boy king.

"Rumple could finally be free of me." It seemed more like he would finally be free of the thorn in his flesh, son, not to mention kick the dust off this crummy little town for good.

Belle gaped watching him pocket the medallion. “That- that wasn’t… “ She trailed off at his question. Rumple had given her his dagger… he trusted her then. Right?

it was the only thing she could think of on such short notice. she hoped they wouldn't ask for his name or why they've never seen him before around her. but they didn't seem to question her. would it be worse if they questioned? maybe they could see she was scared or they recognized she didn't know him.

aurora gave a small hiss when he squeezed her arm. he wasn't letting her go anytime soon. "i think he needs the doctor but i'm not sure where he is." he probably went home, which wasn't going to help her. this boy was attaching himself to her. while the guards seem to take their eyes off of them for a minute, aurora started to whisper over to him. "what if he's not here? i can't just order him to get here." if it was her or her parents, it would be different. he wouldn't come running for some boy he didn't know. at least, she didn't think he would.

He leaned in close, his breath cool against Aurora's ear, his words laced with that unsettling calm that came so easily to him. "Funny thing, love. I don’t actually need a doctor. I just need to get my hands on whatever the good physician keeps locked away in his chambers." His lips curled into a smirk. "You’re going to help me, whether you know it or not. Trust me, I always get what I want."

The guards, oblivious, led them down the winding corridor and the steep stone stairway to the door marked 'court physician'. Peter’s posture changed; he straightened, dropping the act just enough for arrogance to show. The guards had done their job. Now, they would only get in the way. But the girl was still useful, especially if someone walked in while he was searching. He gave Aurora a look that was both a threat and a promise.

Peter’s grasp tightened just enough to remind Aurora who was in control. He leaned in, voice a velvet threat against her ear, every syllable sharp with that darkly playful menace. “Now, send them away, darling,” he spoke quietly, his eyes never leaving the guards, calculating, hungry. “You, however, aren’t going anywhere. Not until I get what I came for.”

how do you best kill a witch?

i don't have time for this.

whatever happens, i want you to stay cool. follow my lead.

i don't swim well.

did you have to land on me?

they'll kill you.

take his fucking head off!

never walk into a house made of candy.

what are you looking at?

you can't be serious.

not at night. it's too dangerous. we'll leave in the morning.

i am really quite a fan of your work.

we don't talk about that.

what the hell do you think you're doing?

humans have such ghastly taste.

i'm scared! i'm alone in the woods!

i was wondering about that story about your parents leaving you. is all that true?

wow. where did you get all this stuff?

wish me luck.

hasn't enough blood been shed?

who did this to you?

evil is upon you, whether you like it or not.

i found something here. something very powerful.

time is up.

i think you're gonna want to come see this.

let me tell you a little story.

don't worry, i didn't come empty-handed.

locals won't go near the place. a good place to start the investigation.

i'm getting way off the subject, aren't i?

i go by many names, none of which you're worthy of pronouncing.

you know, you look like shit.

the only good witch is a dead witch.

don't worry. i'm not gonna let her hurt you.

can you tell me which way is back to town?

listen, if it's not too much trouble, would you please sign…

i did win the county fair three times.

she was accused of witchcraft, but she never confessed. we just burned her anyway.

so, any place we can get a drink in this hellhole?

i think this place could use a bit of color.

are you a good shot?

this isn't the life we chose.

you know a witch when you see one! they ride at night and they make pacts with the devil!

can you hold this?

now we feast!

i want you to do something for me.

so, how goes the witch hunting?

why did you save me?

here there's only death.

i like your toys.

find a place to hide. shoot anything that moves. good luck.

they died to save you.

have you ever come across a witch that you didn't want to kill?

you know, you talk too much.

she gave me a message. for you.

i thought it would be fitting for us to end up here, where it all began.

the witch hunting is going well, i see.

hey. i just had this really weird dream.

i think the real damage was to my dignity, which i left somewhere in that tree back there.

we made a promise, you know that.

you talk too much.

i'm telling you, we should put the fire out.

that's a lot of witches.

tell me what i want and this might not end up being the most painful night of your life.

what happened to your face?

revenge doesn't change the past. it won't bring ____ back.

why have you come here? to the dark of the forest?

where have you been?

we're wasting our time.

you have something i need.

kind of lost its charm a little, huh?

i actually know a thing or two about it, if you ever need any help…

let's get the hell out of here.

it was good seeing you.

let the girl go or i'm gonna blow your brains all over these fucking hillbillies.

you're safe. you'll be safe.

bad move.

i wish i could say it would be painless, but that would be a lie.

would you shut up?

i see you finally found your way home after all these years. how very sweet.

