Princess Eleonora White sat sewing by a window. The irony was not lost on her, supposedly Queen Snow White's own mother, memorialized as the Good Queen, made a wish for a child while she sewed by the window, though it was a sunny day when Eleonora sewed. She was putting the finishing touches on a new bodice, cream and decorated with simple strings. It was among many things she hoped to sell at the market, bodices were very fashionable in Schönheit, primarily with younger girls, especially with colored strings.

"Evie!" Snowdrop, her niece and stepcousin, ran into the room, wearing a blue gown with red split sleeves and a long necklace, her short black hair making her look a perfect portrait of her mother in her youth. Even Evie dressed similarly, though her collar was higher and her dress was red with yellow trim. "I'm sitting in with advisors today and I need your makeup job!"

Evie continued to sew. "What about the servants? Can't they do it?"

"Yes, but only you know how to do my cheeks well."

Evie smiled at her and set down the bodice. "Okay, but only because you flatter me!"

Snowdrop smiled back shyly and the two headed to their shared bedroom. Evie pulled out her makeup set. Snowdrop was beautiful enough naturally that she never really needed it, but many of the advisors insisted she wear something, especially if they came from the capital, so Evie over the years did her best to make sure her relative was in the best shape.

"Close your eyes." Evie commanded as Snowdrop kneeled down in front of her, at the foot of Evie's bed. She pulled out a bottle of red paint, used for painting the lips, and every once in a while, the cheeks. She took out the brush and lightly swiped the brush along Snowdrop's lips, telling her to pucker a few times as she brought out the white powder. She patted her cheeks and neck and forehead lightly, then took a charcoal pen and drew outlines on her eyes, accenting her eyelashes and eyelids. Snowdrop opened her eyes and looked at herself in the provided mirror, gasping.

"It….it looks good!" She stood up. "I hope the advisors like it. They're the ones that matter."

A servant appeared in the doorway and bowed to Snowdrop. "Princess Snowdrop, the advisors are ready for you."

"Of course." Snowdrop curtsied nervously and followed them out, trying to not wring her hands. Evie returned to her sewing, knowing she'd hear about how the meeting went the instant it was over. It was likely more kingdom management things, it almost always was. Queen Snow White and King Hmayich instilled that knowledge into the girls from an early age, wanting them to be well-rounded and understanding when it came to running two merged kingdoms.

And yet.

Evie glanced out the window, pausing in her sewing.

When she finished, she folded up the bodice and grabbed her basket, adjusting her clothing and leaving the castle through the kitchen, not wanting to take any form of transportation and alert everyone. The visits to the market were always way more exciting if she was alone, and indeed she saw the family whose stand she shared coming up, and smiled, waving and walking over to them.

"Eleonora! A new item for us to sell?" the mother asked eagerly, all of them wearing homespun and embroidered traditional clothing.

"Yes! It's a bodice." She held it out eagerly and the family assessed it, the father finally putting it on their wooden mannequin. "May I look around? I love seeing other wares."

"Go right ahead!" The father nodded and Evie eagerly spun away, looking at everything for sale.

"Cotton! Cotton from the eastern parts of Auradon!" one seller called out.

"Flowers!"

Evie paused and looked at those wares, finding many foreign and seasonal flowers in various colors all in their own baskets. She bought a blue lily and carefully placed it in her basket, smiling. The seller smiled back, wearing a dress embroidered in shades of copper, a common fashion choice in King Hmayich's kingdom. She also bought a spool of red thread, thinking it would look nice for a sampler.

"It's Evie," a few teenagers whispered as she walked by, camping out at a fruit stand.

"Hello!" she said, curtsying a bit. "Oh, would you like me to get fruit too?" She reached for a plum, but one of the boys moved her hand over to the apples with a snicker.

"I think those are more your thing."

"Apples?"

"Yeah. After all, you're Evie."

"It's E-"

"Come on, maybe we shouldn't bother her." Another boy nudged the first one fearfully. "She has magic."

