A little bit of courage

Bad news

Christeen...

I think I don't understand. What in all buttered butterflies is this duel? It seems to trigger Ben enough to dissolve the whole meeting. He assigned Doug and Jane to show the newcomers to their rooms. We were now standing in Ben's office. He was pacing back and forth deep in thoughts. No one knew what happened. The only ones that seemed to have any sort of idea were Doug and Jane, which is not surprising since they lived here even before us. 

"So...will we get the explanation or something?" Mal asked anxiously, demanding an answer to the previous events. It was obvious how angry she was. The secretive way in which Ben was behaving not making her happy in the slightest. Evie stepped closer to her, rubbing her shoulders to calm her down. The two know each other well enough so Evie was aware of the fact that Mal might blow up any second. 

Which, let me tell you would be a great show to watch. But it would be quite damaging to the eardrums and the whole Auradon might be aware of the disagreement here on the castle. Still it would be an unforgettable event.

Ben sighed and gave us a solemn look. "It's nothing guys okay? That silly duel...it's not important." He was quick to dismiss it but that just didn't explain a thing. It only created new questions in my curious brain. If it is a duel they want shouldn't we give it to them? Just so they would see we are not some peasant breed here? Since it is so silly as Ben said just now.

"If it is not so important why did you dismiss it so quickly eh?" Harry quizzed, leaning against Ben's table. Harry is the one that is seriously set off by the comments of the other group. He is the one to get offended easily by inappropriate comments. And if he is naturally defensive in normal conversations he sure is on the top of his toes right now to seek justice. It's just the pirate temper.

Me? I honestly got used to offensive comments. Harassment and all that. It's not anything new or fresh on the market. The Paradise students can go step into the long line of people on that list. I don't tolerate shortcutters. Nobility or not. But don't let my unbothered attitude deceive you, I am still furious about it. I just don't show it because then I would let me Cheshire Cat claws out and that usually ends with cuts and bruises. It's better to keep the cat instincts out of the way for the greater good.

"Can't we just drop it?" Ben asked with a sigh. 

"No! Considering the fact that they see us as something less just because we are from a different land than them is repulsive in my opinion and we should do something about it," Uma spoke decisively, her arms crossing over her chest. She was supporting Harry's idea. The way she said it was so different from her earlier form of talking. She learned some diplomacy and Ben gave her a 101 lesson on how to talk with people as to not come out too harsh or offensive but still state her case. And my cat, she was an absolute pro now.

"The duel wouldn't prove anything." 

"Why not?!" Harry asked impatiently. Challenging the king in some sort of a way by standing up straighter.

"Because they would win!" Ben yelled angrily, angry growls escaping him. Is he about to change into a Beast? Should I go grab the spray bottle? Harry took a wary step back. Not in fir the another encounter with Ben the Beast.

Mal walked over to him carefully. Standing by his side and gingerly putting her hand over his shoulder. Ben seemed to slowly relax under her touch and he let out a weary breath. He looked over our startled faces, shaking his head.

"There is no way of defeating them. They have always been better than us in all of the tasks of the duel. It seems like their life goal was always to leave us in the dust." Ben started explaining the history of the long rivalry between the schools. "It's just now that you are here I don't want you guys to feel like you are looked down on, because believe me those guys make you feel like that."