Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Apple dear,” Snow White called, “make sure to be ready by 5:00 sharp for today’s party. We will be having a lot of very important guests, so do make yourself look presentable.”

“Yes mother,” Apple replied, eyes downcast, hoping not to show her sadness too apparently.

“Oh and be on your best behavior. We wouldn’t want you to embarrass me now, would you?” Snow White asked sweetly.

“O-of course not!” Apple responded quickly, “b-but will father be home today? I just- I kinda wanted to spend a birthday with him you know?”

“Don’t be silly my Apple Blossom,” Snow White started dismissively, “you know your father is out on important diplomatic business right now. Besides, you are a princess and birthdays are to show the world how you are maturing into the next heir to the throne, not to be spoiled by others, that is only for commoners and is just plain disgraceful.”

“R-right. Sorry mother,” Apple said sadly, trying to hold in the tears threatening to spill over.

“That’s enough now. Hurry on to your room and start getting ready. I expect you to be ready to greet the guests with me” Snow White ordered.

“Yes mother,” Apple whispered and hurried back to her room.

As Apple hurried through the corridors of the White castle, tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t hold in her emotions anymore. Tears stained her dress and the carpet as she ran through the halls up to her room.

Once inside, she slammed the door shut and locked it, leaned back on the solid wooden frame and slowly slid to the floor. She buried her head in her knees and sobbed. All the bottled up emotions from her father never staying for her birthdays to her mother’s disregard of her emotions finally spilling over and causing her to cry until her eyes were red and sore.

“W-why,” Apple said meekly, tears still running down her face, “why do they never listen to me? W-why do they always need everything to be perfect? Why can’t I just be enough?”

Eventually, a maid came knocking on the door, asking to come in and help her change into her required attire for the party.

“Excuse me Miss, but may I enter?” Asked Eliza, the head maid of the White castle.

“C-come in Eliza,” Apple called to her maid shakily, already unlocking the door, quickly wiping her face of any evidence of her breakdown, and moving to her bed to cover up her unladylike appearance.

“Miss White, sorry to interrupt your rest time but I have been sent by your mother to help you get ready for the party tonight” Eliza said while curtsying to show her respect.

“Ok,” Apple replied quietly, resigning herself to her fate and mumbling quietly to herself, “let’s get this over with.”

“As you wish Miss,” said Eliza obediently as she started pulling dresses out of the wardrobe attempting to discern the best colors to put Apple into.

Apple just stood there silently as Eliza fussed over her hair, dress, and shoes. She only responded when she was asked a question and even then only responded with the smallest amount of words. She was becoming more and more resigned and quiet which did not go unnoticed by a certain dwarf peaking into the room to keep an eye on Apple White.

“All done Miss. I hope you have a nice party. Now, if you‘ll excuse me” said Eliza before quickly leaving the room.

Apple, now left alone in her room, had nothing left to distract her from her thoughts. Her mind drifted away, daydreaming about what it would be like to be a commoner. She could happily celebrate her birthday with her family and friends. She wouldn’t need to worry about always wearing a smile. She would have parents who would spend time with her without it becoming a routine to criticize everything she has ever done. Slightly, just slightly, she was starting to feel jealous of all the families living in the castletown just outside their castle.

“Miss Apple White” a gruff voice called from behind the door, “your mother requests your presence immediately. The guests will be arriving soon and you must hurry down to greet them with your mother”

“Ok, I will be down in a second” responded Apple White reluctantly.

As Apple headed through the hallways of the castle, she heard a loud crash coming from the Great Hall. She rushed over, wanting to see what all the commotion was about.

Once she reached the Great Hall, she abruptly stopped, eyes widening as a cold sweat ran down her spine. Her mother stood over a shattered vase as she turned slightly red with anger.

“SHE DID WHAT?” Screamed Snow White. “WHAT THE SPELL WAS SHE THINKING!?!? HOW COULD SHE ACT LIKE THAT IN FRONT OF A MAID!?! IS SHE MAD?!”

Apple stood rooted in place. She was shocked and extremely terrified. Her mother had gone into fits like this before and it had never gone well for her. Every time it happened was when Snow White was very busy and stressed, when Apple did one small thing wrong sending Snow White into a frenzy. Taking out all her frustration and anger on Apple. All she could do was stand there and take the insults doubtlessly coming her way.

At this point, Snow White had turned enough to see Apple standing at the side entrance to the Great Hall and urged her to come inside.

“APPLE WHITE! COME HERE IMMEDIATELY!!” Yelled Snow White

“Y-yes M-mother,” Apple said meekly, averting her eyes.

“YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THIS FAMILY. HAVE YOU NO SENSE?? WHY WOULD YOU EVER THINK IT IS ALRIGHT TO LET SOMEONE SEE YOU IN THAT SORRY STATE??? YOU MUST BE PERFECT AT ALL TIMES!! THAT IS AN ORDER AND YOUR DUTY. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!”

“Y-yes Mother” Apple whispered, barely audible for anyone to hear.

“NO. I DON’T BELIEVE YOU DO! IF YOU DID THEN YOU WOULD STOP BEING SUCH A NUISANCE! Oh my Grimm, what have I done to get a foolish, senseless daughter like you.” Snow White continued, mumbling that last part under her breath but still loud enough for Apple to hear.

At this point, Apple already was on the brink of tears. She slightly shuffled on her feet. Something which did not go unnoticed by her mother, eyes narrowing and face becoming another shade deeper of red. Though Apple thought the slight purple tint of her mother’s eyes were definitely her own imagination as the second she noticed, it was gone.

“I-i understand mother,” Apple stuttered out, trying to subtly blink away the tears.

“Fine,” said Snow White finally pulling herself together, “Now, I expect there to be no more problems tonight. I have already done you a big favor by even hosting this party for your birthday. Now, it is your turn to pay me back for my generosity.”

“Yes m-mother,” replied Apple, looking down at her feet.

“Come stand next to me, the guests should be arriving shortly. Do NOT bring shame to this family again. And someone clean up this mess” bemoaned Snow White pointing at the remnants of the polished vase on the ground.

As Apple stood next to her mother, the welcoming band started playing, signaling the arrival of the guests. Apple plastered on a smile, something that came to her easily but was proven to not yet be perfect as some guests eyed her confusedly.

The guests arrived one after the other. Each one stopped to greet the Queen and her daughter, presenting their gifts for the princess. Although the party should have been meant to make Apple feel special and happy, it was obvious that the only thing these guests cared about was impressing the Queen with their extravagance and loyalty. Not one of them even looked at Apple or wished her a happy birthday. They were too busy sucking up to the Queen, hoping to gain her favor or some other agenda which Apple did not pay close attention to.

After seeing the first few guests, Apple lowered her head. She quickly realized that nobody cared about her. All they wanted was to talk to her mother. Not even the other children looked her way, too busy ogling the Queen of the kingdom. She was not even needed at her own birthday party. Her emotions started bubbling up, slipping out from beneath her fake smile. The people started to blur together. Her mind was drifting away into miserable thoughts and memories. The voices turned into static. Finally, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to stop it from quivering. She thought that if one more person felt the need to ignore her, she might just break.

She closed her eyes tightly to stop the tears from spilling over as the next guests approached them. She did not look up when they started talking to her mother. However, because her eyes were closed she did not notice another young girl slip out from behind her parents and start to approach her.

“Um. Are you ok?” Asked a sweet, melodious voice.

Confused by the question, Apple opened her eyes and looked up to the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. A young girl, around the same age as her, with the most gorgeous deep blue eyes and platinum blond hair dressed in a pretty blue gown was looking right at her.

“Uh- wait. Are you talking to me?” Apple asked incredulously.

The young girl’s face broke out into a grin and she giggled a little before going back into that original concerned expression.

“Yeah silly, who else would I be talking to?” She replied, “So, are you ok?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine” Apple responded, still trying to stop the quivering of her lips but was struggling due to the genuine concern written in the stranger’s eyes. It made her heart beat just a little faster.

“Hmmmm. Somehow, I don’t believe you. But I will let you off the hook for now,” said the girl contemplatively.

It was then that she was called over by her mother and the girl waved goodbye as the family went on their way into the party area. Apple couldn’t help but stare after the girl wondering how horrible the evening would have gone if she hadn’t reached out to her, stopping her breakdown quickly and sincerely. Apple was so entranced by the girl that she did not hear her mother calling her to greet more guests.

“For the love of Grimm, Apple you need to focus. There are still more people coming,” Snow White scolded frustratedly, going into a small but furious rant as the wave of guests ebbed away.

“Yes mother,” Apple replied, only half listening. Funny enough, with that girl around to distract her, Apple did not feel too stifled by her mother anymore. In fact, she felt more brave than she had in a long time.

After greeting the guests, Apple was practically left alone while her mother walked around and talked to all the royals. Everyone listened with rapt attention as Snow White spoke. Apple looked on in frustration and jealousy as everyone brushed her off, only saying the minimum words possible to her. They all wanted to go and listen to the Queen. Apple felt so alone and unneeded. But before she let her smile slip from her face, Apple quickly moved to a corner of the room where she would go unnoticed by everyone.

As Apple was walking, however, the girl from before caught up to her and called out.

“Hey,” said the girl, causing Apple to stop in her tracks, “I forgot to tell you this before but, Happy birthday!”

Apple turned around and stared at the girl in shock, frustration giving way to pure surprise and happiness.

“T-thank you,” said Apple, almost breaking into tears for a different reason than before.

“Um, I know this isn’t much but here you go,” said the girl shyly, handing Apple a necklace with an Apple pendant, “a birthday present! Oh but don’t tell my parents, they said it would look bad if I gave this to you since its really small, so please keep it a secret!”

At this point, Apple had completely lost her composure, tears streaming down her face clutching the necklace to her chest.

“Wait- Oh my Grimm. I’m so sorry. If you don’t like it I-I can take it back. I didn’t mean for you to cry. Wai-“ stuttered out the girl, panicking at the sight of Apple crying.

“N-no. I d-do like it. I-its just- I’m sorry. I h-have to go,” Apple said brokenly, running out of the Great Hall before anyone else sees her in this state, remembering the words her mother said to her before the party.

Apple ran and ran until she was outside the castle and in the forest next to the White estate. Only then did she stop to breathe and see where she actually was. She quickly found her favorite spot in the forest, a grassy open area with all kinds of flowers surrounded by trees, and sat down leaning against a tree.

Apple took in the scenery and fresh air and finally felt calm again. She wiped her tears and looked down to see the necklace from the girl still being held in a death grip. She turned it over and held it up to the light, admiring how it sparkled in the sun. Although it was small and she had many other more extravagant necklaces in her jewelry box, Apple truly believed that it was the most beautiful thing someone could have given her. Something meant for her and her alone. Something that was given to her away from the ever-judging eyes of her mother. Her heart soared and her cheeks warmed when she thought of the cute face the young girl made when she gave the present to her. And, she did something that was quickly banned by her mother from the age of five, she giggled. She felt truly happy and free for the first time ever.

“She really is a wonderful person. But,” frowned Apple, talking to herself, “I still don’t know her name.”

“Darling Charming,” said the girl from behind Apple, “My name is Darling Charming and y’know, it's not fair for you to just run away before I could finish my sentence.”

Apple turned and again thought that this girl, Darling, was the most beautiful person she had ever met.

“I-I’m sorry,” stuttered Apple, stunned that she would follow her out of the party, “it's just that nobody has ever given me a present before and it made me so happy. But I didn’t want anyone to see me cry.” Apple’s eyes widened as she realized what she just said. Mentally, she chastised herself for leaving herself so vulnerable to someone she doesn’t even know. Her mother would have lost it if she saw this happen.

“What really? You haven’t gotten a present before?” Asked Darling incredulously, “but what about your other birthdays? Your parents didn’t get you anything?”

“N-no,” Apple said meekly, not wanting to talk bad about the King and Queen, “b-but I know they were suuuper busy so that must be why.” At least that is what Apple wanted to believe.

“Hmmmmm. Well then, I guess I’m the first person to give you a birthday present!” Darling said with a cheeky grin.

Darling’s smile was so contagious that Apple felt herself begin to smile as well, in spite of her earlier uncomfortableness. And not the pretend smile she wore at the party, a real one, teeth and gums and all.

“Hehe. You smiled!!” Yelled Darling happily.

“W-what? I was always smiling though,” Apple said, taken aback.

“No,” Darling started seriously, “back there you may have been smiling but you didn’t look happy at all. But now, you look suuuuper happy!”

Apple did not know what to say to that. She had no idea how this random girl she hadn’t even met before could tell if she was actually happy or not. It seemed like no matter what she did, Darling could see through every lie and fake smile. Something about her-her smile, her scent, her beauty-was disarming, making Apple want to lay herself bare for Darling to see.

“Oh! There are so many flowers here!!!” Darling said excitedly, snapping Apple out of her rivière “Let’s make flower crowns!”

“Flower crown?” Apple asked confusedly to which Darling mock gasped.

“You haven’t made flower crowns before???” Questioned Darling, eyes widening.

“I-I haven’t,” stuttered Apple embarrassedly, “I am not allowed to go out of the castle much.” Again she chastised herself for being so open with this practical stranger.

“Whatttt??? We must fix that right now!! Here, let me show you how!” Darling stated while kneeling to the ground and collecting a bunch of flowers to use.

Darling sat down next to Apple and set the flowers she picked on the ground. She started picking some up and making loops to connect the different flowers. As she showed Apple how to make a crown, she started talking and sharing all kinds of stories about her brothers and her family. However, Apple was barely listening, she was more focused on the way Darling’s hair blew in the wind and the way her eyes sparkled with joy and happiness as she saw her creation come together.

“Heyyy come on,” Darling said, half pouting and immediately capturing Apple’s attention, “You need to follow what I’m doing or it won’t turn out well.”

“R-right,” Apple replied, blushing hard as she set to work on making the flower crown.

Minutes passed in silence as the two put all their effort into making the flower crowns. Until Darling finally finished hers and yelled in victory.

“Yesss. I’m done!!!” Darling shouted with vigor.

Apple looked up from her work and saw a gorgeous crown made of flowers with a blue and red pattern.

“Woahhhh. That looks soooo good!” Apple said in amazement, then looked down at her own creation and frowned, “Mine looks like a horse stepped on it.”

“Hahaha” Darling laughed, “don’t worry, mine looked horrible too when I first started. But it gets better the more you make!”

Before both of them knew it, the sun was already going down. They ditched the party for so long that Apple knew she was going to get severely punished later.

“O-oh no,” Apple started fearfully, “It’s so late! We’ve been gone for so long! Mother is going to kill me.”

But before Apple could stress out any further, Darling, sensing the impending anxiety of her new friend, reached out and pulled Apple into a hug, Apple’s mind immediately going blank.

“Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine,” reassured Darling in a calm and sweet tone. They stayed like that a while, Apple clinging to Darling and Darling slowly stroking Apple’s back, calming her down. Apple vaguely thought to herself that Darling’s scent, a mix of earth and citrus, smelled really good and immediately became Apple’s favorite scent.

“Hey, before we go, close your eyes for a minute,” said Darling, pulling away from the hug slowly and wearing a mischievous grin at Apple’s obvious reluctance to let go.

“Uh, ok,” replied Apple and dutifully closed her eyes. She doesn’t know why but the other girl’s presence makes her feel at ease.

Darling then leaned in close and placed the flower crown she made on Apple’s head. She backed away slowly and folded her arms behind her back looking at Apple with a full smile.

“Ok, you can look now,” called Darling.

Apple opened her eyes and felt something on her head. She reached her hand up and felt the flower crown on her head.

“W-what?? W-why did you put this on me? It’s your crown,” Apple asked incredulously, blushing.

“Well, I thought it would look good on you. Besides, what’s a princess’ birthday without her crown amirite?” Asked Darling cheekily.

“T-thank you, not just for the crown. For everything. Today was the best birthday ever!” Apple announced cheerfully wearing a full toothy smile on her face, eyes crinkling into crescents.

Darling froze as she took in the true beauty of Apple’s real smile amongst the blowing wind and beautiful sunset. Hiding a blush of her own, she replied.

“L-let’s hurry and go back before they notice we are gone,” Darling stuttered, as she started running towards the castle before abruptly stopping and turning back to Apple in a final show of confidence, “Oh, and you look much more beautiful with your real smile than a fake one.”

Apple blushed fiercely and Darling giggled as she started running again back to the party with Apple finally snapping out of her embarrassment and running after her, still with a huge smile on her face.

And so, Apple White met the witty and kind Darling Charming. And although the party might be over, their story has only just begun.

Chapter Text

It had been two weeks since Apple’s birthday party. Every night, Apple replayed the events of that day over and over in her mind, constantly wishing she could go back in time and relive being in the presence of Darling Charming. Each time this would happen, Apple would subconsciously reach her hand up to her neck, wanting to feel the calmness and happiness Darling’s present gave her. However, every time, her hand would be met with nothing but the sleek fabric of her dress, pendant nowhere to be found.

She knew that the minute her mother caught wind of a gift being given to her, it would be taken away from her right away. Worst case scenario, Snow White would storm over to the Charming castle and demand Darling Charming be punished for giving such a simple gift to the next queen of the kingdom, the biggest form of disrespect. That was the last thing Apple wanted. Which was why the second she got back to her room after the party, Apple deftly hid the pendant in her favorite book, a story of a princess trapped in a tower and the knight that comes to save her. She knew that this would be the safest place to hide her prized possession, as the book was seen as an unimportant piece of fiction. However, she was still sad that she couldn’t keep the necklace with her. Only able to look at it within the confines of her room and making sure to be extra vigilant that nobody was peeking in at her.

Aside from that, the only unusual event was that, starting after the party, her mother would take frequent trips outside the castle, brushing them off as business meetings whenever Apple plucked up the courage to ask where she was going. Apple felt guilty to think about it, but, the times when her mother was outside the castle were when she felt the most comfortable. When her mother wasn’t around, the servants in the castle would mainly keep to themselves and only check in on Apple occasionally to make sure she was alive. They wouldn’t constantly keep watch on her activities, so she didn’t have to keep up her image that she was perfect and didn’t have to worry about her mother punishing her. Although it was sad to think about, those were the times Apple felt the most free to do what she wanted. Of course, recently, all she wanted to do was think about Darling Charming.

She was easily the most beautiful person Apple had ever met, with her long platinum blonde hair and deep blue eyes that seemed like it encompassed the entire ocean within them. Apple blushed just remembering how those eyes had been focused on her, and only her, that night.

As the heir to the White throne, Apple was constantly under surveillance by the castle workers, by the guards, and by her mother. They were always watching to make sure she carried herself in the proper manner, spoke politely, and never showed any sign of weakness. It was oppressing and frightening. She knew that if she messed up, her family’s name would be tarnished and her right to rule would be brought under question. It put a significant amount of pressure on Apple. However, that day, when Darling looked at her with the utmost concern and worry, it made Apple’s heart constrict. Here was a girl who knew all about Apple’s power and status, yet she didn’t shy away from her. She wasn’t jealous. She wasn’t just being polite. Her unbridled kindness and smile coaxed Apple to let the walls she built up for years to come crashing down. Darling’s cheeky demeanor and sheer excitement about the world around her brought out Apple’s real smile, something she has hid for the majority of her life. Apple felt liberated just being in her presence. As if the expectations and suffocating pressure just vanished into thin air.

However, she was always reminded of her bleak reality when every evening, Snow White would return to the castle in as bad a mood as ever and berate Apple for her random disappearance at the party. Snow White would stomp around the castle snapping at anyone she came across, throwing and breaking furniture in her rage, and direct all her anger at Apple. Banning her from going outside, forcing her to study from morning to night, and on rare occasions forbidding her from eating until she was cowering in fear and begging for forgiveness. All this when not a single person noticed her absence from the birthday party.

It was as if the happiness Darling Charming instilled in her when they first met was slowly starting to fade away, making Apple succumb to the wills and expectations of her mother. She wanted to hold on to that memory. Lock it away in her heart so that she would never forget that happiness. But, as the days passed and nobody would look her way, the loneliness and fear would grab her and drag her down into the depths of darkness.

It forced her to remember that she never ventured outside the castle. That she hadn’t done most things children do. She was always chained to the castle, forced to study and prepare to enter high society without making a fool of herself or her family name. It was times like these that the expectations and pressure put on her came to the surface and slithered around her heart until all she could think about was being perfect and upholding her family’s good name. She was forced to remember that she had no friends and was still all alone. That no matter what, nobody would know the real her. Just the facade of a perfect princess doing whatever her mother wanted of her. She was a puppet with no real ambitions and feelings of her own. Everything was scripted for her. The way she should talk. The way she should carry herself. The way she should act around others. Darling Charming was just an anomaly. Someone kind enough to reach out to her. But anomalies are not the norm. They are a once in lifetime occurrence. Apple knew she would never feel the same freedom and happiness as that day.

