#I know they did the beauty and beast thing with rosabella and daring

[hood-wolf]

For the romance, no I don't ship Daring and Cerise. The symbolism though....

[fashion-foxy]

You know something that's odd to me? How weirdly the child of the Beauty and the Beast get handled in media. (Obviously, my only examples are EAH and Descendants, but walk with me on this.)

The Beauty is someone who will, for better or for worse, always see the best in everyone. They are kind and good-natured but is usually someone who still holds people accountable for their actions and intentions, not what the Beauty thinks their intentions are.

The Beast is someone who typically does not look past the surface level of a person out of stupidity or willful ignorance. The Beast is also very selfish ,closed-minded , and stubborn. Unfortunately , that means in retellings, the Beast is the only one to go a character arc, and the Beauty comes off as judgmental or too forgiving.

Both characters being foils means that it could be a bit challenging to portray a character that is a result of both of those personalities, but if done right, it creates a very interesting character!

So, what did EAH and Descendants do with what they were given?!

Well, for starters, a bad job, but you already knew that. Let's take a look at Rosabella Beauty and Benjamin Florian No Last Name Given. (Idk most Descendants characters don't have last names)

Rosabella is judgemental, which could definitely actually be a super cool thing that she got from her dad, but based off the fact that she didn't go on an arc and it didn't get presented as a character flaw, I suspect this was accidental. Which is real shame. It would've been a really cool concept to explore Rosabella actually being the Beast.

She is also, by not getting any meaningful character development, giving off major 'I could fix him' vibes with Daring. Except, she's ignoring what's actually wrong in his life and looking at surface level interpretations of what she thinks he's like. Then, deciding he's a self-centered narcissist who she needs to fix so he meets her standards. Hey, wait a spell. She kind of seems to embody more of the Beast characteristics than the Beauty's. I wonder if the writers might have had other plans but were forced to change her into something else or perhaps Mattel wanted to sell a doll of her and Daring so they had to awkwardly force a relationship and not use their original plans?

Ben is way too forgiving. When we first see him, he says that he wants to give the Isle kids (kids who were born to villians who've been trapped in a magic prison all their life) a chance at a normal life, which is great! It's probably one of the best things a 16 year old king could do. So when's the next time he forgives someone? When he tells Mal that he knows she drugged him. So, it's at this point where you kinda realize that he isn't being too forgiving he's trapped in an abusive relationship. Once he sees that Mal realizes the implications of that, he goes back on it, and he tells her that it's not that big of a deal that it's ok that he still loves her.

When's the next time something like this happens? When Mal tries to erase some of his memories after catching her lying about using magic. He obviously yells at her because that's a fucked up thing to do. She downplays the situation and makes excuses. Shortly after, she runs back to the Isle. Ben, assuming that she had the best intentions, blames himself and ultimately gets kidnapped and then drugged again. All of these interactions are all portrayed as 'his fault' and that he'd deserved everything that happened to him because he was holding Mal responsible for her actions. In the third movie, he even stops doing it. Hades asks him why an Auradon kid gets to be excused and why everyone on the Isle doesn't, and he looks at Mal but ignores the question. Mal doesn't answer because she's the reason this Auradon person (Audrey) is hurt because she ruined her life and is currently being excused by everyone, including the writers, but Audrey won't. Ben definitely won't.

So, aren't these the best portrayals of the Beauty and the Beast characteristics? Because mixing the traits incorrectly. If Ben was given more Beast characteristics than just roaring sometimes. Mal wouldn't be abusive if their were actually moments where Ben was being unreasonable and too quick to draw surface level conclusions.

Rosabella wouldn't come off as rude and judgemental if she was given more Beauty characteristics. If Daring was actually self-centered and Rosabella considered others and thought about others instead of drawing conclusions.

[lantanasmuttyfanfics]

Can you do cerise x daring please

Wow look at me 2 fics on one week, now that is something I’m proud of

I decided to make this a angst fic since there was no specification so in the future if you want anything specific like fluff or smut please put it in the commission

Anyway I hope you all enjoyed and I’ll (hopefully) be posting on Wednesday!!

Hope you enjoy!!!

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It had been a few weeks since the last bookball game where Cerise had helped the team win and where Daring Charming of all people took a liking to her.

Deep down she knew it was a bad idea to give whatever… this was a chance, but she couldn’t help it. She had become enraptured by that Daring charm that every girl seemed to also be.

