Here is the next chapter! It's posted early because in the next chapter, I make a reference to Avengers: Endgame. I am seeing the movie tomorrow with a friend and I'm getting really pumped about it. No spoilers! The reference is from the commercials, that's it. So if you are planning to see the movie, then you're safe. I made the same reference in my 75th completed story, but nobody commented on it. If anyone guesses correctly, then I will start posting three chapters. I will give you a four hour time limit, starting when the next chapter is added.
WARNING 1: Controversial topics are in this chapter and for the rest of this story. If you end up not liking this story anymore because of it, feel free to not read anymore chapters. I completely understand.
WARNING 2: Implies a rape that could have happened but did NOT. It will be mentioned in this chapter briefly, but slightly more in depth in the next two chapters. That's it. If you can't read the chapters because of it, PM me and I'll summarize what will happen.
The story is picking up now and I still can't tell you exactly how many more chapters are left. I had said six chapters ago that the story only had five chapters left. Obviously, I was wrong since this chapter was created. I'm going to guess six or seven more chapters after this one, but that can definitely change if I get any more ideas.
Anyways, be sure to leave a review on what you think about this dramatic chapter.
Enjoy!
For about an hour, Audrey spoke to her father about many things that involved either Gil, Uma, or Harry. She recalled the events of Uma and Harry finding out she and Gil were a couple, and then went into great detail about her sword training with Uma. She decided to quit her training for the time being for obvious reasons, but Philip had made her promise to spar with him later on the future, just to see skilled she truly was.
During one of her father's stories, Audrey found herself becoming groggy. She unconsciously laid down in her bed and ended up falling asleep in the matter of minutes.
A couple hours later, Audrey drowsily woke up because of her father—who was trying to sneak back into her room—and the sound of an expensive sports car accelerating down the road. She sat up slightly, placing a comforting hand on her stomach by instinct.
"What's going on?" She wondered, causing her father to jump. He hadn't expected her to be awake.
"It's nothing for you to worry about, Princess," Philip reassured, subtly locking the door again. "I just had to take a bastard out for a walk. Get some more rest. You'll miss it when your baby girl arrives."
And just like that Audrey dropped back down on the pillow, falling asleep instantly.
Audrey woke again at about six Sunday morning, silently cursing all those early walks she had with Gil during the summer. It had now become a routine waking up so early, a routine she really wished she could drop.
Sadly, the routine seemed to be hereditary. When Audrey rose from her bed, she noticed her father was once again absent from the spare makeshift bed that was placed in her room.
Groaning to herself, Audrey checked her phone for any new notifications before she sent a text to Gil, warning that she was up already. She didn't expect to get a text almost a minute later, saying that he was already awake to. Within five minutes—giving each other time to dress and for Gil to leave his room without waking Harry—they were on the phone with one another, summarizing everything that had happened while they were apart. Of course, Audrey did leave out Chad Charming so Gil wouldn't have an aneurysm.
After ending the phone call with the usual 'I love you and Alaura' and 'We love you too', Audrey headed downstairs to the kitchen where her father was cooking breakfast for her and himself. Funny, she figured the others would be up by now and the servants would be cooking for him.
"The servants are up at six-thirty while the other are up by seven," Philip answered the silent question. "As for that Chad Charming, let's just say he was the bastard I was referring to earlier."
Audrey nodded slowly, wondering even more what happened last night as she sat at the kitchen counter bar.
"I made chocolate chip pancakes." Philip placed a plate of the delicious food in front of Audrey. There were three light and fluffy pancakes stacked on top of one another with whipped-cream and chocolate syrup to decorate and garnish.
"You used to love it as a child," her father commented as Audrey began to chow down—she was starving from not having a proper supper the night before. "I figured it was the one thing you could eat without the smell making you nauseous. There's enough batter for probably ten more if you're still hungry, after I make the servants', of course. If you want, I can share the recipe with you."
"Definitely," Audrey agreed through a mouth full of food. Swallowing, she claimed, "I'll make it for you-know-who, whenever they're older."
Philip nodded in understanding. They could hear movement upstairs in the servants' rooms, so the two knew they were awake. It was best that Audrey kept her daughter anonymous, just in case any of them decided to eavesdrop. Audrey and Philip knew they wouldn't say anything to the other three, but better safe than sorry.
A few minutes passed before a maid came rushing down the stairs with her tablet in hand. "Princess Audrey," she called worriedly. "Have you seen this?"
Curious, Audrey peered at the screen with her father looking over their shoulder. Audrey couldn't help the small gasp from escaping her.
There was a tabloid about her and Gil posted on the Web, and by looks of it was sent to anyone that has a mobile device or an email. The main picture was of her and Gil in their embrace before she left for the drive. A smaller picture off to the side showed her and Gil kissing. The large caption read 'PRINCESS AUDREY DATING A VK?'
