Diclaimer: I do not own The School for Good and Evil
Chapter 1: The Arrival
It was not what she expected. The once glittering castles of Camelot appeared yellowed and dusty, more of a peasant village than a powerful kingdom when bathed in moonlight. The people seemed stuck in their evening routine: drunkards dipping their red faces out bar windows at midnight and shouting out half-hearted praise as their young prince graced their filthy streets with his princess. Others still, however, glared at the sparkling carriage, no doubt reminding them of a golden age that had long since passed. Their annoyance and rage was smoldering from within their vessel, and Agatha shirked away from the view, flinching from the curtain when a particularly vicious old woman aimed a tomato at the blue and white paint.
"You would think," she began carefully, "that they would be glad to see you."
"Some of them are, I think," said Tedros, throwing a look at Merlin whom sat across the cabin from them eating a perfect, hat-made blueberry muffin as a midnight snack. "I haven't seen them since I arrived at the School, but somehow I expected more...excitement."
"It is nighttime, dear boy, but none the less, times have changed since you left for the School for Good and Evil. Even the Camelot you barely remembered has changed in the last two years."
"Well then I guess it'll be our place to try and fix it." Agatha's eyes were drawn to their intertwined hands as he squeezed their connection and smiled at her. She tried to smile back, but it wasn't genuine enough to fool him. "What is it?"
"It's nothing. Just me worrying, as usual."
"If it's important to you then it's important to me. My coronation is tomorrow and that'll make me a King and, by right, you'll be a Queen. If there's something we need done, I'll make sure we can do it."
"That's the thing...wouldn't we need to be married for me to be queen?"
Despite the fact that she was his true love, that he was undoubtedly her prince, she cringed at the thought of marriage, something her own mother had never experienced. How was she to know what to do or where to go or how to act? She'd likely have to take lessons on how to improve her ghastly manners and fix her posture. To have so much change so soon… She knew Tedros wouldn't force her hand, but he wouldn't have to. Whatever tutors that she would have to deal with wouldn't be his idea but the idea of his advisers.
"Then we'll get married eventually." He yawned. "I still don't see the problem."
"You never do," she grumbled, watching Reaper paw at some of Merlin's hat food hesitantly.
"Be nice," came the wizard's voice. His eyes twinkled with knowing. "The pair of you have to come to some kind of agreement soon, but you won't have to rush it. Camelot isn't eager for a queen, but they do need a king, one that will fix what Arthur inflicted."
"Of course." Tedros puffed up his chest proudly although it was marred by the tired droop of his eyes.
"What about Guinevere and Lancelot?" asked Agatha. "Tedros can't revoke the bounty until he's crowned tomorrow. Will they be in hiding?"
"It's all been taken care of," laughed Merlin. "For someone so young, you are very thorough, Agatha."
"Thanks, I guess." She glanced away, a bit uncomfortable with the praise. "Do you think I could hide with them?"
"Of course-"
"No-"
Merlin and Tedros looked at one another, before one of them extended a withered hand. "You may speak first."
Tedros nodded and turned to her, taking both pale hands into his own. "What do you mean hide? Don't you want to be next to me when I'm crowned?"
"You're not the problem," she grumbled sourly, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "Having a coronation is fine and dandy, but this isn't a private ceremony, Tedros, it's public. Meaning everyone else will be there and just stare at me, wondering what you could have been attracted to. You remember what I said before, didn't you? I don't know how to be a queen and your people will never accept me. Even if they come to respect me, I doubt they'd ever truly like me. The last queen they had was your mother and she was perfect."
"Besides the running away part," he admitted, "but I already said that I don't care about that. We're together, and they can't change that. If they've read your story, then they know what I see in you. So I want you by my side. It's something important and you deserve to be able to witness it." He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Please?"
"Are you sure I can't just wait with your mother?" she attempted weakly. "I don't want her to be lonely. It's just been her and Lancelot for so long..."
"The Lady of the Lake has always been there. And M visited them every year. They can last another day alone together, don't you think?" he prodded with hope, although his blue eyes held all of his usual stubbornness and strength. If she resisted he would fight her for it, and she was touched that her presence meant so much to him.
"One night can't hurt," she agreed, relaxing into his shoulder, resolved not to glance out the window again. "Tedros?"
