Chapter 12 – Atlantica

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Atlantica was beautiful.

Chad wasn't surprised. All the kingdoms of Enchancia seemed to have an ethereal sort of beauty to them – much like the kingdoms of Auradon, save the natural magic that sprung from them seemed more heavily pronounced. Atlanticans had two capitals – one on land and one underwater, and it was the grand port city that the next leg of their trip had brought them to. Chad found he quite liked the bustling docks of the Land Capital, whose constant activity and familiar sights reminded him so much of Sardinia. Granted, Atlanticans were a lot more bohemian in their style of clothing, but they worked together just the same – manning market stalls or seeing to fish, helping the Privateers of Port Royal with their ships when they were brought in from the sea. The people of Atlantica and Port Royal had a close relationship, which was why the visit for both kingdoms would take place here in the Land Capital. The Privateers of Port Royal spent most of their time on ships anyway, which was why their home was more utilitarian than frivolous, making it… not necessarily unfit, but not as welcoming to host visiting dignitaries from distant kingdoms as Atlantica.

Chad himself was okay with this decision. As heir to a port kingdom himself, he knew his way around a ship, though after his experiences training under his grandfather… well, he was still working his way up to being comfortable out on the sea again. Dr. Sweet said it was okay, that like most things his grandfather had tried to ruin for him – public speaking, public dancing, making friends – it would get better with time. He could readjust in a positive atmosphere in low doses, but until that point, he wasn't exactly rushing to get onto any boats.

People watching as he strolled the busy streets though, that was more than okay. He'd already promised Ben he'd take pictures and search out a secondhand book shop (apparently far superior to his bookworm senses than new editions), and it was with these tasks in mind that Chad set off. Vaguely, he wondered if he'd run into Mal again, or maybe Evie, but he didn't put much thought into it. If it happened, it happened. For now, he could settle with being alone. He'd been that way for most of his life after all, and he'd already gotten incredible lucky on the friend-making front. He doubted he'd get that fortunate again, so there was no point in searching for it.

He thought it was a realistic mindset, and to be fair, he'd held onto it for about half an hour while walking the streets until he caught a minor commotion out of the corner of his eye, a series of movements that had a basket of lemons spilling onto the ground while a frantic voice echoed after it.

"Oh- I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," the voice babbled, seeming to come from a muscular blond with long hair pulled back in a low pony, his clothes too sturdy and functional to be the usual Atlantican wear. "I didn't mean to- I can pay for these, all of these, I promise."

"It's fine, Gil," the stall owner said with a tone tinged with greatly put-upon patience. "No lasting harm was done."

"Still," the blond – Gil – babbled, rushing to pick up the lemons he'd apparently spilled and get them back into the basket, cheeks flushing while lingering pedestrians chuckled at his clumsiness. "I totally want to um- buy a dozen lemons. Two dozen lemons? What's an acceptable number of lemons?"

He was rambling and people were laughing, and Chad – maybe he'd had a bad experience or a hundred that centered around just such situations, so he didn't think much of ducking in and helping the blond pick up the spilled lemons, earning a startled look, like Gil hadn't expected anyone's intervention.

"It depends on what you're trying to make," Chad offered, keeping his focus on the bright fruit, going for the farthest outliers before he worked his way back in. "Lemonade would require more than a lemon tart."

"What's a lemon tart?" Gil asked, seemingly no longer embarrassed now that he was offered something new to hold his attention.

"It's an Auradon dessert," Chad said, trying to remember if there'd been anything like it in Hanover or the Moors. "A lemon custard in a tart shell. Sort of like a pudding?"

"I think I've had pudding," Gil said, his brows furrowed in consideration. "Hey, are you from Auradon?"

"Yeah," Chad said, straightening as they picked up the last of the lemons. "I tagged along with the diplomatic envoy. Not the one that's, you know."

"The one that's here to get married?" Gil asked, looking mildly unhappy about this. "Or something like that, Harry won't explain it to me."

"That's not quite it," Chad said, feeling his cheeks heat in a flush. "But yeah, I'm not part of that group."