"Oh, right. Scram!" He threw several apples at Evie and they all took off running. Evie managed to dodge some, but one hit her in the cheek, making her cry out. She still stooped down and picked up the apples, carefully rearranging them in the stand. The owner, appearing from the back, eyed her.

"There were some boys," Evie began, attempting to defend herself, "and they-"

"Oh, I know about them. They're relatives of mine." The man eyed her again, staring at her basket. "Best you get going too."

Evie stared back.

"You're called Evie for a reason, you know. Even your adopted family calls you that."

She walked away, heading back to the family that sold her bodice. The oldest daughter eagerly explained how it was one of the first things they sold that day, and Evie smiled and nodded, her mind somewhere else completely.

-0-

Evie has a mother. Said mother is locked in the dungeon, kept under close watch, but she still sees her. After her time in the village, she asked a servant to take her down to the dungeon, and after several guards flanked her, she was led down into a small dungeon under a trapdoor hidden behind a tapestry. The walk was straight and dark, ending in a small cell with metal bars, with a woman sitting on a bench inside.

The woman was halfway stuck between youth and elder, resulting in a mix of a middle-aged woman who looked stunning enough that anyone would do anything to keep looking like that at her age. She wore a simple brown dress with her hair all tied up in a kerchief, wearing even her wrinkles with grace. She looked up at the sound of footsteps, smiling coldly when Evie approached the gate.

She didn't stand. "My little Evilette! How long has it been?"

"A while." Evie didn't want formalities. "I always come here when I forget."

"The people in the village still can't accept you, can they? Imagine what they'd do if you actually became queen!" The Evil Queen laughed. "I know you didn't come here for idle talk though."

"Actually, I did." She waved the guards away. "I'll be fine with her."

They raised an eyebrow, but left, remaining right outside the door. Evie then turned to her mother fully, looking through the bars.

"A little birdy told me you're going to be accepted for Auradon Preparatory. What exciting news!" The Evil Queen said. "Shocked? I know, I was too. It makes sense though. No matter what others say, you are a princess by birth. You have claim to specific lands. They would be fools to not consider you."

"Me, going to school in the capital!" Evie twirled in excitement. "Is it true?! Think of all the fashions, and the handsome boys! Real princes from other kingdoms, not like the dull merchants here."

"Yes, a good ruler always needs a handsome man by her side. The Good King wasn't good at much, but he did spoil his wives." The Evil Queen waved her hand. "But enough of that. I think you should go, so you can fulfill something for me. I'm in this cell, but I still hear things. Us villains, we always find each other. I'm sure you're quite aware of that. I hear whispers that in Kasteel, a job needs to be done. Of course, I cannot do it, but you, Evilette, you can."

Evie got closer. "A job?"

"I cannot say so much. Someone needs to be poisoned. Here." From her pocket, The Evil Queen produced a shimmering necklace with blue jewels hanging from the golden string. "This necklace is filled with poison. This big jewel here, when you slip it onto the target, crush it with your nail. She'll drop dead within ten minutes. I do not know if she'll be at Auradon Prep or back home at Kasteel, but once you find her, you'll know." She carefully slipped the necklace through the bars and Evie glanced around before hiding it in her bust. "Unfortunately, I do not know her name. She's a Villain Kid, like you, with distinct reddish hair and strange fashions. Nobility. Very young. I'm sure you could ask around."

"But why me?"

"You are the one on the outside. Now, do not disappoint me. You can keep practicing your spells and potions at the school, if you go, so don't worry about that. And find a handsome prince. A real prince!"

The guards arrived at that moment, glaring at the Evil Queen and leading Evie away, who only looked back once.

-0-

True to her mother's word, the next morning, instead of a music lesson, Queen Snow and King Hmayich announced that the girls were both invited to Auradon Prep.

"Both of us?" Snowdrop asked in excitement. "I mean, I figured I'd be accepted because I'm the daughter of the Classic Three, or one of them, but why her? Wouldn't others dislike the fact she's a villain?"

