the room was filled with the familiar warm sunlight as cordelia held a paintbrush in one hand and a small container of yellow paint in the other. the sunlight perfectly lightening up her easel and the painting she was continuing.
a loud knock from the other side of her bedroom door made her jump slightly, before setting down her paints. "come in!" cordelia called out, watching as ben entered the room. "hi benny."
"hi blondie." ben chuckled, taking a seat on her bed. "what you painting this time?"
"chad asked me to paint him as king." she chuckled. "and who am i to say no if he's paying? and he is paying well, i should be able to buy that fancy paint set i want."
"so you know how i was thinking about my first proclamation?" ben began, cordelia's eyes sparkling with excitement.
ben had been asking her for some help with what would be a good first thing to do as king. cordelia suggested and was hopeful he would agree with her idea of allowing some children from the isle to come to auradon, to give them a better chance.
"and i think your idea is perfect, maybe start with four or five at first and i would love your help selecting who to bring."
"thank you benny! can we do it now?! do you have any files?" cordelia rushed to put her paint down before giving ben a tight hug.
"i think they should be in my office, you have some time now? we can decide now." ben smiled, cordelia happily smiled and jumped up.
"yes, let's go!" cordelia was so excited about this new coming change to auradon prep.
~
the two made it to ben's office, a impatient audrey stood their with her foot tapping against the wooden floors. "hi bennyboo." audrey turned on her heel and practically launched herself at ben, causing cordelia to snicker.
"hi audrey, cords and i have something to do but your welcome to come and sit inside?" ben offered, which audrey happily accepted walking quickly past cordelia and into the office.
cordelia scoffed a little before following the two in, she was quick to pull out a chair by ben's desk. "so who you thinking ben?" she asked, watching as he sat besides her. audrey sitting impatiently on one of the other chairs the room had to offer.
"i was thinking daughter of the evil queen." ben whispered, trying not to let audrey overhear as they begun their selection.
"what about son of jafar?" cordelia asked, looking at the list of children they had infront of them. although, she did want to question how ben managed to equip one of these. she had learnt he could really get anything he wanted in a matter of minutes.
"so we've got two."
"what about son of cruella?" cordelia smiled, ben nodded and she highlighted the line along with the two other they selected.
"we just need one more." ben stated, like it wasn't obvious.
"why can't we just bring them all?" cordelia smiled. she felt so bad having to select only four children. cordelia knows every single one of those kids deserve so much better and would thrive at auradon.
"you know why we can't bring all the kids from the isle to auradon, they don't belong here." audrey scowled, crossing her arms over her chest.
"you don't think even a couple of them deserve so much better? they don't deserve to be shunned away on that isle just because of their parents, it's not like they can help it?" cordelia said, despite not even bothering to look at audrey but she could sense the eyeroll and the loud scoff.
"what about daughter of maleficent?" ben suggested, this made audrey whip around and gawk at ben.
"are you guys crazy?! have the both of you forgotten what her mother did?!"
"i think that's perfect!" cordelia smiled, adding another purple highlighted streak on the piece of paper. "we've got our four!" she announced, the two ignoring audrey and she complained.
ben happily accepted the files, while audrey scowled in the corner. audrey did not like the idea of include anyone from the isle into their future kingdom. however, she knew she had to put on a good act, after all they would become her subjects once she became queen.
cordelia really did not like audrey, and it took a lot for her not to like someone. it was something about her stuck up i'm-better-than-you act. "so when are you planning on telling your parents?"
"tomorrow maybe? i don't know, i have this feeling they might not be as opened minded as us," ben half smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "i don't want to spring it on them suddenly."
"why not at your suit fitting?" she suggested with an eyebrow raised.
"you know your going to have to be their cords, my parents adore you. it'll make it easier for dad not to go all beast on me." ben said with a laugh.
"but it would mean so much more if it was just you and your parents, ben. it's your first proclamation." she spoke, ben pouting slightly. "well i must be going, i promise chad i would have his painting done by five and it is- oh crap four fifteen. bye ben, thank you again for hearing me out. good luck. bye audrey!" cordelia smiled, waving to the two before dashing out of the room.
~
once cordelia made it back to her room, she was quick to finish chads painting applying the last finishing touches to the canvas. and as of now, chad was stood holding the perfectly painted canvas in his hands.
"don't you think i'd be such a great king?" chad asked, amazing by his own fantasy.
"the best." she sighed, taking a seat on her desk chair.
chad opened his mouth to say something but ben came rushing in. "they said yes, i ran into them and just blurted it out."
"really?!" cordelia jumped up and ran over to ben. "this is incredible, when do they come!"
"someone's sending a letter to the isle to inform the parents, then tomorrow they'll be picked up." ben smiled.
"you are going to be an incredible king ben, you are going to do so much good for this kingdom. i'm so proud of your benny."
"do you want to be there when they arrive?" ben was hopeful she would agree. one, he needed someone else there to fill the void of kindness he suspected audrey to lack. two, he thought she would love to, after all it was her suggestion.
"yes! of course, i'd love to." chad cleared his throat, causing the two to turn to him. "sorry chad, you were saying?" cordelia chuckled.
"this belongs to you." he handed her a small but heavy pouch. "your doing gods work." and with that chad and king chad the painting left.
cordelia gasped and laughed. "ha, i'm doing gods work." she placed the pouch into her desk drawer and turned to ben. "i'm going to have to call mum and see if she can get me a good deal on some paint."
"well i wish you good luck and i will message you more details about tomorrow." ben waved good bye, giving his best friend a quick hug.
"bye benny, i'll talk to you later." cordelia smiled, running over to grab her phone.
king benny
blondie
blondie
cords
cordelia
yes benjamin
tomorrow at nine, be ready. i'll come pick you up, they're coming at ten.
thank you! thank you! thank you!
