The Queen and Her King

If Only

VK POV

Harry headed back with the VKs and went into the boy's dorm to do some more planning. Mal brought out the blueprint of the hall Brielle and Ben were having their coronation held in and went over the plan,

"Okay so the wand will be right here and I'll be right up front, right next to it. Harry, you'll be right there with me, I'll be the one swiping the wand and if I don't succeed for some reason you're back up on that. Otherwise, your job is to basically be an escort. Keep your hook on you, use that to keep people away from us as we make our escape, hook them if need be..."

Harry hated this idea with all of his life, mainly because he would have to do what Mal just said. He had an image in his head, he imagined Brielle being her heroic and loyal to her kingdom self. He knew how seriously she took her job, her duty. She'd try to stop them and he could just imagine holding her at hook point, disappointment and fear in her eyes, but she wouldn't stop there. She'd die for her kingdom, and that's what Harry was imaging, except it wouldn't be any of the other VKs having to do it. It would have to be him because Mal said so. He began panicking on the inside as the image of his inner villain coming out and hurting Brielle wouldn't leave him as Mal continued to explain,

"... Carlos, you're in charge of getting us the limo, Jay you back him up on that. Evie, two puffs of this and the drivers out..."

Now Harry was realizing that the plan actually made sense, this just made him panic even more. He closed his eyes and ignored the rest of Mal's explaining as it was only causing him pain. Once he realized the conversation was over he opened his eyes and looked over Mal's shoulder as Evie did the same,

"M, you want to break Bens love spell?"

Evie said, sounding taken aback,

"Yeah, you know for after, and not just Bens, Brielle's too"

Harry's eyes widened, he couldn't contain much more panic at this point,

"What?"

He said, sounding a bit more angry and desperate than he would've liked. Yes, the spell had already worn off but what if the spell did more than wipe away the potion effects, what if it wiped away her actual feelings for him if she had any true ones? Mal turned to him, appearing to be a little sad too,

"Harry, does it really make sense to have to people infatuated with us when we take over the world? It would just complicate things. When the villains come and invade Auradon and begin to loot, run people out of their castles, and ruin all that is good and beautiful, doesn't forcing them to be in love with us seem a little... cruel?"

She looked back to her spellbook and began to read the fine print to the spell. Harry took a second and thought, if the love spell was really off of Brielle and she was just acting, does that mean that everything Harry has felt for her has been for a lie? He felt a pit in his stomach form at the thought, she couldn't be lying to him like that. 

That's not who she is, right?

"This one should get rid of any and all romantic feelings they have for us. We need this one"

She said, her voice cracking a little bit,

"Wait all romantic feelings? Mal dont ya think that's overkill?"

Harry said, nervously cracking his knuckles,

"It just guarantees that we don't continue this, it guarantees that they won't like us anymore. At all. This is one thing that I don't think I can be cruel about"

With that Mal slammed the spellbook shut and stormed out. Harry was desperate, any other spell that could leave the slightest chance for Brielle's feelings for him to prevail was all he wanted, he didn't want a guarantee,

"Mal! Where are ya going?"

He urgently shouted to her down the hall. She just motioned to him to follow her. He jogged after her and she kept speed walking to their destination, not saying a word as students passed them in the halls. Harry's heart pounded the whole way.

 They marched into the kitchen, Harry checked his watch to see he had thirty minutes before dinner where he would literally have to face Brielle and look into her hazel-green eyes and try to not lose it or just tell her everything. Mal began silently pulling ingredients from different cabinets,

"Get a bowl"

She said flatly, Harry reluctantly did. He sensed her tension so he took a risk,

"Ye love Ben don't ya? Ye don't want ta do this"

He said quietly, pleadingly. Mal paused before slowly walking to the counter and began measuring the ingredients,

"Yeah, and you love Brielle don't you?"

Harry sighed longingly and sadly,

"Of course I do"

Harry fought back the tears now, unknowing that Mal was doing the same thing,

"Harry, if we love them then the best thing to do is let them go. The love they show to us is fake as hard as that is to hear. It's the spell, it's all been the spell. We need to let them go, it would be unnecessarily cruel if we didn't"

"Mal what if the feeling is really there for them? What if the spell only brought up feelings that were really there? Please Mal, just get a spell that at least gives that feeling a chance ta survive. We don't have ta do this anyway, why are we stealing the stupid wand?"

Mal stopped mixing the batter and looked up at Harry, tears brimming her eyes,

"Harry, there was never a feeling. We've fallen for people that we've forced to fall for us. It's not fair to keep that going once this is over, and we have to. We're goners if we go back to the Isle without having done this"

She told me she loves me, she told me she loves me...

Harry thought, those words repeating over and over in his head. He slowly shook his head and felt the tears beginning to fall, not caring that Mal was there anymore,

"A million thoughts in my head, should I let my heart keep listening?"

Mal softly sang. Harry looked over to her,

"I know it's time to say goodbye..."

Harry sang, joining Mal and finally coming together on something,

"... so hard to let go"

A single tear fell from Mals eye and into the batter, she slowly looked up at Harry and just took a minute to silently mourn.

A/N

Hiya! This chapter genuinely made me sad like I kid you not. The next few chapters might be a lil rough in that way, but something reassuring I can give you all is the fact that everything I write eventually comes to a happy ending no matter how rocky it gets in between :) Remember to drink some water and be kind to yourself today :D

-Brooke