The Lost Prince

Family and choices

Finally he took a deep breath, composing what little was left of him and looked at the door.

He bit his lip, which was showing way more emotion than he ever would have allowed to on the Isle, and nodded to his friends.

Mal opened the door and her green eyes flashed at the soon-to-be-king as she passed him.

"I'm still plotting your murder." She announced, walking away with the rest of the Vks.

Ben let out a nervous chuckle, not really sure how to respond.

"She's joking." Alex said, watching them go as the door closed. He knew they will give them space, but still remain a yell away. "…I think."

He gulped, eyes still fixed on the door as he watched with the corner of his eye as Ben stared at him with wide eyes.

Alex raised his left hand a little, looking at the only source of light he had while he was locked in that stupid closet.

"When did you see it?"

He had to start the inevitable conversation somehow.

And he had always been so careful. How bad did he let his guard down that he let an Auradonian see it? How soft did he become?

Ben blinked, finally remembering why he was here in the first place.

"I didn't."

Alex frowned.

"Well… not since nine years ago anyway. But I figured you would probably still have it."

"Then how did you know?"

He had seen the younger Ben in Evie's mirror. They did look a lot alike, but nobody else in Auradon seemed to have noticed it.

"You seemed familiar." Ben blurted out, without thinking how weird that must have sounded like. He blushed. "I mean… Your eyes and hair and your age and name and that time you growled at Dude. Uh…"

"You seemed familiar too." Alex said after a pause.

Ben's eyes grew a little as his face lightened up, a new smile on his face. Alex tried to hide his amusement.

He's a freaking kid…

He opened his mouth to say something, but then Ben's phone ringed.

"Mom and Dad probably just got here." Ben explained.

It took Alex a moment to process what that meant.

"Huh?!"

Mum and Dad.

Ben's Mum and Dad.

That were also Alex's parents.

Since the first day he arrived here, Alex heard no one call their parents Mother and Father. Only mom and dad and mommy and daddy and all sorts of cute other things like ma or da, pops, papa.