VII
"the night is dark and full of terrors"

Ben didn't want to get out of bed after not quite falling asleep throughout the night. He had remained semi-conscious the entire time, sleep teasing him but never consuming. A soft voice began to echo in his head, repeating his name in a gentle rhythm, and beckoned him to break through the surface of shallow sleep. "Husband? It's time to get ready."

"No," he mumbled, and her laugh sang through the air, bringing a smile to his face. He threw his arm over his eyes, knowing full well once he met his wife's gaze, he'd find himself out of bed and convinced it was something he wanted too.

"I know you're awake," she replied, still speaking in hushed whispers. "You tossed and turned all night, I could feel it. Is something wrong?"

He refused to respond, refused to let life win and mock him with lethargy. But then Layla's fingers brushed his hair from his forehead, and his body went rigid. He enjoyed her touch too much, and her attempts to wake him were now lulling him into a deep slumber.

Why hadn't he been able to sleep last night? The night ended pleasantly enough, with him and Layla swapping their birthday gifts and snippets of funny stories from the party, trying to push sleep off a little longer to enjoy some time together. From the small dinner with their childhood friends to the massive celebration with almost every royal in Auradon, they'd hardly found any time alone.

Today would be different. Ben moved his arm, finally opening his eyes, and tilted his head to get a better look at her. She was perched beside him, legs crossed and back against the headboard, with their light gray comforter thrown off, exposing her thighs. He closed his eyes, the only solution he could think of, and shifted his head to press his cheek against her palm. "I don't want to get up, I'm tired. I'm not one for weekend long parties."

"Neither am I, Ben," she replied, his name sounding sweet in her morning voice. If their married life was contained to their bed, he never wanted to leave. She brushed her thumb against his skin, and he thought of everything outside of this bed that demanded his attention. And he thought of Mal. "But it was quite a celebration, wouldn't you say? Our parents sure know how to throw a party."

It was true: between his dad and her mom, their family functions were never a dull affair. But he was even more thankful for the generous donations their friends made to the university scholarship fund he and Layla had set up for at-risk youth after their first anniversary, a request they made each year in lieu of gifts. Helping kids erased a little of the guilt they carried for deceiving their friends.

No one had expected them to fall in love right away; older generations of royals, notably Audrey's grandparents and Chad's grandfather on his father's side, gave them unsolicited advice, explaining that love would come soon after they established trust, respect, and faith in their relationship. An arranged marriage was easy to fake, but true love was a more difficult affair.

Now, most of their friends and friends' families, including those in attendance of the High Council meeting that decided his and Layla's fate, believed they were in love. Which didn't make each passing anniversary any easier. Especially, when their friends decided to add gifts on top of their donations: Eliana and Aziz gave them a wooden cooking set for their cottage, and Seth and Nico gave them a new sound system for their entertainment room at the castle. They were thoughtful and kind gifts, but Ben's heart sunk at the thought of needing to divide these things once they separated.

I wonder how her talk with Mal went, he thought upon realization he hadn't had the time to ask. But today was their day, one of their last, so he shook the thought from his mind, and rose, placing one hand on Layla's knee. "Yes it was, and the oak trees we planted near the village were a big hit too."

Each year, instead of giving each other anniversary gifts, they gave joint gifts to the kingdom, corresponding with the traditional symbol for that year. For their first, the symbol was paper and they helped fund the Charmington Public Library; for cotton, they secured the High Council's blessing to send a shipment of Evie's clothing to the Isle; with leather, they provided new saddles for the high school equestrian team in Auroria; and for flowers, they planted a new garden in Maldonia after a tough storm destroyed their public garden the year before.

"I was worried-"

"That it would seem too similar to last year's gift," he finished for her, grinning. He was an expert in all things Layla now. "I know. But the bit about dedicating it to our parents' marriages as well is what set it apart from the garden for Tiana and Naveen."

She made a noise, one of agreement, as she stretched, arching her back. Not knowing if it was true, Ben said, "It was also well-calculated. Made it seem like we've forgiven my father, L."

