I am back after a hiatus. I'm going back to ever after high. So, warnings of odd couple, same sex love, angst and fluff. As always stated, I gave dyslexia, I do my best with the help of the assistive software I have. (nip is Maddies way of talking about wonderland catnip)
The daughter of the Good King.
Chapter one:
Winter had come to Ever After High, but this time it was a natural winter rather than one caused by out of control magic. The students where enjoying the seasonal weather with a variety of activities, such as slay riding and building snow men to name but a few. Even the school's teacher where taking some time to enjoy the snow and ice, while watching over their student's at the same time of course.
Of course, Crystal Winter was in her element in this weather, she was more than happy to throw herself into helping the other students get ready for the winter celebrations which would take place before they all returned home for the winter break. Crystal could hardly believe that the students planned to somehow fit in the traditional winter joust, as well as the exchanging of gifts between friends and staff, a ball and a feast after which the students would give food, toys and clothing to the poor all before the end of term.
Raven was enjoying lunch in the castleteria with her friends when Darling came walking in, she couldn't help the fact that her gaze was drawn to Darling whenever she was in a room with her. Darling was after all a beautiful so it was understandable that she turned heads, Raven however had not expected her to capture her heart.
Darling walked over to where Apple was seated with the other royals, she bowed formally to Apple to show that she was here to talk to her as the one to have saved Apple from her cursed state. "Princess Apple, I have come as is the right of your prince to ask you for your favour for the winter joust."
It was as if these words had sucked all of the air out of the castleteria as an utter silence fell over the whole room and all eyes where now on the couple, as everyone waited with baited breath to see what would happen next.
Apple went red, then so white Raven was convinced for a moment that the every perfect princess was going to faint and then from somewhere deep down Apple found enough strength to speak. "No Darling I can't…I just don't see you as my prince. I'm glad your kiss of life worked on me, I really am, but you my prince, no I'm sorry I refuse to acknowledge that."
"But I am the one to save you from the poisoned apple. I am your prince." Darling insisted in a calm and reasonable voice, as other royals nodded in agreement to these words.
"NO! NEVER!" Apple yelled springing to her feet at the same time, and started jabbing a finger at Darling. "I don't care what you say! What anyone else says! You will NEVER BE MY PRINCE!"
This outburst of less than perfect princess behaviour from Apple, caused a wild babbling to rise from all the students in the room. For Raven this was too much, she could hardly believe that Apple was acting like this and Raven felt she had to do something to try and help Darling. This decided she came to her feat, as soon as this happened another silence spread out over the room. Raven glided soundlessly over to Darling and Apple, both of who where watching her with wide eyes and expressions of concern on their faces. "Apple you must know that Darling is right! In fact I know that you know Darling is right! You say you want to live your life guided by fairy tale tradition, then you must accept the consequences of that desire. Darling is your prince!"
Apple glared Raven, she knew that the she was right, but Apple didn't like what she had to say and so she went back to the old argument with Raven. "She wouldn't be if you had poisoned me as you should have! Now Daring who should have been my prince is Rosabella's beast!"
Raven hated having this argument with Apple over and over again, so she refused to enter into it, and instead turned to look at Daring and Rodabella. "They don't look at all unhappy about that. Besides which when Daring kissed you nothing and I mean nothing happened, you didn't even flicker according to what I hear and I know what I have heard is the truth. If you don't want Darling to be your prince, then you are rebelling, because you are throwing away your true love and prince. Is that really what you want just because Darling isn't a man or what you expected?"
"Yes! No! I don't want to rebel, but I can't love Darling and I can't embrace her as my prince. I just can't!" Apple exclaimed her horror at the situation clear in her face and voice.
Raven looked from one to the other and then turned her full attention to Darling. "Well Darling if Apple does not wish you to be her prince. I will state now and here, with all those here to witness it that I would be more than willing to have you as my prince if there were a story we could tell together."
Darling could hardly believe what Raven was telling her, she was implying that she would be willing to become part of a fairy tail to be with her and so Darling asked her with clear shock. "You'd do that for me Raven…You'd really become part of a fairy tail to have me as your prince?"
Raven had been surprised by this sudden decision, but in her heart she knew somehow it was the right one to make. "Yes, I think you are worth that and as a rebel it is my choice to make as to what I do. The question is can you ever see me as your princess?"