"Neat!" Gil chirped. "Me neither! I mean, I'm also a tagalong, but that's mostly to keep Harry in a good mood. Except I can't seem to do that now no matter how hard I try." He let out a quiet sigh. "That was actually what had me distracted. I was trying to think of a way to cheer him up." He paused, blinking like a new thought had struck him. "Hey, do you know how to make that lemon tart thing?"

"Um- yeah?" Chad said, knowing between his cooking trials in the Moors and his internet connection back to Auradon that he'd be able to figure things out.

"Could you show me how to make one?!" Gil asked. "Harry loves desserts. He won't say it, but I'm pretty sure it's true. Maybe if I make him one he hasn't tried before, he'll smile again instead of being grumpy all the time." He let out another sigh. "Harry's always grumpy, that's his default, but this just seems different."

"That seems to be the common consensus," Chad offered, thinking back on Mal's ire and Jay's annoyance – two minor nobles who were exasperated and they didn't even have to worry about a potential marriage contract. Based on what Carlos had said, the kingdoms of Enchancia didn't interact with each other nearly as much as they did back in Auradon, so maybe all this new forced socializing was setting Gil's friend on edge. It was a distinct possibility.

By this point Chad would have thought Ben would be annoyed with his constant barrage of meetings, but Ben was raised for this kind of stuff – raised to be congenial and patient and adaptable. He had to be if he was going to lead the united kingdoms.

Chad got the feeling things were much more divided in Enchancia – the exceptions seeming to be Atlantica and Port Royal.

"I'm not sure what that means," Gil admitted with narrowed eyes. "But I think you agree with me."

"I do," Chad said, feeling his flush darken.

"Great!" Gil cheered. "So will you teach me how to make a fancy dessert?"

Well, Chad had two weeks to find that secondhand bookshop. He supposed taking an afternoon to test out his baking skills wouldn't be amiss.

"Okay," Chad said, breaking into a smile. "I can do that."

"Awesome," Gil murmured. "How many lemons should I get?"

"Let's say 6," Chad offered.

"Great," Gil cheered, and Chad was beginning to get the feeling that Gil was optimism incarnate. "Six lemons, please!"

It wasn't until after he'd paid and they were walking back towards Atlantica Castle – Gil also lodged in the guest quarters – that the other blond smacked a palm to his forehead. "I don't know your name," he moaned, seeming to despair for himself. "I didn't even ask. Harry's always getting on me for not asking. I'm so sorry, I don't mean to be rude, I promise not all Port Roylans are rude, I'm just dumb-"

"You're not dumb," Chad interrupted, because he'd followed that thought process too often himself to let someone else consider it. "You got excited, there's nothing wrong with that. I don't think you're rude." Before Gil could argue, the prince moved on. "I'm Chad."

"Gil," the other blond replied, offering him a small smile. "I'm Harry's first mate when his dad lets him take a ship out on his own. Only…" he dropped his voice and Chad leaned forward to allow for a more private conversation. "I'm not very good," Gil admitted. "I try to tell him that, and the rest of the crew already knows that, but Harry refuses to listen. The others are really nice about helping me with first mate duties, but I just- I don't think I'm cut out for privateering."

He looked sad as he admitted this, likely something that had been weighing on him for a long time if he was willing to admit it to someone he just met. Then again, Dr. Sweet was always reminding Chad of the benefit of seeking consultation from a neutral third party, and maybe this was Gil's way of doing that.

"Don't get me wrong, I try really hard," Gil explained. "My whole family's Privateers – my dad's even the captain of his own boat and my brothers work with Harry's older sister, but I just…" He sighed again. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I want to be good because Harry really likes having me around, but like…" He shrugged. "I think I'm just his first mate because we're best friends, not because I'm actually good at it. I keep telling him to promote Jonas because it doesn't seem fair to give me the first mate title when he actually does all the duties, but Harry's stubborn."

"He seems to really care about you," Chad offered, entirely supposition on his part since he had no idea who Harry was. Probably another tagalong like Jay or Carlos. "You might not be the best Privateer, but you can't forget the value of loyalty. Having someone at your back that you know you can trust is a big relief for any leader."

