already pushed the door open as it parted with a small ominous creak.

Her fathers desk was in the middle of the room, either side lined with the kings personal books with a large arch window in the back to illuminate the room.

She expected to find the seat empty, but to her absolute horror, that wasn't the case.

Brandon Silver sat at the king's chair, his eyes closed as he leaned against her father's study desk. He didn't move, with his head laying still on his forearms crossed over the wooden tabletop. The only indicator that he was even breathing was the way his back rose and fell raggedly.

He didn't even stir at the sound of the door opening as Stella walked in with fear creeping up her throat.

Why wasn't he moving? Was he asleep?

The moment she rounded the desk she let out a gasp. Brandon's body was arched over the desk in his commander uniform, but it was covered in blood. Just like she had remembered seeing him last night.

But the sight made her stomach clench as she stared horrifically at the same red liquid that was coating the rug on the wooden floor.

His blood.

Just a heads up I'm not sure if I'm able to publish Tuesday I might be a tad out of commission for the following week but I will try my very best!

Lots of love,

Star