Radu had gone down to the kitchen to oversee family dinner so after finishing her second much-needed cup of tea, Alissa stood in front of her magic mirror.
"I want to see Googie's life," she ordered.
When the fog in the mirror cleared it became clear why Googie acted the way she did.
...
"Such a perfect princess," Googie's mother brushed her hair, proud of her little daughter for sitting so primly in front of the vanity.
"Thank you, Mommy," Googie smiled.
Even though the girl was hardly four years old her mother walked her through the same beauty process she used now. After which she dressed the girl in a princess gown before securing a toy tiara to her head, "You have to get used to wearing one now," was the explanation.
Instead of nurturing play with her mother Googie was schooled in manners, ballroom dances, and clothing. But it only got worse.
The mirror flashed forward to her first day in school.
"Do well, Princess, everyone's counting on you"
"I know"
"Hello, Charlotte, Googie," Rosella greeted, carrying Christina up the school steps, "How are you today?"
"What are you doing here? With that thing?"
"Get it away from me! it smells evil"
"Mama-" Christina's tiny voice quivered.
"It's okay, sweet one," Rosella reassured, to the disgusted blondes' she declared, "My daughter deserves an education too"
"Take that putrid thing away from here!"
An argument ensued but it didn't last long, everyone was on Charlotte's side The flashes remained much the same. Googie not only pushed around Christina but everyone who stood in her way whether child or adult and they all bowed down to her. After the hundredth time watching Googie push someone-normally, Christina-down Alissa dismissed the images, thoroughly disgusted. Yes, Googie was in the right school no matter what she said.
...
Christina sat at her desk, carefully pasting Rosella's letter into her diary once secure she turned the page and began to write:
What an eventful two days. So much has changed so fast. Mama was right I was taken to the Good School. As it turns out my mother, my MOTHER, runs it and my Grandmother runs the Evil one. As if that weren't enough to wrap my head around the only reason I ended up in Galvodon was because of my evil aunt. It sounds crazy. It is crazy. It's everything from storybooks and more. The colors, the animals, life itself is...buzzing with this sort of magic the village is cut off from. I can feel it flowing through me. I have magic. Scary fire magic, although Mom and Grandmother call it life magic. Apparently, fire is just what we do.
Anyway, Classes began today. Overwhelmed with all those eyes on me, sympathy stares. I fell down the stairs in the theater because Googie-surprise she's in evil-screeched at me. She was always doing that you know. That's why I stuck inside the cottage well, that and all of the not-so-discreet attempts to stone me over the years. I'm fairly certain if anything had ever happened to Mama they would have tried to burn me at the stake. They're very 'old-fashioned' shall we say. I'm glad to be out of there I only wish I could've taken Mama with me. She never married because she took me in. I overheard the tailor on the way to the bakery one day, she had many callers but they all disappeared when I came into the picture.
"Take the first step," Mama wrote me a letter. Encouraging me just as she always has. This was her advice but I'm scared. What's the first step look like? How do I know it when I see it? What if I fall on my face? What then? In second period today, Googie screamed so loud we could hear her. Oh, I wanted to burst into tears not because I was scared but because it just hurt so much my ears bled. Mom, she teaches that class asked me if I was okay and one of my classmates called me a baby. Mom didn't know who but I knew.
Apple White.
She was the first to laugh when I fell too but she's so good at playing the perfect princess that no one expects her, I mean, who would accuse Snow White's own daughter? I suppose I'll just have to avoid her and Googie. Something tells me they're going to be locked in rivalry but time will tell. Now I suppose I'll take that nap, I could use it.
Shutting the diary Christina left it on the desk content to fall face-first into the bed, Easily the softest thing she'd ever had, sinking nicely into the mattress. Despite this sleep never came. Instead, she found herself staring intently at the picture painted on the wall beside her. The wildflowers almost moving. Flowers in hues brighter than the garden behind the cottage. Flowers thriving in sun-warmed soil with their petals turned to the skies. A flapping of wings made her turn over finding the smallest raven perched on the windowsill.
"Hello," she softly greeted, "You can come in"
The raven took the invitation to perch on the headboard of the bed,
"It was strange not to have you following me around today, though i guess you don't need to do that anymore?"
