Chapter ten:
Darling made her way down to breakfast very early on Monday morning, she wanted to take a walk around the enchanted forest and to sneak in some of her secret sword training before her classes started for the day.
A deep sigh left Darling, just who was she kidding? She knew that she had no intention of going directly to the forest and that she would in fact was going to go and check Raven's window to see if Jacob's ladder was in it and then if it was not there she would go to the forest. If there was Jacob's ladder in Raven's window, then Darling had decided that she would make her way directly to Raven and admit she had been the one wooing her.
As always when Darling considered finally telling Raven she was the one behind the flowers, a fluttery feeling of joy and a warm hope filled her, however as much as there were these lighter emotions inside Darling, there was also the darker ones of worry and fear.
Darling hoped and prayed with all her might that Raven would accept her and that together they could build a future together, maybe even blaze the path of a new story for others to follow after them. A story which would allow someone who was supposed to be evil to become someone good and kind and permit a Princess who was supposed to be rescued from her fate to become the hero and Prince of the story.
Darling was well aware that by doing what she was and wanting what she wanted with Raven that she was asking a lot of the fairy tale magic and destiny. Darling also knew that the roles played and by whom in the stories had been set down long ago, yet she still hoped for change, after all if the stories did not change with the times, how long would it be before they became useless and to out of date to be salvaged in some way?
Once Darling had finished her meal, she placed her tray in the correct area for washing and quickly but quietly made her way out of the castleteria. Making herself walk in a slow and decorous way to where Raven's window was, turned out to be very difficult for Darling, but she knew if she hurried along in an undignified way it would draw to much attention to her.
When Darling at last reached the part of the school where she could clearly see the window from, she took a deep breath to calm herself and then slowly looked upwards. The moment Darling's eyes settled on the flowers in Raven's window they went wide, quickly she placed a hand over her mouth to stop herself from gasping, while at the same time Darling fought back the tears and sobs of happiness which wanted to escape her.
Raven wanted to meet her! Darling had spent so long dreaming about what she would do when this moment came that she had no hesitations about what she was going to do. Darling turned, rather than the demure way in which she had walked to the window, she strode back towards the castleteria like a woman on a mission, which of course she was.
When Darling came back into the castleteria, she looked around for Raven, it didn't take her long to spot the witch. She was sitting at one of the tables, chatting and eating her breakfast with Maddie, Kitty and Apple as she so often did.
Determinedly Darling strode over to where Raven sat, she was well aware that walking like this was drawing a lot of stairs and flabbergasted looks from other people in the castleteria and not least of all from her brothers, but she was far too focused on reaching Raven's side and telling her the truth to really pay much attention to any of those looks.
When she reached Raven, Darling spoke to her in a voice, which for once was not soft and maiden like, but strong and sure. "Raven."
Startled a little by hearing her name called so suddenly from so close to her Raven quickly looked up from her food and to Darling, saying to her in a disconcerted voice. "Oh Darling you surprised me! What is it?"
"Would you stand up for me?" Darling asked her without hesitation.
Still feeling a little confused by what was happening here, but wanting to do as Darling requests at the same time, Raven nods and comes to her feet. The moment she does so Darling takes Raven's left hand into hers, she carries it with her as she gets down onto one knee before the witch. "I am the one who has been wooing you. I am the floral admirer and I have come in response to your message my lady. Will you accept me as I am my lady, a female knight, who loves you with all her heart and wants nothing more than to have your love in return? Will you let me be your hero, your Prince and knight? For I wish nothing more than to stand forever at your side, as your love, your shield and your sword."
Once she has finished speaking Darling chivalrously kisses the back of Raven's hand. There is now absolute silence in the castleteria, meals and conversations are completely forgotten and all eyes are trained onto Raven and Darling.
It takes a few moments for Raven's shock to dissipate after hearing Darling's confession. Slowly she nods to Darling and then somehow manages to say in a tearful by joyful voice. "Yes, yes Darling Charming I accept you…I accept all of you as you are. I am willing for you to be my hero, my knight and my Prince. I receive all of your feelings for me joyfully and in return I have something to give you, which in turn should tell you my feelings for you quiet clearly."
Darling was looking up at Raven with joy filled eyes and a wide smile on her face as she asked her. "What do you have to give me my love?"
Raven used her free hand to make the Bupleurum appear, smiling softly at the other Princess she floated it towards Darling and said softly but clearly so the whole room could hear her. "I give you this, Bupleurum, which I know you know means your love is returned and I want you to know I truly mean it. All of the love you have just expressed I feel that for you as well. I am more than happy to be your Princess and lady and to stand by your side for the rest of our lives."
Wide eyed Darling uses her free hand to take hold of the flowers Raven is offering her. "Thank you…Thank you so much…You have no idea how much this means to me."
