Four people stepped into the room, two men and two women. All of them were breathtaking in their own ways.
Jay was the tallest of the four, his dark eyes commanding and powerful, daring someone to challenge him. Daring Ben to challenge him, even though neither of them had even said a word yet. But Ben could see the discomfort in the other man's posture, muscles braced and coiled to strike at the first sign of a threat, while loose enough to move and adapt. Ben hoped he'd never have to face him in a true fight. Jay was someone Ben wanted at his side. A fighter. A predator. A piece of the wild contained in a human body.
Evie glided across the floor. Sapphire blue hair fell in gentle waves around her face, perfectly complimenting the shape of it. Grace and beauty flowed from her every step, her every move down to the slightest gesture of her hand, poise personified. Eyes as deep and alive as the ocean peered at him through long lashes that fluttered when she blinked. If sirens existed on land, he'd swear she was one of them. Alluring. Elegant. Tranquil as a lagoon.
While the least attention grabbing of the four, Carlos still stole his breath. The youngest's features were striking. With his pale skin speckled in freckles, high cheekbones reminiscent of his mother, the hereditary de Vil hair, and chocolate brown eyes he seemed almost unreal. And the way he moved spoke of agility and speed, his eyes assessing and wary. Fast. Sharp. Smart. Nervous.
And then there was Mal. Despite being the second shortest, her presence was almost tangible. Every step clicked against the floor with purpose, her head held high. Amethyst hair loose and untamed beyond a simple brushing, swayed with each step. Her grey eyes reminded Ben of fog, mysterious and impossible to read, which only captured his curiosity. If Jay was a piece of the wilderness, Mal was an embodiment of myth and mystery, compelling and elusive, and Ben suddenly wasn't sure if she was actually only half fae. A hint of unease tightened her mouth, her lips lightly compressed, but beyond that Ben couldn't tell what she was thinking.
Self-conscious, Ben smoothed his jacket before bowing. "Welcome to the University of Auradon. I'm excited to meet all of you and look forward to the next year with you."
Evie lowered herself into a flawless deep curtsey, head bowed to let her hair fall across her features. Awkward, Jay and Carlos bowed with the wrong hand behind their backs. Mal hesitated before bowing like the boys and Ben realized that he had been so mesmerized by her face that he'd missed that she'd chosen to wear pants and a shirt instead of a dress like Evie. He filed the observation away for later. For now, he needed to be present and focus on his guests.
"It is an honor, Your Highness," Evie replied as she rose from her curtsey, as graceful as any princess. More graceful than a few actually. The smile she offered him was sweet and demure. "We look forward to studying here at the university."
"I know you've already been told who I am but I'd like to properly introduce myself. I'm Ben, prince of Auradon," he told them, habitually extending his hand.
All four stared at him for a moment before Evie stepped forward and placed her hand in his, allowing him to kiss it. "Evelyn," she replied. "But, please, call me Evie."
Mal went next, her grip firm, bordering tight, and her smile sharp. He decided the wise thing to do was to shake her hand rather than kiss it."Mal." With a jerk of her head towards the boys, she added, "Jay is the one next to me. Carlos is by Evie."
Another thing to file away; the boys never approached him. Was it fear? That didn't match Jay's expression or posture. It was a possibility for Carlos, the youngest's eyes darting around the room and only briefly landing on Ben himself before looking away again. He would have to be more cautious in his approach with the shortest of his guests.
"Please, sit," Ben smiled, feeling the tension slowly drain from his shoulders. It was going well. Granted they've only exchanged pleasantries, but it was still an excellent start; they hadn't attacked him, or anyone else in the building, and they seemed friendly enough. "Lunch will be brought in shortly, but we have drinks and some fresh bread until then."
Once Evie took the first step forward, the others followed, each finding a seat. Their arrangement wasn't what Ben had expected. From the reports, he'd been under the impression that Mal took the lead. But Evie chose the seat closest to him on the left while Jay took the seat opposite of her. Mal sat beside Evie and Carlos took the seat next to Jay.
None of them moved to touch the food as he sat and he frowned internally. He'd hoped they'd realize that he didn't expect them to be formal with him. Perhaps greeting them with a bow hadn't been his wisest decision. It was so ingrained in him that he'd done it out of habit.
Hoping to fix that, Ben smiled and chose a small roll. "You don't need to wait for me. After being on a ship for so long you must be excited to eat something other than rations. Please, help yourselves."
To his relief, they did, each grabbing a roll and Jay taking the butter. Ben himself chose the apple jam and for a few moments they were silent, enjoying the food. Evie's eyes lit up as she took a bite and Jay stared at the roll in unguarded awe before catching himself and closing his expression off again. Something in his stomach lurched. Those reactions…Surely they'd had bread before. And butter, which Jay slathered over his roll, dark eyes betraying his excitement.
