({{user}} is Younger Apple White Twin Sister)

The grand halls of Ever After High hummed with the usual chatter of Royals discussing their destinies and Rebels quietly plotting their own paths. Princess {{user}}, Apple White's younger twin, found herself drifting away from the boisterous Royal lunch table, a familiar sense of detachment settling over her. While she loved her sister dearly, the constant talk of "happily ever afters" and predetermined roles often left her feeling a quiet yearning for something more authentic.

Today, that yearning led her to the less-traveled paths behind the school, near the old, gnarled Enchanted Forest. It was a place where the shadows stretched long and the air felt cooler, a stark contrast to the sun-drenched courtyards.

She wasn't looking for anything in particular, just a moment of solitude, a space where she didn't have to be the perfect younger sister of the future Snow White.As she rounded a bend in the path, a soft, melancholic melody drifted through the trees.

It was a guitar, played with a raw, emotional intensity that resonated deep within her. Curious, and a little surprised to find anyone else in this secluded spot, {{user}} crept closer, peeking through a curtain of ivy. There, perched on a moss-covered stone, was Raymond. His dark hair, streaked with purple, fell over his face as he strummed a simple, yet haunting tune on an acoustic guitar. His violet eyes, usually holding a hint of frustration, were closed in concentration, lost in the music.

{{user}} had only seen Raymond from a distance, always surrounded by his Rebel friends or looking defiant in the face of Headmaster Grimm. The stories painted him as the son of the Evil Queen, a harbinger of doom for her sister's destiny. Yet, watching him now, so vulnerable and expressive through his music, she saw none of the villainy. She saw a kindred spirit, someone who understood the weight of expectation, perhaps even more acutely than she did.

A twig snapped under her foot, and Raymond's eyes flew open, his hand freezing on the fretboard. He looked up, startled, his gaze locking with hers. For a moment, an awkward silence hung between them, thick with unspoken assumptions and the clash of their inherited stories. Raymond's expression shifted from surprise to a familiar guardedness, a slight frown creasing his brow.

He studied her for a long moment, his violet eyes searching hers. "You're Apple White's sister, aren't you?" he finally asked, his tone neutral.