Beth slowly awoke. She groaned as she covered her eyes. It was too bright. She couldn't handle it. There were some occasions, very few, where she liked the darkness. Where she welcomed it. For example: while she was sleeping. She tossed and turned for a few more minutes. She sighed as she gave up on the hope of getting anymore sleep.
"Princess Bethany, breakfast will be served shortly."
"Thank you," She mumbled before she could fully process their words. It was a reflex. As soon as the words of whoever it was that just informed her of breakfast finally sunk in, she bolted upright. No longer tired.
'Princess Bethany? Since when is that a thing?'
She looked around the room and panicked slightly. She didn't know where she was; she didn't see any of the red, black, or yellow of her bedroom back on the Isle, and she certainly didn't see any of the bright pinks and whites from her dorm room back at Auradon Prep. So where was she? Beth was surrounded by royal and light blues, golds and silvers. It was all very extravagant. That's when she started remembering. Everything rushed back to her, like a flood of memories in her brain.
"Are you sure this is okay with you guys?" Beth asked warily. She didn't want to be a burden to anyone. The last thing that she wanted was trouble.
"Of course, my darling Beth," Belle stated with a huge smile on her face.
"Yeah, we wouldn't have it any other way!" Adam added as he and his wife stood before their newfound daughter in her dorm room. Ally was out with Maddie and Chris. It was time for winter break, so Ally and Maddie would be heading back to Wonderland for a little while. They wouldn't see the slightly older, blond prince for quite some time.
"Besides, what better way to celebrate my sister's return than to have her stay with us at Castle Beast for winter vacation?" Ben asked as he leaned against one of the posts on her bed. Beth sighed in defeat as her mother cheered and quickly rushed to hug the brunette princess. "You'll be crowned Princess of Auradon in a month, a few months before Mal joins the court as my lady, so might as well get all the family time that we can get in right now."
Right, the Princess of Auradon. It was all too much in her opinion. She had turned down being queen because she knew that Ben would do a much better job ruling the kingdom. That's what he had been raised to do. He had been raised to rule. Besides, she hated being in the spotlight. She did her best to avoid it whenever possible.
"Speaking of Mal, if I'm going to be staying in the castle with you, then I have one condition," Beth said seriously as her mother released her. Ben frowned slightly, curious as to what his girlfriend had to do with any of this.
"What is it?" Belle asked, ready to give her daughter whatever she wanted.
Beth's lips curled into a smile. "If I'm going to be staying with you guys during winter break, then Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay also have to come stay with us. They can't exactly go back to their homes on the Isle. I don't know why they would want to, but they can't either way. And I don't want to be separated from them for our first Auradon Christmas. They have gotten me through a lot since we all became friends."
Ben's huge, goofy smile returned as his sister finished. Having Mal and their friends at the Castle would be amazing. He would be able to see the girl that he loved every day! Not that he didn't already. Well, actually he didn't see her every day anymore. He had been too busy being the King of Auradon. That sounds lame, but it's the truth. At least, with Mal at the Castle, his home and place of work, he could spend some more time with her.
Belle and Adam shared a look. They were thinking the same thing. It had only been a couple months since the arrival of the (ex) villainous children, but they had already found their way into the royal couple's hearts. They thought of Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos as the children they never had. Especially Mal. They knew that she would eventually be their daughter-in-law. They also knew that their children wouldn't be as happy if they didn't have their friends with them. Plus, Christmas wouldn't be the same if they didn't have their whole family with them, whether they were blood-related or not.
"I suppose that inviting the others to stay with us would be the best option," Adam finally stated, his eyes not leaving Belle's. He could see them sparkle. She was glad that, even though Adam hadn't really liked the idea of the proclamation in the first place, he had grown to care for the new kids as much as his own.
