Half and Half

Chapter Thirteen

It was with a heavy heart that Belle looked at the castle staff, many of them trusted friends and confidantes. She knew they would have to have the conversation sooner or later but after leaving Ben, asleep in his bed, Belle wished that it could have been later so that Beast could have been there when Ben woke up.

She could only imagine Ben's reaction to waking up and finding that his father was gone.

Thank the Gods for Chip, she thought. While she wasn't sure if the teen had heard anything, he'd been quick to come back to Ben's room as they were leaving to offer to watch the younger boy.

An offer Belle and Beast were certainly thankful for.

"Ma ma," Abby babbled happily upon seeing her mom.

"Hello my sweet girl," Belle said, a sad smile pulling at her lips. She wasn't going to lie, she would be forever thankful that her daughter would be too young to remember the pain of this day...or the pain of the day where her father would have to leave her forever, or at least until she grew old enough to accompany her brother to the Isle. "I'd think it's almost about time for your nap."

Abby, though, ignored her and reached her arms out for Beast. "Da da!"

"Hello my precious girl," Beast said, the same sad smile as Belle's pulling at his lips as he took their daughter from Mrs. Potts. He would never turn down the chance to hold his daughter. "Were you a good girl for Mrs. Potts?"

"She's been no trouble at all," Mrs. Potts told him with her usual smile. "Sire, you and Belle have the easiest children I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Read them a story and sing them a song and they're right as rain the whole time."

"I'm...I'm glad to hear that," Beast said before letting out a small sigh as he looked at the gathered staff before him. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I've asked you here today."

"You could say we're curious, yes your highness, but your business is your business," Cogsworth nodded.

"Well...we...we have some news that we need to share with you all," Beast said and Belle bit her lip to avoid crying. But 'news' was definitely a polite way of describing what they were about to tell the staff. "I...I regret to inform you that...I won't be able to be your King for much longer."

"Whatever do you mean your majesty?" Mrs. Potts asked as her eyes went wide from the shock. "Are you sick? You know I've told you that you've been working yourself too hard. A vacation here and there wouldn't kill you, you know. Otherwise you risk burning out and that's no good for Auradon never mind your wife and the young Prince and Princess."

Beast couldn't help but smile at the woman who was practically a second mother to him. "I only wish it was that simple Mrs. Potts but no. I...There's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to be blunt. I've...I've been stripped of my title as High King and am to be...to be sent to the Isle of the Lost in two weeks due to the mismanagement of the Isle."

Belle bit her lip once more to stop the flow of tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes as the staff started to clamor in astonishment. Cogsworth and Lumiere were protesting while Mrs. Potts shook her head in denial. Abby whimpered in her father's arms, she wasn't sure why everyone was so upset but she didn't like it.

"Shh..." Beast said, holding Abby close and began to bounce her slightly as he heard her whimpers. He hated to see her upset most days but today...he'd already had his heart break once with Ben's tears. He didn't want it breaking again with Abby's... "Papa's here..."

"Everyone...Everyone please be calm. I know this is a shock," Belle called, trying to not have her voice sound like it was being strangled by her tears.