𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🦢˚ chap.12

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚🦢⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
true hearts day?

i was sitting with briar in the charmitorium the next day when cupid came up to us. she was holding up a book with a golden tree with a pink heart in the middle.

"true hearts day?" briar asked, clearly confused. "i don't get it."

"me either," i confess. cupid sighs, but perks up at an idea. "charades!"

briar locks in. she was amazing at charades. cupid puts down the book.

"48 words," briar starts. cupid smiles, and begins to act out what she's trying to say.

"a holiday that used to be spellebrated in the fairy tale world that encourages us to follow our true hearts desire, but headmaster grimm doesn't want anyone to know about it, but you think we should spellebrate it anyway, and throw a secret underground true hearts day dance?"

"how are you so good at that?" i ask her. like seriously, how?

briar turns to me and shrugs. "i don't really know."

cupid sits down beside us and nods.

"why didn't you just say that?"

"'cause," cupid giggles, "headmaster grimm told me to not say anything."

"of course he comes with some bs," i shake my head. "other than that, a true hearts day dance sounds wicked." cupid nods. "it'll be a page ripper!"

"secret dance? what if grimm catches us?" briar asks.

"he won't," cupid urges. "come on, it'll be happily ever awesome!"

"you do throw the most hexcellent parties, bri," i add, nudging her shoulder a little. briar smirks. you know what that means.

"alright, i'm in!"

cupid stands and cheers. "yay! we're having a secret true hearts day dance!"  briar and i try to shush her.

"you might not want to shout that, cupid." i tell her, taking her hand. briar adds, "you know, being a secret and all,"

"oh! right.." cupid laughs sheepishly. i squeeze her hand with reassurance, and smile. "come on, we have some planning to do,"

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚🦢⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
time skip

after all the planning cupid, briar, hopper (cupid told him and he wanted to help) and i did, this swan needed a break. plus, i hadn't seen dante today, and it was stressing me out.

so, of course, i go to the enchanted forest, floating down the river in my swan form.

i pass one of the other willow trees leading to my own, and do a double take. ashlynn and hunter were having a cute little picnic.

aka: a date.

i had a feeling something was going on between them for a while now, and it made my heart swell with adoration for the two.

i'd begun to swim off, but another swan, a white one, caught my eye. who was being followed by sparrow hood. i knew that green electric guitar anywhere.

duchess.

oh no. i hurry, and swim towards them. knowing her, whatever she was planning couldn't be good.

by the time i'm on land, and back into a human, duchess and sparrow have already ruined their peace.

"you two are totally busted!" sparrow sings. duchess flinches at the loudness of his voice. i swear one day i was gonna glue his mouth shut.

duchess regains her composure. "ashlynn, hunter." she dances over to them. "i think the real question is what are you two doing here. having a secret romantic rendezvous?"

"please," ashlynn pleads with them. "you two can't tell anyone that hunter and i are dating."

"um, yeah, wow." duchess points at her phone. "well, i'm gonna! ash, this is going to knock you down the royal rankings, but don't worry," she uses that baby voice i hate. "i'll be there to take your place. and your happily ever after."

duchess laughs as she walks away. she stops in front of me. she smirks. "y/n! what do i owe the pleasure?"

"duchess, don't you dare."

she absolutely knows i saw what went down, and yet, still stands by what she said. "you can't tell me what to do, little cousin. and besides," she twirls. "it's like i said; royals and rebels don't mix."

sparrow plays a chord on his guitar "bummer," he says, and sings, "princess-to-be, oh!"

"stop that!!" we all yell at him. he stops, but plays one last chord. i fight the urge to kick him.

duchess and sparrow leave. i groan and roll my eyes at their retreating figures. once they're gone, i turn to ash and hunter.

"i'm so sorry about her," i say. "i'll try my best to get her to delete whatever she has on you, i promise."

"that's sweet of you, y/n," ashlynn sighs. hunter nodded, placing his hands on ashlynn's shoulders. they were still worried.

"if it makes you feel any better," i start. "i think the two of you are absolutely adorable together."

ash and hunter smile. "thanks, y/n." hunter says.

"so you won't tell anyone?"

i smile. "my lips are sealed, ash."

she sighs in relief and engulf me in a hug, which i gladly return.