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Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the character Daphne.
A/N: I'm giving Cedric and Sofia a break for now, because the NEXT story is going to involve them, and they're going to have their hands full. So, let's focus on our favorite newlywed couple instead: Amber and Desmond! Daphne's name was voted on by YOU guys, so thanks for that! 😊 This story was inspired by a song from Carrie: The Musical called "Once You See." Essentially, Sue Snell had gone to school with Carrie White for years and never really noticed her at all until one day when their paths crossed (and not necessarily in a positive way). If you've seen Carrie (just about any version), you'll probably know what I'm talking about. The musical is amazing though. Anyway! That's what inspired this story. Hope you like it.
*Story*
"Are you sure you don't need to sit down for a while?" Desmond asked worriedly as he and Amber left Mr. Birdsong's house and the Raven Haven to head to the next stop.
They were currently making their rounds in Dunwiddie (Baileywick's suggestion, so they could become more acquainted with their future subjects), visiting individuals and families. They had already acquired a list of items that the villager inhabitants were requesting for the upcoming autumn and winter months, and the future queen had made it her goal to see to every entry on the list.
The princess smiled at her husband, gently grasping his right arm as they walked. "I'm fine, Desmond. I don't feel tired at all." Even being five months along, she was still rather active in her royal duties. In fact, her pregnancy hadn't really been too difficult. Having just turned twenty years old, she was a bit concerned that her younger age might have caused some problems, but so far, so good. The only issue she'd really had was the smell of certain foods making her feel nauseated. For example, during her first trimester, she had practically banned all seafood from being near her, because what had once created a pleasant aroma to her soon caused her nothing but grief. Aside from that? She considered herself lucky that things had gone well so far.
"Okay," the fair-haired prince relented, sighing a bit as he pulled his arm from her grip and wrapped it around her waist instead, chuckling as she leaned into him as they slowly walked onward. "Just let me know if you change your mind."
"Oh, you know I will." She laughed, the sound trailing off as her amber eyes caught sight of someone outside of one of the buildings. "Hmm."
A young woman, who appeared to be around their age or maybe older, was rummaging through some bins outside one of the small buildings. Her light brown hair was matted into tangles that just brushed against her shoulders, and her moderately fair skin was rather dirty and littered with cuts, and she appeared to have a healed scar spanning from her hairline on the top left of her forehead to her eyebrow. Her hazel eyes were narrowed in concentration as she worked. Her clothing was limited but got the job done: an off-white turtle-neck blouse that had seen better days peaked out beneath a long brown dress that brushed the ground as she moved, exposing her calloused and dirty bare feet.
Desmond, seeing his wife's expression, stopped their trek and reached up, carefully tugging on some of her wavy hair to get her attention. "Everything all right?"
"I…" She sighed, gesturing toward the other young woman. "I know her."
"Oh?"
She nodded. "Her name is Daphne. I remember seeing her a few times when we were both younger, even before Sofia came to live with us. She was always quiet and never really said that much. I finally got her to tell me her name one day, and I thought I'd made a friend, but…" She shrugged. "The next time I went to see her, she ran away from me." Her hands fell to her stomach, her fingers gently caressing the green fabric of her more casual gown. "The last time I saw her, I was probably nine years old. I was still mad that she'd basically ignored me the last time, so I tracked her down and said some really awful things to her…" She frowned. "Like… 'You didn't want to talk to me, so I hope no one else ever tries to talk to you again.' And, 'The reason you're always on your own and so dirty is because no one loves you, because you're probably mean to them like you were to me…'" She shook her head, not even believing that she'd admitted that to him. "I could be…really harsh when I was a kid."
"Tell me about it." Desmond grunted a bit as she not-so-gently jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "Ow, Amber… Sorry, but you weren't always pleasant when we were younger, and you know that." He carefully grasped her chin as she folded her arms and frowned at him, and he smiled, placing a kiss on her lips. "But you've definitely changed for the better, my lovely wife and mother-to-be."
Amber felt her cheeks flushing a bit, her hard look changing to a sheepish one as she smiled shyly at him. She then sighed as he lowered his hand. "I asked Sofia about Daphne a few years ago when I finally thought about her again, and she said she didn't know her, which is strange since Sofia seems to know everyone in this village…"
Desmond hummed thoughtfully. "I hate to say this, but there are sometimes people who don't want to be around others. Maybe Daphne is just one of those people. Perhaps she's a loner."
