Chapter Text
AURADON
Beast and Belle sat at the table across from Luke with Ben and Mal sitting beside them. Beast reasoned with his youngest child, "We already decided years ago to exile the Queen of Hearts’ child to the Isle along with her. Why should we go back on that decision now?"
Luke always hated these conversations. His parents never took his side, they always took Ben's though. At least Ben wasn't a cruel sibling, he and Luke had many similar beliefs, they got along well, and Ben would make his parents realize how dumb they were.
"That's like saying why should we go back on the decision of bringing the VKs to Auradon dad, you had your doubts about bringing Mal and you absolutely love her, these kids should be given the same chance," Ben held Mal's hands under the table.
"That's not-" Beast paused and sat there for a moment. "I suppose you are right, it would be very hypocritical of us." He looked at Belle and grabbed her hand. They had a silent conversation. He looked back at Luke and said, "I'm sorry son, we shouldn't have judged you for your idea, it was wrong of us."
Luke scoffed, "Yeah sure." He got up and left the room.
Ben watched his brother leave, "You know you guys always do that right?"
"Do what?" Belle asked.
"You guys always make his ideas seem like a major issue, but if I have the idea you're cool with it. It's just not fair to him," Ben crossed his arms.
"Your brother doesn't think before he does things, Ben. You know this. He didn't think before letting Zhou's animals out. He thought they were in danger when they weren't and if he asked first we would've told him that. But he's impulsive and doesn't listen," Beast ranted about his youngest child.
Belle put her hand on the beast's arm, "You know Luke has ADHD dear."
The Beast sighed, "And that aside he should know better he's almost sixteen."
"You're acting like he let the animals out last week. He did it when he was five he didn't know any better," Ben sat back in his chair. "You guys have never been fair to him and just refuse to admit that you don't trust him and blame it on something that isn't even at fault." He was furious with his parents for treating Luke like a toddler. His parents never got along with Luke well when he was gone. Every time he returned home, his parents had some type of argument with Luke that he needed to de-escalate. Most of the time it was about the stupidest thing, or his parents would just knit and pick anything Luke did.
Mal didn't know what to do besides sit there. She thought kids in Auradon had perfect lives, relationships with their parents, and overall everything. She's starting to see it's not the truth. When she first met Belle and Beast she thought they were amazing, that was until she met Ben's brother Luke and figured out their relationship with their second son.
In truth the relationship wasn't the healthiest, it even stressed Ben out to leave his brother home alone with his parents. It caused Ben to bring Luke places with him constantly, the younger following his brother around like an energetic puppy. It wasn't the worst thing in the world to go places with Ben and have Luke come along with them. Ben knew when things should just be them and no siblings.
The amount of times Luke has gone with them has decreased since he has been staying with his friend Alex when Ben isn't home. Don't get her wrong, Mal loves hanging out with Luke. But Ben and Mal's time with only Ben and Mal is precious.
But Luke was right, the Queen of Hearts’ kid deserved a shot like they did, and Mal had met him before, he was scared of her at first, but he slowly warmed up to her and became one of the few kids Mal got along with. His mom was absolutely insane, she felt bad for him, so if she and Ben can get him out she's willing to do it.
Beast took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, "Let's just talk about the kids coming from the Isle. Who were Luke's candidates?"
"He wanted to bring over the son of Gaston, son of Anastasia, son of Dr.Facilier, and son of the Queen of Hearts," Ben reminded them.
Belle looked a bit taken aback at the recommendation for Gaston's child. She quickly fixed her expression and asked, "Mal do you know their kids?"
"I don't know a lot about some of them, Anastasia's kid is named Bobby. Gaston's child is named Nick, he's as harmless as a fly. Dr.Facilier's kid is named Willie, he reads people's fortunes for money on the Isle. Reggie is the Queen of Hearts' son, I know him the best and he probably has the toughest of the bunch, he's smart and bright as well. When I first met him I thought it was a bit annoying, like Carlos, but like Carlos he grew on me," Mal explained.
Beast relaxed, "So he's not as crazy as his mom?"
"The only person as crazy as his mom is probably my mom," she laughed.
"I think we can work with those four being the candidates, we'd just have to inform them about it first." Ben said, "Mal and I have class so we will be going."
Mal stood with Ben and said that the couple had said their goodbyes before leaving.
On the Isle
The news was sent out to the entire kingdom, the Isle included. posters reading "FOUR NEW CANDIDATES" were hung around the Isle. Many of the kids wondered who would be lucky to be chosen next. Eventually, a newspaper with the four names was released to the Isle not long later.
On Salazen Grum Road is a miniature castle, with white walls dirtied to brown, red tall turrets, and gold accents. The castle itself is like a maze, the floors are black and white checkered floors, playing cards used to form decorations, red furniture, broken clocks on the walls, and roses around every corner a boy sits at a table watching his mom pace.
A newspaper was slammed on the heart-shaped table before Reggie, “Somehow you were chosen. Which is unfortunate because that means you will be meeting your father. I don't want you to become weak like him, Reginald.”
It's not the first time she's had this talk with him. She has tried teaching him everything she knows about being a villain and how he should act, get others to listen to him, and obey. Around others he tries, he truly does, but with his friends? He doesn't act how his mom would like him to, he's not ashamed, it's just not him.
She walked around the table stalking him like a shark trying to catch its prey. “He's an embarrassment to all villains! Saving those who have wronged us, siding with them! Your father didn't even want to take care of you! He saved himself! A selfish man! A shame to the Hearts family!”
He pursed his lips and tried not to look ashamed because of his actions.
His mother caught this, “Oh? Do you have something to admit?” She stalked close to him, glaring at him.