She knew that it could never really work out, he was the destined prince of Snow White and she was just little red riding hood with a dark secret.

But she went for it anyway, she let herself become… entranced and now she was paying the price.

She was never the one to cry, but she could feel hot tears brimming at the back of her eyes as she and Daring sat in the privacy of the library.

Daring to his credit did look a little guilty but she didn’t think he looked half as upset as she was feeling.

“Look Cerise I am sorry but… well you know.” She did. It consumed her brain from the very first moment that he asked her to dance.

“I know. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.” Daring looked surprised. Maybe it was because she had opened up or maybe he didn’t expect her to admit to her feelings.

“But it shouldn’t hurt. We were nothing.” Her breath caught in her throat as she pulled back her eyes wide as she looked at him with confusion.

“What’s that supposed to mean.” The bite in her voice had Daring almost seizing her up but he didn’t, he instead flashed that… that damned charming smile.

“I don’t know what you aren’t getting. Cerise we were never a thing, sure we danced and went to some ‘dates’ but that doesn’t mean we were anything.”

She stared at him with complete shock, no words coming out as he stared at her dumbly. “Look I danced with Briar and Farrah and countless other girls but that doesn’t mean we were ever a thing. So why did you think you were an exception.”

Yes. Why did she think she was ever special to someone like Daring Charming, the prince of destiny and the hero of Snow White.

She swallowed before she spoke, to afraid that her voice would crack. “Because you looked at me as if I was special as if you cared as if you liked me.”

Daring shrugged while grabbing a hand mirror “I do like you Cerise. Just not like that.” He put the mirror in his lap “you are a good friend and a team member.”

The words clawed at her heart harder than she imagined Ramona would when their destiny played out. She felt her eyes burning as she nodded.

“Friends. Of course, because nothing happened between us.” Daring gave her a pat on the shoulder as he smiled. “See now you get it.”

Cerise nodded again and quickly stood up, he gave her a questioning glance before she proceeded to gather her things.

“I uhh have to go. Got class.” She hoped he wouldn’t notice that it was well past class time as she sprinted out the line with tears flowing down her cheeks.

Back in the library Daring watched the door close before he grabbed his mirror again and started to check himself out.

But before he could a girl with rose red lips, black glasses and redish brown hair toward over him with a glare on her face.

He recognized her easily as Rosabella Beauty, the quite cousin of Briar Beauty. He ignored the look on her face and flashed a charming smile.

“Rosabella what can I do for you.” Her eyes ignited with fire as she slapped the mirror out of his hand, he was about to protest as she seethed at him.

“You may be a prince but you behave more like a beast.” She turned without an other word and ran after Cerise, leaving Daring to watch sit in confusion.

At the other side of the castle Cerise Hood ran into her father’s office, red tears streaming down her face. As the door slammed shut the big bad wolf looked up from his paper work and growled.

He immediately rounded over to his daughter as he pulled her in a comforting hug, his body still shaking if growls.

They didn’t speak, a sort of understanding playing out between them as Cerise continued to cry into his chest.

But the big bad wolf vowed that whatever had his daughter crying like that would regret it for ever after.

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Hope you enjoyed and as always I hope I did a good job in execution!!

Anyway commission will be opening again very soon but not yet so if lease hold of

I will be making a formal opening commissions post so please wait for that

Anyway I’m sorry if this was a short and not that great fic, I just generally struggle to write about ships that I don’t personally ship but if you want it I will write it

Have a great day!!

[h8t3-d]

I don’t know if I’m late to this but I finally had time to watch all ever after high videos + movies and the last one was a disappointment. I’m of course talking about the Epic Winter storyline. There were so many things amiss that I had to make a list. Let me start with the lack of main character screentime. Don’t get me wrong, I love when they add in new characters and expand the story like they did in Way Too Wonderland with Alistair, Bunny and Courtly Jester and it was balanced, I never felt like anyone was being shunned from the story. In Epic Winter everything revolved around just the main plot with the same characters and I was kinda looking forward to seeing Apple and Raven more. That on it’s own wasn’t a big issue I just wanted to see more of them because they are my favourites but I was looking forward to learning about this new main cast.

Before I get into rambling about the story I just have to say that maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad episode if it wasn’t after the Dragon Games. I was expecting to see a clarification of why Apple wasn’t woken by Daring’s kiss and see how they dealt with it. If Apple wanted to stay with Daring or choose a ‘different’ path with Darling. That would’ve been great side plot (even though to me that would be the main event).

