Chapter 1 – The Incident

Content Warnings - Political Intrigue, Kidnapping, Not Adam Friendly, Bad Parent King Adam, mind control, non-con crossdressing, non-con groping, adult language, forced prostitution sort of, humiliation, sexual situations, forced mild exhibitionism, degradation, mild toxic masculinity, mild internal homophobia, classism, referenced abuse, emotional breakdown, emotional repression, self-worth issues

-:-:-

Ben was four years old when he learned his life was not truly his own, that it could never truly be his own because it had been thoroughly claimed by a union of kingdoms he barely understood the concept of.

It was the early years of Auradon when things were still getting settled – trade agreements set up, taxes, social services, transportation and security between kingdom borders, the whole works, but Ben didn't know much outside his little corner of Central Auradon. He'd been out in the gardens with his nanny, chasing after a wayward frog (there had been a whole frog phase where Ben had been absolutely nuts about the poor things, much to his mother's amusement and father's growing despair) when he'd maybe strayed a bit farther than he intended, except instead of getting a light chastisement, a large hand had covered his eyes and something sharp had pricked his neck, and what happened immediately afterwards he did not know, because everything had gone all heavy and dark.

When he woke up later he was in a small, damp room with a blindfold covering his eyes, his wrists bound together and attached to the floor with some kind of chain, leaving him curled in the corner of his moldy-smelling room that was cold, and not in the fun way that promised hot cocoa and marshmallows afterwards.

For a moment, Ben wondered if this was a punishment, but his dad was usually very straight forward with those. Ben was a prince, and while he was a young prince, there was still specific princely decorum that needed to be followed. It was how Ben knew it was okay to be goofy and silly in the castle while he had to be a 'well behaved gentleman' outside of it and at social events. If he messed up, his mom would fondly stroke his hair and explain what he did wrong, and then later his dad would make him write it out about a million times to 'improve' his handwriting and also so Ben wouldn't forget again, because he couldn't play or read or chase frogs if he was stuck writing punishment essays his mom didn't know about.

Ben didn't like them and his dad didn't like giving them, but he was always good about explaining why they happened. Here and now no one was explaining anything, and that left Ben feeling scared even though he was supposed to be a prince, and therefore brave and fearless. He lost a few moments gathering his thoughts, trying to tug his hands up near his face so he could get the blindfold off, but there wasn't enough leverage.

"Eh, looks like the brat's awake," some rough voice drawled from across the room. Or was it outside the room? Ben couldn't tell. "Ay, brat! You stays nice and quiet now, alright? Your parents are on their way to get ye, but only if you're good and quiet."

"Otherwise, you'll have to stay all tied up," another voice giggled, and while Ben didn't like or trust the two mean voices, he didn't really know what else to do. None of his stories had ever gone like this before. The closest he knew of was the princess that had gotten trapped in that one castle guarded by a dragon. Were they his dragons?

Ben wanted to ask, but he was afraid if he did his parents wouldn't come and get him, so he stayed quiet.

When he was older, Ben understood that his kidnappers were waiting for some kind of payment transfer before handing him back over. In reality, Ben was awake for maybe thirty minutes before the elite guard barged in and scared the shit out of him, making Ben cower in his corner until Lieutenant Fife – the bookish-looking guardsman that gave Ben high fives whenever he left the castle – broke through the chaos to calm Ben down.

That was the first time Ben realized that he wasn't just any prince, and that the kidnappers hadn't even stolen him because of him, but rather because of what he could get them. Because of who he might someday be.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, one that led to therapy sessions and tightened security, and when his mother had brought him a new book on frogs when he was being looked over at the hospital Ben had broken down into tears, safely bringing an end to an era of benign innocence.

It had never been personal, he knew. Who could have a vendetta against a four-year-old? It was just that he was a symbol, that he had expectations and hopes and grudges placed against him in ways he had never earned, but that was his life.

And for the most part, he could deal with that.