“No mother, I'm not like dad. I'm trying to keep our image alive,” he sighed, laying his head on his palm.
She raised an eyebrow, “You better be. Stop leaning on your palm, you'll mess up your makeup!” She swatted at his arm.
Like his mother, Reggie had to be on brand. He has makeup on his eye in the shape of a heart, lips done to have a heart with lip liner, and a crown made of playing cards, queen of Hearts specifically. His leather jacket was black with red sleeves, with playing cards on the back. He had a stressed white shirt under it, with black jeans, and red Converse he customized to keep his mom's brand.
He stopped leaning on his palm, “I'm pretty much on brand as your son's mom. There's not much else that can scream Queen of Hearts child as the way I'm dressed.”
“I want to make them regret what they did to us- you! Reginald! You! You have good grades in all of your classes, you're excelling! Better representative of Wonderland than Alice or the Hatters' kid!” His mother ranted, “You are simply better! And royal too! As soon as you get to Auradon you are to get everyone to listen to you!”
Reggie mentally rolled his eyes at his mother's antics. There was no way he was treating people in Auradon like they were beneath him when they were the ones under their feet.
He glanced at the clocks on the wall and perked up, he only had a couple of hours to get ready. “As nice as this lecture is Mother I have to pack, I know what to do. I've learned everything you taught me and I will abide by it,” he lied through his teeth.
She shooed him away before going to her garden, which was just shriveled and dead bushes, to play croquet.
He ran up to his room and packed his stuff, taking the things he wanted to keep with him the most, leaving the unnecessary things.
Thunk
Reggie jumped and looked for the source of the noise.
Thunk
There it was again. He turned towards his window and saw something hit it. He approached his window and opened it, only to be hit with a rock.
He groaned, “Ow.” he rubbed his forehead.
Wide-eyed Nick apologized profusely. Bobby smacked Nick, before climbing up the vines by Reggie's window.
Reggie opened his window more, moving out of the way for his friends to enter his room.
Bobby asked, “I'm assuming you got the same news as us?”
He nodded.
“It's going to be so much fun!” Nick exclaimed, clapping.
He stared at his friends, “Where'd your guy's luggage go?”
“Willie's dad is keeping an eye on it for us since he's responsible as a parent,” Bobby said plopping on Reggie’s bed.
“The mattresses in Auradon better be better than what we have,” Willie piped up, climbing through the window.
Nick agreed,
“They better be as soft as a cloud or I'm suing.”
“Hey uh Reg, what's with all the make-up?” Willie asked.
Reggie deadpanned, “My mom wants me to keep up her image, which means making sure every kid knows I'm her son based on makeup alone.” He packed his makeup in his bag before closing it.
“Sucks to be you, my dad just wants me to make money off people,” Willie playfully stuck his tongue out at him.
He flipped him off before putting his bag by the door. “So when are they picking us up?”
Bobby responded, “By 12, so if you wanna have one final meal on the Isle before we never see it again we should go soon.”
“She doesn't like me much…” Reggie muttered.
Willie piped up, “That's because Mal deemed you a part of her crew.”
“Yeah my brother doesn't like you for that either,” Nick said. “But I like you, you're a nice person, not rotten to the core.”
Bobby rolled his eyes, “That helps the case.” He looked at Reg, “Are you bringing your bass?”
“Are you bringing your guitar?” Reggie raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah I'd never leave it where my grandma can- oh you are bringing it,” he smacked his forehead.
He chuckled before putting his bags by his door, guitar case included. Reggie glanced around his room trying to think of anything else he’d need to bring. He squinted at something purple and fluffy underneath his bed before leaning down to get it. He felt around for the object but couldn’t feel it, he peered under the bed, and the object was nowhere in sight. Sitting back on his heels Reggie said, “Did you guys see something under my bed when you walked in?”
Nick looked at him like he had three heads, “Dude there is never anything under your bed.”
He wasn’t wrong, Reggie’s room was very neat, and everything had its place, which is why this thing was bothering him.
Bobby smirked, “That’s because his mom beat the messiness out of him when he was three.”
“Ooo good one let’s add that to the list of things wrong with Reggie,” Willie grabbed a pencil and a familiar piece of paper, adding it to the list.
THINGS WRONG WITH REGGIE
-AUTISTIC
-CRAZY MOM
-BEATEN AS A CHILD
-NO DAD (DADDY ISSUES)
-MOMMY ISSUES?
-NEAT FREAK
^DUE TO MOM’S BEATINGS
-DUMB YET SMART
“Haha so funny,” Reggie rolled his eyes. “Go get a table at Uma’s restaurant I’ll meet you there.”
Nick looked at him strangely, “Why don’t you just come with us?”
“I have other things to do here before I can go. I don’t want you guys to waste all your time until we are picked up,” he shrugged.
Bobby laughed at him, “No you just want to find the thingy you saw so your mom doesn’t freak out on you. Dude, we won’t even be in the same vicinity as her. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Brushing past what he said Reg continued his search, “Just go, alright?”
His friends sighed before taking off for Uma’s family restaurant.
He scoured his room searching for the white thing, but he couldn't find it. After the third time looking around his room, he sat back on his bed and groaned.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something purple appear from behind his vanity. Sitting up quickly, Reggie stared at the thing, getting a better glimpse. A cat's tail appeared before quickly disappearing, leaving an envelope in its place.
Wide-eyed Reggie moved over to the envelope, it was addressed to him, with a blue stamp. He ripped it open only to find a pocket watch. It was gold with a red heart embedded on the front of it, he popped it open, finding nothing off with it. The watch read 11 o’clock, “Shit, I need to go.” He pocketed the watch for later before climbing out his window, not giving the watch another thought.