Princess | Riven (Fate: Winx Saga)

Act Two: Chapter 7

Oh my giddy aunt, two updates in such a short amount of time? There must be something wrong with me.
You're welcome.

Ok guys, be prepared for some more Morven scenes in this chapter...

Hope you enjoy!

Eventually, after Rosalind had successfully shown Mor and Bloom off to almost everyone in the room, the call for food echoed throughout the courtyard, and the two girls were ushered towards the banquet.

It truly was stunning, Mor could not lie.
Foliage adorned the walls, vines twisting around the pillars and flowers decorating the stone. Butterflies danced through air and the sunlight cascaded through the windows, onto the rings of tables in dappled pools, illuminating the glassware set upon the white tablecloths. Scattered around the tables, flickering candles added a touch of intimacy to the banquet, and murmurs of praise drifted up from the alums as they all filtered in and found their respective seats.

The only thing spoiling the view were the soldiers dotted around the place - sheltering in the shadows, yet very much still there.

As her eyes drifted from soldier to soldier, Mor's attention was suddenly captured by the arrival of two young men. Both were dressed in suits, but one looked significantly sharper where the other looked a tad on the scruffy side. Almost simultaneously, Bloom and Morrigan halted in their footfalls, eyes trained on these new arrivals.

"Thought you might like some company." Rosalind remarked smartly, before swanning off to find her seat.

But the woman's words fell on deaf ears, as Mor honed in on the scruffier boy. He was clad in a blue suit and a white shirt that was unbuttoned at the top, just low enough to boast the figure that lay beneath, but not too low as to be improper - yet Mor still had to force herself to maintain eye contact. A shadow of stubble coated his jawline, and his brunette hair was the perfect mix between messy and neat.

Shit.
Riven looked good. Riven looked really good.

"Princess..." He seemed to be experiencing just as much shock as he was, his voice soft, uncertain.

Swiftly, she scanned him over for any signs of injury - after all, the last time she'd seen him was when he was just about to be interrogated by Rosalind, and she, of all people, knew just how torturous that could be. But there didn't seem to be anything visible. Mor wasn't too sure whether that was a good thing or not, though.

"Are you ok?"  They asked in unison, before chuckling awkwardly at the coincidence. 

Clearing her throat, Mor tried again, her words cautious, "A-Are you alright? The last time I saw you, you were about to be questioned by Rosalind."

Riven's expression darkened slightly as he walked down the steps to meet her, "I'll be honest, I can't really remember what happened during that time. It's all a blur. All I know is that the bitch was in my head."

That must be how Rosalind knew about her and her friends helping Silva escape, Mor realised silently.

"What about you, Princess?" Riven continued, concern now twisting at his features as he, too, scanned her for injury, "Are you ok? When I asked to see you after my questioning, Andreas told me I was no longer needed as your guard. They wouldn't let me in. And now... you're here."

At that, a small smile graced her lips as she glanced down, "I'm here. No chains."

Following her gaze, Riven's eyes landed upon the ring of blistered skin around each of her wrists. Gently, he took her hands in his own, his thumb tracing the edge of the wounds with featherlight touches. Mor watched carefully as a muscle in his jaw ticked and a dangerously ruthless glint flared in his eyes.