The burlap sack was yanked off Margaret's head, and the light blinded her. She did not see the point of her kidnappers blindfolding her. She had not even struggled when they had taken her. She had barely met Gil's eyes and she knew for a fact that it was in the plan. Well, she had hoped it was her cousin.
Everything around her was swaying. It took her a few seconds to place herself on a ship. She had not realized there were ships on the Isle. It was a bit of a shock Auradon would allow a mode of transportation if the barrier were to falter.
She scanned the faces surrounding her. She had not been bound, which had been a bit of a shock, but oh well. These were the children of villains. Some were not the brightest. Ben was nowhere to be found around her. Margaret hoped that he hadn't been taken when she had, but she was almost positive it was merely wishful thinking. Her eyes landed eventually on a boy that was familiar to her. He looked similar to paintings of her Aunt that hung on the walls of the castle in Arendelle.
Margaret flung herself at the boy. "Gillian!" she cried, knocking him back as she wrapped him in a tight hug.
Gil had been surprised to see her in the alley, but had shoved his suspicions to the side, hoping that it was only wishful thinking. He did not want to think someone related to himself and his mother would be dumb enough to willingly step foot on the Isle. He was wrong. That being said, his aunt did once chase after his mother in a summer gown in three feet of snow.
"Margaret?"
She pulled back. "Oh just look at you. You are so grown up and handsome. I've missed you so much! Which is hard, because you know we have never met, but still. I have missed you."
Gil placed his hands on his cousin's shoulders. "Slow down, Margaret. How and why did you come here?" He did not want his cousin on the Isle. She shouldn't be here. It was no place for a princess. "Uma, get the rest of the crew to leave."
"You heard the man. Scram!" Uma barked. The rest of the wharf rats did not hesitate. Uma then did something unexpected to the outsider. She bowed. "Princess Margaret."
Margaret did not miss a beat. "Captain Uma, it is a pleasure to meet you."
"So Gil has told you about me?" Uma asked. Uma was aware that her second mate sent letters often to his family outside of the Isle. Uma never in a million years thought Gil talked about a good for nothing villain's kid to a princess.
"I could say the some to you," Margaret smiled. "I'm surprised you even know my name."
"I like her, Gil. You should keep her around." Gil flicked his captain off. Both knew Margaret would not be staying for very long. Although, Gil was starting to fear that his cousin and his captain would one day be the best of friends, and wreak havoc everywhere they went.
"Margaret, what are you doing here? You didn't get sent here, did you?" Gil demanded. If she did something so stupid while she was in Auradon and got herself banished here, Gil would find a way to break down the godforsaken barrier himself.
"Of course not. I came to see what the Isle was truly like, and to meet my favorite cousin." Gil wondered if there was some gene in his family that made Aunt Anna and her daughter only half think through their plans.
"Only cousin."
"And to help you get out of this horrid place."
"Uh huh," Gil said. "Does Aunt Anna know you are here?" Margaret's guilty silence was answer enough for Gil. From what he knew of his Aunt from Mama and Aunt Anna's letters, Margaret was really in for it when she next saw her mother. "How exactly, dear cousin, did you plan on getting us off?"
"Us?"
"I am not leaving without Harry, my captain and my crew," Gil said. "I know getting Mama off is futile. But I think I can try to bargain the rest of the crew. I will not leave without the people that I have considered family for a very long time."
"So, what is your plan, m'lady?" Harry asked. Gil flinched, and wonder how long he had been standing there.
Margaret grinned. It was a grin that practically illustrated the plot the young princess was about to lay on them.
The Rotten Four trotted up to the wharf. It was no secret to anyone that they were looking for a fight. Mal was leading the crusade, as expected, and she looked angrier than most had ever seen her before. The four were armed to the teeth and there was going to be very little negotiation if they had anything to say about it. Mal was not looking for a treaty, she was looking to take back Ben, who was hers, and the idiotic classmate who insisted on coming with Evie, Jay and Carlos when they returned to the Isle.
Mal was not too happy with Evie either at the moment. She was pissed the daughter of the Evil Queen took off and left Jay and Carlos alone and allowed them to let the Prince and the stupid girl get kidnapped. Jay and Carlos had gone to Mal reluctantly. Evie showed up three hours later in different clothes, and a small bag that Mal knew for a fact that Evie had left with her on the Isle. Wherever she had been was a mystery that Mal would pry out of her as soon as this entire debacle was over and done with.
The daughter of Maleficent was tense, she knew they did not have the upper hand in this fight. The fight would be a clear one between the Rotten Four and the wharf rats, but the rest of the Isle had not taken kindly to the betrayal by the four of them. They were supposed to have either brought the wand back to Maleficent or return to break the rest of them out. They had been given a time limit. Before that was out, Mal had flat out told her mother they were no longer interested. Cotillion had been the event that made them realize that being evil was not really for them. There were people who cared for them. Why should they help the people who would only take away that respect they had never had before in their lives? Mal had willingly turned her back on the ways of the Isle, and she had lost all her power here after she had done that.
