"From My Heart To Yours"

One

Raven gingerly picked at the contents on her plate; she wasn't all that hungry, but maybe she could force herself to swallow a few more mouthfuls of food, if only to keep her friends from worrying. Her mood had plummeted considerably since the fiasco that was Legacy Day. She had absolutely no regrets about not signing the book because her fate was dismal and horrible and why would she do that to herself?

Unfortunately, not everyone shared this opinion. Apple was distraught and refused to speak to her. She called her selfish, and it was a sentiment a lot of the student population shared. And yeah, it hurt her feelings because Apple's happily ever after would come at the expense of Raven's own happiness, but nobody called her selfish for wanting to be happy.

Raven gave a rather unladylike snort, rolling her eyes. People were always going to have an opinion about her whether she liked it or not. Being the daughter of the Evil Queen ensured that she'd always be in the spotlight. People conveniently disregarded her dad, the Good King, existence. He was a very kindhearted, warm man, and he and her mother were deeply in love before the whole "poison Snow White and trying to take over realms" thing happened. Obviously, those things put quite the strain on their relationship, but her dad still spoke fondly, if not sadly, about her mother, and her mother did the same.

"Are you okay, Raven?" The sound of Cerise's concerned voice pulled her out of her head and back into reality. Flashing what she could only hope was a cheerful smile, she tried to make herself feel happier than what she was.

"I've certainly been better, but I'll be okay," Raven answered, shrugging her shoulders. Shoveling a forkful of food into her mouth gave her an excuse not to talk anymore, and thankfully, Cerise let her be. She could feel Maddie's teal gaze staring holes on the side of her face, and she knew she wasn't convinced. Thankfully, she, too, dropped the subject, and Raven inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

The castleteria was lively as ever, teeming with students and bursting with various conversations. Her amethyst eyes skimmed the room, and when her eyes saw a familiar blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl, she couldn't help but grimace, quickly averting her gaze. The last thing she needed was a confrontation. She wished they could exchange roommates or something, but this awkward tension was not what she signed up for. Maybe she could try requesting for Maddie to be her roommate, which was the way it was supposed to be initially anyways.

Swallowing down another forkful of food, she almost choked when she felt someone tapping none too gently on her shoulder. Eyebrows furrowed, she turned around, forcing back a heavy sigh. Briar was standing a few feet away from her, arms crossed and expression grim. Blondie and Ashlynn Ella stood on either side of her, and Raven hoped they weren't trying to start anything. She had no real issues with them personally, but she wasn't about to sit back and let anyone bully her either.

"Can we help you?" Cerise all but growled, her silver eyes flashing dangerously. She was someone Raven was glad to have in her corner. They understood each other, and did their best to look out for each other. Cedar and Maddie were also wary of the Royals' sudden presence. It spelled nothing but trouble.

"How's it feel to know that you ruined Apple's happily ever after, not to mention jeopardized everyone else's?" Briar asked, her lips tugged into a sneer. That one little question managed to capture everyone in the castleteria's attention, as a silence enveloped the previously loud room.

"Well, now that you mention it, it feels pretty damn good, if I do say so myself!" Raven answered cheerfully, grinning wickedly. Several people gasped at her boldness, and Cerise, Maddie and Cedar were trying and failing to stifle their laughter.

"Look," Raven continued, her gaze narrowed dangerously, her tone angry, "if you came here to intimidate me or hassle me, don't. I'm seriously not in the mood to deal with you or everyone else's bullshit. Apple will be okay, and if not, oh well. Just because she's guaranteed a happily ever after, doesn't mean everyone else is, and if you think I'm going to apologize for wanting to be happy, you've got another thing coming."

Briar, Ashlynn and Blondie were stunned, as were everyone else, save for her friends, by her outburst. Raven tried to keep her temper in check, but she was so tired of being ostracized and bullied and put down. Her nerves were frayed, which meant her temper was that much shorter, and if everyone else could speak their mind, why couldn't she?

Grabbing her tray, she shoulder past the group of Royals, her heels clicking loudly with every step she took as she threw away her leftovers. Before she left the castleteria, she turned around, gaze sweeping across the entire room.

"I'm the daughter of the Good King, which people like to forget, and the Evil Queen, something people refuse to forget. I have heard worse and dealt with worse than this. I'm not about to tolerate any of you belittling me. I don't give a damn who you are or what family you come from. Don't come for me if I didn't send for you. Thank you!" And with a swish of her long hair, she walked out of the castleteria, feeling more than pleased with herself. She wasn't about to take anything lying down anymore. She wasn't too fond of confrontation, but she wasn't about to be pushed back into a corner either. If Headmaster Grimm and everyone else thought they could say what they wanted about her and that she would just take it, they had another thing coming.

She knew her mother would be proud of her, in her own way. After all, she essentially asserted herself and told off everyone, essentially. Her mother would definitely enjoy hearing this new bit of news. Her father would find the whole thing amusing, and she couldn't help but find it amusing too, trying and failing not to laugh. This certainly was going to be an interesting year, no doubt about it.