Author's notes (skip if you want, stay if you please)

So this chapter was going to be a lot longer (like seventy pages!) but… it was just starting to stretch out way too long for my tastes and so instead of making you guys wait for just one colossal chapter I decided to cut it in half so with hope I can self edit the half that I'm still working on and provide you guys with another chapter quicker (although just to be safe don't hold our breath on that… no seriously don't hold your breath for that long it's bad for you!).

So in this chapter;

To begin with I wanted to show a little bit of Apple waging a little war with herself, the Queen Mage/Knight half doing battle with the Royal/Princess Snow White half, if you will. Obviously she won't be conscious of this internal battle but to the outside observer it will be more obvious because she will constantly be switching between the starry eyed princess and the intelligent future queen and since both halves are so ingrained into her personality the switch can seem neck breaking at times (I might make a joke of it, maybe having Cerise analyze Apple's eyes: if it's all sparkles and innocence, that's the princess; clear and cunning, there's the queen).

I needed to write a little bit about Daring so he gets a heart to heart with Raven and shows a bit of his kind side, and a bit of all of that royal training. I'm sure that they don't want to send an idiot to be a future ruler, so I made him with some brains.

Dexter… well I decided to make him basically the embodiment of a lot of boys that I have not only observed over the years, but to be a platonic friend with one of them (think me as Blondie or Darling/Daring in that situation). It's a common occurrence that transpires when a guy first falls for someone, a sort of uncomfortable experience that lots of boys have to get through in order to grow up.

My personal Dexter was a fantastic friend, and he may have been geeky but he could be a great conversationalist; unfortunately all of those great qualities go down the drain the moment he got a crush on somebody…

If you're just a platonic friend or sibling (like me) it sucks because he begins to act like a total stranger, all self-centered and obsessed while he is after the girl/with the girl, or in a constant obsessed tantrum if does not get the girl/gets dumped by the girl, and for a short to long period time he can act like a real jerk until he is gets over himself for not getting what he wants.

If you are his friend with a secret crush on him (like Cupid it sucks because then it's the entire previous bullet with the added heartache of having feelings for the guy. I feel for anyone who has had to deal with that.

If you are his girlfriend it really starts to suck when the first few dates have passed and he suddenly gets way too excited about dating you. I have heard the complaints of girls who's dates have brought up the topics of who was going to follow who into collage, sex, asking them to go to a family outing/vacation/holiday party, what they should name their kids, what future life that they would live… all on the third to seventh date… no I am not exaggerating, I (along with a lot of these girls who were unloading their complaints to me) even made a chart (my idiot friend proposed marriage to this girl on the first date. It was little surprise, to me at least, when she clocked him one)!

If you are his friend and he has a crush on you and you don't see him that way is sucks big time because even though you have that heartfelt talk where it's all; "sure we can still be friends. No I don't need some space let's just hang out" he stops being your friend and starts to act like a real creep who is always ticked off at you for even talking to somebody that is not him.

If you are that girl who is not interested in dating him (aka all the proud lesbians on the planet and the girls with wicked creeper radar) it only sucks when he decides to wake you up in the middle of the night on a weekday to sing you a serenade on your front lawn (no seriously it did happen once, his unique arrest by the police was in the papers and everything), because although creepy and delusional this type of admirer will mostly disappear from your life in a trail of "why me's" and more likely than not you will never even know that he had a crush on you in the first place (or know that he even existed, that can happen too).

Now I just want to make it clear that I don't dislike Dexter enough to make a complete ass out of himself, eventually I do plan to make him grow up a little (like most of the mentioned guys, including my friend, did) and have far better luck the second time around (now that the short, sharp life lesson of what not to do is over and done with).

The question is whether or not he should do it in time to finally see Cupid for the potential perfect girlfriend she could be… or have her be swept away by someone else…

I'll let that be up to you guys since I am getting a lot of Dexter x Cupid, Cupid x Blondie, Cupid x Humphrey (a friend of mine suggested this rare ship), but in the end I think that I'll just go through the comments and count up what you the readers want to see, so for the last chapter I'll give a big hint at something (a kiss maybe) and do a side story for it later.

Sorry for the long author's note (I felt like ranting) but do please tell me what you think in the comments and I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

XXX

The one with a new witch and a Royal's guilt

XXX

Raven had at least been right about how Ever After High's early witchy guest would not be as bad as Apple was suspecting.

No, the arrival of Charlotte Thorn was not at all like what Apple had been expecting at all.

It was worse.

She arrived on a sleek cherry red motorbroom with aerodynamic design and sunset yellow magic bristles flowing behind like streams of water. She had arrived early, too early for Apple's liking because if the newcomer had just arrived on time or fashionably late like any other sane being then Apple would have already been able to travel from the cafeteria to Raven's side no problem. It was the least this Charlotte could have done after all it was because of this new witch that Apple had a turbulent sleep the previous night and had thus slept through her alarm.

Any other weekend Apple would have been thrilled that Raven, ever thoughtful Raven, had shut off her noisy alarm after the fifth or sixth time it rang and given her some extra time to sleep but because of Charlotte Apple couldn't even enjoy that simple pleasure.

Really how troublesome.

Apple began to make her way towards the scene when the newly arrived witch set down in front of Raven, the Headmaster, and Faybelle, she was going to offer Raven some support (to scare off any threats) and properly thank Faybelle for offering Raven such an opportunity (by pushing her into a bug zapper).

"Where do you think you're going?" Briar gripped the back of Apple's jacket and yanked the other princess to sprawl haphazardly behind a tree and a decorative bush.

Apple had barely managed a yelped protest when her supposed BFFA roughly (and very rudely) covered the blonde's swearing mouth with her hand and hissed; "What the heck do you think you are doing?"

"What do you think you are doing?" The blonde growled back in the same low tone.

