A/n: I'm going to attempt to begin introducing some disapproval from several different sides.
Maddie and Kitty would not be approving of either Faybelle or Apple as possible love interests, Apple perhaps slightly less so because she appears to be willing to put duty and fairytales above Raven's wellbeing (which is opposite of Apple's view because she seems to be under the impression that Raven must acknowledge duty and fairytales for the sake of Raven's wellbeing). And I'd imagine that more than a few other people in Raven's inner circles would find themselves opposed to either candidate.
Those in support of Faybelle would be a mix of people who understood fairy and witch law rather well and understood that a token marriage is just that; a token, and are in support of Raven finding a way out of her predicament while Faybelle gains a new title and new prestige that would be beneficial to the family, and people who know Faybelle well and think that Raven would be good for her.
I'm still trying to figure out which characters would be in support of Apple as a love interest for Raven but I don't think that would become exceptionally apparent until later in the story when more conflict arises between Apple's worldly ideals and the realization that she's going to have to be more observant to other's views if she wants to keep Raven in her life.
XXX
"What did he say Maddie? Kitty?" Raven asked bouncing on the balls of her feet. Giles, the man who lived under the school, was cursed to speak nothing but riddlish, a purely Wonderlandian dialect that, while normal in Wonderland, would cause the man problems if he were to walk out of his archive prison and into the general populace of Ever After who could not speak the language.
Maddie hadn't voiced it out loud but Raven got the feeling that unless one could prove that they were from Wonderland, and thus were supposed to act crazy… there was a very real possibility of Giles being picked up by authorities to be taken to a home.
From experience Raven knew that the Wonderlandian refugees despised the care provided in commoner elderly and asylum facilities in many of the human kingdoms, had cursed at them, often in riddlish, with a vengeance. Some of it had to do with the pre-Alice-or-fairytale era when Camelot fell and the wars for control over the land broke out amongst the humans, with all the combat and stray magic flaying every which way in all the chaos several portals opened into Wonderland, the biggest being in Ever After, and the first instinct of the human kingdoms had about the strange new lands of Wonderland was to try to conquer them.
Suffice to say the Wonderlandians wiped the floor with the invading barbarians, Wonderland having a history of being an extensive scary warrior culture from the very beginning, the fact that the Wonderlandians had the idea to contact all the human kingdom's enemies (the witches, fairies, other magic users, and anything not human) to fight off the enemy from their lands, and the madness that was natural to the world itself and all that, being major reasons. But one of the things that the humans in Ever After did that had Wonderlandians for generations on up to the present spitting mad and cursing heartily was that the human invaders had captured unsuspecting Wonderlandian human civilians (since the talking fish and such were simply killed for being "abominations") took them back to Ever After and the other human kingdoms, and put them into insane asylums.
Wonderlandians still whisper about the horrors that transpired in those asylums, and Raven wasn't surprised that they were being so touchy about the subject of any kind of mental therapy outside their homeland, she had heard the stories and read the books on the subject, so the witch did not blame them one bit for being weary of how outsiders went about psycho-analyzing people's minds.
"He says that we'll be able to find something he can use to help start finding the Book, it's hidden in the pages of that giant memory book thing in the hall of the ancestors." Kitty explained. "He also warned us that in order to get to it we need to step into the giant book and search through our stories of fairytales for these eight pages that we need to bring back here, but it could be dangerous considering how some of our tales started out under dangerous circumstances."
"That or he's hungry for some bacon and eggs." Maddie piped up with a shrug. "Riddlish isn't an exact verbal science."
"How do we get over there unseen?" Daring asks searching his brain for any possible times that they could do this without arising suspicion.
"There's the parade this evening, Daring and I's floats are first in line so we can sneak out early after we dock ours and go over to the hall while everybody else is busy with the parade… and I don't think that the rest of you have a float in the parade actually…" Apple gives Raven a pointed look. The two of them had already had this discussion on and off for the past few weeks about Raven's participation in the parade, which Raven was decidedly not going to do because aside from Apple, the Headmaster, and maybe Daring (although she'd classify him more as a neutral party who didn't really care much about the issue as long as he still looked good enough to make the maidens in the crowd swoon) no one was going to gladly celebrate any sort of tribute to the Evil Queen whether it be a float or stuffing Raven into an itchy outfit covered in a crap ton of feathers and incredibly difficult to walk in (why Apple ever thought getting her that monstrosity was a good idea Raven would never know) and having her hold a limp Apple in her arms as the princess plays poisoned (which Raven had to point out more times than she'd like to think about).
