Darling Charming pulls a few books from her locker. She had finally finished her last class and is now eager to get studying over with.

"Hey, Darling," Dexter comes up next to her. "Have you seen Daring? Last I saw him, he was in the library and I'm kind of worried about him."

Darling giggles. "Why? Because he's actually reading a book instead of throwing one?"

"No! Well, maybe. But no. He's been acting royally weird."

Darling closes her locker and stuffs her books in her bag. "Last I heard, he was going to the cafe with Rosabella."

A tiny squeal echoes from a locker across the hall. Daring's locker. Dexter and Darling come over, exchanging looks. She knocks on the locker.

"Daring?" she calls. "Is that you in there?"

"...No?" Daring says from inside.

Darling sighs. "Daring, come on out. You're being silly."

The Charming siblings hear a click, and the locker door swings open to reveal a sullen Daring squished inside.

"I knew he was in a tight spot, but this isn't exactly what I meant," Dexter mumbles.

Darling blinks confusedly. "Daring, what are you doing in there?"

He sighs. "I just wanted to be embarrassed alone."

"Did you get a pimple?" Darling asks. "We can cover it up."

"No! There's - " He leans forward, falling out of his locker. Dexter pulls him to his feet. "There's something wrong with me! Ever since the whole blizzard madness and beast curse happened, I've been out of my depth."

"Out of your depth, how?" Dexter inquires.

Daring glances at a group of girls passing by, inching closer to the wall as he does so. For some reason, he can't bring himself to even wink at them.

"Like, I can't talk to ... " He sighs.

Dexter blinks, surprised. Darling's eyes widen. "You, Daring Charming, are having girl troubles?!"

"Shhhh!" He covers her mouth. "Keep it down! I'm not having girl troubles." Darling crosses her arms and removes his hand, raising an eyebrow at him. "I-I-I think I'm just getting sick. What do you call it when you have sweaty palms, shaking limbs, and begin stuttering?"

"It's called being flustered," Dexter explains flatly. "I get that, like, ten times a day. Hey, what the hex is going on? You're acting weirder than usual." Daring leans against the locker and covers his face. Dexter approaches him. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

Darling sets her hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong, Daring?"

Daring sighs. "...It's Rosabella."

"Rosabella Beauty?" Dexter asks.

"The one and only," Daring confirms. "She's just...She's smart, and she's good to everyone. Literally everyone! She's not like the other girls here."

"You mean she doesn't fall at your feet the moment you flash a smile?" Dexter smirks.

"That's not funny, little bro! I like Rosabella!" Daring sulks. "I want her to like me too."

Dexter glances at Darling. Darling bites her lip and looks up at her older brother. "You know, she and I are roommates. Maybe I could help somehow?"

"Help how?"

"Well..." she shrugs. "I could talk to her."

"Are you going to tell her?!"

"What?" Darling shakes her head. "It's not my place to tell her. You have to be the one to do it."

"But I can't! The moment I'm around her, I get tongue-tied!" he shudders. "That's not easy for me to say..."

"Hmmmm..." Darling ponders, scratching her head. "Dexter, any ideas?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because in spite of being..."

"Hexceptionally bad at being charming?" Daring tries.

"Gee, thanks," Dexter retorts.

Darling clears her throat. "I was going to say 'socially awkward', Daring! He still has Raven."

Dexter blushes. "True, but that took a lot of time to work up the nerve. Like, at least two chapters' worth."

"I'm doomed!" Daring covers his face again.

Darling pats his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it. I know she enjoys your company, especially since you've started doing community work. I mean, who would have thought you'd join the Forest Club?"

He shrugs. "Well, I mean...yeah."

Darling giggles. "I'm proud of you, Daring. Don't be late for meeting Rosabella." She heads off towards the dormitory.

Daring gasps. "Oh, curses! What time is it?!" He runs off down the hall. Dexter stands alone in the corridor.

"I guess I'll stay here then."

Raven enters her room. Apple sits at her vanity, taking notes. She turns.

"Hey, Raven. Ready to study?" She holds up an old black tome for her.

"Uh..." Raven steps back.

Apple's face drops. "Is it the destiny thing? Raven, I promise I - "

"No, Apple. It's alright. It's just to get the class over with. I just meant to say I got all my notes." She pulls her notebook out of her bag to show her.

Apple flips through them. "Wow! Neat and orderly too. That was fast."

Raven nods. "Dexter gave me a bit of help. He gave me this hexcellent book. You have to see!" She pulls the book and a quill from her satchel. "Apple, watch this."

She writes:

"What is the Locomotor Curse?"

The ink disappears, replaced with a message:

"A curse which leaves its victim completely immobile."

Apple furrows her brow. "That's odd. Books shouldn't have moving print."

"Well," Raven shrugs. "Dexter knows a guy."

"So...you don't need to study anymore?" Apple frowns, looking down at her shoes. "I had all the books Holly gave us checked out and...well..."

Raven puts the book down and smiles knowingly. "You wanna study for your final hexam?"

Apple smiles widely and pulls her over to her side of the room.

Daring opens the door to Hocus Latte Cafe, letting the Three Billy Goats out before letting himself in. He stands by the wall, hoping to stop his body from shaking. He keeps telling himself that he shouldn't be acting like this. He's a Charming!

"Daring!" Rosabella waves from her seat by the window. Daring smiles, easing a bit, and runs over to her. "Hi."