The brunette princess was not fazed by her friend's harsh tone. "Saving you from making a complete possessive fool out of yourself in front of Raven that's what I'm doing." Briar growled back. "You can't just march on over there and cause a bunch of havoc just because you don't trust that Faybelle isn't planning something devious towards Raven."

"Oh yes I can!" Apple whispered loudly without really thinking her response through.

"No you can't." Briar was unrelenting. "Apple, Raven isn't someone that you can lock away into a mirror or order around with a smile, she's Raven. Ya know the girl who was brave enough to not sign the Book, stand up to the Royals, stand up to you; don't you think that she can handle whatever's coming?"

Apple actually paused before shaking her head as if to shake off the other's reasoning. "But no one has tried to attack her through her heart before, sure Raven is resilient but she is also really stubborn about doing things that could harm her… she might have gotten lucky and bought herself some time by not signing the Book but she really shouldn't be putting herself into situations that could expedite her condition."

Raven was fragile in Apple's eyes, covering up the scars and tears with conservative dark clothing and a defiant mask but Apple had seen, just a fraction, of what lay beneath those carefully laid defenses, the terrorizing past that the witch suffered the burden of in silence. Raven was by far the most heartbreaking and beautiful creature that Apple had ever met, and because of that the princess felt so hopelessly out of her depth.

She did not know how to take away the pain of the past, even if Raven had regaled her with every terrible detail Apple was recognizing with a dawning horror that she would not know how to even begin to make things better for Raven and that helplessness, that fear of losing Raven scared her more than losing her story ever did.

"So what are you going to do Apple, hmm? Are you just going to go over there and say; oh I'm sorry but Raven can't be near you because I don't approve of how open witches are with sexual congress and I do not want any of that nonsense anywhere near her so if you could kindly just shove off that'd be great?" Briar demanded shaking the other's shoulders just a little, not nearly as much as she wanted to, but enough to jostle Apple's head around a fair amount.

"Maybe I might be going about this a little too strongly…" Apple admitted reluctantly, partly to get the shaking to stop. "But I still should go over there and act as a third wheel just incase that… girl tries something."

"Apple… I'm telling you this as a friend that loves you very much… you can't do that to Raven." Briar looks to the other princess solemnly.

"Why not?" Apple demanded predictably offended.

Because you have no right to, you want a prince and a fairytale and you are only hurting that girl worse than you have ever managed to hurt me by playing with her heart so thoughtlessly. Because she loves you to an extent that makes me feel more sorry for her than jealous because not even I could stand to even be around you and your talk of fairytales and princes if I were in her position. Because she deserves to be happy even if you aren't in the picture to string her along like you've been doing recently. Briar thought sadly, the thoughts dangerously close to forming into words just to make Apple see for once but she managed to swallow and say something less incriminating.

"Raven… might not be with you forever… at least not in the way you say you want to be with her, it's just not fair to ask her to always be there by your side when you want a prince and a fairytale at the same time. Apple… the life that you have decided for yourself by sticking to the Royal traditions leaves no room for Raven to be anywhere near you, not anywhere close to being the same way with you as you want her to be." The brunette princess looks the other dead in the eye.

"You will become a wife to a prince shortly after graduation, you will be expected to produce an heir soon after that, you want to get more involved with ruling your kingdom so that your parents can retire within a few short years, and then soon after that you will become queen, you will be a figurehead by the name of Snow White, you will not be Apple, you will not have room for anyone else but acquaintances and friends that would need to schedule in to see you, you will not be able to be Raven's… "close friend" anymore after all of that."

Apple hunches in on herself, hackles raised. "That won't happen if she becomes apart of my court." The blonde hissed through clenched teeth.

Briar breathed in quickly Apple did not look happy and she did not want to be interrupted, Briar had to speak her peace.

"Apple, I know that you don't like to think about it but Elenore had to be discreet in her involvement in your family. Remember? Remember how I had found out that she was a Queen and you made me swear over a hundred times not to tell anyone that she was the former Evil Queen? You had scared me back then, but now I understand why you had to be that scary…"

Apple flinches at the mention of the day she had backed her friend into a corner and had demanded that she repeat the words "her name is just Elenore" over and over again until they were both hoarse because even though Apple did not fully register the terror that was Elenore's daughter she did recognize the growing hostility to Evil Queens in general and did not want to lose the woman Briar had come to think and joke that the witch acted as Apple's second mom, and because of this knowledge, that if put into the right context Apple can understand the gist of things that are outside of her perfect, made up little worldview, Briar hopes that her next statement can get through to her.

"Apple can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that Raven would be happy in your court while you are too busy being Snow White? She'd be blamed for every little thing that went wrong, and even though she can't ever harm you, people would still be terrified by her heritage, princesses have responsibilities and duties that need to be fulfilled and as long as you marry Daring and become Snow White… become that figurehead you can never be by Raven's side to glare down the political snakes and the skeptical minds, to ensure that Raven is happy because your side will already be filled by the Prince Charming and the fairytale of Snow White. I understand how much you want to have it all but… there is only so much that a princess who has kept to her Royal roots can do. And there will be only so much that Raven can take before she has to leave for the sake of her own happiness." Briar is pleading now because she knows that if she doesn't say something now her well-intentioned friend will just end up clutching to Raven like the witch is a preverbal security blanket but without the means to act as anything secure or being able to provide Raven with happiness in return.

For her part Apple does understand… to an extent, it makes her want to cry and breaks her heart up like nothing else but she understands all too well how a Snow White… how a princess must appear to the world; fair, innocent, fragile, certainly never bold enough to rock the boat or drag along a blood relative to the Evil Queen into her daily life.

Apple looked to the left, she looked to the right but she could not stop the truth from facing her wherever she turned.

