And in the End I'd do it all Again: Book four

Normal Family Time (Mel's Pov)

"So we've been talking, and we wanted to take you dress shopping at a few boutiques before taking a look at the drawings evie sketched out, just because we want you to get the full bridal experience." Bell speaks up and I nod. "That sounds fun." I muse and she smiles wide. We stay a little longer, going over ideas and talking about themes. Soon though, dad and mom leave with hades and the other's follow suit. "Come on beautiful, lets go home." Ben whispers to me as we say goodbye to the others. Jafar goes along with jay and mal, they're going to evie's castle so Eq and evie will be going with them. Carlos is going to stay with jane and fg, so cruella is going with him to meet jane. That leaves ben's parents, ben and I at ben's castle.

"Home? I ask, confused at where he means by home. "Your castle, I mean we've been staying there since you became the queen of asun." He answers as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I don't know, maybe we should leave the castle to audrey and her family for right now, let them catch up and cool off." I suggest but he shakes his head. "You are also part of audrey's family and I'm sure she'd want you there. But I could stay here if you think it'd be better." I start to say no but my phone ringing cuts me off. "Hello?" "Ro, if you're coming back to the castle be careful. There are paparazzi and news people gathered around the house. They're trying to talk to us about what happened." She says in an exhausted voice. "Did you want us to come over and tell them to screw off?" I ask and she chuckles wryly. "I was just warning you. You don't have to, although I'm half tempted to say yes and let you." She answers. "We'll be there in a little bit." I assure her and then hang up. "Alright let's go home." I tell ben and he smiles and nods.

We get there and can't drive up to the castle because of all the news people and paparazzi. I get out and waddle over to them, pushing my way to the stairs with ben following after telling me not to say anything rash. "Excuse me! Can I have your attention?" I shout and they all stop their chatter to look up at us. "I'll answer a few questions, but only a few. Then you have to leave, all of you." I continue and they start to shout their questions out at once. "One at a time!" I shout and they shut up. "Melrose, how do you feel about your cousin's actions?" A woman dressed in red asks. "The actions of my cousin were not her own. She was under the influence of the scepter and now it's safely back in the museum under protection and my cousin is recovering from the effects." I answer. "What about the opening of the barrier for good, what does that mean for the people of auradon?" Someone else asks, changing the topic. "It means we can forgive and move on to a brighter future. "But if the villains go back to their old ways?" "We'll deal with it when it happens, if it happens at all. But I can assure you that living on the isle when the barrier was around it, had changed them, I can speak from experience." I say and ben looks down at me with an unreadable emotion in his eyes.

"Will audrey receive any punishment for her actions? Should she be removed from the throne?" The woman in red asks and I hold back a glare. "Like I said before, her actions were not her own, and she's punishing herself over it enough as it is. She will not get punished for the effects of the scepter and she will not be removed from the throne." I say looking directly at the woman in red. "But she needs to have some form of punishment for turning half of auradon to stone and putting a sleep spell on the other half. Is this the way you handle these situations then I fear for the future of auradon." She argues and I feel myself getting angry. 

Instead I steel myself and ask, "Any last questions?" I look back out to the crowd. When no one says anything I nod. "Then it's time for you to go. Please do not stand in front of the castle again. If you want answers and or interviews you call fg and set them up not harass the people you're trying to talk to. Goodbye don't let the gate hit you on your way out." I say and then turn and go inside, huffing at the woman in red's audacity to say what she did. "Rosie, calm down." Ben says softly, taking my hand in his and pulling me into a hug. "Who is that woman? What doesn't she understand about not her fault." I rant, feeling my anger surge stronger. "Beautiful, the chandelier is swinging and the paintings are floating off the walls. Calm down." He says and hugs me tighter. I take a deep breath and he runs a hand through my hair. Once I'm calm I pull away.