What a strange place this is.
...
Googie stumbled angrily into her thankfully empty dorm room. Every muscle in her body was screaming at her to lie down. To sleep but Googie could never sleep when she was angry and right now she was fuming. Her kitchen uniform was covered in grimy water and, lumps of gruel. Grease was slicked across her forehead and flour dusted her hands. She had never been messier.
This is all Christina's fault! she inwardly seethed, pacing relentlessly. Desperate for a shower she all but kicked open the door to the adjoining bathroom which was mercifully clean, a black granite bath waiting in the center, magically filling with hot steaming water. Peeling off the dress she slid inside the tub, brooding all the while. Christina's fault. She should be here. I should be there. Oh, I bet she's having great fun there with a prince at her beck and call. Eating tiny cakes off a gold platter while someone rubs her feet and tells her how beautiful she looks. That should be me!
Sinking beneath the water she didn't see her eyes go black, didn't see how ice crystals formed on the rim of the tub, or felt how the temperature dropped.
All she could do was seethe.
Christina's fault! as she dried.
Christina's fault, as she dressed, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
Christina's fault, as she climbed into her bed.
Christina's fault, as she closed her once again blue eyes.
It was all Christina's fault.
...
"Miss West," Alissa kindly smiled, "You know the upper levels of the castle are out of bounds, is there something I can help you with?"
Melinda clasped her hands awkwardly behind her back, "I was hoping I could see Christina? She's not in the common rooms so I thought she might be upstairs, I want to be her friend"
"She's sleep right now, the first day wore her out but I'll tell her you came by"
"Thank you, Headmistress"
"I'm only Headmistress during school, I'm Miss Alissa right now"
"Okay, Miss Alissa"
...
Christina was idly stroking the raven's feathers when there was a knock at the door.
"Christina," Alissa eased open the door, "Oh, you're awake"
"I uh, never went to sleep, I don't understand, I-"
"anxites, I had them too my first day at school"
"Does it get better?"
"With time, I came to tell you that Melinda wanted to see you"
"I um, well-"
"Too many people downstairs?"
"Yes, too loud"
"How about you go visit after dinner? By then, it'll be an hour and a half before curfew so much, much quieter"
"Okay," she hadn't stopped petting the raven.
"He seems to like you"
"Always followed me around more than the other two, does he have a name?"
"No, your Grandmother doesn't name her birds anymore but this one is Diablo's little grandson, his little shadow" Alissa smiled, "It drives Diablo crazy, only he and Diaval were supposed to watch over you but"
"I like animals," Christina returned the smile, "They didn't run away from me. There was this old, old hound dog, no teeth, gray fur who roamed the streets because his owners had turned him out, oh, he was dirty and nothing but bones and yet no one took him in, they said he didn't have long left, I was seven and I led him home, I brought him inside, mashed up food for him, cleaned him off and loved on him until he passed three months later. I always rescued the unwanted animals, they never lived long but I made sure they were loved"
"And that heart is why you were placed in this school, not because of me or your father, you"
"I'm scared I'll mess up"
"No, you're going to do great things no matter how many times you fall you only need to get up again"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes"
"May-May I keep him?" the raven had moved to her lap.
"I don't think he'd let me kep him away," Maleficent entered the room, "If you give him a name, he's yours"
"Shade, I'll call him Shade"
"I think," Maleficent smiled, "You've found your first elective"
...
An hour and a half before curfew Christina timidly knocked on Melinda's door.
"Christina!" Melinda smiled, "Come in, come in," she tugged her inside, nearly shutting the door on Shade who cawed indignantly. "Sorry"
Melinda shared her dorm with her sisters. The room was sectioned off and extremely personalized to each girl. Nora's side was draped in purple and white with teetering oz spellbooks and scrolls on her desk, Olivia's was a peaceful blue color, overflowing with majcion books and tricks. Her pet rabbit and dog snoozing in their respective beds. Melinda's walls were so tacked with maps that you couldn't see the wall.
"This is, Nora," Melinda introduced, "Nora this is Christina"
"Hello," Nora greeted, flipping through her handbook, still not sure on her electives.
