Half and Half

Chapter Nine

"And what if Ben abstains from the crown?"

"Then we teach Abby the same thing. We should be teaching Abby the same things we teach Ben regardless of what titles she's to inherit anyway. There's no reason why we shouldn't."

"Other than the fact that our daughter is one."

"She'll be two in November."

Beast shook his head and gave Belle a look. "You know that's not what I mean. Besides, are you sure about this? We'll be stirring everyone up and the election's right around the corner. So far no one has indicated that they'll run against me but what if looking into the Isle changes that? You're asking me to risk my family's stability for an Island of villains and cut throats."

"...An Isle you would be on yourself if you hadn't been elected High King, Adam!" Belle exclaimed as soon as she regained her power of speech. "Or has false imprisonment and kidnapping become a heroic act now?"

"Belle, I was a child and you're defending villains and cuthroats—!"

"Oh no Adam, you do not get to call children villains and cut throats when you were almost twenty one when you held me prisoner! And I would think that by now you would know me well enough to know that I'll be looking into this matter with or with out you. But it would be nice to know I have my husband's support!"

Beast sighed. "Belle, you know you have my support no matter what. I just...I don't see why we need to risk our stability."

"Adam, if anyone runs against you for wanting to give children a better life, then we'll do all we can to crush them in their tracks," Belle promised. "But this? This isn't the man I married. This is...this is more of the Beast I ran from in the West Wing than the man who surprised me with a library and who read Shakespeare with me."

"Belle..." Beast said softly.

"Just...just think about it Adam," Belle said. "What if that was Ben in Mal's place? Can you honestly say you can picture our sweet, innocent boy trying his hardest to find food that he can eat and not feel your heart rip in two?"

"But why would I need to picture it? Ben's here in Auradon, he won't have to deal with that."

"Because if you do somehow lose the election, Adam, you're going to probably be thrown on the Isle yourself! Aladdin and Eugene might have been pardoned for their crimes but you weren't! And as we've seen, if you're a child to someone of the Isle of the Lost, you might as well have committed a crime yourself."

Beast froze and looked at his wife in shock. "You...you don't think...Belle, sending me to the Isle would be like signing my death certificate. Especially with Gaston there, you know he probably still rants about how he should have 'killed me when he had the chance'. Gods, how I was ever friends with him, I'll never know."

"Because you were both egotistical, selfish, and full of yourself boys most likely," Belle said with a small sigh as she brushed a stray hair out of Beast's eyes. "The only difference is you grew up. Or at least I thought you did. But our five year old son can look at a girl his age who came from the Isle and just see a friend. Whereas you see a threat."

"Belle..."

"Adam, I mean it. It's bigger than the possibility of not being re-elected King. You think Ben will care if he's not Crown Prince? All he'll care about is if he has to give up Flamey or his friends or if he can't see Chip anymore. You think Abby will care if she's not Crown Princess? Abby doesn't even know she is a Crown Princess! If we have to go back to my father's village and live a life there, we can because we'll be fine. But by not agreeing to at least call your council and look into it, you're basically standing by and letting more children die. And then at some point you're going to make it Ben's problem when it should have been solved now."