Once Upon a Dream

The Beast's Castle

Two weeks ago, Adam had sent troops to go after Circe. Even though it had been over twenty years since her last appearance, he was determined to find the Enchantress. On the night of Ben's birthday ball, one of the guards came to tell him that they had found a strange woman wandering around the dark part of New Orleans, and that was enough for him to quickly call Fairy Godmother, Belle, and that same day go after this vague clue.

(...)

Ben was inside the hospital bathroom. He needed to think and it was impossible to do this with everyone wanting a picture. What to do? What would his parents say? Belle would tell him to listen to his heart, which at that moment seemed too busy to advise him. He had four teenagers who should be at home, but couldn't be, because it was literally impossible. He needed to see them as normal teenagers and not as children of villains, being from the Island or not, he had to...it was easier to think than to act.

Evie and the others could no longer stay at his grandfather's house, Lonnie would be going back to school, he had his own commitments as a prince and with the distance between the village and Auradon it would be almost difficult to go there for the next few days. He needed a place, but where? The castle! Without his parents it could be a safe environment.

"Will it be three more days?"

Jay literally appeared out of nowhere and asked Ben, who jumped up in a sign of his amazement.

"Huh? Yes, I hope so."

Ben recounted still in awe of Jay.

"Look, I've been trying to be calm with you, because after all you are the king's son and if I kill you, I could end up dead." Jay spoke and squeezed Ben's shoulder. "So, three days...three days."

"Forgive me for this mess Jay, I would do anything to finish this soon."

"Unless you have a pot of gold, it's hard to cheer me up."

"And how much do you need?"

Naively Ben pulled his wallet out of his purse revealing the Auradonian money. The eyes of Jafar's son almost popped out at the sight of the money.

"Ben, Evie can leave the hospital now."

Lonnie spoke up, approaching them and taking away from Jay the easiest robbery of his life.

(...)

They got into the car in silence and it was better that way, if Mal opened his mouth Ben would hear things he certainly didn't want to hear. They arrived at their final destination after a time that in their minds was gigantic.

As soon as they stepped out of the car, they had no other reaction than to be stunned. They saw a gigantic castle. Not like the Evil Queen's or the one Mal lived in, in fact it was nothing like anything they had ever seen. The royal crown dwelling was large and luxurious. Honestly, the Isle of the Lost seemed to fit inside the enormous walls.

The boys had long since realized that Auradon was different from the place they grew up in, but this was the pinnacle of certainty for what had previously only been an assumption.

"Prince Benjamin."

The guard saluted before opening the palace gate for the boy. While everyone was glued to the window watching the scene, Mal wondered why that man had called the prince by the name Benjamin.

"Well, welcome to my home." Ben spoke embarrassed, as the boys and girls glimpsed even more with the simple "house". "Cogsworth, these are my guests, I want them to be treated well." Although he questioned the existence of these "friends" the former watch agreed. "If you can separate two rooms, they will spend a few days here."