Or so Chad had been told, mostly by Ben. That was why Chad got to room with him.

"Yeah," Gil sighed. "I think that's the only thing I have going for me, though. We've been friends since we were little, but it just- it doesn't seem fair to give me a free pass based on that."

"I dunno," Chad said, wishing he had more information so he could give actually useful advice. "Harry seems to believe in you, maybe you should too."

"That's what my Papa says," Gil murmured, making Chad wonder if he was referring to a grandpa or to another dad. "But that's easy for him to say. He's been my dad's first mate for forever. The only reason they're separated now was so that I could get some proper schooling with Harry back in Port Royal, otherwise he'd be on the ship with dad."

"Your dads run a ship together?" Chad hazarded, and was rewarded with a small grin.

"Yeah," Gil said. "Harry says they're 'couple goals' or something, and he wants to have something like that someday, but I don't know how he's going to manage it if he keeps insisting I be his first mate."

Chad paused, because he was pretty sure… well, he wasn't the best with interpersonal dynamics, but he suddenly got the feeling that maybe Harry considered Gil to be a little bit more than a best friend, even if the other blond didn't seem to realize this.

"We're going to be done with secondary school soon," Gil continued. "And after that we're supposed to pick out our trades – that's what all Port Roylans do, and Harry keeps trying to prep me for the sailing program, but…" He dropped his voice again as they cleared the castle's security, motioned in with a brisk nod before Chad took point and guided them towards the kitchens. "I um- I might have looked into King Erik's Huntsman program in Hanover," Gil admitted. "Just- animals seem to like me and I'm really good with a bow and I feel super at home in the woods and- I don't know," Gil gushed. "It feels right. I already have my application mostly filled out, but I know Harry's going to be angry if he finds out – even more than he is now."

"If he's your friend, he'll understand," Chad offered, giving the other blond a few consoling pats on the shoulder. "You have to do what's best for you, and if being a huntsman feels right, then you should apply."

"Just- it usually isn't done," Gil said. "I get that you Auradon guys travel to each other's kingdoms all the time, but outside of Port Roylans, we don't really do that here. And we don't even really get off our boats, we just move stuff and people from point A to point B. Even the thought of it- of a Port Roylan applying for a Hanover program, it's kind of ridiculous. I mean, they probably wouldn't even pick me."

"You won't know until you try," Chad pointed out. "Just because it hasn't been done doesn't mean it can't be."

"But Harry…" Gil said, and that seemed to be the root of the issue. "I care about him a lot. He's the reason I've been able to get this far, and I don't want to be separated from him, but like- he's the ultimate privateer, you know? He loves sailing. And I… I mean, I love seeing Harry be happy, but I could just as easily spend my entire life on land." He dropped his voice again. "I might even prefer it, actually."

"There's different ways to stay connected," Chad said as he pulled Gil past the busier sections of the kitchen until they found a work station tucked far out of the way, the head chef giving him a nod of approval that allowed them to stay. He'd made arrangements earlier when he'd needed to kill some free time within the castle. "There's phones and magic. You wouldn't be entirely separated."

"Yeah, but I couldn't cuddle with him either," Gil sighed as they got to their clean section of counters. "I mean- I'm not supposed to talk about that. Please forget I said that."

"Relax," Chad soothed, his cheeks flushing. "It's perfectly healthy for friends to cuddle together, and what you do in private is no one's business but your own."

"Oh," Gil said, blinking in surprise. "Cool. Man, I don't know what Harry's complaining about, you Auradon guys are really nice."

"Thank you," Chad said, giving him a pleased smile. "You're really nice too."

"Aw," Gil said, hanging his head with a bashful flush.

Out of all his newly acquired friends, Gil seemed to be the most straight forward, making Chad take an immediate liking to him.

"Okay," Chad said, deciding to put their conversation on hold for a moment while he pulled out his phone. "I think we need to start with the shell first."

As it so happened, the makings of an authentic Sardinian lemon tart were more complicated than Chad anticipated, and they had to substitute a pie dish since there weren't any tart molds they could use, but still, things seemed to move along easily enough. Gil was actually a pretty decent chef and he took direction well, happy to follow Chad's orders and watch as their dish slowly but surely came together.

