Trapped In A Fairytale

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ヾ ₍ ⸙ᰰ۪۪ CHAPTER THREE ──̇─̇─̇─❒͡ a strange beginning; deal with Ben's presence and find out more . . .᭢⠀

You know, sometimes when I watched the Descendants movies — alone or with my cousin and several of her friends spread out on the couch in the living room —, many of those same times I found myself liking some of the characters on the screen. It was quite strange, especially considering that I was only watching because of someone else, but I learned to accept that some had their charm, let's say.

However, I never thought Benjamin was the best of the characters, with the best story arcs — even because he wasn't one of the four main characters, although that shouldn't stop Disney from doing something better —, but I also didn't hate him like a certain princess with a completely pink room. He was just... I don't know how to explain it very well, but I didn't hate his character. I even found Florian cute in some scenes, although it wasn't enough for me to root and cheerwhenever he appeared on screen.

Let's just say that I have a certain tendency to like sarcastic or very intelligent people. Intelligence is a trait that I like in a person, whether in friends or potential flings — and that was something a little hard to find, especially if you take into account my difficulty in getting close to people.

I didn't trust easily, much less open up to people. Therapy helped a little with that, of course, but it still wasn't easy for me. I was more of a helper than a person who asked for help, let's say.

Damn, I got lost in my head again, shit! I think I need to glue my brain to the ground, who knows, maybe that way itwon't take off like a plane.

Anyway, even remembering that, I tried to think before anything else, and the possibility that Benjamin wasn't even close to what he seemed in the movies was one of them. Besides, I couldn't get it out of my head that her sister would change something. That girl should do it, especially because an addition like that to Audrey's life should be important, andshould make some difference in how she dealt with situations and her family problems — yes, I'm thinking specifically about Queen Leah, but there were other people to think about, like her own parents and their trust issues; this princess needs therapy — but unfortunately, I would only have later to be sure.

Thinking for a brief moment before entering the room, I wondered how I should act around Benjamin. Considering that he and Audrey have been dating (I have no idea how long, but I've been guessing since childhood, since their kingdoms are powerful compared to the others, and an alliance like that must have some importance to the parents of the future king of Auradon), I believe that, if there's anyone who would notice something wrong with Rose, it could very well be him.

But what if that wasn't the case? What if I was completely wrong in my assumption, and they were only dating in the public eye? Okay, I admit that there was a good chance that I was overthinking it and that last one was an exaggeration.

Regal or not, I believe that Florian had the choice to choose someone he truly liked to be with. The boy was the son of Bella and the Beast (I think his name was Adam, but that was so implicit in the classic Disney cartoon that sometimes I completely forgot about it), a story that only ended happily thanks to true love (like half of the fairy tales, but give me a break), for the love of all the gods! However, it was either thinking that or there was no path for me to follow.

No, Galadriella. You're thinking too much. Think less! Remember what the girl said, that maybe Audrey had Benjamin as a dream partner, that maybe she loved him, despite how bad this girl seems to be with the people around her.

People aren't bad at everything. That was one of the lessons I had taken with me in life; someone could be a bad husband (sometimes because they no longer like their spouse, or for any other reason), but an incredible father, who cared about his children, who gave them affection, attention, and tried to show his love for them in the best way possible. A terribleleader, but a very good friend, or husband.

Now, back to the pink elephant in the room… what a load of crap, my brain couldn't even remember a meaningful Ben and Audrey scene to work with. I remembered Rose seeming possessive of the boy, but if I took into account that her boyfriend was flirting with another girl right in front of her, adding the fact that Audrey didn't like Bertha… yeah, maybe I could understand where that attitude came from, even if that doesn't explain her rudeness towards a girl who came from a completely different place, who was something completely new in her eyes and so on.

Luckily for everyone, I wouldn't have the same problem as Rose in that situation — considering the possibility that we were still together, which I would still work on a plan for an amicable breakup, once I found out where I was in the plot — since I didn't mind people openly flirting, as long as a limit was set.

If I remember correctly, there were very few scenes between the two of them in the movies, especially if you weighed up scenes that were significant in that situation, that demonstrated why they were together and whether they liked each other. Apparently, Disney looked at that and said: Fuck it! Think what you want, guys! It has no importance or weight in the story anyway!

Honestly, Disney. Honestly.

With that, I was sure that I would have no way of knowing the best way to deal with the future king of Auradon. It would have to be through the strength of faith and hope. And that's coming from a fucking atheist.

Okay. I'm perfectly capable of dealing with this shit. If I managed to get through breakfast without stabbing myself — or more specifically Audrey's body, but you get what I mean —, I can deal with it.