"Auradon Prep recently started allowing Villain Kids to attend." King Hmayich spoke with slight contempt. "Which concerns me. I can trust you, but I don't know if I can trust other Villain Kids. They weren't raised the way you were. I just fear you'd be entering a place with bad influences."

Queen Snow just smiled. "It's a wonderful opportunity for both of you. The school was built to help you, I know that you do lessons here, but Hmayich and I only know so much. You two deserve a much more modern education."

"I want to go." Evie said, the necklace her mother gave her burning in her mind. "If nothing else, I'll see some new things!"

"Yes! Auradon Prep is in a very modern and different world. There'll be super short skirts, and people will want to take your picture, it's like a painting but instant, and fruit and vegetables you won't know the words for…"

Snowdrop suddenly swallowed, playing with her skirt. Evie took one of her hands and offered her a reassuring smile.

"Family sticks together."

"Yes! Always!"

-0-

It took a few days, but everything was packed up and ready for the girls to start attending. Evie brought the expected necessities, as well as her sewing and makeup kits. She also took the necklace, burying it under the piles of other things she brought. A wagon pulled by horses was to be their transportation, quick and unnoticeable. A servant tossed their bags on the floor and Snowdrop was hugged by both parents, and Snow White hugged Evie specifically.

"We'll see you when it's time for Fall Break! I mean, you're always welcome to visit on a weekend, but it's better to get settled in first," She helped the two into the wagon and waved them off.

Snowdrop toyed with their bags the whole ride, while Evie tried to adjust her makeup. King White told the girls to dress more modern so they wouldn't feel excluded, and when they expressed confusion, Queen White produced these things called fashion magazines she said came from Auradon City itself, the capital of Auradon. Snowdrop and Evie devoured the pages, seeing girls in all different styles they hadn't ever seen before, but being attracted to the girls who wore a style that looked like neat school uniforms. Auradon Prep didn't have a uniform, but Evie saw no reason why she couldn't dress neatly anyway. She worked her magic and tried her best to create new outfits for their first day using only the images provided. As a result, she wore a dark grey blouse with a brooch that carried the image of a poison apple on it, with a tight skirt that tied around her waist that was patterned with white stripes and frilled in the back. Her shoes were boots that had to be tied with laces, and instead of the large hats the girls in the images wore, Evie chose to wear a red headband that pinned her blue locks back; they normally just grazed her back. The red was for a splash of color.

Snowdrop was the proud owner of a lacy blue blouse with a sailor collar and bow, matching white sailor pants(the magazines cautioned that most women didn't like wearing trousers and some could get into trouble for it, but Evie found the look striking and risked it), with red flat shoes that tied in the back, evoking her mother in every way. She even got to tie her black bob back with a yellow ribbon.

They were strange looks, Evie had to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words such as a 'corset', something Snow White explained all girls in Auradon City and other modern cities wore, and Snowdrop's immediate embarrassment when she learned very large-busted girls like herself were almost expected to wear them.

"We're here!" the driver announced, steering the horses to a stop. Evie grabbed her bag and looked up at the renovated castle, sighing a bit.

"Let's go find our dorms."

Snowdrop nodded and remained close, trying not to get overwhelmed. She bit her lip a bit.

The castle was grey and stone, the grounds wide and covered in green topiaries, bushes, and flowers. According to one of Snowdrop's peers, the castle was once owned by a lord from London three hundred years ago, but was compelled to give it up and remodel it into a modern school for anyone to get educated at, as requested by High Queen Ariel, back when she was ruling over Auradon. Evie caught sight of two boys practicing swordfighting, and winked at them.

As they headed inside, Evie could tell that despite the emblems and shields all over the walls, the lights and stairs were completely new, as the lights were powered by gas and hung from iron fixtures, and the stairs were made of clean white concrete. More students ran around inside, such as a black boy who barreled into a tiny girl, who blushed heavily. A girl in a solemn black veil and dress walked by, her eyes closed and completely immersed in a prayer she was whispering to herself.

