Chapter Text
♪ brutal -Olivia Rodrigo
EVIE had always been the perfect child. She got perfect grades, had a perfect personality and always looked perfectly beautiful.
She excelled in every class she took, made stunning fashion pieces in her free time, had a cute, nerdy boyfriend and friends who loved her.
Every teacher gushed about her, the child prodigy who no one expected to have come from the Isle.
When Eden went to class none of the teachers knew her name, she was known as 'Evie's sister' or it was "Oh! You're Evie's sister, right? Yeah she's awesome, I wish I had a sister like her."
Eden tried hard not to resent her position, she never felt any negativity towards her sister but she couldn't deny the feeling of pressure building up in her chest.
She had to get perfect grades, have perfect attendance and look perfect at all times. It was sickeningly difficult.
Even their mother had preferred her, dismissing the younger girl and giving the older all the attention.
On the Isle, whilst Evie spent her time getting doted on by their mother, Eden hung out with Harry and Uma. Learning all of their dirty tricks and being trained to sword fight like a pirate.
She used to like her life, apart from her detached relationship with her mother, having a supportive older sister and friends who made her smile despite the tough conditions really helped.
They had her back, stealing food when the younger girl was starving, protecting her from older kids who decided to pick on or hurt her and helping her learn what friendship was.
That was her perfect.
All up until Evie's birthday party where Mal trashed the whole event which eventually led to the two girls becoming friends.
Eden never expected the two rivalling girls to get along so well with each other.
Then Mal had started her gang, recruiting Evie first of course, before adopting both Jay and Carlos.
This eventually turned into a catastrophe for the younger Grimhilde girl, being torn between her friends and her sister.
But Mal; Queen of all things manipulative and guilt tripping, twisted her hand and then it all went to shit.
Eden scowled out of her dorm window, her thoughts straying back to the present when a hand clasped her shoulder.
Mal's bleached blonde hair and soft expression greeted her, "You okay Ed?"
The soon-to-be-princess was sporting an eyesore of a dress, the yellow was too bright and the blue too opposing, Eden tried her hardest not to grimace at the gown because she knew how proud her older sister was of it.
"Yeah, just thinking that's all." The younger girl replied, tearing her eyes from the Island opposite their dorm window and to the situation at hand.
Evie had finished measuring Mal's dress for Cotillon and now it was her turn.
Eden loved fashion—don't get her wrong, the only thing was that all she could think when she wore her sister's designs were the comparisons everyone was making between them.
She wanted to be proud of her older sister and support her to her full capacity but the royal life made it hard to be anything but critical of others.
She pushed off the bed, ignoring a frowning Mal and walked towards her sister before standing on a short podium to be measured.
"What were you thinking about Ed?" Evie asked whilst pulling her arm up to wrap a silky material around.
"Do you guys ever miss the Isle?" She muttered the question almost ashamed.
Evie's eyes looked like they would bulge out of her head, "No, Eden, come on...what's wrong with you?" She huffed gently, crossing her arms.
"We got the opportunity to live a lavish life together in Auradon and all you can think of is the Shithole of our old home. I know you miss your friends but this is a great place and so much better than the Isle."
Eden looked down at her hands, bottling up her words and letting them scream out in her head rather than out loud.
"I mean...look at the shoes." She held up a shoe exaggeratedly.
After Mal scoffed, Evie moved her finger to smooth the crease between her sister's eyebrows, "Wrinkles." She muttered.
Eden grabbed her arm and moved it away, turning quickly and walking towards the bathroom to take a deep breath.
A figure appeared next to her and she scowled ready to tell her sister to give her a minute.
"I do." Mal said, staring straight into Eden's eyes and surprising the Grimhilde girl.
"You what?" She sputtered, peeling her fingernails away from digging into her palms.
"I miss the Isle, I miss screaming at people so they'd go away, I miss fighting people when they pissed me off and I miss being myself."
Mal looked drained, the bleached blonde hair wasn't helping her case either.
"Me too. Sometimes I wished they picked someone else who could appreciate more, I feel ungrateful but a part of me is missing." The girl slumped to sit on the closed toilet seat with her head resting on a hand.
"Mhm." Mal hummed staring at her reflection with malice. Eden rolled her eyes.
Mal didn't miss the Isle the same way Eden did. Mal missed not being the centre of attention, she missed being able to disappear into the shadows without anyone looking for her. Mal missed being a terror.
Eden didn't miss that, in fact she quite enjoyed being able to walk outside without having to look over her shoulder, she didn't miss the constant battle for basic necessities and the fact she had to brew healing potions for herself every week.
