Chapter Text
Princess Chloe Charming, daughter of King Henry and Queen Cinderella Charming of Cinderellasburg, slashed viciously at the villain before her, making him stumble backwards to avoid her sword. Her foe countered, first feinting toward her left side before twisting to strike at her right instead.
She scoffed at the move, easily parrying the attack with a flick of her wrist. "You tried that already," she taunted. "Don't underestimate me!"
With a shout, Chloe sprung forward into a new series of attacks, aiming at her enemy's helmet, legs, neck. He remained silent even as he defended, frustratingly passive, and it became clear that she was losing her cool more than her provocations were working.
Pausing for just a heartbeat to settle herself, Chloe swung again, batting her opponent's sword to the side. The man was quick to recover, moving his blade back in line, but she dipped her own sword and brought it around for a circular parry. She powered forward with a lunge to take advantage of the opening, the air ringing with the sounds of their swords sliding across one another as she aimed for the throat.
Her opponent grabbed her sword blade with a gauntleted hand and wrenched it out of her textbook-loose grip. The point of his sword slithered up to kiss her neck instead.
Pouting, Chloe couldn't do anything but signal her surrender. "That wasn't fair," she complained.
"No fights are fair," her opponent said, voice muffled by his fencing mask as he lowered his sword and returned Chloe's to her, hilt first. He took his helmet off then, and the face of her father grinned at her. "The only thing that matters is winning."
"Okay, but no one wears armor in Swords and Shields," she protested, tapping his gauntlet. "That's part of the rules. And you were supposed to help me practice for tryouts."
"Was I?" King Charming asked innocently. "I thought you just wanted to lose. Again."
Chloe gaped, but before she could formulate a sufficiently offended response, her father laughed loudly. "I'm kidding. You did well, Chloe - that last move of yours might work on anyone else. But I'd be a disappointment to your mother if I let a child beat me." He laughed again, hand reaching out as if by instinct only to withdraw.
Chloe smiled at the praise, even if she couldn't help but frown internally at the small movement. Once upon a time, her dad would ruffle her hair after practice, messing up her blue curls. But he hadn't recently, seeming to want to spare her any indignity that would be unbefitting of a growing princess, and Chloe wouldn't disappoint him by saying anything about it.
Even if she did miss the touch. Words, sans gesture, could only be so much affirmation.
"Why are you even bothered to practice?" A different voice called snidely from the doorway.
"Shut up, Chad!" Chloe snapped at her twin. "There's no reason I can't make it onto the team. I'm better than you are." Granted, she didn't know it for sure, but her brother had refused to duel her for years now. She made the only assumption appropriate for such cowardice.
"There is, actually," Chad said, walking up to her and holding out some kind of booklet, blue and gold. He looked down at her like he had just discovered a delicious secret, and Chloe took the booklet warily. "The Auradon Prep Swords and Shields rulebook. Section 2, paragraph 3, 11-4."
Condescension oozed from the taller boy, but Chloe wasn't going to start a fight, of course. She flipped to the requested page. "A team will be comprised of a captain and eight... men."
Men.
"And there you have it," Chad said. "It's against the rules! Don't you tell me that all the time?" His voice was pitched up to mock her.
"Th-that's not fair. This can't be right." But the words were right on the page in front of her, and she knew Chad - however much he liked to get under her skin - wouldn't go so far as forgery just to prank her.
He sighed. "I'm just trying to look out for you, sis. This swordplay thing, it's unbecoming. What kind of knight wants a princess who can fight?"
"I don't care," she argued, crossing her arms. "I'd be a better knight than anyone else out there."
Chad spluttered. "You can't be a knight! That's not how it works, okay? You're a princess. You're supposed to find a knight - or a prince - to marry and protect you. That's how true love works. Mom and dad told you this!"
And the thing is, Chloe couldn't argue. After all, who wouldn't want that fairy-tale romance that her parents had? She wanted to fall in love just like they did.
But why did she have to be the one to be protected? Why was she destined to be the damsel in distress?
Chloe looked at her dad, who'd been watching them argue uncomfortably. The man cleared his throat and raised his hands placatingly. "Now, Chad, don't be like that to your sister. Even princesses can be in danger, and it's very important that Chloe is trained in self-defense. Her knight, even once she finds one, can't always be there for her--"
He defended her, but it wasn't what she wanted to hear. With her dad - his usual royal eloquence failing when dealing with his bickering twins - clumsily trying to scold Chad but only reinforcing his words, Chloe didn't know what else to do but turn and run away.
Her mother found her in her room, sitting at the foot of her bed and staring silently at her sheathed sword.
"Are you not packing?" Cinderella frowned. "You know this isn't the kind of work you should leave to servants, sweetheart."
Chloe shook her head. "I already packed last week." Indeed, her blue trunk was already set by her bedroom door, clothes neatly folded and arranged inside. A duffel bag next to it contained the rest of her fencing gear: a blue mask, padded jacket, and glove.