"Right, I suppose," Layla murmured, her eyes dropping down and he followed her gaze to her pale thigh, "that I have."

He moved away from his wife, confused, and said, "You've thought about this?"

"You haven't?"

No, he hadn't. He didn't think he would forgive his father for acting so carelessly out of fear, and assumed she felt the same. The thought never even crossed his mind. "He threatened your life."

"More than fifteen years ago." Her voice was small and full of worry, the reason for her secrecy becoming clear.

"We were children," he said, straightening his back.

"Fear makes people do crazy things, things they don't think about twice." Layla's words felt pointed, like sharp daggers digging into his own past decisions.

"How can you forgive a man who threatened the life of a five year old?"

"He's your father," she shot back. "How could you not?"

They were arguing, they rarely ever did, and, overcome with worry, Ben reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her expression was so soft, eyes filled with genuine concern, as she chewed on her bottom lip. He wondered she agonized over this, a thought that remained a constant on her mind. If she could forgive his father for his actions, would he be offended she could reconcile with his father first? "You've really been thinking about this."

She took a moment and then nodded. He wanted to absolve her from any guilt she felt for being able to move on before him, and licked his lips before he decided to say, "Then it's your choice. But it's also my choice not to."

Layla's cheeks flushed pink at the quick flash of his tongue, and furrowed her eyebrows. "That's okay. You don't have to. As long as we're both okay with each other's decisions."

It wasn't something he liked to think about. Layla was his best friend, and they'd been bound to the hip since the moment he was born. But it was more than that: their mothers spent their pregnancies together, comparing bumps and stories, and leaned on one another afterwards, battling postpartum depression together. His mom and Ariel were thick as thieves, best friends, and he and Layla mirrored their friendship, and yet, his dad found the will to even consider threatening their family. His father betrayed them, he couldn't forgive him for that.

His mom had, and now Layla. I wonder if her parents have done the same. "I'm not ready to consider forgiving him."

"That's okay," she repeated, grabbing his hand, which never left her knee for comfort. Her bare skin felt silky, he observed. "I'll be here."

Ben looked up from their intertwined fingers and smiled when their eyes met. She had a small smile on her face too, trying to reassure him the anger he still felt was valid, and told him everything he needed to know: she'd be here, as she always had, through anything.

He could see her freckles shining against her pale skin, before she realized the sun was still coming up and leapt away from him. "Oh! Ben, we have to go! I told her we'd be there in about an hour."

This was what he'd been waiting for, it's what got him through an entire weekend of celebration and socializing. Their secret getaway, a gift from her parents in return for the extravaganza they knew their daughter and son-in-law only tolerated. So when they proposed the idea to him in secret, he was delighted, knowing how excited Layla would be when they told her later on.

The sheer joy she erupted in when the three of them revealed to her their plans was worth the secrecy. It was the least he could do for her.

Despite their exhaustion, they laid out their clothes for the trip the night before - not that they would end up needing it when they arrived. He threw on his beach shorts and soft blue tee as Layla put on her white dress in silence. They grabbed their bags and were out the door in record time, making their way down to the beach at a brisk pace.

In the daylight, her starfish necklace sparked around her neck, as did her aquamarine ring and wedding band set on her fingers. But he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sea glass bracelet she chose to wear, instead of the moonstone one he gave to her for her birthday. In spite of himself, he remarked, "Nice bracelet."

Stopping in her tracks, she looked down and waited a beat too long before responding with, "Oh, thanks."

He ushered her to continue walking. "Birthday gift?"

"Yeah? Yeah. I thought it would fare the trip a little better than the one you bought me, since it was so nice." She avoided making eye contact with him.

"No, it's lovely. Doesn't match your eyes though," he muttered the last bit under his breath. "Is it from Eliana? She always has excellent taste."

He pulled the last line out of his ass, already knowing what the answer is before she speaks. "It's from Seth, actually. And Nico!"

The fondness in her voice for the gift, for Seth, frustrated him, but he shrugged it off and continued walking towards the cove. To any outsiders, Ben thought, he and Layla must have looked like a normal couple on their way to a relaxing morning at the beach. Not like a tense fake-husband with his oblivious fake-wife in tow.

