Protecting The Heart

epilogue

(A/N ending on 24 parts because it's my lucky number 🥰)

(Brielle's POV)

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WE'RE walking back to the ship and it's around 15:30 when we meet up with Uma.

The temperature is cool and I shiver involuntarily as I pull the jacket I'm wearing tighter around myself.

She persuades us to spend our evening in the fish shop watching the engagement party , I may be mad but I still want to be supportive towards someone I see as a brother and someone who I see as a friend despite the distance.

So here we are, watching the TV as the ads and interviews play, downing some rum and twirling my hair around my fingers.

Harry's got one hand on my thigh and is scratching our initials into the counter with his hook in the other.

I laugh when he surrounds it in a heart, "Uma's going to be soooo mad."

His lips quirk cheekily, and opens his mouth to speak when he's cut off by Uma.

"Guys watch the TV they're on now, I have a strange feeling." She bites her lip anxiously.

I nod my head and direct my attention to the screen, muttering a "me too."

"Lady Mal and I wanna thank you for celebrating our engagement with us today." Ben's voice crackles through the speaker, every customers head turning to pay attention.

"I couldn't be prouder or happier to call you my queen." He continues, I smile absentmindedly.

"So... raise your glasses." He raises his glass, "To our future queen of Auradon."

"To our queen of Auradon." The crowds voice echos, and I murmur it under my breath.

"Speech, Your Specialness."
"Speech, Oh, Fancy One."

I snort, Jay and Carlos are too much.

The scene stops as I see the fall in Mal's facial expression, I'm worried about what's going to happen.

"I can't." She says, her voice echoing in the silence, a few gasps following.

Tension in the shop picks up as we all stop and sit still, Harry's hand on my thigh squeezes so I snake my own down to interlock our hands.

"I can't be queen of Auradon." She continues and Ben looks horrified, I feel bad for him in this moment.

"Mal?" He asks with utter confusion and sadness in his tone.

"I can't turn my back on the Isle." Is what she says, and for a second I allow myself to think that she might set us free, or set a new proclamation up.

That she could still help the children if she admitted and apologised. That I would forgive her if she did that.

But I'm unsure if she will do that, as it takes guts to admit to something that's your fault.

So we sit there in silence, waiting. Waiting for her to say something.

"Say something." Uma mutters and Harry chews his cheek.

"We made a decision to close the barrier forever." I suck in a breath. "And it was my idea."

Oh my gods she said it.

"I've learned that you can't live in fear. Because it doesn't actually protect you from anything." I chuckle under my breath because I can relate to this so much.

"You never know where the bad is gonna come from." Harry tilts his head with a frown and Uma crossed her arms over her chest, leaning further into the bar.