Whenever these emotions came up, Apple would lock herself in her room and cry herself to sleep, refusing to eat and bathe. In these moments, nobody would disturb the princess. It was an unspoken rule in the castle to keep these incidents to themselves and only wait till the princess came out by herself. They didn’t care. They would get paid no matter what. However, in these moments alone, Apple would think to herself. All she wanted was a friend. Someone she could talk to. Someone who would play with her. Someone who made her feel safe, that she was worth it. Someone she could tell everything to. Right now, as unlikely as it may be, all she wanted was to see Darling Charming again.

The next morning, Snow White returned home and summoned Apple White to her study. Apple, confused as to what her mother wanted but not wanting to anger her, rushed to get dressed and hurried across the castle to meet her mother.

“Apple dear, so glad you came so quickly” Snow White remarked happily, surprising Apple White. Her mother was never this cheerful, especially towards her.

“Uh yes. Good morning, mother. Why have you called me here?” Apple asked cautiously, not knowing what could have put her mother in such a good mood.

“My my Apple!” Snow White remarked disappointedly, “Haven’t I told you not to be so direct? It is unbecoming of a lady, it shows that you are too eager. Have I taught you nothing?”

“O-oh sorry mother,” Apple replied meekly.

“Anyways,” Snow White continued vibrantly, shocking Apple yet again “You will be coming with me on a business trip!”

“W-what?” Apple asked incredulously, “A-are you sure? I mean, won’t I just get in the way? Your business trips are about the kingdom right?”

“Of course. Do I really need to repeat myself? If I say you are coming, you are coming. It makes no difference what I’m discussing although you must be on your best behavior. We do not want to lose our reputation” Snow White replied with a bit of irritation.

“Y-yes mother” Apple said, eyes downcast, knowing that her emotions would show clearly on her face if she dared to meet her mother’s gaze.

“Hurry now and go get changed, we will be heading out shortly” Snow White said, dismissing Apple and sending the head maid with her.

As she made her way back to her room, Apple was lost in thought, very confused as to what could possibly put her mother in that great of a mood. It was a rare occurrence to see her mother genuinely smile, and this morning, it seemed like she was so happy that even Apple's lacklusterness couldn’t quell the joy in her voice. A small part of Apple’s brain, one that Apple herself would not acknowledge, thought that this version of her mother was even more scary than the version of her mother that was always disappointed in her.

When Apple returned to the foyer, fully dressed up and presentable, Snow White was humming to herself, seeming to forget about all the maids and servants awkwardly staring at her. She welcomed Apple back warmly and ushered her into the carriage waiting outside to take them on their journey.

Apple sat quietly as they made their way outside the castle and toward the castletown. Apple had never been in the town before, as it was forbidden by her mother. Snow White would always remark how unsightly and disgraceful it would be for a royal to visit a commoner's town. Apple had never even accompanied her mother on any business trips before which left Apple nervous as to the reason for this change in her mother’s attitude. However, instead of focusing on the anxiety her mother’s demeanor instilled in her, Apple excitedly looked out the window as they passed through the town.

People lined the streets, going about their daily business. Apple could see many citizens rambunctiously talking with each other, playfully pushing and shoving each other. Others lined up at the many stalls that encompassed the streets hoping to find good merchandise to buy. Overall, the town was lively and happy and Apple had never seen anything like it. As she stared out at the hundreds of smiling faces, she felt a little jealous of their care-free nature and the way they could enjoy themselves without worry. She sat back against the carriage seat and decided to just keep to herself until they finally reached their destination.

They soon approached another castle, much like the White castle except smaller and that included multiple training grounds. As they got near the entrance, Apple could see many soldiers practicing their swordplay or horseback riding. It was a sight foreign to Apple, one nobody would ever see in the White Castle since everyone was much too proud to be caught training in front of the Queen or princess. While scanning the grounds, a familiar blob of platinum blonde hair caught her attention, making her heart pound violently against her chest, so loud she thought her mother would be able to hear it. Apple leaned closer to the window to get a better look and confirm if it truly was the one she wanted to see, forgetting that her mother was sitting right across from her and watching her every move.

“Hmmm, you seem to be entranced, Apple dear” remarked Snow White with a teasing smile, startling Apple and making her go back to her perfect posture.

“I-i was just admiring the dedication of the soldiers” Apple replied quickly, masking her blunder with a forced smile.

“Oh nonsense!” Exclaimed Snow White happily, “I saw you watching the mock battle over there with the blond haired boy and brown haired boy. It seems that my hunch was correct.”

“Hunch?” Apple asked confusedly.

“Oh nothing…” Snow White trailed off “You’ll see in time, dear.”

After that, Apple looked back out towards the training ground, hoping to confirm her thoughts but the grounds were already out of sight. She concluded that it was just her mind playing tricks on her, that it couldn’t be that easy to find her. By that point, the carriage had pulled up to the front of the castle, where a few guards quickly opened the carriage doors and helped the two out of the carriage. As they walked out, a procession of soldiers blew their horns and announced the arrival of Snow and Apple White. The castle doors opened and out stepped a man and a woman, both wearing refined clothing with matching crowns adorned on their heads.

“Welcome, my Queen, to our humble abode” the man said, “I, King Charming, and my wife, Queen Charming, are honored to have you visiting us today.”

Apple’s eyes widened in disbelief. She could not believe that her mother had a business trip at the Charming castle. Immediately, a hundred thoughts swirled around in Apple’s head.

If this is the Charming castle, does that mean Darling is here right now?!? Wait, why would my mother have business with the Charmings? Does she know that I ran away from the party with Darling? Is she here to punish her? Oh no.

“Please, do come in and make yourselves comfortable,” the woman continued.

With this, Snow White and Apple made their way inside, following King and Queen Charming on a tour of the castle. Apple lagged behind her mother, too consumed by her thoughts to respond to her mother’s disapproving look. Her heart pounded violently in her chest. The Charmings finally brought them to a private room where they could talk. Apple nervously took in the room. It was huge, lined with a bookshelf and many paintings as well as couches to entertain guests. There was also a big painting hung near the entrance, showcasing the entire Charming family. And although there were five people in that painting, Apple zeroed in on one particular person—a girl with very familiar blue eyes—Darling Charming. Somehow, to Apple it seemed like everyone else in that work of art was lackluster compared to Darling, she stood out from her family and shone like the brightest star in the sky. Apple could not take her eyes off her. Her racing mind calmed and her heart sped up for a different reason. It was like all the air was sucked out of the room and Apple could only stand speechless, eyes locked onto the painting of the person she had been longing to see for two whole weeks. Tears soon sprang to her eyes and she rushed to wipe them away before anyone could notice.

“Looks pretty good, doesn’t it princess?” King Charming asked teasingly, “my children really do live up to the Charming name.”

“Eh- um, yeah I guess” Apple said nervously, not knowing how to reply.

“Dear,” Queen Charming said warningly, “you shouldn’t be boasting to our guests, they are here for a reason, remember?”

“Oh Grace, you needn’t with the formalities” Snow White said, playfully hitting her friend’s shoulder “you know Grand is just happy that our suspicions were correct!”

“I know Snow, but I just can’t get him to be respectful” Queen Charming replied slightly miffed.

“Come on, we haven’t been able to talk for a while now, lets catch up!” Snow White suggested excitedly.

Queen Charming quickly ushered Snow White and her husband to sit with a smile, already starting to ask about the state of affairs in the White Castle. As they talked, Apple felt a bit frustrated about being left out with nothing to do. She hesitantly walked over to the bookshelf and examined the books kept there. They were all about the history of the kingdom or languages and commerce. It did not really interest Apple much. Just as she was going to join her mother on the couch, the door flew open with two boys around the same age as her running in and a girl walking behind them. As the girl entered, Apple recognized her right away—Darling Charming. Although she had already known that she was in the Charming home and figured out that Darling lived there, Apple was not prepared at all for the emotions that presented itself when she saw Darling in person again.

It was as if time slowed down, Darling taking confident steps into the room, looking around until her eyes settled on Apple standing mouth slightly agape looking right back at her. A slow smile crept onto Darling’s face, eyes lighting up with surprise and delight. She subtly waved to Apple, making her face heat up and her heart flutter. Apple felt like she could look at Darling forever without getting bored. And it may have been wishful thinking on Apple’s part but everyone seemed to disappear at that moment, leaving only Apple and Darling left in the room. They held eye contact for a long moment, each of them taking the other in. But just as Apple was about to approach, Queen Charming spoke again.

“Where have you three been?” Asked Queen Charming exasperatedly “We told you that guests would be showing up and you needed to be here to greet them!”

“Now now, Grace” Snow White said, placating her friend, “it’s quite alright. We did get to enjoy a nice little chat because of them, no? Why not let them off the hook for now?”

Queen Charming huffed and looked back to her children with disappointment in her eyes.

“I will give you three seconds to explain yourselves!” Queen Charming said irritably.

“Ah- um…” the brown haired boy started “you see, Daring and I were training out on the field and we sort of lost track of time.”

“Yeah mother,” the boy referred to as Daring continued “I was busy beating Dexter at swordplay and some of the knights wanted to spar with me as well, I couldn't turn them down.”

“Oh that’s my boy” the Queen cooed “of course you’d be invited to spar with the professionals, you are Prince Charming.”

“My boy, I’m proud to call you my son, Daring” King Charming added clapping his son on the back.

“Dex,” Queen Charming started warningly “you should have been more responsible with the time. I know you want to catch up to Daring but he’s just a genius. You need to help him keep track of his responsibilities.”

“I understand mother” Dexter said disappointedly.

“And Darling!” Queen Charming yelled “where exactly have you been this whole time?”

“Well, I was…” Darling trailed off

“Where?” Queen Charming demanded.

“I was watching Daring and Dexter spar” Darling sighed.

“Oh my godmother!” Queen Charming exclaimed “You went to the training grounds? Darling! I’ve told you numerous times that it is fairy unlady-like to go there and watch the mock battles!”

“I know mother,” Darling stated exasperatedly “but it's really boring just sitting in the castle and waiting for guests to arrive. I just thought it would be fun to watch my brothers spar for a bit.”

“Darling” King Charming stated warningly “you need to listen to your mother about these things. If you don’t, it could spell trouble for your future!”

“But father, I was just watching!” Darling stated pleadingly.

“ENOUGH” Queen Charming yelled “you could have gotten hurt! You are a princess! You need to start acting like one!”

“Now, now” Snow White started “let's continue this another time, alright Grace? We came here to discuss something, no?”

“Of course,” Queen Charming said, calming down.

“Darling, we will be talking about this later,” King Charming said sternly, looking at his daughter.

“Yes father,” Darling agreed reluctantly.

“Now then,” Snow White started “why don’t the three of you introduce yourselves? My daughter hasn’t had the pleasure to make your acquaintances yet.”

“Alright then. I’m Dexter Charming, nice to meet you princess” Dexter said, bowing slightly to convey respect.

“I’m Darling Charming, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance” Darling stated, subtly winking at Apple and curtsying, making Apple blush.

“And I’m Daring Charming, the oldest of the three and of course, the most handsome” Daring started with a smug smile, puffing out his chest, walking up to Apple and kissing the back of her hand “I bet you’ve already fallen for my irresistible charms, hmmm Miss Apple?”

“I- uh” Apple stuttered as she jerked away from Daring’s touch.

“Hey! Daring, don’t do that! Can’t you see that you’re making her uncomfortable?” Darling yelled as she forced her way in between Daring and Apple.

“Hey, are you ok?” Darling asked, turning to Apple and taking her hands in her own.

“I-“ Apple started.

“Oh nonsense!” Snow White called, cutting Apple off “of course she’s fine. She is just flustered because she just met her destined prince! Oh to be young again!”

“D-destined prince?” Apple repeated, shocked and confused.

“Yes! Destined Prince!” Snow White cheered happily.

“W-what are you talking about mother? What do you mean destined prince?” Apple asked nervously.

“Exactly what it sounds like, dear” Snow White started “Daring is your destined prince!”

“In other words, your true love!” Continued Queen Charming.

“Ha Ha Ha!” Boomed King Charming “My son, the next King of Ever After! What a treat this is!”

And just like that, Apple felt a burgeoning sense of foreboding, like the rug she was standing on was pulled out beneath her feet. Her legs became wobbly and her heart throbbed painfully. It felt like her world just tilted on its axis, throwing everything off course. She looked up at Darling, shocked and confused. But she didn’t expect to find an unreadable expression on Darling’s face. It was too painful to look at, so she turned back to her mother.

“W-wait!” Apple called hurriedly “I don’t get what this is about! I had not even met Daring before today!”

“What do you mean, dear?” Snow White started “We are talking about your happily ever after. Daring is the prince who will wake you up from your poisoned sleep!”

“Oh how wonderful!” Cooed Queen Charming “isn’t it, my dear?”

“Of course! It is only natural. I am the strongest prince after all. All the damsels will be falling for me” Daring stated matter-of-factly, as if there was no room for error.

“Oh wow!” Dexter replied excitedly “that’s great Daring!”

“Wait!” Darling yelled frantically, making everyone turn towards her “B-but how do you know that Daring is her destined prince? I-i mean, couldn’t it be any Charming?”

“You see, dear” Snow White started smugly, “Your mother and I have been examining the progress of all the young princes in Ever After to find out who is the most suitable for my Apple Blossom!”

“We take our work very seriously, Darling” Queen Charming stated sternly “you will not question our dedication and accuracy! It is obvious to anyone that your brother is the only possible candidate for Apple’s prince! I will not have you question the Queen in this rude manner!”

“But just because he is good at swordplay doesn’t mean that he is her prince right?” Darling asked the Queen, ignoring her mother’s warning.

“Darling!” King and Queen Charming yelled, venom coating their words.

“Now now, Grand, Grace. It’s quite alright” Snow White said placatingly to her friends, then turning to Darling “You are quite astute, young lady. Of course just doing research on the princes would not mean much, that is why I only brought her here on a hunch. However, on the way here I have noticed several things that lead me to believe that he is truly Apple’s true love!”

“What do you mean, mother?” Apple finally chimed in.

“Yes, do explain, Snow” Queen Charming agreed.

“Well, I noticed that while passing next to the training grounds, my dear sweet Apple was intently watching the match between your two sons, Daring and Dexter. It seemed she was so captivated by the match that she forgot my existence!”

“Oh my! My boy is such a sight to behold!” Queen Charming cooed again, hugging Daring tightly.

“Of course mother! I am the best knight” Daring replied smugly.

“Additionally, when we came into this room, Apple was so enthralled by your son’s beauty in that picture! She couldn’t look away!”

“Ha ha ha! That’s my boy!” Yelled King Charming.

“And what finally confirmed it was Apple’s reaction to Daring when he introduced himself! She got so shy when he kissed her hand! He has to be her Prince Charming!” Snow White boasted, puffing out her chest in pride.

“Good going Dare!” Dexter replied “Your training really paid off!”

“Don’t forget to mention how handsome I am that no girl would be able to resist me, my Queen!”

“Of course not” Snow White replied, chuckling at the boy’s confidence.

“W-wait mother!” Apple desperately called, “I think there has been a mistake!”

“Oh nonsense, Apple. There’s no need to be shy!” Snow White said teasingly to her daughter, clapping her slightly on the back.

“N-no you don’t understand. I wasn’t looking at Daring in those moments!” Apple helplessly continued.

“Don’t be silly. I clearly saw you. Now stop being so dramatic! It is unbecoming of a lady.” Snow White carelessly replied.

“N-no wai-” Apple started.

“No more excuses Apple!” Snow White yelled, then came close to whisper in Apple’s ear “Have you forgotten what I told you this morning? Do NOT cause a scene here. You better be on your best behavior.”

Once Snow White pulled away, Apple put her head down, hoping nobody was watching as she helplessly tried to reign in her emotions. Her hands were balled into fists, gripping the fabric of her dress, trying to hold herself together for a little while longer.

Thankfully, the Charmings seemed to miss this sudden lapse in mood as they were far too busy fussing over Daring and his exploits to notice the yelling of the Queen and her daughter. All of them seemed too engrossed in patting Daring on the back or reminiscing about the amazing things he has accomplished as a knight in training. All but one.

As soon as Snow White went to talk to King and Queen Charming, Darling quickly ran up to Apple and sneakily pulled her out of the room. She led Apple through the main hall and out to the garden, holding her hand the whole time. Darling only let go when she knew for sure that nobody was around and turned to look at Apple. She still had that unreadable expression on her face but her eyes held a tint of sadness in them.

“So…” Darling started awkwardly, reaching her hand up to rub nervously behind her neck “sorry to suddenly bring you out here like this…”

“Ah- no its fine” Apple responded quickly, eyes cast downward in nervousness.

“Well, um, are you ok? You kinda looked out of it back there…” Darling asked cautiously, worry lacing her tone.

“Oh, yeah I’m fine” Apple answered with practiced ease, plastering on a smile. However, immediately, Darling reached for Apple’s hands, grasping them tightly and bringing them up slightly.

“Please don’t do that!” Darling pleaded, brows pinching together and eyes filled with unshed tears “I know that’s not your real smile. And, I get that you don’t want people seeing you cry but, please, please, don’t pretend you’re alright. I want to know your real feelings!”

“I-“ Apple stuttered, voice caught in her throat and eyes watering.

Nobody has ever said those words to her. It has always been keep your emotions hidden. Never cry in public. Nobody should ever see your weaknesses. That’s why right now, in the arms of this anomaly, Apple did what she swore to her mother she would never do in public—cry.

Apple wept and wept, heaving sobs the likes of which Apple had never felt before. It was as if all the emotions she had been keeping hidden for years and years were finally spilling over. Coming forth in tremendous waves of tears, seemingly endless. All the while, Darling held Apple, stroking her back and whispering comforting words in her ear.

Everything will be ok.

You are so strong.

Don’t hold back.

You are more than enough.

You are not alone.

I’ll be here for you.

All the things Apple had been longing to hear were said to her. Not by coaxing. Not by obligation. But because Darling truly meant every word. She would stand by Apple’s side. She enjoyed the time they spent together. Apple was not alone. She finally had someone to confide in. Someone to lean on. Someone who understood her.

Apple finally, finally had a friend.

Chapter Text

Following the business trip, Apple had been coming to the Charming Castle very frequently. Snow White made it clear that she wholeheartedly believes that Daring is Apple’s Prince Charming and that Apple now needs to spend more time with Daring to become the perfect couple in the future. She would not listen to Apple’s protests that her beliefs were wrong and that her “evidence” of Apple’s attraction to Daring was unfounded.

That is why every week, Apple found herself at the Charming Castle at least once to spend a whole day with Daring, talking and getting to know each other better in order to have a good relationship. Snow White thought it was the perfect plan: find out who Apple’s Prince Charming was ahead of time and have them become close from a young age so that their futures would be secured and unhindered. However, it wasn’t going as smoothly as Snow White thought it would.

The first time Apple met with Daring Charming away from the prying eyes of her mother and the rest of the Charming family was, for lack of a better word, an experience. Right away, Daring launched into a speech, retelling his many exploits as a knight-in-training. He would not stop until he acquired the most shocked reaction from Apple. Also, he would continuously talk about his looks or personality, trying to not-so-humbly brag about how he would become the greatest King Ever After would see for all of time. Lastly, he completely disregarded etiquette and would always refer to Apple by her first name even though it was only their second time meeting and they hadn’t even gotten to know each other yet.

“Aren’t I just the most handsome prince you have ever seen, Apple?” Daring asked smugly, staring at himself in his mirror and turning slightly to wink at Apple who was standing behind him.

“Uh, sure…” Apple trailed off uncertainly.

“I must be the most handsome person in Ever Aft- no… in the ENTIRE WORLD!!” Daring boasted proudly, raising his hands in the air as if everyone could hear him.

“Hmmm,” Apple hummed noncommittally, turning away from the proud prince and looking out the window.

Apple still had no idea how to interact with this boy. He was unlike anyone she had ever met, and not in a good way. He was always overly confident, thinking that he was always right and that she would not dare to disagree with him. He almost never asked for her opinions and if he did, it was all about his looks and his skills. He never asked anything about Apple herself or shared anything about his life other than his heroic exploits.

Apple always felt really uncomfortable around him and Daring was never able to read Apple’s emotions. Whenever she got quiet out of discomfort, he would always approach her, put his arm around her shoulder, and wink at her. And every time, without fail, it would make Apple cringe. She would want to push him away and tell him that she didn’t want his touch. That she wanted to go home and be alone. That she preferred the company of a different Charming sibling over his. But, she would always stop herself if it got to that point and plaster on her practiced smile, just slightly moving away from him and continuing the conversation (if you could even call it a conversation).

Daring kept rambling on and on about how great he was and how he would become the best King Ever After. At this point, Apple started spacing out, not really paying attention to his stories. He would just continue talking at her and assuming that she was paying attention. It was in moments like these that Apple would wish that she was anywhere else, even back at home getting berated by her mother. She really didn’t care. She wanted to be anywhere but in this room being forced to talk to Daring Charming whom everyone assumes will be her husband someday.

