Chapter 1: Carriage to Destiny

Isabella's eyes fluttered open upon the curtains to her room being drawn back, letting in the bright light of the early morning sun seep in. She turned over on her side facing away from the window, yet fought from going back to sleep. She knew she had to get up and start getting ready since today was the big day. The day she had been both excited for and dreading. The day in which she would leave home and go to a boarding school for the offspring of famous storybook characters. The school in which her fate awaited her.

"Come on, sweetheart. Get up. You don't want to be late," The kind elderly voice of the castle nanny whispered sweetly in her ear.

A small smile came to Isabella's face when she felt a hand stroke her dark brown curls. Her eyes opened once again to look upon her nanny's warm and welcoming face.

"Stay up late reading again?" She asked, eyeing the book resting upon her bedside table.

"Yes ma'am," Isabella replied as she slowly sat up and began to rub the sleep sand in which the Sandman had overwhelmed her with last night from her chocolate brown eyes.

"Just like your mother…"

This provoked a giggle from Isabella. She had a feeling that comment was coming since she had inherited her mother's love for books. Yet she was just as used to it as the whole "looks more like her father" comment despite the fact she had her mother's hair color.

She swung her legs over the side of her comfortable bed, getting to her feet. Her nanny then took her leave, assured that she wasn't going to fall back asleep, telling her to be in the dining hall as soon as she could. Isabella nodded obediently, watching as one of the large double doors to her room was closed for privacy.

"Ready to go?" Isabella's father asked as he presented her with an arm to lead her outside the castle, where the royal carriage awaited to take his daughter to her new school.

Despite the fact Isabella wanted to reply "no" or "not just yet", she just smiled brightly and nodded, taking her father's arm without one of her "I can walk by myself" comments. She half-expected him to give her a suspicious look or even say something about it, but instead he seemed to sense her uneasiness due to her never being away from home for a long period of time before and gave her a reassuring pat on her hand that was gripping his arm.

The large double doors of the castle opened, revealing that most of the kingdom had come to see their beloved princess off. Isabella scanned the crowd while waving back at her subjects as she passed them. Her heart began to sink the closer she got to the carriage. There was no sign of her best friend forever after, whom she had hoped would show up before she left for Ever After High. Especially since she didn't want to leave after they had a fight two days ago.

She all but nearly broke down crying when she was standing right before the pegasus-drawn carriage. Yet she fought back the tears as her mother and grandfather came up, their arms open to her. Releasing her father's arm, Isabella stepped into one final embrace with the other two of her family that she loved.

"Promise you'll call once you get settled," Her mother told her.

"I will," Isabella replied, managing to swallow the lump of sadness that was trying to choke her on any words.

She then turned back to her father, hugging him as well. Though she loved hugs from her family, there was one that she wished she could receive or give to her absent friend, who she wished was going too. Maybe then life away from home wouldn't be as bad…

With one final wave to her subjects and a blown kiss to her small, but loving family, Isabella climbed into the carriage with a heart as heavy as her magical traveling trunk that contained clothes, her favorite books, school supplies, and two photos that she hoped would bring her comfort while at school. Once the carriage started to move, she allowed the tears she had been suppressing stream down her pale cheeks. She didn't have to worry about the coachman or anyone else seeing her cry since it was a closed in carriage, but still tried to keep from sobbing.

Turning sideways, she propped her feet up onto the seat with her back resting against the cushioned wall of the carriage, she curled up into a tight ball. As much as her curiosity burned within her at the thought of what her new school would be like, there was one thing about it that triggered the dread she had felt when she learned of the one downside to being the daughter of fairy tale characters.

That dread was having to pledge to follow her fate as the next beauty ready to tame the beast once Legacy Day came around.

Author's Note: Well, there's the first chapter. I think I did a pretty good job on it, but that's my opinion. Anyway, I noticed while editing this that I alluded to Belle and Mrs. Potts from the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. But it's not like I care. Heck, I may do it again with another Disney movie...