Chapter Text
"Once upon a time, in a faraway land, long, long ago... well, more like 20 years ago, King Randor married his now-wife Queen Marlena in front of about 6,000 of their closest friends. Yeah. Big cake."
"And instead of having a honeymoon like the rest of us normal folk would have, he decided to unite all of the kingdoms and got himself elected king of the United States of Etheria. Woo. He rounded up all the villains, sidekicks... basically all the really interesting people and he booted them off to a little place in the middle of the ocean called Beast Island with a magical barrier to keep them there."
"This is my home. No magic. No wi-fi. No way out."
"Or so we thought. Hang on there, you're about to meet us. But first, this happened."
The teal waters that surround the land the castle resides on crash into distant rocks. The waves sparkle as light from the bright sun peeking through white wispy clouds shines over the ocean. Her gray-blue eyes gaze over the far-off island across from her, gold outlining the almost see-through barrier encasing it.
"Sleeve please." Adora does as her tailor tells her to, lifting her right arm up as Spinnerella takes a needle and threads it through the gold and white sleeve of her jacket.
"Head." A pale, rosy pink hand tilts her head to face the door of her room. A measuring tape quickly wraps around her head before releasing it. Her blonde hair, which she pulled up into a tight ponytail, was messed up with a few strands hanging in front of her face.
"How is it possible that you're going to be crowned queen in a few months?" Her eyes shift to the couple walking in, arms looped in each others. "You're just a baby."
A burly brunette and blue-eyed man dressed in a red blazer with tiny golden accents and white pants with black dress shoes. A crown laid on top of his head, red, gold, and blue crystals sparkle in the sunlight. The woman next to him wore a dark blue and white knee-length dress, her ginger hair tied up in a low bun. Her cheeks were dusted in a faint blush, her light red lips turned up in a sweet smile.
"Honey, she's turning 18," Her mother says, letting go of his arm to grab a pile of clothes off the pool table that Adora pushed to the side of her room.
"Hey, dad."
"18? Marlena, are you sure that isn't too young? I mean, I didn't make a good decision until I was at least... 42," Her father asks. His wife goes to place the pile in her hand on the ottoman next to Adora's large bed that was cluttered with open books and loose pages of random writing and maps of other kingdoms and stars. Marlena stands by his side and turns to stare at him.
"Uh, you decided to marry me at 28," She says.
"Right." Her dad mumbles. Adora chuckles under her breath, her hand rising up to rub the back of her neck.
She takes a deep breath before saying, "Mom, dad." Adora moves her leg to step off the little platform she's on but Spinnerella pushes her back gently and shakes her head. "Sorry, Spinny," she apologizes, placing her leg back where it was.
"I've chosen my first official proclamation," Adora states, after clearing her throat a few times. "I've decided that the children on Beast Island should be given a chance to live here." She watches as her parents' eyes widen in surprise, a shirt that was in her mother's hands falls to the carpeted floor.
"Every time I look at the island out there, I feel like they've been abandoned." Adora hops off the fitting platform, much to Spinnerella's displeasure.
"But... the children of our sworn enemies, living among us?" Randor questions his daughter incredulously.
"We-we'll start out with a few at first, just the ones who really need our help. And I've already chosen them." Adora tries to be confident, putting on a smile as she straightens her back, bracing herself for her parents' reaction.
"You have?" her father asks. Adora clearly detects a bit of irritation in his voice. Shit, this is not gonna go well, she thinks, this is not gonna go well.
"Let her speak." Marlena places a hand on his shoulder, facing her daughter. "Who are their parents, Adora?"
Now or never. "Garnet... Ezri... Dione Devilin... and Shadow Weaver."
Everyone in the room's reaction is about what she expected; shouting, shock, gasping, anger from her father. Spinnerella and a couple of servants in the room quietly exit, softly closing the door behind them.
"No. No. Absolutely not."
"Dad, just listen-" she's abruptly cut off.
"I won't hear of it, Adora. They are guilty of unspeakable crimes against us. Shadow Weaver especially," he fumes. His fists and jaw are clenched, eyes full of rising temper and disbelief directed at her.
"You are aware of what she's done to us all. The council of Mystacor. Innocent civilian towns. Our friends and family." He counts off examples on his fingers while he rants.
"But Dad, their children haven't done anything. They're innocent. Don't you think they somewhat deserve a shot at a normal life? Dad." Adora tilts her head and pleads. It's hard to reason with her dad when he's angry.
Marlena squeezes his arm. "She is right, dear."
Randor backs down, calmness washing over the sea of anger that was just there moments ago. He exhales.
"I suppose... their children are innocent," Randor hesitates to say, placing his hands in his pockets before stepping away from her.
Adora's mother side-steps in front of her, fixing up her shirt collar. "Well, that's certaintly quite a way to start a morning off," she whispers. Adora lets out a small smile at that.
Her mother matches it. "Well done." She smoothes out Adora's jacket, giving her daughter's hands a light squeeze before walking towards her husband. "Shall we?"
They loop arms once again, leaving the blonde to stand alone in her room. Adora sighs, walking to her window to once again look out of it. Her thumb traces the details of the gold rose-carved ring on her finger. She stares into the glittering ocean water as she absently wonders what's about to happen next.