The story itself was okay, good defeats evil once again and I liked that Crystal’s parents finally learn to trust her and give her leadership powers over their kingdom. Maybe it was a bit weird that right after that they left her to rule alone but other than that the story was fine. Now for the most disappointing part Daring and Rosabella, or mostly for me Rosabella. I didn’t mind her much as a character, she wasn’t even in many episodes so I thought she was chill. At first it looked like she was trying to help Charming with his curse which was nice of her and also helping him with his relationship crisis with Apple. Even though they aren’t dating, obviously Daring cares a lot for Apple and they’ve been pretty close since the beginning, also in Way Too Wonderland when they got cursed and he turned into a coward he clung to Apple as his protector. Needless to say they have a special bond wheter it’s romantic or just as friends. So I was really glad that there was finally a girl that was trying to be nice to him not because of his looks or because she wants something heroic from him but because she was trying to be friendly. Then she started to make him into her desired guy and I think it had a lot to do with him looking like her dad (yikes). It kind of got into Rosabella mommying Daring situation where she would just constantly tell him that he had to stop thinking about himself and think of others which first of all isn’t even true. Daring can be self absorbed but he was shown numerous times through the show as a guy that helped out a friend in need. Also he was very kind to other girls. For instance when he was dared to date Lizzie and ended up enjoying it and after he succeeded to get a kiss from her instead of boasting about it in front of everyone he fulfilled Lizzie’s request to keep it a secret even though it meant he had to wash dirty uniforms of some other guys. Another time was when Farrah was upset because she fulfills wishes of everyone else but never her own so Ashley decided to make her biggest wish come true and make her a ball with prince charming which of course was Daring. He also danced with Cerise when he saw her alone at a dance as an apology for how he acted when he doubted her ability to play with them in a match of Book Ball. So needless to say he is a very kind person behind the charm and people who care about him know that. Which is why it was so confusing and out of the blue to pair him up with the most random character just because he turned into a beast as in beauty and a beast and call it a day. It is also out of place to give him a redemption arc as if he needed it. I also thought it weird that Rosabella acted like she knew him forever even though they just started talking/hanging out. It would have been more acceptable to pair Daring, if not with Apple, with Lizzie or even Cerise because they had some moments together. Instead they forced a relationship onto the viewers.

In conclusion it was upsetting to end the series with Epic Winter and I’m just going to pretend like it never existed.

[lizzieehearts]

i know it's late, but here's the discord angst fic myself and @calypsothenerd wrote a while back for daring day. enjoy!

"Daring, you need to look presentable" his father would say

"You are the face of this family Daring, straighten your tie" his mother would say

It was always the same. He was the future face of the charming dynasty, and needed to look like it. He was destined to be apple's prince, after all

But he was sick of this, he was sick of being told to ‘walk upright’ to ‘always smile’ to ‘fix his hair’ why couldn’t he be a normal teenager without worrying about how to look and how to act on every waking minute? He just wanted a normal life, but he knew that shouldn’t happen

He wanted a break. He wanted to be free. He wanted to rebel, though he knew if he did his family would disown him. That was scarier than all this, the fact that if he didn't keep up this charade, his family would leave him. Without this charade, he was worthless, to them at least

So he decided, one thing: he would go for the person that cared the most to try and get himself out of this situation, he just couldn’t take this anymore, so he finally got the courage and knocked on her door, Rosabella came out and immediately frowned because of the sad look on his face

"Daring, what's wrong?" she asked

"Everything" he answered, sliding past her into the empty dorm

She sat down on her bed, tapping the space beside her, telling him to sit. He lay down, his head in her lap

"Show me your demons and ill show you mine" she murmured, nodding at him to begin talking

“It’s my family, I’m supposed to be the perfect child, to be the image of the family, and it sucks, I can’t do normal teenager things, I can’t choose how I want to dress or style my hear, I feel like I’m in cage in a hexing zoo, Bella, I don’t know what to do anymore” he looked up at her, tears almost spilling over the surface

"What about you? What's your deal?" he asked, gulping quickly

"My mom's gone and my dad blames me for it. Treated me like shit because of it. still does. That's why I love it here so much. It's freedom for me, the one place he can't control me" now it was the princess blinking back tears, as she shared her story

“That’s terrible Rosa, I have no idea, but I wish I had your bravery to stand up against my parents”

she couldn't help but scoff.

