My take on a darker version of Descendants. Please note that I am hardcore cherry picking things I want from not only Descendants but every version of every fairytale (Disney or otherwise) to suit my needs. Please feel free to ask me questions. For the majority of this story, I am purposefully choosing to omit/change some stuff from the Descendant movie/book universe as I thought they didn't make sense, or had too much "Disney Glaze." Meaning Disney introduced complex and "unpalatable" issues, e.g. poverty of the Isle, and completely ignored or glazed over them. But it's also possible that I missed something and it's a continuity error. I've watched the movie and wiki'd the books, I haven't studied them. Either way, please review and ask as many questions as you want.
My tumblr is psychic-refugee ( . com) if you prefer to do asks and the like that way.
If any dialogue looks familiar it's because I straight jacked it from the movie.
I make no le fric and all other useless disclaimers about how I don't own Descendant's as Disney has better things to do than sue a broke student which they would probably lose anyway due to Fair Use, 17 U.S.C. § 107. Also, if anyone asks this work is a nonprofit educational tool. ;-D
It was another sleepless night for the Crown Prince of the United Kingdoms of Auradon.
Crown Prince Ben stood at the terrace of his suite, looking out to the ocean. Normally the peaceful vista calmed him; the sound of the waves a constant lullaby to urge him to sleep. But the last year, he had been bothered. He saw the Isle of the Lost in the distance, the prison island where the United Kingdoms of Auradon, UKA or Auradon, were banished twenty years ago. His father had personally hunted down the worst villains and their minions and corralled them to a lifetime imprisonment to the island. Most citizens had forgotten about the villains, enjoying the peace that came with a villain-less country.
But Ben had read and learned about the island. How it had no magic, it had no technology other than what the citizens of Auradon cast off which was years behind and probably barely in working condition, and further how it had no oversight. King Adam had dumped the villains there and left them to govern themselves. There had been plenty of reports of the squalor the island had become, with little to no health or social services. Most Auradon citizens felt it was just what the villains deserved, and he had grown up thinking the same. How many stories had he heard growing up of the evil fairy or queen attempting to kill someone? How an evil sorcerer attempted to take a throne that wasn't his? How many had died and suffered for their greed, vanity, and ambition?
But then he saw the children, from infants to teenagers his age. All looking gaunt and underfed, dirtied from barely any clean water and the constant pollution. The entire documentary portraying the island as grim and dirty, the poisoned sky constantly overcast. An overwhelming sense of pity filled him when the picture he always held about the Isle and the villains that inhabited where changed. The villains perhaps were getting what they deserved, but what did their children do to deserve the same punishment? How could Auradon and its citizens claim to be the heroes when they abandoned the most vulnerable among them?
The guilt had plagued him since he turned seventeen, a year away from inheriting the principality of Auradon City. As Crown Prince, he would take over ruling the princedom as practice before inheriting the throne from his father. King Adam was years away from retiring and in perfect health, so Ben would have plenty of time to hone his skills for ruling.
He knew what his first edict would be. Auradon Prep was located within Auradon City, which meant that the school fell under his jurisdiction. So he would proclaim that the children be given a chance at becoming good. He wanted them all to have places at Auradon Prep or Auradon Academy if they were too young, he could show his father and all his subjects that parents were not destiny.
A person chose their destiny; he believed that with all his heart.
His plan was better in theory than it was in reality. While he had been getting tailored for his coronation suit, his mother and father had come to see him.
"How is possible you're going to be Crown Prince of Auradon City next week? You're just a baby," King Adam of House Bourbon said jovially as he walked into Ben's suite, arm in arm with his Queen, Belle. His father wearing his customary three piece suit, absent was the Crown of Auradon as it was a heavy clunky thing that he only wore for special occasions. Belle was in a cheerful lemon dress and wore a tiny coronet; she had never been one for big jewelry.
Big libraries, however…
"He's turning eighteen dear," Belle answered playfully.
"Hey pops," Ben answered, not as enthusiastically; trying to muster the courage to tell his father of his plans.
"Eighteen? That's far too young to be Crown Prince. I didn't make a good decision until I was…forty-two."
"Uhhh…you decided to marry me at twenty-eight," Belle reminded him, looking incredulous and slightly offended, not believing he had just said that.
