﹙ ACE OF SPADES ▬ © 𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗻 ﹚
⸝⸝ ʚ 👑 ! ⌗ °• ━━━ 𝖛𝖔𝖑𝖚𝖒𝖊 𝔱𝔴𝔬, 𝖒𝖔𝖛𝖎𝖊 𝔱𝔴𝔬
▬▬ ❪ 2015 // 2019 ❫. descendants ꩜ .ᐟ
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻, back to the isle ▬▬▬

     ﹒⌗﹒🌹﹒౨ৎ˚₊‧                        𝓔𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐘 down the hallway with the natural poise of someone who'd grown up in a kingdom of courtiers and charm, but had never quite bought into the act. Her posture was perfect, her expression unreadable, but her mind spun like the turning gears of a pocket watch—constant, relentless, and curious.

      Flanking her was Ashlynn on her left, chatting about a new eco-friendly fabric she was experimenting with in design class, while Hunter kept pace on the other side, nodding along with an easygoing grin. The three were thick as thieves—though Ashlynn and Hunter were more than just friends.

     Elizabeth often found herself amused by their quiet chemistry, the way Ashlynn subtly fixed the collar of Hunter's jacket or how he instinctively reached out to steady her if she tripped over nothing.

     "I'm just saying," Ashlynn said with a gentle laugh, "if you let me redesign your wardrobe even a little, you might not look like you're constantly on your way to a coronation."

      Elizabeth smirked. "Excuse me, this coat is vintage Wonderland. You can't just 'adjust' royalty."

      Hunter chuckled. "I think you two should do a runway-off. Best look wins."

      "No need," Elizabeth replied with a lift of her chin. "I win." Ashlynn rolled her eyes affectionately, looping her arm through Elizabeth's.

      Their conversation paused when the hallway filled with the soft thud of footsteps—Hunter had slowed down. "Wait here," he said quickly. "I left something for you back in the lounge."

      Before Elizabeth or Ashlynn could ask what he meant, he took off at a jog, his leather boots echoing against the tiles. He returned moments later, slightly out of breath, holding two smoothies.

      "Tada!" he said with a grin, handing one to Ashlynn and keeping the other. "Your favorite. Figured you could use something sweet before class."

     Ashlynn lit up. "Hunter! Thank you. That's so thoughtful."

     Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Do I get one too, or am I chopped carrots?"

     Hunter blinked. "I didn't think you—You don't usually like—Actually, wait. You can have mine." He offered his cup to her with a sheepish grin.

     She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Relax. I'm teasing. Keep your smoothie."

     As they resumed walking, the three fell back into comfortable conversation. It was easy, effortless—the kind of camaraderie that only came from knowing each other well. They turned a corner, the morning light streaming in through the tall windows lining the hallway. For a moment, it felt like the biggest worry in the world was whether they'd make it to class on time.

     But that peace shifted when they spotted Evie near the main staircase. She wasn't her usual radiant self—her shoulders were drawn in, her eyes slightly puffy, and she held a folded note in one hand. Elizabeth's steps slowed first.

     "Evie?" she asked gently, concern settling in her chest.

     Evie looked up. "Hey."

      Ashlynn immediately noticed the shift in her friend's expression and walked closer. "What happened? Are you okay?"

     Elizabeth glanced down at the note, then back at Evie's face. "Where's Mal?"

     Evie swallowed hard. "She went back to the Isle."

౨ৎ

     Ben's office felt tenser than usual. He stood near the window, the light behind him making his silhouette seem more slumped than usual. In his hand, he held Mal's ring, spinning it between his fingers like it might bring her back.

      "This is my fault." Ben sighed as he paced and back and forth in his office, holding the note she had left, crumpling it up in his hand as tears formed in his eyes. "This is my fault. I blew it."

     "You weren't trying to hurt her," Ashlynn offered gently. "But maybe... maybe you forgot what it was like for her on the Isle."

      Ben looked between Elizabeth and Evie, shaking his head. "She's been under so much pressure lately and instead of being understanding, I went all beast on her." Ben continued, leaning against the desk as he raised his voice. "I have to go there and apologize. I have to go there and beg her to come back."

      "Ben, you'll never find her!" Evie exclaimed, shaking her head as Ben looked up at her. Ben slowly turned to look at Elizabeth for her agreement, though she shook her head as well.

     "Evie's right," Elizabeth said softly. "The Isle is massive, and it's not like Auradon. You can't just show up and expect to find her. Plus, you need to understand how the Isle works. It's dangerous, and people won't bow just because you're a king."

     Ben's shoulders slumped. "I just... I need to make things right."

     Elizabeth stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm. "We understand, Ben. But rushing in without a plan will only make things worse. I need you to take me with you, Ben. To take us with you."

      "Yes." Ben said quickly, turning around from the window to look at Elizabeth. "Are—Are you sure?"

     Elizabeth nodded, looking down at the ground. "Absolutely. Mal means a lot to all of us. We can't let you do this alone. Besides, if we go together, we stand a better chance. We'll need to be careful and prepared. This isn't Auradon; the rules are different there."

      Ben turned to look at Evie, seeing if she was going to agree with Elizabeth. "She's my best friend." Evie began, nodding as a tear fell down her cheek. "And we'll bring the boys, too, because there is safety in numbers and none of us is really... popular over there right now."

      "Thank you—"

      "But let's get two things straight." Evie cut him off. "You have to promise me that we won't get stuck there again."

      Ben nodded, his eyes looking into Evie's before his gaze trailed over to Elizabeth. "I promise."

      "And you're definitely, definitely not going looking like that." Elizabeth added, crossing her arms as she looked Ben up and down—taking a step back. "We need to blend in, and you look way too royal right now. We'll need disguises, something that won't draw attention."

     Evie nodded in agreement. "She's right. We can't afford to stand out. We need to look like we belong there, or we'll never make it past the docks."

     Elizabeth's eyes were determined. "We'll gather what we need, come up with a solid plan, and then we'll go. But Ben, you need to promise us something else."

     Ben looked at her, desperation in his eyes. "Anything."

     "Promise us you'll listen to us and follow our lead once we're there. We know the Isle better than you, and we can't afford any mistakes."

     Ben swallowed hard and nodded. "I promise. I'll do whatever it takes to bring her back."

     Elizabeth held up a hand. "One more condition." Ben raised a brow. "You follow our lead once we're there. No hero moves. No 'king of Auradon' speeches. Just you, trying to fix things."

     Ben exhaled. "I promise."

     Elizabeth gave a tight nod. "Then we'll help you bring her home."