Truth Or Fiction

Chapter Thirty Three

*Note: WAL Audrey is now Audie* 

"Are you sure you want to read Audrey?" Aurora asked.

"I'm not reading, she is," Audrey sniffed, pointing to her counterpart.

Audrey shook her head, massaging her temple due to the slight headache that had been building since she arrived. It was almost as if there was a copy of her back in her timeline—after all she could remember the surprise party they had for Evie after she got engaged and she knew that Evie had not been engaged before Audrey arrived at the reading. "I do have to say it's rather confusing having two Audrey's here and calling both of us by our full name. Just go ahead and call me Audie. I honestly should have said that when I arrived."

"That...that was the nickname I gave you when I was five," Phillip Jr. said, his voice soft.

Audie nodded. "Yep, sure is. If it helps avoid confusion though I'm fine being called it again. Oh, and I think we've had enough of her dramatics."

Leaning down by Leah, Audie whispered, "Ben and Mal are engaged in my timeline."

"What?!" Leah exclaimed, jolting up out of her unconscious state.

"Oh shame, she's alive," Mal shook her head.

Audie smirked and took a scroll, unfurling it with a flourish.

Time trickled by, as time often did, and before the kingdom of Auradon knew it twenty years had passed since the creation of their kingdom.

"Gods, it's honestly hard to believe it's been twenty years," Belle said, shaking her head.

Honestly, the citizens didn't know what was harder to believe—that their kingdom was twenty years old or that their prince was now sixteen and of age to take the throne.

Ben sighed as he looked over at his dad. He could still remember the day he made the offer to take the throne and all the responsibilities from him.

"...hey dad?" Ben said as the two of them worked on paperwork. Ever since Ben turned fourteen, Beast had given him 'practice' paperwork to do that they would work on for a couple of hours.

"Yeah Ben?" Beast asked as he rubbed his eyes, his glasses resting on the top of his head.

"You okay?"

"Just needed to rest my eyes. I'm fine."

Ben nodded and bit his lip slightly. "Well anyway....I was thinking...wouldn't it be a good idea if you got a break?"

"I'm not so old that I can't handle a bit of paperwork Ben," Beast said with a small chuckle.

"No, no...I mean...I mean from being King?"

"You can't really take a break from being King, Ben."

"You can if I take up the crown," Ben said quickly, as if he'd lose his nerve if he said it at a normal pace. "Dad...I...I know you never got the chance to mourn Abby."

"...your mother told you about that didn't she?"

Ben nodded. "Dad, that's over ten years of being unable to mourn your own daughter because you think the kingdom needs to see you as a King rather than a father. Let me take the throne. I don't want the power but...you should get the chance to finally mourn."

Beast sighed and shook his head. "That's too much pressure to put on you right now Ben. Enjoy your youth."

"...will I still have a father by the time I do take the crown?" Ben asked and Beast looked at him. "Dad, you're always working. Mom said it's rare for you to come to bed before three in the morning. Your piles of paperwork never seem to get any smaller and Queen Leah's always on your case. Let me take the crown dad. You can tell people it's because you never gave mom a honeymoon or anything you want."