Chapter Text
Things began unraveling with a simple mirrorphone call.
Things had been going well for Darling and Apple. Even though Apple was desperate to keep their budding relationship on the downlow, Darling still managed to find ways for them to spend time together. Despite Apple’s insistence it was better if she studied alone, she found herself often in Rosabella and Darling’s room, studying on Darling’s bed while Darling sat at her desk.
Apple had been overjoyed when Darling told her about her courses for the next semester. She knew the knight courses were everything Darling was hoping for. It also meant, however, that Darling was extra committed to her final exams. The two would spend hours in silence together, looking over material, and occasionally quizzing eachother.
There were also the picnics in the stable, which had somewhere along the line become their sanctuary. Darling seemed to relax there the most. The armor she hid herself in among the student body seeming to melt away, leaving the girl Apple had spent most of her summers with.
Apple had been afraid the ease of their conversations would dissipate with the pressure of a relationship, but it did no such thing. They would spend their lunch hours discussing anything under the sun, or even in silence. And during those silent moments, when Apple was watching the barn draft move Darling’s hair just so, she couldn’t help but wonder why she had let the distance grow between them all these years.
When had the promise of a prince overshadow her childhood friend who had hunted for fairies with her? Who had helped her get over her irrational fear of horses as a child? Who was willing to drop anything to play even one game with Apple?
It was hard to answer that question, but then Darling would smile at Apple, and it really didn’t matter then.
Because even though Apple hadn’t had her all of those years ago, she had her now. They were beginning to build… something . Apple was hesitant to call it love (though anyone from the outside would insist that is what it was), but it was something. And Apple loved it with every part of her.
The mirrorphone call that began to unravel what they had begun to build came while Apple was alone. It was the week before summerbreak, and she had been rushing to finish a paper because Darling had promised her a walk together after dinner.
Apple clicked on her phone, realizing her mother wanted to see her face. After quickly fixing her hair, she pressed the answer button, placing the phone against a textbook before returning to her notes. “Oh! Mom, hello.”
“Apple.”
That should have been the first indicator, the way her mother said her name. But Apple was too busy to notice the doom that was approaching her.
“Hey, out of curiosity have you-”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Apple paused at that statement, glancing up to meet her mother’s eyes through the screen. Her mother’s face was curled into a frown. It was an almost jarring sight compared to the smile she wore most of the time. Snow White was known for her smile.
There was a piece of advice her mother had given her from a young age.
“If you keep smiling, everyone around you will smile as well.”
Whites didn’t frown . And yet here Snow White was, frowning in disappointment. Apple felt her heart in her throat.
“Tell you…”
“Apple, I’m not stupid,” Snow said, her voice as sharp as a spindle. “Why did you not inform me as soon as you knew that Darling Charming was the one who woke you up from the sleeping curse?”
There was a beat of silence as Apple ran through her options in her head. “Mother I-”
“Don’t even try to deny it. I got verification from Headmaster Grimm this morning. Apparently most of the school knows.”
“That’s not my fault!” Apple said. “Most of the school knew before even I knew!”
“But you did know.”
Another beat of silence. Apple searched her mother’s face for some trace of warmth or understanding. She came away with nothing.
“I followed my story as it was given to me,” Apple said, her voice was steady. “I took a bite, I fell asleep, she woke me. It is simple as that.”
“There is nothing simple about this situation and you know that!” Snow White hissed. “You can’t be serious. You want me to believe that your true love is… a woman? What about the family line? Our legacy?”
“If you would like to argue with magic then be my guest but the spell-”
“She must have done it wrong,” Snow White said. She was nodding now. “That would be just like her isn’t it? She said it’s the same spell but it’s different. That means we still have a chance here-”
“Mom.”
“We label it to the press as a high form of friendship,” Snow was talking with her hands. “You are seen rarely in public with Darling as it is. With the right PR we can get your fairy tale on track and then-”
“Mom, Headmaster Grimm recognizes Darling as the Prince Charming in the Snow White story,” Apple said.
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“He what ?” Snow White asked.
“Darling is being allowed to take on the title,” Apple said. “There’s no arguing here. And besides I-” Apple paused. “I don’t really want to.”
Snow White was silent on the other end of the line, leading to Apple beginning to ramble. “I like Darling, and I-I like being with Darling. We work well together, and she would make an amazing leader one day, if we stuck together that long.”
“You’re dating her?”
“Yeah, yeah I am,” Apple said, shifting in her seat under her mother’s gaze. “She makes me happy if you were wondering. She’s kind and wonderful, and a knight. She’s better than both Daring and Dexter combined in combat and-”
“But she’s a woman, Apple. Do you understand how this looks for us? For me ?”
Apple bit her tongue.
“End the relationship.”
“What?” Apple asked.
“You heard me. End the relationship. I need to meet with the PR people and Headmaster Grimm, see what can be done. I’m sure this is just a simple error on his end,” Snow said, her composure in tact. “We’ll have to spend the summer rebuilding your image and rebuffing these foolish rumors. Am I understood?”
“So I’m just supposed to disregard my feelings?” Apple said, not sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry. “It doesn’t matter to you at all for one of the first times in my life I’m truly happy?”
“Don’t take that tone with me,” Snow snapped. “You know that as Whites we have a duty to Ever After. To the throne. And we must do what is best for that. You will either end the relationship, or don’t bother coming home for the summer at all .”
And with that, Snow White hung up.