"Welcome, Mal," Uma taunted. "We have all been expecting you!"
"Give us back Ben and Margaret, now!" Mal yelled. She was not going to take the bait this time.
"I think you are confused, Mal. You are not the Queen of the Isle anymore. You don't get to make demands of me. Your little prince is safe, and unharmed, mostly."
"I don't believe you, Uma." Mal spat. "Whatever. Show him to us before we gut you like the shrimp you are!" Mal's eyes flashed a sickly green. There was no denying that she was livid.
"I think it's funny ya don't even mention the princess," Harry said. He pulled Margaret up. He laughed when he realized the ship's boy holding the sword to her neck was Dizzy. The Tremaine girl was grinning like a maniac. Harry wondered why CJ did not fight him harder to get Dizzy on the crew.
"Dizzy," Evie breathed. She watched he look on the young girls face, and she watched as Gil pulled Prince Ben up to the deck with a wicked sharp knife nicking his neck. Evie could not fathom Dizzy in the position she was in then, and Evie prayed that Gil was not the reason for Dizzy joining a gang. "You have made your point, Uma! Now let them go."
Uma huffed. "Let them go? You think I am going to just let the two prisoners go? They are ours now. Nothing you do will make us let them go."
"Yeah? And what is stopping us from just taking them?" Jay demanded.
"I dunno, mate?" Harry replied in his typical sarcasm. "It is the four of you against the entire wharf. Oh, we also have two, high profile hostages that could be lying dead at your feet with the flick of a wrist."
Gil felt Ben tense at the words Harry spoke. It was true, and Gil had no qualms against it if he had to.
"Lives are at stake here. Stop this madness!" Evie cried. She really had gone soft while she had been away. Evie had been extremely wicked with a knife and one of the bloodiest fighters on the Isle before she had been swept away by high society.
"Aw, that's cute. Since when have people's lives matter to us?" Uma cooed in her baby voice. "They will not be the first to die in a battle between the four of us and they might not be the last." Uma dragged a sharp nail down Ben's face, just enough to bite the skin.
"Fine, what do you want Uma?" Mal exclaimed.
Uma snapped her neck around to look at Mal. This was becoming too easy, she was not sure what to think. Uma smirked, this was going to be so much fun. She walked away from Ben, then locked eyes with Gil for a brief moment.
"We want off the Isle. My crew, my ship, all of us outside the barrier," Uma stated, the words were sharp and confident with little room for manipulation.
"Doable, right Ben?" Mal replied in an instant. She hoped it was the right way to go about the predicament.
"Right, of course," Ben stammered.
"Ah, but just giving back the prince and the Arendelle girl would be too easy. I bet you would not have a second thought about fleeing with them and not keeping your promise," Uma chided. "You can have your prince."
"Okay, now give him back."
"If Mal takes his place as our prisoner. Margaret stays with us regardless. We wouldn't want you to forget about us. Your prince loves you too much to leave you behind forever Mal. I think it is a fair deal," Uma sneered. It was one of the few times she appreciated her mother's rottenness flowing through her veins. Deals and manipulation was her specialty. They would get what they wanted.
Mal had a silent conversation with the other three. Jay seemed to want her to go for, and Evie and Carlos were urging her to not take the deal.
"Deal. Margaret is not to come to any harm, though."
"No other terms, Mal? I'm surprised. Usually you want something in exchange. You have gone soft." Gil removed the knife from Ben's neck, and Uma pulled him by the arm down the gangplank. She then cut the ropes binding Ben's hands and handed him a crumpled piece of paper. "These are the names of the crew and their big name parent if they have one. It's all or nothing, Prince Ben."
"If I do this for you, you need to promise no one will die," Ben pleaded. Ben would not just quietly submit to a villain's demands. Hopefully, if he kept his end of the deal, the wharf rats would keep theirs.
"I promise. My promises speak for the crew, all of them." Uma tightened the grip on his arm.
"No one dies, or this deal is off." Ben held his ground. Uma's eyes glinted something he was not able to decipher.
"Understood," Uma replied. Mal made her way up the gangway. Uma let her on the ship, not quite letting Ben go yet. "Get her, boys!" Um called, she pointed to Mal and watched the crew grab onto her. "Be quick about it, Prince Ben. Our deal only lasts four forty-eight hours, otherwise Mal dies, and Margaret stays on the Isle forever."
"Understood." Uma shoved him away, and into the arms of the remaining Rotten Four.
Mal felt her arms being yanked behind her back and cold cuffs secure around her wrists. They were colder than any metal she had ever felt before. Gil grinned at her with a maniacal look plastered on his face.
"Take her to the brig," Gil snapped. "We have things to do! Places to be, and an Auradon to prepare for!"