Hey Descendants!
Out a little late, sorry, I know.
But here's the new chapter for your weekend reading!
Lots of Love,
-Dark-
They were safe.
She was safe.
Adorably uncomfortable and uncertain. But safe.
And with Hiro staying with them, as bad as it was for their blood pressure, he could breathe easier knowing that they wouldn't be able to slip away again.
At least not without being noticed.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried about them running again.
He couldn't imagine the type of stress they were under. The doubt they held.
The fear that Auradon would reject and abandon them to the isle.
He grimaces.
Again.
He'd spent so much time assuring them that they were safe, promising that no one could hurt them here.
Pointed out over and over again that their parents were locked behind the barrier a sea away.
Told them they could feel free to be themselves.
He gave them his word that they didn't have to live in fear.
And then-
He shakes his head.
Jane.
He breathes out.
He couldn't say that they were close. It was a fact that bothered him.
He'd extended the branch several times, but even as a child she'd been timid. He distinctly remembered her nearly passing out several times he'd tried to make friends with her back before they entered school.
Eventually, he'd left it alone. As much as he'd wanted a friend, it clearly made her incredibly uncomfortable and overwhelmed to even be near him, no matter how gentle and soft his approach.
But he had no ill will towards her.
He just, what had she been thinking?
What could possibly possess her to act so recklessly?
Jane was a lot of things.
Sweet.
Quiet.
Shy.
Insecure.
But reckless?
Impulsive?
Shallow?
Those just weren't traits he ever thought to associate with her.
So then, what happened?
It bothered him, niggled at him for days, but he had been more focused on finding Mal and securing their safety.
Now that they were safe?
He frowns. She'd started acting odd-
When the gang came over?
That couldn't be right.
What would Mal and her pack coming over have to do with Jane's sudden change in temperament?
His eyes narrow.
Besides, hadn't Mal and Evie taken an interest in her?
Evie helped her with her style.
Mal spelled her hair.
Sure, she'd reversed in a fit of overwhelmed pettiness, but she'd rectified it.
She even added some flair.
He'd found it adorable.
Besides Ally, no one at the school had dyed hair, or hair dyed bold unnatural colors. Most had even snubbed their noses at the trend, deeming it for the lower class and for those on the outskirts of society.
Like Roy.
As much as he hated it, he knew the VKs showing up with dyed hair hadn't helped the stereotype any. He hadn't missed the subtle snubbing of Ally out of activities that she was already skirting. It had been hard to watch.
It was just another notch of the elitism that became clearer and clearer to him by the day.
He'd been determining the best way to introduce her to the others but was afraid of forcing anyone's hand with an introduction. So he was happy that Jordan had taken it upon herself to come to the Wonderlandians aid.
Jordan.
That was another hurdle in and of itself.
The genie was elusive at best and standoffish on most occasions.
He'd tried several times to speak with her on matters more than the classroom setting, but every attempt received the same response.
Sorry Prince, but as an influencer, I wouldn't want a relationship with you to become my only cred. Gotta maintain some distance.
Journalist. Blogger. Vlogger.
Influencer.
An influencer that didn't want to get too involved.
A smile tugs at his lips as he looks at the stone tablets surrounding him.
Clearly, there were many schools of thought on the subject.
He frowns as he looks around the shelves, feeling the weight of the hundreds of tablets and the kids whose stories they told.
Tangents. Dangerous little things.
How had he gotten- He frowns when his eyes land on Mimi's dark purple coded tablets.
He smiles.
That's right, Mal's claim.
Or at least that's how he viewed the chunk of blue and pink that melded into purple now adorning Jane's hair.
A subtle reminder to everyone of who they were dealing with if they messed with her.
Question was… Why the need for the claim?
At the time, he'd assumed it was a reminder for Jane.
He hadn't talked to either of them about it. He'd just found it endearing.
A show of camaraderie and the affection of an emotionally reserved sister to her insecure one.
Now though? He steeples his fingers.
Now he was sure it went deeper.
It was more.
So what, or more accurately who, was Mal trying to warn off?
Who had Jane been spending time- His frowns deepens.
No. That didn't make sense. Why would- What would Audrey-
Audrey.
She'd never been cruel. At least not on purpose.
A bit naive and prone to quoting-
Leah.
He closes his eyes as he leans back in his chair with a deep sigh.
Odd. He knew he wasn't a particular fan of the woman, but why in Auradon had his thoughts brought him to her?
Out of all the people in his Kingdom, the last one who would want Maleficent released would be Queen Leah. She'd never made her thoughts on the Mistress of Evil quiet. Had legitimate reason to fear the fairy. Had been tormented and agonized by the spell that Maleficent cast for decades.
It was the kind of anger and bitterness that ran deep and was seeded in fear.
So how had he ended up here?
Where in his line of questioning had he come to the woman, who would rather sacrifice hundreds of children on the slim chance Maleficent might be manipulating them, somehow releasing Maleficent?
It didn't make any sense-
A light knock on his door pulls him from his thoughts.
"Sorry to disturb you Ben, but I know how you feel about mail collected from the-"
"Barges?" His eyes widen as he jumps to his feet and rushes to Lumier's side to take the thick stack of mail.
"Precisely, sir," Lumier chuckles, "Shall I leave you to your- let us call them messages in bottles?"
Messages in bottles.
Words written to a stranger as a cry for help and then flung into the sea in hopes that they'd reach someone who cared.
He liked it.
"How appropriate." He smiles down at the weight of the pile in his hands, "And thank you, yes."
"Of course my prince," Lumier nods before he exits, softly closing the door behind him.
He'd never gotten a stack like this before, and the crudely wrapped parcel was definitely a first.
He rushes back to his seat, carefully dumping his treasure on his desk before he sits.
Six letters and a small package. Where was he even supposed to start?
His brow furrows when he catches the writing on one of the letters.
It wasn't Deez's handwriting.
He flips every letter over, lining them up absently on his desk.
Only the package and one letter were from Deez. The rest were each a different handwriting.
His eyes widen.
More people were writing to the king.
He blinks as he stares down at the letters on his desk.
Paralyzed.
Stupidly and completely unable to select a letter to open.
Part of him recognized how strange it was to be so floored he couldn't make a decision.
But more people from the Isle were writing to the king!
This was important!
So very important. A huge moment.
Something had inspired more people from the Isle to reach out.
It was enough to break the paralysis.
He takes a deep breath before he picks up Deez's familiar handwriting and opens her letter.
This one wasn't nearly as long as most of the letters she sent him in the past.
To His Royal Majesty,
Hello again. If you received my first letter about myself, please allow me to apologize.
It was poorly written, and I was very concerned for a friend while trying to write it. So I may have been a little down as well.