"When I go home, I'm terrified. Of everything, Everyone. Because all it takes is one mistake and im done for. That isn't bravery, I can assure you that"

"What about when we saved Ever After from the Snow King? What about you sticking by my side when no one else would, after dragon games? What about all that?" Daring could handle negativity directed at himself, but Rosabella? Unacceptable

"All of that we did together, Dare"

At her words, the two of them looked at each other having the same idea

what if we stand up to our parents together?

“Yes Daring, I see you’re finally using that big head of yours for something” she jokes as she playfully nudges him

"But when? When are we both gonna see our parents again, at the same time?" he asked

"Winter break is coming up, you could come over to mine for the holidays?" she offered, implying that she wouldn't be able to go to his

“Sure, I guess, but why can’t you come to mine?”

Rosa took a deep breath

"Before coming to this school, I had never left my castle. Ever. Not even to see family. I hadn't met Briar, and I still haven't met her brothers or parents. The furthest I had gone was midway through the woods behind the castle, that was it. I'd hardly be able to spend the holidays at your's, even with him coming too" she sighed

“But do you think he’d let me go to yours?”

"I'm not sure, but it's more likely"

                       -  -  -

After two weeks, many a night spent yelling down a phone, and nights plagued with terrors refusing to subside, winter break and it was official: Daring, the twins and their parents would be spending the holidays at the Beauty's

- - -

The final day before the winter break Rosabella and Daring were hanging out “You still sure about this?” The beauty princess asks

"As sure as I'll ever be" was her prince's response,"after all, we've come this far"

“Let’s do this” she kisses his cheek and goes back to her room to pack

Once the four of them had gotten packed, Rosabella drove herself and the three Charmings to her childhood home, Beauty Castle, as the siblings' parents wouldn't be there until the day after. It was really something, walls of ivory, turrets wrapped in ivy, flowers at every turn. To the girl who had spent her entire childhood here, however, just the sight of it was enough to get her heart pounding and blood boiling. Daring, sensing her tension, immediately grabbed her hand, as the four of them walked through the gates

Darling, being oblivious of what was happening inside her friend’s mind commented “Wow Rosie, your house is amazing”

"Thanks. Your's probably is too" the princess responded, trying to breathe at a normal rate

"Yeah, but it's nothing compared to this" Dexter said, just as oblivious to the princess' discomfort as his sister, "I don't think I'd want to leave"

Daring, noticing the distress on the princess’s face, decided to change the subject “So, Darls, where did mom say we were going this time?”

"I think she said the dining hall" Darling responded

"Great. Let's go!" Rosabella said, a little too enthusiastically, as she led them through her childhood home

They then proceeded to follow Rosabella to the dining hall, where everything was ready for them

"Dad likes to sit at the head of the table, and to have me in his sight, so I'll sit at the opposite end, Dare, you and Dar can sit opposite each other nearest to me, and Dex you can sit beside Dare" Rosabella immediately said as they entered, knowing that if Daring was to get in a fight with his parents, having them beside him was not a good idea

“Yeah, Bell, you’re right” he then sits beside her, right next to the head of the table

Rosabella gave him a smile as his siblings sat down, but that went away as an inescapable presence entered the room

"Dad"

“Hello Sir” The oldest prince said, trying to be kind, despite already having seen the wounds he put on his daughter’s body

"Get away from my daughter. You sit there" he pointed to the same place at the other end of the table, beside where Rosa said he would be sitting.

Daring begrudgingly obliged, not wanting to cause any trouble, but still wanting to protect his princess.

“Pardon me sir, but I think this sitting arrangement is for the best” the prince said in the most educated way possible.

"Stop trying to be smart with me. Either you move or I make you" the stare given to the prince by the beast could've frozen over the room, as it did Daring, before he squeezed his girlfriend's hand and moved.

"Good" the Beast said, nodding and moving to his seat.

The princess glared at her boyfriend like ‘what was that’

"Rosabella! Stop staring like that" the beast snapped, making the princess jump and quietly apologise.

it was then that there was a knock on the door, one that could only be the Charming parents.

“It’s open!” The beast yelled aggressively, clearly already regretting allowing visitors.

Mr and Mrs Charming entered the dining room, and sat beside the twins without a word, sensing the tension in the room.

Mrs Charming coughed and spoke up “Thank you for inviting us” Her husband nodded along.

"It was my daughter's idea, actually" the beast replied, staring down Rosabella in the process, "so you can thank her"

“Then thank you, young lady” the queen turned to The Beauty.