Daring kept babbling on and on about how great he was and how lucky anyone was to be with him. Apple walked over to the window to get a better look at the surrounding area. She saw soldiers training outside, yelling and bantering about with each other. There were also many people on horses shooting arrows at targets while riding. Apple was fascinated by these new sights. She smiled as she saw them happily conversing and having fun. She wished she could be having fun right now as well. As she was looking about, she noticed Daring had completely stopped talking and now stood behind her, watching the soldiers fight.

“Hmmmm” Daring hummed, “sure the soldiers are good, but I am better!”

Daring quickly grabbed Apple by the arm, startling Apple who tried to free herself, and forcibly dragged her out of the room and towards the training ground. Daring kept a fast pace, not noticing Apple barely being able to keep up with him. He seemed unworried when she stumbled a few times, trying to keep up as well as break the hold he had on her arm. Apple was dumbfounded. She didn’t believe people could be this oblivious and rude to others. It honestly scared Apple how casual he was about it. He did not apologize for suddenly grabbing her. He did not apologize for almost making her fall. And he did not apologize for making her feel weak and insignificant.

“Well, Apple, now that we’re here, you will watch me train for a while” Daring said, casting his charming smile her way, but only making her wince.

“I- um…” Apple started hesitantly “I don’t really want to watc-“

“Alright! Let's get started!!” Daring said cheerfully, cutting Apple off and seeming to not realize her discomfort.

Daring and a few soldiers started sparring with each other while Apple just moved away and watched, feeling more out of place than ever. She had never been on a training field before. As a princess, it was thought incredibly unladylike to set foot on the ground where soldiers fight.

But, her worries were unfounded as it seems Daring completely forgot about her existence, completely absorbed in combat. After one round, he would immediately move on to the next soldier, not taking a break. It seemed he was feeling especially bold today as he instructed multiple soldiers to come at him all at once. He moved to counter the first opponent but was forced to step back due to another soldier attacking from the other side. Daring was being pushed back. It seemed he was too confident.

Apple quickly lost interest in the fight. She didn’t care much for who won, which should be telling of her feelings towards Daring. She looked around the field, taking in how expansive it was and how everyone in the vicinity came to watch Daring’s fight. She had completely lost track of how long she hadn’t been paying attention when she realized how close the battle had moved towards her. Apple took a couple of steps back just in case they came closer.

Daring was being pushed back again and again. It seemed the soldiers were going easy on him before in their individual matches and now were surprising Daring with their more ferocious blows. Then, suddenly, two soldiers attacked at once, causing Daring to stumble and be launched right towards Apple. The momentum from the attack was enough to throw Daring the rest of the distance between them.

Apple closed her eyes, preparing to feel the pain… but it never came. Slowly, she opened her eyes to a shocking sight. Darling Charming, standing right in front of Apple, caught her brother in mid-air and was holding him back. She blocked Apple from colliding with Daring.

“Are you ok?” Darling asked, quickly returning her brother to the ground and turning to face Apple.

She studied Apple, rapidly trying to make sure she hadn’t been hurt in the slightest. Her brows furrowed as she swept her gaze all over Apple’s form, eyes wrought with worry.

“D-don’t worry” Apple started, waving her hands hurriedly in the air “I’m fine… I’m ok, really!”

With Apple’s reassurance, Darling finally let out a sigh of relief, a smile gracing her features soon after. To Apple, it seemed as if Darling had been holding her breath this whole time.

“That’s good…” Darling stated relieved “Now… DARING! What the spell were you thinking?!?! You could have HURT her!!!”

Darling rounded on Daring, yelling at him for being careless and overconfident. Apple could see her eyes blazing with anger and it was honestly a strange sight to the princess. Most often, it would be people getting angry and yelling AT Apple, not getting angry FOR her. The feeling in her chest when she realized Darling was angry for her sake, wanting to protect her and keep her safe, was a foreign entity. She had no idea that having someone fight for you could feel so warm and comforting, even when that person was seconds away from smacking her older brother. The thought made Apple chuckle, breaking the tension between the two siblings and gaining their attention.

“Heyyyy… D-don’t laugh!” Darling groaned, blushing “I’m doing this for you!! You can’t just start laughing at me!!”

“Hehe… I’m sorry” Apple apologized, still chuckling “B-but it’s just really funny seeing you get so angry…”

“Oh come onnnn…” Darling begged, taking Apple’s hands in her own, trying to calm her down but only succeeding in making her laugh harder.

“I- c-can’t…” Apple laughed harder seeing Darling’s blush deepen. Eventually, Darling hid her reddened face behind her hands and let out a groan.

“Geez… How am I supposed to look cool if you keep laughing at me?” Darling retorted, then giggling herself when seeing Apple smile.

And just like that, it seemed like it was only the two of them in the world again. Daring, the soldiers, her worries all seemed to disappear as she looked into Darling’s eyes and heard her melodious laughter. The stress of having to deal with the enigma that is Daring Charming flew away and brought about a sense of peace and belonging when she took in Darling’s features. But…

“Hmph!” Daring exclaimed, bringing the attention back to him “I don’t see what’s wrong here Darling. Apple was just in the way. If she didn’t want to get hit, then she should have just gone inside.”

Apple stopped laughing at Daring’s words, feeling a pit of anxiety forming in her stomach. Thoughts swirled through Apple’s head, a million retorts forming on her tongue. Apple clenched her hands into fists and dug her nails into her palms to stop herself from yelling at Daring, the past few hours of torture (spending time with Daring) welling up ugly emotions inside of her.

“B-but you told me to stay and watch you spar, Daring” Apple responded quickly, plastering on her practiced smile.

“Oh nonsense!” Daring replied, looking away from her “Why would I ask you to watch me spar? I already know I’m the best!”

“Uh, Master Daring?” One of the soldiers questioned.

“Yes?” Daring replied

“You really did bring Miss White here to watch you…” the soldier trailed off.

“WHAT?!?” Daring yelled “Are you saying that this is MY fault?”

“Wha- n-no” the soldier stammered out “t-that’s not what I meant!”

“DARING!” Darling yelled, catching her brother’s attention.

“WHAT?” Daring yelled back, hysterically.

“Look… Nobody is blaming you for what happened! But you did bring Apple out here without any instruction and she almost got hurt!” Darling tried reasoning with him.

“It doesn’t matter! She was in the way! I did nothing wrong! Besides, she’s gonna be my wife in the future. She should know that life’s not gonna be all fun and games! It’s gonna be dangerous too” Daring said dismissively, trying to divert the subject from his blunder.

“DARING!” Darling yelled, losing her composure.

“I DID NOTHING WRONG!” Daring yelled back, running from the field “I AM THE PERFECT PRINCE! I MADE NO MISTAKES! EVERYTHING WAS HER OWN FAULT!”

Darling was preparing to run after him but Apple unconsciously stopped her, something in his outburst just now struck a chord in Apple. She couldn’t stand his overconfident, rude attitude. And the way he makes her feel small and weak is one of the most horrible feelings in the world. But… She couldn’t help but think maybe, just maybe, deep down, Daring felt the same debilitating, bone-crushing pressure to be perfect that she harbored. Although, he was much better at being perfect than Apple was. This was the first time Apple felt any sort of kinship with Daring. Which is what finally spurred her into action.

“Hey- Apple! Let me go! I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind!” Darling said, trying to pull free from Apple’s grip.

“NO!” Apple yelled, causing Darling to immediately cease trying to break free from her grasp “no, don’t go after him… I’ll go.”

“A-are you sure? He might yell at you again…” Darling was looking at Apple with those concerned eyes again. Apple gave Darling’s hand a squeeze.

“I’ll be fine. I just want to talk to him for a bit…” Apple trailed off, debating whether to say what was on her mind or not, but finally deciding “W-will you wait for me?”

Apple took a step closer and looked up at Darling with those pleading, innocent eyes. It made Darling’s heart skip a beat and her face heat up from the proximity.

“O-of course. But don’t push yourself too hard. Come back soon. I’ll be waiting, ok?” Darling said with a reassuring smile. Apple nodded.

“I won’t be gone too long, promise!” Apple called, as she started down the same path Daring went before.

She ran into the castle and looked around. Seeing no sign of Daring Charming, she asked the nearest guard where he went. She was pointed in the direction of the bell tower and quickly made her way there. She briskly walked up the flights of stairs leading to the top. Once she reached the opening, she located Daring perched on the only bench in the small area. He looked up as she entered.

“W-what are you doing here?” He stuttered out quickly, standing abruptly and distancing himself as much as possible from her. It looked like he was about to run away.

“I-i just wanted to talk to you…” Apple started nervously “please don’t run away, Daring.”

“W-what do you mean? I-I’m not running or anything… ha ha ha… wh-why would you think such a thing?” Daring responded, eyes looking everywhere but at Apple, sweat trickling down the side of his face.

“Daring…” Apple called, unsure of how to approach what she wanted to ask him.

“Y-yes” Daring answered uneasily.

“Y-you’re literally in the corner… W-what do you mean you aren’t running away?” Apple asked cautiously.

“Y-you don’t know what you’re talking about! Can’t a guy just want to be alone for a while??” Daring replied, looking away from Apple.

“Is that why you ran away earlier?” Apple asked cautiously, not wanting to upset him.

“Oh…Uh yeah. Totally. Yeah. I uh you know… I just wanted to watch everyone spar from up here… ha ha ha… It just has the best view” Daring responded quickly, trying to change the topic.

“Oh…” Apple replied awkwardly, trying to think of a way to get Daring to talk to her “Um, i-if you wanted to come here… why did you yell before leaving?”

“Well… I thought you guys wouldn’t leave me alone if I didn’t…” Daring said confidently, nodding as if he was trying to convince himself of his own lie and sitting back down on the bench thinking he was in the clear.

“Erm…” Apple wavered, thinking that she should just leave if he won’t talk to her, until a thought popped into her head “Um… D-daring, can I ask a maybe uncomfortable question?”

“W-what is it?” Daring asked suspiciously, backing away slightly when Apple approached to sit next to him and narrowing his eyes.

“Ah um… Well… W-why did you get so mad when Darling said that what happened was your fault?” Apple asked curiously.

“WHAT!” Daring yelled and stood up abruptly “ARE YOU SAYING THAT THIS IS MY FAULT TOO?!?!”

“W-what… no” Apple started hurriedly, waving her hands in the air to placate the panicked Daring.

“I AM NOT THE ONE WHO MESSED UP!! THAT WAS YOU!” Daring said pointing at Apple accusingly “IF YOU DIDN’T WANT TO GET HURT, YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!”

With this, Apple felt a simmering sensation in her stomach. This was the second time he had blamed her for the mishap, when it was his fault for being cocky and not thinking about Apple never having been in a training field before.

“Dari-“ Apple started.

“DON’T BLAME ME FOR THIS STUPID INCIDENT!” Daring shouted cutting off Apple.

“Dar-“ Apple tried again.

“IT WAS YOUR FAULT!” Daring cut her off again.

Apple felt the simmer turn to a boil at his second interruption. She had had enough.

“I DID NOTHING WRONG!! I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PERFECT! I AM THE BEST PRI-!” Daring yelled back.

“NO!” Apple screamed, cutting Daring off and startling him with her volume.

“I AM!!” Daring responded indignantly.

“NO! NO YOU’RE NOT! YOU’RE NOT PERFECT, I’M NOT PERFECT, GRIMM… NOBODY IS PERFECT!” Apple shouted back, waving her arms frustratedly, then continued quieter “We may try to be, but we’re not… That… That’s just how it is.”

“W-what?” Daring asked in a meek voice “I-i am perfect. My mother said so! Sh-she said that because I never get in trouble and make mistakes, that I’m the perfect prince!”

“But you do make mistakes!” Apple started sadly.

“W-what?” Daring whispered, voice going shrill and face paling.

“You do make mistakes.” Apple repeated more confidently, knowing that Daring needed to hear this and stop making excuses “You did just now when you challenged too many soldiers at once… you were overconfident. And, you made one earlier when you dragged me out of the castle… you didn’t even notice you were hurting me with your grip!”

“N-no… I couldn’t have made a mistake! Mother said that I was perfect and that I could never make a mistake…” Daring started uneasily “I-if I really did… If… If I wasn’t perfect… would mother still love me?”

Daring started breathing heavily, eyes welling up with unshed tears and lips wobbling. Apple was stunned and unsure what to do, she had never had anyone cry in front of her before.

“Oh my Grimm… I-if mother finds out about this… I-I’ll be finished!” Daring started nervously, voice wavering and getting up from his spot on the bench to pace around the small area of the bell tower.

“Daring” Apple called, trying to get his attention but to no avail.

“If I’m not perfect… she’ll hate me! In fact… how did you even know about me needing to be perfect?” Daring continued, walking faster and faster, back and forth.

“Daring!” Apple tried calling out to him louder but still not being heard.

“If you know… maybe… maybe mother already knows! I-If I can’t be the perfect prince… I might lose my destiny!” Daring started hyperventilating, walking even faster across the bell tower.

“DARING!” Apple yelled, grabbing Daring’s hands that were clasped together tightly and finally snapping him out of this trance.

“It’s ok!” Apple said, voice quivering with emotion and pulling Daring into a hug “everything will be ok…”

Daring was surprised by, not only the strength of the hug, but by the fact that it was given to him in the first place. Nobody outside of his family had ever hugged him before. In fact, the very thought of someone outside of his family touching him and messing up his impeccable appearance was incredibly aggravating. Which is why, Daring was the most surprised by his reaction to the hug. He didn’t hate it. In fact, he melted into it, wrapping his own arms around Apple and burying his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder. He took comfort in her arms, in her smell, and the comforting words she was whispering to him.

“H-how do you know about this?” Daring asked uneasily, regaining his bearings and shaking slightly. Apple tightened her hold on him.

“I-i know because I feel the same way…” Apple trailed off nervously.

“W-wait what?” Daring responded, quickly pulling away from her to look at Apple’s face “What do you mean by that?”

With that, Apple told Daring all about her mother and how controlling she is. How she would always tell her to be perfect and if, Grimm forbid, she made a mistake, her mother would become enraged. Taking out all her anger and frustration on her. Of course, Apple did not go into great detail about her punishments or anything, she was not that comfortable around Daring yet. But she told him enough to show that she also felt the pressure of being perfect, that she understood how he felt. At the end of her little story time, Daring was speechless.

“W-wow…” Daring trailed off “I-i never knew that you had to deal with all that… I just thought you were the perfect princess, all smart and pretty, never having to deal with the fear of making a mistake…”

“Yeah… I get that…” Apple started “That’s what I thought of you when we first met too.”

Silence stretched out between them, letting the past few moments really sink in. It quickly became too much and they both sat back onto the bench just staring at their hands, not really knowing what to say or how to go from here. To both of them, they never really thought they would ever share these feelings with the other. It was a silent decision that they would be taking these thoughts and feelings to the grave, just going along with whatever they had to do. That is, until Darling Charming came along for Apple, completely changing her world. Now, Apple wanted to help Daring overcome his fear, just like Darling did for her.

“Hehe” Daring started giggling suddenly, snapping Apple out of her thoughts “I guess we really had the wrong idea of each other…”

Apple looked back at him, eyes sparkling and lips quirking upwards in a full smile. Daring smiled back, forgetting about his worries for a moment and just basking in the presence of having someone to share his thoughts with. It was the first time they had shared a real smile and a real laugh together. Who would have thought that it would take Daring breaking down and Apple losing her composure to finally get them to see each other for who they really were.

Daring felt like a weight had lifted off his shoulders while listening to Apple’s experience. He thought that he would have to hide this fear from everyone, including his own family. But, here was someone who understood how he felt and even tried to get him to open up to them. He felt like he could trust Apple with all his emotions.

“Hey Apple…” Daring called.

“Yeah?” Apple replied.

“How… how did you get through all that?” Daring asked nervously.

“Hmmm…” Apple started “At first… I don’t think I did…”

“Wait what?” Daring responded surprised.

“Yeah…” Apple trailed off, looking down at her lap “I’d always been super closed off and kept to myself mostly. I always did what my mother said and always tried to be perfect. I still do, that hasn’t really changed.”

“T-then…” Daring started, voice going more shrill as he talked “if you couldn’t get through it… how do you know it's gonna be ok??? How am I supposed to get through this?? How can I stay the perfect prince??”

“Wait wait wait!!” Apple interrupted Daring’s meltdown, turning quickly to face Daring “I only meant that I didn’t really get through it at first!! But I did later!”

“R-really?” Daring asked skeptically.

“I-I mean… My mother is still very strict and expects me to be perfect so it's not like that has stopped… But… I think I can handle it now” Apple said, smiling to herself at the last part.

“H-how?” Daring asked incredulously “How the spell am I supposed to stay perfect at all times?? How am I supposed to handle this???”

“By talking to someone…” Apple said, blushing slightly at the memory of Darling holding her close as she cried and let out all her bottled up emotions.

“T-talking to someone!!” Daring exclaimed, voice going higher in pitch “Y-you mean you told someone about this?? How the Grimm could you do that?!?!”

“Y-yeah… I know its really hard to talk about'' Apple started solemnly, wrapping her arms around herself as she contemplated telling Daring about the next part.

“Then how?? Who could you tell about this?? I mean… Your mother… She’s the Queen of the kingdom!!” Daring asked curiously.

“I told someone who already knew I was faking it, trying to be perfect but was actually miserable…” Apple trailed off, not sure how to tell Daring about his sister being her savior.

“What?!?!?!” Daring exclaimed “Someone could actually tell that you weren’t happy?? Nobody could tell!! You were too good at being perfect!! Now I gotta know, who did you tell??”

“Well… I told… your sister, Darling…” Apple said, getting quieter after every word.

“WHAT!!!” Daring yelled, getting off the bench and grabbing Apple by the shoulders “HOW DID SHE KNOW???”

“I don’t really know…” Apple said contemplatively “But, I think… It was only last week when I really started to be able to handle my mother. She- Darling… actually helped me a lot.”

Daring was speechless. He had taken note that Darling seemed to be overly familiar with Apple but he never thought that it would be because Darling could see through Apple’s near impenetrable mask of perfection and happiness. As he realized that he was not the one Apple chose to confide in first, a kernel of something—an emotion he had never felt before—nestled in his chest. That kernel kept festering and brewing, making him feel weirdly on edge and nervous every time Apple said Darling’s name or mentioned the ways she helped Apple.

“She… really listened to me and understood me…” Apple trailed off, unconsciously smiling as she recounted the few but meaningful interactions she has had with Darling Charming.

And although Apple was trying to help Daring see the ways opening up to someone could help him with his worries, she did not share the wonderful memories she had made with Darling. Those memories were meant only for her and Darling to look back on and find happiness in.

“She’s amazing” Apple started, blushing slightly at the thought of the girl who has been on her mind everyday “she confronted me about my mother, she helped me gain some confidence, and she…. She makes me really happy every time we’re together…”

“I-I see” Daring said uncertainly, wanting to change the subject from his sister to something else.

“And…Just like your sister did for me, I want to be a friend you can talk to” Apple said confidently, taking Daring’s hands in her own and looking at him with a smile.

At that moment, all of Daring’s worries seemed to fly away: the stress of trying to be perfect all the time, that strange dark feeling in his chest, and his previous misconceptions of Apple. To Daring, it felt like he was looking at Apple for the first time, the real Apple, beneath the mask of perfection she always wears. The one who is genuinely helpful and kind and caring. Daring felt honored and somewhat entitled to see this side of his future wife.

“Apple…” Daring trailed off, blushing lightly “Thank you.”

“Of course!” Apple said cheerily, clasping Daring’s hands tighter.

And it was at this moment that Darling Charming decided to climb up to the top of the bell tower. She had heard voices coming from up here but did not know whom they belonged to. Of course, Apple smiling brightly at her brother while holding his hands was definitely not the sight she expected to see when going up there. As she got to the top of the tower, she froze, watching the two interact a bit more before quickly making her way down without being noticed. She practically ran down the flights of stairs, not looking where she was going until she found herself in the garden.

Darling clutched her chest. Her heart was pounding rapidly, much quicker than normal, even after sprinting. She felt a brewing sensation in her chest, an emotion that she could not describe. She did not like it. Darling sat down on one of the benches in the garden and looked around at the flowers, trying to distract herself from her thoughts. She tried to get her heart to calm down but she could not get the sight of Apple and Daring out of her mind. She put her hand over her eyes and slumped down into the bench.

“What is wrong with me…” Darling whispered to herself.

“Darling!” Apple called, making Darling quickly sit up and turn her attention to her.

“A-apple?” Darling asked confusedly “Y-you’re here? I thought you were with Daring??”

“Yeah, I was,” Apple said cheerfully, making the brewing sensation in Darling’s stomach grow “But… I asked you to wait for me, remember? I didn’t want to make you wait too long.”

With this, Darling felt guilty. Apple and Daring were destined lovers. They should be together, getting along, and being happy. But here she was, getting in the way of their time together because she was being selfish and wanted Apple to herself. Darling looked down at her lap and smiled bitterly.

