Chapter Forty Three
A/N: I do not own anything other than my OCs when they come out to play. Everything else is owned by either Disney or the Greek Myths.
So by popular vote it seems like the option to post the remaining chapters today is the winner. I'm going to space out the updates though to try to let you all read when you want :D
shm Guys I'm flattered that you all want Freddy to die but really…don't you want a sequel? The plot needs Freddy to survive in order for the sequel to happen. That being said…I do hate him too!
shortanamx: Oh thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!
AmethystDragon14: Oh yay! I know—good for them, and Hadie definitely counts as the fourth member in this case! And Estelle is the best pupper in the world Freddy! You wouldn't know a good dog if one bit you on the arm! And Chad's just being a good yet shocked big brother.
Guest: Oh thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
KyHughes: Thank you so much!
Katie2001: I'm so glad you liked it!
twilightgirl587: You are quite welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D
Urmimala Hazra: Hey I couldn't let Mal have all the fun :D And Estelle's just like any other creature, you swipe at them, they're going to swipe back.
Sorceress of Magic: lol hey the torture wasn't that bad. Freddy definitely deserved worse! I know what you mean! But hey, this does mean I get started on the sequel that much faster!
Hope you all enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think! :D
Chad grunted as he ratcheted the tire jack, trying desperately to get this tire changed for Audrey. Not because of any pressing need to impress her, but because getting the tire changed would make it possible for him to go back to his room and sleep. Changing a tire was exhausting business, especially when he was changing it by himself!
There'd be a Cotillion next year, he knew that. Besides, nothing really changed between Cotillions. Usually the most exciting thing was that someone would get drunk and fall off the yacht. To this day, Chad didn't know who it was who snuck in the alcohol.
What? It wasn't him! His dad would have killed him if he had made it easy for his kid sisters to get drunk!
"Can't you go any faster?" Audrey snapped. "We've been here for hours!"
"I'd like to point out that I've been working at this while you've been sitting in the limo listening to the radio!"
"Of course Chad! You can't expect me to get my dress dirty can you? Besides, how else will I know what I've missed at Cotillion?"
Chad shook his head and tried to bring his attention back to the tire. All he was thankful for was the fact that it was the tire on the opposite side of the gas exhaust. The job was difficult enough without breathing in those fumes.
Remind me to 'thank' Conner for tossing that bottle when I get a chance, Chad thought with a grimace as he reached for the lug wrench to start removing the lug nuts that attached the tire to the limo.
When he looked back at that moment, he would wonder why he didn't just take Audrey back to Auradon in his car and then call a service for her limo the next day. Well...hindsight is 2020 after all.
The sounds of screams from the radio drew his attention and Chad dropped the lug wrench to look over at Audrey.
"What's going on?" Chad asked.
"A VK's attacking Cotillion," Audrey told him with a sniff. "I guess Evie got bored and wanted to reprise her role as event ruiner. I wonder what villain she'll bring to Auradon this time."
I'm pretty sure Evie's a girl though and that doesn't really sound like a kid, Chad thought as an unfamiliar male voice sounded through the radio. Though, unless he was mistaken, Audrey's eyes widened slightly. Almost as if she'd heard that voice before.
"Fredrick...?" She whispered, and Chad tilted his head. Who the heck was Fredrick?
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"Is...is Ben seriously kicking someone out of Cotillion?" Chad muttered, all thoughts of changing the tire gone as he dedicated all his attention to the radio. "He never kicks anyone out. I mean, he didn't even kick Evie out of his coronation after she stole Fairy Godmother's wand."
Audrey hushed him and Chad rolled his eyes, until the sound of a sword being unsheathed caused him to freeze.
There were never any weapons at Cotillion. After all, teenagers with emotions already running high was dangerous enough. Add in weapons and it was a recipe for disaster—at least that's what Jane always told him the few times he asked about it.
"Freddy, don't even think about it! Your fight's with me!"
That was Mal's voice. But...she sounded different. Normally she sounded confident and sarcastic. Maybe every a little annoyed if she was talking to him or Evie. But at that moment she sounded...angry, and tense, and scared. Who was this Freddy guy to get that reaction from Mal?
"If I don't fight to protect my kingdom then who will?"
"I will."
Chad shook his head slightly. Akiho's going to be freaking out right now, he thought with a sigh. But at least it won't be a problem for long. Ben was one of the best swordsmen Chad knew after all—if this Freddy beat Ben, it would be because of some act of the Gods.