After about a mile of walking in silence, along the sandy shores and blue gray ocean water, they arrived at the cove, made of sculpted black rock - sharp and threatening to any other passerbys. Breaking the silence, Layla turned to look at him, and asked, "You ready?"

"I'm never ready when we go visit your family." Her grandfather had intimidated Ben since he was a child, and had raised each of his daughters, sans Ariel, to be the same way. Aquata, the eldest sister, had assumed the throne since Triton's passing, and Ben hoped she would go easy on him. The first time he met Ariel's sisters, they interrogated him so fiercely about his intentions making their beloved niece Queen of Auradon. Everyone in Atlantica seemed to know it wasn't Layla's ambitions that led her to her reign.

They stood beside the shallow pool, shaped like a crescent moon with chunks of obsidian faintly visible beneath the dark colored water, and his wife took his hand in hers. With the other, she waved it over the water, easily taking control, and brought it up to wrap around their legs. The water distorted the shimmering light coming from her magic, reflecting it across the obsidian rocks around the cove.

Ben was awestruck, he never grew tired of this, of her using her magic. His legs were replaced with a turquoise tail and his shirt disappeared into the air. They sunk into the moon pool as the water fell in before them, and he smiled, all previous worries gone. "Now, I'm ready."

She laughed, nodding in agreement. Still holding his hand, she brought the ocean water to them to lift them from the pool, and guide them to Atlantica.

I wonder if Ariel feels like this when returns to land. He was uneasy here, unconfident. Unlike Layla, who was busy flexing her tail beneath the waves. Knocking him over would be an easy feat.

For a second, Layla stopped spinning, her green tail moving with the rhythms of the water and her auburn hair floating around her face. Noticing the look on his face, she said, "Are you alright?"

"Almost."

"Well, hurry up, we have to catch the current to get to the castle." Layla grabbed his hand and tugged at him. Hand in hand, they swam towards the kingdom of Atlantica, and Ben watched her face grow comfortable. She was happy here, nothing like how she felt being stuck in the castle all day when they weren't on vacation. She was real here, beneath the water.

And he loved it.

They swam slowly, despite Layla's best efforts to usher him along, but Ben refused to move any faster. This wasn't an experience he got very often: it was only his third time going to Atlantica, the first being their honeymoon and the last being King Triton's funeral. He'd spent most of the trips seasick, or some form of it, but this time, he felt good. His body rolled with the waves, and he could feel his core putting in the effort.

It took about twenty minutes for them to reach the gates of Atlantica, pearlescent and intimidating. A school of fish swam by and Layla went up to a bright yellow flounder and pet it, like it was a dog. She's so at home here, he thought, a pang of guilt tightening in his chest.

Aquata met them at the gates, the crown on her head feeling out of place. As though she knew what he was thinking, the new Queen of Atlantica replied, "I know. It still feels weird wearing this, knowing I could never live up to Father's legacy."

"Your majesty," he replied, bowing his head. His father always told him to never bow to anyone besides his wife. Nonetheless, he respected the kings and queens of other kingdoms. "You and your sisters, as well as my wife, are his legacy. May King Triton rest in peace."

It wasn't much, but it was all he had to offer. "Thank you, your majesty. I trust that you remember our conversation from your first visit where you promised to take care of my dear little niece?"

"Auntie Aquata, stop that," Layla said, pouting. "I'm your eldest niece and Ben and I have been married for five years now. Not even my dad harrasses Ben like this."

"Your father is too kind, that's why Ariel fell in love with him." She pulled her niece into a warm embrace, and smiled at the couple. "But Lavender is right. You've been a good husband to her, thank you. My dad always liked you."

That was news to him. He wished, he suspected, but the man had been too intimidating for his own good. Ben assumed that's how he liked to come across to everyone outside of his family. "Thank you too."

"Lavender," her aunt said, "I was skeptical at first, and I didn't have the opportunity to tell you the last time you were here, given the circumstances, but being queen suits you. I see so much of your grandpa in you."