Her mother smiled fondly. "Of course you did. You've been so excited about going to school."
Chloe nodded, but she couldn't muster up the same enthusiasm in her smile.
Cinderella's expression fell. "Did Chad say something again, baby?"
"Yeah. Apparently I'm not allowed to join Swords and Shields at school," she replied, no small amount of bitterness in her voice. Drawing comfort from her mom's sympathetic look as the woman sat down beside her, Chloe recounted the entire interaction from earlier that afternoon.
Her mother pursed her lips as she listened. "That's not very fair," she remarked finally.
"That's what I said!" Chloe exclaimed. "But... rules are rules."
Cinderella looked at her intently. "Yes, rules are rules," she repeated slowly. "I don't want to hear about you breaking any. Understand?"
She nodded glumly. "Yes, mom. You know I'll do the right thing." The woman just continued to look at her with an unreadable expression. "Really. I won't disappoint you or dad."
Her mom leaned in to give her a comforting hug, giving her a quick kiss to the top of her head. "You know what? I want to give you a gift to celebrate my baby growing up. I know you're already packed, but this shouldn't take up too much space."
Chloe gasped as she took the wrapped package from her mom's hand and peeled back the paper, seeing the blue shape enclosed within. "Is this...?"
"This is the mask I wore when your father and I fell in love at Castlecoming," Cinderella informed her, smiling in indulgence. "It's still got some of Fairy Godmother's magic - it'll make it so that no one can recognize you while you're wearing it, unless they already know it's you."
She clutched the gift reverently, but also looked back at her mom unsurely. "Magic...? I thought magic was dangerous and outlawed."
"It's okay if it's Fairy Godmother's." Cinderella winked at her, reaching out to rewrap the package herself. "I hope having this as a souvenir will remind you of home." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Oh, we're going to miss you and Chad so much. But at least you'll have each other, so we don't have to worry so much."
"I'd rather go without him," Chloe grumbled under her breath. She tried to imagine a year dealing with her cocky, annoying brother. And without her parents to step in? It was a nightmare.
"What was that, hon?"
"Nothing."
Cinderella sighed, grasping her hand. "Your brother never means to hurt you, Chloe. He just... doesn't quite realize when the things he says are out of line."
"I worry for him, to be honest," the woman continued. "He's going to be king one day, and... well. Your dad and I are so lucky that you're such a good child, sweetheart. Make sure you stop him from doing anything foolish at Auradon Prep, okay?"
Chloe did her best to smile and nod her assent, but she couldn't stop a wave of disappointment from rushing through her. Of course it came back to Chad.
Where her brother was rude, Chloe was unfailingly polite. She trained while he slacked off, volunteered while he slept. She spent every living moment trying to be a good person, while Chad offended nearly everyone he met.
So she couldn't help but feel a pang of resentment, that she never got anything for her effort. On the contrary, they expected her to... what? Babysit her older brother?
"I will," she said levelly, trying not to let any of her feelings show on her face or in her voice. Conceal, don't feel. "You can count on me."
Another kiss on top of her head. "Thank you, sweetheart."
That night, she paused as she moved to pack her mother's mask into her luggage. She looked at it with mixed emotions. Even that gift was more of a souvenir than a reward - Cinderella had called it that herself. "It's still a relic," she muttered herself, trying to stay positive instead of being pessimistic and ungrateful. "One of a kind." But was it really wrong to crave a single dedicated token of appreciation?
If you expect a reward for doing good, her mom's voice echoed in her head, then you're not doing it for the right reason.
Maybe she was just a bad person.
Chloe wanted to be a good person.
Making a firm decision, Chloe removed her swordbelt and put it into her trunk as well. Her parents were counting on her to be the perfect princess, and now that she was going to Auradon Prep - it wasn't just about her anymore. It was about Cinderellasburg, and she'd do whatever it took to represent it well.
Chloe felt bare and vulnerable without her sword by her side. She knew it was securely packed and protected among her things, but what if they were attacked on the way? How was she supposed to defend herself?
She supposed they had a couple of guards for a reason. But it was still a struggle to keep a smile on her face when she knew she was expected to stay put in that situation, to rely on the guards and Chad--
Chad, who was walking up to them now, finally ready to leave. Chad, dressed in resplendent blue and gold, shining like the heir apparent that he was. Chad, who had their father's - her father's - renowned sword proudly buckled to his waist.
Chloe didn't realize that the aftertaste of breakfast could be so bitter.
A million thoughts in my head
Should I even bother listening?
'Cause up 'til now I've toed the line
Always wrong but nothing missing
Why can't I try
My life is mine
Which way should I go?
If only I could know the fate ahead of me
I know how I feel but
Is it just a dream?
Ah oh, yeah
If only I could live the future that I see
I could be the knight that I am meant to be
Ah oh, if only
If only
If only