The reason why the younger girl missed the Isle was entirely different.
She missed her friends, her connections, her home and something else. Something entirely different. Something she wouldn't dwell upon because it was over.
She clicked her tongue against her teeth and hid the look of hatred she shot Mal.
It was all her fault.
Standing up once more she sighed and composed her fact before returning back to the room where her sister would prod and move her like a robot until she was pleased with what she'd created.
Eden retreated into her mind until she could escape later that night.
➵ ♚ ➵
At around 11:30 each evening, Eden would sneak past the hall monitors and head to the school's gym. From there, she'd set up the punching bag, strap up her knuckles and practice her fighting until all her anger had dissipated.
Until all her forehead dripped with sweat and until the pressure on her chest released.
It was her favourite thing to do. Being alone and being able to find a release for her anger helped her keep her feelings at bay in the day.
It also gave her time to reflect.
She loved her sister deeply, thoroughly and absolutely. There was no better older sister than Evie.
She was understanding, accepting, supportive, welcoming, smart, pretty and had been Eden's rock since birth.
Of course, Eden didn't tell her everything. Like that time when she was 12 and a boy broke her nose after she walked into him accidentally. She'd blamed it on clumsiness which had been dismissed by their mother who had never really cared for the younger Grimhilde girl.
Or that other time from age 13-16 when her only friends had been Harry, Celia and CJ. If her sister had found out she was fraternising with pirates—she didn't want to think about what it would've resulted in.
Because of the fact that Eden was so against joining Mal's gang like her sister, she'd found friendship in various others, those who she missed dearly and sometimes dared to let her mind linger to if she was in an area where she could risk tearing up.
As her mind skimmed through various memories she recounted how she'd met her friends just a few weeks ago.
As Eden's fists collided with the bag, a strand of pale blue highlight tickled her nose as it strayed from the messy ponytail.
She paused and her eyes narrowed at it, tucking it angrily back into place behind her ear before resuming.
Being so consumed in her fighting she had her breath knocked out of her when a hand clasped gently on her shoulder.
She spun and instinctively swung a fist forward.
Both teens yelped as they dodged the blow.
Once her breathing had calmed, Eden's eyes trailed the two infront of her, Lonnie—daughter of Warrior Fa Mulan and General Li Shang, and Roman—son of Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert.
What they were doing here was beyond her.
"Jesus Christ girl, you nearly just took us out." Lonnie huffed out a laugh and Roman smirked.
Eden didn't laugh, her eyes narrowed. "What're you guys doing here? You shouldn't be here."
Roman shrugged before crossing his arms, "That's a bit hypocritical considering you're also here past light out. Also we watched you literally sneak past the hall monitors by jumping out your window."
The bluenette huffed, "And what? I needed a release. Why're you guys here?"
"Well, we were sneaking out so we could practice fencing without Chad's misogynistic ass screaming at us." Lonnie said, motioning to the bag slung over her shoulder.
Eden's eyes skimmed them both, they sported similar workout clothes to her.
"Anyway, your fighting skills are immensely impressive girl, I haven't seen anyone fight like that since I watched my mother train soldiers."
Something warm and fuzzy lit up Eden's heart and made her feel lighter, she let a small tip of her lips.
"Thanks."
"Wanna join us?" Roman offers, "We're just going to set up over there." He points to the small court area opposite.
Feeling different, Eden nodded. "Yeah, okay."
"Great!" Lonnie grinned, "I'm glad I'm not the only girl here who likes to fight. We need to spar one time, I've had enough of Rome, he's so annoyingly predictable sometimes."
Roman gaped, his head snapping around to watch the two girls' conversations. "Hello?"
Lonnie rolled her eyes, "Goodbye." She slipped the bag from her shoulder as Eden unwrapped her wrists.
Eden grinned now, standing off to the side and beckoning them to begin their fencing match.
It was swift, calculative and aggressive all at the same time, it reminded her of sword fighting back on the Isle.
So when it was her turn and the match dragged on for a while until she was eventually bested with a prick on her hand, Lonnie was speechless.
"Eden, where the fuck did you learn to fight like that?" Lonnie laughed as Roman clapped entertained from the sidelines.
"Pirates." Eden winked trying to hide how much the fact that Lonnie actually knew her name mattered to her.
And then she was roped into a long conversation on the gym floor about her background in fighting and she peppered both royals with similar questions.
Lonnie's wasn't surprising, being raised by a legend as a mother she was bound to be someone with fantastic swordsmanship. It was just a shame the sexism rooted in society still had its claws in Auradon sports.
