Evie yanked at the bars of her prison cell, letting out a frustrated cry when they didn't budge.
This mission had been a disaster. She knew it had been too optimistic and naive to assume that she could just slip into the pirate village, find Dizzy, and sneak away back to Auradon without ever running into Harry. Now Dizzy and she were both captured. And to make matters worse Harry was going to deal with her personally.
This is going swimmingly! Evie thought peevishly, rattling the bars once more.
"Tryin to escape, Princess?"
Evie glanced down the corridor outside her cell. From the shadows Harry emerged, the click of his boots echoing with every step he took. He had a smirk on his face and he radiated satisfaction, no doubt utterly pleased with the how the events had played out. He had her trapped in a cage, completely under his control.
"Of course, I am," Evie retorted. "It's nauseating being on the same island as you never mind being this close."
Harry leaned against the cell bars across from her cell, his hands behind his back and head titled. His eyes fell to her feet, slowly working their way to her face. Evie crossed her arms, a scowl set firmly on her face.
"I do tend to have a dizzying effect on all the ladies," Harry replied, smirking.
Evie rolled her eyes.
"What do you want, Harry?"
"Before we get onto what I want, how about we find out what you want," Harry said, taking a few slow strides to reach Evie's cell bars, standing directly in front of her. He pulled out a ring of keys from his pocket, jingling them in front of her. "Is this what yer after, Princess?"
Evie made a swipe for the keys but Harry pulled them out of reach. "Ah, ah. Nuthin's free here. And freedom comes with a hefty price."
"This is pointless, Harry," Evie snapped. "What good is there keeping me a prisoner? You can't get the mirror while I'm behind bars!"
"Oh, let me think. Yer the royal advisor to King Beastie Boy and his Queen. Yer close friends with em and yer a princess as well. Ye are a pirates dream captive, I have to say. Quite the sublime leverage," Harry explained, sounding very pleased.
"So, you're going to trade me?" Evie said, utterly applauded.
"Only a fool wouldn't trade ye," Harry replied. "And fool that I am, I don't plan to."
Evie narrowed her eyes, "are you going to let me go?"
"Do ye want me to let ye go?"
"Yes," Evie replied without hesitation.
Harry held out the keys again, putting them within arms reach. Evie eyed them warily before making another grab for them, only to have Harry pull them out of reach again. He chuckled, still as easily amused as she remembered.
"Half a decades later and you're still acting like a child," Evie muttered.
"I told ye, nuthing's free."
"And what exactly do you want, Harry?" Evie asked crossly. "I don't have the mirror. It's in a museum. I can't just take it out as I please!"
"There's sumthin else ye can give me," Harry whispered, leaning in as close he could. "Yer a smart lass, I'm sure ye'll figure it out."
With that said, Harry left, leaving Evie in uneasy trepidation, pondering what on Earth he was after.
The next morning Evie awoke in discomfort. The prison cot she was sleeping on was unforgivingly hard and she was sure it had given her a few bruises as she had tossed and turned on it. She had covered it with her cape, hoping that it would make it a little more bearable to sleep on but to no success. Oh, how she missed the warmth of her queen sized bed back home, with its lush quilts and fluffy pillows, and four posters with glittering, velvet drapes.
She pushed herself up into a sitting position, surprised to find that someone had placed a thick red quilt over her.
When did this get here? Evie thought with a frown.
"Sleep well, Princess?"
Startled, Evie looked up. Harry was back, but this time she didn't have the protection of the bars between them. He was inside her cell, leaning back against the bars, his arms crossed and that frightening grin on his face. She figured it was most likely him who had put the quilt over her. Out of sheer pettiness, she tossed it aside, giving him a bitter lour.
"What do you want, Harry?"
"I merely wanted to see if ye fancied some breakfast," Harry replied with a shrug. "And maybe we could reminisce old times."
"I think not," Evie scoffed. "You kidnapped Dizzy, tried to torture her, and you're keeping me prisoner in a horrible little cell. I don't really feel inclined to speak to you."
