The School For Good and Evil ~ The Storian's Last Tale (Book 1)

Severing Ties ~ Monique

Monique stared down at the young man. He was still on one knee, gazing up at her with adoration and a father's love in his eyes. For a moment, she felt like laughing. He's throwing away Evil. She thought, gazing down at him. For me. And I don't even know who he is.

The boy cleared his throat, his face flushing as she just stood there. Her eyes snapped back to him and she felt her cheeks turn red as well.

"S-sorry." She stammered.

"No, I should be sorry." He mumbled, getting up and straightening his posture. "I should've known...you have no memory of who I am."

Monique looked over the boy's shoulder and flinched when she met Cale's furious eyes.

"Rhian! We had a deal!" Cale snapped, storming towards the boy.

He didn't flinch, calmly sliding his hands into his pockets. "No we didn't. I don't follow your orders. I only agreed to the terms that I would be able to see her. I never said I would fight for Evil." The boy...no, Rhian said, narrowing his eyes at him.

Cale froze, his eyes locked on Monique. She didn't meet his eyes. Instead, her mind flashed back to a few weeks ago..On a night that Monique wouldn't forget, no matter how Evil Cale became.

It was the last day of Fall. Winter was right around the corner. Monique shivered, wishing she was back in the warm castle of Camelot. She wished she was wrapped in one of Merlin's star swirl blankets, a cup of molten chocolate in her hands and sitting in front of a blazing fire with Agatha, Tedros and Cale.

Agatha would've been telling a story about what her experience was like back at school. Tedros would've been interjecting, correcting her at some times. Monique would've leaned against Cale and he would put an arm around her as she slowly fell asleep to his parents bickering gently with each other and Cale's chest rumbling with his laughter.

Although she had only been with the prince of Camelot for a few weeks, she had started to feel an effect she never had felt before with any boy. Her heart fluttered when she saw him. Even when he was acting his most Tedroist at a lot of times.

Sadly, Monique was stuck at the School for Good and Cale was on the brink of war with her school. Just because she had chose an Everboy over him.

Monique looked over her Forest Group and her heart felt a twang of pain when she saw Kian standing under the same tree Alex had stood with him when they searched for the Snakes Mane.

She saw Cale's Forest Group walking past and the two locked eyes. She heard a voice in her head and her eyes widened.

"Midnight. Tonight. Blue brook." Cale spoke in her mind.

She nodded, her eyes wider.

That night, Monique snuck out of her dorm room, mogrifiying into a green sparrow. A white bat flew past her from the direction of the School for Evil. She swooped after the bat and landed on the Blue Brook Bridge.

The bat had landed on the rail, balancing carefully. "I thought you wouldn't listen." He said, watching the ripples of the stream.

Her voice caught in her throat. "I didn't know I had a choice." She responded, turning her head to face him. She shifted her wings to get comfortable.

"Touché." Cale finally looked at her and she waited for the usual flutter of her heart. She met the eyes of her prince and scooted closer to him.

"Is this allowed?" He whispered, a translucent wing wrapping around her small body.

She shivered at the mere thought of what would happen if word got out. "I don't know." She finally spoke, gazing at the silent forest. Silent except for the occasional chirps of a sparrow and the clicks and pings of a bat.

"After all...I did kill your lover and manage to break your trust in me..." Cale said bitterly, averting his eyes.

She flinched at the mention of Alex. "He wasn't my lover." Monique spoke, narrowing her eyes.

"Then who was he? He clearly wasn't just a friend." Cale snapped back, agitated. "I'm sorry." He quickly apologized, trying to calm down. "I thought...you wanted to be with me. You think those days in Camelot—the few we had together—did you think I was faking it?" He looked at her sadly.

She remembered the little things he did. Stealing a cookie from the kitchen at night and sharing it with her on his balcony. Swimming in the pool—racing against their tiny faerie opponents. Cuddling up against each other when the nights got cold enough for a fire. And his promises. He always went through with them, even if she was teasing about them. Everything he did...only made her love him more.

"No. I didn't. I didn't doubt you for a second." She breathed, opening a wing and he leaned in. But he stopped at the last minute.

"Have you forgotten my mother's tale?" He whispered. Her heart almost stopped. "A witch can never be friends with a princess. I'm changing that. A evil prince can never be friends with a good princess. Especially one who I fell in love with first. Even before she returned the love back." Cale was gone before she could think of anything else to say. A white speck in the distance.

Monique sat there on the railing, not moving for a while. She didn't even notice the light purple hummingbird flitting away on the night wind.