"And Olivia,"
"Hi, I like your dress," Olivia was hanging her hat on the bedpost.
"Hi"
"I'm sorry my side is such a mess," Melinda apologized, "We can go to the common room, it'll be empty and we can talk"
"O-Okay"
"You're scared, I can see the look on your face but I want to be your friend and because the reader realm is a touchy subject I can tell you about Oz?"
Christina nodded excitedly.
"Okay then, I've been to the Emerald City before..."
...
...
Googie was still seething with rage when the dinner bell tolled. Crow had never set foot in their room but it did little to dampen her rage as she skulked to the dining hall finding dinner was the same meal as lunch. Lumpy gruel served with sides of frog legs and beans. It seemed her classmates had formed cliques who all shuddered as she passed. All except for Crow who was seated with some scaled thing on one side and a pointy-eared thing on the other. The trio lobbed food at her as she passed but after her experience that morning she knew to duck, slumping into a seat on the far-shadowed side of the hall.
I'd rather starve than degrade myself to this mush.
So, that's what she did. Survived solely on contempt and simmering rage.
Tomorrow, she would take her life back.
...
Her plan started before dawn, slinking from her dorm, Googie made her way to the kitchens, finding them empty except for the simmering vats of overnight gruel. Despite the heinous offerings the students were presented with the kitchens were stocked with everything and then some. Donning an apron over her skimpy nightwear Googie set to work whipping up her trustworthy bran cookies. The cookies her parents had fawned over, consuming them by the handful. Once ready she boxed them, sneaking them back to the dorm room where Crow was just rising from her bed.
"Ugh," the werewolf gagged, "What are those mishappen things?"
"You know," Googie hummed in a sing-song voice, "I could say the same thing about your dinner buddies"
"Careful, high witch, they were a sea monster and a vampire"
"I. Am. Not. A Witch," Googie ground her teeth, "And these are cookies, everyone loved them back home"
"Are they poisioned? Are you planning to lure children?"
"No and no,"
"You're a bore, Reader," Crow flounced from the room.
Maybe, but I'll be a princess soon enough.
...
It didn't go to plan. Classmates who tried her cookies gagged, choked, and claimed poisoning while others started fights with them. By the time first period ended she was covered in cookie crumbs and spitballs.
"TAKE YOUR SEATS!" Witch Hazel commanded, "Today we will be practcing our magical talents the more impressive, the better your grade, Reader you're first!"
"I don't have magic so I refuse," Googie crossed her arms and turned her nose up.
"Fine someone show her how it's done"
"Gladly," a girl with her hood pulled over her head stood with a sinister smile, "You don't belong here, Reader? Let me help you out"
The girl pushed back her hood.
"You?" Googie sniffed, if she didn't act afraid they would back down beside, the girl was pale, paler than Christina had ever been with black and blood-red hair and a massive ugly tattoo.
"Yes, me"
"Get to it, Hester!" Hazel snapped.
The tattoo began to squirm, moving and jerking until the thing ripped itself from Hester's skin, flying above her head to await orders. With a cackle, the witch apparent sent the dragon diving for Googie launching one acidic fireball after another.
"It'll kill me!" Googie shrieked, "Help!" she dove under the nearest desk only to have it blasted to pieces above her.
"Use your talents, witless girl," Hazel drawled, clearly amused by what was going on.
"I don't have magic! Princesses don't need powers!"
"Careful, she's getting close," Hester mocked.
Every time she dove for cover her hiding place was dashed. Everything she lobbed at the dragon merely bounced off not even fazing the creature until Googie had her back against the wall.
"Poor excuse for a witch!"
Googie snapped, "I AM NOT A WITCH!"
The window shattered, swarms of angry black bees with ice-tipped wings flowing inside like water to overtake the dragon quickly smothering it while the room plummeted in temperature, the wind whipping everyone to the ground. Hester had it worst, growing paler and paler choking and gurgling, eyes rolling back in her head as her body spazzed.
"CALL THEM OFF!" Hazel ordered harshly,
"ENOUGH!" Googie managed.
The swarm stopped leaving the way it came, taking the icy temperature with it. On the floor limp, Hester was surrounded by classmates while the dragon weakly, painstakingly climbed back into her skin.
...
