[fieldbox=Arabella Beauty, #c47600, solid]
The whole carriage was quiet. Arabella had taken to staring out of her small window for most of the ride, ignoring her parents. They sat across from her, watching her expression as the ride progressed. Only once had her countenance changed, and that was when they passed through a village and she saw the children playing. Other than that one instance- which had provoked a smile from the princess- her face had remained emotionless.
Finally, her mother broke the silence. "
We're nearly there," Belle informed her daughter, feeling Adam squeeze her hand. "
We're going to miss you so much."
Arabella's gaze turned to her parents for the first time that ride. "
I'll miss you too," she replied, offering them a smile that did not reach her eyes.
Her father frowned at this, reaching out for the hand of his daughter. "
We're terribly sorry about this, Arabella," he said, his deep voice gentle. "
If there was any other way..."
"
It's necessary to ensure peace is kept," Belle finished for him, smiling sadly. "
You understand that, don't you?"
"
Of course mother," Arabella nodded, her loose brown hair bouncing as she did. "
Perhaps I will grow to love my betrothed," she added after a beat, leaning closer to her parents. "
Perhaps this is fate merely bringing me to my one and only." This earned a smile from her parents, which meant she was free to return to her window. Of course, Arabella wasn't one to believe in fated love. But, if it saying so comforted her parents then how much harm could the white lie cause?
It wasn't long before the school came into view, and Arabella suddenly felt her anxiety begin to rise. Instantly all the worries she had been suppressing throughout the trip flooded her mind.
What if they don't like me? She wondered.
Will my parents be okay while I'm away? Ara closed her eyes, trying to focus on her breathing.
Everything will be all right, she told herself, only opening her eyes once she believed it.
By the time her eyes reopened the carriage was stopped outside of the castle. Arabella briefly glanced out the window, seeing several people already outside. Looking to her parents Arabella gave them a sad smile, which both of them returned. "
I love you two," Ara told them.
"
We love you," Her parents said simultaneously. Belle quickly adding, "
Do remember to write us. Regularly."
"
Of course, mom." Arabella exchanged a hug with her parents, and a kiss on her mother's cheek as the door to their carriage opened. She allowed the man outside to help her out, thanking him as he steadied her. Arabella turned, watching as the carriage door was close. She continued to watch as her parents were taken away, back to their kingdom.
Deep Breaths... Slowly, Arabella turned to face the castle, her silver jewelry shimmering in the sunlight. She also wore her tiara, as insisted by her father. The edges of her gown touched the cement floor, her hands in position to lift the skirt once she started moving.
Already, the place was busy. Several adolescents stood near the entrance, some of them talking. Arabella's eyes drifted over nearly all of them, seeking out a certain person. Only when she spotted
Melody did Ara begin walking, raising the skirt of her dress. Her heels clicked against the hard flooring, but she hardly paid any attention- she had grown up wearing heels, and so the noise they made almost always went unnoticed by the young girl. In seconds she was at the base of the stairs and making her way up, carefully avoiding everyone who blocked her direct path. She didn't bother to greet anyone else, for there would be plenty of time for such things later.
Once she reached the top of the stairs Arabella called out for her best friend, a sincere smile grazing her lips. It was the first time she had truly smiled since she found out about the arranged marriage. Somehow, knowing that
Melody would be with her every step of the way made her feel less anxious about the whole situation. "
Melody!" Ara said as she approached the girl, instantly wrapping her arms around her. "
It's so good to see you," she said, squeezing tightly before stepping back.
Arabella's golden brown eyes looked
Melody up and down before returning to her face. "
And I was worried I'd be over dressed," She commented, nose crinkling slightly as a soft laugh escaped her. Melody was dressed in a ball gown, which stood out among some of the other things people were wearing. Though, that wasn't to say there weren't a few oddly dressed people in the crowd. Arabella slightly turned, to look at all the people gathered near or on the stairs. "
How many more will there be?" Arabella asked, looking at each of the males individually now. It dawned on the young girl that the very boy she was to marry could already be there.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Prince Emmett of Arendelle, #38abd1, solid]
The journey to the school had been long and lonely. Emmett's mother, Elsa, had decided to stay home. She claimed that she had to stay to run Arendelle, and also that it'd be silly for her to make the trip there just to return home straight away. But, Emmett knew better, he knew she just feared sailing the seas. That wasn't to say that he didn't understand why- perhaps he too would be afraid of sailing if his parent had died the way his mother's had. Still, Elsa was not fooling her dear son.
Truthfully, Emmett hadn't minded traveling alone. It gave him time to accept the marriage that was to come. When he first set sail Emmett had truly believed he'd come to terms with his fate by the time he arrived to the school, but he had been horribly wrong. In fact, by the time he reached the shore and loaded himself into his personal carriage his sadness had only turned to rage.
Stupid, He thought at he stared at his hands in his lap.
Marry an evil girl? How could my mother agree to force me into something so horrible!? He let out a long sigh, sulking back into the silk seats. He knew that he was being foolish in indulging his own anger, but what else was he to do? Pretend to be happy? Not likely. He wished he could just be excited about meeting the girl he would rule Arendelle with one day... but sadly this was not an option either.