any man with half a brain could see that she wasn't a witch.

where are we?

there's no use in praying, my friend. even your god knows better than to come here.

your plan's working.

i see you got my invitation.

you've really taken a beating, haven't you?

don't worry. i'm not going to kill you. not now. and not like this.

you're pathetic.

this is the book of protection against black magic. where did you find it?

it's a beautiful story, don't you think?

stay here. i'll be back soon.

this time, i do the talking. you do the bleeding.

it should give her some relief that it wasn't her he was after or her parents. if he knew who she was, he didn't seem to care. it seemed to be some horrible, random wrong place at the wrong time moment. but what he wanted tripped her up. the doctor? the one that would wrap her ankle and treat her pulled muscles messed around with magic? whoever this was seemed sure he had it and determined to get it, whatever it was. it had something to do with magic, a topic she wasn't much familiar with. only fairies that bestowed her gifts were the closest she's gotten.

aurora was so deep in her thoughts, she didn't notice for a second that he stopped and he slumped. was he done? did he give up that easily? it was too optimistic of thinking when the threat came in a whisper. it was her chance, to tell someone to help her. but he could just as easily hurt her as they could grab her. he didn't seem to want to hurt her. "you don't need me."

the worry in her voice wasn't fake. but it just wasn't for him. "my...friend! he's collapsing and i don't know what to do! i need help!"

Friend? Peter barely had time to react to that before the guards appeared, one calling the girl "Your Highness" and quickly responding to her call for help. Their suspicion was obvious in the way their hands hovered at their swords. Peter’s fingers tightened around her arm, holding her firmly against him, making it clear with his iron grasp that any attempt to escape would be futile. His eyes flicked to her, cold and unyielding, a silent, menacing reminder that promised swift consequences if she tried to resist.  

“I think I’m going to die here,” Peter moaned, his voice strained and trembling with just enough desperation to sound convincing. He slumped heavily against the girl, his grip never loosening, forcing her to support his weight. Beneath the act, he felt the restless stir of magic under his skin. Every muscle in his body was tense with calculation, knowing his power in this realm was limited and using it could weaken him.

she wondered if he knew she was a princess or if she was just a girl. which one would be worse? being disposable or important enough that her parents would do anything to get her back? her father sort of prepared her for the situation. she needed to stay as quiet as possible when she was asked any questions. that part wasn't hard. aurora was already quiet. she nodded and tried to catch her breath. her heart was pounding. but he was letting her go. she'll go back to her room, scream for a guard, and tell them what happened. it was one boy against hundreds of guards. they had to catch him, right?

she let out a small yelp in surprise when he grabbed her wrist. it didn't hurt but she wasn't expecting it. aurora wondered if he could feel her pulse go back to racing. "i don't know why you're here. what do i say?" she could put together he was looking for the palace doctor. did he do something to this boy? did he have something valuable he wanted? she nearly tripped when he dragged her. think of it like ballet, she was repeating in her head. make it look easy and calm, even though she's never been so terrified in her life. "my maid is going to notice i'm missing." it slipped out or maybe she was hoping he'd think someone was looking for her.

Her elaborate attire left no doubt that she was of royal blood. With a hint of disdain, he mused that royal women were always the most troublesome. Yet, he was genuinely surprised she hadn't swooned at his audacity, especially considering how shabby his own clothes looked beside hers.

He maintained a firm grasp on her wrist while steering them through the labyrinth of corridors. "As I said, the good doctor has something I want, an object with magical properties." His response was curt, irritation flickering in his eyes at her questioning.

Clearly, she lacked imagination. "Just tell them I'm ill and need a physician," he muttered, just as a pair of guards rounded the corner, catching him off guard. Thinking fast, he slumped against the girl, feigning weakness and moaning convincingly.

"Don't do anything foolish, love," he warned in a low voice. "I'm armed, and I'm not above hurting someone as lovely as you."

at least he was calm...though she wasn't. aurora couldn't even grab anything. when he asked her that, it did give her some tiny relief. he didn't want to hurt her, it seemed. but she had an issue: aurora didn't know. she's been to the infirmary and sometimes he came to her room if she was sick or couldn't walk. but she's never asked where he lived, where he slept. aurora shook her head. "i don't know. i only know where the infirmary is." did he even sleep in the castle like she did? "i'm sorry." it slipped out instinctively.

His eyes flicked from Aurora to the hallway, calculating. Then, without another word, Peter grabbed her by the wrist, his grip firm but not cruel. "Actually, you're coming with me," he muttered, barely glancing back at her. "If the palace guards show up, I might need someone to explain why I'm here, or at least slow them down." He started down the corridor, dragging her along, his impatience radiating from every step.

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