Cerise's PoV
"Due to my personal interests and concerns, I will not."
Cerise looks up at Dr. King Charming who smiles at her.
"You won't?" She whispers. "Honestly?"
He nods. "If you are who I think you are, then you are too important to give away. But," he jumps down from the table and straightens out his white doctor-coat, fixing his hair so it looks perfectly charming again. "I am a man of tradition and I believe very strongly in our stories and destinies. Until I am certain about your true identity and destiny you must stick to the one you already have. Also, you must stay as far away from Daring as possible."
"What does Daring have to do with this?" Cerise wrinkles her nose. "Wait, what do mean 'stay away'? And what is this talk about my 'true identity and destiny'?" Her eyes are spread wide. "I don't understand!"
"I don't expect you to. You will come to understanding everything in time."
"So you will tell me more? Good."
"Not now."
Dr. King Charming looks at the door and then smiles a little at her. "You are well enough to leave but before you go, I must take do some tests, blood-tests."
Cerise grimaces, shaking her head. "Please no."
"If you want answers to your questions then you must let me do tests on you! I can't work with your DNA if I don't have a bit of it. Look, R.E... I don't know everything either but from what I know so far..." he sighs silently, shaking his head a little. "If I'm right and you are... You could be the saviour of us all."
Cerise bursts out laughing whilst shivers runs through her whole body. She covers her mouth and presses her lips together to stop laughing, but it's hard.
"I'm really sorry Doctor Charming, I honestly don't think it's funny, to be hexact what you just said scared the fairycrap out of me..." She says once she has calmed down a little.
Dr. King Charming gives her a gentle smile. "That's alright. I hope needles doesn't scare you as much though." He shows her the thin needle before sticking her arm with it.
"Ouch!" Cerise growls behind her teeth. She bites her bottom lip hard as the blood is being sucked up to a tiny bottle-tube connected to the needle.
He removes the needle and puts on a little bandage on her arm and smiles. "Perfect. You can go now."
"Yeah, thanks Doc, but I'm kind of attached to this thing..." She gives off a half smile, pointing back to the tube behind her. "What is it anyway?"
He looks at her and chuckles. "Oh, that is, water. I figured you wouldn't drink yourself, even though I told the nurse to check on you to do it, so I put you on drops." He smiles and take out the needle from her arm. "Now you may go."
Cerise rubs her arm slightly and glides down from the bed. It feels strange to stand on her own two feet again, they are quite numb. She pulls the front of her hood further down before her eyes and walks away. When she is at the door, she stops and looks back at Dr. King Charming.
"Hey Doc,"
"Yes?" He looks at her with friendly eyes.
"Don't call me R.E again."
He smiles wide, as if he amused him. "Just remember what I told you. Stick to your path and stay away from Daring."
Cerise sighs.
"I will call on you when I've got the results from the tests, alright?"
She nods and gives him a little wave. "Have a nice day, Doctor Charming."
"You too, R.E."
Hunter's PoV
He had never been to this part of the school before. He didn't even know that it existed. But here it is, the enormous FairyCare. A hospital for the teachers, staff and students at Ever After High. Run and owned by no-one more charming than Dr. King Charming.
Hunter laughs hysterically, inwardly, as he walks through the corridors that all look the same. Sure, this building is huge but it really isn't "fairy-like". Nor does it look charming.
Brooke: "Speaking of charming.~ I think I see one right over theeereeee!"
Brooke points at Daring Charming who sits in a chair in the waiting room.
Female narrator, clearing her throat: "Actually, Brooke, it is Hunter's Point of View now. We shouldn't break in like this."
Brooke: "I'm not breaking in, I'm narrating. Besides, Daring got kicked out by his dad in the last chapter. I just wanted to include him so he won't feel so bad."
Male narrator: "That's very kind of you Brooke but-"
Brooke, interrupting her father: "How could we be breaking in anyway? What does that even mean?"
Male narrator: "Well... Sometimes we don't always narrate. Sometimes we just watch over the characters and give highlights to some special events, or guide them through hard times."
Brooke: "I don't get it."
Female narrator, somewhat frustrated: "We tell what we see as important but most of the time we just sit back and watch them live their lives and make their own choices. We don't rule over them, we let them come alive and do as they like."
