Persephone stared at the letter in delighted shock. She honestly couldn't believe that the words before her were real. She had received the letter from Queen Belle and, at first, thought it to be addressed to her by mistake and that it was really for the former King Beast.
It wasn't until Beast informed her that, if Belle had wanted to send him a letter she would have, that Persephone realized the letter was for her and opened it.
Dear Lady Persephone,
I hope this letter finds you well and that it also finds young Mal to be well. It was a pleasure hosting the two of you in the castle during your time in Auradon.
I won't bore you with any pretentious dribble as I know your time is valuable so let me jump to the main point of my letter. Your petition to adopt young Mal has been approved and the registries have been updated to reflect it. In all legal sense of the word, Mal is your daughter by rights and would never need to return to the 'care' of Maleficent.
Please reach out if you have any questions regarding the adoption, and I will make sure I'm available to take any portal calls as well.
I hope you all are in the best of health.
Sincerely,
Queen Belle Le Bête
High Queen of Auradon
How...how had it been so simple to take Mal out of Maleficent's clutches? Could it really be over? Just like that? Could...could they really have Mal back and have a way to guarantee there'd be no lizards lurking in the shadows trying to steal her back?
It was almost like a dream come true, something Persephone never thought would happen.
"Steph?" Hades' voice called, her husband looking at her in concern. Of course she was still standing in their bedroom looking at Belle's letter so her husband's concern was understandable.
"Oh! Hades!"
"Is everything okay?" Hades asked as he walked over to his wife. "You normally don't act like this over a letter. Granted we normally don't get that many letters..."
Persephone smiled as her husband's rambles trailed off and she handed him the letter. "Read it."
"Steph, are you sure? This is your mail—."
"Hades, I wouldn't have told you to read it if I didn't want you to read it," Persephone told him. "Not to mention, this impacts you as well. You should read it."
"Okay..." Hades said slowly as he glanced at the letter in his hands. His eyes got wide as he realized just what he had in his hands and he looked back at Persephone. "Steph...this is real?"
"The only people who know about the adoption are myself, Queen Belle, and the council and I doubt anyone on Queen Belle's council would forge a letter from her," Persephone said. "But that is a good point. Is Beast here?"
"He's about to leave for his shift but we can ask him," Hades said and the two Gods scurried out of their room. Thankfully they were able to catch Beast just before he walked out the door.
"Is everything okay?" Beast asked as he looked at the two of them.
"Yeah, yeah," Hades nodded. "Listen, Beastie, you'd say you know your wife's handwriting pretty well right?"
"I'd say so," Beast nodded, though he was still unsure as to what Hades was asking.
"So you'd know if something that claimed to be written by her was a forgery?"
"I'd hope so."
"Great," Hades said and showed Beast the letter. "Is this truly from Belle?"
Beast gently took the letter and examined every word, every loop, every bit of punctuation. There was no denying it—this letter came from his wife.
He wasn't even upset that neither he nor Ben were mentioned. Beast knew that this wasn't personal correspondence but professional, and here was no one who could separate the two better than his wife.
"It's from Belle," Beast said as he handed the letter back to Hades. "I'd bet my life on it."
Beast couldn't help but smile as Hades pulled Persephone into his arms for a hug. They had obviously been waiting for this news and the fact that Beast was able to assist in a way, even a small way, left him feeling rather warm inside.
"Congratulations, by the way," Beast said and both Hades and Persephone looked over at him. "I tried not to see the full contents but—."
"Beastie, we asked you to look at the letter to see if it was truly from Belle. We're not going to get upset that you saw something when you looked at the letter we asked you to look at," Hades said, shaking his head. "I mean, who do we look like? Queen of Hearts?"
"We do ask though that you keep the news to yourself until we have the chance to tell Mal," Persephone added.
"Of course," Beast nodded. "Secret's safe with me."
"Thank you," Persephone said. Beast nodded once more before turning to make his way out of the door. It wouldn't do to turn up late—true, he had been technically in a conversation with his boss but there was no reason to make the other workers hate him more than they already did.
Beast knew, though, that they had every reason to. Now that he had been forced to live the way they had all these years. These had been his subjects, and yet he'd abandoned them. Even worse was there was nothing he could do to apologize since how do you apologize for ruining endless lives?
Knowing Belle, though, she'll already have gotten the process started to improve the Isle, Beast thought with a small smile as he thought about his wife. I've seen the beginnings of the construction of the new hospital, at the very least they've been clearing the ground for it. And there's also been plans made for a library.
That had been something Belle had told him herself, during one of their talks. However it wasn't as much of a priority as the hospital was. The hospital could save lives, and as much as Beast knew Belle loved her books, she was also smart enough to know what needed to be prioritized.
"Well, well, well," a familiar voice rang in his ears and pulled Beast out of his thoughts. "You don't have Hades to protect you anymore, Beast."
"Gaston," Beast said, his voice cool as he looked over at the raven haired man. "What do I owe the displeasure?"
"You act like you're so much better than us, strolling the Isle as if you own it," Gaston sneered and Beast noticed a little blond boy peering out from behind Gaston's legs.
This must be Gil, Beast thought. Poor lad, having Gaston for a father.
"I think Ben and Mal are over at the docks if you want to join them," Beast said to Gil, trying his hardest to ignore Gaston's rambles. Plus it might be better if the young boy didn't see what Beast was about to do to his father.
"Don't talk to my son, Beast," Gaston sneered as Gil scurried away.
"Oh trust me, you're going to be thankful I said something to him," Beast said, his voice dangerously low.