"Are you two sisters? Wow! Siblings are rare here!" a perky voice suddenly called out. Evie twirled around gracefully and glanced up into the brown eyes of a very tall and tanned girl with defined muscles. She wore a loose flowing dress that covered her up, patterned with tropical flowers and was layered at the bottom. She carried a camera under her arm; it looked massive. "Hey, mind if I snap your photo?"

"Well, we aren't sisters, technically, she's my aunt because her father is my grandfather, well her father is The Good King, I think people know him by that name, and we're also technically stepcousins, so..." Snowdrop bit her lip again. "And a photo! Mother warned us about this! I just pose like when they're painting my portrait?"

"You're from one of those older kingdoms!" The girl laughed. "Those are the best because they never know what anything is. I've been taking so many pictures today, I'm afraid I'm going to run out of film!"

"Sure, we'll take one." Evie humored her, smiling. Snowdrop adopted a favored pose of Queen Snow White, folding her hands neatly next to her face. The girl grinned and took a step back, stepping in front of the wall behind her. Quick as lighting, she set down the tripod and set the camera on top of it, telling the girls to keep holding their poses and then capturing them a few minutes later.

"Family is important, you know. I hope I see you two around!"

"What is your name?" Snowdrop questioned.

"Lilo. Lilo Pelekai. I like hula dancing and photography and really spicy pepperoni on everything, and my pet is an alien. Bye!"

"Wh-" The girl had run off to look for more people before Evie could question her further, so she instead glanced at Snowdrop, who looked just as confused as her.

"What are….aliens?" She pulled on her cheeks.

"Let's just find our dorms. Snow White told us things would be very different here." She patted her niece in an attempt to comfort her as they walked through the halls. Several people stared at her brooch in curiosity or contempt, and Evie found herself biting her lip from nerves. Did she truly belong there? Queen Snow and King Hmayich were both adamant and open about her attending, but was it really the right choice? Did she even need this school? Was she just trading one group of judgemental bullies for another?

"Do you think your peers will come? Your friends?" She addressed Snowdrop as they climbed the stairs, hoping to take her mind off things.

"Of course! Audrey and Chad! Well, our mothers are the Classic Three, we go together like…bread, jam, and butter! If anyone is getting accepted immediately, it's them!"

They reached the top and followed the signs through a lush golden sitting room and down a scarlet hallway to two branching corridors, one for boys and one for girls. The two took the left side and looked for their names, finding their doors were across from each other, not together.

"Oh, yay! I'm rooming with Audrey! And a girl named Ming-Lei and some other girl named Megan," Snowdrop exclaimed.

Evie went into her own room and set down her bag on the bed that sported her name, knowing what had happened. The school accepted them with open arms, but they still intended to segregate them using the dorms. She and Snowdrop were just across the hall from each other, but what about other Hero Kids and Villain Kids who were super close but got dorms far apart from each other?

The room was large, with three other beds, all decorated in plain white sheets. Curtains covered the large windows, and there were flowers everywhere, but little else for decoration. Each bed came with a fancy dresser and desk, complete with a fancy white machine with letters splayed on top. Evie would have to ask about that. The other two girls she roomed with, Hannah and Lucille, weren't there yet, but the fourth girl was, eagerly pulling things out of her bag.

"Hello! I believe we're roommates!" Evie smiled nicely at her. The girl jumped up in excitement, being quite young. Her reddish-orange hair was up in pigtails, her glasses were green and crooked, and her dress was a stained and patched maid uniform with a white apron over it.

"Yes! Nice to meet you!" The girl said in excitement before returning to her unpacking. "Oh, I'm Corinne!"

"Lovely name!" Actually, everyone in the room had nice names, which pleased Evie. Most Villain Kid parents, she heard, named their child the first thing that came to mind and called it a day. Eleonora was her mother's idea for a name, and Evie loved it. She was only called what she was to match her mother's moniker. "My name is Princess Eleonora White, but everyone calls me Evie." She curtsied.