How could she have been so self absorbed into what she just automatically assumed would be a simple transition of adding Raven into her future plans that she became blind to reality? It hurt Raven enough that people still ran away from her in fear, how could Apple possibly ask a dying girl to live with that pain for the rest of her life?

Briar rubbed her misty eyed friend's back soothingly. "I'm not saying that you can't take care of her or that you two will never be close but… Apple seriously, let Raven live her own life, choose her own path! If that, by some miracle, just so happens to land her by your side then great! But you need to be prepared for the possibility that she won't… ok? That she'll find someone that can be by her side without duty or destiny to come in the way. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Apple was silent but her lack of protests or arguments were just as good of an answer as anything.

"I think we're done here." Briar commented to the side and Apple was startled to finally notice that Cerise had been there the entire time.

"Cerise?" Briar asked but the hooded girl didn't respond right away, she was too busy peering attentively over the bush focusing on something that had caused her eyes to almost bug out of their sockets.

"We need to cover her eyes and get her out of here. Now." Cerise ordered lowly.

But it was already too late, when the brunette princess automatically reached out to do just that her hand met with Apple's skirt.

Apple's glowing skirt.

"Ancestors curse the land!" Apple snarled viciously scowling hatefully over the same bush.

Briar didn't have enough of the bush to peer over so she had to peer around the trunk of the adjoining tree.

"Damn." Briar exhaled almost prayerfully.

"Yep." Cerise agreed. "Damn is just about right.

Charlotte had taken off her helmet and jacket giving the entire visible area a shocking view.

Charlotte was tall with her sculpted leather-clad legs seemingly unending; the pants she wore accented her curves in all the flattering places and flared out slightly, flirtatiously around the calves pulling the eye back up her body.

Charlotte's sun kissed tan accented her head full of long spikey platinum blonde hair with a blue strip curving through it just like her cousin's, the green tank-top she adorned did little to hide the perfect swell of her breasts and the subtle sculpt of her abs muscles. It certainly showed off her muscular arms, which did not hinder her stunning looks, but rather it just made her look all the more alluring, like she had once been a statue crafted from flawless marble by a master sculptor.

Charlotte only wore a little eyeliner around her eyes; she simply did not need any other form of visible makeup, no eye shadow, no blush, no lipstick and yet by some unknown cosmic unfairness to every female in the immediate area she was able to pull off the look with no issue whatsoever.

She was smiling at Raven the honest curve of her unpainted lips and the glittering glint in her eyes made her look very handsome, in a feminine sort of way.

Apple positively seethed.

"So these little guys have the potential to be a universal anti-curse agent?" Charlotte gently fingered a small potted Bleeding Rebel Heart sprig that Raven held up for inspection. Now that the hiding trio had stopped whispering furiously to each other it was easy to overhear the conversation between Raven and Charlotte (well easier for the princesses, Cerise had been using her super hearing to listen in the entire time).

"Well that theory is still in the tentative early stages." Raven admitted with a shy smile. "But I'm hopeful that the Bleeding Rebel Hearts could be the key we need to cure lands like Wonderland from the Evil Queen's poison."

The look of cautious hope did not merely stop from crossing the face of Charlotte, the Headmaster and even Faybelle shared similar hopeful looks.

"That is correct." The Headmaster held himself regally. "Ever After High has utilized our resources normally used for magic classes and repurposed them for the research into the potential uses of this new plant. Raven Queen is one of the students here that has been assisting the researchers and professors in this endeavor. Her contributions and enthusiasm has helped greatly in getting us this far this fast."

Raven's obvious shock towards the uncharacteristic complement almost causes her to miss Charlotte's request to see where the precious plants have been growing.

"O-of coarse you can see some of the places where these have been growing." Raven stumbles before getting back on track. "Right now they pretty much grow wildly all over the school grounds so it won't be a bother at all to show you. In fact you'll be seeing a lot of these plants throughout your stay here."

"Hextacular!" Charlotte grins like a kid in a free sample candy shop.

As the group begins to walk away something about the conversation just spoken strikes Apple enough for her to momentarily drop the Charlotte issue. She thinks over the words about Bleeding Rebel Hearts, Raven's growing involvement in the plant's study, and…

…And Raven Queen, Queen, queen… for Raven the title of Queen wasn't just a simple last name… technically… Raven was a queen, a monarch, and a blood born ruler.

"That's it! That's the answer!" Apple whispered in relief, slumping back down into a sitting position.

"What's it?" Cerise eyed the blonde worriedly, half expecting the princess to have snapped herself into delirium.

"I know how Raven can stay by my side! It won't be easy or simple but since when has Raven ever done anything that has been easy or simple!" Apple laughed joyously. "It can work! We can make this work!" She proudly declared to the heavens.

"Apple what are you talking about?" Briar admittedly was thinking the same thing as Cerise at this moment.

"Raven is a queen Briar." Apple gripped her friend by the arms. "Not just by last name, Raven is unaffiliated to the Evil Queen and that title so what does that currently make her?"

Recognition dawned on Briar. "Queen Raven. She holds the title of a Queen…" she whispered, beginning to see where this line of thought was heading.

"Yes!" Apple grinned like a maniac. "Yes! Yes! Raven is Queen Raven, Queen Raven who fearlessly denied her mother's footsteps, Queen Raven who changed her destiny, Queen Raven who discovered the hope of curing the poisoned worlds of their curses! They can't force her into hiding; they can't shame her for her mother's sins because she is the living symbol of defiance to the Evil Queen! A true Queen who is fighting a cold war with the Evil Queen and she is winning! Do you know what this means?"

"No. No I don't. Do you care to enlighten me oh so mighty and all knowing royalty?" Cerise piped up dryly.

Apple turned to excitedly grip Cerise by the arms. "Raven has denied her cursed destiny, became the leader of the Rebels, and she is actively searching for a cure for the poisoned lands! Raven isn't just a fairytale character in a story she is the story, the story of Queen Raven!"

