Chapter 2 – Studying the Moors

-:-:-

"Ah," a voice said not far from the couch Chad had parked himself on. "You weren't joking about the library."

"How could I ever joke about a library?" Chad asked, aiming a smile up at Carlos, who had stumbled upon his humble nook and Chad's not-so-small stack of novels. "There's so many things to learn. I felt that way back in Auradon, but here there's even more stuff to be amazed by, and they have basic magic primers just sitting out for anyone to read. I'm learning about the basics of magic." Chad offered him a wide grin. "Like, I don't think I would ever be able to apply any of this stuff, but it's still cool to learn how some of our magic users back home work their mojo."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Carlos offered, quirking a brow at him. "There are many types of magic that rely on the magic of the components rather than the user. At least, in Enchancia there are. I've um…" He glanced around quickly as though checking to see if anyone else was around before he dropped his voice to a conspiratorial level. "I've been researching that stuff myself. I want to discover the Enchancian kingdoms' various applications of component magic to make the world a better place. Like, Hanover – that's my kingdom – they're known for transfiguration matrixes and potions. Erebor has dwarven runes and Atlantica has contracts and Tangu uses seals and the Moors uses plants – there's a lot of options, is my point, and I want to learn about all of them."

"Is that why you're here?" Chad asked, grinning at Carlos' enthusiasm. "My dude, that is awesome. Combining magic could make even better magic."

"Or end in a catastrophe," Carlos sighed, but he was still smiling, seeming buoyed by Chad's response. "That's why I'm going very slowly, and very carefully."

"A responsible inventor is the best kind," Chad allowed, making Carlos blush for some reason. "Well, go ahead and grab yourself some books, there's plenty of couch for both of us."

Carlos grinned at him and set off to do just that, leading to a very pleasant morning of information collection, Chad pausing every once and a while to listen to Carlos' excited rambles, which he didn't necessarily understand, but always encouraged him through.

"I think I want to work in government," Carlos explained as they packed up their things to go to lunch, Chad sure to have his trusty satchel filled with various projects and emergency supplies always at his side. "That might be because of Evie though – she's the one who made my clothes," he explained. "She's definitely going to be a leading force in the Hanover government, so maybe I just want to help her but- I don't know, I like the idea of working with social relief programs. Like stuff to help orphans and underprivileged youth."

"I think that's a great idea," Chad offered. "And a very fulfilling life path. How are you going to incorporate your magic studies into that?"

"It's tricky," Carlos admitted. "There's a balance to what you can give and take – that's why we have such strict laws here in Enchancian in regards to magic application. Too much and you upset the natural order of things."

"Oh." Chad blinked. "I didn't know that."

"From what I understand, Auradon doesn't have that many magic users, so it probably isn't a problem," Carlos offered. "But here, there are a ton of magic users, so we have to be careful not to be too flippant with our magic usage. That's why certain magics are forbidden – they take too big a toll on the world."

"Wow," Chad said. He was learning so much.

"And there's always a question of ethics," Carlos continued. "I would like to invent a sort of scanning spell that could be run once a month to detect when a minor is endangered, but that prompts the issue of privacy violations versus moral obligations and testing it alone would be-" He let out a sigh. "I wanna do it, though."

"I think it's a good idea," Chad offered quietly, swallowing down a small pain in his chest.

If a spell like that had existed in Sardinia, he could have been helped out that much sooner. He could have been rescued from his grandfather's clutches, but what could have happened was behind him now. There was no point in dwelling on it. They may as well focus on the future.

"You should do it," Chad continued, managing an encouraging smile. "Queen Snow and her Hanoven council could take care of the moral applications, but I think you could help a lot of people with that, and the ethic problem devolves from how a system like that could be misused, and I don't think something like that could be."

If a child was hurting, they were hurting, and it was as simple as that. There was no good reason they could be hurting. Though perhaps Carlos would have to learn how to make the spell differentiate between minor accidents and actual abuse, maybe have a scan that correlated with filed paperwork to see if they'd reached out to a hospital, but then again, people could learn to cheat the system by filing false paperwork – there was always something, but Chad was sure the overall result would do more good than harm.

