Chapter Text
"Emma,
I need your help. I seem to have found myself under some sort of curse from the Dean of evil herself. I don't why she chose me to curse, perhaps because I teach spellwork, but I can't explain what is happening any other way.
Everytime she is near me it's like I'm under a spell.
I would do anything that she wished, I would follow her for all eternity as long all her attention was always on me. I enjoy sitting next to her, or standing, or listening to her speak, or even simply existing near her.
When I am away from her I feel my heart clench and beg for me to return to her side. My mind conjures images of her in my sleep so I cannot even escape her then.
My eyes follow her every movement. My ears are always listening for her voice. My nose can always catch her scent no matter how faint it is. My hands always want to pull her close. My lips… Well, I'd rather not discuss those neverish thoughts with you.
That's what this must surely be. She has given me some sort of potion or cursed me in my sleep to me into a never. Why, though? Why me? Why not Clarissa? Surely if she has perfected a curse to change an ever into a never then Caleissa would be its best target. Not some clumsy old ever who doesn't even hold a title.
I feel like I need to speak with you about this as you are the only one I want to talk to about this. Since the unification, if I were to talk to anyone, they would just assume that I'm trying to blame her for some scheme because I want the old ways back. I do but I wouldn't sink to never lows to do it.
Please, either tell me how to fix this or help me find a way to. I don't want to feel like this anymore, it's painful when I'm not with her and it's going against all of my instincts. I need help before I do something truly foolish like ask to be her friend or ask her to the ball.
Could you imagine what that would do to my image? It would cause carnage. It would cause uproar. Especially considering you're the only one who knows my… preference.
Will you join me in my chambers for tea after dinner this evening? Would seven be a good time. I'll provide the biscuits, even get out some of my pineapple tarts for you.
From,
Rosie"
Perhaps writing that God forsaken letter was a mistake. It was an impulsive decision from her late last night, early this morning?, so that maybe she could figure out what the redhead had done to her.
Anemone was the only person she could go to who wouldn't just accuse her of trying to disrupt the joining process. To be fair, she had tried to in the past, but those days were behind her. While she adamantly hated all things never, she wouldn't disrupt something that obviously made Clarissa happy.
If it wasn't for Clarissa she would still be under her evil parents' care, she owed the woman her entire life and career. While being broken for parents meant that she abdicated the throne and any title she would ever hold, it gave her freedom.
If Clarissa hadn't become her fairy godmother then she would be married off to some Prince and had children pooping out of her like she was a rabbit. No thank you, she was perfectly happy being a teacher.
Though her parents may disagree she supposed that it made her like her job even more. Thanks to her so many young evers had become sorcerers for the purpose of the greater good. Merlin would be proud.
She did truly enjoy her job and being surrounded with so many young minds filled a hole in her heart she didn't even know existed. Her want for a child.
While teaching may make it worse for others like her who wanted a child and were biologically not able to conceive, for her it helped. It gave her a chance to help young people grow.
At the end of the day isn't that what motherhood is? Helping develop a human? Teaching them about the world and their place in it? She had truly been given the greatest gift by Caleissa and she would dare betray her dean by taking away something that rough their join.
For the first few weeks she had sucked it up and nodded her head along like a mindless idiot.
Then, she had no idea what had triggered her, she blew up on Lesso at one of their meetings. She had gone on a rant about how the nevers were a disgusting lot that deserved nothing in life but to be in changes and left to rot.
Nobody spoke to her for the rest of the week and she couldn't blame them. What a horrid thing to say and yet there she spoke with such disdain in her voice like she had been wronged by each and every never personally.
Like she was offended by their very existence.
She did try to apologise the next week but everything just grumbled and went on ignoring her.
So, she apologised to Lady Lesso directly for her outburst. Unlike at the meeting she was calm, calculated and didn't let her anger at herself or the never boil over. She didn't make excuses and offered a genuine apology with a handshake to solidify it.
The dean was rightfully unsure and made her swear to not explode like that on her. She did without a second thought and they shook on it, not without Rosalina receiving a well deserved lightning shock though.
After that initial meeting she has watched Leonora throughout all of their interactions and she started making note of things she could do to help better their relationship.
She would give her a small treat of some kind if she noticed that she hadn't eaten food yet that day. She would pull her chair out for her or help her sit down if she noticed that her leg was in more pain than usual. She would even help her stand up by standing next her and subtly placing her hand around her waist so that she didn't collapse.
Then the strange behaviour from her side started.
Of course she had noticed when Lesso would place her hand on the evers thigh when they sat next to each other during meals. She had noticed the winks directed at her across the meeting table. She had noticed the prolonged looks, the helpful hands reaching things from top shelves, the touchy fingers that would twirl her hair and the whispered words of filth.
It was just usual never behaviour was it not? To rule up ever in whatever way they can and if that meant abusing the burning in the spellwork teachers chest then why should she put it above her? It made complete sense in her mind.
When she had tried to ignore them they only appeared in her mind late at night and even spilled over to the land of dreams soon after. So, she took them in stride and would respond. Respond to each look, helpful gesture, filthy comment and touchy hands.
Which made it worse because it only pushed Lesso on.
Which all culminated in her writing that God forsaken letter. The letter that she had sent at God only knows what hour this morning by dove.
Anemone had ignored her all day, great, the only one other than the dean's who would talk to her. Clarissa was busy all morning so she was stuck with Leonora being her never self towards her again and felt ready to melt away.
Emma had stolen far too many glances for her to be comfortable with which didn't really help at all.
Then during break she had spotted Emma in the corridor talking with an ever girl but when she was noticed walking up to them she only received a glare from the beauty teacher. Even when she tried to explain herself all Emma did was tilt her head with an unimpressed look.
She took the hint when arms were crossed and lips were thinned. Was it too much to hope for a letter back?
Apparently not due to the fact that when she went outside for a stroll right before dinner to clear her head she was smacked in the face by a dove carrying a letter. Did even the creatures have it out for her?
She glared at the dove before noticing the name on the front of the envelope. At least she had a response from Emma finally, she had a feeling that it was going to be a letter of complaint but at least it was something.
She looked at the bird laying on the floor with an unsure look. “You good to keep flying?”
At the angry chirp she got she leant down and scooped up the bird with a small frown. “Great, now I feel bad.”
A quick pet along the damaged wing had it repaired in her grasp. “There you go darling, you can fly to your heart's content again.”
A wing hit her in the face and before she could say anything about it the bird had flown away from her too fast.