“It’s ok, Apple. You can go be with Daring…” Darling started, trying to keep her tumultuous feelings hidden, the sensation in her chest searing, making itself known the more she talks “That is what you’re here for right? To get to know your destined prince… It’s alright, go talk to him more! You guys seem to get along now…”

Apple closed the distance between them and took Darling’s hands in her own.

“B-but, I want to spend time with you too!” Apple said earnestly, looking into Darling’s eyes and causing her to blush deeply and start to panic.

“Y-you want to spend time with me?” Darling asked meekly “b-but, Daring is your true love? D-don’t you need to get to know him more?”

“Well, I guess I do need to get to know him more…” Apple trailed off “But! You’re my first friend, Darling! I want to get to know you too!”

Darling’s eyes widened and she ducked her head to hide from the cute expression being directed at her right this moment. And, she also came to a realization.

“Hey…” Darling started, looking back up at Apple with her signature cheeky smile “you know, this might be the first time you called me by my name!”

Apple paused for a moment and tilted her head slightly as if in thought. Then, suddenly her face grew hot, her cheeks reddened, and her eyes widened. She started flailing her arms around trying to distract Darling from her embarrassment.

“I-i-i didn’t m-mean to… I-i just… I-i don’t…” Apple struggled to get her words out, worried she may have offended her only friend.

But to her delight, Darling only started laughing. Throwing her head back and laughing from deep in her belly. Her hair was blowing in the wind, face flushed from smiling so hard, eyes crinkling in amusement. She was the most ethereal creature Apple had ever seen and she seemed to space out for a moment, just taking in the beauty that is Darling Charming.

“Appleeee” Darling called, startling Apple back into reality.

“Y-yes?” Apple responded meekly.

“Why are you spacing out??” Darling asked amusedly “You wanted to hang out with me right? Well… me too! So let’s go!!”

“Huh?” Apple answered.

Darling grabbed Apple's hand and pulled her through the garden and back into the castle. But, unlike Daring, Darling was very gentle. She handled Apple with care. Never gripping her too hard, always looking back to check on her, and catching her when she stumbles and adjusting her pace accordingly. Apple found that she quite liked being taken around by Darling. She caught herself thinking that she wouldn’t mind spending time like this with Darling forever.

Darling confidently led Apple through the corridors, expertly dodging the maids and castle guards walking around the castle. She eventually pulled Apple into the library.

“So, we’re in the library?” Apple asked curiously, looking up and taking in the huge bookshelves placed before her.

“Yup!” Darling said enthusiastically, putting her hands on her hips and beaming at Apple “I knew that it wasn’t going to be used today so I thought that it would be the best hiding spot!”

Apple giggled at the girl’s antics. Lately, she has been feeling more relaxed around her new friend. Since the moment they shared in the garden, Apple had been sharing a lot more about her home life with Darling. She told Darling about almost never being able to leave the castle. About her mother’s fits of anger. And even about being jealous of the common folk in the castletown and wishing to have not been born royalty.

Every time Apple shared something about herself, Darling would listen closely, nodding along or just comforting Apple by giving her a hug when she shared a particularly bad experience. Apple had never felt more cared for. Just thinking about the things Darling had done for her brings Apple to tears. So, she decided that to pay Darling back for everything she has done for her, the least Apple could do was stop forcing herself to be perfect around Darling. Only around her would she let her guard down and really let herself just be.

“So…” Darling drawled “what do you wanna do?”

“Um, well, we are in a library. Shouldn’t we read?” Apple asked innocently.

“Ok!” Darling said enthusiastically, running towards a bookshelf, then stopping abruptly to face Apple with a huge smile “Wait! I have a better idea!!”

“What?” Apple asked.

“Well… I thought that it would be more fun if we chose books for each other!” Darling exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

“Oh! That does sound like fun!” Apple agreed, clapping her hands together and eyes brightening considerably “Great idea!”

The compliment made Darling blush and she turned around to face the bookshelves in order to hide it. She cleared her throat and moved to meet Apple’s eyes again.

“W-well then” Darling started “Let’s get to book hunting!”

“Yeah!” Apple said, pumping her fist in the air and smiling.

The next few minutes were spent running around the library, both girls looking for the perfect book to have the other read. Apple wandered around the library trying to find a good book to read when she stumbled across a section in the library she did not expect to find in a royal castle: the romance section. And even more surprisingly, she found her favorite book there, the one about the princess and her knight falling in love. She hesitantly approached the book, looking both directions before slowly pulling it out from the shelf. Apple held the book in her hands, eyes roaming over the cover. Romance books were her favorite genre, even though all of these books were banned from the White Castle’s library since they were deemed “too peasant” for royals to read. Apple had many fond memories of reading this book, the sole survivor of the romance purge in their library, and she wanted to share them with Darling.

But, as she thought about giving it to Darling, an intense wave of nausea rippled through her body. Immediately, thoughts of whether Darling would judge her for reading these types of books or if she would just laugh in her face flooded her mind. After all, that is what her mother did when she found out Apple liked reading. Apple quickly pushed away these thoughts, knowing that Darling was completely different from her mother. But, she couldn’t completely quell the anxiety that rose in her heart as she made her way back to Darling.

“Hey!” Darling called when she saw Apple return “what took you so long???”

“S-sorry…” Apple started nervously “I just wanted to find the perfect book.”

“No worries, I was just teasing” Darling said with a smile, easing Apple’s nerves a little.

Darling coaxed Apple to follow her and they ended up in a nice spot in the back of the library. It was surrounded by bookshelves and had cushions on the ground to sit on. Plus, it was more than big enough for two people. Apple looked up at Darling questioningly.

“I-i sorta got this place ready while you were out talking to Daring earlier. I thought you might like spending some time here together…” Darling trailed off, hand scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment.

“Hehe” Apple giggled, letting out her natural smile, the anxiety from before fading slightly “Thanks, Darling…”

Darling blushed profusely and quickly ushered Apple to sit and start trading their books. Darling’s book was surprising to Apple. It was a storybook about expeditions and exploits of adventurers and heroes.

“You read about heroes?” Apple asked innocently.

“I-i um” Darling stuttered nervously, hoping that Apple wouldn’t be like other royals who would belittle her for reading unladylike books “yeah, I like how they tell the stories ha ha ha…”

“Hmmm” Apple hummed, holding the book up to cover her mouth “I-i kinda wanted to know what things you like… Thanks for showing me this, Darling”

Apple ended her sentence with a smile, blushing slightly at being so vulnerable but wanting to let Darling know how much it means to her for being trusted with something she liked especially since it was unordinary for a princess to be reading books like these.

“I-i” Darling blushed, looking away from Apple and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear “Y-you’re really different from all the other royals you know?”

“Hm?” Apple replied, tilting her head to the side cutely.

“You’re honest and straightforward. And… you haven’t lived a cushy life like all the other royals… you’ve experienced hardship and pressure. It makes it easier for me to talk to you…” Darling trailed off.

“I-i don’t deserve t-that much praise” Apple quickly said, blushing profusely at Darling’s compliments.

“You do!” Darling refuted earnestly, causing Apple to gasp sharply “You really don’t realize how amazing you are, do you?’

“W-what are you saying? I’m not… I’m not amazing at all!” Apple started dejectedly, knowing that she’s wrong about her “I-i mean, I’ve been so scared of my mother all this time, I’ve never stood up to her. I always did what she wanted. I failed at everything I’m supposed to be good at. I’m just a big coward…”

Darling grabbed Apple by the shoulders and turned her so that they were face to face. Apple looked up quickly, eyes widening at the look on Darling’s face. She looked like she was about to cry.

“D-don’t talk about yourself like that!” Darling exclaimed, voice quivering a little “You’re so much better than you think you are! You’re so kind and caring. You always look out for others. Don’t think I didn’t see what you were doing for Daring earlier… And… if being scared of your mother makes you a coward… then I am one too…”

“W-what do you mean?” Apple asked, gasping lightly.

“C-can I tell you something?” Darling asked hesitantly.

“Um…o-ok?” Apple replied nervously, it wasn’t like Darling to be so cautious around her.

“I-i read those kinds of books, heroing and adventuring, because… well… because I want to be a knight too!” Darling yelled, closing her eyes for fear of rejection and disgust.

“Oh, ok” Apple said wondering how that makes Darling a coward.

Darling, surprised by her answer, opened her eyes. No looks of disgust or rejection were being directed at her. In fact, Apple looked at her with admiration, trust, and confusion.

“Ok? That’s it?” Darling started uneasily “You’re not gonna tell me that its unladylike to want that? That its unbecoming of a princess?”

“Why would I tell you that?” Apple asked, astonished “Being a knight or a hero sounds so cool! But… how does this relate to you being a coward?”

“Well, um… I-i’m afraid to tell anyone about this because well, you know… princesses aren’t supposed to go adventuring. Girls can’t be knights. I know that’s how everyone thinks and I’m afraid of being found out. Of being rejected by my family because of what I like…” Darling trailed off, easing away from Apple and wrapping her arms around herself “Besides… who knows if I’d even be good at it…”

“I understand why you’d be scared… telling people your closest held secrets are suuuuper scary. Thanks for telling me!” Apple replied, sending a sweet smile in Darling’s direction “And about that last part, I think you’d be a great knight!”

“Really?” Darling asked questioningly.

“Yeah! I-i mean, knights are supposed to help people and be super kind right? Well, you’re all of those things already!” Apple said cheerfully.

“B-but, who knows whether I can even save people… I mean, that’s what all the stories say. Knights need to save people when they are in trouble and stand up to evil but I… I don’t know if I could do that… you see, I’m just a coward too…” Darling trailed off, looking away from Apple’s saddened expression.

“I don’t think you need to worry about that, I know you’ll be able to do it!” Apple said determinedly, then muttering under her breath “besides, you already saved me from trouble many times…”

Darling snapped her head to Apple at that, eyes widening and eyebrows arching. Apple, seeing Darling’s reaction, realized that Darling heard what she said and blushed a deep crimson.

“Y-you heard that?!?!” Apple squeaked out, hiding behind the book she picked.

“Y-yeah…” Darling stuttered, silence stretching out between them, neither knowing what to say “Apple?”

“Y-yes?” Apple croaked.

“Can I see your face?” Darling asked confidently.

“I-i don’t think that’s a good idea right now…” Apple said, holding the book tighter and blush deepening considerably.

“Please? I need to see you right now…” Darling pleaded, approaching Apple and slowly pulling the book away from her face. As Darling came into view, Apple quickly looked away, unable to make eye contact.

“Apple…” Darling called beseeching Apple to look in her direction.

Darling was wearing a soft expression, eyes filled with warmth and an emotion Apple couldn’t place. Darling moved quickly, planting a soft kiss to Apple’s cheek and giving her a hug.

“Thank you, Apple…” Darling said warmly “I’m so glad I was able to save you.”

She held the hug for a moment, all the while, Apple’s face was on fire, heart beating erratically and her brain malfunctioning for at least a full minute. Finally, Darling realized the implications of what she was doing and quickly pulled away.

“I-I’m s-s-sorry! I-i didn’t mean to m-make you uncomfortable! I-i was just s-so happy that you said that I helped you and I w-wasn’t thinking…” Darling stuttered, waving her arms wildly trying to explain herself.

“I-its ok D-darling…” Apple started, shyly “I-I’m happy you’re feeling b-better and i-i kinda l-liked it…”

With that the pause in the conversation felt like forever. Both of their faces were overheating and their hearts were beating insanely fast. After a few moments of just looking everywhere but at each other, Darling said something at last.

“L-lets just get to reading our books!” Darling managed to get out.

“Y-yeah lets do that…” Apple replied nervously.

And unfortunately, neither of them could focus on their books after that. They both spent the entire time replaying their earlier interaction and trying not to think about the other sitting just mere centimeters away. And that is how Apple’s first visit to the Charming estate without her mother ended.

Chapter Text

The next few weeks went by in a flash. Apple’s weekly visits to the Charming Castle continued. Apple, now finally getting along with Daring, has been spending all of her time lately following him around and seeing how his day-to-day life is like. Daring, gaining a new appreciation for the princess, wants to show off in front of her. He wants her to see the best parts of him, to see what the Charmings have to offer her. He just really wants to spend every second of every day with her. The next few visits have been filled with Daring and Apple talking and sharing more about themselves as Daring shows Apple around the castle and the Charming estate.

One time, he took her to the garden, allowing her to bask in the beauty of all the blooming flowers around them. As they neared the center of the garden, Apple spun around, taking in the incredible sight before her. The bushes of colorful hydrangeas and lilies, roses and chrysanthemums, gardenias and marigolds arranged neatly in diagonal rows, all pointing towards the center where Apple and Daring stood. They took a seat at the only bench placed directly in the middle of the garden. Apple felt content there, sitting in the warmth of the sun, surrounded by the smell of flowers, talking to Daring, her newest friend. It was like a scene from a fairytale. She started humming, then suddenly, birds chirped and flew overhead in a flurry, landing on Apple’s shoulder. Apple’s eyes widened and she turned to Daring in surprise. His eyes widened as well, showing his shock. Then, his face broke out into a smile and he started laughing. Apple, unsure what to make of this, started laughing as well. It was the perfect scene. The prince and princess were laughing, having fun, and getting along well. To anyone on the outside looking in, that is what they would think. No one would notice the sort of despondent look on the princess’s face later when leaving the garden, remembering the time she made flower crowns with another princess, feeling the absence of someone who is an integral part of her life.

Another day, Daring brought Apple back to the training ground. This time, making sure that he was not cocky and only sparred with one soldier at a time. He also made sure that Apple would be out of harm’s way, stationing a guard to watch over her as he sparred. Surprisingly, Dexter joined them as well, wanting to spar with his older brother. The two of them tried to put on a show for Apple, wanting her to enjoy her time there as opposed to the last time she came out to the training grounds. Daring and Dexter were absorbed in their battle. Daring doing challenging maneuvers, trying to show off in front of his princess. And, Dexter continuously stumbling, just trying to keep up with his very skilled brother. Apple too was intensely watching the match, wanting to cheer for her new friend. This gave Daring an extra drive to win as he swung down his sword, disarming his brother and bringing him to the ground. Apple cheered, running up to Daring and congratulating him on his victory with a huge smile. Daring’s cheeks turned slightly red at the praise. She also tried to console Dexter, telling him that he did great as well and that he could win with a little more practice. Though, her efforts seemed to fall on deaf ears as Dexter curtly bowed in her direction and walked swiftly back to the castle. The middle child of the Charming family was certainly an allusive one to Apple. As the two of them headed back to the castle, Apple’s mind drifted, contemplating the match she just witnessed, wondering how much one would have to train to become a hero or knight. Quickly, her mind drifted to Darling, wondering how she would be with a sword, remembering the time Darling had confided in her that she wanted to be a knight. She tucked her chin down, looking at the ground as her face contorted in sadness. Again, another week went by without so much as a sighting of her first friend.

One day, Daring led Apple to his room, tired after a long day of lectures and meetings. He did not want to walk around the castle at this point. Apple was fine with that, she would just keep Daring company as he relaxed in his room. They talked for a while, Daring sharing more of his exploits while training to become a hero and Apple intently listening, feeling slightly disheartened that she didn’t have any stories of her own to share. Eventually the conversation came to a halt as Daring got too tired and drifted off to sleep in his comfortable looking sofa. Apple smiled and put a blanket over him, knowing that Daring was working hard and needed to rest. Apple went back to her spot on the chair across from the sofa and looked around the room, wondering what to do next. She felt a gust of wind which made her shiver and look over to its source, an open window. Apple briskly crossed the room to the window and shut it, letting out a breath when the sudden cold assault stopped. However, as she looked outside, a figure running down below caught her eye. The long, platinum blonde hair couldn’t be mistaken for anyone else. Apple’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at the girl who had plagued her mind for weeks now. Apple’s feet started moving without her knowing, taking her across the room at a quick jog. Just as she was about to open the door and race to Darling, a sound from behind her froze her in place. Daring had woken up and asked her where she was going. Apple knew she couldn’t go to Darling now, so she lied and kept looking down until she was again seated in the chair across from Daring. Daring took her hands in his and they continued talking after that, right up until she had to leave for the day. Apple felt weird during that time. It felt as though Daring’s eyes bore into her figure, like he would not look away from her. Daring had not once let go of her hands, as if willing her to stay there and not leave his sight. And, yet again, another week passed without ever being able to spend time with her favorite Charming sibling.

After that visit, Apple had a strange feeling, one that persisted during every meetup afterwards. Even though Daring and Apple have been spending more time together lately, Apple couldn’t help but think that something has been off with Daring for a while now. When it is just the two of them he seems fine. He talks, jokes, and boasts about his achievements. Very typical of Daring Charming. But, around others, especially Darling, he has been acting very weird. He seems to get all agitated and curt around her. And most noticeably, when Apple tries to talk to Darling, Daring cuts her off and gives some lame excuse for the two of them to leave. It seemed to Apple that recently, he had been trying to keep them away from each other. While Apple has acquired deference and submissability over the years, Daring’s little stunts to get her away from Darling have been trying her self control. It’s been over a month since she last talked to Darling properly and she was starting to lose her patience. She wanted to spend time with her friend. She wanted to see Darling Charming.

The next time Apple went to the Charming Castle, Apple met with Daring right at the front gates. She was a bit confused since he had never come to greet her before. But, she took it in stride and smiled at him, letting him help her down from her carriage.

“Hello Apple,” Daring greeted cheerfully, “I hope the journey here wasn’t too difficult?”

“No, it wasn’t at all,” Apple replied brightly, smiling, wondering just what Daring was up to “thank you for asking.”

“Of course, my lady,” Daring said charmingly, bowing to the princess.

“Shall we head inside?” Apple asked.

“Yes,” Daring responded, holding out his elbow, offering to escort Apple who happily obliged, looping her arm through his.

“By the way,” Apple whispered, leaning closer to Daring, “what exactly is the display for?”

“Shhh, not so loud” Daring chided, looking around a little anxiously, “my mother is watching from the second floor balcony. I think she’s checking how our arrangement is going.”

“I see,” Apple replied, scooting a little closer to Daring and making him blush “I guess we need to look extra couple-like today huh?”

“You got that right…We need to be perfect” Daring said confidently, masking his nervousness.

They headed into the castle, going towards the courtyard where they could sit and relax while talking. All the way there Apple couldn’t mask her nervousness. She had expected their parents to check in on them occasionally but the reality of it was much more frightening than anything she could have imagined. Daring too was holding onto her much tighter than he normally did when escorting her.

Once they reached the courtyard, they settled onto a bench next to the fountain at the center of the area. From this angle, they could see anything and anyone in the castle watching them. Just a precautionary measure. Daring quickly grabbed Apple’s hand, head darting left and right, trying to spot where his mother was. One could see the nervous sweat trickling down his face as he tried to look the most gentlemanly and courteous to his wife-to-be. Apple, realizing this, quelled her own nervousness and tried to focus on helping Daring calm down.

“Daring?” Apple called shakily, squeezing his hand, trying to calm herself down and get Daring’s attention.

“Hmm?” Daring hummed, still nervously looking around.

“Daring,” Apple called, firmer this time “look at me, please”

Daring turned, facing Apple with a face that could only be described as down-right terrified. The pressure was getting to him.

“It’s ok, Daring” Apple assured him.

“It’s ok?!?” Daring whisper-shrieked, knowing that if someone heard, it would be the end of him, head going back to darting around “My parents could be watching from anywhere and you think it’s ok?!? What part of this is ok?!?”

“Daring, listen to me,” Apple commanded, taking his face in her hands to make him look her in the eye “you are gentlemanly and prince-like when we are together. You have always been that way. And, sure, you’ve made a few mistakes but that’s fine. If we just act like how we normally are when together, I know we can get through this just fine.”

Daring stilled at her words, eyes previously filled with nervousness and terror started showing little signs of hope. Apple took that as a win and smiled, dropping her hands to her lap.

“You…you really think we can pull this off if we act normally?” Daring asked innocently, eyes shining with hope, looking every bit the child that he was.

“Yes,” Apple said confidently, eyes glowing with determination, knowing that if she broke here, Daring may spiral again and she needed his help if they were gonna convince King and Queen Charming that they were the perfect couple.

“Ok then…” Daring trailed off, lips slowly pulling into a soft smile, “let’s do this Apple.”

“You got it!” Apple grinned.

The two of them just started talking like usual, trying to forget that they had company watching them, analyzing their every move. It was hard to do so when you knew that you were being scrutinized. Apple and Daring tried their absolute best to act normal, smiling and laughing together, sometimes holding hands to sell that they were really getting along. But soon, as time went by, the pressure really started to sink in. They were really being watched, by how many people they had no idea. Their every move was being monitored and they didn’t even know where they were watching from. Slowly, their conversation grew more and more dry, until it seemed like Daring was the only one who could continue talking. A cold sweat ran down Apple’s back, she could feel eyes on her, watching, judging. Apple just wished she knew where Queen Charming was watching from so she could make sure that she didn’t see anything unsightly

This situation, it was so much like what Snow White had done in the past that Apple had a hard time focusing on what Daring was saying. She felt herself recalling past memories and getting lost in that headspace. That plus the clamp she kept on her nerves was starting to weigh on her and she felt herself losing her smile, just trying to maintain her composure, knowing that wherever Queen Charming was, she would be able to see her breakdown should she let her emotions go. She also knew that if she broke down, so would Daring. The only thing keeping him from spiraling was the false sense of confidence she put on.