Darling looked at Raven hardly believe she was willing to do this for her. "Why…Why would you do this Raven."
"Because, somehow, somewhere along the line I lost my heart to you without even realising it at first. Now though I know you are the one with all my heart I am willing to become part of a story to be able to share the love I feel with you and have your love in return." Raven told her blushing slightly as she confessed this long hidden truth.
This confession caused a collective gasp to come from all of those in the castleteria. Darling simply didn't know what to say at this point and so Raven spoke to her again. "I know I'm no Apple…I'm not beautiful like her or as fair, but I do love you. I will not force you to choose me, because your heart is yours to give and no one should make you choose. I want you to know though I would be honoured to have you as my prince and I would never hesitate to give you my favour for a joust as Apple has." After saying this to Darling Raven turns and silently leaves the room.
A few seconds after she left the casleteria, Maddie and Cerise quickly came to their feet and went after Raven wanting to make sure that their friend was alright.
Darling and Apple both stood their staring at the now empty door way shocked to the core, neither of them knew what to do with the situation they found themselves in.
Darling was the first of the two to move, she hastily left the castleteria, but didn't go after Raven at this time, instead Darling quickly strode through the school heading for the garden. Darling just needed to get outside to think and in that moment Darling didn't care how she appeared to other's by walking in the way she was. All Darling knew was that she desperately needed to escape the confines of the school and all of its stifling expectations of her. As soon as she was outside, Darling started to walk around the castle circling it over and over, turning all everything which had just happened over in her mind looking at it from all angles.
Apple was sat back down at her table, she looked around at the other royals waiting for them to approve of her actions, but none of them did and instead they all looked back at her as if Apple where some sort of creature they had never seen before now. The royals where just beginning to realise that their appointed leader was acting like a spoilt and selfish child and had been doing so for some time. They knew now that Apple clearly has no respect for Raven, who has shown that she is a good kind person and could never be evil or to Darling her prince, who had been the epitome of the perfect prince to Apple ever since saving her.
The royals also couldn't help but think Raven's words where true, if you wanted the fairy tale life and a happy ending then you had to accept how that ending came into your life to. Seeing what had happened to Apple by trying so hard to make her life resemble the perfect Snow White story had started to make many of them think and question their parts in their tales. Some of the royals began to see that maybe, just may be the rebels had a point, forcing people to live a certain story wasn't right and could still bring unforeseen consequences into your life.
As the silence at the royal table grew Apple became extremely uncomfortable, she got up from the table and dashed out of the castleteria leaving behind her half eaten meal. Apple didn't stop running, neither did she great any student she met in the halls of the school until she made her way to the safety and privacy if her dorm room.
Apple was furious as well as upset that the other royals had not supported her and as far as Apple was concerned all of this was Darling and Raven's fault. She felt it was mostly Raven's fault, if only Raven had stuck to the story then none of this would have happened and she would be having her happily ever after, with her perfect prince. Her poisoning by Raven's mum and waking by Darling just couldn't count as her story, it couldn't! Apple wouldn't let what had happened to her at the hands of the evil Queen be her story no matter what! She would find some way to make Rave poison her, then a handsome prince would come and save her and they would live happily ever after together just like her mum and dad.
Apple couldn't wait for Raven to come back, she was going to give her room mate a piece of her mind about the way she had behaved in the castleteria today and she would insist that Raven do her duty. Apple was determined that she would show all of them, even her fellow royals that her true story had not yet been told and she would be the most perfect Snow White to ever be seen in ever after! As she thought about this an expression of determination settled on Apples face and she started to pace around the room working out her argument for when Raven returned.
Raven was well aware that it was most likely that Apple would want to blame her for what had happened, rather than except that she had been the one in the wrong and this knowledge meant that she didn't want to go back to her dorm room. So instead of returning to the room she shared with Apple Raven had made her way into one of the lesser used common rooms so she could be away from the other students as well as Apple.
Raven was surprised to discover that Maddie and Cerise had followed her from the castleteria to the common room, but at the same time she was very glad they had decided to come after her as she could really use their comfort and advice at this time.
They both hugged Raven and when they released her Raven spoke to them in a soft scared voice. "Apple is probably as mad as a dragon who lost some of it's hoard right now."
