étoile

Samuel makes a face at the term of endearment, but let’s be real: he still collects action figures. He supposes that he can be rather childish at times, especially for a future king. Plus, he had the emotional maturity of a four year-old if one were to look at his permanent record. But, he likes to think that he can be regal and professional when the situation calls for it.

Nevertheless, his best friend had a way of calming him down that the castle staff believed to be magic. He melts into her arms with a sigh, then licks frosting off the corners of his mouth. Even though she promises to handle the situation, he can’t help but be a worrier. He frets over everything from mismatching socks to thinking he forgot to turn off the lamplight on his desk. Lately, all his worries had been centered around Arielle and her perception of him. “Of course I believe you, it’s just that I can’t help but worry,” he says.

She only half listens to what he says next because she thinks about how to approach her uncle without igniting his fury. At the mention of prom, however, she stops short. How could she have forgotten that prom season is coming up? “Prom season already?” She asks, sounding almost dumb. There’s a small bit of panic that bubbles up in her chest when she realizes that she has hardly made any preparations for the big event. 

“i don’t believe you, but okay,” he says in regards to her staying out of trouble, suspicion flickering in his eyes. “staying out of trouble for so many years? unheard of.” his gaze turns onto the papers in his hand, and he quickly straightens them out, sheepish smile hanging on his lips.

he drops her hair after a while, nodding his head in agreement. “you are,” he affirms, and grins. “i’m as great as i can be! i think. uh, i don’t know, there’s like. eight? years of events to cover and i don’t think i can sum it all up right now.” his mind flashes back to the other more important stories like how he got sent away to fabeln, or how he slipped away to sea and screwed up, but those were darker stories from other times and kaspian could save them for later.

When he starts talking about all the people who miss her back in his home, Maxine feels the guilt and she can only respond with a sad pout. “I’m sorryyyyyyyyyy~~~” She whines out, clinging on to Kaspian’s arm like a five year old. “So much has happened and my queen lessons have started so I’ve been super duper busy. But I’ve missed Auntie Ariel and Uncle Flounder too and everyone else. I miss you guys everyday.”

However, the mention of his grandfather is news to Samuel. His father’s parents had been – reportedly – drowned in a sunken ship abroad. The sudden death had thrown his father into grief, to which the household staff tried to fix by giving him everything he desired. But nothing filled the hole his parents had left in his heart. Instead, the hole was filled with bitterness and entitlement that had gotten him cursed.

“I made sure that this curse will always be in this family’s blood,” she says. “I wanted Sammy’s grandfather to know how his descendants would suffer – to be made, as they rightfully deserved, into hideous little beasts.”

She leans down, kneeling before the wheezing young man in a cage. Her hand darts between the bars and she yanks Samuel’s chin forward. Her nails dig into his skin and he cries out, although it’s more of a howl, in pain. 

“Why don’t you just give in, you stupid boy? It’s in your nature. I made it to be in your nature. I made it so being a hero would destroy, make you want to be cruel, ” she says, teeth gritting. “But you keep fighting to be good, and I can’t touch you until that last petal falls.” The Enchantress yanks his chin again, forcing him to stare at Maxine in the distance.

“Why do you make her suffer like this? You’ve been hurting her all these years, making her watch your little battles between good and evil,” she says, loud enough for Maxine to hear. “Did you ever think that she wants you to go?”

The Enchantress’ face turns from angry, to sickly sincere in a heartbeat. She lowers her tone and drags her words, as if talking to a baby. “She’s too nice to be honest with a pitiful thing like you, my dear. But don’t you think it’d be easier on everyone if you simply…let go? Tell me you give up and we can stop all this pain right now, no need to wait for the rose.” 

Samuel appears to consider it. 

“That’s right,” she says, brushing his hair back. “No more hurting the people you love.The best part is that you’ll never remember that you ever loved them, so there’s no regrets. You’ll be with me forever and ever.” She cups his cheek gently and his eyes glaze over, a clear sign of magic being used. “That sounds nice, doesn’t it?” 