Apple stared at the black screen, her own face staring back. Numbness overwhelming her, washing away the anger from a few minutes previously. What was she going to do? She turned back to the pages in front of her. She needed to finish this paper.
Yeah, finish this paper.
Darling Charming was not used to receiving mirrorphone calls from her parents.
The Charmings were pretty hands off while the children were at school, trusting in Headmaster Grimm to guide their children down the right path. The Charming children could always come to their parents if there was an issue, but they were usually expected to find their own solution first. It was the Charming way after all. King Charming couldn’t exactly swoop in if in the future Dexter was losing a fight to a dragon. They needed to be able to get out of their own problems.
Darling picked up the phone, even more surprised to see both of her parents appear on screen.
“Darling Charming,” King Charming said, his voice stern. “I just got a call from a very upset Snow White this morning. What in the name of all that is good is going on?”
“What?” Darling asked, confused.
“Darling, I want an honest answer from you,” King Charming said. “Are you responsible for waking up Apple White from the sleeping curse?”
“Dad I-” Darling was at a loss for words.
“What your father means to say,” Queen Charming said, shooting her husband a look before looking back over at Darling. “Is we’re just a bit confused on what’s going on. We know Daring wasn’t Apple’s prince. Believe me, we got several… very emotional, voicemails from him about that and the whole… beast thing. We’re not mad, we just… we’d like some answers if you could give them. What happened with Apple?”
Darling let out a shaky breath. She could do this. “Well, um, I kind of need to come clean about several things. How much do you know about the White Knight in Wonderland?”
Darling was surprised by how well the Charmings took the news that Darling had been galavanting around Ever After as a knight pretty well. Darling had been a bit worried they would say something about the propriety, but Queen Charming was beaming by the end of the tale.
After she finished her mother spoke up. “So you two are…”
“Dating, yeah,” Darling said, feeling awkward. They had never really had these type of conversations with their parents before. They were more of a “what’s the best blade to fence a pirate with” conversation family then a “let’s talk about our feelings and relationships” family. “I know it may not be ideal to you, but-”
“But nothing, Darling,” Queen Charming said. “If this is what makes you happy, then we’ll support you through it.”
“Your mother is quite right,” The king said. He raised an eyebrow at his daughter. “Do I have to have a conversation with you on how to conduct yourself with a future monarch?”
“No Dad,” Darling said, trying not to roll her eyes, a small smile on her face.
“Good,” The King said. “I’m glad to see my lessons have sunk in.”
“We’ll have to do some fencing practice when you get home,” Queen Charming said eagerly. “I can’t wait to see how you’ve improved.”
“Of course Mom,” Darling said.
“We’ll see you in a week, we love you,” Queen Charming said with a little wave.
“Bye, love you too,” Darling said, hanging up.
She felt relief. That conversation had gone so much better then she had ever thought it could.
“Apple?”
Apple glanced up from her paper. Raven was standing in their shared hallways, peeking around to her side. “Yes?”
“You coming to dinner?”
“No, I’ve got to finish this paper,” Apple said.
“But aren’t you hungry?”
“No, I had a big lunch,” Apple said giving her roommate a smile. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Alright then,” Raven said, leaving and shutting the door behind her.
Apple stared down at her paper. In all honesty it had been done thirty minutes ago. But Apple knew going to dinner meant seeing Darling.
And seeing Darling meant going on that walk she promised.
And going on that walk meant deciding whether or not to follow her mother’s orders and end the relationship with Apple.
Because that was Apple’s duty. Wasn’t it? Even if it wasn’t, Apple wasn’t so sure she wanted to face her mother’s wrath if she didn’t end the relationship. Because Snow White would know. And that’s even if Darling would be okay with them dating in private while Snow forced her on the first prince they could find to revamp Apple’s image.
The phone call had made one thing very clear.
Her mother was not as smart as Apple thought.
Apple should have known after the Dragon Games incident that her mother could be led easily by emotions. It’s the whole reason the games had happened after all. Snow White had let her emotions get the better of her while dealing with the Evil Queen. She had let her pride take precedence and allowed the Evil Queen to walk freely. If her mother had thought logically, she would have imprisoned her immediately. But no, her mother just had to win one more time.
But now this?
Putting Apple’s feelings aside (as difficult as that was to do) Darling had a very strong claim to the Snow White story. Headmaster Grimm had validated her claim. Word had gotten out, and no matter how much public relations work Snow White did, one fact would remain.
Darling Charming had woken up Apple White from her sleep.
Therefore, Darling Charming had a claim to the Prince Charming role in Snow White’s story. And anyone who said otherwise would look like an idiot. Including her mother.
Apple tapped her desk. She also knew how stubborn Headmaster Grimm was. She had seen it up close and personal this year as he and Raven had clashed over the Storybook of legends. She had no doubt Professor Giles was somehow involved as well, and to have two Brothers Grimm interpret events in Darling’s favor...
Apple wasn’t even sure why her mother would even try to argue.
But Snow was putting her emotions first. She was worried about the court of public opinion (as she always was). Two women on the throne was unheard of. What would people say about Apple? And furthermore what would they say about Snow? How could Snow have raised such a child that her true love could be a woman? How could she have helped raise a child that had screwed up the Snow White story so badly?
Apple just wanted to bury herself under the ground. There were decisions to be made, discussions to be had, and honestly, she didn’t want to do any of it. So she turned back to editing her paper, because it was a lot easier then dealing with the catastrophe that was her life currently.