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"Do you, Princess Darling Charming, agree to accept the title of Queen?”
Snow White's voice rang throughout the place with an imposing echo. However, something much stronger was needed to impact Darling. The same question answered herself, in the end, because there was not a single trace of doubt in her voice.
The crown that was about to rest on her head was not heavy enough to weigh her down; on the contrary, it was a responsibility she was happy to accept.
That had always been her destiny, and it was what really made her happy.
"I accept” she answered confidently, looking up, hoping that Snow White could see the truth in her eyes.
"And do you solemnly swear to protect the kingdom of Ever After against any adversity, like every Ever After Queen did it before you?”
"I swear!" She repeated, raising her voice.
Looking out of the corner of her eye, she could see her beloved wife smiling at her, proud of the step she was taking. Finally, they could be happy, and nothing and no one could overshadow that feeling.
Because she and Apple would not be separated again for the rest of their lives.
All her friends had arrived for her big moment. The girls from Wonderland who send a gift and a letter with compliment, Cerise, who was the first time she went out to public without her characteristic hood, and Cupid, who had returned from Olympus, just for them.
It was just as she had always dreamed of. That was the happy ending that the story always promised at the end.
"Do you solemnly swear to always take care of the citizens and the good of the people?”
"I swear!" She said even more sure of each of her words, which she felt from the depths of her being.
"Then I, Snow White, have the pleasure of naming you, Queen of Ever After.”
And without much else to do, the former sovereign placed the royal crown on her head.
Immediately, the entire venue was filled with thunderous applause and cheers. The entire town could smile again because they had new sovereigns. Some of those who could feel proud, and to whom there was no hesitation to swear loyalty, knowing that they would always look out for their interests.
For years, the entire kingdom had been longing for Apple White and Darling to take the throne, because, among murmurs, it was said that they would be the best Queens that Ever After had ever had.
Turning her head to introduce herself to her audience, Apple could no longer contain herself, and from the front row, she rushed to be the first to give her the congratulatory hug, along with a kiss that made the hearts of everyone who saw it flutter. Which were not few, because Blondie had particularly shined with the coverage of the coronation.
Everything was perfectly perfect. That was the wish they had always had, both of them. Hugging her beloved, while they both waved at the camera, something that was not unknown to them. Since they had both formalized their relationship, when they were still in school, they had been quiet in the media. Which, although it had been difficult, had not been an inconvenience.
Soon, they would leave, as they should, so that the kingdom could meet its new sovereigns in person, just as both had always imagined. Fulfill her destiny, and rule Ever After with justice and truth.
Their story had not happened like the original story, it was true, it had not been easy to understand, but, they had found their happy ending.
When all the coronation protocol had finished, the celebration party, as there was no other way, was in the main hall of the palace. Royals and Rebels, Commoners and royals, lived together in harmony, irrefutable proof of what her entire reign would be like. There was nothing to worry about, and everything would be in harmony.
However, after such a tiring day, and as much as she was doing her best to try to smile and greet everyone, fatigue was taking over. Something that would have greatly disappointed the White Queen, failing in everything she had been taught in princesology.
Although, as always, Apple came to the rescue. With her kind smile, she was able to excuse herself from all the guests who gave anything to have a couple of words with her or have a dance with the sovereign. And, drag her as far away from the party as possible, to a place where only the two of them could be.
"I have a surprise for you," she whispered in her ear, once they were far enough away from the bustle and noise of the party.
"More than saving me from all those people?" She asked her, enjoying the contact their hands had as they walked through the lonely hallways.
Apple laughed, her wife always made her smile.
"Yes, a much more important one than that," she assured her, releasing her hand to speed up her pace.
"Wait!" Darling demanded, not very excited about the idea of running around the palace, not knowing exactly where she would end up.
"Hurry up! Or is it that the White Knight can no longer even run?”
If Apple said those words to her, it was very difficult for her sense of competitiveness not to be activated. Well, she could make one last effort all day.
After all, her wife knew her too well.
It wasn't until they reached the gates of the royal gardens that Apple stopped.
