Chapter 1
A gust of wind brushed against the leafless trees, whose branches swayed against the evening sky.
Thick sheets of snow blanketed the school grounds, leaving many inches to pile up overnight and earlier in the day. The temperature was quite cold outside, much different from Solaria's usual weather. Many of the students have taken shelter in the warmth of their rooms, whilst others lingered around in the field enjoying the snow.
A few of her classmates had created exactly five snowmen, each with their own jackets placed over their stick arms. They were set in a way that made it almost seem like a scene was playing out, and had mouths created from rocks added in a way that gave them facial expressions. One held a briefcase made of snow with a top hat made from ice, no doubt thanks to the water fairies.
Some decided to take an even more fun approach, building a makeshift sled to go down a few of Alfea's once green hills, while others threw snowballs across the gardens.
It was definitely a sight to admire, given the fact that it was fairly uncommon in the realm of Solaria. This was the realm most known for its relation to the sun, the moon, and the stars. Very rarely did they ever see the slightest ounce of snow. Most of the realm's inhabitants were not accustomed to the sudden drop in temperature. They all seemed to enjoy it, though, as they bundled up by a fire and shared a warm cup of cocoa or tea. Whatever their hearts had desired at that point in time.
Children would roam around outside playing in the snow, covered from head to toe in thick jackets and pants to shield them from the cold. Their mothers would worry about the possibility of them getting sick, so they would make them wear only the finest pair of leather boots and warm gloves made of wool. It was lovely to see just how much others enjoyed the change in their usual weather.
Stella was beyond excited to see the snow, as she had only seen it once at a young age. The faintest memory of her and her father running around the gardens of the palace tossing snowballs at one another. His laughter once bounced off the walls of the garden as he ran away from her, feigning defeat whenever she managed to hit him.
It was a blur, and she couldn't remember the exact details of that day. Though, she knew it was one of her best, if not the best, memories of her childhood. Her father always managed to make her days brighter.
There was only one thing that the light fairy was looking forward to, and that was spending the rest of the day in the warmth of the suite. Curled up on the couch with a cup of tea while admiring the unique, soft facial features of a certain air fairy.
Beatrix Daniels. Her best friend. If you could even call her that.
Sometimes she found herself wondering if their friendship could even be considered platonic, given the constant flirting and a few specific moments where they had become a little more intimate with one another. When the hallways were empty, Stella found that there were even a few moments in which she and Beatrix would hold hands.
It was as if there was this constant need for the light fairy to be as close to Beatrix as possible. She found comfort within the warmth of her embrace and the reassurance that emitted from her soft, honey brown eyes. The princess loved everything about her company and would have given anything just to spend a little more time with her late at night, when they would pass a bottle of champagne between the two of them.
One moment in particular left Stella constantly wondering the depth of their friendship. She and Beatrix had settled on the couch in the Winx's suite, the two of them talking and discussing various activities they could participate in the following day. At some point, the conversation shifted into one of teasing and flirting. A bottle of whiskey passing back and forth between them.
It wasn't long before the nature of their flirting had shifted from something lighthearted to something much more intimate. Beatrix lingered closer to the princess, with her hand resting against her thigh. She had leaned a little closer than usual, and just for a moment, Stella could have sworn she had caught her staring at her lips. They both leaned in a little closer— only to be interrupted by the sound of her suitemates’ laughter outside the door, soon followed by the door opening.
The two fairies jumped frantically, and leaned back on their separate sides of the couch, and Beatrix had grown much quieter than she usually was with Stella. Neither of them dared to bring it up afterwards; both of them were too afraid to admit what had happened, or what it meant. The memory was engraved in Stella's mind though. She could hardly forget just how close they had been with one another that night.
Or the fact that maybe, just maybe, Stella wanted it.
Stella made her way hastily down the corridor, a smile on her lips as she headed towards Beatrix's suite. She held a little bit of a skip in her step along the way, absentmindedly scanning the walls of the hallway.
Perhaps it wasn't very princess-like of her, but the hallways were empty. Most students remained in their suites in an attempt to keep themselves warm.
She was beyond excited to spend the rest of the day by Beatrix's side.
The princess had already spoken to her friends and gave them the heads-up that she may be returning later than usual, or staying out the entire night. There were numerous smirks and lighthearted teasing, all of which left Stella's cheeks flushed. It was no secret to her friends that she had feelings for the air fairy.
She wanted nothing more than to lay on the couch with her, her head resting against her chest while another silly romcom played on the television. It was one of her favourite ways to spend her time with Beatrix.
Of course, it took Beatrix quite some time to finally agree to it. It wasn't until the two of them had gotten drunk one night that Beatrix finally relented.
She just had one condition, though, which was that she had to be the big spoon. It made Stella laugh, but she complied almost immediately. The two of them settled down while watching a movie.
Beatrix had begun absentmindedly playing with her hair, massaging her scalp, and even placed a kiss to the top of her head. The princess didn't question it. Within thirty minutes they had both fallen asleep on the couch, tangled up with one another. Ever since then, it was Beatrix who initiated their late-night cuddle sessions.
