Together Against the World
Darling and Apple had known their relationship wouldn’t be easy.
They had expected the whispers. The judgmental stares. The hushed conversations that would immediately stop the second they walked into a room.
They had prepared for the weight of tradition pressing down on them, the disapproval that came with defying centuries-old expectations. They knew that fairy tales had rules, and that the world they lived in was built on the idea that princesses married princes.
But what they hadn’t expected was how much support they would find along the way.
Raven was the first to stand by their side.
It had only taken a single overheard conversation—two royals whispering about how “unfortunate” it was that Apple had strayed from her path—for Raven to step in.
“If anyone has a problem with it,” she had said, voice sharp with protective fury, “they can take it up with me.”
Apple had been stunned for a moment, before smiling gratefully. “Thanks, Raven.”
Raven had just shrugged. “You stood by me when I wanted to write my own destiny. Why wouldn’t I do the same for you?”
Darling, standing beside Apple, had never felt more grateful for her friend.
Then there was Briar.
Briar, who had never been one for drama unless she was actively causing it, made it her personal mission to make sure Apple didn’t let the stress ruin her life.
“Ugh, people are so dramatic,” she huffed one afternoon, linking her arm through Apple’s and steering her away from a group of gossiping students. “Here, have some enchanted cocoa. It fixes everything.”
Apple sighed, taking the cup Briar handed her. “It’s not just the whispers, Briar. It’s… my mother. The way she looks at me now.”
Briar’s expression softened. “I know.”
Apple stared down at the swirling steam of her cocoa. “I always thought I’d make her proud. That I’d be the queen she always wanted me to be.”
Darling reached for her hand under the table, giving it a comforting squeeze. “You’re still going to be a great queen, Apple. Just… in your own way.”
Apple squeezed back, a small smile forming. “Yeah. In my own way.”
Briar, never one for too much sentiment, grinned. “And with me as your Royal Party Planner, obviously.”
Apple laughed, and for the first time that day, the weight on her shoulders felt a little lighter.
Even Daring—after one long, dramatic groan about how he was supposed to be the most popular Charming—had ultimately stood by them.
“If anyone dares insult my sister,” he had declared, flipping his golden hair, “they’ll have to answer to me.”
Darling had stared at him for a moment before smirking. “Oh? You’re finally admitting I’m better than you?”
Daring immediately backtracked. “I never said that.”
Apple giggled. “You kind of did.”
Daring sighed. “Look, I’m just saying, anyone who messes with you two is getting a Charming-brand beatdown. That’s all.”
Darling rolled her eyes but smiled. “Thanks, Daring.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He crossed his arms, looking uncharacteristically serious. “Besides, it’s not like people haven’t talked about me before. You know. Since… I haven’t exactly had a perfect fairytale either.”
Darling and Apple exchanged a glance.
They both knew that, for all his confidence, Daring had struggled too. That not living up to expectations—even when those expectations were unfair—was its own kind of battle.
Apple reached out and squeezed his arm. “We’ve got your back too, Daring.”
He gave her a small smile. “Yeah. I know.”
That didn’t mean the world had suddenly become accepting overnight.
There were still people who glared when they walked hand in hand down the halls. There were still whispers, still those who believed Apple had betrayed her destiny by choosing Darling instead of a prince.
Apple’s mother still looked at her with disappointment far too often.
Darling’s mother still struggled to understand why her daughter refused to be a prince.
And some royals, the ones who clung to tradition like it was a lifeline, still sneered at the idea of a queen and her knight instead of a queen and her king.
But Apple and Darling had each other.
And that was enough.
Most of the time.
There were hard days.
Days when Apple felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, when she wondered if she was really strong enough to change the story.
Days when Darling doubted herself, when she wondered if she was really enough for Apple.
But on those days, they reminded each other why they had chosen this path in the first place.
They reminded each other that love was worth it.
One evening, as they sat together under the stars, Apple let out a long sigh. “Do you ever wonder… if it would have been easier?”
Darling turned her head. “What do you mean?”
Apple hesitated. “If we had just… followed the script. If I had married a prince. If you had—”
“No,” Darling said firmly.
Apple looked at her, startled.
Darling took her hands. “Easier? Maybe. But better?” She shook her head. “Apple, this—us—is real. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Apple swallowed the lump in her throat.
And then she kissed her.
Soft and sweet, a silent promise.
Darling smiled against her lips. “I love you, you know.”
Apple laughed quietly. “I know.”
And little by little, the world was changing.
The whispers became less cruel and more curious.
Some royals, especially the younger generation, started asking questions.
Asking why things had to be the way they always were.
Apple started giving speeches about true choice, about how a royal could lead best when they were true to themselves.
Darling started training other girls who wanted to be knights, proving that being a Charming didn’t mean fitting into a single role.
Even Apple’s mother, who had been so deeply against the idea of her daughter defying her fairytale, had begun to soften—just a little.
And the people?
The people saw a queen who was strong not because she followed a script, but because she wrote her own story.
They saw a knight who proved that being a hero had nothing to do with titles, and everything to do with heart.
They saw two young women, standing side by side.
And little by little, the world changed with them.
And they were changing it—together.