Audrey screamed in pain as another contraction hit, her brow covered in sweat as she leaned forward as far as she could to try to alleviate the pain; just the highlight of the past lousy nine months. Of course it wasn't as far as she wanted as the shiny silver handcuff reminded her.
Oh yes, they had handcuffed her to the hospital bed. Her! The rightful Queen of Auroria, of Auradon! They handcuffed her like she was a common criminal!
Though that wasn't anything new—they had all treated her like she was a villain for the nine months of her pregnancy. Even her friends, the friends who had been there when she had met Fred, the ones who had told her to drop Ben for him, had dismissed her out of hand when she reached out to them for help.
"We don't talk to Isle trash," they had told her.
Fine, Audrey told herself as she laid back on the hospital bed; panting heavily as the contraction subsided. If they don't want to help me then they'll pay too once I get my scepter back! Once I get my title back!
Of course, she had practically been on her own ever since her mother had told her that she was to be a mom herself. Aurora had practically avoided her daughter's cell since then..oh sorry, room. But Audrey knew the truth. It was a luxurious cell but it was still a cell.
"Audrey? I'm coming in."
"Of course you are," Audrey muttered. Her parents were able to just stroll into her room at any time yet she was trapped here.
"Watch the tone young lady, I have news," Aurora told her as she walked into the room, closing the door behind her. A small part of Audrey couldn't help but be happy by that, a clear sign that no matter what, her mother still trusted her. But the more cynical side could only argue that her mother probably didn't want the castle staff from learning whatever news she was about to receive.
"Oh? I take it I'm to be carted off to the Isle?" Audrey scoffed. The only good thing about that would be she'd finally be with Fred once more. There they could plot to make Auradon pay for what they did to them.
"No, actually," Aurora said with a small sigh. "We got your results back today. Congratulations Audrey, you're pregnant."
"What?" Audrey gasped before a small smile pulled at her lips. "I'm...I'm going to be a mom?"
"In a sense yes. Your father and I will need to discuss with King Ben what will happen with the child."
"What happens—? Mother! This is my child! I should get to raise them!" Audrey exclaimed. "Or is this going to be like Grammy and you all over again?"
"Audrey, you can not raise a child on the Isle. Even with the improvements Lady Mal and King Ben have made there."
"More like you and Mal think I'd raise them as a pawn," Audrey scoffed. "This is my child!"
"You should have thought about that before you tried to throw a coup, young lady," Aurora stated. "More than likely your father and I will raise the child."
Audrey rolled her eyes and Aurora sighed.
"I wanted to give you the news in person," Aurora stated. While they already knew that Audrey was with child from their conversation with King Ben, there had been a small part of Aurora that wanted to have it confirmed by a doctor. "Your father's informing King Ben and your brother's already been informed."
Aurora turned and began to walk to the door, but paused and rested a hand on the doorframe. "This was not the way your father and I wanted to get the news about our first grandchild Audrey."
"Well if Ben had stuck to the contract, I'd be Queen like I was supposed to be. But I guess we all can't get what we want, can we mother?"
"...we'll send you up some food in a few hours," Aurora said, tears prickling in the corners of her eyes as she walked out of Audrey's room; closing the door behind her.
"Audrey, you're going to have to push," the doctor said and Audrey shook her head. Pushing would mean that her baby would be born. While it would mean an end to the pain, it would also mean she would never see her baby again.
Never see her daughter again. Oh yes she knew the gender—not that she had a choice. It was one of the things her parents had insisted on, to make sure nothing was wrong with the baby.
"Audrey, if you refuse to push, we will have to do a cesarean. Your child could die if you don't," the doctor told her. "Either you give birth on your own or we'll do it for you but either way this baby is being born today."
"No! The minute my baby's born, they're going to take her from me!" Audrey exclaimed, glaring at her parents who were in the room with her. "At least when she's inside me, she'll know who I am and that I'm her mother! You can't even guarantee they'll let me see her once she's born!"
"Audrey, if you try to keep her inside you, she'll go into distress," the doctor told her. "As a doctor, it is my duty to take care of all my patients and that includes your baby. If you won't do it for your daughter's sake, do it for yours. If your child dies in your womb, there's a chance you might get an infection and possibly die from that."
Audrey looked at the doctor and bit her lip as another contraction wracked her body. She didn't want her daughter to die but at the same time, if she gave birth, she would basically become dead to her daughter. There was no way her mother or father would tell her daughter about her. Hell, there was probably no way they'd give her the name Audrey wanted to give her.
Leah. After the only one other than Fred who believed she should have her birth right.