-:-:-

Ben was understandably nervous about starting Auradon Prep. He had the advantage of his family home (and thereby, his family) being roughly twenty minutes away, meaning he could visit his parents on the weekends with far more ease than any of the other students. He'd been concerned about all the young royals he would have to interact with as Prince Benjamin – the chosen heir to lead the future United States of Auradon – but all his classmates he had met before at various social functions from the age of twelve on, and getting to go to school with them proved to be an intellectually stimulating and overall enjoyable experience. Ben even had a girlfriend – Princess Ruby of Corona – who had a large, cheerful family and the same thirst for knowledge as Ben, as well as a wealth of artistic talent and bubbly compassion. He liked her a lot, and if things went well, Corona was right next to Central Auradon, meaning that um- if they held steady and eventually got married, they wouldn't have to worry so much about traveling.

Obviously that was a distant thought, and one Ben shouldn't dwell on since they were enjoying their teen years while they could, but Ben liked Ruby. He liked her optimism and steady kindness and her pretty long hair. Some people thought she was a bit too wild for a princess, but Ben was a bit of a beast himself and besides, his mother hadn't been a conventional queen herself. In his opinion, convention was overrated, so why dwell on it?

These were but some of the thoughts running through his head when he trudged back into his private suite after a long night of studying. In addition to school and his extracurriculars, Ben still had additional trainings to help him manage the future strain of being king and he couldn't slack on those, not when his dad was counting on him. Ben was doing well – it was why he had been chosen over the other heirs – but it wouldn't do to get complacent.

Still, he regretted missing dinner with Ruby and Aziz, who were great company and always good at providing a wonderful distraction that didn't require Ben to think too much. They understood how sometimes the world kept demanding more of him until he just sort of shut down, but they never blamed him for that, happy to let him share their space while they maintained an easy conversation.

His low mood picked up when he saw a package resting on his sitting room table – brown paper with Ruby's signature art painted on for embellishment. Ben took extra special care to unwrap the paper after he loosened the twine, carrying the package into his bedroom with a happy grin. Ruby was so thoughtful. She always snuck little gifts to him, and sure, maybe he shouldn't have shown her the secret passageways into his suite, but if he couldn't trust a fellow royal, who could he trust?

He set the painted paper aside to be framed later and focused on the box, wondering what he would find this time. Part of him hoped it was one of her hand pies, or maybe another framed picture of them, but instead when he parted the tissue paper he had to laugh, because of course she had gotten him a pair of shoes.

She and her mom had a thing about avoiding them when possible, and while Ben had tried to imitate her once when they were kids, he'd been punished for it, leaving Ruby to stubbornly support his 'shoe-wearing ways' so it wouldn't happen again. It made it so that every birthday he'd receive something from her along with a pair of shoes.

The pair in the box were snazzy as always, done up in Auradon blue and yellow. They were a bit bolder than his father would allow, which made Ben immediately love them, wondering what he had done to warrant such a prize outside his birthday. He set the box aside and plucked out a folded piece of lilac paper that had been tucked into one of the shoes, opening it to reveal Ruby's familiar handwriting.

'Hi, stud!' the note started. 'Figured you'd need a pick-me-up after a rough day of training. I was going to default to one of my hand pies, but Anxelin managed to get these awesome shoes as part of an advance sample for the clothing boutique she's sponsoring! They were your colors, so I couldn't pass them up! Please check the fit ASAP, she said she can trade them out if they're too big, but she'll need to do it as soon as possible :D'

It was cool that Ruby's older sister thought of him, even though he'd been sure that the older princess didn't like him all that much. Then again, did anyone like their sibling's friends? Ben only had theoretical knowledge, but according to Aziz, all his little sister's friends were annoying, so it could very well be true.

Well, Ben wasn't going to deny an olive branch. He'd test the shoes out now and text a picture of them to Ruby, and then maybe she would call and tell him about her day while he let her voice wash over him.

It was a very appealing prospect, especially after his training sessions.

'Hope you have a good night, beasty,' the note continued. 'I'll see you in geometry tomorrow! 3 Ruby'

His girlfriend seriously was the best. And he had every intention of telling her as much after he tried on the shoes. He set his satchel aside and after a beat shrugged off his jacket as well before he kicked off his loafers, grinning at the much younger-looking style of his newest kicks. They slipped on easily, the fit seeming almost perfect, and it wasn't until he finished lacing up the second shoe that he realized maybe they were a bit too perfect for him.

His body seemed to freeze when he finished tying the second shoe, Ben stuck in a hunched over position before he felt himself sit up in slow, deliberate movements. He sat still for a moment, and then he was rising to his feet, walking away from his bed and out towards the sitting room once more.

