Reviews

Kamryn - Thank you! I totally appreciate that you have taken the time to read this so far. :) GalaxyWolf2.0 - Thank you for reading my story! I honestly have SO much catching up to do with Ever After it's ridiculous. I don't think I've even seen Chase yet, so I must admit that I formed this story idea long before catching up xD I was caught up when I started the story lmao. So I hope you and others aren't too disappointed if the story takes a turn that doesn't involve Chase. I will have to catch up soon!

Thank you for tuning in!

I apologize for the length since my last update... life y'know?!

Please enjoy!

~ Chapter Twelve: Charmed, I'm Sure ~

Before I knew it, I was whisked into a side office. I realized it was some sort of teacher's room... maybe their staff room? I wasn't too sure, but I was told to 'stay put'. So that's what I'm doing I guess. I looked around taking in the surroundings.

"Darling, we need to talk about earlier today."

"Daddy?!" I spun around feeling near horrified. Maid Marian must have gotten to him first! Telling him about how in rescued myself inappropriately or something along those lines. Either way this wouldn't be good...

He gave me a warm smile though as he invited me to sit down on the other end of the sofa. "Darling, I know it's not fair but you are a Princess. You were born a Princess and therefore must study to become one. I know it's hard but it's what you have to do. Your mother and I have had to do it. Everyone's had to do it. You aren't alone but you have to follow the protocol of your scheduled classes."

I shook my head in protest. "How fair is it that I go without lunch because the idiot rescuing me can't even rescue a handicapped squirrel from an opened cage? Why do I have to miss the following classes because I'm still in the same tower? It's not fair. Not only will I probably end up malnourished or something but I might not receive my diploma on time either! Is that what you're going to tell me next? Then I'll be in trouble for failing all because of some idiot? Some moron! I can't take this. I can't. I'm dropping Damsel-in-Distressing. I don't care what you have to say about it, I'm done with this crap. I'm gonna prove that a Princess can rescue herself." I got up, near stomping out of the staff room and slamming the door behind me.

Like hell I was going to sacrifice everything, my future for some class I never wanted to go to anyways. She could take her class and shove it, right up her own hood, I'll show her.

I was relaxing under the shade of a nice oak tree in the courtyard, when I thought I heard footsteps become increasingly louder. Heading towards me. "Darling!" When I lazily looked up I saw it was my twin brother, Dexter. "Darling! Is it true?" He asked me, sitting down beside me.

"It depends," I answered him. "what did you hear?"

He narrowed his eyes at me... adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose. He had this slightly irritated sigh that he displayed when he was becoming annoyed. It was hardly a threat from him though. "Darling, that you dropped out of Damsel-in-Distressing. Is it true?"

I gave a nod, "Yes. I saw Baba Yaga about it and Headmaster Grimm. I told dad I was doing it and that I didn't care what he thought about it."

Dexter slightly gasped, but he knew how I felt about everything. He knew it was only a matter of time until I was done with all of it. My twin knew me the very best. "That's a lie." He told me, settling down beside me. "That you don't care what he thinks. Of course you do."

"I know," I heaved a sigh. "I wanted to sound threatening though."

Dexter gave a nod, "Yes, I realize that. And you did a decent job of it."

I shifted my eyes, "You don't think I hurt him, do you?"

Dexter shook his head in negative response. "Nah, I don't think so. I'm sure dad's had to deal with tougher villains than his own family." Tougher villains than us? Hmm... I'm beginning to wonder if Dexter's right. I think the three of us are father's biggest challenge yet. He gave my arm a pat and brought me out of my thoughts. "You may have wounded his ego slightly... but you're only proving your own strength by following what you believe in. I guess that makes you a Rebel then?"

Funnily enough – I never thought about what side I was on. I heard plenty of 'Royal' and 'Rebel' talk but I'd never considered before what side I might be on myself. "I don't know if I'm either. It would help if I even knew what my future could be as a Royal or Rebel. I just don't know, but I do know that I don't want to get shunned by my family or anything..."

Dexter hugged me briefly, as siblings did. "I'll never shun you Darling."

"Thanks Dex, hearing you say that means the world to me." We talked briefly and said our goodbyes for now. I wondered how he stored so much wisdom at such a young age. He'll be a wonderful ruler some day. But for now… time to focus on the hell that is high school.

It was a beautiful afternoon after classes were done for the day and I didn't have much planned at all. Maybe I'd pop into the Village of Bookend or maybe I'd go somewhere else. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Something told me to head towards the library. Yes maybe a good book was exactly what I needed? It was a complete shame – I hadn't read anything since the summer.

I entered the library and there were a few students here and there casually reading or trying to cram in some last minute studying. I looked over as Hopper was standing near a tall bookshelf with a fine piece of literature in his hands. He looked very handsome today… wait, what? I blinked in shock. Did I just call Hopper cute? Well… those freckles are adorable. Hmm. This could be problematic.

"Look out!" I noticed the bookshelf beginning to fall and Hopper just stared up at it wide-eyed. Before I could realize it I was running from one end of the library to the other. Jumping over tables... darting around chairs and finally when I got close enough I leaped and pulled Hopper out of the way and down to the ground with me. The shelf hit the floor but it didn't hit us thankfully. I managed to sit up slightly and I looked over at Hopper who was clearly in shock.