Just as she felt the mask slipping, a rustle in the bushes near the entrance back to the castle caught her attention. It was past Daring, so he did not notice any disturbance and Apple thought it wasn’t worth bringing up. However, the continuous movement kept her distracted from the story Daring was telling her. Slowly, a figure made itself known from behind the bushes, making sure only Apple would notice. Wavy, platinum blonde locks gave way to serious deep blue eyes and lips curled downward as if to indicate a sense of foreboding. Apple almost choked on her saliva, eyes slightly widening and forgetting the turmoil in her mind for a second as she processed the figure of Darling Charming hiding in bushes, obviously trying to get her attention. As Darling realized Apple had noticed her, she put her finger up to her lips in a silencing motion. Apple just stared incredulously. Why was Darling there? Wasn’t it super risky for her to be out and about where Queen Charming could see her?

Before Apple could get lost in her thoughts, Darling motioned to Apple, pointing above her towards the castle. Darling was mouthing something as well. It was a bit hard for her to tell from how far she was but she did her best to read her lips. She squinted her eyes slightly, barely perceptible to anyone who wasn’t near her. Darling’s mouth formed the first syllable ‘Mo’. She then mouthed the next part ‘th’. Finally, she finished the word ‘er’. She pointed up again, this time firmer as if willing Apple to look up. She did, gasping when she put together what Darling was telling her. Queen Charming was watching them from the second floor. She could make out the outline of her form in the window, watching. Apple looked back down quickly, making sure she wasn’t caught staring.

Apple caught sight of Darling again, this time making as if to leave. But, just before she disappeared into the castle, she turned, shooting Apple a big smile and a thumbs up, then continuing her journey. Apple, realizing the implication of that action, smiled again, determination overpowering the fear she felt. She couldn’t let the pressure and fear stop her. Darling was cheering for her. If she let herself break now, she’d be letting down not only her mother, but Daring and Darling too. And she couldn’t allow herself to disappoint her new friends, the people who accepted her for who she is.

She turned to Daring, who had caught the brief lapse in her confidence and was now losing his nerve. She took up the conversation again. Determination oozed out of her voice, perking Daring up again. They continued as if nothing had happened. Apple, now, actively contributing to the conversation and helping it flow naturally. Anyone watching would be amazed at the vigor in the young princess’ voice. At this point in time, she truly encompassed how a princess, heir to the throne should be. For the first time in her life, Apple felt completely sure of what she had to do and was determined to follow through, making sure she was as perfect as can be. She thought of nothing other than the princess who was undoubtedly watching from somewhere in the castle as she put her all into impressing Queen Charming and getting through this surprise supervision without any incidents.

Soon, as the conversation died down again, Apple asked Daring if they could go back into the castle, to his room. Daring agreed and they went on their way back, Daring still escorting Apple inside but this time, more relaxed than when they first arrived. Back in Daring’s room, both of them let out a sigh of relief, slumping down into their respective chairs, exhausted both mentally and physically from the scrutiny of Queen Charming’s gaze. At that moment, Daring’s room felt like a sanctuary, a safe place away from the prying eyes of others. Apple and Daring met each other's gaze and suddenly, without any notice, both of them burst out into laughter. It would look hysterical, down right crazy to anyone else. But, for just a moment, nobody understood Apple or Daring better than the other. That realization coupled with the relief they felt flooded out as uncontrollable laughter.

Silence permeated the room as their laughter died down, finally relishing in the peace and tranquility of a nonjudgmental space. Apple closed her eyes as she slumped further into her chair, a voice in the back of her head telling her that a princess shouldn’t allow anyone to see her this way. Though it was quickly dispelled by an imaginary Darling Charming defending her, she smiled at the thought. Daring had also relaxed, now lying on the sofa instead of sitting. However, the peace was soon broken by a nervous Daring needing an answer to a question that had plagued his mind since they entered his room.

“Hey Apple?” Daring called, perking up from where he was lying on the sofa, “can i ask you something?”

“Hmm?” Apple hummed noncommittally, eyes still closed, “what is it?”

“Well uh…” Daring hesitated a little, sitting up and brushing his blonde bangs behind his ears

“Well what?” Apple asked curiously, Daring’s hesitance causing her to sit up and properly look at him.

“Uh back there, in the courtyard…” Daring started, nervousness creeping into his voice, “do you…do you think we did a good job?”

“I uh…” Apple hesitated, looking down and thinking back to what had transpired during their short visit to the courtyard.

At her hesitance, Daring started panicking, his hands started shaking, mouth going dry, and breaths coming out more and more shallow. But before he could devolve further into his panic, Apple answered.

“Yes,” Apple said, confidently and firmly.

“Yes?” Daring repeated whispering, as if tasting the word on his tongue.

“Yes,” Apple repeated, looking up and making eye contact with Daring, she smiled, “yes, I do think we did good out there.”

Daring calmed at her answer, eyes relaxing and muscles becoming less taught. He smiled too.

“You know…” Daring started softly, “you’ve really changed since we first met.”

“Changed?” Apple asked curiously, “how?”

“Well…” Daring started.

But before he could continue, Queen Charming unceremoniously burst through the doors to Daring’s room, startling the two residents and making them jump up to their feet. She did not say anything yet, just kept looking at Daring then at Apple over and over again. It was nerve racking, the pressure rose again to unimaginable heights as the woman observing them continued to just stare at them without a word. Both Apple and Daring were at a loss for words, looking at each other, then at Queen Charming, trying to keep their composures. Then, suddenly, she broke out into a smile.

“Well done my little prince!” She cooed as she approached Daring and enveloped him in a smothering hug.

“M-mother?” Daring asked questioningly, “what are you doing here?”

“Oh, I just wanted to come praise my little Daring as you have done such a good job wooing your wife-to-be!” Queen Charming exclaimed, planting kisses on her son’s head.

Daring seemed to let out a sigh of relief at that, eyes softening and practically preening at his mother’s praise.

“You think I did well, mother?” Daring asked, looking up at his mother, obviously wanting more compliments.

“Yes, my darling son! You did spelltacularly!” Queen Charming cooed again.

Apple felt a little out of place in the room, watching a mother and son be happy together. After all, she had never felt that level of affection, or really any level of affection, from her own mother who was never satisfied with her performance. But before she could get caught up in her thoughts, Queen Charming pulled away from Daring and started to address her.

“Apple White,” Queen Charming beckoned her attention.

“Yes, Queen Charming?” Apple asked, bowing her head slightly in the presence of an older monarch.

“It would seem that you are of adequate caliber to be betrothed to my eldest son,” she started cordially, “I had my doubts at first, after all nobody could ever match my Daring…ahem… But, as it looks like you two are getting along well, I shan’t intervene.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” Apple replied, bowing again and looking up, making eye contact with Queen Charming.

The Queen looked at her for a moment, then scoffed, baffling Apple.

“Queen Charming?” Apple questioned confusedly, not knowing why this woman would act this way towards her.

"My little Daring~” Queen Charming called, turning to her son and ignoring Apple.

“Yes, mother?” Daring responded immediately, eyes sparkling and practically looking like a puppy.

“My~ How cute you are~” the Queen cooed, “But… Would you mind leaving me and Apple White to talk for a bit? Could you do that for me?”

“Of course, mother!” Daring replied happily, then turning to Apple “I have some lessons till the evening, so I’ll see you after.”

Daring then left the room, leaving only the two women to talk. Apple did not expect this. She knew that the Charmings would want to watch her and see how much of a match she would be with Daring. But… this. Queen Charming fixed her with a cold stare. She wasn’t prepared for this. The pressure mounted again, this time only on her. Daring wasn’t here to take some of the pressure off. And, without him there, it would just be Queen Charming and Apple. One a bold, regal, assertive monarch and the other a shy, young, inexperienced princess. Apple could feel her knees shaking, her breaths coming out quickly. The older woman casting her icy gaze over her, looking her up and down and the corners of her mouth pulling upward, a wicked smile coating her features. She knew what she was doing to Apple, trying to break her, getting to see the real weak girl beneath that mask of a princess.

“You,” Queen Charming started, approaching Apple White “Do you really think you did well back there?”

“Huh?” Apple asked, having to crane her neck to look at the Queen’s face, “W-what do you mean?”

“Haaa” Queen Charming sighed, fixing Apple with a look that showed pure disgust “You were hesitating in the courtyard. It looked like you were having some kind of panic attack.”

Apple’s blood ran cold. Her eyes widened and her hands started shaking at her sides.

“Of course, Daring couldn’t tell. After all, you tried sooo hard to hide it,” Queen Charming rolled her eyes.

“I-i don’t know what you mean,” Apple replied, trying to maintain eye contact as well as her composure.

“Oh don’t play dumb now,” Queen Charming spat, approaching even more, forcing Apple to take a step back, “You were going to ruin my Daring’s hard work!”

“N-no!” Apple exclaimed, trying to defend herself, “I wouldn’t do that to him! A-and, Daring wasn’t the only one working hard there! It was both-“

“Nonsense!” Queen Charming yelled, cutting off Apple and making her shrink back into herself.

“B-but-“ Apple tried but was cut off again.

“You could never work as hard as my Daring does! He is the perfect prince through and through. He wouldn’t need any help in what he does!” Queen Charming sniffed, backing Apple into a wall.

“That’s not-“ Apple started.

“Some heir to the throne you are!” Queen Charming yelled, eyes narrowing as she towered over Apple, “you can’t even get through one supervision without blanching!”

“I-“ Apple tried.

“SHUT UP AND LISTEN!” Queen Charming bellowed, causing Apple to shrink back in on herself and clamp her mouth closed.

Apple was really shaking now, terrified of this woman who seemed to have purple flames coming out of her eyes. Tears filled her eyes as Queen Charming continued berating her.

“MY DARING WORKS SO HARD AND YOU HAVE TO JUST MESS EVERYTHING UP FOR HIM!” Queen Charming screamed, flames growing stronger and wrapping around her body, “IT SEEMS YOU EVEN TOLD HIM THAT HE WASN’T ALWAYS PERFECT!!”

Apple could barely breathe, she was so scared. She had never experienced this kind of pure rage, even her own mother had never gotten this angry at her. And, those flames, they didn’t look like real fire. It looked like magic.

“I DON’T CARE IF YOU ARE HEIR TO THE THRONE OR SNOW WHITE’S DAUGHTER! YOU CAN’T INSULT HIM!!” Queen Charming continued, “DON’T YOU DARE MESS UP MY SON’S FUTURE! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?!”

At this point, Apple was barely standing up, her legs shaking so badly. She was gasping for air, tears running down her face. Terrified couldn’t even begin to describe the emotion she was feeling. She was scared of Queen Charming. She felt betrayed that Daring would tell his mother what she said. She wanted to get out of here. The Queen smiled at the damage she caused, about to reach for the princess. Apple recoiled, pushing further into the wall behind her trying to get as far away from Queen Charming as she could.

“NO!” Apple finally yelled, trying to push Queen Charming’s hand away, but the purple flames clung to her, burning Apple’s hand. She screamed.

Apple looked back at the monarch, clutching her hand to her chest. For just a second, it seemed like guilt or sorrow flickered in the Queen’s eyes. But just as suddenly, she boomed into laughter.

“Ha ha ha!” Queen Charming laughed, smirking at Apple White, “That’s what happens when you defy me!”

She reached for Apple again, the princess cowering in fear, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, a crash sounded in the hallway, startling the two inside. Queen Charming turned away for a second, processing the noise. As she faced the other way, Apple felt the wall behind her give out. She gasped, about to make a noise, but a hand clamped around her mouth while another wrapped around her stomach, pulling her back through the now open space in the wall. She felt herself being pulled against another person and saw the open space before her closing, losing sight of the angry Queen. But, fear spiked in Apple again, thinking she was being kidnapped. She started thrashing and flailing her arms, trying to escape from her attacker’s grasp when she heard a familiar voice whispering in her ear.

“Shhhh, it’s me, Apple,” Darling said quickly, trying to placate the scared princess in her arms.

Apple immediately relaxed, the fear of Queen Charming and what had just happened finally subsiding a little. Apple slumped in Darling’s arms, feeling more drained than ever. She started sobbing, burying her face into the crook of Darling’s neck, taking in her familiar scent. Apple let out all the emotions she felt throughout the past few hours. She shook badly, crying and crying, all while Darling held her tightly, running her hands through Apple’s hair and whispering comforting words in her ear.

‘It’s ok, it’s ok,” Darling whispered, “you’re safe now. I got you.”

Apple sobbed harder, not only letting out her suppressed emotions, but feeling overwhelmed with the presence of Darling, the person she had been wanting, needing, craving, to see this whole month. Finally, the tears started to subside, now devolving into little hiccups.

“Hey,” Darling called gently, moving away slightly to meet Apple’s eyes, “let’s go to my room ok?”

“O-ok” Apple replied, shakily, still trying to regain her bearings.

Darling smiled and helped her up. Apple was still shaken from the earlier interaction and leaned on Darling for support, Apple being a little embarrassed for it. They slowly made their way to Darling’s room. It was then Apple started processing her surroundings. They seemed to be in a dimly lit, narrow passage that had so many twists and turns, Apple was sure she’d be lost in them forever if not for Darling.

“Where are we?” Apple asked, regaining some of her composure, still clasping her hand to her chest.

“Well…” Darling started sheepishly, “don’t tell anyone ok? But, we are in the secret tunnels that run through and around the Charming castle.”

“Secret tunnels?!” Apple asked incredulously, looking at Darling with wide, curious eyes, “those actually exist?!?”

“Yup!” Darling said with a smile, “Apparently, the Charmings of the past used them to escape when they were in trouble. But, it hasn’t been used for decades now. I think I’m the only one in my family that even knows about them.”

“Really?!” Apple asked, “That’s so cool! But, how do you know how to navigate through them? There are so many tunnels!”

“Yeah…well, I sorta use these a lot…” Darling trailed off uncertainly, knowing that it wasn’t really becoming of a princess to go around filthy, decades old tunnels.

“Woahh” Apple said, eyes sparkling with admiration, making Darling smile softly and blush.

“Ok,” Darling said, coming to a stop in front of what looked like a dead end, “we’re here.”

“We’re here?” Apple asked questioningly, “but it looks like just a dead end…”

“Hehe” Darling grinned, letting go of Apple for a second and approaching the wall, “Watch this!”

Darling put her hand against the wall, closing her eyes. Apple watched on in confusion, wondering what she was going to do. Suddenly, the bracelet Darling was wearing started glowing blue, and Apple gasped. Then, without notice, the wall seemed to turn into liquid, quickly parting and creating an opening to the room in front. Darling turned back to Apple smiling, and grabbing her hand.

“C’mon!” Darling beckoned, stepping through the opening and pulling Apple along with her.

And, as quickly as the opening formed, it closed right up as soon as the two girls entered the room. Apple was left flabbergasted, mouth hanging open as she looked back and forth between Darling and the wall.

“H-how? What? Huh?” Apple was left speechless, looking at her friend in awe.

Darling laughed, and raised up her hand, showing off her bracelet.

“Using this!” Darling said proudly, “I found it in one of the old books in the library, talking about how previous Charmings have activated the secret tunnels. I don’t think anyone has read that book for years though!”

“W-wow!” Apple exclaimed, “that’s so cool!”

“Right?!” Darling yelled, smiling, “It’s almost like magic!”

When Darling mentioned magic, Apple immediately froze, remembering the incident that happened only a few minutes ago. She clutched her hand where the flames burned her, shaking with fear once again. Darling quickly realized the blunder she made and enraptured Apple in a hug again.

“Oh Grimm, sorry Apple,” Darling quickly stated, squeezing her tightly, “I’m so sorry for bringing that up. It was insensitive…”

“N-no,” Apple breathed, “I-it’s ok. I know you weren’t trying to make me feel scared…”

“No, it’s not ok. I’m sorry. I’ll be more observant in the future…” Darling trailed off, rubbing Apple’s back, “she’s not here anymore. She can’t hurt you. It’s alright now.”

Apple calmed down, releasing a breath and resting her head on Darling’s shoulder for a moment. Then, she backed up to look at Darling’s face.

“W-what was that?” Apple asked worriedly, “y-your mother…I-i don’t even really know what happened…”

“Ahhh” Darling started uncertainly, looking everywhere but at Apple, “I’ll explain it all…But, first, let’s get your hand treated ok?”

“Eh?” Apple looked up quickly, meeting Darling’s eyes incredulously, “y-you noticed?”

“Of course I did!” Darling said quickly, pulling out a wash basket filled with water, bandages, and what looked like a cream, “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t notice?!”

“Uh um…” Apple stuttered, unsure of how to answer that.

“Hehe,” Darling approached Apple, gently taking her injured hand in hers, “that was me being sarcastic by the way…”

“Oh” was all Apple could say as Darling treated her wound.

Apple watched as Darling first put her hand in the water, wincing when she felt its frigidness, a stinging sensation forming on her hand. She tried pulling her hand out but Darling kept it submerged.

“Sorry Apple,” Darling said apologetically, “But, you have to keep your hand in the cold water for a few minutes. I know it hurts but its the best thing for your hand right now.”

“O-ok…” Apple agreed, gritting her teeth, not even questioning how Darling knows medical knowledge in the first place.

“Well then…” Darling started, “I guess we need to talk about what happened earlier with my mother…”

“Y-yeah,” Apple replied, ears perking up, “I want to know what was going on… I-it was… really scary…”

Darling wrapped an arm around Apple, comforting her, and keeping herself grounded as she started her tale.

“Well… you probably know how my mother is really strict about being a lady and stuff right?” Darling asked Apple.

“Y-yeah,” Apple responded.

“She’s been that way ever since I was born. Always obsessing over how I was dressed, how I was speaking, what I was doing. She watched everything, never taking her eyes off me…” Darling started, eyes downcast.

Apple touched Darling’s hand that was wrapped around her, giving it a gentle squeeze. Darling smiled up at her.

“I…I could never be the way she wanted…We were just too different. Of course, at first, I tried to be a proper lady like she wanted. But… It was never enough for her. She would always yell and scream, making a big fuss over every little thing I did,” she continued.

“I-I understand that…” Apple replied, looking Darling in the eye.

“I know you do…That’s why I know I can share this with you,” Darling stated, then continued, “But…My brothers…Daring and Dexter…they never really felt our mother's anger or resentment. My mother loves Daring, she’s obsessed with him…And Dexter…She’s just happy that he follows everything she says.They’ve never seen her truly angry. Fussy, sure. Annoyed, sure. But angry, no.”

There was sadness in Darling’s eyes as she went on.

“But with me…It seems like everything goes wrong. She hates me… I know she does,” Darling said, voice cracking at the last part, “And, when she gets really angry…That’s when those flames show up…”

“S-so…” Apple started, voice shaking as she asked the next part, “y-you’ve seen the f-flames before?”

“Yes,” Darling whispered, stopping her motions and looking away from Apple, “more times than I can count…”

Silence permeated the room as Apple registered what that meant. Then, suddenly, Darling whipped her head around as she heard quiet sniffles from behind her. Darling panicked, moving her hands quickly in front of her, not knowing what to do.

“Ehhh?” Darling said, quickly taking Apple’s face in her hands and wiping the tears away as they fell, “W-why are you crying? What’s wrong??”

“I’m sorry…” Apple cried, trying to wipe her tears with one hand, “I’m so sorry…”

“Eh?” Darling asked confused, “What do you have to be sorry about?”

“I-i didn’t n-notice…” Apple sniffled, “I h-had no idea t-that you were hurting…All this time you’ve been listening to me, helping me, being my friend. A-and… I didn’t notice when y-you were hurting…”

Apple cried harder at that. Tears streamed down her face faster than Darling could wipe them away.

“Hey,” Darling said softly, “It’s ok, really…I’m fine…”

“I-it’s not ok!” Apple said frustratedly, eyes filled with guilt, “b-before, y-you even said it! What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t notice? A bad one! I’m so so sorry Darling.”

“You’re not a bad friend,” Darling started, trying to get Apple to listen.

“Yes I am! How could I not notice?!” Apple asked shrilly, “Here I am leaning on you for support and I didn’t even know my best friend was hurt and sad!”

Darling lunged at Apple, capturing her in a hug, tears of her own falling down her face.

“Don’t say that!” Darling yelled, making Apple gasp, “You’re not a bad friend! It’s ok that you didn’t notice, I’m not sad right now! And it’s not like I told you about my past anyway!”

“B-but-” Apple protested but was cut off

“Besides…” Darling started, backing away from Apple and meeting her gaze, “You have no idea how much you’ve saved me…”

“I-i saved you?” Apple asked incredulously.