Despite being underwater, Ben could see his wife's eyes watering at her aunt's sentiments. It was a private moment, and he floated a few paces behind them. He hoped Layla knew he thought the same thing: she was born to be queen, and he couldn't imagine anyone else as Queen of Auradon.

They had a large breakfast with the rest of Layla's aunts and families, everyone gushing over Layla's beauty and intelligence. While she flinched at the compliments, Ben would squeeze her hand, knowing everything they said was completely true. And when they asked about children, Layla shot him a vengeful smirk, letting him reply to their pesky questions.

The afternoon was spent exploring the kingdom, allowing Ben to practice his swimming and see more of the hidden kingdom he'd always had reign over, but never truly knew. They even found a sunken ship, and he gave her a piece of seashell jewelry he found tucked between a few floorboards.

"What's this for?" she had asked, bashfully swimming away as he tried to hand it to her. It was a golden seashell locket, and he knew she didn't own any gold jewelry except what had been given to her by her mermaid family. The least she could do was allow him to give her some gold.

"It's for you," he'd whined, trying to use his tail to keep up with her. "I am your husband; I'm supposed to go on dangerous adventures and bring you treasure."

"This is treasure?"

"I think there's something special about it, and that makes it treasure."

It didn't take too much prodding, but she accepted the gift, planting a kiss on his hand as thanks. And now, after dinner, they were exhausted, filled with so much food he wondered if they could explode underwater. They were due home in a couple hours, the swim back to Seaside Castle daunting their limp bodies.

They never took time off like this; they were always within reach of the press and their royal advisors and secretaries, wanting their comments and positions on harmless activity occurring in the kingdom.

Softly, he said, "I wish we lived here."

Ben was intoxicated, having a few glasses of champagne with his meal, and didn't think he'd said it loud enough for anyone to hear as he and Layla swam up to poke their heads out of the water. But his wife had heard him and teased, "Oh really? You're not too seasick this time?"

"If you were paying any attention to me at all today, you would've noticed I didn't get sick once. In fact, I've gotten the hang of this, performing quite spectacularly at the mini-obstacle course your younger cousins set up this afternoon." He was rambling, and he cursed his merman form for turning him into a lightweight.

She laughed. I love her laugh. "Indeed."

"But I do like it here," he said, repeating his sentiments from earlier. "I like you here. You're free."

Her laughter stopped and the she tried to say, "Ben-"

"Lavender," he interrupted, tasting her full name on his lips, something he'd only done a handful of times before, "you belong here. And I took you away out of selfishness."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is. You could've married Seth." He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, but she didn't have a chance to reply, when one of Queen Aquata's counsel advisers, Alec swam up to them, a frantic look on her face.

"King and Queen, I'm sorry to interrupt. But, there's something that needs your attention right away. Please follow me."

They arrived back at Seaside Castle as soon as they could, taking the queen's sea-horse driven carriages back to the cove. Without saying a word, Layla gave them back their legs, and the couple didn't even hesitate before breaking into a run. There wasn't any time to get his land legs back, they were needed back at the castle immediately.

There'd been a series of murders. Two in Auroria, one in Corona. All occurred within miles of Audrey and Rex's castle and Rae's castle, all were mortals killed by stab wounds. Crime happened in Auradon, it wasn't a utopia free from harm and danger, but not like this, not at this scale.

This was different: two men and a woman, different ages, no relation to each other, miles apart, killed in their homes in the exact same manner. The Chiefs of Police of Auroria and Corona had compiled a debriefing report, which had been given to Beth who provided it to Layla's parents who were able to transmit it to Queen Aquata's counsel adviser, Alec, a few hours later. Electronic communication to and from Atlantica was still proving to be difficult as the mermaid society refused generous offers of technological advancement outside their monarch.

When they arrived at the steps of the castle, no one was there to greet them. Strange. They entered, making their way to the war room, positive everyone important would be there waiting for them. He was partially right: Audrey was seated at the table, but no one else.

"Audrey? What's going on? Why isn't Rae here as well?"

