Snow White and the others had to have survived.
Evie assured herself of the thought as she paced the creaky floor, her hands twisting together anxiously.
After the pirates had destroyed The Enchanted Rose, they had dragged her below deck and locked her away in a small cabin. It was scarcely furnished, possessing only a bed, trunk, small table and lantern. There were no decorations of any kinds, the wooden walls were as bare as the floors. There was a tiny port window that was too little to climb out of, it's size barely letting in any light from the sun. Evie wasn't sure how long she had been there, but from the looks of the darkening sky outside, she guessed it had been for the best part of the day.
When she had first been shut away, she had hurried over to the window to try and spot her vessel and its crew, to take in the damage that the pirates had caused. She had seen several lifeboats packed with people on them, something that offered her an inkling of relief. They weren't more than a days journey from land, the survivors would be able to row to safety, provided the good weather held.
Snow White has to be among them, Evie thought fiercely.
Snow was a princess, heir to the throne, and fiancé of the prince of Auradon. She was a priority, heavily guarded and everyone on board would gladly lay down their life for her. She had to have made it to the lifeboats.
Evie refused to dwell on any other possibility, not now. She had to stay strong and vigilant, keeping her mind focused. She was trapped on a pirate ship filled with dangerous pirates, who believed her to be someone else. Once they found out the truth she didn't know what they would do, but she was sure what little hospitality they had shown her thus far would evaporate.
Evie couldn't help but let her eyes be drawn over to the antique trunk at the bottom of the bed. She had already inspected it, hoping to find something in it that she could use to escape or defend herself with. What she had found left her disconcerted. Inside the trunk were several dresses, accessories and other daily necessities. The pirate's preparation for a guest on board their ship suggested they had been planning this kidnapping far in advance, that the attack on the ship wasn't by chance encounter. It began to raise many disturbing questions for Evie.
How had the pirates known when the wedding was and where it would be held? That information had been passed on discreetly, only to those who needed to know it. It was a high profile royal wedding, and it's location and time had to remain secret for security reasons. How had the pirates gotten a hold of the information? And why did they choose to go after Snow White specifically? If it were for a ransom then surely any royal would do? Whether it had been Snow, Prince Ben, or Evie herself, they all would have fetched a handsome sum for their safe return.
There was something strange going on, and Evie wasn't too sure she wanted to find out what that was.
"Quite a bountiful haul we got this time, Cap'n!" Sammy said, a beaming smile on his face.
"Good to hear," Harry muttered.
Sammy, having known his captain since they were children, instantly picked up on the oddness in Harry's voice. He sounded as distance as the far-off look in his eyes, like his mind was somewhere else entirely. Considering the magnitude of their venture today, it was usual for Harry to be so distracted. He was always focused when it came to missions. Sammy watched as Harry kept his gaze dutifully on the waves ahead, his hands loosely holding the wheel.
"Cap'n, I think yer putting us off course a few notches," Sammy said hesitantly, pushing the wheel to correct their course.
Harry blinked, startled out of his daze.
"Why are ye being all... broody?" Sammy asked cautiously, frowning. "You captured the princess. We got a mighty fine load of money and expensive trinkets. We gotta away from the royal navy with only a few casualties, far less than ye predicted. And I reckon The Evil Queen won't be too happy when she finds out we wrecked her daughter's wedding day. Everything went according to plan!"
Harry shook his head, letting out a forlorn sigh. "Not everything."
Sammy scratched his head, not understanding what Harry meant when suddenly it clicked.
"She wasn't on the ship... was she?"
Harry shook his head again, letting out a more agitated sigh. He ran a hand through his hair, starring off bitterly at the sunset. "She was meant to be. He said she would be and she wasn't."
Sammy clicked his tongue, tapping his finger off his chin as he pondered. "Mighty strange that. Ye'd think she would have been there."
"Well, it doesn't matter now," Harry mumbled, straightening his posture. "We have other matters to deal with. I want the princess in ma cabin in ten minutes. I reckon she'll be wanting tae know what's going on and as ma father always said, it's rude to keep a lady waiting."
Evie was sitting on the bed, her arms gathered around herself when a light knock on the door drew her away from her musings.
A young boy entered the room. He had short brown hair and big blue eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. He was dressed in a striped white and blue top and black trousers, with black sandals on his feet and a red bandanna around his head. He was short, reaching only as high as Evie's shoulders. If she had to guess his age, she would have said that he was only about fifteen or sixteen years old.