Evie pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them. She looked away from the pirate, staring at the wall, her head held high. She knew he was approaching when she heard the click of his boots against the wooden floorboards. A moment later the bed sank a little as Harry sat down on the edge.
"Aww, are we not friends?" Harry drawled, giving her a pout.
He reached out with his hooked hand, intent on caressing her cheek with it. Before he could, Evie's hand shot out, grabbing it by the curve. She turned her glare back on him, gritting her words out as she spoke. "No, we're not."
"Hmm, I guess yer right. After all, friends don't leave friends to rot on an isle while they get to enjoy the high life," Harry said lowly, a dangerous edge to his voice.
Evie glanced at him, seeing the fury swelling in his eyes. She said nothing, accepting his venom. It was true, after all, she had left him to rot on the isle. She had been chosen to go to Auradon and he had not. She was supposed to have helped break down the barrier, freeing all the villains. But she hadn't done that. No. She had turned her back on evil and became good, assimilating herself into Auradon society, never once looking back on the life that she had left behind, including everyone in it, whether it be family, friends... or old loves.
"Nuthin to say, Princess?" Harry said snidely.
When she continued to ignore him he shook his head. He stood up and turned to leave. It was only when she heard the jingle of keys that she tuned to look at him. He wasn't facing her, but she could see his hand going into his left pocket.
That has to be where the keys are, Evie thought, realizing freedom was within her grasp. Oh, Fairy Godmother, give me strength.
"Is Dizzy okay?" Evie called out, trying to stall him from leaving.
"She's fine... for now," Harry replied, leaving the threat looming between them. "Have you figured out what it is that I want yet? No? How about this then. If ye figure it out and give it to me, I'll let Dizzy go."
Evie jumped to her feet as Harry turned to leave again.
I might not get this chance again, Evie thought, taking in a deep breath as a hastily made plan concocted itself in her mind.
"Why don't you just tell me what it is that you want?" Evie shouted, sounding frustrated. "I'm not in the mood for playing games with you."
Especially now that I don't even know what game we're playing. Playing games with Harry had always been dangerous, but to not know what game they were playing and what was at stake was even more dangerous.
Harry turned around at her outburst. Evie approached him confidently and dared to stand a foot away. She glared up at him, her eyes offering him a voiceless challenge.
"I didn't think it was that hard to figure out, love," Harry replied dryly.
"Well I don't care what you want and I'm certainly not going to spend all my time pondering over it!"
"Then ye'll never get out of here," Harry shrugged.
"Fine then, if you won't tell me what you want then I'm going to tell you what I want."
"Oh, let me guess," Harry said mockingly. "Me to let ye and the runt go free? It ain't happenin, Princess, so try something-"
Harry's words were cut-off when Evie reached up, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down into a fierce kiss. Harry blinked in surprise, taken aback by Evie's boldness. Evie felt him tense up and for a moment she feared that he would push her away. To her relief, he didn't. He kissed her back eagerly, his arms slipping around her. Evie slipped her hands onto his chest, gently pushing him so his back was up against the bars.
Evie pulled away first, her eyes meeting Harry's blue ones. They were as light as the sea at dawn and intense as the raging waves. As much as she hated to admit it, she had missed seeing them.
"And here I thought ye said ye didn't care what I wanted," Harry murmured.
Evie looked at his in surprise, unsure what he meant.
Harry rested his head against her, his lips a brush away from hers. Tentatively, Harry leaned forward, his lips meeting hers again. He kissed her slowly, his hookless hand caressing its way up her back and into her hair. He pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. Evie had forgotten how intoxicating his kisses could be. They were always passionate and heated or slow and torturous.
She bit Harry's lip, earning a small moan from him. While he was distracted, Evie pulled one of her hands from his chest, carefully slipping it into his left pocket. She grabbed hold of the keys tightly to prevent them from jingling and alerting Harry.
"Evie," Harry whispered, "ye have no idea how I've missed this."
"That makes one of us," Evie said breathlessly.
Harry frowned in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but Evie cut him off with a swift knee to the groin. Evie grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him aside, quickly unlocking the cell door and slipping out before slamming it shut and locking it behind her.