The Duchess of Auroria produced manila folder and slid it across the table to him, stating, "Purple fairy dust."

What? Speaking for the first time since they received the news an hour ago, Layla asked, "They found purple fairy dust at each of the crime scenes?"

"Exactly." The girls shared a look, one that made Ben suspect they had more words to say but refused to do so in his presence. But he didn't have time to question them: this was a large scale crime, one he wasn't used to. A few magic users and magical creatures practiced violent activities, and so did mortals. Violence wasn't relegated to one subset of people.

He opened the folder, pulling out three photographs, and covered his mouth with his palm, digging his fingers slightly into his cheeks out of disgust. These mutilated bodies were the act of one person. The MO was the same across each murder: five stab wounds to the chest, three in the abdomen, and one in the neck, with the knife blade left in. It was a human way to kill, close and personal with the victims, but there were no prints anywhere on the bodies. Only purple fairy dust shining in the pictures.

"It's our only lead?"

"At the moment, yes. Hector, the Chief in Auroria, said the medical team placed the times of death within 40 minutes, but they were found miles apart. The killer could've used a car, but even the fastest ways to get to each point, you'd have to go through a dense forest and rocky terrain. It's very unlikely a car could've gotten to each cottage in that time frame."

"No witnesses?"

"None." Audrey flipped her hair over her shoulder, and Ben wondered how she could still be so much like herself when a murderer was running through her kingdom. "Hector promised to keep the lead under wraps, not wanting to tip the killer off if leaving the dust behind was an accident."

"And Rae?"

"She couldn't hide from the press for too long, but she didn't say anything about it. She agrees with us. The press, however, was very concerned about where the two of you were today. So I'd be careful about that." Standing, she looked at the door, nearly ready to go, but added, "Rex thinks I need to take a stronger anti-magic stance against the weaponized magic proposal in light of this."

"That's not-" Layla began to argue, but he silenced her with two words.

"My love." Taking her hand, and ignoring the disgusted look on Audrey's face, he said, "That's not the point right now. And your political stance isn't either, Audrey. Do what you please, but I would appreciate it if you ignored your fiance's advice for the time being - he wasn't raised in politics like us. I will handle the press regarding the proposal, but please do not fuel the fire."

As much as you'd like to, he thought to himself. His wife added, "If they bring it up, tell the truth: the High Council will take these murders into account when considering the proposal."

"Very diplomatic," he whispered, only loud enough for her to hear. She squeezed his hand in response. To Audrey, he asked, "Will that be all, Duchess?"

"Very well. I will speak to the reporters on my steps in the morning if you do so tonight." The King and Queen nodded in agreement. A curious look on her face, she mused, "How unfortunate it is for this to have happened while you disappeared for the day. I hope it was a coincidence."

Was she implying someone might've planned this? Before he could ask what gave her the idea, she smiled and said, "Please handle this with as much passion and concern as you would if they weren't mortals. And unlike last time, at least pretend to care."

With that as her parting words, Audrey disappeared into the corridor, leaving him and his wife stunned. Audrey had grown more conniving since high school, taking after her father, but he knew he caught some glimpses of the kind-hearted girl he once knew.

"She didn't have to say that, L, but we both know she has a point. We let her down last time." Audrey had been a prominent, yet surprising, champion for change in the magic community after the Magic Reform Act had passed, rallying for both sides to find peace and end violence.

And when Audrey met Aiden Rex Hughes, the son from a very long line of warlocks and witches, she stayed strong, helping organize the Magic Summit. But then her new boyfriend's sister was attacked by a witch outside their family home, and Layla, distraught over her grandfather's recent passing, carelessly dismissed it as a family squabble.

The Hughes family chose to sever ties completely with their magic heritage and community after the incident, and Aiden Rex dropped his grandfather's first name, going by just Rex since then. Rex pushed Audrey to do the same, to turn her back on magic and her fairy friends, despite Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather being the very reason the two met.

Layla never forgave herself for pushing Audrey away again, never denying she'd made a mistake. "I know."