His lips twitch into a small smile. He knew he didn't know her physically, but after reading her works for years and then hearing the core talk about her so often he felt like he knew her.
Of course she'd open up with an apology. How Deez.
I have joined Uma, Harry, and Gil. T is here as well.
Actually, if you don't mind, would you please get a message to Mal, Jay, Evie, and Carlos? I'd like for them to know we're okay.
I was there when the car took them.
I followed them all the way to the broken bridge.
I held my breath as it looked like it would drive off the edge and then marveled at the shimmering magic bridge.
I cheered for them. I was happy they were set free.
Would you tell them that? Knowing them, they're probably at odds with themselves.
I wish I could have said goodbye. I would have wished them luck and happiness.
Bittersweet. There was not a better word to describe the feeling currently overwhelming him.
If he had known then what he knew now, he never would have dreamed of tearing apart Mal's gang. It was cruel.
But the fact she was happy for them despite being left behind softened the blow.
And unlike the last letter, he was looking forward to showing them this one. He knew without a doubt that the others would at least find some relief in knowing that she was genuinely happy for them. Maybe not the way it happened. But were any of them?
Not that they need luck. And since you took them, I'm hoping you see the goodness in them.
I know being away from the Isle will only help it grow.
Uma is worried that because I've never included myself in any past letters that you are unaware of me.
She thinks that's the only reason I wasn't taken with them.
Uma.
He was looking forward to the day he got to meet her. Mal's rival and the Isle's rebel. Anyone who could love so openly in such a-
He frowns.
Mal and the others had been with him for months, and he still didn't understand the Isle and its inner workings. And honestly, he wasn't sure he needed to know the whole of it.
But anyone who could love openly in that environment was an impressive force indeed.
He enjoyed every letter he'd received about the Captain of the Wharf Rats, and her summation of why Deez hadn't been taken with the others was accurate.
She was always so concerned about those she considered hers.
So, I'll be writing a few more letters about myself, and I'll be including myself in other letters from now on as well.
No one I know defies Uma, except Mal, and she's not in the gang wars anymore. Thank all the gods for that.
His smile widens, more insight into his mysterious H from the writer herself? He was certainly looking forward to that.
But writing about yourself is hard.
He chuckles.
Wasn't that the truth?
He hated, hated, writing bios about himself.
It was awkward and uncomfortable.
Not that talking about yourself to someone you didn't know was any easier.
His brow furrows as he glances at the pile of other letters in different handwriting thoughtfully before he grins.
He hoped her family agreed.
His hands shake in excitement as he continues eagerly.
My first letter was a mess, though that's all I really remember about it.
So instead of trying to go back and recall everything I said, I figured I start in the present.
T and I have joined the Sea Family and Uma's crew.
It's been rough, and we've had a few things we've been dealing with.
I'm also pretty sure if Yensid wasn't here and willing to help us, T and I wouldn't have been able to join them.
As hard as it has been, it could have been so much worse.
Though if I go into too much detail, T might stop helping me get my letters to the barges.
Huh. When was this letter…
After a quick look, he sighs.
It wasn't something one thought about often. Such a trivial thing, but it was easier sorting and figuring out when events occurred with postmarks.
He shakes his head. At least this time, he could discern a reference point. It must've been a couple of weeks ago.
Before the video chat.
I've been working more at the cove lately, which I don't mind as staying on the ship still scares me.
All that wood. All that water. I get chills just thinking about it.
He couldn't imagine.
Herkie and Melora still had problems controlling their abilities, and they have loving parents to instruct and guide them.
To think about a demi-god having no guidance and having to learn to control their abilities by themselves?
He grimaces.
Melora would be a tyrant, and there wouldn't be any doors left in the school if Herkie was left to his own devices.
He didn't know it was possible to respect Deez more until this moment.
The self-discipline it took to be on a ship without setting it on fire, at her age, and with so little training. It was nothing short of a testament to Deez's will.
Gil and I work on swords a lot, finishing up the work we started as Book Club.
I think Carlos would be proud of us.
We still use his measurements to make the metals, but Gil has really improved his smithing.
And I'm getting better with my fire.
We will be spending more time on the ship though, once Yensid comes back.
Uma said he's agreed to be her advisor, and she gave him a room on her ship.
From the sound of it, his first act as an advisor is to become our teacher.
Huh.
His brow crinkles.
Yensid.
None of his friends really mentioned the old wizard besides Carlos on occasion, so to hear he had taken on the role of an advisor surprised him.
It was something he'd never really thought about before.
School on the Isle.
Tombs was the closest any of them ever got to speaking about the subject in any sort of detail.
It made him happy to know the wizard had taken such an interest in them; that he was going to be teaching them.
I'm looking forward to that, even if it is on the ship.
Yensid's class was always the best when I attended Dragon Hall.
So knowing that my family gets to learn from him makes me very excited.
Gil and Harry seem worried about it, but I know Gil is excited.
Harry doesn't know it yet, but I'm pretty sure he's going to love history since he loves stories of any kind.
I hope things with the Core are going well. They can seem rough at first, but give them some time.
They'll prove they belong in Auradon.
His heart drops at how accurate her statement was.
They had proven they belonged in Auradon. More than proved it.
It was just getting them, namely the more reserved, bitter, and fearful of his people, to see it.
He takes a deep breath as he reads over her parting, smiling absently at her name.
Deez instead of H. It still felt strange.
He places the letter back into its spot on his desk before he looks over the rest and picks one up, feeling very much like Carlos when picking from the vending machine.
Excited, and with much enthusiasm.
He takes the briefest moment to study the flowing script before he hastily opens it.
Dear Royal who has taken a liking to the stories coming from the Isle,
His eyes brighten at the unfamiliar feminine penmanship.
He smiles at the formality and the uncertainty of the address.
Uma. It definitely had to be Uma.
He felt like fan-nerding out.
Hell, his hands were shaking.
Shaking.
With excitement.
He'd been right!
He glances at the pile of unfamiliar writing on the rest of the letters.
The sea family had written to him.
His smile widens, and if he had to guess about what, he'd bet his status it was on behalf of Deez.
My name is Captain Uma, and I need you to know, first and foremost, that Hyades is mine.
She is part of my family, and if there is any plan to bring more of us over to Auradon like you took Mal and her gang,
then you need to make sure we, Uma, Gil, Harry, Deez, and T, are listed as a gang.
Because we will not leave any of us behind, no matter what kind of summons you send.
He blinks at the command before amusement bubbles up.
One paragraph in and she'd already garnered his respect. It took confidence to write something with such commanding authority.
And her strict loyalty to her ga- no, family.
It had been months in Auradon, and he couldn't recall a time where any of Mal's gang had the confidence to declare themselves as such.
