Part 4 (1/2)

I never freak out.

Is Baba Yaga in love with Headmaster Grimm?

Thatas ridiculous.

Is Madam Maid Marian a dragon in disguise?

Maddiea Okay, jump ahead then. Tell me what happens in, like, a hundred pages or something.

Never! Is that how you read books, jumping forward and reading the ending first?

Of course!

Well, there are some things you are better off not knowing beforehand.

Oooh! So something bad is going to happen?

I didnat say that.

To whom? Raven?

No, I wasnat talking about Raven. Just calm down.

Apple?

Never mind about Raven and Apple. And thatas all Iam saying, because I will not be tricked into telling you your future, Maddie.

Me?! The big bad thing is going to happen to me?

I didnat saya I was onlya you didnat hear it from me, I meana argh!

APPLE WALKED AWAY FROM HER MOST recent castle while scrolling through the Yester Day app. All she wanted was a monarch who had to deal with super-spazzy subjects who yelled and threw food at one another and yet figured out how to make them stop and just be happy.

After Old King Cole and Empress Buff, shead rushed a visit to every single available Royal, including three separate branches of the various Charming clans; Briaras mom, Sleeping Beauty (who napped through most of the interview); and Briaras aunt, that other Beauty, who had married a transformed Beast.

Well, there was one more left.

SNOW WHITE. SUBMIT.

Home! Appleas blue eyes sharpened with tears. She hopped out of the wis.h.i.+ng well and ran into the White palace, shouting out, ah.e.l.lo, Ca.s.sandra!a and aGood afternoon, Dumpy!a and aWhy, thank you, Zelda, plenty of fresh water and exercise do wonders for the complexion.a Soon, Apple was racing into her motheras library, her arms open.

aApple!a Snow White said. Or rather, squeaked. The original Fairest One of All had spent so much time lost in the woods talking with squirrels her voice never did lower again into its natural range.

Mother and daughter embraced and spoke quickly. Apple had been hexting her all the alarming details of what Raven did on Legacy Day, so she had to fill her in on only the latest. Snow wore her ebony hair in a braided crown. In contrast to her dark hair, her pale skin seemed even paler, her cheeks revealing the barest of blushes. Her dark eyes were as gentle as a doeas, her red-lipped smile near constant.

A gaggle of smiling servants brought milk and cookies, and when they were alone, Apple asked Snow her Yester Day question.

aTrouble?a said Snow. aYou know, I havenat had trouble, not since your father kissed me right out of that poisoned sleep. And I never really worried, because I knew that, eventually, everything would end up Happily Ever After.a Apple nodded. She used to be able to count on her destiny, too. But that security had been ripped away.

aEven so, there were dark times,a said Snow White. aI lived with the Evil Queen, after all. And shea didnat like me much.a Snow s.h.i.+vered, and crumbs of her cookie fell to the floor. A flock of bluebirds swooped through the window, pecked up the crumbs, and tweeted.

Snow White laughed, a sound like tinkling gla.s.s. aWhy, thank you, my feathered friends.a The birds sang a few notes and flew away again.

aBut whenever things were too hard for me, I could always find help. Kind servants at Queen Castle. The Huntsman. The dwarves. Most people are genuinely good, sweetheart, and even the evil ones have some good in them. Everyone needs a smile and a friend, whether they know it or not.a Apple paused in her note-taking. aWhat about the Evil Queen? Did she need a smile and a friend?a Snow sighed, her expression clouding a little. aHer most of all, I think.a Snow bowed her head. aYou know, sweetheart, I blame myself a little.a aFor the Evil Queen being evil? What? Thatas silly!a aHer being evil was just part of the story. But the rest of ita”how she went from kingdom to kingdom spreading hate and fear, poisoning poor little Wonderlanda”it wasa terrible.a Snowas voice broke with sorrow.