The truth was, they did care: 60% of their population was made of mortals. But yes, they spent an early part of their marriage campaigning for magic rights and regulation. Now was the time to show the public they did care. If only they could see how Layla was reacting to everything, they'd know for certain then.

She was taking a closer look at the photographs Audrey left on the table, her lower lip quivering at the sight. There seemed to be enough fairy dust in the blood of the victims for the MEA to track the user, but based on the reports, it wasn't as easy as it should've been. Ben supposed they would return to it tomorrow. Feeling sick to his stomach, he flipped the photos over and saw Layla's face of disgust turn to relief when he did.

After ten minutes sitting in silence, Beth knocked on the door and entered. "I've set up an impromptu press conference in the foyer. Not every kingdom is represented, given the circumstances, but it should be enough to tide them over. I'm sorry I couldn't reach the two of you sooner."

Layla stood, smoothing the wrinkles of her white sundress, and murmured, "I hope this isn't too indecent for the public."

A small smile on her lips, Beth handed his wife a blue and gold shawl to wrap around her arms and body. "It's all I could fashion on short notice."

He saw a look in their press secretary's eyes he'd only seen once before: the morning she had to encourage Layla to address the press regarding her grandfather's passing. She had sad eyes, despite the way her mouth was curved upwards; she didn't want to make them do this. Not now, not when today was meant to represent joyfulness.

But Layla took the shawl, and put on her diplomatic facade. With lips pursed, she threw a look back at Ben, who stood and followed her out. Low enough for only him to hear, she said, "Purple fairy dust. Can you believe it?"

Purple fairy dust, he repeated in his own thoughts. Guilt set in when a name briefly flashed in his mind. When he turned to respond to Layla, he saw a similar look on her face; she was guilty of thinking the same thing - even if for a quick moment. "No, I can't."

The reporters were all over them, and Ben kept from chuckling at the makeshift podium Beth had created. "Where were you and the Queen today, your majesty? Why did it take so long for you to address us?"

"My people of Auradon, we," he said, emphasizing they were a single unit, "would like to apologize for our disappearance and subsequent delayed response: for our anniversary, we decided it would be lovely to get off the grid for a day."

Before another reporter could ask anything, Layla added, "In hindsight, we deeply regret the decision. My heart hurts knowing we were not present for the news of the three deaths in South Riding."

The press ate up her apology, and Ben knew while some tawdry gossip blogs would cry insincerity, she was troubled over the timing of events. "Are there any leads? Any suspects?"

"The diligent Chief of Police in South Riding provided us with a debriefing sheet earlier today, and as of now, there are very few leads."

"What are you hiding?"

"Was it magic?"

"Was it another hate crime?"

From the corner of his eye, he saw Layla's head drop a fraction. Grabbing her hand in a show of support, he stated, "At this time, we don't know what it is or who did it or how. The police force has requested to keep any leads, however small or significant they may be, under wraps. If they've found something, they're not ready to let the killer know they're onto them."

The crowd of reporters murmured in agreement; it was best for the public if the police found the killer as soon as possible and as quietly as possible.

"The police force will lead this investigation," his wife added, still quiet. "When they give us word on what we may share with all of you, we will. But for now, for your ultimate safety, please travel in numbers when you're in the region."

He placed his hand flat against her lower back, guiding her to their room to resign for the rest of the night. It worried him how the day could shift so abruptly. Ben hoped it wouldn't set the tone for their fifth year of mar-

No. This was the last of it, he needed to remind himself. He hadn't even had a chance to speak with Mal about what their plans would be for the transition, or if it was even something she still wanted. It was something he wanted. He was positive.

Hello all! Things have taken a turn...as I said before, this is definitely a political story...and now it's a political thriller I guess. whoops.
Pottergirl36: Thank you so much, and I'm sad they're not happy either. I love that you're picking up on a lot of the groundwork I'm trying to establish for the new characters, and let me know if you find my versions of Mal and Ben poorly constructed!
Grace: Once the story really picks up, I'm sure you'll be happy! I can't make that promise though...

Thank you everyone for reading, and leave a review if you feel so inclined! xox