Ever After High: Secret Storybooks

Chapter One: Ashlynn Ella

There I was, back on the podium on Legacy Day. The shaky way the words "I'm Ashlynn Ella, daughter of Cinderella, and I'd like to pledge my destiny," flowed mindlessly from my mouth, followed by the touch of the cold gold key, the struggle to summon the strength to push the key 30 degrees, and painfully flipping through my story. To anyone else, it looked like one of the best Happily Ever Afters in all of Ever After. But, to me.... Oh, never mind.

Well, imagine being so in love with someone that you know you can't be with in the end. Imagine seeing your life planned out before you've even lived it, and living happily ever after with the wrong Prince Charming. This is my exact position. In fact, it isn't even a Prince I want to spend forever after with.

My favorite person in the whole world, Hunter Huntsman, isn't even part of my story. Not even for a chapter. But if I couldn't have Hunter, that just means that somewhere else, a girl would be living the happily ever after I'd been needing in my life and wanting for myself. I want to choose who I spend happily ever after with, but it isn't just that easy. See, Hunter isn't a prince, and I'm supposed to marry a prince. Who else will ever get me like he does? We both love nature, and we both hate the idea of ever eating a poor living creature. I love shoes and, he listens to me obsess over shoes (even more than Briar does)! Most of all, he likes me for who I am inside, not because I'm a princess, or because of my destiny.

I suddenly woke up from the same dream I'd had every night since Legacy Day. I hopped out of bed, got fairest, and began my short, almost-daily journey to the Enchanted Forest to meet up with Hunter.

Since the day we met and started dating, we've been hiding our relationship. Only two people know, and unfortunately one is Duchess Swan. The other, Cedar Wood, Pinnochio's daughter, cannot tell a lie, but always finds a way to cover up the truth for us. As much as I hate to admit it; Hunter's friends are so much nicer, more accepting, and more supportive people compared to the Royals.

The Royals... well it feels like you can't be yourself with them. You are your destiny. I'm starting to feel so comfortable with the Rebels... I've never hated them or their choices. I wish I was one of them sometimes. Living their own lives, while I'm already forever bound to my story. If only I'd gone up to the podium after Raven- then maybe I would have been able to give breaking away from my story a thought. Instead, I'm living my best moments in secret, pretending to love my story, reliving my sad Legacy Day statement over and over every night in my dreams, and crying whenever I even get the slightest thought about Hunter and I in public.

I arrived at the Enchanted Forest before Hunter. I gazed at the place where we'd carved our first initials in a heart on the nearest tree trunk, forever there, in our favorite place. They would be here long after we'd lived out our stories and our children met at this horribly misleading school. Permanently.

Minutes later, Hunter arrived. "Hello, my fair princess," he bowed to me, pretending to be a sophisticated prince.

I giggled, and he kissed my hand. "Hi, Hunter," I smiled, the happiest I'd be all day. I pulled some fresh-baked pie out of my purse- I'd made it myself and wrapped it carefully so that it wouldn't stain my purse but would stay intact for my hungry Hunter. Cooking was just one of the many chores I'd repeat again and again in my destiny.

Not long after I'd served Hunter a plate of apple pie, we heard something in the bushes. My eyes grew wide and Hunter grabbed my hand. We both prayed for it to be a false alarm.