Chapter Text
Raven looked into the mirror, slightly wincing at the action. She hadn’t really done that all summer. She’d spent most of it in Wonderland—well, the wonderland grove, which is like it—and is very near where Maddie and her father lived in the tea shop. They always brought a bit of Wonderland magic with them wherever they went. It was comforting, especially after everything Raven’s mother had done when she went off-book.
Raven wasn’t much older than Maddie, so she knew Maddie had been very young when the tragedy happened, young enough that she probably had very few memories of her home. And yet, Maddie had still greeted Raven with open arms and treated her nicely when they met. Raven never quite understood how she managed that. She realized she’d been staring at the floor, lost in thought, and not wanting to look at herself too long.
She lifted her eyes back to the mirror. She needed to get ready for the first day of her second year at Ever After High, which is unfortunately legacy year. Legacy Day would be… something, especially since she didn’t plan to sign. She didn’t want to, and there were other reasons too. She wanted to write her own story and let others do the same. Even if she had a ‘better destiny,’ she would still want this, she knew that even if the destiny waiting for her had been like Cinderella or Snow White instead of the Evil Queen, she didn’t want it.
No story didn’t sound pleasant—being told who she’d love, what she’d become. Plus She didn’t trust the storybook one bit, especially since she’d looked into its history. Because she’d discovered that it only listed as far back as Headmaster Grimm—and his brother she had never met, no one she knew had. Headmaster Grimm’s brother had been forced to leave after disagreeing with him about the Storybook of Legends, some said. Rumor was that there was a deep rift between them because of a dispute over something involving a genie and he fled to another realm.
Anyways Headmaster Grimm was strict—too strict—and he didn’t like the idea of Raven pushing against the destiny she was supposed to take. Raven sighed and looked at her hair. It was shoulder-length in the back, framing her face in soft strands at the front and sides. It needed brushing, though it barely ever knotted. She brushed it for a few minutes then she tied it up into a ponytail and started searching through her clothes. What to wear… what to wear. She never liked the outfits her mother’s servants sent her.
They didn’t live in the palace anymore since her mom was in mirror prison, but every so often a mysterious package would arrive—clearly arranged by Headmaster Grimm to keep contact alive with the Evil Queen and to try to push Raven to follow her destiny. Raven so very rarely wore anything from them. Usually, she bought clothes she liked—with help from her father, the Good King of course. She briefly wondered again what his real name had been before he took the royal title. Sometimes she wondered that about her mother too. What were their names before the fairy tales?
She knew she’d never find out; digging only caused trouble. Last time she asked questions, the Headmaster hadn’t been pleased. She kept searching and pulled out a blood-red top and a black, long-sleeved mesh shirt to layer over it. She slipped them both on and smiled. Then she remembered she still needed bottoms. She pulled on her leggings—one of the few things her mother had sent that she actually liked. Black and purple swirls decorated them, though she’d ripped them slightly.
Honestly, she liked them better that way, but she knew if she wasn’t careful she’d tear them more. Then she grabbed the skirt Maddie had given her: a red-blue-black ombré, the red fading into blue, then into black, with hints of purple. She loved it. She pulled it on, then checked the mirror again. Shoes next—then makeup. She wasn’t nearly as vain as her mother, but she liked looking good. She had some pride in her appearance, and she knew others did too—even Apple.
She put on her foundation blending it out. Her skin was pale—paler than both her parents. She didn’t know why and didn’t ask; questions often led to unpleasant possibilities, especially ones about her and apples appearences, she shook her head. Her purple hair streaks and eye color came from her magic, which was the only useful thing she got from her mother. Honestly If not for those, she might look almost like a Snow White… but she wasn’t, there was no way she could be and have magic…except, she shook away the thoughts. She didn’t know why she looked the way she did, she’d asked as a child but people said it was complicated stuff. Her mother was powerful, but she was apparently even more powerful—more than her mother had been before or after the Wonderland curse. She didn’t like that, not one bit. Power meant danger and responsibilities she didn’t want. Power meant possibly accidentally hurting people. Power meant following a destiny she refused to accept.
She caught herself sinking into those thoughts and forced them away with a thought of no it didn’t mean that last part pushing away the insecurities. She then focused on her makeup again. As she applied and blended her foundation, she heard the maids speaking outside her door. She knew they probably thought she couldn’t hear them when they whispered—but she could.“Oh, she looks more like Snow White than Apple does,” one said in a hushed concerned voice. “If her lips were just a bit redder and her eyes weren’t purple, she’d be almost a perfect match.”“Yes, though Apple does have the pale skin and red lips,” the other whispered as if feeling like she would be wrong not to say it.
“But no Snow White has ever had blue eyes. Apple’s blonde hair makes even less sense. Genetics, maybe, but neither of her parents is blond… and the tales go back hundreds of years. Who knows what changed along the way? It’s supposed to be ebony black” the maid huffed then the two hurried off, returning to their duties. Raven knew her father would never punish them and they knew it too. The Good King was kind, good being in his title and all he was obviously a good man. Raven finished most of her makeup while listening. She added a soft pink blush to her cheeks. On her lips, she mixed purple and red lipstick, blending them into her favorite deep, dark shade. She giggled at the thought—one color made from two colors but one was partially made of the other.
She then applied some purple, red, gold, and silver eyeshadow, blending them well then adding some mascara on both her top and bottom lashes. She decided to skip the eyeliner; she could never get the lines even. She giggled again remembering her previous uneven wobbly attempts, then packed up her makeup, checked on Nevermore, and began repacking everything else. She’d packed last night without realizing she’d packed everything, so she needed to separate her “first day outfit” from the rest of her wardrobe. Finally, she used a bit of magic to make her bags lighter. She knew some people were nervous about her magic, but she wasn’t going to break her back carrying luggage. She headed downstairs, hugged her father goodbye, and left for Ever After High—nervous, hopeful, and unsure of what the year would bring.