Deez hadn't been embellishing in her letters about how starkly different, yet the same the two leaders were.
Both true to a fault, one the reserved yin to the others embracing yang.
That being said, I am grateful that you've been receiving Deez's letters over the years.
At least I can not think of any other reason you would know to take Mal and her gang together.
Sea Gods know their collective parentage doesn't make sense as a reason.
I know she agonizes over every word she chooses when she writes to you.
She wants to show you the real kids here, but in a way that can somehow be relatable to a royal who's never even seen the Isle.
Admiration. That's the only way he could sum up her words for Deez's determination.
He could appreciate that, having felt it in the hundreds of letters through the years.
He can't help his chuckle.
She certainly wasn't wrong. If he had chosen the candidates for his declaration at random, he never would have chosen, or even guessed, that it was Maleficent, Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella's children that had comprised a gang.
And as for Deez's agonizing over words? He could relate. Everything he'd ever worded had to be so careful and thoughtfully put before he even considered submitting it.
He smiles as he checks off another mental box of things he and Deez had in common.
It gives me a headache just watching her sometimes.
But, that's who she is.
She worries about small and big things.
Worries about how her actions will affect others, even if it's just a word choice.
Careful and thoughtful come to mind again as he checks off another box.
Everyone on the Isle owes her for something or another.
Me more than most, as she's the reason I gathered my gang, my family.
No one even knew she existed until she was already walking and talking, she was just suddenly there one time my mother took me with her to visit Hades.
She was so tiny, but she changed my life.
Huh.
Now that was something he hadn't known.
Or ever would've guessed.
Deez had inspired Uma to form her family? He knew they were distant cousins, but he'd never considered that Deez, especially now that he knew she was the younger of the two, had influenced Uma so much.
Did Mal know that's how her biggest rival found her motivation?
He smiles. Probably not. He was excited to see what she thought of it when she got to read this. He could only imagine her face was going to scrunch up adorably like it did every time she got worked up.
He couldn't wait.
They were all going to be so excited to read these. He glances at the pile.
Hopefully, assuming they were all in the same vein anyways.
And the amazing thing is, that's what she does.
Yet the girl calls me, Harry, and Gil's relationship magic.
Deez had certainly changed his life, and it was only through letters. He could only imagine the impact when they actually got to meet in person.
And Uma. He didn't know her personally, but he could definitely picture her exasperation in that last line. Even though he could only imagine the statement to be true. On an Isle where you were scorned for caring, the three of them had to have stood out.
And with Deez being who she was? Of course, she would find that type of bond magical. Every letter she'd ever written to him highlighted moments of these kids doing something of the sort. So to find people who so openly embraced it had to be something special to her, even magical.
She's so innocent and good.
She writes to you about others, about kids she sees good in, and begs you to save them.
As one of those kids, I'm begging you to save her.
He places his hand over his heart at the pang in his chest. The desperate plea killing him on a level he'd never experienced.
To have someone with such a commanding presence, and through writing, beg for one of her family to be saved. It touched him.
And hurt.
He was used to sincerity through writing. He glances at the tablets surrounding him, but even Deez had never been so earnest in her declarations.
The level of love Uma felt for Deez was nearly palpable.
But if it's not too much to ask, when you do save her, please take us all together.
I won't leave her, but I would try to get her to leave me.
His heart clenches at the very concept.
He'd made the mistake of pulling one family away from Deez, like hell he was going to do it again.
I'm just not sure she could do it.
No.
No, he couldn't imagine she would.
As much as he was sure Deez missed Mal and the others, he just couldn't picture Deez being able to make the conscious decision of walking away from the rest of her family. It just wasn't the type of person she was.
It had, was, one thing to have your family taken from you, another thing for you to leave your family.
I'm sure you're busy, being a king and all, so thank you for taking the time to read this.
Respectfully,
Captain Uma, Leader of the Wharf Rats
A smile twitches at his lips.
Even after being so vulnerable in the thick of it, of course Uma would end the note with the reminder of who she was and where she stood.
A newfound respect blossoms in his chest.
More certain of an adorable scrunched face in the near coming future.
Mal was going to loathe and secretly envy this letter.
He shakes his head before he tenderly adds Uma's note to Deez's before he picks up the next. His eyes narrow at the chicken scratch as he tries to match it up to which member of the family wrote it.
It definitely wasn't Harry's.
Which left Gil or T.
But with how hastily the words were scrawled, he couldn't imagine it being Gil's.
From everything he knew of the gentle giant, he could only imagine him to be more careful even with him recently learning to read and write.
T then. He smiles at the thought of the Shadow.
He chuckles. Before the video chat, he'd always taken the name as figurative but after? The name had taken on a more literal meaning.
He hadn't been able to make out any of T's features. It had been as enlightening and entertaining as it had been frustrating.
King,
I think you're a real piece of shit, and will always hate you.
He blinks.
Well then.
That was certainly a way to start a letter, and it very much had his full attention.
And this was T's letter.
One line in. Z ero doubt.
No one else would be so… Brash and bold.
It also made him very confident he would not let his father read this until after T had been brought over.
… And maybe not even then.
'I will always hate you' was a strong statement, even if he could understand where the sentiment was coming from.
That being said, Hyades, Deez, or H as she calls herself with you, thinks otherwise.
Always the optimist that one.
Look, Adam, we don't know each other.
And at this point I think the only thing we'd ever agree on is the hope it stays that way.
But, D?
He can't help his snort.
Adam.
He couldn't recall anyone ever saying his father's name without king in front of it besides his mother.
He'd understood Mal's fluster after their brief interaction on the chat, but this? He chuckles. This made him understand her frustration on a deep level.
He'd just have to do his best to keep his amusement from showing when he showed it to her.
If he showed her this one.
D is probably one the kindest, motivated, and overall good person on this shit of rock you've left kids to rot on.
She's spent her whole life dedicated to writing on behalf of the forgotten and voiceless in the hopes that one day they might be given a chance to be more than entertainment to the twats and cunts we've been left to.
He winces as he reads over the last line again.
Was that really all they were? Entertainment to the villains banished to the Isle for their crimes?
He bites his lip as he leans forward, resting his mouth against his hand as he braces his elbow against the desk.
T was not shy about his thoughts. If he were his father, he wouldn't want to meet the Isle's protective guardian.
Especially not after all the things he'd witnessed with Mal and the others.
The nightmares he sat through helplessly.
The fear in their eyes when they were unsure of any situation.
The strangely skewed view they had on everyday things.
Entertainment?
How had he not put it together before?
His eyes drift to the tablets and letters that filled his office.
Was it because of the way she wrote? The way she focused on the individual person's story rather than the bigger picture? The blameless tone she took?