Briar cleared her throat. "Since Raven cannot become the Evil Queen herself, that she is looking for a cure for the current Evil Queen's curse… also there's the fact that she is of Royal blood… and has become the leader of the Rebel group faction on top of all of that, she can legally be classified as a "queen" to a new monarchy blood line. She can claim you Rebels as her people and her political views as radical battles that she has been fighting for the better good of you, her subjects, and she is taking responsibility for her mother's, the old monarchy's, actions thus all it would take for Raven to be accepted amongst the White family's political allies is time and for a profitable alliance to be made between Apple's kingdom and Raven's family industry for it to be seen as acceptable for Raven to be member of Apple's future court. Raven would not be viewed as an evil character that Apple had taken a scandalous liking to but as a queen to a small, unmapped kingdom." Briar explained, hoping that she was making sense out of the complicated political babble.

"So it all boils down to money and good PR to bribe the big wigs into letting go of their prejudices." Cerise's voice still held a dry tone.

"Pretty much." Briar shrugged.

"That's not all this could be." Apple stated on the edge of hyperventilating she was so exited.

When the two looked at her oddly Apple continued her explanation, her mind going a mile a minute. "By the ancient laws of fairytales a new story is classified as an individual or individuals who have carved their own path that has influenced the magic and worldly structure put into place by our very first fairytale ancestors. The tale of Wonderland for instance became classified as a fairytale when Alice, a distant descendant of one of the knights of King Arthur's round table, used her innate fairytale magical ability to accidently open a portal into Wonderland for the first time since our pre-fairytale ancestors had tried to invade Wonderland. Her awakened fairytale magical ability managed to pull in every individual she met with into her story thus increasing her magical strength placing her tale into the Book of Legends. What I'm thinking is that Raven could use her active fairytale magical abilities to affiliate herself in another story as a spare character or maybe… just maybe create her own story altogether! Her destiny's changed but that does not mean that she can't find another story and beat her current fate! This could possibly save her!" The princess exclaimed.

Cerise cast Briar a panicked look, Briar replied by putting her head in her hands and sighing tiredly.

All that effort to tastefully convince Apple that she could not take an active roll in deciding what Raven's life and future would consist of and allowing the witch to make her own plans for her life and Apple could not take a pointed hint?

Briar was certain that by all the talk of comparing Raven's roll in Apple's future life to that of what part Daring was arranged to take would at least be a major clue that Apple was asking too much from Raven without providing the means to ensure an equal, healthy partnership in return.

Honestly did Apple just expect Raven to remain a single woman forever? What if Raven wanted a girlfriend, a wife? And sure, Daring certainly was an egotistical bastard by all accounts but even he didn't deserve to forever be a pretty face to just be shoved into a corner unless there were important people around! And Raven did not deserve to be told what to do with her life and live in a giant fancy cage as Apple's… whatever she was to Apple! No one should be a dirty little secret or possession to be used only when it was convenient!

"Uh, Apple… you're forgetting that Raven doesn't want to be in a fairytale…" Cerise raised a hand weakly, pausing for a moment as if she were thinking furiously on how to continue.

"I'm sure that she wants to be near you but… isn't this plan of yours a little too early in the, you know, planning stages? I mean right now you're just heading into this without any concrete contingencies or a means of making this worthwhile to Raven. Maybe she doesn't need to be in a fairytale to survive in the first place. Maybe she wants to try things out with another witch or girl. Maybe she has other plans for her life did you think about that? Did you even talk to her before making all of these assumptions that she'll just hop into step behind you and follow you into your fairytale life?" The hooded girl had to go through a great effort to try to keep her tone calm and slow.

Really what was it about Raven that made this girl act on the first crazy impulse that came to mind?

After a moment that felt like it stretched on for eternity, Apple finally, finally sobered at Cerise's words, her eyes visibly changing from a glazed starry-eyed sparkle to clear serious intelligence.

Cerise let out a relieved huff; she'd seen that look before; look out princess here comes the queen.

"You're right Cerise." Apple admits in a dignified somber tone. "I need to incorporate Raven's wants and desires and do a lot of research before I go headlong into this… and that is if this idea of mine will even have a chance of working, for all I know being in a fairytale at all might do more harm than good! I need to take extra special care with this, for Raven's sake and as her future queen I must do this right."

"Now you're starting to sound like a true queen." Cerise nodded in satisfaction.

Apple cracked a tiny smile. "Thanks, the both of you, I probably sounded very silly there for a moment."

"Oh yeah." Briar had no qualms stating.

Cerise nodded her head. "Yep."

"Gee thanks." Apple cast the two a halfhearted glare as she stood up.

"What are friends for?" Cerise shot back, Briar snickered.

Apple rolled her eyes smiling good naturedly as she walked away. "And now I need to go find Raven. Whatever Faybelle is planning I will make certain that it does not succeed."

"…And now she sounds like a jealous lover." Cerise muttered just under the blonde's hearing range.

Briar shrugged. "Well at least we convinced her not to try to force Raven into another fairytale… you know sometimes it's kinda scary how fast her mind can work, I mean it only took a few moments to go from "Queen Raven" to "Raven the fairytale extra", how did she even make that leap in the first place?" The princess shook her head as if to clear her mind from obsessing about the befuddling question.

"I don't know how she does it, but I do know that it can be a very useful asset as long as she stays out of that princess mindset. No offence but I just can't think of any situation where fainting at the slightest provocation would be useful." Cerise comments, in her mind you were just asking to get eaten or taken advantage of if you fainted at the sight of a dragon or a mugger.

Briar gives the other a sidelong smirk that raises the hair on the back of the hooded girl's neck. "Oh, I can think of at least one thing."