He’s vaguely aware of the persuasion magic making him nod his head, all while looking Maxine square in the eyes. The Enchantress switches to forcefully jabbing his forehead with her index finger, as if trying to drill her words into his brain. “A simple, stupid little animal that won’t feel this pain ever again? Doesn’t that sound like a relief? Just tell me ‘yes’ and we can start right now.” 

“H-how did this happen?” She stutters out and it’s the first time Maxine and Samuel are hearing a sort of fear present in her voice. It’s a small victory but it’s enough to remind them that goodness still very much exists in the world. 

Anger fills the princess and it makes her blue eyes shine brightly-- the sheer desire to protect Samuel making her do the impossible things. Her fears are secondary when it’s her best friend’s life on the line and heaven knows that Maxine doesn’t have to think twice about putting her own life on the line if it means being able to save Samuel from the curse and the evil ways of the Enchantress. “Get away from him, you vile filthy creature!” She shouts as her arms remain to be a protective shield around him. 

Well, he’s harmless until his lack of anger management gets in the way. The mere thought of the morning’s outburst has him covering his face in embarrassment. What on earth is wrong with him? The tail that was wagging in excitement only moments ago now drooped lifelessly, just like his mood. 

“It’s been more than just a few bad days,” he whines. “Dad told me that he didn’t want anymore calls from the academy. He’s going to eat me alive! You know how he gets! We yell at each other, then throw stuff for awhile, then yell some more, and slam our doors.”

Sensing the drop in his mood, Max is quick to pull her best friend into the warmth and comfort of her embrace. She doesn’t need him to explain because even without words, she already understands what he feels-- a testament to how strong their friendship really is. 

“And I’m telling you that I’m going to handle it. You believe in me, don’t you?” Soft palms cup his chubby cheeks to soothe away all his worries. Her eyes shine with sincerity as she reassures him that she will handle it. No harm will ever come to Samuel for as long as Maxine is around; it’s a promise she made when they were kids and she’s fully intent on keeping that promise all their lives. 

Skipping class was a tempting endeavour, but Amaru had to have a lot of restraint to prevent himself from doing so. After all, it was out of his own request that he was in this school in the first place, and skipping class would be going against his intentions of even attending. But even so, with that in mind, he couldn’t help but feel the wallowing feeling deep in his chest of just not being bothered to do anything.

His enthusiasm had drained and as a result, he stood hesitantly by the door of his next class. His hand gripped the frame of the door as bodies filled the class slowly, but there was no movement in his feet. He couldn’t bring himself to go inside. If there was anywhere he wanted to be right now, surely enough, it wasn’t here.

About to make a turn for it with his hand slowly moving from the frame, he spun around ly to be instantly stopped by a female who stood right behind him, righteous expression donned on her face. Chen could already hear the words of “you aren’t actually skipping class, are you?” about to spill from her lips, judging by her character of good morals and conduct - a feature he didn’t dislike about her. Though at this point, he was prepared for any words she had for him since they would serve as at least some form of motivation that he clearly wasn’t getting. His usual cynicism had dissipated the instant he met her eyes, sharp gaze becoming coy as they melted into a nervous smile before he tilted his head. 

Maxine has always been a good girl by heart. Sure, she knows how to have her fair share of fun and living on the edge but at the end of the day, she does try her best to stay out of trouble. Following the rules is easy for her and she strives to influence her peers in the same way. The colloquial saying “study hard, party harder” is her principle of sorts. To her, delayed gratification is everything. 

She sends Amaru a knowing smile over the laptop she’s holding in her arm and stays put blocking the doorway from him. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what he really is up to but Maxine makes no judgement and instead, hopes to convince the him to stay. 

She’s beautiful, but even the Devil had been one of God’s most beautiful angels. 

The Enchantress basks in a field of spider lilies, their red petals pure like the blood beading on a pin-pricked finger. Her blonde hair pools over the grass, so green that it’s too surreal to be real. The woman’s white dress is only a shade lighter than her skin, purified and youthful through use of magic. It flows through her. It radiates an aura. It enchants men into slaves, then drives women to bitter envy. She takes a single bite from an apple, then holds it high in the air. What follows next are peals of bell-like laughter, but it’s unclear what joy comes from a single bite of fruit. 