Roman's father was once known as 'Flynn Ryder' a notorious criminal who fought dirty and carried a small dagger everywhere with him. He was trained similarly to Eden as she compared his methods being close to Pirate techniques in her head.
It was new to have people interested in her. People who didn't know her as just 'Evie's sister' or one of the 'teens from the Isle'.
So from then on, every night she'd meet with them, and she'd let her anger out in a healthier way. Until slowly she had less anger and frustration to hide at all.
She had friends in the day now, ones she sat on the grass with at lunchtime, ones who always saved her a seat in class and ones who made her feel comfortable.
➵ ♚ ➵
"When did you and Lonnie meet?" Jay asks one day, as the Isle five walk to class.
Eden smirked, there was definitely a hint of too much interest in his words despite his attempt at sounding uninterested.
"I met her in Art, she introduced herself and we clicked. What can I say? I'm likable." Eden boasted sending him a wink.
Jay scoffed, "Sorry how long has it taken you to make friends here?" Eden shoved him and he snorted, "Six months—"
He raised his hands in surrender when the girl went to hit him again, "Okay! Okay! Anyway, what about that Roman guy? What's he like?"
Eden's mouth perked up, "Roman's great, he reminds me of us sometimes with the way he acts and he's a great friend."
"How close of a friend is he with Lonnie?" Jay says scratching his head, Carlos sends him a look.
"Subtle."
"Jay, quit worrying Lonnie and Rome have no romantic interest—or history for that point." Eden poked the boy's chest.
He smirked proudly to himself, "Great, that's great news."
"So you're going to ask her to Cotillion then?"
"Huh." Jay raised his eyebrows confusedly.
"You want to know if she's single so you can ask her to Cotillion right?" Carlos clarified Eden's words.
The taller boy laughed at his two friends, "Hah, you guys are fucking hilarious. I'm not asking anyone, that way I can dance with all the girls and make Lonnie jealous."
"Jay, that's not gonna work. All you're going to do is piss her off and make her feel like you don't like her." Eden said plainly.
Jay stopped and puts his hand on her shoulder, "Ed, I appreciate the advice but you don't have the qualifications to lecture me about love."
Eden gaped her eyes narrowing, "Rude Jay!"
"Don't be a dick, Jay." Carlos frowned, his hand coming around Eden's shoulders, trying to protect her wounded pride.
"For what it's worth I agree with Ed," Mal added, halting her conversation with Evie to join in.
"Whatever, you guys. I gotta get to practice! See ya!" He clapped Carlos on the shoulder as he disappeared from the group.
"You should find yourself a boyfriend Ed." Evie starts. Eden felt her heart sink.
Mal shot her a weary look before trying to sway the conversation away from the topic of love lives.
It backfires immediately when Ben appears and suddenly all the girls are gushing about Mal being a lady of the court and engaged to a royal.
The blonde paled even more and Eden could only send her a half arsed shrug before walking off with Carlos in tow.
The DeVille boy whispered to her, "Ignore Jay, I'm sorry he's bringing up that topic. I hope you're okay."
Eden pushed away the tears threatening to brim, thanked him and quickly excused herself to find her other friends.
➵ ♚ ➵
One of Eden's many talents happened to be art. It seemed to be a common theme among the Grimhilde sisters. However they were both on opposite sides of the scale.
With Evie focusing on more of a textile approach, Eden liked general art. Sketching, painting and shading sere her favourites.
She once had an art pad she carried around the Isle which was her prized possession, before it was stolen.
She lay on the grass, sporting a pair of dark navy wash jeans and a burgundy slash-neck top. Her mind consumed in the pencil she was moving across the paper.
When her friends came over, Lonnie carrying their lunch and Roman sporting a smile, she folded her pad back into her handbag.
"Hey Ed! You'll never guess what just happened." Roman practically shouted as he collapsed on the ground bedside her.
Lonnie shook her head with a small grin.
Eden raised an eyebrow, "I'm not sure I wanna know. I'll humour you though, what happened?"
"Chad just got his ass handed to him by Lonnie!"
Eden gaped. "You beat up Chad?!"
Lonnie looked sheepishly at her friend, "I wouldn't say beat up, more like...aggressively encouraged."
Eden giggled, "Encouraged what?"
Roman cut off Lonnie, "Letting girls join the sports teams!"
Lonnie narrowed her eyes at him and he shrugged, "What? You were taking too long, I don't like suspense."
The group laughed before digging into their food and beginning to debrief their days.
"You thinking of asking anyone to Cotillion?" Lonnie queried later as the trio lay sprawled out on her bed.
Jane was out at a council meeting so they had the dorm to themselves.
