Chapter Text
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When Chloe returned to their room, Red wasn't there. She was probably with Pink or Luis. The princess set her bag down and sat on her bed. She wondered what to do for a moment before calling her mother.
"Hi, Mom."
"Hey, sweetie. How are you?"
"I'm good. We had a really nice diplomacy class today. How was your day?"
"You know... duties, meetings, the usual. Your father's currently dozing off on the couch. But we're almost ready for tomorrow. Just a few things left to finish."
"Okay. Tell Chad I said hi."
"Of course, sweetie. So, what are you up to?"
"Actually, that's what I wanted to ask you about. Do you think Aunt Bridget would let me stay over for a nigh?" Ella laughed softly.
"My dear, Bridget would be thrilled to have you for the entire weekend. She'd probably insist you stay an extra day afterward. She'd personally come up with an excuse to get you out of school, and you know it. Even if you don't write to her first, she'll always be happy to have you."
"But wouldn't that be rude?"
"Your aunt would think it's sweet. Especially if you bring her some gummy candies or a new record."
"Okay, Mom."
"If you decide to go to your aunt's, just give me a call so I know where you are and don't worry when your phone is turned off. Okay?"
"Okay. Anyway..." The two of them kept talking for another half hour.
Afterward, Chloe quickly wrote a letter to the Queen of Hearts and sent it off. Red still wasn't back, so Chloe decided to pack her bag. By the time she finished, it was already nine in the evening.
The princess sighed. Part of her wanted to go to bed, but she knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep. Ever since everything had happened, she'd been struggling with sleep. Restless dreams, and sometimes nightmares, dreams of her mother losing her head, or of Max using the clock. Dreams where she made the fatal mistake and gave in to evil.
Dreams she hadn't told anyone about. Even if she'd wanted to, she don't know who to tell. How could she explain that she was having nightmares about a timeline that no longer existed? So she'd started going to bed later... or going on late-night runs.
She tidied up a few more things around the room before changing into her running clothes. The moment she stepped out into the cool evening air, it felt as though she had taken her first real breath in two hours.
As she ran, her mind gradually emptied. Suddenly, everything felt so much easier. The downside was that she lost track of time far too easily. And that's exactly what happened.
Her phone rang as she was crossing the eastern part of the forest near the school. She saw Red's name on the screen and answered without slowing down.
"Yeah?"
"Are you running again?" Red sounded worried.
"Yeah. Why? Did something happen?"
"Clo... it's 0:32 ." The princess slowly came to a stop.
"What?"
"Princess, it's past midnight. I've been back in our room for an hour and a half, waiting for you. I was getting worried."
"Okay. I'm coming back. I didn't realize it had gotten so late." The princess's voice came out surprisingly calm, almost emotionless.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"Okay. I'll be here." The call ended.
Charming took a deep breath. It took her a moment to process what had just happened. She shook her head.
That voice had slipped out again. Ever since she'd been under the bracelet's influence, something inside her had changed. Sometimes she sounded too calm, unsettlingly calm. Chloe had noticed it herself whenever she caught Red looking at her with quiet concern, but the Wonderland princess never commented on it.
Max had been the first to ask about it a few weeks earlier while they were in the library. Chloe hadn't known what to say, and he'd immediately started apologizing again.
But nothing changed. Every now and then, he would ask about it, and she would simply take a breath and fall silent.
What had happened while Bridget had been kidnapped was still an open wound, a wound that was healing slowly. And the princess simply didn't want to think about the scars.
When she entered the room, Red was sitting on her bed in her pajamas.
"I'm sorry." Chloe said.
"No, I'm sorry. I should've called to tell you I was going out with Luis. I should have..."
"You didn't have to, Red. I'm not your mother."
"But you're my best friend and my roommate. You care, and I care. I'm sorry."
"So am I. I'm going to take a shower before bed."
"Okay. I'm here if you want to talk."
"I know." She stopped in front of the bathroom door. "I just don't know what I'd even say. I don't plan for it to come out...like...you know.."
"I know." Red replied quietly. "I'm just here. Even if you don't want to talk." Chloe nodded and stepped into the bathroom.
When the shower started running, so did the tears. Sometimes, something deep inside her chest hurt. Something that still didn't have a name.
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The two girls said their goodbyes before classes after breakfast. Luis, Red, and Pink were leaving immediately after school, but Chloe still hadn't mentioned her own plans. After her last class, Chloe gave Red a quick hug before the rebel dashed down the hallway. Ten minutes later, Max found her in the corridor.
"I'm going to grab my duffel bag and head out."
"Yeah, I need to get mine too."