And really, with Mal being the daughter of two Gods, Olympus wasn't going to risk angering her by siding with the guy fighting her boyfriend. Oh yeah he knew Audrey insisted that Mal was lying and that Lady Persephone was merely Mal's step mother.
Chad didn't care. He knew the relationship his mother had with her step mother. If Mal had somehow lucked out and gotten a non-wicked step mother to the extent that she considered her her actual mother, more power to her.
"White moves first."
Out of the corner of his eye, Chad saw Audrey bite her lip and he had to wonder if she was worried about Phillip Jr. He knew the younger boy was attending Cotillion just like he knew that his sisters were there.
Oh Gods, get out of there Kat! Lucy! Alex!
The familiar sound of swords clashing sent chills down his spine and Chad had to remind himself that Ben had a sword. Everything would be alright. Plus the others on the team would be there. If Ben got into any trouble, they could rush this Freddy guy and get him down in seconds.
"And here I thought you'd be above such a move."
"All's fair in sparring, or at least that's what your little witch of a girlfriend likes to say according to the Isle grapevine."
"Hmm, he doesn't seem to be a fan of Mal," he heard Audrey mutter. "Finally, someone who's not in Mal's little fan club. I had begun to think she'd enchanted all of the school!"
Chad shook his head. Whenever Audrey started ranting, the safest thing was just sit there in silence and let her rant. Besides, he didn't want to miss a thing in terms of the sparring. If Ben got hurt...
"Ben, watch out!"
"What's going on?" Chad asked as the sound of screams filled the limo. For the first time, he wished that there was a screen on the radio so he could see Cotillion. Or even better, if he was there.
But his father had taught him that a Prince didn't leave a lady in need. And Audrey was one of his oldest friends, along with Ben.
"Ben!"
Chad's blood ran cold as he heard Mal's voice exclaim Ben's name, the pain and fear audible in her voice. What'd happened? He had heard a small thunk but that could have been anything. Did Freddy have Ben hostage? A sword at his throat? Had Ben been stabbed?
"Karma's a tricky mistress, don't you know?"
Mal's growl filled the limo and oddly enough filled Chad with a bit of hope. The growl was something familiar, after all she leveled one toward Audrey practically once a day.
"Akiho you might want to move!"
Uma's voice now filled the limo and Chad had to wonder why his teammate needed to move. Well that was until he heard a noise he hadn't heard since Ben's coronation.
Mal was a dragon.
Freddy, you're going to regret messing with Ben now, Chad thought with an inward smirk as he heard the sound of what he had to assume was Mal firing off a plume of fire.
"How dare she!" Audrey exclaimed over the gasp of the Cotillion goers. "This isn't how you handle confrontations, especially not as a Lady of the Court!"
"I really don't think she cares about that," Chad pointed out. "Especially considering the fact that something's happened to Ben."
Audrey sniffed. "Well maybe this will just open Ben's eyes to how bad Mal is for him and he'll realize how good we were together."
"Uh huh," Chad muttered, wishing he was back out on the road fighting with that tire. The tire would be quieter for sure. Plus the sooner he got that tire changed, the sooner he could go back to his dorm and just go to sleep. He found that sleep made the foggy feeling go away but the strange thing was it wasn't as strong as it normally was.
Oddly enough, while normally being around Audrey strengthened it, now it almost seemed to weaken the already weakened feeling.
Maybe it was worry for his sisters? Maybe it was just concern for Ben? Maybe he was hungry?
"Lumiere, unveil the gift!"
Ben's voice sounded through the speakers and Chad let out a sigh of relief. Ben would be okay. Though he had to wonder what the gift was that he'd gotten Mal.
"He never got me a gift when we went to Cotillion together," Audrey sniffed.
"Yeah well maybe he thought you wanted to just enjoy Cotillion," Chad offered. "Considering you planned the thing."
"...Ben, I love you."
Mal's voice prevented Audrey's response and Chad had to smile, knowing how long his friend and former captain had been waiting for those words. It was clear that they were words Mal meant. Audrey would say she loved Ben but even Chad had his doubts at times.
I mean, she did announce she was getting a new boyfriend in mere minutes after Ben publicly broke up with her.
"Mal, sometimes life will present you with something that, looking back, can only be credited to Fate. I know you disagree but I believe it. The decision to bring kids from the Isle to Auradon was the best decision I could have made because from the moment we got together, hell from the moment we met, you have been the best thing in my life. I never want that to change."
"Hmph, best thing in his life," Audrey sniffed. "Never mind the fact that we were together when he met her. Never mind how he humiliated me because she spelled—."