Or had he been afraid of the way he'd look at his own father if he saw the situation for what it truly was?
He slowly shakes his head as he takes a deep breath and rereads the first part, wanting to take in more than just the ominous last line.
The barest hint of a smile curves his lips at T's choice of words to describe Deez, but the accuracy in his description of her only served to point out how blatant the rest of the truths were.
How was it possible to be so horrified by the words, yet so amused at the delivery?
Or was he just happy to have something from the elusive Shadow, no matter how much the words pained him?
And since it's been made clear that you're getting these with the yanking of the Core- I just wanted you to know the name of who's been writing to you.
Plain and simple, cause that's clearly how you like it, D doesn't belong here. She'd stick out like a pink goblin even if Senior wasn't her father. If the hundreds of tablets and letters she's written to you through the years doesn't prove that, you're as blind as you are short sighted.
She's with the Sea Fam.
Don't take them over without her.
It was bad enough the first time.
Fuck you very much,
-I think she calls me Shadow or Ghost?
He chuckles once at the parting before he sets the letter down. It was amusing to see that T was so unsure of the way Deez wrote about him while also so demanding in terms of what she said.
Or at least that seemed to be Deez's understanding of her situation with T.
In a strange way, it softened the blow of reading how hard it had been on Deez to be left behind.
The lack of description, when T hadn't been afraid to add expletives before, somehow made it that much worse.
He shakes his head as he sets the letter aside to pick up the next. His eyes sweep over the heavy, thick script.
Gil.
He smiles.
Between Harry and Gil, he could only imagine the hammer wielder to be theheavier-handedd one.
That and the way the words didn't quite line up straight, but rather moved indiscriminately, most likely out of the lack of line to follow.
Royal Majesty,
I know you and my father have a history that isn't good, but I'm not writing for myself.
I'm writing for Deez.
He chuckles.
Definitely Gil then.
Harry would have no reason to apologize, not that Gil did. But still, it fit everything he knew about Gil to apologize for his family's actions.
She doesn't want to admit it, but being left behind scared her.
She's said she's written a letter to you before, letting you know about her.
But I know it's hard to talk and write about yourself, and Deez is actually really bad at seeing herself.
Like sometimes she thinks she's a monster when that couldn't be further from the truth.
His lips tilt in a frown.
Deez'd mentioned that in her first letter too.
Feeling like a monster.
It hurt to think about the girl, who'd written him hundreds of letters in the hopes they'd reach someone who cared, thinking herself a monster.
Deez is the nicest, kindest person you will ever meet.
She never puts herself first.
A lot of the time I don't think she thinks about herself at all.
Ever since I've known her. It's just the type of person she is. Selfless.
She is always thinking about how to help others.
How to make them feel better if they're upset.
How to pick them up if they're down.
How to calm them down if they're angry.
His smile slowly widens. Gil's love and concern for Deez weres clear as day.
He'd always thought of Gil as swee; it was hard not to in all the stories Deez had shared. And he could feel the sincerity and worry in the tone of his words.
Selfless.
He hadn't pictured his ghostwriter any other way.
Of course she would always think of others.
That much was clear.
He glances up at the walls surrounding him; it would be hard not to be.
And she hates fighting.
I know that is probably normal over there.
But here, it's weird.
It's funny now that I'm writing it. A fire goddess who loves putting out fires.
A chuckle leaves him before the weight of the words settle over him.
Just like with T's letter, the lack of details concerned him.
Fighting. He knew it happened on the Isle, but he hadn't considered the frequency. Or the depth.
But now that the thought was in his head, he wanted to know.
He bites his lip, actually, now that he was thinking about it…
Book Club.
He'd loved reading about its founding.
He'd never put much thought into it. Why they would need to be forging their own swords in the first place.
After reading that T had….
Commandeered?
Brought Carlos and Gil together. Got Deez to join it.
It had just made sense to him.
He turns to glance at the shelf of black coded tablets. The boy was every bit as curious and exploratory as he was protective.
He'd just thought it had been a whim, a fantastically awesome whim.
But now? After reading these letters-
Letters that showed more insight to the Isle than he'd learned from Mal's pack in the last couple of months-
He sighs.
-it was clear that hadn't been the only thing on T's mind.
The realization left a heaviness in his chest.
It's one of many amazing things about her.
And there are. Many amazing things.
Like, she's always the first to compromise.
Or to help you find a compromise so you don't have to fight without looking weak.
It's something so little, but means so much to so many of us.
You can't back down from fights here.
But when Deez is around, there's a good chance you don't have to worry about it coming to that.
He blanks when the thought of Carlos and Evie having to fight comes to mind. Though he'd seen their bravery and abilities, it was still hard to think about them being forced to fight.
How many other kids on the Isle-
He lets out a breath. Until he could do something about it, really do something, it was best not to dwell too deeply on the thought.
That wasn't the point of this letter.
The point was to inform the reader that on the Isle, Deez stood out for her compassion and mediation skills.
That he could focus on. And it made him even more excited for the day he got to meet her.
Oh. Speaking of good. She is.
A small smile pulls at his lips at the simple line.
I know how important it is. To be good.
We, well we as in our family, all do our best to do the right thing.
But sometimes it's hard.
At one point he would have said it was hard to imagine a world where being good and doing the right thing was difficult.
But on the Isle it was not only difficult, it was probably punished.
And if Mal's distaste and everything Deez had ever written of the Sea Family was true, and he had no doubts that it was, he knew that they at least were in fact good.
He knew it was Deez's bond with the family that had made their letters stand out, but Mal's frustration of them was the cherry on top of a complex sundae.
Not for Deez though.
She doesn't care how people look at her.
It's one of those amazing things.
She does the right thing because she'd eat herself up with guilt any other way and she'd rather look weak than feel bad or be bad.
Not that that being good makes you weak.
Well it does here. But here is the Isle, and we're supposed to be bad.
Which is dumb, because it feels better when your good.
He chuckles at the delivery.
More than ever he was looking forward to meeting Book Club's smith.
Another amazing thing about Deez is how passionate she is about things she likes.
But more importantly about the people she cares about.
You can't feel bad for yourself whenever Deez is around.
She always sees it. Sees it and fixes it.
That's just the type of person she is. She doesn't feel good if you don't feel good.
So she'll do everything she can to make you feel good again.
Uh. That isn't to say she makes you feel good just so she can feel good.
Just that it like, affects her. Most people here wouldn't care if you felt bad about yourself.
But in her gang, or not, Deez will spend hours trying to make someone feel better if she thinks it'll help.
Yeah, he was definitely looking forward to meeting this family.
He loved Deez's letters and appreciated how objective they were. But these?
These letters were so telling of the writer's personalities and their own beliefs, and he was loving it.
Deez loves to help.
