Chapter Text
Even at the best of times, Auradon State Representative Council meetings were the worst.
Ben hadn’t always felt that way. Back when he was first preparing to be king, two years earlier than planned because of public demand, he had been glad to have people older, wiser and smarter than him to help him make decisions. But then his proclamation happened, and there had been such an uproar from the Council that he’s almost been forced to rescind his order. Thankfully, his father had backed him up at the last minute (citing that it may be a mistake, but it was Ben’s mistake and he’d never learn if he wasn’t allowed to make it, and also Belle would make him sleep downstairs for a week if he disappointed their son).
Since then, any matter that he tried to present to them was met with scepticism and wariness. Especially matters relating to the Isle of the Lost. Now, it wasn’t like their worries weren’t valid. Ben could see that. It was just that they were all still stuck in a time when villains reigned supreme and drastic measures were the only way to guarantee their people’s safety. That made them scared, stubborn and utterly resistant to new ideas. They argued with every point he made, trying to shoot him down with angry questions, shaking heads and condescending looks. Ben persisted. He weathered it all with a teeth-clenched smile and patient answers, persisting with them until finally getting what he wanted. So far, he’d managed to approve extra food shipments to the Isle (real food, too, not just waste and leftovers), and relocated Dizzy Tremaine, but anything more than that was proving to be much harder.
Ben was used to this. Evie was not. When she was appointed as his royal councillor and the first ever Isle Representative, Ben had been worried about bringing her to the Council meetings, because he knew how brutal it would be for her.
Evie only laughed when he’d warned her about it, barely looking up from her sewing machine as she designed herself a new outfit for the Council. “Oh, Ben,” she said. “Trust me, I can handle a little bad press.”
He sighed and put his hands in his pockets, trying to find the words to explain how demoralising it could be. “I know, and I don’t think anyone could do this job as well as you. But it’s not like at school. These people aren’t just bullies, they genuinely believe they’re doing the right thing, and they won’t pull any punches.”
“I can take a few punches,” she said breezily, but firmly. Ben got the message. Evie was a lot tougher than she looked – being on the Isle with her had demonstrated that quite clearly – and this was her decision to make. “Besides, I’m gonna put some little shoulder pads in this. Nothing crazy, but enough to give it that extra edge. No one messes with shoulder pads.”
So she attended the Council, and managed to present her proposal with a confident smile, despite the Council’s angry mutterings. Only once did she glance at him uncertainly. He squeezed her hand briefly, smiling to let her know she was doing great. Then he stood by her to help field the interrogation.
“King Benjamin,” the Queen Mother Leah, Audrey’s grandmother, spoke up. “And … Miss Evie. We are concerned that your proposal does not fully consider the risks inherent in bringing more villainous children to Auradon.”
Evie bristled at the ‘villainous children’ remark, but Ben bent forward to answer. “Thank you for presenting your concerns, Queen Leah. Would you be so kind as to elaborate on what risks you refer to?”
“They’ll bring down the barrier! Just like the other two!” one of the Atlantican representatives said, causing a murmur of agreement to echo around the room.
“As I recall,” Ben said. “The barrier was only broken once, and then repaired due to the heroic efforts of Mal, daughter of Maleficent. However, we acknowledge this concern, and extra security measures will be put in place to assure this does not happen.”
“This list you speak of,” Doc the dwarf said. “What criteria are you placing on the children you wish to bring here?”
Ben nodded at Evie to answer. She took a deep breath. “Well, I’ve decided to start with the children who I know would agree to come, and who would therefore make a real effort to adjust. They are leaders within their community. They would also help to role-model and mentor any future students who might find it harder.”
“King Ben,” the merman spoke again, interrupting Evie. “Do you trust the word of the Evil Queen’s daughter?”
Ben swallowed down his anger. “Yes, I do.”
“And can we trust your word?” Queen Leah said.
There was an awkward pause as everyone considered the pointed comment. King Adam frowned, unhappy with the implied accusation against his son. “I beg your pardon?” Ben said mildly.
She pursed her lips. “I mean no offence, Benjamin, but you are rather … close to the villain children already living here. Furthermore, you’ve been placed under, not one, but two love spells by them. You must forgive us for wondering if your judgement in this area is impaired.”
