Message: Dear Sarah Merry Christmas, I hope you have a fantastic holiday surrounded by your loved ones. I hope you enjoy this story and I hope I've done your OC Actuel Noel justice in this story! All the best for the new year!
The students of Ever After High were very busy indeed! It was time to get packing and head home for the Christmas holidays. Christmas is of course the most wonderful time of year.
Not all the Ever After High students were in a tizzy trying to find everything they needed for the holidays. No some were stuck at school for the holidays. Raven and Maddie were. They were excited.
“This will be hat-tastic!” Maddie said excitedly, “If the narrator could give us some privacy!”
“Madeline there is to be no mischief while the headmaster is away!” I said.
“Oh just narrate already!” Maddie said irritably.
It didn’t take long for her to go back to her wondrous mood of course.
“Raven, we can do whatever we want this Christmas.”
“We sure can Maddie. I have to go say goodbye to Dexter before he leaves.” Raven said.
“Okay dearest Raven!” Maddie said and clicked her heels before singing to herself down the dormitory hall.
On Raven’s way to Dexter’s room she noticed Darling Charming. She looked a little bored.
“Raven!”
“Dex!”
Raven hugged Dexter.
“I’ll miss you. Are you sure you don’t want to come to the uhh- my house for the holidays?”
Raven smiled. She loved how he still got a little nervous around her, “No it’s cool. I have Maddie and it looks like Darling is staying too.”
“Darling really?” Dexter said.
“yeah.”
“I thought she was.”
“Maybe she wants some space from her brothers.” Raven said before nudging Dexter.
“Good point Raven. You’re so smart.”
Raven laughed, “Go before you get too mushy on me.”
“Bye,” Dexter said, as he slipped out of his room.
Raven felt happy. She was in a good place, this was after all just the beginning of re-writing her own destiny. Raven knocked on Darling’s door. Darling looked up from her extravagant four poster bed, only suited for a charming of course!
“Rosabella’s gone away,” Darling said with a sigh.
“You can hang with Maddie and myself. We should plan our own forever after Christmas!”
“Sounds divine, Raven.”
The two students found Madeline ice skating on plates. What else would you expect?
“Maddie come in for a group hustle!” Raven shouted.
Madeline hatter hoped and skipped her way over to the other two.
“I love a group hustle!” Maddie squealed, “Uh Raven why are we hustling?”
Raven laughed, “Well Maddie we need to come up with a plan for how to spend our Christmas.”
“Plan Schmam. The best kind of fun happens when you go a little crazy!”
“I just mean maybe we could talk about what we want to do. Do we want to have a big party or something intimate? Fruit cake or plum pudding? That kind of thing.”
“I’m pleased easily,” Maddie said, as she started dancing on the spot, “Do what feels right my friends,” Maddie said and she skated back out to the middle of the ice rink for some tea, with the local mice.
“Let’s go to the village of Book End to do some shopping.” Raven said.
“Better to beat the rush,” Darling said.
They pair started the afternoon with some minty hocus pocus lattes. The barista even put an extra candy cane in each of their cups.
“For luck,” he said.
“Why on earth would we need luck?” Darling asked.
“The crowds are huge.”
“It’s a bit early, isn’t it.” Darling said.
“Ever After Junior school is having a parade through the streets.” The barista said.
“Let’s go,” Darling said and tugged on Raven’s arm.
“Why? Can’t we wait until the crowd dies down? Plus I want to see the baby characters.
Remember when that was us? Dex and I were going through old photos yesterday of the parade. He was adorable as a five year old.”
This time it was Raven’s turn to get a little mushy, but only ever a little bit mushy.
“That’s great. Maybe you should watch the parade.”
“Uh okay.” Raven said.
Darling quickly left Raven behind in the crowd of parents and villagers that were gushing over the junior school students dressed in Christmas attire, ready to re-enact the Christmas editions of their stories.
Darling had other ideas. She was going to go to the chainmail shop and finally pick up that secret order she’d made months ago. It was the perfect addition for a girl in shining armour.
Lancelot’s nephew was working that day. He was in awe. He’d heard the rumours, but didn’t believe them.
“Umm, uhhh, umm.”
“My order will be under D.” Darling said.
“Okay.”
Darling smiled. One day girls in ordering chainmail would be the norm, but until then she had to deal with the naysayers, she thought to herself.
“Hey I was going to close, do you want to go for some practice?” He asked nervously.
“Wow I’d love that,” Darling said.
Suddenly Acutel Noel appeared in the shop. She smelt of candy canes and pine nuts.
“woah, not cool Darling. You’ve left your friend Raven alone.”
“But she’s watching the parade.”
“Let’s just say a baby goat decided to start eating the props, so it’s going to finish in three, two, one…”
Hordes of people started passing the shop, right on time, in perfect story book timing.