Beth jumped with glee as she quickly left to find the others. Halfway down the hall she paused, forgetting everything. She ran back to her room. She hugged her parents, gave both of them a kiss on their cheek, before ruffling Ben's hair as he let out a whine in protest. She grabbed his hand and her paint stained tote bag and fled from the room once more. Belle and Adam laughed as they watched the fleeting figures of their kids.
"How about those children of mine," Adam stated fondly as he and his beautiful wife made their way to the awaiting limo.
"Ours," Belle corrected as she playfully slapped Adam's arm.
"Ours," He repeated as he looked at her with loving eyes. "Thanks."
"For what?"
"For them."
Beth had forgotten for a brief moment that she had moved into Castle Beast. She could tell that her mother was really excited to have more 'kids' around the place. By the time she and the others had arrived, their rooms were already being decorated. A purple, green, and black one for Mal, with hints of blue and gold here and there. A red, yellow, and gold one for Jay. A black, white, and red one for Carlos. A dark blue, red, and black one for Evie. She smiled as her uneasiness washed away. She was finally where she belonged. She was finally home.
Beth slowly got out of bed and made it herself. She knew that she didn't have to, but she wanted to. She wasn't really used to the idea of being pampered. Plus, she didn't want to become a spoiled little princess, like some people that she knew.
She wasn't talking about Audrey, though. She and Audrey were actually quite good friends. Audrey had apologized to Beth, Evie, Mal, Jay, Carlos, and even Ben multiple times. Beth had told her that once was enough, but the princess was stubborn and refused to listen to her, which made them all laugh.
No, she was referring to Anxelin. She was the daughter of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, or Eugene (depends who's asking), and older sister (by 2 years) of Ruby. Ruby was actually quite nice. She was Jane's best friend, and therefore, a friend of the whole group. Anxelin was also Chris's ex-girlfriend. She didn't like the idea of Chris dumping her and dating a VK. Even though, technically, Beth wasn't a villain's kid anymore, and she had saved all of Auradon from an angry, fire-breathing dragon. Anxelin seemed to ignore all of that. She made a point to remind Beth every day that she would never be as popular or pretty as her. Not to mention that she was the best friend of Raven Starling – the girl who had harassed, and continued to harass, Beth. It didn't help that both of them, including some of their friends, were now a part of the cheer squad that Beth was still the captain of.
No, Beth really didn't care all that much. She didn't want to be anything like Anxelin. She was always fawning over Chris. Not so subtly hitting on him. Beth could never figure out why she did it, because she had a new boyfriend: Chad Charming, the younger brother of Chris. After Audrey had broken up with Chad, because he was still bullying Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, and Beth, he ran straight to Anxelin. Mainly because she was popular, pretty, and she shared the same opinion as he did: That VKs were evil and didn't deserve to breathe the same air as them and they should be sent back to the Isle. Although, they seemed to target Mal and Beth the most.
Beth pushed the snobby couple to the back of her mind as she finished getting ready. She didn't want the thought of them to spoil the rest of her day. She put on light blue jeans, a white tank top, a long sleeved blue plaid shirt, white high tops, and the scarf Chris had given her, and the pocket watch from Whinny. After she had to destroy her locket at the Ben's coronation, the pocket watch had replaced its spot around her neck. Thanks to her grandfather, Maurice, she was able to replace the battery, get it working again, and attach a chain to it so she could wear it as a necklace. She didn't care what stories Gaston told back on the Isle, Maurice was not crazy. Old… yes, crazy… no. She also never went anywhere without her scarf. She truly loved it, and Chris.
Beth headed down to the dining room with a smile on her face. She couldn't be happier. As she entered the room, she was met with the sight of her parents sitting at the heads of the table.
"Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad," Beth greeted as she gave each a small kiss on the forehead.
"Good morning, dear. How are you?" Belle asked her daughter as she took a seat in between her and her husband.
"I'm great," Beth answered as Belle shared a smile with Adam.
"We have something for you, Beth," Adam announced as he pulled out a royal blue envelope with gold lettering.