Ben smiled tightly. “I see your point. Of course, I would be the first to admit that I’ve put myself in a position of risk many times to pursue a goal, perhaps without much foresight. I’m still learning, as you all know. As for those who cast the spell, I’m not making excuses, but it is clear to me that the spells were cast because of a lack of other options available to them. As you can imagine, growing up on an island prison does not give kids many resources for survival. Being at Auradon will give them the opportunity to be safe and happy without needing to resort to such tactics.”
Queen Leah shook her head. “Your naivete is charming, Benjamin, but naïve all the same. I am not convinced.”
A few others mumbled their agreement. Ben could sense that he was losing the room. Evie then stepped forward to speak once again. “I think what King Benjamin is trying to say,” she said pointedly, glancing at the queen mother. “Is that he can be far too trusting. I know I thought as much when I first met him, even though it was just adorable.” She ruffled his hair, causing a few people to chuckle. “But it was exactly his kind spirit that helped us to believe that we could be safe and free here. He inspired us to make better choices, and I just know that, given the chance, others would feel the same way. You see, none of us are born evil, any more than you. All we need is a chance, and for people like Ben to believe in us.”
She and Ben exchanged a smile. Part of her speech was for the benefit of the room, but he knew that the sentiment was genuine.
“I agree with Miss Evie,” Doc said, a sentiment that was echoed by his fellow dwarves. “Everyone deserves a chance to be cared for, regardless of where they’ve come from. We once took in a young girl whose family mistreated her. She turned out perfectly well, and in fact, supports the motion for more children to come to Auradon.”
“Here, here,” the wizard Merlin said.
“I agree.”
“As do we.”
As the endorsements rang across the room, King Beast stood up. “Then it’s decided,” he said. “We will re-establish King Ben’s proclamation to bring four new children from the Isle of the Lost to Auradon. A recurring timeframe will be established in consultation with Fairy Godmother, who will oversee their transition into Auradon Preparatory School.”
“Actually!” Evie burst out, grinning so hard that her face nearly split in half. “We want to bring more than four at a time! Ben and I both think that eight would be the best number to start with!”
The room went silent for a moment. Then the uproar started.
_
When the Council finally stopped to take a break, Ben’s head was pounding. Evie didn’t move for a minute, looking both angry and distraught. Gently, he touched her elbow and escorted her out the side door.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered to him as they walked. “I didn’t know that would happen.”
“It’s not your fault. I should have said that we can only scrape one matter through at a time, or else the Council spontaneously combusts.”
“It’s just so stupid! The longer we leave it, the less we’ll be able to help them!”
“I know. Don’t worry, okay? We’ll make it happen.” Ben tried to smile reassuringly at her, despite feeling exhausted.
When they got out into the hallway, Mal was leaning against the wall, Jay was pacing back and forth, and Carlos was sitting on the floor, typing away on his laptop. They all glanced up hopefully as Evie and Ben came to meet them. “How’d it go?” Carlos asked.
Evie’s face crumpled and she flopped down into the seat beside him. He stood up to give her a hug, looking bewildered.
“That bad, huh?” Jay said.
“Shocker,” Mal muttered.
Ben scrubbed a hand over his face. At the other end of the hall, he saw Audrey meet her grandmother. The two of them gave him and his friends a distrustful look. He purposefully turned his back on them to address his friends. “It’s not that bad. We’re on track, it’s just … slow.”
Mal looked like she was swallowing down a sharp retort. She had her reservations about Evie’s plan, believing that most of the kids on the Isle just wouldn’t adjust to Auradon, and that the pressure would lead to catastrophe. Thankfully, she chose not to reiterate her opinion right at this moment. Instead, she took his hand and said, “You wanna get out of here? There’s a coffee place just downstairs.”
He smiled gratefully. “Sounds great.”
With the assistance of caffeine, lots of sugar, and Carlos’ laptop, the five of them managed to hash out a plan for the rest of the debate and Evie recovered her confidence. By the time the Council went back into session, they were able to argue their point with renewed vigour, and even swayed a few others to their side. They managed to compromise; six new students would be transferred every four months. This, Fairy Godmother argued, would give them the bare minimum of time to adjust, and for the school to adjust to them.
