There isn't a word in the English language that covers the severity of ambivalence which hung around the school the next day. While rebels were happy to have another on their side, they were uncomfortable knowing he planned to still be evil.

While the royals were happy to have someone to complete Apple's story, they were upset that

It wasn't Raven and

Apple was going to get poisoned now

So overall, the whole institution was slowly being suffocated by the tension. Such tension hadn't been so prevalent since Legacy Day in fact, and for some it opened up a lot of old wounds.

For others, it made new ones.

"You stupid, despicable, imbecile!" Duchess kicked up a two foot wave of water with her dainty foot alone, the enchanted substance soaking like spiritual acid into Rotbart's clothing. He stood firm and refused to look away from her.

"You idiot! You horrible, terrible excuse for a villain! What are you thinking?" She shrieked, her face reddening and tears streaming down her cheeks. She splashed up more water and then when soaking him wasn't enough, she tip toed as fiercely as she could upon the surface of the lake and then slapped him across the face.

He was shocked and it hurt his ego to be treated in such a way by a female, but it hurt his heart more that she was so upset. In fact, he had come here expecting quite the reverse reaction.

His optimism was now only salt to add to the throbbing gash across his spirit.

"I thought you would be happy..." He finally muttered, stupidly.

Duchess leant back for a moment, her heart skipping a beat, but no sooner did she halt her relentless abuse than it started up again with a new and fresher spite.

"You thought WHAT? Are you kidding me? News flash, 'red beard', YOU'RE DOING EVIL WRONG!" She smacked him again and then went for another but he finally moved, grasping her hand mid air and holding it firmly.

She gasped and then attempted to free herself as her bravado dissolved instantly. He felt a pang of guilt but it only confirmed his resolution even further.

"That is because I'm not trying to be evil..." He spoke in a level tone, "not to you anyway." He corrected.

"Let me go!" She screamed, crying again. He released her wrist and she drew back, her arms clinging around her chest.

A long silence ensued and though he urged to comfort her, and hold her in his arms and kiss her tears, he didn't. If this was what heroes in fairy tales felt like, then he was glad he wasn't one traditionally. He let her cry for a while before he decided to try and speak again.

"Duchess, I don't understand you. Why aren't you happy? At the least, why aren't you relieved?"

Daring to take a step towards her he used his magic to hold himself upon the waters surface, and he closed the gap between them. Duchess had yet to look up, but then flinched in shock as he lifted her face with a gloved hand.

He looked her in the eyes and she halted, staring back.

"Without me, you can finally have what you have always wanted. It will be yours to take, won't it? To live happily ever after with someone who can care for you, and someone who won't die. I promise not to lay a finger on him, and nor you. It isn't my destiny anymore. Can't you just be happy about that?" He whispered.

She shuddered, truly disgusted and yet touched by his words, and she pushed away from him again.

"Why? Why would you want to give me that kind of a chance?" She asked, "and who's to say that this will even work? What if we disappear?" He voice raised with every point, every sentence and then she screamed again,

"WHY?"

He hushed her and then deeply breathed, "because, Duchess...I could never have done those horrible things to you."

He smiled at her daly and then sighed, "I love you. I would rather suffer in someone else's story than deny you a happy ending."

She gasped and almost fell through the water, but he caught her and stood them both back up. Her face was pale, and she felt weak in the knees. And suddenly she was enraged. The first male to ever show an interest in her, the first to declare his love, and it just HAD to be this slimy, blackened sorcerer scum who now was acting so 'noble' and 'selfless'... She wanted to hate him so badly, and it took her a whole to find a reason to again.

Then finally it hit her, "You fool! It doesn't matter what you or I do! Destiny followed, or not, I will never, ever be happy! You're only making it worse by jeopardising our whole existence!"

He sighed and rolled his eyes for once, "My swan, please don't talk like that. You sound like that insufferable Apple, going on about destiny."

Duchess sniffled, enraged to be compared to Miss High and Mighty. However she continued to listen.

"Look, there are things that this world doesn't want you to know..." Rotbart for a moment gazed off into the forest behind them, spying a silhouette cloaked in red among the leaves, dashing off into the shrubbery.

"Destiny is just a guideline, and not a law. You don't have to keep it." He said. "It's just a system our ancestors came up with centuries ago to try and control our lives."

"How do you know that?" She whispered. "Nothing has happened to us yet."

He looked back to her and then replied, "Let's just say that even before us, there were people who questioned their storybook endings. And there are people we know today...peers of ours who only exist because of risks like this. I just know, okay?"

He took her hands and for the first time she didn't struggle, although her skin rippled with chills as he touched her.

"I'm doing this for you, and I'm doing it for my sister, Raven." He said.

"Wait, what?" Duchess was taken aback for a moment, "Raven is your sister?" She asked.

He looked at her, truly unsurprised as the infernal flame that served as his so called hair suddenly felt as hot as its color on his head, "yeah, we ...share a mother..." He muttered.

"But, anyway," he cleared his throat and continued, "I just want you to be happy. But don't tell anyone about this. It's best I keep my image up, and fulfil my new role without questioning my villainy."

He let her go and then began to walk away, but not before she asked him one more thing,

"Rotbart...?"

He turned to look at her, "Won't you suffer worse as Raven's role? Are you really that evil to deserve that?"

He shook his head, "It may seem hard to believe but even the dark and sadistic can feel compassion on rare occasions. While I appreciate your concern, don't be fooled by my love for you. I was born to be a villain, and I intend to do that."

He turned away, knowing he had probably just confused and upset her more, but it was all he could do for now. He didn't know what else to do.

Duchess stood long and quietly as she watched him walk away, and the discomfort, and rage and confusion didn't dull right away.

She transformed into a swan and swam away, deeper into the woods.

From the shrubbery a pair of eyes watched in dumbfounded shock. A hand tapped his shoulder and the prince turned to the wolf beside him.

"We should probably pretend we didn't just overhear that, okay?" Cerise whispered.

Daring nodded. "Yeah..." He looked at her, and then back at Duchess. Before this all, he had always thought love was black and white. Now, more than ever, he was being amazed by the true complexity and tragedy that it involved.

He held her hand tighter, and looked away. He wondered if it would ever come down to giving her up one day...

To be continued