Apple had actually been pretty understanding about the whole thing, a little disappointed that not even her powers over the public could sway them into appreciating just how much she enjoyed the idea of Raven doing deceitful things to her and actually having them celebrate that concept (Raven had to bite her tongue because the last time she suggested that the princess see one of the better shrinks that the witch knew Raven had been in soooo much trouble).
The resident Wonderlandians didn't make their own floats either; neither did they express much interest in participating in anything save for the background setup and the dance. They did not see the point of having a parade when no battles had been won, and no battle victories were being remembered, especially since the resident Ever After bookball team was laughably terrible at winning anything, and most Wonderlandians viewed bookball as a whole as a kind of sissy sport, which coming from a culture where gladiator matches to the death between man and some of the nastiest beasts found in Wonderland were still legal and highly popular attractions (especially when their own brand of justice came in where they had the rule of; "if you survive this and defeat your opponents your crimes will be expunged", apparently the coliseums were packed for court case days) did in fact make the whole game of bookball look ridiculously tame by comparison.
"So we are agreed that we will all meet in the hall this evening, myself, Maddie, and Kitty will be there as soon as people start congregating to the parade and we will wait for you guys until you manage to slip away." Raven confirmed giving Apple the best innocent smile that she could muster.
"And if you guys aren't there by seven o' clock then we'll start without you." Kitty stated firmly, crossing her arms and giving the princess a glower.
"Which will be helpful to note that at least three people will know where we are." Maddie added diplomatically, giving the blonde a pointed look.
Apple shifted uneasily under their combined stare. "Understood." The princess nodded reluctantly. She didn't know why but the two were… acting a little hostile towards her for some reason, like she had done something to offend them but they didn't want to be kind enough to tell her what it was.
XXX
Faybelle checked her phone when it beeped indicating that a certain witch had sent her a message.
The fairy scanned over the information about how the meeting with the man, Giles, went and the location and time they were all going to meet at the hall, the witch expressly requesting that the fairy come up with a viable excuse as to why she was there since the little witch was smartly keeping the preppy princess out of the loop in regards to their sudden closeness to each other.
Faybelle gave a satisfied smirk, her sharp little teeth showing just enough to look unnerving and her face shifted into something that was more akin to her prehistoric predatory ancestor's appearance, the sight that she made walking by causing the annoying geeks, Humphrey and Dexter to bolt out of her way and stand by the lockers, attempting on trained instinct to make themselves look smaller and appear unappetizing.
"Trusting me with her little adventures already?" The fairy let out an airy laugh. "Maybe there's some hope in this arrangement after all."
XXX
"So… are you guys going to tell me why the two of you are being so hostile to Apple lately?" Raven asked as herself, Kitty, and Maddie marched through the woods leading to the hall of ancestors.
The two Wonderlandiands exchanged a look before Kitty spoke up. "Her disrespect towards others needs and beliefs has resulted in some majorly annoying consequences that this clan now has to deal with by going out of their way to conduct a shady business arrangement in secret." The cat-girl growled supremely irritated.
"We know that Apple has her own views of how the worlds are run and that she is under a lot of pressure to conform to a perfect ideal." Maddie interrupted before Raven could speak in the princess's defense. "We know that you care for her, love her enough to want to see her happy, but Raven, she does not have to keep you likes this, it was her choice to continue insisting that you be her villain when she could have just as easily asked for a new one to take your place, she constantly hurts your feelings when you don't act like this non-existent ideal of what a villain supposed to act like, breaks your heart when she insists that you are nothing but a blood born tool who must become the very thing you despise or she will throw a fit."
"And you know better than us just how many tantrums she has thrown in your presence to try to get you to bend to her will. Rather undignified for a future queen that." Kitty points out.