Audrey sighed as she finally let herself push, blinking back tears as she made the choice. If there was any chance of getting her daughter back, she would have to be alive. After all, Fred had broken out of the Isle once, he could do it again—in fact there was no doubt in her mind. Especially with her by his side.
Besides, she could recover faster if she pushed than if they sliced her open. A faster recovery meant less time waiting to see Fred.
"Thank you for cooperating," the doctor sighed in relief as he readied himself to deliver the baby.
"You..didn't give..me much of...a choice," Audrey panted as a contraction hit once more. "And I'm..not doing this...for you. I'm doing...this for...my daughter! Gods this hurts! What, did Mal order no pain medicine?"
"Audrey, of course she didn't. Your options were discussed well before now," Aurora told her.
"You said no to the epidural but we can turn up your morphine drip," a nurse told her as she pressed a button on the machine connected to the IV in Audrey's hand.
"Mother, what options? You all basically decided that my child was going to be raised by you and father without any input from me," Audrey snapped though she wasn't going to lie, the morphine drip was slowly starting to take affect.
"I meant your pain relief options," Aurora stated. "You gave up your right to have a say in who raises our granddaughter by your own choices."
"Oh so Mal can spell Ben and everyone's okay with it but I try to reassert my birth right and now I have no say in my own child?!"
"Audrey, this is not the time to have this argument again. You just focus on where you are now," Phillip stated as Aurora sighed, gently brushing Audrey's hair back.
Gods, it was almost hard to believe that their daughter was in the throws of giving birth to their first grandchild. It should be one of the happiest moments of their lives but instead, it was one of the saddest as they knew they would never see Audrey again after this.
What happened to my little girl? Phillip thought as Audrey let out a slew of curse words, pushing once more. The little girl who loved to go to Fairy Cottage to feed the animals...
"That's it Audrey, you're doing well. Just one more push," the doctor told her.
Audrey nodded, giving as big of a push as she could...for her daughter's sake. If anyone asked, Audrey would blame the tears that came to her eyes on the pain as she heard her daughter cry.
She's alive, Audrey thought. But..I've given her up now. Fred will never get to hold his infant daughter, or see her and see who she looks like. She'd be raised by mother and father instead of by her parents...the way it was supposed to be...
"You have a very healthy little Princess, your majesties," the doctor said after cleaning the baby off and swaddling her up, handing her to Aurora.
"Thank you doctor," Aurora said, her voice soft as she took her granddaughter. "She's beautiful Audrey, you can at least know that."
"Can I at least hold her? Just once?" Audrey asked, trying not to show the pain on her face.
Aurora sighed. "Audrey, I'd like nothing more than to let you hold her, a mother should get to do that. But your actions have shown that we need to think of her safety first."
"Mother, I won't hurt her! I'm hooked up to a morphine drip, I'm handcuffed to the bed, it's not like I could run!" Audrey exclaimed, looking at Aurora in shock. "You'll never let me see her again after this! Can't I just have one memory of what she looks like? Please?"
Aurora sighed once more. "Audrey, I want to. More than anything. But I have to think about my granddaughter's safety. You claim you won't run but after everything that's happened...I can't risk it, no matter how much I love you..."
"Can I at least see her? You don't need to give her to me but can I at least see her face? You'd really let me go to the Isle without even knowing what my daughter looks like?" Audrey asked, pleading with her mother.
Aurora and Phillip looked at each other, as if they were communicating solely through their thoughts. Audrey bit her lip as she waited to hear the response, it shouldn't be this difficult to let her see her daughter!
"...alright. There's no real harm in you seeing her but don't make me regret this Audrey," her mother said softly, walking over to her. Audrey nodded softly, waiting to see her daughter for what was the first and likely the only time. Hopefully her mother would use the name Audrey wanted but she doubted it.
"She is beautiful," she whispered as Aurora pulled back the blanket slightly to show Audrey her daughter's face. Little strands of brown hair fell into the light blue eyes of the newborn though Audrey could swear there was a hint of brown to the eyes.
She has my hair, Audrey thought. Or at least my hair before I went blonde. And she either has Fred's or my eyes if they end up going brown...Gods I can't believe I won't see her grow up.
Her daughter looked over at her, obviously confused. As if she didn't know who Audrey was. Audrey couldn't help but bite her lip, did she dare? Did she dare to say who she was...her daughter would have no memory of this...
"Hi sweetie," she whispered, tentatively reaching a finger out and stroking her daughter's cheek; pretending not to notice Aurora tense at the movement. "I'm your mom."
I'm not going to hurt her! I would never hurt her! Audrey thought as a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," Aurora called, pulling the baby back closer to her as Ben and Mal walked into the room.
"I hope the birth went smoothly," Ben said, his tone even as he looked at the doctor.