"What is it…?" Despite her labored breathing, Apple did not let her continue asking. She placed her index finger on her lips, pleading for silence.
"Close your eyes," she ordered. "Don't open them until I say so."
Darling had nothing to do but follow orders. To the queen, whatever she ordered.
Shrugging her shoulders, she just let herself go.
After several walks that seemed like circles to Darling, and a couple of stumbles later, Apple finally stopped, releasing her arm.
"You can open your eyes now," she told her.
As she did so, Darling was surprised by what she saw. Before she was a garden, which reminded her quite a bit of one she had known in her time as a student.
It was not the largest in the story, nor the most ostentatious, that position was for her brother and Rosabella's palace, but, for her, it was the most beautiful of all.
Even in her castle, there were better gardens. Much larger, and imposing, and that hundreds of dwarfs were in charge of taking care of them every day. However, she knew that this would be the most special of all.
She knew it from the moment she saw it. It was Apple's way of welcoming her to her new home, without abandoning the places that made her so happy. Surrounded by flowers and plants that came from Wonderland, it was as if a small part of that country was there, as well as in her heart.
There was one exactly like it within the confines of Ever After High. It was a place she enjoyed going, and she played Wonderlarian chess with Lizzie or that strange way of playing Cards with Kitty and Maddie.
It was a unique place, where she had always been able to feel herself, and where it had hurt her not to be able to go again, once she had graduated.
Those times of battles on a field with the armor of the White Knight were long gone. When it was time for her to accept her destiny, her visits to Wonderland also diminished, eventually disappearing. All those days were present in her memories, although she feared the day when they would no longer be.
She had never told anyone, because what she felt was not relevant, it was just another process in her life until those adventures were nothing more than a simple memory. But Apple knew her very well and knew what she held deep in her heart.
That was why the blonde had worked hard to build that place, to finally give it to her. A place that was just hers, and could finally remind her of all those days, as if they were never part of the past. Flowers that could not be grown in gardens, because people would notice their strangeness, and they would lose their aesthetics until they were forced to remove them.
In that place, they were simply perfect.
"Lizzie, Kitty, and Maddie helped me find them, Alistair and Bunny grew them. You'll understand that I'm not very good at that" Apple explained, scratching her head with some embarrassment, "They couldn't be here. You know how things are in Wonderland, but we all agreed it was a gift for the new Queen. This garden has been waiting for you since summer. We all gave it more seeds, thinking you might like it.”
Her wife's response was a big hug because she didn't know how else to thank her. It was one of the nicest things they had ever done for her.
"It's lovely. Thanks, Apple" She murmured, without letting go.
"But enjoy it!" She exclaimed, forcing Darling to separate, "Look, Lizzie told me these were your favorites. She said that you always liked to watch them and…”
She wasn't sure of the moment, but Darling's attention was drawn to the garden edge. There, hidden among all the exotic plants, was a fairly common plant.
"Sunflowers" She mentioned, while walking to that place, "What are some sunflowers doing here?”
When she was discovered, the color of Apple's face became as red as that of an apple. She didn't expect Darling to figure that out so quickly.
"Well, the thing is… they are my favorite flowers, I will remove them immediately! They ruin the aesthetics, but I simply liked them there, and I…”
Darling smiled, covering her lips with her hand to prevent a laugh. Apple would never change, even to get nervous it was an open book.
"No one said you had to remove them" She refuted, "I think they look beautiful among all these plants.”
Taking a couple of seeds that Apple had left nearby, Darling knelt down to the ground, scraping away some dirt, before planting them in the most attractive part of the entire palace.
"No!" Apple tried to stop her. "It's not necessary, this garden is yours, and..."
However, Darling didn't even allow her to finish her sentence.
"I prefer this garden to be ours" she concluded. "If it's just mine, it will feel quite lonely. These sunflowers will be the most important plant in this place, because we will be able to see them grow every year, just like our love.”
That charming way of speaking filled Apple with emotion and made her entire body shiver.
"Darling…”
"How about a trip to Wonderland to celebrate this holiday? We have my friends to thank for this.”
Little did Darling really know, that that kiss would be the one that would stay in her memory forever.
