Crossing the Water

Chapter 23

[The next day, a limo arrives in front of Auradon Prep, with about five or six guards rushing to the door. As two of them clear out of the way, Hades hopped out of the car with both his feet shackled together.

"...why is he chained up?" Mal asked, her voice low. Even if her relationship was still rocky with her father, he didn't deserve to be in chains. Especially coming from the Isle where Hadie could have seen that! "He's coming to Auradon as a favor! He's not getting anything in return that I can see! What, just because he's from the Isle, you can't trust that he'll keep his word?"

Smoke began to rise slightly from Mal's head once more, as if she was truly going to copy her father and burst into flames. She was only able to not burst into flames because she remembered the words she had told her father in the last viewing: that going full flame might upset Hadie.

Meanwhile, Ben looked over at Beast, his eyes wide as the gears in his head turned. He wouldn't have told the guards to chain Lord Hades, or at least he wouldn't have been chained unless he hurt one of the guards. But he wasn't the only one his guards answered to...

"Dad...please tell me you didn't..." he whispered.

"I hope at the very least my son didn't witness his father being put in chains!" Persephone snapped, having not heard Ben's whisper. "On top of that, are you leaving him alone on the Isle?!"

"Steph, calm down," Hades said softly, noticing Hadie starting to shake slightly. "Hadie...come 'ere."

"I'm fine, dad," Hadie said softly, his lips barely moving. There was no way he was okay with the idea of his dad being in chains, with the idea of being left completely alone on the Isle for the first time in his life. Uma wasn't on the Isle either so it wasn't like he'd have any family to turn to. But he was a VK, VKs didn't just run into their father's arms.

Not to mention...seeing the smoke come from Mal's head reminded him too much of seeing his dad yell at Ben during the second viewing. VKs may not get scared but somethings you couldn't help.

"I got him," Mal said softly, giving their dad a small smile as she pulled Hadie toward her. She frowned slightly as Hadie flinched away before accepting the hug.

"Dad, tell me you didn't okay this," Ben said again, looking at Beast. "Because I know for a fact it wouldn't have been me or Mal and I'm sorry but I highly doubt it would have been mom."

"Ben...son...I don't know know if I did or didn't approve this," Beast said, taking off his glasses. "This hasn't happened yet, not to mention it was done off screen. The guards could have acted on their own regard."

And if I did okay that, it was for the best. Even if he is Mal's father, he's still a high security risk and you're my son. I'm not going to let you be unprotected Ben, he thought.

"Then they should be fired! As Mal said, Lord Hades is there to do us a favor and they should have more respect fo their future Queen's father! Not to mention they most likely scared the living daylights out of a child! Dad, this hasn't even happened yet and Hadie's already shaking!"

"Ben, dear, calm down," Belle said gently. "We can't fire the guards for something that hasn't happened yet. I'm as furious as you are, believe me, and if your father did do this, I'll be having a private talk with him, right Adam?"

"I'm fine King Ben," Hadie said softly.

"It's okay Hadie," Mal said gently. "We're not on the Isle anymore. You don't have to act tough. We can all see that it couldn't have been an easy thing no matter how quickly dad probably shooed you out of the room."