Cerise gulps but tries to act cool. "Oh real- uh?" Suddenly her arms are full of limp princess.

Briar smiles smugly when the other automatically hefts the princess up into her arms.

"What did that accomplish?" Cerise asks bemused.

"Free ride." The princess grins. "C'mon let's do a few laps around the school before you need to head to the stadium."

"You're lucky that I like running so much." Cerise points out but she is smiling all the same.

"And I plan to take full advantage!" Briar cackles.

XXX

"I don't see how you could've been so paranoid about her no more than a week ago." Charlotte laughed as she placed her things in the closet beside the unclaimed second bed in Faybelle's dorm room. "She seems hardly able to stop from blushing when I flirted with her let alone be able to conceal a surprise master plan to take your story."

"Never underestimate those who seem all sparkles and moonbeams." Faybelle scolded. "She was after all bold enough not to sign the Book in front of a room full of the most influential youth in several worlds."

"That just makes her all the more appealing." The other shot back smiling dreamily. "And besides," the witch touched the duvet cover of the unclaimed bed respectfully, "If all goes well with her research maybe you can finally meet your assigned roommate."

Faybelle is silent as she glances at the unclaimed bed that Bunny Blanc, daughter of the White Rabbit would have taken if she weren't currently trapped in Wonderland.

"Yes, well, being in the predicament that she has found herself in would shake anyone into taking up impossible tasks just to distract themselves." Faybelle states flippantly, pointedly looking away from the empty bed and the constant feeling of shame that came with it.

To anybody else that had not grown up with Faybelle and who was not a blood relative might have taken offence, but Charlotte saw the telltale set of her cousin's jaw, the clenched hands, the downcast turn of her head.

It was no secret in their family how hard Faybelle had taken the news of how her mother's hard work had been completely blown apart by the late Evil Queen; after all being the Evil Fairy was not seen as just something that you had to get over with before moving on, it was a point of honor in their family, a right of passage.

A right her aunt and her cousin's mother had been disgraced of.

"You never did say what it was exactly that prevents Raven Queen from fulfilling her tale. I know that it has something to do with her magic color but there's something more isn't there? There's a statement in the witch's tone but she still manages to phrase her words into a question.

Faybelle snickered smiling at her witchy cousin mysteriously.

"Oh you'll see."

XXX

"Here you go, sixteen tins of healing balm and a few bottles of cooling gel all ready and waiting for you here." Raven set one of several large baskets down onto a supply table in the recently constructed medical tent.

"Thanks again for doing this for us Raven." Tiny thanked the witch with feeling, at least he knew that whatever injuries he sustained would be taken care of with good hands, he had ran into some of the opposing players at breakfast and boy did they have a grudge against giants.

"It's really no problem." Raven assured with a quiet smile. "Ever since my magic changed color using my power has gotten a lot easier so it's a joy concocting magical potions without anything coming to life and trying to escape."

Raven still hadn't managed to round up the critter from the time she tried to brew some coffee with a little magical pick-me-up. It had picked up all right, and it had managed to skip its way all the way out the door, (to which it had somehow opened… which was impressive considering the little bugger was barley six inches high) before the witch's tired brain had time to register that, yes, what had just happened was not a dream.

Raven never did have the heart to tell anyone that the "ghost" of the girl's dorms wasn't really a ghost at all. Ignorance was indeed bliss and Raven believed that wholeheartedly regarding that particular incident.

"We… probably don't want to know the specifics with that. Do we?" Hunter chuckled nervously.

"It's probably best that you didn't." Raven agreed.

"Hey Raven? What's Apple doing here?" Hunter asked with false innocence as he pointed to the corner of the tent closest to the witch where Apple White was eyeing the two tent entrances with baited contempt, the Huntsman could not quite keep the irritated tick of his eye at bay.

"I asked her to come." Raven confessed brightly. "Apple has some of the best first aide skills I've ever seen."

At the witch's words Apple lost her sour demeanor. "Aw thank you Raven." Apple crossed the short distance to wrap her arms around the witch's shoulders nuzzling the side of Raven's face.

Hunter's eyes narrowed at the bittersweet expression Raven wore, Ashlynn often had the same look the times after she and Apple had to pair up for princess classes.

The group had made their way outside the tent by this time and was slowly walking towards the team bench and water area.

"Hey Raven, what do ya think about Faybelle's cousin, the witch?" Hunter asked partly to distract the princess from playing with his friend's heart, partly because he was genuinely curious. Since Raven seemed to be in a good mood and Apple seemed to be very agitated he guessed that things had gone well with the visiting witch.

Apple scowled at the mention of Charlotte, when she had finally found her witch humming her way to the dorms Apple knew that she should have been more diligent in following Raven and Charlotte, the feeling continued as she helped Raven carry the basket of medical potions from their dorm to the field, all the while her witch had a goofy grin plastered to her face and was walking around as if she were made of air.

"She's awesome!" Raven stated with a wide smile, causing Apple's scowl to deepen. "I was worried that the feud between the Evil Queen and the Thorn clan would cause the same resentment towards me but there was none of that."

"Well there is no longer any reason for anyone to fear your interference in my dear cousin's tale now with your changed destiny miss rebellious leader." A voice as smooth as melted dark chocolate came from behind them.

"Charlotte!" Raven grinned, breaking from Apple's hold to race over to the other witch.

"Hey pretty lady!" Charlotte greeted with a charming smile, grasping Raven's hand in her own. "Need some hextra help with the medical tent? I heard that you guys are going toe to sheleighly stick against the leprechauns, so if you need anyone to use a bit of magic to keep down the bumps and bruises I'm your girl."

"Thank you." Raven said gratefully. "Although I'm getting the hang of healing potions, I'm still a little iffy when it comes to healing spells, and I know that my friend Tiny will definitely be needing that little bit of help."

