Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: So I don't think Zani was too happy with how this chapter turned out, but I can't find any rewrites for it. Written: 2014. Found: 2018. - Licia

Eventually, Raven's sobs stopped and her tears slowed. She slowly pulled away from Cerise, giving her a watery smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't meant to-"

The other girl waved it away. "You've been hit with a lot in the last couple of days. It's fine. I'd probably do the same thing in your shoes." Raven grinned softly, before taking a deep breath.

"I just... I've never left Marberly before, not for this long-"

"Marberly? Is that your homeland?" Raven nodded, fully aware of her slip, and not caring. Cerise had obviously never heard of her country, from the question and curious look on her face, and after a moment, Raven stood, going to the window. "What's it like?"

She sighed, thinking of her home country; of the lush, rolling hills and tiny villages that dotted the countryside, of the growing cities with their beautiful mixture of modern and vintage. How trade and commerce were the main means of income for the country; she chuckled, thinking of how Ever After and the surrounding kingdoms all got their silks, lumber and seafood from Marberly, because part of her was near the coast, and they didn't even realize it.

"Beautiful." Raven whispered, gaze locking on the horizon that stretched out before her window. A moment passed, before Cerise got up, joining her. The two girls stood in silence before Cerise spoke up.

"Come on. Let me give you a tour of the grounds."

Raven turned to her, surprised. "Don't you have class in an hour?"

Cerise shrugged. "I can afford to skip a day, especially if I'm giving the new student a tour so that she can get acquainted with the school." Cerise linked her arm through Raven's after the girl slipped back into her heels and grabbed her clutch. "Why do you carry that?"

Raven glanced at her clutch, a blush coloring her cheeks. "I was raised to always have something in my hands when I go out in public. The media is always watching, after all."

The other girl raised an eyebrow as they left the dorm and Raven quickly locked the door. "What are you, the daughter of a noble or something?"

Raven chuckled softly. "Or something." She replied, slipping her arm through Cerise's again as they made their way down the hall. Classes were just coming to an end, and slowly, the classrooms began to empty. Cerise tightened her hold on Raven's arm, not wanting to lose the new girl in the chaos that was changing classes.

"Have you been assigned your locker yet?"

The other girl nodded, opening her clutch and pulling out a folded piece of paper. "Number... four-fifteen."

"You're right next to Maddie, and three lockers away from Ashlynn."

"Maddie? Ashlynn?"

"Madeline Hatter and Ashlynn Ella. The Mad Hatter's daughter and the daughter of Cinderella, respectfully."

"Oh." Without a word, Cerise led her down the hall; they stopped in front of said locker, and after a moment, Raven pulled away from the girl, taking the lock and quickly working the combination. The locker was bare, but in time, it would be filled with books and other items to give it a personal touch. Raven's gaze wandered over the space slowly. At Wanderley Prep, the lockers had been shared between roommates- something that would never happen here. A moment passed, before she closed the locker softly, only to find Headmaster Grimm making his way towards her from his office nor far away, as students flooded out into the halls. Not far away, she saw the boy she'd spoken with earlier- Dexter, if she remembered right- in conversation with Cedar and another student as they made their way in her direction.

"Ah, there you are, Your Majesty." She froze, as a defining silence settled about the hall. Heads turned towards them, and Raven tensed, twisting her clutch in her hands.

"Your Majesty?" Cerise raised an eyebrow, and Raven turned to the girl- the first person she met, who she hoped had become her friend- with a look of sheepish unease.

"I-"

"I trust you've started making yourself at home here at Ever After High. While it's not uncommon for us to host royalty, to host a royal from the south, especially a young ruler such as yourself-"

"Ruler?" Cedar asked, stopping at her locker; Dexter glanced at the other boy, who shrugged, just as confused.

"Well, I... I was just... just getting to know the school. Cerise here offered to give me a tour." She replied, linking her arm through the other girl's, who turned to her, brow furrowed in confusion, a glimmer of distrust in her dark eyes.

"Good. Of course, if you'd like a more in-depth tour, I can give you one mysel-"

"That won't be necessary, Headmaster, thank you though."

"Wait a minute. Hold up." Cerise pulled away from Raven, voice raising. She now had the attention of a quarter of the school, at least, and turned to Raven, who dug her nails into the fabric of her clutch, feeling her anxiety begin to rise and her fingertips begin to tingle. "I thought your name was Raven, and that you come from a place called Marberly-"

"I do." Raven's whisper was so soft, it almost wasn't caught, but it was so silent in the hall, that everyone heard it.

"Then why is Headmaster Grimm calling you 'Your Majesty? What are you, a lady? A countess or a duchess or something?"

"No." Again, another soft reply.

"A countess or a duchess?" Headmaster Grimm chuckled softly. "Oh, my dear Miss Hood, you could not be further from the truth."

Raven wrapped her arms around herself, ducking her head and taking a deep breath. The truth was bound to come out sooner or later; she might as well get it over with. The few friends she'd managed to make would probably want nothing to do with her now.

"Then explain it to me, Headmaster. Why do you keep calling Raven 'Your Majesty'? And... and... who are you?" The future Red Riding Hood asked, turning back to the girl she'd grown fond of over the last day or so.

"Because, Miss Hood, you are in the presence of royalty."

"I'm in the 'presence' of royalty every day, Headmaster." Cerise shot back. "This school is filled with princes and princesses!"

"But Raven is no mere princess, Miss Hood."

"Who is she then?" Cedar asked, as confused as everyone else. Headmaster Grimm smiled at the young wooden girl, before turning back to his new charge. He bowed low with a graceful flourish, befitting any noble of her homeland.

"Everyone calls me Raven." It was the only thing the anxious girl could think to say, in hopes of reminding those she had hoped to consider friends who she'd presented herself as, who she wanted to be here.

"What's your real name?" Cerise asked, crossing her arms over her chest, annoyed with this farce. The girl in question reached up, tucking a wayward strand of black hair behind her ear. She tightened her grip on her clutch and stepped back, suddenly exceedingly self-conscious. How had things gone so... downhill? A moment passed, before she released the breath she'd been holding and spoke.

"My... my real name is... Ravenna. And... and I'm... the current Queen of Marberly."