"Maybe…" She brushed out her dress and fluffed out her hair before beginning to walk in Daphne's direction.
"What are you doing?" the prince asked as he took her arm, halting her for a moment.
"I'm being a good future queen, Desmond." She smiled at him and winked. "I'm going to try to have a conversation with her like a normal adult and get to know her and apologize for how I acted toward her in the past."
He frowned for a few seconds before releasing her. "Okay, just… Be careful how you approach her. She looks like she's been through a lot, so…"
"I know. Wait here." She approached the young waif quietly and paused just as she had lifted a few articles of clothing from the bins. "Daphne."
The brunette whirled around, her hazel eyes startled as she nearly dropped the clothing in her grip. "Princess Amber," she responded, her voice raspy and rough (likely from being outside in the elements most of the time) and her tone somewhat biting. She appeared to be missing a couple of teeth from both the bottom and top of her mouth, and upon closer inspection, Amber could tell just how frail she seemed to be. Despite that, the other young woman stood her ground and glared at the princess. "What do you want?"
Amber was somewhat taken aback by her response and shifted backwards a bit. "I just…wanted to apologize…for how I treated you when we were kids…" She frowned as Daphne just stared at her. "And I…wanted you to know that my husband, Desmond, and I will one day be crowned king and queen, once my parents decide to step down. We're just trying to get acquainted with everyone and let them know—let you know—that we intend to do everything we can to make your lives better."
"Hmm." Daphne smirked and folded her arms, wrapping the fabric around her arms as she did so. "Funny how you are interested in that now when you have so much at stake." She nodded toward her stomach, watching as Amber's hands instantly enclosed around her child. "I hope you treat your own child better than you treated me. Otherwise, that kid will be the one who nobody loves or wants to talk to…" She turned and walked away.
The princess stood there, taking in everything the village waif had just said. She knew she didn't have the best track record in the past, and she certainly hadn't been known for her kindness, but she also knew that she'd come a long way. She just wished Daphne could see that and give her a chance to prove herself…
"Amber?"
She jolted a bit as she felt hands on her back and hand. She turned and sighed. "Desmond…"
"So… That didn't go so well." He smiled apologetically as she groaned in aggravation. "Sorry."
"I'm just so confused about what to do, Desmond. All I want is to do what is best for our kingdom. I want happiness for everyone, including Daphne." She turned in the direction where the village girl had left and frowned. "I need to talk to her again."
"Amber," Desmond began in a warning tone, causing his wife to look back at him, "I know you are just trying to do the right thing, but if you keep pushing this and if you try too hard to get this Daphne girl to forgive you or even talk to you, then you're probably only going to make her dislike you more than she apparently already does."
She shook her head. "I realize that, but I've got to try, right?" She didn't allow him to respond as she took off after Daphne.
The prince just sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, Amber… I hope you know what you're doing."
Amber crept along the sides of the buildings and paused a few times to catch her breath. Regardless of how quickly she used to be able to run or walk, 'Amber Junior' as James liked to call her unborn child wasn't making it easy for her to do so at the time. However, she pressed on not long after and finally stopped as she spotted Daphne.
The village waif was leaning up against a tree, her brown dress now covering her feet as she had her legs drawn up to her chin. She seemed to be flexing her fingers, which contained several jagged nails and splotches of dirt. The clothing she'd recently acquired was evidently not for wearing. Instead, she'd wrapped a few tunics around the tree, against which she was resting, and she'd also spread some worn dresses and skirts on the ground for her to sit. They were meager compensation for any "bed" or "cushion," but given the circumstances, they were apparently better than nothing.
The princess inhaled slowly before finally walking toward the other young woman. She stopped just beside her, her hand touching the tree bark as she began to attempt to lower herself to sit beside Daphne.
Daphne rolled her eyes. "Don't bother." She watched as Amber stood straight up again before pushing herself to her feet and leaning against the tree, her arms folded. "What do you want, Your Highness?"
"Amber," the blonde insisted. "Just Amber. I figure given how awful I was to you when we were kids, I owe you at least that much… Besides, I would rather hear my name than all these titles, especially when you clearly seem to detest them…or me."
"Perceptive…" The brunette frowned curiously. "You don't come down to the village much anymore. I know your stepsister Sofia used to live among us, but I haven't even met her. I don't really even associate with anyone here."
"Why not?" Amber inquired. "Why shut people out and run away from them?"
"Because whether you believe it or not, and regardless of how cruel your words were when we were younger, you were…right."