"Wow, a real princess! My stepcousin is a princess! I don't see her much though. Oh, so's my other stepcousin. Well he's a prince. I'm so excited to be here! I didn't think I would!" She tossed the rest of her clothing into the wardrobe. "Should I have been super formal too? In which case, I'm Lady Céline Christelle Corinne, but everyone calls me Corinne because it's cuter, and shorter! Some others call me Rin, and I like that, and others Dizzy, and that's pretty cute too! Don't you think they all fit me?"

Evie nodded, already able to tell that the girl had boundless energy. 'Dizzy' was certainly apt for her. "Where do you hail from? I don't believe I've located your accent." Despite her excitement about meeting someone new, something dug at her. Reddish hair….strange fashion….nobility…..young….

"I'm from Kasteel! I'm the granddaughter of Lady Tremaine!" Rin skipped out of the room, and Evie fell back onto her bed in shock.

This was the girl her mother had asked her to poison.

-0-

Lady Malevolent hated growing season. She hated festivals, religious or not. Most especially, she hated her peer, Princess Audrey.

Oh, Princess Audrey.

The two had been raised as sisters and while there was a brief time they were close, it was quickly replaced with annoyance and malice. Audrey trusted her people's words no matter how hard her parents tried to sway her; that Malevolent was evil and wouldn't change, just like her mother. The two girls were enemies longer than they were friends.

Mal had been minding her own business in the garden that day, watching the birds have a day in the birdbath, when Audrey stormed over, all sweetness and roses, or at least she would've been, had it not been for the scowl on her face.

"I know you did it! The baker's kids are ill. You did something, didn't you?!" she accused, hands on her hips. She looked every bit like her mother, dark skin and perfect brown curls, a bicolored blue and pink gown and overcoat. Mal, by contrast, was pale with short purple waves of hair, and preferred purple and green in tunics and leggings.

"I didn't." Mal sighed as the birds flew away, startled. "I don't even know the baker, or who his kids are, or anything. I don't go in the village."

Audrey huffed. "You don't need specifics with magic!"

"Yes you do!" Mal let her eyes flash green, making Audrey gasp.

"I wish that stupid law was never invented, let alone passed! You're just terrible!" She stormed off, and a few seconds later, the birds returned, twittering. Mal sighed and sat back down on the stone bench.

She knew exactly which law Audrey spoke of, everyone in Auradon did. Twenty years ago, when the kingdoms had unified and had started to think of laws to pass, there were whispers of what would happen if their adversaries had children. It was a thought they didn't want to entertain, so many didn't, but some did. Especially when Esmeralda appealed to the council in terror and sadness, explaining she had a child with her story's villain, Claude Frollo, and she worried over the little toddler, who was stolen away by Frollo and was being raised by him. According to eyewitnesses, Jasmine put a hand on her own pregnant belly and stood, and explained a new law her and Aladdin had drafted for that very purpose.

While the villains would be punished, and remain so, any children they happened to have would instead be brought up by the families of their heroes. Either they would be raised as a good person, or at the very least, be out of the hands of truly evil souls who would abuse and harm and neglect them.

The law was instantly passed that very night.

Sixteen years later, that was how Mal came to be raised as a lady. Did she remember life with Maleficient, a woman she was taken from when she was just a year or two old at the point? No. Perhaps that was for the best.

Now, she's just expected to be a perfect princess, as vapid and as soft as Audrey….

"What did my daughter say?" King Phillip's voice reached hers, and Mal looked away. "She's making a ruckus in the palace and I need to be sure I have both sides."

"Oh, let her calm down. She will in about ten minutes," Mal grumbled.

King Phillip kept staring at her.

"It's not my fault she hates me! She just does! I'm done being nice. She says things like I deserve to be banished alongside my mother, to live in exile, and that you and Queen Aurora only treat me so well because you're afraid or brainwashed."

He sighed and took a seat next to her. "I don't like seeing my daughters sad. Either of them. And don't look at me with that expression, you are as much my daughter as Audrey is. When you're upset, it's my job to comfort you."

Mal looked at the birds, listening to their cheerful song. "Every month she starts something. She hates my magic. She hates me."

"She'll grow out of it."