Brooke, impressed: "Ooooh... How does that work?"
Male narrator: "Well we give them of our life's essence."
Brooke, gasping happily: "I always knew I was magical but my magic just went up to a higher level! Wow!"
Female narrator, smiling: "That is lovely my dear, but we really have to get back to Hunter now. This part of the chapter belongs to him."
Brooke, smiling happily: "Yes, mother."
After what seems like eternity, Hunter is back at the reception. Again. He laughs quietly to himself, scratching the back of his neck. How was it that he could not find his way around here? Being a huntsman he should be a hexcellent tracker and he is, most of the time anyway. But here, he feels completely lost.
"Hexcuse me, do you need help with anything?"
Hunter turns to the receptionist who smiles a little. "Yeah well..."
"You have come here threes times now and each time you look so confused." She tilts her head a tiny bit.
"I'm looking for someone," Hunter walks up and stops by the counter, resting his elbow on it. "Do you know if she's still here?"
"I can check to if you want," the receptionist says with a smile. "What was the name?"
"Cerise Hood."
Hunter listens to the sound of buttons being pressed on the keyboard. A sound he doesn't hear that often as almost everything is all about touch-screens nowadays.
"She's not in anymore."
"Great..." Hunter sighs embarrassed of himself. What a great day for fairyfails.
"She was signed out just a moment ago, she should still be in the building." The receptionist looks up at Hunter.
He smiles, surprised and happily, "Thank you!" He dashes off from the counter to run off. The receptionist leaves her chair and follows him. "Just follow the main corridor and-!" she stops as she sees Hunter running into someone. She smiles and covers her mouth to prevent her giggles. "So cute..."
The receptionist returns to her place behind the counter with a feeling of job well done and maybe I should volunteer as the next Eros?
"Cerise!" Hunter can barely contain his mix of happiness and surprise from both finding her and running into her.
"Could you...help me up, please?" Cerise reaches out her hands.
He grabs them firmly and pulls her up. "Sorry about that," he chuckles a little. He looks at her underneath the red velvet hood, giving her a little smile. Cerise tugs at the front of her hood and pulls it further over her head.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"Why? Do I still look terrible?"She gives him a glare before moving past him.
He grabs her wrist and softly pulls her back to him. He holds her close and looks at her closely. Her grey eyes flickers under the hood, her lips are slightly separated and he can feel her short soft breaths against his face.
He clears his throat discreetly, to strain himself as a rush of hormones rushes through his body.
"I'm sorry that I made you feel ugly before, and that I didn't take care of you when you were sick.." He says softly, stroking away a white strand of her hair from her eyes.
Cerise blushes slightly. "Why are you apologising..?" Her voice is as soft as a whisper.
He smiles softly at her as he takes a hold of her hand instead of her wrist. "Because I think that you are beautiful."
Cerise's cheeks fluster with a warm shade of red. No-one had called her that before. She looks down and clears her throat. "Th-this is a bit awkward, for me, can we do this somewhere else? Another time, maybe?" She bites her bottom lip, looking down at the tiny gap between them.
"Go out with me." He says, again so softly it is almost as he whispers to her.
Cerise looks up at him, her eyes spread in surprise. "Are you asking me out?"
"Obviously," he chuckles and smiles softly, following her eyes as she looks at him closely. He can feel himself being studied and examined by her grey eyes by the way she looks at him, it gives him a hormone rush.
"Why?" She asks. There is a hint of bad-timing in her voice.
"Because Cerise, I like you."
She takes a step back. Hunter watches as she takes in what he just said. She has her arms wrapped around herself, her gaze is turned down towards the floor. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to chase after her like this and dump his feeling on her right after she had been let out from the FairyCare. He might be wasting his time waiting for her to say something back. But for once, Hunter doesn't feel lost or that he has failed. He had told her how he feels and he feels proud of doing so. Now he has absolutely nothing to lose.
He looks around the place and imagines what it would be like if they would add a little more colours or a few paintings, or some green plants. He smiles at the thought when his eyes falls to look at someone shrunken down in a chair. It doesn't take long until his brain registers that it's Daring Charming. He is looking right at them. Right at her. And she is looking at him.
Hunter looks from Daring to Cerise and then glances back at Daring before looking away from them both. He puts his hands into his pockets and turns his back to them, walking away.