"Hello there, M'lady," the boy said, giving her a cheerful smile and a small curtsey. "I'm Sammy Smee. I'll be yer escort for the evening. The Cap'n would like a word with ye in his quarters."
Evie swallowed, nodding her head as she followed the boy through the ship.
"Care to explain why you kidnapped me?" Evie asked, uncomfortable with the silence.
"Sorry, M'lady, but it ain't my place to say. Ye'll have to wait until the Cap'n decides to fill ye in," Sammy said, his voice still upbeat.
"You do realise that disobeying a princess is treason?" Evie said casually, hoping to scare him.
Sammy slowed down his pace, glancing over his shoulder to look at her. He looked a little nervous, his eyes uncertain for the first time. When he spoke, his voice was careful. "I imagine kidnapping a princess and attacking her ship is also treason, too. So, it's a little late for the warnings."
Evie scowled, crossing her arms.
Sammy hurried his speed again, shaking off his unease and putting on another bright smile and humming a tune. He seemed like a carefree soul, perhaps even a bit sweet. Evie wondered what his role on the ship was and how someone so jolly and childlike could survive among some of the most feared pirates Auradon's ocean's had to offer. If it hadn't been for his attire, Evie wouldn't have guessed that he was a pirate.
"Well, here we are, M'lady," Sammy said, knocking on a finely decorated door. "Cap'n, the princess is here! On you go now, M'lady, just go right on in."
Evie hesitated before entering the cabin. Unlike the cabin she had been placed in, this one was large and beautifully decorated. The room could be divided into two separate parts. There was an area which seemed to be a designated sleeping area, with a four-poster bed with red drapes and a mountain of matching pillows and blankets, a wardrobe, and a set of drawers. The other section of the room looked like an office. There was a desk with paperwork and quills sprawled over it, a large globe with a knife sticking out of it in the corner and several bookcases filled with dusty old tomes.
It was in this section, sitting at the desk, that the captain waited. He was swinging on his chair, absentmindedly playing with the hilt of a knife, it's blade digging into the wood. Unlike before, he wasn't wearing his hat or red coat, revealing his messy dark locks and a tattered white shirt that had been hidden beneath them. He glanced up at Evie and Sammy's arrival, a smirk spreading onto his face.
"Hello, Princess," Harry greeted, gesturing for her to take the seat in front of his desk.
Evie tightened her arms around herself, keeping her feet planted firmly where they were, close by the door and far away from the pirate.
Sammy smiled politely, gesturing for her to take a seat as well. When he saw her stubborn posture he swallowed, his eyes moving towards his captain. He picked up on the growing tension in the room, swallowed and decided to make a hasty retreat, slipping out the door and closing it behind him. Smart man.
"Would ye like a drink?" Harry asked, tilting his head. "After the day ye've had I'm sure ye could do with one."
"Why am I here?" Evie asked, ignoring his offer.
"For a ransom," Harry said, his tone indicating that it should have been obvious.
Evie didn't buy his words for one moment. From what she had gathered so far, a ransom was looking less and less probable.
"Why else would we bring ye here?" Harry asked, as though sensing her doubt. "Certainly not for yer company, ye've been far from charming tae me."
"You kidnapped me, hurt my crew and destroyed my ship despite promising that you wouldn't," Evie hissed, narrowing her eyes. "You have some nerve to expect any charms from me!"
"I thought the famous Snow White was supposed to be fair and kind? Trying tae dae me in with a sword and threatening to blow up two ships and everyone on it hardly seems very nice."
Evie frowned, worrying that Harry was already questioning whether or not he had nabbed the correct princess. Snow White would never have pulled the stunts that Evie had while on the other vessel. She was not by any means completely defenceless, but Snow would not have handled the situation as extremely as Evie had. She would have tried to find another way, a more peaceful way. And knowing Snow White, she probably would have found one.
"What was I supposed to do?" Evie retorted. "Smile sweetly as you took me hostage?"
"It was a wee bit extreme," Harry said, a sly grin spreading on his face, as though he secretly approved of her actions.
"I don't care what you think," Evie snapped, shaking her head.
"Why are ye still wearing the veil? Surely, it's hard tae see in that?"
Evie stilled, her entire body tingling with nerves. She took in a deep breath, trying to sound flippant. "Wearing it means I don't have to endure the sight of you and your unseemingly crew."