"y- you're welcome, Mrs. Charming" Rosabella spluttered, right before the cook arrived with their meal. Desperate to get away from conversing with the guests, the beast automatically tucked in, prompting the rest to do the same.

And for the rest of the meal neither Rosabella nor her father said a word, for different reasons, she was anxious about standing up against him and him hating having guests over.

It was Daring that piped up first.

"Mom, Dad, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about"

Both his parents barely gave him a glance, his dad giving a weary "Yes, son?"

“I can’t take it anymore, I’m losing myself to please both of you, the fancy clothes, the expensive hair products, everything, I never wanted any of this, I just wanted to be a normal teenager”

"Daring, don't be silly. You're a Charming, no Charming is normal" his mother's tone was cold as ice.

"well, maybe- maybe i don't want to be a Charming"

Then his father stood up and slammed the table “Daring Charming, whoever put those ideas in your head is not your friend, now sit down and stop with this madness”

"NO, DAD!" Daring yelled, exasperated, "If that's all being a Charming is I don't want it! And how can you? It's not a life I want to live, being this plastic, stylised version of myself. I wanna be me, Dad"

“If that’s what you think, don’t bother coming back home after this” his father spat back.

“C’mon Dexter, Darling, let’s go home, enough of this stupidity”

"Don't go!" Rosabella quickly blurted out, for a reason only her and her friends knew.

"Don't be silly, Rosabella. they may leave if they wish" her father mumbled.

“No actually, I think I’m staying” Darling protested.

"Thank Grimm. Someone with a brain" Mrs Charming breathed.

"I'm not siding with you" Darling huffed, "We got invited here. It would be rude to leave"

Dexter nodded in agreement.

“If any of you stay, you’ll be removed from the family together with your savage brother”

"That's not fair! You did this to him, and if you can't take responsibility for that you're just going to kick him out? What would the rest of the family say?!" Dexter stood, breaking his silence, "And don't say that they would agree, because all five of us know they wouldn't"

“We are just trying to maintain the Charming family name, if you little savage children don’t understand that then you will no longer be a part of this family”

"At least you want to be a part of your family!" Rosa yelled before she could stop herself.

“And what is that supposed to mean, young lady?!” the beast yelled out.

"You ruined my childhood, left me battered and bruised, kept me stuck here with no escape, made me think that I didn't have relatives though really I did and you just never told me about them, didn't raise me right and left it up to the staff and your own son, barely let me eat or sleep, punished me for even the smallest things and for what? To make me feel guilty for coming out of the womb? What do you want me to do? Put on a brave face and say that I love you? When all you did for the first sixteen years of my life was make it a living hell?" rant over, the princess took a deep breath and awaited her father's response.

“GET OUT OF HERE, ALL SIX OF YOU, NOW” The beast roared out, then left the dinning room, slamming the door.

as the slam reverberated through the room, a deep silence echoed with it.

Daring sitting restless, his parents giving him the cold shoulder, his siblings getting the same, Rosabella across from him on the verge of tears, barely holding herself together.

The Charming went back to his original seat at the sight of her, wrapping her up in his arms.

[defystars]

Remember when Alistair and Bunny were introduced and everyone thought they were super boring and people called them Alistair Wonderbread and Bunny Bland? Oh, to live in the Spring Unsprung days again, before the franchise got really out of hand. Who saw it coming?

The only reason I could stand Courtly Jester was because I like her design and Paula Rhodes’ voice makes me happy even if she’s playing a cockney villain.

After Way Too Wonderland they didn’t know where to go with the story having the destiny conflict settled, so they made Apple completely backslide in her character growth in Dragon Games and act super selfishly.

I think anyone who didn’t like Apple at this point was cemented in their distaste, but the Darling kiss gave us hope...

But the outfits in Dragon Games were probably the best since...Thronecoming?

Epic Winter was even worse in terms of plot, though I did like the inspiration from the original story of The Snow Queen (with the mirror shard) and I felt like that was as good a place as any for the story to go from there since they had solved the interesting plot-line which was the original draw of the series.

But Daring’s characterization was wack. Even if he was always extremely vain, he was also a hero who would jump at every chance to help/rescue others. I didn’t like how they made him act like someone who would ignore people in trouble because he’s THAT obsessed with himself, when really he’s supposed to be a prince charming and act like it, even if he does compliment himself while he does it.

