The Rise and Fall of Captain Hook & The Princess

11. The Looking Glass

Hans strode out into the hallway, making his way to Merlin's office.

"Hello there!" he offered a warm smile.

"Oh," Merlin was surprised, waving his wand to clean up the messy space. "How can I help you?"

"I'm sorry," he chuckled. "Forgive me, my sister has told me so much, it's lost on me."

The headmaster laughed softly hearing that Dawn was adjusting to the Academy far more successfully than when she started.

"Who, uh..who is James?"

"Oh, yes," Merlin nodded. "Killian James. The boy with the hook. Your sister seems to be keeping him out of trouble."

Trouble. A prince wouldn't be getting into trouble, Hans thought to himself.

"I'd love to meet him," he feigned interest. "Dawn mentioned something about the Enchanted Lake.. do you know where I could find it?"

Hans headed for the lake as soon as the sorcerer informed him where to find it, but he was not the only one.

Red and Chloe got directions from Faye, and traveled over there themselves.

The prince arrived sooner since Merlin gave him a shortcut, and he witnessed the entire exchange between his sister and the pirate.

"I don't love you."

Dawn swore she stopped breathing for a moment when Hook said that, her face fell.

She was humiliated that she let herself be vulnerable and fall in love, instead of claiming the throne and ruling the kingdom as she swore to her father she would.

Her eyes were wide, breathing unsteady as she froze, and all Hook wanted to do was hold her and say how much he loved her over and over again.

Realization dawned on her when their intimate night before played in her mind.

"You got what you wanted, huh?" her voice broke as a sob bubbled from within her chest and fell down her face. "That was seriously it? Uliana didn't put you up to anything, I was just another notch in your belt."

He straightened up arrogantly and turned his back to stay silent

She laughed incredulously. "I'm an idiot. I heard the way the girls talked about you. You could never love anyone, Killian James!"

He knew he could not maintain the lie anymore or hold back his emotions if he stayed any longer, so he started to walk away.

Her breath faltered but she shouted out, "You will always be just a villain!"

Dawn fell to the floor, the hard concrete from the stone porch scraping her knees as her dark blue skirt fell to the sides, and she sobbed into her hands, feeling breathless.

"You really thought he loved you?"

She jumped, startled by her brother's voice as he came into view, she went wide-eyed while rising to her feet.

He shook his head. "None of us trusted you, kid."

That is when Red and Chloe arrived, looking at each other in defeat.

"You begged Father to send you here, and you failed him."

"Hans," she reasoned, catching her breath.

"'Cause what, you chose happiness?" he nearly laughed. "You can't survive on happiness,"

"It wasn't supposed to be this way." Dawn choked out.

"You think ruling a kingdom is easier?" he challenged her. "You get sidetracked trying to take over, how could you possibly rule!?" he yelled out and his sister flinched.