Reader from another world | The School for Good and Evil Fanfic

Growing up...Again

Jade - 10 years old (hasn't had her birthday yet)
Ricky - 14 years old

"Ricky! Come out already....please...?" Jade called out.
The two were playing hide and seek in the maze of a garden that the castle had.
Jade sighed as she gave up trying to find the young prince.
Ricky rolled his eyes and jumped down from the tree he climbed up on a while ago.
"You're no fun."
Jade scoffed.
"Of course, whatever you say your highness." She rolled her eyes bitterly.
Ricky and Jade's friendship grew as time passed.
Being more familiar with each other than they were in their old world.
"Come on then, mum won't let us be late this time. Says there's some important meeting...although i don't know why I have to come." Ricky complained.
That's right.
At first, the citizens of the kingdom opposed the queen's decision of adopting Jade into the palace.
She was undoubtedly a never.
Still having her characteristics from her old world; having wide eyes with a naturally dark shade to her skin under her eyes that made it look like she had eye bags, and other features that don't usually appear on Evers.
The people rejected her, until the queen said some speech about Jade being a poor baby and some sad things that made the people pity her.
At the age of 9, Jade had unknowingly interfered with the kingdom's affairs.

Flashback:

Jade - 9 years old
Ricky - 13 years old
"Your majesty." Jade curtsied in front of the king as Ricky bowed beside her.
The king waved his hand to dismiss the greetings.
"Son...Jade....come, see our kingdom." The king smiled in a fatherly way.
Jade had always been confused on how the king accepted her into the palace so easily, maybe it's because he loves the queen so much that he lets her do whatever she pleases.
The king sometimes calls both Jade and Ricky before dinner to let them get a view of the kingdom from the king's office.
He does this so they can feel the responsibility of a leader.
Although Jade doesn't know why he even talks to her when she isn't even royalty.
"Your majesty...why is that space so crowded?" Jade points to a place that seemingly has no space for people to walk, only having poorly made houses and damp alleyways.
The king sighed.
"That is where the peasants reside. There are...a lot of good people there. However, there are bad people as well. I want to help them, but they refuse me." The king tried to explain to the children.
"Father, why would they refuse you?" Ricky asked.
The king smiled sadly as he stared at Jade for a while.
"The people there....most of them are Nevers, son. They detest me as their king, they refuse any help from our family." The king continued.
Jade frowned.
"So many people suffer....because they refuse help?" She blinked.
The king ruffled her hair.
"Not all Nevers are bad, you are one brilliant example of that Jade. It's not who we are, it's what we do."

A few days later, Jade had formally requested an audience with the king.
That meant that the meeting included all his officials.
Jade entered the court with her head held high.
"Your majesty, i will get straight to the point."
Jade had some servants push in a board with pins and papers.

"I cannot stand for the sufferings of your people."
The men in the courtroom gasped.
"Insolent child! The king has taken you in and here you are, slandering his majesty!"
"How dare you!"
"Foolish brat!"
"Do you even know what you're saying?"
The king raised his hand as a sign of silence.
Jade looked out of the window behind the king's throne.
"Your highness...my lords....i may be young, and i know you detest my presence in this very kingdom because i am a Never; however, these troubles are nothing compared to what those people face."
Jade pointed outside.
"People out there....are poor, living in poor conditions, they could get robbed, kidnapped, raped...killed."
Her tone audibly changed.
"We are one of the few kingdoms that hold both Evers and Nevers....but do we prioritize both?"
"If we do not, then?" A man had the audacity to ask.
Jade was unsure if it is by pure ignorance or to question her personally.
"Not everyone has carriages to help them get to places, not everyone has wide palaces or homes to live comfortably in, certainly not everyone has maids or butlers to help them do as they wish, nor does everyone have guards protecting them from harm..."
Jade turned completely to the man
"How many times do you eat, my lord?"
The man flushed red.
"Why do you ask?"
Jade smiled an empty smile.
"Because some of those people....die of hunger."

