Half and Half

Chapter Twenty Seven

And set it up they did. They entered into a tentative alliance with Henry Kersey of all people, along with some of the other Warf Rats that lingered around The Jolly Rodger. Harry had entered into that alliance as his father was the Rats' fathers' captain. Meanwhile Uma went ahead and got them a tentative alliance with the hyenas. Ben had stayed far away from that, per Uma's orders. After all, the lowest ranked female hyena was still higher than the highest ranked male so they probably wouldn't be happy to see him.

If Abby was older and on the Isle, that would be a different story.

Ben shook his head to bring himself back to the present. "Evie, thank you so much for the invite but if Mal's not going, then I'm not going."

"What?"

"I'm really sorry, but it wouldn't be nice to go when Mal doesn't have an invite," Ben said. "I hope you have a fun time at your party though."

"You didn't have to do that," Mal muttered as they walked off, Evie staring stunned in the background.

"You're my friend," Ben shrugged. "Yeah I want to be friends...I mean allies with Evie and Gil but you were my first ally and I'm not about to let you be left out. Not if I can help it."

Mal gave him a small smile as she heard that.

Neither Mal nor Ben had heard anything more about Evie's party so Ben assumed that Evie had rescinded his invitation. Normally that would have upset him because the last thing Ben wanted to do was make someone upset with him. But there was no way he could justify going to a party that Mal wasn't invited to.

Uma and Harry had also tried to turn down their invitations but Mal had told them to go. In Harry's case, he didn't really have a choice since his father and sisters would also be there and Uma was always wherever Harry was.

"What do you two have planned today?" Beast asked as he walked past the den and saw the two kids sitting on the sofa.

"Dunno," Mal shrugged.

"I know the Evil Queen's daughter is having her birthday today, aren't you going to go to that?"

Ben shook his head. "Mal didn't get an invite and I didn't want Mal to be left out," he told his papa. "Maybe we'll hang out with Virgil!"

"Just stay out of trouble you two," Beast said. He wasn't going to lie, he didn't like the fact that Mal hadn't gotten an invite. Yes he knew that no one was owed an invitation but still. These were children they were talking about. They were too young to know the cruelty of the world.

And yes, he was aware of the irony of him thinking that regarding a child of the Isle of the Lost who had been brought to Auradon because of a broken ankle her mother had caused her.

A knock on the front gate brought Beast out of his thoughts and he couldn't help but frown slightly. No one knocked around here, at least no one that he knew of...but maybe Hades was expecting someone. He hadn't said but then again both Hades and Lady Persephone were busy preparing both the Underworld for any new arrivals that day and for Lady Persephone's return to Auradon.

Lady Persephone's, Mal's, and Ben's return, I mean, Beast thought as he made his way to the gate to see who was knocking.

"Oh! Hello there," he said with a smile as he saw a blue haired girl at the gate.

"Hello your highness," the girl said, giving him a small curtsey though Beast could tell she was nervous. "Is...Is Mal or Prince Ben available?"

"They're in the den," Beast said. "Would you like me to get them for you?"