"Sorry for the low blow, Harry," Evie panted. "But you deserved that one."
Evie bolted down the corridor. She hadn't wanted to do this, but she didn't have time to dawdle. She pulled out the magic mirror from its hiding place.
"Mirror mirror I'm in a tizzy, help me find little Dizzy," Evie said quickly.
A paint splattered arrow appeared on the mirror, a cartoonish icon of Dizzy's smiling face appearing under it. Evie followed the arrow, changing direction as it did. Occasionally, she had to hide behind barrels stacked in the corridor or around corners to avoid pirates walking about the ship. Finally, she came to a set of swing doors that led to the galley.
"Dizzy!" Evie said in a hushed tone.
Dizzy looked over from where she was sweeping the floors, her face brightening.
"Evie!" Dizzy shrieked, dropping the brush and running over to her.
Evie enveloped her in a bone crushing hug. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, now!" Dizzy said, beaming. "They had me sweeping, Evie. Sweeping!"
"You poor thing. Don't worry, I got Harry back for you." Evie took Dizzy's hand. "Right, we need to get out of here. Now."
"Agreed," Dizzy said, nodding her head.
"Mirror mirror help us quick, get us off this pirate ship," Evie said, holding the mirror in her free hand.
Another arrow appeared on the mirror, this one glowing green with the word exit flashing below.
"We're gonna get ambushed by pirates once we step onto the main deck, Evie," Dizzy warned, sounding disheartened. "That's what happened when I tried to escape."
"We need a disguise," Evie murmured. "Is there any cloaks or anything we could use?"
Dizzy tapped her chin, an idea lightening up her face. "There is! Some pirates left their stuff here. Wait for one second!"
Dizzy hurried over to one of the long tables, picking up some cloaks and hats. She handed one of the black, scruffy capes to Evie, along with a hat. Evie quickly pulled them on, Dizzy doing the same with hers.
"They're not much but if we're quick we might be able to get by unnoticed."
"Well need to hurry," Evie said, grabbing Dizzy's hand again. "I just had a... run in with Harry. He is not going to be happy when he recovers."
Evie followed the mirrors instruction, letting it lead them to the main deck.
"What did you do?" Dizzy asked.
"Umm... possibly seriously hindered his ability to have kids," Evie said, wincing. Under her breath, so that Dizzy wouldn't hear, she added. "Among other things."
Dizzy frowned before realization blossomed on her face. She cringed, "Oh. Yeah, let's get out of here. Like... now!"
They made it off the ship safely. However, the moment that they got to the end of the harbour they heard the insistent ringing of a bell, followed by angry cries coming from The Rising Tide. They realized Harry must have managed to get out of the cell and had alerted the crew.
They didn't dare glance back as they weaved their way through the pedestrians of the pirate town, nor did they stop until they were as far into the forest as their legs could take them. They stopped by a trickling brook, panting hard, sweat pouring from them.
"Do you think... we got far enough away?" Dizzy asked tiredly.
"Not... by a long... shot."
"How... are we going... to get out of... Neverland?" Dizzy asked, flopping down onto a rotten log.
"That's... the problem," Evie panted, leaning her back against a tree. "I had brought pixie dust with me, but when I got locked in the cell they took everything from me. My sword. My spare clothes. My makeup. And the pixie dust!"
"What are we gonna do?" Dizzy asked worriedly. "I haven't read the story of Peter Pan in a long time, but I remember... that Neverland's filled with danger. Crocodiles. Booby traps. Dangerous monsters. And pirates!"
"But not everything here is bad," Evie pointed out. "There's the Natives. The Lost Boys. And Peter Pan."
"Oh, my glass slippers! And fairies! They could help us!"
Evie shook her head. "Fairies can be... pernickety. They might not help us. I think we should find Peter Pan and The Lost Boy. Tinkerbell should be with them. I'm sure Peter will be willing to convince Tink to give us enough pixie dust to get home."
"Good plan!" Dizzy nodded.
