The Apple of My Eye: Book Two (An Ever After High Crossover)

A Grand Entrance

The halls were silent, peaceful is the princess may add. Apple sipped water from the fountain, enjoying the silence once more until a series of slams shattered the calm, signaling an end to her solitude. Students swarmed the corridors, each determined to get somewhere fast. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Apple found herself swept up in the chaos. She attempted to navigate her way out, only to be jolted by a sharp pain in her foot.

'What a bad day to be wearing heels...'

"It isn't fairy nice to step on someone's foot like that," Apple protested, struggling to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.

Duchess stuck her tongue out at Apple as she disappeared into the crowd.

'I swear that swan is going to be the death of me....' groaned Apple.

Apple's foot throbbed slightly, prompting her to sit down on a nearby bench. She decided it was best to wait there until the hallways emptied.

"Why are you sitting here by yourself?" Kyle asked, settling beside Apple.

Cradling her foot and biting her red lip, she attempted to shake off the pain. It's no surprise Duchess has such a forceful kick. Ater all, she's renowned as one of the school's top dancers.

"Someone stepped on my foot and now I can't really walk..."

Kyle descended to his knees, gently taking Apple into his arms.

"K-Kyle..! What are you doing?" Apple gasped, clinging to his neck.

He chuckled softly, cradling her in his arms like the destined hero he was.

"As a future king, it is my duty to help a damsel in distress," Kyle said with a wink.

He then carried Apple towards the Charmitorium. Despite the closed doors, Kyle didn't hesitate; he kicked them open, drawing all eyes to the secret lovers. Royals scoffed and scowled, while Rebels cheered, some in shock that a Royal would allow a Rebel to save her. Unbothered by the chatters, Kyle strode through the Charmitorium.

Apple gazed up at Kyle, her arms still encircling his neck. Surrounded by stares, they felt as if they were the only two souls in the room.

***

Holding Apple in his arms, Kyle felt invincible. He believed he could confront a dragon or, if necessary, the entire school. Her ocean eyes mirrored her soul, making him long to hold her forever after.

Kyle glanced sideways to see Daring, arms crossed, seething with rage.

'How pathetic.'

A grin unfurled on Kyle's face, eliciting a look of sheer terror from Daring. What he feared, Kyle had no idea, but of one thing he was sure...

Apple was his princess, and he would let no one take her away, even if it meant he had to fight to make them understand.

***

The Elf Prince carefully placed the princess onto an empty seat, ensuring her comfort. He casually took a seat beside her, their hands entwined beneath the seat, hidden from wondering eyes. As the room buzzed with conversation, Kyle's attention was captured by certain phrases.

"Did you see what the new kid did?"

"There's got to be something going on between them. There's no way little miss perfect would let just any boy carry her like that!"

"Relax, did you see her foot? He was probably just doing a good deed."

'So there seems to be mixed feelings about us. That's a huge relief, that means that the headmaster won't catch on to our secret,' grinned Kyle.

"Hey Starlight, any idea on what's going on here?" Kyle tried to distance his mind away from the chatter.

Apple shook her head, appearing as perplexed as he was. Headmaster Grimm stepped into the spotlight, microphone in hand.

"Please settle down, students. We have several announcements to make," he started.

The students do as they were told as silence filled the air of the Charmitorium.

"First things first, I would like to remind everyone that this year's Thronecoming dance will be under the enchanted full moon. A once upon a lifetime hexperience, the enchanted full moon will rise with its ambient energy, bringing out the true potential of the nature that surrounds us."

Kyle slouched against the armrest, resting his head on his hand out of boredom. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Apple sitting upright, as befitting a princess.

"Moving on, students can now begin to cast their votes for Thronecoming King and Queen, starting today on the MirrorNet."

***

Oh great... another thing people will vote for me on...

Apple didn't seek the spotlight this year, or any year for that matter. She just wanted to live her life in peace. Kyle had shown her the value of a peaceful and quiet life, away from prying eyes. The moment she slouched, people would rush over, wondering if she fell ill, when all she desired was to be left alone.

Glancing at Kyle, who looked as bored as ever before dozing off, she nudged him awake. Despite his rebellious streak, he was still royalty, a future king, and future kings simply couldn't afford to snooze during meetings—there was always the risk of missing something important.

"This concludes our announcements, if anyone is interested in helping with the Thronecoming decorating committee, please seek Apple White, or Madeline Hatter. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing you all at the BookBall game."

As the Charmitorium emptied, Apple turned to find Kyle unconscious from their meeting. She reached for his shoulder and gave him a shake, rousing him from his unintended slumber.

I swear, he's worse than Briar Beauty.

"Who? What?!" Kyle leapt from his chair.

Apple shook her head, a small giggle slipping from her lips.

"You must be Briar's relative or something because you could not stay awake at all. Did you have a hard time sleeping last night, Darkstar?"

***

Kyle nods his head, rubbing his eyes to stay awake. It was a long night last night, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Apple the truth. How does he even begin to explain that? 'Hey sorry Apple, but I choked your ex-boyfriend last night and stayed up to make sure that he didn't stop breathing in the middle of the night.'

"Daring was sick, remember? Did I miss anything though?" Kyle continued to yawn.

It was best that he stuck to that decision. He had made a promise to learn how to control his anger. If she discovered that he had broken that promise again, it would devastate her.

"You were lucky, nothing really that important happened. They were just about Thronecoming," Apple clarified.

'Thronecoming must be a big deal if everyone keeps bringing it up,' he thought to himself.

As Kyle takes Apple's hand to help her up, a subtle glint catches his eye. "You're wearing the prize I won for you?"

Her lips, a vivid red, beamed a radiant smile as she touched the bracelet gently.

"I always wear it. It's like I always have you wherever I go," she said, her cheeks flushing a deep apple red.

Kyle looped Apple's arm around his, steadying her as they made their way back to her dorm.

Don't worry my princess, I'll always be with you. That's a promise I intend to keep.