"And has she ever asked you for the reasons why you want freedom? Really, truly, sat you down and asked you? Ever tried to attempt to understand your culture and think about how this all is affecting you? Just how weak her promises of everything being set to rights if you signed the Book are? Especially in the same breath she reminds you that yours is an unhappy ending, which in your case is far more serious than she is willing to believe, she demands that you become a personality that you are not, often rejects the nice person you are in favor of trying to change you to an unhappy terrible person, and to top it all off you are the one who always ends up harmed the worst when in her attempts to shame you under her control whether in private or in public, because she knows that it breaks your heart whenever she starts to cry, and she knows that you are the one who gets grief for making her cry." Maddie listed out her tone turning more and more angry and disgusted as she continued on.
"So what are you saying?" Raven asked scowling at the ground in front of her.
"We're saying that we are tired of you making excuses for the not-so-fair one." Kitty grumbled. "She made you hide from the world for days because she couldn't be bothered to stop and think about your feelings long enough to realize that you didn't want to become her evil little pet for the weekend and now because she won't give you up like a sane person you have to secretly marry Faybelle of all people to escape her and her blasted happily ever after! Face it honored sister, your supposed "friendship" with Apple is unhealthy for your wellbeing, and it's continuation worries us, it worries your clan Raven."
"We're not saying that you should stop seeing her." Maddie clarified. "Just start drawing lines, create enough distance between herself and you so that you can breathe, perhaps even better prepare yourself if all her promises for friendship turn out to be false. If she starts in on you being a bad guy, in any capacity… perhaps you should just walk away, do not give her the chance for hope by dignifying her actions with a response, let your silence and your refusal to give her any rope to hang onto be your voice on the matter."
Raven blinked back the sting of her eyes, looking at the two's honest and concerned faces in resignation.
"You think that I should stop hoping for the two of us to at least have a companionable friendship." The witch swallowed thickly. "You think that there is no hope for it at all… that I should bury my love for Apple and cease to let it… persuade me to think that I have any redeemable relationship with Apple at all?"
"A friend is someone who cares about you, who is wants to see you happy and wishes to support you in whatever you choose in life's path, and at least tries to understand why you do the things you do… does that sound like any actions that the fair one has taken towards you?" Maddie asked, looking at Raven knowingly.
Raven opened her mouth, tried to think of a time that Apple had been happy when she knew it was Raven who had taken care of her when she got a cold, that it was Raven who made her un-poisoned sweets, that it was Raven's kind words and listening ear that made Cedar stop feeling so blue about eventually having to figure out how to lie to get a real body, that Apple even attempted to understand that Raven had been miserable before she denied her destiny, that Raven wanted a chance at a better life of good and not evil, that Raven did not want to be hated or feared.
"She's really worried about being good enough to be Snow White, and not disappearing." Raven tried weakly.
"We know, but is that knowledge enough to tide you over when she demands that you poison her food and revel in other's fear of you?" Kitty gave the witch a pointed look.
Raven looked down to the ground. "No." She said quietly, heartbroken. "No it isn't enough."
Without another word the three entered the hall of ancestors.
Appearing from behind a thick tangle of trees Sparrow Hood regarded the front doors of the hall with furrowed brows. He had been in a slump recently, unable to come up with any decent new songs, so he had taken a walk in the woods to clear his mind… and stumbled across something he probably shouldn't have overheard…
"Well damn." The boy murmured, not having much to say on the subject, never in a million years would he had thought that goody-two-shoes Apple was… abusive? Whiny, sure, unable to see anything past her own life, yeah, but he and his band had always just assumed by the way the princess clung to Raven Queen that the two of them were having some sort of forbidden affair thing and what all the fuss was about was that the two were at odds about whether or not they should continue in the future past high school.
Granted this made more sense, weird sense, like finding out that your grandma liked to wear tight leather and go clubbing on the weekends and that was why she had been so knowledgeable in helping you buy and learn the rope of wearing your first pair of leather trousers (that fact still haunted him to this day, even when it made his cousin Cerise literally howl in laughter) kind of sense.