● ●

As I entered the room as quietly as possible, after forcing a smile at the messenger and telling him he could leave — I did my best to ignore the way the butler remained in the same place, looking like he was going to stay outside the room until I left —, I noticed that Benjamin had his back to me, looking at the large window in the room, at a part of the mansion that seemed to have several trees, like a forest.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the magnitude of the place, drawing my attention to the high-quality furniture, the light-colored leather sofa, the clock that seemed to be made of gold in front of the small table, or even a sculpture that looked like something taken from ancient Greece itself. However, I refused to waste time observing the scenery around me, especially when my curiosity about the future king of Auradon spoke louder.

I needed to find out more things, to know where I was in the plot, and not look at every corner of this mansion as if I were a child in an amusement park. Maybe another day, of course, when I had some free time to relax and not feel like I was going to be caught off guard at any moment.

When the prince turned around, my heart skipped a beat, and I'm sure that if I hadn't been so busy thinking of all the possible lines Ben would say to me next, I might have let out a look of complete shock.

Benjamin Florian was the perfect image of the actor from the movies, with his blond hair cut in a short hairstyle, a kind and caring look, and a charming smile present on his lips at all times. That, and the elegant blue suit and yellow tie, something I was perfectly able to imagine the character from the movies wearing in some scenes.

The only noticeable physical difference was that he looked a little younger, and not like an adult in his early twenties playing a teenager. It was still clearly Ben in front of me, the aura was almost the same, he was just rejuvenated, at the correct age he should have been cast at the time of the movies. Florian did look like a high school teenager—although the aura around him had a slight difference, possibly due to his status as a prince and future king of Auradon speaking louder than the expression of a carefree young teenager—maybe around seventeen, but nothing more.

Watching him carefully, still standing in the doorway of the room as if she were a statue, I could see how he moved with grace as if every gesture was carefully calculated, even in the presence of his girlfriend.

This guy is a prince, I was sure of it now.

His blue eyes shone with an intensity and sentimentality that I had never seen before on screen, and for a moment, it finally occurred to me that I was looking at a fairy tale character, who had come to life. I could almost tell that a reality check was going to fall upon me at any moment.

— "Audrey, you took a long time, I was worried for a moment. Are you okay?"

I blinked at that, realizing that Benjamin was now in front of me, a curious look on his features. I noticed that the blond reached out his hands to touch mine, but fortunately, I was faster, and forced another smile on my lips, taking a step to the side, walking towards the huge window, making it seem like a fluid and at the same time carefree movement.

— "I'm fine, dear." — I had already thought about the possibility of calling him the princess's annoying nickname, however, I quickly decided that it was quite unnecessary. I know that I will naturally need to call him Benny Boo at some point, just to make it clear that I still remembered such a horrible nickname.

However, I plan to use it only in front of the villains' children and the other students at school. Just to make it seem like I was openly teasing the prince. Yes. That would do.

Sure of what to do, I turned back to Florian as I stopped in front of the three-seater sofa, flashing a smile that I was fully aware of how sardonic this simple action seemed.

— "I was just thinking about a few things, nothing major." — There was so much sweetness in my tone that I could have created a cavity by the end of my speech. Or maybe even caused Ben to have a cavity, since he gave me a neutral expression in response, as if that were just like his girlfriend. Internally, I allowed myself to sigh in relief. — "The duties of being a princess."

— "I was worried about you." — The blond informed me, approaching me again, this time more slowly. — "Mantos informed me that you hit your head last night while you were in the shower, so I…"

Shit. I don't want him to worry or pay me any special attention from now on, since I'm fully aware of how busy Ben must be with being the future king and everything. But thinking about it from another perspective… maybe I can use this to my advantage.

To be honest, I was initially a little skeptical that people would believe that bathroom fallacy, since Audrey didn't seem like someone who was clumsy or would let others know that, perhaps interpreting it as a weakness (although the damsel in distress image suited her well), but since they were believing it, I see no reason not to use it to my advantage.

— "Actually, now that you mention it." — I began, keeping my voice even, noticing that Benjamin immediately stopped talking, and then looked into my eyes, giving me his full attention. I felt my cheeks heat up, although I didn't feel the feeling of shame inside me. I interpreted it as a strange ability that Rose had. — "I've been trying to remember a few things since I woke up, but I'm not so sure what to think."

— "I believe you need to see a doctor. But, what do you need help with?" — The prince asked me, and there was so much affection in his tone, so much sympathy, that I almost felt bad lying to him. Almost.

— "I can't remember if you're king yet." — I remembered that at sixteen, Benjamin should have been on the throne. So either he just looked a little older than he should, or something was different. — "I had a strange dream where you were king at sixteen and… I'm not sure if it was just a dream or a memory."

For a brief moment, I thought I might be overdoing it with my tone, but when I saw Florian's expression change, becoming one of understanding, almost pity, I knew I hadn't.