And that on that trip to Wonderland, it would be the last time she would see her friends from Wonderland like that, friends.
How could things change so quickly? Six years might sound like a long time, but in reality, it was nothing more than a sigh.
At least, those were the thoughts that Queen Apple had within an extravagant garden, which had to be hidden, or people would demand its disappearance, just like everything that had ever come from Wonderland.
Winter was passing, but the cold had not yet disappeared, there were still months for the flowers to return to their splendor, and the seeds to germinate again.
Nostalgia ran through her body because that garden had gone through better times, although spring brought it back to life. She wanted to stay there, admiring the flowers and plants that she had taken such care of for so long. However, she knew that would be impossible.
Perhaps, she would soon have to abandon her own castle.
At what point had Wonderland decided to declare war on Ever After? She wondered. Their relations had always been cordial, and since she and Darling had assumed the throne, they tried to ensure that respect for that wonderful country, as well as its customs, was present always.
After all, Darling had always felt like one of the others in Wonderland. She understood their discontents and concerns as no Ever Afterian had ever done.
Who would have been that being so evil that she had put it into the heads of all her friends that the madness of Wonderland and the balance of the country was being lost thanks to the normality of Ever After?
She couldn't find an answer, no matter how hard she tried to look for it.
Everything had been so sudden... They could never have imagined it, or even suspected it, never.
Simply, one night, Playing Cards' guards, who were supposed to be in Lizzie Hearts’ palace, now Queen of Hearts, broke into Castle White, ending the life of the last Snow White, her mother.
Her message had been quite clear and concise, a surprise, considering the Wonderlarians' sudden taste for only speaking in Riddlish.
That would not be the only death, since they would not stop until they freed Wonderland from all the normality of the story.
An event of such magnitude could not be silenced or hidden. And when the entire town learned of the brutal murder of the former sovereign, they were shocked and panicked.
If the guards of the palace, which was supposedly the most protected area in all of Ever After, had been unable to protect a member of the royal family, what could they expect?
As expected, Darling stood up to the people. Despite Apple's pleas not to do so, knowing their people wouldn't be happy with them.
Although she was devastated, because she had lost her mother without warning, and now she had no family other than her wife. Just Darling, who she wouldn't lose for anything. She would never allow anything to happen to her.
In a situation where they could do nothing but go to the battlefield, they had suffered defeat after defeat. The military power that Wonderland had was simply superior to her own.
Not only in people, where, clearly, Lizzie's army of Cards came out on top. Not even in strategy, where, since Darling was not present, Chase Redford, also known as the Red Knight, was the one who was present.
It was that ability that the entire story used to ignore about the Wonderlarians. Believing that the impossible was possible, and not knowing that it was impossible until someone said so.
The entire story had always ignored those strange abilities of Madeline Hatter, which were now causing them headaches.
Ever After and Wonderland had been allies since the beginning of the pages. War was an almost unknown word in Ever After until that moment, as it had always been a peaceful place.
Perhaps, that was their greatest sin, for they were at a staggering disadvantage. Their hands were completely tied, and they were subjected to a much larger and better-prepared military power.
Soon, the idea that Wonderland would win that war became more present, everyone began to explain it under their noses. And Apple White was beginning to feel that her reign would end soon.
What would become of them, then? She wondered. Both she and Darling would be tried under the laws of Wonderland. Laws that, no matter how much effort and strength they had to play their hand well, they would not end up winning, because Wonderland changed again and again and again, and luck would not smile on them.
They would both lose their head under Lizzie's order, she was sure of that. That would be her death, as well as her end.
So in those moments where she and Darling were alone, which had become as rare as they were that day, she couldn't do anything but fall completely apart in her arms.
"They're beautiful, don't you think?" Darling mentioned while admiring what were nothing more than simple stems. "The sunflowers."
In six years, and with that whole situation behind her, Darling had also changed. Her body betrayed enormous fatigue, and the bags under her eyes showed a lack of sleep.
Since the war had started, Darling had been in charge of the administration of the entire kingdom, to avoid further torture for the person she loved so much.