Apple put a hand on her motheras arm.

aNo, Mother, that wasnat your fault.a aWhat if Iad been a friend to her? That wasnat part of the story, but nothing says I couldnat have tried. Or tried harder, anyway. Maybe if shead had any kind of a friend to stand beside her, Wonderland might still be there.a aItas still there. Just poisoned. Someone will figure out a way to fix it.a Snow looked at her daughter with kind eyes. aWho?a she asked.

aI donat know,a said Apple. aSomeone?a Snow took her daughteras hand. aThatas the sort of effort that would need a leader. Someone to take charge. But thereas no story about someone fixing Wonderland, and in Ever After, if thereas no story, it rarely happens. As much as I love this place, thatas one thing thatas always troubled me. Just a little.a Apple nodded. Perhaps thatas why Ever After did have such a hard time stopping the Evil Queen. The moment someone went off script, no one knew what to do. An unscripted crisis was pure evil!

aBut donat you believe it will turn out all right in The End? What about Legacy Day? What about my destiny?a aI want you to have your Happily Ever After,a said her mother. aMore than anything! And the loss of the Snow White story would be catastrophic. But I donat know what will fix everything.a She squeezed Appleas hand. aStill, youare right. I have hope. And people are good. You are good. And, you know, Raven was always the sweetest little girl.a Snow sighed, blinked, and smiled. Sunlight seemed to fill the room again. Apple could never feel sad for long, not in the presence of Snow White.

aLeaders.h.i.+p, Apple. Every effort, group, and kingdom needs a leader its members can look up to.a aBut how do you lead those who donat want to be led? How do you do it when itas really hard?a aThe key isaa Snow whisper-squeaked.

Apple leaned in. aYes?a aThe key isaa Snow leaned closer, too. Her red lips parted, showing her perfectly white teeth. aTo keep smiling.a aWhat?a said Apple. Surely her mother couldnat be suggesting that a smile could solve everything.

aAll look to you,a said Snow. aIf youare smiling, then others will believe that everything is okay.a aButa but if everyone is angry and throwing food and shouting?a aYou just keep smiling.a aEven when you get smacked in the face with porridge?a Snow laughed and nodded. aEspecially then. And when they look to you, just you remember to look back.a aYou meana like, make eye contact?a Apple asked.

Snow smiled and nodded, the corners of her eyes crinkling happily.

Ever After High was in turmoil, and her motheras advice was to smile and make eye contact?

She doesnat understand. The thought scalded in Apple like too-hot porridge. Her mother had never had to deal with anything serious, not outside the events of her own story.

aKeep a confident smile, Apple,a said Snow. aAnd when you look back, look deeper. I mean, more thana”a Suddenly a dwarf bustled up to her motheras elbow.

aYour Majesty, so sorry to interrupt,a said the dwarf.

aItas perfectly fine, Achey,a Snow said, smiling. aWhat seems to be the trouble?a Achey glanced at Apple and then at Snow. aThe finch is back.a aOh dear,a said Snow. aAnd the cooks?a aTheyare hoping you would, you know, sing it out?a said Achey.

aOf course, of course,a Snow said. aIam sorry, dear. Call me later?a aSure,a said Apple, feeling her shoulders slump.

Apple shuffled back to the wis.h.i.+ng well, accosted by a strange, creeping sensation that wanted to pull her down to the ground. She named it epic failure. She hexted Briar Beauty.

APPLE: Where r u?

Briar hexted her coordinates. Apple loaded them into the Yester Day app and entered the wis.h.i.+ng well.

She emerged onto unfamiliar terrain. The ground was soft and misty, as if a heavy fog was rolling in, even though the sky was huge above her and as blue as Poppy OaHairas latest hairstyle. Apple could see no mountains, no forest, just one lone tree.

aApple!a Briar flung herself at her friend, squeezing her tight. aIam so glad youare joining me!a aAre you visiting someone around here?a Apple asked. She wasnat wearing her gla.s.ses, and she couldnat see anyone in the strange landscape.