That's it! Maybe the dramatic air, or the self-pity, would suit this Audrey well after all.

— "Audrey," — Benjamin began gently, now standing in front of me. He reached out one of his hands, placing it on one of mine, squeezing it in a loving gesture, evidently trying to comfort me. I allowed him to do so, looking at him intently the whole time. — I won't be crowned king until I'm twenty."

What?! I realized belatedly that I had said that question out loud, completely shocked by the new information I had acquired.

Of all the things he could have said to me, this was certainly not one I had thought possible.

— "My father wanted me to be crowned earlier, it's true, but my mother made him see reason, so to speak." — There was a smile on his face, an expression that said that this was an almost nostalgic story for the prince. — "Besides, to be honest with you, I even thought about it for a while in my life, thinking that my mother was wrong. But it was thanks to her that I later realized that sixteen-year-old me would not have the mentality to be king and that I still have a lot to learn before wearing that crown. And I like being a teenager, even though I have more responsibilities than a normal teenager."

Okay. That made sense, even though I was still quite shocked by that information being thrown in my face. Now things were getting a little more complicated. This probably meant that Benjamin wouldn't have the chance to make his first proclamation for at least a few years, which meant that the children on the island wouldn't be safe, that they would be stuck in that hell for a long time; going hungry, cold, having to steal to live, not having enough food to eat, and having to live with their terrible parents. That was a complete drag.

I parted my lips to ask something, but before I had the chance, Florian was quicker: — "By the way, I wanted to ask you something. More precisely, I'd like to ask your opinion." — I quickly fell silent, waiting for him to continue, and even thanking him for that, because it would give me more time to think.

Even though I was fully aware that my reasoning was a little faster than that of the average person, I often found myself going round and round in a single thought, going over all the possibilities, no matter how crazy they were, something that made me get lost in my mind, sometimes forgetting about the real world for a while.

— "It's about... about my first real programming."

Before I could even think of something to say, I noticed out of the corner of my eye the way the blond wiped his free palm on his pants, revealing his anxiety to my eyes. This made me lower my guard, thinking first about making him feel calmer, and not about the consequences of the change that this could bring to the plot.

— "Of course." — I smiled gently, feeling that I shouldn't look anything like Audrey. Then I squeezed his palm, which was still touching my hand, trying to convey comfort and security to him. — "Whatever you want to tell me, I'd like to hear it."

Benjamin seemed surprised by my reaction for a moment, probably not expecting the softness in my voice, much less the change in my expression from one moment to the next. However, before the prince had the chance to question such a thing, I held his hand a little tighter, leading him to the three-seater sofa.

I sat down first, and Florian soon followed me, sitting next to me, still holding my hand, now seeming caught up in his thoughts.

A long minute of silence passed, with neither of us saying a single word, just looking at each other. 

Well, I remained looking at him, and Ben would occasionally look away from our joined hands, looking at them as if something had changed. And other times he would look at a random point in the room, focusing his attention on the window behind me, or one of the sculptures; this action only served to transmit a now fearful feeling to me.

The prince seemed almost lost in his thoughts as if he was trying to find the perfect words to say next, which I assumed was fear of my reaction — more specifically, Audrey's reaction, but that was beside the point. With that possibility dominating my mind, I waited patiently until Florian was ready to say what he wanted, seeing no reason to pressure him or anything like that.

— "What would you say about the villains' children getting a second chance?"

As much as I had expected something like that, the tone the blond used surprised me; there was so much insecurity in his tone that I was almost sure that this was the first time he had put that out of his mind, finally thinking it was a possibility, however impossible it seemed. I could almost see Florian gathering the courage to talk about such a thing with someone, especially if it was someone as complicated as Audrey.

But if I were to be honest, it also calmed me down, because now I had a path to follow. Now I knew where I was in the plot: even before Benjamin talked to his parents about his first royal proclamation. And, even though I didn't know exactly how long it took for him to have that conversation (if everything happened as shown at the beginning of the first film, obviously), it was still a path to follow.

With a curious look on my face, I allowed myself to try to seem a little cautious about that possibility, even making a thoughtful sound in response to his question. Especially considering that the prince had been very broad in his speech.

— "That depends. What exactly do you mean by a second chance?"

I easily noticed the way the blond seemed to relax with my tone; I was calm, but also cautious, as if I was considering all the possibilities of his question, but not exactly horrified by that idea.

— "Well, I've been doing some research over the past few weeks while thinking about this, and I found out that Auradon doesn't send resources to the Isle of the Lost." — I realized what Ben was doing before he even finished speaking, but Iremained silent, just to be sure of his own words. — "Because of our carelessness, the island is close to overcrowding in a few years, and this is very worrying since, as large as the space is, it is still very small compared to other Kingdoms. Or even compared to Neverland. There are a lot of criminals in a single space, and considering that they are of all genders and species, it was obvious that, since we didn't send protection or supplies, it would reach a critical state."