Audrey quickly swiped to the article where it basically summarized everything about how they got together, how she was using Uma as a cover, and how her 'mysterious' necklace was an anniversary. Really, there was no source. The only proof that any of it was possibly true was the two pictures from the day before. Everything else could easily be guessed. The only thing not mentioned in the article was the pregnancy.
Audrey groaned in annoyance. "Of course, the day we decide to go public, the paparazzi find out."
"You mean it's true?" The maid wondered quietly.
"Yes, and neither her grandparents nor mother know," Philip answered for her daughter, who was quickly texting her beloved about the news. "Would you mind keeping it secret for now? And make sure the other two don't say anything just yet?"
"Absolutely, Your Majesty!" The maid insisted. "We've told you before that we prefer serving you over your in-laws." She smiled kindly at Audrey. "And maybe one day we'll be serving your child, when you think the time is right to have one, of course."
Somehow, Audrey managed to hide her blush and Philip managed to hide his laugh long enough for the maid to go upstairs.
"If only she knew," Philip teased.
"And she probably will," Audrey agreed as she tried to will her blush away, "when the three find out."
-0-0-0-
Just a few minutes pass seven, Queen Leah walked into the kitchen with Stefan and Aurora slowly trudging behind as they talked quietly to one another. Leah scanned the dining area to only see Philip and Audrey eating together at the kitchen bar counter with the maid and butler doing dishes and the cook cooking.
"Where's Prince Chad Charming?" Leah interrogated the father-daughter duo forcefully. "I checked his room and all his belongings are gone."
"That's because he's not here," Philip barked back just as harshly as he picked at his food. "Probably almost back to his parents' castle by now."
"Why is that?"
Philip glared at his mother-in-law. "Because I said so," he snarled, even though it sounded like he was trying to hold his tongue. "In case you forgot Leah, this house belongs to me, not you. I bought this land and built this house long before Aurora came into my life. This house will be given to Audrey when I decide the time is right, which means no matter what you have no power over who gets to stay here."
The servants tried to hide their smirks at Leah's dumbfounded expression. Audrey had to take a sip of her drink to keep her smile from showing. It was about time that someone stood up to Leah. Maybe he was trying to show Audrey that it was possible . . .
Breakfast continued without any incident. The chef really had to do more than was necessary by cooking eggs, sausage, bacon, waffles, toast, etc. that Aurora requested—or more like her parents told her to request it. Most of the food went to waste because they weren't 'in the mood' for it anymore. Audrey swiped the bacon before it could be tossed, nibbling on it while she scrolled through her phone, trying to find the author of the article.
As the meal came to an end, the three finally went onto their mobile devices. Audrey silently waited for them to see the tabloid, knowing one of them would explode at any moment. Although she had been waiting for it, Audrey still jumped when her grandmother shouted her name.
"Audria!" Leah exclaimed obnoxiously loud. "What in the world is this. . . this garbage?"
Leah made a move to turn her screen, but Audrey pipped up in a small voice, "You don't have to show me. I've already seen it."
"It's a lie, isn't it Sweetie?" Aurora questioned in her usual ditsy voice. "They edited the picture to make our family look bad, right?"
Audrey rolled her eyes. "No, Mother," she denied exasperatedly. "It's true. Gil and I have been together for four months now and decided to go public yesterday. The paparazzi somehow found out and took the picture at the right time. Read the article if you don't believe me. They surprisingly guessed everything correctly."
Both appalled yet curious, the three of them turned to the article on their own devices. One person read it in shock. Another read it in disgust. The last read it in anger.
"Ridiculous!" Stefan spat. "That brainless son of Gaston—"
"Gil is not brainless!" Audrey defended her beloved. "During his time at Auradon Prep, Gil has become the top of his class, taking all advanced courses. He won many Tourney games because of the strategies he's come up with."
"But he certainly won't do!" Leah argued. "You are to end your relationship once you return to school. End of discussion."
Audrey clenched her jaw in defiance. "No." She bellowed. "I will not break up with him."
"And why not?" Stefan wondered.
"Because I'm pregnant with our daughter!" Audrey shouted without thinking.
Horrified gasps filled the air while the three servants stared at Audrey in surprise. The maid had only been joking before. She couldn't believe it was actually true.
"Unacceptable!" Stefan declared. "How could you do such a dishonorable thing to this family?"
"Because I love Gil!" Audrey announced, speaking slightly louder than the old king. "He asked me a thousand times if I was sure and I said yes! It was my choice to become pregnant with our daughter—"
"That's what I'm talking about!" Stefan interjected. "How could you have a girl be your heir? I thought that maybe, just maybe, my name and legacy would be passed down to my daughter's son, but she had you instead. Now you want a girl?! What about me?"