The entire time, he was in control of nothing. He felt like a spectator in his own body, but any time he tried to turn around, any time he tried to stop himself or speak up, he couldn't move. He realized too late that there was some kind of enchantment in the shoes, and while he did have a panic button for such things, right now, he couldn't move. He could do nothing but watch as he pushed into his private office and activated the secret door behind the bookcase, could do nothing as he navigated the secret passageways until he was walking outside the dormitory. He could do nothing as he continued to walk out into the night, his heart pounding in his chest for all that he appeared calm, down a path that he knew was near the security cameras' blind spots because his father had told him never to use it.

Just before he would get back in sight of the cameras he ducked off the path and into a small grove of trees. Ben wondered what he would do there, doing everything he could to fight the enchantment, when his hand reached out towards one of the trees, plucking a harmless looking pendant off one of the branches.

He tried to fight the spell's hold on him. He tried everything he could think of what Merlin had taught him, that his father and Fairy Godmother had taught him about offensive magic. There was always something, but this spell was unbreakable. It was powerful and all-consuming in a way few people should ever be capable of casting, which meant that this- whatever this was – had been planned far ahead of time and in great detail.

As Ben clicked a button on the pendant, he wondered who was trying to kidnap him now, until the world around him lit up in a flash of silver light.

When the light faded, he seemed to be in a bedroom of some sort, though he wasn't alone – Prince Fritz of the Southern Isles and Logan, the son of an Ulstead Duke – waiting for him with amused grins.

"Looks like he fell for it after all," Fritz drawled, aiming a happy look at Logan. "Pay up, bub."

"I'm not gonna complain," Logan said, passing over some small amount of cash while the two seniors looked Ben over with predatory expressions. "The boys are going to be very happy about the added entertainment."

"Sit for us, would you Benny Boy?" Fritz asked, and Ben was surprised to feel himself do just that, the brunette perching on the edge of the bed. "I realize you're a little confused and probably a bit panicked, but here's the deal." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a choker – one of those pink ones the edgier princesses wore that had a bow and heart-shaped locket hanging off of it. "Those shoes have been enchanted with a powerful Imperious Curse, which means you're no longer in control of your body, we are." He reached forward and looped the choker around Ben's neck, the brunette doing nothing while it was settled into position. "And – wouldn't you know it – but a lot of the older heirs are kind of pissed about being passed over for the Beast Crown in favor of a Freshman like yourself, so here's the deal."

He did something to the choker that seemed to activate another spell, and slowly but surely a pink light slid over Ben's body, switching out his clothes for an outfit he would never wear. His button up and sweater was replaced by a strappy girls' bikini top that seemed to glimmer in the light, something cut in such a way that it almost showed off his nipples. His slacks were replaced with a flippy piece of material that might count as a skirt were it not so short that had slits up both legs that went all the way up to his waist. It barely covered the hot pink silk panties underneath, but Ben realized maybe that was the point. It was an outfit an exotic dancer might wear but that wasn't the end of it. His legs were treated to pink thigh high stockings done in artistic fishnets before his shoes – the gifts he had been so pleased with – transformed into strappy platform stilettos done up in glittering pink.

"Look at that," Logan hummed, feeling up Ben's inner thighs like it was nothing, and on one hand that was awful but on the other it made Ben realize that his legs had been shaved – that all his body hair was gone. That his skin seemed to be smeared in body glitter, as though the long, fishnet gloves and abundance of jewelry wasn't enough. "You're pretty as a peach, Benjamin."

"And he's going to know it too," Fritz said. "Ben, go look at yourself in the mirror."

Ben moved on auto-pilot, trying to glare at the two seniors but unable to do much else besides gliding over to the vanity, where he realized that in addition to the outfit, he'd been given makeup as well – a dark, smokey eye and false lashes, blush and lipstick and all the things Ben had been told expressly to never touch, not that he'd ever wanted to. His hair was artfully tousled with gel, a little heart clip tucked in just over his ear.

If he didn't know who he was, if he didn't know how very terrible this could be for his reputation, Ben would think the person staring back at him in the mirror was kind of sexy. Just- a lot of effort had been put in, and maybe he felt like an idiot, and maybe he was scared and violated, but above that panic, there was one startled moment of awe that would follow him for years to come.