“Hold on one moment,” the Romani representative Esmeralda said before they were finished. She’d been quiet for the majority of the meeting, but when she spoke, everyone listened. “From what you’ve said of this place, the children left waiting will continue to be exposed to all kinds of neglect and danger; even from their own families. I believe you said that the Isle doesn’t even have a doctor.” Here she glared up at King Adam briefly. “How can we justify leaving them in this situation?”
Her words sent a wave of uncomfortable fidgeting throughout the room. Adam cleared his throat before answering. “We did try to appoint doctors, over the years,” he said. “The position became untenable due to safety concerns.”
“Such as?” Esmeralda demanded.
“Kidnappings, mostly,” Evie said, answering rather reluctantly. “People wanting to keep the medical help for themselves. Or try to ransom them for freedom. But also a few attacks just because it’s considered weak, on the Isle, to ask for help.”
“That’s right,” Adam said. “So getting people to work there became impossible.”
Esmeralda frowned. “My point stands. How do we leave kids in a situation like that, knowing how bad it is?”
“I suppose,” Ben said, smoothly interjecting. “It would be a matter of finding people willing to work on the Isle, and being able to put the right protections in place. I can oversee this personally. I don’t believe anyone here would have a problem with that?”
No one raised any objections. In general, the people of Auradon preferred not to think about what went on beyond the barrier, or the people who went there. It was only the idea of villains coming here that raised alarm bells. Ben nearly cracked a molar with how hard his teeth clenched at the sheer apathy of many Council members. Still, it was a small victory, and he’d take it.
“They do have a point, you know,” Evie said, later in her dorm room while Ben sprawled over Mal’s bed. “No one will want to work there. And even if we did, there’s no way we can guarantee their protection. The place is just too chaotic.”
Ben had been thinking about this for a while, ever since a girl with long, sea-green braids had tied him to her mast and forced him to re-evaluate his whole life. He swung his legs over the bed and gave them all a serious look. “Actually,” he said. “I do have one idea. But you’re not going to like it.”
Carlos and Jay looked intrigued, Evie looked hopeful, and Mal narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. Oh yeah. She really wasn’t going to like this.
_
Uma had barely finished her late shift at the chip shop when the trouble started. Some guy was thrown bodily through the swinging doors, crashing into one of the tables with a yell of pain. He was quickly followed by Harry storming into the shop, a wild look in his eyes. The last few customers scattered and ran out the door, while her crew jumped to their feet, ready to intervene. It wasn’t needed, though. Before the guy had a chance to react, Harry had one knee pressed on his stomach and his hook pointed at his eye, the tip of it already bloody from the shallow slash wound across the guy’s chest.
Harry spared her a grin. “Evening.”
“Harry,” Uma scolded, ripping her apron off. “What have I told you about getting blood on the tables?”
“A thousand apologies,” he replied, lifting the man up by the shirt and pushing him into the wall instead.
“Better. Now, what the hell?”
“Well you see, I caught this poor fellow mistakenly carving his symbol onto one of our buildings, and thought I’d take the opportunity to educate him.”
“Is that so?” Uma planted her hands on her hips and sauntered forward, sizing up the man. He was barely older than them, dressed in scraps of black leather with his hair done up in a topknot. His eyes darted from Harry, to her, to the crew members lurking behind her, and she could almost see the cogs of his brain turning as he tried to calculate the best odds of escape. Sadly for him, they were low. She tilted her head at him, catching his eye once again. “I’d say welcome to my turf, but you’ve already made yourself at home. So the question is, are you really that bold, or just very stupid?”
Incredibly, the man smiled. It was a nasty, mocking look, and Uma was no stranger to those, but for some reason it stung a little deeper than she was used to. Perhaps because someone with a hook at his throat in a den full of enemies shouldn’t have any reason to look so smug. “Your turf, little girl? Not for long.”
“What makes you say that?” She kept her tone lightly interested, despite her blood boiling.
“Everyone saw what happened across the barrier. Everyone knows you failed. If it weren’t for your rabid dog here,” he glanced at Harry. “You wouldn’t have a scrap of respect left.”
Harry pressed his hook to the man’s neck, drawing another speck of blood, trembling from the urge to finish him off. “I’ll show you rabid,” he snarled. Behind him, Gil and a few of the others stepped forward, drawing their own weapons. Their murderous faces warmed her heart a little.
