Uma's cabin is just as worn down as anything else found on the Isle but, somehow, manages to look like it's meant to be that way. There's a large, ancient looking desk pushed against one wall and a faded hammock hanging in the corner. She has fishing nets strung up from the ceiling and across the walls with various seashells, coral pieces, and dried sea stars caught inside.
She pushes Ben into the room, uncaring as he almost trips. Hayden closes the door behind them while she drags an old chest to the middle of the floor, gesturing for the king to take a seat.
He does, his still tied hands held in front of him as he looks up at the two villains' kids.
"Hayden?" he says in mild confusion. "I thought you were supposed to be in the Underworld until Friday?"
"I was," Hayden says with a nod. "Then, Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos showed up because you managed to get captured by pirates."
"They figure Hayden here is the only person who can, you know, get you back safely and talk me out of using the wand," Uma explains, arms crossed as she leans one hip on the edge of her desk.
"Which is why I put a stop to everything happening out there," he adds, nodding his head toward the cabin's door.
They all pause as a couple of shouts and what is undoubtedly the sound of clashing swords comes through the thick wood.
"Well, almost everything," Uma notes with amusement.
Hayden shrugs. "They'll be fine," he says dismissively before looking at Ben. "Believe me, you're lucky I was here," he tells him seriously.
"What do you mean?" Ben asks. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm thankful and everything but..."
Hayden looks to Uma. "What was it gonna be?" he asks. "Mind control? Love spell?"
Ben looks startled at the question while Uma just shrugs. "Bit of both," she admits with a smirk. "More of a love spell with a compulsion charm to do what I say."
He nods slowly. "Clever," he tells her honestly. "It would have worked, would have fit all the criteria."
Ben looks at them with wide eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"Our deal," Hayden explains. "I told you, Ben, I was very generous when we made it. The only real condition was that you had a year to bring more children to Auradon and to provide real provisions, a real life, for the residents."
"Right..." Ben says slowly.
Hayden gives him a pointed look. "Key word there being you. You have to be the one to open the barrier and change things." He shrugs casually. "Given the fact that, as king, you have to sign the official orders to do it, I figured it would be simple enough."
"Except the royal council has been blocking you every time you try to get them to agree to change the laws," Ben says in realization.
"Right."
"Wait," Ben says, shaking his head, "I just-" He turns to Uma. "You were going to use the wand to cross the barrier so you could- could spell me to give the orders?"
"Pretty much," she says casually. "I know a bit about deals myself, the fine print and all that." She nods her head in Hayden's direction. "He never specified that it had to be of your own free will."
He looks at Hayden in shock, his eyes wide. "That would have worked?"
Hayden snorts. "Of course, it would have," he tells him. "Why do you think I was so vague about the details?" He gives him a too-wide grin. "I like loopholes."
Ben stares at him for a few seconds before he turns back to Uma, his face softening. "You really do just want the barrier opened, for more kids to leave the Isle, don't you?"
"Uh, yeah," she says like it should be obvious. "Have you seen this place?" She raises an eyebrow in Hayden's direction. "Is he for real?"
"He can be a bit ignorant and naïve," he says in explanation. "I've noticed that it's very common in Auradonians."
"Wonderful characteristics for a ruler," she scoffs.
"I'm sitting right here," Ben says flatly.
"We know," Uma and Hayden say together.
"Right," he mutters under his breath before looking right at Hayden. "Look, Hayden, I think we can do this. We can do this the legal way, without wands and spells and- and compulsion charms."
"Yeah? Are you really sure about that?"
"Hayden..."
"Because I've been trying for months," he continues, voice sharp, "and, honestly, at this point I'm thinking it might just be easier to go along with Uma's plan." He nods in the captain's direction who just points at him with a smile.
Ben looks worried at that statement before his eyes fill with determination instead. "Yes," he says firmly. "We can. I know that- that you've been doing everything alone and I'm sorry. I'm sorry that we all got caught up in our own lives, that I got caught up in being king when..." he trails off with a frown, "when I haven't been a very good king at all," he says, quiet in his realization.
"No. You haven't," Hayden agrees bluntly.
"There's a council meeting on Friday," Ben says earnestly. "I promise that I'll be there, right beside you. We'll change things starting then." He looks at Uma. "You'll be in the first new group to cross over."
Uma looks thoughtful, tapping her long fingernails on the desk. She turns to Hayden. "You believe him?" she asks.
Hayden studies the king for a long moment. "I think I do," he finally says. "I have a feeling Benny-boy here might finally be realizing some of those ugly truths Auradon likes to ignore so much."
She snorts. "What, like the fact that his royal council has been purposefully keeping him from attending those meetings?"
Ben looks startled, not because he hadn't had that particular realization but because he doesn't see how Uma could know that. "How do you...?"
"Please," she scoffs. "A simple manipulation like that? Every Isle resident that's seen Hayden on the news has figured that out."
"Well, yes," Ben agrees slowly, "things like that." He sighs, shaking his head. "I have a feeling the entire council probably just- just needs to be completely reconstructed."
Hayden nods. "That's a good idea," he agrees. "Not only because they're clearly biased and the council itself is prejudiced against anyone not of true royal blood, but also because the others kinda made a deal with my dad to revamp the whole thing," he adds casually.
