Daring didnt want to let go of Cerise, but as the shadows began to shift, and the afternoon began to fade he knew he had stayed behind for long enough.

Time flew by faster than she could run, Cerise thought. It was already that time of year where most parents want their kids home for the summer break, and the Charming siblings were all requested to return to their very nearby kingdom.

Daring had never felt this kind of apprehension. He tore his lips from hers reluctantly and looked into her eyes, and wished more than anything that he could bring her home with him, and show her the life of a princess, and brag to his peers about his girl who was by far better than any reflection of his own that he'd ever fallen for.

He wanted her to meet his family, and for them to be pleased and proud, but...it was best they didn't know about her. That is, if the forsaken gossip hadn't already reached them.

Stroking her chocolate hair, and relishing in the feeling of it between his fingers, he didn't need to speak in order for her to already know what was going on in his mind.

Cerise unclasped a brooch from her cloak and pinned it to his jacket, pulling away with great sadness.

"Whatever happens, I'll always be here for you. Wolves honor." She swore. She knew it would hurt more if she stayed, so with a swift movement she disappeared into the forest leaving Daring there to sort himself out.

XxXxXxX

Dexter and Raven knew better than to let themselves be caught. So far, aside from being less awkward together in public, anyone would have assumed they were just two teens who were really good at Evilnomics class, and playing pranks in the rebel study on each other.

They found sanctuary in more intricate and hard-to-get-to places to avoid the spot light, and on this particular day, while their usually cheerful demeanour had taken a somber turn upon the dawn of summer break, they were making the most of it.

Dexter grasped her face with his hands, his lips locked tightly with hers and she wove her arms into his jacket and around his waist. He was beside himself, as he had been for the past month since this had started and considered himself the luckiest prince in all of Ever After.

Who knew that inside him, deep past the dull and classic princely mannerisms and habits that he'd been forced to adopt, was a beastly demon just dying to burst forth and ravage his dark princess.

Maybe his supposed destiny wasn't completely off the mark...but never mind that. That was totally three novels ago as far as he was concerned. Right now, in the attic of the highest tower of the lesser used wing of the school, in the rafters, between the roof and a generously sturdy beam of wood, the two kissed and whispered to each other their love and promises of reunion as soon as possible.

"I'm really going to miss you. It'll be totally strange, having someone to miss like this! It's exciting!" Raven breathed.

Dexter grinned and kissed her nose, "But we both know I'm gonna miss you more. I'll have to restrain myself from talking, thinking, dreaming about you..." He listed off teasingly on his fingers.

She snickered and punched him playfully in the arm, "And using 'Instant-madness' spells on the servants..." She continued.

"Oh! Come on, that was an accident! I didn't mean to! That potion was rigged to explode in the classroom!" He defended, smirking.

She simply shrugged and then with a last kiss to his cheek she said, "In any case, it's way late. You'll get in trouble if you miss your carriage out of here, and I'm not letting you try teleportation again. Ever." She poked his forehead firmly.

He sighed and then carefully hopped down from the rafter and onto the top of the bookcase below, offering to catch her, but she opted to just jump the whole way down.

"Are you crazy?" He asked, his heart beating a little too fast

"Instant Madness potion, Dex. You shouldn't have done it." She teased, brushing herself off.

He sighed and watched her to before scaling the bookcase down.

Home again, after such a crazy semester. It wouldn't be the same to go home to his white and polished castle with his curtseying servants and suitors and all his home-peers. He hated having to keep it a secret, but he just knew he wasn't ready to face the same treatment his brother had garnered.

He straightened up and then nodded, determined. This summer wouldn't be about him, he reminded himself. This summer he was going to be there for his brother and support him when things were sure to get rough.

As they met at the front gates of the school, both shared a look of understanding.

"Well, here goes nothing." Dexter said, patting his brother reassuringly.

XxXxXxX

Apple smiled and waved as the carriage sped off away from the castle of King Charming. Well...one of the king charmings, and to be precise, Daring and Dexters father.

After he had discovered her in the forest, he had taken her back to his home where she was cared for and then she told him about what their sons had chosen to do.

"With all due respect, your majesty," she clasped her hands and looked down, "I only want the best for everyone, and I have always cared so much about your sons. Please, please help them find their way. I can't do it, but you are his father."

She sighed and looked back up at him, "Surely you know what to do?" She whispered.