“Harry,” Uma said. “Enough.”
Her first mate shot her a wild look. “Uma, you need to let me hook him,” he said beseechingly, and it was easy to blame his bloodlust, but there was a double-meaning to his words. If they let the miscreant go, it would only make her look weaker. No, she needed to set an example here. But it would have to be the right one.
“Let him go,” she said calmly, staring him down until he finally shoved the man back with a growl. Uma waited until he’d stepped back before taking his pace, front and centre before their captive. She smiled, and despite the man’s brave words, this seemed to unsettle him slightly. “What’s your name, Angelfish?” she asked.
He looked insulted. “You don’t know?”
She shrugged. He did look familiar – it was a small island. But in this place, you were either infamous or negligible. There was no in-between. Exactly which category you fell in depended on your parent’s name, or the reputation you managed to carve for yourself. Uma had both. “Can’t say I do.”
He drew himself up. “I am Li Fang. My father was Li Wei, also known as Bleda, of the great Hun army.”
Uma’s eyebrows went up. “Oh, one of Shan Yu’s gang. Haven’t seen them around in a while. What, you guys finally decide to crawl out from underground?”
Fang glared at her. “We are the future of the Isle.”
“Uh-huh, sure.” Uma did some fast thinking. Shan Yu’s crew were small and kept mostly to themselves, but they could be dangerous. If they were crawling out of the woodwork, then she ought to nip this in the bud. Smiling again, she spread her arms. “Well, you’re welcome to our humble little abode, of course. If you can take it.”
She snapped her fingers. Two of her crew mates on either side each tossed her a sword, and she caught both in her hands, twirling them for good measure. The thing about being a cecealian sea witch was that you had to keep track of a lot of limbs. Even though she’d never transformed once in her life before leaving the barrier, her brain was still wired the same. As a human, she was basically ambidextrous. Her skills with a sword were pretty legendary across the Isle. Noting Fang’s sudden wariness, she grinned and handed him one of the swords.
“Uh … I’m more of a long-range fighter,” he said.
“Not a lot of range in here,” she noted. “Close combat or nothing, I’m afraid.”
Swallowing heavily, Fang took the sword. She’d give him props for that, if nothing else. Her crew broke out into cheers, stepping back in a loose circle to give them space. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry’s bright, eager grin. About the only think he liked more than hurting people with pointy things was watching her hurt people with pointy things.
Uma gave Fang a second to adjust to the weapon, before darting in to attack. He managed to parry the blow, his body leaning backwards in a way that would be easy to knock him off balance. But Uma didn’t want to end it too quickly. He needed to get the full picture, and besides, she’d been spoiling for a good fight ever since Cotillion. Fang steadied himself and swung the blade at her. She dodged easily and used his own momentum to kick him into a nearby table.
Her crew laughed and cheered. Fang growled and lunged for her again, his sword clashing loudly with hers as they met under the dim lights of the shop. The fight continued, gaining in speed and fluidity. Fang wasn’t accustomed to the weapon, but he was adaptive and very quick. Still, Uma could see the sweat bead on his forehead and upper lip, desperation creeping into his eyes while she only grew stronger. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. Maybe she felt powerless sometimes, but tonight, in this moment, she felt invincible.
Her sword nicked him in the shoulder and he stumbled back with a cry. Uma advanced, her teeth bared like a shark. The guys continued to whoop and holler, eager for a bloody finish.
“You see,” she said to Fang. “My crew respect me despite what happened across the barrier. They’re loyal because they know I mean business. But they also know I’ll fight for them, not just myself.” She tilted her head and pouted mockingly. “If only your crew were here for you right now.”
“HEY!” her mother’s voice suddenly boomed from the kitchen. The whole restaurant vibrated as her thick, fat tentacles slapped across the floor. Uma and Fang both stumbled away from each other, turning towards the sound. Fang’s face went white with fear, whereas Uma just sighed in exasperation. “Enough! Shut up and take this nonsense OUT OF MY SHOP!”
“Mom!” Uma rolled her eyes and flicked a few drops of blood off the end of her sword. “We were just finishing!”
“Finish it now!” Ursula said. Thankfully, she didn’t follow it up with her usual ‘Or I’ll turn you into fishbait!’ It would have undermined whatever scraps of fear and respect Uma had managed to gain in the last few minutes.
