Princess | Riven (Fate: Winx Saga)

Act Two: Chapter 3

"You should be." Riven's lips quirked up into a smirk as he leant against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, "I left a very enticing-looking Beatrix and Dane to be here, instead."

"Oh, well, congratulations." Mor clapped her cuffed hands together slowly, "You showed some self control. I'd give you a gold star but it seems I've run out." He sighed, dropping his head, "Besides, I thought Andreas said that Dane was on duty tonight?"

Riven pushed off the wall and strolled towards the cage, "I swapped with him. He's too busy with Beatrix."

Mor nodded, snickering, "Ah, couldn't deprive him of that, now could we?"

The pair chuckled softly, the sound somewhat sad - reminiscent of what used to be, a time long gone.

"I missed you, Morrigan." He whispered, but she heard him just fine.

"Don't." She snapped, turning her head away from him, heart twisting, "Just... don't."

As if sensing her want to move on, Riven came to a stand still, his posture stiff and firm as he gestured to her confinements, "So this is where you've been, all this time? Locked up in a fucking prison cell? Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mor grinned humourlessly, a desperately wild glint in her eyes as she lifted her barbed wrists, "it's because I'm so very dangerous. Because I might break at any moment. Because I'm unstable and unpredictable." The anger brewing in her blood sparked and bubbled and hissed with every word, "Because I have no control over my magic, or myself, or do you not remember that?"

It was petty. It was pathetic. But she didn't care.
She was angry, and he was the perfect target to take it out on, because she knew just how to hurt him - hurt him like he had hurt her.

Mor watched as the boy before her winced, flinching at the bitter reminder, "Princess-"

Suddenly unbelievably angry, Mor shoved herself up and off the bed, "I told you not to call me that."

"It suits you though."

"It does not."

"It definitely does."

"Do I look like a fucking princess to you, Riven?" She seethed.

"No. No, you look like a goddess, Morrigan." He stared at her with such a raw honesty that her anger stuttered slightly, and she took a step back, "But Princess rolls off the tongue better, don't you think?"

Mor glared at him, lowering herself back onto the bed, "I think you're full of shit, Riven."

All he did was grin, "No, c'mon, admit it. That was good."

Despite herself, Mor couldn't help but want to smile, and she felt the corners of her mouth lift slightly. She longed to relax into the comforting banter that seemed to come so naturally between the two of them. She wanted so badly to laugh and have the laughter lift the weight that had suffocated her for so long now.
But every time that urge arose, the image of Rowan dangling from his chains, helpless and broken, flashed across her eyes.

Her mouth drooped.

Exhaling shakily, Mor brought her knees up to her chest and stared at the stone floor, her voice quiet and coarse, "The only thing that's good right now, Riven, is when I close my eyes and fall asleep. That's when the whole world goes quiet and you want to know something? I sometimes wish that I don't wake up, that I could stay in that state forever. Silent and alone and peaceful."

"Don't say that, Morrigan," Riven pleaded, staggering forwards, voice breaking, "please don't say that."

"Why not?" She glanced up at him, tears that she refused to cry clouding her vision, "It's the truth."