Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Raven frowned. “What?”

Maddie twirled her fingers around each other as she blabbered, “I’m sure you know the news, of course you would know the news, but I’m not sure that you know of the news being on the news. News, you know?”

“You mean… that I’m somehow going to be the Evil Queen this year?” Raven hoped that it wouldn’t come to this. She wanted to exist in the fun, peaceful bubble with Maddie where they got to be silly and she wouldn’t have to worry about being the next Evil Queen forever. She was glad, at least, that Maddie had afforded her enough time to pretend that it wasn’t real.

Maddie’s face suddenly soured. “Oh, I just remembered what started me on this tangent. I’m sorry about… well, no one was expecting it to happen this soon. I know you wouldn’t have wanted this. That you don’t want this.”

Raven nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. “Yes, I know. But Maddie, it’s not your fault. Don’t be sorry about it. It’s fine. I promise.”

Maddie grinned, linking her arm in Raven’s. “We can just make it fine! Us girls can all get together and do something fun. I know what’ll make you feel better quicker than a dodo in a caucus race! We could have afternoon tea!”

Raven smiled. Being who she was, she didn’t know how she deserved friends as good as Maddie, but she was eternally grateful. “That sounds great, Maddie. Speaking of which, how long have you been here?”

“Since the doors went squickety shut.”

“I mean, have you seen Cedar or Cerise yet?”

Maddie puckered her lips, looking to the side as she thought long and hard about it. “Cedar is busy working with Blondie Lockes on starting their MirrorCast show back up to get everyone back up to date on all the juicy gossip that’s happened over summer vacation! And I think Cerise texted us to say she has some family stuff she has to take care of before she gets here. Oh, which reminds me, Cedar checked all our dorming and advisor assignments when she arrived. We’re roommates this year!”

“Nice,” Raven cheered, raising her hand for a high five. She giggled when Maddie just ended up standing on her tip-toes to shake Raven’s hand beside her head, before leaning closer to look at Maddie’s phone. “Who are our year advisors? Let’s grab our schedules before the others get here.”

“I have one most illustrious White Queen,” Maddie read aloud. “And you’ve got… Madam Baba Yaga.”

Raven let out a theatrical sigh. “And I thought Mr. Badwolf was bad. At least his office was always in one place.”

“Aww, no fair,” Maddie said. “I’d love to do a treasure hunt for my class schedule.”

“We could swap year advisors,” Raven said with a wink. She looked down at her trunk. “Well, my Grandma spent a few days trying to teach me how to make lugging this thing around easier. It’s worth a spin.”

Raven raised her hands. Her eyes glowed, like two purple lamps, as purple flames danced between her fingers and began to raise her baggage into the air. “Stiff as a board, light as a feather, raise my trunk through the windy–”

“The next Evil Queen is casting an evil spell, run for your lives!” another student cried.

Cacophony. Immediate cacophony. It became a wild stampede as everyone made it their mission to be as far away from Raven Queen as possible. The students all ran, directionless, like headless chickens. One of them even ran into Raven’s back, realised it was her, screamed right in her ear, before turning around and tripping on the stairs to the school in her effort to get away from her. Hopper Croakington turned into a frog. When the dust cleared, the school looked deserted, as if she and Maddie had accidentally walked in during summer vacation.

Raven frowned. Next evil queen. That wasn’t a good reminder at all.

The magic sputtered out of her hands. Her eyes went back to normal. She didn’t know who she was talking to when she said, “It wasn’t an evil–” She let out a grunt as her trunk, still hovering, slammed into her ribcage. “Ow.” She rubbed her side, trying to get rid of the ache, and glared at her treacherous baggage. It knocked into her shoulder.

Maddie laughed and clapped, bouncing on her toes. “Yay! What a wonderful spell!”

Raven shot Maddie a mischievous look. “Last one to get their class schedule is a rotten dragon egg.”

Maddie let out a shriek of delight, and the two of them ran in opposite directions. Raven’s bag collided with her back, causing her to stumble. Her stomach dropped, like she was at the peak of a rollercoaster, and she only just managed to catch herself before she fell on her face.

“Would you cut that out?” she asked it, before remembering this wasn’t nearly the same situation as the overenthusiastic cutlery with minds of their own at the Hatters’ family business.

The carriage slowed down to a stop. Once the horses were relaxed, the coachman stepped down, opening the door for her. Apple thanked him once he helped her down and retrieved her baggage. He barely acknowledged her, simply nodding. Apple decided to herself that when she was queen, she wouldn’t have the same, cold relationship with her servants as her mother did. She figured she was on the right track, since she knew all her maids’ names and about their home lives.

There was an immediate change in the Ever After High courtyard once Apple arrived. Before, they were all milling about, looking for their friends, chatting with others, or trying to find their advisors. Now, all eyes were on Apple White. She smiled politely, and began dragging her luggage behind her.