Not only that, from her palace, she also designed war strategies, as well as training and preparing her body again, a habit that she had forgotten, to be able to defend herself and everyone she cared about, in case of a surprise attack.
Darling wouldn't tell anyone, but her mother-in-law's death fell on her shoulders as if it were entirely her fault that she hadn't been able to protect her. It was something that had been promised would never happen again.
"Darling!" Apple exclaimed, surprised to see herself discovered by her beloved, and trying to hide her tears, "What are we going to do, Darling? Any moment now, Lizzie's troops will be crossing the border into Ever After. Our people are not ready to fight for their lives, our army is becoming weaker, and I…”
The corner of Darling's lips meeting hers made Apple unable to continue speaking. If there was a way to calm her down, Apple wanted Darling to always kiss her.
At least, she could feel the warmth and security of her lips, knowing that she was still by her side.
"Don't worry about that," she assured her. "You'll be safe, I won't let anything happen to you."
Wiping away the tears that ran down Apple's cheeks, Darling knew that the moment of truth was approaching. It was time to tell the harsh truth to her beloved, even if afterward, she hated her for the rest of her life.
If she wanted to protect all the people she loved, there was only one solution.
"There is something I have to tell you.”
From the way Darling was talking, Apple knew it was up to no good. A shiver ran through her body because she already imagined what her wife would say.
"No..." She begged, although it was in vain, the decision had already been made.
"I will go to the front of the battle" He declared, finally, knowing that she was breaking her beloved's heart, "I will fight on the front row, with our army, there is no other way to win.”
Bright red was the blood that ran down Apple's hands, as she hurt herself with the spikes of the flowers she was holding. Looking at the sky, black clouds were getting dangerously close, predicting rain.
In the same way that the end of the happy life she had was predicted. It felt like thousands of pieces of glass were jammed all over her body, and soon she began to shake before her fragile body collapsed.
"Apple!" Darling exclaimed, reaching out to stop her from falling. It was only a moment before Apple regained consciousness. It wasn't a nightmare, it was her worst fears coming true.
Immediately, she began to cry, hugging Darling as tightly as she could. As if that would stop her from leaving her side
"Don't go!" She begged, breaking down. "Don't do this to me, please!"
"Don't cry anymore, please" Darling tried to console her, aware that something like this would happen, and even expecting worse reproaches, "Understand, my hands can save our future, return to having the life we always dreamed of, save the future of our town.”
"I'd rather lose everything than lose you! Please, Darling, there has to be another way" Tears fell mercilessly on Apple's face.
"You'll lose me anyway if I don't go. We will lose everything then. I can not allow that!”
"Don't abandon me!" She begged her again, holding her tighter. "We can recruit more people, return mandatory military service, find allies, anything! But don't leave me, not you…”
Although she hurt herself by doing so, Darling pushed Apple away from her, forcing her to look into her eyes, even if she resisted doing so.
"No…”
"I'm going to come back to you, I promise. Don't worry about that…”
"You can't be sure! I know you, you will stand in front of everyone, and you will sacrifice your life if you can save someone's! That's you, and I can't allow it!”
"I have already made my decision, Apple. You can't do anything to change it," she assured her, changing the tone of her voice. Her wife had to understand her, "It is my duty, to you and to the entire town. I will not allow…”
"And I will not allow you to force me to live in a life where you are not with me!”
Apple could keep pleading forever, that nothing she said would change Darling's mind.
If they were to fall, then she would fall in front of everyone.
Despite everything, Apple knew her wife very well. If she had taken the courage to tell her this, it was because there was no power in the story that would make her change her mind.
"I can't say anything, right? Nothing I say will move you" She murmured, lowering her gaze.
"I would so much like you to understand…”
Understand it? Never. She couldn't understand how Darling could leave her alone, knowing that without her, Apple didn't want to have a future. Aware that she didn't want to be taken away.
"When are you leaving?" She asked again, without looking her in the eyes, not wanting her to see her cry more.
"In three days, right at dawn. I'll go with the troops so as not to attract attention" She responded, kissing her forehead, feeling that her wife was beginning to understand the reality of the situation, "I have to go, I have to start preparing everything, you…”
Despite Darling's clear intentions for her to accompany her, Apple remained static where she was, still looking at the ground, which was beginning to get wet with drops of her tears.
