Into the Depths

Chapter 12

Ben sat at his desk, staring in shock at the piles of reports that he'd have to go through. His attendants had been slowly bringing in the boxes over the past few days as to not overwhelm him. Ben honestly didn't see how it was possible to not be overwhelmed here. Sure it made sense that twenty years of reports would produce a lot of papers but he didn't think there were that many. Were there any trees left in Auradon?

"Sire?" Dean's voice came from the buried intercom and brought Ben out of his shock.

"Yes Dean?"

"The Queen Mother has arrived. Shall I send her in?"

"Yes please," Ben said and smiled as the door opened and his mom stepped inside his office. "Hey mom."

"Hello Ben," Belle smiled as she saw her son but then shook her head as she saw the state of his desk. "Please tell me you haven't started on the research without me?"

Ben chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it mom. The last of it just arrived today anyway so it wouldn't have been a good idea to get started without all the information anyway."

"Well I have some good news," Belle told him. "I roped in some assistance for the research. Assistance that hasn't seen his family in a year!"

"Gods Belle, I said I was sorry. You know work kept me busy," Chip's voice came through the doorway and Ben chuckled upon seeing his surrogate brother as he walked into the office. "Ben, your mom loves a good guilt trip."

"Don't I know it," Ben said with a smile.

"This all the research?" Chip asked, looking at the piles of paperwork on Ben's desk. Ben sighed, shook his head and stood up. He leaned down and picked up box after box, setting them on the lone free space on his desk.

"What?" Ben asked after picking up the third box and seeing the shocked look on Chip's face. "This is twenty years of reports Chip. You didn't honestly think it'd be one pile of paperwork?"

Chip need never know that the same look of shock had been on Ben's face not fifteen minutes ago.

"Well then, let's get started," Belle said, grabbing a box. "Ben, dear, do you have a highlighter or—?"

"In the pencil can mom," Ben said. "I also have pens and pencils if you'd prefer, and Dean can easily bring us more if we need them. Though Chip, you're using pens. Remember, mom banned you from using highlighters after the incident at your twenty first birthday party."

"I wasn't that drunk!"

"You tried to color my face with highlighter because you said I was important!"

"You are important though, Benji!" Chip exclaimed as he took a box from Ben's desk and handed it to Belle. "And I call the sofa!"

"No way Chip. Mom gets the sofa," Ben said with a small chuckle. "You can have the desk though. I'm good with sitting on the ground."

"Ben, you're the king—"

"And as the king, I'm fine sitting on the ground," Ben reiterated as he took a box and did just that, leaning back so that his back rested against the sofa. "I've got an alarm set for dinner if we go that long, though considering this is twenty years of paperwork we're talking about we just might. Now, let's get started."

Chip chuckled as he sat down behind Ben's desk and opened the third box. The three of them worked for hours, pouring over the reports; the only sound the occasional scribbling of a pen or the sound of a highlighter gliding over a page. Ben felt his heart sink as he continued to pour through the research—for at least his section of the reports, there was no denying an obvious delay in the food deliveries.