A/n: Wheeeeeee! I'm proud of myself that this hadn't turned into a long drawn out affair like I had feared it would.
FYI Maan is the Hindi word for Mother; I wanted to add a bit more culture to my writings for variety (as if it hadn't already been obvious) so naturally I decided that Raven should be called mother in another language by her children just for fun.
XXX
"Maan why was mother so upset about you coming with me to the first day of school alone?" A deep baritone voice asked as a young teenaged warlock with fiery dark red hair, dark skin, and serious golden yellow eyes walked arm in arm with his pregnant mother down Ever After High's hallways.
Raven couldn't help but chuckle causing her son to stare at her in confusion. "Oh don't mind your mother Kalim she's just paranoid that I'll be kidnapped and placed in a tower for safe keeping."
Kalim blinked. "I thought that was the fate of Rapunzel not the fate of an Evil Queen?" The boy looked uncertain, aside from the tales of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Wonderland his mother Faybelle would often make up outright outrageous lies about other stories and his maan Raven more often than not laughed too hard to bother with correcting the stories therefore Kalim and his younger sister Tali were often left with conflicting versions of fairytales that did not match up with what was traditionally considered the "correct" versions, this was especially encouraged by a good majority of their numerous adopted aunties and uncles and therefore both brother and sister were left with the impression that all fairytale characters were somewhat crazy deep down and not to worry about specifics if they had decided to go through with a fairytale themselves.
"It is but you have to remember Kalim that your mother and I turning the tale of Snow White on it's head and running off to get married at such a young age did cause quite the uproar back in the day." Raven reminded the boy. "Many people, the Headmaster especially included, weren't too pleased with our decision to leave our schooling incomplete… among other things as well…" Raven trailed off with another distracted chuckle idly tugging on her son's white shirtsleeve and smoothing down the collar of his purple vest as she spoke.
"You seem oddly amused today." Kalim observed. "But in contrast Mother was rather nervous when she and Tali left us to attend that meeting with Miss Apple and queen Snow White."
"Oh don't worry so much about your mother, she's just paranoid up the wazoo that I'll manage to find trouble for myself just like in the old days." Raven sighed in fond exasperation. "Back then trouble always seemed to find me no matter what I did."
"Indeed that was true you were always a trouble maker, even when you no longer attended school." A gravely voice spoke behind them.
The Headmaster had aged more than quite a bit over the years Raven observed with a twinge of pity, he certainly seemed a lot younger than his age back when she was in school but now… he looked, if possible, much older than he probably was.
The witch offered the old man a wide grin and an amused laugh, pulling down the wide hood of her long conservative plain white and light green desert robes (which she mostly wore for warmth since a few years of living in a dessert made Ever After seem positively freezing!) to better reveal her sun darkened skin, black as night hair, the henna tattooed sides of her face, ears adorned with both turquoise decorated cuffs and earrings, a silver chain linking the left earring to the loop of her nose ring, and a bright red bindi dot on her forehead to signify her status as a married monarch. "That certainly is true, used to drive you up the wall if memory serves me correctly. How are you Headmaster Grimm? Long time no see."
"Not for a lack of trying." The man cast the young woman a withering look. "We never stopped searching for you for a long time you know. Where did they manage to hide you for so long if I may ask?" It was a polite request but the man's tone implied a carefully layered order.
Raven grinned wider. "Mostly the low desert lands of sand and black rock, the Thorn clan's biggest territory in the fairy realms."
The Headmaster blinked in surprise a vague expression of recognition crosses his features, it is nearly impossible for one person to remember or even know about all the various lands and territories that the monarchs who attend the school rule over especially when it comes to the secretive fairy realms. "The Thorn family has lands there?"
"Indeed they do." Raven nodded smirking. "Though I can understand your confusion since the name that they call it outside of the region literally translates to the Land of White and Black Seas in standard language, quite confusing until you realize that they are comparing the vast expanse of white sand and black rock to a large sea…"
The Headmaster smacked a hand to his face when he realized that one mere translation misunderstanding had thrown off the search in entirely the opposite direction they had needed to go!
"Headmaster I'd like you to meet my son Kalim Thorn King, you already know this but he will be attending this school starting today." Raven gently coaxed the old man from his task of grumbling to himself by reminding him of why she was there.