"I would like to stay here a little longer, forgive me.”
Darling said nothing. She understood her beloved's pain, and she knew she needed time alone to process it. It was too harsh news, and if there was anything she wanted to do at that moment, it was complacency.
She simply nodded her head, hoping she would notice, and without saying anything else, she left.
When Apple was again in complete solitude, she finally collapsed to her knees, crying. She cried, she cried like she had never done before in her life because that was not the happy ending she had always dreamed of.
She had three days to come up with something so that Darling wouldn't leave her.
Two days had passed since that terrible news, and without any idea to keep Darling, Apple had no other consolation than locking herself in her room, looking at the photos she had next to Darling and her mother.
Framed in luxurious frames, they simulated an opulence in which they no longer lived. Finally, she was beginning to feel the arrival of the end. Darling would be gone, and there was nothing she could do about it, and that pain was slowly killing her.
She turned to see the small suitcase that was resting on the edge of her bed. She had been the one who had prepared her, filling out the things she knew Darling would need, even if they were nothing more than the essentials, she had insisted on doing them.
A photo of them on their wedding day, small enough to hide anywhere. Another where she was with Kitty and Lizzie. Of all people, she was one of the few who still couldn't accept what had happened to her friends.
Perfectly arranged, there were also several changes of clothes. Unconsciously, she took one of them, hoping to feel, for the last time, Darling's aroma emanating from them. However, it would never be enough, as those acts would only make their farewell that much more painful.
While cursing herself for having a blank mind for any idea of stopping that, and wondering why she had imposed this torture on herself, she finally put everything back in its place, perfectly arranged, closing the suitcase.
Not content with dying in her own agony, it was Apple who had to announce Darling's departure from the town. To avoid causing a stir, she would do it a day after her beloved left, so that Darling's trip would go completely unnoticed, and the surprise factor would not be lost.
Perhaps, seeing that one of their sovereigns had gone to the front, the spirit of the people would be restored, as well as the forces of the army. Dispel the pessimistic atmosphere that had been established throughout the story, which only predicted tragedy.
Food was lacking since no one wanted to go to work, and for an attack to take them by surprise, the town suffered, since their shelters seemed less safe and welcoming.
The news should boost morale. At least, that's what Darling thought of her.
Unknown to Apple, Darling was also taking a cold look at things. The day of truth was before her eyes, and no matter how much she hid it or lied, she was afraid.
While in the garden, she watched the sunflower buds, remembering the beautiful moments of her coronation, when they could not even imagine that something like this would happen.
Do you solemnly swear to protect the kingdom of Ever After against any adversity, like every Ever After Queen?
The words she had sworn at her coronation resonated strongly in her head. She had sworn total loyalty to her people, to protect them from misfortune and adversity, and if she did not go to the front lines, that oath would be broken.
Without speech, dignity, honor, and kingdom, Darling would be absolutely nothing, nor worthy to even live. Her people had trusted her, and she could not hide like a coward.
All the hopes, dreams, and future of those people rested on her shoulders, and she could not fail them, even if it was the last thing she did in her life.
However, every time she thought about Apple, she wanted to abandon all that and hug her until her arms ran out of strength and never left her.
A terrible weight fell on her hands, knowing that she was the cause of her greatest suffering. To the person she had sworn, in the same way, to protect and make happy for the rest of her days, she was causing the greatest damage.
They were two oaths that opposed each other, so she had had to make a decision. At least, she could do everything in her power to return to Apple and make those wartimes nothing more than a vague and distant memory.
However, if she stayed, living with the guilt that she did nothing during the war, and simply accepted defeat so as not to dirty her hands, would condemn her forever.
Darling was smart, and cunning, much more than people could suspect. In the worst-case scenario, and if she was captured, she knew that Lizzie and the Wonderlarians would spare her life. She was sure that her actions as the White Knight had not been completely erased, and that they must be enough to at least spare her life.
