Red School Redux

Chapter One

Sophie had waited her whole life to be kidnapped, but it never worked out the way she wanted it to. She was always forced to balance some catastrophe or another, and while she adored the cheering crowds that had yet to materialize, the actual business was growing tiresome. Could not a heroine rest on her laurels?

Or a villainess, to some. To most. She hadn't destroyed the ring, after all. The happy ending they sought, at the expense of her own.

She sighed. Rafal had insisted that no one could make her happy. That her life lay with him as Evil's queen, a true love that not even Good could comprehend. Yet something in her shivered with rebellion. The certainty that she could make it on her own, if only she were given a chance.

Alone. The thought made her retch.

Speaking of alone . . .

"Aggie!" She thrust the covers aside, and looked for the mirror. Strange. The floor was different, as was the ceiling. The walls had smoothed themselves to a marble sheen, gold trim gleaming at the edges. Fear struck deep in her heart. Had Rafal managed to break their bubble?

"Your Majesty." A voice echoed from outside the room, deep and reluctant. "May we come in?"

Sophie perked. She liked the sound of that.

It was rare for Maven Calore to wake without choosing some form of violence, but none were as acute as the day he found a blonde rascal lounging on his throne, feet dangling off one arm. Her hair draped across the other as she waved him off. "I'm not taking guests."

"I live here."

"Then pack your bags, darling. There's a new queen in town." She yawned. "Find yourself another kingdom to rule."

"Guards!" Maven raked a hand through his hair. "Haul this peasant from my house!"

But none of them moved. One cleared his throat. "That would be an act of war, Your Majesty."

He scoffed. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm the daughter of a diplomat." Her eyes were smug as a cat's. "You married me to cement an alliance between Norta and the Lakelands."

"I did not."

"Shall I share the photos?"

"Enough." He tapped his foot. "I married Iris Cygnet of the Lakelands, not this--" Maven squinted. "Who are you?"?"

"Sophie of Woods Beyond." She tossed her hair with a flourish. "Queen of Norta."

"You made that up." Maven stepped forward. "There is no country of that name."

"Gavaldon, if you want specifics. Not a country. Barely a town. I was lucky to escape. Frightful bore, that life, all aging and domestic servitude. I don't know how anyone stands it." She made a face. "I was made for greater things."

"You were not."

"Pish posh. I am queen, darling. You are . . . " She squinted. "Who are you again?"

He growled. "Get off my throne."

She huffed, plucking a circlet from the pillow beside it. "Get me a new crown, please. This one clashes with my hair."

To look powerful is to be powerful. He knew this well, and she must too. Still, it was quite infuriating to find that she had gone through his wardrobe and declared it a disaster. "All black with red accents," she'd chattered. "Have you no sense of variety?"

"Those are my house colors."

She'd bopped him on the head. "Then get better ones, dear."

Iris knew to be afraid of him. This woman might shove him off a cliff for an extra pair of heels.

Yet the more time he spent with her, the more intelligence seemed to seep from beneath her . . . eccentricities. For one, she seemed able to construct elaborate outfit designs within fifteen minutes, organizing the servant to her will within days. Her interests were . . . shallow, to say the least. Yet her dedication to them was unmatched.

A fervent knocked rapped at his door. "I demand to know why I've been excluded from this party of yours."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Need I remind you that you are a peasant?"

"I am a queen, crowned and proud." She huffed, fingering her new circlet. "I outrank you!"

"You do not."

"I am twice-queen, from the Endless Woods to Norta, and there is no one on this earth who can tell me otherwise. No one but–" A strange expression crossed her face. "He's not here."

"Who–? Never mind." Maven sniffed. "Keep the rambling to yourself."

"Do you honestly expect me to stand idly by while you host this disaster?" Iris. He missed Iris. "You don't even have a theme!"

"The theme is we distract court so we can hunt down my enemies."

Sophie paused. "Then let me host the distraction, dear. Who are your enemies again?"

His eyes narrowed. Mother warned him that help never came without a cost. "Tell me yours first."

"I'm looking for two of my dearest friends." The words were oddly sharp. "Agatha of Woods Beyond and Tedros of Camelot."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Consider them found."

Sophie pursed her lips. "And yours?"

"Let's plan out this party before we resort to that." Maven took her hand. "You've only barely escaped being mine, after all."