As the days went on, Sabrina got into a comfortable rhythm at school; wake up, kiss Raven and Apple good morning, get ready, go to class, joke around with Daring and her other friends, relax a bit at lunch, and show off a bit by being the perfect student in all her classes. It was a nice routine, which was odd for her, because normally the words 'nice' and 'routine' didn't fit together when it came to her life.
But under the surface, things weren't all halcyon days and laughs. There were whispered orders, meaningful looks out of the corners of people's eyes. Legacy Day was fast approaching, and they needed to be ready for when they flipped the school, and quite possibly the world, upside down.
"Okay people, listen up!", Sabrina said as she got up on one of Giles's many wooden desks and clapped her hands to get people's attention. The 'people' being Raven, Apple, Daring, Maddie and Briar, aka the 'in the know' crowd. Giles was to the right of her be the desk she was standing on, holding a piece of paper and looking ready as he would ever be to play his role in her master plan.
"Legacy Day is the day after tomorrow! Meaning, we have a lot to prepare for. And we'll need to be careful, because one wrong move could expose everything we're trying to work for. And we all know the consequences of being exposed.", Sabrina warned, but none of the resolve in anyone's eyes wavered. That made her grin.
"Each of you has a specific role to play throughout the coming days. Every expression you make, every conversation you have is a part of that role. They may look the same at first glance, but mark my words they are unique to each and every one of you.", she said as she got down from the desk, before walking over to the group and looking directly into Apple's eyes.
"Apple, your role is the same one you've played throughout your entire life; the role of a Royal poster child. You need to be the social, picture perfect prince everyone expects you to be. That means no talking to Raven and me.", Sabrina started to explain. Apple opened his mouth to protest, but Sabrina nodded and cut him off.
"I know, I know you don't want to. But you have to for the plan to work. Headmaster Grimm will be watching the student body closely to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. He hasn't noticed that you've been hanging out with us because he hasn't been paying attention to us. We've been quiet, aside from a few isolated incidents. He doesn't expect anything to happen. We need to prove him wrong. So, today, you can only talk to Briar, Daring and your other 'Royal' friends. Can you do that?", she asked. Apple took a deep breath, and nodded his head with a strained smile.
"Yes.", he responded. Sabrina grinned at him and cradled his face in her hands, bringing it down to her level so she could place a gentle kiss on his forehead. Maddie giggled at the display of affection, happy for his friends, and Daring felt a pang of jealousy in his heart.
"Good.", Sabrina told Apple when she pulled away. Quickly, she released his face and turned to look at Raven.
"Raven, you need to play the role of someone uncertain. You need to seem like you're questioning the system, but not enough to actually do anything about it. Because unless Grimm-not you Giles, the other one-is an idiot, he's going to be suspicious of you just going along with whatever you've been told after you've expressed your desire to not be what he's trying to turn you into.", Sabrina explained. Raven nodded.
"That I can do. I assume I can still talk to you since you're openly a Rebel?", he asked. It was Sabrina's turn to nod.
"You would be correct. You'll be spending most of the next few days with me and Maddie.", she confirmed. Raven grinned, and Apple rolled his eyes playfully.
"Don't go getting cocky just because you get to spend a few days alone with her.", he joked, confusing Daring and Briar, who didn't know Apple was dating Sabrina (Daring) and didn't know that Raven was also dating Sabrina (Briar). Raven laughed.
"I won't, just so long as you don't get bitter about it.", the purple eyed boy said. The two friends exchanged knowing looks, confusing everyone around them. Except for Sabrina and Maddie, who was giggling again. Sabrina quickly disregarded the situation and turned to look at the three remaining members of the group.
"And you three just have to be yourselves from a few weeks ago; Briar, you're a shallow party boy. Daring, you're a narcissistic jackass. And Maddie, you're... well, mad.", the girl told them. Briar and Daring looked offended, but Maddie just kept giggling.
"Hey, I resent that!", Daring said in an affronted voice. Briar glared at Sabrina, crossing his arms and jutting out hip.
"Yeah, rude!", Briar concurred. Sabrina raised an eyebrow.