"Really?" Beth questioned as she stared curiously at the envelope. Adam handed it over to the teen. She inspected it thoroughly. On the front, her name was written out in fancy lettering: Bethany Rose Adamson.
She slowly opened it, not really knowing what to expect. There was a card inside. It was gold and glittery. Beth glanced at her parents. They had huge smiles on their faces. She slowly opened the card. Her eyes widened. It read:
Happy 18th birthday to our baby girl!
Beth was wrong. She could be happier. And now she was. (Even though 18th birthday and baby girl was a major contradiction.)
"Are you serious?!" She squealed as Adam let out a soft chuckle.
"Yes, we're serious," He replied as he felt her arms wrapping around his neck.
"We have a whole ball planned and everything!" Belle announced with just as much enthusiasm.
"You guys didn't have to do that. Thank you," Beth thanked as she hugged her mother.
"Thanks for what?" Mal asked as she walked in, her arm linked with Evie's.
"Mom and Dad are throwing a ball in my honor!" Beth explained as she handed the card over to the two girls. Evie squealed in delight as Mal covered her ears.
"Two balls and a coronation in less than one month! Oh, you have to let me design the dresses! Please!" Evie begged as Mal rolled her eyes, a small smile graced her lips.
"Of course, Evie," Beth and Mal said in unison. Evie let out a louder squeal, if that was even possible. This time, everyone covered their ears as they laughed. Evie's smile was contagious.
"Can we talk about this later? I'm hungry!" Mal pouted as everyone chuckled.
"We have to wait for the boys, I'm afraid," Adam informed as Mal's pout turned to a frown.
"We're going to be waiting for forever!" She threw her hands up dramatically before falling into the chair in between Belle and Beth.
"And they say I'm a drama queen," Evie muttered as she sat down on Beth's other side with more grace than Mal. The purple haired teen sent Evie a playful glare as Evie laughed. Causing Mal to smile while everyone laughed yet again.
"What's so funny?" Carlos asked as he and Jay walked in. Carlos was holding Dude in his arms. He sat down next to Belle as he placed Dude on the floor. Dude immediately ran over to the corner nearest to the door that led into the kitchen. There were two bowls set up. One full of food, the other was full of water.
Jay took his place next to Adam. He had grown close to Adam because of their shared love of sports. Carlos had grown closer to Belle and Maurice because of his passion for inventing.
"Nothing you need to worry your little heads about," Evie said in that sweet tone of hers. The tone that would make any boy on the Isle swoon.
"Where's Ben?" Beth asked noticing the absence of her younger brother. He hadn't entered with the other boys.
"He wasn't in his room," Carlos explained as he kept his eyes trained on Dude. If you had told him a few months ago that he would have and love a dog in Auradon, he would have let out a yelp, at the mention of dogs, and then laughed in your face. But, here he was now. The son of Cruella de Vil loved a dog.
"He must have fallen asleep while working again," Jay added as Mal and Beth shared a look.
"We'll go get him," Mal sighed as she and Beth stood from the table. They walked down a few hallways, up a few flights of stairs, and down some more hallways before they arrived at the door to Ben's study.
Beth loved the castle. She really did. But, she only had one complaint about Castle Beast. It was too big! She needed a map if she wanted to go somewhere without getting lost.
Mal gently knocked on the door. "Ben, you in there?" There was no answer. She knocked again, a little louder this time. "Ben? We're coming in, okay?" Mal slowly opened the door. They silently stepped inside. His study was dim, there was hardly any light in the room. The only light source was a small, nearly burnt out, candle on Ben's desk. The blinds were closed and the curtains were drawn. Beth saw Ben sitting behind his desk. He was fast asleep, his head on a stack of papers. She slowly made her way to the sleeping Ben as Mal quietly closed the door.
"Ben?" Beth asked her brother as she gently shook him. He snored a little bit as Mal and Beth shared a giggle. "Ben, come on! You need to wake up!"