"I like to help my papa in the kitchen back home," Gil explained. "Actually, my favorite part of the ship is the galley, but Harry always said my talents would be wasted if I went into the cooking program."

"If it makes you happy, it wouldn't be a waste," Chad said, earning another shy flush from Gil.

They were just easing the tart into the oven for baking when they received company, and it wasn't anyone Chad would have ever expected.

"I thought I might find you here," Jay greeted with a fond smile, his hair pulled back into a ponytail not unlike Gil's. "Oh," he said upon seeing Gil. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met."

"Yeah, Harry doesn't like me meeting people," Gil offered with a small wave. "So that's fair."

"Jay, this is Gil," Chad said, deciding to ease things along. "Gil, this is Jay – I met him while we were in Tangu. He arranged for me to have a private cooking demonstration in their kitchens."

"Wow, really?" Gil asked, seeming amazed by this. "But they're so secretive about their food. Even I know that and I'm stupid."

Chad hadn't known that, though in hindsight that did explain the knowing looks the chef had kept throwing at Jay when he'd guided Chad through some easy recipes.

"No, you're not," Chad said, keeping his tone firm as he nipped that in the bud once more. "You don't have to be good at everything to be smart."

"I mean, I'm not upset by it," Gil said with an awkward shrug, but Chad got the feeling he was bothered by this, it was just a hurt that he'd managed to come to terms with as inevitable.

"As you shouldn't be," Chad said. "Because you're not dumb, and I'm sure Harry doesn't think you are either."

Gil made a face. "Harry also thinks I'm a good privateer."

"Then maybe you should believe him," Jay offered, trying to be diplomatic. "Harry seems like a blunt person. He wouldn't lie to spare your feelings."

"That does sound like Harry," Gil allowed, making Chad wonder if Jay had run into the other Port Roylan.

"Then trust him," Chad said. "Or at least trust that he believes in you."

"Still," Gil said, chewing on his bottom lip. "I don't think I'm supposed to talk to you." He paused, his gaze going wide before he pinned it on Chad. "Oh no, I don't think I'm supposed to talk to you either. Harry wanted me to keep to myself because I keep getting into trouble and he can't be there to look out for me because he's stuck in meetings and if I'm in trouble that definitely won't make him happy again-"

"Gil," Chad interrupted, familiar with the other blond's panicked train of thought because he'd suffered from similar ones many times himself. "It will be okay. We're both just tagalongs, like you are. You won't get in trouble for talking to us." Chad offered him a gentle smile. "I'm supposed to stay out of the way too and I have been – that doesn't mean we can't make the most of things."

"I guess so," Gil allowed, his shoulders seeming to slump with relief. "That's good, because I'd been getting kind of lonely. It's weird going from a ship full of people to just Harry and granted, Harry's my favorite person ever, but I only get to see him at night and he's so mad so…" He sighed again.

Before Chad could offer further condolences, the head chef bustled over, his expression seeming to default to a professional kind of sternness. "You are finished?"

"Our um- tart's still baking," Chad said, motioning to the timer. "When we take it out, we have to let it cool for fifteen minutes before putting it in the fridge-"

"I will do this," the chef said, and Chad knew there would be no arguments, which wasn't unfair, they'd already gotten a lot just from borrowing the space and ingredients. "It will be sent up to your room tonight."

"Actually it should go to Gil's room," Chad said, motioning to the other blond. "Please. And also thank you, we greatly appreciate the use of your kitchen."

"And I greatly appreciate your respect for our work stations," the chef said, sending an approving look over to the dishes Chad had already washed and set to dry. "Now here." He passed Chad a picnic basket, then motioned him on. "Enough for all of you. Go, enjoy, the servants will pick the basket up from your suite tonight."

"Oh." Chad blinked, flushing when he realized they'd worked through lunch. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the chef said, the smallest smile on his lips. "Now go."

Chad didn't need to be told twice; he knew a dismissal when he heard one.

