Chapter Text
When Sparrow Hood’s father had passed tragically young, he’d been taken in by his mother, the Maid Marian of his father’s tale, a member of the very same Charming clan that had produced Snow White’s prince. His distant relation to Apple White was apparently deemed close enough to be invited for tea once he was already in the area, the area being the town of Book End. An invitation from Ever After Heights was not one to be ignored, and so, after a phone call to ascertain the time, Sparrow found himself near the open doors of the villa and being greeted by his cousin’s husband.
Daring Charming was a muscular man with a blindingly white grin and an affinity for equally blinding gold-accented clothes. He had a way of moving on his feet that suggested preparation for violence at any given moment, a promise that he could easily pin any man in under five seconds if given a heroic enough reason, or if his temper was provoked. His family was immensely wealthy, even for Charmings, and the expense of the move to Book End was not even a blip on his radar.
“Sparrow,” he greeted, voice booming as was his tendency. “How’s life over in Once Upon?”
Before Sparrow could answer, he kept going.
“Book End has gone to the dogs, I tell you. All these nobodies and criminals who managed to rub two coins together suddenly feel themselves equals to Royal Legacies such as ourselves. Preposterous. Why it is that you live in that part of town, I cannot recall.”
“My family only allotted me so much money for this move-” Sparrow began, only to have Daring once again steamroll any attempt he made to contribute to the conversation.
“I suppose you should just count yourself lucky Marian cared to claim you as her own, given your origins,” Daring said. “I doubt your father’s side of the family could afford even the housing prices of Once Upon.”
“I’m blessed,” Sparrow said blandly.
“Come,” Daring’s large hand grabbed him, fingers wrapping around his upper arm, and Sparrow found himself abruptly pulled into the villa.
He was led to an extravagant sitting room, where two figures dressed in white lounged on an ivory couch of enormous proportions.
One of the figures was Apple, her large blue eyes, ruby red lips, and pale blonde hair the only pop of color on her side of the couch, and she immediately sent him a lazy wave of the hand. She didn’t bother getting up, only shouting out in vapid excitement at Sparrow's appearance and dissolving into giggles.
The other side of the couch held a lithe young woman, taller and more angular than her counterpart, with a pointy raised chin and narrow dark eyes broadcasting superiority at all they surveyed. Her hair was comprised of black, white, and lavender streaks, and matching black and lavender patterns subtly adorned the edges of her white ensemble.
“Apple,” Sparrow inclined his head respectfully. “It’s lovely to see you.”
“Isn’t it just?” she smiled beatifically. “Oh, it’s been so long since I've seen you, Sparrow.”
“You did move to the coast,” Sparrow said.
Apple’s lounging companion sniffed elegantly.
“You simply must meet Miss Swan,” Apple said. “I could just see you two being tragically destined for each other, Grimm willing. A gorgeous story, a terribly sad tale, the dance with fate and the inevitable End.”
“My destiny has yet to play out,” Miss Swan curled her lips. “Apple was lucky to find her prince so young.”
Indeed, Apple’s story had already occurred. A poisoned apple offered by an envious queen leading to the princess’s Happily Ever After. It had also led to the death of one Raven Queen, Apple’s nemesis, villain, and former friend. Looking at the black and purple in Miss Swan’s hair, Sparrow felt an odd sense of deja vu, even if the lavender was paler than Raven’s violet streaks.
“Drink?” Daring said, offering one of the two crystal goblets in his hands.
Miss Swan snatched it with a smirk before Sparrow could take it, which was really just as well. He wasn’t a big drinker.
Just then Daring’s MirrorPhone rang, and he excused himself.
“Sparrow,” Apple smiled tightly. “If you’ll forgive me, I must speak to the housekeeper.”
And she left the room with dainty little steps.
“You’d think she’d have the manners not to phone at tea time,” Miss Swan commented with what seemed to be her mild trademark disgust.
“Who?” Sparrow asked, thoughtlessly.
“You don’t know?” Miss Swan asked, laughing lightly. “Why, I was sure Blondie had spread the rumors everywhere. He’s got a girl on the side.”
“Daring?” Sparrow asked, mind flashing to the man’s broad shoulders. “He isn’t faithful to his One True Love?”
“Sparrow,” Miss Swan said. “Why did you think they moved so much in the first place?”
“Whatever the scandal, Daring has the money to placate the press,” he said. “I wouldn’t dare to presume without knowing all the facts.”
Apple and Daring’s raised voices could be heard, too muffled to make out any words, and Miss Swan laughed again.
The married couple re-entered the room, Apple hanging on her husband’s arm.
“Sparrow,” she called out, “come see the veranda!”
And so Sparrow found himself moments later on the porch, eyeing the sunset with displeasure.
“Oh,” Apple sighed, leaning against the railing. “The life of a destined princess is all so very proper. Why, I’m positively distinguished!”
Sparrow didn’t quite know how to reply.
“And now, I have to have a daughter,” she said quietly, a brief shadow darkening her face. “The next Snow White. I hope she’s the very fairest and quite the fool. Brains are a liability in princesses.”
For a moment she was sad, then she looked at him and smirked.
“Why, one might end up thinking deeply instead of enjoying one's riches!”
“A waste of time for the wealthy,” Sparrow said.
“Well you’ve seen the veranda I suppose,” Apple blinked her heavily blackened eyelashes.
They returned to find Miss Swan flipping through a magazine, throwing the occasional comment on its contents to Daring.
“You live in Once Upon, don’t you?” she said abruptly, throwing the magazine to the side.
“I do, but I’ve only just moved, I don’t know anyone,” Sparrow said.
“Well, you must know Worldly,” Miss Swan said.
“Worldly?” Apple inquired. “Did you say his name was Worldly?”
“He throws the most wonderful parties,” Miss Swan said with relish.
“I happen to have received an invitation,” Sparrow said.
“How curious,” she said. “Most just show up.”
“Wonder has no room in Ever After,” Daring said suddenly. “It’s much too in fashion these days to allow breaches of the border. That land was quarantined for a reason, and I for one would appreciate it if cursed madness stayed far from Legacy Lines.”
“We’re all sane here,” Apple said. “I don’t see much point in discussing it.”
“Well, I’m off to the studio,” Miss Swan said, having long since drained the color-changing contents of her glass. “See you all around.”
“Duchess is a ballet dancer,” Apple whispered to Sparrow in the wake of the now-named girl’s departure. “Classicaly trained and highly competitive.”
“Her guardian lets her roam much too wild,” Daring said. “It’s not proper for a princess of her standing to be partying so frequently. And the athleticism is simply unbecoming.”
“Dance is intrinsically tied to her tale,” Apple said. “Swan princesses dance, it’s tradition.”
Daring hummed disapprovingly.
“I don’t see anything wrong with a little bit of a defined physique,” Sparrow said, amused at how a muscle jumped in the prince’s jaw as a result.
Apple squealed in delight.
“You ought to ask her to tea,” she said. “Although, I must say, I seem to recall word of a prior entanglement in Nottingham.”
“Rumors,” Sparrow dismissed. “Untrustworthy at best, blatant lies at worst.”
“Well, Blondie and Cupid both heard the same rumors,” Apple said. “That’s a pretty good sign of them being the truth.”
Rumors had driven more than just Apple and Daring to Book End. Sparrow had no intention of being rumored into a relationship, however uncredible the source.
That night, after returning to his cottage, Sparrow spied his neighbor, silhouetted against the stars. His finely tailored suit clung to him like second skin as he reached a hand out imploringly over the bay. Something in this act made Sparrow hesitant to approach the man, and before he could make up his mind on whether to greet Worldly or not, the man slipped away from his sight.