"Yes?"
"Will Camelot really be okay?"
"I'm sure it will be. It'll take a lot of time and effort and planning...not to mention that our story may have helped to erase some of the stigma. That much should make trading between the kingdoms a bit smoother."
"Unless, they think that trading with us may invoke Sophie's wrath."
"I think they'll be more eager to trade with us to avoid Sophie's wrath," he chuckled. "That girl can be fiercely protective when she wants to be."
"All part of her charm."
"To have the greatest witch Evil has ever seen watching out for us has never sounded so good."
"I wouldn't be too hasty with that, dear boy. Not everything is so straightforward." They jumped apart at the old man's baritone, one that now filled the carriage with sounds of mirth. "Forgotten I was here, had you? I don't blame you. Young love is a powerful thing to ignore, although it would be in your best interest to not act so love struck; not yet at least."
"We're not love struck," the prince choked out, flushed.
"You're almost as bad as your mother and her love. They act like they're your age," mused Merlin, "but enough talk. We'll be pulling up soon. I'll be off trying to prepare for the ceremony. I have a feeling that I'll be dealing with the food."
"Thank god," sighed Tedros.
"Either way, the people will need excitement from you, Tedros, and courage. Plenty of it." Their momentum slowed and Agatha felt a small jolt in the carriage as it came to a halt. "Make sure you save extra for your princess. She'll be needing some." He winked at her and she did her best to shoot him a winning smile which really just looked like a sad smirk.
The footman opened the door and gestured for them to exit, politely extending a hand to Agatha. She took it in hers and took her first steps onto Camelot's dusty grounds, the whole of the castle before her. Up close, she found it slightly more beautiful than before, and twice as rusted. What she had taken for yellow had just been a dull gold under the moon, which shone brighter than ever in the sky. The pale blue of the tiled roof seemed to be cracked and deteriorating while the once pristine white bricks took on a more gray complexion. The grandness of the building was unparalleled however. It was as if multiple churches had been strung together, and the castle held a similar air of reverence.
"Welcome to Camelot, princess," he said with a broad grin. Agatha tried to smile back but was almost immediately hustled into the building by a swarm of eager maids, each one fussing about a different aspect of her. They were gushing over how beautiful she was (a lie, clearly), how excited they were to have her as their princess, how impressed they were that she would be marrying Tedros soon. The princess threw a desperate look back at her prince which was received by a chuckle and a cute wave. Clearly, she would be on her own in this fight.
Perfect.
Four flights of stairs and a hot bath later, Agatha was being cornered by two of her newly assigned personnel maids; Anna and Ella. Both were relatively fair, and had seemed kinder than the nymphs that had given her a vigorous scrubbing under her fairy godmother's instruction. The dark haired woman were advancing on her. In their possession was her sparkling crown and a sky blue dress that looked just as uncomfortable as her old pinafore used to be.
"Isn't there anything darker?" she asked, resisting the urge to run as they backed her into a wall.
"It is customary for a princess to wear this for a king's coronation. We must make sure it fits and make any necessary adjustments before the ceremony tomorrow."
"That doesn't look like it fits at all," she pointed out, "and the crown... I won't need it. I'll be staying right here."
"But you won't be," protested Anna, taking a slow step towards her.
"Look, I'm really tired and I'm sure you're both sleepy as well, so why don't you go back to your rooms and sleep and I'll just go to bed?"
"In that? But princess, there is a much more suitable sleeping gown that you can wear. We can fetch it for you if you desire."
"You know what?" said Agatha, seizing the opportunity to get rid of them, "Yes, please."
Enthused to be of use, both girls curtsied and quitted the room leaving both the gown and the tiara on her now very large bed. Reaper was curled up in the center of it as if determined to have the entire mattress to himself and Agatha placed herself very carefully onto the corner, taking the crown into her hand. She had worn it practically non-stop since it had been given to her and almost missed having it around her head. Her fingers gravitated to the diamonds and caressed each curve and corner with affection. Her chest was filled with a warmth at thought of Guinevere and her son, a son that Agatha had come to love and cherish.
With a soft smile, she slipped beneath the covers, giving Reaper enough space to feel comfortable and placed the diadem on her bedside table.
Its glittering form under the moonlight was the last thing she saw before heading promptly to sleep.
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