I think it was honestly just to force the Beauty and the Beast narrative with him and Rosabella, but even though they could be a cute couple I would rather have seen them form a connection in some other, less tired way. That’s why I’m still a bigger fan of Darise and Dizzie--they managed to get a softer side out of Daring very easily where he wasn’t portrayed as poorly/OOC as he was in EW.

Nobody ever gave a crap about Holly and Poppy, I don’t think. Poppy is less offensive to the sensibilities as a character because Holly is like, season 1 Royal with even less personality. The only thing I remember about her is when she made an insensitive comment about Briar’s destiny, idk like I’m blind to Holly O’Hair.

Actually I think EAH was just bad at introducing new characters in general, bc did anybody like Crystal or were they just upset that she wasn’t the backgrounder they’d all had their eyes on for so long? I think the same happened with Rosabella actually.

I’m just throwing out a bunch of controversial EAH statements and memories of what the fanbase thought of these things as they were coming out, bc I’ve just rewatched them all after a few years and I have opinions.

[donttouchmyasymptote]

Old Enough To Read Again || Darabella

Happy Holidays, @eccentricextrovert ! I know you love Darabella (as well The Adventure Zone, which doesn’t feature at all in this fic, but I also love TAZ so let’s talk about that too sometime), so I wrote you some for the @eah-exchange <3

It took a good month for Daring to realise that dating- no, courting, Rosabella was a bit more than extravagant gifts.

To be fair, courting any princess at Ever After High was more than extravagance. For some, being born with a silver spoon in their mouths meant that the taste dulled their senses until they could accept no less than platinum. For others, raised by wet nurses and with dead mothers and distant fathers and the lived experience that a jewelled crown came with a political weight, every bit of gold seemed that of a fool’s. For many, they knew that if someone had to put a monetary value on marriage, and that they were priceless and deserving of things better than riches, like loyalty or trustworthiness, or like, really good biceps.

(Rosabella was pretty fond of his really good biceps, if linking arms on the way to classes or dates was any sign, so Daring knew he wasn’t doing too shabbily.)

And to be fair, Rosabella kept all of the gifts. She had a few expensive rocks tucked up on one of her bookshelves, and all the flowers placed in a vase until they expired their time. She shared chocolates with Daring, but not without small tangents on rising sea levels, on how dwarf mines were an unsustainable power resource, on how magical energy was not being harnessed in renewable ways and that the waste was spreading to other magical regions, most notably Wonderland, and because of all that, the fairytale universe was getting hotter and that wasn’t just because natural selection meant that only those regarded as most beautiful in their lands got shots at marriage, and that meant that the cacao plants were going to die out and with that so many sweets-filled destinies and--

Unfortunately, he only fixated on the most minor of parts. “No fear, Rosabella! We shall sort out this waste issue. Dragons fly vast distances, surely they can take any trash off to some far, far, far off land. I’m thinking America.”

To which, she had only lightly scolded and told him not to dump their own issues on other, unsuspecting people. “Think of the Ozians! They’re unstable as it is!”

The next time Daring bought her chocolate, he made a deal about it being Fair Fairy Trade, with practises, through what research he could do, that were environmental friendly and didn’t involve underpaid fae labour. When Rosabella kissed his cheek and called him thoughtful, he felt his heart warm up inside.

~*~

“Am I doing well?” he asked, when Rosabella came up to him after classes, handed him a coffee, and looped her free arm around his.

“What do you mean?”

He blanked. “Uhm.” Daring Charming did not lose grace in social situations. “I’m totally dashing and cool, right?”

“I like you, yes,” she said, and leaned up to gently kiss him on the nose. “You are the next Beast. I’d be a little miffed if I didn’t.”

Daring wasn’t confident with that response. Author Grimm-it, he was quite fond of Rosabella. He was determined to impress her, to stand out among Ever After High’s avalanche of handsome princes, but it seemed naught when all he had to offer was pretty when she was that too, and on top of it, clever and dedicated and knowledgeable…

“The next Beast,” the words ran in his mouth strangely. It had been a while since he realised that he would soon follow Rosabella in her destiny, and abandon what he thought was his future life for the past decade. With Rosabella, things felt right. “Rosabella, I’m sorry if I don’t quite seem as princely as I do normally. My real role is just a completely, fair-y, fair-y different role from the one I thought I had.”

“I think you’re doing royally well,” she squeezed his hand. “There’s a lot to being the next Beast. For starters, you’re no longer just a trophy husband.”