"Well, it was either you or the teapot," he teased his wife, winking at his son.
Ben laughed, forgetting his anxiety and happy to see his parents tease each other; still in love after all these years.
"I'm kidding."
"Mom, dad," Ben started, forgetting he was getting fitted for a suit and stopped when the royal tailor made some noise to remind him he was still getting pinned.
"I've chosen my first official proclamation as Crown Prince."
Belle and Adam were surprised but happy and proud their son was taking his position so seriously. When other young nobles, even those of royal blood, were still thinking of parties and shopping, their Ben was clearly busy making plans. They eagerly awaited what he had to say.
"I've decided that the children on the Isle of the Lost will be given a chance to live here in Auradon."
Ben gave them a moment to digest his idea, a sinking feeling when his parents stared at him in shock, his mother dropping the sports coat she had picked up; ever mothering him and trying to tidy up.
"Every time I look out to the island, I feel like they've been abandoned," he went on, defending his point.
"The children of our sworn enemies," King Adam restated, wanting to be clear that's who they were speaking of. "Living among us?"
"They're the ones who need our help the most. You've seen what conditions they live under, how can we just ignore that?"
"I knew that hippy documentary was a bad idea. They never should have been allowed to go to that damned island." King Adam growled out, regretting signing off giving that investigative reporter access to the prison. "You have lost your mind son, these are villains, and they are guilty of unspeakable crimes."
"Not the villains, their children," he stressed, not wanting his point to get lost in his father's anger.
"I know we've sheltered you Ben, but you can't truly believe these children are all that different than their parents. Bad blood will out," the King warned.
"That's exactly what I want to disprove. These children have done nothing but they've been sentenced to a life in prison? What is their crime? Being born to the wrong parents? How is that justice?"
"These villains each have tried to kill our closest friends and allies. Do you really think that Queen Aurora, King Phillip, Queen Snow White, King Ferdinand, Sultana Jasmine and Prince Consort Aladdin and the countless others who make up the United Kingdoms would stand for this? I won't hear of it."
The King and Crown Prince had raised their voices, the tailor and servants dutifully left the room to give them some privacy, as well not be witness to a private family moment.
"How about second chances? What is the point of prison without rehabilitation? And I'm not even speaking of the villains, I'm talking about innocent children who have never known anything other than the island. Don't they deserve to know a normal life? Or are second chances only for cursed royals?" Ben angrily pointed out, not appreciating that he was being treated like a child and his ideas being dismissed.
King Adam felt the long dormant beast inside him stir; his son dare bring up the years of his curse where he withered in isolation and what he thought of as unlovable and hopeless creature.
A deep growl emerged from his chest and his son returned in kind not willing to back down from his father. Adam had never really purged the Beast from his system and his son inherited certain characteristics that emerged during heightened emotions. His beloved wife Belle had placed a hand above his heart and he did the same to Ben; coming between him and their son, both immediately calmed.
They would never hurt her.
"That's enough," she said sternly, brooking no argument. "Adam, Auradon City is Ben's responsibility. We have to trust that we have raised him to be wise and dutiful to the people. Remember, I gave you a second chance," she explained the reality to her husband. He wanted to fight, he wanted to argue but then he remembered that winter night he had frightened her off with his terrible temper and she could have died from a wolf attack. She could have left him there to die from his injuries when he fought the wild animals away, it was her chance to not only escape but live a free life as he wouldn't have been able to force her back and make good on her deal if he were dead. Though over twenty years ago, the memory and guilt of what could have happened still haunted him.
"Ben," she turned to her son. "You are the Crown Prince and one day will have the throne to all eighteen kingdoms of Auradon. You are not a tyrant nor a foolish child. We did not raise you that way. You cannot just make decrees on the spot and expect them to happen without question. I think it's noble what you want, I truly do. But you have to be smart about this. "
"I'm not being rash, I have been thinking about this…"
"I'm sure, since that damned documentary," Adam flippantly interjected. He immediately silenced from the ice cold look his wife sent his way.
"Then you know you can't just bring in a hundred or more children to Auradon. Where would we house them? What school would they all attend? Isn't Auradon Prep at capacity? I know the lower schools don't have room. I don't think any of the public schools could handle such an influx even if we could find them all accommodations."