And Raven was secretly marrying… Faybelle? For some reason that was probably even more disturbing. But then again he never really did understand the diverse politics of fairies.
"Ow." The boy complained pinching the bridge of his nose; it hurt for him to even think about it.
The boy zipped back behind the tree when he spied none other than Faybelle Thorn out of the corner of his vision flying towards the hall doors.
Faybelle shot Sparrow's tree a scathing look that sent shivers of fear running down his spine before entering the building.
"Raven's problem, not mine, Faybelle will rip off my nearest and dearest if I made a fuss, it's not my problem, it's not my problem…" The boy chanted under his breath as he walked away, having no troubles realizing that if he got pulled into that drama there would be no escape (and Faybelle would make his life hell) and it would most likely cause issues to his private life, which he did not want.
Besides the boy could understand Raven's feelings about an unrequited love interest in someone from the wrong side of the Rebel vs. Royal conflict… and someone that did not have the same orientation as you.
Well at least he felt a little better knowing that Dexter didn't actually have a crush on Raven… but damn the false hope that gave him seemed even worse, it wasn't like a cute, adorably clumsy little nerd prince like Dexter would ever be interested in a male Rebel with an attitude.
Maybe he wasn't giving Raven enough credit, maybe she was more substance than hot air. She at least had the potential to become a decent musician if she wanted to; she at least had enough angst inside of her to be a perfect muse for a new song...
Maybe if Sparrow left out the secret marriage part Faybelle wouldn't notice… and he'd have to obscure a few things to keep Apple from sending her loyal horde after him but… yeah Sparrow could do this.
XXX
"It's about time you guys got here." Kitty griped to Apple and Daring as they came in.
"What's she doing here?" Apple asked scowling at Faybelle who was currently companionably resting her hands on Raven's shoulders as if they belonged there. To Apple's growing alarm Raven did not seem to be bothered at all, in fact the witch actually seemed to lean into the fairy's touch.
"I hadn't been nearly as mischievous lately as I should have been, I knew that Tiffany left her gift of bridal attire in her box so I wanted to swipe those things so that I could bug Edward with them." The fairy stated nonchalantly, leaning over so that her cheek rested against Raven's. "To my surprise I found a determined little Raven and the rest of her clan here, bravely setting out to find the lost magic book, so I said to myself; since it will benefit me if the Book is found then I'll graciously help in this secret investigation."
"Thank you for helping us Faybelle." Raven said with a quiet smile before Apple had a chance to snap at the fairy. "And thank you for keeping this a secret."
"My, my, well deserved praise already?" Faybelle asked in a pleased teasing tone, taking one of her fingers under the witch's chin in order to turn the other girl's head away from Apple's direction and towards Faybelle. "What a kind, polite little thing you are." The fairy purred her sharp teeth showing as she leered seductively at the witch.
Raven blushed, feeling a little flattered and light headed at being called kind and polite in such a manner.
Daring quietly stepped away from a furiously fuming Apple, his sense of self-preservation kicking in.
"Are we interrupting something?" A new voice asked before Apple could bark out her opposition about how Faybelle was treating Raven.
"No!" Apple snapped marching over to a wide-eyed Raven and grabbing her out of Faybelle's clutches, enveloping the witch in a possessive hug as she glared at the fairy.
"Yes." Grumbled Faybelle; casting the princess an annoyed look.
"Can't breathe! Spine… breaking!" Raven gasped, inhaling deeply when Apple loosened her hold, and patted the witch's head in apology.
"Blondie, Cupid! What are you two doing here?" Daring asks because no one else seemed to be focusing on the newcomers nearly as much as the glaring contest between Apple and Faybelle and Raven struggling to break free of Apple's hold.
"We noticed you two sneaking away early, which was odd because the last two years you guys have stuck around afterwards for a second round of applause as you two walk back to the grand lunch in the castleteria to greet your adoring fans and future subjects for when you two get married." Blondie said cheerily. "As a reporter with a sense for a story I grabbed Cupid and followed. We heard Faybelle explain through the door that you guys are looking for the Book of Legends, Cupid and I decided to help."
"We promise to be sneaky my ass." Kitty hissed under her breath.
