If Raven Signed

True Heart's Destiny: Mix and Match

"It's Blondie!" Cedar exclaimed. Her voice was a little nasally since her nose wasn't able to grow out yet.

"What?" Cupid said, her eyes going wide. "Is Blondie in trouble?"

"No, no," Darling said, correcting Cedar. "But we desperately need to talk."

...

Holly rubbed her arm nervously as she sat in the waiting room outside of the headmaster's office. She was there to ask him once again about her sister, Poppy. She had just set up her hair salon in BookEnd after finishing Beauty School, but Holly desperately wanted her to come to Ever After High. The other royals were nice, sure, but she could tell they thought she was kind of weird. Well, except Blondie, who gladly opened any lock she asked her to without asking any questions. Then again, Blondie was a little weird herself.

If Poppy were here with her, she would be a lot happier. But Poppy didn't have a destiny, and Ever After High was for students with destinies. It would be different if she came from a family like the Charming's, who filled in unnamed roles like Apple's prince. Or if she was the younger sibling of a more important fairy tale, like Briar's little brothers, who would also probably fill in roles. But Holly had already asked if Poppy could fill in a role, and Headmaster Grimm said he would have to wait until Legacy Day, when the book would reveal which unfilled roles went to who. Holly's only hope was that there was one unfilled page that Poppy could take, giving her a place at Ever After High. She could be a damsel in distress, or maybe even a romantic interest! Holly thought Poppy might like that.

The door to Headmaster Grimm's office opened, and C.A. Cupid came storming out. Like Holly, she was new at Ever After High. Unfortunately, she wasn't a royal, so Holly hadn't really gotten to know her very well. She was Blondie's roommate, though, so maybe she would in the future. Wanting to be polite, she raised her hand in a little wave, but Cupid didn't seem to notice her. Her gaze was fixated ahead of her, and she looked rather sad. Holly's hand crept back into her lap as she watched the other girl walk away gloomily.

"Miss O'Hair?" Headmaster Grimm said, snapping her attention back to the door. He was waiting for her to come in, so she smoothed down her skirt and stood.

"I'm here to discuss my sister, Poppy," she said as she walked through the door and took a seat.

"Why am I not surprised by that," headmaster Grimm said, taking the seat across from her.

"I was wondering if there were any pages left open that Poppy could fill in for?" Holly asked. "Perhaps as a damsel in distress? Or a love interest for a royal? Speaking of which, I don't think I saw my prince charming's face in the book! Is it supposed to be a surprise? That's kind of romantic!"

Headmaster Grimm cleared his throat. "Yes, it is supposed to be a surprise. But rest assured, I know exactly who your prince charming is. You certainly have one, yes. And he signed too." He trailed off for a moment, and Holly leaned forward expectedly.

"And?" she asked.

"As for your sister," he continued, a little flustered. "I am sorry to tell you that all the story roles have been filled. There were no pages left blank. Every student accepted into the school has their story accounted for, just as I predicted. Your sister does not have a destiny."

Holly gulped down a cry. It had been the answer she expected, but that didn't mean it was fairest. Even if she didn't have a destiny, why couldn't Poppy come to Ever After High with her?

"Shouldn't we check just to be sure?" Holly said. She lifted herself out of the chair and stood in front of the Storybook of Legends, which was protected inside of a locked glass case. Only the headmaster had the key, but surely he would open it for her. "You might have missed something. It never hurts to double check. I could even help you! I won't look at my prince's page, of course. I don't want the surprise to be spoiled!"