Uma cackles at that while Ben looks at him with wide eyes.
"They did what!" he asks in shock.
"Calm down," Hayden says with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's not an official deal. It's a little more under the table than that, a cash only kinda thing, if you catch my drift."
Hayden freezes after he says it, rolling his eyes as he realizes who he sounds like again.
"Aw, really?" Uma asks with a mock pout. "No chance Mal's soul is getting claimed any time soon then?"
Hayden shrugs. "No sooner than any other mortal," he tells her.
She sighs in apparent disappointment before looking back at Ben, completely serious. "You change things, you complete your deal, and you open the barrier," she says. "Because if you don't..."
She doesn't have to say it. The threat is clear.
Ben nods firmly. "I will. The council meeting is at ten o'clock on Friday morning. I'll be there," he adds, looking right at Hayden. "The others will too. You won't be standing alone in front of them anymore."
Uma looks satisfied at that, motioning for Hayden to untie the king.
Rather than deal with undoing her complicated knots, Hayden reaches into his boot and pulls out a sharp knife, swiftly cutting through the bindings on Ben's wrists.
"Um, do you- have you always had that on you?" he asks in concern as he rubs at his wrists.
Hayden looks at him blankly. "Are you asking if I always carry a weapon, even in Auradon?"
"Yes."
"Then, yes."
They look at each other for a few seconds, one of them still concerned and the other clearly bored, before Ben nods.
"Right," he says, accepting the situation and moving on. "Let's go tell the others what we've decided."
They all head for the door, noticing as they do that the sounds of fighting have stopped. They exit the captain's cabin and return to the ship's deck to see the aftermath of the fight.
There are multiple people covered in brightly colored powders which Hayden knows must be from the smoke bombs Evie made. Uma lets out a disgusted sound when she sees the bright colors on parts of her ship.
They head down to the connecting dock, Mal walking forward to meet them as they do. She looks relieved to see Ben walking on his own and immediately pulls him to her, checking him over for injuries.
Hayden looks to his side at a flash of movement and stares at a soaking wet Harry who just holds up his hook in apparent explanation. "I don't wanna know," he says flatly.
"Tha's fair," Harry agrees with a shrug.
"What happened, Ben?" Mal asks.
"We came to an agreement," he says. "We made a plan. At the council meeting tomorrow I'm going to, well, I'm going to tell the council how things are changing."
Mal nods with a small smile. "It's time things do," she agrees softly. "And we'll all be right there beside you. Both of you," she adds, looking at Hayden before glancing over at Uma. "You don't abandon your crew," she says with a small smirk.
Uma just snorts, giving her a dismissive look even as her lips twitch at the corners.
"Cotillion is tomorrow evening," Ben recalls. He turns toward Uma and Harry. "I want you guys to be there," he says seriously. "The opening ceremony is televised, and it'll show everyone that the barrier's opening, that more people are coming over."
Uma smiles a little. "I'll need a plus one," she says, jerking her head back in Gil's direction where he's climbed back on the ship's rigging.
"Not a problem," Ben assures her.
Mal smirks over at where Hayden is leaning into Harry's side, the pirate playing idly with one of his curls. "I assume your plus one is already handled, Hook?" she asks.
"Aye," he agrees. "Tha' it is."
"Not a problem," Ben says again, smiling at the couple. "I actually kind of met Harry earlier anyway," he adds. "He, uh, he threatened to hook me...?" Ben turns the statement into a question, clearly unsure whether or not he really would have done it.
Hayden just nods. "Yeah," he says casually. Mal and Uma both nod while Harry gives the king his normal mad grin.
"That's pretty normal, actually," Mal shrugs. She shakes her head. "Now, come on. We've gotta get back and prepare for that meeting." She grabs Ben's hand, both of them starting back toward the others.
Uma glances over at Hayden and Harry who haven't moved. "I'll see you tomorrow," she tells him, shaking her head at the two. "This better work," she warns, turning and walking back to her crew, already barking orders to clean up those powders.
"Yeh gotta go?" Harry asks as Hayden turns to look at him, dropping his hand from his hair to curl his arm around his waist.
"Yeah," Hayden sighs. "I do." He presses a quick kiss to his pirate's lips, one hand resting on his chest. "I'll see you tomorrow," he says quietly.
"Aye," Harry agrees, just as quiet. "I'm countin' on it."
Hayden reluctantly pulls away, walking backwards so he doesn't have to take his eyes off him. "Stay out of the rum," he tells him, pointing one ring adorned finger in his direction.
Harry gives him a small smile. "Don' need it," he claims. "Yeh came back."
Hayden sends him a grin and a wink before he turns on his heels and follows the others who are all waiting on him with varying smirks and smiles.
Evie squeals and latches onto his arm as soon as he's close enough. "I want to hear everything," she tells him.
"You will hear nothing," Hayden immediately responds, pulling away from her grip. He holds up one hand when she goes to protest. "Nobody but me and Harry needs to know what exactly happened or how it happened."
"Fine," she agrees with a pout.
They leave Pirate's Bay without another word, headed for the limo that will take them back to Auradon. The others look like they want to say something but one warning look from Hayden quells the urge, well, for now.