Thank you.

About a week after school started, Mal went to the castle for the night. She had a plan in mind, but she needed approval before she could carry it out. Mal knew just the right person to ask. So after dinner on Friday night, she found Belle in her study, reading. She knocked on the open door.

"Mal, dear come in. Can I help you with something?"
"I…may I close the door?"
"Oh, private talk, of course." Belle had no idea what was going on, but she was intrigued and a little thrilled she came to her.

"I wanted to thank Mrs. Potts for teaching me to cook. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been able to find my way when I left for the summer. I know I was wrong."
"Wasn't going to mention it, I think you have heard it enough." She smiled and patted the couch for Mal to join her. "So what do you have in mind?"
"I want to cook for her and the kitchen staff. I actually want to make Sunday dinner for them and the family."
"That's an ambitious endeavor Mal." Belle was proud of her wanting to try. "How about I help you?"
"But it was to thank you and Adam as well."
"Mal, you do realize that the kitchen staff is 4 people, and then there will be the four of us. Can you handle cooking for 8 on your own?"
"I would love to try." She said bravely.

"Ok, I will tell Mrs. Potts to give the staff the afternoon off. You know dinner is at 4:00 on Sundays right?"
"I have a plan."
"Very good. I will be here if you need me. Give Lumiere your shopping list and he will take care of it." She hugged Mal. "I am proud of you for wanting to thank the staff Mal. Not every royal house treats the staff as we do here."
"I got that impression from Queen Leah."
"Oh, she can't keep a staff. Did I ever tell you about Ben's Nanny?"
"No. I never knew he had one."
"There were times when we needed to be out, so she took over. I did a lot more raising of Ben than most of the other royal families."
"So Ben's nanny was Audrey's first?"
"Yes, for almost 3 years. She started with Ben after his third birthday." Belle smiled, and started her story. " It's no secret that Audrey was born two weeks early."

"Well from my biology class, I learned that really isn't a big deal."
"True, but to Leah it was Aurora doing wrong. You see Leah, from the time Aurora came back, critized everything Aurora did. Her favorite saying was 'if I had raised you, you would know better.' So after several years of that, Aurora just gave in and did everything her mother said, and became a quiet shadow. When she had Audrey early, it all started again. If you had listened to me when you were pregnant you wouldn't have had her early. If you had eaten right…you get the point. So Hayley was hired to watch Audrey. And she got the same thing over and over. She was fired when Audrey was three. Hayley was told by Queen Leah she could do it better herself. After that Queen Leah pretty much raised Audrey."
"No wonder why she listens to her Grandmother."
"Yes. Aurora never got to raise Audrey, she figured she owed it to her mother, since she was raised by fairies. Hayley came to us after Ben's first nanny retired. Judith was Adam's nanny as well. Hayley felt she needed to explain why she was fired. Hayley wasn't into gossip at all. She just wanted us to know it wasn't a reflection of her job as far as she was concerned, as to why she was fired. Hayley was a mini Judith we loved her. She worked for us for two years, then Ben started school full time and she moved on."

"Ben was three when he met Aziz."
"Yes, Az was four. They went to preschool together, but that was only mornings. In the afternoon, Ben had lessons with Hayley. We hated to see her go, but…another child never happened for us."
"I am sorry." And Mal was, she knew Belle would have been a great mother to multiple children.

"Don't be. I have a huge family now, thanks to you and your friends."
"We appreciate that." Mal hugged her. "So…is there anything special Mrs. Potts likes?"
"Yes, but she never makes it because it takes way too long. So we will skip that. I would suggest a turkey, potatoes of some kind, stuffing, and a few other vegetables. Than whatever you wish for dessert. Oh and Mrs. Potts is like Adam she has a sweet tooth." Mal already knew that.

Mal thought about it, then asked for paper. She made her list and went in search of Lumiere. She added him to her guest list as well.

On Sunday morning after breakfast, Mal headed into the kitchen. She dressed her turkey and placed it into the oven. She prepped her potatoes, and was just putting them into water when Mrs. Potts stuck her head in. "Mrs. P?" Mal questioned. "It's your afternoon off."

"I know, I just wondered if you needed anything?"
"Nope. Turkey is cleaned, dressed and in the oven. Potatoes washed, peeled and in cold water. Was just about to start dessert."
"Ok." She smiled her sweet smile that Mal loved and grabbed a banana and left.

As Mal was slicing the pears for her Tart, Belle stuck her head into the kitchen. "MMM smells wonderful in here. Need any help?"
"No thanks. I think I have it all set."
"Great, call if you need help." She said ducking back out. Mal could hear Adam. 'Are you sure she's ok?'

'Yes, dear, Mal can do it.' Mal had to laugh,

Mal was just putting the pear tart into the oven when Ben showed up to check on her. "Not you too?" She teased.

"I am here to keep you company that's it. I don't know anything about what you are doing."
"Then I'll allow it." She winked and scrunched her nose. "What's going on King Benny?"
"Nothing much. Mrs. Potts and mom are going over next weeks menu. The other staff are in the garden and the game room. This was really nice of you Mal."
"I owe it to them, honestly. I know now I shouldn't have run off, but back then it was the only solution I could see. And without Mrs. Potts training, I wouldn't have been able to stay at a job, and stay safe with Miss Fauna."
"Let's not talk about the summer anymore."
"Agreed. What is going on in the kingdom?" She asked trying to change the subject. She listened while she chopped vegetables for a salad. By the time Ben had filled her in on everything she had missed over the summer and the first week of school, she had everything done, and was just about to check the turkey. "You are doing a great job Ben." Mal bragged as she opened the oven. Ben peaked over her shoulder.

"MMM Mal, that smells amazing, or as Evie would say Fabmazing." They both laughed.

