"What was that?" Ben demanded as soon as the door to the classroom closed. A low growl threatened to build in his throat. He swallowed it.

That had not been how he'd wanted to introduce Audrey to the VKs. Given the choice, Ben would've made sure they were more settled on campus and in their schedules long before they met her formally. The way it had gone over was exactly why he'd wanted to have a chance to speak to both parties in advance.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Audrey replied, a slight pout to her frown as she looked at him. Ben closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and swallowed another growl. He was not in the mood for another one of her games right now.

"You know that doesn't work with me."

They'd met when they were children, only five and seven at the time. Her parents were visiting to discuss the creation of the Ascendancy at the time. Back then, she'd been different. Like most children, she had been self-centered and indifferent to the plights of people she didn't know. The problem was that she never grew out of that phase. As a friend, she could be kind and compassionate and as a betrothed she was loving and charming. Occasionally she was oblivious or believed she knew best, but she was a solid friend to have. As a ruler, she was benevolent, but condescending. Something that never sat right with him and she would never discuss.

Dropping the act, Audrey glared at him, arms crossing over her chest. "I don't get what your problem is. It wasn't as if I was being rude."

"So insinuating that Evie does not carry royal blood was you being polite?" he challenged.

"I merely told her that she is not a princess. The Evil Queen has no title, so neither does she," Audrey dismissed with a flip of her hair.

"Even without a title Evie is a royal and deserves more respect than you gave her. You were being passive aggressive and trying to provoke them," Ben retorted, tapping his foot against the floor. Logically, he should breathe, take a moment and recollect himself. He should reason with her and clearly state his frustrations. But he couldn't bring himself to care. It wasn't as if they were being observed and critiqued. After knowing each other for so long, it was a pointless front anyway.

"Well congratulations. Your little experiments passed the test," Audrey sneered.

"They are not experiments." At least not to him.

Laughing, Audrey shook her head. "That's exactly what they are. Face it, Ben. The Council is just indulging you until you realize the world doesn't work the way you think it does.. It's only a matter of time before they show their true colors."

"How many times do I have to tell you they're people, Audrey?" Every time they'd argued about the declaration it had come up and every time he'd reminded her they were people just like everyone in the Ascendancy. "They aren't their parents, just like we aren't ours," Ben countered. Restless, he paced a few steps. "They aren't the monsters people think they are. There's more to them than that. The way they interact with each other proves it."

Over the past week he spent as much of his free time with them as possible. Mostly it was just making small talk and trying to get them comfortable with his presence. After Carlos's clear discomfort at the stable and unexpected fear, he'd made an effort to be more aware of their reactions and emotional states. In that time he'd been able to learn some things about them.

They were like "normal" people even in small ways. They were curious. They had fears and hobbies and things they liked. Carlos was the polar opposite of his mother, adoring animals and taking care of them. He'd noticed that while Carlos wouldn't approach the stray dog he'd met, he would leave scraps of food out for it. Jay wasn't as easy to pin down, but he'd shown high levels of concern for the others and definitely enjoyed pancakes.

Mal and Evie were both creatively inclined. Evie dedicated her time to fashioning clothes to perfectly match their personalities down to the smallest details. The perfect shade or hue of color. The type of stitch she used. How the colors were arranged. The few glimpses of Mal's sketches he'd been able to see…They were stunning. Landscapes that looked like echoes of the world. One or two sketches of her friends that seemed to focus on something deeper than just their appearances. Of course, he'd never gotten a proper look and he never asked. Those particular sketches seemed…personal.

With a faint frown, Audrey reached out and rested a hand on his arm, preventing him from pacing. "Ben, I know you're smart enough to realize that their blood makes it impossible for them to be like us. Just like our blood makes it impossible for us to be like them. They are the children of villains. Evil is a literal part of their lineage, their being."

Surely she wasn't serious. Being related to someone didn't immediately mean you'd be the same way. He could think of several people off the top of his head. Not that he'd admit to it if asked. "Audrey," he began.

"Unlike us," she continued, ignoring him. "We're the children of heroes, Ben. The children of 'happily ever after'. So that's what we'll live too. The lives of heroes who will always reach their goals and will want for nothing. Because all of that is our birthright. Nothing goes wrong for us."

Everything stopped. His body couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. His heart couldn't find its beat. He couldn't see or hear anything beyond the princess in front of him. His brain couldn't process her words in a way that would restart the world.

"Those villain kids don't belong here. They never have. They never will. Isn't it cruel to let them see a life that they will never obtain?"

Air filled his lungs again and Ben took a step back. "I don't believe the world works that way," he said slowly. Reality still felt uncoupled from their piece of time in that classroom, unwilling to reconnect to his mind and the unwelcome alternative world he'd found. "The cruelest thing I can imagine is letting people suffer for crimes they weren't even alive for."

Taking another step back, Ben met Audrey's gaze. Confusion and anger glared back at him. "Please, Audrey. I know you don't like what I'm trying to do, but please keep trusting me. Don't cause trouble for them. Give them a chance. Everything could change. For the better."

For a long moment all she did was glower. Then she straightened and brushed her dress off. "A princess does not ignore what is improper and out of place," she replied. Without another word she left, leaving Ben to watch as two, no three, separate realities began to collide.