Fritz came up beside him in a lazy stroll, letting one hand caress Ben's lower back before it dropped to cup his rear, reaching up under the flimsy material of the skirt and squeezing his bare skin because the panties were cut like a thong, hiding nothing.

"Your name is Rose, now," Fritz said with a cheerful wink. "And there's a lot of guys out there waiting for you to put on a show, Rose. Ready to go meet them?" He shifted his hands to Ben's hips, moving behind him so he could meet Ben's gaze in the mirror, dropping his voice so he could whisper directly into the brunette's ear. "You're a sexy slut, Rose. You're desperate for attention and don't care what you have to do to get it. You need those boys to cheer for you and will do anything for their approval. You want to show off what a bad bitch you are – now get out there and dance."

The words echoed in Ben's brain like a promise, tangling with his enchantment until Ben could only nod dumbly, a flush building up over the bridge of his nose while Fritz took his hand and led him out of the bedroom. They went down a hall towards an area of growing noise, and despite all Fritz had said, Ben wasn't ready for the fifteen or so classmates waiting for them in some kind of entertainment room, the lot of them laughing and catching up with each other before they broke out into catcalls, cheering and clapping while Ben was swamped with humiliation.

"Here she is, gentlemen!" Fritz cheered while he guided Ben over to what seemed to be a stage with a stripper's pole set up on it. "And now the one you've all been waiting for – Rose Florian!"

The crowd cheered, and Ben would have stumbled, would have fallen were it not for his enchantment, but instead he navigated his too tall shoes with perfect grace, pulse spiking when he caught a few of the guys with their phones up, something that only worsened when time went on because they were- they were filming this. His hand curled around the pole like it belonged there, and he turned until he was facing away from them – confusing him for all of a second before he was bending over, keeping his legs perfectly straight as his skirt road up, showing off his-

"That's what I'm talking about!" someone cheered, and Ben flushed terribly as he straightened with a sensual grace he'd never had before in his life.

He lost a few moments posing by the pole, leaning against it at a profile while he stuck his ass out, one hand feeling him up before he gave himself a spank that left the crowd cheering. He felt humiliated, but there was nothing he could do to stop it, nothing to keep him from grinding against the pole while they cheered. Sometimes he'd actually spin – movements he couldn't track that forced his body to bend in fluid ways he had never managed before until he stopped to pose in front of the pole, spreading his legs wide and sliding down in a provocative tease that left the guys hollering at him. Some were even throwing money, like Ben really was a slut, and he was painfully aware of every gaze and phone, of this degrading, career-ending thing getting caught on camera-

His breath caught, because between one body roll and the next he felt a familiar heat pulling low in his groin – and while that was an understandable embarrassment on a good day, considering how old he was – here and now, in so little clothes, there was no hiding his blossoming arousal, something that didn't take long for the guys to catch onto.

"Would you look at that?!" Logan hollered, the crowd laughing between cheers. "Miss Rose sure loves to put on a good show!"

Fuck, fuck, Ben couldn't stop it. He wanted to, thought of everything he could to cut it off, but his body felt so very warm, and every cheer and laugh and thrown dollar seemed to work him up more.

"Grind against that pole, Rose!" Fritz ordered, and then Ben started to do just that, swallowing down desperate whimpers when his erection caught against that firm brush of contact, the thin panties doing nothing to protect him.

"This is what I'm talking about!" some other guy muttered, making Ben whine. He could feel himself beginning to get wet, could feel himself staining the silk material of the panties, saw the skirt riding up around his dumb length, hiding nothing.

"Rose," Fritz ordered, capturing Ben's attention. "Crawl over here, would you, sweetheart?"

Ben's body didn't hesitate to drop to his hands and knees, crawling towards the edge of the stage in bashful movements while his face got hotter and hotter.

"The stairs, Rose," Fritz said with a smug grin when Ben got there. "You have to use the stairs."

Ben shuddered but did as he was told, flushing under the crowd's jeers while he awkwardly navigated the steps, crawling the entire way while the guys laughed at him. It wasn't until he was crawling between Fritz's legs, the other prince now sitting down, when he got a better look at the audience, something that made him almost pause.

