Evermore Academy stood tall upon a hill of white marble and gold—where the children of legends came to learn how to become legends themselves. The banners of ancient kingdoms waved in the wind, and inside its enchanted halls, the next generation of rulers, heroes, and storybook icons trained to claim their destinies.
And among them was you—the daughter of the Evil Queen.
You never asked to be her daughter. You never wanted the whispers that followed you through the corridors. “Don’t eat near her.” “She’s probably cursed.” “Her mother tried to poison a queen—what do you think she’ll do to us?”
It was always like that. Even when your mother was locked away in the dungeons of the Dark Kingdom, her shadow still haunted you. You learned to walk with your chin high, your eyes cold, and your words sharp enough to cut through their fake smiles.
The only person who didn’t flinch around you was Lizzie, the daughter of the Mad Hatter. Maybe because she’d seen enough madness to know when someone’s wasn’t dangerous. She’d sit beside you at lunch, wear mismatched socks on purpose, and say, “Let them talk. They’re boring anyway.”
You almost believed her.
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The Prince
Prince Charming—son of the King of Goldenvale—was everything the academy adored: charming, noble, heroic, perfect. His smile could light up the ballroom, and his swordsmanship was as flawless as his reputation.
And he had never once looked your way.
Until Apple White—the darling of Evermore, Snow White’s perfect daughter—decided she wanted to be your friend.
She started sitting beside you in Royal History class, insisting it was “time for everyone to give second chances.” The girls gasped. The boys whispered. Suddenly, everyone was pretending to like you—every royal girl wanted to braid your hair, every prince wanted to “get to know you.”
And Prince Charming? He watched.
At first, he didn’t understand what it was about you that drew him in. Maybe it was the way you didn’t bend for anyone. The way your presence felt like a dark flame—dangerous, beautiful, untamed.