"It is an honor to meet you sir, maan and Mister Giles Grimm have informed me that aside from your different stances on the Rebel conflict that she respects you greatly and that you are a tough but fair Headmaster to this school. I look forward to receiving my schooling here." Kalim politely inclined his head.
Giles, having an "in" with the Wonderlandians thanks to years of experience with their culture and language eventually managed to gain enough trust and favors to convince Lizzie Hearts (now the official Queen of Hearts) to reintroduce him (and only him, that was the deal, no scheming older brothers, and no looking into where Raven was currently living out her days) to Raven at a Wonderlandian ball, by that time several years had passed and Raven had been pregnant with her and Faybelle's daughter Tali and Kalim had been around eight years of age.
"She did?" The Headmaster looked taken aback.
"She did." Raven confirmed fondly.
The Headmaster took a moment to stare at her. "Fourteen years…" The man mumbled to himself, looking between the witch and her son.
Raven knew what he was thinking; Kalim had been an estimated three years of age when she and Faybelle adopted him, not long after the two had found the half-starved and sunburned abandoned boy wandering aimlessly beside the road of one of the kingdoms that Raven had freed from the former Evil Queen's curse, since they loved him just as much as they would with a child born from their own blood it was not uncommon for most of the family to let others assume that Kalim was Raven's son by blood and that the Thorn clan had carefully hidden her away for all those first months so that she could quietly give birth to an heir for them. It rather amused the Evil Fairy who went out of her way to encourage such lies whenever she had to deal with the more prudish of the fairytale monarchies.
Raven's smile turned teasing. "Kalim is going to be our test subject to see how well applying himself to both the hero and villain tracks works out to help him decide whether he wants to take after the Evil Fairy Queen, his grandfather the Good King, or to be a little Rebel like me. But don't worry yourself if he turns Rebel Headmaster, his younger sister Tali has skipped several grades and will be following in his footsteps soon enough and in four months we'll have two more out in the world." The witch smoothed down her robes to reveal the before hidden swell of her pregnant belly, which caused the Headmaster's eyes to bug-out slightly. "There will be many candidates for potential fairytale characters in the future if they so choose that path."
"You've been busy…" The Headmaster hedged, not looking too happy, his expression causing Raven to chuckle at the nostalgia of it, where once upon a time such reactions might've angered her, nowadays she just found such things hilarious (especially since she had the freedom now to just go home if she began to tire of such things), though she was mostly laughing now because most of the same people who tried to control her in her youth could not do a single thing to go against her life choices now, she was getting the last laugh.
"I was actually in the process of helping Kalim with finding where his new classrooms are so that he can find them later before we have to head over to orientation." Raven informed lightly, cheerfully ignoring the unreadable look that the Headmaster had attempted to pin her with.
It is at that moment that the Headmaster took notice of Kalim who was shifting from foot to foot awkwardly.
"Why don't I help you give that tour." The Headmaster offered (ordered). "I was surprised to say the least when I noticed young Mister… King's name on the roster for incoming students, Giles is ecstatic that you decided to send your children here by the way, the two of you should come and visit with him after orientation."
Raven perked up at the mention of her old mentor, studiously ignoring the way the man seemed to gloss over her wife's name in their son's title (leave that battle for Faybelle to deal with since Kalim seemed content with just rolling his eyes at the obvious dismissal of his evil mother). "I'd love to see Giles again! We've only been able to contact each other through letters and I haven't seen him since the last Wonderlandian celebration for the lifting of all the curses upon the worlds!"
XXX
"You're pulling this meeting along surprisingly quickly." Faybelle observed Apple with guarded stoic suspicion. "I had thought that getting this treaty signed was going to take and extraordinary amount of effort… considering who I am dealing with." The fairy cast apple a significant glance.
Apple blinked innocently. "I hardly see why you would think that was the case, this treaty is mutually beneficial to our people and more importantly… my mother is not here." As if to hit the point further home Apple made a big show of pointing to the elaborate empty throne at the other end of the long conference table.
The bells adorning the antlers of Faybelle's crown jingled softly in the silence as the fairy turned her head to regard the empty throne with mild consideration. "Why has your mother never been present to a meeting between us?"