"We just need to be careful. I'm not sure how The Lost Boys will react to me. I'm not a kid anymore and they don't like adults. The only adults here, besides the Natives, are pirates. They might think I'm one."
"Don't worry, Evie! I won't let them hurt you!" Dizzy said confidentially.
"Then let's get going," Evie said, throwing her hat and cape to the ground. She pulled out her magic mirror again. "Mirror mirror in my hand, lead me to Peter Pan."
Again, an arrow appeared in the mirror, this one green with leaves adorning it, a little green hat at the bottom of it. They followed it deeper into the forest.
"Evie, I thought you told Harry that you didn't have your magic mirror?" Dizzy asked, looking at the artefact in Evie's hand.
"I lied," Evie admitted, sounding ashamed. "I hide it in my corset. I didn't want to hand it over as I had a feeling he was going to use it to find Peter Pan's hide out. I didn't want him to use it for evil like that. I'm sorry, Dizzy. If I had just handed it over to him you would have been allowed to go free."
Dizzy shook her head, "I don't think he would have let me go even if you did give him it."
"No," Evie said quietly. "He would have. Harry's a man of his word. Always has been and always will be."
Dizzy took Evie's hand, squeezing it comfortingly. "I understand why you didn't hand it over. I would have done the same thing as you did. Bid my time until I found another way to save you. And you did save me, that's what matters!"
Evie smiled, "I've not saved you yet. Once we're off Neverland I'll owe you a month worth of desserts."
It was a difficult journey, but they finally found Hangman's tree. They stood before the large oak, staring up at it in muted horror.
The tree was destroyed, burned to a crisp, only a blacked, hollow skeleton of a tree left. Evie walked over to it, placing a hand on the charred trunk. She could just make out three slashes across the bark, making the letter H. Evie let out a shaky breath, all her energy suddenly leaving her.
Harry... what have you done?
"Evie... I found something," Dizzy called out, her voice devoid of its usual cheer.
Evie turned around, her heart flinching with what she saw. In Dizzy's hand was a sooty green cap, a single ruffled feather sticking out from it.
"Isn't this... Peter Pan's hat?" Dizzy whispered.
Evie closed her eyes, biting her lip.
"It is."
Evie lowered herself to the ground, hiding her face away in her hands. It seemed Harry had done what he had always said he would. He had told her it so often on the isle, vowing to one day avenge his father and defeat Peter Pan and his merry little band of filthy misfits. It seemed he was the first villain kid to grow up and accomplish that dream of vengeance.
She felt her heart breaking, realizing just how far Harry had fallen to darkness.
She couldn't help but wonder had it been Harry who had been taken off the isle instead of her, would he have been different? Good, even? That possible future haunted her like a mirage, playing out before her but when she reached for it, vanished like a ghost.
"I thought... this was why he needed the magic mirror," Evie mumbled, gently taking the fallen heroes dirty green cap from Dizzy. She smoothed the feather between her fingers, her eyes watering. "To find Peter's hideout. To allow him to get revenge. But now... I don't understand why he wants it."
"I don't think I want to know," Dizzy said, shivering.
"We need to find the fairies and hope that they'll let us have some pixie dust. Once we're off the isle we'll get back to Auradon and tell the guards what happened. Harry needs to get put back on the isle... he's too far gone now to be saved."
Evie stood up, passing the hat back to Dizzy who held onto it tightly.
"Come on, let's get moving," Evie said.
The two girls turned to leave, only to be stopped by a familiar voice.
"Leavin without saying goodbye again, Evie?"
Evie and Dizzy spun around, gasping to see Harry leaning against a tree at the edge of the clearing, his arms crossed and a sinister grin on his face. From the forest more pirates emerged from the darkness, completely surrounding them. The pirates chuckled and sniggered, unsheathing their swords and waiting eagerly for either of the girl's to attempt to escape.
"That's becoming a bad habit of yers, Princess," Harry continued.
Evie pulled Dizzy behind her, keeping her as safe as she could. "If it's the magic mirror that you want I'll give it to you without a fight. Just let us go."