"Take it off," Harry ordered, narrowing his eyes. "I think I'd like tae see yer legendary beauty for maself."
Evie wanted nothing more than to run. Harry had stood up and was now making his way towards her, the intent clear in his posture. He was going to lift the veil and realise he had grabbed the wrong princess! He would see her blue hair, the blush of freckles across her cheeks and notice she was far too young to be who she was pretending to be.
What would he do then? The only thing she could be thankful for was that the ship was now miles away from the crew of The Enchanted Rose. The crew had to be near land by now or perhaps another ship had found them and taken them to safety. Either way, even if Harry turned the ship around now it was highly unlikely he would be able to fix his mistake.
The question remained though, what would they do to her?
Evie sorely regretted getting chosen to be the maid of honour at her sister's wedding. To think yesterday they had joked about the tradition to dress in the same gowns, laughing at the obscurity of it all.
Harry was close to her now, close enough that she could say that he smelt like the salty sea and a hint of leather. He raised his arm, fingers skimming along the thin fabric of the veil. Evie wanted to push his hand away, to lash out at him. She bit back the urge, knowing that there wasn't much she could do. There was nowhere to run, she was trapped on his ship surrounded by endless sea.
Evie closed her eyes, holding her breath.
Harry threw the veil over her head.
"Yer not Snow White," Harry muttered, his eyes widening. He took a step back, his eyes scanning her up and down.
"I never said I was," Evie replied quietly, opening her eyes to scowl at the pirate.
"Then who are ye?" Harry snarled, taking a menacing step forward. "And why are ye dressed as a bride!"
"I'm... Evelyn, the ship's cook," Evie lied, staring up at the pirate defiantly. "And it's tradition."
Evie knew she was taking a gamble by claiming to be a cook. They may toss her overboard or kill her if they didn't think her to be useful. But it seemed less risky than if they knew the truth. If they knew she was really the other princess then they may decide she would do in Snow White's place for whatever it was that they were planning. And if not, they may try to use her to lure Snow White to them, demanding an exchange that she knew Snow would readily agree to if it meant her little sister's safety. Evie would not allow herself to be her sister's downfall.
"Tradition?" Harry repeated, narrowing his eyes in confusion.
Despite the dire situation, Evie couldn't stop the corner of her lip twitching into the beginning of an amused smile.
"In our kingdom, the bridesmaids must wear the same dress as the bride. That way, if any evil spirits, demons or suitors should wish to steal the bride they won't be able to tell who the real bride is."
Harry looked gobsmacked, disbelief in his wide eyes.
"Or pirates, in this case," Evie couldn't help but cheekily add.
The tradition of dressing the same as the bride had never been a favourite of Evie's. Truthfully, she found it silly. She had never heard any true tales of brides being whisked away at the altar, it was only in fictional fables that it ever happened. And yet, here the antiqued tradition had served its purpose. It had protected the bride. Granted, it had done so at the cost of a bridesmaid, but it certainly did what it had promised to do.
"Yer a decoy, in other words," Harry muttered, his eyes narrowing.
"Exactly," Evie replied, lifting her head.
"Ye's knew we were coming, then."
His words sent a spark of panic racing through Evie.
Harry turned around, kicking the chair and sending it crashing to the floor. Evie flinched, taking a step back. Under his breath, Evie swore she heard Harry mutter something about him being set up. Evie's frown deepened, wondering what he meant by that.
"If we knew you were coming do you really think we would have only had one ship and not an armada ready to defend us?" Evie said, trying her best not to let her voice tremble. "And do you really think we would have a princess on board if we knew pirates were going to attack?"
She wasn't sure what Harry meant by his comments, but she knew that if he thought he had been set up, that she had purposely tried to deceive him to lead to his capture, then it would end badly for her. She wouldn't just be some poor cook innocently caught up in this chaos due to a silly tradition. No, she would be someone who had plotted against him. And with her being vulnerable and alone on this ship, that could very well spell her end. She didn't want to see any more of the side of Harry that had earned him his fearsome reputation. She had to be careful and play her cards right if she wanted to get out of this alive.
"For all I know there wasn't ever a princess on that damn ship!" Harry shouted, whirling around to face her. "Ye were the only person who I or any of ma men saw on that ship that could have been the princess!"
"And what about the lack of other ships for back up?" Evie countered, raising her voice.
"Maybe ye's thought ye could take us all on yer own," Harry replied haughtily, a smirk at the corner of his lip like he was amused at the thought.