She's constantly busy cause of it.
If she ain't writing you letters then thats what she's doing.
Helping people. She's not supposed to.
But she's Deez so who's going to stop her?
He lets out a bark of laughter at the truth of the statement.
Melora and Herkie were nearly impossible to control, short of Megara's scorn. There was a reason Fairy Godmother had her on speed dial.
Demi-gods.
It doesn't matter who, if she sees good in you, she'll help you.
It's something I admire about her, and I think you would to.
At least I think that you would.
I don't know you, and I ain't trying to think for a king.
Sorry.
A smile tugs at his lips at the lines.
Deez thinks a lot too. Constantly.
It's like her second favorite hobby.
She's always thinking on how to make things better.
How to better help. How to be a better person.
Which is silly because she's already the best.
Yeah, they hadn't met yet but he could picture him, Deez, and Gil being close friends.
Um anyways. Thank you. For listening, I mean reading this.
Deez deserves to go over there. More than any one.
She'd really make a difference if she was given the chance.
He'd never agreed with anything so strongly.
And as much as we would all hate it, if we were ever given a chance to come we wouldn't if it meant Deez couldn't.
She's Uma's Baby Girl. She's Harry's Compass. She's my Treasure. She's T's… Just T's I guess.
And we're family.
And family doesn't leave family.
Um. Yeah.
Thank you,
Gil son of Gaston
His chest warms at the sentiment. At how sweet and considerate Gil was.
Please don't hold that against me, I don't like him much either.
He snorts.
Oh! And um, please tell Carlos I miss him, but hope he's doing all the sciencing stuff he's always dreamed about.
Oh and Jay, Harry misses him but doesn't talk about it.
And Evie, we never talked much, but T and Deez miss her.
Well, all of them.
Oh, and I guess Mal too, even if she was mean.
Sometimes. Not all the time.
It was nice in the library, like she was a real member of Book Club.
Warmth fills his chest as he chuckles. Mal and the others were going to love this.
Even if one of them wouldn't show it.
He smiles as he adds the letter to the pile before he picks up the next. His eyes run over the neat spidery curves of the letters.
Huh. His head tilts slightly as his eyes narrow.
This was not what he'd been expecting Harry's penmanship to look like.
He shrugs before he opens the letter.
To his Royalist of Magisties,
I know that you have many important matters to be tending to, so thank you for taking the time to read this.
I'm writing on behalf of Hyades, daughter of Hades, or as you better know her H.
Definitely not Harry. This sounded more like an adult.
Yensid maybe?
He scans the letter until he finds the parting line, his eyes widening as he rereads the name.
Faustina? He blinks.
His eyes narrow as he scans his walls in confusion. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but who was Faus- Oh. His eyes widen when he places the name.
Oh!
Faustina had written to the king on Deez's behalf?
His hand slams on the stack of already read letters and shuffles through them until he can find the one from T.
He looks them both over, bewildered by the stark differences in handwriting.
In word choice.
In, everything.
Just everything.
Nothing looked even similar between the two letters.
It was like two completely different people wrote these.
He just-
Wow.
To go from hearing a name, knowing T was the protector, to having a letter from the girl-
He sets T's letter aside as he takes a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
He was going to have to make copies of these for David and Nani.
He takes another breath before he settles back into Faustina's letter.
She's been writing to you since she could pick up a chisel.
Wise beyond her years and kinder still, she more than most, doesn't belong in this world of darkness and hatred.
I know you have no reason to trust me, believe me even, but I have faith that there is good in you so I implore you to consider her as a candidate to bring over.
Candidate?
He didn't disagree with anything Faustina was saying, but the word candidate just struck him as a strange word choice.
A strange word choice that left a bad taste in his mouth.
She would be nothing short of an asset and an ally for this new path you've decided to walk, a path in which I thank you for cutting.
It could not have been a decision to come lightly or easily, and I can only imagine the stress it is putting upon your kingdom, but as I'm sure your learning, Mal, Carlos, Evie, and Jay did not belong here.
Huh, it felt nice to have that level of understanding. Especially with it coming from someone who had no reason to be so understanding.
She had an uncanny insight into the difficulties he was facing. There was a strain on the kingdom due to his decree. Not that the average person thought there was anything wrong with Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos.
Just members of the council who didn't want to admit it had been wrong to leave children on the Isle to begin with.
Their souls, much like Deez's, were not meant for such a place of evil.
I'm not sure what of their traits pulled you to choose Mal and her crew first, but I've compiled a short list of those that shine brightest in Hyades.
Was anyone's soul meant for any place of evil?
He sighs.
But now he was pretty sure he understood why she chose to present Deez as a candidate.
His brow furrows.
But how did she know Mal and her gang well enough to, well, know them?
Faustina spoke like a leader, or maybe she was speaking as if she could easily understand a leader's motives.
She is adaptable, able to weave in and out of many circles without ruffling any feathers even in the hairier of situations.
She is competent when a task is in front of her, whether her own or given, regardless of its complexities, challenges, or difficulties.
She will always find a way to accomplish it without so much as a complaint.
He smiles as he sits back in his chair.
Adaptable and competent, competent without complaint even.
Faustina was writing a letter of recommendation that even the stingiest of traditionals in Auradon would find impressive.
He loved her descriptions of Deez though. The girl would have to be good at moving through cliques, or gangs, to be able to write in so much detail.
She is compassionate to a fault.
There is no one on the Isle that compares when it comes to empathizing with another individual.
She has an incredible knack for reading people and understanding nuances of situations.
If there is even a crumb of relatability she will find it and hold on to it dearly if it means further understanding someone or a place they are coming from.
If only more people had any amount of empathy.
Though it helped to explain why Deez wrote so much.
And the way she wrote it.
When Mal had spoken of Deez and her ability to read people and situations, he hadn't missed the tinge of envy in her voice. Though even she had admitted that Deez was all the more emotional because of her ability to understand so much.
It was the catch twenty-two of the situation.
She is strong in every aspect of the word and has never been one to back down from a challenge.
If you present her with a problem, guaranteed she will come up with a reasonable, sound, and fair solution.
If there was ever anyone on the isle able to help your cause, she would be the one.
Of that, he had no doubt.
It was one of the reasons the decision to not bring her over in the next round was such a difficult one.
But with the council unmoving on the limit of four-
He sighs.
He was grateful for the help of his friends in selecting the next four, it was important to bring over more kids who would continue to prove to Auradon that they deserved a chance at a life.
And even though he thought the whole thing tedious and unnecessary, he knew that even a King couldn't do what he wanted without the approval of his people.
My only real request is that please-
Please for all that is good, kind, and fair, don't call for her without Uma, Harry, and Gil, all of whom I am sure you are familiar through her writings.
