𝓐 𝓑𝓵𝓾𝓮 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮 (𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀 𝓠𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷: 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓞𝓷𝓮)

The Shadow Queen

Brooke was invited to hanging out with Evie, Mal, and Jane in the VK girls dorm. Carlos had mentioned how she acted, and Mal wanted to see for herself. They invited the princess over who looked at her book disappointedly, but and agreed. At the moment the princess was putting up some blue and purple curtains she made for them, Evie was sewing, and Mal was either doing homework or drawing, Brooke wasn't sure. Jane was just complaining about her mom as per usual.

"Mom said, 'If a boy can't see the beauty within, then he's not worth it.' Can you believe it? What world does she live in?"

"Auradon," Mal answered.

Evie held up a dress she had been working on, "Mal, Brooke you like?"

"Yea it's cute, it brings out your eyes."

Brooke looked on with her usually cool look. It was like she didn't care, like nothing in the world matter to her. Mal knew better though, her eyes showed a million thoughts, a cascade of color and library of emotions none which Mal could decipher from one another. "That's so beautiful. Could you maybe make me my dress for the coronation?" the small bluenette asked. "I'll pay you," Evie's eyes lit up and she nodded excitedly.

"I'll never get a boyfriend," Janes said flopping back on Evie's bed.

"Boyfriends are overrated," Brooke and Mal said at the same time. They looked at each other and Brooke gave her, her usually uncaring smile.

Evie leaned on her fist, "How would you two know? You've never had one Mal," She smirked. "And to my knowledge you never have either Brooke."

"Cause we don't need one E," Mal said gesturing for Brooke to come towards her. She fixed the curtain and sat next to Mal looking over her drawing. It was of the beast crest that was sewn on the breast pocket of the leather jacket she was wearing when he walked in. "They're a waste of time."

She suddenly gained a panicked look, "oh I forgot to do Chads homework," she freaked out grabbing his book bag.

"That's exactly what I mean," Mal said distractedly, gesturing for Brooke to take off her jacket and trying to flatten out the patch so she could finish her drawing.

"Chads a jerk, and so superficial," Brooke said bitterly. It was quite a shock as her tone was never sharp, and right now it felt like a swords edge. "He tried to get with me last year, and he's still trying Evie. He's not worth it."

Jane sat up, "He wants you cause you're the Shadow Queen. Every guy wants to be your 'one'." There was a hint of a smile playing on her lips and a teasing tone in her voice.

Mal and Evie were confused, "Shadow Queen?" Mal asked.

"Yeah, I play behind the scenes, Ben is the younger twin but dad seems to favor him, so he gets crowned king, I'm the princess and his advisor. Ben wouldn't dare do anything that would affect our kingdom without my word first. He asked if it would be a good idea to bring you here. I helped pick two of you. I picked Evie and Carlos," Brooke told them with a true smile. "Ben only trusts himself with his social life and tourney. Anyway, with my look there's no way my father would let me be the face of Auradon." Brooke was right her blue hair, thick glasses and refusal to wear her family colors was not princess material. At least not in the eyes of the royals of Auradon. A place like wonderland though would love to have her as their ruler. Mal made a mental note of that, maybe they wouldn't have to hurt her, maybe they could just send her to wonderland. Sure, everyone in there loses sense of time and sanity but Brooke's mind seemed pretty guarded, to guarded be affected by the sanity problem of Wonderland. Either that or she was already insane and hid it well.

"She basically runs the show and pulls the strings behind the scenes. Whoever gets to be with Brooke has access to all the inner workings of the kingdom and everyone within our borders. That why she so 'difficult' as some of the guys say. Number one she's entitled to it she doesn't need to give any one the time of day of she doesn't want to, but number two she has to be."

Before they could answer Lonnie walked in, "Hey, guys! I'm Lonnie. My mom's Mulan?" Blank looks form the VK girl's. "No? Anyways, I love what you've done with Jane's hair. And I know you hate us, and, well, you're evil. But do you think you could do mine?"

"Why would I do that for you?" Mal asked.

"I'll pay you 50 dollars."

"Good answer. I need to buy more material," Evie decided. "Let's see, I'm thinking, we lose the bangs, maybe some layers and some highlights."

Lonnie didn't look impressed, "yeah, yeah. I want it cool. Like Mal and Brooke's"

Brooke looks at a lock of her hair and shrugs, she never knew Lonnie liked her hair, she would have done it for her ages ago had she asked. "The split ends, too?" They glared at the isle princess.

Mal groaned and rolled off the bed, "okay..." she flipped though her spell book. "Beware, forswear, replace the old with cool hair," she waves her finger and Lonnie's hair grows into long locks and gets much lighter.

She looks in the mirror stunned, "I know. I know. It looks like a mop on your head. You know what? Let's cut it off, layer it..."

"No, no, no, no, no, no! I love it," Lonnie responded.

"You do?" Evie asked.

"It's just..." Lonnie ripped her skirt. "Now I'm cool."

"Like ice," Brooke and Mal said at the same time again.

Jane looked in the mirror and ripped her skirt, "What did I just do? Mom's gonna kill me."

Mal was the one to spark by up their conversation about Brooke's role in the royal court Evie may have forgotten but she didn't. "So, what exactly do you run."

"Everything," she answered carefully like she was planning her words which Mal couldn't blame her for it, it seemed even Jane and Lonnie were interested so she could assume she didn't talk much about her position, they probably didn't know much either. "I keep hold on the countries money, jewels, and every executive decision Ben will ever make," She explained as her watch beeped. She looked at it and stood walking to the door, "The magic and spell books too,"

"Shes always been a little odd," Lonnie said looking at the door she disappeared though. "No one really knows much about her, she's a mystery. I room with her, and I've never seen more than what's on the surface. She doesn't talk about her stresses or worries. I even asked if she was even a little worried when you guys were coming and she just looked at me with that blank look and said, 'I trust Ben's judgement, I trust my sanity,' and walked to bed. She never talked when we were kids either she just watched."

That was a problem. Evie could tell you that, spending ten years in a castle made her silent but she noticed every little thing her mother did. If Brooke saw everything, they needed to keep on their toes.

"It has to be he Neverland thing," Jane offered. "It was jarring, it really messed her up." 

"Neverland?" Evie squeaked.

They nodded, "Queen Belle and King Adam have no jurisdiction there, but a few years after the villains were locked up, they tried to get Peter Pan and the lost boys off the island claiming he needed to be a normal child. He didn't like that. Ben and Brooke were only two, but he took Brooke to Neverland. He probably meant to grab Ben but he's a kid he's stubborn so he said he wouldn't return her until they left them alone, she was there for two years, her magic helped her age, but coming back really messed with her. She went from being able to imagine anything and it happening to not even being allowed to practice her own magic," Lonnie explained.

That was even better maybe she wouldn't mind tearing it all down. She was only 16 they could still send her back to Neverland.

Updated: March 26th, 2023