Hi! I apologize for not adding anything to the other chapters. I simply forgot. But I hope you have enjoyed the two chapters before this one, and that you will like this one, too, of course. Thanks for all the comments and likes, I really appreciate it (:

There had been a change in the air. Emma had noticed it, everyone had noticed it. Ever since the day Clarissa came late to class, the dean for Good had been more on her own and secretive than usual. And not to mention the other dean. She had gone on a complete… Emma didn't even know what to call it.

After that day, there was more gossip about those two than ever before. Of course, people had seen them grow closer over the years, making them suspect a secret relationship. Bets had been placed under the students, and teachers. Emma had participated, of course. But now, oh now there was no escaping the rumors.

Apparently, Dovey was seen by Nevers running to the Good castle in the middle of the day. Some said that they had seen her with Lady Lesso the night before. The wolves hadn't woken them up, suggesting that they stayed up late. Others even claimed to have seen the two kiss passionately in the hallway, which wasn't very likely to Emma. And there was this one girl who said that she had seen the deans do more than kissing in the hallway. Now, that had not happened.

That was for sure.

But it had sent Lesso in a rage. Every student she caught gossiping, Ever or Never, was sent to the Doom Room. She didn't even care that Evers usually didn't go there and the staff of Good wasn't exactly happy with what she was doing. No, Lesso had even threatened to give those who complained about it the same fate.

The wolves had never been this busy before and Emma knew they just loved it.

But it had to stop. It had been going on for almost a week. And there was only one solution: Getting Clarissa to talk some sense in Lesso.

And with that possibly finding out whether or not the rumors were true. But that would just be a bonus, of course.

So when the classes had ended, Emma went straight to Dovey's office. She was sitting there with a cup of tea in her hand, looking at some papers but it didn't seem that she was reading them.

"Hey." Emma knocked softly on the door, immediately getting Clarissa's attention.

"Hello, Emma." Dovey smiled, "Take a seat." She waved at the seat in front of her desk. That thing was too comfortable to say no to, so Emma gracefully sprinted towards it only to lean back in the soft cushions.

"What's going on?"

"I need you to talk to Lesso."

"What? Why?" Clarissa knew why, which made it so weird to the beautification teacher that she acted so clueless.

"You know why," she hissed, "I have had princesses come into my classroom crying about how they are going to fail because they have scars, or their hair was cut, or whatever!" She threw her hands into the air. "I have never failed this many of my top students before, not because their scars made them ugly or anything but because they couldn't smile anymore."
Thinking about it, maybe what Lesso was doing wasn't that bad of an idea. Girls didn't want to go to beautification anymore because they were scared they'd fail, so she possibly could get her position back as history teacher.

No. Thinking that was wrong. She shouldn't think like that.

Clarissa sighed deeply. "Fine. If you get her to talk to me, because she won't talk to me anymore."

This concerned Emma. Because no matter what the Evil dean was going through, Clarissa had always been the one she would talk to. When a student tried to cut off her leg, Dovey was there. When she first got her cane, she would only talk to Dovey. When a student told everyone that she'd had… intercourse with an ogre and she tortured that student almost to death, Clarissa had calmed her down and saved the boy's life.

And now, she wouldn't talk to her.

"Okay, you have to tell me, Clarissa. What in the world is going on with her?"

"Nothing." Dovey emphasized, "Absolutely nothing."

"Don't lie to me. Clarissa, are the rumors true? I won't tell I promise."

She probably would, but she was a better liar than Dovey, who basically believed that everyone wouldn't lie to her. How naive.

"Fine. I did spend the night at Lesso's."

A smile creeped up on Emma's face. She knew it. All the times she had defended the idea of them being a couple to some haters who believed Nevers and Evers shouldn't be together finally paid off.

"But not in the way you think."

Oh.

Well, that was disappointing.

"She needed help marking tests. When we finished,It was too late for me to return to my room so she offered to let me stay in her bed. And I did."

"And nothing happened? No kiss, no something?"

A blush formed over Clarissa's cheeks. "Nothing. Nothing happened."

Oh. Well that was too bad.

"But if nothing happened, why does she refuse to talk to you?"

"I don't know." Dovey sighed as she shook her head, "I don't know." There was a pain in her eyes, Emma hadn't seen for a long time.

"I'm sorry, Clar." Emma grabbed her hand, "It'll be fine. But you are going to have to talk to her tonight. You and I both know this can't go on."

"I know. I know." Clarissa nodded, "Just give her a reason to come over here. She has forbidden the wolves from letting me in."

Now that, Anemone had to admit, sounded like Lesso. There was no doubt that she would do that.

"Oh, I already have a plan, darling." Emma stood up with a grin on her face, "Be ready. She'll be here in about ten minutes."

Without an answer from Clarissa, she hurried gracefully, of course, to her office.

It was a lot smaller than Lesso's or Clarissa's but it did its job. There was a desk with enough space and two comfortable chairs. And a bookcase filled with history books, which she was very proud of.

She rummaged through her oaken desk drawers until she found a small piece of parchment. She proceeded to write on it with her golden quill and ink.

Dovey needs your help. Something is very wrong. I don't know what it is but she is possibly dying. -E

That would do the trick. Anemone called a dove and wrapped it around its leg. "Lady Lesso." She whispered to it and then let it free. Doves were smart, since they were real people once, so it would have no problem finding her.

For Emma, there was only one thing to do. And that was to wait. She did that behind a plant close to Clarissa's office. There was no way in the world she would miss this.
And as she had predicted, the cane announced Lesso's arrival from afar. She walked fast, like she never had before. Her face looked worried and she didn't even try to hide it. Or she did, but failed terribly.

The door got thrown open and Lesso basically shouted Dovey's name over and over again until she emerged. The door then closed by itself and unfortunately, Emma was not able to follow their conversation.

For what seemed like years, Emma waited not-so-patiently for one of them to storm out. But they didn't, so she resorted to counting the leaves on the plants and when that was finished she counted the petals on each flower.

And only then, Lesso stormed out, sniffing and rubbing her eyes. Then she disappeared.

Not a second later, Dovey came out. Her face was stained with tears, her make-up ruined by her mascara and she was sobbing hard.

"Um, Emma. You'll be happy to know that she won't continue this behavior." She avoided Emma's gaze, while Anemone just wondered how she had known where she was. She wasn't hidden well but not that terrible.

Dovey then went back inside and locked the door. Emma pounded on the door but she wouldn't let anyone inside.

What on earth happened in that room?

I hope you enjoyed it (: