Chapter 4 - I Just Can't Wait To Be King
(Thank you guys for the comments! I promise I'm gonna finish this story, even if it kills me!)
Ben, truth be told, didn't know if he wanted to rule yet. He still felt like a kid, and didn't think he knew everything a king should know. And, he had to admit, he still wanted to spend some time just having fun. Partying, hanging out with his friends, playing Tourney...
Speaking of friends, he was getting ready for a date with Audrey, but there were other things on his mind. Other people. Ben straightened his tie and and stepped out of his room, putting on a smile.
"There you are, Bennybear!" Sleeping Beauty's daughter cheered and hugged her boyfriend tight. "I know I've only been waiting for five minutes, but it feels like forever! I'm so excited, I forgot to mention that this is a double date!" Audrey had a habit of forgetting to mention important details like that, as she was usually caught up in the little things, like what dress to wear, or what animals to bring along with her.
Aurora, having missed out on growing up with her parents, swore that her daughter wouldn't go through what she had to. Because of this, Audrey had grown up rather spoiled. Sweet and kind, but still spoiled. She had never really known any hardship, or struggled with anything. It would probably be accurate to say that no one had ever frowned at her.
"With who, dear?" Ben asked. Audrey had made a hobby out of playing matchmaker, and was usually pretty good at it. Usually.
"Ariana!" Audrey clapped excitedly. "I think I finally found the right boy for her!" Ariel's daughter had a messy love life. She just couldn't keep down a boyfriend, likely due to her personality. Ben rolled his eyes playfully, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek. They'd never gone farther than that.
Ben and Audrey met Ariana and her date at Tiana's Place, one of the biggest restaurants in Auradon. Well, it was a Tiana's Place; the original was in Louisiana, this was one of many chains Tiana and Naveen had opened in Auradon. "Glad you could make it!" Tyrone, the son of the restaurant owners, waved when he saw the prince.
Tyrone was a handsome, dark skinned boy with a dazzling smile. He and his sister Nadia grew up in Maldonia, but their mother insisted they spend time with people other than royals, so they were a lot more down to earth than most Auradonians.
Ariana wore a green dress as usual, and looked happy for once. The royal couple sat down, just as a waitress set a plate of gumbo down on their table. "Welcome to Tiana's Place, everybody!" The waitress, Buffy, smiled. She had a plate in her other hand, and one balancing on her head. "Enjoy your gumbo and look over the menus, I'll be back in a bit!"
Audrey smiled like a Cheshire Cat and grabbed Ariana's hands. "So, how's your date so far? Are you two getting along?" She asked, bouncing in her seat. Ben pulled her back a little so that she didn't shake the plates off the table. Having grown up together, Ben and Audrey knew all each other's quirks and bad habits.
"We're getting along just fine, Audrey, calm down." The redheaded princess said, as her date helped himself to a generous serving of gumbo. "Tyrone's pretty chill, he's not even concerned about the VKs." She said that last word as if it was dangerous, like how you would say "rat poison" or "dragons".
"Well why would I be?" Tyrone shrugged. "They haven't done anything bad yet. Harry's part of the Tourney team now, and he's pretty good!"
"You should really give them a chance, Ari." Ben said, surprised by how fast the conversation changed topics. "I think this could be the start of something big."
"You're so trusting, Benny!" Audrey cooed, holding her boyfriend's arm tight.
"Too trusting." Ariana pointed out. "I know your mom fell in love with a big, nasty beast who turned out to be a handsome prince, but with my mom, the ugly octopus monster was an ugly octopus monster. That girl's mother."
"I think you're wrong about them." Ben didn't like how casually she was insulting Uma. Uma... The girl who, with her blue braids and wicked grin, had been running through his thoughts all day. Not that he wanted to admit that.
"Calm down, tesoro." Tyrone put a hand on his date's shoulder. "You get so heated when it comes to politics!" Ariana sighed and slumped in her chair, turning her attention to the gumbo.
0-0-0
Back on Auradon, Uma was making her move. She left her pirate hat back in the dorm rooms, and put on her best fake smile. "Hey Jane, fancy seeing you here!" She said, approaching the mousy girl.
Fairy Godmother's daughter nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Uma's voice. "H-h-hi, Uma." She stammered nervously. Jane tried to run out, but Uma stopped her, laughing nervously.
"Don't go!" She put up her hands. "Sorry, I'm not very good at making friends." The blue haired girl confessed. Jane stopped, and smiled a little, nodding. "I just wanted to say..." Uma paused for a second to remember her plan.
"Harry wants to ask you out, but he's too shy to tell you himself." Uma was lying, to state the obvious. She needed to get to the wand, and Jane was the easiest way to get to it. Someone had to manipulate her, and Harry was the best person for the job.
