"Do you want the incomprehensible magical theory explanation or the word 'magic'?"

"The first," she says drily. 

And now he rambles about magical item enchantment and transportation devices. If Alina knows about magic, she knows he knows what he's talking about. If she doesn't, he does successfully predict the translucent rainbow bridge which extends a few feet ahead of and behind the vehicle.

She understands only the basics, thanks to her complete lack of preexisting magical knowledge! But she wants to learn more because she always wants to learn more so this is a way of passing the time.

And the prediction is useful.

(Bern is also listening with interest, albeit a more depressed interest; he's never going to have magic so this is never going to be useful for him, now is it?)

The limo goes through the barrier; it briefly becomes fully visible, shimmers, then disappears. The limo can still summon its bridge. 

"So it's only our magic their goddamned dome kills?" she says.

That would mean that if they can get ahold of Auradonian magic, it'd still work inside... or possibly even work on the dome itself...

"That's not actually how the anti-magic field works, the caster has to key in specific exceptions."

"Hmm." Which means that it's something on the list of exceptions that you'd need to track down, in order to get out.

"Don't suppose you have a list?"

"If I knew what exceptions Fairy Godmother had keyed in I wouldn't be here."

"Fair enough." Well, actually, no; the exception might be 'only full fairies' or 'only Auradonian royalty' or 'only someone with the Magic Power of True Love Bullshit', but, you know, mostly fair enough.

And the limo arrives on a strip of asphalt. 

Alida waits a second or two to see if anyone's going to get out, then strides confidently up to the door.

Anyone in it?

The limosine driver, who gets out. 

"Hello! Are you the four guests of King Ben?"

"Is that what he called us?" She shrugs. "I'd say that we're the people he invited to check if islanders can be human." She smiles an I-am-considering-eating-your-spine smile. "Alida Gustavsdotter."

"Where are... your parents?"

"No idea."

With the suggestion that this is a rather odd request to make.

"We were... sort of expecting them to see you off?"

"My parents are dead!"

"I'm not really sure who my parents are."

"Better things to do."

"Well... we did get permission from all of them..." he says uncertainly.

EIGHTEEN HOURS EARLIER:

The royal guard finally finds Gustav, almost passed out from drinking moonshine, on a pile of garbage.

"Uh," the guard says. "So... your daughter..."

Gustav makes a sound that might be a word but is probably just a groan. 

"King Ben wants her to go to Auradon but we need your permission."

Another groan.

The royal guard thinks about this. Was it an affirmative groan? It wasn't not an affirmative groan. And the guard wants to get the heck off this island. "Good enough for me."

"I'm Bern," Wei Wuxian announces.