Cupid eyed the way Raven visibly tensed up at the mention of Apple being with Daring in worry. "We never assumed that you two were going off to do anything… romantic of course." The winged girl clarified hoping to quell the jealousy Raven sometimes felt towards Daring and his duty to essentially become Apple's baby daddy, as well as some irritation towards his wandering eye. "The two of you being quite clear that you have all the time in the world after high school to be monogamous."
"Which was what tipped me off in the first place." Blondie added obliviously, much to Cupid's resignation. "As the future Snow White Apple would never risk being accused of not being a perfect fair maiden, even though there isn't any real risk of that happening." The blonde gave her princess friend a pointed look. "No harm would come to Apple's reputation even if she did decide to date someone else and not Daring, because like you keep saying Apple; we are all just in high school, while we may have our destinies after graduation, we are free to date and do what we want while in high school."
Cupid sighed in relief when Raven seemed to relax at the reporter using the princess's own words to formulate an argument that one could avoid having to become one's destiny in high school, being forced into a roll even before a story was another sore spot for the witch.
"While that may be true, there is also a need to keep up appearances, and what better way to practice for our life roles than working to become them while in high school?" Apple argued back on instinct before her eyes widened as she realized that Raven was in the room and Apple had just practically put her foot into her mouth and made herself seem even more ignorant and untrustworthy to the witch than before.
"However there are exceptions-!" She tried to say but Raven, having had enough broke free of Apple's hold and turned her back to the princess.
"We shouldn't be dallying like this for too much longer." The witch announced, keeping her face from being seen by most of the room, not wanting to appear weak by showing the raw hurt written on it.
"Let's go." Faybelle appeared in front of the witch with a hand extended, her kind tone was like a warm salve to Raven's stinging heart.
The witch smiled gratefully and took the other's hand before the two turned to the giant open book in front of them and stepped forward, disappearing into the pages.
XXX
"Uh… How do we tell which story is which?" Faybelle asked staring up at the eight giant closed sides of books standing up inside the messy giant cocoon of loose pages that they were currently standing in.
"I guess we just choose one and hope for the best." Cupid shrugged.
"It's worth a shot, be careful everyone!" Raven called over her shoulder, letting go of Faybelle's hand with a departing squeeze. All around her the others nodded and disappeared into their chosen books leaving the witch, the fairy, and the princess.
Apple made to head the witch off before she could disappear into the book in front of her. "Raven wait, before we go I have something that I need to-"
"I'm sure you can tell me later Apple!" Raven said quickly, changing directions and fleeing into the book beside the one she was about to step into.
"Looks like you've made her upset." Faybelle observed nonchalantly. "Oh dear, and it seems like it may take more than an apology this time… that is if you feel that you ever need to apologize, seeing as how you are so fair and perfect by default. After all what's a lone brokenhearted witch in comparison to molding a villainous pet from the hammer of constant pestering?"
Apple gave faybelle an odd look, feeling offended but not following the other's logic. "What?"
Faybelle turned to Apple with glowing eyes, her voice changed to something more demonic and taunting as she spoke. "You have always strived to groom her to become one haven't you? A little witchy pet that fits the perfect false ideal in your head of a fairytale villain, who does not question you, ever, and who will obediently live with her dishonor so that you can derive a fetish pleasure out of her becoming a proper wretched little thing who has to live as the feared outcast, forsaken by the world and only having you there to comfort her, even after others curse her name and hate her for doing as you wanted her to do, poison you, commit acts of villainy that you approve of her doing to you. My how thrilled you must get at the thought of her all broken and alone save for the times when you feel like giving her attention… making her addicted to your gaze so that she will be willing to do bad things just so that you may turn your head her way. How you-"
"Stop! That's not true! None of that is true!" Apple roared surprising the fairy by roughly grapping the front of Faybelle's shirt and screaming at the top of her lungs at the fairy.
The glow in Faybelle's eyes disappeared. "Could have fooled me, Raven too because that's exactly how Raven is starting to see it." Her voice came out normal, albeit more than a bit dry.
"You know nothing!" Apple hissed with conviction.
