Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia

Surprised wasn't quite the right word for the girls' reactions.

To see Raven and Mika enter the castleteria that lunch period with their hands linked, had every student doing a double take, but none more so than the girls. When they heard nothing from Raven, and nothing from the board, they all just assumed that neither would be returning, even though Raven had been allowed to finish her year.

So it was later that night, after dinner, that the girls all gathered in Ashlynn and Briar's room, catching up over hot chocolate and pastries they'd bought at Hocus Latte. It was a typical sleepover- nails were painted, sweets were eaten, music was listened too, stories told- and then Raven brought out the booklet. She and Mika had received copies of the photographs of the Palmarneae royal family for the Palmarneae bicentenary. Silently, Raven removed each glossy image, laying them out on the floor between the beds, as the girls gathered around to look at them.

"Oh, Raven, they're gorgeous!"

"Who are they? Are they the royal family of Palmar- how do you pronounce it?"

"They're Professor Mikalos's family, aren't they? Are those his sisters?"

"Raven, you look gorgeous! What was it like?"

She laughed, levitating the images with a brush of her finger. "Three of the royal children of Palmarneae are married- Targyn, he's the oldest and the Crown Prince. When Father steps down, the throne will go to him. He's married to Vankeala- well, Belari is her first name, but no one calls her that. Everyone calls her by her middle name, Vankeala. She only goes by Belari when it's in regards to official things; and they have two boys- Jicqieas and Caysian. You met Kili at my party; she's the third daughter, and is closest to Mika. She and her husband Cesxan have a little girl, Oksana. Ces is currently attending law school in Vispen and couldn't come home for the anniversary. Zariegh is engaged to Devistan, he's the Crown Prince of Minlex. He was also at my birthday ball; they got engaged last year. Kiraneleia is the only one who isn't married or has a significant other; she's too picky. Well, that's the joke."

"They're beautiful. I especially love the ones of you and Professor Mikalos." Darling said, reaching for one of the pair sitting on the chaise. Raven studied it, a smile on her features. Her forehead was resting against Mika's, and they both had their eyes closed. The tiara she wore sparked in the light, and he had taken her hand, lacing their fingers. "What did he say to make you smile?"

Raven sighed, a wistful look flashing over her features. "That someday it will be us sitting for portraits, with our children and grandchildren gathered around us."

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Ashlynn cried as Briar grabbed a pastry out of the box. Raven blushed, sitting back against the foot board of the bed. She sighed, fiddling with the pendant around her wrist, listening to the excited chatter as the girls looked through the photographs, before finally asking,

"How were things? You, the first week back? Are they as bad as they were last semester?"

Silence fell, and after a moment, the girls shared glances before finally, Cedar spoke up. "Headmaster Grimm is trying to force the Rebels to follow their destinies; he's surreptitiously put us in classes that are geared towards our destinies, even though the board ruled in our favor."

"Ruled? How?"

Cedar glanced at Cerise, who bit her lip. "Not long after we sent the petition in, Snow White went to the board of education- they decide what classes will be taught at Ever After High, after all, and tried to claim that the Rebel students should be cast out, banished to our own 'Evil' that Ever After High should be left strictly to the Royals."

"That's... horrible."

"She tried buying the board members off, but they're not stupid. They saw right through Snow White and her evil. They said that the students should be able to choose their own classes, as well as their own destinies."

"Then why didn't they agree to that years ago?" She stopped, glancing at each in turn. "Let me guess, because Snow White and her disgusting family bought them off?" Every head nodded. She sighed. "So what made them change their minds this time? Legacy Day?"

"Actually, no." Cerise replied. "Raven, it was you."

The queen's brow furrowed, a quizzical look settling on her features. Her soft, red lips pursed in confusion, and she looked from one friend to the next. "I... don't understand. What did I do?"

"You attended Ever After High." Brair replied. "You're the first student to attend Ever After High that's never had a destiny, never had a legacy, and you're able to make your own path, and the board noticed and agreed with you on that."

"But... I'm also not a fairy tale character." Raven replied slowly.

"And they realize that. And they also realize that they've been too strict, that maybe this is the generation where they let the kids decide if they want to follow destiny or not."

"And?" She looked from one to the other, waiting for their replies. It was Aada that spoke up.

"The school is still split. It doesn't matter what the school board says. The Royals are going to do what they want, but that also means that the Rebels get to choose their own legacies, their own destinies. We don't have to be constrained to our parents' legacies anymore. We're free."

Raven smiled at each of them. "That's great! So... what are you going to do?"

Silence fell. Now that their legacies were free and open, the girls could choose what they wanted to do, who they wanted to be... and yet, it wasn't that simple. They'd only ever known that their lives, their destinies, were laid out for them by those who came before, and now...

Now, there was a completely new chapter, waiting to be written.