Mal rolled her eyes at her boyfriend as he shooed his sister away in his sleep. "Five… five more… minutes."
"I've had enough of this," Mal proclaimed as she combed his bookshelf. She removed a particularly large book and dropped it on the floor. Ben shot up immediately as the book made contact with the floor with a loud BANG! The papers he had been laying on went flying off of his desk and landed around his feet. He looked around frantically before his eyes landed on the book that was still on the floor. He frowned slightly as he glanced up to see Mal with her hands on her hips.
"Mal," Ben whined. "Why did you do that?" Beth tried to stifle a laugh.
"Because, Ben, you are impossible to wake up!" Ben stood. He walked over to Mal, but she took a step back. "Oh no! Not until you get cleaned up."
He pouted, "But Mal!"
"No buts. Now go," Mal said sternly as she pointed to the door. Ben sighed, he knew when he was beat, as he trudged out the door and towards his room. Beth finally let out the giggles that she had been holding in. Mal looked at her, a small smile forming on her lips. "He's a handful."
"So are you!" Beth countered in between laughs. She was happy for her brother and her best friend. They were so different, yet they were perfect for each other.
Mal's smile grew. "You're right."
Beth held out her hand as she finally stopped laughing. Mal took it and they headed back down to the dining room where their friends and family were waiting. Huge smiles were present on both of their faces.
They entered the dining room once again. The others were engrossed in their own little conversations.
"So, you're officially going to be the Princess of Auradon soon. You excited?" Mal asked quietly as they sat down.
"More like nervous beyond belief," Beth revealed as she wrung a napkin in her hands.
Mal's smile dimmed slightly as it turned into a sad one. "I know how you feel. Cotillion is forever away, but I'm still a nervous wreck." Mal sighed. "Curse Auradon and Ben for making me weak. Ben especially."
"Hey," Beth said gently as she reached for Mal's hand. "Goodness and happiness do not make you weak. I think we proved that to everyone when we beat Maleficent at the coronation."
"You're right. We are awesome," Mal joked as Ben finally walked through the large doorway.
"Ah, the King is alive!" Jay proclaimed in a dramatic voice as Ben took his seat in front of Beth.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ben huffed as the staff started to serve breakfast.
"It's about time! I was starving!" Mal exclaimed under her breath as she shared a giggle with Beth, Belle, Evie, and Adam. The boys looked on with confused expressions.
"What's so funny?" Carlos asked again.
"Nothing you need to worry your little heads about," Evie repeated as they all laughed a little harder. The boys continued to look on with confused faces.
"No, seriously. What's so funny?" Ben question as Mal stopped laughing.
"Maybe, if you had been down when you were supposed to be, you would know," She teased as Ben smiled lovingly towards his girlfriend. He really did feel like the luckiest guy in the world. How did he end up with such a beautiful and spunky girlfriend?
That's how they spent the rest of their breakfast: eating and laughing. Beth couldn't have asked for a better family. But, there was still a few people that she had to see.
"Bethany!" Maddie squealed as she saw the brunette princess walking down the halls of Auradon Prep. "You're just in time for tea!"
"Tea?" Beth questioned as Maddie grabbed her hand and dragged her into the room.
"Beth!" Ally exclaimed as she jumped up off of her bed. "I didn't think I was going to see you before we left." Beth gave her friend and roommate a hug.
"I wouldn't have allowed that to happen," Beth stated simply. "I'm really going to miss you two."
"Don't worry! We'll be back for your birthday ball," Maddie proclaimed before taking a long sip from her tea cup.
"How did you find out about that?" Beth asked as she took the offered cup from Ally. She herself had only been told that morning.
"We have our ways," Maddie giggled mysteriously.
"Evie may or may not have texted us," Ally added.
"Well, I can't wait to see you both there! I'm just bummed that we can't spend this winter break together. You guys are two of my best friends! Are you going to be back for the Winter Ball? How about my coronation?"
