Darling Charming knocked on her brother, Dexter's door. She heard him shuffle around before glumly opening the door a crack.
"Hi," Darling said awkwardly,"can I come in?"
Dexter huffed and opened the door to let his sister in. He didn't say anything as Darling sat down on a chair.
"Are you okay?" she asked him.
Dexter shrugged,"they act like I'm doing everything wrong," he finally says, referring to a his parents.
"I get it," Darling nodded.
"But I don't think you do Darling, Mother always pays attention to you," he replies.
"Sometimes I wish she wouldn't,"
Dexter looks at his sister,"she expects me to be perfect."
"Me too," Darling confesses,"I'm not all as perfect as you think."
There was a loud and sudden knock on the door.
"It's Daring!" Daring Charming called from the other side of the door, "this is important!"
Darling rolled her eyes and opened the door,"yes?"
"Well, this is more of a guy thing," Daring pushed past his sister and went to his younger brother and placed two swords in front of him. "I don't know which one to choose." he moaned loudly,"I need to pick the best for my special Damsel in Destress training."
Darling looked at the two swords. One was gold and black, sharp, light, and perfectly balanced; The perfect sword for offense. The next sword was silver and navy, it was heavier, and bulkier; It was good for defense.
"Well," Darling interjected, "are you going to play defense or offense."
"Offense," Daring said slowly.
"Then take this one," Darling pointed to the gold and black sword.
"Umm... well, I wanted Dexter's opinion because he's a boy," Daring turned back to his brother, and Darling rolled her eyes
"Uhhhh," Dexter hated the on-the-spot attention. "Maybe this one," Dexter pointed to the one Darling chose.
"Good choice my brother," Daring picked up the two swords happily and left the room.
Dexter waited until Daring was gone,"well that was rude."
"I'm used to it by now," Darling replied, with a shrug, "I've got something to show you."
Darling led Dexter to the attic.
"What are we doing up here?" Dexter coughed through the dust.
"Getting some peace," Darling sighed.
The pair of sibling walked through the attic in silence.
"I like to come up here and think," Darling said after a while,"I wanted to make it comfortable over the summer so this could be my get away place, but know we're going away."
Darling eyed the shiny armor she had found before, and headed towards it in silence.
"What do you think about?" Dexter asked, as he searched piles of junk for no reason.
"How unfair life is," Darling replied," it always seems like I would rather be another person. Sometimes I do wish it. I want to be someone who can express who they really are, and their interests and hobbies and not be shunned by their parents, and be overlooked."
"Really?" Dexter asked curiously, "if anyone is that person, I am."
"I am too."
Darling picked up the armor, "sometimes Daring is given the credit for things he doesn't do, and doesn't question it."
Dexter spotted the knight armor in Darling's hand. He remembered her ease of choosing a sword. Her statement that Daring isn't doing all the things he takes credit for. Finally, a thought clicked into place.
"Darling... has Daring been in the white Knight armor during Damsel in Distress class?" Dexter asked cautiously.
Darling sighed,"I'm sure he has been at some point, but not all the time."
"You're not saying... that... you know... that you're in the armor."
Darling bit her lip,"I might be."
"Oh my fairy godmother!" Dexter hexclaimed.
"Shhhhh, you can't tell anyone!" Darling shushed her brother.
"Does anyone else know?" Dexter whispered.
"Some of my friends," she replied in a normal tone.
"Wow, I... I can't believe I'm not the only one that feels different in this house." Dexter looked at his sister with amazement.
"You can't tell anyone, promise?" Darling held her breath.
"Promise."
Dexter continued is questioning,"have you always wanted to be a knight?"
"I've always had the passion to be something more then just a princess," Darling replied,"and after I met Chase, well, I think being a knight is my dream come true."
Dexter furrowed his brow,"who's Chase?"
"Not important," Darling quickly replied,"we should go down. We don't want the others to be worried."
"Okay," Dexter agreed,"but that's a huge secret. It means that your... that your not a regular princess!"
"Dexter, I realized that," Darling said, "and that's why Mother can never know."
Dexter nodded, and the two headed down stairs. They met their mother in the hallway.
"You should be packing, children. You leave in in two days," she informed them.
"Yes mother," the siblings said in unison.
Their mother smiled and walked off. Darling huffed and said goodbye to Dexter before heading to her room.
She got out two light blue suitcases and started to lay out what she was going to bring.
Someone knocked in the door, Darling answered.
"I've got some good news for you," her mother practically sang as she waltzes into Darling's bedroom.
"Yes mother," Darling said, not particularly interested.
"Well," Queen Charming started,"for this program, they give you all the dresses and accessories that you need. So you don't have to bring anything! All they ask is the color of your gown. So what color will it be my darling."
It was fairly simple, just look around Darling's room. "Light blue and off white."
"Done! I will mirror-call the program."
Queen Charming walked to leave the room when she spotted Darling's open suitcases on the floor. She scolded her daughter and left her room.
Darling flopped on her bed, not caring about her suitcase's position. She had looked forward to her fun time with her father, yet he seemed just as on board as sending his children away then spending quality time with them.
Darling didn't want to go to some place where she learns to be something she's not. She would rather go to knight school. But it wasn't her choice. Nothing was really her choice when she's at home.
•••
WoW! Okay, I LOVE this chapter! and ... OMG I finished a chapter in a day! I'm proud of myself. I was so excited to continue that I finished the chapter! Anyway, I've got to check it over about a bagillion times to make sure I didn't mess up anywhere. Please vote tell me what you think in the comments.
-Isabelle