Gaston sat on the ledge outside the window of the castle's tallest tower. It was almost dawn, and the sky was dark and starless. A cool breeze blew in off the sea, bringing with it the scent of salt and rain. A storm was coming.

Gaston listened to the waves crashing far below him. Corona was a peninsula, with it's eastern border- where Corona met Atlantis- being its only landlocked border. The castle sat on top of the cliffs at the very edge of the northern border and this tower was the furthest northern point of the castle. All around him, all Gaston could see was darkness. But, he knew beneath that darkness, deep within these cliffs, was a cave. And that cave was where The Huntress was currently hidden.

Everything has changed since the night he hid The Huntress. If he had known then that this was where he was going to end up, he would have gotten on that ship and sailed far away from here.

The only good thing that had come from all of this was meeting Meg.

God, she drove him crazy. She was more than just beautiful: she was tough and didn't need protecting. She could hold her own in a fight, but was still feminine. Of all the women Gaston knew who could fight alongside men, she was the only one who'd rather wear a dress than trousers. He learned that shortly after she joined the crew. Back then, she was the only woman in the crew other than Kida. In those days, the crew weren't considered pirates, yet. The ship wasn't even called The Damned then, though Gaston couldn't remember what Kida had originally named it. At that time, Kida was still hailed as a respectable princess.

One night, they docked for supplies in a kingdom that had been one of Atlantis' allies. It happened that the king was hosting a ball that night and invited Kida, Gaston, and their crew to attend. Until then, Gaston had never seen Meg get excited. Kida let Meg borrow one of her gowns; a purple one that was supposed to match her eyes, but as pretty as the gown had been, it didn't do her eyes justice.

Still, nothing Gaston has ever seen in his life was more beautiful than Meg that night. The light in her eyes, how she looked in the gown, the way she moved so gracefully as she danced, and even the blood on her hand from when she broke a man's nose for getting too handsy during their dance. The blood was still fresh on her hand when she slid it into Gaston's after he asked her to dance. During their dance, Gaston found himself wishing he was marrying her instead of Kida. At the time, he wouldn't have given up his kingdom for her, though.

He would now. He'd give up his kingdom and The Huntress for her. Hell, he'd surrender himself to her and let her kill him if he got one more dance with her first.

Gaston frowned. No. He couldn't think that way. He would never give up The Huntress for Meg. He gave up his ship for a woman once and look where that landed him. He had not only lost his best friend, but also himself. No woman was worth that. He had been foolish then, he wouldn't make that mistake again.

Meg was his way out, though. If he backed out of his deal with Helga or killed her himself, Davy Jones would be hunting him and he'd never be able to sail on the seas again. But, if Meg killed Helga, Gaston was off the hook. All he had to do was somehow get Meg to listen to him long enough for him to tell her the truth about Hercules' death. Then he'd hand Helga over to Meg and be rid of her.

"I knew I'd find you up here."

The sudden voice startled Gaston, causing him to almost slip. He turned and found Aladdin leaning out of the window. Gaston was immediately filled with excitement and confusion. "How the hell did you get up here?"

Aladdin gave him a cocky grin. "Please. I was sneaking through this castle while most of these guards were still in training."

The corner of Gaston's mouth turned up in a small smile as he remembered all the times he and Aladdin snuck through the castle when they were boys and the trouble they caused the guards and servants. But, the smile faded quickly. Aladdin was here, which meant The Damned had arrived in Corona.

"Are you distracting me while the crew storms the castle?" Gaston demanded.

"No. The rest of the crew isn't here. Not yet, anyway." Aladdin climbed out the window and sat next to Gaston on the ledge. "I came here hoping to talk to you and stop the impending fight."

"Your crew are not my enemies. I don't want to fight them; but, if you attack my kingdom, I will be obligated to do so."

Aladdin shook his head. "I don't want it to come to that, either. Meg only wants to avenge Hercules. I know you had nothing to do with his death. Jasmine thinks if you tell Meg what really happened, we can prevent her from trying to kill you and taking us all down with her. That is, if you'd be willing to talk to her."

"That's why you're here?" Gaston asked. "To negotiate peace?"

"I'm here to stop Meg."

"Why? She's your captain and she's avenging your former captain."

"You're my oldest friend, Gaston; I don't want to see you get murdered. If a fight happens, it happens. But, I don't want it end with your throat slashed," Aladdin told him. "I've only ever had one captain."

"And what if after I tell Meg what really happened, she still tries to kill me? Her hatred for me goes back further than Hercules' death."

Aladdin took a deep breath, contemplating his answer. He then exhaled and said, "Then I'd fight by your side."

Gaston honestly never thought he'd hear Aladdin say anything like that again. "Your loyalty is still to me?"

"I'll admit: it faltered after I met Jasmine. But, yes. That's why I'm here," Aladdin told him. "If I can get Meg to talk to you, will you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then meet me at your cabin at midnight." Aladdin started to climb back through the window.

"Aladdin?"

Aladdin stopped. "Yeah?"

"You never actually asked me if I had anything to do with what happened to Hercules."

"I know you didn't."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because Meg was the intended victim and you love her."