It wasn't the first time the fairy had asked Apple a personal question towards the end of the proceedings, nor was it the most difficult to answer, that very first question that had been asked after that very first meeting had been the most tricky, after all Apple didn't quite know how to voice all of the reasons (or more accurately who had influenced Apple) why she had worked so hard to become Faybelle's political ally, they were professional with each other, they got things done that ended up benefitting their people greatly, but there was still no denying the tinged hostility that still lay between them even after fourteen years had passed since Faybelle had spirited Raven away and changed everything permanently.
"Officially my mother trusts me to deal with certain international affairs while she attends to her other duties." Apple recited with monotone practiced ease.
"And unofficially?" Faybelle prompted.
Apple cast the fairy a flat look because she knew that Faybelle already knew the reasons why.
"There is a reason why my mother has decreed that I still be known as Princess Apple even though my story has been completed as you well know by now." Apple huffed out with a putout mu of her lips.
Faybelle is stoically silent for a moment, studying the human passively.
"We aren't incredibly fond of each other, our friendship is a rather conventional one to say the least."
"That's putting things mildly." Apple muttered, the memory of Raven's heartbroken wails and Faybelle kissing the witch into silence as Apple descended into unconsciousness nearly causing the princess to wince.
"That being said I do prefer to have an ally I can rely upon and seeing as we have somehow managed to make this work… I'd be reluctantly willing to help you ascend the throne as queen, convince your mother to retire and take back her old name." Faybelle offered sounding as if she'd rather be somewhere else at that moment. "Relax princess, remember the privacy charms prevent your mother's pets from overhearing our conversations."
Apple turned her worried gaze away from the dwarves standing guard by the walls in favor of glaring mildly at the fairy. "My thanks for your generous offer but that is not needed at this point in time… I will keep it in mind though… however I find that working behind the scenes while my mother takes care of the public appearances is actually quite rewarding." Apple knew that her mother's original plans had been for her to be the power behind the throne when Apple became Snow White, however the woman's will to foresee over every aspect of Apple's life had deteriorated the longer the former Evil Queen slept and the more it became apparent that Raven would never be coming to poison Apple. Apple was careful about it, had her father to help her hide it from the older woman, but soon enough after graduation Apple had become the sweet dutiful daughter who obediently took over a great deal of the queen's duties that did not involve public appearances or interacting too much with the "important" royalty leaving Apple to create a surprising number of personal allies with villain families and minor fairytale roles along with smaller kingdoms.
"…There is one thing that I have been worrying over that you may be willing to help me out with." Apple hedged tentatively. "…You see… for years now I've strongly suspected that my father is not my mother's true love, which as you probably know is due to the fact that the spell normally used on Snow Whites by the Evil Queens is designed to have the prince chosen by the royal family and not the actual true love be the one to wake her up."
"You've done your research." Faybelle drawled lazily. "What does this have to do with me? Bit late to change things don't you think princess?"
"The vines protecting the former Evil Queen do not affect my mother." Apple informs. "In fact I've seen them move out of the way more times than I can count, they let her curl up next to the former Evil Queen."
Faybelle sits up looking a touch more serious. "I have heard some… rumors of this being so… why? Has your mother done anything with Raven's mother that would be considered… off mark?"
"You'd know better than I." Apple shrugged already suspecting that her mother's former study was being spied upon. "The only reason why I am bringing this up is because… occasionally, I'm not supposed to, but occasionally I check in to make certain that all is well, especially since recently my mother has been in quite a state and secretly sending doctors up into her chambers."
"And?" Faybelle prompted.
"She is not well." Apple informed. "She's dying, the doctor I managed to bribe information out of says that for some reason her magical core has been hollowed out to the point where she barely has enough life force left."
"Ah." Faybelle nodded. "Raven suspected that much was the case in the nature of her mother's insanity."
"If my mother were to kiss her… wake her up do you suppose-?"
Faybelle shook her head cutting the princess off, the bells on the antlers sounding impossibly somber. "She was too far gone by the time the Dragon Games came around, the most merciful thing we can do is to let her dream of better things as her body turns to dust. I don't know how she had managed to break herself free in such a unconscious state but we can at the very least put a spell on her that might help increase the amount of good dreams she can have and hope that your mother does not decide to kiss her back into cruel reality. How long did the doctor say that she has left?"
"Maybe more than a year, maybe less." Apple slumps down in defeat. "My mother is half convinced that you guys are the ones who've killed her, just a heads up."