Emmett had been so lost in thought that he hadn't even noticed the carriage come to a stop. It wasn't until the door to his carriage was opened did he look up from his hands. "
Prince Emmett, we have arrived."
"
Thank you," Emmett said, nodding. He cleared his throat as he climbed from the carriage, stopping to take in all the people that had already arrived at the school. Resisting a sigh, Emmett turned back to the man who had opened his door for him, and said, "
I bid you a safe journey home."
"
Thank you, sir."
Emmett nodded once more, before turning and walking towards the castle. Absentmindedly, he pulled at the sleeves of his sweater. His clothing was not what he was used to- He had always worn prince suits before this. Even the fabrics of his current attire was foreign to Emmett, and it made him feel uncomfortable. But, his mother had insisted it would help him fit in. Elsa had also mentioned that if he arrived in such a fancy suit the evil children may not take to him well, and the last thing he wanted was to give someone an invitation to pick on him.
A little ways ahead of him was a familiar figure, carrying luggage in both of her hands. "
Elana!" Emmett called out, jogging to catch up with his cousin. He reached the girl in just a few second, and as he fell into step with her he took one of her bags. "
Did you not send your belongs beforehand?" Emmett questioned. He and his mother had sent several bags on a separate ship a whole week before he had left Arendelle, to insure that his things would already be in his room once he arrived.
As he listened to
Elana's reply, Emmett's blue eyes wandered around to the faces of everyone surrounding him. There were several unfamiliar ones, though every now and then he thought he saw someone he recognized. He also took note of how a few of them arrived, assuming this would give him some insight on who they were. For the most part this was not the case, but there were a few that stood out. For instance there was a beautiful girl with brown hair who had arrived in a pallet- something he had never seen in person before (
Quya). There was another who arrived in a taxi, which stood out in the sea of carriages (
Tate).
"
Are you nervous at all?" Emmett asked
Elana suddenly, looking down to her as they neared the stairs leading to the entrance of the school. Plenty of people were gathered there, and so Emmett assumed they were waiting for everyone to arrive so that a greeting could be done to them all at once. "
And, did your parents tell you who you would be marrying? My mother told me she didn't know."
That was perhaps the worst part about it all- he still had no idea who he was to be marrying. The suspense was enough to kill him, and he was sure it would if he had to go another day without knowing. During his travels to the school he had spent much time trying to imagine the girl he would marry, which proved to be extremely difficult since he didn't even know who her parents were.
Emmett began to chew on the inside of his cheek, a nervous habit. While this wasn't the best thing to do when he was nervous he was glad he didn't frost the floor at his feet like his mother would have.
That would be horribly embarrassing. The teen was constantly feeling thankful that the control over his powers was stronger than that of her mothers- especially when he witnessed her in distress.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Emmaline of the Sea, #6100b5, solid]
Click. Click. Click.
The sound of Emmaline's heels against the stone floors echoed through the corridor. She walked with great confidence, her curled dark hair bouncing as she did. The young girl came to a halt a few feet in front of her mother, who sat at the dining room table. Before her mother was a plate, with half of a dead eel laid across it. Raw eel, Ursula's favorite.
Ursula looked up from her breakfast, raising an eyebrow to her daughter. "
Can I help you?"
"
I've decided I'm not going," Emmaline stated firmly, her arms crossing over her chest. "
We are no threat, and I believe everyone knows this. We live here peacefully, don't bother anyone who doesn't come to us. I don't see the necessity of my hand in marriage." It was clear the young girls argument was well rehearsed.
Ursula only groaned, she had seen this coming weeks before. She too was prepared. "
Oh, you poor unfortunate soul!" She shouted dramatically, throwing her knife and fork onto the table. "
How dare I give my daughter the opportunity to marry a prince! What a horrible mother am I!"
"
It won't be love," Emmaline countered, "
And forcing me to wed a man I don't love does make you a horrible mother." She kept calm, knowing that if she too began to yell she would loose the argument immediately- Her mother would simply just steal away her voice.
"
Who needs love when you have jewels!"
"
I have little interest in jewels."
"
People to cater to your every need!"
"
I am a witch. I can get people to do stuff for me by the mere threat of casting a spell on them."
"
A castle to live in! A crown upon your pretty little head!" Ursula stormed to her daughter, grabbing the necklace that hung from her daughter's neck. "
Don't you see, my baby, I gave you legs so you could rule a land!"
"
So, I will conquer a land of my own. I wi-"
"
No, no," Ursula interrupted, waving her hands. "
You won't. There is far more good in the world now then there was long ago, you stand no chance alone and no one would be dumb enough to stand with you." This stumped Emmaline, she hadn't expected her mother to flat out tell her she would loose if she tried to rise to power on her own. Ursula smiling wickedly, seeing she had won. "
Now then, run along. This will be the last you'll be seeing of this place for a long while. Might as well go say goodbye until the carriage arrives."
Emmaline walked away angrily. Ursula returned to her eel.