Today would be no different, she was sure. They would settle down with a cup of warm tea and put on a movie that neither of them would really pay much attention to. She would get the chance of listening to Beatrix complaining about all the different cheesy and cringey moments that played on screen. Stella found it awfully endearing, the way that she seemed to judge all the movies, but deep down it was obvious she enjoyed them.
Beatrix would never admit it, though, no matter how much the light fairy pried.
The movie she had today was one of the First World's Christmas themed movies, a very common trope about a woman and a prince who end up falling in love with one another. It was one of the most loved concepts within the First World, it seemed. The movie was sweet, though, for Stella had seen it a few times before, but she would rewatch the movie a million times if it meant that she could be close to Beatrix.
The princess grinned to herself as she reached the air fairy's suite, pulling out the spare key that Beatrix had given her a few weeks ago that she forgot to give back. Pushing the key into the lock and turning it, Stella didn't hesitate to open the door.
Excitement radiated off of the light fairy in waves as she stepped into the suite, the familiar smell of cinnamon and vanilla hitting her. The smell came from a particular wax burner that she had given Beatrix for her birthday after she had complained that her previous burner refused to turn on. It was a comforting smell, one that Stella had come to associate her with.
With a wide smile upon her face, she pushed the door open with her foot, her hands occupied by a variety of items such as her phone, a blanket, and a basket of numerous snacks. "Okay, I know you absolutely loathe romcoms, but I found this really cute—"
Her words were cut off by the sound of something thumping against the wall, followed by what sounded like muffled voices in one of the rooms. For a moment, she couldn't help but worry that she may had gotten the time wrong, and perhaps Beatrix wasn't home. Instead, it could be her suitemates. Then, the princess remembered Beatrix saying they had plans to stay out for the night.
She didn't think much more on the matter, and decided to set her phone and the movie on the table in the centre of the room. After setting her blanket on the couch, the light fairy decided to head towards her friend's room, which is where the noises seemed to be coming from.
"Beatrix?" Stella whispered, her eyebrows furrowing with confusion as she approached the door. The noises had become a bit more frantic, leaving her worried, to which she pushed the door open almost instantly. "Hey Bea, are you–"
She paused, freezing almost immediately, and the words fell short upon her lips. At first she thought that maybe Beatrix was just speaking to someone on the phone, or rummaging around her room for a bottle of whiskey, as she had done many nights before.
Never did the princess stop to consider that she had someone else over— that she had someone in her bed. As far as she understood, Beatrix hadn't found anyone else to occupy her time, as things with Riven and Dane both had been shut down months ago. They mutually agreed to being friends and nothing more. But it wasn't Riven nor Dane in the room, but rather a specialist that she was only vaguely familiar with.
There the air fairy stood, hastily adjusting her blouse and skirt back in place, her lips swollen from being kissed, and her makeup smeared. Her hands ran over the front of her shirt in an attempt to smooth out the creases. A man stood on the other side of the bed, smoothing out his own shirt and clearing his throat. His cheeks were tinted pink and he looked more than a little irritated with the sudden interruption. He nervously glanced between the air fairy and the princess, standing awkwardly after he straightened himself out to his desired outcome.
Stella felt sick to her stomach, her throat tightening at the mere thought of what occurred just moments prior. Beatrix seemed to be actively avoiding Stella's gaze as she smoothed out her shirt. Even after she was fully straightened up, her attention remained focused on her hands the entire time, a frown settling on her face.
Perhaps it was the ache in her heart, or the flicker of anger that ran through her when the boy told her that she should learn to knock, but whatever it was, Stella's magic seemed to be beyond her control. The light fairy's eyes shifted from her natural blue to a golden hue, light magic playing at the very tips of her fingers. Her jaw tightened as she stared at the man, a fourth year specialist whose name she truly didn't care to remember.
"Get. Out."
Her voice dripped with venom, eyes narrowed as the lights flickered overhead. For a moment, he seemed startled by her reaction, and stepped back with wide eyes. It didn't take him long to recover though, as he grit his teeth in annoyance, grabbing his coat and shoes before heading towards the door.
"Perhaps we can finish this later. When the princess isn't sticking her nose in places it doesn't belong." He snapped, stepping out of the room before he could witness the lightbulb overhead shattering.
Stella was absolutely enraged.
For the next few minutes, the room was engulfed in silence, neither of the two fairies wanting to talk about what just happened. The princess had her arms hugged tightly around her chest, and her back facing Beatrix. The air fairy shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to approach the situation.
The sudden outburst from the light fairy was startling, and confusing, for she had never seen Stella lose her composure and self-control so easily, much less as a result of Beatrix spending time with another person. Though she knew this time it was different. She was aware of what Stella thinks she saw and what she walked in on. Beatrix was confused as to why it bothered her so much.
"You should really learn to knock, Princess. Especially if you do not want–" She was cut off by Stella abruptly making an exit from her room, a frown forming upon Beatrix's lips.
Stella was hurt, and the mere idea of the two of them together made her fearful. The feelings she had for Beatrix were no secret. She knew they existed. But the realization that Beatrix may not feel the same about her was not something she wanted to acknowledge. Tears formed in her eyes, and she struggled to hold them back.
She couldn't handle it anymore, so she bolted out of the room, and the suite itself.