𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐍 how scared Audrey had been at the news of his proclamation. She had gotten so upset that it shocked Ben to see her react in such a way. Never before had he seen her speak with such emotion nor had she ever responded to him so harshly. They had always been extremely close but Audrey had always been overly polite and respectful, obviously withholding her own opinions to seem pleasing. Evidently she didn’t withhold those thoughts from others.
❝ i know there is reason for fear and i know that she’s scared, i just thought she’d have faith in me. this proclamation doesn’t weigh on her shoulders, i don’t know what she has to be stressed about. ❞ He doesn’t mean to be sharp, he just wishes that Audrey would come to him if she had concerns so he could take them into account and hear her full side to things. If he understood why all of this was stressful for her than maybe he could make it easier.
❝ i’m sorry i don’t mean to put any of this on you or put you in a hard place. ❞ Ben didn’t want her feeling as if she were just someone for others to vent to. He looks down, letting out a small sigh, ❝ i promise i’m not angry and i’m glad audrey has someone to talk to. i’m not about to start a fight with her over something she shared in confidence with you. i promise. ❞
He grows silent, allowing for her to speak and carefully absorbing every word that leaves her lips. ❝ the only way to abolish that nationwide fear is with a little bravery. if we lead the way, if we give those children a chance and prove to everyone that there is no reason to be afraid, the people will follow and the fear will fade. ❞ It had to. ❝ finding our own path will not be easy and our lives, royal tradition, will try and stop us. but we can do it, magnolia. we don’t need to be our parents. ❞
Ben couldn’t afford to be like his. People were counting on him. ❝ they might, ❞ Voice grows quiet, ❝ and if they do i don’t blame them. but we can give them a reason to love. ❞
𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 close over and over again as she debates interjecting. this was so not her place, but if she had insight it was her duty to share it. what she knew about audrey could help ben see her side of things, even though magnolia really wished audrey would just tell him herself. playing a game of telephone only got things misconstrued down the line and magnolia really didn’t want to speak for someone else, especially on a topic this sensitive.
❝ it’s okay, ❞ she pulls her bottom lip into her mouth, teeth biting down on it. ❝ i just . . . i think she’s just worried about who will come over that barrier. she’s worried about her friends and family being in danger, not as if you would do anything to purposely put them in danger but— ❞ gosh, all this tiptoeing around two party’s feelings made her temples hurt.
❝ she’s just worried, like anyone would be about a big change. ❞ especially when they spent their whole lives being taught that the island was filled with murderers and tricksters. ❝ the proclamation doesn’t weigh on anyone’s shoulders, but it’s going to change lives on both sides of the barrier. some people aren’t ready for that yet, i guess. ❞
the way he speaks makes him sound wise beyond his years. in a way he had to be, given the position he was in. with ben being at the forefront of this, magnolia had faith it would be the start of something trans-formative, something that would be bigger than them, even if they hit a few bumps in the road . . . like the island kids hating them. which made her sick to her stomach.
puffing her cheeks out, magnolia lets out a long breath. ❝ i’m going to need to bake. and bake a lot.❞ half out of the necessity, the other from the pure stress she was feeling. ❝ last i heard, someone told me audrey had taken the reins and was planning a welcoming ceremony , probably to gain some kind of control over the situation, and she put me on refreshment duty. ❞ without asking if she could handle the workload. she could, but a heads up would’ve been nice.
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