"Thanks, Chad," Carlos said, ducking his head shyly. "Thank you for um- listening. And for your advice."

"It's my pleasure for both," Chad replied honestly. "I'm honored to meet someone as ambitious as you."

And while he was only being entirely honest, the words seemed to make the other teen flush again, but when they parted ways it was with a smile, so Chad must have done something right.

-:-:-

"You want what?" one of the castle workers asked – one of the human ones, because Chad hadn't been comfortable yet to talk to any of the Dark Fae or other races that inhabited Moors Castle, too afraid he might stare at their awesome wings and hair like a proper schmuck.

"I was wondering if maybe I could talk to one of the chefs?" Chad hazarded once more, wondering if he should call this entire thing a wash. "I read through some of the recipe books in the library, but I'm not familiar with all the cooking terms." He was pretty sure some of them might be specific to Enchancia, or maybe just the Moors in specific. He wasn't sure. "I understand if they're too busy for such a thing. I'll try looking for a dictionary, or something, I'm sorry for bothering you-"

The worker – who as far as Chad could tell was one of the lower-tier kitchen assistants based on her outfit – cut him off with a wave of her hand. "You want to learn about our foods?"

"If it's not too much trouble," Chad tried. "I like cooking."

Food had been sort of a hit or miss thing for him before. He hadn't really been allowed in the kitchens because he had to maintain a strict (or rather, abusive) diet, and such pastimes were for women anyway (so said his grandfather), so Chad had never been given the chance to explore the pursuit his mother had been so good at. He'd managed to hold onto one of her recipe books over the years, and after the whole thing with his grandfather had come to light, he and his father had slowly been working their way through it, like a sort of bonding experience.

Chad had been looking for recipes on delicacies from the Moors to take back to his father to maybe maintain that tradition because he'd liked it a lot. He liked making something with his father and he liked eating it with him because he wasn't alone and maybe he also liked being praised for his work as he did so. Just- it was nice.

The castle worker looked at him for a moment, then motioned for him to follow her.

"Come," she ordered, her tone brisk and to-the-point. "I can offer you better than an interview."

She pulled him through the dizzying chaos of the large kitchens of Moors Castle, and even though lunch had just ended, everything seemed to be in full swing in preparation for dinner that evening – humans and Dark Fae and fairies alike all working together to make what seemed to be a vast array of desserts.

"Flittle!" a Dark Fae called out to the worker leading Chad to what seemed to be some kind of back chef's station. "What are you doing? The guests are supposed to stay out there!"

"This one isn't a prince!" Flittle replied, which while inaccurate, seemed to relieve the rest of the workers in the nearby vicinity. Chad made the mental addendum that he wasn't a prince that mattered to them and decided to leave things at that, since it made them feel better. "He's a tagalong."

"Oh, is he the little bookworm from the library?" a fairy called without pulling her gaze from the dough she was creating in a giant batch mixer. "My sister said he's been there all morning with that little De Ville kid. Cute souls, they are, all happy with their books."

"It isn't just books this one's interested in," Flittle said, seeming a little proud. "He wanted to learn some of our recipes to take back with him to Auradon."

That seemed to gain the interest of the chefs immediately closest to them, enough so that all of them paused their work to give Chad a surprised look before wide smiles split across their faces.

"What are you waiting for?" the fairy said, grinning with delight. "Get an apron! We have work to do!"

"Only if you don't mind," Chad said, slightly overwhelmed at how quickly things had escalated, but mostly feeling warm at the way they welcomed him in, like he wasn't an intruder. Like he was wanted.

"Believe me," Flittle huffed. "By the time we're done with you, you're the one who'll be minding, now come on," she said, ushering him off towards a station where he could stow his bag and wash up, his newly-discovered teacher grabbing an apron for his usage and seeming pleased as punch to have acquired a shadow.

It was an exciting way to spend his first afternoon, so Chad gladly threw himself into it, pleased with the anonymity being a random guest provided him. For once, he could indulge in not being Prince Chadwick for a bit and just be Chad, the guy who was eager to expand his cultural horizons.