He looked down at his coffee. Trophy husband. Daring knew of princes who resented that term. He never did, but he would always pass by conversations in common rooms -- ‘no matter how the world sells the narrative, we are naught but prizes for princesses’, ‘it doesn’t matter how many witches or woods they endure, we deserve autonomy too’. Ill-complaints, he had thought. The World of Ever After was still tilted in princes’ favours. His roommate, Hopper, had once tried to offer his input to these common room rifes, but was shot back with ‘isn’t your princess meant to kill you in your original? No amount of revisionism will save you, amphibian boy’.

How did Rosabella know this term? She liked activism circles, didn’t she? How much she did absorb from these princes?

Just-- what a fascinating princess. So steadfast, always holding her ground. Daring felt like he couldn’t keep up. Sometimes, he wanted to just sit back and listen to her talk for hours. Whatever topic, whatever rant, that voice, that mind, her ideas.

“For an eldest son, you never had to do much outside of hero stuff, did you?”

Rosabella was right. Daring never really thought much about ruling. Destiny for him used to be so simple - be handsome, and be certain about being handsome. Kiss a princess, wave a weapon around or so.

He thought about Apple and the role of Snow White. He thought about how, once, he had to ‘rescue’ her. How simple it was - a quick kiss.

Did he ever think about Happily Ever After afterwards? Not really. Snow White had been named one of Faebes’ top world leaders for decades now, with pretty much a monopoly on rare Dwarf minerals. Apple was the one that would have been crowned queen; they were not meant to be joint monarchs.

“No…” he confessed. “I mean, I get good grades in Kingdom Management. But I used to think that Apple would handle the political side of things.”

She grinned, and loosened her looped arm to grab his waist and pull him in. “Good. You won’t have to.”

“Rosabella, don’t think so little of me!” he tried to amplify his voice to sound strong, but a slight whinge remained. “I am not completely useless--”

Having finished her coffee by now, Rosabella put her free hand on his chest. “No, no, I didn't mean to insult you. I meant, you won’t have to rule over anyone. We don’t have people.”

“... what?”

“Other than the castle staff, we don’t have subjects,” she said. “Beauty’s the youngest daughter of a rich merchant. My coronation will be an incorporation.”

Daring blinked. “Coronation… incorporation?”

And she explained. How, because each generation, the beast’s castle would be secluded, so when destiny was done and over, him and Beauty had to live and move into it. Twenty to thirty years was too short of a time to cultivate any stable population, so the kingdom was not remodelled into a county, but a company. It was a versatile move on her predecessor’s part, so that no matter the gender of the heir, their lives would be properly set up in a manner to fulfill the story accurately.

He never realised how much he failed to ask about her.

And to think -- the times she thought about him: how she got through all the list of action movies he loved, or how she remembered his ever-complicated drink orders and the moods in which he preferred them, or the efforts she put into being friendly with Dexter and Darling, and reminding Daring about their lives. No detail seemed to slip from her mind.

“A lot of words! A lot of thought!” he said. “No wonder you’re as you are.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so smart. And well-read! I cannot keep pace with you all the time. It’s highly empress-ive.”

She beamed. “I think highly of you too.”

“I feel like every time we hang out, I learn more. I just… I just hope I’m not boring you. Maybe I should read like you, too.

There - her smile faltered.

Daring felt a very sudden, cold fear that he had upset her.

“I mean, other than for activism purposes, I haven’t really been reading. Legacy Year really thrones you in for a loop,” Rosabella took off her glasses and dusted them with a handkerchief - one that Daring recognised, for he had gifted it. “Too much time spent memorising crowns from birth to coronation, or looking into newly passed legislation. I want to read again.”

“You can read to me.” The response was instantaneous. “I like your voice. I like hearing you talk.”

“If I read to you, those aren’t my thoughts. But I appreciate it, Daring,” she smiled up at him. Even the roses that frequented her family castle’s gardens could not compare to her.

Daring recalled the warm feeling in his stomach, when Rosabella had kissed him for the Fairy Trade Chocolate.

“As a prince that should dash to every lovely princess’ needs, I will make time for you-- so you can make time to read!”

“We’ll start simple. Animal Farm.”

~*~

It had started out simple: hours spent under the trees in the Legacy Orchard, or Rosabella trying to read over the sound of the wind while dragonback riding, her voice starting to sound like a death metal song, or secluded areas of the Castleteria.