"Hi, Rosabella." He takes a seat with her. "I hope this doesn't take up too much of your time."

"Not at all," she sips her drink. "It's nice of you to consider that, though."

He chuckles. "Oh, you know..."

Her cheeks turn pink as she smiles. Daring blushes in return.

"So," she says. "How have finals been coming along?"

"Um, well..." he scratches the back of his head. "It's going fairest enough. Saving damsels and scaling towers...slaying dragons..."

Rosabella glances at the floor disappointedly. Daring's chest tightens. His beast curse had taught him that not all beasts are monsters. He knows firsthand. But he also knows that it's what he's been trained to do his whole life. He crumples a napkin in his hand.

"I'll admit...that last part has been getting harder to do."

She looks up at him.

He smiles a bit. "Dragons are...well, they're normally peaceful creatures. They only attack when they're provoked, or trained to. It's royally not fair to say they're aggressive."

"Exactly!" she affirms. "They're passionate lovers and hexcellent mothers! I've been trying to spell it out for years!"

Daring bashfully scratches the back of his neck. Rosabella giggles.

"Where did you learn that?" she asks.

"The dragons?" he questions. "Well, I tell my father I'm sparring with the Dragon of Withering Heights, but truthfully...I like to give her a break."

Rosabella smiles widely, taking his hand. "Daring, that's fable-ous!"

Daring's cheeks turn red. Spells, she's so kind! he thinks. His hand begins to tremble. No, not now! Say something!

He clears his throat. "So, what have you been doing?"

She shrugs. "Studying mostly. I've been talking with Briar about going home for the summer. I'm going to miss everyone here."

"Yeah..." What is he doing? He might as well ask her now. "Rosabella, there's - "

"DARING CHARMING!" Sparrow Hood pops up between them, shredding on his guitar. "ON A DATE WITH REBEL DESTINY!"

Daring pulls him by the collar and throws him back.

"As I was saying - "

"TOTALLY HURTFUL!"

"Do. You. Mind?!" Daring snaps at him. He sighs. "I'm sorry, where was I?"

Rosabella stands up. "I can see you're nervous, Daring. Maybe we can talk when we're alone, okay?" She sighs. "I'll spell you later. Bye." She heads for the exit.

"Rosabella, wait!"

"AWKWARD BRO!" Sparrow screams/sings in his ear. Daring glares at him.

Night falls, and the students begin to tuck themselves into bed. Apple sleeps soundly in her bed, but Raven sits by the moonlight of her window. Studying with Apple was tiring. Tiaras, posture, smiling, waiting for your hero to come rescue you. She had no idea there was so much to learn about being a princess other than standing there and looking pretty. She flips through her own notes, making sure everything is aligned. Her gaze lands on the Speaking Book. She knows she probably shouldn't use it more than she needs to, but just to be sure.

She opens it to a fresh page and takes out her quill:

"What are the magic words to the Scrying Spell?"

"The Scrying Spell has no magic words."

Raven blinks and opens her textbook. "To successfully foretell the future, cup your hands over your chest and clearly say 'Past and present become one, Let me see what's not been done.'"

She glances back at the book. "Must be out of date..."

She sighs. If only Grimm knew how hard it is to be seen as evil. She glances back at Apple. It took two years of poking and propping and convincing for her to accept that Raven is not her mother. She doesn't know how Grimm can't see that. Why is he so stubborn?

She chuckles. "You don't have to deal with Royals picking on you, huh? Must be nice."

She shakes her head and quietly laughs at herself for talking to a book. Her chuckles slowly fade into silence as ink appears on the book:

"You would be surprised."

Raven freezes. Did she see that right? She carefully picks up the book and holds it in front of her. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you."

She blinks. "B-Books don't talk! Do they?"

"Not until now, I suppose."

Raven chuckles nervously. "I guess so. So, how can you talk? I mean, how can you understand me?"

The book pauses before writing:

"It's a long story."

"Hmmm..."

"You asked if the Scrying Spell had any magic words."
"Last I checked, all you had to do was hold your hands over your chest and bring them forward in a cupping motion."

"None of my textbooks say that."

"You can't learn everything from textbooks."

Raven ponders for a moment before standing up. She cups her hands over her chest, trying to imagine if any good future will happen if this works. Her hands glow with a misty, purple aura as she brings her hands out and cups them in front of her. A foggy, portal-like sphere materializes over her hands. The Fog inside dissipates, revealing her in a flowing blue and violet ballgown and silver crown, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and Dexter's hand in the other. They're standing on stage as their classmates cheer for them. Raven gasps in delight. "I-It works!"

Apple's faint snore startles her, and the spell disappears. Apple rolls onto her side, still asleep. Raven sighs and picks up the book.

"It really works! How did you know?"

"The spells you know are basic. Incantations are spells that can be reversed by anyone, good or evil."

"I'm just trying to pass my hexam...I don't want to actually hurt anyone."

"Who're your parents?"

"I'm the...daughter of the Evil Queen."

"And, you don't want to be evil?"

Raven shakes her head. The book flips a page.

"I understand."

Raven blinks, surprised. "You do?"

"I'm not supposed to know how to use magic."
"And yet, here I am."

"Hmmm..."

"You can use any spell with the right hand motions."

Raven glances at Apple still snoozing. She looks back at the book. "Any spell?"