Crossing the Water

Chapter 13

Celia and Mal walked back through the tunnel, making their way back to the others who hopefully had retrieved their wayward bikes.

"Can...can the cart/bike thing only be taken one way? But then who moves it back to the starting point so you can get back on it?"

"Emma, why is that the thing you focused on?" Emir asked his girlfriend.

"Hey, Akiho has his hangup about Ben not using his guards. I notice weird things," Emma shrugged.

"I guess that's the reason why he's always asking about you," Celia spoke up after a minute of silence and Mal stopped.

Mal glanced over at Hades. He...he had been asking about her? It just..he had Hadie. He didn't need to ask about her.

"Evie is the only one who knows that he's my dad.

"Hang on! That's clearly not true, since the new group of VKs here were the only ones to react! Hell even Former Queen Bat knew judging by her lack of reaction!" Celia exclaimed. "You're lying to me!"

"Technically you all should have known anyway," Mal said softly. "I mean, he did say to Maleficent not to threaten me at Ben's coronation and called me his daughter in the process."

"You think any of us were focused on that when Maleficent got off the Isle?"

"Good point."

"You know, I like her," Akiho nodded. Anyone who had a hatred of Leah was alright in his book.

"Me too, you know you're more than free to use my nickname for her," Chip told Celia.

"What's that?" Celia asked, tilting her head.

"The Beauty Matriarch from Hell."

"Ooh, that's nice!"

"Apparently the only thing needed to unite the VKs and the Aurardonians was hatred of Leah," Ben muttered under his breath as he ignored the ever growing glare coming from Leah.

And as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't even exist."

Hades wasn't going to lie, hearing that was like a punch to the gut. The logical side of him knew that it was probably just a way for her to protect herself on the Isle, since it getting out would still put a giant target on her back. Even though everyone should already know as Mal had said earlier.

Then again, most of the Isle barely had two brain cells to rub together. Otherwise the new VKs in attendance wouldn't have been surprised by the revelation.

"Hey, I'm sure she doesn't mean that," Persephone said softly, noticing the look on her husband's face.

"I wish there was a way to know for sure," Hades whispered back, sighing softly.

Well you could always talk to her, Persephone thought to herself.

Celia walked off but Mal stayed for a moment, as if in thought. The next scene opens on an exterior shot of Ben's castle before quickly moving to the interior with Ben on the phone in his bedroom/office.

"We should probably get Ben set up with a proper office at the castle," Adam/Beast leaned over and whispered to Belle.

"Agreed. He shouldn't be working where he sleeps," Belle nodded. "Being able to walk away from work is very important."

Belle also noted to herself that it might be a good idea to remove the giant photos of herself and Adam/Beast from overtop Ben's bed. At some point, he and Mal might want to move forward physically in their relationship and...well those photos might be off-putting to Mal. Or Ben. Or both of them for that matter.