His mother had a point, he hadn't thought fully of the finer points of his plan.
"Your coronation as Crown Prince of Auradon City is a week away. If you truly want to pursue this, I suggest you gather your council to think over the fine details. No king makes any decision without the help of councilors much less a prince."
Ben nodded, accepting his mother's wisdom. Adam agreed to let Ben make the choices he thought he needed to make. He had to trust in his heir. If the worst happened and the villains' children were just as rotten to the core as their parents, then as King he still had the power to reverse Ben's proclamation. It would be a poor start to his son's reign, but the UKA was more important than his son's pride.
The Eighteen Kingdoms all celebrated and tuned into his coronation.
It all went off without a hitch. Nadine FéeMarraine, more famously known as The Fairy Godmother, brought out her wand and blessed his reign. She wore Cinderella blue to honor her original citizenry of Cinderellaberg; a dress stitched with starlight diamonds and intricate lace from the premier fashion dwarves of Snow White's Kingdom and sparkled with light from the stained glass. Her honorary cream sash noting her as a member of the Royal Order of Benevolent Fae.
It felt like the entire court was squeezed into St. Paige Cathedral, Patron Saint of books and writing. There were also cameras everywhere, trying to get the best angle to cover the momentous occasion.
The choir sang their hymns in the background and when he walked towards the dais, everyone bowed and curtseyed.
His best friend Chad Charming smiled, happy for him while his girlfriend, Audrey Dornröschen looked to about burst or pass out from excitement. He tried to ignore them both, keeping a solemn face to give the appropriate gravity to the ceremony.
Once he reached the platform, he kneeled on the silk pillow and waited.
It was rare Nadine ever held her wand those days; it was usually kept in the Museum of Auradon Cultural History. That day, it was enshrined in a crystal cover and it was just as beautiful as she remembered it. Although she had agreed to relinquish her wand and not practice magic, there were days when she missed being able to wave her wand and help people or to do simple deeds that her mother had painstakingly taught her when she was younger. But that day she would wave her wand again and bless the new royal to his new office.
Taking the wand in her hand, she felt a joyous energy she had not in a long time. Feeling complete, something she knew she was missing but ignored. She squashed down the feeling, knowing it would go away after a few weeks when she surrendered her wand again.
"Do you solemnly swear to govern the peoples of Auradon City with justice and mercy, as long as you shall reign?" she asked, somberly; the ceremony a serious event and the princeship not to be taken lightly.
"I do solemnly swear."
It was then his father presented the Royal Princely crown of Auradon City. His crown was solid gold with yellow diamonds and rubies accenting fleur de lis with the rose badge of King Adam at the peak. It was a mirror crown of his fathers, which had white diamonds and sapphires for accents without the rose and crosses rather than fleur de lis; to signify he was King of all the Eighteen Kingdoms and not just House Bourbon.
Nadine had taken it from its dark blue velvet cushion, and placed it atop Ben's head.
"It is my honor and my joy to bless our new Crown Prince," Nadine said proudly as she laid her wand on his right shoulder, lifted it above his head, and laid it on his left. "Please rise your Highness, Crown Prince of Auradon City."
The cathedral had burst into applause and every household in the Eighteen Kingdoms shouted for joy.
But Ben couldn't hear the praise, the crown was not just heavy from its weight in gold and jewels, but the weight of all those who were counting on him.
He wore the crown proudly and his livery had changed from the colors of Auradon, robin blue and daisy white, to the personal colors of the ruling house of Auradon City, cobalt and gold. The banners had unfolded to show his personal badge, a mix of both his parents to show where he came from.
A red rose on top of a hickory leather book, his colors royal blue and gold chevron counterchanged.
He gave a speech the next day as his first duty as Crown Prince of Auradon City; saying farewell to the graduating class of Auradon Prep and welcoming his classmates as new seniors the following fall.
He sat at the head of an ornate table that looked like it was so heavy it could have only gotten there by magic a month into his reign. He would embark on his tour of the Eighteen Kingdoms, having feasts with all the wardens - all still given the courtesy title of King, Queen, or Sultana - of each kingdom territory within the fortnight. It not only showed respect, but to formally debut the next heir to the throne to the people.
