Chapter Text
As she looks at the invitation, the pearl paper she holds between her fingers, Uma doesn't know exactly what she should feel. The warm breeze from the region shakes the loose strands of her hair and she, with her other hand firmly grasping the string, inhales the salty aroma of the sea to calm herself. The ship rocks hard, riding the waves, and she exhales again.
The letter has a golden seal, the stamp of a trident that drags her away towards the memories, where Uma is lost for a moment, at that time when she got the ship in which she and her crew now sail the seas, at the moment in which she became captain and almost narrowly managed to get Triton's Trident.
The thought throws her off a bit, but the rough wood brings her back to reality. She is home, she remembers herself, so memories don't mean much here. And even if Uma can't completely get rid of them, she chooses to take the parts that she likes, like Gil joining her crew and Harry becoming her first mate.
Harry.
Years have passed, and Uma still does not get used to it, she believes that she will never get used, to seeing him so free and vast. A pirate, in all his splendor. A sailor who willingly leaves his life on the ship, in her. On their daughter.
The little baby makes a noise to attract her attention, and Uma forgets the letter when her fingers caress the fuzz of hair on her head.
The waves of the rough sea roar, caress the ship, and fall asleep, tamed in an instant, perhaps perceiving that an oceanic queen inhabits it. Uma closes her eyes and loses herself in the sensations...
And then she feels him, because she always feels him, and she opens her eyes to see Harry heading towards them.
“Is everything fine, lass?” He asks, so Uma holds out the paper envelope for him to read, while bouncing the baby a little so that she will sleep. Harry opens the paper and reads it impatiently, at the same time that he reaches out to caress Nerea's tiny cheek with his thumb. So, when he finishes, he frowns. “So, we’ll go?"
"I don't want to," Uma answers honestly. The trident glows when it catches the reflection of the bright sun, and Harry doesn't seem surprised. An invitation to Atlantica would have seemed like a generous offer once, but not now. Now, Uma can only think about why it took them so long. “But it came with another letter. One from Ben. He wants us to go as a favor”.
He said something about how that would be a show of good faith, to continue fixing the relationship between the people of Auradon and the villains and their children. Although the barrier has fallen, it has not been so easy to reconcile both parts. Uma believes that it will never be entirely possible; there is too much resentment and hatred among some for it to happen. Herself, now, can't help but think that this is supposed to be her legitimate family, but she was left forgotten on an isle for most of her life. They never cared about her, until now.
"And what have you decided, darling?"
Harry knows her well. Uma has never done something that she does not want, she has never acted on the orders of others. And while Ben's letter isn't directly an order, it feels like an inescapable request. When Uma thinks how excited he must be, good Ben, innocent, diplomat, she just rolls her eyes and sighs before looking at Harry.
"It's a favor, right? After all, he blinds eyes to our activities at sea".
Uma knows that, Harry, Gil and she are a weakness to Ben. She doesn't understand it, but she knows the king has grown too fond of them for his own good.
Harry nods, calm with the decision Uma has made.
"We will go to Atlantica, then," says Harry, and the matter is no longer discussed. Instead, the two of them pause for a moment to pamper their baby. Nerea is very small and was born three months ago. Harry and Uma have been completely ecstatic ever since.
And as they continue their journey, Uma can't help but go back to the memories. Once, there was pain and anger; the relentless weight of humiliation on them, every second and every hour. And they never believed they were going to have a life like the one they have now.
Another gale of wind blows, big and unleashed, and Uma feels it on her face, ruffling her hair. This freedom is so sweet that it never ceases to amaze her. The sea is large, larger than the sky, and the horizon, unforeseen. The water always sings, calling to her, and she can make the currents rage at any minute.
Gil is up in the crow's nest, and Uma hears him, through all the noise of the ship, singing. Bonny and Jonas joke as they tug on the string, moving the sails to better capture the airstream. Desiree, sweeping the deck, looks calm. She is intense and somewhat wild, but at this moment when she is at home, with her family, it is not necessary. Gonzo, who has just been relieved of the helm by Harry, can't help his eyes light up when he sees Nerea. Uma can't blame him. Nerea has them delighted, she dominates the entire ship with her babbling sounds and curious eyes.
Right now, all that matters is the next adventure. They will stop at the first port or island they see. The sun, longed for so many years, will caress their faces. And Uma doesn't know what they'll be doing at the end of the day, but she's willing to go wherever the Lost Revenge takes them.