"Well, was I wrong?", she asked. Briar and Daring both started sweating, because no, she was not wrong. Those were their general personalities before they met her. Sabrina nodded to herself.
"Thought so."
Sabrina then got back onto the table, much like at the start of her announcement, and clapped her hands to centralize everyone's attention on her.
"Now that you all know what parts you're playing up until the start of Legacy Day, you need to know what roles you'll be playing during Legacy Day, because all rules go out the window the second you walk on that stage. Apple, you sign the book as you're expected to. Your role is the most simple in this case. Raven, you're where things get complicated.", Sabrina started to explain, before looking Raven in the eyes.
"Your task is to go up on that stage, let everyone think you're going to play your part, and then announce to the whole world that I'll be signing in your place. Then I'll make a speech about why being forced into a life you don't want is bullshit, and sign your page. I'm assuming that's when everything will go to hell, and Legacy Day will end prematurely as a result of this. That's the bare bones of our plan, now for the preparation... there's a lot of it.", Sabrina went on, then she started pacing on top of the table.
"First, we need to get the list of names of those signing the book and in the order they'll be going. Which one of you can handle that task?", Sabrina asked. Daring nodded at her.
"I can. Headmaster Grimm trusts me. I can find the list and sneak a copy out for us to keep track of.", Daring offered. Sabrina nodded at him in approval.
"Good. Next, we need to be able to pause the event whenever we need to.", she said, knowing this was where her plan was going to get even more complex. Everyone except for Maddie and Giles looked at her in confusion.
"What do you mean?", Raven asked. Maddie giggled and shook his head.
"Silly Raven, she means a freezing spell! You know, those spells that freeze people in time!", the blue eyed boy chirped. Giles nodded in confirmation.
"The frozen spell is quite the conundrum.", the old man hummed. Maddie was quick to translate.
"He says that freezing spells are old, difficult magic. He's also asking how you know about it.", Maddie said. Sabrina grinned down at him triumphantly.
"I read about it in the library. You'd be surprised what you can find in the older, more beat up books.", she explained. Giles grinned back when he heard of her ingenuity, and Raven smiled when he realized something.
"Hey, wait! There's a freezing spell in one of my mom's spell books! I can learn it and use it during Legacy Day!", he proposed. Sabrina snapped her fingers and pointed at him.
"Perfect!", she said, but Briar stared at her with uncertainty.
"But why do you need a freezing spell in the first place? Why would you need to pause Legacy Day?", the brunette asked. Sabrina gave him a knowing smile.
"Ah but Briar, my sweet summer rose, that's the most crucial part! You are the most crucial part!", she told him as she jumped down off the table, causing him to blush bright red at the nickname. Sabrina grabbed his shoulders so she could look into his eyes, causing him to turn even redder.
"I-I'm what?", Briar sputtered. Sabrina's grin widened.
"You play the most important role in this plan! Your job is to retrieve the Storybook of Legends from its hiding spot in your dorm room!", she told him. Briar calmed down a bit, remembering the part of the plan where they didn't technically have the Storybook of Legends in their possession yet
"Oh yeah.", the prince muttered despondently as Sabrina released his shoulders. He had been half hoping to hear a love confession. He knew it was wrong to have feelings for his best friend's girlfriend, but he could help himself.
Over the past few weeks, he had really gotten to know Sabrina. He knew she was well-traveled, adventurous, and the kind of person that could live in the moment while simultaneously planning ahead when necessary. She was similar to him in so many ways it hurt, and when he found out she was willing to take on his destiny for Fell's sake (which he was grateful for on his behalf, because while Fell was supposed to be his sworn enemy, he was still a good person and a good friend, and he wanted to see him happy) it made him fall for her even more.
But she was dating Apple, and Apple was perfect. He didn't stand a chance, and why would he? Who would want the party prince that was always second place, instead of the future King of Ever After?
Briar's self-deprecating internal monologue stopped after Sabrina started explaining the details of his task to him, however, and his gave his full attention to the girl once more (not that she wouldn't always have it, she would always be the center of his world).