"She's had years to try!" Mal didn't mean for her words to come out so biting, honest, but they did, as she whirled around to look at King Phillip. "She hates me."

"Look, I care because I think you could be a hero. Emotional control is very important for them. And it's even more important for princesses."

"Oh, blech! I could never be a princess! That's Audrey's thing." She rolled her eyes, thinking of how gracefully Audrey sailed across the ballroom floor, how her songs attracted any birds in sight, and how she perfectly ate only a teaspoon of soup and remained full. "That's gross."

"Okay, then you can be a hero! More women should! Think of Li Mulan, who all those poems and ballads were written for," King Phillip said. "She's a warrior, a hero, and a woman."

Mal only had bare glimpses of the woman in question. She was one of the 14 Great Queens, fourteen women who ruled with grace and purity and took care of their kingdoms. Queen Aurora was one, and so every so often she'd attend meetings with the others, and Mal always left beforehand, finding the other women to be giggly and vapid. She saw only brief moments of Mulan as a result, always dressed in gold and red robes, her hair piled up into an impossible tiara and tons of powder on her face. She didn't seem very warrior-like where Mal was concerned.

"You have passion. Don't let others stifle it." King Phillip stood up and stretched, looking towards the castle. "I think Lady Wife and Lady Daughter are going to start their usual music lesson, and I should go check on them. Last time they did this, the castle was overrun with birds."

Mal suddenly giggled, despite herself. They had to pick birds out of pies for a month!

King Phillip left, and the birds did as well, finished with their bath. Mal glanced up at the sky, leaning back. King Phillip always offered her the same sort of advice, and she was getting tired of it. She was the daughter of Maleficent, that was always going to come with baggage. Nobody in the kingdom liked her, and she couldn't blame them.

Nothing would ever change.

-0-

Mal didn't have anyone to lean on in the world. Nobody who was a good influence, anyway. Her closest friend was a childhood one, someone who had been raised in a similar lifestyle to hers. Mad Maddy Mim was from a far-off kingdom called Camelot, and the two had been exchanging letters since Mal had been able to properly write. At the age of six, she was given a list of other Villain Kids to write to, and Mad Maddy's name jumped out at her. Her portrait was sent, but Mal never got one back of Mad Maddy.

Instead, Maddy described herself as having violet hair (just like her,) living in an extremely primitive kingdom (just like her,) and being trained in witchcraft (not like her, though Mal did definitely have magic, she had fairy magic, not witch magic.) The two girls clicked from there. Mad Maddy listened as Mal spilled everything about her life, and her future plans.

There was also her mother.

Her mother was in the dungeon, and Mal hadn't seen her in years. Something that would've remained constant, had she not suddenly been accepted to Auradon Prep.

"I got accepted! I can't believe it!" Audrey had started that morning by squealing and cheering, jumping up and down. Aurora and Phillip watched her happily from their thrones.

"We knew you'd be accepted!" Queen Aurora said. "You're a Classic Three daughter, it would've been silly if they had waited any longer." She glanced over at Mal, wandering into the room and rubbing her eyes. "My daughter was accepted for Auradon Prep!"

"That super rich and elite school snobby kids go to?" Mal snarked, earning an evil glare from Audrey. "As if there'd be any chance of her emnot /emgetting accepted."

"I have to start packing instantly!" Audrey spun out of the room, still holding the letter.

Mal looked at the royal couple and blinked. "What's on the agenda for our studies today?"

"Well, maybe you should spend the day packing too," King Phillip said gently. "Don't diss the school before you go there. It's got a noble history and educates students on everything they need to run a kingdom, and on adulthood."

Mal shook her head. "Why should I care? I'm just continuing my studies here. I can't go to a school like that."

"We thought so too, but a letter also came for you." Queen Aurora stood tall with all of her grace and stature, gently handing a crisp golden envelope to Mal. Stamped on the front was the official royal seal of the United States of Auradon, the USA. Mal's eyes widened.

"What?! No way. This has to be a mistake!" She pulled open the letter with trembling hands and skimmed through, only noticing the most important bits.