After all, she had been the one who saved the throne of the now Queen of Hearts from a miserable wild card like Courtley Jester.
Living as a normal person, without titles and prestige, and totally in the shadows, was not a bad ending. She could get used to it and even find happiness because luxuries had never been necessary for her.
Working every day, and living in a small place, was a pretty happy ending for her. The luxurious palaces and opulence could be left behind.
However, she was beginning to know well the sadism of the now ruler of Wonderland. Lizzie would not be satisfied if she did not cut off the head of one of the rulers of Ever After. And she could beg for forgiveness forever, which would never save Apple's life.
And, a life without Apple was not a life that made sense to live. A story without Apple would be worth saving.
A story where she had to see with her own eyes the execution of her beloved, and the enslavement of her people, was not a story where she could be happy. That wasn't something she could carry for the rest of her life.
She lightly touched one of the sunflower stems, before sighing and releasing it, leaving the garden for the last time. The time was approaching, the dawn had already arrived, and it was time for her to fight for her future.
During the entire ride, neither Apple nor Darling spoke to each other. None of them wanted to say what was already in front of their noses. They both tried to remain as calm as possible as if the moment of farewell was not imminent, and none of that was happening.
But, as the clock went by, that became more and more complicated.
And in the blink of an eye, they were already where the carriages were gathering, to take the soldiers to the battle front.
There were so many people that camouflage was not difficult. They had taken simple clothes, and, with a hood, their faces were well covered. No one would notice their presence until they reached the barracks.
The last call was announced, the carriages were beginning to leave, and it was Darling's turn to take one, the last of all.
The moment of truth had arrived. There was no turning back.
"I guess this is the last goodbye, isn't it?" Apple asked although the words struggled to come out of her mouth. Every time she dared to speak, she felt like she would cry again.
"It's not goodbye, it's a 'see you soon'" Darling refuted, trying to smile, and taking the suitcase from Apple's hands.
For Apple, who believed that Darling until that moment had never doubted her decision, those words were of no comfort.
Her beloved was leaving... She was going to a place that many considered certain death. And she wasn't doing anything to stop it, she was letting her go...
"I have to go" She murmured, kissing her lips for the last time, even if Apple closed her eyes tightly, not knowing if it was to not see her, or to not let more tears fall. "I'll be back very soon. Before you can imagine it, I swear.”
Apple felt Darling begin to let go of her hand, and as she put her foot on top of the carriage, to get on, Apple grabbed her for the last time tightly, preventing her from letting go.
Her hands had to stop her. She had to try it, at least one last time.
Don’t leave me!
It had been nothing more than a whisper, no one but Darling could have heard her. Anguish, desperation, and fear were enough to make Darling turn to look at her.
Apple's face was covered in tears, completely red, and her beautiful blue eyes, like her puffy cheeks, begged for her return.
"Don't leave me, Darling!" She exclaimed, raising her voice a little more, and squeezing her hand even more. "Don't abandon me and leave me alone here! I beg you, you are the only family I have, don't abandon me!”
Despite the surprise, which had moved her, Darling caressed Apple's hand, before smiling at her and caressing her cheeks, wiping away her tears, and finally, moving her hands away.
"I love you," she assured her. "You know that, right? I don't want you to cry anymore. I can't let anything bad happen to you, that's why I must go fight, for our future. A future where you, me, or anyone, who doesn’t have to hide, flee or live in fear, I’m doing this so that you will never suffer again, even if you do now.”
The first carriages began to move forward, we had more than a couple of seconds left together.
"Come on, why don't you let me see your smile one more time? You're much prettier this way. I want you to say goodbye to me with one of your beautiful smiles.”
And Darling smiled, hoping Apple would follow suit. Her carriage began to move, and all she had to do was look back, admiring the life she was also living there.
Somehow, Apple smiled, fulfilling her wife's last wish. She smiled, as she had not done in so many years, in the most natural way she felt. She smiled until the carriage was lost on the horizon, and no one could tell that they had ever been there. The rain erased the horses' tracks, as well as their trail.
People began to leave because they no longer had anything to do there. They didn't want to be in a place that brought back so many bad memories, and soon, the only one present was Apple, she looked into space, bewildered.
