𝓟𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓽 𝓘𝓽, 𝓡𝓮𝓭 | 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐤

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 11: 𝓢𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓢𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼

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Amor yelped as he tried to find his footing through the slippery mud, grabbing onto the closest thing to him—a thin branch that quickly snapped. Fortunately, before he could plummet into the awaiting mud, Ally held him upright.

"Are you sure I can't just teleport us to the entrance of the cavern?" Amor asked Ben with a weak glare. The rain had started up again, and the trees were only able to give them some relief from the cold downpour.

"When Merlin sealed the entrance, he added protection charms for extra defense. If we teleport, there's no telling what would happen," Ben explained, holding a tree branch out of the way for the three of them before moving back ahead to lead.

Amor huffed at the thought of dealing with magical defenses. He hated to admit it, but he didn't have much faith in his magic at the moment; it was becoming so unpredictable lately. He glanced at Ben, noting the strain in his male's eyes. It was clear that Ben's responsibilities as king were weighing heavily on him.

"Good thing I brought my sword." Ally smiled and placed her hand on the hilt of the stiletto sword attached to her waist, her confidence a steady presence in the midst of the rain-soaked landscape.

Uma had a cutlass with her as well. Amor, on the other hand, no longer had his cutlass. He had given it to Harry to keep safe, as the sword originally belonged to Harry's mother, and Amor wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to it.

Thankfully, the Royal Family of Wonderland believed every royal should be trained in hand-to-hand combat, especially the heir to the throne. Amor was also told by Harry that he had a mean right hook, which, unfortunately, Harry had experienced firsthand when he scared the crap out of his boyfriend the first time he sneaked onto Amor's balcony.

"So, Beast Boy, a little birdie told me Red and her friends received their invitations." Amor casually mentioned, peeking around Ben to see his reaction. "I know it'll be a while before they go, but I wanted to thank you."

"It's no big deal. It should've happened sooner, and I have you and Uma to thank for helping me open my eyes," Ben confessed, his eyes reflecting the sincerity of his words. "Ally's been my friend for ages now, and I haven't been a good friend in a while. But now, I get to make up for it."

Ally shot Ben a small smile, and he returned it with a bigger one. Neither of the two had mentioned anything about being friends, and Amor figured that was the reason why. The unspoken bond between them was evident.

"You're a king now. I don't blame you for doing king duties. The whole reason you convinced your parents and the council to make you king was so you could make a difference," Ally recalled happily, as usual. Amor and Uma soon grew more interested in the conversation. The weight of Ben's role was something Amor was beginning to understand more deeply.

He never did understand how Auradon could crown someone so young, but he guessed that was another thing the council was meant for—to advise their young king. Though it felt more like they were controlling him.

"It doesn't feel that way lately. All these council meetings and paperwork, yet there's hardly an outcome." Ben sighed and came to a halt, stopping them under thick-leafed trees to avoid the rain. His frustration was evident, and Amor could sense the burden of his responsibilities weighing him down.

"Hey, don't let them get in your way of doing what's right," Amor said, trying his best to comfort him. "You're gifted in seeing the best in people, and that crown is on your head because you belong on Auradon's throne."

Amor hoped his words had reassured Ben of his strength and purpose. Uma nodded in agreement before voicing her own opinion.

"You saw something in me and Amor. We all want to make a difference, and sometimes we just have to break a few rules." All three knew Ben would play a huge part in making a difference for everyone—to Auradon, the Isle, and Wonderland.