In her second period, Christina felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice down her back. It felt like a stone had settled in her stomach. Something had happened, she was used to these feelings but they'd never been so strong normally it was just a feeling of unease. Trying not to let it consume her she refocused on the textbook in front of her, the list of terms she was supposed to be copying.
"You felt it too," Raven quietly declared, It's a magic shift, it'll pass"
"Okay"
I don't like this, I don't.
Something was coming.
...
Christina felt immensely better when she stepped outside. The sunshine on her face doing wanders to ease her fear even as she settled onto the picnic blanket between her mother and grandmother for magic lessons.
"We've gone over the basics," Alissa softly began a long slender box on her lap, "Now, we're going to learn them step by step but to do that you'll be needing this" She passed the box to Christina.
"It's a wand, isn't it?" Christina guessed staring at the item nestled in the box.
"Yours," Alissa nodded, "Your father, grandmother and I built it togother when we learned I was expecting"
"Go on," Maleficent softly encouraged laying a hand on her shoulder, "There's nothing to be scared of"
Shakily, Christina lifted the wand from its box, nerves knotting in her stomach at the feeling of magic flowing down her arm and into the wand. The tip lit up a brilliant purple startling her enough to drop it. Fire Magic, scary fire magic, her heart resumed hammering in her chest.
"It's alright, here, hold it like this, okay?" Alissa gave the wand back to Christina, "Just take a deep breath your magic is tied to your emotions, stronger the emotion the stronger your magic"
"What-what am I supposed to do now?"
Next to the blanket, a flower rose from the ground with its petals still closed.
"Try to help it open"
On the edge of hyperventilating Christina let the magic flow down her arm once more. The magic that streamed from the wand was weak, flickering in and out encircling the flower. Beside her the adults watched, breath hitched in their throats as the bloom unfurled briefly reaching toward the sun before snapping closed again.
"You did it"
"It closed again"
"It was only a first try, I wasn't able to do it when I started learning," Alissa reassured, "Try again"
...
Googie stormed onto the lawn, ripping a basket from the goblins, purposely stomping on the ankle of whoever tried to trip her. Looking around she found the princesses already seated around a blonde prince with a blinding smile. When they saw her coming they squeezed together shutting her out. Changing course she looked for the next best place to sit, spotting Christina's prince seated under the same tree as the day before apparently waiting on her to arrive. Perfect!
Oh, this is too easy.
She approached with her best, brightest smile, "Mind if I sit?"
"Uh.."
"Great," he didn't allow him the chance to respond, "Christina always runs late, don't let it bother you, so what's your name?"
Silence ensued.
"The silent type, eh? That's alright can I just say you're very handsome"
A complete lie but it was okay because it was a little lie. The kind that made people feel good. The kind that got Googie the harvest queen title back home. Googie took the continued silence as an invitation to moved closer.
"Shaggy, what happened to you?" Christina cried with concern upon her arrival.
It was only then that Googie realized the arm she'd been stroking trying to get any kind of response was tightly wrapped in a bandage.
"I fell, I'll like, be okay"
So he talks to her but not me!?
"Let's find a table so you can rest your arm on it," Christina gently pulled him to his feet.
They're ignoring me! Ugh, look at her with that stupid tiara.
"Do you want me to kiss it better?" Googie asked, knocking Christina back as she stood, batting her eyes at Shaggy.
"No," Shaggy caught Christina before she could hit the ground, taking her basket despite being one-handed.
"Over here!" the green-skinned girl waved.
Googie tried to follow only for the raven that followed Christina around to chase her away. Slumping back under the tree she seethed even though the basket was full of her favorite food.
It was so unfair!
...
"Are you two okay?" Melinda asked when Shaggy and Christina joined her, "That girl gives me the creeps"
"I'm fine, are you?" Christina took her lunch basket from Shaggy.
"Yeah, she was like, trying to flirt"
"I'm sorry I took so long getting here, Magic lessons wore me out"
"It's okay"
"So, Christina," Melinda asked, spreading cream cheese on her bagel, "What's with the raven?"
Shade had returned sitting on the table next to Christina who gave him the seeds from her apple.
