𝓦𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝓘𝙩 𝓑𝙪𝙧𝙣, 𝗔𝗡 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗬 𝗙𝗜𝗖

𝓒𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝓞𝙣𝙚

Raven Queen's POV

"Well, this day is going to be totally shitty," Essie said, her feet laying on Raven's lap. Raven rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. After meeting her on the last day of Freedom Year, Essie Greenings, the next Princess from Princess and the Pea, declared that they were going to be best friends and she was stuck with Essie either way.

"You don't need to remind me."

"Legacy Day is overemphasized anyhow," Melina Ivory told Raven, patting her shoulder affectionately. Raven let out an exhausted sigh, sitting on the bench in the Legacy Plaza. Just ten hours before I'm back here to sign the Storybook of Legends, she thought hopelessly. "My well-to-do advice is to take a deep breath and dwell on something else for the day," continued, smiling brightly. She always spoke as how an old English professor would, though Riddlish was her first language, so the Wonderlandian accent was there regardless.

"For Grimm's sake, Mel, you sound like Holton Hook with his British accent. 'Hey, pay me fifty golden charms and I won't tell Professor Rumpelstiltskin you cheated on his Chemythstry exam,'" Essie mimicked, huffing. With her head tilted slightly backward, the sunlight gleamed on her short black hair, her green eyes glinting with annoyance. She wore a tight black dress—which she had dress-coded on numerous times already—Essie also sported a golden ring. Raven noticed that selfcare was tattooed on her ring finger in cursive. "Honestly, that stupid pirate needs to shut the hex up."

"That's beside the point, Ess," Raven laughed softly.

Melina tapped her cheek, something she did often. Pale-skinned with arched eyebrows—always making her look as if she heard something questionable—and dyed brown locks cascading down her shoulder. At first glance, most couldn't tell that Melina was the next White Queen, but upon a closer look, there were pure white roots already growing back with a few unbleached streaks. "Signing the Book is not of importance at the moment or whoever this Holton Hook is," she said, looking at Essie pointedly. She stuck out her tongue in return. "But, this is about you. The choice is yours, because when you step on that pedestal, Raven, you must face that crowd alone."

Alone. That was the only part true, because Raven's ending to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would leave her forever alone, rotting away. She'd be shunned, locked away, and just so alone. My friends, she thought miserably, will be without me. And she without them. "It's just making me so anxious," Raven said at last. "It's never going to be..." My happily ever after.

"Honestly, fuck them all," Essie scowled.

Melina gasped, as if scandalized. "Essie!"

"What? Everyone at Ever After High are vultures! Royal or Rebel, it doesn't matter!" Essie stood up from the bench, hands on her hips. Narrowing her eyes, she let out a tired sigh. "There is more than one side to a story. And everyone has a story, but most of the time it's shit." And just when I thought Essie was going to say something inspiring, Raven thought blandly. "All I'm saying is that the battle between Royal and Rebel doesn't exist, you fools."

"Today is a great morning to be called a fool," Melina chuckled, smiling slightly. Suddenly, the bell rang; classes were going to begin. "Oh dear, I'm going to be as late as the White Rabbit for Storytelling 101! I'll hex you two later!" Melina cried out, standing up from the bench and dashed off. Left alone with Essie, Raven turned to her.

"Is this the right choice?" she asked tiredly. "I'm worried that my destiny will end horribly because it does. Ugh, am I just overthinking everything, Ess?"

Essie gave her a teasing, but worn smile. "Raven, is anything the right choice? Royal or Rebel?" Royal or Rebel? There were other students as Rebels, those who choose to reject their set destiny. Though it was likely they couldn't escape their destiny forever, Legacy Day was coming. Headmaster Milton Grimm was ever so demanding and insistent. If you don't sign, then you and your story goes poof! Those were the words he'd always say. "I know, it's very poetic of me."