An Unexpected Turn

Chapter 8

"A shitty king, at that." Harry chuckled. "Now are you going to turn me in for stealing the book, like the goody two shoes King you are?"

"No." Ben said, much to Harry's surprise. "I understand why you're taking it. It's part of her. She deserves to have it. It wasn't right for me to force her to donate it."

Harry gave him a look, as if to say "You think?"

"There was always something that kept Mal and I at an arms length. I don't know if she even realized it. She and I would be fine one minute and screaming at each other, two minutes later. She needed someone who understood her, and I didn't want to admit that it wasn't me. That something was you. Evie told me about how you two used to be close. Told me that you two were in love with each other since you were kids but refused to admit it. I took her away from you when I invited her to Auradon. I don't blame you for hating me."

Harry just stared at the king, unsure of how to respond. How could he respond to that?

"She loves you. I've overheard her telling Evie. But you...you're a mystery. I may not be with Mal, but that doesn't mean I won't look after her. I've been watching the two of you interact with other people, along with each other. She's happy when she's around you, she talks to Evie and Jane about you. You, on the other hand, are more closed off. If someone mentions her name, you change the subject. There was one day when Chad asked you how Mal was in bed and you nearly killed him. That was when I figured it out. She's your weakness. She's a weakness you wish you never had. You care about her deeply, but do you love her? The jury is still out on that one. Then I saw you sneaking off tonight. Being the king, I had to make sure you weren't causing any destruction or terror, so I followed you here. To be honest, I thought you were going to trash a few exhibits, but then I saw you take the spellbook. That is the first thing I've seen you do that shows how you truly feel about Mal."

Harry just glared at the king, so Ben decided to continue. "She wouldn't ask anyone to steal the book for her, so that means you thought about what would make her happiest and you did it, despite risking your better life in Auradon. That says a lot, whether you know what it says or not."

"Get to the point." Harry grumbled.

"My point is that you don't have to worry about me trying to steal her back."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "You wouldn't be able to, even if you tried."

"You love her, don't you?"

Harry swallowed hard. It was a question he'd been asked by Evie, Jay, Carlos, even Hades. He knew that they knew the answer, but he just couldn't get the words out. He could easily say it in passing, but he couldn't say it directly.

"On the Isle, love got you killed. There was no room for it. That's why a group like Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay was so unique. Two people who loved each other would be used against one another. If we were on the Isle and the barrier was still up, I'd be worried about any of my enemies taking her, torturing her, killing her, just to get back at me. It's something that's hard to remove from your brain. I hate the thought of anyone knowing that I love her because I'm terrified of something happening to her."

"So you do." He said, more of a statement than a question. Ben smiled slightly. He may not have been the right one for Mal, but at least she found someone who was.

Harry stared at the spellbook as if it held the answers to his next decisions. As if it would tell him what to do.

"I do." He said finally. "I love her."

—

When Harry finally made it back to the dorm, he opened the door, ready to tell Mal how he felt.

"Mal, I have something I believe is yours. I...I also have to tell you something."

There was no response. He looked around the empty room for any trace of Mal. There was nothing.

"Love?" He called out again.

That's when he saw it. A note with his own hook stabbed into the table next to it.

'Hello Son,

I wish I could be there to thank you, personally, for making my job easier. Who would've thought my own son would be the one to help me kidnap my greatest enemy's daughter?

I truly underestimated you, Harry.'

Harry thought his grip on the table would surely break it but before he could, Evie walked in.

"Hey, Harry." She noticed his body was as tense as it possibly could be. "What's going on?"

"He took her. My dad took Mal. I'll fucking kill him if he touches a hair on her head."

Evie froze, trying to make sure she had heard correctly. "What do we do?"

"We find Hades."