Page 61 of Hateful Prince
Dr. Masterson: *hums in approval* And how did that make you feel?
Hook: *scoffs* Oh, brilliant. Fucking wonderful. Best day of my whole life. Of course it made me feel like a piece of shit on the bottom of my father’s shoe. Jesus, I thought you were insightful, Doctor. Seriously, I don’t think all those years of schooling did you any good. You should ask for a refund.
Dr. Masterson: I think you’re misplacing your anger, Caspian.
Hook: No, I’m quite certain it’s aimed directly where it belongs, Doctor.
Dr. Masterson: *musing hum* Please continue, Caspian.
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Hook: Well, it’s a tale as old as time, innit? By the ripe old age of seventeen, I was the abandoned child, the unwanted prince, the not-so-lost boy. A boy king, really, bred to rule, only it didn’t end up being the Sea Court I was leading. It was a bunch of other lonely kids whose parents couldn’t be bothered to fight for them.
Dr. Masterson: And did you?
Hook: Did I what?
Dr. Masterson: Fight for them?
Hook: Of course I bloody did. You really need to work on your active listening skills, Doc. I fought for them every moment of every day. I still fight for them. They’re my crew. My family. The only one that ever truly mattered.
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Dr. Masterson: *awed gasp* I understand now. You were Peter Pan, the leader of the lost boys, and you fought to protect them from the pirates.
Hook: Maybe there’s hope for you after all, Lizzie darling.
Dr. Masterson: A fight must have ensued that led to their captain’s death, and Ravenndel doesn’t allow vacancies.
Hook: You have done your homework. Go on, then. Might as well finish since you’re on a roll.
Dr. Masterson: When you killed him, you became him?
Hook: Ding dong, Doctor. Well met. And the lost boys, they’re men now. My men. My crew. And I’m no longer their boy king. I’m their captain.
Dr. Masterson: An ever-evolving, self-sustaining realm. That explains the madness. Your time away from your realm is seen as a vacancy, only you aren’t actually dead, so there’s no one to take your place, and Ravenndel is desperate to fill the void. It’s tearing at you. Trying to pull you back and restore the balance. *dramatic pause* Caspian, what happens if you don’t return to Ravenndel?
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Hook: My, my, you are a clever girl, aren’t you? Finally put it all together? The big reveal. Yes, I can tell by the horrified look on your face that you have. But here, I’ll spell it out for you anyway. What happens if Captain Hook doesn’t return to Neverland? Well, both he and it cease to exist, don’t they? Right along with every other fairy tale tied to the realm. *resigned sigh* In short, doctor, it’s the bloody end of the world for all of us.
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End of transcript.
Chapter
Twenty
HOOK
An itching persisted under my skin, all over, annoying and frustrating because I couldn’t quite pinpoint the source. All I knew was discomfort. I felt unwelcome in my own body, like I was wearing a suit that didn't fit. And no matter what I did, nothing eased the pervasive sensation.
Pair that with the motherfucking tick, tick, ticking in my head and the bloody whispers that felt more like roars, and I was going to be stark raving mad before long.
If I was being honest, I was nearly there already.
Dahlia’s form came into view, and an instant flood of relief hit me. The itching died down, and the chaos of my mind settled into a sweet summer storm versus the maelstrom it had been working up to.