"They recently started allowing Villain Kids to attend," Phillip began. "At first it was just the kids of henchmen and petty people, but now they're expanding to more famous people. It came off the heels of that other recent decree that commoners and lesser nobles deserved that same sort of education as well." He looked proud, being one of the strongest supporters of that law change.

"We're very supportive of it! Everyone deserves a good education!" Aurora nodded and took Philip's hand.

"What a laugh. Me, at a school like Auradon Prep? It's filled with shallow princes and perky princesses. I'd never be rid of Audrey if I went." Mal laughed bitterly. "It's not a place for me, no matter what the government says."

"It's a great opportunity! You can always decline, but think of what you'd be saying no to," King Phillip pressed. "You could meet new friends, practice your magic somewhere more accepting, see more of the world…"

Mal suddenly had an image of Mad Maddy. Did she get invited too? Would she go? If she was there, maybe things wouldn't be so bad. They'd stick out like sore thumbs, but they'd stick out together.

Queen Aurora had a dark look in her eyes as she put her hand on Mal's shoulder. "If you're unsure, you should ask your own Lady Mother. I'm sure she could say something to convince you."

"Sure," Mal shrugged. Queen Aurora slipped her the wooden key she always wore around her waist, gathered some guards, and lead the girl down a winding stone staircase, a candle in her hand to light their way. The guards were silent. Mal kept her own head down as the sour mildew stench of the dungeons began to hit her. She tugged her cloak over her nose, hoping to keep out the smell.

They walked past several empty cells before they reached the last one, blocked by a door instead of the iron bars that blocked off the other cells. Queen Aurora slid the key into the lock and let it slowly creak open, revealing a larger cell with a woman sitting inside it.

"Talk as long as you need. When you're done, the guards will escort you back up." She left the two alone, and Mal walked over to the cell and stared into the face of her mother, the woman who birthed her sixteen years ago, and raised her for at least two of those years.

"Mal, my sweet darling. It's been entirely too long since we've talked, isn't that right?" Her voice was mature and commanding, the velvety tone not changed by her age or imprisonment. Her tangled hair fell to the floor and she only wore a black gown with a grey overshirt, but still radiated dominance and beauty. She was a dark fairy in her entire being and not even decades of imprisonment would change that.

"How have you been, Lady Mother?" Mal smirked at the formality she used, peeking through the bars.

"Lonely, mostly. Bored without my magic. I can feel yours, years left to grow into it. I'm glad you got at least one thing from me," Maleficient cut elegantly, referring to Mal, who looked perfectly human, except for her purple hair. Maleficent started running her hands through her own, using soft delicate strokes. "You aren't here to catch up, are you?"

"Yeah, I got a letter from Auradon Prep. I don't want to go, but they insisted I should. I don't think there's a place for me there. I don't really want to be around Audrey, and I don't think my one acquaintance would go. Don't you agree that I should just stay here?"

"I am surprised. You're the daughter of a powerful fairy, but that doesn't amount to royalty, unfortunately," Maleficent responded.

"They've changed the rules so Villain Kids can go too."

"I think you should."

Her heart jumped. "What? You want me to be around annoying rich kids?"

"My dear, it's not the education I'm thinking of, it's the power. Think about it. All your life, you've just lived in this one castle, this one kingdom, never to know of anything else. You don't even have a magic tutor, you've just been training yourself. If you go there, you'll be considered a threat. Turn them into putty in your hands. Start with the capital, and then grow to rule the rest of Auradon!" She laughed. "I'm not one for allies, but if you had a few villainous ones on your side, I'm sure it would be quite easy."

"You want me to go so I can take over all of Auradon?" Mal gripped the bars, wincing at how cold they felt.

"Yes! Bring it to its knees! Finish what I couldn't and rule through your magic!"

