One of You? Book 3. *a winx club fanfic* [#Wattys2016 ]

Chapter 17

I sat by my sister's side and held her hand. Bloom was sick. So sick that even magic couldn't cure her. We just had to hope that she would be okay.

"Lilly." Daphne called from the doorway and I stood up, taking the old case of flowers with me.

I walked over to her and she looked troubled. "Daphne what's wrong?"

"Mom and dad are making terrible decisions right now Lilly." She said. "The kingdom is growing poorer. If they do not to something to change this there will be riots in the streets. They knew that converging the kingdoms with Bloom and Sky's marriage would return the kingdom to its normal flourishing self. But now, the marriage is being delayed due to Bloom's illness. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"No." I said.

"The marriage may still happen but the kingdom needs money now. The only way is through marriage. She said. "They are forcing you to marry Mathew."

I dropped the vase.

"No." I said. "This isn't happening."

"It is." She said.

"I can't! I'm not ready! I won't!" I said.

"Then the kingdom is lost." She frowned.

"So I have to choose between my kingdom..." I gulped. "..and my happiness?"

"I'm afraid so." She sighed and I gasped, placing a hand over my mouth.

I ran. I ran down the hall an through the doors of the courtyard. I cried there before I fell to the floor. My parents were with me in minutes.

"Honey what's wrong?" My father asked.

"Don't touch me!" I cried.

"What?" My mother frowned.

"How can you force me to marry someone?" I sobbed.

"The Kingdom is going broke." My father said. There is nothing we can do.

"How about just poofing up some gold? Or magically turning things into gold? I don't want this." I said.

"That is illegal." My mother told us. A royal using magic to increase power will have consequences. The royal will be banished from the kingdom."

"But I'm not ready." I cried. "I'm not ready."

My mother held me in her arms before I stood up.

"I'm sorry." I said. "I can't marry him. I love him, but I am too young."

I walked away, leaving my parents, confused, starring at me. I cannot believe my life. Things get better. Things always get better. But then they get worse. And they get worse. And they get worse. And worse. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of living like this. Am I being selfish? I won't marry Mathew because I think I'm not ready.

Am I really about to do this? I am going to ruin my life. Will I be expelled from Alfea? Will Mathew want me anymore? Will my parents be able to do it. It's better this way. This way I can save the kingdom and be happy. Will I be happy?

I stormed through the doors of the library and went to the book finder. When I got my book I took a deep breath and opened it. I read and realized what to do. I closed it and ran from the library. I went into the back courtyard and to the gazebo. I stood in the center of it and stomped my foot, muttering and incantation. It suddenly turned to gold and a tear slipped from my eye. I the went into the ballroom and turned the chandelier into gold. I tuned a vase and some other items into gold before someone grabbed me. It was my father.

"Lilly." He breathed. "What have you done?"

"I couldn't marry Mathew." I cried. "But I couldn't let the kingdom starve either."