"Meet downstairs in ten?"
"Sure." The two of them went their separate ways.
Once they had their things, they met up again and headed toward the rabbit hole. If you asked Charming about the rabbit hole, she would tell you it was a fascinating place, a space between two worlds. Somewhere you kept falling and falling until you finally arrived. And jumping into it? Terrifying, yet exhilarating, sometimes even enjoyable. This was one of those jumps she thoroughly enjoyed.
Their journey to the capital turned out to be surprisingly short because a car was waiting for them. Chloe hadn't expected that, but she appreciated the gesture.
When they reached the city, the driver dropped them off just beyond the gates. They set off at an easy pace, talking about everything and nothing. They stopped to look in shop windows, joked with each other, and simply enjoyed the afternoon. Before either of them realized it, the day was already drawing to a close.
As soon as they stepped into the bakery, the princess joined the line.
"Do you happen to know what kind of pastries Diana likes?"
"No. Why?"
"I was raised never to visit someone's home empty-handed."
"You don't have to."
"But I insist. It's proper etiquette." He let out a sigh.
"If it's that important to you..." Max thought for a moment. "She likes nuts."
"Perfect." Chloe smiled brightly.
Once they had purchased a surprisingly large assortment of desserts, Max led the way to his new home. The house wasn't large or particularly remarkable. It was simply a house, much like the one next to it, painted red.
The young man climbed the steps first. He opened the door and took off his hat.
"I'm home, Diana!"
"All right!" A gentle voice called back. "I'm in the office! I just need to finish something!"
"Okay!" Then, a little more quietly. "I brought someone with me."
Apparently, she heard him anyway, because the scrape of a chair and hurried footsteps echoed from deeper inside the house.
A woman around thirty appeared in the hallway. Her skin was snow-white, and her hair was so black it almost looked unnatural, too black. Her vivid green eyes settled on Max before shifting to Chloe. She wore loose black clothes stained in several places.
"Uh..." Max glanced around uncertainly, and the woman suddenly looked just as nervous.
Chloe quickly slipped off her shoes and stepped forward.
"Hello. I'm Chloe Charming. These are for you." She held out one of the pastry boxes. "Max and I are friends from school."
The woman hesitantly accepted the gift.
"I'm Diana. I'm Max's fifth cousin, and I'm currently his guardian."
"He's mentioned you. It's a pleasure to meet you." For a moment, Diana looked surprised before giving a small nod.
"Please, Miss..."
"Chloe."
"Very well, Chloe. Come in. Max can show you around the house. I'll join you in a little while. I just have to finish something." She gave Max a quick glance before disappearing through a door farther down the hallway and returning to her office.
"Don't worry, I'll behave. Besides, Chloe already knows I'm an asshole." The woman didn't even look back at him. "Yeah. That's Diana."
"She seems nice." The princess said.
"She is."
Max showed Chloe around the house before the two of them ended up lingering in a rather small room Diana had given him to work in, to invent things or tinker with whatever he wanted. But what impressed Chloe the most were the hats. Some were perfect and completely finished, others only just begun, but every single one of them was beautiful.
That was where Diana found them. Max was teaching Chloe how to sew a hat.
"I see you're both enjoying the craft."Max practically jumped. "Sorry."
"It's fine. I just got lost in thought again. Are you finished?"
"Yes. Chloe, would you like to stay for dinner?"
"Max invited me, but if it's any trouble..."
"It isn't. We'd be happy to have you. We're having roasted green running mushrooms."
"Okay." She simply replied.
"Don't worry, they've had their legs removed." Max quipped as he returned to his work.
"Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes."
"Okay." The two of them answered in unison.
Diana left them alone once more, and a comfortable silence settled over the room until Chloe suddenly remembered something.
"And what does Diana do for a living?"
"She's a Master of the Ink." Max replied simply. The princess stopped sewing.
"What? A Master of what?" The Hatter paused for a moment as well before continuing.
"She is... I'm not really sure how to explain it."
"Something like a scribe?"
"No. The closest thing I can think of is... a tattoo artist. But not exactly. She's much more than that." He didn't know how to continue.
"All right. I was just curious." The two of them returned to what they had been doing.
Dinner passed quietly, but pleasantly. Diana truly was a quiet person, yet her presence was gentle and welcoming. Afterward, they moved into the sitting room with tea and cookies. They were chatting casually about extracurricular activities at Auradon Prep when Max stopped halfway through a sentence.
"Chloe doesn't know what a Master of the Ink is, and I'm not really sure how to explain it." Diana took another sip of her tea before setting the cup down and rising from her armchair.