Harry grinned, pushing himself off the tree and sauntering towards them. He stopped a few feet away.
"Let the both of ye go? Now when did I agree to that?" Harry asked, his crew chuckling darkly.
"You said you would let Dizzy go if I gave you the magic mirror."
"Actually, I didn't," Harry cut in, raising a finger pointedly. "I never said anything about lettin the runt go for the mirror. I told ye to bring it, not that I'd trade it for her."
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Evie snapped angrily. "Quit playing games with me and just say what you want!"
His next words were simple, said with a casualness that was not fitting for what it meant.
"What I want... is you."
Evie frowned, "what?"
"Ye heard me. Hand yerself over, promise to come quietly, and I'll let Dizzy fly off back to the Mainland with this here bag of pixie dust," Harry said, swinging the golden bag filled with pixie dust that had been stolen from Evie.
"What? No!" Dizzy cried, latching onto Evie's arm protectively. "She's not staying here with you! Evie, you can't!"
Evie glared at the pirate. So it was revenge he wanted. She kept her eyes focused on him, refusing to look at Hangman's charred remains behind her, a vibrant reminder that Harry was not to be messed around with. He was a villain through and through, and he wasn't scared to deliver the finishing strike. If handing herself over for whatever terrible fate Harry had in store for her was what it cost to save Dizzy from his evil, then so be it.
"If you let Dizzy go... then it's a deal."
"Give me yer word, Evie. And bear in mind I've never been too fond of people that break their vows," Harry said darkly.
"I promise."
Harry tossed her the bag containing the pixie dust. Evie caught it and turned around to face the Dizzy, placing the bag into her hands. Tears were welling up in the girl's eyes, breaking Evie's heart. Dizzy was always so full of life and joy, tears of sadness should never have rolled down her cheeks.
"Dizzy, you need to fly home, alright," Evie said, stressing her words.
Dizzy shook her head, her lower lip trembling. "I can't leave you here with him! He's horrible!"
"I can handle the codfish over there," Evie muttered. "You get home safely. Everyone will be missing you."
Dizzy looked at her, the tears clearing a little. She nodded, diving forward and wrapping her arms around Evie's neck, giving her a tight hug. As discreetly as she could, Evie passed Dizzy the magic mirror.
"I'll get help," Dizzy whispered.
Dizzy pulled away, ready to pour the pixie dust into her hand.
"Hold it, runt!" Harry yelled sharply. "The mirror, now."
Evie tensed up, cursing under her breath. She took the mirror back from Dizzy, not wanting the girl to have to go anywhere near the unpredictable pirate. With bitter resentment shining through her eyes, Evie mutely held out the mirror.
"Ta," Harry said as he took the mirror from her, his fingers brushing against the palm of her hand.
"Why do you even want it, Harry?" Evie asked quietly.
"What, this?" Harry held up the mirror, walking a few feet backwards, his eyes never leaving Evie's. He grinned at her, a sly look in his eyes. "I don't."
"Then why-"
Evie flinched when Harry smashed the mirror against a tree. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth, a gasp escaping her as she watched the broken glass fall to the dirty ground, twinkling in greens and browns as it reflected the forest around them.
"The mirror... you broke the magic mirror," Evie whispered, her legs buckling.
That mirror was hundreds of years old. It had been a treasured family heirloom. She may have handed it down to the museum but that mirror was important to her. A relic of the past. An artefact with a rich and colourful history. So often she would go to the museum to gaze upon it, to remind herself of what she had once been, of what she could never be again.
And Harry had just destroyed it.
Evie dropped to her knees, staring at the broken remains blankly.
"Good thing I don't believe in bad luck, eh?" Harry smirked.
"Why... why did you break it?" Evie said, her voice pitching sharply. "I thought that was what you wanted... why would you-"
"Is that what I wanted, Princess?" Harry asked, tilting his head. "I did say there was somethin else."
Evie stared at him in confusion. Harry walked over to her, kneeling down before her. He raised his hook to rest under her chin, using it to tip her face upwards to look at him.
"Leave her alone!" Dizzy shouted.