Yeah, that sounded nice.

-:-:-

Chad spent the next few hours learning to create a variety of pastries from a variety of individuals – Dark Fae, pixies, humans, and nymphs, all of them happy to get him up-to-date on what each of their stations did. He made batters and doughs, custards and mouses and ganaches, he learned about new fruits specific to the Moors and the foods that each species preferred and how they chose to eat them. Not everyone did three meals a day, though that was a default towards the humans of the castle.

Pixies, it turned out, only needed one big meal per day, though they could spice things up with the occasional snack. Dark Faes generally had four meals to help replenish the energy they used while flying, and nymphs were by and large vegetarians, which meant there was always a large variety of non-meat options at each meal hosted by the royal kitchens.

Eventually, Chad had to be dragged away by Flittle herself when it got closer to dinner time, Chad happily learning new and better ways to prep vegetables as he helped some of the assistants cut and peel bulk quantities of veggies for the evening meal.

"That's enough for today," Flittle said, urging him back towards the storage area where his satchel was waiting. "If you stay any longer they'll think you work here, and then you'll never get to leave," she joked with a wink. "Come back early tomorrow and we'll teach you how to make a few breakfast dishes, alright?"

"I- okay," Chad said, grinning with relief. "Thank you so much for your help, Chef Flittle. This is more than I ever could have hoped for."

"Please," Flittle began with a roll of her ears. "It is a delight to share our ways with an eager audience, now go – take a break and enjoy your dinner, and remember-"

"Savor the spices," Chad said, repeating the mantra that had been given to him over the course of the past couple of hours. "I will, I promise."

"You are a dedicated student, Chad," Flittle declared, giving his curls a fond ruffle. "I do not doubt that you will remember our ways."

With that they parted, and Chad rushed back up to the guest quarters so he could write the events of the afternoon down. Maybe he'd get a brief nap in before dinner, but either way, this trip was already going far better than he'd expected.

-:-:-

Ben wandered back into their room shortly before dinner, just as Chad was freshening up in an effort to make it look like he hadn't just spent the past hour unconscious.

"Looks like this trip's going to be busier for me than I thought," Ben sighed, flopping onto his bed with a weary huff. "My dad wants me to have more meetings with the Enchancia rulers to learn how their government functions in comparison to ours – to see if there's anything we can learn from them, but I'm having trouble getting them to look past the whole teenager thing." He sighed again, this one louder, but likely unintentional. "We're hoping that persistent and prolonged exposure will help break through that so that they'll take me seriously, but it's going to significantly eat into my free time." He leveled an apologetic look towards Chad. "I'm sorry, it looks like I'm not going to be able to hang out with you that much."

"It's okay," Chad assured him, reaching into his satchel for that container of pastries Flittle had let him take. "I already know where the library is, and I talked to one of the chefs and she let me shadow her in the kitchen!" He found the container and walked over towards Ben's bed, setting himself carefully on the side and offering the other prince the treats. "Would you like to enjoy the fruits of my labor?"

"You are a godsend," Ben gushed, happily picking out one of the pastries. "I spent most of lunch talking rather than eating. It was awful." He took a bite and Chad tried to pretend he wasn't waiting in eager anticipation, wrought with anxiety before Ben's gaze fluttered shut with a small moan. "Unlike this, which is amazing," he gushed, sending Chad a happy grin. "Why am I not surprised that you've already made new friends?"

"I just- I asked some questions, was all," Chad said, feeling his cheeks get stupidly hot and setting the container down beside Ben so he could have as many as he wanted. "They were just excited that I wanted to learn."

"Thus, making you a new friend," Ben said gently, offering Chad a supportive smile. "I'm glad you had a good day."

"Thanks," Chad said, somewhat awed that the other prince had given him that much. "I'm sorry you had a busy one."

"I've found that these pastries have made that business all worth it," Ben declared with a wink before he took another hefty bite of his treat, releasing a new sound of happiness. "Wow, maybe you should keep them away from me before I spoil my dinner."

"You're overselling it," Chad said, feeling a bit embarrassed at the other teen's continued gushing.

