I watch the new VKs as I choose my seat – they're so graceful, and agile. 'So, how is this gonna work? Are we gonna go one at a time or are you just gonna play 'em all at once?' asks Shiva as she glides over too her seat.

'However, you guys want it to go.' Replies Ben as he sets up the screen that their memories will be played on. He keeps tripping over the cords and unplugging stuff accidentally, so it's taking longer than expected.

'Hurry up.' I snap, getting up from my seat and walking over to him 'The people waiting are getting impatient.'

Then I remember myself -I've just snapped at a King! 'Sorry, Your Highness.' I take the cords out of his hands, plug them in and turn the screen on. 'Voila.'

He gapes 'What… how? But-'

I laugh 'It's the same system as our TV at home.'

The screen shows a rundown alley and a small child, it's impossible to tell the gender because of the grime and dirt.

'Who is that?' asks Queen Belle, looking toward the new VKs.

Polly tilts her head and looks at the screen 'Maybe, Sl-, no, that's where Rick and Ella used to live, so it must be one of them-' she mutters under her breath, then she stands up and moves closer to the screen. 'Ah! I know who it is!'

'So, who is it?' asks Belle, leaning forward.

Polly grins 'I'm not telling you!' And with that she turns and goes to her Rick's seat and sits on his lap.

They duck under a crate, scurry through a barrel and then wriggle through a hole in the wall. Once they're inside the hole, they feel around in the darkness for something, soon a lantern flickers on, illuminating the ragged condition of the house, if you could even call it that.

It's small and the child can't stand up, for fear of bumping its head. The main part of the room is taken by a pile of blankets and rags.

'What is that dump?' asks Chad loudly, grinning. One of his other boneheaded cronies then chimed in 'Yeah! It's full of trash, just like the Isle kids!'

Their parents seem to have gone suspiciously deaf, as they ignore all of the insults that their children are slinging at the VKs. Rick tries to ignore them, but he unknowingly tightens his grip on Polly's waist.

'Ow, Rick!' Polly shrieks back her mate.

Immediately, he removes his hands and starts apologizing profusely. 'Oh god. Polly, I'm so, so, so, sorry, please forgive me?' He looks up at her with pleading eyes, as she thinks it over. He ducks his head in shame 'I completely understand, if you won't forgive me, I deserve it.'

Polly shakes her head, as she cups his chin in her hands 'Of course, I forgive you Rick.'

Belle smiles, remembering the times that her husband had apologized to her for the most trivial of things - she has a feeling that these VKs' loves is stronger than any of the infatuation-like loves that the AKs so cherish.

It was part of why she'd fallen in love with him; he truly cared about what she felt, and if he hurt her, he wouldn't rest until he had made it up to her.

Meanwhile the memory unraveled onscreen. 'Papa, Ella, I'm home.' says the child pulling a hunk of cheese out of their shirt 'And I brought dinner!'

I feel sick, as I remember all the times that I'd complained about food, while these people shared a block of cheese between three people!

Once I focus back on the image from the past I see, the pile of rags starts to wriggle and out of it climbs another small child, this one is just as dirty but has a tiara perched on top of their head. It looks out of place atop the matted hair, but it still shines like the sun in the dim light that the lantern provides.

There's a chorus of awws, she's so cute.

'What did you bring Rick?' asks the other child, adjusting her tiara.

'I brought home almost a whole block of cheese! And it's only got one bite mark in it!' It's sad how excited the children are at the small block of cheese.

Belle turns to her husband 'We will be having words about this!'

'Where's Papa?' asks Rick looking at the pile of blankets.

'He's still asleep.' Replies Ella 'It's getting harder and harder to wake him up.'

Just then the blankets heave and out pops the head of Prince John. But this isn't the Prince John that King Richard knew, this Prince John is thin and gaunt, with no discernible fat on his bones at all.

'Oh, Brother.' Sighs King Richard 'What on earth happened to you?'

'Hello, Richard, are you back from the crusades already?' Prince John mumbles to the boy 'I thought you were taller, well, absence makes the heart grow fonder, maybe it also makes people taller.'

'No Papa, it's me, your son, King Richard's in Auradon.' Prince John's face darkens at the mention of his brother.

'Blast that King Beast! Leaving me here to rot! I was King of England! All I did was raise the taxes! I raised them because King Richard needed the money for his crusades! But does he get blamed for it?! No! He's a hero! And I'm left here to rot! -'

Robin looks at King Richard 'My Lord, is this true?'

'Yes.' He admits 'I asked John for more money, but I didn't realize that he had raised the taxes to get it.'

'But what about the money in the treasury?' asks Maid Marian.

'I was captured early in the crusade, most of the money from the treasury went toward the ransom.'

'What about the rest of the money?'

'I think John used it for our sister Isabelle's dowry.'

'So…' Ella butts in 'Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're saying that, the only reason my father was banished to the Isle, was because you went on a bloody crusade!?'

King Richard gulps, uncomfortable, everyone's looking at him 'Well… yes?'

'Ha!' she turns to King Adam, 'So, you put the wrong brother on the Isle!' She points an accusing finger at Richard, 'He's the criminal!'

Robin stands up 'Now, see here, King Richard is a good-'

'-King?' Ella laughs 'Would a good king leave his innocent brother on an island full of the worst villains in the land?'

'Well…' says Robin, caught off guard 'There were many different things going on at the time.'

'But what about after all the different things had cleared up? Why didn't he get Father off the Isle then? Huh?'

Slash, realizing that they are about to get kicked out, gestures to Burn, he nods and stands up.

'Ella, it's okay, it's okay.' He hugs her and pulls her against his chest.

'No, it's not Burn!' she cries, trying to get out. 'That man's the reason my father's dead!'

He rocks back and forth as he calms her down. Eventually she stops fighting him, and buries her face in his chest. Her whole body shakes with sobs.
Once her body has stopped shaking quite so violently, he scoops her up and takes her back to the chairs. She curls up in his lap, he wraps his arms around her, and the screen starts again.

Rick, sensing a full-blown rant coming on quickly breaks the cheese into three pieces and shares them out.

'No, no, Rick.' John pushes away the food 'You and Ella need it more than I do.' He breaks his already small piece into two even smaller pieces, and gives Ella and Rick each a piece.

'But Papa-' Rick protests

'No Rick.' Says John firmly 'I'm the adult and I say that you two need it more than I do.'

King Richard smiles, 'Well at least he finally learnt to take responsibility for his actions.' But it quickly turns into a frown.

'He can't say it to him in person anymore' I take a guess from his body language, but keep it to myself. My stomach turns at the thought; the other new coming VKs must have similar problems, and probably much more. It remains to be seen at remaining memories.