"You just need to find the hiding spot under the floor. I've done some research, and after looking at some old yearbook photos of your room, I think the Storybook is hidden under the rug in the middle of the room. You just need to wait until your roommate leaves for a while and get it while he's not there.", Sabrina told him. Briar nodded, but raised his eyebrow when he noticed a flaw in her plan.
"Wait, if the hiding spot is locked, and I'm assuming it is, then how am I supposed to open it?", he asked. Sabrina grinned at him with her confident 'I've got this' grin, and Briar felt all his worries dissipate.
"You'll use this.", she said, pulling something out of her trench coat pocket and dangling it in front of his face by a short black chain. It was a black key with a purple gem at the end.
"What is it?", Briar asked as he grabbed the object, feeling awed by the strange key. He could see the magic swirling in the gem of the key, forming a cyclone of light purple. Sabrina's grin widened.
"It's a magic skeleton key. I made it myself a few days ago. It should be able to open any door or lock, including magical ones. You can keep it when you're done.", the red eyed girl explained to him. Briar stared at her in shock. Magic skeleton keys took a lot of magic to make, and were really expensive to buy. He struggled to get his words out.
"Are you sure? These things aren't easy to come by.", he asked. Sabrina nodded, not seeing the issue.
"Yes, I'm sure. You've been really helpful, and such a good friend, too. You deserve something nice, so keep it. If I need another one, I'll just make it.", Sabrina assured him, and Briar turned red at her kind words, before pocketing the key into his shorts.
"Well, if you say so.", he relented as he put away the key. Sabrina kept grinning at him, and for a while they just stared at each other. Then Apple gasped.
"Oh my fairy godmother! We've been so busy trying to get ready for the plan, we forgot to pick out our outfits for Legacy Day!", the blonde exclaimed, horrified. Everyone else, except for Sabrina and Giles, gasped as well. Sabrina looked at them all strangely.
"Okay, and? We're making history guys, not making the front page of a fashion magazine. It's not like it's going to be that big of a deal what you wear.", Sabrina shrugged. Everyone except her and Giles gasped again.
"Not that big a deal?! Sabrina, Legacy Day is one of the most important fashion events of the year!", Briar exclaimed, trying to make his friend see sense. Sabrina shrugged again. She had worn some outlandish fashions in her travels, but if it wasn't practical, she didn't got out of her way to wear it.
"Sorry, but I still don't get it. Why don't you all just wear some old formal outfits you have left over from galas and all that rich people shit I'm sure you go to?", Sabrina suggested. Daring shook his head.
"No. People have seen us in those outfits before. If we show up to Legacy Day in them, we'll be humiliated!", Daring declared melodramatically. Raven rolled his eyes. Their lack of wardrobe wasn't a good thing, but it wasn't that bad. At least, not to him.
"No, no it's not.", the sorcerer protested blandly. Maddie waved his arm frantically in the air to get everyone's attention.
"Oh, oh I know! Why don't we go get our outfits now? Classes are over, so we can go clothes shopping in Bookend!", the blue and purple haired boy suggested. Apple smiled brightly.
"Maddie, you're a genius! Let's go now, before all the shops close!", the blue eyed prince exclaimed. Everyone started running towards the exit of Giles's lair... before realizing Sabrina wasn't following them. Apple turned around and saw Sabrina slowly inching out of the candle light that lit the main chamber of the cave, hoping to hide in the shadows..
"Sabrina, aren't you coming?", he asked. Sabrina jolted and stopped her inching, having been caught. She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head.
"A-ah well, I think I'll just stay here with Giles. You know, keep him company, go over secretary stuff. You all go on without me, I'll go shopping tomorrow.", she said, trying to get out of going clothes shopping.
It wasn't that she hated shopping, per say. She actually liked it quite a bit. It was just that shopping for clothes, especially formal wear, was not a fond passtime of hers.
Growing up she had gone shopping exclusively with Adrien, who just bought her anything that fit with an excessive amount of black on it. Then she met and made friends with Grell as a preteen, and suddenly shopping was a death march through the nearest mall, and all of that was made worse if either of them had a formal event coming up. It would be an endless quest through boutiques and tailors until they found a dress that was the exact shade of red that Grell wanted, made of the exact fabric she wanted. Meanwhile, Sabrina usually found a good suit two stores in and just had it altered a little at a tailor to fit her needs.