"I would very much appreciate it Miss Charlotte Thorn." Tiny piped up.

The taller witch perked up. "Tiny? Oh you must be the sweetheart giant Raven was talking about! And you in the green shirt must be Hunter Huntsman! I've heard such lovely things about you from your friend here. Please, you can just call me Charlotte if you'd like."

"Oh th-thank you… Charlotte." Tiny gushed shyly.

"Pleased to meet you." Hunter shook the witch's hand with a nod of approval.

Charlotte's gaze passes over to Apple her eyes widening in shock at the sight of the glowing princess.

"Th-this is Apple White." Raven stutters sounding both very proud and a little bitter. "The leader of the Royals and the future Snow White."

Charlotte raises a brow suspiciously as if trying to gauge whether the blonde girl before her was a nice princess or a bad princess.

"What's going on?" Daring walked up from the other side of the group eyeing a thunderously silent glowing Apple with no small amount of fear.

Seeing an opportunity Hunter grips Daring by the shoulder and gives a good shake. "And this handsome fella right here is Daring Charming, future Prince Charming, and Apple's lovey dovey hubby to be."

Daring casts the other, grinning like a fool, male a wide-eyed look of confused terror, sensing that something horrible was about to commence.

"Ah." Said Charlotte an unreadable look crossing her face. "So he's her boyfriend."

"Actually Apple and I agreed in junior high that we could see other people." Daring spoke quickly in the hopes of quelling any misunderstandings that might be occurring before his under-informed eyes.

"We have all of ever after together after all." Apple hissed through clenched teeth and a fake smile never once looking at anyone but Charlotte and Charlotte's hands still clasping over Raven's hands.

"Very nice to meet you Daring." Charlotte smiled charmingly at the boy in a way that nearly equaled the Daring's usual trademark charming grin. Her eyes however never met the boy's for they were now locked on Apple.

Bad princess it is then.

Raven held the same terrorized look as Daring; her head kept swiveling between Apple's murderous fiery grin and Charlotte's calculating cool smile.

"Are these water coolers filled up?" Raven broke the thick silence desperately using her magic to levitate the orange coolers with a little shake. "Yep these look rather empty, I'll just head off to get these… filled."

Raven stilled realizing that as a witch Charlotte could easily sense that her magic was currently being summoned in two individuals. Hex she probably sensed out her magical print the moment Apple lit up! Raven knew that it wasn't Apple's fault, she was just learning how to control their magic around her emotions, and that the princess was probably feeling stressed from not being able to hide her misguided contempt towards Charlotte making the situation worse. She gulped and cast the taller witch a pleading look.

"Charlotte could you please help Hunter and Tiny prep the medical tent? If anybody asks why you are there just tell them that I hired you to help out."

Charlotte gave the other witch a sweeping bow. "I am at your service milady."

Raven blushed smiling a little at the flattering gesture.

Before Apple could do anything drastic Raven turned towards the princess with pleading eyes, effectively snuffing out the fire that fueled Apple's glow. "Apple could you please find Healer Phalange and see if she needs help with anything?"

"Anything for you Raven." Apple promised brushing her hand with Raven's as the witch hurriedly passed her.

"I'll accompany Raven!" Daring declared, running after the witch and away from the tense scene.

"Fascinating." Charlotte said coolly before walking away.

"Annoying." Apple growled marching off in a different direction.

Tiny looked back and forth between everyone's retreating forms with nervous confusion.

"Umm… did I… miss something?" The giant asked meekly.

"Don't worry about it buddy." Hunter assured with a pleased smile. With hope Raven could find someone better than Apple White far faster than the witch had originally thought.

Watching the entire scene from above, Faybelle stifled her laughter.

XXX

"Are you alright Raven?" Daring asked, his deep almost fatherly tone causing Raven's tense muscles to relax by a factor of seven.

"I don't know." Raven sighed sitting down heavily on a wooden bench in the home team's lounge.

Daring sat down next to her. "Well I'm here for you if you need any help figuring that out."

"Why is Apple… caring so much?" Raven asked suddenly looking down at the floor in thought. "I mean I can see her worried about whether I'll disappear or not but most people in her position would be actively spending a lot of their time looking for my replacement. Hex I had thought for a while that Apple would be trying to act like the model princess or keep an eye out to all the other magic users just incase my inability to be in a fairytale might be contagious or a campus wide catastrophe! Out of all the ways I had been expecting Apple to react I never once thought that… she'd ever act like…" Raven trailed off.

"Act like what?" Daring prompted voice gentle yet prodding.

"Like I'm… hers. Like I… belong only to Apple? Tell me if it's just me being paranoid or not but… It feels like she is somewhere by my side all the time! Whether she's physically in the room or has one of her Royal friends there in her place, she's in some way or another always present. I know I act like I don't have a clue but, I have noticed that she's been very harsh to those who have particularly stronger feeling against me in general." Raven shook her head, letting out a frustrated huff.

"My question is why is she acting like I have never been on my own with really big problems before? Why is she trying to shelter me from the "anti-Raven" faction when I've dealt with them fairly well in the past? And yes before you ask I do know that they exist." Raven gave the prince a pointed look when he seemed to look so surprised about Raven having to deal with the extremist section of the Royals.

Daring hums in thought, Raven certainly did not ask simple questions he'd give her that much. He knew in an abstract way why Apple was being so protective that it was almost to the point of smothering; she loved Raven, more than her fairytale or him that much was painfully obvious.

But then again he could not quite understand the intensity of her actions that Apple was paying to Raven. He agreed with the witch that the princess was being excessive in her attentions to Raven, if they were already lovers he'd see no real issue with it, perhaps he'd think that Apple was merely being a tad excessive, but seeing as Apple and Raven were not a couple (yet) then, yes, Raven's early predictions of how the princess was going to act should have been mostly accurate.