"Ben can't be spelled Audrey," Chad told her. Honestly he was getting a little tired of the repetitive rant and he'd been someone who was always willing to lend an ear to Audrey. "You were betrothed to the guy, how has that information not sunk in yet?"
"It's you and me Mal. It's you and me forever. Will you marry me? Will you be my Queen?"
"No!" Audrey exclaimed after staring at the radio for what felt like an eternity but was more likely a minute.
"Yes!" Mal's voice sounded through the limo and Chad had to smile slightly. Sure he wasn't exactly on team VK the way Emir and Akiho were but he was happy for Ben. Mal was good for him, or at least that's what his parents said. All the adults noticed it really, how there was a change to Ben now that he had stopped dating Audrey.
Speaking of who...
"What in the world is he thinking? Getting engaged to someone from the Isle? He's supposed to marry me! We have a contract after all!"
I'm just going to go ahead and get back to work on that tire, Chad thought as he slipped outside, Audrey's rant still going full speed.
"And really is she the best choice for Queen? I mean she attacked a guest at Cotillion for no good reason other than the fact that she didn't seem to like him. A Queen needs to be more diplomatic!"
"Well I mean, she is a Goddess," Chad pointed out, speaking up against his better judgement. No good reason? I'm almost certain that guy was going to kill Ben! You know, the boy you're obsessed with?! Forget about the fact that she's dating him, I'm pretty sure a threat to the King is a good reason for Mal to attack Freddy. "I think they can be excused in terms of momentary lapses of diplomacy when they choose."
Audrey sniffed. "She's barely a Goddess. After all, she's biologically a Fae."
"You know, if you keep saying that, Mal might call your bluff and talk to your mom about getting the deed to the kingdom of the Moors," Chad told her. "You know, the kingdom you like to go on and on about how it's your birthright?"
Audrey waved her hand as if she was waving off his statement. "Mal keeps claiming Maleficent isn't her mother, she wouldn't touch the Moors with a ten foot pole. But I still can't believe Ben did this to me!"
"Yes Audrey because Ben decided that what he was going to do in order to get back at you for some reason was get engaged to the girl he loved," Chad rolled his eyes as he focused his attention back on the tire.
"You could be a bit more supportive you know!"
"Why? We broke up remember and you're ranting about how the first guy who broke up with you didn't propose to you. You are aware of how insane that is right?"
"What?!"
Chad shook his head. Gods how am I the sane one in this conversation? I'm sure my sisters would have their jaws on the ground.
"Look Audrey, I'm not Mal's biggest fan but even I know that unless Ben broke up with Mal and got back with you, he's not going to propose to another girl while he's dating someone else," he told Audrey, dropping the pretense of fixing the tire.
"He would when he's betrothed—!"
"And the whole school knows he dropped that contract like a hot potato. Face it Audrey, you're not going to be Queen of Auradon. Now, are you going to help with this tire or are you just going to rant?"
That turned out to be a bad choice of words as Audrey only lengthened her rant. Chad sighed and tried to tune her out, focusing instead on getting the tire off so he could put the spare on and finally be able to leave.
"Chad, are you even listening to me? Gods, how long does it take to change a tire anyway? If you're going to be so useless, I should have called a service instead! You're probably the one who threw the bottle in the first place!"
Chad sighed and dropped the lug wrench, tossing Audrey the keys to his car. "There."
"What?"
"You want to get back to your dorm. Understandable. And since I'm clearly taking too long for your standards, no sense in leaving an alternative form of transportation just sitting there idle. Have your driver drive you back."
Audrey sniffed but stormed off, her driver giving Chad a sympathetic look.
"Are you going to be alright Prince Chad?"
"I'll be fine Pierre," Chad nodded. He had his phone and in all honesty he'd probably just call one of the Hood boys for a ride back if he couldn't fix that tire. But first...he was going to call his sister.
He knew Kitty and Lucy probably wouldn't pick up, but Alex had been the one to defend him in the conversation he had overheard all those weeks ago. He pulled out his phone and dialed her number as Audrey drove off.
"...Chad?" He heard his youngest sister's voice exclaim in shock.
"Hey Alex," Chad smiled as he leaned against Audrey's limo. "Are you alright? I heard about what happened at Cotillion."
"Yeah I'm fine. I was just about to call you. The guy who attacked Cotillion had your invitation and—."
"I'm fine Alex. I'm with Audrey. She had a flat tire in Sherwood Forest and she called me to see if I could come and fix it. I texted dad to let him know so he wouldn't worry but I thought he'd let you guys know."
"Why didn't you just call Bobby or Roland for help?"
