They couldn't be more different. Ridley is a knight in shining white armor, so perfect in every way that it makes people hardly able to stand him. Prince Vandel on the other hand (aka the evil demon prince of darkness) is the sworn enemy of the king...
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Author's Note: Sharing this absolutely ADORABLE art of Annette this week from @ellenwennberg.se on IG. I think this is the first solo art of Annette I've gotten haha. She looks so cute here!
Ridley
Annette and I pushed through the underbrush as we made our way through the woods that surrounded the cottage.
"I still feel like waiting to reveal you're alive at the wedding is cutting it too close," I said softly.
"It's our only shot," Annette replied. "Stefan's probably keeping an eye on everyone in the castle, specifically those close to me since the demon queen knows I'm alive. I'm sure my brother has been watching out for James's village as well. The only time we can even hope to sneak James Andrews and I in to demand a public retrial is when he's completely occupied with the wedding."
I nodded stiffly. "But still, what if something goes wrong or we're too late and he ends up actually marrying-" that's when I suddenly stopped, my eyes growing wide.
I had thought after spending the night at an inn in town I was completely sober but I was most certainly seeing a stick drag itself across the forest path in front of me.
My mouth hung open. "What in the-"
"What the FUCK?!?"
I looked over now to see Annette staring horrified at the stick as well.
"Princess...your language..."
"Sorry. I've just been really feeling the whole new swearing thing lately. It's un-lady like, I know. But fucking hell Ridley, what is that?"
So I really wasn't just seeing things.
And then suddenly my gaze locked on even more moving sticks, rolling and dragging themselves from the underbrush like a swarm of insects. I stumbled back a few feet only to find even more rising up from the dirt beneath me, rolling to join the others.
Annette and I exchanged a horrified glance before our gaze finally returned to the mass of sticks and twigs, both realizing with a start what was happening.
They were rolling together, falling into place as if they knew exactly where to go, all to spell one giant word that lay spread out before us.
'DANGER'
Annette turned to me, eyes wide. "But what is it even trying to warn us abo-"
And that's when the explosion hit, blowing us backwards.
I fell to my knees, feeling the heat from the blast against my face, a low ringing from the sound echoing in my ears.
"Princess, are you alright?" I stammered, anxiously turning to check on Annette.
"Yeah, I'm fine....what the hell was that?" Annette mumbled, stumbling to her feet.
I quickly clamored up as well, brushing the dirt from my clothes. "Well...I can't be one hundred percent certain but I think I might have an idea..." I gestured to the thick cloud of smoke drifting up above the branches in the exact direction we had been headed...the cottage.
