Epilogue

"Aria!" Elizabeth called as the doorbell rang. "Vanessa's here. Are you ready?"

"Almost," Aria answered. "Could you send her up here, please?"

Tonight, the girls were going to Sheerwood High's Halloween dance. It was agreed that Aria would remain in this world to finish high school and visit Galatia during the holidays. After that, she will move to the kingdom to begin her training to rule and visit her friends and family in Norfolk on occasion. It seemed like the best solution for her situation.

Vanessa entered Aria's bedroom and asked, "So, what do you think of my fairy costume?"

"You look adorable!" Aria answered.

Vanessa's face fell when she saw what Aria decided to be. "Really, Aria, you're going to be the witch?"

"Technically, I'm an evil fairy. Besides, I'm saving my princess dress for the Homecoming dance. That will save me some money."

"I can't believe you stole Myrtle's choker."

Aria put her fingers upon the tiny black stone she wore around her neck. "I'm not stealing, I'm just borrowing. It's not as if she'll be back for it any time soon."

Vanessa just rolled her eyes and said, "Well, we better get moving. We don't want to be too late."

"I'm ready."

When the girls arrived to the school's gym, they observed what their classmates decided to be.

"I bet Kendal thinks she's so cool in her Lady Gaga costume," Vanessa commented.

"I wonder if she realizes she's probably one of six million girls wearing that same thing," Aria added.

"Well, well," Kendal said as she approached them, "What are you suppose to be, some sort of freak gothic queen?"

"Actually, I thought I'd go as Kendal Lewis," Aria retorted. "What do you think, did I get the hair right?"

Kendal just rolled her eyes and walked away.

"See, Aria. I told you. All you have to do is stand up to her and she'll leave you alone," Vanessa stated.

"For some reason, before now, that always seemed much harder."

It was strange, really. Aside from Vanessa and Derek, no one knew that Aria was really a princess, but Aria still felt more confident around her classmates. Maybe it's because now she is sure exactly who she is and it doesn't matter to Aria what her fellow students thought of her anymore.

"Hello, Aria, Vanessa," Walter said as he walked up to them. "Nice costumes!"

"Thank, you too!" Aria admired his James Bond look.

"Yeah, you actually look cool!" Vanessa added.

"You sound so surprised," Walter said to her.

"Can you blame me?"

"Hey, have any of you seen Derek?" Aria interjected.

"I think he's over there," Walter answered as he pointed across the gym.

Aria smiled as she approached him, admiring his Prince Charming costume.

"Well, I though I would be meeting my princess here, not the evil witch," Derek said as he saw her costume.

"You'll just have to wait until the homecoming dance for that," Aria replied. "Besides, I thought for Halloween you were suppose to dress up as something you're not."

Derek considered. "Well, that's true. Well, my evil witch, will you dance with me?"

Aria nodded and she took Derek's hand and the two began to dance. Aria still could not believe this was actually happening. She would have never predicted this at the beginning of the school year. So much has happened since, and only within a couple months.

When the dance was over Ian announced. "Alright, party at Kendal's. Everyone's invited!"

Angrily, Kendal grabbed his arm and shook her head. "No, Ian, not everyone," she said, looking at Aria specifically.

Unlike before, Aria could care less about being invited to one of Kendal's parties. The only thing that mattered was being with the people she truly cared about.

"Hey guys," Aria said to Vanessa and Walter. "How about we go back to my house and have own celebration?"

"Sounds great!" Vanessa exclaimed while Walter nodded with enthusiasm.

"Hey, do you think you have room for one more?" Derek asked.

Vanessa answered, "I don't know, Derek, we're a pretty exclusive group."

Derek's face fell while Aria laughed, "She's kidding, Derek. Of coarse you can come!"

That night became the best night of Aria's life. She realized that it did not matter whether or not she was popular in high school or even having a boyfriend. The most important thing to Aria was being around the people she cared about and who cared about her in return. She honestly didn't know what would happen between her and Derek in the future romantically. Aria did, however, know for sure, that Vanessa, Walter, and now Derek, would always be her friends forever and always. To Aria, that fact is what made her know that she will live happily ever after.