Dark Times

Harry

"Harry?"

Mama Odie had fainted on top of Ben. When the king saw a man who had been shouting approach them, something inside him also shouted that he was the former king.

"Huh? No, I'm Lucas. Naveen! Tiana!"

The man was more concerned about the woman lying unconscious than the staring boy in front of him.

A few short minutes later, the house where the Mama Odie lived began to show signs that it wouldn't be able to stand for long; apparently there was a reason why the place didn't fall down: magic. Well, this same source was also present in Louis, who from one minute to the next reverted to his primitive behavior, a murderous crocodile.

Ben couldn't let Lucas (Harry) out of his sight, but he had to help those people. The house was holding some injured people from the whirlpools, as well as others who were being attacked by a huge crocodile, which had started attacking whoever it was. It wasn't enough that Jane had been fainting for a few minutes, either from the magic she had from being a fairy or from the fear of being killed by a giant animal. In short, everything with magic was collapsing, including Jane.

"Alice managed to trap Louis in a cage."

Tiana came to tell Ben that she had just helped lower another sick person from the house to the floor.

"Really? Good, I'm sorry about Louis."

"All magic is running out. Naveen called Alladin, we're sending the most serious ones there. Apparently Agrabah has managed to escape from Agatha for the time being."

"Tiana, I'm sorry, I wish I could do more."

Ben confessed. Seeing the whole kingdom like that broke him.

"You can, Lucas is out there. Tell the truth Ben, maybe he's our only solution."

(...)

Harry had a few marks from time, but if you looked into his eyes you could see the same young man as before.

"Hi, you're King Ben, right?"

Lucas asked, gathering wood to light a fire. Ben took courage and went over to him. He had to explain the truth, he just didn't know how.

"Yeah, it's me, can I help?"

In general, Benjamin was very good at socializing, but now it was difficult to say "Hi".

"Sure, let's make a fire to warm people up."

He replied with a friendly smile. The man really had no idea.

"Okay." Ben grabbed some wood and walked over to him. "So, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm an artist, a painter."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you think I'm an idiot, don't you?"

"No, never. My wife also paints, but not as a profession, it's a hobby for her."

"You married Lady Mal?"

Harry asked incredulously, because despite everything he was still an Auradadonian citizen. At that moment Ben remembered that his marriage had been hidden and only his parents and friends knew about it.

"Damn. Yes, but don't tell anyone."

"Okay, I respect crazy love."

"You look older than you sound."

Ben commented.

"Yeah, since we're telling secrets, I'm 44. I don't know why, but I still look like I'm twenty, it sucks."