"I must respectfully disagree," Ben pledged before taking another big bite of his treat, and maybe Chad felt bashful but mostly he just felt happy.

This was what people's vacations were actually like. Chilling with their friends, sharing treats, learning stuff.

It really felt like he had a whole world of opportunities available to him now, and he looked forward to exploring every single one of them.

-:-:-

Chad got up super early the next day, early enough that he had to wiggle out of Ben's arms, much to the other teen's protests because apparently he was a cuddle monster, and while that had shocked Chad the first day, now he kind of loved it a lot. He had a friend he could cuddle with. He was wanted.

He ducked down to the kitchens before the sun was even a thought in the sky and was led through a few variations of the Moors more popular breakfast dishes. He was there from just a few dozen chefs lingering to make bread to the full kitchen rush, and while Flittle had allowed him to taste all the things they'd made that day (they were all delicious, for the record), he was sent off before he could get too involved with instructions to come for pixie brunch tomorrow.

"We can't monopolize you," Flittle informed him. "Even though we very much want to, now go eat breakfast with the others."

"Yes, chef!" Chad chirped, earning another scattering of smiles before he was ushered out of the kitchen.

He had breakfast with Ben and Carlos, the brunette prince allowed a meal to gird himself before he was forced into a day of meetings.

"You have our deepest sympathies," Chad offered him with a grin. "I promise, we'll be thinking of you as we read our way through the library."

"You're a cruel human, Chad," Ben murmured, trying not to look too jealous. "A cruel, cruel human."

"Don't worry," Chad said, staying calm because he knew Ben was joking. He was wearing a smile and everything. "I'll take lots of notes for you."

Ben offered him a grin, and Chad knew all was well. "Your kindness knows no depths."

Carlos cleared his throat, looking a little awkward as he poked at his food. "Actually I uh- can't do the library today," he murmured. "My friend, Evie- the one who made my jacket," he elaborated. "Is stuck in all those 'bonding events', and she begged me to come today as a sort of moral support."

"What?" Chad asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Is she shy or something?"

Carlos didn't seem to know how to answer that. "It's just new territory for us all around."

"That's fair," Chad said with a shrug. "I think we're all sort of getting used to the sudden existence of a union of kingdoms we never knew anything about."

"Exactly," Carlos said with a weak smile. "So maybe I can read your notes too. Just- later."

"Okay," Chad said, thinking about how good a friend Carlos was, how lucky Evie was to have him. "I might save the library for later, though. Flittle said the gardens are pretty in the morning, so I think I might go out there and sketch some new pictures."

"Sounds like a plan," Ben said, a fond sort of approval in his eyes. "Have fun exploring for all of us."

"I'll do my best," Chad pledged, and set off to do just that.

-:-:-

The gardens were, naturally, quite mystical.

It was a natural development, at least, that was what Chad had read in the library. Moors Castle was the epicenter of magic in all of Enchancia, built around a forest that seemed to be a natural well of mystical energy for the entire land. All the kingdoms of Enchancia made frequent use of magic, but the Moors was the place where you'd find the most diversity of races due to the natural spring of magic that grew here.

As such, the plants were pretty fantastical too, and Chad followed Flittle's directions to locate her favorite of the gardens – something secluded but still unmistakably special. There were a lot of places reserved for the royal family – or off limits because they grew important spell components or housed some of the smaller mystical beings within the shelter of Moors Castle, so Chad had to be careful with his wanderings.

Chad hoped things were going well for the romance contingents. Aziz had mentioned that the Enchancian heirs didn't seem super onboard with their parents' plan, but hopefully they would warm up after some time had passed. There were some pretty awesome people in the Auradon envoy, though Chad was somewhat biased.

Well, now was not the time to think of romance. Now was the time for drawing, so he set about to do just that, locating some lovely, exotic flowers and getting to work sketching them for the video call he'd be having with his dad later. They did that now. Frequent phone calls and texts and video calls. Communications could be spotty this far from Auradon, but Fairy Godmother had enchanted Chad's electronics so he wouldn't lose touch with his family, which was honestly a giant relief. He didn't really want any more silence from his father, and it wasn't needy to want that connection, it was reasonable. Dr. Sweet had said so.

