Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: Written: 2014. Found: 2018. - Licia
She returned to the dorm not long after the boy left, slipping inside and quickly getting dressed so as not to wake her roommate. Grabbing her heels and her clutch, she tiptoed out of the room and shut the door softly behind her, before stopping and slipping into her heels. The dark blue of the wraparound dress she'd chosen complimented her pale skin perfectly, and she tucked a loose strand back behind her ear. She'd hastily pulled her hair back into a twist, securing it with a bobby pin before grabbing the matching blue hat with the white rose and pinning it to her hair.
It wasn't uncommon for the royals of Marberly to dress up when they went out to see the people, but here, in Ever After...
Well, some habits were hard to break.
As the former Crown Princess and current Queen of Marberly, Raven had spent her childhood attending formal gatherings and standing patiently for pictures. She had grown up knowing the protocol of the court; how she was never to be seen without a clutch in her hand or a hat or headband on her head. Though young, she was the rule of her country, and she couldn't allow others to see her weak. Her father had raised her to always keep a brave face, for she was a queen.
So that was how she found herself striding through the soon-to-be-flooded halls of Ever After High, clutch in hand, hat on her head, heels clicking down the marble floors, as she headed for the castleteria. It was quiet enough and empty enough that maybe she could get something to eat and enjoy her breakfast without being disturbed.
With a soft nod to the lunch ladies, she grabbed a tray, surveying the choices, before finally selecting an omelet and a bowl of fruit. She softly and politely asked for a cup of tea, and after paying, thanked them with a soft nod before making her way across the room to a table by the window. She wasn't expecting anyone else to be up at this hour, and furrowed a brow when she noticed Cerise sitting at the table she was making her way towards. She stopped, a moment of indecision coming over her.
"Mind if I sit?" The other girl looked up, surprised to find the new girl standing by the table. Cerise gestured to the empty space across from her.
"You're up early."
"So are you." Raven replied, taking a seat. The other girl tugged her hood closer around her ears, and Raven furrowed a brow. "If you don't mind my asking, but... what fairy tale are you?"
"Little Red Riding Hood."
"Oh." Raven nodded, suddenly seeing it now, the red cloak should have been a dead giveaway.
"So, how was your first night rooming with Apple White?" Cerise asked, watching as Raven cut into her omelet. The other girl swallowed her bite before,
"It was... interesting. She kept going on and on about destiny and how it was horrible that I don't have one and that she was hoping I was the girl who would poison her. Eventually, I just tuned her out. I think she fell asleep after that, but I'm not entirely sure. I had my headphones in at that point, and honestly, I couldn't have cared less."
Cerise snorted, rolling her eyes. "Sounds like Apple White. Destiny is the most important thing to her, after all." Raven stopped, watching as Cerise bit into her steak and eggs. A moment passed, before Raven finally spoke again.
"I met a boy this morning."
Cerise stopped, mid-bite. "This morning? How?"
"I was looking for a place to watch the sunrise, and I came across this terrace. This boy showed up not long after, said his name is Dexter Charming."
"You met Dexter Charming?" Raven nodded. "And he talked to you?" Another nod. "He actually talked to you?"
"Why is that such a surprise?"
"Because it's Dexter. He never talks to anyone, not of the female variety, anyway. He stammers and stutters worse than Hopper."
Raven raised an eyebrow. Hopper? Who in the world was Hopper? And more importantly, who would name their child Hopper? Where did the parents come up with these names? Hopper, Daring, Apple... were they all brain dead by the time they had kids? "Um... Hopper?"
"Hopper Croakington II. Son of the Frog Prince." Raven bit her lip. "Go ahead, laugh. Best to do it now before you actually meet him. He's... sensitive about his destiny." Raven snickered, and Cerise couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. Though she was only just getting to know this girl, she liked her. Raven was just enough removed from everything and everyone that she wasn't tainted by the same brush as the others at Ever After High. She could speak her mind and not be criticized for it because no one knew her. Eventually, they returned to breakfast, lapsing into silence for several minutes, just as other students began to enter for breakfast.
Raven stopped cutting into her omelet, upon hearing the voices; excited questions about who she was and where she came from. Slowly, she looked up, to find several students watching her, whispering between her. She set her knife and fork down, and pushed her plate away, folding her arms on the table.
"What's wrong?"
"Please tell me I'm not imagining it- that I'm the object of everyone's attention."
Cerise glanced around, and it was then that she realized that Raven was indeed the object of everyone's attention. "You are. And that's a problem?"
"I came here so I could learn more advanced magic, not so I could be gawked at like some sort of... circus side show." Raven whispered, feeling her fingers begin to tingle. She was starting to get agitated, and so forced herself to take a deep breath. All she wanted, was a few minutes where she didn't have to be the object of everyone's attention, where she could enjoy a meal with a girl she hoped would become a friend, and be treated normal, not like the mysterious stranger everyone seemed so fascinated by.
"Just ignore them; they'll quit eventually."
Raven met Cerise's dark eyes. "No, they won't. I know people like them. I've been around them my entire life. I asked for privacy when I came here, but do I get it? No." She reached for her cup, but stopped, noticing the glimmer of amethyst on the ends of her fingers. Cerise's brow furrowed, and after a moment, Raven stood, pushing her chair back. She grabbed her clutch and glanced around, trying desperately to catch her breath. "Good to see you again, Cerise. See you in class."
And without another word, Raven strode across the castleteria, out the nearest exit, in search of somewhere she could be alone so she could calm down and get her anxiety and her magic under control.