"Ok, I will let you help me with one thing. I need to set the table."
"I can definatly help with that." By three the turkey was almost done, the tart was cooling and the potatoes were just going on. The stuffing was placed into the oven as well. Mal ran upstairs to dress for dinner.

At exactly 4:00 Mal was ready. Meal on the table and she rang the dinner bell. Everyone came in with oo's and ah's. Adam carved the turkey as Mal made a quick speech. "I promised Ben we wouldn't talk about the summer, but I need to one last time. I want to thank you all for dealing with me. Between the home schooling last spring, then my making the wrong choice to leave for part of the summer. I have put a lot onto all of you. Mrs. Potts, you and your staff taught me wonderful skills that helped me with my time away, and I thank you all. Adam and Belle you have taken not only myself, but my friends into your home, no your family and given us something we never had. A family life, a real one that is. Ben, did I mention I love you. Ok, that's my speech, enjoy." Before she could sit Mal was attacked with hugs from not only her family but the staff.

They were just about to start their meal but the doorbell rang. "This had better be an emergency; everyone knows we eat at 4:00 on Sundays." Adam barked. Lumiere got up and went to the door. He found Queen Leah and Audrey.

"Your highness Queen Leah, and Princess Audrey." They bounded into the dining room without waiting for Ben's response to invite them into the lounge and that he would be there soon.

"We heard Mal cooked the meal, we wanted to make sure the palace hadn't burned down." Leah taunted.

"On the contrary, we have a perfectly cooked meal here. Care to join us." Ben said, signaling for a few more chairs and table settings.

They joined the table and Adam continued to carve.

The meal was perfect. Turkey juicy, salad crisp, stuffing not to soggy not too dry and seasoned just right, potatoes whipped to a soft fluffy white. Tart with vanilla ice cream was excellent. Mal couldn't have been more pleased. Even Audrey's looks of disgust, and Queen Leah's nit picking couldn't get Mal's goat. After the meal, Leah and Audrey left without so much as a thank you or good job. Ben had never been more proud of Mal.

"I have to say Mal, you can cook for me anyday."
"Thanks, Ben. That was fun, but hard. I give Mrs. P credit for doing that every day." With that Mal headed into the kitchen. The staff were doing dishes. They stopped and clapped for her.

"Well done, Lady Mal." They cheered. Mal didn't blush often, but just then she did.

"I am quite proud of you my dear." Mrs. Potts said hugging Mal. "Everything was to perfection! And even better the look on our unwelcomed guests."
"Unwelcomed for sure. I wonder who told them I was making dinner, I never told anyone, not even my friends."
"That can't be good. I wonder too." Mrs. Potts agreed. Mal left and went to talk to Ben and his parents.
"Great job Mal." Belle said.

"I'm wondering who told Queen Leah I was cooking, I never told anyone but you guys."

"That might have been me." Ben admitted, "well I was talking to Doug about it, and I think Audrey might have been close by."
"Oh, I was worried it was more likely DR. F"
"I am pretty sure it was me." Ben admitted. "Sorry."
"No need to say sorry. I appreciated the looks on their faces." Mal joked. Ben took Mal's arm and lead her out of the room.

"What are you up too Ben?"
"Just wanted a little time alone with you. Haven't had much of that lately, have we?"
"No." He brought her into the game room. She sat on the couch and Ben put on a movie. Once Ben joined her she snuggled in close. "So I have a problem I need your help with?"
"I will do what I can. Which committee now?"
"The Belle and Adam anniversary dinner one."
"What? Oh their wedding anniversary is coming up?"
"In a few weeks, yes. About a week after the anniversary of my coronation. A few days before the Harvest ball."
"Oh, so we have just under two months?"
"Yeah. I want to do something for them, since we were so busy with the coronation celebrating, it was totally forgotten last year. But nothing big, Mom isn't into a big deal."
"I remember her birthday." She pointed out. "Ok so what do you have in mind, I am in."
"I want to invite a few of the royal families, the ones my parents age. Then we'll have a few friends our age. I was thinking Snow and Fred. Aurora and Philip. Mulan and Shang. Aurora and Philip are much better when Queen Leah isn't around."
"Your mother told me about the Nanny that was Audrey's first."
"Hayley. Yes."
"Ok. So that it for adults?"
"Yes. I was thinking four couples of adults and four pairs of kids. I was thinking you and me. Evie and Doug, Carlos and his date."
"Jane." Mal filled in.

"Jay and I assume he and Lonnie are a thing finally?"
"Yes." Mal smiled, she was happy with Ben's choices "Can't wait for Audrey's reaction over this one."
"She'll be mad. I am going to have the invitations to the parents say I am hosting it, but the one for the gang will have both our names."
"Ok?" She wasn't sure why it mattered.

"Mal, have you…had any dreams lately?" That wasn't how this related to the party and the wording of invitations.
"None that I can remember, last one was just before I was sent to AA. Why?"
"I…I had one the other night."
"And…" She prompted, waiting to see where the connection was.

"Someone in this room was being crowned Queen."
"Sounds familiar." She admitted.

"Really, you aren't just saying that?"
"No. It happened every night after I had an issue with Leah. I just assumed it was my brain trying to make me feel better."
"Might have been. But last night, I had a dream about you being crowned Queen. It was so vivid. Even more vivid than any of the others I have had. Now it isn't anytime soon, that I could tell. Maybe after college."
"Oh…interesting. So what does this have to do with the party?"
"Well as my queen you would need to host parties. I thought this would be a great test."
"I guess. This whole queen thing is nerve racking."
"You have time, I promised my parents I won't consider marriage until after college."
"That sounds great." Mal smiled, and snuggled back into his arms. They watched the movie.