"Don't worry, it won't be that long. We'll see each other again. We'll be back for every event," Ally comforted as Beth took a sip of tea. She smiled, it was just how she liked it.
"You guys remembered."
"Of course! I never forget a cup of tea!" Maddie exclaimed as the three teen girls shared a laugh. Beth can't remember a time when she laughed so much in her life. Actually, Beth never laughed after what happened with the King of Hearts and Whinny.
"Happy 18th, Beth," Ally celebrated as she handed the princess a blue box with a white ribbon on it. Maddie handed her a gift as well. It was purple with blue polka dots and ribbon.
"You guys didn't have to do this," Beth said uneasily. She wasn't used to receiving such nice gifts. Especially from people who cared so much about her.
"Of course we did!" Ally proclaimed. "You are our best friend, so we must spoil you on your birthday!"
Beth sighed as she started opening Ally's gift. She removed all of the yellow tissue paper. She removed a silver picture frame with a picture of her, Ally, and Maddie at their favorite coffee shop. They all had cream mustaches and huge, goofy grins.
"Ally, I love it. Thank you." Beth hugged her friend as she placed the picture in her bag. She knew exactly where in her room she wanted to place it.
"Ooh! Now open mine!"
Beth giggled as she opened Maddie's box, only to find an excessive amount of bubble wrap. She unwrapped layer after layer until she reached the gift that laid at the bottom. It was a tea cup and a saucer. A beautiful tea cup. It was a lovely shade of royal blue. There were delicate gold roses painted around the cup. The saucer was just as nice. It was a lighter shade of blue with silver butterflies.
"Oh, Maddie! It's gorgeous!" Beth declared as she inspected every inch of the cup. Maddie perked up.
"Thanks! I made it myself!"
"You made it?" Beth inquired. She couldn't believe it. It looked so professional. Then again, no one knew more about tea than Maddie and her father. "I'm very impressed." Maddie giggled.
"You can use it the next time we have a tea party! Or, you know, just whenever!"
"Anyway," Ally interjected, changing the subject. "We can't take up all of your time. You need time to get ready!"
"Get ready?" Beth repeated. Her lips turned downward in confusion. "What am I getting ready for?" She didn't have anything planned for the rest of today. At least, she didn't remember having any plans for the rest of the day. She was just going to go home after this and hang out with her friends and family.
Ally and Maddie shared a small, knowing, giggle. "You'll see," They replied in unison.
Beth looked between her two friends, clearly confused. Ally finally stood and headed over to Beth's closet. She dug through it, trying to find something appropriate for Beth to wear to… whatever they had planned. After a few minutes of searching, Ally returned with a yellow sundress and white cropped sweater in one hand. It had a sweetheart neckline and a bow around the waist. In the other hand, she had a pair of silver wedges and tan leggings.
"Go and change," Ally instructed as she handed the articles of clothing over to the princess. Beth followed the orders, taking the garments from the blonde and heading into the bathroom. When she came out, Ally and Maddie were waiting for her by the vanity. "Sit." Ally pointed to the chair in front of her. Beth once again obeyed. Maddie started doing her hair as Ally started doing her makeup.
"Ooh! You look so much like your mother!" Ally cooed as she finished applying a dark pink lip gloss.
"Voila!" Maddie exclaimed as she finished the last section of hair. She turned Beth's chair around so she was now facing the mirror.
"Wow," She breathed. Half of her long brown hair was up in a bun, the other half was cascading down her back in beautiful ringlets. Her makeup was soft, and pretty neutral, but her eyes sparkled just a little bit more. "Can you tell me what this is all about now?"
Ally opened her mouth to argue with the princess again when a knock was heard at the door. "Just in time." She smiled as she went to go answer it, Beth right behind her. Chris was standing on the other side with a large bouquet of all of her favorite flowers: alliums, begonias, roses, amaryllises, orchids, and camellias. He was wearing khaki pants and a light blue polo shirt.