"Man, oh man," Gil said, a definite bounce in his step as they exited the kitchens. "We can eat outside and not have it be on a ship? Oh, I've got the perfect place too!" he declared. "We visit the capital enough that I know all the best spots to get away from everything – come on!"

Chad supposed that explained how the lemon seller had known Gil, and with that, Chad found himself being led out of the castle, Jay following with a look of quiet amusement while Gil took them away from the bustling city and out towards the woodland area on the other side of the castle.

"Technically, this is part of the castle grounds," Gil explained as they got further off the beaten path. "But Harry's ship is usually allowed to park at the castle's private docks, so we come to this area all the time. It's me and Harry's favorite place in Atlantica."

He came to what seemed to be a wall of foliage and didn't hesitate to grab one side of it, pulling it back like some kind of curtain to reveal a small cove – brilliantly white sands surrounding clear waters, the entire area seeming untouched by civilization.

"Ta da!" Gil cheered, strolling ahead of them with a wide smile. "Isn't it pretty? Harry and I come here all the time to go swimming or fishing or collect seashells. Sometimes he'll even build a sandcastle with me – it's the best!"

"Thank you for sharing it with us," Chad said, sharing a fond smile with Jay. "We really appreciate it."

He knew he likely shouldn't be distracting the Tangun teen, that Queen Scheherazade had been kind to give them a warning, but Ben had said that things with the Enchancian teens were already looking up, and if that was the case, then there was likely less pressure on their tagalongs. Just- an afternoon picnic probably couldn't hurt.

"Oh man," Gil said bashfully, his cheeks heating in a dark flush.

Jay cleared his throat after a moment, capturing their attention. "So," he began, cheeks seeming flushed from the heat. "Shall we lunch?"

"Sounds great!" Gil cheered. "Atlantican food is amazing."

Gil wasn't wrong. As far as handheld food went, their meal seemed to be a variation of different carbs mixed with seafood – from crawfish hand pies to shrimp and cucumber wraps to tuna samosas – all easily portable and accompanied by small jarred fruit parfaits that acted as dessert. It was all fresh and tasty and Chad lost a moment marveling at the fact that he was in an entirely different kingdom and still had people who would willingly lunch with him who weren't Ben, people who seemed to legitimately like him.

"Oh wow," Gil said, Chad beginning to realize this was one of his default phrases. "Man, what a day. I thought things were going to be awful when I knocked over those lemons, but it turned out to be one of the best things ever!"

"I'm glad," Chad said, feeling his cheeks flush under the other blond's praise, mindful of the way Jay seemed to watch this, as though fond of Chad's bashfulness. "So um- how have things been going with you, Jay? Have you seen any of the others?"

After the whole aphrodisiac thing.

"Others?" Gil interrupted. "What others?"

"Tagalongs like us," Chad said. "I met a few as we've been traveling to the different kingdoms."

"Right," Jay said, his voice a little strained for some reason. "Um- Yes, I have," he said. "They seem to be doing as well as ever."

"And you?" Chad prompted, sensing that was a subject Jay didn't want to discuss.

Immediately, the other teen's shoulders slumped with relief. "I'm doing better now."

"Yeah," Gil said. "That's sort of how Harry is after all those functions and stuff. He's always happier outside them, but that's politics, I guess."

"Yeah," Jay sighed, seeming to resonate with this on a personal level. "It really is."

"Well, there's no need to fixate on that," Chad declared. "Not when we've got a free afternoon and a view like this. Maybe we could build a sand castle or something, or walk along the shore…" He trailed off with a frown, distant movement catching his eyes near the tidepools on the side of the cove.

"What is it?" Jay asked, immediately sensing his unease, but Chad was already standing.

"I think something's stuck," he said, squinting in the distance. He hadn't heard any bird chatter since he'd arrived – they liked to gossip amongst each other in that odd way of theirs – but he'd seen enough struggling animals to know that something wasn't quite right. "In the water, I've got to-"

He took off in a jog before he could finish the sentence, more focused on the animal in the water than any social niceties. The closer he got to it, the clearer the view became, making him realize that a large sea turtle seemed to be caught in some kind of net. More accurately, the net seemed to be something that had gotten wrapped around it a while ago, but now it was caught on the rocks of the tide pool, trapping the sea turtle in place.