Jay tore into the rolls, only just slow enough to avoid making himself sick and Ben bit his tongue to keep himself from reminding them that there would be more food with the actual meal. Evie ate with small bites, proper and refined, and Mal did her best to copy her. But from the twitch in her hands, Ben knew she wanted to dig in like Jay.
"Was there bread on the Isle?"
Silently he cursed himself. This wasn't the time for such questions. They were still new to Auradon and met him less than fifteen minutes ago. Inquiring about life on the Isle could make them wary…er of him. The exact opposite of what he wanted to achieve. And his word choice was rude and ignorant. As if he just assumed that they hadn't had something on the Isle even though he himself had said that traveling on a ship for a week would make any food look good.
For a split second, a scowl flashed across Mal's face as her eyes darted to him and he swore her eyes were green. Then she blinked, her expression smoothed, and her eyes were grey. He didn't have time to be confused because Evie giggled, a delicate, bright sound.
"Nothing nearly as delicious as this," the daughter of Grimhilde smiled. "Your cooks are very talented."
They were talented. But these rolls were intentionally simple and rather plain. Yet Evie acted as though it was the best thing she'd ever tasted…Of course he could be overthinking things and she could merely be using the usual flattery nobility and royalty used on a daily basis. She was the daughter of a former queen after all and Grimhilde had clearly taught her the ways of court. And if he were honest with himself, he did have a tendency to look far deeper into things than the average person. His father always said he'd inherited his mother's hunger for knowledge.
"I'll be sure to let them know that you approve," he smiled back.
He was saved from any further conversation caused by his foolishness by the doors opening to present their lunch. A simple vegetable soup that was one of his personal favorites and a mixed salad of lettuce, tomato, and cheese. For dessert there would be slices of chocolate cake.
As soon as the food was set before them, the VKs were eating, though Evie and Mal continued to restrain themselves. If it wasn't for the fact that he could see how malnourished they were and knew how any and all food would be eaten, Ben would celebrate having chosen a lunch they enjoyed. Stomach churning, he forced himself to eat. To not eat in front of people who couldn't afford not to eat would be an insult and a waste.
Once they slowed, realizing the food wasn't going to be taken away, Ben said, "There is a great deal I hope to discuss with you. However, this is your first day here and it's been a long journey so I won't go into everything now. If you're willing, I'd like to clarify what it is I'm working towards and answer any questions you may have."
Mal and Evie exchanged glances while Jay's attention expanded beyond the food.
"I confess we've been quite curious about the sudden honor of coming to Auradon," Evie said, smile soft with a hint of embarrassment.
Ben smiled. The invitations he'd sent had been official and incredibly wordy so he'd expected there to be some confusion. "I'm more than happy to explain. The shortest version of the story is that, for some time, I've been researching the Isle of the Lost and how it was turned into a prison." That earned a snort from Jay, who then winced. From the way Mal's posture shifted, Ben suspected she'd kicked him. "Auradon was entrusted with its jurisdiction and care and as the heir, I wanted to know about the part of my home I have never seen."
At the word home, Evie tilted her head slightly.
"I realized that there was very little information regarding population and children. Children who are innocent of their parents' crimes and should not have been forgotten," Ben continued. Jay twitched, fingers curling, and this time when Mal kicked him he shot her a glare.
"Now that I'm old enough to be made the official Crown Prince, I have the ability to make declarations. This is my first one. An opportunity for the children born on the Isle or were under the age of eighteen when their parents were banished to come to Auradon and live here permanently." How his father had overlooked the banishment of children in the first place still frustrated him beyond words.
"Are you serious?" Mal asked. Eyebrow arched, she leaned back in her chair to look at him. "Because if you haven't noticed there's only four of us here."
Expression falling a little, Ben sighed. "Unfortunately, the Council required a trial period before more children could be considered. Many of them have had personal experiences with at least one villain on the Isle. My declaration passed by only one vote. I want to undo the mistakes they made and fix what they overlooked. For now, however, I have to rely on their approval."
"So we're an experiment."
Ben winced. Blunt as it was, it was the truth.
"And if we fail, we get sent back and no one else leaves," she continued.
He nodded.
Silence fell over the table and he waited. This was their silence to break. He couldn't deny anything Mal had said. All he could do was promise that he'd help them in every way possible as best he could. To them, they'd only be words that meant nothing.
"Not really much of an option," Mal finally said with a shrug of her shoulders. Posture relaxing, she tore a piece from a roll and popped it into her mouth. "But we don't really have a reason not to. We're in."
Relief released the breath he'd been holding and he let his shoulders sag a bit. "I promise that I'll help you in whatever way I can. All you need to do is ask if I overlooked something you'll need. Later I'll introduce you to some personal friends of mine who believe in my goals. They'll be an incredible resource as well."
"Cool," Mal shrugged and he knew that that was the end of it. For today at least.
Not pressing the conversation further, he smiled at them before beginning to eat again and they returned their attention to the meal.