She blinked.
The brunette sighed. "I ran away from my family after a huge fight over something stupid when I was really young. The last thing I told my mother was, 'I hope I never see your ugly face again.'" She frowned, fidgeting with the buttons on her dress. "I heard from a few passersby a couple of days later that my old house burned down… None of my family made it out." She didn't even look up when Amber gasped softly. "I was orphaned the moment I ran off from them."
"O-Oh…" What else could she say? Clearly, Daphne was holding onto much more trauma than she'd realized, and it explained her unwillingness to talk to anyone or get close to others. They'd both made mistakes and said things they weren't proud of, it seemed. Only, surely, Daphne's words echoed in her mind much louder and longer than anything Amber could have told her.
"You know what the argument was about?" Daphne glanced at her. "I told my family I wanted to be a princess, just like you. I wanted to wear all the fancy clothes and tiaras, and I wanted to marry a prince." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "My mother insisted that I be grateful for what I had and where I came from. But I wanted more…" She frowned. "And now I have nothing. But I guess…when you have nothing, you really have nothing to lose." She turned slightly, rubbing one arm. "Not anymore."
"Daphne, wait." Amber reached out to her but paused, clasping her hands together as the other girl looked at her. "I… I at least want to apologize to you, properly. I am sincerely sorry for what I said to you when we were children. There's no excuse for my behavior." She lowered her hands to her stomach, and she noticed that the waif had seen her actions. "And if I'm going to teach my child anything, it's this: treat everyone kindly, no matter the situation. You never know what they're going through."
Daphne nodded slowly. "Wise words." She glanced up as she heard the thunder rumble in the distance. "I guess you'll want to head back to the castle with your husband. It's going to rain soon, and you don't need to be out here in that, especially while pregnant."
"Is there…anything I can do to help you?" Amber gestured toward her clothing and the rest of her appearance. "Anything at all?"
She smirked. "I know you're one for fashion and impeccable appearances, and I know you're used to luxury and the perfect shelter, but I've learned to adapt."
"I get that, but…" She gestured vaguely, struggling with the right words. "At least come eat with my family and me tonight… Consider it an olive branch."
Daphne raised on eyebrow. "Olive branch?"
"Uh…" Clearly, she was unfamiliar with some of the more well-known euphemisms. "Um… I'd like to start over and have peace between us, is what I mean."
The other young woman smirked. "If it'll settle your worried mind, fine. But don't think you have to be responsible for my wellbeing or anything after this. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."
Amber smiled. "I understand. Just let me get my husband, and we'll head back to the castle together." Seeing her nod, she turned and walked over to Desmond, who was facing away from them. She clasped her hand over his shoulder and giggled as he jumped a bit. "Sorry. I talked to Daphne, and we're going to take her back to the castle to eat. As a peace offering between us, and a way to start over."
Desmond chuckled and gently hugged her, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I'm proud of you," he murmured against her skin before smiling and releasing her. He glanced behind her. "So, where is she?"
"By the tree, where she was earlier." She turned back around. "I…" She blinked, whipping her head in a few directions and peaking around corners and other areas. "She's gone… She was right here."
The prince sighed softly before walking up behind her. "Amber… Some people aren't meant to be around others, and maybe she is one of those people. And I know you wanted to settle things between you with your offering, but look at it this way: you did offer it to her, and you did apologize… You may not realize it, but sometimes, just hearing something like that does wonders for some people…"
She huffed. "I thought actions speak louder than words."
"They do… But sometimes words can be just as meaningful." He took her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles as she sighed in disappointment. "We need to get back to the castle before it starts storming. Maybe you'll see Daphne again someday, hmm?"
Amber nodded slowly as another clap of thunder echoed around them. "Yeah… Maybe." She smiled as he slid his arm around her waist and guided her onward toward the village entrance, where their coach was parked. "I just hope she forgives me…" She said it so softly that Desmond didn't even hear her earnest words.
But Daphne did. She stepped out from inside a storage shed where she'd been hiding and smiled softly at the couples' retreating forms. "I do," she murmured quietly, her hazel eyes narrowed in contemplation and her heart a little bit lighter for the first time in years. "Thank you, Amber."
The end
PS: The end is the way it is because of Daphne's personality and her situation. Regardless of Amber's good intentions, she still has trouble accepting peoples' offerings of help and friendship. Maybe in time, that will change. And besides, you never know. You may see Daphne again someday. :D