The Hard Truth

A Princess Doesn't Sulk

Author's Note: Honestly, I'm probably going to be lengthening this chapter before I update with a new chapter after this one.

But I kind of just want to get it up tonight yet and I'm tired, so any changes will have to wait til tomorrow (hopefully).

Also,  so, I don't actually recall Audrey having a, like, full name? And I didn't really see anything, so I've made an executive decision to call her Audrey Sofia Grace. I just think it flows nicely.

Additional Note: Oh, also, I didn't mention this before but figure I should probably clear it up in case you're confused. For this soulmate au thing, the full name of your soulmate appears on your wrist on your sixth birthday. (Don't ask me why six, I just needed an age and didn't want something too old nor too young, and figured this was sort of down the middle. Old enough to understand to keep the name to yourself, you know because people can and will lie, especially to royalty, but not too young to really not understand the whole concept of soulmates. Also, something young enough that Audrey blindly believing everything her grandmother Queen Leah tells her is more believable. When you're that little, why would you question anything you're told by the adult you trust the most?)

Chapter Summary: In which Audrey sulks and you learn why she's so clingy to Ben.

She was not sulking, she wasn't. A princess simply did not sulk. Audrey tried to look dignified as she lowered herself to the (potentially) grimy ship deck by Chad. Honestly, she didn't know how they were getting away with this, tying up the Prince of Charmington, oh there would certainly be a price to pay for this slight. She'd make sure of it. A glance to the side saw the group of villains near her Benny Boo growing larger, and she did not like it one bit, and scowled at them all invading his space.

Audrey felt a familiar rage when she heard the blue girl call the freakish looking girl with horns Maladia, even more fury filled her when she saw Ben's eyes flash, hopeful. No, she would NOT stand for this, this disgusting villain taking her rightful place away from her. She'd worked far too hard, had followed all the rules, and was rightfully the next queen of Auradon. She'd come too far for it to all go down the drain like this.

Audrey had grown up being groomed for this, this was her purpose in life, her Grammy had told her so. This was her birthright, and she wouldn't have some weirdly named villain girl take it from her now.

She remembered the day her Benny Boo had turned six. She had hurried down the hallways of Castle Beast to see him, eagerly expecting to see the name Princess Audrey Sofia Grace emblazoned on his wrist. She had stopped in her tracks upon hearing Ben and Harry whispering together. Sneakily peeking around the corner she saw the duo trying to read the name on the young Princeling's wrist, but it didn't sound like her name, no, they would have had no problem pronouncing her beautiful name, this was someone else's name. "Ma-May-Mal-lad-a-ia" they tried, young minds uncertain how to say it, "Auro-aura-aurora Dee-a"

Taking a deep breath she put on her best smile (the one that Grammie said could get her anything she wanted) and skipped into the room. "Whatcha doin'?" she had chirped at them, and felt her heart drop yet again when they acted like it was some big secret she wasn't allowed in on, Ben's soulmark.

Later, once the festivities were over and she was tucked away safely in a carriage with her Grammie, she cried and cried and cried. Queen Leah was sympathetic to her grandchild, but was glad to have the bit of knowledge stored away as to the name of the unlucky person who was getting in the way of her carefully laid plans.

When she finally turned six she stared at her wrist all day, and the morning after she fled to her grandmother once more, scared because her wrist was still blank. Her Grammie had assured her that it wasn't a bad thing, but her mind was churning, this would do her plans well, to push Audrey into the role of Ben's Queen, so long as they never found the girl with a weird name.

And so, armed with all of this anger, she put on that same smile and pranced forward and clutching (not desperately, no a princess was never desperate) onto the prince's arm, "Dance with me, Benny Boo?"