"This is Shade, he was sent with Diablo and Diaval to watch over me and now he's mine"
"So Magical Creature Care?"
"One of my electives, yours too?"
"Yeah, maybe we can sit together?"
"I'd like that"
"I like, signed up for Art this morning," Shaggy happily declared, "And they can put it between my hardest classes"
"That's great"
"Anyone settle on their second class?"
"I'm stumped"
"Me too"
"We'll figure it out, like, any idea what we're in for later?"
"Not a clue"
...
"Look," Alissa whispered excitedly to Radu.
"Vhat? Vhat?" the vampire startled,, "Is there a fight I need to break up?"
"No," Alissa laughed, "Over there"
"I believe," Maleficent startled the other faculty, she didn't usually speak during lunch, "Alissa is refering to Christina"
"Ah," Radu turned to see Christina laughing with her friends. "She's settling in"
"Yes, but look, really look"
"You don't think Shaggy-"
"I do"
"I think we know who's asking Christina to the ball," Maleficent chuckled, "If they can survive the dancing lessons"
...
"I don't think I like where this is going," Melinda clutched Christina's arm when they stepped into the Princessolgy classroom.
The desks had been pushed to the walls. The marble flooring was marked with numbered pink footprints while a trio of castle servants stood beside the blackboard tuning instruments.
"Ladies, please come in," Aurora waved the class inside.
"Ooh, are we taking dance lessons?" Apple clapped, excitedly, her voice reaching an octave that bothered Christina's ears, "I'm a divine dancer, where's my prince?" she looked eagerly around as if Aurora had a closet full of handsome boys just waiting.
"Because the Winter Ball is still weeks away, we'll be partnering with each other to begin with now, I trust you girls can partner on your own?"
While Apple pouted the girls paired off, Christina and Melinda nervously shaking.
"I suppose I should warn you I can't dance," Melinda whispered, "I'll step on your toes"
"I've never danced, ever"
"We're sunk"
"Agreed"
The band started to play, the footsteps on the floor lighting up with the steps for a waltz that the girls found difficult to follow with their eyes. It was easy to see who'd been raised going to balls. Those select few girls moved effortlessly about the room in one pair after another, Apple taking the chance to show off by twirling and dipping her partner. Then came Raven partnered with Maddie. They bumped heads, stepped on each other's feet, and went the wrong way before finally crashing onto the floor laughing despite themselves.
"Are you girls alright?" Aurora helped them up.
"Wonderland-a-full," Maddie giggled, "Right, Raven?"
"Yep," she nodded, "We're okay"
"Don't worry, you'll get plenty of practice, go take a seat"
"We're up"
"Oh, no"
"Poor things," Apple whispered so quietly that only Christina heard as they stepped up to the starting point.
If Raven and Maddie were bad they were arguably worse, not even five steps in they crashed to the floor in a mess of tangled-up limbs, "I regret wearing heels," Melinda moaned, trying to push herself up.
"Oww,"
"Sorry, Christy was that your arm?"
"Yeah"
It took a few minutes but they managed to untangle themselves doing the walk of shame to the back of the line. The scene repeated itself every time it was their turn until the chimes for the end of class rang.
"We'll continue tomorrow in the meantime read pages one through five in chapter one tonight!
...
"I'm so sorry, Christina," Melinda was still apologizing.
"It's just a little tear, Melinda," Christina inspected the skirt of her dress, running her fingers over the plum-colored fabric, "I'm sure I can mend it, besides, you broke a heel"
"I have three more pairs, I just ship these to the cobbler in Bookend," the young witch magicked on a new pair of shoes.
"Like, what happened to you two?" Shaggy asked in concern.
"You look like you've been run over by a stampede," Dalton added, "Are you girls alright?"
"Just a bit sore," Melinda managed, wincing.
"Dance lessons happened"
"You too?" Dalton laughed, "I got tangled in my lasso"
"Well, like, they did tell us to remove our weapons," Shaggy chuckled.
"When you wear one your whole life you forget about it," Dalton shrugged.
Maleficent arrived leading them to a blue pumpkin patch, "Because of your abismal perferformance yesterday, we're going to practic until you're experts, you'll need this skill in the Trial By Tale"
"The what?" Googie sputtered.
