Goddess • Ben Beast

7

Persephone spent the weekend in the library.

Auradon was like living in the happily ever after every 6 year old imagines. It was starting to fog her brain. As far as Auradons population, there was a 2 ended spectrum.

Classist, and biased. To unbelievably gullible, and naive.

When the weekend ended, she was forced to face strange reality.

Evie got caught using her mirror in chem class, but Persephone was too disassociated to really care.

For some reason a single question consistently nagged at her mind. How had Mal wooed Ben so fast?

She got her answer, Tuesday night.

Ben tracked her down on the tourney lawn, as the sun set.

Her homework was spread across the grass, mostly finished, but it was hard to commit to the sillier topics.

Ben's face looked lost, confused.

"Did you know?"

Persephone squinted up at him, shielding her eyes from the sun, now just as confused.

"Knoow...?"

"The love potion, did you know?"

Realization hit her like a ton of bricks, that's how her sister had gotten to him so fast. It also explained his over the top performance at the game.

He seemed to see the shock in her face, and flopped down next to her with a groan.

"Why would she do that? I don't understand."

Persephone scrambled for words.

"How do you know she spelled you? And what broke it?"

She blurted, mentally agonizing over the predicament. Should she cover for her sister, and risk losing this new life she'd found? Or spill everything, and risk losing the only person in the world she loved?

"My feelings for her came on so suddenly... I didn't realize it before but this afternoon on our date, I went for a swim in the enchanted lake... it washed the spell away. Maybe she liked me, and was too scared to tell me? Did she mention anything to you?"

He was so trusting, she could easily be lying about not being aware of the spell. She wasn't, but still.

"Mal is so closed off about her feelings, but... she does look at you differently from anyone else here. Or anyone at all, really."

That wasn't a lie.

"But guess she didn't think it could happen naturally, you being with Audrey and all."

Ben's expression was thoughtful, and pained.

"What do I do? Putting a spell on me is a crime, but Mal hasn't adjusted to, or learned all of the rules around here. And I can't just call it off, I professed my love in front of the entire school, she's my date to the coronation."

He rubbed his temples tiredly.

Persephone pressed her lips together.

"Do you return her feelings at all?"

She asked lightly.

Ben considered that for a moment.

"No."

He admitted.

"I mean I like her, she's really witty, and a great artist, but I don't have feelings for her."

That caused a strange sensation in Persephone's stomach, something like relief.

"Well then, you keep up the ruse. Talk to her, explain that what she did was wrong, and you don't feel that way about her. But let her down easy. Take her as your date to your coronation. Then after, the official story can be, you two "decided you were better as friends.""

Ben blinked at her.

"That... could work."

Persephone smiled, she'd helped Ben, without throwing her sister under the bus. She still had a bad feeling in her stomach, feeling more and more like Mal did have the chops to pull off Maleficents plan.

"Has anyone ever told you, you give really good advice?"

That startled her, and she looked at him with wide eyes, searching for words.

"Um... I guess, no one's ever asked me for advice before."

She admitted.

"Really? Not even your friends on the isle?"

Her face flushed.

"I never had any friends, more of a loner type I guess."

The words were forced, she tried not to flush red.

Ben put his hand on hers, it was soft, and warm.

"That sounds really lonely."

She shrugged.

"People always let me down, the only person who has my back is me."

He didn't say anything to that.

"So,"

She cleared her throat, and pulled her hand from his.

"After it's all over, will you try to get Audrey back?"

Ben grimaced.

"Audrey... no. I think it's probably for the best. We grew up together you know? I'm not even sure when we went from best friends, to dating. And some day I'll need a queen, someone caring, kind, wise. Audrey is..."

"None of those things."

Persephone finished for him. Almost thrilled that he recognized that. Even Mal as queen would be better than that stuck up little... anyways.

"Is that a tattoo?"

She glanced down at her thigh, where the slit in her black dress had ridden almost scandalously high.

A sprinkle of tiny stars with thin lines formed a constellation in black.

"Sagittarius, the constellation I was born under."

"It's kind of beautiful."

Ben's fingertips softly grazed her thigh, his dreamy blue eyes met hers, then he snatched his hand back quickly, mortified.

"I- uh- sorry."

He managed.

She laughed.

"It's ok."

"Well, I'll leave you to your studying. Thanks, for the advice, really."

Persephone watched him leave, smiling when he glanced back, his face still flushed pink.

😊