Apple White
Inside stone towers tangled in ivy, upon floors of marble and surrounded by walls of solid ivory, the future of everything had been housed and homed since The Very Beginning. Every step upon the plush grasses of the Wonderlandian garden were a step towards the next page in the Storybook of Legends, every door closed the intro to something new. With gentle hands, its staff fostered the minds of the youth, shaping and molding until they were enough to make their ancient predecessors shine with pride bright enough to see from the great beyond. Their students joined the age old cycle, keeping that well oiled wheel turning just as it should.
Like a well written pamphlet, the school of Ever After High’s reputation was picture perfect, no colorful lies hidden behind the lines of ink that staind its pages. Its pristine image was an image of hope, of safety, of life, and it would prove to be for centuries more.
Like every year before, students poured in from the crowds to gather in front of the great golden doors that beheld the inside, faces of new and old scattered among the throng. Some pulled through in their flashy new automobiles, blaring music of the new era from their speakers to give off a fun, free appearance, while others kept up tradition with their elegant horse drawn carriages of gold and wood lacquer. They bid their farewells to their families, parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, tears shed by some and praising the heavens for that ounce of freedom from others.
From his comfy office way up high, Headmaster Grimm watched as the once empty halls began to fill again, a cup of red wine in his hand and a well worn expression of pride etched into the lines of his face. Never before had Ever After High held so many promising faces on its premises all at once, and he was sure that with his proper guidance they'd be nothing less than exceptional.
With his work, he'd ease the wary minds of Ever After, and the armageddon of 17 years ago would be all but forgotten, merely an ink spill on an otherwise perfect piece of parchment.
He leaned comfortably back in his chair, taking a sip from his chalice before returning to his books.
Before long on the ground below, a radiant limousine came to a stop at the gates of the school, the solid gold crest of the White family sitting pure upon the hood. Its grand entrance demanded the attention of the audience around it, like moths to a blinding white flame. Two suited dwarves stepped from the driver's side, stacking upon one another to pull open the passenger door. They stepped out of the way, letting a red carpet roll flat out from the interior, stopping right at the foot of the gate.
Carefully, one leg as white as snow touched to the ground, the sun reflecting against her pale skin in an almost mirror-like way that caught eyes. She emerged gracefully from the interior, locks of gold and streaks of black tumbling down her shoulders in subtle waves as she stepped out fully, as precious and pure as she'd always been. When she smiled, the people clapped and the birds sang, boys of all kinds offering their hand to her as she walked the red carpet. She giggled, keeping her hands to herself as the dwarves followed closely behind her with her luggage, blowing kisses to the crowd to which they caught and held close to their hearts.
The picture of innocence she was, the princess Apple White, heir to the heavy mantle of Snow White and golden child of perhaps all the realms. She'd surpassed all the expectations put upon her by her less than Snow White appearance, and become a role model for all the little princesses and her own peers.
Just as delicious as her namesake, always wearing dresses of red and gold that accentuated the natural curves of her waist, yet still keeping her modest and lady-like. Her skirt stopped just above her knees, a pattern akin to that of an apple tree branch sewn from her hemline to just below her chest, in a way that cupped her body neatly. On her ring finger sat an ornate ring, serving as a reminder of her allegiance to her legacy and the ownership of her heart to her prince Charming. Her lips as red as fresh drops of blood curled into a saccharine sweet smile that dazzled the people she walked by, caught up in the thought of the lucky man who'd one day press his lips to hers and fulfill what might be the most influential story of their time.
From the corner of her eye, she spotted her best friends forever after, swarmed by a group of admirers and others as they stood and chatted like they paid no mind. Apple let out a light giggle as she walked their way, bidding a quick farewell to the dwarves who'd bring her luggage into her dorm for her.
Princesses weren't an uncommon thing at Ever After High, but whoever was lucky enough to be associated with Apple White was sure to hold the public's favor much more than the average student. All one truly needed to get by in Ever After High was good looks or a boatload of money, and these girls and boys came with that and an unbridled amount of natural charm. It was only natural that they were the apex of popularity, topping the hypothetical charts simply by existing.
Heir to Sleeping Beauty, Briar stood tall next to her lean, hot pink sports car, touching up the pink undershadow of her eye with her handy little compact mirror, listening absent-mindedly to the conversation taking place besides her. In contrast to Apple, Briar’s fashion sense appeared to be less about modesty and purity, and more about putting out a presence that showed she was always ready for a good time. Short cropped tops that showed off the toned, tanned expanse of her midriff, paired with shorts ripped up to her mid-thighs to flaunt her long, smooth legs, barely held up up with a loose rhinestone belt that did little to keep them from falling below her waistline. They let peek the long, twisting outline of a tattooed rose that sprouted from her ankle and stopped just underneath her chest. Pink rhinestone jewelry seemed to be her accessory of choice, hanging off her body in the shape of necklaces, bracelets, and sitting upon her long chocolate tresses in the form of a light, but striking pink tiara. And of course, it'd be remiss not to mention the sunglasses that sat underneath it, giving the world a rose colored tint that made things much easier.