She's already had one family torn from her.
It would be cruel for it to happen again.
There was a theme in every letter so far.
One that had him questioning exactly what it was that happened to Deez and T.
Deez had been hunted, and T had been wounded.
He grimaces.
Hades' words echo in his mind.
Wounded, and worse.
That was all he and the others knew, unless Jay and Harry had a secret code-
Did Jay and Harry have a secret code?
Things to ask about later, when he had some one-on-one time with Jay.
He presses a hand to his chest as he reads the last part again.
-don't call for her without Uma, Harry, and Gil-
He understood on the one hand, Faustina was attempting to make sure Deez wouldn't be separated from her family.
But on the other hand, he couldn't help noticing that she wasn't including herself or T.
He wasn't sure why that hurt so deeply, but it did.
Did she not feel like a part of the family?
Was she not able to be part of the family?
He had too many questions about how she and T worked to fully understand the situation, not to mention the only time reference he had for this letter was a two-month span.
Still, the thought bothered him.
With much appreciation for your time and consideration
-Faustina
He stares at the letter for another moment.
Eloquent. Deferential. Formal.
So much so even Audrey would be jealous.
He compares the letter to T's again.
Crude. Defiant. Hostile.
All in a way that, if he didn't know so much about the Shadow, he'd be alarmed about bringing him over.
How?
Just how?
How had one created the other?
He wished he had more to go off of with Faustina.
Anything.
Because at this moment, he wasn't sure he'd ever been more confused. He frowns.
Would the four be able to discern more?
God, he hoped so.
She seemed to know them well enough to speak to their character, maybe they'd be able to help him understand.
Or maybe that was more a question for David.
Probably David. He was still so shaken and happy to have something written from Faustina that he hadn't even stopped to question how she knew what she knew, at least not deeply.
He shakes his head before he places the letters back in the pile.
This last one had to be from Harry.
He smiles as he plucks it up, looking over the mostly messy script that addressed the letter to the King.
The K was big and elegant, but the rest was hardly legible.
He chuckles as he opens the letter to find several more flamboyant letters neatly drawn, but the rest looked like it had been written by someone in a hurry.
That sounded like nearly every description of Harry he'd ever gotten.
Royal King Adam,
I ain't much for writing.
But I need to tell ya about our Baby Girl Deez.
She's part of our family now, Sea Gods thanking finally!
He snorts.
Oh yeah, even if this had been the first he'd read he would've pegged it as the pirate immediately.
He could easily see the flair of dramatics that Deez always wrote of so fondly.
Uma has been looking after her since they were both wee ones, but now with Mal and her gang gone, Deez ain't torn or held to stupid rules by Maleficent anymore.
I know Deez be writing to you lots bout us, but she can be a mite blind in the way she sees herself.
And since she did the whole not writing about herself, the family and I have decided to write about her.
She be stubborn in all the best and worst ways, ya see.
He smiles at the descriptor.
Stubborn.
It was the first ambiguous word that one of the family had used to describe Deez and he didn't question it for a second.
One simply didn't just write for years with no response or reaction without a certain amount of stubbornness.
She be the kind of person that will always be there if someone needs her, but hates to be a burden on others when she needs someone herself.
The girl be so afraid of hurting people she would rather run if she gets worked up.
Hell, she worries about catching Uma's ship aflame and she's gotten so much better at controlling her fire.
I be telling you King, if it were anyone else with her fire, this Isle would be so different, and not in a good way.
She could have been everything her da wanted, but instead she be awesome.
He chuckles.
He loved the deliveries.
And the love and concern behind the tone.
It was everything he'd ever expected from Harry, and he was pleased to know his expectations had been on point.
It was so different from the other four.
So much more casual.
Like he was writing to a friend rather than a king.
He was loving it.
She be sharp as hell too.
She can make connections or something demigoddess like.
And even with everything she knows, she never tries to hurt anyone with it.
Just help. Always trying to help.
Anyway yeah, Deez be as good as any you could be wanting.
So be doing me a favor and be sure, if you plan to bring more of us over, to not forget her.
Little idiot doesn't belong here.
Again he finds himself snorting.
The endearment in 'little idiot' was obvious.
And again, he found himself marveling at the concern and love each of them had for Deez. All so different. Yet all sharing the same theme.
They loved Deez, and she belonged to them.
There would be no coming over if they weren't all together.
He loved the camaraderie. The sheer all or nothing about it.
Deez had always written about how the Sea Three were different, and now he could finally see it.
She'd described them down to a t.
And he could only assume they had done the same, just without adding what type of demeanor she presented to the Isle like she had done.
After such a long week, maybe the longest of his life, this had been an unexpected highlight.
Don't worry, we'll make sure she knows how dumb it was to leave herself out of her stories.
And wont let her continue it. You have me word on that.
The one and only,
Harry Hook
Oh yeah.
It was going to be quite the storm once Harry met Roy.
And it was such a relief to know that his dear ghostwriter had so many people looking out for her until he could bring her over.
The others were going to be thrilled to read these. He wasn't sure he'd ever been so excited to show them something.
Copies. He'd thought about making copies for David and Nani, but he was going to have to make them for the others as well.
And his mother!
She'd steal these in a heartbeat if he wasn't looking.
It was strange to suddenly get so many voices from the Isle, when for so long he'd only had the one.
He smiles as sets Harry's letter down with the rest.
And then his eyes land on the small parcel.
He grins as he snatches it up. How had he forgotten about this?
He carefully slices the twine and slides a battered notebook from the crumbled newspaper wrap.
It was like the old composition notebooks they'd used in primary school for practicing handwriting.
Except this one was at least twice the thickness.
His brow furrows as he opens it to find his name on the first page, written in Deez's handwriting.
So then, this must have been after the-
He grins as he pulls the notebook from the surface of his desk, excited for what had to be pictures adding mass to the book.
But his brow furrows when a folded piece of paper falls from its pages into his lap.
He holds it up and blinks when he finds it also addressed to him, in Faustina's spidery handwriting.
He nearly tears the sheet with how quickly he scrambles to read the contents, dying to know more about T's contradictory other half.
The puzzle to which he was missing nearly all the pieces.
To our own Royal advocate Prince Benjamin,
He blinks.
'Our Royal advocate.'
An unfamiliar warmth fills his chest at the words. At the connotation of them. A slow smile tugs at his lips.
That she, and perhaps the whole family, he could only hope, saw him as an advocate.
Respected him as theirs.
My sincerest apologies for inaccurately addressing my last letter.
I can only imagine the hardships you're facing with your first edict, so I'm sorry to take up your time, but after the intercepted video chat I felt compelled to write to you.
His brow furrows as he sits up straighter in his chair.
Compelled was a strong word.