“I’m the daughter of Christmas Present.”
“It’s not Christmas yet.” Darling protested.
“My job is to make the present festive period joyous for all. Christmas is supposed to bring out the best in everyone. You can spar with this guy any day, but you need to plan a special day to share with your friends.”
“Sparring is for boxing. I’m into jousting.”
Actuel Noel smiled, “Silly me. The only sport I follow is sleigh riding of course! The point is, that’s something you can do all year round, but Christmas is only one day a year, so make it count.”
Darling smiled. She realised the error of her ways. She turned to Lancelot’s nephew.
“Maybe some other time,” she said.
He was stunned. He wasn’t used to seeing one girl let alone two in the chainmail shop.
Acutel Noel handed him a candy cane.
“Darling I don’t need to be anywhere at present so would you like some help with the shopping?”
“Yes please!”
“Bye!” Darling said.
Lancelot’s nephew finally stammered out a goodbye.
Acutel Noel knew where all the good Christmas goodies were. It was her destiny to know!
Darling even started warming to the whole Christmas idea. She threw some garland into the trolley.
“OH we’ll need more than that to deck the halls with bells of holly.”
“Fa-la-la la-la-la.” Darling chimed in.
“That’s the way!” Actuel Noel said.
“Raven said something about fruit cake or was it plum pudding?”
“I’m more of a Figgie pudding kind of girl. The real question is how will you make it special.”
Darling thought long and hard about it.
Actuel Noel laughed, “It’s not about the food or the presents about being surrounded by people you care about and showing them how much you care.”
The two arrived back at the dormitory.
“I have to go,” Actuel Noel said, “It’s official Christmas business.”
Darling sighed. She had a while to wait before Christmas. Darling hated to wait. It was so… Damsel(ish). She went through some old photos of her and the other Ever After High students when they were younger. Then the most hexcellent idea popped into her head.
She’d make a special scrapbook for all of their class mates. A special gift she could present to each student upon their return to school. Darling Charming set to work on making these beautiful scrapbooks that documented everyone’s special moments. She added her own Darling Charming touch to the books of course, with chainmail and ribbons none less!
Darling Charming was so enthralled in the task of creating these beautiful gifts she did not know how quickly the time passed. Raven had been a bit surprised by how distant Darling was.
“Maddie it’s Christmas Eve. I would have thought Darling would want to be with us.”
“I’m sure she has her reasons.” Maddie said, “I’m just way too excited to sleep. Tomorrow will be so wondrous!”
Raven laughed. Maddie’s enthusiasm for anything was quite contagious, but eventually even the most excited of Ever After High students get a little sleepy. Soon the two girls were fast asleep on the couch next to the roaring fire.
Darling woke up. She looked at the clock.
“Oh my it’s Christmas day already. It’s go time.” She said.
Darling dressed up like one of Santa’s little helpers and burst into Raven’s room singing Christmas carols. Raven rubbed her eyes. She was still groggy. Maddie Hatter jumped up and danced around Darling.
“I knew it would all come together Raven!” Maddie said.
Darling gave the two girls the scrapbooks she’d put so much effort into.
Maddie Hatter hugged Darling. “This is just wonderful.” Maddie said before dancing around the room and singing Christmas songs to the mice in the corner.
Raven flicked through the scrapbook.
“Darling you’ve put so much effort in. This is the most beautiful gift.”
“Christmas is about being with loved ones. I wanted to show you how much I care about my
friends. I made one for everyone.”
Raven hugged Darling.
“Thank you.”
Maddie dragged Raven and Darling outside.
“Look, look, look!” Maddie yelled.
“At what?” Raven said.
“You’ll see.”
When they went outside they saw the most delightful sight. A table filled with a feast out on the middle of the ice rink.
Raven turned to face Darling.
“That’s not me.” She said.
“Race you!” Maddie said.
They all skated out to the table. When they reached it they found Actuel Noel.
“Merry Chrismtas gals!”
“This looks fantastic!” Raven said.
“Thanks. I can’t wait to celebrate this special day with you.”
“Thank you so much Actuel Noel, I’ve learnt so much about Christmas and friendship.” Darling said.
“My pleasure,” Actuel Noel said, “Oh I need to go there is a Christmas emergency unfolding in the neighbouring kingdom right now!”
“Bye!” Darling said.
The three girls ate the hexcellent meal Actuel Noel had organised for them.
“Let’s play some games!” Darling said.
The three girls spent their Christmas singing and dancing and doing all kinds of wondrous things that you can only do with a true friend. Darling Charming felt so happy, she even forgot about worrying about her secret life as a knight. And the other gifts for the other students? Well that’s another story!
Yeah the coupon I was using for Kmart worked on Art Class Abbey and Ghoul Fair Heath. (But then I got Elissabat instead and I ended up having to order him from Amazon.) I had to do that pose with them.
