enchantress || b. beast

chapter sixteen

~*~

As Mal went over the plan for Ben's coronation, Adonia played with her fingers, deep in thought. She only spoke when needed, but she was ripped from her thoughts when Carlos poked her, asking if she was okay.

"I think I should break the spell."

"What?" Evie asked, coming to sit beside Adonia. Her eyes were filled with worry for her blonde friend, who was currently holding back tears, "you want to break Ben's love spell?"

"I don't want to," Adonia admitted, and she wiped at her eyes hastily, "but it's for the best, right?"

Carlos looked down guilty. His mind drifting to the cute blonde girl who had helped him find Dude and who had kissed him on the cheek goodnight not too long ago. But again, that too was a story for a different time.

"I need to do the same with Kyra," Carlos mumbled, placing a reassuring hand on Adonia's shoulder.

"It's just cruel, don't you think?" Adonia expected no answer from her friends as she continued, "Ben being in love with me while I sneak behind his back and plot to destroy everything he knows and loves?"

"Well when you put it that way," Mal was using sarcasm as a way to cover the guilt that bubbled in her stomach, "it does sound a little awful."

~*~

What was awful was Adonia sitting through Family Day, while her mother was far away from her. Her heart was gloomy and her eyes were watery. Though her mood brightened when she saw Mal standing beside a very handsome boy, with dark black hair and gorgeous green eyes. If she remembered correctly, he was the son of Prince Eric and Ariel, his older sister being named Melody. Adonia recalled that his name was Evan.

And Carlos seemed to be just happy sitting with Kyra's family. He was intently listening to one of Rapunzel's stories, his hand clutching Kyra's from underneath the table.

And Jay was very much invested in the food, stuffing his face. Though every now and then, he'd stare back at Carlos, as if silently missing his best friend. And Evie was holding Dude, telling the dog that she would whip up only the finest suit for him.

"Doni?" Ben's voice had Adonia sitting up, and she sent her boyfriend a small smile, though it faltered as soon as Ben informed her that he wanted her to meet his parents.

Before she could protest, she was already staning before the King and Queen of Auradon. She gulped nervously as she shook King Adam's hand, "Hi, I'm Adonia— uh, sorry my mom turned everyone you knew into household items."

"No hard feelings right?" King Adam remembered what Ben had told him. And as much as he hated to admit it, his son was right, "Without your mom, I never would have met this beautiful woman beside me."

Belle only blushed, and Adonia dreamed of a love like their's. And when Ben's hand brushed over her's, she couldn't help but believe she had found it. She was pulled into Belle's embrace though, and she awkwardly hugged the Queen back, "Oh, you're hugging me."

"Is it alright if Adonia joins us for lunch?"

"I don't see why not!" Belle was gleeful and cheery, and Adonia admired that. She could see where Ben got all of his optimistic qualities from. Though the blonde awkwardly motioned to her friends.

"I came with my friends, though." King Adam had a hard enough time realizing that Circe was actually not all that bad, but having all of the VK kids around him? He would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly nervous.