“That’s right, you saved me…” Darling said fondly, voice watery, carefully brushing Apple’s hair behind her ear, “You didn’t judge me when I told you I wanted to be a knight. You said that you wanted to spend time with me, even though I’m an unruly tomboy princess. And…How can you be a bad friend when you’re able to cry so hard for me like this.”

Apple gasped, left speechless by Darling’s praise. Somehow, the air between them felt charged with an emotion Apple couldn’t place. She blushed, wiping away her remaining tears.

“Do you get it now Apple?” Darling asked, “you are a much better friend than you think you are…”

“O-ok…” Apple nodded knowing she couldn’t argue anymore, “Oh, c-can I remove my hand from the water now?”

“Ah” Darling said, eyes widening, casting her gaze back at the wash bucket, “Aha, I forgot about that…”

“Hehe” Apple giggled at that, making Darling laugh as well.

Darling took Apple’s hand again and dried it with a towel. She then applied some of the cream to the bandages and wrapped it around Apple’s hand. As she was doing that, a question came to Apple’s mind.

“Darling…” Apple called, making the platinum blonde pause and look up for a moment, “can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Darling replied easily, getting back to work on Apple’s hand.

“What are those flames?” Apple asked curiously.

“Magic,” Darling responded.

“Ahh, I thought so…” Apple started, “but what I meant was, I had no idea that Queen Charming could use magic…I just thought that if someone of that big of a station could use magic, it would be a huge topic in conversation…”

“Yeah you’re right…” Darling started, eyes turning serious, “it would be huge news…My mother can’t use magic.”

“Eh? B-but… how?” Apple asked, confused, trying to meet Darling’s eyes.

“I… don’t really know myself…” Darling started, looking back at Apple, “I… I just know that whatever those flames are, they weren’t coming from her… She can’t control them… She doesn’t have magic…”

“H-how do you know though?” Apple continued, eyebrows furrowing in thought.

“Because all Queen Charmings of the past have not had magic,” Darling stated, continuing to wrap Apple’s hand in bandages, “And… even if she somehow did this time around… It doesn’t make sense for my father to not know anything about it, or your mother for that matter. Besides… if she could really control it… I’m surprised she hasn’t used it on me yet…”

Apple gasped, jerking upwards and accidentally pulling her hand out of Darling’s grasp.

“D-don’t say that!” Apple shouted, reaching for and clutching Darling’s hands, eyes beseeching her to not talk about herself that way.

“Ahh, sorry… I shouldn’t have said that…” Darling started, smiling at Apple, “Well… Don’t worry about it too much…there’s nothing we can really do…”

“Yeah…” Apple whispered, casting her eyes down but getting distracted by a searing pain in her right hand, “Ah-“

Apple flinched and clutched her hand, coiling in on herself to try and stop the pain.

“A-apple?” Darling questioned worriedly, reaching for her, “are you ok?”

“I-it hurts…” Apple cried, “I-i don’t know what to do…”

“Eh…ah…it's not supposed to be this bad after putting on the cream!” Darling started trying to figure out what to do, “I… don’t really know…Maybe magic burns are different?”

“W-what do we do?” Apple questioned, still clutching her hand.

“We have to get you to a doctor! Hold on! I’ll go ask my parents!” Darling scrambled, getting up to run to ask her parents to bring a doctor.

“W-wait!” Apple yelled, catching Darling’s attention right before she left, “Don’t! Don’t go to your parents!”

“What? But we need to get you to a doctor quickly! That’s the fastest way to do it!” Darling argued, trying to reason with Apple.

“I don’t want to see Queen Charming right now!” Apple screamed, closing her eyes, and voice going quieter “Besides… if you tell them…my mother will find out…And… I don’t know what she‘ll do if she realizes I angered Queen Charming…”

Darling sighed, scratching her head, as she took in Apple’s argument. And, after a moment of contemplation, she perked up again.

“Ahhh,” Darling said, rubbing her head in frustration, “I guess I have no choice!”

Darling then walked over to her dressing room and returned a moment later with two sets of clothes that a princess would never be caught dead wearing. She handed a pair to Apple and started putting on the other pair.

“Eh? Um…” Apple stuttered, unsure of what was going on.

“Put on that dress and breeches,” Darling started, practically already dressed in hers, “Then, we’re going into the castletown to see a doctor.”

“Eh? Castletown? Isn’t that not allow-” Apple asked, but was cut off by another bout of pain, now feeling as though it was rising through her arm.

“Yeah…” Darling started, capturing Apple’s attention again, “If we’re caught, we’ll probably be in a lot of trouble… But, we need to get your arm checked right away… Listen, I know a guy in town who can help with it… Please… Trust me?”

“Always…” Apple replied, looking away as a blush coated her cheeks.

Darling smiled and turned, giving Apple privacy to put on the clothing. She quickly put it on, moving around, feeling very out of place in these common clothes. It was a thick pair of trousers and flowy white linen dress.

“T-these feel really weird…” Apple said, face contorting in uncertainty.

“Ha ha ha,” Darling laughed, turning and grabbing Apple’s uninjured hand, urging her to follow, “Yeah… It can be a bit weird at first. But, it feels a lot more freeing when you’re used to it.”

Apple nodded, agreeing with her. She brought her hand to her chest, trying to resist the pain shooting up her arm. Quickly, Darling opened up the secret tunnels again and led her through them with practiced ease. Apple noted that Darling seemed to be very comfortable in these clothes. Wait- Why did she even have them in the first place? And what did she mean when she said she knew a person in the castletown? Apple put aside her thoughts for now, thinking that these were questions meant for another time.

Darling took them through many twisting and winding passages. Apple already lost track of where they were, knowing she would be stuck without Darling to guide her. Finally, they approached a rocky wall that seemed to be different from all the bricks and stones filling the castle. Darling let go of Apple’s hand for a second to move the rocks aside, one by one. Apple tried to help but was again struck with pain. Darling rushed to her side, pulling up the sleeve of Apple’s dress to see the damage. She gasped as she saw her hand. The burn had somehow traveled up her arm. Now, half her arm was covered in angry red burn marks.

“This is what a magic burn does…” Darling whispered, shocked and scared, hesitantly pulling the sleeve back down, “we gotta hurry, before it gets even worse!”

Tears started gathering in Apple’s eyes now, scared that the burn would end up covering her whole body.

“W-what if it e-ends up all over me?” Apple asked, shrinking back in on herself, “H-how am I supposed to be a princess then??”

Darling grabbed her by the shoulders, snapping her out of her panic. She looked up, meeting Darling’s eyes.

“It’s ok! I won’t let that happen!!” Darling promised, eyes determined, quickly going back to moving the stones.

Once the last stone was moved, an opening appeared, seeming to lead outside the Charming Estate. Darling rapidly grabbed Apple’s hand, pulling her through the opening and stepping into the sunlight outside. Darling took what looked to be a tarp made of leaves and covered the opening. It now looked like it was never even there. Apple again wondered whether Darling had done this all before.

“C’mon!” Darling yelled, pulling Apple along with her towards the town, “let’s hurry!”

At this, the two ran quickly, Apple barely keeping up with Darling’s fast pace. They entered the town, Apple looking left and right in awe. Darling took her down crowded streets filled with vendors trying to sell their items. Children ran around freely, playing and enjoying themselves with their friends. Merchants filled the roads as they tried to make deals with street vendors. Mothers and fathers walked around with their children. Apple had always wanted to see what the town was like, never having the chance to come here herself, people always claiming that it was unfit for a noble. Smells of foods Apple had never seen before invaded her senses, momentarily distracting her from the pain in her right hand. But, before Apple could take in the splendor of the castletown, her arm throbbed causing her to hiss, caught up in the pain. Darling immediately took notice.

“It’s ok, Apple,” Darling said determinedly, trying to mask the worry on her face, but Apple knew her well enough by now to know that she was acting tough, “We’re almost there!”

“O-ok,” Apple responded, tucking her head down and gritting her teeth as the pain doubled over.

Before she knew it, the crowds thinned and they were making their way through a calmer street filled with smaller shops. They passed a bookstore, bakery, and what looked to be a play area made for kids. Finally, they stopped in front of a big building near the end of the street. The sign on the front said: Dr. Erwin Granbell’s Medicine Dept. Before Apple could think, Darling started pounding on the front door to the building.

“Oi! Gramps! You in there?!” Darling shouted from outside, still pounding on the door, “Hey! I really need your help! Quick!!”

Apple had never heard Darling sound so informal before. It was honestly refreshing. And very shocking. All this time, Darling had never let go of Apple’s uninjured hand, grasping it tightly, as if she was scared Apple would disappear. The urgency in her voice told Apple just how scared Darling was. Apple trusted her, knowing that Darling would never lead her astray.

“Oi! Get out here already, stupid Gramps!” Darling yelled with all her might, making Apple blanch at the impoliteness.

“Yeah yeah, quit it with the racket kid,” Dr. Granbell said, rubbing his face as he finally opened the door, “Y’know, for someone who comes here often for help, you could really learn to ask nicely…”

“If I did that, you’d never open the door! Stupid drunk! You drink way too much!!” Darling yelled, face contorted in disgust at the thought of being drunk.

“Heh, you got me there, kiddo!” Dr. Granbell said, slapping his knee as he burst out into laughter.

“Enough of the small talk!” Darling said quickly, eyes growing serious, “I really need your help!”

“Oye, what’s with the seriousness,” Dr. Granbell asked, just now registering that she was not alone, “and who’s the kid behind you?”

“Just look!” Darling yelled, pulling Apple closer and turning to her, speaking softer “hey, could you show him your injury?”

“O-ok,” Apple said meekly, face contorted in pain.

Dr. Granbell did not know what to make of this interaction. As far as he knew, the kiddo was never soft with anyone, even making a daily effort to roughhouse with other boys in the neighborhood. He smiled to himself as he realized the implications of what this meant. But, the smile was quickly wiped off his face as the young girl she brought with her revealed her injury.

“Wha- Oh Grimm!” Dr. Granbell yelled, eyes going wide, “You two! Get inside now!”

“Huh?” Darling asked worried, “what’s wrong?”

“There’s no time for that!” He exclaimed loudly, waking himself up from his hungover state as best he could, “I’ll explain as we go! Just get inside right now!”

The two rushed in, worry and fear gripping their hearts as he quickly picked Apple up and placed her on the sofa in his living room, Darling following close behind. Dr. Granbell pulled up Apple’s sleeve, seeing how the burn had already spread to her full arm. He clicked his tongue, rushing to the cabinet across the room, picking up bottles, reading the labels and putting them back quickly. He ran over to the other cabinet, doing the same thing.

“This isn’t good,” He muttered to himself, “it’s already spread this much…”

Apple and Darling watched worriedly, wondering why he was in such a frenzy. A million thoughts ran through their heads. The main ones being, couldn’t he just give her a potion or cream to reduce the burn’s effects? Why was he running around checking bottles like crazy? Are the burns worse than we thought? What is going to happen now?

“G-gramps?” Darling called unsurely, “w-what’s going on? Is the burn worse than expected?”

“Hexes!” Dr. Granbell swore, turning his attention back to the two girls, “I don’t see you for two weeks and you come back to me with a kid with a magic burn! Grimm! This is why I don’t want kids!”

“G-gramps?” Darling called again, cautiously meeting his eyes, “what’s going on?”

“Haaa,” Dr. Granbell sighed, “Y’see, magic burns are different from regular burns. These burns can’t be treated with regular creams or potions. Magic burns spread throughout the victim’s body, causing immense pain and suffering. It feels like they are being tortured from the inside out. Sometimes…it even leads that person to death if it spreads to their heart.”

“W-what?” Both Darling and Apple shrieked, eyes going wide, tears forming in Apple’s eyes.

“B-but Gramps! You can do something about it right?!” Darling surged forward, gripping the doctor’s coat and looking up at him with pure desperation, “You’re gonna save her aren’t ya?!?”

“Listen, kid…” Dr. Granbell started sadly, “Magic burns are hextremely rare. So rare in fact, that many doctors never see one in their lifetimes. And, these burns differ in strength depending on the potency of the magic involved. What color were the flames that struck your friend?”

“Purple,” Darling answered immediately, eyes completely focused on the doctor’s answer.

Dr. Granbell’s eyes widened again, mouth opening and closing with no words coming out.

“Oi, Gramps! What does that mean? What do purple flames mean?!?” Darling all but shrieked, shaking him, demanding answers.

“Grimm…” Dr. Granbell whispered, “Purple flames… Those are the strongest of all magic!! How in the world did you get hit by purple flames?!?!”

“I-i” Apple stuttered, unsure of how to answer and the pain getting worse, she collapsed on the sofa, almost falling off.

Darling ran to her, catching her before she fell and laid her down gently.

“Apple!” Darling yelled, shaking her friend, trying to wake her up, “no no no… This can’t be happening!! APPLE!!”

Apple did not wake up. She didn't make a noise. Just laid there, head lolling from one side to the other as Darling shook her. Tears gathered in Darling’s eyes as she finally lost her composure.

“No no NO!” She yelled, running to Dr. Granbell again, “HEY! You can do something right?!? The cure!! GIVE HER THE CURE!!”

Darling was shaking at this point, tracks of tears running down her face. Dr. Granbell had never seen her so shaken up before. So, he told her the truth.

“Kid…” Dr. Granbell started, casting his eyes down, “the cure needs to be made from a specific herb that grows in the Dark Forest…It’s pink, looks like a flower, and gives off this sweet, heady scent. It’s so hard to get that it is basically never sold in the vendors and even commissioning it is difficult… I don’t have the herb…”

“W-what?!?!” Darling whispered, the severity of the situation finally dawning on her, “H-how long does she have?”

“I-i don’t know for sure but…at the most around two hours…” Dr. Granbell said dejectedly.

“Two hours…” Darling whispered, an idea forming in her head, “T-then… I’ll go! I’ll get you the herb!!”

Darling quickly made her way to the door but stopped, Dr. Granbell’s voice made her turn and listen again.

“Don’t be stupid kid!” Dr. Granbell shouted, approaching and pulling Darling away from the door, “The Dark Forest is too dangerous! Not even skilled adventurers or knights go there! Besides…It’s rumored that a giant beast guards the herb! I’ve only seen it once in my life and that’s because a friend of mine got it from someone else!”

“B-but my friend needs help! She’ll die if she doesn’t get the cure!!” Darling yelled, pushing away from Dr. Granbell in frustration.

“Don’t do unnecessarily risky things! The Dark Forest is no place for a child! You’ll get yourself killed!” Dr. Granbell shouted again, reaching for Darling.

“I have to do something!” Darling screamed, smacking Dr. Granbell’s hand away and backing up, “I’m not gonna sit here and watch as my best friend dies!! I’m gonna save her! I promised her I would!!”

With that, Darling dodged Dr. Granbell’s hands and ran out the door towards the town’s gates. She could hear Dr. Granbell shouting behind her but didn’t pay him any mind. She had a mission to accomplish. She ran through the busy streets again, approaching the town’s border leading into the Dark Forest.

What Dr. Granbell didn’t know, was that Darling had been hunting in this forest for years now. She had learned and practiced swordsmanship under the many adventurers who passed through the town taking up jobs for the townspeople. Although they would rarely take her on quests with them, Darling found the Dark Forest to be a great place to test and practice her skills.

The guards paid her no mind as she entered the Dark Forest. They recognized her and knew that she would frequently go in and come back with herbs or animals to be sold at the adventurer’s guild. As she entered the Forest, she quickly located the hollow tree in which she hid her sword and basic armor. Without delay, she put on her armor and equipped her sword with practiced ease and continued into the forest at a jog. She knew most of the terrain from her many visits to the forest and realized that the herb had to be much further into the depths of the forest. She stopped next to a tree marked with an X. This was the furthest Darling had ever gone into the forest. Darling gulped, senses on high alert. She had never ventured too far into the forest, instincts screaming at her to be careful and that there were terrifying beasts lurking in its depths. But, now, Darling had no choice. It was a matter of life and death. And for Apple, Darling would do anything. She steeled her nerves and ran further into the forest.

The further she went in, the darker the forest got. No wonder it was called the Dark Forest. Darling slowed her pace, head darting left and right, making sure there were no beasts hiding in the shadows. She looked around, not seeing any pink flower-like herbs. Soon, she reached a clearing filled with hundreds of flowers and plants. She paused, who knew deep inside the dangerous Dark Forest there was a beautiful place like this. It reminded Darling of the first time she met Apple, smiling. In a moment, the smile was wiped off her face as reality settled in, remembering Apple was just a foot away from death’s door. She shook her head, gently slapping her face a few times.

“Focus, Darling!” She told herself, snapping out of her reverie and continuing on her way through the forest.

Just as she was leaving the clearing, a noise caught her attention. She turned, just in time to dodge a wolf charging at her. She moved to the side, avoiding the animal, pulling out her sword, ready to fight. The wolf charged again, though this time Darling was ready. She swung her sword, blocking the wolf’s teeth from sinking into her. She shifted her center of gravity lower and pushed back, sending the wolf flying a few feet away. She approached as the wolf was disoriented, blade high above her, ready to strike down her foe. But, suddenly, two more wolves made their presence known, growling and running at her, forcing her to move back from the first wolf. Darling gritted her teeth, knowing that she didn’t have the time or strength to deal with all these wolves. She had never fought a predator this powerful before.

The wolves charged again all together. Darling moved, blocking the first to approach with her sword, pushing hard and sending it knocking into the second wolf. She jumped to the side, avoiding the third’s pounce, swinging her sword and slashing the third. The wolf let out a whine at her attack. The other two getting ready to attack again as the third stumbled back, afraid. The wolves growled, pouncing at her from different directions this time. Darling jumped out of the way, moving into a somersault and regaining her bearings. She dashed at them, the first wolf catching her sword in its mouth tightly. She gripped tightly onto the hilt of her sword, pulling, trying to free it from the wolf’s grasp. She couldn’t, it was stuck. Fear spiked in Darling, already seeing the second wolf approaching her. Darling pulled harder, heart speeding up, anxiety pulling at her mind.

“No…” Darling said, pulling again and again, “No! I have to get back to Apple! This can’t be it!”

The wolf was running at her now. She didn’t have anything to defend herself with. This was it. The end of the road. Just as the wolf was about to pounce on her, a huge roar could be heard, bellowing louder than any animal Darling had ever seen before. It was deafening, even causing the ground to shake a little. The wolves whined and shrunk into themselves. The first wolf had even let go of her sword. Darling looked at them anxiously, knowing that if even the wolves were acting like this then the creature that roared must be hundreds of times scarier and more powerful than them. Loud footsteps could be heard coming closer and closer. The wolves ran away quickly, fear coating their whines.

Darling looked around worriedly, anxiety taking control of her actions. She found a hollow tree near the clearing and dashed for it. She crawled inside quickly, a small hole in the tree allowing her to see anything that passed by. Darling was breathing hard, all her senses telling her that something big was coming. She peeked through the hole, hearing the footsteps coming closer and closer. Finally, it showed itself. Darling’s eyes went wide, hands starting to shake. She barely resisted the urge to scream and run. Before her was a 15 foot tall, purple-scaled, full-grown, menacing dragon.

The dragon sniffed the air, eyes narrowing, before turning to look in Darling’s direction. Darling gasped, looking away from the dragon and shrinking in on herself, hands over her mouth to prevent herself from making noise. Sweat trickled down her forehead as the dragon seemed to come closer, sniffing the tree. Darling could see the dragon’s claws and teeth outside the hole. It was right in front of her. She held her breath, not daring to make a peep. What was only a few seconds seemed like an eternity to Darling, waiting in that tree, holding her breath, closing her eyes, hoping, praying that the dragon would leave her alone.

Finally, as if her prayers were answered, the dragon moved away, going into the center of the clearing, lying down on the flowers. It was only then that Darling released the breath she’d been holding, allowing herself to calm down a bit. She quietly exited the hollow tree, making sure she was out of the dragon’s line of sight. She started tiptoeing away, wanting to leave and continue the search for the herb. But suddenly, a sweet smell reached her nose, stopping her in her tracks.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Darling begged as she turned around, looking towards the dragon.

It was then that she saw the top of the dragon’s head. A single pink flower-shaped herb seemed to sprout out of the dragon’s head, releasing a sweet aroma, the likes of which Darling had never smelled before. Darling sighed, making a resigned face.

“Ok, let's do this!” Darling whispered under her breath, checking her armor and readying sword, determination glittering in her eyes.

Although she was readying herself for a fight, Darling logically knew that there was no way she could defeat a dragon with her current skills. But she had to get the herb somehow. Ever the one to not jump in without a plan, she looked around, trying to see if there was any other way to get the herb without fighting head on with the beast. As she contemplated what to do, she suddenly tensed as she felt a presence behind her. She turned quickly, sword at the ready, waiting for the opportunity to pounce. However, she soon lowered her sword when she realized a bunch of fairies bounded towards her.

“Fairies…” Darling whispered confused, watching as they approached and seemed to try and push her in the opposite direction of the dragon.