Eden laughed hysterically, "Lonnie you're so funny. No. I'd rather eat a poisoned apple."
Roman thought this was a funny joke and started to cackle to himself, he got up and stood by a window before drawing it open and pulling out a cigarette.
As he lit it Lonnie folded her arms. "Rome can you not! If FG smells smoke from this room she's gonna think it was me!"
Roman waved her off, "Okay, okay just let finish this one."
Eden was looking through a picture book of Lonnie's childhood in China.
Lonnie looked over and smiled softly, "Ed, did you have any other friends on the Isle?"
Roman perked up turning back around to face them and leaning against the window frame.
The bluenette sat up, "I had a few actually, one of my best friends was Ginny." She paused and shot a small look at Roman, "Ginny Gothel."
He tilted his head letting her go on, "She's actually great, and stunning. I met her when I first transferred from Serpent Prep to Dragon Hall. She introduced me to a few of my other friends and welcomed me to their group."
Lonnie smiled, "She sounds nice."
Eden laughed, "Hah, no. She's far from nice, but she was my favourite to hangout with. A true terrorer of the Isle and the best pickpocketer out there, I swear. No one bats an eye at a beautiful girl who has confidence."
Roman looked intrigued, stubbing his cigarette out on the window frame, closing it and walking over.
Lonnie smacks him upside the head for burning the wood before asking a question.
"What did she think about you coming to Auradon?"
Eden hummed, "She was actually with me when we got the letter, she was more supportive than I expected. I...I actually promised her I'd try and get her over here but I clearly haven't got very far into doing that. God I feel like a shit friend."
Roman put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure she'd understand. You've been busy adjusting to your new life."
"Yeah, I'm sure your other friends on the Isle would feel the same way." Lonnie agreed.
"What did you five get up to back home? Were you a close or something else?"
"Well we were a gang for a while, since we were 16 we were a group and our territory pretty much consisted of most of the Isle until another group came along. After that we were at war constantly. The whole atmosphere of the Isle kind of changed."
"Woah, who was the rival group? Were they scary?" Lonnie tilts her head in morbid curiosity.
"Yeah, it was Uma's crew, pirates. She hates Mal's guts because of an incident from years ago so it got pretty violent. Plus pirates fight dirty and the battle for territory was pretty much constent." She started listing off other random facts before Roman cut in.
"I'm sorry—you said the pirates hated your gangs groups, but you told us you learnt to sword fight with pirates." He looked confusedly at the Grimhilde girl who smirked.
"Good catch."
"So you knew them or something? What made them turn on you?"
"Oh, that was basically all Mal. She can be quite manipulative if she tries, takes after her mother. It didn't take long for nearly all of them to turn on me."
"Nearly all of them?" Roman seemed to be getting better at picking up little mess ups Eden kept accidentally adding in.
It was so strange opening up, or talking to people who didn't have a pre-existing opinion of her.
Lonnie looked at her calculatively. "Do I smell a romance?"
Eden's eyes shot up from her hands which were fiddling with the spikes on her belt buckle.
"Pft—no." Eden scoffed and Roman's eyes lit up.
"You, girl. Cannot lie for shit." He pointed out with a grin. Lonnie stood up and clapped her hands.
"You had a pirate romance—no way!"
Eden tried to stop the blush from coating her cheeks, "Guys stop it!"
"Ooooh a forbidden pirate romance," Roman teased, "I bet you didn't even tell your friends."
Eden looked away.
"No way! I was kidding about that last part. You had a secret romance with a pirate from a rival crew. Holy shit you could not write this." He looked impressed.
"Wow, our little rebel." Lonnie messed, trying to tickle Eden who squealed and jumped away.
"Get off!" She screamed through her laughs.
Her eyes caught the clock on the wall and she shot up.
"Fuck! I promised Evie I'd meet her in the library in 5 minutes, I still need to grab my books from my dorm. I'm so sorry guys, I'll see you tomorrow."
She darted towards the door, her friends exchanged amused looks.
"Don't think we didn't notice the convenient excuse to avoid this conversation Eden Grimhilde!" Lonnie scolded.
She winked at them before disappearing behind the door.
➵ ♚ ➵
As she walked through the halls she seemed to be hit by a wave of melancholy. Discussing her old life felt like punch to the gut.
Sure—she loved her new life in Auradon, but it wouldn't be the same without her friends. And after the storm of a broken romance which left a hole in her heart she didn't like to think of it anymore.
The more she thought about it the more the pressure in her chest built and soon enough she was walking through the corridors with glossy eyes.
She pushed open the dormitory door to see Mal...who was crying.