An ominously strong word.
You seem like a sincere and kind person, and if Mal is dating you, you must be.
Despite the level of urgency he was feeling, he couldn't help his smile. Both at her thoughts and at the high regard she had to feel for Mal that she allowed her judge of character to impact her opinion.
I know it's most likely redundant. I can't picture Mal, Carlos, Evie, or Jay not being spokespeople for our advocate, but still. I would've felt remiss if I didn't write a letter to you on Deez's behalf now that I know the true addressee.
An amused smile tilts at his lips.
How prim and proper.
That being said,
Deez really doesn't belong here, Prince Benjamin.
None of these kids do. And the longer they stay, the harder it's going to be for them to adjust.
Hatred begets hatred.
And this world, our world, it's nothing but bitterness and hatred.
His heart sinks at the heaviness of the words. At the reaffirmation.
At the stark truth in them.
He presses a hand to his stomach as the ominous sensation returns.
Knowing the Core, they don't speak much of home or of their parents.
Let me assure you there is a reason for that.
There is no such thing as a good home here. No such thing as protection. Or love.
It's all about power. About one upping.
About providing entertainment to people who were so vicious and depraved, they were magically banished to their own corner of hell.
His stomach turns at the implications. Of what untold monstrosities and inhumane conditions he couldn't even fathom, didn't dare fathom, that his friends and so many others had- were living in.
And the vagueness of her short synopsis just made it all the worse.
Respect here is synonymous with fear.
Who can be the cruelest?
The most sadistic.
The most merciless.
Evil.
Each line was a punch in his gut, a reminder of exactly what every kid had to deal with on a daily basis on the Isle.
Each description a single word. Each with so many interpretations, none of which were in the realm of anything good.
This was what the council would have him ignore.
The fact that the kingdoms were all so scared of these villains that they constructed a barrier, the massive size of which had never been heard of before and required the help of each major leader to cast. All so they could be rid of the nightmares these kids were surviving.
I appreciate and adore what you are trying to do.
What both you and Deez are trying to do.
Save people. Save children.
Right a wrong.
But the thing is, by admitting something needs to be righted, it means that something was wrong in the first place, and I've never seen anyone who was happy to be wrong.
Which means for as difficult as it was for Deez to write those letters, it must be doubly as hard for you to convince those of your Kingdom in older generations that this is actually the right thing to do.
He frowns.
He'd never viewed what he was trying to do in that vein.
Righting a wrong, yes, of course he knew he was doing that.
But he'd never fully considered what that could look like to those that had opted to erect the barrier in the first place.
He'd been so focused on proving to the council and his father that the kids of the villains didn't deserve to be there that maybe he'd made them believe that eventually, he'd feel the same for everyone on the Isle.
While he couldn't make any promises, he did know it would take a lot for him to change his mind on the subject of the villains being contained.
He'd have to call a meeting to better outline his intentions with his program, permanently defining it to only those who were underage and not yet born when the barrier was erected.
I'm sure Mal and the others are all doing everything in their power to support you, but fear and denial are two powerful emotions to overcome.
And in the end, that was hopefully all that was holding him back from getting every child off the Isle that deserved a chance.
Fear and denial were powerful emotions, but fear could at least be addressed.
Denial though?
And all the reasoning reached because of denial?
He sighs.
Perhaps he could do more to help his people rather than ask them to take his and Deez's word on who was capable of goodness.
A system he could put in place.
A council he could form.
It was something he'd have to speak to David and Nani about.
Deez would be a powerful asset in that endeavor. There is something about her that inspires. It also fans a fire once a passion is ignited, something that softens the blows of one's past mistakes.
I'm not trying to suede you at this point so much as state facts. She is special that way.
There was something special about anyone who could survive on the Isle without succumbing to the evil there, but he couldn't argue the fact that yes, there was something extra with Deez that could inspire without ever meeting her.
And with her at his side he was sure he'd be able to do more.
I must admit Prince Benjamin, at this juncture, I find myself quite torn.
On the one hand, Deez, Uma, and her boys would be excellent allies in this battle.
The Core are all incredibly shrewd, but due to their introversion don't quite have the presence of the Rats.
With Mal and her family at his side, he'd already done so much, but-
He bites his lip.
-Faustina wasn't wrong. He knew they were mostly uncomfortable with the idea of being the center of Auradon's attention.
Except for Evie, but even she found it overwhelming and mildly feared being on camera in case it became one of the programs shared on the Fireside Chat.
She had been easing into the idea a little more with each passing day, but now?
After Maleficent's attack?
Would she still want to help him advocate?
And after reading the letters from Uma and her family, he had no doubt each one of them would do their best to help.
And Harry's presence during the video chat had been impressive, even with the black eye.
They seemed charismatic and charming.
He frowns as he looks back to the writing. If there was one hand, there had to be another.
On the other hand, I don't know what would happen to the urchins and other subsect gangs if the Rats were to be taken.
He sighs.
He wasn't all that certain what removing the Rats would do either.
He was already desperate to get Dizzy off the Isle simply for the void Evie's absence left.
Not that he didn't trust Deez and the others to take care of her, it just seemed to him as if Evie was very much a protector for the younger girl.
Everyone he planned to bring over in the next round was related somehow to the Core and the void they made with their absence.
Evie pointed out that Freddie and Cecelia were only given clemency because they resided in Mal's territory, and Anthony, for all his more snobbish tendencies, was Dizzy's protective cousin.
If he already had to play catch up with the removal of one main gang, he could see Faustina's concerns for the lesser-known kids.
You've created quite the conundrum you see.
I want my family to be safe.
I want the Core to be safe.
I want the unprotected children of the isle to be safe.
And for them to be safe, truly safe, they need passage to Auradon.
To get passage to Auradon, you need to persuade your subjects.
For your subjects to be suade, you have to have advocates.
To have advocates, you have to have people who are passionate for your cause.
For those people to be passionate, they have to have empathy.
To have empathy means that you have to have experienced similar hardships….
You see where this is going.
He sets the letter on the table before he presses the heels of his hands to his eyes.
Yeah, he was pretty sure he could see where she was going with this.
They needed the same people, each for different reasons.
It was something Jay brought up not all that long ago.
Something they all agreed on.
Deez and T were important to the Isle.
He groans as he leans forward and starts reading.
That is to say, if you have all of them, the Isle will have none of them.
And until you can bring over everyone…
God help me for writing this.
They need to stay.
There it was.
He couldn't have all of them because then the Isle wouldn't have anyone willing to stand up and protect.
He'd already taken Mal and her pack.
He couldn't have Uma and her family without shifting the power on the Isle.
Couldn't have Deez because it would be cruel to separate her from the people who clearly loved her so much.