“Oh, no, that simply won’t do.”

Apple turned around. The voice turned out to be none other than Daring Charming– tall, handsome. His luxurious blond hair was swept back, a crown sitting atop his head, and he wore an Ever After letterman jacket. When someone thought of the words Prince Charming, it was Daring’s face that came to mind, even though there was no shortage of Prince Charmings. No one’s heroic feats came even close to matching his.

He held out a hand towards her. Daring began to smile, but quickly covered his mouth with the other hand. “Allow me.”

His younger sister, Darling Charming, stepped out from behind him and smiled. While Daring was the embodiment of a hero, Darling was the picture perfect sweetheart. She moved with such a grace that she was almost otherworldly. If it weren’t for the fact that Apple knew both her brothers, she would wonder if the girl had a distant fairy ancestor, as it could be the only explanation. A hint of mystery, like there was more to the demure, soft-spoken damsel.

The entire world seemed to stop when Darling spoke, like the birds stopped singing and the trees stopped rustling just to hear the sound of her voice. “Welcome to Ever After, Apple.”

The undivided attention that Darling afforded people tended to make them feel as if they were the only two people in the world. She hardly even noticed as Daring took her baggage. It wasn’t a wonder how Darling came to receive such a barrage of marriage proposals from all the boys her age ever since she was a young girl. While Apple was destined to be the fairest of them all, a small part of her believed that place belonged to Darling.

Apple smiled. “Thank you so very much.”

“Apple! Daring!”

Apple looked around for the source of the sudden yell. A blonde girl in blue was running towards her with a microphone. Apple didn’t know who she was, having never seen them at any balls or galas, but she was followed by a girl holding a mirrorPad that was unmistakably a puppet, meaning she had to be the daughter of Pinocchio. Once they reached the royals, the blonde smiled widely.

“Daring, and the flawless Princess Apple White,” the girl said. “Getting the future queen on my channel would be really good for my career. Would you mind answering some quick questions for my mirrorcast show?”

“Our mirrorcast show,” the puppet corrected.

“Of course,” Apple said with a smile. This would be her first ever interview. It would make great practice for once she became queen. “What are your names, again?”

The blonde looked a bit disheartened at the question. The puppet girl spoke up. “I’m Cedar Wood, the daughter of Pinocchio. She’s Blondie Lockes, daughter of Goldilocks. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”

“Get the camera rolling,” Blondie said quickly. Apple noticed that having wooden fingers and no warmth of her own, Cedar had to use a stylus to turn on the mirrorPad, aiming it at her friend. “It is the first day back at Ever After High, a nice leisurely day as everyone gets their schedules and room assignments. But for one, very special princess, it is her very first day at any school, having been homeschooled her whole life.” Cedar panned the camera over to Apple, and Blondie walked into the frame. “Say hello to Princess Apple, daughter of the illustrious Queen Snow White. Your Highness, how do you feel about being the new girl on the most important year of our lives: Legacy Year?”

Apple smiled as the microphone was held beneath her chin. “Oh, Blondie, please call me Apple, that’s what all my friends call me. While I’m at Ever After High, I’m a student, the same as anyone.”

Blondie flushed pink, but soldiered on. “Oh, well thank you, Apple.” She said the name like a baby saying their first word. There was some level of satisfaction that Apple didn’t quite understand. “Well? How do you feel about Ever After High?”

“I’m enchanted to be here. It’s already so wonderful and has gone far beyond my expectations-- which were already high enough to begin with. And everyone is so accommodating and thoughtful.”

“Aww, shucks,” Blondie said, waving a hand at the flattery as if it was specifically directed at her. “And how about your Legacy itself? You’ve never shied away from the magazines, and last time I checked, you were a natural blonde. ButI think the new look is just right. Want to tell us about the motivation behind the change?”

Apple tried not to show on her face how much she disliked the question. Why was her hair the most important topic once again? Why not her legacy, or her economic plans for once she became queen, or social justice reform, and all other kinds of policies and legislation she wanted to pass? “Oh, you know, just destiny. I want to be a perfect Snow White. That includes the hair. I simply cannot wait. I have plans for the kind of queen I will be.”

“I already know you’ll be the best Snow White we’ve ever seen,” Blondie said. “And who do you think– or hope– your knight in shining armour will be? Is it Daring Charming, son of the famous King Charming, slayer of dragons and rescuer of fair maidens in towers? You two have been spotted together at many balls together, as well as visiting each other according to the magazines.”