It was quite tempting, if only for something to do. If Maddy Mim was there, she absolutely would help, but Mal didn't really know anyone else who would. Putting Audrey in her place would be fun too. Could she actually do it though? The school was no doubt heavily guarded and watchful for any sort of evil magic they discovered, and her own magic was very limited. What did she have to lose? She was a Villain Kid, she didn't want to play good. Certainly, nobody else ever let her.

She nodded.

"I'll do it."

"That's my girl." Maleficent smiled a cold smile. "I knew you were just like me. They allow me to have letters, so send me them with any questions you may have. I can try to teach you magic the best I can through written words."

Mal curtsied to her mother before she stepped out, telling the guards she was ready to leave and watching the door get locked once more. Maleficient's words buzzed through her head that whole night, bugging her as she packed and ate dinner. Even when she announced she would be going to Auradon Prep too, Audrey's gasp of anger and Phillip's and Aurora's cheers couldn't drown out the words.

That night, there was only one thing on her mind.

She needed to make her mother proud of her.

-0-

After arriving in a nondescript wagon, Mal had to admit she didn't understand what all the fuss was about. Auradon Prep looked like a regular castle from the outside. She left early and hadn't seen Audrey once at all, a dream come true. Perhaps the school really was magical in some form. She checked out the dorms and saw hers was one of the first in the girls' hall, and Audrey's was very far away, so that was quite nice. Maybe they'd even have different classes.

Since she had arrived early, breakfast was being served, something she was unused to. Breakfast wasn't a meal for nobles, let alone royals, so she never had breakfast in the mornings. Not being hungry, Mal decided to make the best use of her time unpacking and getting used to her room, looking around at her various roommates, who all had also arrived early. Her eyes widened when her eyes landed on a face that seemed familiar, despite only being described to her.

"Maddy! Maddy!" She ran over and greeted the girl with a flick to the forehead.

"Hey girl. So weird to see you here." Mad Maddy smiled and flicked Mal's forehead back. Mal eagerly looked at her for any hint of Camelot fashion, finding the girl fully dressed in a hot pink jacket and pants with fishnet gloves, everything tight. She also wore a plain shirt with a lacy tie wrapped around her neck. The color contrasted with her green hair with purple streaks, making Mal wonder if it was some kind of magic or dye.

"What….do people in Camelot dress like that?" Mal asked.

"Psssh, no! I'm way cooler! This is how I dress." She smirked. "Can you believe our roomies? Me, you, Yzla, and Frederique." Maddy pointed at each girl as she said their names.

"Are they all magic-users? Sorceresses?" Mal mused. She looked around again. Frederique was sitting on her bed, doing her hair with a small handheld mirror, while Yzla pulled a purple blanket onto her bed.

"Guess so. I didn't really ask. I'm going to breakfast." Mad Maddy left the room.

"Sorceress is incorrect. I'm a chemist, a scientist! I make potions scientifically just like my grandma!" Yzla angrily put her hands on her hips. "It's not magic at all!"

Mal noticed she didn't have a hint of purple to her skin, just a dark tan, and she wore no purple either. Instead, she wore a tight red shirt and long white robe with her hair up in a ponytail, and golden jewelry everywhere. "Also, I'm not bad! Not like you guys!"

"Who said we were bad?" Frederique huffed. "My daddy would say, evil isn't made, it's born. But he wasn't always the brightest," She adjusted her hat and closed her mirror. She wore a feathered blouse and long red A-line skirt. "And it sucks that my sister ain't here. Why can't they keep us together?"

"Maybe they don't want so much evil in one room," Mal offered.

"But they put us together?" Frederique bit. "Also, if you see her, call her Celia, not Felicity. And I'm Freddie. Don't listen to what that witch girl says, I don't like that name. Got it?"

Mal shrugged. "Yeah, totally."

"They're easier to remember anyway!" Yzla laughed and left as well, and Freddie flopped into her bed, dozing off.

Mal sighed and sat at her desk, using the area not taken up by a strange white object with text on it, and began to write to her mother.

-0-

-I didn't misspell King White's name, it's meant to be Hmayich, it's Armenian for 'charming' because I based his kingdom off of Armenia because of the prevalence of Snow White stories there