Putting One and One Together
The crowd parted for Apple White like the red sea. Holly (who had been weeping at the forefront of the crowd) immediately ran to her.
"Oh Apple, I went to get the larkspur for the princess tea like you asked, and I heard this noise in the glen, and I went to see what it was and...oh, I'M SO SORRY APPLE!" Holly wailed. She cried as if her own heart had been shattered by the boy she adored (which was essentially true).
Everyone stiffened as they anticipated the-fairest-of-them-all's reaction. The royals expected tears and fainting. The rebels expected something more along the lines of Apple hacking away at Daring's testicles with a sword.
Surprisingly, Apple didn't resort to crying OR castration. Instead, she stood proud, like a future queen and regarded her erstwhile intended and his lover calmly and coldly. And she launched into a stern, yet heartfelt, and very long speech about how Daring and Lizzie were disgraces to their family names, and royals in general.
"Geez, she's taking this better than I thought." Cerise whispered to Raven.
"Yeah..." Raven said slowly. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something was definitely wrong about the way Apple was reacting to this scenario.
"I'm kinda impressed." Cedar admitted.
"How calm she's being?" Cerise asked.
"That, and how she's coming up with a whole speech out of nowhere." Cedar said.
Out of nowhere...Raven thought. And then Raven remembered: this speech couldn't have come from nowhere. Apple already knew about Daring and Lizzie. And giving a speech hadn't been Apple's first reaction at all; it had been running into the woods and nearly getting herself killed in the process.
And when Raven took a good look at the stuff near the shamed Lizzie and Daring, her suspicions were further aroused. There was a small table with a plate of oysters, whipped cream, dipped strawberries, and champagne. And a boom box that was lightly playing a decidedly raunchy pop song. That was way too familiar.
The fact Apple had asked Holly to get larkspur near that particularly notorious hook-up spot was strange too. Did Apple plan all this? Raven wondered. Apple did say that she would deal with the whole Lizzie-Daring thing later. Could this be what she meant all along?
Raven immediately tried to shake the thought from her head. No, that's impossible. Raven told herself. Apple wouldn't do something like this...she couldn't do something like this! She's not cruel enough. Or cunning. And that zit hex is obviously the work of some hardcore villain. Apple wouldn't associate with anyone like that...
But then Raven noticed a hawk in a nearby tree. A hawk with black and red feathers and ice blue eyes. And this hawk looked like it was quietly convulsing with laughter.
Rotty! Raven thought.