"So this is my surprise?" Beth asked with fake disappointment as she took the offered flowers. She placed them in the vase that she always kept on hand, for moments exactly like this one. "Can't you at least make him cuter?!" She put on a pout as Chris smiled.
"It' nice to see you too, my love. You look gorgeous. As always." Beth smiled as she hugged her boyfriend.
"So what do you have planned for us today, Charming?"
"You'll have to wait and see."
Beth's smile grew. She had grown to really love surprises. Especially the ones from Chris. She grabbed a small purse, tied her scarf onto the strap and headed out into the hallway where Chris was waiting. She said her goodbyes to her friends before Chris led her away.
"What's with all the secrecy, Charming?" Beth asked. She had taken to calling him Charming. It was just a fun little nickname between the two.
"Well, my love, it's your 18th birthday today, so I had to make it special." He led his girlfriend towards the back of the school, where the woods were.
"What's over there?" Beth asked warily as the woods grew closer with every step.
"Nothing that will hurt you, I promise."
"I'm holding you to that." Beth playfully punched the blond prince's arm as he smiled down at her. He knew for a fact that she was going to like what he had planned. After a few minutes of walking, Chris stopped. Beth gave him a weird look as he untied the scarf from her bag and handed it to her.
"Blindfold?" She sighed.
"Blindfold," He confirmed as she tied the scarf over her eyes, careful not to mess up her makeup. He gently grabbed her hands and led her the rest of the way. She only tripped once, but Chris was able to catch her before she fell.
"I'm so glad that my Prince Charming was here to save me!" Beth joked as she dramatically fanned herself, causing Chris to chuckle. She always knew the best ways to make him laugh.
The pair finally stopped.
"Okay, you can look now," Chris instructed as Beth removed the scarf from over her eyes. She gasped at her surroundings. They were in a meadow of some sort. There was a small waterfall and lake off to the side. There were flowers everywhere you looked. There was a large tree off to the side that had a bench underneath it. Next to it, there was a small picnic that had been set up.
"It's beautiful. Almost as nice as your parents' secret garden," Beth admired as she took it the sight. Chris smiled.
"I figured since Castle Charming is a little far away, that we should have our own place here at school. At least until we graduate."
Right, their graduation was this year. How could she have forgotten?
"Well, graduation won't change anything. It just means we won't see each other as much. That's all," Beth reassured her boyfriend as she took his hand in hers. "Now, why don't you give me the grand tour?" The couple spent the next few minutes walking around while Chris explained how he stumbled upon the meadow.
"I knew this place would be perfect for us," Chris concluded as they sat down on the picnic blanket. Chris looked down sheepishly.
"What is it, Charming?" Beth asked. It wasn't like her boyfriend to be nervous.
"It's nothing. I just have something for you," Chris pulled a small blue velvet box out of his pocket. Beth held her breath.
'He can't be… Can he?'
"Don't worry. It's not what you're thinking," Chris quickly spoke as Beth let out her breath. It's not that she didn't want to marry Chris. She just felt that she was too young to be thinking about marriage. Besides, they had only been dating for a few weeks now.
"I know how much you loved your locket, so I asked Maurice to help me and… Well, here you go." He handed the small box to Beth. She nervously accepted the gift as she opened it. It was a ring, yes, but not an engagement ring. The band was made from the same type of metal as her pocket watch, so they matched. The stone was made out of some of the shards from the locket that she had been given years ago. It was very sweet and thoughtful of him to do this for her.
"Thanks Chris. I really love it," She thanked as she slipped the ring on her finger. "But, I didn't get you anything."
Chris smiled his famous smile. "You don't have to get me anything. The only thing I need from you is your presence. Besides, it's your birthday."
Beth giggled. "You are such a nerd." She playfully punched his arm.
They spent the rest of the afternoon talking, eating, and just enjoying each other's company. They knew that moments like this would become rare in the future. So, they cherished their time together.