Silence engulfed the room.
"Because they refuse help." A man sneered.
"That's right. The king is kind to offer them help but they are prideful."
Jade scoffed, gaining the attention of the adults.
"So you refuse to help the people, because they are too prideful? Or because YOU are too prideful? Has anyone in this room even actually set foot in that area? To see how those people live?"

The men could not find anything to say.
The queen who was unusually quiet, spoke aloud.
"I am ashamed that this court of grown men cannot even sympathize with the people they govern. Tell me, what Have you been doing...hmm?" The queen questioned the lords in court.
"Asides from the generals, i assume nothing?"
Nobody dared to squeak.
This queen that their king had married, was once the daughter of a mighty man. It makes sense she inherited his charisma and strength.
"Let us hear the child." The king decided.
And so, the adults in power inside the room were put into shame by a child who seemed to care more for the people than the actual officials in charge.
Forced to listed to a child for 6 hours on her ideal changes to the kingdom, the lords were silenced with embarrassment.

Jade was given rewards for every deed she had done, although she always gave them back one way or another.
She had communicated with the peasants and Nevers, they had rejected her at first; because of her status as one who resides with the royal family.
"Why should we listen to you?" They asked.
It took some time, until they finally saw her sincerity.
She pestered them with food until they accepted it, erased their homes and built them better ones, hired men to help building their homes and paid them as well, widened the alleys into wider pathways and more.
All homeless children were put into orphanages, it even took in children with parents who could not care for them.
Jade was a symbol of change in their kingdom.
She took down a lot of the kingdom's divisions, so most Evers and Nevers are actually decent to each other.
It was a big surprise, some actually interact at the new local market.
Nevers were able to have jobs, not just steal and Evers saw how privileged they were and how humble they should be.
Jade's fame only grew.
A child that changed a kingdom.
Big actions with small changes, but these changes were enough for her.
She had been given the titles "the Queens's beloved junior" "the Crowned Princes beloved sister" "the kingdom's thread (that sown each piece together)" "little princess" "the Never princess"
Although Jade did not entirely have good methods, her methods got the jobs done.
As her fame spread, her brother's influence had as well.
Often did Ricky help with her projects, usually for easier approval of the king's court.
It was normal to see the little girl roaming around with important documents in her hand as time passed.

End of flashback:

Jade - 14 years old
Ricky - 17 years old

Ricky and Jade made their way to the all too comfortable king's court.
"Ah, lady Emerald. Glad to see you again." One of the men who rejected her at first, greeted her kindly once again.
Emerald was her name in this world, much to her dismay due to Ricky's persuasion to the queen on naming her Emerald.
Though Ricky would always call her Jade.
This annoyed Jade.
'Why have me named another if you aren't going to call me by my official name?' Jade once thought as a frustrated baby.
"Charmed." Jade plastered a smile on her face as she replied to the man.
"Let us begin the meeting." The queen smiled brightly at her adopted daughter.
Meetings that included Jade always started this way, no formalities or anything.
As a result from her first formal audience with the court, and also because the officials discovered that although she was a wise, young child; she was still a child, who apparently has a short attention span.

"Let's start. How is the dam building going?"
"No problems, although we're going to need a few more men. Rainy season is coming up and we don't want delays." An official reported.
Jade looked at the king.
As if telepathically understanding his adopted daughter, he nodded and said "approved".
The meeting proceeded without a hitch.
However, the king and queen had the two children stay behind.
"May i ask why you have made us stay?" Ricky huffed.
Jade frowned at his behavior, eyeing him as if to say 'stop that'.
The king and queen were amused at the kid's silent banter.
Until the king coughed to get their attention.
"I have received Richard's flowerground pass." The king announced.
(Richard is Ricky's name in this world)
Ricky and Jade's jaws dropped.
"F-flowerground pass....?" Jade stammered.
"And you have received one as well!" The queen exclaimed.
Instead of the happy faces the two royals expected from the children, they faces were drowned with shock and horror.
'We are in the world of the school for good and evil!' They both thought.