"Aren't they the ones Kat and Lu danced with at Ben's coronation party?"
"Yeah Kitty and Lucy's boyfriends."
"I'm sorry, boyfriends?! Have I been living under a rock this whole time? Also did Ben really get engaged?"
"Yes you have been living under a rock and yes Ben really did get engaged. How is it you know all of this? Sherwood doesn't exactly have TVs hanging from the trees."
"Audrey has the radio on," Chad told her. "I'll let you go Alex, I just wanted to check and make sure you three were okay."
"Thanks Chad," Alexandria said and Chad could hear the smile in her voice. At least one of his sisters liked him. That was enough for him. "Get home safe okay? I want to tell you everything that happened!"
"I can't wait to hear it," Chad told her. "But it'll have to wait till the morning. Sherwood's six hours away from Auradon Prep after all."
"See you tomorrow then!"
"See you tomorrow," Chad chuckled and hung up his phone before turning back to the task at hand. First thing first, turn off the limo. He smirked slightly as he turned the key, cutting off the engine. At least this way he wouldn't have to worry about the car rolling off and potentially running him over while he was working on the tire. He made short work of the lug nuts but found himself hitting a bit of a conundrum with putting in the spare.
Gods I forgot. Putting the spare in is usually a two person effort.
"You need some help Charming?" A familiar voice rang out and Chad had to chuckle as he saw the brown hair of Roland Hood.
"What brings you boys out here?" Chad asked as Roland and Bobby walked out.
"Kitty called, said you were changing a tire out here," Roland told him. "She also told us that we'd need earplugs because a princess would be screaming her lungs off about King Ben's engagement but it's perfectly silent."
"I told Alex I was here with Audrey," Chad explained. "But I sent Audrey off in my car before I called. It's just easier to change the tire when she's not here."
"Didn't think you'd be the type to know how to change a tire," Bobby told him.
"My mom insisted I know how when I asked to get my license. Now can you two help me put this spare in so I can get home?"
The Hood brothers chuckled and the three boys quickly got to work getting the tire on the car. In all honesty, with the help, it took maybe five minutes to finish up.
"Thanks," Chad nodded.
"No problem," Roland told him. "I mean, you may be your typical 'Chad-ish' self but we wouldn't leave you in the middle of the woods alone.
"Oh and by the way," Bobby said, whacking Chad over the head. "That was from Robyn."
"Fitzherbert?"
"My sister!"
"I know too many 'Robins' then and what was that for?"
Bobby shook his head. "She heard about what you said when Lonnie tried out for R.O.A.R."
"Oh..."
"Yeah."
"What are you two doing here anyway? You guys go to Auradon Prep and I'd have thought you'd be at Cotillion."
Roland snorted. "As much as we like spending time with our girlfriends, a big fancy event with a bunch of royals vs spending time with our parents and sisters? Family wins every time."
"Well trust me I'm glad you guys skipped," Chad said. "I'd be waiting for six hours for a tow truck otherwise."
"Or you could just call a service closer to Sherwood," Bobby told him. "Honestly, why didn't Audrey do that?"
Chad shrugged. "You guys want a ride anywhere?"
Yeah, normally he'd do the whole 'big brother hating on his sisters' boyfriends' thing but they did just help him out with that tire.
"We're good Chad," Roland said with a small smile. "You get back to Auradon Prep safely now."
"Yeah, one royal getting laid up on Cotillion night is enough," Bobby nodded as Chad climbed into the driver's seat, ready to make his way back to the school. Hopefully Audrey would have calmed down enough so that they could actually have a conversation rather than her just ranting at him for hours on end.
Oh who was he kidding? After what happened tonight, he'd be lucky if she stopped ranting within the week. He'd start looking for a new girlfriend but Audrey had an iron clad grip on his love life. If she wasn't with Ben, then she was with him.
After all, if they got married then she'd be the Queen of two kingdoms as she liked to say.
"Ben, you don't know how lucky you are," he muttered as he drove off, turning on the radio and flipping it over to his favorite station so that he could have some good music to listen to rather than people speculating about who the villain was who attacked Cotillion.
Though Chad did have to wonder...how did Audrey know who he was? After all Audrey hated talking to Mal, Evie and Uma. Never mind Jay, Harry and Gil. She'd tolerate Hadie but that was probably because the kid was eleven.
Eh, I'll worry about it in the morning. For right now, let's get back and climb into the shower. Wipe off all the grime of the dirt road and then sleep for six months, he thought with a small smile as he made the drive back to Auradon Prep.