"Yeah." Fritz grinned when Ben stayed perched in front of him, his gaze on the far side of the room where another upper classman seemed to be holding a tearful Prince Chadwick in his lap, the blond wearing a light blue choker of his own, though otherwise his clothes seemed to be normal. "We needed a fall guy for this shindig. You know how it is, Sardinians party hard." Before Ben could dwell on that, Fritz moved onto his next order. "Straddle my lap, Rose. I think I want a lap dance."

Ben complied. It wasn't like he had any choice. He rose in a fluid movement and set his hands on Fritz's shoulders, moving to straddle him in a way he had never even risked imagining, knowing that it would always be the other way around for him. Just- that was what was proper, but Ben had- he'd never been this close to another person, let alone while he was worked up, and Fritz seemed to know that by his devilish grin, his hands firm around Ben's hips while he let the brunette get into position.

"Nice and slow now," he advised, and Ben didn't know what that meant but apparently his body registered that as grinding himself against Fritz's stomach, conscious of the firm bulge rutting up against him. Oh, fuck, what if he actually came? What if he fell to pieces in front of all these upperclassmen dressed like a stripper? If they filmed that and shared the recording he would be finished, which was likely the point. They wanted to destroy him. He was in the process of getting torn apart and instead of crying like Chad, he was trying to get his rocks off on a guy that hated him, conscious of the way Fritz's hands seemed to burn into the bare skin of his hips-

A bang, and suddenly the room was flooded with the Elite Auradon Guard, just as it had been when Ben was four years old. The upperclassmen didn't seem prepared for that, and couldn't do much more than blink as their phones were confiscated and they were cuffed and rounded up.

Ben was yanked off Fritz's lap half a second before a tazer was shoved into the side of the other prince's neck, leaving him to spasm viciously in his chair before he promptly passed out. Ben's body was hopelessly confused, unsure of how to proceed for about half a second before one of the guards pulled out a flask of Enchanted Lake water and started pouring it over his entire body.

The moment it touched the shoes he was able to breathe again, the shock so sudden he almost lost his balance in the too high heels.

"The shoes," he gasped while an emergency blanket was thrown around his shoulders. "I couldn't- they were controlling me."

"Of course, your highness," the guard said, wrapping an arm around Ben's shoulders before guiding him away from where the rest of the young heirs were being detained.

"Wait," Ben said when they got near the door and he saw that Chadwick was getting cuffed as well. "He was being held hostage too."

The guard paused, not seeming sure what to think. "This is his family's house, your highness."

"He didn't organize this," Ben said. "Now uncuff him – that's an order."

He didn't normally use his authority like that, but he was still barely dressed and mostly aroused and entirely humiliated because the guards – at least, this guard – seemed to think he was doing this on purpose, that he'd wanted-

"You heard him," the guard accompanying Ben said, and that was how Chadwick was treated to a blanket of his own – he and Ben herded into a private room where they no doubt waited for some kind of inspector.

"Could you pour some water on the necklace?" Ben asked his guard, who complied after a moment's hesitation.

It was probably good they were some place quieter now because the moment she did, Chadwick started crying.

"I'm sorry," Chadwick croaked, fumbling with the choker. "They said- we were just going to hang out. I just wanted- I thought we were friends."

"It's okay," Ben said, placing a comforting hand on his bicep when the guard didn't do anything. "They tricked me too."

In hindsight, Ben could see why Chadwick was a prime target for them. The blond's father had been insanely overprotective of him after his mother's death, meaning he hadn't gotten the same opportunity to get out and network like the rest of them. Because of this, he seemed incredibly shy, earning the mocking nickname of Chad Charming by the crueler nobility that made fun of his seclusion.

Chadwick had likely been desperate for friendship – any kind of friendship – which had made him ripe for Fritz's picking.

It didn't take long for Ben's father to push into the office, looking as grave as he ever did when these sort of incidents happened, something that only worsened when he caught sight of Ben's outfit and Chadwick's presence.

"Benjamin…" he began, sounding tired, Detective Basil hovering quietly beside the king.

"He didn't do anything," Ben said. "He was enchanted too. Here." He passed over the chokers and the stupid heels he had wrestled out of. "Even with the Enchanted Lake water they should still have traces of their enchantments."