"I think, I can honestly say I might have some idea how much it means…" Raven said gently to Darling, while still smiling at her. Without hesitation Darling returned her smile and nodded her acceptance of those words from Raven.
Slowly Darling came to her feet, still holding the Bupleurum in one hand she came closer to Raven, gently and gradually Darling slipped her arms around Raven and moved a little nearer to her once more. Darling gazed lovingly into Raven's purple eyes for just a moment before she softly kissed Raven.
The moment their lips met, a bright golden light filled the castleteria, the brilliance of the light it had all of those in the room shielding their eyes from it, while they all gasped in awe at the same time. Those watching could just make out that within the glow of the gold light Raven and Darling where transforming.
Darling's hair was piled up into a practical bun from which escape a few lose strands to frame her face, her tiara changed to a silver crown which was reminiscent of Daring's. There was still armour across her shoulders, under it was a high-necked white shirt and long sleeved blue and silver jacket, which flared out elegantly at her waist and on its lapel was a pin of a silver crown with a light purple feather through it. Darling wore tight blue matching trousers and over these were a pair of flat souled long silver boots which ran up her legs to just below the knee where they turned over at the top.
Raven was gowned in the dress she had brought, the magic added long, sparkling, floating gossamer sleeves to the dress. Her spikey crown vanished to be replaced with a tiara of elegant over lapping silver arches and to one side of it Raven now wore two sky blue and two white peacock feathers pinned in place with a purple gem pin which was centred with the intertwined initials of D and R. Raven's magic within the light changed from a deep purple flame all around her, to that of a light lavender one before settling and returning into her.
As Darling and Raven broke the kiss and moved apart a little, they both gave a small start of surprise before smiling at each other. "You're wearing my colours." Darling said softly, reaching up and gently touching the feathers in Raven's hair.
"You are wearing my favour in return my Charming lady knight." Raven said placing her fingers to the pin on Darling's lapel.
Darling smiled lovingly at Raven as she said in a soft voice. "Your Charming lady knight…I like it…What shall I call you in return? Lady Raven hardly seems fitting for one of your station."
Without any hesitation Raven answered her question. "Well, I'd already started to think with the help of other what you might call me if you were the one to be wooing me and we settled on your lady Princes Raven."
"My lady Princess Raven, that sounds most fair to my ears. I shall take great delight in calling you that as often as is possible." Darling told her honestly as she held the Bupleurum back out to Raven and saying to her gently. "I believe you will now find you can safely touch flowers my Raven."
Wide eyed Raven carefully touched the flower with one finger and was thrilled when it didn't wilt, she turned a tearful smile onto Darling and said to her joyfully. "You are right I can touch them without harming them now."
Darling smiled softly at her lady and gently kissed her on the cheek, before telling Raven. "You have changed not only in appearance but in magic, you are good now so you will not harm any plants or flowers you touch."
Smiling brilliantly in response to these words Raven buried herself in Darling and hugged her knight close to her. Darling closed her arms around Raven and just held her close without saying anything more to her.
The students and staff in the castleteria were still silently watching the couple, all of them were looking at Darling and Raven in wide eyed awe, hardly able to believe everything which they had just heard and witnessed.
They were not alone, at some point Giles and Milton had come into the room, they had been drawn by the large, strong and sudden burst of fairy tale magic. The brothers knew without a doubt they were witnessing the start of a new fairy tale one which held both true love and tremendous power.
As much as the headmaster would have objected to the forming of this story if he had known about it starting, now it was at this stage he could not object, as he would become its villain and Milton knew that this was no part for a Grim to hold. All he could do was watch the story and record it for the future just as his ancestors had done before him.
Milton and Giles both had no doubt that when the Evil Queen became aware of the role her daughter was now playing, she would become furious and when that happened there was no telling what she might do to Darling and Raven in order to separate them.
This was a thought caused the brothers to look at each other with concern, not only was the Evil Queen ruthless with those who got in her way, she was ever so slightly crazy with it. So, it was highly likely that she would blame Darling for the change in her daughter and try to do something in order to change Raven back to her former state as her heir.
Little did the Grim brothers know they were right to be worried, high in the tower where her mirror was Raven's mother had sensed that something had been changing in her daughter.
This day though the Evil Queen had felt an utter transformation taking place in Raven and she had followed the echoes of that change. Raven's mother had watched helplessly through one of the mirrors in the castleteria as her daughter changed from dark to light, a fact which made her utterly furious.
There was no way that she was going to let her daughter, become some goodie, goodie like her father and marry that Charming brat. She had the perfect way to change Raven back to her old self and make sure that she became the new Evil Queen, rather than become this whatever she was becoming.
The Evil Queen set to plotting in her prison as to how she could get to Raven or out of the mirror completely and use the spell she needed in order to change Raven back to her former self.