The two teenagers sat in silence while she returned carrying several sheets of paper, an inkwell, and a fountain pen. An old fountain pen.
"The truth is, there isn't an easy way to explain my work. It's a very old craft from our lands. My main occupation is creating ink and using it to write or illustrate things. My craft involves creating many different things, from magical objects to paintings, or simply the ink itself. It all depends on what the client requests."
"Max said you're a tattoo artist." Diana nodded.
"I do write on skin, yes. But I don't think it carries the same meaning here or in the Upper Kingdoms. Here this form of art isn't simply a matter of choice or appearance. Before anything can be written onto someone's skin, they must tell a story. A memory. A memory that will become part of your body forever." She paused before continuing. "This kind of art is considered deeply personal. It can be used as a form of healing... or as a form of punishment."
She folded her hands in her lap.
"For example, last month they brought me a prisoner. They wanted me to write the names of all eight of his victims across his arms. They made him tell me every one of their stories. The ink I created for him will slowly burn against his flesh, not enough to leave an open wound, but enough that he'll always feel it."
Her voice remained calm.
"And yesterday a young man came to see me. He had served in the army. His brother died while he was away." She smiled faintly. "I painted his brother's portrait over the left part of this chest. I mixed a trace of fire magic into the ink. He told me he could feel warmth, a constant presence that would remind him his brother will always be with him."
She looked at Chloe.
"That's what I spend most of my time doing."
"That's... that's a lot." Chloe murmured. "The pain..."
"Sometimes it is a lot. But most of the time, it's liberating. Watching someone finally close an old wound... or seeing a criminal receive the punishment they deserve." She smiled gently. "Sometimes people come to me asking me to hide old scars. I help them move forward despite the pain."
She reached for the pen.
"Here. Let me show you."
She dipped only the tip of the fountain pen into the inkwell before simply letting go. The pen remained suspended in the air for several seconds. Then it rose on its own and drifted over the paper. It began drawing, one line at a time. Slow, deliberate strokes. Whenever it needed more ink, it dipped itself into the inkwell before continuing. When the drawing was complete, it quietly floated away from the page and dropped onto the table.
Chloe stared at the picture, almost forgetting to breathe.
It depicted someone sitting in front of a workbench. Various objects rested on the desk, but one stood out above all the others. A hat.
"Is... is that Max?"
"Yes." Diana smiled. "That's my memory of the first time I saw him working."
"It's beautiful." For some reason, Chloe's eyes began to sting.
"She gave me one of those pens." Max admitted. "That's how the portrait of my dad in my workshop was made."
Chloe couldn't tear her eyes away from the drawing. Diana carefully picked it up and held it out to her.
"Here. Take it."
"But..."
"It's only a drawing. If I wanted to, I could make a hundred more just like it." She smiled warmly. "I hope the demonstration was worthwhile."
"It was wonderful." The three of them talked for a little while longer before it was finally time for Chloe to leave.
At Diana's insistence, she and Max walked her all the way to the palace gates. They didn't leave until she had safely disappeared inside.
Once the two of them were alone again, Diana sighed.
"She carries so much."
"Yeah." Max lowered his gaze. "And I'm one of the reasons."
"No." Diana whispered. "Your part is only one small piece of it."
She looked toward the palace.
"She's drowning. Quietly. Slowly. But she's still fighting to keep herself above the surface." A sad smile crossed her face. "She's strong."
"Can I help her?" Max's voice was barely above a whisper. "I..."
"This isn't your battle, Max." She turned to him. "She has to figure out for herself what it is she wants."
After a brief silence, she added,
"But the two of you are very much alike." He frowned. "You're both lost."
She met his eyes.
"You're still searching for the road to forgiveness."
Then her gaze drifted back toward the palace.
"And she..." A long pause followed."...she's running."
"Running?" Max asked. "From what? You said that..."
"It's complicated." Her voice was soft. "Sometimes, when you're truly lost... all you know how to do is run and run."
He slowly nodded, and together they began walking back toward the house.
Max didn't fully understand what Diana had meant. But he knew that even if he asked, she wouldn't explain.
She had seen part of the princess's story without ever asking for it. It wasn't her story to tell.
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Bridget stepped out of the palace wearing a robe and immediately pulled the young woman into a warm embrace.
"Hey, sweetheart. I'm so happy to have you home. How was your day?"
"It was good, Aunt Bridget," Chloe replied with a smile. "It was fun. Max and I went..."
Chloe kept talking as they walked into the palace together.
The Queen of Hearts could spot a fake smile from a mile away. But she could also recognize sincerity when she saw it. So she said nothing. A smile worn as armor...
Bridget knew that smile all too well.