#Merlin's Academy Castlecoming Festival

[lazykatie]

What could’ve happened at Castlecoming Week (Part 3)

Pairing: Young Captain James Hook x Princess Bridget of Wonderland

You can find part 1 or part 2 here.

You can find the Aftermath of the Castlecoming Ball here (part 1, part 2, Part 3).

A/N: Credits to the person who posted this dress! I found it on pinterest :>

The night of the Castlecoming buzzed with excitement and anticipation. The grand hall is adorned in shimmering lights and lavish decorations, while the air was filled with laughter and music. The students, dressed in luxurious gowns and tuxedos, mingled together, but one figure stood out above the rest.

Bridget entered the hall in her deep crimson gown, contrasting beautifully with her pink bunned hair. Each step she took hinted at a subtle shimmer, the gown catching the light and sparkling as if sprinkled with stardust. Everyone couldn’t take their eyes off of her. Bridget, who always wore pink dresses with hearts embedded on them, now displayed a cascade of deep crimson silk adorned with intricate floral embroidery. Patterns of roses and delicate vines seemed to bloom from the fabric itself.

Despite her grand entrance, Bridget still found herself standing alone in the corner of the grand hall. She had already placed the treats that she brought on the snacks table and there’s still no sign of Ella. She quietly paced back and forth at the corner, starting to worry for her friend. “Ella’s never late,” she thought, “unless her stepmother and stepsisters have something to do with it.” 

Scanning the room, she spotted her curly blue-haired friend and called out, “Ella! Over here!” waving her arm enthusiastically.

“Bridget!” Ella said as she approached her. “You look great! I can’t believe you chose a red dress.”

Bridget smiled, a touch of playfulness in her voice. “Well, it’s a nice change, don’t you think?” She then complimented Ella, “You look gorgeous too. But, I thought you were going to wear your mom’s pink dress?”

Ella glanced around nervously before replying, “I ran into some problems, but someone helped me.” She looked out into the crowd, silently thanking Fay.

Their conversation was cut short after Ella spotted one of her stepsisters, “Bridget, just stay right here. I can’t let my stepsister see me here. I’ll be back later, alright?” 

Bridget nodded as Ella rushed to hide. Well, that was a bummer. She only got to spend a few minutes with her friend but that’s alright. “At least she still showed up,” she thought hugging herself. With the absence of her friend, it feels much colder. She felt the chill of the autumn air creeping in, replacing the warmth of summer.

Leaning against the wall, Bridget watched the crowd. She still couldn’t believe that she hasn’t made a single friend, other than Ella, during her one year of staying at Merlin’s Academy. She thought about Hook, wondering if their brief chats over the past two days made them friends. He liked her sweets but did he like her? The other students loved her sweets but not her. Just like in Wonderland, the people love their princess, but not Bridget. She couldn’t help but think that maybe Hook was right. She quickly discarded that thought and approached the table where her sweets were located. 

Just as she was about to grab a snack, a voice beside her spoke, "Enjoying yourself, Pinkie?" Hook's voice was smooth, with a hint of teasing.

Bridget turned, her eyes lighting up with surprise and delight. "Hook! I didn't expect to see you here," she replied, her smile warm and welcoming.

Hook advanced towards her, sporting an amused face. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” His eyes flicked to her dress. "Red suits you. Looks like you took my advice."

Blushing slightly, Bridget laughed softly. "I did. Thank you. You look dashing as well."

An awkward silence settled between them, broken by the music shifting to a slow, melodic waltz. Couples began to pair off, filling the dance floor.

Feeling a rare impulse, Hook extended his hand towards Bridget. "Care to dance, Princess?"

Bridget felt a surge of happiness as she accepted his hand. They moved to the edge of the dance floor, joining the swirling pairs. As they danced, Hook found himself strangely at ease. Bridget’s presence was soothing, her genuine warmth contrasting sharply with his cold exterior. But, he can’t let his guard down. He needs to complete the task Uliana had given. He needs to prove his loyalty to their crew, his friends. 

As the dance ended, the sea of students parted to reveal Uliana and her crew approaching.

“Hook, I didn’t know that Bridget is your date.” Uliana said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Bridget shook her head no, covering the slight blush on her cheek. “I’m with Ella. He just asked me for a dance.”

“And where is she exactly,” Uliana asked as she circled around Bridget like a predator.