"Well I suppose that I shouldn't be as surprised as I am to hear that you've had to be dealing with Faybelle and others like her for a while… may I ask out of curiosity how long exactly…?"

"The number had actually dropped after Legacy Day." Raven admitted thinking back. "Yes it was definitely Legacy Day and the beginning of the Rebels when a lot of the… that had stopped, before then I had been dealing with bullies for practically my entire life. Mother never did make things easy…" The witch sighed lightly but feeling frustrated and confused on the inside.

Daring flinched at the admission, much to his growing sense of unease Raven's tone had been light and she seemed to wave it off as if the whole thing was only to be expected. To top it off the witch acted like it was far stranger that a lot of the harassment had ceased after Legacy Day.

Raven scratches at the hair on the back of her neck. "You're making the same face that Apple makes whenever I tell her about…"

"About what?" The prince asks almost afraid that he already knew the answer.

"Bah, it's nothing." Raven turned her head away in an attempt to hide from the prince's searching gaze, which was eerily similar to Apple's.

Unfortunately her hair parted around her neck revealing that gnarled scar at its base.

"These… bullies, did they ever try to physically harm you?" Daring asked his voice higher than normal.

Raven shook her head the action causing her loose shirt to slip down her back slightly revealing the beginnings of another scar running down from her shoulder blade. "Nothing worse than pinches and a few attempted tries to throw rocks, there were bruises but that was not even enough to leave a lasting scar. My magic would act up eventually to protect me, shield me, and then everyone would run away because they were suddenly reminded that I was the daughter of the monstrous Evil Queen and therefore something to be feared."

Daring's stomach dropped as he suddenly came to the horrifying conclusion that the only one powerful enough- terrible enough to leave the scars that were now visible to him was…

Daring now understood why Apple was being so protective.

It was because of the guilt.

Daring breathed in deeply to steel his nerves. "You know Raven… Apple, myself, Briar… we were all raised to think of our fairytales as a sort of… game. We are conditioned from a young age that things in the world are to be a certain way and in order to have us get used to that idea is to… make it fun. I don't think that either Apple or I ever really feared you. You were our beloved villain, the one who would begin our little game, and the one who set the rules and made certain all went along without a hitch. In a way we trusted that you would ensure our safety by concocting a harmless sleeping potion for the apple, making certain that we did not miss a step by overseeing us through that mirror, and coming to our rescue if something unexpected happened. We were taught that the tale of Snow White was an important ritualistic game that we needed to play in order to protect our world and both of our families stressed the importance of your role as our game master." The prince rambles but Raven, who has never heard of fairytales being put into that type of light, listens intently even when Daring repeats himself slightly due to nerves.

Daring stops to look at Raven somberly. "But our fairytale was never a game to you, was it Raven?"

"I never…" Raven swallowed thickly. "I never really… thought about it like that…" She tries to be generous.

"It's because you never had the chance to have fun with your story. That right was taken away, the title of Evil Queen no longer was a right of passage but a prison sentence." Daring looked at her knowingly. "I think that Apple has found out a little bit about how it was like for you growing up, the pain and misery you had to sustain and she is appalled by it." Just as he was appalled by the scars on her neck and back.

The expression Raven makes is all the answer he needs to know that his hunch about there being a darker aspect to Raven's past, that Apple's protective behavior was derived directly from that knowledge, was right.

"So you know about the abduction? Those months she kept me locked up? The… experiments that left the… the scars?" Raven asks him fiercely eyes clear and unwavering. "Who told?" She demanded lowly almost feral.

Daring is floored by the witch's words. This… this changed everything! All of the prince's original assumptions about Raven shattered and collapsed violently. If it weren't for years of training Daring might've let slip his shock and horror to show on his face, and even then it was a close thing that the prince didn't say; "She did whatto you?" right off the bat.

"I am perfectly capable at deducing what troubles maidens on my own." Daring keeps his poker face even if it suddenly feels as though someone had punched him in the gut and his inner self is going into hysterics.

Raven looks surprised that she had been easier to read than she originally thought.

After a sober silence between the two Daring speaks. "Apple wants to shelter you from any more pain. To take care of you as she- we should have done long ago." Daring tries to explain Apple's intentions by basing his theory off of his own feelings.

How could he not have seen? Always seeing but never admitting, taking responsibility, helping her when she needed it, taking care of her, their story, their villain, their Raven…

"And what about you guys, the rest of you Royals that are loyal to her what are you trying to shelter me against?" Raven asks him cagily.

"We are finally beginning to understand that what you had started on Legacy Day was not a slight towards us but an act to defend yourself." Daring admitted thinking of how Lizzie would teach the girl how to look poised and powerful while using a flamingo club to beat the imaginary enemy into submission, how Ashlynn Cooed and mothered Raven like an injured baby bird, how Briar used her talents both to defend and promote an easy rest for those times when Raven would be struck by nightmares while she napped at lunch…

And how Apple White was slowly crafting an intricate web of Royal allies to ensure that no one dared land a malicious hand upon Raven ever again.

"We are doing what is long over due Raven." Daring said sagely, reaching out and hugging the surprised girl close. "We are protecting one of our own."

XXX

Dexter was not having as successful of a day as he had originally hoped.

And that may have been an underestimated statement.

First thing that morning as he headed to breakfast he got bowled over by something fast and glowing, he had first thought that it was Apple but he knew the princess did not glow and she certainly did not swear like that.

He had thought that it was his good fortune that his brother had been waiting for him with a second tray of breakfast waiting and sincere questions about what section of the wooing maidens textbook he was planning on following. But instead of some uplifting brotherly advice and useful tips Daring had looked around shiftily and confessed that the textbook was rather useless unless the maiden in question was actively looking for a prince to date in to first place.