Chains rattle in paradise. She tosses the fruit into the air, catches it, and takes another juicy bite. Screams echo in paradise. She grows bored with her game. She rolls the apple across the ground and it stops three feet short of a rusty, metal cage. There is no hope in paradise.

Samuel thrashes against the bars of his little cell, so perfectly placed under clear blue skies. He rams his shoulder against the bars again and again and again. He’s losing his mind. He’s losing his fucking mind. 

Mud streaks his face and cakes his hair, leaving the brown strands matted like the fur of a mutt. His yellow eyes are wild and wide as he grabs the iron bars in his hands, knuckles whiter than the woman’s dress. Drool dribbles down his chin, but it’s not like he can help it. He needs a bite of that apple. He would’ve slashed a stranger’s throat for one bite of apple. He would’ve sliced their heads clean off for a single sip of water. She’s enchanted the boy with insatiable hunger. But, she’s also made sure he looks the part. Lift his shirt, and one would see a sunken stomach and protruding rib bones. It’s unlike any hunger he’s ever experienced and it’s driving him mad. 

He drops to his knees and sticks his hand through the bars, but he can’t reach. His claws come close, but the apple tantalizes him only millimeters away from his fingertips. The Enchantress glides over the grass, her feet lighter than air, and plucks the apple from the ground. “What’s wrong, Samuel?” she asks. “Look at what you become from a grumbly tummy! You’ve made a mess of yourself, haven’t you?”

Samuel speaks through clenched teeth.

“You’re a fraud,” he says. “You pretend to be so righteous, but you’re…you’re a demon. You cursed a ten year-old boy for not letting strangers into his home? You curse his children before they’ve even had a chance to do anything bad? What’s wrong with you?”

The look on her face changes from amused to irritated. She snaps her fingers. “Your voice is annoying,” she huffs. 

Samuel’s hands wrap around his throat, but no words come out. She’s stolen his voice. That crazy bitch stole his fucking voice. He wheezes as hard as he can. But rather than accept defeat, he flips up his middle finger. That sign is universal, magic or not. 

“Don’t irritate me, child,” she says. “Seems like you haven’t learned your lesson onto how to be an obedient, good little boy. How about we change your voice to something that suits you?” With another snap of her fingers, Samuel is left clawing at his shirt collar. He tries yelling, swearing, anything. Nothing sounds human. It’s all snarling, growling, and grunting like a wild beast.

He prays that the nightmare will end soon, as it always does once he’s been toyed with enough. He’ll be able to snuggle against Iseul or wake up Marci for a hug or climb into Maxine’s bed. He never tells them how bad the nightmares are. He never tells them how real the pain feels. It’s nothing more than a dream. His eyes wander from the apple in her hands to the familiar face that’s been standing nearby the entire time. Maxine.

A surge of fear blossoms in her chest then but before the panic sets in, the scenery around her changes and the misty air separates until she’s left looking at Samuel. Her eyes register absolute confusion and she wants to reach out to him and pull him close but she can’t. She looks down and finds her limbs secured by countless white threads and further inspection leads her to the huge spider web she’s tied to. Now, the panic truly sets in and she begins to struggle-- the web-like thread cutting into her milky white skin. 

“J-Junior???” She calls out, her voice sounding broken and raspy even to her own ears. 

Her best friend turns to look at her but he cannot speak; instead, the look of recognition in his eyes is accompanied by anguish and fear. She knows then that something is wrong. The nightmare feels too real to be just a figment of her imagination and she struggles more against her bindings in an effort to wake up. 

“You’re just as stubborn as your best friend.” A voice speaks from the side, one that Maxine has never heard in her life. “But what did I expect? I should have given you a rose too had it not been for your fairy godmother protecting you.” A million and one thoughts run through her mind as she thinks about who the voice belongs to; Maxine is intelligent and in no time at all, she figures it out. 