"We had a small hiccup but other than that, the birth went smoothly King Ben," the doctor told him before Audrey could speak. "Princess Baby Rose is perfectly healthy."
"Good, good. And there were no complications for Audrey?"
"Not that we can tell. Of course, she will be a bit tender for a few day but nothing out of the ordinary."
"How soon can she be transported to the Isle?" Mal asked.
Of course that's what you'd worry about Mal, Audrey thought. Never mind the fact that I'll never see my daughter again.
"I'd say about five days..." the doctor said and Mal nodded.
"Then that's how long she'll have to recover."
"Yes Lady Mal, King Ben."
Aurora sighed as she looked down at her infant granddaughter. "King Ben? Lady Mal? If I may be excused? I feel that the longer my granddaughter stays in the same room as Audrey...the crueler it is..."
"Of course Queen Aurora," Ben said with a nod. "Please let me know if you or King Phillip need any assistance...and despite the nature of her birth, allow me to extend my congratulations on your healthy granddaughter?"
"Thank you your highness. Her birth may have been...unconventional but she will never not be loved," Aurora told him, a sad smile on her lips as she left the room. Ben watched her leave with a sad smile on his lips but it vanished as he looked over at Audrey.
"I really wish it didn't have to come to this Audrey. This should have been a happy day for you," he said softly.
"Yes well apparently getting what I want isn't done. She should have been your child had you stuck to the betrothal contract," Audrey snapped.
"Audrey, if she was my child, that would have been cruel to her. There was no love between us and she shouldn't have to see that. She has a much better life ahead of her not being my child."
"Oh, and what life does she have Ben? A life of never knowing her mother or father because rather than actually stick to the 'everyone gets a second chance' line you've been peddling, you've shoved us onto the Isle?"
Mal could only look skyward and Ben sighed, slowly shaking his head.
"You have a very selective memory Audrey. I've explained my reasons to you and I"m not explaining them again. We came to make sure there were no complications, not to rehash history. As Mal said, you'll have a few days to recover before you're sent to the Isle. Do you have any questions or do you need the nurse to get you anything?"
"...how exactly are you planning on getting me to the Isle?"
"Dean will arrange transport with some of the Auradon guards and you'll be transported to the Isle via boat."
What? Planning on scouting the barrier for ways to break out Audrey? Mal thought. Good luck. The Rats control the docks and the only way off the Isle is either via limo and opening the barrier or boat and again opening the barrier. Which will not happen for either you or the certain someone I know you're thinking about. The Rats won't allow it..Henry won't allow it..so good luck, you'll need it.
"As I said Audrey, I didn't want it to come to this but you made your own choice," Ben said with a sigh.
"So did you Ben, the day you backed out of our contract," Audrey said, her voice low. "You act like you were the only one forced into it at three...but I was the only one willing to follow through."
"Yeah, because you got the better end of the deal," Mal muttered under her breath. "All Ben would have ended up with is a selfish, self absorbed whiner for a wife and Queen. And let's not forget that Ben was willing to follow through even though everyone else in his life told him he could back out..even Belle gave him an out..."
Ben sighed and shook his head. "Audrey, I am sorry about how things turned out," he told her as he and Mal turned to leave; Phillip Sr. being the only one to stay in the room.
"I suppose you're going to leave as well," Audrey scoffed, looking at her father.
"What happened to you Audrey?" Phillip Sr. asked, looking at his daughter with sad eyes.
"Nothing happened to me, I grew up," Audrey muttered and shook her head.
"Well we must have a different definition of 'growing up' because you turned into someone I don't even recognize."
"I'm still me. I'm still your daughter," Audrey stated. "How is wanting my birthright a bad thing?"
"Your birthright was the throne of Auroria. Being Ben's Queen was not guaranteed, the contract wasn't unbreakable Audrey."
"You just willingly gave my birthright to Phil! What, was it because he was the son you secretly wanted or something?!"
"Of course not! Your mother and I couldn't have been happier the day we found out your mother was expecting you Audrey. You still would have gotten the throne of Auroria had you not tried to take over Auradon. Your choices are the reason for this, not your gender."
"My choices? My choices were that of a Queen, or at least one Grammy would have been proud of before this family turned her backs on her! Then again, why am I not the same you're doing the same to me? The minute someone in this family does something you or mother doesn't like, it's straight to the Isle for them!"
"That is not true and you know it Audrey. Your grandmother committed horrendous crimes but don't you think your mother and I would have rather we didn't have to send her to the Isle?" Phillip asked. "And you will never know how much it breaks your mother and my heart to know you will be there too Audrey! Sweetheart...when did your grandmother's opinion become more to you than your parents? We would have loved you no matter what, were we that bad at showing you that?"