Another annoying question. Apple didn’t understand the whole boy obsession. Her Prince Charming, whoever he may be, was simply a means to an end. Her happily ever after. The only wish she had was that her true love would be the best strategically for her kingdom. The uniting of kingdoms was a delicate process. It would be quite unideal for her if her prince’s kingdom had a lot of trade disputes, or corruption in their knights, or bad economic policies. Instead of being able to improve her already great kingdom, she’d be allocating resources towards fixing problems that didn’t even exist in her own. What a waste of tax dollars. Instead, unifying with a kingdom that was politically, economically, and socially similar would allow her to work on the most current issues. It would also be convenient if her future Prince Charming was from a kingdom geographically close to her own. It would become a whole other issue security-wise if she had to allocate resources towards protecting two separate lands, with a number of other kingdoms in between them. She also needed someone strong and capable, because power couples in royalty are not to be trifled with. The only one who fit the bill for all these requirements was Daring Charming, since the Charmings of Ever After were the neighbouring kingdom to the White Kingdom. But this wasn’t a matter of having a juvenile, schoolgirl crush on him, like Blondie was implying. It was simple logic.

“We visit each other, as royal families do,” Apple said. Blondie’s expression soured again. She figured it was because it wasn’t the juicy details she was hoping for. “Briar Beauty, Ashlynn Ella and I probably visit each other more than I visit the Charmings.” She turned to Daring and smiled. “Not that I don’t like you, of course.”

Daring chuckled. “No one could ever dislike me.” He gave some passersby girls finger guns and a wink. They swooned.

“I truly don’t mind who my Prince Charming will be, as long as he is good at heart.”

Blondie turned back to the camera and grinned. “You heard it here first, folks. Apple is confident and is as ready for her destiny as one could ever be, adjusting well to Ever After High. If it’s not too hot and not too cold, then it’s just right– and Apple White is nothing short of just right. That’s Blondie Lockes for you, signing out. And cut.” She turned to Apple. “That was brilliant!”

Cedar lowered the camera, giving the aspiring reporter a thumbs up before looking at Apple. “Thank you so much for this opportunity. We appreciate it.”

Apple waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, it was nothing. I should be thanking you guys.”

“Should I take this to your room, m’lady?” Daring asked, raising her trunk.

“Oh, that would be most kind of you.” Apple batted her eyelashes at him. “Would you mind taking it to Raven Queen’s room instead?”

Daring frowned. It took him a few seconds to process the name. “But that’s the daughter of the Evil Queen.”

“Former Evil Queen,” Apple corrected. “I’ll explain it to you later.”

“As you insist,” he said, still displaying a look of befuddlement.

“See you, Dare,” Darling said, waving as her brother departed with the baggage. “Why don’t I take you to get your class schedule?”

Apple smiled. “Oh, no need for that, I already got it when I was here last week. Headmaster Grimm has also taken me on a tour around the school when he announced to my family how my destiny continues.” Her mother had specifically requested the tour, not wanting Apple to be late to any of her classes on her first day. “But, you know, Ashlynn promised to help me out with something in a couple hours, but she’s not here yet. Do you wanna join me?”

“I would love that.” The way that Darling said those words, Apple couldn’t believe anything other than that was what Darling wanted to do the most right now.

“Great!”

As the two girls walked to the headmaster’s office, Apple informed Darling of her plan. Darling nodded along. When they arrived, Apple knocked on the door.

“Come in,” a deep voice called out.

They opened the door and walked in. Milton Grimm looked rather stressed, but when he saw the two girls, the tension disappeared from his shoulders and he smiled. “Why, if it isn’t Princess White and Princess Charming. What brings you young ladies to my office on the first day of school? I hope neither of you have experienced any trouble?”

Apple clasped her hands together, her voice chipper when she spoke. “Oh, not at all, Headmaster Grimm. I actually came with a request, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“But of course. Anything for the future Snow White…” He chuckled. “Within reason, of course.”

“Well,” Apple took a step towards him, looking at him imploringly, “I obviously wasn’t here last year when everyone was submitting their roommate preferences, but I was hoping to room with Raven Queen this year.”

Milton Grimm frowned. “Why would you ever want to do that?”

“Why, Headmaster Grimm, she’s important to my story.” Apple looked dreamily into the distance, thinking of her happily ever after. “I had an idea when talking to my mother this morning. Raven and I are going to be living together next year, you told me so yourself during summer vacation. I thought it would be most prudent if we started rooming together now. I regret that my homeschooling has meant that I have not become familiar with who is arguably the most important figure in my story. But this would allow me to be close to her. My happily ever after doesn’t exist without her.” She looked imploringly at the headmaster, who seemed to be in deep thought. “Listen, I understand that it’s a little last minute, but–”

“No, Princess White, that is a wonderful idea,” Headmaster Grimm said. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that myself. You will be an excellent Snow White. I’ll make all the necessary arrangements immediately.”

Apple beamed. “Thank you. I’ll see you later then.”

“Always a pleasure doing business with you, Princess White.”

Apple and Darling headed out of the room. The second Darling closed the door behind them, Apple squealed.

“Do you think you’ll be able to call your brother? We’ll need him to carry some furniture…”