Chapter 10: Final Steps

Thank you everyone so much for sticking with me until the very end. I hope you had just as much fun reading this as I had making it. Thank you everyone for sticking me until the very end and I hope you enjoy the end. Now we get to see what the little Charming visit was all about.

Enjoy the chapter!

The rain lightly tapped the window panes as it lightly watered the rest of the school. After enlisting the fairies that made part of the staff yesterday to delay any bad weather for the tournament, today was they day the downpour hit the school. The light coming in from the window was grey and warped from the droplets of water, a fitting tone to the atmosphere inside the dorm room.

Dexter sat alone in his room on his bed. His legs were drawn to his chest and his chin rested on his knees. His expression looked spaced out, yet with the obvious hints that something awful had happened at his father's castle just the night before. His thoughts were lost as the events of the scene from last night replayed themselves over and over again, the emotions and words echoing in his mind in a seemingly endless cycle.

He flinched as a sudden collection of loud knocks came from his door. He quickly got up to his feet, took a large breath to steady himself and his emotions before crossing the room in several short strides to the door. He clenched the doorknob and turned it slowly, peaking out the door before opening it wide open to reveal the raven-haired beauty before him.

"Hey, Dexter," Raven greeted and stepped through the door as he moved out of the way. After closing the door, she continued, "Darling told me exactly what happened last night."

He froze. His face slowly turned towards her, his pupils shrunk in his eyes. He let out a shaky breath and quickly rubbed his eyes with his hands. "I'm fine. Really, I am," he replied, hoping his emotion did leak out in his voice.

Raven wasn't convinced by his words... and neither was he.

"Is it true that your dad cut the rest of the payments for your school funding this year and the rest of your time here," she asked, her voice filled with concern.

He slowly let his arms drop from his face, revealing his glistening eyes, tears pooling at the bottom of his eyelids and eyelashes. He let out another shaky breath and Raven quickly took out her handkerchief from her purse around her neck before handing it to him. He graciously took it and used it to dab his eyes before the teachers could escape down his face.

"Y-yes," he said slowly. Raven softly took his hand and led him to his bed where he sat down beside her. "He-he said if I wanted to be so independent on making my own decisions at life and choosing how I should live my destiny, then... then.." he buried his head into the hands again and he sorrowfully moaned out the rest of his sentence from his closed fingers. "Then I can just pay for the rest of my education here since he said he no longer supports my decisions."

He spat out the rest of the sentence as if it was poison before the dam broke and his body soon became wracked with shudders. Raven's mouth had hung open from the further revelation of the news she had just received, but she closed it and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders, giving as much comfort she possibly could in his time of angered sadness.

Dexter mentally kicked himself for acting and appearing so weak and sensitive to his crush, but the more he tried to repress his emotions the more he found they just come out more. Her hands rubbed soothing circles around her back and her arms wrapped tightly around him.

Both students looked up as another loud knock came from the door, except this time more hard and desperate. Raven pulled out another tissue for Dexter to blow into while she went to get the door. She had scarcely turned the doorknob when she was abruptly pushed to the side as Daring stormed into the room, followed closely behind by Darling who stopped to help Raven up.

"Sorry, I couldn't stop him," she quickly apologized as she offered her hand to pull her up.

"Dexter," Daring called out, standing before his younger sibling. Dexter angrily looked up from his lap and stood up before the bulkier blonde, tear streaming down his face like rivers.

"What," he snapped, causing Daring to cringe back a few inches. "What do you want, Daring? Come to gloat? Come to boast about how dad clearly loves and cares for you more while he just treats the other two like we hardly exist!?"

The older brother stared at him for a brief moment, taking in his younger sibling's disheveled and broken down appearance. Then, to both Dexter and the girl's surprise, he walked closer and wrapped his arms tightly around him. Dexter stiffened up at Daring's unexpected embrace, but soon wrapped his own arms around him and began sobbing again. Daring held onto him, making sure he felt secure in the hug.

"I'm so sorry, Dexter. I had no idea that father would ever do such a thing like that," Daring admitted after a while. "I was just so caught up with all the adoration, the praises and attention that I was so blind to see how you guys were being affected in the process. I couldn't see that you were cast back in the shadow of the limelight that was cast on me. I am so, so sorry."

Dexter just held on tighter, but he muffled into Daring's sweater vest that sounded like 'I forgive you'. Eventually, the two separated and Daring gave Dexter a few comforting pats to straighten him up.

"Oh, and I just remembered something." He reached into his sweater vest pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, unfolded it and handed to Dexter.

"A flyer for the Tournament," Dexter said slowly, looking at the brightly colored advertisement.

"Keep reading. Look near the bottom." Dexter obeyed and looked towards the end of the paper where it listed the prizes for the winners. Daring's hand went out and he pointed to the first place prize; a one-year scholarship to Ever After High. Dexter looked up at him confusedly.

"Daring, I don't underst-"

"I'm giving you the scholarship," Daring replied quickly. Darling and Raven gasped. Dexter blinked and turned his head to the side, staring at him to make sure he hadn't misheard him. Daring nodded.

"You heard me right. I'm letting you have my scholarship. Dad didn't know about it and I've already made sure it's okay with the Headmasters, but you deserve it way more then I do," Daring explained. Dexter stared shocked at Daring, but in one swift movement he crossed over again and hugged his brother.

"Thank you," he whispered. Daring looked stunned himself for a moment, but then awkwardly hugged his brother back. He was still new to this affection towards his siblings thing after all. Darling and Raven awed at the sight of the two brothers hugging, and that is when the two realized they were being watched and they immediately separated and blushed profusely while running the back of their heads awkwardly.

"That was very sweet of you, big brother. I'm proud of you," Darling commented. In an instant, Daring's old boastful attitude was back and he stood tall and smiled brightly at her.

"Well, I think this news is worthy of a celebration. C'mon. Tea, teacakes and scones at the Mad Hatter of Wonderland's Haberdashery and Tea Shoppe. My treat," Raven said. She was instantly replied with nods and murmurs of agreement and the four of them walked out the doors, down the stairs and towards the Village of Book's End.

As the group crossed the bridge from the school into the village and onto the recently rained-on, cobblestone path, Dexter felt newfound happiness swell up inside him. He had just gotten a scholarship for a year at Ever After High. Granted he would still have to find a line of work to earn and pay for the other years he would go to school but he felt a whole lot more confident in doing so.

This Royal may had flipped the page in his destiny, but he came out a Rebel, ready to start the new chapter in his story.

I hope you enjoyed reading this story, thanks to everyone who stuck with me until the very end. I enjoyed every moment of the way with you. This story was originally going to be a one-chapter shot, but eventually the small idea blossomed into something much more. I'll admit, I didn't know exactly where I was going with this, but I'm glad things turned out the way they did. Thank you all again for checking out my story.

Please leave a review with some your opinion on how you think I did, it's always appreciated, and feel free to check out some of my other stories. Sincerely, v.t.7