It's getting annoying, really.

Ben and Mal had been dating for three months. Ben, as the new king but also auradon prep student, was always busy: council meetings, classes, training with the tourney team, more classes, more meetings, and of course, dates with Mal.

But he also has to attend all of the balls that anyone organizes, and Mal (as his girlfriend) has to go with him to as many as possible because (as Ben and Evie said)

1)It would be good for her new image

2)it would be fun! (Mal didn't really agree)

3)Evie could dessign her clothes (that one was only said by evie, Ben just nodded and smiled).

So Mal had gone to many many balls, more than she had not hoped for. Sure, sometimes the gang also went and they had fun, but that was only sometimes, and right now Mal really hoped that they would appear out of thin air because the girl standing in front of her and Ben was so obviously flirting with him and he did nothing to stop it.

Ok yeah, maybe he didn't really notice, but she was so evident. She was batting her long eyelashes every two or three seconds and twirling her perfect hair with her head tilted slightly to the left.

Ben laughed and talked to the girl while Mal just gradually increased her grip on Ben's arm, sporting a polite smile. The girl sometimes glanced at her, but made no other sign of acknowledgment. When she finally left, Mal huffed and followed her with her gaze. Ben looked at her questioningly.

"What?" Mal spat out, feeling exasperated.

"Are you okay?" he said. She had let go of his arm to cross hers and had an... annoyed expression?

"Yeah why wouldn't I be? I'm fine" she said.

"Wait... are you jealous?" Ben asked with an amused glint on his eyes.

"No" Mal snapped.

"Mal, you don't have to be jealous, I only met her right now" Ben placed his hands on her waist and pulled her close without seeming inappropriate, "besides, you are my girlfriend and I love you".

She settled her hands on his chest, fiddling with his suit lapels. A little smile appeared in her face after hearing Ben's words. Every I love you he said meant a lot to her, because she knew he meant it every single time.

"I know, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it when some prissy princess comes and flirts with you" she grimaced a little at the last part. Normally, she wouldn't behave like this, she's a former villain but she can still be polite to people, especially after all the etiquete lessons she was taking and the advice from the guys, but after a particularly long ball on a friday night? She didn't exactly have the energy that it took to be that polite.

Ben huffed out a laugh and whispered "Well I don't like it either when I see other guys looking at you, but I can't blame them, you do look beautiful all the time".

Mal smiled wide and felt her face flush.

"You also look quite dashing benny-boo"

The young king laughed.

"Well" he let go of her, took a step back and streched his hand out "would you grant this dashing king a dance?"

"Why of course, benny-boo" She grinned and took his hand. They danced and laughed and she even handled a couple more civilized talks with other people before calling it a night.

If the princess's hair didn't look that perfect the next day, she didn't have anything to do with it.