"I was your first time with anyone?" Hubert muttered as he played chess with Alex. Alex nodded in response, focused on the game. "Wow," whispered Hubert as he moved a pawn forward. They had suggested the game as a distraction from the upcoming exams they had in a majority of their classes. Besides, chess also helped with strategy, which would help when Hubert and Alex tied the knot and ruled Arendelle if Chloe couldn't.

"Yeah. I guess the pressure of being the heir to the throne got in the way of finding someone to date," responded Alex. As the clocks ticked slowly, the redhead kept his cool as Alex got irritated because he'd started losing. When Hubert said "checkmate," Alex threw his hands in the air, sighing. "How?" Alex asked, raising one eyebrow at Hubert's cool expression.

"Patience," said Hubert simply. "Hazel and I played by drawing a board on the floor and using stones we found around the castle," he added. Alex gazed at Hubert with a worried look in his eye. With all the time they spent together, Hubert never once talked about his time on the Isle. Now that he thought about it, Hazel didn't either.

What exactly had happened to them? Alex knew that both Hazel and Hubert had been abused by Unity Hook, Uma's daughter. Hazel had social anxiety, but Hubert had never talked about any problems he had gone through. "I told you about my dad," said Alex, "and I think it's time you tell me something in return." He watched Hubert's demeanor change.

His boyfriend who was normally chill was frozen in his seat. He pursed his lips together, and his jaw was clenched. "Hubert," said Alex softly. Hubert looked at Alex, a hard look in his eyes. The blond vaguely remembered Charity telling him that he had the same emotion whenever he laid eyes on his friends.

"My parents weren't nice people. My father was kind but was also meek. He slept a lot. My mother shouted often and took it out on anyone who passed by our 'home'. I ran away every night and spent that time at Hans's castle," explained Hubert. "Hans frequently told me that he had hopes for me. He knew that I'd get off the Isle someday as it was no place for someone like me." Alex bit the inside of his cheek. Hubert sighed, saying, "While my parents were there for me physically, they weren't there emotionally. My father was there for me mentally, but it wasn't the same as having both parents. Hans tried his best once he saw my family's dynamic. Again, it wasn't the same as having my actual family there for me." Alex placed his left hand on Hubert's right knee.

"Listen to me. You're in Auradon, where people care about you," Alex told Hubert. Hubert gazed at Alex, smiling tearfully. Alex grinned back, kissing the back of Hubert's hand. The redhead blushed, making Alex chuckle. They didn't know what was happening with Chazel.

◇♡

"Hun, talk to me," said Charity as she noticed her girlfriend tiring herself out again. Hazel hadn't slept well the night before and worked until the sun rose. After they ate breakfast, she went to school and came back to the castle to work on her homework. Charity didn't mean to put this stress on top of Hazel. But Hazel always took a vast majority of the paperwork off Charity's shoulders.

She knew why Hazel was doing this work: She was hiding a huge secret. After Uma kidnapped Hazel, she was frightened of any female older than her. Mal, Elsa, Anna, Jane, and Evie made sure they weren't alone with Hazel for fear of a flashback. Elsie and Elisa always brought Iduna with them whenever they visited the Lady of the Court. But Charity hardly got a moment alone with Hazel apart from nighttime.

"Why don't you take a nap and let me handle this?" Charity questioned Hazel as she took the pen away from Hazel. She led Hazel to the couch in the study and tried to help her lie down. Hazel immediately attempted to fight back. "Love, calm down," said Charity soothingly. She hugged Hazel gently.

"I can't sleep," sobbed Hazel. "Uma keeps haunting me in every waking moment. Every time I look around, it's like she's always near me. Having these stupid fucking nightmares makes it worse." Charity watched as her girlfriend finally crumbled into pieces right in front of her. "I don't want to sleep because I don't want to hear her voice in my head. The work keeps me distracted so I won't listen to her sneering tone," cried Hazel. Charity cradled Hazel as she broke down into louder sobs.

"I'm here if you need to talk," said Charity. "I'm always right here. I won't leave you." Hazel nodded, snuggling into Charity. Soft snores soon came from her as she finally fell into a peaceful sleep. Charity didn't leave her side and held her.

◇♡

"Uma haunted her dreams for a while, Mal," said Jane as she checked Hazel out in the hospital wing. "I have a hypothesis as to how Uma got Hazel out of Auradon," she added as the ex-Queen sighed worriedly. "Because of Hazel's magic, she was far more vulnerable," she began to explain as she updated Hazel's medical charts, "and Uma saw that her mental barriers were far easier to penetrate." Mal was starting to understand slowly. "Since Hazel also broke Sierra's wand, I believe that the power from the wand transferred ... " continued Jane.

" ... to Uma's necklace. Therefore Uma had more power to get past the barrier and take Hazel. But why target Hazel?" Mal asked. "Don't answer that. Hazel can't turn into a dragon, and Charity can. Hazel was the better option, and the safest route to take," she said. Jane nodded, putting the clipboard away. Mal sat down in a chair. "How can we protect her?" the purple-haired woman questioned.

"Thanks to Hans getting Uma's necklace, Carlos is working on a solution alongside my mother to discover a way to prevent this from happening again. It just so happens that Mom found that if Hazel broke the necklace, the power would transfer to her because she is one of Uma's children," said Jane. "But she could also simply wear the necklace," she added hurriedly, "to not make a mess." Mal nodded. "The necklace is in the museum if Hazel wishes to claim it like she did with Hans's sword. The necklace is her birthright, after all," said Jane to Mal. Mal gazed at Hazel, saying, "Let's wait until she wakes up."