For her last hour at home Emmaline had chosen go to the beach just outside. Ursula had built their mini castle on the beach before she was even conceived- it had been a gift from Ariel and Eric in an effort to keep peace years ago. Emmaline was born just a mile away from the shore she walked along, in the waters like any other mermaid. Her first wobbly steps as a human girl were taken taken on the same sandy beach. And now she was saying goodbye to it all, to marry a stranger and help him rule some far away kingdom.
Emmaline touched the necklace around her neck, looking out to the ocean. Suddenly, she took it off, dropping it carelessly to the ground near a pile of rocks, her clothing soon following. With a wide smile she dove into the water, purple tail spouting. She stayed in the water for a long while, filled with happiness, until:
"
Emmaline! The carriage is here!"
Heaving a sigh, Emmaline flopped onto shore, reaching for her necklace. She put it back on, her tail and top piece painlessly disintegrated away- leaving only bare skin and legs in their place. Emma quickly got dressed and scurried of to the carriage, carrying her heels as she went. Her mother was standing outside of the carriage, smiling sadly to her daughter. "
This is goodbye then," Emma said, giving her mother a last chance to change her mind about the whole deal.
"
Only until you're a princess," Ursula answered, pulling her daughter in for a hug. Then, wordlessly, Emmaline climbed into the carriage. She applied new make up and only twenty minutes into the ride she fell asleep- swimming had taken a lot out of her.
Only when they arrived at the school was she woken, and the man who woke her received a death glare. She helped herself out of the carriage, looking around and putting on her heels. By now her hair had dried, going back to it's naturally curly style. Emmaline's lips stretched back into a maddened smile, a glint appearing in her eyes as she observed the goody-goodies. She might hate the reason she was here, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy herself in hell.
"
Let the fun and games begin."
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Blake Maleficent, #216e00, solid]
Deep in Maleficent's castle laid a boy, staring up at the ceiling. He wore a bored expression, and was clothed in the outfit his mother had picked out for him the night before. Though, he had changed the color of the jacket from brown to black using magic- it suited him better. All was silent, until...
"
BLAKE. WHERE ARE YOU?!"
The boy did not answer. It was clear his mother was angry, and so he wasn't going to give his location away. Only a fool would do sick a thing. Still, it didn't take even a minute before the doors to the room flew open, slamming against walls. Maleficent came marching in, her black gown flowing behind her.
"
There was a carriage here for you this morning," She said, her voice calm but it was still very obvious she was furious. "
I just received word you never boarded... Why not?"
"
The horses had pink hair," Blake replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. He hadn't even bothered to look at his mother. "
I wasn't going to arrive in a carriage drawn by horses with pink hair."
Maleficent pinched the bridge of her nose. She loved her dear boy, and yet no one had ever infuriated her as much as he. After muttering some curse words under her breath she walked over to her son, kneeling over and grabbing his ear. She pulled him to his feet ("
Ow- Ow. Ow! Okay!") and then straightened out her son's clothes. "
You're worried about your image, huh?" She asked sarcastically, anger now properly displayed in her tone. "
Well, I wonder what message it will send if you arrive with your mother."
Blake looked into his mothers eyes, his features hardening. "
You wouldn't."
Maleficent smiled, leaned towards her son and whispered, "
Watch me."
A snap of her fingers.
A puff of green smoke.
And they were standing in front of the school.
Maleficent smiled as she watched the waves of green smoke roll away, satisfied with their entrance. "
Now, then," She said, talking loudly so as to get the attention of as many people as possible. She straightened her son out once again, fixed his hair, licked her thumb and rubbed it on his cheek. "
Be a good little boy. Oh, and don't worry about your teddy bear, I'll be sending it in the mail shortly." Maleficent kissed Blake's forehead, and with a wink and another puff of green smoke, she was gone.
Blake stood where he was for a short while, hands balled into fists. Had it been anyone else who treated him like that he would not have just stood there and allowed it to happen- but Blake feared his mother. He recognized her as the force to be reckoned with she was, and would not dare stand up to her. She was the only person though.
Raising his gaze to look around, Blake ran his fingers through his hair to make it look more lazy looking. He had perfected the bad-boy hairstyle before he could even cast a spell. Once he was good and ready Blake made his way to the entrance, standing among the other students.
So, he thought, raising an eyebrow,
I am to marry somewhere here. Just... Great. He rolled his eyes at the thought, scanning a few of the people nearest to him. There was a girl with blonde hair and light skin, wearing all blue (
Astrid).
Such a pretty face... but so obviously a good girl. What a utter waste of looks that could manipulate nearly any male. His eyes then shifted to a girl with short purple hair (
Violet).
Now, there's someone who's clearly evil, He thought, looking her up and down.
But far too vibrant, she's annoying to look at. Clearly from that retched Wonderland.
He then looked to the three boys the girl with purple hair was talking to (
Victor, Lucas, Leon).
A Ginger, an Arabian and a African-American, Blake thought, shaking his head.
Sounds like the starter to some bad racist joke. Sighing, Blake looked around.
There can't possibly be anyone else to wait for, there are already so many people here.
"
What's the hold up?" Blake asked out loud, clearly annoyed with the standing around. "
Let's get this show on the road!"
[/fieldbox]