"Shit," Chad murmured, considering his options for a moment before he dumped his satchel onto the ground, shucking off his shoes and jacket and unloading all the important items from his pocket until they were safely tucked inside his satchel.

"What are you doing?" Jay asked, he and Gil following up after Chad as he rummaged through his satchel for the pocketknife Captain Anozie had given him.

"The sea turtle's stuck," Chad said, knowing that he wouldn't be able to properly hear the animal's distress until he got closer, but mourning for it just the same. "She needs help."

"Maybe we should go get someone?" Gil asked. "Atlanticans are very protective of their wildlife – or, some of them, since they eat so much fish, but-"

"I'm not leaving her," Chad said, hating the very thought of it, of doing nothing when he was perfectly capable. "You guys can run and get someone, but I'm going to swim over and help."

"Chad…" Gil began, seeming unsure how to finish that sentiment, making Chad offer him a grin of confidence he didn't quite feel.

"It will be okay," he said, and then before they could argue some more, he waded into the water, ignoring the way it soaked through his clothes.

The closer he swam to the sea turtle, the more he heard her cry out – differently than a human, of course, but still just as worried.

"Hey!" Chad called as he swam closer, the rocks of the tidepool running parallel to him now. "It's going to be okay. I'm going to get you out of there, alright? And then you can go wherever you want."

The turtle made a distressed noise, thrashing in its confines once again, and Chad laid a comforting hand against her shell, do his best to sooth her.

"I know, I know," he murmured, carefully treading water. "I know it's scary, but I promise I'm going to get you out. I'm going to cut the net off and then you'll be able to go, okay? But I need you to hold still so I don't accidentally hurt you."

The turtle released a startled chirp, gaze going wide, and Chad lost a few more moments comforting it.

"I'm here to help," he said. "I would never hurt you on purpose. I'm going to be very careful, but I need you to work with me, okay? You're going to be free, I'm going to get you out. I promise I won't leave until I do."

That seemed to finally get through to the turtle, and after a few more minutes of softly offered platitudes, Chad got to work sawing through the net with his pocket knife, doing his best to keep his movements steady and careful. Halfway through the process, Gil and Jay managed to pick their way over the rocks to perch up on the edge of the tide pool on which the net was caught, and they wasted no time cutting away at the net that was there.

"I'm gonna try and get the net completely off of her," Chad said, alternating his cuts with comforting pets. "She's been stuck with it for a while, I think."

"It looks like she got caught in one of our fishing nets," Gil said unhappily. "Must have torn away before the crew could free her."

"I wonder if there's a way you guys could enchant your nets to prevent that kind of thing from happening," Chad said. "Or does Port Royal not do magic?"

"We have wind finders," Gil said. "But they mostly help with sailing."

"It's not a bad idea," Jay said distractedly, his focus seeming torn between the net and Chad in the water, his brows furrowed in concern.

Between the three of them and Chad's constant offers of support, they managed to get the sea turtle free in short enough order. She let out a happy trill when she realized what had happened and stopped long enough to nuzzle Chad's hand, releasing a sound of thanks to the others before she happily dove back into the ocean, disappearing into the clear waters unhindered.

"Yay, we did it!" Gil cheered. "That's awesome! I never thought I'd get to be a hero – or like, help be a hero. It's pretty cool!"

"That was amazing," Jay said, his gaze pinned to Chad. "You heard her struggling from that far away?"

Chad felt himself flush. "I um- just sort of connect to animals," he explained helplessly, feeling bashful despite the fact that Jay had definitely watched him talk to hs cobra before. "I think I-"

He cut off with a yelp as something seemed to curl around him underwater, making him flail in response before he realized it was a tentacle – and a large one at that. He struggled, but it seemed to be of no use as he was held tight and thrust into the air, dangling helplessly by the tight grip wrapped around his torso, his arms struggling to anchor him in place.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?" a new voice snarled, and Chad blinked to find his attacker was some kind of mermaid (squidmaid? He didn't actually know). Instead of the usual fish tail most Atlanticans sported, she had octopus tentacles, one of which was curled around Chad while she glared up at him. "Figure you're on vacation so why not terrorize some turtles?"

