Difference

Chapter 1

"You're the only one who can do it, Rydel."

"No, Ben. What you're asking of me is stupid."

We argued back and forth, never once paying any mind of the fact that there was someone else in the room with the two of us. He didn't pry himself into our conversation, instead working on Ben's measurements. I pulled my cloak closer to my body, shielding my shown skin from the breeze that was coming in through the windows. Past the windows was the sea of serenity. And in the middle of the sea was the Isle of the Lost.

"And how do you know your parents will even agree?" He seemed to mull over my words, his finger tapping his chin repeatedly. His eyes then widened as they looked straight towards me.

"How about this? If I can get them to agree, you have to help me then."

I doubt his parents, especially King Beast, would ever agree to this plan so readily. I had nothing to lose. If, and only if  they say yes, I guess Ben is gonna need help trying to keep those villains under control and I would like to think of myself as the only one who can handle them. Plus, this is gonna make Audrey so mad.

With a toothy grin, I nodded my head. "Sure, I'll take you on."

He smiled back at me, happy with my words.

"How is it possible that you're gonna be crowned King next month?" King Beast and Queen Belle had walked into the large room hand in hand. Trailing in behind them was my baby wolf, also considered my bestfriend before Ben, Red. Whenever she wasn't with me, which was always, she would be seen with one of the three royal family members. They are, after all, the only family I have since my mom left me quite literally at their doorstep. "You're just a baby."

"He's turning sixteen."

"Sixteen! That's far too young to be crowned King." Belle began to move around the room and clean up any stray clothes that she could find. She had always liked to keep things neat and tidy. "I didn't make a good decision until I was at least...42."

"You decided to marry me at 28."

"Well, it was either you or a teapot." He sent a wink to both Ben and me, making us laugh with the joke he was pulling. "Kidding." They turned back towards us, finally giving Ben the time to talk to them. I stepped beside him, already knowing what was gonna happen.

"Mom, Dad." As he made a move to step off of his pedestal, the designer hummed in disapproval, making him step back once more so the man could finish with his pant leg. "I've chosen my first official proclamation."

They looked at each other, smiles appear on their faces at the fact that their son has finally grown up alongside their adopted daughter. Ben looked my way, noticing the look I was sending his way. He chose to ignore it, thinking of our bet that we had made only moments ago.

"I've decided that the children on the Isle of the Lost be given a chance...to live here in Auradon."

They were shocked, to say the least. Belle was so surprised that she had dropped the piece of clothing article in her hands and onto the floor. Adam was at a lost for words. The tailor did nothing, choosing to focus on what he was hired to do. Honestly, I don't blame the man.

"Every time I look out to the island, I feel like they've been abandoned." He stepped off of the pedestal fully this time, making the tailor drop his bendable ruler and give up. I already had my dress ready for Ben's coronation. Why did he have to be so difficult for our workers?

"The children of our sworn enemies living amongst us?"

"We start off with a few at first, only the ones who need our help the most. I've already chosen them." This was a part of his plan that I hadn't heard. We were so busy arguing about them coming that I didn't have the chance to ask him who would actually be here.

"Have you now?" Adam began to step up, already questioning his son's choices. I stood next to Ben, silently giving him all the support he needed even though I had voiced my disdain with this plan beforehand.

"I've given you a second chance." At Belle's words, Adam stepped down. He had seemed to recall his time trapped as a beast and all of his moments with his loving wife. Those memories made him start to rethink his son's plan. "Who're their parents?"

"Cruella De Vil." He stopped taking in his parents faces as he continued down the list. It seemed that every name he had uttered only seemed to make the atmosphere within the room darken considerably. "Jafar, Evil Queen." He steadied himself, seeming to reach for my hand unconsciously. I grabbed a hold of it, still unknowing to who the last name was gonna be. "And Maleficent."

Even at his words, no matter how much they shocked me, I did not let go of his hand. Instead, I only clutched it as hard as I could, hoping that he could feel the pain for being such an idiot.

"Maleficent?! She's the worst villain in the land!"

"Dad, just hear me out."

"I won't hear of it. They are guilty of unspeakable crimes."

"Dad, but their children are innocent. Don't you think they deserve a shot at a normal life?" Adam stopped in his yelling, considering his son's words for a moment. He looked down and saw how our hands were intertwined, only furthering his new thoughts once again. Ben cocked his head to the side, trying his hardest to make his father give in with his puppy dog face. "Dad."

"I suppose the children are innocent." With those being his final word, he began to walk away. Belle stepped before the two of us, seeming to straighten Ben's tux and touch my face with a gentle hand.

"Well done." She whispered, drawing a bright smile from Ben. I, on the other hand, drew back to our bet from before.

Our parents walked out hand in hand, talking about incoherent things. Red stayed behind, pawing at my pant leg.

Ben turned my way with a smirk replacing his earlier smile.

"Guess who just won the bet?"

I let out a sigh of breath, looking towards the Isle of the Lost from the window. Things are gonna be so different now.