His father sighed. "Be that as it may, Prince Fritz is vital to the stability of the Southern Isles. Now, Duke Francis has been telling me that Chadwick-"

"Wait," Ben said, his brain putting together the words his father hadn't said and not liking what he came up with. "You want- do you want to let Fritz go free? You want to blame Chadwick?"

"This is an opportunity," his father said. "We can keep the Southern Isles in control now, they have no leverage, but that's only if we keep Fritz off the Isle-"

"You're not sending Chadwick to the Isle!" Ben snapped. "I don't care what Duke Francis has said, he was just as much a victim as I was."

He knew his father operated in a moral gray area out of necessity, but Ben couldn't- he couldn't go through all that and then watch Chadwick – perfect, fall guy Chadwick – take the blame for a crime he never would have even thought about committing.

"Ben," his father sighed again, and he didn't even bother looking at Chadwick, the teenager he was willing to condemn to the Isle for the sake of politics.

"If you send him to the Isle," Ben began. "I will find every one of those videos and post them myself." He allowed a moment for his words to sink in, feeling his cheeks heat with a terrible sort of humiliation, but knowing that what he said was true. "And if I can't find them, I'll make new ones. I will raid princess's closets and dance for every prince in my class and get it all on tape and post it online, and there will go the United States of Auradon – the thing you created – from your fingers. Who was next up after me, again? Princess Audrey of Auroria? She'd do a good job, I think."

"Don't say such things," his father growled, a low warning that left Chadwick flinching beside Ben.

"Then stop being an asshole," Ben snapped back. He couldn't believe he had to do this. Couldn't believe he'd gone through all that only have to deal with his father's questionable practices. "Let the people who actually committed the crime pay for their actions."

"I'm trying to do you a favor," his father snapped. "Do this and you will always have to keep an eye on the Southern Isles. Let Chad take the fall and not only will they be indebted to you, but you will gain favor with Sardinia as well. They've been looking for a reason to replace Chadwick-"

"Spare me your politics," Ben growled. "We're the fucking good guys. We are not letting a rapist go free while one of his victims takes the fall for him. I don't care how many people it pisses off – send them all to the fucking Isle for all I care!"

There was a moment of unbearable tension, Ben's gaze hot with moisture and Chad still as a statue beside him, staring down the unfortunate truth of Auradon's king. Ben wasn't sure when his father had made the transition from parent to ruler for him, only that it must have been years ago because he barely remembered the comforting feel of his father's support.

Now there was only the unbearable weight of his judgement that would either crush Ben completely or build him up into something even stronger.

Eventually, his father shook his head with a frustrated snarl. "You're as stubborn as your mother."

"I'm very fortunate in that regard," Ben said before the king turned in one abrupt movement, gliding out of the room as quickly as he'd invaded it.

"So," Detective Basil began after a pause. "I'm going to need your statements now."

"Sure," Ben said, wrapping an arm around Chadwick's shoulders.

Chadwick, who had tears pouring down his cheeks, who leaned desperately into Ben's offered contact.

"I'm sorry," Ben said, his throat feeling tight. He wished his mom was here, but he was kind of glad she wasn't. He didn't want her seeing him like this.

"S'not your fault grandpa hates me," Chadwick gasped. "He t-thinks I'm trash because mom was a s-servant."

"You're not trash," Ben said, and it was like no one had ever offered that to Chadwick before because he just stared up at him with wide eyes before sobbing, leaning his head against Ben's shoulder with a wet sniffle. "It's okay," Ben soothed. "It's gonna be okay. You and me, we're gonna stick together for now on."

"I'll be good," Chad croaked. "I will. I'll make it worth it, B-Ben. I won't tell anyone a-anything and when I'm- if I'm king, Sardinia will support you no matter what."

'If'. He didn't even know if he'd get to be king despite being Sardinia's only heir, his grandfather hated him so much.

In that moment, Ben decided he hated Chadwick's grandfather right back.

"Thank you," Ben murmured, nuzzling the blond's curls. "That means a lot to me."

Chadwick's only reply was a wet croak, but that was okay. Ben couldn't be allowed such emotional indulgences right now, but Chadwick could express their sorrow for the both of them. It could be their compromise.

It would have to be enough.