"The Trial By Tale," Maleficent smiled, " We need to make sure you comoerhend what you're learning in this class so just after Halloween the Blue Forest will be transformed into a compition grounds full of traps and tricks, school against school all night, the last Ever or Never standing will win the Trial for their school"
"You're going to kill us?" Googie shrieked.
"No"
"Then-"
"Enough, girls please stand in the Pumpkin Patch, boys, put on the blindfolds, since good and evil are such hard concepts you'll only need to find the girls once everyone has been found we'll switch, understood?"
"Yes, Madame Maleficent"
"I am not going to be a fat-" Googie suddenly felt very bloated, she'd been transformed into a large pumpkin on the far side of the patch, unable to speak or move. She watched the boys stumble around unable to tell the real pumpkins from the girls while Maleficent became increasingly frustrated, Serves her right, Googie thought to herself before being struck by an idea. If a prince was to identify her then that would prove her right. Come on, come on, come on, she watched Dalton near her, face scrunched in confusion but instead of her he kept walking, You're useless. Edward stalked through the patch, kicking a pumpkin only to yowl with pain, hopping on one foot over to her. Go away, go away, go away, I'm not the one you want Edward fell over, narrowly missing her,
OH, COME ON!
Dalton circled back around causing hope o flare, come on, come, on, pick me, pick me! But he went for one two rows in front of her
"This one," he tapped the pumpkin's stem.
"Good job," Maleficent clapped.
The pumpkin popped into Melinda, "I've got a crick in my neck"
DANG, IT!
Shaggy was still circling the patch only to stop suddenly, "That's Christina," he declared pointing at the pumpkin directly in front of him.
"Are you certain it's Christina?"
"Yes, ma'am"
"Well done!"
"Oww," Christina almost fell backward, "I feel squished"
"Here," Shaggy helped her out of the patch over to where Melinda stood.
Apple and Crow were located by Gaston Jr and Cadfael quickly after. Edward finally got to his feet with a scowl, "This one's Googie"
"Well done, Gentlemen, please hand your blindfolds to the girls"
Googie practically ripped the blindfold out of Cadfael's hand, tying it over her eyes with a huff.
Maybe if I select the Princes.
...
Christina looked confusedly at the sprawling pumpkin patch, I can do this...I think.
"Feels like Munchkin' country," Melinda muttered beside her, "I'll check this side you take that one?"
"Sounds good"
Stepping gingerly into the patch, Christina started at the furthest row closest to the trees, running her hands over the tops of the gourds. They all look alike. She cleared one row, starting the next.
Wait a minute!
There was a sudden pull in her chest, tugging her forward, stronger and stronger until she came to the very last pumpkin in the row, "That," she declared with utmost certainty, "Is Shaggy"
"You're sure?"
"Yes"
Christina caught Shaggy before he could hit the ground, "I like, see what you mean about feeling squished"
"You two may sit over there," Maleficent directed.
"I found Dalton!" Melinda called.
"Excellent!"
"So," Shaggy nervously began, sitting down with Christina, "What were you like, going to do after class?"
"Homework," Christina shrugged, "I have reading for every class"
"I was going to take Scoob for a walk around the grounds, is there like, any way I can convince you to join us?"
"That sounds much more fun than homework, I'll be happy to join you"
"Maybe we can go to the library and study after dinner, Christy?" Melinda suggested, "Two heads are better than one"
"I think that's a great idea"
...
Look at her! I'm so perfect! Googie was back to seething. She was so mad in fact that she tripped Apple.
"What Hexactly is your problem, Witch?" Apple snarked, pulling Googie down with her.
"I am not a witch!" Googie snarled murderously, she swung for Apple's face, just grazing her cheek.
"Oh, it's on!"
The two rolled around the dirt, pulling each other's hair until they were roughly pulled apart by Maleficent's magic.
"Ladies! Floor duty for the both of you!"
"But, she attacked me!" Apple cried, fat tears rolling down her cheeks, "I was only trying to defend myself"
"Floor duty, report to the servants quaters in your respective schools"
"I'll get you for this," Apple hissed.