With Deez on the Isle, he could get more stories about the kids there, could gather more information for him to use in the meetings he had to attend.
How was Mal going to feel knowing that Faustina, part of T, agreed with the stance her pack had taken?
Hence the moral dilemma I'm facing upon writing this, because I don't want them here.
I want them to be safe and happy with Mal and Carlos and Evie and Jay.
God, more than anything, do I wish that for them.
However, one rarely gets what they wish for.
That is to say, at least not in the time span for which they hope.
I suppose such hard choices is the life of a leader.
It just leaves me questioning whether or not to send or, more selfishly, burn this note.
Clearly, she'd made her choice, and he was delighted she opted to send this.
It was helping him, making him ask questions that needed to be asked.
More than anything, he wanted every kid off the Isle and safe in Auradon.
He didn't care if it was the near thousand Hiro was preparing for.
He wanted all of them in better homes, with people who cared for them.
Loved them.
Children deserved that, no matter where they came from.
But to see her break down all the sides, point out all the points of them, and still send this letter.
It was beyond admirable, especially because by her own thoughts, she did not believe that she would be among those taken if he called for the Rats.
His heart ached for her.
To protect the isle? Or to protect those I hold closest to me?
It makes me cry just thinking about it.
It made him want to cry as well.
It was another layer to consider when making already difficult choices.
Protect everyone he could while saving them as fast as he could.
Or bring over the very people he'd been waiting to meet since first reading about them, knowing they'd be great advocates to the people of Auradon.
How frustrating life must be for you, Prince Benjamin.
To have to constantly choose between your own desires and the greater good.
He chokes on a snort.
It was like she was here and calling him out on feelings as he had them.
Faustina seemed talented in her own right.
I've got but one small question posed in front of me, let alone a Kingdom's worth, and it's resorted me to tears.
I do not envy you, but you have earned so much more respect in that aspect.
But he didn't have a kingdom's worth of problems. He hadn't been briefed on the state of the kingdoms yet.
He was in his first and only decree, learning how the system worked. Training wheels on the training he would need to become a great King. That was how his father explained it to him.
Having a first decree forced him to learn how everything worked while still ensuring he was able to ask any questions he needed.
A test run of how the power of the crown worked.
No one had expected him to use his training for this, but when the opportunity to finally have a say in the lives of the kids from the Isle presented itself…
Who was he to ignore inspiration?
Alas, I am no leader for which I am grateful.
My only true request is that when you do call for Deez, you call for Uma and her boys as well.
I just wanted to inform you of what that might mean for the rest of the Isle.
Meaning please think carefully; your actions will affect everyone over here.
At least she was politely pointed.
He could only imagine how that would sound if T was trying to say the same thing.
There is unfortunately only one Deez, and as Prince you need to be aware of the board you are playing on to best decide what pieces to put where.
While he wasn't certain he liked the concept, it was the same way his father described leadership. Controlling a board and deciding who needed to be were for the greatest benefit to all.
And if you take Deez and her family, you have to-
No. Need.
You need to leave him.
Leave my brother.
Leave T.
Even though he'd seen where she was going with it, had started to put together that it could be more than just she didn't feel like she belonged with Uma's family, it still felt like a punch.
Leave T, T and Faustina, behind.
If he chose to put Deez on a list to bring over.
He rereads the lines as something twists in his stomach before he takes a deep breath.
Brother? His eyes narrow as he exhales.
Did that mean-
-was that why she knew so much?
Was that why she seemed to have insight on the pack despite them never knowing of her existence?
Because on a level they had, in fact, been aware of each other?
He shakes his head.
David question.
He isn't much, but he's enough to stave off the worst of it.
Otherwise, I deeply fear there won't be a point in coming back at all.
Things have taken a turn, you see.
An unease has settled over the Isle.
Whether from you taking over Mal and the others, or more simply that we, the children of villains, are getting older and stronger, is that which is causing unrest and dissension among them, I am uncertain.
But I fear for what that means for all of us.
As you know, T has already started rebelling.
Mal can personally attest to this, having seen his interactions with her mother.
At the current moment, I have no predictions for what this shift will cause, I'm just certain there will be effects.
Kindest Regards,
-Faustina
One person, alone.
Enough to stave off the worst.
The worst.
His stomach churns as a chill runs up his spine.
Not all.
Not most.
Not some.
The worst.
What the hell was he supposed to do?
Because what he was currently doing wasn't enough. Not by a long shot.
Deez-
He'd always loved and valued her writing, but it was starting to sound like she held back the darker side of the Isle for fear of what the telling would do.
Fear of what the whole truth could do in the hands of the wrong person.
She'd held back, had only recently started sharing more of the darker side of the Isle, starting with herself.
Because she couldn't write about the people she cared about if she wasn't willing to share the darkness in her life first.
He bites his fist as he sets the letter down and tries to breathe evenly.
Was the shift because of his invitation to Mal and her gang?
No, it was before that.
Deez mentioned things feeling off in her first letter about herself.
Back before the invitation was extended.
But it sounded as if his decree hadn't helped the situation.
He slams his fist into the desk.
What was it going to take to convince the council to bring them over? To separate them from their parents and give them a chance?
His decree had always been urgent.
The desire to pull these kids off the Isle had become an ache so deep he wasn't sure what it felt like to not hurt daily. Having Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos helped, but it was still there.
Faustina's letter had shown him how naive he'd been, even with the understanding of the Isle he did have.
He couldn't treat this decree as training wheels, and he couldn't let anyone else try to treat it like that either.
He takes another deep breath before he sweeps the letters into a pile and stands.
He'd have to read through the notebook later.
Right now, he wanted copies of these letters made.
A set for Mal and her family.
A set for David and Nani.
A set for his mother.
A set for each member of the council trying to block his decree.
And a set to share with the journalists working on a new series of articles featuring the Children of the Isle of the Lost.
Ooh, this one hurt on so many levels but it also had me smiling.
What about you guys?
At the very least, it's a complete one-eighty to Letters to King.
What do you guys think of the different letters?
Ben's thoughts on them?
Which was your fave?
Which hit the hardest?
The funniest?
Most interesting?
We wanna know so fucking bad!
Like so so so fucking bad.
I mean, this chap is ridiculously long for a reason.
Did we do the SS justice?
Do you feel like we dropped anyone?
Most importantly, to me, anyway, did the letters actually sound like their writers?
It was difficult to find their like, writing voices.
Difficult and weird.
Please don't hesitate to rip this one apart. We seriously would love any feedback ya'll are willing to provide.
Fave Quote:
Oh, and I guess Mal too, even if she was mean. Sometimes. Not all the time. It was nice in the library, like she was a real member of Book Club.-Gil
Fucking dead.
Much love and appreciation,
-Twisted