Audrey narrowed her eyes at the horrible man. "I will never name my child after you." She vowed. "Your 'legacy' of being a ruthless and tyrant king will never be passed down; not to me and certainly not to any of my children."
"You are seventeen, far too young to have a child of your own," Leah tried to argue. "Your mother waited until she was at least twenty before she had you." She shook her head in disappointment. "I'll set up an appointment for this afternoon."
"Appointment?" Philip repeated incredulously. "Appointment for what?"
"Appointment for an abortion." Leah straightened slightly. "You really think we are going to let Audria keep it? It will be a disgrace to this family."
"Her name is Alaura!" Audrey turned to her mother for support. "Mother, can't you reason with them?"
Aurora hesitated before shaking her head. "I'm so sorry Audria," she apologized not so sincerely. "Your grandparents are right. You should have asked before you started dating Gil and you should have asked before you became pregnant."
Audrey's expression hardened. "I don't need your permission on who I date and I certainly don't need your permission to have a child," she argued defiantly. "And there's no way in hell that I'm letting any of you kill my daughter!"
She stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room before any of them could argue with her.
Less than a minute later, Audrey was packing her bags when her father sneaked into her room. "Good," he commented. "You've already started. The chef is going to drive you back to Auradon Prep. I'm going to keep them distracted until you're gone. Call me as soon as you are with Gil and I'll tell you my plan."
He took Audrey's face in both of his hands so she'd stop packing to look at him. "I swear on my life that nothing will happen to your daughter," Philip promised. "They will never get their filthy hands on Alaura."
-0-0-0-
Six hours.
That's how long it took the chef to drive from the vacation home to Auradon Prep, meaning they arrived at around three. He drove like a madman since King Philip promised him a bonus pay and a paid vacation if he got Audrey to the school as soon as possible. Luckily, Audrey had fallen asleep in the back seat of the vehicle because of stress, otherwise she would have gotten car sick in the first five minutes.
After thanking the servant and grabbing her bag, Audrey rushed off to the boys' dormitory, knowing Gil would be in his room with the other VKs to finish any last minute homework they had. It was a routine that the seven came up with once the school year began so Jay and Harry wouldn't fail their senior year. Uma invited her a few times just to keep up the façade.
As soon as she arrived, Audrey tried opening the door. Locked. Shit!
Hoping they were still in there, she knocked rapidly three times. "I'll get it," she barely heard Uma say from the other side.
When the door open, Uma jumped and stared at the princess in surprise. "Audrey." She greeted. "Why are you—"
Not meaning to be rude, Audrey pushed passed the pirate captain and barged into the room, her emotions finally taking over her. "Gil!" She sobbed.
Gil stood from his spot at the desk and rushed forward to embrace his beloved. Audrey cried into his shoulder while he tried comforting her the best that he could. "What happened?" He muttered into her hair. "Why are you back so soon?"
Sobbing uncontrollably, Audrey pulled away to pull her phone from her pocket. Fumbling with it, she handed it to Gil. "Call my father," she mumbled between her hysterical sniffing. "He'll explain."
Curious and worried, Gil cautiously dialed Philip's number and put the phone on speaker for Uma and Harry to hear—only those two being in the room. "Sir?" Gil called. "What's going on? Audrey's here and she's in the middle of a crying fit."
Philip sighed on the other line. "Because of the article, her grandparents and mother found out about you two before she could tell them," he explained. "They wanted you two to break up, but Audrey said she wouldn't do it because she's pregnant with your daughter. The three of them threw a fit."
"But why is Audrey acting this way?" Uma questioned.
"Because Leah wanted her to get an abortion." Philip announced.
Harry and Uma gasped while Gil held his beloved closer to comfort her.
"Don't worry," Philip insisted. "I have a plan to make sure that doesn't happen."
Harry wondered, "Which is . . .?"
"I'm going to divorce Aurora," the king revealed. "Since Audrey is still a minor, it has to be decided who gets legal custody of her. If I win, then Aurora can't force Audrey to get the abortion."
"Is that the only way?" Uma interrogated. "I mean, are you sure you want to divorce your wife?"
"Absolutely," Philip confirmed. "I told Audrey yesterday that I was thinking about it, but the conversation I had with Aurora just a few hours ago affirmed my decision. It should take a week for everything to be official. Until then, Audrey has to stay hidden in a safe location so nobody can harm her, but it can wait until after she's had a doctor's appointment, to make sure the baby is healthy."
A perfect idea struck Gil. There was one place no one in Auradon would dare go. There, someone Gil trusted could protect Audrey while he was still in Auradon.
Gil smiled down at Audrey, who stared up at him in wonder. "Audrey, how would you like to meet my father in person?"