-:-:-

They gave their statements. Fritz had targeted Chad (he preferred it to Chadwick – something he informed Ben with a flinch after Ben had used his formal name) a week ago, noticing the blond's social isolation. They'd had a few study sessions at the other prince's summer home when Fritz had asked if they could have one at Chad's and Chad – who'd been desperate to fit in – agreed. He hadn't been prepared for the thirteen or so extra princes that showed up, but he hadn't been able to protest much before his choker had been slipped on and he'd been enchanted into complacency.

"He said I was his teddy bear?" Chad managed, huddling into Ben's side. "I had to stay quiet and really still w-while he kept um- touching me."

'Touching', in this instance, was code for groping. Chad had been brought to tears when Detective Basil gently ironed out the extent of the touches so proper charges could be placed, making Ben furious and frustrated all over again.

In the end, Ben had been given a change of clothes to switch into while his stripping outfit was bagged as evidence. Ben was terribly aware of the wet stain of slick drying against the groin of the panties, and he could only hope that the things were buried with the rest of this investigation. He had no doubt now that things hadn't gone his father's way that Fritz and the other princes would be charged with something severe but entirely unrelated to this evening's events. It was his way of lessening the blow against the Southern Isles while protecting Ben's reputation and also keeping the crown of Auradon strong.

It was really all that mattered in the end for him – such was the price of being the king of everything.

Chad was forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement without the presence of a guardian before the two of them were stealthily returned to Auradon Prep – Ben's mom none the wiser. Ben didn't know if Chad had any guardians that liked to check up on him, but based on Chad's behavior, he was guessing the blond didn't.

"Hey," Ben said when they got into the private side entrance of their dormitory. "Do you want to spend the night in my room?"

Chad blinked at him with wide eyes. "You- you wouldn't mind?"

After that shitshow of an evening, no, Ben wouldn't, and while it was unquestionably stupid to show yet another person the secret passageways that had allowed Ruby to sneak in enchanted contraband (likely unknowingly, set up by an unknowing sister, but still doing it nonetheless), Ben didn't really want to be alone with his thoughts right now.

"You'd be doing me a favor," Ben told him honestly, and Chad grinned at him so wide, it was like Ben had offered him the damn moon.

Ben technically had a guest room, but he let Chad crash in his bedroom with him. The blond had glanced nervously at the couches but Ben simply herded him towards the large bed after they'd cleaned up for the night, Chad looking cute in a borrowed set of Ben's sweats.

"It's big enough for both of us," Ben said. "Unless you'd rather-"

"I don't want to be alone," Chad gushed, looking embarrassed at the admittance. "I mean-"

"I know," Ben said, getting a grateful look. After all that, he knew exactly what Chad meant.

The blond swallowed. "I'm really sorry. About everything. I would have stopped it if I could."

"I would have too," Ben told him. "And the only ones who need to be sorry are the guys who got arrested, Chad. It wasn't your fault."

"S-Still," Chad said, ducking his head. "I um- sorry. I'm awful, but um- you were- you were really pretty as Rose. Just- I wanted to say that in case you changed your mind about… everything."

Ben froze, his heart pounding terribly in his chest, but he didn't falter, didn't shake because he remembered that moment where he'd admired himself in the mirror, he remembered the way it felt when he moved with such sensual confidence, how hot he had felt.

Under their gazes, everything had seemed mocking. Degrading.

Under Chad's, Ben felt revered. Cherished for something other than being the future king of Auradon.

Really, Chad didn't seem to care who Ben was, he was just glad that the brunette was present.

"Thank you," Ben said eventually, easing into a smile. "I appreciate that."

"You do?" Chad asked, flushing dark.

"I do," Ben confirmed. And then, because he hated himself – "Was I sexy?"

It was pretty invigorating, to see the way that flush darkened. "V-Very," Chad said.

"Then I'm glad," Ben said, motioning Chad into the bed.

It was completely improper, of course. Two princes sharing a bed. Two princes expressing any kind of intimate appreciation for each other. It was a useless path because both of them needed women to continue their family lines, and yet in that moment Ben couldn't care less, not when Chad made him feel more grounded than his own damn father.

"We can cuddle, if you want," Ben offered, always one to push his luck.

Chad stared at him. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No," Ben said, his tone firm. "Just- we can do this for each other. No one else might understand, but we do. That's all."