"Yeah more than likely." Cerise said in agreement.
Maddie looked at her friend and asked with concern. "Raven be at peace in a feathered nest?"
"Yes it would be lovely to share your room with you and Kitty tonight thank you Maddie." Raven felt utterly relived that she wouldn't have to go back to her room with Apple tonight, she hopped that maybe a night alone would allow Apple time to cool her temper before she returned to her room and got involved in yet another argument about destiny with her roommate. "I'll have to borrow some pyjamas from you Maddie is that alright?"
Maddie smiled at her before saying reassuringly to her friend. "It will be my pleasure!"
"Thank you so much Maddie." Raven said to her gratefully.
Cerise was struck by a sudden idea she felt would be a great way to lift Raven's spirits. "Hey, how about Cedar and I join you and we turn it into a sleep over?!"
Raven's eyes filled with delight and she felt this was just what she needed at this time. "That would be wonderful! Would Kitty be alright with us doing that Maddie?"
"Yes I will sweeten her up with a little nip." Maddie told Raven and Cerise as she gave them a conspiratorial wink.
Cerise and Raven both giggled, Maddie pointed at Raven before declaring with delight. "Ah there is the sunshine I longed to see!"
Cerise for once understanding what Maddie was saying, blurted out with excitement. "Even I can tell what that means! It means Maddie is glad to see you smiling again and she is not alone I am happy to see it to. I have to ask Raven and you don't have to answer me, are you really in love with Darling?"
"Yes…Yes I love her with all my heart." Raven told her seriously.
"Why didn't you tell any of us?" Cerise asked her with pain and confusion in her voice.
Raven was quiet for a few moments before answering this question. "Love was never going to be an easy thing for me…I worried I might end up like my father you see, falling in love with someone didn't love me in return, one who would shatter my heart and make it impossible for me to ever love again. I never expected to love Darling, I expected to find a prince to love, I even tried with Dexter, but as much as I liked him, he didn't make me feel as Darling does. It took me a long time to come to terms with what I felt for her, it became impossible for me to deny that I loved Darling with all of my heart when I saw how beautiful she was in her dragon games armour. I never had a chance to say anything, because well…You both know what happened then. I am sure that Darling will never want to choose me over Apple…She loves Apple and I will not stand in the way of that I guess I'm going to end up like my father after all. Though my heartbreak looks like it will come from one who won't love me as I wish she would rather than from one I have married."
Instantly both Maddie and Cerise hugged Raven again. "Hey don't talk like that. You never know Darling might come to see just how wonderful you are. You are so much more than Apple will ever be." Cerise told her friend meaning her words.
"Shiny gem not picked up by one becomes treasure to another." Maddie said to Raven in her own turn.
These words from Maddie caused Raven to chuckle, they broke the hug, then walked back to the dorms together, when they reached the doors Cerise went to fetch Cedar, while Maddie took Raven to her room with Kitty. A few moments after they entered Kitty appeared in the room, she looked at Maddie and Raven. "I am unsurprised to find you here. I assume you have come to escape Apple Raven?"
Raven nodded. "Yes, but just for tonight. I think it is better to let her temper cool before I see her again."
"That I think is wise, it is better to know when to fight and when not to." Kitty told her with a toothy smile.
Raven smiled at Kitty glad to hear that she agreed with what she wanted to do tonight. "Agreed. I hope you won't mind but Cerise and Cedar will be joining us as for a sleep over."
Kitty gave them a pout, but before she could say anything to them Maddie pulled out a bag and held it out to Kitty. "I have your nip. Will that help sway you?"
Kitty let out a purr and batted the bag. "Yessss Nip! I will be good. You may have your sleeping thing, I will have nip and sleep in Cedar and Cerise's room. I promise to keep my claws to myself like a good Kitty." She promised her eyes fixed on the bag.
"Good." Maddie said handing over the bag, which Kitty quickly took and vanished from sight.
Raven looked at her friend. "Well that was easier than I expected. You have to get me some of that nip for when I need convince Kitty to be good."
"I will." Maddie assured her. "Now let's get ready!" Maddie said with eyes glowing with excitement.
Her enthusiasm and joy was so infectious that Raven could feel it rubbing off on her already and the cares she had felt weighing her down until this moment became just that little bit easier to bare.