But the pages of the books dragged out longer, and Daring grew more eager for fiction, and by the time Rosabella cracked open a copy of Robert Iron Heinrich’s Stranger in a Strange Far, Far Away Land, reading already became an evening past-time on one of their couches in one of their dorm rooms.

At some point in these evenings, he would be comfortable enough to tuck his head between the nape of her chin and clavicle. Comfortable enough to have one arm across her waist, comfortable enough for his breathing to fall in sync with the weight of her words.

And eventually, comfortable enough to kiss for a bit, though never for long. There were books to get to, after all.

(Besides, Rosabella’s voice was perhaps one of the nicest things to fall asleep too.)

[whateverafterhigh]

I always assumed that Briar’s mum got the version of Sleeping Beauty where the whole castle sleeps with her, and that Rosabella’s mum was there too, maybe a younger sibling who went to a regular charm school instead of Ever After High when it was assumed she didn’t have a story.

Then while the whole royal family is sleeping off the curse Beast’s family stepped in to rule over their kingdom for a hundred years.

At that point both Sleeping Beauty’s prince and the prince who’ll become Beast are graduating Ever After High, where they’ve had a rivalry of sorts over which one of them ends up waking Sleeping Beauty - given it’s an obvious story that’s due to come up or something?

Sleeping Beauty’s prince wakes her and he’s really happy not just because he saved the princess with true loves kiss but he also won this stupid rivalry he had (with someone who was probably his roommate). Only he can’t even be happy for long because his sister in law has been kidnapped by a monster.

After some investigating, and probably some convincing from Headmaster Grimm to leave things be, Sleeping Beauty’s prince comes to the conclusion that the monster was actually the Beast (thought he doesn’t have an inkling as to who the Beast might be) and isn’t that great news your sister gets an important story too.

It’s not great news when the sister comes back some years later engaged to his old high school rival. That’s right they’re going to be in-laws now!

In retrospect he should have known because Beast’s family was ruling Sleeping Beauty’s kingdom until he was cursed. Like his family stepped down suspiciously fast all things considering. It really should have been obvious.

Not long after that Sleeping Beauty is announcing her first pregnancy. And Belle announces her first pregnancy, like, a week later. Which should be happy for the family but really it’s just annoying because it causes drama. Did Beast plan this as a way of one upping or outshining Sleeping Beauty’s Prince? No one knows but it’s all the media will talk about.

At least until the Christening gone wrong. Because Briar’s christening is when the Evil Queen pushes the Dark Fairy aside in an attempt to steal her role!

Sleeping Beauty’s Prince is really annoyed at this point, because his daughter’s just been upstaged in her own story. He can’t, however, fight the Evil Queen. She would win and they both know this.

He can cut off all contact between his family and the Beast’s family.

Worth noting at this point that Belle and Sleeping Beauty probably don’t have the best relationship themselves. Belle at least should be a little resentful of Sleeping Beauty. Not just for being the only one to get to go to Ever After High, but also for Belle losing all of her friends after the enchanted 100 years sleep, and on top of that her (SB’s) husband isn’t even nice to her (Belle’s) husband.

So the process of cutting off contact probably went something along the lines of Sleeping Beauty’s Prince making a big deal of it only for Belle to text “okay x” in reply. Which only served to make him more upset with the whole situation.

Years later Briar is woken from her enchanted sleep after like a year by Rosabella. Who had convinced Daring to help her get past the Night Briar’s after they’d finished their story. Since, you know, there’s no reason the Evil Queen would have used the same 100 year sleep spell as the Dark Fairy would have when taking over. And the Sharon Hale books show Raven as interfering with Briar’s daughter’s christening which can’t have even been framed as possible if Briar was going to actually sleep for 100 years. Not to mention Faybelle would be over 100 if that were to happen and she wouldn’t get her own story.

Also they’re family so of course they love each other.

Briar is so overjoyed she throws a party. Which her dad is thrown out of after he gets drunk and starts a fight with Rosabella’s mum.

Happily Ever After’s all around.

ok so i was thinking about how Briar and Rosabella being cousins works and I came up with some theories.

So first, its confirmed Beauty and Sleeping Beauty are sisters, and this would imply that that both of their parents had destinies. So most likely one of their parents, Briar and Rosabella’s maternal grandparents, was Sleeping Beauty and the other was Beauty. So I am taking this to mean either one of two things happened.

1) They were rebels and it was kept quiet (i think this might be more likely)

2) somehow one of them being a guy messed their story up?

What do you guys think?