He could barely breathe without gasping. Something that big falling down is quite a scare for anyone and he would have been crushed to death if I hadn't been there. "Hey..." I said softly, placing my hand on his forearm. "are you alright?"

I watched as he nodded quickly. "Y-yeah, I'm okay I-I think." He stood up quickly and dusted himself off.

I got up as well. "Good. I'm glad."

"Thank you." He told me. His cheeks were the deepest red that I'd ever seen them go before. I was going to open my mouth and speak but he took off out of the library before I could. Well, that was strange.

It had been a week since the incident in the library and I hadn't seen Hopper at all. If I did it was extremely brief. I even asked Daring if he would ask Hopper to talk to me but no luck at all. Between then and now… I wasn't sure what changed between us. At least before he would talk to me and be interested in my company but now… I couldn't see him in one moment long enough.

'Oof.' I looked up and saw a very disheveled Hopper with a bleeding lip and he seemed to be in pain. "Hopper?!" I exclaimed softly. I wanted to reach out and touch him but I knew it was a bad idea. I wasn't even sure what the extent of his injuries were.

"Darling… please… just turn away." He tried to speak directly but he was winded and hurt.

"I will not go away Hopper, don't be silly." I did my best to reassure him. I then heard rushing footsteps coming towards us I connected their gaze and they stopped… laughing. Why were they laughing?

"Oh Hopper, you get more pathetic every time we meet up!" One guy told him. Who was this idiot?

Another scoffed. "Again… he can't even fight his own battles… but even better – he has a girl to fight them for him!" Who was that idiot now?

I drew my sword and held it awfully close to the taller guy's neck. "What was that? Did you want to repeat it or should I make you eat your words along with this blade of metal?"

Their eyes widened and they backed off. It wasn't until they ran off that I let my guard down slightly. When I turned around… Hopper was gone. What the hell?

I never used my stealth very often but I just had to figure out what was going on… so here I was in the Boys' Corridor and I knew exactly where both my brother's dorm rooms were just in case of emergency. Right now… I was looking for Daring's. Hopper was Daring's roommate… maybe if I dropped in I could learn a thing or two about what the hell was happening to him. I know deep inside that it's not good.

At least if nothing else I owe it to Hopper to fix everything. It wasn't until I turned the corner where I saw Daring punch some guy square in the face. 'Holy shit!' I really hope I thought that and didn't say it out loud. I've never seen Daring show any ounce of violence let alone actually catching him in the act. "You leave him alone or deal with my wrath." Daring was just seething. He slammed the door shut and the guy was still on the ground.

I leaned up against the wall and tried to think about everything that happened in the last little while. Hopper didn't seem to be healing at all… he always had bruises and a pained expression… but maybe it's not that he's a slow healer at all. What if they're recurring? I gasped softly. That's terrible to think about. Poor Hopper.

Impatiently I peeked around the corner and saw Daring's victim go further down the hall. I scurried quickly and knocked on the door. It swung open and Daring was bewildered. "Darling?!" He blurted out.

"Hi!" I cursed myself for being so damn loud. "Hi." I said again in a whisper. I noticed Hopper further in the dorm behind Daring… did he just frantically hide behind the other side of his bed? He was purposely avoiding me! "I want to speak to Hopper..." I told him softly. "I want to fix this, I know I can-"

Daring put his hand up to stop me in mid-word. "Darling. Not now." He was about to close the door on me but I stuck my hand through and he closed it on my wrist… not hard. "Darling..." He opened the door enough for him to come out into the hall and he shut it behind him. "You don't get it… you just don't get it."

"I get that it's my fault-" I started.

"Good." He turned away from me but I grasped his shoulder.

"Daring, what the hell is going on? You can't ignore me because I won't leave until I know." Honestly… I don't even feel like myself. Over the summer I felt good… I was reading to my heart's content, I had the leisure of the palace… I rode horseback almost every day... but this year has me full of hatred for some reason. I don't even know who I am… I could tell Daring didn't recognize me either because he just stared blankly.

"I… Darling… ever since you rescued him from the library shelf… things haven't been the same." Yeah. I already knew that!

"I knew that." I tried not to be hasty… but not knowing was driving me near insane.

"Listen if you want to know what's going on." He told me sternly, bringing his voice down to a low whisper. "These… guys around the school started following him and beating him up. It's gotten so bad that he said he wished you'd have let the shelf crush him." My eyes widened. "Last night I found him barely conscious in the dorm hallway… they're targeting him because you… a girl… has been 'protecting' him. Every time you step in, he gets hurt worse. You need to stay away from him."

I didn't know how to take that information. I really wanted to court him as a potential boyfriend… but he wants nothing to do with me. Not that I blame him… "This isn't right. We have to do something."

"You need to do nothing but stay away from him." He warned me, rubbing his sore knuckles. "Darling… if you want to help him… you gotta stay away. Please… I'm afraid he might not survive the next attack."

This was not good. "Does Headmaster know?" I asked helplessly.

"Not yet… but he will. Darling please… stay away from him."

"But I like, like him Daring… I wanted to ask him out though." I admitted, my cheeks full blush.

I never saw Daring look so stern in my life. "Not a good idea. Ever." He shook his head. "That'd get him hurt for sure."

I knew he was right… but I had to admit it to someone. "Goodnight Daring." I said flatly.

"Darling wait!" He called after me but I took off. I didn't want to be part of Hopper's pain anymore. He deserves better… far better than this.