"I… then yeah," Chad said, considering this. "Yes, I…" He didn't finish the sentence, simply crawling into Ben's space and using the brunette's chest like a pillow, and before Fritz's hands had felt claiming and degrading, but Chad's touch was a comfort, and more than that, it seemed that Ben's presence was a comfort to him in turn.

"You and me, Chad," Ben said, running a hand down the blond's back. "We're going to stick together from now on, okay?"

"I'd like that," Chad whispered, Ben holding onto those reverent little words the same way he would have for Ruby, the same way he would have before his entire world was turned upside down, reminding him just how unfair life really could be.

-:-:-

Ben broke up with Ruby.

It wasn't that he wanted to, he just realized she would never have the necessary perception towards danger and intense paranoia that would be needed to be his girlfriend. She'd been used to sneak those enchanted shoes into his room and was still none the wiser – thinking she'd done a nice thing when she'd set Ben up for catastrophic failure. Maybe one day she'd make a great queen for someone, but it couldn't be him. That was why he ended up asking out Princess Audrey a few weeks after his breakup. He didn't like her all that much to be honest, but as heir to three kingdoms, Audrey had training Ruby simply didn't. She was determined and focused and always planning – had backup plans for her backup plans and was constantly aware of how both of their images could be affected at any given moment.

It was more like a business arrangement than anything else, and Audrey seemed to get that.

"I do have one condition, though," Ben said when he'd asked her out, making the brunette princess pause. "I need you to look out for Chad."

"Who?" Audrey asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Chad James," Ben clarified. "The Prince of Sardinia."

"Prince Charming's kid?" Audrey asked. "Is he a threat?"

"The opposite," Ben said. "An ally, but he's also a prime target for those with less savory goals."

Audrey hummed, her eyes narrowing in a manner that did not hide her thoughtful consideration, and it wasn't long before her clever mind put Ben and Chad's sudden friendship together with the literal herd of princes that had been arrested two weeks ago.

She didn't know the whole story and never would, but Ben could see she knew something had happened.

"Okay," Audrey decided, nodding her head. "Do you want me to watch from up close, or a distance?"

"Up close, please," Ben said. "He's a really good guy, just-"

"Shy," Audrey finished almost sympathetically, like she understood why but also knew it wouldn't get Chad anywhere. "I'll train him in our ways. Or at the very least, help him get a public persona that will help him get by." She glanced up at Ben through her lashes, something sultry mixed with a casual deliberation. "Am I acting as your beard, Benjamin?"

Despite his training, Ben was certain his cheeks flushed an embarrassing shade of red. "We both know that will only lead to trouble," he said. "I want good things for him, Audrey."

"Then he'll get them," Audrey decided. "And you'll get me."

"Yes," Ben said, nodding his head. "And together, we can take care of Auradon."

"Peachy," Audrey chirped with a smile that just barely hinted on a mere display of teeth, and maybe she wasn't the happily ever after his mother had found but she was safe, which was really all Ben cared about in the end.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

The continued adventures in Adam being the worst parent ever, and this is just the start! Next chapter is a time jump – just needed to get the foothold of the world established before we jumped into the deep end of post Descendants-3 goodness ;)

This story will consist of 16 chapters of story content. I update once a week, generally on Sundays, but because things have been so crazy lately I decided to make an effort to update twice a week. So there will be one update on Sunday and one update on Wednesday/Thursday for now :D

Please let me know if I missed anything in the tags. I prefer to ere on the side of caution with these things, but when you've been staring at something for so long, it can be easy for things to slip through the cracks.

Just a heads up – I update the story tags as I go in order to avoid spoilers. So characters, pairings, content warnings – all will be updated in correlation to the appropriate chapter as they are posted. Also, if you see a tag you're worried about, check the forenotes – the more hard-hitting stuff will have more thorough warnings listed there.

Story notes:

To clarify, Central Auradon is the kingdom Belle and Adam rule over while the United States of Auradon is the union of kingdoms they also rule over.

On the Imperious Curse – I'm not the biggest Harry Potter fan, but I can admit that it does offer a bevy of magic and stuff that is nice to borrow when I don't feel like thinking too hard. It also tends to make you guys laugh, so like – bonus points there ;)

Shout out to the movie 'Hustlers' for providing most of the inspiration for the pole dancing scene, because I had nothing on my own.

Detective Basil is from The Great Mouse Detective.

Until next time :)