Descendants: The rise of red

Auradon Prep

Upon emerging from the other side of the Rabbit Hole, Red was greeted by the sight of a sleek black limousine. "Princess Red, it is my honor to escort you to Auradon Prep," said the chauffeur, opening the door for her. Red climbed into the vehicle, feeling both thrilled and puzzled.
"Pardon my curiosity, but how did you know I would accept the invitation?" Red inquired. "The Mad Hatter sent us a letter yesterday," the chauffeur replied. "Yesterday? But I received the letter only today," Red mused, bewildered. "Oh, Princess, time flows differently here than in Wonderland. We must hurry, or we'll be late."
As the limousine set off, Red's mind raced with a flurry of thoughts. "What will it be like there? Will I be accepted, or seen as the odd one from Wonderland? Will there be many students? Is the academic rigor high?" she rattled off, barely pausing for breath. "Princess, calm down and breathe," the driver advised. "Sorry, I'm just nervous; I've never left Wonderland before," Red confessed. The man chuckled softly. "There's no need to worry; you'll be warmly welcomed at Auradon."
Red wasn't accustomed to hearing such words. Her mother had always dismissed love as a weakness, something she had never experienced, yet yearned for deeply. The Queen of Hearts had only taught her that together they would conquer the world, defeating all enemies, but Red never wanted that.
As they approached the school gates, Red overheard the guards murmuring among themselves. "Is that really her, the Princess of Hearts?" one guard remarked. "I see so much suffering behind her; I hope her new classmates take precautions and hide under their beds, lest she decides to behead them." Red's face fell upon hearing these comments. "Don't worry, Princess; my colleagues work day and night and often chatter about nonsense," the chauffeur reassured her with a glance in the rearview mirror, making her smile.
The limousine arrived at the main building, and the chauffeur unloaded Red's luggage with the help of three other men. "Did Maddox even think of my luggage?" Red asked with a grin. "Indeed, Princess. I wish you a pleasant school year," the driver replied, smiling as Red thanked him.
At the entrance, a man dressed in a long blue coat and a white shirt greeted her. "Name, please," he asked. "Um... I'm Princess Red, from Wonderland," she stammered. The man scanned the list. "Ah, yes, here you are. Please, go right in."
Nearby, Cinderella and her daughter Chloe stood observing. "Did you hear that, Chloe? She's the princess of Wonderland? So, the Queen of Hearts' daughter..." Cinderella trailed off, visibly shaken. "What's wrong, Mom? Do you know her?" Chloe asked, gripping her mother's hand. Cinderella snapped out of her reverie and continued towards the entrance. "The Queen of Hearts and I were once schoolmates, back before it was called Auradon Prep. She suffered a cruel prank, and after that fateful day, she was never the same. She was my best friend. But let's not dwell on the past; we're here to celebrate the future," Cinderella said, her voice steadying as they took their seats.
Chloe looked around, noticing many other royals like Queen Jasmine and King Aladdin, and Queen Tiana and King Naveen.
The Fairy Godmother made her entrance into the grand garden where everyone had gathered. "Attention, please!" she called, snapping her fingers. "Oh, parents and students, it has been my great privilege to serve you, but the time has come for me to pass the torch. So, let us all welcome our new headmistress!" Uma and her crew joined the Fairy Godmother. "Crew, remind everyone of my name!" ordered the pirate. "UMA!" the crew shouted. "Yes, but from now on, it's Headmistress Uma. And you'd better get it right, or I'll feed you to the fish," she quipped, causing Chloe's smile to waver into a look of fear. "Oh, she's just joking," the Fairy Godmother said with a nervous laugh, trying to reassure everyone.
As Uma continued her speech, a young man with extremely pale skin, nearly white-blond hair, and striking blue eyes approached Red. "Did you come alone too?" he asked, extending a gloved hand. "I'm Elias, Prince of Arendelle." Red shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Red." A broad smile spread across Elias's face. "Oh, that Red? The daughter of the Queen of Hearts? From Wonderland?" Their conversation was interrupted by Uma, who welcomed "Princess Red, of Wonderland."
Red despised her title, but here she was forced to hear it repeated incessantly. Most of the families present were royalty, which only reinforced her feeling of being a pawn in her mother's grand scheme since birth.