In short, formal wear shopping with a shitshow she refused to endure for an event that likely wasn't going to last more than half an hour. Apple giggled at Sabrina, and a sense of foreboding came over her.
"Sabrina, don't be silly! You need an outfit for Legacy Day! You can't just wear that same old trench coat you wear everyday!", he said jokingly. Sabrina looked at her blonde boyfriend with increasing fear.
"Yes I can. You'd be surprised by what I can do when I don't give a fuck.", she said, scrambling to get out of leaving the cave. Briar gave her a smirk, and she knew she was fucked.
"Well, you won't be wearing it to Legacy Day. We're going to buy outfits, and I am going to find you the most hexcellent outfit this side of Ever After!", Briar exclaimed with a squeal, excited by the prospect of helping the girl he liked find an amazing outfit. Sabrina tried to think of ways out of her current situation, then grinned when she finally thought of one.
"But I'm broke! How am I supposed to buy an outfit with no money?!", she exclaimed, like she had just found a hole in the logic of a detective accusing her of murder. Briar sulked, and Sabrina felt triumphant.
'Ha! Checkmate, bitches!'
Then Raven smirked, and she knew she was screwed.
"Did you forget? I'm covering all your expenses, including this. Get whatever you want today, money's not an object.", the purple and black haired boy assured her. Sabrina gulped when the excitement returned to Brair's face, and everyone else started looking excited as well.
'Oh hell.'
And then Sabrina was mobbed and dragged unceremoniously out of the cave by her friends and boyfriends while they squealed and rambled on about shoes and dresses and fabric and bunch of designer names that were just gibberish to her. Futilely, Sabrina reached out to a bewildered Giles for help.
"Giles, Giles help me!", she pleaded, but Giles just shrugged, and Sabrina assumed that meant 'you're on your own, kid'.
"Oh fuck me.", she grumbled as she was forced out of the cave, resigned to her fate.
It was going to be a long afternoon.
—-------------------------------------------------------
The first few hours of the shopping trip were spent looking at outfits for the guys. Apple, Briar, and Daring all went with something regal, with crowns or crown-themed accessories to match. Raven went with something a bit more gothic, with feathers and lots of purple and black. Maddie went with something as zany as he was in the colors of teal and purple, complete with matching top hat, cane and gloves. And Sabrina? Well, she was currently a work in progress...
"I think she should go with red. It's the color of confidence.", Briar said as he took a red dress off the rack.
They were in yet another boutique, trying to find an outfit for Sabrina. Surprisingly, she was the most difficult one of them to shop for (at least in the boys opinion). She looked good in everything they picked out for her, but they didn't want Sabrina to look good, they wanted her to look show-stopping
"I don't understand why you're completely disregarding her signature color!", Apple exclaimed, holding up a classic black suit with crows embroidered along the red tie. Sabrina, meanwhile, was sitting quietly on a chair in front of them, scrolling through her phone as they argued about fashion choices, with everyone else standing around them and giving their opinions every now and again. Vaguely, Sabrina noted one of them was holding up a suit.
'Well, at least they listened to my request to include both women's and men's clothing.', she thought.
After having to examine every outfit in three different stores to try to find a good one, Sabrina just gave up trying to choose and decided to let the boys do it for her. What they had chosen for themselves was great, so she assumed the outfit they chose for her would be too. Daring scoffed at the suit.
"Oh please, it's Legacy Day. She can't look like she does on every other day, this is the day. It's a night we'll always remember.. For one reason or another.", Daring said, hinting at their plan as he trailed off. Sabrina decided to give her two cents for the first time since she walked into the store they were shopping in.
"It's not really 'the day' when it's only gonna last half an hour at most.", she said monotonically. Apple gave her a sharp look.
"You hush, Mrs. 'You can do it for me'. Don't judge us. This is all part of the creative process.", Apple gently scolded her, before handing off the red dress to two bluebirds, who put it back on the rack for him. Sabrina rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything else. She knew that when it came to high-end fashion, Apple was an opponent she simply couldn't beat.