The fairies chirped, faces contorted in worry, as if warning Darling of the danger present.

“Are you…trying to warn me?” Darling asked shocked, eyes widening as the fairies nodded in answer, still trying to push Darling in the other direction.

“Thank you fairies…” Darling started gratefully, moving out of the fairies path, “But.. I need to get that herb. My friend…she’s dying and I need it to save her…”

Darling started moving towards the dragon again but the fairies quickly blocked her path once more, chirping in a frenzy.

“Sorry… But, I’m not leaving without that herb,” Darling stated apologetically but firmly, making her determination known.

The fairies seemed to huff in resignation, backing up and talking amongst themselves. Just as Darling thought they would leave her alone again, one of the fairies approached and touched her forehead to Darling’s.

“What are you…” Darling trailed off, feeling some kind of magic course through her, eyes widening in surprise.

“Don’t worry human…” The fairy seemed to speak directly into her mind, “We’re not here to hurt you.”

“Wh-what is going on?” Darling asked confusedly, taking a cautious step back.

“You…” The fairy started, “you’re not gonna leave this place without that herb right?”

“Yeah…” Darling answered, stubbornness showing in her voice.

“Ughhh” Another fairy said in response, doubling over, “Y’see Emerald! This is why I don’t like humans! They’re so stupid! I mean, does she really think she can beat a dragon?!”

“Amethyst!” The fairy named Emerald admonished, “She’s trying to help her friend! It’s admirable!”

“Humans are weird,” the third fairy said, seeming to not care at all.

“Sapphire! Don’t say that! It’s rude!” Emerald scolded, bonking Sapphire on the head.

“Hey!” Darling called, tone a little sharper, a bit annoyed, “If that’s all, then I’m going now. I’m running low on time and I really need that herb!”

Darling started towards the dragon again, eyes determined and sword drawn, knowing that she had to win this fight no matter what. But before she could even take four steps, Emerald blocked her way again, hands waving in front of her.

“Wait wait wait!” Emerald called, stopping an annoyed looking Darling, “let us help!”

“Help?” Darling asked incredulously, “you want to help me?”

“Yes!” Emerald replied, enthusiastically.

“Gehhh” Amethyst groaned, resigning herself, “Ugh, guess we have no choice then…”

“I guess not,” Sapphire replied, “Emerald hates seeing any unnecessary death…”

“So, what’s the plan, human?” Amethyst asked, turning towards Darling.

“Uh” Darling replied, still shocked that rare, mythical creatures would want to help her.

“Ughhh” Amethyst rolled her eyes, “Don’t tell me you have no plan?!?”

“No, I do have a plan!!” Darling said defensively, pouting a bit, “Ok, so… can you three distract the dragon and try to make an opening for me to grab the herb?”

“Aye aye!” Emerald replied, saluting Darling playfully.

“Fineee” Amethyst said reluctantly.

“Ok,” Sapphire said, looking bored.

The three fairies set out, flying towards the dragon as Darling watched from where she was, ready to charge at the first opening in sight. Emerald stopped right at eye level with the dragon, poking its nose, causing the dragon to open its eyes, quickly becoming enraged. The dragon got up and roared in Emerald’s face, swiping one of its claws at her. She dodged swiftly, sticking her tongue out at it.

“Hehe,” Emerald laughed, “you can’t catch me!”

The dragon seemed to understand her as it stood up to its full height, swiping at her over and over. Emerald kept dodging, knowing that she wouldn’t be hit. Quickly, Amethyst and Sapphire showed themselves as well, flying across from the dragon, making it lose its balance when trying to swipe at all three of them. The dragon roared in rage. Flames pooling at the sides of its mouth. It let out a stream of fire, chasing around the fairies’ flight paths.

“Heh!” Amethyst smirked, “that all you got, big guy?”

You could practically see the venom laced in the dragon’s eyes as its senses got sharper by the second. Then, suddenly, without warning, it shot out scales in all directions, catching the fairies off guard. Amethyst and Sapphire dodged them expertly, growing cocky at their apparent superiority compared to such a beast. But the smirk was completely wiped off their faces as they realized a scale had lodged itself into a tree, trapping Emerald behind it.

“Emerald!” Amethyst called, fear coating her voice.

The dragon seemed to realize this as it immediately left the other two fairies alone and went for the lone one, trapped under the scale. Amethyst and Sapphire flew quickly to Emerald’s side, trying to pull off the scale and free their friend. But, it was proven futile as the scale was lodged much too deeply and heavily for small fairies to be able to remove.

“Emerald!” Amethyst shrieked, terrified, knowing that the dragon was slowly making its way towards them, flames again pooling at the sides of its mouth.

“A-amethyst! Sapphire!” Emerald called, fear in her eyes, “Hurry up and get out of here!”

“What!” Amethyst cried, gripping her friend by the shoulders, “There’s no way we’re doing that! We’ll get you free!”

They both tried again to move the scale but it was no use. It wasn’t budging. The dragon towered over them, now right in front of them. Amethyst moved in front of Emerald, blocking her from the dragon’s sight. Sapphire stood next to her, also protecting her friend.

“You’re not touching her!” Amethyst yelled, eyes defiant but the tremble in her legs gave away her fear.

“What are you doing!?!” Emerald shouted appalled, “Run! Leave! Get out of here!”

“N-no way” both Amethyst and Sapphire refuted.

The dragon didn’t seem to care, readying its fire breath, eyes glinting in certain victory. Amethyst and Sapphire closed their eyes, waiting to feel the pain and possible death that awaited them. But, just as the dragon was about to release its fire breath, a rustle caught their attention. Amethyst and Sapphire could see the human running towards them, drawing the dragon’s attention.

“Oi! Human! What the spell are you thinking!?!” Amethyst cried, appalled by the human’s stupidity.

“What do you think!?!” Darling called back, tired of being told off by the fairy, “Saving your damn lives!!”

The dragon turned its attention towards Darling, forgetting about the fairies. It released a stream of fire towards her, Darling jumping out of the way and rolling behind a big rock to avoid the attack. She drew her sword and came out from behind the rock, poised and ready for a fight. The two just stared at each other, the dragon readying another fire blast as Darling took a deep breath. She knew she didn’t have the skills to defeat such a foe but at this point, she had no choice. It was do or die time. Darling steeled her nerves, eyes growing determined, and charged at the beast.

She dodged a swipe of the claw, slashing at the Dragon’s arm. It only made a shallow cut, the dragon looking unfazed. It spewed out another stream of fire, Darling barely managing to jump out of the way. She moved again, this time, slashing at its underbelly, hoping that it was less protected. However, her hopes were drowned by her blade not even cutting the dragon. It seemed to have too thick skin on its underbelly. The dragon swiped again, this time Darling only able to block with her sword before it sent her flying. She landed with a thump a few feet away from the dragon.

But before she could regain her bearings, the dragon had already shot a spew of fire her way. Darling could only watch as the fire blast approached her, unable to move out of the way. She could hear the fairies screaming, telling her to move. But she couldn’t. The fall knocked the wind out of her, rendering her temporarily frozen. She saw the blast coming closer and closer, fear gripping her heart. She thought of Apple, thinking that this was the end. She couldn’t save her. She couldn’t help her. Apple was going to die alone in an unfamiliar place all because Darling wasn’t strong enough to get her the medicine she needs. Tears pricked at Darling’s eyes.

“I’m sorry Apple,” she whispered, casting her eyes down as the fire engulfed her.

Chapter Text

Darling’s eyes shot open, scrambling to her feet, gasping when she realized there was no ground under her. She flailed her legs around, trying to get some kind of stability. Instead, all she succeeded in doing was flipping around as she floated in what seemed to be some kind of light blue hazy cloud. She had no idea where she was, looking around to see if there was anything familiar nearby. But, she only succeeded in raising panic to her senses as she realized that she was in a vast sea of emptiness, surrounded by blue fog. She tried to recall what had happened to her, remembering that she fought a dragon, trying to protect some fairies. She gasped, realizing that she got hit by the dragon’s fire breath. 

“Am I dead?!?” She shrieked to herself, eyes widening as she remembered the last few hours, “Grimm! What about Apple?! How long has it been?! Hexes!”

Darling cursed, tears stinging her eyes as she realized that she failed Apple, breaking her promise to save her. 

“No no NO” Darling yelled, “This CAN’T be happening!! I have to save Apple!! Nobody else even knows she’s hurt!!”

Darling’s breathing started getting faster and faster, her breaths becoming shorter each time. Panic took over her senses, causing her to clutch at her chest to stop her heart from pounding so hard, shaking her to her core. But, after a few minutes of this, she became quiet, resigned.

“Apple’s gonna die and it’s all my fault,” Darling whispered to herself, guilt gnawing at her heart, not even caring that she, herself was dead.

Frustration clawed at her entire being. Tears ran down her cheeks, her face contorting in anger.

“Damn it!” Darling yelled, cursing, “I’m so freaking weak! I can’t even protect my best friend!! How can I die without saving her?!? CURSES!”

As Darling was sinking further into guilt and frustration, a figure appeared out of thin air. It floated in front of her, stopping her panic and causing her to back up. She wiped her tears quickly, schooling her features.

“Wh-who’re you?!?” Darling asked skeptically, voice shaking slightly, eyeing the transparent figure in front of her, “Are you…a ghost?!?”

“Hahaha,” the ghost laughed, “You needn’t be so on guard, Darling Charming.”

“What are you?” Darling asked, eyes narrowing, reaching to her hip for her sword but noticed that it was missing, “And how do you know my name?”

“I am what you would call an apparition. And, I am the first Prince Charming, so of course I’d know my descendant’s name!” The ghost replied, flashing his signature Charming smile.

“The first Prince Charming!” Darling parroted, eyes wide, “Grimm! I really am dead, aren’t I?!?!”

“You aren’t dead young one,” Prince Charming said, laughing a bit at her expression, “My~ your reactions sure are amusing. Much more amusement than I have had in a while.”

“What is this place? What are you doing here?” Darling asked quizzically, still a bit wary of the figure in front of her.

“This place is an alternate dimension that I pulled you into,” Prince Charming said, touching his finger to his chin, “And, I am like the original Prince Charming’s spirit that has stayed in the waking world to protect and guide our family.”

“Hmmm” Darling hummed, confusion evident in her expression, wondering just what this ghost was up to, then a realization dawned on her, eyes growing wide with hope, “you said I wasn’t dead right?!?!”

Darling swam forward, coming face-to-face with the apparition, meeting his eyes determinedly. The prince raised his eyebrows at her quick change in demeanor, but did not comment on it.

“Yes, that is what I said,” Prince Charming replied coolly, waiting for the younger Charming to continue.

“Then you have to send me back to where I was right away!” Darling commanded, eyes blazing with determination.

“Ohhh, why is that?” Prince Charming asked curiously, “Does it have something to do with your earlier outbursts?”

“Eh ah- you heard that?!?!” Darling exclaimed, embarrassed, but continued, “Ah it doesn’t matter! Just send me back! If you’re the first Prince Charming then you have to understand. My friend is dying! And if I’m not dead, then I can still save her!”

“Hmmm” The first Prince Charming contemplated, finger on his chin again, “I understand your plight, young knight. But, unfortunately, I can’t send you back to where you were.”

“What?!?” Darling yelled, anger showing on her face, “Why not?!?!”

“You should know why young one,” Prince Charming stated, not even flinching in face of Darling’s anger, “you are not strong enough to defeat that dragon. You would have died if I had not intervened, and that is why I cannot let you go back there.”

“But!” Darling started again, meeting his eyes once more, pleading with him, “I need to save Apple! If I do nothing, she dies!”

“And if you go back,” Prince Charming started, “you die, and later your friend dies as well. At least this way, one of you will survive.”

“But…” Darling trailed off, gritting her teeth, her frustration etched onto every feature of her face. 

“You are no match for that dragon,” he repeated, his voice gentle but firm, “no novice adventurer is. You have neither the skills nor the experience to take on such a beast. It would just lead to your premature death which I’m sure isn’t what you want.”

Darling clenched her fists, looking down. She knew he was right. She was just a beginner. All she could do was fight with everything she’s got. And if that wasn’t good enough, then she would die. She felt small and powerless. She cursed her own weakness, her inexperience, reprimanding herself, asking herself why she couldn’t have trained harder these past few years. Until Prince Charming broke the silence once again.

“With that being said,” Prince Charming started, an amused smile appearing on his face, “I’ve taken a liking to you Miss Darling Charming.”

“Huh?” Darling said confusedly, being pulled out of her own self-loathing. 

“Not to mention, it is my job to look after my descendants after all,” he continued, his ghostly facade shifting closer to her somehow, “how could I leave my cute great-great-great-great-great-great granddaughter to suffer like this, huh?”

“What are you saying?” Darling asked, completely bewildered by Prince Charming’s ramblings.

But instead of a reply, the prince raised his hand, and from the air around him, a sword materialized. It gleamed with a soft, golden light as it floated toward her, coming to rest in her hands.

”Take this,” Prince Charming said with a grin, “prove yourself to me. Show me that you have the potential to be a knight. And if I deem you worthy, only then will I send you back.”

Darling’s grip on her sword tightened as she listened to the prince’s words, her heart racing with determination. She had to pass this test no matter what.

“I accept,” Darling replied, her mind already made up.

He snapped his fingers, the air shifting, creating a platform to stand on below them, his figure becoming less translucent and more human-like. Darling took a deep breath.

The prince lifted his sword. Darling raised hers, ready.

Without warning, he charged, his movements blindingly fast. Darling barely had time to bring her sword up to parry his first blow. The force of it rattled her teeth, and she staggered back, struggling to keep her footing.

“You won’t pass if that’s all you’ve got kid!” The prince’s voice rang out, as he swung again.

She barely had time to register his words before another strike came crashing down. She blocked again, but her arms trembled under the sheer force of his blows. 

How is he so strong? He’s a ghost!

The prince circled her, a predator sizing up its prey.

“You’re quick, but you’re too stiff,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement, “You won’t survive against the dragon if you don’t learn to move fluidly. Loosen up.”

Darling gritted her teeth and adjusted her stance, trying to follow his advice. She attacked this time, aiming for a weak spot she thought she’d seen in his guard, but he knocked her blade aside effortlessly.

He moved with the speed of a thunderclap, faster than Darling could track. His sword cut through the air, a blur of shining steel. It was all Darling could do to block his attacks. However, his blows were relentless, his strikes aimed with surgical precision. Each time he swung, he pushed her back a little further.

“Focus!” The prince barked, a command that echoed in the still air, “don’t just swing blindly. Anticipate, react!”

Darling tried to focus, to find her footing. She had to be faster, smarter. She couldn’t afford to fail. 

He swung again, this time with a feint—a quick slash to her left that she blocked just in time, but that left her open for a second strike. He slammed his sword against hers, knocking her back a step. She stumbled, but managed to regain her balance and slash at him only to be easily blocked.

“You need more than just intuition. You need resolve,” he added, “The dragon will crush you if you swing at him that weakly. Don’t hesitate, Darling!”

Darling growled under her breath, frustration seeping into her veins. She was doing everything she could, but it still wasn’t enough. With every blow, she was pushed farther back. Her sword felt heavier with each strike, her body beginning to ache. She could feel the fatigue setting in as he increased his pace.

He was everywhere. He was faster, stronger, more experienced. He had centuries of skill. She had—what? A few years of training? How could she defeat him? Her hands were raw from gripping the sword. Her legs burned with every step she took to dodge. She couldn’t keep this up. But his attacks were only getting stronger, more ferocious. 

Darling blocked another strike, but the strength behind his blows sent a shockwave through her arms, making her fall to her knees. Prince Charming grinned as she struggled to get up. Not letting her rest for even a second, he charged at her, slashing at her from every angle, Darling barely able to parry his blows. She stumbled back, quickly wiping the sweat from her forehead, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she defended another wave of attacks. 

“Hmmm, for a novice, I have to give it to you,” the prince said amusedly, “you’re persistent. Most people would have fallen by now. You sure you won’t give up?”

“No… way…” Darling panted, determination glowing in her eyes.

Prince Charming smirked, the air around him changing as he geared up for another attack. Somehow, Darling could tell that it was different this time. That something big was coming. She readied herself, eyes open, analyzing his stance and movements.

The next moment, he was on her, swinging and striking like crazy, his speed inhumane. But Darling didn’t falter. After continuously being hit with strikes like these for the past half hour, she knew his style of attack. It was the same as dealing with any other monster. Analyze their movements, learn their attack patterns, and counter.

Darling anticipated his movements, trusting her instincts, letting her body move of its own accord. She dodged his swings, eyes burning with determination. Their swords clashed in furious bouts of strength and endurance. Darling’s arms were trembling, her legs screaming at her to stop moving. But she didn’t listen. She forced herself to keep going, mind and body becoming one as she launched herself at Prince Charming, not allowing him to send another attack her way.

His eyes glowed with excitement, seeing the raw potential of the young knight. He stepped it up a notch, testing her skills. He was faster, stronger, more intense. His attacks were relentless, making Darling’s arms feel like lead. Just when she thought she had been getting used to his attacks, he changed it up, and found a different rhythm to throw her off.

“This is how a real knight fights!” He yelled, as their swords clashed, “this is what it takes to protect others!”

Darling felt her resolve start to crack as the exhaustion set in, her battered and bruised body begging for relief. The exhaustion was too much, her energy leaving her by the second. 

Prince Charming let out another powerful blow, and Darling barely managed to deflect it before she stumbled backward, giving the prince the opening he needed to send her sword flying out of her grasp. She was disarmed, exposed. The prince’s sword hovered above her, his eyes gleaming.

“This is it then,” he said, his voice hardening, as he raised his sword for the final strike. 

Darling’s heart pounded in her chest. She had no weapon, she was defenseless. This was it. It was over. She couldn’t prove herself to Prince Charming. She couldn’t protect Apple. She was going to fail. She was—

Just then, Apple’s face flashed in her mind. Her pain. Her suffering. She was left alone at the doctor’s office just waiting for Darling to return. This couldn’t be it. If she was finished here, Apple would die. She couldn’t—no—she wouldn’t let that happen. Not ever.

She was a knight. And knights don’t ever give up. Not until they’ve saved every last person they could.

With every ounce of strength she had left, Darling pushed herself forward, lunging at the Prince. She had no plan. No weapon. Just her sheer will to save Apple. In that raw moment of desperation, the bracelet on her wrist glowed blue, a pulse of magic that surged through her body like wildfire. She felt it—her emotions, her determination, her refusal to fail—everything coalescing into something powerful.

A sword formed from the magic itself, the ethereal blade shimmering in her hands. She didn’t hesitate. She raised it just in time to block the prince’s descending blow.

Clang!

The force of the blow reverberated through her body, but Darling stood firm, her heart pounding with a newfound strength. The Prince’s eyes widened, momentarily surprised. And in that instant, Darling punched the prince square in the chest, forcing him to step back. 

She panted, exhausted, but her eyes were alive with determination.

The prince took a few steps back, his amused expression fading into something more approving.

“Well done, Darling Charming,” he said, a proud smile spreading across his face, “you’ve passed.”

Darling was too breathless to reply, her mind still racing from the fight.

“Passed?” She gasped, barely able to comprehend, “but…how?”

The prince laughed, the sound rich and full.

“I wanted to see what sort of skills you had. And you’ve shown me. You fought with everything you had. You adapted. You put others before yourself. That is what a knight does. And not only that, but you’ve tapped into your own power, the strength that’s been within you all along.”

He stepped forward, his eyes glimmering with excitement and pride.

“You’ve surpassed my expectations, Miss Charming. I will send you back to the forest from which you came… but only on one condition.”

“What is it?” Darling asked, her voice steadier now, the magic sword still tingling in her grip.

“You mustn’t die,” the prince replied, his tone serious, “you must value your own life to protect those closest to you. If you die, there will be nobody left to protect your loved ones. I made that mistake once… and I have regretted it ever since. I don’t want you to make that same mistake. So, go defeat the dragon, get the herbs, and save your friend Apple. That is your condition. Do we have a deal?”

Darling bowed deeply, her heart filled with newfound resolve.

“Yes sir. And thank you for giving me this chance,” Darling replied, her resolve reflected in her eyes.

With that, the air around Darling seemed to get faster, swelling into a big gust that swept her off her feet and into the distance. After a few moments, the mist settled. Prince Charming, his form glowing faintly in the eerie stillness, stood alone now, watching the path where Darling had disappeared. He smiled to himself, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips.

“So this is how my destiny has changed over the years,” he murmured, his voice laced with both amusement and an almost wistful sense of wonder, “A female knight… who would have thought?”

His smile grew wider as he considered Darling’s unyielding spirit, her raw determination.

“How long has it been since someone has forced me to act on their behalf? Decades… or centuries?” He asked himself, eyes gleaming with excitement, “not to mention she’s activated the Moonlit Bangle. That hasn’t happened since I was first given my destiny. How interesting. Very interesting. I’ll keep an eye on you, Darling Charming. Your fate is far from over. In fact… it’s only just begun.”

