Chapter Text
Everyone knows how the story goes: 30 years ago, Beast and Belle united all of the kingdoms into one, creating Auradon. Blah blah blah, the Isle was created, and all villains were banished… or so they thought.
The Queen of Hearts, ruler of Wonderland, had joined the alliance under the condition that she must stop her beheadings and instead change for the better. To everyone’s surprise, she agreed.
But what Auradon doesn’t know won’t hurt them.
To this day, it’s widely known in Wonderland that while she no longer makes a spectacle of it, anyone who angers the queen will disappear.
And you may be wondering why they don’t just leave; after all, the rabbit hole is open. But the queen has eyes and ears everywhere, not to mention guards throughout the land.
No Wonderlandian is permitted to exit without her say-so. Children are allowed to leave for school, and parents are permitted to visit on the designated days (only because she has to keep up the “nice queen” act), but that’s it.
The only person as awful as the queen are her daughters, Red and Pink of Hearts.
Unlike the rest of Wonderland, they see a side of the queen that no one else does. Instead of the ruthless dictator, they get the loving, doting mother who only wants to see them succeed. As such, they grew up idolizing the woman and becoming exactly like her, to the dismay of Wonderlandians everywhere.
That’s why the whole kingdom breathed a sigh of relief when, on Red’s sixteenth birthday, it was announced that the sisters would be completing their school years at Auradon Prep.
Anyone with sense knows that the queen is planning something, but what does it matter to them when their ruthless future leaders are finally leaving with their band of misfits: Ace, Clover, Max Hatter, Remi Rabbit, and the cat twins, Charlie and Caesar.
With them gone, the kingdom may finally know peace, or at least more peace than with them there.
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“Do we really have to go to school with those stupid nepo babies?” Max complains, lying upside down on Red’s bed with his top half hanging off the edge, his hat long since discarded on the floor.
“Yes, Max. Try to see the bright side.” Pink replies with an eyeroll.
“What’s the bright side?”
“Messing with them!” Charlie offers from her spot on the windowsill.
“Pickpocketing.” Caesar chimes in.
“Getting the hell out of Wonderland,” Clover adds.
Everyone turns to face them, a look of surprise on their faces.
“What? Don’t get me wrong, I love it here, but I’ve always wondered what Auradon is like.”
“Boring.” Now all eyes are on Red as she enters the room. “And why are you all in my room?”
“Yours is bigger,” Pink says simply.
“We’re in a fucking palace; every room you go in is big enough.” Red huffs, walking over to her bed and shoving Max off to sit down.
“Or you could say excuse me.” He mumbles in annoyance, sitting upright and dusting himself off.
“It’s my bed.” Max rolls his eyes in response but doesn’t argue.
Pink can’t help but laugh at the interaction as she skips over, taking a seat next to her sister. “What’d mom say? What’s the plan?”
“Pretty simple: We just have to collect a bunch of information about the kingdoms and report back.” Red shrugs, “It shouldn’t be too hard; those royals are incredibly trusting and loose-lipped.”
“Yeah, but that means we have to talk to them…All of them.” Caesar reminds her. Everyone grimaces at the thought of having to “make friends” with that many people.
“Come on, there’s eight of us; it shouldn’t be too bad.” Pink encourages.
Charlie sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Pink, I love you, but please stop trying to be optimistic.” The princess mumbles a sarcastic ‘well, excuse me’ in response.
“When are we leaving?” Remi pipes up for the first time since the conversation started.
“Uh, Monday I think?”
Max glares at the girl. “Red, you were talking to your mom for an hour and a half, and you didn’t ask when we were leaving?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I was a bit focused on our plan to overthrow Auradon, pardon me if I missed some things!” Pink grabs her sister’s arm before Red can launch herself at Max, using the leverage to pull herself up.
“For the love of clocks! I’ll go ask!” She offers before a fight can break out.
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“Mom, Dad, I know this is sudden, and I’m sorry, but I’ve been thinking about it, and I just don’t want to be king.” That was the announcement that sent Chloe’s entire world crashing down around her.
Growing up, Chloe’s life was always certain. Her parents would always be there, she’d always be a princess, and her brother was going to be the king of Cinderellasburg.
Then, halfway through her second year at Auradon Prep, Chad’s first year at college, her brother announced that he no longer wanted to take the throne.
To no one’s surprise, Cinderella and Charming weren’t bothered by that. If anything, they were worried about what kind of king their son would be. They were over the moon to find out that their perfect Chloe would be their queen.
Did she get a choice in the matter? Of course not. Perfect little Chloe Charming. Always accommodating, always willing, always nice.
Chloe was not nearly as excited as her parents, and seemingly most of the kingdom, were. Her entire life was upended. She had to drop clubs, hobbies, and friends just to keep up with her “future queen training.” She began falling behind in classes due to how late her mother kept her up talking about diplomacy. Everything in her life had changed for the worst.
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“Chloe Grace Charming, go to your room!” Cinderella screams up the stairs that Chloe was already walking up to do exactly that.
“I am!” She yells back.
A resounding ‘bang!’ echoes through the halls as Chloe slams her door shut. This is far from the first argument she’d had with her mother.
When Chloe was young, she was the poster girl for goodness, but as she grew up, her “giftedness,” as teachers had deemed it, faded. Once her grades started slipping, class felt more like a chore than a privilege, and Chloe found herself skipping classes more often than not.
It didn’t help that everyone kept stressing to her the importance of her last two years of high school. Everything was becoming too much, too real, too soon.
Chloe’s tired of being perfect; she has been for a long time.