Secret in the Heart ||Descendants|| (♡Ben)

17

For the past few months, ever since Connor had mentioned that the royal library held stories of every fairytale character, Kara had been searching for one in particular: Agathe. She'd scoured the shelves during every free moment, slipping away between classes, court responsibilities, and etiquette lessons. But despite her efforts, she hadn't found anything. It was frustrating, to say the least, but she refused to give up.

Now, with her day finally over, Kara made her way to the royal library once again. The massive doors loomed in front of her, and she glanced around, making sure no one was around before she quietly slipped inside. The library was as grand as ever, with its towering shelves filled with centuries of knowledge, but Kara had yet to uncover the answers she sought.

She walked through the aisles with purpose, turning down a familiar row of bookcases, her eyes scanning every spine. Somewhere in this labyrinth of stories, there had to be something about Agathe. If every fairytale character had a place in this library, surely this mysterious woman did too.

Hours passed. Or so she thought. Without her phone to keep track of time, Kara had no idea how long she had been searching. She turned another corner, her eyes growing tired from reading endless titles when suddenly, a whisper echoed through the stillness.

"Kara..."

She froze. Turning around, she saw no one.

"Kara..." the voice came again.

Taking a hesitant step forward, she looked down both ends of the aisle. It was empty.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice barely above a whisper.

No answer.

"Is anybody there?" she asked again, her heart beating faster.

"Kara..."

The voice seemed to come from her left, so she turned in that direction. It felt like she was being drawn by some unseen force, guiding her deeper into the library. She made a few more turns until she finally saw it—a stand in the center of a small alcove, with a thick book lying atop it.

"Kara..." The voice was coming from the book itself.

Cautiously, she approached the stand, her hand hovering over the cover before she touched it. As soon as her fingers made contact, the book flipped open on its own, pages whirling until they suddenly stopped. She looked down at the page in front of her, and there, at the top, was the name she had been searching for: Agathe.

Finally, she had found it. Her eyes widened as she took in the image of a beautiful woman with blond hair and green eyes. Kara felt a jolt of recognition. She had seen this woman before. Quickly, she pulled out a picture she always kept with her—a photograph of her mother and father. Holding it up next to the image in the book, her heart raced as she realized they were one and the same.

Her mother was Agathe.

She read on, piecing together the story. Agathe, the enchantress responsible for cursing a prince. She disguised herself as a hag, offering a rose in exchange for shelter and when the prince refused, she cursed him. The curse turned him into a beast; only true love could break the spell.

Kara's mind raced. She knew this story. It was the story of the Beast—Ben's father. Her mother was the one who had cursed him. She took a step back, overwhelmed by the revelation.

"Kara?" a voice called out, this time familiar.

"Ben?" she called back, quickly closing the book and stepping away from the stand. She walked towards the sound of his voice, weaving through the shelves until she popped her head around a corner and saw him standing in the main hall of the library.