"He wasn't hurting her; he was saving her!" Gil cried, holding up the bits of broken net. "She got tangled up in the rocks and Chad helped cut her free!"

The mermaid froze, taking in the scene with a fresh set of eyes before she aimed her narrowed gaze back at Chad. "You dove into a sacred pool to help a turtle?"

"I um- didn't know it was sacred," Chad offered with a gasp. "But yes. I saw her-"

"And you just had to be a good guy?" the mermaid pressed. "Grab yourself some glory?"

"And I had to help her," Chad pressed. "Because she was hurting, and that is what you do with things that hurt."

"Chad can talk to animals!" Jay burst, making all of them freeze, the mermaid giving him a startled look. "He talks and they understand him, and he seems to understand them. At this point, I'm pretty sure my snake likes him more than me."

Chad felt himself flush. "Don't oversell it." He turned back to the mermaid. "It's not really talking, just- I get them, is all."

She stared at him for a long hard moment. "You're one of those Auradon fucks, aren't you?"

"Chad's not a fuck!" Gil gushed, making Chad wince. "He's really nice! He showed me how to make a lemon tart and gives really good advice!"

The mermaid then lost a moment staring at Gil. "You're Hook's boytoy, aren't you?"

"I am a boy," Gil said with a flush. "But not a toy – Harry's my best friend."

The mermaid scoffed. "I figured as much," she murmured. "Since he's so desperate to keep you away from the rest of us."

"Probably because you do mean things like attack people who were just helping trapped turtles," Gil countered without an ounce of fear. "He probably knew that about you – Harry's smart like that."

There was a moment, and then the mermaid threw her head back with a laugh. It reminded Chad a lot of Mal. "Nah, I don't think that's it," she said as she lowered Chad into the water. "But I think I get the picture for myself."

"Uma," Jay said, because apparently he knew this mermaid. "They didn't mean any harm."

"Yeah, I'm getting that," Uma huffed. "Doesn't change the fact that these are still sacred waters."

"They are?" Gil asked, still seeming reluctant to let go of his defensive tinge, but overwhelmed with a natural curiosity despite this. "Sacred how?"

She shot him a wry look tinged with amusement. "We use them for weddings," she drawled. "To consummate the union between beloveds in a place of mixed land and sea, solidifying their bond."

Chad felt his brows furrow as he pondered this over. "That sounds like…"

"Yep," Uma drawled. "This is where our important people have wedding sex."

"It's a sex cove?" Gil burst, his face flushing dark, Jay blushing beside him from seemingly secondhand embarrassment. "Did Harry know that?"

"Probably," Uma replied, her gaze amused. "Since he's smart like that."

Gil didn't register the barb, too busy being flustered. "Of course he knew that," Gil gasped, dragging a hand across his face. "Harry's a natural rebel, he probably thought it was funny to take me to a sex cove without telling me what it was."

"Thought you two had been here before," Uma hummed noncommittally.

Before they could get sidetracked by that, Jay cut back in. "Are you going to report this?"

"I should," Uma said, thinking this over. "These are very sacred waters. Frivolous violations shouldn't be taken lightly. But…" She tilted her head to the side, making a show of considering this. "You did it for a reason, a good one, so I guess I can let this slide."

"Thank you," Chad said, trying to put as much sincerity into his voice as possible. "I'm so sorry for trespassing. I would have just climbed along the rocks to free her had I known."

"But you still would have freed her?" Uma countered, expression neutral.

"Of course," Chad said, not bothering to hesitate, to think.

There was another pause where Uma seemed to reevaluate him, and Chad didn't duck away, even though he kind of wanted to.

"Chad, was it?" Uma asked. "I haven't seen you at the other functions. You like Gil here?"

"Sort of," Chad said, feeling his cheeks heat. "I tagged along more for the cultural experience than anything else."

"And to keep Ben company," Gil offered sagely, always eager to help.

It was one of the things they'd covered while they'd been preparing the tart.

"Ben?" Uma echoed. "That tall dude? Obnoxiously nice?"