She didn't even know if it was the rain that soaked her face, or if it were her tears.
"Don't abandon me," she murmured again, even if no one heard her words.
"Don’t leave me! Don't leave me here alone! You have to come back!" From the murmurs, Apple went on to shout, hoping her voice would surpass the mountains, "Did you hear me? You must return! I'm not going to demand anything from you, I promise... So you must return to my side, did you hear? I…”
Finally, she gave in to silence. There was nothing to do. Covering her face with her hands, she continued crying.
Darling would never have expected such an immediate effect from her presence. They could be an overwhelming minority, but with good strategies, they had managed to attack the weakest and most critical points of the Wonderlarian army, which was beginning to suffer the ravages of the abuse of its own improvisation and madness tricks.
They had managed to balance the scales, and now they were at the gates of the Queen of Hearts' castle. The most protected place in all Wonderland, obviously, but there was no reason to be scared for that.
Although her intention was to capture Lizzie, in order to negotiate the end of the war, if things got worse, Darling would have to take the last option, even if it that meant ending her former friend's life herself.
The day of the attack had arrived. Weeks of planning had to result in not making any mistakes. If everything went perfectly, Ever After would finally win the war after so long.
The attack on the Palace had to be perfect. They would overthrow Lizzie and Maddie, the causes of everything and the architects of those absurd ideas, and everything would go back to how it was before, peace and harmony would return.
The surprise break into the palace had gone very well. Soon, the final battle broke out, as the cards did not plan to sit idly by, and would defend the castle until the end.
Cards that seemed to multiply appeared in bulk, but, knowing their greatest weaknesses, and knowing that they were nothing more than simple cardboard and paper, it was easy to defeat them. Lizzie's guards would eventually fall.
However, Darling was soon separated from the battle and her army. Her mission was not to fight on the side of her army, it was to find Lizzie. Whether it was in the Queen's royal chamber, or in the throne room, Darling wanted to speak with her, to give her one last chance, before she was tried for her crimes.
She didn't want to kill her, that would never be her intention. But they had to capture and stop her, or that war would never end.
As she was climbing the stairs, a huge lump fell in front of her, raising dust. When she was able to open her eyes, she found face to face with Maddie, who was blocking her way.
“Maddie…” She murmured, surprised. Her teal-haired friend had changed a lot since they had last seen each other.
Her gaze was somber, although her colors were more vivid. She had cut her hair just above her shoulders, and of course, there didn't seem to be a trace of sanity in her.
"Knight of honor, once queen of disaster, the supreme book along with the chicken and the heart demand that you remove your crown and evil and kiss the feet of true”
It might have been years since she last used it, but Darling didn't forget the wonderlarian she had learned. Maddie demanded redemption from her, in the name of her actions as the White Knight.
And in the name of that very thing, she appealed to Maddie to understand her, to reason.
"Give up now, Maddie. Help me stop this, and I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to you. I will ask for amnesty for you.”
But in Maddie's eyes, sanity never appeared.
"Hand it over!" The Wonderlarian shouted, before attacking Darling with the sword she held in her hand.
On the stairs, before reaching the royal hall, a sword fight broke out. Darling could never imagine that Maddie had improved so much with the sword, to the point that she seemed to have almost perfect control of it.
She had even managed to make her take back the few steps that Darling had taken.
The problem was that Darling had mastered the sword since she was a teenager. And as the minutes passed, that experience ended up weighing down, and the balance tipped in her favor.
She didn't want to do it, she had sworn she would never do it unless the situation was unavoidable.
Was it at that time? Darling doubts it. Although Maddie lay on the ground and defeated, Darling did not want to bury her sword in her body, passing her final sentence.
Perhaps, that was her greatest sin, her greatest mistake. Because, in those seconds, it was enough for the greatest of tragedies.
She couldn't have imagined it, Kitty wasn't part of the war. As a good lover of chaos, she was just enjoying the spectacle, and she had admitted it. She was neutral, because that was what suited her.
She didn't even hear the sound of magic, appearing behind her. She couldn't have predicted it. No one could have imagined that Kitty Cheshire would stab Darling Charming, realizing that her best friend was in danger.