The king frowned, deep in thought, and he rubbed his forehead, humming tiredly. This was such a shock. He was almost in a position to dismiss it as some childish paranoia or rumour, but when Apple White spoke of anything, it was always with good intention and so he was forced to face the facts.

"My only sons, and this is how they repay me? What have I done wrong?" He threw his hands up.

Apple placed a hand on his knee as they sat across from one another in one of the many royal lounging rooms and she reassured him, "YOU have done nothing wrong. It's Raven Queen! The daughter of the evil queen! She...she..."

Apple stood up, shaking with every fibre in her body, and she began to weep with frustration. She stomped her foot on the ground and she spat, "She POISONS their minds! She takes evil to a whole new, and not called for level!"

The king stood up and tried to calm her, "Apple, it's okay, this is all just a part of the universal conflict of good and bad. It's natural for bad things to happen. I assure you, I am just as concerned as you."

His features darkened as he tried to imagine his gentle and timid son, Dexter, under the control of that wicked witch. However, at least Dexter wasn't in the wrong. Many a good prince or king had fallen for the tricks of an evil sorceress before him, and perhaps it was avoidable if he were to just be made to see reason.

Daring on the other hand was another story. How could he? He had been promised to Apple since her birth, and he did not intend to let his promise to Snow White be broken over some feral, wood dwelling commoner.

He was so mad about that, he had half a mind to consider bribing the next huntsman to not bother and let the little red hooded harlot learn her lesson the traditional way...but he would only be causing more problems if he did that. He needed to only worry about his own family and their destinies.

"We will do everything in our power to end this madness, and wipe the page clean. I think we just need to start over."

She looked up to him hopefully and smiled softly. "Oh, your majesty! I knew you would understand me!" She dived into his arms and he held her gently.

"I'm very relieved you came to tell me this." He praised her.

"That school registration apparently thinks as little of tradition as they do a parents right to know these things." He muttered.

As Apple finally lost sight of the grand castle from her carriage window she had a feeling things would start looking up.

XxXxXxX

"So, Dex, what did you get up to with Raven over the past few days? You were almost nonexistent." Daring spoke after a long and silent three hours.

"Did you do anything..wicked?" He suggested, nudging his brother in the side.

Dexter almost retaliated defensively, but then a sudden urge came over him.

"Oh, yeah. We do wicked things all the time." He stated nonchalantly.

Daring spat his water out at him, and he coughed a fierce few seconds as he let his imagination run wild.

"Wh-what? Seriously? You've done...that?" He silently cried, his insides feeling like they just flipped inside out.

His brother? His LITTLE brother? Participating in acts with which only one's definite soul mate must commence?

"Yep." Dexter continued the bluff, containing the bubbling laughter within him like an over boiling cauldron.

"And we try all different ways too...and in different places... The study room, the attics, the school library.."

Daring shrieked, eating up the fib like a gingerbread house. He slapped his own face with both hands to his cheeks and then silently screamed at him "You're a menace! It's no wonder you aced the Evilnomics midterms, you despicable fiend!"

Dexter chuckled and then replied, with a smile to rival any Cheshire cats, "that's right, Daring. All this whole term, raven and I have been having lots..."

Daring gasped, covering his mouth,

"And lots..." Dexter continued, draaaaaagging it out...

Daring winced, unable to comprehend this madness... His heartbeat was in overdrive and he felt like the heat of the sun had chosen him as a human vessel, fuelled by thoughts of things he wasn't ready to do, and yet his brother had already done...

"Of...study dates." Dexter blurted finally.

"WHAT?!" Daring fell back, his crown toppling off his head as they crossed over a rather convenient bump in the road.

Dexter snickered, "You idiot! We've been non stop studying and hanging out all term! We didn't have time to be anywhere else, which is why I aced the midterms, and why you never saw us!"

He chuckled and folded his arms, feeling rather surprisingly proud of his newfound powers of manipulation and truth twisting, compiled into the form of a harmless, but epically hilarious prank. He would be doing this kind of thing more often.

"I should kill you." Daring hissed finally, after getting it about a minute later.

All joking aside though, those final moments of sibling banter were all an illusion. They were only a minor distraction from the fear that was inside them both as they passed a familiar apple-decorated carriage on the trail back to their castle.

Daring stared at the barely visible eyes of his formerly betrothed, and his insides died again.

"Do you think she might've..." He whispered.

Dexter sighed and placed an arm around his shoulder, "Look, let's just face this thing together. If mom and dad are really upset about it, then we can at least say we still have each other."

~to be continued