Faybelle nodded. "We will proceed with caution should she seek vengeance. Is there anything else?"
"Wren wants to visit Kalim at the school, she was wondering if you and Tali would be willing to take her to him if we finished early enough for you to make orientation." Apple requested politely.
Wren had been the one thing that her mother was still sore over; not long after high school graduation Apple had wanted a child and an heir for future security but could not stomach the thought of having to marry a suitor of her mother's choosing (her mother had terrible, terrible tastes in "acceptable" young men of the correct breeding), so Apple, with her father and his family backing her up, and went ahead to a fertility clinic in the next kingdom and got artificially inseminated by a random donor's seed.
The fallout from that had been rather epic, Apple rather worried that her mother would attempt something drastic and the fact that Apple refused to allow her mother to bully her into getting married or terminate the pregnancy had set the woman off even more than before, but in the end Wren had been born without a father regardless to her grandmother's efforts to the contrary. It had, Apple was certain, something to do with how Apple had made a big public show of not needing a prince and essentially keeping herself as pure as the first Snow White had been before she had married her prince.
Pretty difficult to recount that once it hit the newsstands.
Hilariously enough after meeting each other at one of the first few of Apple and Faybelle's attempts at being allies five years ago Kalim and Wren, despite being nearly a year and a half apart in age bonded together like glue and have been nearly inseparable friends ever since, and when Tali was old enough to come around Wren doted upon the girl just as much as her proud big brother.
…Which had been fantastic for the kids but more than a little awkward for the adults, especially since Raven didn't quite know if she could handle being near Apple without letting her lingering fear that the princess was going to drag her away slip through (she was trying to get better, for the sake of the kids she was determined not to let it interfere with their lives, but she couldn't control the intense feelings of fear sometimes and the kids had picked up on it unfortunately, even if they weren't certain, not completely, why the normally brave Lady Good King would go into such a state), Faybelle was the epitome of protective when it came to her wife being uncomfortable and that was especially so with Apple because the fairy strongly suspected that Apple still carried some form of… significant feelings for Raven that perhaps even extended to the point where the princess still probably felt as though the witch was still "hers".
Apple has as of yet to gather up the courage to try to go and speak to Raven face to face those rare times the two of them had been in a room, albeit briefly, together, …and to be honest Apple didn't know if she could handle speaking to Raven without crying her eyes out, the princess knew instinctively that she had missed out on something important with Raven (and sometimes she got that vibe from Darling too, she didn't know to what extent that one went since she had never thought about Darling in a romantic light before and she wasn't so certain that Darling had either… and if she had, well Apple's initial firm denial that Darling could ever be her Prince Charming probably effectively put the other girl off any potential romantic involvement… it was still baffling to be honest) and deep down Apple knew that if she took a moment to really look into what that thing was she'd find it and it would probably break her heart irreversibly. Apple knew that if she ever wanted to move on from… whatever it was that she felt for Raven now that she'd have to confront this head-on…
However she wasn't ready yet, it was stupid and probably not all that healthy but the mere thought that Raven would hardly even blink let alone care if Apple were to suddenly move on and get over her thing with the witch… hurt. She'd do it eventually, time may have left her with an aching scar but life did have a tendency to throw stuff in to complicate your perfectly perfected state of miserable woe, but until that day came Apple was going to concentrate on her daughter's happiness and wellbeing (actual happiness not the fake fairytale kind that her mother wanted from her) while also working under her mother's nose as the new power behind the throne so that she could prepare herself to become more than just a fairytale perfect queen, she was determined to be the type of queen that made history by creating a more sturdy platform for international affairs and more diverse cultural and social tolerance, something that had become distressingly fractured during her mother's rule and had actually left them on the brink of some real trouble before Apple had taken the initiative to look past the false illusions of fairytale stability and had found ways (dastardly ways but it was a necessary emergency) to find herself some more competent advisors.
Thankfully thus far there had been an unspoken truce erected between the three of them when their kids became friends and a carefully crafted system to help keep their drama out of their kid's lives put into place.
"Sure thing." Faybelle shrugged easily. "It's been like, a week since I last saw your little ankle biter face to face, I wonder how much she's grown since then, do you suppose that she'll remember me?" The fairy joked, Tali having been at the White castle so often that she knew where to run to find the older girl on her own as soon as she reached the front doors.
