Choosing Life

Chapter Forty Two

"Sire, I don't mean to overstep my bounds but have you thought about using a different system for your paperwork? I mean, you are a father now and you should probably look into limiting your paperwork."

"Dean, I don't do that much—."

The look on Dean's face put an end to any protests Ben was about to give and the twenty something king just sighed and shook his head. "Why don't you walk me through it?"

It was Dean's turn to shake his head as he pulled out a binder seemingly from nowhere and set it on Ben's desk, pushing away some of the papers that had been scattered over Ben's desk in order to make room. "You know sire, we had a perfectly good system of my summarizing the paperwork for you and you just signing what needed to be signed. Why did we let that go to the wayside?"

"I believe it was brought up to me that some might worry that I wouldn't know what I'm signing with just a summary," Ben said.

"Sire, you know it was a very in-depth summary. I would never have you sign something you weren't informed about."

"Oh I know," Ben nodded just as his phone rang. "Forgive me Dean, I should take this."

"Of course sire," Dean nodded.

Ben gave him a small smile before picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"Ben?"

"Mal? Is everything okay?"

"Oh things will be just fine when you kindly come help me explain to your father that our children do not need a flying carpet before they can even walk!"

Ben's eyes got wide as he heard that and he nodded. "I'll be right there!"

"Thank you!"

Quickly hanging up the phone, Ben sprang to his feet. "Dean, I'm so sorry but our paperwork discussion will have to wait another day."

"Sire, your children come first," Dean nodded. "Go on, before they actually manage to take flight in the castle."

Ben nodded and quickly made his way to his castle, not even questioning how Dean knew the things that he did though Ben had to only assume it came from being a father himself, and to where his wife was staring daggers at his father. Thankfully his children were safe on the ground thought that might have been because Nyx and Estelle were gently holding both of them by the collars of their shirts.

Remind me to give them both a big old bone for that, Ben thought.

"What in the world is going on here?" Ben asked before pausing as he noticed that it wasn't just his father standing in front of his wife. "Mal...why is your father here too?"

"Because he's just as guilty as your father is," Mal said, glaring at both of the men. "We told you! There's no need to spoil our children and if there is, we will do it on their birthday! And they certainly don't need flying carpets or chariots!"

"...The twins got a chariot?"

"Focus Benny!"

Hades shook his head. "Mal, please, I don't see the harm in getting to spoil my grandchildren. I didn't get to spoil you as much as I liked, thanks in part to your father-in-law—."

"And I told you dad that if you couldn't refrain from mentioning that around the twins, then we'd have to have separate visits," Mal said, putting her hands on her hips. "I'd like you not to poison the twins' perception of their other grandfather thank you!"

"Mal, my beautifully brilliant daughter, you are aware that your children are still babies?"

"Dad, they're almost one," Mal said, shaking her head. "Meaning with each day they become more and more aware of their surroundings and will become aware of you and your feelings toward Adam. I'm not saying they're not valid, I know they're valid dad. With all the souls you had to judge...but my children deserve to be around loving grandparents and not awkward, tension filled gatherings."