Chad was working on his second flower when he caught some movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see a rabbit hopping towards him, pausing to twitch its nose in thought before it carefully approached him with an interested look in its eye.

"Hello," Chad greeted with a shy wave of his fingers. "I'm Chad."

The rabbit sort of chittered, though it was hard for Chad to place its exact name. He thought it might be Scrawls, but it was hard to tell.

"Scrawls?" he hazarded, getting what seemed to be a pleased look before Scrawls released a confused noise. "Oh, I'm just drawing some flowers." He showed the rabbit his sketchbook before he was hit with a stroke of realization. "Oh, um- would you mind if I drew you?"

A beat, and then Scrawls puffed up in pride before striking what it deemed to be a heroic pose.

Scrawls was very, very cute.

Chad tried to capture that much as he started his new drawing, talking to the rabbit about his experiences in the Moors as he went.

"I'm not magically inclined, per se," he explained. "At least, not in the way your citizens seem to be."

Chad's mother had been Fae-blessed, something she seemed to have passed down to Chad according to Fairy Godmother. From his father, he had the bloodline magic of the Warriors of Light – which was very specific. He couldn't really cast spells, but he could channel energy to create a sword and shield of light, to create armor if needed. It was something his grandfather had purposefully kept him unaware of, though Chad had subconsciously channeled a shield to protect himself in the end, when things had gotten very bad.

Fairy Godmother said their family consisted of arcane warriors. While Chad was grateful that he lived in an era of peace where he wouldn't need to fight, he was glad to be able to create a shield that could potentially protect the people he loved.

"But even I can feel the natural magical energy of the Moors," he continued, drawing his focus back to his sketch. "It's so amazing, Scrawls. I think my godmother would love it up here. She gave up magic after my mom died, but I think – well, I hope she might pick it up again. I mean- I don't know for sure, but I think that'd make her happy. Well, happier, I mean." Scrawls gave him an odd look. "She was really sad when my mom died. But like, so was my dad." He let out a small huff. "I was really little when she was alive, so I don't really remember her, but everything I've ever heard about her makes me think she was a pretty amazing lady. Actually, she's the reason I can talk to you," he explained. "That's one of her blessings. You know, she used to make clothes for the mice and birds that visited her home."

A blueish bird that was lingering nearby chirped up a question, and Chad paused, realizing that his conversation with Scrawls had drawn a few other animals towards him, including a curious looking raven.

"Just like, hats and stuff," he explained. "Or scarves. They didn't really need it, but it made them feel loved."

Scrawls cocked a quizzical ear at him, letting out a few more chitters.

"Oh, no – she didn't use them as familiars. She didn't really demand anything of them, I don't think, she was just happy to have them as friends." Chad lowered his voice, sensing what the next question would be. "She wasn't treated very nicely when she was younger."

But Lady Tremaine and her daughters had been banished from the kingdom of Sardinia for their crimes, allowing his mother to live in peace and actually experience her life.

At least, for as long as it lasted.

The raven tittered a question at him, wondering if that was how his mother had gotten her blessing.

"Yes, actually," Chad said. "My godmother said it was the magic of Auradon's way of balancing things for her. Which happens for the strong of heart."

Scrawls let out a noise that Chad equivocated to 'so you're strong of heart?'.

"I guess," Chad said, feeling his cheeks heat in a blush. "Mostly I think I'm just lucky." He turned his attention back to his drawing, trying to think of a way he could change subjects. "So um- what do you guys like to eat? Maybe I can bring something the next time I come out here, as thanks for being such a good model."

"You can't go wrong with carrots and fruit," a lyrical voice spoke up from behind him, and Chad turned to see who could only be Queen Maleficent strolling towards him – her features perfectly matching the description Ben had given him the day before. "As for this one," she said, nodding towards the raven that flew up and landed on her shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about feeding him."

"I wouldn't want him to feel left out," Chad said as the raven gave a sorrowful caw.

The queen's lips quirked up in the hint of a smile. "Trust when I say he couldn't manage that if he tried."