"Your ship is infamous for taking down ships and crews twice your size! How stupid do you think royals are? If they were plotting to capture you they would have come more prepared! They would have had more ships, more men, more weapons and a plan!"
Evie tried to keep her calm but fear and adrenaline made her words come out sharp and loud. She found herself getting angry as she tried to defend herself, the need to convince the crazed pirate before her that she wasn't some decoy plant that had tried and failed to capture him becoming urgent. If she was just an innocent cook she stood a chance. If he thought she was a part of a plot to capture him, she had no chance, she could see it in his livid eyes.
"If yer just a cook, why didn't ye say when we were on the ship? Ye knew it was a princess I was looking for!"
"And then what? Then you would have hurt me until I told you where the princess was or you could have just killed me since I was of no use to you," Evie replied more quietly this time, trying to calm herself before she said or did something she regretted.
She felt like some helpless animal trying to tame a wild beast that could tare her apart any second. She could see how furious Harry was, his eyes burning with barely contained rage.
"Didn't do ye much good though, has it?" Harry said chillingly, giving her a sinister smile. "Afterall, what's to stop me killing you now?"
Evie slowly backed away from the approaching pirate, until her back hit the wall. Harry loomed over her, trapping her between his arms, one hand on either side of her head.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't throw ye overboard to the sharks?" Harry whispered, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Dozens of reasons flitted through Evie's head.
Because she was a person and she deserved to live! Because she was only eighteen years old and still had her life ahead of! Because she didn't deserve this! Because anyone with a shred of compassion would have let her go! But no, reasonable reasons wouldn't work on this bloodthirsty pirate. What could she say? What could she say to a man notorious for his black heart and lack of mercy?
Evie found herself staring into Harry's eyes. In the dimly lit room and with his dark hair draped across his face, his eyes seemed brighter than normal. They were as blue as the morning skies, tints of golden like the morning sun lining them.
Something came to Evie then, a whisp from a past she had almost forgotten. She recalled a boy with similar eyes as Harry's, a young pirate with a mischievous smirk. She recalled words he had spoken to her, and having no other ideas of how to get out of this mess, she let her mouth speak without thinking.
"It would be poor form to kill someone unarmed with no hope of winning," Evie whispered.
Her eyes started stinging as she refused to blink and break eye contact with the pirate towering threateningly over her. From this close, she could make out the slight stumble on his cheeks and chin, the dark lines around his eyes and the small scar near his left ear. She watched as he tilted his head at her words, his eyes never wavering from hers.
The silence dragged on, making Evie feel sicker by the minute. She wanted him to say something. Anything! And she wanted him to back away and give her space, to grant her freedom from his suffocating nearness.
Finally, Harry blinked.
"Mr Smee!" Harry called out, startling Evie. Moments later Sammy burst into the room, saluting his captain proudly. "Take Miss Evelyn to the brig. Make sure she's fed and watered. No one is allowed to go near her unless I give them permission."
"Aye, aye, Cap'n!" Sammy said, hurrying over to Evie.
Harry allowed his eyes to linger over Evie once more before he slowly pulled away, allowing Sammy to take her by the hand.
The young pirate quickly drew Evie away from the captain's quarters, biting his lip as he picked up on the tenseness between the captain and their captive.
Once Evie was several corridors away from Harry, she found herself able to breath more easily. A little wave of relief washed through her, easing up the aching panic that had been building in her chest while in the captain's cabin. Although she was being sentenced to the brig, she was still leaving the captain's presence with a pulse. For a terrible moment, when he had crowded her against the wall, Evie truly thought she was breathing her last breaths. She could understand why so many people feared Harry, he was intense and dark as a storm at night.
"Is your captain always so-" Evie gestured wildly with her free hand, unable to come up with a word that perfectly captured what Harry was.
"He can be a little temperamental at times," Sammy said, shrugging. "Family trait."
A little? Evie almost choked out a laugh.
"His temper aside, he is a good captain, M'lady. He looks out for his crew and he's fair," Sammy said, his voice proud as he spoke fondly of his captain. "No other captain on these seas has as good a form as he."
Sammy took her further down into the ship, leading her into a dark room filled with three rows of cells. He rummaged about in his pockets, keys jinglings as he took them out. He held open one of the cell doors, ushering her in before locking it behind her.
"I'll bring ye food down later tonight," Sammy promised.