Harry glanced at one of his crew, a silent order being given. The tank of a man quickly moved forward, grabbing the girl and pulling her away despite her loud protests. Evie came out her shocked stupor at the girl's cries, but Harry's sharp hook stopped her from moving. If she wasn't careful she would slice her neck on it.
"You said you would let her go," Evie gritted out. "You have me. You can have your revenge. Now keep your word."
"Owe! The little whelp bit me!" The pirate who was holding Dizzy yelled, cursing at the flailing girl.
Harry grinned. He turned to the pirate still holding Dizzy captive and snapped his fingers. Immediately, the pirate dropped the girl.
"Beat it, runt! And I better never catch sight of ye again!" Harry said, glaring at the youngester.
Dizzy looked at Evie apologetically, the pain of leaving Evie behind tearing her apart.
Go, Evie mouthed.
She knew Dizzy would return to Auradon and get help. Whether or not the rescue party would make it in time before Harry was through with her was another matter. With a heavy heart, she watched as Dizzy threw the pixie dust over herself and flew away.
Harry rose to his feet. He offered his hand to Evie, smiling down at her with a victorious grin. Evie batted away his hand and stood up on her own.
"Now what?" Evie asked, her voice shaking ever so slightly.
Harry stepped into her space and much to her discomfort he took her hand in his, his thumb tracing the back of her hand.
"Now, we head back to The Rising Tide."
Evie stood on the sterncastle deck, leaning against the railing and watching the crew on the main deck scuttle around, climbing the shanks, hoisting the sails and untying the ship from the dock. She glanced over at Harry who was behind the ship's steering wheel, his arms draped over it, watching his crew boredly.
"What are they getting ready for?" Evie asked.
Harry looked over at her. "To set sail, of course."
"What? Are you going to sail around Neverland?" Evie inquired lightly, resting her chin on her hand, her elbow leaning against the rail.
She didn't see the amused smirk spread on Harry's face or hear him push himself off the wheel and walk towards her. She only realised he had moved when she saw his hands at either side of her on the bannister, his chest pressed up against her back.
"We, are leaving Neverland," Harry whispered into her ear, his breath hot against her neck.
Evie felt her heart drop. She turned around, still caged in his arms. She wasn't happy with how close he was. Harry always had a problem with respecting people's personal space.
"I've done everything I need to here. I got revenge against my father's greatest foe. I've set up a home base. Found maself a loyal crew and a mighty fine ship. It's time I go make a reputation for maself elsewhere," Harry explained with a shrug. "There's a whole new world out there to explore."
Evie swallowed, a panic rising inside her.
This was not good. How would Dizzy and the others find her now? If Harry planned to take her out to sea then they would never find her! Not unless they had her... her magic mirror...
Evie eyed Harry warily. "That's why you broke the mirror... so no one could ever use it to find you."
"Not just me," Harry said, smiling. He brushed a wave of her blue hair behind her ear, a wistful look on his face. "They won't find you either."
"Obviously not if I'm dead," Evie quipped bitterly.
"I never said I was gonna kill ye," Harry crooned, stroking her cheek with his hook.
"Ah, so a long drawn out torture?" Evie replied snarkily.
"I never said I wanted revenge either."
Evie frowned. "Then why am I here?"
"Oh, Princess, I thought ye'd figured it out," Harry said softly.
He dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out a silver ring. He held it between his fingers in front of her, looking at it with idle fascination. Evie's mouth dropped open as she stared at the band.
"That's..."
"The ring I gave ye not long before ye left the isle. And with it came a promise that we'd always be there for each other, no matter what." Harry sounded almost cheerful, but there was no hiding the fury swelling behind his words.
"It was a silly promise made between children who didn't know any better," Evie retorted.
Harry let out a harsh breath, his eyes narrowing a little. "Really?"
No, she thought. When she had made that promise she had meant it. But then everything changed. She became good and had gotten so wrapped up in her fairytale life, the life she had always dreamed of that she had forgotten - no, forced herself to forget - the isle and all who lived there. She had wanted to lock away everything she had once been and as much as it had pained her, that included abandoning old relations.