Googie pretended not to hear returning to the task at hand but she was so worked up she bombed the assignment. Apple located Gaston Jr while Crow found Edward and Cadfael. A gigantic flaming F exploded over Googie's head as the end-of-day chimes rang causing her to grind her teeth. Instead of reporting to the servant's quarters as required, she stormed the bridge fully intent on pleading her case to Alissa only for the once calm water to turn stormy, rising up into a massive wave that knocked her straight through the doors of the Evil school.
"And just what do you think you were doing, Miss Hale?" Maleficent asked, sternly glaring down at her, "I gave you an order"
"I don't belong here I BELONG OVER THERE"
"If you're so insistant then I'll give you a challenge"
"What?"
"Solve a riddle and you can transfer"
"A riddle? Are you kidding me?"
"So you don't want to transfer?"
"I do"
"Then tell me, Miss Hale, what is the one thing Evil can never have that Good can never do without?"
"Manners?"
"No," Maleficent smiled wickedly, "You have until the trial to figure it out, now, the floors aren't going to clean themselves"
...
"Vhat are you looking at?" Radu snuck up on Alissa.
"Down there," she pointed over the balcony railing.
From where they stood Radu could see the tops of students' heads as they milled about the grounds in little clusters, some talking, some laughing, and a few were holding study groups. Farther off, near the lake he saw what had captured Alissa's attention. Christina was playing fetch with Shaggy and Scooby. When the wind blew just right they could hear her laugh.
"Must you spy on them?" Radu teased lightly, stepping away from the railing.
"I am not spying"
"Right," he guided her back inside where the tea tray was waiting, "Then vhat do you call it?"
"Observation"
"Alissa.."
"Seveteen years we were seperated from her, forgive me for being a little scared she might disappear again"
"I know how you feel but you and I both know Christina's safe here, nothing will happen, I promise"
...
As the days passed the girls found themselves settling into two very different routines. Christina rose with the sunshine, joining her family for breakfast before meeting Melinda at the steps to walk to class where she tried her best to go unnoticed. Lunch was spent most time under the same tree where they joined Shaggy and Scooby trading stories about anything and everything. When the school day ended she'd join the boys for a walk before heading back to the castle to spend time with her parents. After dinner, Melinda would either meet her in the library or join her in her room to study. More often than not this involved trying to practice their dance skills but the progress was painstakingly slow.
Meanwhile, Googie was up before the sun, slinking down to the kitchens to eat some real food before cooking a recipe from home, desperate to win over her peers and prove her princess status. She spent classes as the target for abject humiliation. At lunch, she swiped a basket, tried to flirt with princes, or inserted herself into the princess group. The day usually ended by failing her woods survival class whereupon she was made to clean or cook back at the Evil castle. Once a day before being released to the dorm, Maleficent would ask if she had solved the riddle but her answers were never correct.
Then Saturday arrived.
...
Christina had just finished braiding her hair when there was a knock at her bedroom door.
"Come in"
Maleficent glided into the room with a warm smile, "Christina I was wondering if you'd like to see where your mother grew up?"
"You mean, over there?" Christina glanced out the window where she could see the Tower of Evil School at the edge of the window.
"Yes, I know it looks scary but there's nothing to worry about, the barrier over the bridge is the same magic that sections off the school so it won't stop you and my students know better than to give you any trouble besides, I hexpect most of them will be flocking to town today"
"Okay"
"We'll gp after breakfast"
"Good morning, Christina," her parents greeted in unison upon arrival at the breakfast table.
"Good morning," she settled into the chair that pulled itself out for her.
"How did you sleep?" Alissa asked.
"Good dreams, ve hope," Radu added.
"Yes and yes"
"Visit Grandmother's"
"Be mindful of the walls," Alissa giggled, "They like to move"
"Really?"
"Sometimes"
"And what are you teo doing today?" Maleficent asked Radu.
"I vas going to take Alissa to the tea shop, that is, if she vants to go"
"When have I ever objected to the tea shop?" Alissa jabbed her husband in the ribs in between bites of blueberry waffles.
"One day you might"
"Never!"
Christina giggled, slicing strawberries over her bowl of oatmeal.
"And vhats so funny?"
"You"
"They have this argument every weekend," Maleficent took a long drink of her coffee.
"Really?"