"Yeah," Chad said, grinning on reflex. "That's him."

Uma rolled her eyes. "That should explain it," she muttered, and then she was lifting Chad up and out of the waters, setting him carefully on the rock wall that separated the tidepool from the rest of the cove. "Tell you what," she said eventually. "As a reward for your good deeds, I will allow you three the honor of swimming in our sex cove. Say… tomorrow?" She rolled her neck with a sigh. "Could use a break after the tedious bullshit they put us through."

"We wouldn't get in trouble?" Gil asked, worried. "Or um- have to have sex?"

Uma barked out another laugh, and when she looked at Gil, her smile seemed to be entirely fond, all traces of her anger vanished. "Nope," she said. "And only if you want to."

"I don't think we can do that," Gil babbled. "I mean, I've never done it, and also Harry said I wasn't supposed to talk to other people and I'm doing it again-"

"Contrary to popular belief, Hook doesn't own you," Uma interrupted. "You want to swim or talk or have sex? Do it. We're not going to hurt you the way he thinks we will."

"Why is that, anyway?" Chad asked, unable to help himself, hands braced on the tentacle Uma still had lightly wrapped around his waist. "All of your kingdoms are allied but none of you seem to really like interacting with each other."

There was a tense pause before Uma shrugged. "What can I say?" she drawled. "We all like to stick to our own lanes. It's not that we dislike each other, we're just happy with what we've got."

"And think it's better than the rest," Jay muttered, less his opinion and more of a noted commentary on the rest of Enchancia.

Still, it made Uma laugh, which startled him. "Yeah, pretty much," she said. "It's not like Auradon where you guys seem to mix things up all the time."

"Well, it should be," Chad said lamely. "Each kingdom in Enchancia I've gotten to stay in has been amazing in its own ways. The food, the art, the people – it's a shame you guys can't see that celebrating someone else's culture doesn't make yours any less amazing."

"I like that," Gil said while the other two seemed to puzzle this over. "It's like we all get to be winners."

"You can't all be winners," Uma scoffed. "There's only ever one. Everyone else comes second."

"Not in Auradon," Chad said. "King Adam might rule over all of us, but the United Council is what maintains order. Every kingdom works together for the benefit of the collective so we can do an even better job looking after our people."

"You are sickening," Uma declared, and that definitely reminded Chad of Mal. "But I can see why Ben keeps you around." Her gaze drifted over to Jay. "And why you follow him." She quirked her head to the side. "You introduced him to your familiar?"

For whatever reason, Jay flushed. "If I did, it's our business and no one else's."

"Of course," Uma huffed. "Tanguns and your secrets."

"They also have plenty of things that aren't secrets," Chad cut in. "That can be celebrated by all."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Uma waved him off. "We're stronger together or whatever." She paused, looking over them, then flicked her gaze back towards the shore where Chad's satchel and their picnic basket was waiting. "Okay," she said suddenly. "Sell me on this. Tell me why a political marriage between Enchancia and Auradon would be a good idea."

"Mostly it would settle people's minds," Chad said. "And everyone-"

"Over food," Uma interrupted, motioning them back towards the shore. "On second thought, you and I can swim there, seeing as you're already wet."

Before Chad could reply, she carefully pulled him back into the water, wrapping him in her tentacles before easily cutting through the water, and Chad-

Well, he thought he might feel closed in, but mostly he felt safe, so… maybe he'd made two new friends that day?

Wouldn't that be something.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

Uma wouldn't appreciate being compared to Mal but they definitely have the same responses when it comes to our dynamic golden retriever duo.

Story notes:

Yep, that's right. Gaston and LeFou are a power couple here. Eighteen thousand percent FOR IT ;)

To mix things up (more than I already have, lol), I had Enchancia mimic Great Britain's school system sort of, at least in title. Wind Finders are definitely borrowed from the Wheel of Time series.

So like, I realize that in the movies mermaids are totally friends with the undersea wild life, but in this version of Auradon they take advantage of their underwater maneuverability and eat all the damn sea food they want.

PS – totally just googled picnic seafood to come up with their lunch spread.

Until next time :)