Page 32

Chapter Thirty

Gwendolyn

Present Day

“ P eter!” I climbed off of the rock I had been sitting on while a few of the lost boys showed me the small sea creatures that were stranded in some pools of water after the tide went out.

Once I saw the sight of Peter flying toward us, I moved closer.

The larger boy, named Bear, came over to watch Peter descend right before me with a pixie beside him.

The pixie with him flew right over to Bear, tinkling.

“Tink! Peter saved you?” Bear asked with a grin.

“She was hidden in the captain's quarters. She couldn't even fly, so I had to give her some of the extra pixie dust I had on me.”

“Peter, Peter hero! Hero! Hero!” The pixie chimed.

“Thank you for rescuing her, Peter,” Bear said softly. Peter smiled. Bear held out his hand, and the small pixie stepped on top of it. I watched for a few moments as Bear walked away toward the water while having a conversation with the pixie.

“What? What was that about?” I asked.

“I heard he has a thing for a certain pixie–must have been this Tink ,” Peter shrugged.

“I had no idea they had names.”

“Hard to think they would–they swarm around as if they are all one being, most of the time,” Peter said with a grin.

“They really are the worst sort of creatures. I will be so happy to be rid of them.” It was silent.

Peter and me, along with the lapping of the waves on the shore, that was all there was.

“Well–Hello, darling.”

“Hello Peter,” I returned with a smile.

“I love you,” he said with a wink.

“And I you.”

“What are you doing right now?” he asked.

“Oh, Peter, I cannot wait for this flirting to end, so please tell me. Is everything all right? Did it go as planned? It had to, for you brought back the stolen pixie. Right? It all went well?”

“Well, we have captured Hook’s crew. When Dominick came aboard to fight the captain, he discovered that this ‘ Captain Hook’ was actually Captain Veeto. ”

“No!” I gasped. “Where is he?”

“Rotting in the fathoms,” Peter said.

“I am so glad he cannot hurt anyone ever again.” I knew what Captain Veeto had done to Peter’s brother. He was vile. “Is Dominick alright?”

“He is fine,” Peter said with a soft smile. “Dominick scolded the pirates not to cross him or they would fear his wrath. I believe Meria made off with the lost boys he was holding captive.” Peter looked around. “Have you seen them?"

“No, perhaps, they are on the other side of the island?”

“That would make sense.” He paused. “Oh, I forgot something, I shall be back in one minute,” he said. He flew up into the air, back to his brother’s ship. Then, he flew back to me, carrying a small bag tied at his waist.

“What is that?”

“It is for Shadow, one of the lost boys. He wanted to plant some seeds on the island. William luckily had some with him.”

“Oh, will they stay then?”

“Yes. They seem happy here. We will have to send someone back to check the island frequently, I think, just to be sure the pixies are not taking other children from the kingdoms.”

“I do think they mean well.”

“Yes, but this island is no place for children. ”

“Agreed,” I said with a nod. He was still flying, just slightly above the sand.

“Now then–” he said, wrapping his arms around me and also pulling me up in the air. “That should be all I have to do for the moment.”

“Peter!” I said, clinging to him as we rose higher and higher. The island was beautiful from above, but I was too focused on the height to really see the beauty.

“It is your turn to fly, Gwen, darling.”

“Peter!” I squealed.

“I have you, so do not worry,” he said, pulling me tighter against him. We were moving slowly over to the lost boys I had been waiting with on the beach. They waved and shouted with joy at us. In a few minutes, we were back on the cliff where we had been only days before.

“Gwen, my debt should be paid now, and I cannot wait a moment longer.”

“Peter, I told you that I cannot fly. Holding onto you as we just did is the best I can offer.”

“Yes, yes, because ladies do not fly, I understand,” Peter blurted.

He cupped my cheeks in his hands and pressed a soft kiss upon my lips.

“I love you so much, and I adore everything about you, including your timid and reserved ways. I love how you are brave and loyal. That you love stories as much as I do, and that we have a beautiful story of our own. I have always wanted to escape my life, but now, all I want is to be with you, forever. I have no desire to be anywhere except at home with you.”

“I love you, too, Peter–always.”

“Thank you for loving me,” he said tenderly.

