𝓒𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 (𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀 𝓠𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷: 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓕𝓸𝓾𝓻)

The Good

Everyone thinks of freedom as the most basic human right, but even that can be taken from you if the wrong actions are taken. When born into a world with no freedom you don't think about it for a moment really. The prison is all you know. When you see people escape the prison though, you start to wonder what's on the other side. When you get a taste of freedom yourself, you'll do everything you can to keep it. When you've lived your whole life around people who cannot be trusted to keep that most basic human right you find too hard to keep freedom in your grasp, you feel like it's always slipping out of your fingers, even if it's really not.

Gale Humbert, daughter of the Huntsman practically ran. She ran over the bridge, she needed to get away from the evil queen who she and her father had been forced to sever their whole lives. She was over that day while everyone was still celebrating, she slipped through almost completely unnoticed. Almost. Cece who had been laughing and dancing with Evie and Jay saw the 10-year-old. She knew who she was, she had sized her during her clothing drive after all, she came through Cece's line more than most of the other kids and did her best to keep her distance from Evie. 

She could tell Gale was very uncomfortable and had no idea where to go. She looked like she had just Ran from the furthest point of the isle to Auradon. "Hey, I'll be back," she said. "Gale just got over. I wanna make sure she's okay. She seems terrified."

The two looked over and saw the girl her blue eyes wide and terrified, just like Cece said. They knew her, and knew she was scared of them, Evie more specifically. So, they both decided it was best to stay behind, "Yeah go ahead, she's doesn't exactly like me," Evie said shuffling her feet.

Cece nodded in understanding and made her way towards Gale; she tapped her shoulder making her jump. "Sorry, I noticed you were pretty overwhelmed, wanna go somewhere quieter?" she said as softly as she could over the sound of the crowd and music.

Gale looked around getting pushed a little by Cece's sister Willow by accident, "Yes please."

Cece takes her hand and lead her from the courtyard into the castle, had she been anyone else she probably would have gotten into a lot of trouble for going into the castle without permission. But she was Cece White, Brooke and Carlos' assistant and Ben's self-proclaimed best friend. She brought her to the dining room and asked Chip to bring them something to eat.

It was silent while they waited for their food. It wasn't until after Chip left and Gale was picking at her sandwich did, they actually talk. "It's loud out there, I'm not used to loud noises that aren't the evil queen."

"You lived with her?" Cece asked.

"Lived is putting it nicely, we were her slaves, she worked my father to death. That was only a couple months ago so I'm sure you didn't know yet."

Cece felt a chill run up her spine, they did know. Graham Humbert was the first man to die after they had implemented healthcare on the isle. He had been too badly injured to heal properly even with Brooke at full power. It had torn the princess up that she couldn't save the man. They didn't know he had a daughter until they browsed the files after brought the second group, she hadn't submitted an application. She realized that must have been the queens doing. "We knew about your father; Brooke had tended to him herself when she was told they couldn't help him. She tried so hard. We didn't know about you though, not until after the second group though." Gale looked up at her, "If we had known he had a daughter we wouldn't have left you there I am so sorry."

A soft looked finally fell upon Gale's features as she dissolved into tears, they had known, they had cared, and they had tried to help her father. They were kind and that's all that mattered to her after being mis treated for so many years. "It's okay," she sniffled out. "She kept me under a pretty serious lock and key. She threatened my father a lot." She whipped away her flood of tears, "I hope he knows that I got away."