The raven let out a wounded sound, dramatic enough that Chad got the feeling that maybe he was playing around with her, and that made Chad grin. Maybe the raven was Queen Maleficent's familiar. It seemed appropriate, with all the black.

"Am I intruding?" Chad asked, wondering if he'd wandered into one of the private gardens by mistake.

"Not at all," the queen assured him. "The wind carried your conversation to me and I decided to investigate." She tilted her head as though inspecting Chad. "There are not many who can speak to animals."

The raven informed her it was a family blessing before Chad had the chance to, making the blond blush.

The queen quirked a brow at him before finally turning her attention back to Chad. "Your mother has passed?"

The blond tensed, before eventually nodding. "When I was little."

"I'm sorry for your loss," the queen offered, and then, much to Chad's surprise, she settled down beside him. "I lost Stefan many moons ago," she said, referring to the late king Chad had read up on. "My daughter was young when it happened. I think she is angry at the world for depriving her of knowing her father."

"I…" Chad thought about this, though in truth, such a path had never occurred to him. "I'm not angry, but I am sad. I wish I could have known her. My father still loves her so much, and- I just wish I knew, was all."

"That's fair," the queen offered, her voice gentle. "When you speak with them, is it like she's still here?"

"Yes," Chad said, blinking against the sudden heat building in his eyes. "She liked plants and animals and cooking, and so do I, and when I do this stuff, it's like I still get to carry a piece of her around."

"In truth," Queen Maleficent began. "While I cannot speak for Auradon, I think a mother's love is truly universal. In light of that, no matter where you go, you will always carry a part of her with you, because she loved you so very much."

Chad lost a moment feeling overwhelmed, maybe even a little bamboozled that she would offer something to someone she'd only just met. And yet, she'd done it anyway, taking the time to hunt him down and talk to him.

"Thank you, your majesty," Chad whispered, blinking away a swell of happy tears. "I really appreciate that."

"And I appreciate you listening," the queen countered evenly. "I appreciate you taking the time to learn my kingdom."

At that, Chad felt himself blush. "Did the librarians rat me out?"

"And the chefs," the queen automatically replied. "We appreciate the open-minded here, in the Moors. The world was not always that way, and we know it's a gift."

"The others would do the same had they the chance," Chad offered, trying to defend the other Auradon kids.

"Oh, I know," the queen hummed, looking amused. "Prince Benjamin has made it no secret how interested he is in learning our ways of governing. It's quite a counter to my daughter's total lack of enthusiasm." She let out a few low chuckles. "It's very refreshing."

"We're not just sucking up," Chad said, feeling a new hint of panic.

"I know," the queen soothed. "You're Fae-blessed, Chad, you couldn't hide your true intentions from me if you tried."

"I… oh," Chad said, feeling himself blush. He hadn't known that.

"Trust when I say that is a relief," the queen continued before rising in a graceful motion. "I must return to my duties, but thank you for indulging my curiosities." She reached into her pocket and pulled out what seemed to be some kind of broach – two dragons curled together to form the shape of a purple heart. "Here," she said, passing it over. "This will give you access to all areas of the castle. As you have indulged my curiosity, so I shall indulge yours."

"Thank you," Chad said, feeling overwhelmed all over again.

"No, Chad," the queen said, giving him a fond smile. "Thank you."

With that, she walked away, leaving a confused Chad behind her, the blond still holding onto the pretty broach.

At least until Scrawls started chittering at him to put it on, only to be echoed by the birds, and Chad rushed to follow their orders just to appease them, and maybe his grandfather would have hated something so girly, but Chad thought it was amazing, and more than that, it had been given to him by a queen.

And if that wasn't a good enough story for Ben, Chad didn't know what was.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

And thus the trend of Soft Chad obliviously making everyone love him continues and I'M NOT SORRY ABOUT IT AT ALL ;)

Story notes:

They renamed the good fairies for the Live action Maleficent movies – because they don't make an appearance in this story, I went ahead and stole the blue one's name, 'Flittle', for the random chef Chad talks to.

Until next time