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#kate does this as she is starting to get tired of ben’s pining and honestly if he keeps on contacting the company it’ll get weird
unavailabletozombies · 5 months
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Benophie au where Sophie is called in last minute to be a Party Princess for Amelia’s 4th birthday party - Daphne had hired the company Penwood’s Once Upon a Party to supply the Princesses - because Posy’s sick.
She arrives at Hasting House with the other 3 performers (an Ariel, Tiana, and Rapunzel) dressed as Cinderella and is swept immediately into the chaos of a party full of 4-5 year olds.
All of the Bridgerton sibs had been begged to dress up by their niece (none of whom can withstand the puppy eyes she has expertly mastered), and Benedict is in the middle of complaining to Colin about his itchy Prince Charming costume when the Princesses arrive. He is immediately enchanted by the Cinderella and doesn’t even notice Colin laughing as he stares at her with the same look of awe the kids have.
He spends the next hour trying to work out how to appropriately flirt with a Princess at his niece’s birthday when Amelia practically drags the Cinderella over to “Uncle Benny!” to meet her “Prince Charming”. Sophie is desperately trying to withhold a laugh at the girl’s enthusiasm and curtesies to the man standing in front of her.
Amelia’s “Uncle Benny you have to dance with her, she’s your Princess!” is all it takes for Ben to offer his hand to the performer and lead her to the ‘dance floor’ (the circle of garden full of children on sugar highs) where some ridiculous KidsBop music is playing. The pair dance as Amelia starts telling her parents, aunts, uncles, and grandmother to come join as well - she makes Colin dance with the Ariel (Anthony mutters something about Colin and Redheads to a bemused Kate) - and soon the garden is full of adults dancing “like they do in the balls!” between running children.
Benedict uses this chaos to try and find out all he can about the mysterious princess, his attempts being hampered by the Cinderella (because she refuses to tell him her actual name and risk breaking the magic if a child overhears) only answering in character.
“What do you do for fun?” “Oh, I listen to the wonderful stories of GusGus, and talk to the geese.”
“What’s your favourite colour?” “Well many think it’s blue, and my mother’s was pink, but I love silver. It’s why my fairy godmother made my dress like this.”
“Do you have any siblings? I have frankly too many.” “Only two step-sisters, they try their best but they can struggle to be kind.”
“Please tell me what your real name is.” “You may call me Ella if you so wish.”
The conversation goes in circles with Ben trying to control his growing frustration at her evasion as she smiles more broadly with each line.
Sophie is eventually pulled away by Amelia to go to the craft table and Benedict is left bereft and nursing a crush that has definitely been clocked by the many Bridgertons.
The party eventually winds to a close with the princesses saying their goodbyes to the children and parents arriving to pick them up. With the last guests gone, and only Bridgertons at the house, Benedict tries one last time to speak to the Cinderella hoping to ask her out for a drink, when he gets swept up by a tired Amelia asking to be carried. By the time she’s settled on his back the princesses have vanished and his heart starts to sink mentally kicking himself for missing his chance.
That is until Simon walks up to him and passes him a card with a knowing look. Glancing down Benedict sees the logo of Penwood’s Once Upon A Party, and underneath, a quickly drawn shoe.
“Not quite an actual glass slipper, but good luck mate”.
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