Well that had been uncharacteristically discouraging but Dexter was even more surprised when Daring, Daring the heart-throb of Ever After High Charming, admitted that he had actually failed to woo a girl that he had set his sights on!

Daring kept the identity of the girl a secret as he regaled his brother of how he had gone out of his way to do fun activities with her so that they could build off of what they had in common but unfortunately she had only seen him as a fun friend to hang out with. Not as a potential boyfriend or… anything more.

"I really messed up." Daring sighed somberly. "She wasn't just any other girl that I have ever wooed; she was interested in the same things as I, she was not too overly enchanted by my looks to feel as though she should not speak her mind or speak to me as another human being on equal ground… and I really… really enjoyed our… outings as friends. I had not realized before but the dates that I went on with many of the numerous princesses and maidens… well they felt more like a chore most of the time. With her, even as just friends, I actually felt… something."

Daring had actually looked… heartbroken. "And now, because I was being so rash and not at all sensitive to what she was feeling… we aren't even friends any longer. She's… nice to me, polite even, but very hurt that I had led her on to think that I wanted to be her friend and… that obviously had not been my intention I'm ashamed to say."

Dexter did not know what to do, he had never seen his brother saddened over a girl… come to think of it he had never seen his brother actually get turned down by a girl either. Not ever!

"So… you're saying that I should not lie to her?" Dexter guessed.

"And that you should not automatically assume the textbook and your Charming name will get you the girl." Daring looked nervously around and flinched slightly when he caught sight of something. "Particularly when that girl has a friend with a disturbing affinity with sleeping spells and dream charms…"

Dexter wasn't very hungry after that and so he opted to leave his half-eaten meal and bid his brother farewell with a manly pat on the back. Although Dexter felt sympathy for his brother (the poor guy looked really hurt), he also felt disappointed that the advice had been so… discouraging; sure it was some good heartfelt advice but it set his already shot nerves into another round of hysteria just when he needed to remain at his calmest.

As he was leaving in order to find Raven before he lost his courage he nearly got bowled over a second time only this time it was Apple who had nearly caused him to spill into the garbage bins. She didn't appear to see him in her haste, and the slice of toast still lodged into her grumbling mouth would have impeded any apologies she might have made.

"Sorry Dexter!" Briar had apologized in her friend's stead as she ran passed with cerise keeping step beside her. "Apple wait! Oh spinning needles!"

…That had been strange.

Finding Raven was more difficult than originally expected; she wasn't in her dorm, she wasn't at the swamp, the school dungeons, the evil supply outlet stores, the mirror market, she sure wasn't anywhere near the usual popular weekend spots, or where the villains regularly hung out (he had been surprised to learn from Ginger that Raven had never to anyone's knowledge set foot near where the villains usually spent their weekend time). Dexter was actually embarrassed to figure out that aside from the time she agreed to go to the movies with him, or the time she asked him to go to one of Briar's parties as her plus one… he hadn't the first clue as to where she liked to spend her free time.

He tried to call her, and after several aborted attempts where he would dial her number before shutting off his device before he ever got up the courage to hit send, she never picked up (he couldn't quite remember what he had said to the voicemail, just that he covered the built in camera with his hand and stuttered out something about wanting to sell… something evil… actually he believed it had been something about poisoned nail polish…).

Well it seemed as though he'd have to ask her sometime after the game because faster than he had expected it was time to run over to the field because he was ten minutes late!

He had hoped to find a moment to ask Raven if she could please meet him after the game but his already dressed brother had come out of nowhere to snatch him up and, quite roughly he might add, stuffed him into his uniform.

Leprechauns, although arguably adorable and small, were downright terrifying when they wanted to be, Dexter decided. Sparrow Hood, unsurprisingly, ran off the field to hide the moment he spotted just how gnarly and big the visiting team's clubs were, singing all the way through his retreat.

"Oi! We 'aven't dun nottin' yet!" One of the lighter orange haired boys that had been lined up in front of the musician yelled to Sparrow's retreating figure.

The stands on both sides filled up with laughter and giggles.

Suddenly Dexter felt very self-conscious, he took his eyes off of his opponent to see if Raven was watching, if she was then maybe he could somehow gather enough Charming courage to at least look as though he was running around with an idea as to what he was doing. All former plans of dodging clubs and carrying his fellow team off the field melted right out of his brain when he saw that Raven was indeed watching.

She saw him staring at her; she looked at him curiously and waved frantically at him, calling out to him, though her voice was drowned out by the crowed.

Oh Ancestors! She was waving at him wanting to get his attention! She wanted him to see her! Did this mean that she liked him back?

"PLAY BALL!"

Unaware of his surroundings he waved back.

Something collided with the side of his face and the world went black.

XXX

"Dexter! Keep your eye on the other team! Keep your eye-! …Oh hex." Raven winced.

"Ouch." Charlotte sympathized. "That… that looked… painful. Very, very painful."

"It hasn't even been the first complete minute of the game." Cerise stated numbly, as the team's secret weapon she would not enter the game until later; she turned to Coach Gingerbreadman. "I'm gonna go recruit some extra power players if that's alright."

"They'd better be ready for battle!" The man warned giving his consent. "Hey keep your heads in the game! Remember what we did in practice!" He yelled, stalking off to the team bench.

"Poor Dexter." Apple covered her mouth in horror.

"Poor Dexter?" Tiffany Muffet huffed. "How about poor Tiny, look at the way they're working him over." The smaller blonde winced. "And there goes Daring."

"Right." Raven said looking determined. "Apple, you are on Dexter, Charlotte, you get to work on Tiny, and Tiffany is on Daring-," a loud yelp echoes over the noise of the crowd, "-And I will take care of Hunter."

Without a moment to spare the girls take in the hobbling, and carried in casualties, then set to work patching them up, apologetically sending the ones who could still stand back into the fray.