As You Wish

The bells tolled from the castle and shouts and cries began echoing around the village. Estelle rushed to the front window of her family’s shack and spotted the ship speeding to the dock, spying the black flag flying atop its largest sail.

“Estelle, we need to go!” her father shouted as he hurried over to her, scooping her up in his arms and following his wife out the back door. The parents cradled their children in their arms as they ran up the dirt path to the castle, occasionally looking over their shoulder at the approaching ship. Once they reached the castle’s gates at the top of the hill, the pirates were on land and the men of the village were running down to meet them in battle and defend the money and resources of their town.

“Not you,” one of the guards ordered Estelle’s father and she gripped tighter onto his wide shoulders.

“I have to! My son is too young to provide if I-” her father began protesting.

“It’s the rules and you know it. Women and children only,” the guard insisted and Estelle’s mother placed a hand on her daughter’s arm, willing her to let go.

“Come now, he will return,” she spoke softly and Estelle scrunched her eyes shut, determined to stay with her father. “He has fought before, and he has lived. He will do so again.”

“We must shut the gates now. Hurry, or you will all be left outside,” the guard instructed with little sympathy and Estelle’s hands were pried from her father’s shirt.

“It’s for your own protection,” her father smiled at her as her mother gripped her hand to lead her away. “I will go and fight and protect you.” With that promise, he turned and began jogging down the hill towards the battle that had already begun. Estelle cried as her mother ushered her inside the stronghold, neither of them able to watch their beloved running to the combat.

Estelle waited and waited, holding her mother for comfort and eventually playing with her brother to pass the time, doing her best to ignore the shouts and cries from down the hill and trying to not think too hard when they eventually ceased. The women and distressed children were released from the castle walls once the pirate ship was drifting back to the horizon and the whole village rushed down to the beach to examine the carnage. The pirates had plundered the houses nearby, stealing valuables and food, but they had also taken something far more valuable: lives. Blood was seeping into the sand, being drawn out to sea by foaming waves, and the second Estelle’s mother saw her husband among the dead she turned her children away and dragged them to their wrecked home. Once inside she distracted them with their favourite toys and treats she had hidden in the highest cupboard, also diverting her own thoughts from the truth.

“Is Papa coming home?” Estelle eventually asked, causing a deathly silence to fall in the room. Her and her brother found their answer when their mother burst into tears.

Killian and Estelle strolled hand in hand along the stony beach, heading away from the campsite and sharing joyful smiles as they enjoyed their privacy. Without the watchful eyes of his crew on them, they were letting loose and allowing themselves to become closer to one another, in a different kind of intimate than the crew expected.

“I bet there isn’t a single shore you haven’t stepped on, is there?” Estelle grinned up at him, still in awe about how far Killian had travelled. Though he had Neverland’s magic on his side, providing him with seemingly infinite youth, he had still seen and done far more than Estelle had ever dreamed of. She was mixed with admiration and jealousy.

“Possibly not, love. Sailing between realms and exploring is unlike anything else in life,” Killian replied. “Did you ever travel? By ship, or on land?”

“I sometimes went to sea with the fishermen, but I never really left the village,” she explained, realising that this was the first time she had journeyed away from her home.

“Well it’s time to travel again,” a young voice said from behind them and the two broke apart to spin around. Killian’s face immediately hardened as he glared at the boy.

“What do you want, Pan?” he glowered, tensing and preparing to reach for his sword if necessary.

“I need her to leave,” Pan clarified with a nod towards Estelle.

“Why? She does you no harm,” Killian protested and Pan smirked.

“I have my reasons. I do not have to justify my orders to my workers,” he continued and Estelle frowned, puzzled that the boy had hired Killian.

“You work for him?” she asked quietly and Killian gave a short nod.

“It’s a long story,” he muttered.

“Take her away tonight, and do not let her return,” Pan commanded and Killian’s hand found the hilt of his sword.

“No. Our time is not done here, my crew needs their rest,” he argued, attempting to reason with Pan and take the focus off Estelle.

“Refuse again and I will not be so kind to your wench,” Pan threatened and Killian withdrew his sword, prepared to defend Estelle.

“Stop, I can leave,” she offered, uncertain of what kind of magic Pan might be wielding.

“I’m not giving in,” Killian snarled.

“Fine then. Let’s do this the hard way, pirate,” Pan stated as he placed his hands on his hips and smirked at Estelle.

“Pirate…?” Estelle breathed with fear, diverting her gaze up at Killian. His worried eyes flicked to her and she suddenly saw him in a new light. He wore too much black to be a normal captain, his hook became menacing, and the sword that was moments ago protecting her had turned into a threat.

“Oh, you didn’t tell her?” Pan said, poorly feigning his innocence. Estelle stumbled down the stoney beach to put distance between herself and the pirate, despite Killian’s pained expression that begged her to not leave.

“Estelle, please-”

“Pirates ruined the lives of everyone in my village,” she spat as she continued to back away, trembling from yet another deception from a man she cared about.

“You included,” Killian finished for her, having already guessed that and hence why he had avoided clarifying that he was the captain of a pirate ship. “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t-”

“I lost my father to a man like you. You’re a monster!” Estelle rasped before running across the beach, leaving Pan grinning at Killian.

“Get her off my island, Hook.”