Family Maintenance

Author's Note

The seventh chapter of Family Maintenance. Audrey is annoying. Please enjoy!

P.S Some characters, specifically Akiho and Emir, are original (kind of) characters of Ginnyrules27. She is an incredible person and author who has allowed me to borrow them for the sake of humor in this story. Please check her out- she's wonderful and I adore her.

Leave reviews, please! :D

**This story was given to me by WanderlustandFreedom. The majority of the ideas/outline are HERS.**

Today was not Ben's day.

He had broken up with Audrey this morning and she had executed a meltdown that was comparable to one of Este's…

"What!?" she shrieked, stomping one of her pastel-heeled feet. Audrey stared at Ben, her tone incredulous, as she placed a hand on her hip. "You're breaking up with me?"

Ben could think of several sarcastic remarks to respond with, but he used none of them. "I am." he said instead and Audrey's shrill voice filled his ears again.

"But, Ben, we've been together for almost five years!" she exclaimed, pointing a manicured finger at him and waving it between the two of them. "I was going to be your queen!"

"Audrey, we only started dating because people expected us to," Ben said calmly, ignoring how Audrey had said queen rather than wife. "I will always care about you, just not to the extent that I did when we were dating."

"Ben! You cannot break up with me!"

"Audrey, let's be honest here. Did you really love me or did you only love the crown and the title that would come with being with me?"

Audrey stared at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish, as she tried to come up with a response. Ben sighed.

"There's your answer, Audrey. I'm sorry," Ben made to leave, but Audrey grabbed his arm and dug her nails into it. "I have a council meeting I have to go to."

"Wait! Are you spelled?" Audrey asked, her eyes fluttering up and down his frame. "Did she spell you? Of course she spelled you! You wouldn't be breaking up with me if she-"

"Don't blame Mal for this, Audrey."

"Since when did you defend her? Ben, she's the daughter of Maleficent! Maleficent! That evil fairy ruined my family and Mal is obviously following in her footsteps by trying to ruin me!"

"Mal has nothing to do with it," Ben repeated, shaking Audey off of his arm. "I'm going to be releasing a statement to the public, and you can as well, but don't blame anything on Este or Mal as they have absolutely nothing to do with this. I'm breaking up with you on my own, Audrey, simply because I just don't carry feelings towards you anymore."

"Ben!" she whined, stomping her foot again.

Ben ignored her and left, beelining towards the front of the school. Audrey huffed angrily, sticking her hand into her purse and pulling out her phone. She tapped onto her grandmother's contact and waited for her to pick up.

And now here was Ben, in the council meeting, and quite miserable as Queen Leah complained to him about his breaking up with her "beloved, poor, heartbroken Audrey."

"Queen Leah, we have a lot to discuss today so if you could-" Adam began, but Leah cut him off.

"Absolutely not! I want him to go back and apologize to Audrey and then get back together with her! I have trained Audrey to become queen and now-"

"Queen Leah, she will still be a queen once Aurora and Phillip step down." Elsa said with a sigh.

"Yes. And if Ben wasn't happy in the relationship, then he should have the right to get out of it. Not everyone is going to be together forever." Tiana agreed, patting the prince's shoulder as she was sitting the closest to him.

"They were betrothed!"

"Not exactly," Belle cut in, tired of hearing Leah berate her son. She glanced towards Ben, who was staring at the table, and sighed. "I denied Auroria's offer when the two of them turned five and then put out the statement that Ben would not be up for any betrothal contract that was presented to us. If Ben broke up with Audrey, then very well, he has no obligations to be in the relationship."

Leah huffed, glaring at Ben. "Audrey told me that you are being clouded by that girl, Maleficent's daughter, and her daughter. And who can blame her? Obviously that girl is a bad influence. I mean, who has a child at this age? Benjamin-"

"Queen Leah, for the last time, Mal and her daughter had absolutely nothing to do with my breaking up with Audrey," Ben said, his voice firm. "And we don't know what Este's background is and I'm certain Mal would be grateful if we respected their privacy."

"Leah, we can set up a meeting about this for another time," Adam said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "But speaking of background, the council has a request for you regarding the villain kids, Ben."

Ben straightened in his seat and stared at his father. Adam passed him a tan folder and Ben opened it, finding several blank forms.

"We ask that you make a database of the villain kids. Ask them these questions then we'll take it and upload them onto digital files. It'll help us keep them in check."

"What do you mean in check? They're not doing anything wrong."

"It's just to ensure that we know of their history," Prince Charming piped up. "It'll be beneficial-"

"But why must we know their history? I don't think they would appreciate us just butting in and asking them highly personal questions," Ben retorted. "They're simply trying to settle in."

"Ben, it's so that we can make sure we know exactly who they are and their intentions-"

"Dad, it seems to me that you are insuitating that you will be using these against the villain kids," Ben said. "There aren't any databases for Auradonians, other than educational and basic information. This is asking Jay if he has magic, if Mal is married? For Gods' sake, it's asking if Este has ever had a DNA test. She's three!"

Some of the royals stared sheepishly at the folder that Ben was holding. That was a good point- those questions were quite invasive.

"I'm not doing this," Ben decided, throwing the folder onto the table. Adam's gaze turned into a hardened glare. "There are more important things to discuss when it comes to the villain kids, other than trying to control them. Mal has informed me that there is barely any good food on the Isle and-"

"See, there! She's manipulating you so that you will give her more-"

"Queen Leah, if you continue to blame Mal for my breaking up with Audrey, my first act as king will be cutting off all connections with Auroria."

The council stared at Ben, some in shock and others in irritation, and Leah's mouth dropped open.

"You can't do that."

"I can and I will," Ben glanced at his father, who was fuming. "I don't want to be connected to a ruling family that puts the blame on innocent people whenever a slight inconvenience has disrupted them."

"You broke up with Audrey!" Leah shrieked, crossing her arms.

"Because I wanted to! I wasn't happy in the relationship," Ben stood up suddenly, the chair clattering to the floor, and he banged a fist against the table. "You know what? I'm done here."

"Benjamin!" Adam said furiously and Ben turned towards his father.

"I'm sorry, dad," he said. "But you're judging them too much. You barely even know them! I'm the only one who has made an effort to help them fit in. They're not doing anything wrong and you keep suggesting that they are."

Ben left before Adam could say anything more, shutting the door just in time as the council launched into a full-blown argument.

About what, he didn't know. He also didn't care. Irritated as he made his way out of the castle as quickly as he could, he pulled out his phone, making to call Akiho and Emir to see if they were up to meeting with him, but his eyes landed on Mal's contact instead.

He shouldn't have called her- she was probably busy with Este and her classes. He wasn't as close to her as he was with Akiho and Emir and she probably wouldn't want to listen to him rant about how annoying the entire council was, although it was just mainly Leah, his father, and Leah's stupid supporters.

But he did anyway.