"Oh yes not true and yet that's just what happened! Since when do we shed tears over VKs? You can't honestly tell me that you were comfortable with theme arriving in Auradon when Ben first made his proclamation. And you hated Grammy! So yeah, I'm sure you hated the fact that you would never have to save her again! And if it's truly breaking your heart to send me to the Isle, why didn't you fight more at that so-called trial! Eric is married to Mal's cousin! Oh, and Grammy's opinion became more important when she was the only one who bothered showing up! Every Family Day, it was Grammy. Never you, never mother! You know there was a rumor around school that you and mother were under another sleeping curse? That's how often Grammy showed up."
Phillip let out a soft sigh. "Your birth was...traumatic Audrey. Your mother unfortunately had postpartum depression so she...she didn't get the chance to bond with you until you were about four. But that does not mean she does not love you more than she can say. And no, I wasn't comfortable at first but they should be judged by their own merits...and we didn't fight more for you because it wouldn't have changed anything."
"So mother's not getting to bond with their daughters is something this family likes to keep going," Audrey muttered. "Grammy with mother, mother with me...and now me with my daughter. And by the way, talking about that trial again, you ever notice that it's only the VKs Mal likes who gets a second chance from Ben? Fred just gets chucked back on the Isle!"
"Fred, the guy you're getting starry eyed over, is the same guy who tried to kill Ben Audrey! How does that not terrify you because it terrifies me as a father!"
"Sure Fred wasn't the most gentle but at least he's a man, not the boys you would prefer I'd end up with!"
"You know I really didn't want to think about that, thank you," Phillip muttered.
Audrey rolled her eyes. "How did you think my daughter came around? Just poofed into existence?"
Gods my father's such a wimp...maybe that's why he wanted Ben or Chad in a relationship with me...
"Anything else you'd like to scold me about?" Audrey snarked.
Phillip sighed. "Trust me Audrey, the last thing I want is our last conversation before you go to the Isle to be a fight. You're still my daughter, I still and always will love you."
"You have a brilliant way of showing it," Audrey scoffed.
"Punishing you for your actions does not mean I don't love you Audrey," Phillip told her. "In fact, it means I love you more than if I didn't."
"That's rich," Audrey snorted. "All you're doing is sending the embarrassment away to never be seen again."
Phillip sighed, it was clear that Audrey wasn't going to listen to him. "I do love you Audrey, please remember that even if you don't believe it," he said, taking one last look at his little girl as he made his way to the door. "Both I and your mother, we will always love you. With all our hearts."
With a heavy heart, Phillip walked out to find his wife; knowing that he would never see his daughter again. He hated that this would be the last time he would see Audrey, that those would be the last words he ever spoke to his little girl. It was why he made sure to tell her that he loved her before he walked out. He wanted to make sure she knew that before she was sent to the Isle. She was still his daughter, no matter what she did.
"Are we all set?" Phillip asked as he walked up to Aurora.
"Yes," Aurora whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. Phillip sighed and gently wiped away some of the tears.
"This is all my fault Phillip," she whispered.
"How? Aurora, how could this be your fault?" Phillip whispered back to her.
"If I had just bonded with my daughter at the start—."
"Aurora...Briar, you'd just had a caesarian. The doctors told you you couldn't hold Audrey, you can not be blamed for not bonding with her. It was for your health and then with your postpartum...if anyone's to blame, it's me. I'm the one who let Leah get her claws in her..."
"Phillip, you needed help. You were trying to help run Hubert's kingdom and take care of Audrey."
"I could have asked one of the staff."
"Phillip, Leah would have never stood for that. You remember the fits she used to have because she couldn't raise me."
"There were conveniently not enough staff to spare one of the women to help," Phillip sighed. "I had no choice but to call Leah in. I'd have called my mother but you know.."
Aurora nodded and Phillip sighed as he looked down at his granddaughter.
"She's beautiful..."
"She really is," Aurora nodded. "She'll need a name. I'm sure Audrey has a name she'd want to use but...I'm have a feeling I know what it is. I can't name my granddaughter after Leah."
"You'll get no argument from me," Phillip nodded.
"What was your mother's name again Phillip?"
"It's not the prettiest. It wouldn't suit our granddaughter, not in the slightest. I...I was thinking maybe Arabella?"
"That's...that's pretty," Aurora said with a small smile.
"Arabella Briar Rose," Phillip finished and Aurora's smile grew. "Perfect for our granddaughter."
"We should head out," Aurora said. "Phil will be waiting and he should get to meet his niece."
Phillip couldn't help but smile at that and the three of them made their way out of the hospital to head back to their castle.