"Yes, ever since they were your age"
"Christina," Alissa calmed, "Did you settle on your second elective yet?"
"No, I, I don't do well with so many choices"
"If you're having trouble we can alternate electives"
"I still don't know"
"A little birdie told me you sing, Christina," Maleficent declared with a smile.
"You sing?"
"No, no, not really," Christina flushed with embarrassment, "Mama used to sing me lullabies and she taught me all the ones she knew when I got older she would ask me to sing for her but, but I can't really..."
"Something tells me you can"
"I don't know"
"Give it a try?"
"Right now?"
"Yes, we aren't going to judge you"
Christina took a deep breath, imagining herself back in the cottage, just climbing into bed with the fire warming her face as Rosella's rocking chair creaked a steady rhythm, "Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly, lavender's green. When I am king, dilly, dilly, You shall be queen"
"You can sing!" Alissa clapped, "Oh, I should show you the music room later, we have a smaller one up here, seperate from the classroom"
"Alissa, deep breath," Radu laid a steadying hand on her arm, "You're going to overwhelm her"
"Right, right, sorry"
The nerves in Christina's stomach unfurled as she was overcome by another laughing fit, "I would like to see it, Mom," she managed, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Great!"
...
Maleficent's Castle was twice as dark as Christina had imagined it. Cold marble flooring with thorn patterns stretched before her past a wall of student portraits to the trio of sprawling staircases labeled, Malice, Hatred, and, Loathing.
"It's brighter upstairs," Maleficent assured directing her to a fourth unmarked staircase she'd overlooked, "This way"
Any students they passed in the halls paid her no mind, same with the goblin servants who simply nodded their heads as they passed. Once they reached the third-floor sunlight filtered through intricate windows interspersed with beautifully detailed tapestries
"These were your mother's rooms," Maleficent pulled open a set of heavy doors carved with dragons.
"It's so bright," Christina observed, head swiveling trying to take in all the details of the room so much like her own with the same bright colors and furniture set-up but where hers was empty, void of personal touches Alissa's was filled with them from her old toys to faded sketches and pictures of friends. From there, Maleficent showed Christina the old classroom where Alissa took all her early lessons, the courtyard garden, and all of Alissa's favorite hiding spots as she recounted various stories. Until the castle didn't seem scary at all.
"There's one more place you should see," Maleficent guided her back outside to the very center of the bridge, "Do you see it?"
"There's something there," Christina realized, slowly reaching out a hand towards the wavering sky in front of her until her fingers brushed against cold, weathered stone, running her palm against it she found the door, jumping in surprise when it opened, "What's in there?"
"Come see"
It was a large tower so tall Christina couldn't see the roof. The walls were lined with beautiful fairy tales. Their spines shone gold in the sunlight that came through the windows high above, in the very center of the room on a raised podium was the largest book Christina had ever seen.
"That is the Storybook Of Legends, entrusted to your mother and I several years ago, the orignal keeper was a man named Milton Grimm but he became corruppted using the book to force everyone in the fairy tale realms to relive the same stories over and over but it was when he tried to erradacate monsterkind that his brother, Giles took action. It was a very long and teadious battle that cost both men their lives but with his dying breath Giles named us the new gardians of the book, enchanting it so it may never be corrupted again. It has remained in this tower, recording all the stories since"
"Is that why it's glowing?"
Maleficent looked again in shock, the feather quill that rested beside the book was scratching away, "Yes," she recovered, "The tower doors can only be opened by our family so if you ever need a safe space you're welcome here"
"Thank you, Grandmother," Christina hugged the elder fae tightly.
"You're welcome, Dear, now, run along and enjoy your Saturday"
...
"Mother?" Alissa stepped into the tower, "What's so urgent that I had to leave Bookend right away? I was ordering classroom supplies-"
"Alissa, the Storybook began a new tale"
"What it only does that-"
"I know but look"
Alissa peered over her mother's shoulder to behold the title page of the newest story:
The Fairy, The Wolf, and, The Witch.
Why yes, that title is a reference to Narnia.
Hester was my favorite character from the books so she had to show up. As for bad-girl Apple? someone had to take over Beatrix's role.
Review, predict and all of that!