When she turned around, she only saw Kitty's smile, before she disappeared. Kitty didn't care least whether she lived or died. She had made a decision, and the life that she mattered was Maddie's life.
Unable to hold on, and feeling her wound, fell on her knees, the end of her life was approaching.
And before she even heard her sword fall, Maddie, who was still wielding hers, stood up, burying her sword in her shoulder, almost touching her heart, mortally wounding her.
She barely managed to hear a murmur before her vision blurred, and Maddie disappeared completely, escaping from there.
It was okay, her army would soon be with her. They would treat her wounds, nothing bad was going to happen to her. The blood coming out of her mouth was nothing to worry about.
But then the minutes kept passing, and no one came. No one would notice her, as they were busy with their own affairs. The doctors would not arrive in time. Her end was near.
The cold began to run through Darling's body, and the wounds that could not close began to soak with blood. The sword that she couldn't draw was beginning to hurt her. Everything was starting to fail. There wasn't much to do.
Somehow, she managed to take the photo she had of Apple from one of her pockets. The one her wife had saved for her. Imagining that she was next to her, she held her to her chest, before closing her eyes.
"Excuse me... Princess... My queen..." She whispered, with her voice broken, and losing more and more lucidity and knowledge. "As always... you were right... I'm sorry... no..."
Finally, Darling's hands gave way, her eyes closed, and her body began to grow cold.
The Queen had died.
For two years, it was said that the Queen had lost her sanity.
The guilty? It was nothing but a broken heart. A failed marriage in the war had ended up driving the sovereign mad.
The war had ended two years earlier. When the Wonderlarians had closed all the portals that linked them to Ever After High, leaving only the well of wonders, and only because it had too many doors.
Finding themselves locked in Wonderland, the Ever After army had raced to the portals, hoping to be lucky enough to arrive too late. However, a large majority had had the misfortune of staying inside that damned country.
A lot was said about those people. Some families assured that these soldiers would never return, since they had formed another new family.
Others said that they had gone crazy and that that country had swallowed them.
And others said that they were still lost among the corridors of the Well of Wonders, looking for the correct door to return to Ever After. That was why, even after so much time, there was always a soldier or two who came out of the pit, escaping the place.
However, the answer to the Queen's question was always the same. At first, no one had wanted to tell her. Well, those who had known her said that Darling Charming only talked about Apple White, her beloved wife. About how she had to return to her side, and how it would break her heart, as well as her life, not to do so.
After a while, they just thought it was for the best. They had ended up confessing that, upon taking the Palace of Cards, and not finding Lizzie Hearts anywhere, they had done an intensive search.
They had not found Lizzie, or Madeline. But Darling's corpse, yes. Whom they had decided to bury in Wonderland, after the closing of the portals. Surprisingly, there was a place reserved for her to rest, as a last favor, and a letter of apology to the former White Knight.
But Queen Apple had simply refused to accept it. She told everyone that Darling was still alive and that they had to look for her because she would return to her side.
The queen had finally lost her mind, although not in the way Lizzie would have liked.
From that moment, when the war ended, Queen Apple White headed towards the well of wonders, hoping to see her true love finally return.
People said that it, the Queen had lost her mind, just as Wonderland always wanted. They were ruled by a lunatic, they had lost the war. The sacrifices were in vain.
Because, no matter how many people told the things, that Darling would never return, she didn't listen to them. They began to feel remorse, because no one had the courage to show them the truth, to continue breaking her heart.
No one had the courage to tell Apple on that day, which was so sure Darling would return, that it wasn't going to happen. They preferred to stay with the murmurs, saying that the Queen was crazy.
She was crazy because she said that her dead lover would return, taking a couple of sunflowers from a secret garden she had. A garden where, supposedly, Wonderland flowers grew.
She was crazy, because as she picked them up, she could feel Darling's hand resting on her shoulder, and she wanted to shout to the whole world that she was right. That Darling hadn't abandoned her.
And in that way, it was like Apple White would always wait for Darling. With a smile, just as she had asked.