"Ha ha." Apple rolled her eyes, relaxing slightly as the tense mood had been dropped. "She adores Kalim and Tali, you and Raven too, I'm glad that you guys have been so willing to let her be apart of your lives, she's certainly learning a lot about other cultures and races which is fantastic since she'll be getting a culture shock next year when she attends Ever After High."
"Yeah well…" Faybelle waves her hand in a vague manor. "She's an alright kid, grasps the intricate relationship between a maiden and a villain quite well I think. She'll make an excellent fairytale princess when the time is right."
"If that's what the future allows then I trust that one of your children will take good care of her." Apple stated and she meant it, Wren had voiced her intention to become the next Snow White before, which both made Apple insanely proud and worried her greatly, Wren didn't know of it of course, Apple had shielded her daughter fiercely from certain unsavory at-home-politics, but Apple's mother had vocalized on the odd occasion, growing in frequency as the high school years approached that perhaps (and by "perhaps" it was strongly implied that the word really meant "you-will-by-god-I-will-find-a-way-to-make-you") Apple find herself a prince to produce another child with and that it would be more appropriate that second child be the next Snow White since it was all about the tradition of it and all.
And throughout all of the layers of subtly Apple had realized with sudden, chilling clarity that it may very well be that her mother's new, revised plan now that Apple's chance at a perfect fairytale ending was sidelined was that Apple and Wren should not be allowed to take over the throne anytime soon, if ever, not if Snow White could find a way to persuade Apple to marry a Prince Charming and have her second child be the one to take on the roll properly, bring back the long sought out glory days when the current queen had near unlimited power amongst her peers, a legacy that would bring about a new era where the tale of Snow White would reign supreme as the most prestigious fairytale of them all.
Of course after the epic disaster that had been left in the wake of her mother's last attempt at such a thing Apple was adamant that such a situation only transpire over her cold dead body and since her mother needed her alive to produce the heir in question and marry the prince it was not gonna happen. Ever.
"I have heard rumors of a certain queen who would prefer to have an heir born from more traditional parentage…" Faybelle began with a sneer at the mention of queen Snow White, which pretty much confirmed Apple's suspicions of fairy spies on the loose in the White castle. "Wren is a shining example of a princess and I have little doubts that she will make an agreeable queen one day, if difficulties arrive Raven and I will be willing to do our part to ensure the security of her future. The Thorn clan is notoriously protective of our favored damsels after all and we very much like little Wren." There was a part predatory, part protective lilt in the fairy's tone, the woman's pupil's dilating and her teeth showing ever so slightly.
Apple breathed a long awaited sigh of relief that she hadn't realized she was holding in, a poisoning couldn't happen without the villain, as Apple had learned very well long ago, and if Raven was on her side along with Faybelle in this then her daughter's dreams were safe.
"Thank you, I will keep you apprised of any potential… obstacles that may stand in the way of my daughter's happiness." Apple smiled weakly. "You best get going if you are to make orientation and helping your boy move in."
XXX
Raven snuggled up lovingly to Faybelle's side little Tali sitting in her pregnant mother's lap watching the proceedings going on the front lawn with wide violet eyes and her long dark hair done up in a similar style to what Raven used to wear back in high school, a perfect clone of the witch save for the pointed taper of the ears and light translucent blue fairy wings sprouting from the little girl's pale back and dark purple and navy blue sun dress.
Faybelle stood tall beside her wife's chair, looming positively wickedly and incredibly self-satisfied just as any proper Evil Fairy and Evil Queen would in her situation (particularly whenever she caught the Headmaster's disapproving glower and met his gaze with a smugness that almost felt like a separate entity it was layered on her face so thick), devoted pregnant wife and daughter on one side, an arm slung around the shoulders of her proud (albeit a little nervous) handsome son on the other side (who was also gaining the highly appreciative looks of many future classmates which was part of the reason why he appeared to be so nervous) and half clinging, half molding herself to the young warlock's side was Wren (who was casting a cool territorial charming grin at every ogling eye she could catch looking at Kalim, something that the boy seemed to be encouraging for apparent growing fears for his virtue), giggling at the little jokes that Kalim would toss here and there, pale (oh so very, beautifully pale) strawberry blonde curls bouncing at the action and grinning all the wider in good humor when the boy half-hugged her in obvious alarm when one particularly brave maiden came up to flirtatiously hand him her phone number, the boy doing very well in masking his discomfort despite his death grip on wren's blush pink and peach royal everyday frilly dress.
