Chapter 11: Down in South Riding

*****Two weeks later*****

CJ was hiding in Locksley, Robin Hood's hometown.

Last weekend, when Henry Plantagenet (whom she had never met before) visited his father's nemesis, she made a new plan.

Henry, who was the son of former Prince John, had actually looked for her. She had been surprised when he arrived at her hideout.

"I knew you were here" He told her with indifference and gave her a bag of food.

If she hadn't been so hungry she would have said some warnings but she ate the food before she could of any of it. After all she hasn't eat in more days than she was accustomed to.

He had talked about getting riches and getting their parents off of the Isle.

And of course that they would be getting minions.

He had mentioned Melinoe, daughter of Hades. She knew about her but she thought that she was a poor little thing until Henry mentioned that she had powers.

How could she have not thought about that?

Soon enough she decided to make and "alliance" of sorts with him, of course she had learned her lesson with Freddie she would not make her intentions too clear this time. Also Henry seemed more cunning then her former "ally".

They made some requests on their alliance and they finally sealed the deal.

"Soon"She thought.

Henry had been planning his first move since the week before, but with Ronnie near he couldn't. So when she got distracted by her friends he decided to go to CJ Hook's hideout.

Since he knew that the Hook family had a big appetite he brought food with him as a way to persuade her to join his alliance. CJ of course accepted. To secure their "contract" he brought her more food this weekend.

Good

Now he had to contact his allies in the Isle.

It had been difficult to get Ginny Gothel to comply as well as the Gastons since his father had not been a well-known villain and had been considered a silly one.

Since Melinoe was a goddess, she could pass the barrier and get out. Or so he supposed he would have to ask her if she could.

His plan B was to put a message on a bottle and hope that his allies got it.

He was as ambitious as his father, but he had a bright intelligence and he would use it in his favor.

"Soon enough"He thought as he started to write down a letter.

Anthony had his newly acquired dog in his arms when he arrived at Cinderellasburg. Dizzy had quickly fallen in love with her and Chad despite claiming that he didn't wanted that dog near he had gotten a new collar to Buttercup.

But also he had said the same about his chosen name for his dog.

He was surprised when Charming dotted on Buttercup, maybe she would get to make the things easier for him during their stays.

Cinderella's mice were still wary of him but the one called Jacques had decided to keep him company when Christian couldn't. He decided that he liked that mouse since he would sneak him to the kitchens for food.

But Christian had been a little strange, though he was still trying to be cheerful he noticed that he didn't have the same energy he had when they meet and also he had some spots on his skin that weren't there before. Also Chad had become more polite? Diplomatic? and had been spending more time with his father at his study. Cinderella had been a little distant and sad as well as her mice.

Dizzy told him not to worry, but he knew that despite her age she was noticing some things off and so she kept trying to sound cheerful.

"Don't you think that something is off?" He asked Dizzy as she was getting the sizes of Buttercup.

"Yes, but I won't ask" She shrugged it off.

"Why not?" He tried to tease her "You normally are a questioning pest"

She tried to smile but then looked away "I'm afraid…that we are going to lose him"

Anthony then understood what was going to happen, but tried to ignore it and he would until he could not deny the reality. Then he noticed that Christian and Cinderella entered the room.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Christian asked to his step-cousin while he scratched Buttercup's behind the ears. Anthony noticed that it was a rhetoric question and nodded.

"Dizzy let's go for some ice cream, shall we?" Cinderella said. Dizzy saw that her step-aunt had red eyes and looked as if she hadn't had slept well in some time and decided to go along what she said.

Christian decided to go walking in the castle's gardens and Chad joined them. For his surprised Chad was nicer than ever and they were actually getting to know each other, they found that they liked similar things and had the same pet peeves. Christian couldn't help but smile.

Anthony knew that if there was some moment he would keep engraved in his memory would be this one, walking by the gardens with his cousins Chad and Christian as if they knew each other their whole lives.

But a part of him knew that it wouldn't last long.

Diego was excited than he had ever remembered in his life.

King Ben had accepted to give him and his cousin an audience. Of course they could have talked about "that" issue before but since it was a very serious one it had to be treated as a formal matter.

Former King Beast aka Adam was there as well and looked as if he wanted to be somewhere else but there.

"Not so good" He thought. And for the face Ben had he thought similarly.