With one last glance toward the spot where Darling had vanished, the first Prince Charming disappeared into the mist, his presence fading into the void, leaving the dimension as silent and still as it had been before. But the faintest hint of a smile lingered in the air, a reflection of the spirit’s rare and genuine thrill, a promise that there was more that has yet to come.

Darling blinked, disoriented, as the familiar world slammed back into focus. She was no longer in the alternate dimension. Instead, she was standing right where she had been, facing the towering dragon. Her heart slammed in her chest as she realized exactly what was happening.

The dragon, a massive creature with scales like blackened iron and eyes glowing with fiery hatred, loomed before her. Its wings unfolded, blocking out the sun, and its breath—hot and fiery—was hurtling towards her at uncharted speeds.

Darling gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She wouldn’t falter. Not now. Not when she had been given another chance to make things right and save her best friend. Just as the fire approached her, something shifted inside Darling. She felt it—a spark, a pulse of energy from the bracelet on her wrist, stronger now than ever before. The bracelet began to glow, its light pulsing with a power that resonated deep within her. The magic surged through her body, responding to the intensity of her emotions, the sheer force of her will.

A wave of clarity washed over Darling. She may be weak and inexperienced, she may just be a novice adventurer. But, she was not powerless. She was not going to lose this fight.

With a deep, grounding breath, Darling raised her arm and willed the magic into existence. Her focus sharpened, her stance solidified, she braced herself.

“Shield!” She shouted, confident, determined.

A brilliant, shimmering barrier of light materialized in front of her just as the dragon’s fire shot forward. The air crackled with heat as the inferno slammed against the shield. Darling could feel the force of the blast vibrate through her body, but the shield held firm. The fire flickered against the magic like water against stone, dissipating into harmless embers.

For a moment, there was only the sound of her pounding heartbeat, the aftermath of the dragon’s breath fading into nothing. Darling's chest rose and fell with each breath, her confidence growing with her ability to defend against the dragon. She wasn’t done. Not even close.

“What…?” Amethyst squeaked in disbelief, unable to comprehend what just happened.

“Magic…” Sapphire said plainly, though her eyes seemed to hold more emotion than previously seen.

The dragon roared, enraged by her defiance. It swung its massive head back and snapped its jaws, sending a shockwave through the ground beneath her feet. But Darling didn’t flinch. Instead, she gripped her sword—conjured from the bracelet—and raised it at the dragon, eyes sharp, the first Prince Charming’s teachings ringing in her head.

You’re too stiff! Be more fluid.

Without a second thought, Darling sprinted forward, moving with fluidity and grace towards the dragon. Her feet barely touched the ground as she closed the distance, dancing around its snapping jaws and ducking under the swinging tail that lashed at the air like a battering ram.

The dragon’s eyes glinted with malice, its fiery breath sizzling the air as it aimed another blast at her. Darling leaped, her body twisting in mid-air as she summoned another shield. The dragon’s fire slammed into the shield, but this time, Darling was ready. She used the momentum of the attack to flip herself onto the dragon’s back.

The creature snarled beneath her, its entire body bucking in an attempt to throw her off, but Darling held on, her grip steady on the scales that adorned its neck. She could see the herb growing on top of the creature’s head, hidden beneath a cluster of thick, jagged scales. In another moment, Darling dashed up the dragon’s neck, hoping to seize this chance to get the herb. But before she could do so, she felt the dragon stiffen up for a moment, its body going rigid. Darling could sense it, something was coming.

Anticipate! React!

Darling bounded off the dragon, readying her shield a split second before the beast let out another spray of its scales, piercing the world below her. She landed somewhere off to the side, thrown off by the attack. But without pausing for breath, she bounded towards the monster again, dodging its swiping claws and circling around to its blind spot. She kicked off the ground, jumping onto its back once again.

Don’t hesitate! 

This time, she did not hesitate. Darling pressed her knees into the dragon’s back for leverage and in two long strides reached the top of the dragon’s head. It tried to get her off, Darling barely dodging a crushing blow from its jaws. But she continued to climb, her movements purposeful, deliberate.

Then, before the dragon could attack again, she raised her sword and with all of her strength sliced through the thickest scales on the top of the dragon’s head. The blade sank into the thick armor, and she grinned. She could do this. She would do this.

The dragon roared in anger, its eyes flashing with rage, and twisted its head sharply, trying to fling her off. Darling’s heart skipped a beat as the force sent her sliding backward, but she held on, the pulse of magic in her bracelet giving her the strength to maintain her grip. 

She could see the herb—pink and luminescent, uncovered from the scales she managed to dislodge. She reached for it, her fingers brushing the leaves, but the dragon’s fury was far from spent.

It bellowed, taking off into the air, bringing Darling with it as it soared high into the sky. Darling, caught off guard, was almost thrown off by the dragon’s furious twisting and shaking. But she couldn’t give in now. Not when she was so close. She gritted her teeth and held on for dear life.

This was it.

With one final surge of determination, Darling twisted her sword and drove it into the top of the dragon’s skull, using it as a lever to yank the herb free. The dragon screeched, its head jerking back in agony, but Darling didn’t stop. She planted her feet on the dragon’s head, grabbed the herb with both hands, ripped it free from its roots, and tucked it into her belt with a sense of triumph.

The dragon thrashed beneath her, its roars deafening, but Darling wasn’t finished yet. She used the last of her magic to conjure another sword, launching herself at the beast. With a final, decisive strike, Darling’s sword ripped through the air with the precision of a true knight. The dragon let out a final screech as the blade found its mark, driving deep into its heart. The beast fell from the sky, hurtling towards the ground, Darling following suit.

However, just before they both hit the ground, Amethyst and Sapphire swooped in and caught Darling, bringing her a safe distance away as they watched the massive creature collapse on the ground with a tremendous crash. Silence followed. And then, the smell of smoke and ash hung in the air.

Darling was placed on the ground as the fairies rushed to their friend to help get her unstuck. Darling stood over the fallen beast, her breath coming in heavy gasps. She was covered in sweat, her body aching in places she didn’t know had muscles. But her eyes were alight with awe and understanding. 

This was what it meant to be a true knight. To face enemies more powerful than yourself, but to stand strong and use all your knowledge and skills to come back victorious. Her heart surged with victory. It was something she had never felt before. A feeling she could very easily get hooked on.

But now was not the time to dwell on her excitement over knightship. With the herb secured, Darling turned, quickly helping the fairies get their friend free from the dragon’s scale.

“You are seriously one crazy human!” Amethyst exclaimed the second Emerald was free, “do you have no thoughts going on in that brain, huh? Were you trying to get yourself killed?”

“I-” Darling started.

“And what was that earlier that you did with that sword and shield?” Amethyst cut her off before she could answer. 

“Amethyst!” Emerald called curtly, “you mustn’t bombard the young knight with questions like that. She just saved our lives!”

“Hmph!” Amethyst pouted, muttering under her breath, “it’s not like our lives would have needed saving if she didn’t come here in the first place…”

“Amethyst!” Emerald yelled, quickly turning to Darling apologetically, “please excuse her. She’s just in a bad mood because I almost got hurt.”

“Hey! No I’m not!” Amethyst called, flushing a deep shade of red.

“I wasn’t bothered by it, it’s fine,” Darling dismissed the issue with a slight smile, “but I really don’t have much time left. I need to get back to the castletown. Do you think you could show me the fastest way?”

“Of course, right this way,” Emerald happily replied, urging a reluctant Amethyst and a tired Sapphire along.

With that, the fairies led Darling through the Dark forest at a quick pace, dodging any potential enemies and hurriedly leading her back in the direction she came from. Once they reached Darling’s tree, she shed her armor and placed it back in its hiding place. After that, she turned back to the fairies.

“I can’t thank you enough for helping me. Without you, no doubt, I would have died by the dragon’s claws. So, thank you very much!” Darling said sincerely with a bow.

“Oh please raise your head, Miss Charming!” Emerald quickly said, urging Darling to stop bowing, “it is us who should be thanking you. Without you, us too would have met a terrible fate by the jaws of that dragon.”

“I guess we helped each other then,” Darling said with a smile, “Now, I really do have to go. But, I hope we meet again sometime.”

“Just come to the forest as you usually do, you will find us again. Farewell young knight, and I do hope you are able to save your friend,” Emerald replied, returning Darling’s smile.

Darling nodded and turned to go back into town. But before she could take off in a sprint, Amethyst stood in her way, looking sheepish.

“Is something wrong?” Darling asked, a bit impatient, “because if not, then I nee-”

“Human!” Amethyst started, cutting Darling off, “you are crazy and insane. You go into battle without a proper plan. You put yourself in danger and almost get yourself killed! You are weak and inexperienced and… and… so incredibly brave and admirable… Thank you for saving Emerald’s life and mine… Now! Go and don’t waste our hard work!”

“You got it!” Darling called, running past Amethyst, her face a mix of bewilderment at the praise and determination to make it to Apple on time.

Darling’s heart pounded as she dashed through the cobblestone streets of the castletown. The early evening sun was casting long shadows over the marketplace, but Darling hardly noticed. She wove between merchants peddling their goods, dodging stray carts and bustling crowds, her focus solely on getting back to Apple.

Her breath was ragged as she pushed herself harder, her legs screaming in protest from the earlier battle with the dragon. But the thought of Apple lying on that couch, in pain, drove her forward. She couldn’t let her die. She wouldn’t.

She rounded a corner, barely avoiding a stack of crates as she sprinted through an alleyway. The back of Dr. Granbell’s shop was just ahead—she could already see the faint light filtering through the windows. She increased her pace, her heart racing in time with her steps.

Finally, she burst through the door of the doctor’s office, the bell above it jingling as she entered. The smell of herbs and medicine filled her nose, and the soft crackle of the fire in the back room echoed through the small shop.

Apple was there—still breathing thankfully. But Darling’s stomach twisted when she saw her lying motionless on the couch, her face pale, the sickly blue veins of the magic burn snaking their way up her arms. The magic had spread to her neck and chest, the burn nearing her heart.

Darling’s breath caught in her throat. She had no time to waste. She rushed to Apple’s side, kneeling beside her, and wiped the sweat from her brow with shaking fingers.

“Apple… Apple, listen to me,” Darling whispered softly, her voice barely audible, her heart aching with every shallow breath that left her friend’s lips, “you’re gonna be fine. I’m here. I won’t let you die. Please, just hang on for me.”

She wasn’t sure if Apple could hear her, but Darling could have sworn that for just a second, her breathing became lighter and her face relaxed. At least, until the burn started glowing and inched closer to her heart once again.

That was when Dr. Granbell appeared, his eyes weary and hair disheveled as he held a potion in his hand. As he looked up, his eyes widened with shock as he looked from Darling to the unconscious princess.

“You’re here?!” He exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief, “but… but how? You went into the Dark Forest! Not even the strongest adventurers can survive in there for that long! What—”

Darling didn’t have time for his questions. She reached into her belt and pulled out the herb she had risked everything to retrieve, holding it out to him with a sense of urgency in her voice.

“Make the medicine for her, Dr. Granbell. I will not let her die” she cut him off.

Dr. Granbell looked at the herb in her hand, then back at her. His mouth opened and closed, clearly at a loss for words. But Darling wasn’t giving him the chance to question her further. She was focused. He finally snapped out of his shock and nodded.

“Right. Of course,” he said, taking the herb quickly.

He turned toward the counter and began gathering the necessary tools for the medicine. Darling didn’t stay to watch—she trusted him. He had patched her up countless times after her escapades in the Dark Forest, and if anyone could save Apple now, it was him. She had done her part already, now it was up to him. Instead, she sat beside Apple, gently taking her hand in hers. She leaned in close, her voice soft but resolute.

“Apple, you have to hold on. Just a little longer. I’m right here, and I’m not leaving you. You’re going to be okay. I swear it.”

Her heart ached as she spoke, the words feeling like a promise she had to keep. Something she had to do no matter what. Apple’s once vibrant face was now ghostly pale, and Darling could feel the heat of the magic burn radiating from her. But Darling didn’t look away. She couldn’t.

Dr. Granbell worked quickly, grinding and mixing the herbs, his movements precise and practiced, But it was clear that he couldn’t help but glance over at Darling every now and then, his eyes narrowing in curiosity. 

Before then, he had never wondered about the girl that kept coming to him with cuts and bruises every so often. He just imagined she was out playing with her friends and got a little too careless. As was the nature of kids, he thought. But now, after having her bring him a kid afflicted with a magic burn, not to mention, succeeding in bringing him the herb to treat such a wound, he couldn’t help but become more curious. Just who was this girl clad in commoner’s robes but donning sleek platinum blonde hair with a cheeky attitude to boot.

It was clear as day to him how different she was now compared to how he’d seen her before. The fierce determination in her eyes, the tenderness in her touch as she stroked the other girl’s hair, the way she held her hand like it was the most precious thing in the world… This wasn’t the same girl who had wandered into his office as a reckless, headstrong, cheeky kid. 

He finished preparing the medicine and, after a moment’s hesitation, brought the vile to Apple’s lips, and gently tilted Apple’s chin up, coaxing her to drink. Darling stood back, but never took her eyes off Apple, her grip tightening on the edge of the couch, willing the medicine to work.

Seconds stretched into minutes, the silence in the room oppressive. Darling felt like the world had stopped. She could nearly breathe, her eyes fixed on Apple’s still form, her chest rising and falling with the faintest of movements.

Then—slowly, imperceptibly—the magic burn on Apple’s arms began to fade. The veins, once glowing a sickly blue, turned back to their normal color. Apple’s breathing deepened, becoming more even. Her cheeks, pale before, slowly gained a hint of color, and Darling’s heart leapt in her chest.

“Thank Grimm…” Darling breathed, her voice barely above a whisper, “Oh thank Grimm we made it in time.”

It felt like forever before Apple’s eyelids fluttered, and Darling held her breath, her chest tight. Then, Apple’s eyes cracked open—fuzzy at first, but then they focused. She blinked a few times before her gaze landed on Darling.

“Darling…” Apple whispered, her voice hoarse.

She tried to sit up, but Darling quickly pulled her into an embrace, her arms wrapping tightly around her friend, holding her as if she never wanted to let go.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Darling whispered, her voice thick with emotion as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

She pulled back slightly to look at Apple’s face, her hands shaking as she cupped Apple’s cheeks, wiping away the tears that slipped down Apple’s face. She held Darling’s hands to her face, overwhelmed with emotion. Darling closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to Apple’s, each just feeling the other’s presence, knowing that they were there, knowing that this was real.

The moment between them was pure. They didn’t need to say more. They both somehow knew, somehow understood the insurmountable efforts that were made to allow them to share this together. 

Just then, the sound of a throat clearing broke the silence. Both girls pulled away, their faces flushed, only to find Dr. Granbell standing in the doorway looking a bit awkward.

“Ahem… I’ll just… leave you two alone for now…” he muttered, still a bit awkward but not wanting to be rude.

“Dr. Granbell…” Darling called, stopping him in his tracks, “there’s no need for you to leave…”

“If you say so…” he said quite stiffly, a lot of things going through his mind.

Darling met his gaze, fully aware of the questions that were undoubtedly racing through his mind. She took a deep breath, then nodded.

“I’m sure you have a million questions you want to ask,” Darling continued, steadily making eye contact, “I’ll explain everything. But first, you have to promise me something, Dr. Granbell.”

“What’s that?” He raised an eyebrow.

“That whatever I tell you never leaves this room,” Darling said, her tone unwavering, “No one can know. No one can find out. I need you to promise me that.”

Dr. Granbell considered her for a second, noting her seriousness, before a smile made its way to his face.

“I’ll promise you that, only if you agree to something too,” he replied casually.

“What is it?” Darling asked, masking her hesitance with a serious look.

“If you stop with all the formality…” Dr. Granbell said with a smile, “you’ve called me by my official title many times now. That isn’t like ya, kid! It makes me feel weird.”

Darling smiled at that. Now, this was the old man doctor that she had always known and loved spending time with. Even if he was a dumb drunk all the time.

“You got it, Gramps!” Darling smiled.

“Then kiddo,” Dr. Granbell turned serious again, “you’ve got a lot of explaining to do. Who are you really? No commoner goin’ about their daily life just randomly turns up with a magic burn… What happened?”

Darling hesitated for only a moment, glancing back at a still slightly disoriented Apple and then back to Dr. Granbell.

“Y’see Gramps… there’s something I haven’t told you before…” Darling started, her uncertain eyes meeting the doctor’s serious ones, “I… you see… I’m actually a… princess…”

He blinked, caught off guard. Then he started laughing.

“And I’m the King of Ever After!” Dr. Granbell joked, laughing at Darling’s admission, “ya think you can get me with something like that kid? Ha! You’ll have to do better than that!”

A beat passed, silent.

Dr. Granbell looked up, meeting Darling’s eyes, seeing the seriousness reflected there. He froze.

“You aren’t joking are you?” 

She silently shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips, amused at his reaction. his eyes widened and he took a step back. For a moment, it looked like he’d been struck by a spell.

“P-princess?” He stammered, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for the right words, he pointed at Darling, “you mean to tell me that you are… royalty?”

“That’s right,” Darling nodded, confirming, “My name is Darling Charming, the only daughter to King and Queen Charming who rule over this land.”

“Charming…” he whispered, face impassive, then gasped and pointed at Apple, “Then she is also…?” 

“She is Princess Apple White, daughter of Snow White and heir to the throne of Ever After,” Darling introduced her friend, nodding to the doctor who paled at revelation.

“You… she— wha—” the doctor stuttered, the gravity of their admission stunning him, rendering him speechless.

“I know this is sudden and unexpected…” Darling started, looking a bit guilty, “I didn’t mean to keep this from you for so long… its just… it felt nice to have someone treat me just like anybody else… not like a princess…”

“Oh no- I wasn- I didn’t take any offense to it at all, kid…uh—I mean, Your Highness…” Dr. Granbell stuttered over his words, not knowing how to address the two in front of him.

“Please Gramps! Address me like you always have! You don’t need to be so formal,” Darling reassured him, hoping to ease his panic by calling him how she normally does.

“Yeah um… right,” he said somewhat awkwardly, making Darling smile.

“Anyway,” Darling continued, her tone serious again, “you can’t tell anyone about this. If word gets out that the heir to the throne of Ever After was injured by a magic burn, it would cause chaos and despair.” 

“Yeah… I imagine you’re right kid…” the doctor agreed, paling as he thought about what may happen if news like that made the headlines.

“And I’m sorry… but I can’t tell you any more about the situation as I did now…” Darling said, looking pointedly away towards the ground, “It would complicate everything if I did and you would get mixed up in a big royal mess…”

Dr. Granbell hesitated for just a moment before sighing, walking up, and patting Darling on the head, ruffling her hair affectionately. Darling swatted his hand away, something the both of them had done many times. 

“It’s alright kid. I’m glad you trusted me enough to tell me as much as you have…” Dr. Granbell said with a smile, “Now, I assume you’ve both been gone for far too long already. Why don’t ya see yourselves home now?”

Darling gave him a grateful nod before turning back to Apple, who was now sitting up and watching the exchange, still looking a little dazed but much better than before. She helped Apple stand, holding her up in case she was about to fall. The two looked back at Dr. Granbell and thanked him before leaving his office, heading off down the street towards the castle.

They quickly retraced their steps, heading back the same way they came, using Darling’s bracelet to allow them back into the castle’s hidden passages. After a quiet walk through the tunnels, Darling led Apple to her room. The two princesses changed out of the commoner’s clothing and back into their formal attire. After a long, hard, scary day, Darling escorted Apple outside, intending to take her to where her carriage was waiting.

But, before the two reached the area where the carriage was located, Apple tugged on Darling’s sleeve. She turned, looking confused before Apple nodded in the direction of a secluded hallway. Darling followed as Apple glanced around uncertainly, checking for any potential witnesses, before turning to darling, her expression full of gratitude. She took Darling’s hands in hers, her grip firm and sincere.

“Thank you, Darling,” she said quietly, her voice full of emotion, “for saving my life. For risking your own to help me… No one… No one’s ever done that for me before…”

Darling smiled softly, her heart swelling with a thousand different emotions she couldn’t pinpoint. 

“Anything for you, Apple,” she replied, squeezing her hands, “if it’s for you, I’d do it all over again.”

Apple smiled back, the emotions welling up in her and escaping as tears once again. Darling always, always made her feel like someone special, someone worth fighting for.

“I’ll never forget this, Darling. Never,” Apple said, giving Darling’s hands one last squeeze before she walked back, climbing into her carriage, and waving goodbye to Darling.

She watched as it slowly disappeared into the night. As the carriage faded from view, Darling stood there for a long moment, a soft smile still lingering on her lips, remembering the warmth of Apple White and thanking the ancestors above that she was able to protect that warmth from any harm that tried to come to her.

But little did she know, from the balcony above the main entrance to the Charming castle, her older brother stood watching, observing the interaction Apple had with his sister, a pit of an ugly emotion stirring and brewing inside him.