Over on the other side of the boutique, near the check-out desk, a woman with a short black pixie cut and dull brown eyes smirked. She had heard the entire conversation, and as a sales person, it was a prime hunting ground for her to make a quick buck on a commission. The girl clearly didn't seem interested in what she was buying, and her friends looked like a bunch of spoiled rich kids from Ever After High. They were easy pickings. The woman took a red dress off the clearance rack. She then leaned over to whisper to her colleague, a brunette woman who was manning the cash register.
"There's nothing I love more than a bunch of dumb rich kids with daddy's plastic.", the sales woman said smugly as she yanked the mark-down tag off the dress. She then walked over to the group of teenagers with a fake, customer service smile on her face and held the dress out to the twinky looking brunette in all the pink.
"Did you see this one? We just got it in yesterday.", the sales woman told the brown haired boy as he took the dress. Briar stared at the dress analytically, as did Apple and Daring.
"Oh? Is this a Hans Christian Dior?", Briar asked. The sales woman, not knowing much about the products she was selling, just kept a fake smile on her face and nodded.
"Uh yes, of course.", the woman said. Apple felt the fabric, pinching it between two of his fingers and rubbing it.
"With a half loop top stitching on the hem?", Apple asked. Daring started to observe the dress as well, and his eyes clearly said he did not like what he was seeing. The sales woman, still not understanding what the hell any of them were talking about, just kept on nodding and smiling.
"Absolutely, it's one of a kind.", she said, just trying to say things to make the dress sound more desirable. Briar hummed, clicked his tongue and looked at the sales woman with a 'you've fucked up' look in his eyes and a smirk on his face.
"It's impossible for a Hans Christian Dior to have half loop top stitching on the hem. All Hans Christian Diors are made of chiffon, meaning that if that stitching pattern were used, it would snag the fabric.", Briar explained. The sales woman's smile dropped and she began to turn pale. That was when Apple decided to speak, a smirk matching Briar's now on his face.
"And you didn't just get it in. I saw it in Castlepolotian a year ago, so if you're trying to sell it to us for full price, you've picked the wrong people.", Apple said, further humiliating the sales woman.
Maddie, Daring, and Raven all watched the two ruthlessly rip into the lying sales woman with satisfied looks on their faces. And Sabrina, finally looking up from her phone to see what was going on now, started laughing behind her hand at the woman. The woman glared at them all and stormed off back to the cash register. Everyone snickered at her as she left, and Raven gasped when his eye caught something shiny and purple in the racks.
"Wait guys, look!", he exclaimed, taking the outfit off the rack. Everyone gathered around it and gasped. It was perfect.
"It's perfect for her!", Maddie said, and everyone turned to look at Sabrina, who was eyeing the outfit appreciatively as well.
"You're right, it is.", Sabrina agreed breathlessly, and everyone's grins widened when they got approval for the outfit. Sabrina got up and took the outfit from Raven's hands, before holding it up in front of her before the floor length mirror near where she was sitting.
"This is it, boys. In just a few days, we are going to make history.", Sabrina whispered to them as they crowded in front of the mirror. Everyone was grinning widely, and after just a few seconds, Apple, Raven and all the others started squealing excitedly.
'Should have expected that.', Sabrina winced internally at the high pitched noise, but she couldn't find it in her to be mad at them. She was happy that they were happy, and it showed in the smile on her face.
Sabrina felt satisfied. Everything was coming together.
Okay, so I know I promised Legacy Day, and I was going to write Legacy Day, but then I remembered what my original plan for the ex-royal's characterization was; they were supposed to be sexy, male Regina Georges with the personalities of Elle Woods. Well, not really, characterization is rarely that simple, but you get the gist. Then I remembered this one scene from Legally Blonde, and I had to write about it before I forgot about it. So instead of time skipping our way to Legacy Day, I wrote about the preparations that probably aren't going to get more than a thousand words of 'screen time' next chapter, and a shopping trip that was not at all necessary. Hope you all like filler. Next time, there will be a scene with Asher, the rest of the Legacy Day prep will be gotten out of the way, and actual Legacy Day?... Well, we'll see.
So long and Goodnight, Thackery Binx.