Wow. That was more informative than I expected, I must admit. Which was very good. If Benjamin had made a point of researching, of knowing all this about the island before making any decision, then it was obvious that he was ready to have a debate about it with someone.

I didn't know if this research had been done specifically for today, and although I found it hard to believe that thispossibility was real, it wasn't entirely impossible. 

Audrey was a skeptic, and it took three movies for her to redeem herself with the children on the island, which could easily mean stubbornness on her part... well, fortunately for Florian, Audrey and I are not the same person.

— "So, if I understand correctly, you want to remove some children from the magical barrier, just because of overcrowding?" — I asked, still trying not to interrupt his entire speech. And, as I did so, I almost smiled at the expression that crossed Ben's face.

He shifted on the couch for a moment, clearly uncomfortable, even looking down at our hands still together, fidgeting with his fingers for a moment, pondering what to say. — "Yes and no." — Upon hearing his answer, I frowned, showing a confused expression. — "I intend to bring a small group of children to Auradon, just for an initial test, to prove that they are not their parents. They are innocent, they do not deserve to pay for their parents' crimes. They can be good people, and they deserve a chance to prove it."

I did not do more than blink once in Florian's direction; I did not show anger at his speech, nor shock, nor anything like that, I just waited.

— "I want to help them, Audrey," - Ben said, and I did not doubt that his words were true, that they were genuine. — "I know they deserve a second chance, that they deserve more than the island provides them." — Before I could be able tostop it, a small smile slipped into the corner of my lips. — "Those children are paying for crimes that are not theirs. It is wrong."

It only took a minute, but it was enough for me to finally understand what people saw in that boy, the reason why he would be the next king of Auradon; Benjamin was someone with a huge heart, someone intelligent and helpful, who besides wanting to do good, wanted to make a difference.

He didn't need to think about the children, he didn't need to spend time and resources researching the Isle of the Lost and how bad the situation was there, but he did it anyway. And he wanted to change that situation, even if he started from the bottom. That said more about Benjamin, about who he was, and about who he would be when he was crowned king of Auradon, than anything else.

Hearing Florian talk to his parents about it in a small scene in the movie was one thing, and it was completely different to hear him in person, explaining his point of view, and having the chance to feel his passion and determination to make it happen.

He believed in the children of villains; that they could be good, that they could be different from their parents, that they should have a chance, and that... that was beautiful. 

I internally hoped that the blond was fully aware that not everyone would think like him, that many would be afraid. And, thanks to that, I had an idea.

I pretended to ponder for a moment, making sure to let out another sound as I 'thought' about his words. I almost let out an amused smile when I glimpsed the anxious expression that grew on Benjamin's face.

— "Well, when you say it like that, it's kind of hard not to agree." — The smile the blond flashed could have made me smile back, if I wasn't also determined to warn him about the difficulties this idea could bring.

Unlike Mrs. Disney's original content, I intend to make him aware of what this would bring to him and his reign; of the complications he would have to face on this path he chose to follow, for example.

— "But not everyone can think like you, Ben. Some may think you're going crazy at best. You know that, right?"

He sighed, nodding his chin at my question, something that surprised me. I noticed how his smile fell a little at my words as if that possibility had become real with my words, but I also saw the determination in his gaze, and I had the impression that it had doubled.

— "I know," — He agreed simply, and if I hadn't been so sure of the persistence I had seen in his eyes, I might have thought that he had suddenly lost heart. However, as quickly as that thought passed through my mind, it ended up being null and void the instant Florian met my gaze; there were so many feelings in that simple action, so much implicit gratitude, that I was sure that the blush on my cheeks was now my own doing. — "But just the fact that you're by my side gives me hope, Audrey."

By all the damn gods... how am I supposed to deal with this?

I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling my confidence slip through my fingers like sand at hearing that sentence. 

For what felt like the thousandth time, I forced a smile on my lips, trying to push the pessimistic thoughts that dominated my mind down, knowing that they wouldn't help me at that moment.

— "Actually," — I began, realizing that, as good an actress as I was for the people around Rose in the dining room, I noticed the movement in the blond's eyebrows, so I took the opportunity to inform him: — "I would like you to call me Dreya from now on. Or... or Drey, if you prefer."

To my surprise, there was no hesitation or strangeness with my request in Florian's expression, and Benjamin surprised me by smiling the next second, agreeing easily. And, somehow, that only made me feel worse.

Yeah, maybe it wouldn't be that easy to be Audrey Rose Beauty, but I would do my best.

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