The School for Good and Evil Prequel The Never Prince (fanfic)

Chapter 1

It was this fact that started the bets amongst the children. The Good child was always fair and kind, the Evil child ugly and mean. From this stance, kids would guess who would be taken and whether they would be Good or Evil.

Lilac thought the whole idea was absurd. Defining a person's fate was in their own hands, not a School Master or a mob of children.

Lilac reached the edge of the trees, where so many children about her age had disappeared through. She wasn't scared of being taken, but she didn't want to be. Victoria needed her. Gavaldon needed her, even if many didn't see it. She had to find out who her parents were.

Lilac continued until she reached a single tree on a hill that looked out over Gavaldon and the lake. The sun was still just beyond the horizon, a rainbow of colors streaking across the clouds.

"You really have a problem with following instructions." Lilac looked around the hill, searching for the source of the voice. Cold hands grabbed her by the waist. Her heart skipped a beat by the fright. "Yep. I still got it." Lilac relaxed when she recognized the voice of Garth. He let her go and she turned around. Garth stood two inches taller, a cheeky smile on his muddy face.

"What are you doing scaring me?" she asked the blue-eyed demon. Or so everyone called him. He ruffled his long black hair, twigs and leaves falling to the ground.

"Making sure I wasn't going soft," he snickered. Lilac rolled her eyes. Garth had been proclaimed an Evil by everyone in Gavaldon. His black mangled shirt, dark, wrinkled trousers, and bare feet were signs that he would be "a homeless wanderer jealous of a prince who got everything." Lilac didn't believe a word of it, but he was proud of the idea.

"Who told you that you were going soft?" Lilac asked as she walked toward the water. Garth walked along beside her, smearing mud on his clothes as he wiped his face.

"Couple of the other baddies," he answered. They reached the water's edge where Lilac kneeled down, cupped her hands, and got a sip of the cool water. Garth dove in and came back up, the mud washed away from his face.

"Mmm. That feels good," he mused as he laid on his back in the water. Lilac took off her cloak and the satchel, just in case Garth was thinking of trying something.

"Why do you listen to them? They don't exactly have the best intentions." Lilac took another sip of the water, staring at her reflection in the lake's smooth surface. Garth came out of the water, taking off his soaked shirt and exposing his muscular frame. And the scar across his chest. Rumor was he was born with the scar. Lilac knew it was something else, but he never told her.

"Well," he replied, sitting beside her, "if they had my best intentions in mind, then they would be Good." Lilac laughed a little, causing Garth to smile. He glanced at her folded cloak and noticed the satchel sitting on top of it.

"What's this?" He picked it up to get a closer look and opened the flap to see the inside.

"Something for you," Lilac answered, "just in case." Garth looked up at her, a worried expression on his pale face. Lilac pursed her lips, staring into the water. She planned on giving something to Victoria too, just in case she was taken that night. She hoped nothing would happen and that she was just being paranoid, but she wanted to make sure of everything.

"You're not getting taken tonight," Garth commanded. "I won't have it." Lilac turned to look into his eyes.

"You might get taken also." She put her hand on his, but he pulled away, staring at the tree above. "If you do, you can use that to carry whatever you need." She turned back to the water, cupping her hands and splashing her face. The tears stayed in her eyes, but it wouldn't be long before she started sniffling.

"Too bad I didn't get you anything," Garth said. Lilac stood up, having to go before Mrs. Morgan found out she had snuck out to see Garth. Which she had clearly stated was a big "no no." She grabbed her cloak and started to walk when Garth grabbed her arm. Lilac turned to see his sly smile and mischievous eyes.

"But I think I got something." He took a step toward her, staring into her eyes. Last she checked, kissing girls wasn't on Garth's list. She tried to pull away, but he grabbed her other arm and in the next moment they were both in the water. Lilac reached the surface and gasped for air.

"That was not funny!" she shouted into the water. Garth came up behind her and took Lilac back under. They reached the sandy bottom where he held her down. Air was limited for Lilac, so she tried to free herself. Garth wouldn't let her go. The last thing she saw before blacking out was Garth's "wait and see" expression.