As always directly besides her was the more subtle heir to Cinderella, Lynn, better known as Ashlynn Ella, soft hand in her auburn hair as she made quiet conversation for the both of the. Unlike most of her peers, her sense of fashion proved to take inspiration from the beautiful earth around her, always donned in pastel pinks and neutral greens, a muted kind of pretty you had to take great care to notice the intricacy of. She flowed around in thin blouses hung off of her body, often tucked neatly into skirts that dusted the floor when she walked, carrying bits of the earth with her wherever she went. Often she'd throw the suede fringed jacket she'd carefully hand sewn herself on top of whatever she was wearing, an item of comfort she hadn't been seen without since it's conception. The most important part of every outfit she wore was always her shoes, though, no matter the kind they were. They were always made from solid glass, forcing her steps to be light and graceful as not to break them under her feet.
A proper princess always took the time to appreciate even the subtle beauty in the things around her, and Apple felt that there was no one who understood her friends inner and outer beauty better than herself.
When she came close enough to them, Ashlynn almost immediately took notice of her. She waved over to her, wearing that warm smile she wore best as she called out to her. “Oh, Apple, over here,” she called, louder but gentle still.
“Ashlynn, you've…” Apple gently tapped the other girl's cheek, smudging the black smutz of ash that always seemed to wind up there despite how often Ashylnn wiped it clean. Ashlynn let out a quiet gasp, turning away to pull out a handkerchief and clean herself up. Apple giggled again, wiping her fingers against one another until the smudge was gone. Briar leaned against her, a number of inches taller than her and yet still comfortably slotting against her. The smell of her new perfume encompassed her, smelling of freshly cut flowers and rosewater, somehow making it easy to almost melt into her presence, if Apple wasn't careful.
“You're coming to my party tonight, right? It's going to be a wicked page ripper,” Briar smirked, pressing her shoulder against Apple’s in a soft shove, her slit eyebrow quirked just slightly. Her parties weren't quite the scene for respectable and responsible princesses, but Briar would never stop asking anyway. In freshman year, she'd sworn she'd get Apple to come to one of her less than formal parties, and she'd yet to give up. “These are our last years to have fun, Apple, my last years to have fun,” she whined just a bit, threading her hand through Apple’s. “If I don't see you at at least one of my parties this year I'll get someone to place a hex on you,” she joked, bumping her hip into Apple’s playfully.
Apple gave her friend a cheeky smile, curling a lock of hair behind her ear with a small sigh. “I won't make you any promises, Briar,” she said. “Besides, we can't expect the professors to go easy on us this year. I'm honestly quite excited to jump right into my studies,” she tutted, bumping Briar back, albeit with much less force.
“Be that way, Apple, you know I'm not one to turn down a challenge,” Briar shrugged, folding her arms over her chest with a resolutely smug expression.
At the sound of swooning, the three girls knowingly turned their heads. With unmatched swagger, Apple's betrothed approached upon his steed, a kingly kind of confidence in his posture, befitting of someone with his destiny. Anyone who took one look at him could not doubt the idea that he was her destined prince Charming, not with how highly he held himself. To all those who mattered, he was the only man worthy of her hand. He flashed that winning smile to all the girls he passed by, watching them drop like flies at the blinding sight of his pearly whites. Behind him, in a less than assertive manner, Dexter “helped” carry his luggage, his legs shaking as he struggled not to drop anything atop his sneakered feet.
Daring, the ever dashing man he was, wore a long white coat that hung to his knees, lined at the edges with real bear fur from a conquest he slayed himself, overtop his finely pressed sweaters of the Charming family's signature blue tucked neatly into his trousers. On his own ring finger was a ring of the same material as Apple’s, reminding all, even his occasional fancies, that there was only one woman for him.
Dexter, on the other hand, wore a sleek, slightly wrinkled blue blazer, a white button up tucked haphazardly into his loose jeans. His chunky square glasses were currently pressed against his face from the weight of the luggage in his hands, in way that was visibly unpleasant.
“Good day, fair maidens,” he called, in his deep, booming voice as he stepped off of his steed. He took each of the girls hands, pressing chaste kisses against the back of their hands for the sake of being a gentleman. “Looking as lovely as ever,” he winked, receiving a lighthearted chuckle from Ashlynn and an eye roll from Briar. He held onto Apple’s hand a tad longer, trailing kisses from the ring on her finger to the back of her wrist, looking absolutely taken in her bright, blue eyes. “My lady, how much of a blessing it is to see you again. The entire summer I went without gazing at your visage was a summer far too long. I'm sure you were absolutely miserable without me,” he sighed, patting her hand gently with his own. Apple merely smiled at him, pressing a friendly kiss against his cheek and taking both his hands in hers.
“Oh, Daring, it's lovely to see you,” she replied, slowly pulling his hands to rest against her waist. She glanced over his shoulder, waving politely at Dexter. “And Dexter, I'm glad to see you too,” she giggled, watching Dexter struggle to give her an awkward wave from behind the luggage, mumbling something like a, “hi, Apple.”
Ashlynn cleared her throat, holding onto Briar’s shoulder and taking her hand. “We'll be going inside, I need Briar’s help unpacking a few things and setting things up at shop,” she smiled, dragging Briar the other way with a short wave. “It was nice seeing you again, Daring!”
Daring waved back, shouting, “Goodbye, girls, all you need do is yell my name and I'll surely help you speed things up,” he yelled.
“Anyway,” Daring took Apple’s arm in his, bowing in the direction of the doors, “Shall we be off, my lady? The day only grows older,” he asked, already leading her inside with his chin held high.
Apple followed compliantly, the crowd dispersing as they stepped through for their leisure, making way for the future king and queen of Ever After. Apple smiled, intertwining their fingers and closing her eyes in content. “Let's get things started, shall we,” she sighed happily, the grand doors closing behind her.