The Prejudice Game
Ever After High had a tradition of hosting lessons that weren’t just about history or magic—but about destiny itself.
So when Headmaster Grimm announced a new challenge for students to confront their personal biases and perspectives, the school buzzed with curiosity.
The task was simple: students were paired off and assigned a discussion topic about their beliefs and worldviews. The goal was to challenge assumptions, have an open mind, and ultimately, grow as future leaders.
Darling thought it sounded like a terrible idea.
And it became even worse when she saw her assigned partner.
Apple White.
Of course.
Darling felt her stomach twist uncomfortably as Apple took the seat beside her, radiating the effortless elegance she always did. She was wearing a white and gold dress—regal but practical, as if she had walked straight out of a fairy tale and into this classroom. Which, technically, she had.
“Well, this should be interesting,” Apple said, flashing her a bright smile.
Darling forced a grin, even though her hands felt clammy against the wooden desk. “Yeah. Interesting.”
She could handle this. It was just a discussion. A debate. Nothing more.
Then she read their assigned topic.
"Challenging Traditional Roles in Fairy Tales."
Darling barely resisted the urge to groan.
Apple read the prompt aloud, tapping her fingers against her notebook. “Hmm. I guess this is about how some people don’t want to follow their written destinies. Like Raven.”
Darling cleared her throat. “Right. Or, uh, other traditions too. Like, I don’t know… love?”
Apple tilted her head slightly, her golden curls falling over her shoulder. “What do you mean?”
Darling shifted in her seat. “Just… some people expect love stories to only go one way. Prince meets princess. Happily Ever After. That kind of thing.”
Apple’s smile faltered just a little. “Well… that is how most stories go.”
Darling’s heart pounded. She knew this wasn’t just an abstract discussion for her. This was personal.
“But maybe they don’t have to,” she said carefully.
Apple hesitated. “I guess… but destiny is important, Darling. It keeps the balance of our world.”
Darling inhaled sharply. “So what happens when someone doesn’t fit into that balance?”
Apple frowned, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know. I mean, wouldn’t it be easier to just… follow the path you’re given?”
Darling’s hands clenched under the table. Easier?
The word lodged itself in her chest, heavy and suffocating.
She thought about all the times she had trained in secret, had fought to prove herself in ways she was never meant to. She thought about how often she had pushed back against expectations—about what it meant to be a princess, a knight, a Charming.
And now, here was Apple, sitting across from her, saying it was easier to just follow the path you’re given.
Something inside Darling snapped.
“Not everyone can follow that path, Apple.”
Apple’s eyes widened at the sharpness in Darling’s voice. “Why are you getting so upset?”
Darling exhaled through her nose, struggling to keep her emotions in check.
Because you don’t understand.
Because you say destiny is important, but what if destiny has no place for me?
Because I don’t know how to tell you that the idea of “prince meets princess” makes me feel like I can’t breathe.
Instead, she muttered, “Never mind. Forget it.”
Apple’s expression softened. “Darling, if something’s bothering you, you can tell me.”
Darling wanted to. She really did.
She wanted to say, Apple, I like you in a way I’m not supposed to.
She wanted to say, It hurts when you talk about destiny like it’s something unbreakable, because where does that leave me?
But the words caught in her throat, heavy with fear.
Instead, she stood abruptly. “I need some air.”
Apple reached out, as if to stop her, but Darling was already walking away, heart hammering.
She barely noticed the whispers of other students as she pushed past them and out the door, moving blindly down the hallway.
She wasn’t sure if she was mad at Apple… or herself.
Darling found herself in the castle courtyard, pacing.
She shouldn’t have lost her temper. Apple hadn’t meant any harm—she never did. She genuinely believed in destiny. She trusted it, the way people trusted the sun to rise each morning.
But that trust, that certainty—it wasn’t something Darling could afford.
Because if destiny had already written the story, then where did that leave her?
She sank onto a stone bench, running a hand through her hair.
She needed to stop.
Stop feeling this way. Stop wanting something she couldn’t have.
The sound of footsteps approaching made her tense.
“Darling?”
She turned, heart lurching at the sight of Apple standing there.
Apple hesitated, then sat beside her. “Are you okay?”
Darling forced a smile. “Yeah. I just… needed some space.”
Apple bit her lip, looking uncertain. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Darling sighed. “I know.”
They sat in silence for a moment.
Then Apple spoke again, her voice quieter. “You really think love stories don’t have to be a prince and a princess?”
Darling turned to look at her. “Don’t you?”
Apple was quiet for a long time.
Finally, she said, “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it before.”
Darling’s chest ached.
Of course she hadn’t. Apple had spent her whole life preparing for a love story that the world approved of. She had never had to question it.
But then Apple looked at her, a small crease in her brows. “Do you?”
Darling’s throat felt tight.
Say no. Laugh it off. Make a joke.
But she couldn’t.
“…Yeah,” she admitted softly. “I do.”
Apple didn’t respond right away. But she didn’t look away either.
And that, at least, was something.
From the castle balcony above, Rosabella and Raven had been watching.
“She definitely likes Apple,” Raven murmured.
Rosabella crossed her arms. “Obviously.”
Raven smirked. “So, how long until she tells her?”
Rosabella sighed. “Honestly? At this rate? Years.”
Raven groaned. “We might have to intervene.”
Rosabella smirked. “Or we could just sit back and watch Darling suffer.”
Raven gasped. “That is evil.”
Rosabella shrugged. “It’s educational.”
Below them, Darling and Apple were still sitting together, talking softly.
It wasn’t a confession. Not yet.
But maybe, just maybe, it was the start of one.