"Quite the happy family." Briar drawled, coming up behind Apple who stood silently and out of sight high up in the school's mirrornet tower, it was a near thing but this time she had actually managed not to flinch when Briar had decided to sneak up on her for whatever reasons that Briar tended to always sneak up on her these days.
"What are you doing here?" Apple asks, ignoring the other's observation.
"My father-in-law still works here remember?" Briar smirked raising a brow as she nodded to professor Bad Wolf daintily eating a sandwich on the lawn while he mingled with the other professors, his wife, Red Riding Hood, standing hand in hand beside him. "Cerise wanted to show up to support her parents, as she and Ramona do every year, to enjoy the fact that her family doesn't have to hide their heritage anymore."
"Your wife is quite proud to not have had to follow through with her destiny." Apple observed politely, small talk was the safest route around Briar, the former head of the Rebel faction in school, these days. They still weren't anything that could be considered friends though the animosity between them had lightened up considerably as time went by.
Apple had lost many friends after the Dragon Games, and it had taken years to repair much of her broken relationships, to find that happiness that Raven had spoken of, and Apple knew that she was far happier now than she would have ever been if she had gotten her selfish way all those years ago, despite the headache her mother had proven to be and the heartbreak of losing Raven, who had probably been the most important person in Apple's life at one point, and she knew that she'd grow happier each year as she slowly learned to shift her sense of self and quietly prepare the kingdom for the day when her mother gave up the throne either to her or to Wren (and Snow White would have no choice but to give it up eventually), and perhaps one day when she found the time… maybe she too would find love, after all there was nothing wrong with falling in love at an older age when she'd be older and wiser and know better ways to avoid royally messing it all up once again.
"I'm glad that she's happy." Apple spoke without turning towards Briar. "She's deserved it after everything she's been through."
"And you?" Briar asks. "Are you happy with this? You aren't terrified anymore of real life and change are you? No lingering resentments about her moving away from destiny?"
"Yes I have conquered my childhood fears." Apple smiles softly, wistfully. "She had taught me to have the strength to walk my own path in life, it is her revolution, her teachings, and her friendship that has led us both here, on the cusp of tradition and the freedom of carving the new generation's own paths in life, and for that I can't help but marvel at this legacy she's helped me build, even if I was blind to this wondrous legacy while she was still with me. We may have to lead different paths in life but in this intricate weave between personal freedom and love of our ancestor's past I will forever support her work and aim to teach the future generations the same."
XXX
"You know that years ago I would have never envisioned that fairytales and my revolutionary ideas could coexist like this." Raven breaks her gaze away from her children and Wren who have decided to wander around in favor of looking at the other children in bewilderment, particularly at a group of maidens who are hugging and laughing with the children from the villain families, and over in another area there is a gaggle of villains who are comforting a terrified boy from one of the Charming clans, things that were not only unheard of in her days at school but also borderline taboo, and that had been after her revolution!
"It's a safer place now." Faybelle agreed. "Far more acceptable for forging friendships and allies instead of being hounded for not acting in character, I'd imagine that it is more interesting too, what with the more recent stories being more lax with the more serious aspects of stories in order to make room for personal freedoms, just take Cedar's little one for example, not a magicked doll at all but a real living breathing boy… I wonder if she'll still send him here even after her decision to cease with her family's involvement in that fairytale…" The fairy trailed off in her musings.
Raven laughed at the whole situation. "It's hilarious how so much has changed since we were young, I hope that the school's staff will be prepared for when more of the children of our generation come through, we were such wild things, can you imagine what the kids of our class will be like?"
"I can image it! I was already living with two of them full time and one half the time! Not to mention my very rebellious wife who still manages to create waves even while being held "captive" by the Evil Fairy Queen." Faybelle smirks teasingly.
Raven casts her wife a sly look. "Oh come now, you love it when I make waves with the others and you know it."
"Indeed I do." Faybelle's expression softens. "Love you my rebellious Lady."
"Love you too my wickedly devious captor." Raven grinned as she met Faybelle halfway for a kiss.