"I have heard that you had something to say about the Isle"Ben started "And as you know I want to improve the life in the Isle so I will hear you two" Then he looked to his father and said "We will hear you"

Adam nodded grudgingly

"Not good" Carlos thought and nodded to his cousin to sign that he could start.

"We are here to talk about the people who are unjustly imprisoned in the Isle"Diego started "Like Anastasia, Iago, the Stabbington brothers, Le Fou and…my father"

Adam said some things under his breath and looked expectanly at his son. Ben just waited for the explanation.

"Anastasia, Iago and the Stabbington brothers redeemed and were pardoned by their "victims" and were living in the right path until the "Villain Hunt" started" Carlos supported his cousin " Still some supposed villains were imprisoned just because they were related to one major villain like Diego's father…Cecil B. de Vil" Then he added "Also I have talked to Evie and Jay about our…animal sidekicks that we weren't allowed to bring with us when you invited us to Auradon…we are asking permission to bring them here"

Ben was trying to say something but he couldn't and put two fingers on his forehead. Then he sighed and asked "What are you expecting me to do?"

"They want to get them out of the Isle" Adam said with a dry voice "I won't allow it"

The young king sighed again and said "Carlos and Diego de Vil you are both dismissed, I'll send you my answer when I decided what to do about the matter" He said and motioned his secretary to write it down, when his friend and his cousin left, he dismissed the secretary and turned to his father "I never heard about Cruella's family" He commented.

"They are apples from the same basket"

"In every story I heard about Cruella and the Dalmatians, no one ever mentions any of her relatives" Ben started to say "Why is he there?"

"I already told you and this discussion is leading to nowhere" Adam said looking away and apparently leaving "No one will let you get a villain out of the Isle, no matter if he or she redeemed"

Ben was left to ponder on what the De Vil cousins said and what his father said. He would have to read a lot of books and decrees.

He dialed his phone and said "Please hold all the meeting of today and tomorrow, I have a lot of work to do"

Harriet was wondering about her family.

Not because Family Day was approaching and for obvious reasons her father couldn't come, just because she was feeling a little home-sick.

Home.

It was a difficult thing to define in the Isle, but despite the way most of the Auradonians were starting to believe not all parents were awful. Hook cared for his children in some degree; at least he didn't throw them to the streets when they became teenagers. Her step-mother at least gave them something to eat and she even gave them a "kind" word on those rare days when she was on a good mood.

It was ironic that she started to see those things when she left the Isle.

For a part she envied Anthony, Hal and Claudine. Anthony was welcomed with open arms by Cinderella as well as Claudine was welcomed by Quasimodo (awkwardly but welcomed). Hal was recived a little warily, but after a few moments Harriet was sure that even Anna warmed to her friend.

Sure she got along well with Peter, but he and the Lost Boys were more friends to her than family. (She was starting to think of Peter as a much older brother, but she wasn't sure about it yet)

Also she was feeling somewhat an outsider. She had made some "friends" in the last week but she usually hung around with her usual friends.

The only Auradonian who actually seek her company was Chad, she wanted to think that he hung around with her for their homework and a small part of her thanked him for their slight friendship when no one of her gang was disponible.

Chad and she usually discussed about their families, usually she talked about her step-mother and he talked about his brother.

"Are you saying that your step-mother treated you well?" He had once asked.

"Yes" She defended her position "She feed us"

Chad cocked his head disbelievingly "Are you basing your opinion on food?"

Harriet chuckled "You Auradionians would never understand the value of food in the Isle"

"Guess we not" Then Chad frowned "Are we friends because I gave you that sandwich the other day?"

Harriet raised an eyebrow and said "Kinda…you actually bribed me to talk to you after that comment on Anthony's mother when we were at the library"

"You can't blame me for believing that his mother was evil" Chad defended himself "I have heard that story all my life…" Then he made a pause "Well my mother actually told me that Anastasia repented…but I heard different thing from other people…"

The pirate bit her lip and looked to his eyes "I can relate…Father always cursed Peter and now that I got to meet him I changed my opinion, I'm sure that if you meet Anastasia you two would get along"

"As it could happen" He shook his head "But Christian told me the same"

They fell silent and Harriet asked "How's he?"

Chad shrugged and opened his book, Harriet knew that the chat was finished and opened her notepad.

