Royal Rebel •Harry Hook• Descendants

[25] Saying Goodbye

🌹Rosabella🌹

"The guards are waiting outside to take you back to the Isle. Gil is down there with them," Ben announces and Uma nods. "Come on, Celia." She nods and says her goodbyes before following Uma out of Audrey's dorm. I pull away from Hadie and get up, ignoring the dizziness and exhaustion.

Harry walks out the door and I follow them, closing it behind me. "Harry." He turns to look back at me. Understanding enters Uma's eyes and she nods before leading Celia on. I walk towards him, my legs buckling slightly and Harry grabs my arms to help steady me.

"You should be resting, princess. Doin' a big spell like that for the first time can't be good for ya."

"I don't care about that right now." I look into his piercing blue eyes and he gazes at me with sadness and affection. He let's go of one of my arms to bring his hand up and tuck strands of hair behind my ear. "Feels like I just got you back and now I'm losing you again."

"Aye. I know what you mean."

"I don't want you to go," I whisper ignoring just how much emotion is portrayed in my voice. He gives me a bittersweet smile and brushes the pad of his thumb over my cheek. Overwhelming love and heartache wash over me at his touch. "Neither do I." I close my eyes tightly against the tears that begin to well up in my eyes. "But you have to?"

"Aye. The Isle is where I belong and you, my lovely duckling, belong here. This is your home. This is where your family is. My family, my crew, are on the Isle and I belong with them. They'd be lost without me," he says with slight humor in his tone and I chuckle sadly.

I open my eyes and look at him. "It's really hard not to ask you to stay," I say knowing that if I did he just might, but I also know that Uma and Gil would go back to the Isle and he'd be stuck here in a foreign place, with no friends, no one he connects with other than me. I can't do that to him. "I would if you did. Without question."

My heart aches and yet beats faster at his words. "But I can't cause I understand why you have to go."

"Just like I understand why you need to stay. Maybe one day, it'll be different. Until then," he pulls his hand back from my face, releasing the other that's gently holding my arm. I look down and watch as he pulls the ring off his hand, the one that I threw at him a year ago. "Hang on ta this for me, will ya? It's very special to me and I only trust you to take care of it."

I nod and he slips it onto my middle finger just like he did all that time ago in Ursula's Fish and Chips. "I don't deserve you, princess," he murmurs and I look at him as he gazes at me with sorrowful eyes. He leans forward and presses his forehead against mine in an intimate gesture.

I close my eyes and a tear escapes my eye and leaves a trail down my cheek. "But I wouldn't trade your love for anything in the world." His forehead disappears and then he pulls me into a hug, cradling the back of my head with his hand as the other rests at my lower back. His cold hook presses against my bare skin from where it's hanging off his belt loop and a shiver goes through me.

I ignore the sting of the cold metal and wrap my arms around my pirate. "I love you, Rosabella," he murmurs in that Scottish accent of his and more tears escape my eyes. "I love you too, Harry. I'll never stop fighting for the VKs. That barrier will come down one day. I promise."

He giggles quietly and rubs my back with his hand. "Feisty." I smile and press my cheek against his shoulder. "Crazy, but also sweet." He laughs again and then we pull back from each other. I open my eyes as Harry leans forward and presses a kiss to my forehead.

"Goodbye, royal rebel," he murmurs lovingly and steps back. I give him a sad smile and it matches his. "Bye, Harry." He touches his fingertips to the bottom of my chin, his eyes roaming my face before he drops his hand. He nods before turning and going around the corner disappearing from sight. "Bye."