"You left me on the isle to rot," Harry gritted out. "And still... I hoped that ye'd come back. That ye'd remember our promise," Harry clenched the ring in his hand tightly, glancing away "But ye didn't."
Evie looked away, shame churning her stomach.
"Ye got to have yer chance at happily ever after and ye took it with both hands, quite content to let me wallow away on that wretched isle!" Harry hissed.
"Harry... I'm sorry," Evie murmured.
Harry looked taken aback, pulling away from her slightly. "Yer what?"
"I'm sorry," Evie said more loudly. "I tried to forget. About the isle, about who I used to be, and everyone I knew. I... I was ashamed of my past. Of who I used to be. That's why I never came back for you. But I should have tried to give you the same chance that I got. I shouldn't have left you there."
If only she could turn back time and give Harry the opportunity of a better life, maybe, he wouldn't be the villain he was today.
Harry slowly traced his hook from her chin to her cheek. He leaned forward again, a smirk on his lips. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about it, Princess. I didn't need ye to get off the isle. I didn't need anyone. And look where I am. Pirate King of Neverland. And ye want to know what the best part is?"
Evie didn't want to know.
"Ye ain't seen nuthin yet."
Evie glanced away, uncomfortable having those eyes watching her so intensely.
"I still don't understand why you needed me here," Evie murmured.
Harry leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. He used his hooked hand to gently turn her head, so she was looking at him once more. He surprised her when he pressed his lips to hers, giving her a lingering, chaste kiss. He pulled away, just enough that his lips were scarcely touching hers.
Unbidden, the memory of the kisses they had shared in the ship's brig came to her.
"And here I thought ye said ye didn't care what I wanted."
It couldn't be. Evie took in a deep breath, unnerved by how intensely Harry's eyes were watching her. She could see a smirk playing on his lips, knowing that she was putting the pieces together.
"I just want you. That's it. Every king needs his consort, after all."
"Never gonna happen, Harry," Evie replied quietly.
"Are ye tellin me ye feel absolutely nuthin for me, Evie? It may have been years since we were last together but ma feelings haven't changed one bit. I love ye now as much as I did back then."
"My feelings changed a long time ago," Evie whispered.
Hary narrowed his eyes. "I don't buy that for a second."
"Cap'n! We're ready to set sail!" A voice called up from the main deck.
Harry sighed. He reached down, taking one of Evie's hand's in his. He placed the silver ring in her palm, closing her fingers around it. He rose her closed fist to his lips, placing a delicate kiss on her knuckles.
"Mr Starking!" Harry shouted.
A pirate rushed up to the sterncastle deck and stood to attention, his arm raised in salute.
"Take the lovely princess to her room and make sure she stays there," Harry instructed. "She tries anything send for me and I'll deal with her."
Evie glared at Harry as Mr Starking took her by the upper arm, pulling her away.
Harry sighed, watching his princess vanish inside the ship.
Finally, he had her, back by his side where she belonged. After all these years of waiting...
With the magic mirror gone, there was no way anyone would be able to steal her away from him. Not Mal and her Beastie Boy King, not the other VK's, and not any of the noble hearted, wretched heroes in Auradon. No, there was no one. She was his, now and forever. Oh, all the adventures they would have.
She may claim not to love him now, but he knew it was a lie. Her time in Auradon had stolen her silver tongue, making her lies all the more easy to see through. She was angry now, furious that he had stolen her happy ending from her. What she didn't realize yet was that he would give her a better one. One she deserved, filled with adventures, danger, passion and excitement! Better than anything Auradon and it's nonsense notions of goodness could provide.
First, he had to make her see the light and bring her back to her wicked roots. Then, the real fun could begin.
Afterall, bad girls have all the fun.
(A/N) This is a one-shot that got split into two chapters due to how long it was. I'd like to expand on it one day but my other Hevie stories have to take priority so this will stand as a one-shot. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think! :D
Sorry if there are any spellings or grammar mistakes, but this is just under 10,000 words long soooo some might have slipped in.