"In fact I am telling the truth." The fairy shrugged as best she could with the princess's tight hold on her shirt. "She truly believes that you care more about your story and that you are only kind to her because you want something from her, for her to become your ideal as a villain- which I must point out is completely false and on another note, totally insulting to us real villains- and as a result her faith in you as the kind and just friend you claim to be is dwindling. Tragic really; especially considering that she loves you so and she's devoted so loyally to you in every other capacity aside from becoming your villain, what a terrible future ruler you are treating your ally like that. Don't deny it princess, I know that you are smart enough to see just how much she loves you."
Faybelle yelped when she was pushed to the ground.
"You're lying!" Apple screamed her hands clenching into fists.
"About what? How Raven gets her feeling's hurt whenever you remind her of her un-happily ever after? Or that she dared love you in an unseemly way, a way that opposes what you want her to feel for you? Or is it both? Is the great and fair Apple White disgusted by the true hearted affections of a meager witch and not the handsome prince who has an eye that wanders the other way every time there is a pretty face and body there to swoon over his looks and ego?" Faybelle asked as she stood up, brushing off imaginary dust as she did so.
"Why are you doing this?" Apple demanded tears springing to her eyes.
"My mother told me that while she had been working as a general villainy teacher at Ever After High, the Evil Queen didn't start out to be as evil or as insane as she had become during her career. She said that the teenaged girl the Evil Queen used to be shared a lot of characteristics with Raven. The Evil Queen was made to be who she is from the cruel hand of maidens like you and the Headmaster himself." The fairy looked at Apple in disgust.
"What do you mean?" Apple asked with gritted teeth.
Faybelle rolled her eyes. "It was a classic case of the privileged few bullying an easy target just because she wasn't human, princess. They hounded her relentlessly, threatening her, blaming villainous acts that they had committed onto her, scared away anyone save her roommate who tried to get close to her, constantly badgered her with horrible words and cruel notes left behind for her everywhere she went. According to my mother she had tried seeking help from the Headmaster, begged him to make it all stop and you know what he did? He called her a disgrace to her ancestry and assigned her to all the classes her tormentors were in and forbade his staff from trying to help her because according to him she needed to stand up for herself."
Apple stepped back her eyes wide, hands covering her mouth.
"As it has become quite obvious she snapped." Faybelle shrugged, speaking in a much calmer tone. "If those maidens hadn't been such asses my mother would have had a lovely ally from the Queen clan instead of an embarrassing enemy. Suffice to say my mother quit out of disgust and has taught me more than one way to defend myself should some hypocritical human maidens decide to start up that old racist nonsense again. And seeing as how Raven Queen is not a threat to my story, I have generously decided to try to form her into my ally."
"Why are you defending Raven?" Apple growled. "Just last week you were calling her a wannabe villain."
The fairy looked off to the side. "I had once thought that Raven Queen was as rotten as her mother underneath all that preaching and independence… I will admit- begrudgingly -that I was wrong, I have found that all that there is underneath her Rebel ideals is a truly maiden-like witch who just wants her honor back and to have hope for a better future." Faybelle admitted in a bored sigh. "She is hardly the villainous type… and once you take away the taint of her mother's shadow there is… potential for her to become useful to me."
"And why should I believe you, about any of this?" Apple demanded her words sharp.
Faybelle shrugged. "My business with Raven is actually none of your business and that is how it is going to stay. However you yourself can verify for yourself the past cruelty done to the present Evil Queen… you are staying in the same dorm that your mother had occupied correct?"
Apple stiffened. "Yes…?"
Faybelle snorted in amusement, stepping closer to the book that Raven had tried to get into earlier. "Over the years it has become custom for students of royalty to secretly install hidden little areas in the dorm rooms, my mother has alluded that there might be something left over from when she was there… if she does not wish to tell you what she and her maiden friends did herself then you might want to find that little hideaway place."
Before Apple could get any words out the fairy stepped into the book's pages, out of her sight.
"No." Apple gritted her teeth and shook her head. Stomping to the only book left. "She's lying, she's a evil fae, she's lying, she's lying…!" The princess chanted as she stepped into the pages of the last book.