“I shall never take it for granted, and I want you to know I will never abuse you as your mother does. I will listen to you. I will never stay quiet and say nothing when something should be said, like your father did. I will not hurt you and belittle you as your brothers have. I want to make you my princess—to be your partner, the person you run to for all things, who you can trust with your heart and your thoughts and ideas. I love your beautiful mind.”

“Peter, I want all that, too—with you.”

“Will you, Gwendolyn Darling, marry me?”

“Yes. We are already engaged, Peter. Nothing has changed.”

“Yes. However, would you marry me– now ?”

“Now? On this cliff?”

“Um, well, I was thinking about–on a ship. Dominick, he is a captain, and captains have the right to legally marry. We could marry right now.” He caressed my cheek.

“No wedding thrown by your mother–no formality, just us and the people we love the most–the only person missing is my mother, but I believe she will understand.”

“Are you in earnest? ”

“Yes, let’s not let your mother plan our wedding. Let’s do it our way.”

I paused for just a moment. I could think of nothing more beautiful.

“Okay.”

“Truly?”

“Yes, I love you, and I will tell you I have read of many weddings taking place on ships with captains. It sounds wonderful.”

“I knew you would understand. It will shock everyone because it isn’t the proper thing to do.”

“Yes, well, it may not be proper by society’s standards–” I said, caressing Peter's cheek and jaw, and his whiskers tickled my skin. “–but it is the proper thing for us.”

Peter

In a pop and a billow of black smoke, a man appeared beside us. Gwen clung to me as he appeared.

“Prince Peter of Walden,” he began, and I felt a strange tingling inside my body.

“Yes, who are you? ”

“I am Ancient Draken, and your curse to never be satisfied where you are and to crave adventure, instead, has been broken.”

“It has?” I gasped.

In another two pops, one of gray smoke and one of blue, two other people stood beside Ancient Draken.

“Ah, Peter and Gwen!” the man in the brown cloak said.

“Lady Gwendolyn,” I told him, feeling protective. No one called Gwen “Gwen” but me.

“Oh yes, hello. Congratulations on your curse breaking,” the man said, turning to me.

“Okay–thank you, and you are–?” I asked, pulling Gwen closer to me.

“He is of little consequence,” Ancient Draken said.

“I am Ancient Teddy,” the man in brown said. “Ancient Draken is a little envious of my great power.”

Ancient Draken did not say a word but glared at the man in brown, this Ancient Teddy.

“Hello, I am Ancient Ora,” the lady in light blue said. “I am so happy that you have broken your curse.”

“Thank you.” I was overwhelmed.

Why are all these Ancients here?

“You meddled again. I should have known it,” Ancient Draken spat, looking at Ancient Ora, the long blonde-haired Ancient in blue.

“We did not interfere, really, even though this one was particularly clever, brother. ”

Ancient Ora and Ancient Draken are brother and sister?

“They do this every time. Siblings, am I right?” Ancient Teddy said.

“Of course, it was clever. I am very insightful, and I know it had to be you who orchestrated this. I am no fool, Ora!” Draken added.

“Yes, I told the queen that it was a curse that gradually worsened, and she waited till the right time to find the perfect storyteller to keep the prince grounded, and slowly, the curse began to weaken.”

“Ora is rather brilliant,” Ancient Teddy said. “You really underestimate her, Draken. You’d think you’d learn by now. It’s okay, we all get old and forget—”

“I am leaving,” Ancient Draken said with a groan and a snap of his fingers, and in a billowing pop of smoke, he was gone.

“Now that he is gone—”

“Let me, Theodore,” Ancient Ora said, walking closer to us.

“Prince Peter, I am so happy for you. You found your true love.”

“Thank you. If what you said was true, and you helped, I thank you so much.”

“Well, my brother needs to be put in his place, and well, humans are not as evil as he pretends they are. You two are good. Let’s go, Theodore,” she said, motioning to the other man.

He lifted his hand with a pop of grey smoke. I looked at Ancient Ora, and as she disappeared into a mass of blue smoke, her last words floated around us.

“May you, Peter and Gwendolyn, both bring peace to each other, and may you both live happily ever after.”

The End