Ben had been raised to rule, but he didn't think social politics would be such a big part of it. But he was determined to have the proclamation he promised his parents at the beginning of the summer come to fruition.
His council consisted of veteran politicians who already knew how to run a kingdom, as he was there to learn the ins and outs of kingship. Unless he planned to flip the governance completely on its back and try to reinvent the spinning wheel, then governing Auradon City would not be that daunting.
Although he was certain that some on the council would think he had lost his mind, just as his father had. Before King Adam and Queen Belle went on their progress through Auradon, his father came to him and reassured him that he trusted in him and would support his idea.
"I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I supposed the children are innocent," admitting Ben's words from before were true, having listened when he sat down and thought the plan through. "I just think it'll be a lot harder than you could ever imagine. But all things are possible, and I believe in you son."
Queen Belle looked over her son, bursting with pride and doing her best to keep tears out of her eyes. She straightened his jacket, ran her hand over an imagined stray hair, and smiled. She couldn't believe her baby, a baby she thought she had held in her arms just yesterday, was having his first official councilors meeting.
"Well done," she whispered to him, meaning for everything and she hoped he knew how proud she was to have him as her son. He smiled back, happy he was someone she could be proud of and never wanted to disappoint her.
"Shall we?" Belle asked Adam and offered her arm, they then walked away to leave Crown Prince of Auradon City to his duties.
When he brought the idea up with his councilors, it surprised him how neutral they were about it. It seemed none of them had been directly involved in the events that lead to the villains' arrests and had no feelings one way or another. He also suspected his father might have warned them of his plan, but in the end he was grateful as they were attempting to bring his plan to life as best as they could give the circumstances.
"Of course, we cannot allow for all children on the island to come; particularly not in time for the new school year. The taxes we'd have to raise in order to support them all, it would cause a riot," an ancient accountant drolled on. "Not only taxes, but the time it would take to recruit volunteers for foster homes and process that paperwork alone would take more than the summer."
It was frustrating to grow up in such wealth to now be restrained in what he wanted to get done but he was wise enough to know that was a privilege to be so irritated.
"Professor FéeMarraine, how many students could Auradon Prep accommodate for this coming school year?"
Although he was the Crown Prince, he still respected his Headmistress and would never think to call her by her first name. He doubted he would do so even when he was King.
She smiled sadly at him, so proud of the man he was becoming. No one ever thought of those who resided on the Isle of the Lost. But she thought it spoke volumes as to not only the type of man Ben was becoming but the type of King, a compassionate and kind ruler who had the best intentions of his people in mind, all of his people.
"I'm sorry your Highness, but we're practically at capacity. We only have two dorms available, so only four students would be able to attend."
He kept his shoulders from dropping and a sigh from his lips; they would not be kingly reactions no matter how disappointed he may be. There were well over a hundred children on the island, and he could only help four? That was less than five percent of the child population. How could he choose just four and ignore the rest? But he also couldn't displace those who already had a place at Auradon Prep. He couldn't ask anyone of noble blood to step aside, nor any of the scholarship students to give up the place they had worked so hard to procure. He bemoaned that his plan was already failing.
He banished the negative thoughts from his head. Four was more than none, and he would just have to make sure the experiment was a success. The four he chose would show the kingdoms that all the children needed was a chance. He would get the support to build a school or put additions to Auradon Prep to house the rest. He had every intention of using his councilors to devise the most efficient and cost effective method. His short term of ruling Auradon City showed him that nothing went quickly in governance so it wouldn't happen in the next year or even several years.
But it would happen; he could feel the hope for the future build in his chest and threatened to burst out. Other ideas such as providing proper health care and reproductive services also filtered through his head. Perhaps separating out the female and male villains, what point was there to constantly having innocent children born in such circumstances?
This was the first step of a thousand mile journey, but he would see it through to the end.
"Fine, the pilot program will have four children from the island come to Auradon Prep and they will have a chance at a normal life; a life away from villainy."
"Do you have the four in mind?" Professor FéeMarraine asked, mentally thinking of what paperwork she would have to do once she got back to the school but excited to be part of such a progressive and compassionate program.
"I do."
Boom, first chapter done. Thanks for reading and please review!