"Hunter wait," Cerise says behind him.
He stops and turns around. She gives him a shy little smile that melts his heart. "I'm free after school tomorrow."
"Gotcha," he winks and smiles. "We could hang out now too, if you want."
"Sure," Cerise nods.
Hunter opens the entrance door for her and when she walks past him he takes her hand. And so they walk out from the FairyCare together, hand in hand.
Cerise's PoV
Her emotions are divided, split up into prices. So much had happened in a very short time. It isn't even time for lunch yet and she has already encountered death, been given hints about deeper secrets than her family's secret; she had been knocked to the ground, and she had been asked out - at the worst time ever after. Why did she agree to it then?
Because Dr. King Charming's voice had still been in her head.
Stick to your own path and stay away from Daring.
At first she had thought that it would be a hard thing to do, but something inside her Sao that it would only be as hard as she would make it. And once Hunter's words had landed and she saw Daring, she understood that it wasn't going to be hard. She would only experience it as hard and awful.
Why would I do that? She had asked her consciousness.
Because you like him. You like Daring, her consciousness had replied.
I'm sure I can come like Hunter too.
She sighs, poking the pork on her plate with a fork. Even though she is hungry and her stomach is grumbling for food, she doesn't feel like eating. She is down too deep in thought.
Suddenly there is a hand waving in front of her eyes, followed by the distant sound of voices and giggles. She slowly lifts her gaze from her plate and looks up at her friends.
"Helloo, Ever After High to Cerise! Do you read us, Cerise?" Raven smiles.
"Uuh yeah, I read you," Cerise replies, confused.
"If the basket is empty then where are the scones?" Maddie giggles beside her.
"Well what do you think then?" Raven says after swallowing down a slice of potatoes.
"About?..."
"The contest of-course! Once we're done with the Storybook-plays Mr. Piper is hosting a talent's show and anyone can enter - even the teachers!" Raven's eyes sparkles of hexcitement.
"Wicked.~" Cerise says, cutting a slice of her pork. "Are you going to sign up?"
Raven shakes her head. "I'm not sure. But Maddie is."
Cerise raises her eyebrows at Madeline.
"I am going to do magic and Holly will be my wonderous assistant!~" Maddie chimes happily and puts her arm around Holly O'Hair who sits beside her, squeeze-hugging her tightly.
She waves a little and a very girly wave at Cerise. "Hi.~"
Cerise tilts her head a little. "Hey."
"We met, at the party. You were quite, drunk." Holly's voice of glee takes an odd turn of uncomfyness as she realises that she just put Cerise in an awkward place.
"Yeah, no, I remember you." Cerise nods a little, shuffling pork into her mouth.
"I'm sorry you got sick." Holly adds, trying to make it better.
"I'm better now," Cerise replies. "But thanks."
Holly smiles to her and then turns to talk to Maddie about something. Cerise continues to eat her pork.
When they are done eating they all go separate ways: Raven and Maddie are going to the library to look for a book of riddles, Holly joins her royal friends in the Castleteria to talk about the latest rumours going on.
Cerise walks down the hallway with her mind deep down in thoughts again. She kicks a ball of paper laying on the floor. She should be happy. After-all, she is alive. But she also has a lot of more to hide because of that, because Dr. King Charming knows something about her and that is not just her family's secret. He knows something more. He thinks that he knows something more.
And then there's Daring.
Cerise shakes her head roughly, as if to get it out of her head. She should just let it all go. It isn't as if they are the best of friends or anything like that. They barely even hang out; they don't talk to each other that much either. Yet Cerise can't help but to feel like that she and Daring has some kind of connection to each other.
She walks out through the entrance doors and sits down on the staircase with a sigh. She gazes up at the blue sky. The sun shines brightly through a few fluffy white clouds. A bird sings somewhere in the distance.
I really should be happy, or at least happier. What is important isn't Daring, what's important is my family's safety. And if Daring and I really are connected in some magical way (hoho Cerise, don't tell me you're falling in love now...) then we will find each other in the future, somehow. Maybe this is my destiny so far, that it has to be like this now. And maybe Hunter isn't so bad after-all?
She sighs loudly. Oh Cerise, since when did you worry so much over boys?
The end is just the beginning...