“Well-” Bridget started, but Uliana interrupted after assessing her. 

“I almost forgot.” Uliana snapped her fingers. “Morgie, honey, the thing,” she ordered as Morgie handed her the cupcake in one of her tentacles.

“I’ve made you this cupcake. You know, to signify a treaty.” Her smirk never wavered.

“Ah! I made you some treats as well. Wait here.” Bridget said, rushing towards the snack table. She searched for the plate of treats, only to find it empty. Disappointed, she returned to Uliana and her crew, her head hanging low. 

“I’m sorry, Uli,” she murmured. “I thought I brought enough. But, I’ll make you some—”

Uliana cut her off, “That’s not necessary. All you need to do is accept my offering.” She extended her tentacle, urging Bridget to pick it up.

“Thanks. This means a lot to me.” Bridget took a bite, noting a funny flavor that she couldn’t put her finger on.

“It’s good, Uli. I didn’t know you baked.” 

Morgie chimed in, “Oh, you haven’t eaten the best part yet.”

Bridget took another bite, as anticipation built within the VKs. But nothing happened. Confusion spread among them—was Bridget immune to magic? Why isn’t it working?

Suddenly, Bridget dropped the cupcake, her eyes wide in panic. “What’s happening to me?” she shrieked. She clutched her throat, feeling something stuck. Her nose began to stretch, her back hunched, and her skin green. Her arms became all bones and hands stiffened as it became crooked. What happened to her?

She looked around in horror as Uliana and her crew cackled. Hook, standing nearby, laughed awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable.

Soon the other students noticed and joined the laughter. Their laughs, cackles, howls, she can hear them all. Bridget felt tears well up in her eyes as the crowd's laughter echoed around her. Their voices ringing through her head as she felt her world spin. 

Desperately, she searched for Ella, her friend, her solace. But, what she saw broke her even more. Ella didn’t notice, didn’t bother to look for her. It’s like she was bewitched by Charming, who was now dragging her out. Oblivious to Bridget’s suffering, HER suffering.

She doesn’t know what to do anymore. It’s like everything fell on her like a ton of bricks. She couldn’t handle it anymore. All she wants now is to be invisible. But that’s not possible, so she did the next thing possible… run. Run as far away as possible. She ran, pushing through the crowd, heading for the courtyard.

She felt a hand grab her boney arms. “Pinkie.” Hook called out softly.

“What do you want from me?” she snapped, her voice breaking

“I can help—” 

“Is this another trick? Did Uliana put you up to it?” 

“No. No, I—”

“You WHAT? Huh?”

“You approached me for the past two days to ensure Uliana’s revenge. Are you happy now?”

Hook hesitated, then replied, “Not as much as I thought I would be.”

Bridget shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I thought you were different. You told me things as they are. No sugarcoating. But just as I was starting to believe you, you stabbed me in the back.”

“Princess—”

“Don’t Princess me! I can’t handle it anymore! I, at least, thought that the past two days were the start of something new. But, you were just like everybody else—”

“Shut up for a minute.” Hook said, grabbing her face and leaning closer.

He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Bridget slowly transformed back to her normal self. She looked up at Hook, confusion and gratitude in her eyes.

“You can go now.” Hook said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Why did you do that?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“I don’t know either, alright? I just can’t stand seeing you look like a deflated balloon.”

Bridget’s heart softened, her tears slowing. “Thank you.”

“I’ll get going. The crew’s probably looking for me now. You should go too”

Bridget nodded, turning to leave. As she walked away, Hook called out, “Bridget, remember what I said before. But if you can’t do it, I’ll do it for you. Even if it’s against Uliana.”

Bridget paused, looking back with a determined expression. “Don’t worry, James. I’ll handle it,” she said, her eyes gleaming with newfound resolve, bloodlust.

~~~

A/N: How did I do? |･ω･｀)

This was longer than I had expected and I struggled to write it too T^T. Like, I didn’t even know how to end it. But, you know, I have to give it to you guys even just a little smooch without breaking Hook’s personality (But I already broke it didn’t I? T^T). Anyways, sorry for the rant. Have a happy reading! Really hope you liked it. This is the last part of Hook x Bridget. I’ll post a poll later on what to write next but it’s still about Castlecoming.

Edit: Sorry for adding this here but I hope you can make time to see this post. Someone is in need of our help. Click here to see.