"And why's that—?"
Beast let his fist fly and meet Gaston square in the nose. "That was for firing a bullet at my son," he growled as the raven haired hunter stumbled back. Sometimes, having remnants of the Beast enchantment came in handy.
"You broke my nose!"
"You're lucky I didn't break your head!" Beast growled as he picked Gaston up off the ground. "Listen here Gaston, I don't care what your issue is with me but you're staying as far away from my son as you possibly can. If that means you end up swimming in the Cove, then that's what you're going to have to do."
"Oh?" Gaston asked, though his intimidation attempt was lessened by the stream of blood coming from his nose. "And what if I don't?"
"Then you're going to get a lot worse than a broken nose and whatever you thought you did to me by stabbing me with your dagger is going to feel like a pinprick. Understand?"
Gaston scoffed. "Oh typical Beast, even out of power you're still acting like you own the place. What are you going to do? Take a father away from his sons who need him?"
"Last I checked, you weren't much of a father considering you also have daughters who need you yet you leave them to starve," Beast growled. "And we won't have any issues as long as you stay away from Ben."
"You can't tell me what to do, Beast!"
"Maybe I can't but Hades sure seems to be able to control you," Beast shot back. "You may not have a brain cell in your head but even you are smart enough not to anger a God, Gaston. Ben is under Lord Hades' protection, and I'm sure you know what happens to people who go after those under Lord Hades' protection."
Gaston glowered. "You won't be under Hades' protection for long. And neither will your brat."
"Don't worry, soon Ben will be back in Auradon while you'll be here," Beast said before shoving Gaston away from him. He had more important things to do than continue to kill his brain cells talking to Gaston.
Oddly enough no one seemed to give him a hard time when Beast walked into the restaurant slightly late to his shift. Then again, his confrontation with Gaston would have been clear for everyone to see.
"...Mr. Beast?" Smee spoke up after a minute.
"Yes Mr. Smee?" Beast said as he looked over at the diminutive First Mate.
"If...if you don't mind my saying so, that was a rather nice punch you threw. I didn't think, begging your pardon of course, but I didn't think royals knew how to throw a punch."
Beast sighed. "Normally we don't. I was taught."
"Oh really? By who?"
"...My best friend," Beast said as Gaston stomped past the restaurant. "Though I think it's safe to say that friendship died with the dagger he shoved in my back."
Smee's eyes got wide as he put the two pieces of information together. "You mean...you and Gaston were...?"
"It was a very long time ago," Beast said. "We were children, but then I was transformed and I honestly don't know Gaston's story. Well I do know he grew attracted to Belle and you know Gaston, he has to have what he wants."
"Oh yes, we all know that well," Smee nodded. "Though, if you don't mind my saying so, I think he'll learn to stay far away from your son. I think he might regret teaching you to throw a punch."
"He just might," Beast chuckled as he took his place behind the counter. Meanwhile, over at Ursula's restaurant, Mal and Ben were enjoying some clams; unaware of the meet up between Gaston and Beast or the news that Hades and Persephone had received.
"Mal!"
Okay, so maybe their lack of knowledge about the incident between Gaston and Beast was not going to exist for long.
"Ugh, Fish for Brains," Harry muttered.
"Hiya Harry," Gil smiled before looking over at Ben. "Um...Prince Ben? I think your papa's gonna have a fight with my papa."
"You don't have to use my title, Gil," Ben said gently before pausing. "Papa? Having a fight?"
"I'd say I'm surprised but then knowing Gaston, he probably asked for it," Mal said. "But how do you know they're having a fight, Gil?"
"Ben's papa sent me over here," Gil said.
"So? Why would that make you think they're having a fight?" Mal asked. "Most adults wouldn't care if they fought someone in front of their kid?"
Gil shrugged. "I know...but most adults aren't from Boreadon."
"...My Gods, he has a point," Harry muttered.
"Be nice Harry," Ben spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. "Gil's the one who saved Mal and me from being hurt worse from his papa's gun so if he says my papa and his papa are having a fight, I believe him!"
Uma chuckled. "Well two impossible things happened today. Harry acknowledge Gil had a point and Beastie Jr. here stood up to Harry."
"My friend Ally says it's important to experience at least ten impossible things before breakfast otherwise your day is dull," Ben said.
"...It's lunchtime though," Gil told him.
"Then I guess we just need to find more impossible things to un-dull the day," Mal said "Gil, you want to join us for lunch? I'll make sure Harry doesn't glare at you too much."
"...If you're sure Mal," Gil said. He knew that his older brothers didn't care much for Mal or Uma, but he also knew his older sisters liked Mal and Uma and Harry. And even though he wanted to be big and strong like his papa, Gil also knew his sisters were smarter than his papa or brothers could ever be.
"If I wasn't sure I wouldn't have offered," Mal said. "Besides, Ben was right. If you hadn't pulled your papa's arm, Ben or I would have been really hurt. I don't turn people away who help me or my allies."
"Okay!" Gil grinned.
"...Do we have to keep him around?" Harry groaned.
"Be nice Harry," Uma shook her head. "He saved Mal, that's enough of a reason to bring him in. Besides...safety in numbers remember?"
"Fine..." Harry pouted. Bad enough papa wants me palling around with Fish for Brains as much as possible but now I gotta do it with Mal and Uma too? Why can't Beastie Jr. just take Fish for Brains and make his own gang?
But even Harry knew that there was no way that was remotely safe for Ben. Not on the Isle at least. And he was not going to be the reason why Mal was mad at him, thank you!