Fang didn’t need any further encouragement. He threw the swords down and ran out of the shop, clutching his wounded shoulder tightly. Uma sighed and lowered her own sword.
“Sorry guys, show’s over,” she said. Her crew looked disappointed, but they gathered around and congratulated her, chanting her name as she wiped her sword down with an old rag. Another bellow from Ursula had them all dispersing, until only Harry and Gil were left.
“Y’should have let me hook him,” her first mate grumbled.
“And what? We go to war with the Huns?” She scoffed, shaking her head. “Better to send him back with his tail between his legs, Harry.”
“They’re not the only ones who want a piece of our pie,” he pointed out, following her around the shop as she cleared away the tables. Gil helpfully started picking up after her, too. “Just last week, I caught the Baduns hanging around by the docks!”
“Cruella’s idiots?” Uma said, laughing. “They were probably just looking for rodents to torture.”
“That’s not the point!” He stood in front of her, forcing her to stop and give him a hard look. “It’s disrespectful. People need to be taught a lesson.”
“I agree. But we do it my way. Remember?”
He nodded, taking a step back. “Aye, I remember.”
“Did I not prove my point well enough?”
“You kicked his ass!” Gil said excitedly.
“Yeah, I did. I’ll do it again, hell, I’ll do it a hundred times. No one’s taking our territory.” She ran a hand through Harry’s hair. He made a noise and leaned into the touch. “Okay?”
“Aye.” He grinned at her. “I do love it when you get violent.”
She chucked him under the chin. “You guys get on back to the ship. I’ll finish up and meet you back there.”
His brow furrowed. “Are you sure …”
“Yes,” she said firmly, her tone brooking no arguments.
Harry bowed, low and dramatic. “As you wish, my Queen.”
Uma laughed and shoved him lightly. “Get out of here.”
He sauntered out the door, jerking his head for Gil to follow. Gaston’s son hurriedly placed a pile of crockery on top of her table before heading out. However, he paused before leaving. “I just wanted to say,” he said to Uma. “We don’t care that your plan with the King didn’t work. We were just happy that you tried.”
Uma couldn’t help the wave of bitterness that rose within her throat. She’d tried to suppress it for weeks, but it was always there, waiting to choke her. “Even though I ran away?” she said.
Gil shrugged. “If you kept fighting, Mal would have burned you to a crisp. We’d rather have you here and alive than dead at the bottom of the ocean. I mean, I’d rather that.”
Uma turned away to hide her smile. “I appreciate that, Gil.”
After he left, she finished clearing things away and sat down heavily on one of the benches. Her fingers found the shell around her throat, and she fiddled with it contemplatively. There were so many regrets she had about that whole business with the King. Ben. She wasn’t proud of the love spell (it was too much like Mal for her tastes) but she’d not regretted it. She would have done whatever it took. Break the barrier. Free her crew. Get revenge. That was all she’d cared about.
Now, Uma wondered if she should have just focused on the first two goals. Revenge was sweet, but impractical. Maybe if she’d taken the King’s offer, or at least pretended to for a while, things would have been different. She and her crew might have been free. She wouldn’t be stuck back here, working thankless hours in her mom’s chip shop, trying to claw back her shreds of respect.
If only, if only. Uma had no time for if-only’s. She had a crew to protect, and a territory to defend. If that was all she ever got in life, it was more than most people on this Isle.
A shadow darkened the doorway of her mom’s shop. Uma jumped to her feet, wondering if the Hun gangbanger had come back, maybe with a few buddies. With no crew and an indifferent mother, Uma knew she was in a worse position. But she’d still fight, and probably (like, 70% chance) win.
The last thing she expected was for a man in Auradon colours step through the door, flanked by three others all dressed the same.
“Uma, daughter of Ursula the sea witch?” the one in front asked. In the back room, she heard her mother hiss.
“Yeah?” she demanded, her heart pounding. Maybe they were here to arrest her, for what she did at Cotillion. Uma tried to tell herself that it was no different, she’d still fight. But it her heart, she knew that would be useless. She wished Harry and Gil were still here. “What do you want?”
To her surprise, the guard pulled out something that looked, bizarrely, like a hand mirror. “King Ben wishes to speak to you.”