He gave her a small smile, one with a hint of pity, before leaving Evie alone in the darkness. The only light was the willowy silver rays from the moon, shining through the barred port window above her. Evie huddled in the furthest corner, bringing her knees up to her chest. Even with all the layers of her wedding dress, Evie couldn't help but shiver in the coldness.
Good form, Evie thought of Sammy's words, also remembering her last words to Harry, the words that had somehow saved her life - for now.
When she was younger, barely a teen, she had once met a pirate. A young pirate boy who called himself James and who told her about good form among pirates, or at least, his pirates. He had almost been executed, had it not been for her and her sister's timely intervention. It was so long ago since she had seen him, many of the memories she had shared with him had faded into blurs. To save his life, she had insisted that he be her playmate for the duration of her voyage from Agraba to her mother's kingdom.
Out of habit when thinking of James, Evie's fingers stroked her wrist. She winced when her fingers skimmed across her skin, and not the cord bracelet that was usually wrapped around her wrist.
James had given it to her, a thank you and show of good form for saving his life. She had been forced to take it off by one of her maids, who had insisted that such a tacky thing could not be worn at a wedding. Begrudgingly, Evie had tucked it away in her jewellery box in her cabin on The Enchanted Rose.
It's at the bottom of the sea now, Evie thought sadly, closing her eyes and resting her head against the wall.
Author's Notes: Thanks for reading and thank you to everyone who fav and left a review! They're always greatly appreciated! I'd love to hear any theories, questions or if anyone has something they'd like to see happen, let me know! Also, sorry for any mistakes, I was working on this chapter quite late so I'm not sure I caught all of them. Hopefully, they aren't too distracting! xx
Reviews
Boris Yeltsin: I'm glad! Hope you liked this chapter!
Hessian304: Thank you for the lovely review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
T. F. Crosby: I don't think anyone can be mad at Harry for too long, he's too lovable even when he's being evil lol. Glad you liked the chapter! And thank you for your lovely review! :D
BabyBearxox: Thank you for reading my story and I'm really glad you're enjoying it! And thank you so much for your awesome review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I can't wait to share more of the story with everyone! :D
Evyyxoxo: I think Evie will be a wee bit upset with Harry for a while, but it is Harry so I'm sure she'll warm up to him... eventually... if she doesn't try to kill him first. Getting thrown in the brig certainly isn't helping at this point though. Thank you for the review! :D
Anoni Mos666: Oh my stars thank you for your wonderful review! It was such a lovely treat to read! I'm so happy you like my other hevie stories! When I first got into hevie there were no stories for them and it honestly broke my heart, so I had to try and write something for them cause they have so much awesome potential! (I'm glad there are waaaay more stories for them now!) Hopefully, my hevie muse does stay with me, cause I love writing, especially for this pairing. I'm hoping to try and work on my other stories for hevie that I haven't finished yet, Once Upon A Magic Mirror being the next mission (way too long since it's been updated.) I actually have half the chapter written up XD
Thunderfiredragon: I'm really glad I went with the idea too, it's been so much fun to write! Evie will definitely need to be more careful with her words, Harry can be quite the dastardly pirate, much like his dad. But I'm sure Evie has a few tricks up her sleeve to keep Harry on his toes. Thank you for following me on tumblr! I sometimes post teasers and spoilers there for my hevie stories :D I hope you enjoyed this chapter! xx
ataharcot: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! Yeah, Evie was wearing a veil that obscured her face, so it was hard to tell. Harry hasn't seen the princesses in years, and he wasn't aware of the tradition of bridesmaids wearing the same gown as the bride, so as soon as he saw Evie in a bride's dress he understandably assumed she was Snow White since it was Snow who was meant to be getting married. Poor Harry, his plan was ruined lol.
I feel quite bad for Snow too, but who knows, maybe she'll manage to get out of the wedding ;)
I'm currently working on my other stories too! :D I've nearly finished Once Upon A Magic Mirror and I also have half of Love Between The Lines next chapter written up. I have a fair bit of Hooks and Hearts next chapter written up too! OUAM will be the next story I try to update though since it only has one chapter left before it's completed! I have quite a few spoilers and teasers for Hooks and Hearts up on my eviarry tumblr though, if you'd like some spoilers while waiting! xx
NovaWolfe waterwitchxx: Thank you for your lovely review! Harry wasn't quite too happy to find out Evie wasn't Snow White, but what he'll do when/if he finds out she's actually the other princess, we'll have to wait and find out! :D
Thanks for reading!