The pirate wondered if she should drop a visit at Cinderellasburg since Peter could have her at his home that weekend.

Emma was worried about Hal.

Since the "incident" at the Auradon Prep he had been down and was keeping his distance. Her mother had been trying to reach him but he rebuffed all her intents until he finally accepted to let her inside his room just to talk.

She knocked his door trying to get him out for the third time in the morning. If it wasn't for the snowflakes coming out of the room she would have thought that he was dead.

"Hal I know that you are there" She said "You have to come out"

"I want to be alone" He responded.

"Well at least this time he responded" She thought.

"I have chocolate" Emma said "And cookies"

"You can't get me out with those things"

"I have lemon pie"

Hal opened the door.

"Great" Emma thought cheerfully.

"And the pie?" He asked looking down at her bare hands.

She smiled and said "I didn't say where I had it"

Hal rolled his eyes and started to close the door but Klaus appeared and grabbed him by the arm and got him out of the room. Then Anna's son looked at his cousin and said: "Let's go to the kitchen"

"Let me get my gloves" Hal tried to get free from his grip but it was futile.

"Without gloves" Klaus said " Or you would not get your pie"

Hal whined a little as a little kid but said nothing and walked between the two cousins. The silence was tangible until Klaus asked "How's school?"

"Great" Hal lied.

Emma looked at him accusatorily and Hal gave up "It's the worst"

"How bad?" Klaus asked.

"Very bad, with bold capital letters" Hal said raising his hands "Most of them are scared of me and ran away when I'm near and I don't blame them, I shoot blast of ice everytime I open my hands "He then muttered…I'm scared of me"

"Maybe we should go to see the trolls" Emma suggested.

Klaus seemed to think about it and said "It could be a good idea but maybe Hal should talk to your mother first"

Hal had thought about it but he didn't want to bother the Snow Queen with his problems. Father Frost had kind of offered his help to him but he was always occupied with some thing or another. His last resource was to read all the books about magic in Arendelle's library and try to find a way to control his newly found powers.

Mal was adjousting well to her new life in Auradon as a lady of the court and girlfriend to the king. Until that incident with Hal and Phillipa.

Most of the students at Auradon Prep were scared of Hal. Wasn't it a deja vú and an irony about the Snow Queen tale?

But half of the students understood that it wasn't his fault since Phillipa was the one who was bothering the Westergaard in first place. And the other part of the students were wary of him and the other VK's who had or may have magic.

There was no logic on Hal having magic. Then again stranger thing happened.

On the other hand, Queen Leah who had been recently trying to be nice to her had again became wary during her visits at Auroria. Phillip and Aurora had been nicer than her but still they had asked her not to use magic during her stays.

And then there was Audrey.

The princess had been a little more understanding than most people. Still she had dropped some comments about Magic Laws and other things that Mal hadn't pay attention, but she had not ostracized Hal like the other princes and princesses.

And lastly, there had been some news about a congress about Magic Regulations and thing like that. She wouldn't have been really bothered by it had not been for former king Beast support for it.

Ben may be the king now, but most of the older generation backed Adam.

She would have to do something.

Sorry for the delay but as you may know there are things that interfere with hobbies like this :P (Like exams, graduation drama and health)

On the other hand, I'm finishing the first arc of this story that is about how the VK's are spending their first weeks at Auradon. The next one will be probably about Henry's plan development and Ben tries to make things better at the Isle.

Also I have made a list of the actors that resemble the characters I have in mind. :D

CAST

Katherine Langford as Harriet Hook

Billy Unger as Anthony Tremaine

Lilly Reinhart as Claudine Frollo

KJ Apa as Hal Westergaard

Miles Heizer as Hadie

Casey Cott as Rick Ratcliffe

Ana Mulvoy Ten as Melione

Brandon Flynn as Henry Plantagenet

Michael Ronda as Diego de Vil

Burkerly Duffield as Zephyr de Chateupers

Brad Kavanaugh as Christian Charming

Cole Sprouse as Klaus

Madeleine Petsch as Emma

Peyton List as CJ Hook

Question: Who do you think that should portray the other characters? Such as Herkie, Aziz and the other VK's

Question 2: Which breed you think is Anthony's dog? Do you think that the other kids should get a pet?

Please revied if you have any suggestion. :)