“Yeah, but I’m still afraid of thunder,” he says. He would have laughed if the fever hadn’t worn him down so much. His body felt so sore, he wasn’t sure if he could pull off a smile without aches and pains. 

“You aren’t even scared a little?” he asks. “I won’t be…me.”

At the end of the day, Samuel knew that this curse was intended to be a punishment on his parents rather than himself. He was the sacrifice, the example, the moral of every story. That’s what he was: a moral. The Enchantress had made the situation crystal clear to him, reminding him through every dream and scattering rose petals for every birthday. She loved going over the fine details.

“It’s the same as my father’s curse,” he says. “But, the curse doesn’t just end with your appearance. Why is it called a ‘curse’ if you end up some friendly, fluffy creature having playdates with Marci’s family? Everyone forgets what would’ve happened if my dad hadn’t fallen for my mom. They talk about broken curses and love and how ‘true beauty lies within’ saves the day. But nobody likes talking about what would’ve happened if Grandpa had never taken a wrong turn – never ended up in dad’s castle. Or if dad was two minutes later than he’d had been, and my mom was mauled by wolves. It’s something we don’t talk about. We don’t talk about the ‘Afters’ unless it’s a happy one.” 

Samuel has trouble swallowing, and it’s not just from his sore throat. His eyes become more and more glassy as the fever takes over. At least the illness loosens his tongue; he gets to the heart of what’s been bothering him lately.  “I won’t ever be the same,” he says. “That hideous monster won’t be the same as me.”

His pale, clammy hands touch the top of his head.

“It won’t be the same up here,” he says. “I’ll be erased in replaced by some…some dumb animal that can’t count to three! I won’t be able to talk to you, to have conversations with you, understand you, read, walk on two legs!”

He wants to cry – oh, he wants to bawl his eyes out – but the fatigue is getting to him.  

“I won’t be your Samuel ever again.”

Only then, do two stray tears slip down his cheeks. 

But Maxine refuses to believe it-- refuses to succumb to the downward spiral of the curse. This cannot be their ending because she won’t let it. Until the last rose petal falls, she is going to fight tooth and nail, heart, body and soul to give Samuel the happy ending he rightly deserves. 

“It won’t ever bother me because I won’t let it happen.” 

Her own blue eyes are shining bright with tears but she has to be strong, just as she always has been for her best friend. She gently wipes at his tears with the pads of her thumbs and looks at him meaningfully. “I will do whatever I can to find a solution to this. The enchantress won’t win, I’ll make sure of it.” 

“I love you, Junior, okay? Believe in me.” 

“This isn’t some magical tale like how your parents met.” He continued. “This is the real truth. The fact that I’m pushing you away because it is dangerous to be around me. You’re just smitten with the fact that I rescued you. Trust me. I’m not interested in you.”

He lied. Thinking about her had caused distractions in his spell work, than any other time in his life.

But Maxine knows when to back off and it’s clear that Adriel no longer wants her around; she doesn’t push it and has no thoughts of pushing it further. She knows when she isn’t needed or wanted and the situation now clearly falls into that category.

“Thank you for saving me then, Prince Adriel.” She answers, arms dropping to her side and the earlier warmth and affection leaving her voice. “I will tell my father of your goodness and rest assured, my family will pay you a generous amount for what you have done.”

The joke’s lame, Jackie thought to herself. But then again, so’s the nickname. She laughs, though. Even horrible jokes could make her laugh. It’s only cruel jokes that get over the line where she doesn’t even crack a smile. Moving on besides that, Jackie thought that Maxine didn’t really have to hide anything from her anymore. That is… unless there’s more.

Maxine hangs her head low in admittance of what Jackie already knows for sure and not even the flour that covered her hair and face could hide the pout on her lips and in her voice. She knows that it really was only a matter of time before someone figured out the secret she and Adriel have been trying hard to keep but she hadn’t expected such revelation to come so soon. 

But if anything, the princess is relieved to know that it was someone close to her, a dear friend like Jackie, who ended up figuring the secret out. Jackie is someone she can trust and Maxine, at least, feels confident that their secret would be kept safe.