Jane blushed and began toying with her hair. "Really?!" She looked at Uma with her big, bright eyes, full of hope. Ursula's daughter had to take a step back, not used to seeing anyone this happy. "Where do I meet him? What should I wear? Tell me everything!" Jane hugged Uma tight, making the blue haired girl's eyes twitch.
Calm down, you can't kill her... Not yet. "Tomorrow night, at the Electric Umbrella. Wear whatever you want, Harry's not picky." Uma pried Jane off her, and smiled again, this time a little strained. "Have fun."
"I've never had a date before!" The brunet sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her short, flat hair, pouting.
Uma, remembering something her mother had told her, put on a fake smile and reached into her jacket, pulling out her spellbook. "You poor unfortunate soul." She said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "I've got a spell in here that was designed to help folks with problems like yours." Quickly turning a few pages, she found it. The spell Ursula used to turn herself into Vanessa.
"Mascara, tiara, yea winds of the tropics appear!" The sea witch chanted. There was a breeze, carrying in the smell of sea salt. Jane watched as her hair began to move, seemingly on its own. "Catharsis, lavorious, et qua manicurus, mutato she here!"
Jane's hair grew and curled, going past her shoulders and becoming fuller and shinier. She shrieked in delight, turning around and hugging Uma again. "Thank you so much! I'm beautiful!" She was practically crying, it was almost sad how little she thought of her old self. "Can you do my nose too?"
"Sorry, I don't know how." Uma shrugged. "This is the first time I've used this spell." She thought for a minute. "But, I have a friend who can help you with everything else!"
0-0-0
Ben retired to his room and tried to focus on his royal duties. Politics was depressing, as usual. Maleficent was controlling the spread of supplies Auradon sent in, so the Isle was still a dystopia. The villains seemed to refuse to change, and what little information there was about their children suggested they were taking after their parents. He sighed, shutting the folder containing Yen Sid's report.
The young prince's mind wandered, quickly turning to Uma. Uma... she was so mysterious, so unlike anything Ben had ever seen. He sighed, frustrated. You weren't supposed to get a crush on someone when you were already in a relationship.
Audrey was a nice girl. Pretty, sweet, friendly, animals loved her. But she was a little shallow. There just wasn't much to her below the surface. But, Ben had known her his entire life, and had been dating her for a little over a year.
Uma was... the complete opposite. She was snarky, and tough, and spoke her mind. Ben had just met her a few days ago, but he couldn't get her out of his head.
The prince groaned and smacked his head. "Get a grip, Ben." He said, reminding himself of his duties. He sat up and returned to the folder, forcing himself to think about something else. Mermaids were complaining about pollution, Olympus sent in a angry letter about Hades' son being allowed to roam free, and other minor complaints. Nothing that could really capture Ben's attention.
He sighed and grabbed his jacket, deciding to go on a walk.
0-0-0
Jane sat nervously in Uma's room, while Quinn squeed happily. "I've never given someone else a makeover!" The princess of hearts clapped her hands excitedly. "Don't worry, Jane, I'll have you looking presentable in no time!"
Uma had brought Quinn into the plan to help win Jane over. "Mom said, if a boy can't see the beauty within, he's not worth it." The brunet said, looking at herself in Quinn's mirror. The vanity was covered in makeup, skincare and hair care products; it looked like a beauty salon.
"What world does she live in?" The Wonderland princess pretended to gag. "Let me help you, I know everything there is to know about boys!" She grabbed a mascara wand and began applying Jane's makeup, babbling on about dating advice.
Uma heard a slight creek across the room, and turned her head around. With a snap of her fingers, the door flew open, and someone fell on the floor. "Sorry! I wasn't spying, I was..." It was a girl. She had dark skin and waist-length, black hair tied into a ponytail. Her clothes were bright blue, and sparkling.
"Hi, I'm Amyra, Aladdin and Jasmine's daughter." She introduced herself. Uma noticed the family resemblance, remembering Aziz. Jane simply waved to her classmate. Quinn, however, nearly dropped her powderpuff. "I saw you fix Jane's hair, and I was wondering..."
"You want a makeover too?" Uma asked, reaching for her book.
"Actually, I'd rather have Quinn do it now." The Agraban princess smiled, making Quinn blush. "I can pay you, if you want." She reached into her purse, which had the same pattern as her father's magic carpet, and pulled out a wad of cash.
"50 bucks." Uma quickly snatched the money out of her hands, counted her pay, and handed it back. "Looks like we've got a little business going." She smirked.
Quinn smiled, liking the sound of that. "A business..." She'd never thought about having a job before. Why would she, she was a princess! But doing Jane's makeup was pretty fun, and she did need money... "Yeah!"
0-0-0
Another chapter down. Uma's beginning her master plan, Quinn has found a hobby, and Ben is having some very conflicting thoughts.
Next time, we focus on Dante, and his attempts at romance, in a chapter I call So This is Love!