A week pass by and things weren't really getting better between Belle and Adam, the former King had decided that he prefer to sleep in one of the many guest rooms in the castle and the Queen didn't seem to mind or at least said nothing to him. Ben had in that week some very intense and interesting talks with his father, they usually started with the King apologizing for going away on that weekend with Mal but asking his father to let it go.

Adam always assured Ben that he was forgiven for that and that he wasn't holding any grudges and in a certain way that situation helped him realized that he needed to really get to know Mal and the other kids. So something positive had come from that but the fact that Adam and Belle still hadn't made up taint that for Ben, he never so his parents argue for such a long time.

Sure like every couple they would disagree and have little arguments, they would even go as far as spending one maybe two nights apart but never a week. When Adam had to go on a trip alone, he would go but if he needed to stay away for more than a couple of days, Belle would go and see him because they would just missed each other too much. Actually, the desire of having the kind of relationship that his parents had was one of the main reason that Ben decided to listen to his heart and broke things off with Alexandra. He knew he loved Mal the moment she told him his welcome speech was over the top, everybody in Auradon were so proper that she was a fresh of air.

Ben still remembered their first date when he asked her if she love him and the way she answered broke his heart thanks to his parents he knew what love was and he promise her and himself that he would show her. His alarmed rang and he was aware that he needed to get out of bed, this was another side effect of his parents fighting Ben who had always loved to sleep now wasn't able to spend an entire night sleeping because of nightmares about his parents fighting.

After taking a shower and changing, Ben reluctantly started his way to eat his breakfast wondering which parent would appear this morning, for two people that didn't speak to each other they manage to see never to cross path in the morning. Once at the table, he noticed that the only plate on it was for him so after waiting for a couple of minutes, he grabbed a toast and drank his orange juice deciding to go look for the one person that made him feel calmed.

The fastest way was to take his scooter but he needed some time to relax so he decided to walk back to the dorms checking the time just to be sure Mal would still be there. Since they were back together she had stopped running in the mornings, he knew that Ryder and Azis weren't exactly thrilled with them being together or the way they got together at least but the rest of the group were. Once again he tried to clear his mind, there was no way in the world he would ever let go of Mal again, except of course she decided she no longer wanted him in her life. Still the weekend that got back together had cost some friendships for her and it had also made the relationship between his parents strained so they had yet to be able to celebrate with their friends, about being back together.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize that he was about to walked straight into Ryder and Azis that were making their last race towards their dorm. Azis managed to stop and barely push Ben avoiding to make him fall however he found himself hugging him with his face very close to the other boys and for the first time since he met the King he saw genuine sadness in his eyes. Ben looked into Azis eyes and then down disentangle himself from the boy and apologizing for not looking while walking moving away, however, Ryder started to tell him to looked out and be considered but Azis just told him to shut up.

Taking a couple of steps towards Ben leaving Ryder silence behind him Azis asked Ben if he was ok, the King stopped in his track and turned and apologize again for not seeing them and asked if he was ok. But Azis shooked his head coming closer to Ben so Ryder wouldn't hear what they were talking about and once again asked Ben if he was ok and the boy remembered the first time they met each other.

When Ben was 8, he met Azis when his parents came to visit Auradon the boy appeared flying on a magic carpet and Ben thought he was the coolest kid he had ever seen. They hit it off instantly they both like to play outside and even thought Azis was way better in all the sports Ben enjoyed following him and trying to imitate him. Azis always talked about his best friend that study with him and told Ben about all the adventures they had, some of them even though sounded like fun Ben knew his parents wouldn't be happy about his participations in any of them.

One day they were playing outside when they overheard some of the people that came with Azis parents talked about how they wish that their royals could be as proper as Ben's parents, sadly they were stuck with a former thief. Ben didn't understand what they meant but when he turned to asked Azis he saw tears falling from his eyes and his fist turning white and he just knew that those people were hurting his friend. Being little Ben didn't know what to do so he just hug his friend but the boy push him away and told him that he didn't need his pity, Ben just sat next to Azis in silence promising himself that he would never be like those people, he was never going to judge people. That night Ben went to his parents and asked them about what he heard, they told him that Aladdin had done some things in his past that weren't exactly right but he had done them out of necessity and that didn't mean that he was a bad guy. He was actually a great person that had taken a chance to change to be better and individuals who do that are brave because they are leaving behind what they know for something unknown.

The next day when he saw Azis he didn't mention anything but offer him to go hiking, an activity that Ben's parents wouldn't approve for his age but that he knew his friend would love. Azis saw right through him but was thankful for his friend's offering and so they went, the day was spent with him teaching Ben how to get up the wall taking his mind off the conversation they had hear the day before. By the end of the day, Azis was laughing and before his family went back to his home he told Ben about his dad and even though he knew about it, Ben decided to act surprise and just thanked him for trusting him.

After the years past, they would lose touch with each other but they would go back to talked if they found the opportunity. When Azis heard that Ben had decided to give an opportunity to the Islanders, he was thrill it seemed Ben never change from that boy that was his friend, who didn't judge him for his parents and offered him the best way to get over a bad situation. Their life had changed so much in those years Ben was a King now way earlier than the rest of them Azis had found it weird to pretty much ignore him, at first, it was because Ben wasn't there and then he had really grown to care for Mal.

Now that Azis notice how his friend was in pain, he suddenly realized how stupid the entire situation was, why was he exactly not talking to him? Ben and Mal were back together and even if they weren't he was his friend too so he decided that he was going to remedy that situation, it was time for him to stop being self-center and taking the easiest way out. With new determination, he took another step toward Ben he repeat his question and put an extra effort in looking him straight in the eyes so he could get the meaning. Ben tried to smile at him but without seeing Mal he had nothing in him that would give him the will to do it, so he just shook his head and turned toward the girls dormitory. Azis took an extra step but he found himself being stop by a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see a confused and little annoyed Ryder looking at him asking him what was going on.

Azis told him that Ben looked worried but Ryder didn't seem to care about that, he wanted to know why he had told him to shut up and why was he so interested in the King's well-being. Azis just rolled his eyes and told him that he just did while moving past his friends towards their room. Ryder continued to ask him about what just happened until Azis told him to leave him alone and pretty much slam the door of the bathroom in his face rendering silence.

Ben finally made it to Mal's floor and was about to knock on the door when Evie open it giving him a big smile and hugging him. Since he had been going on daily to see Mal this scene had repeat itself still he was still happy whenever it happened because Ben knew that Evie was doing it out of love, he was part of their family now. The girl told him that he was looking good in his suit, even though he knew it was wrinkle, ushering him inside where Mal was coming out of the bathroom with something in her hands.

Mal looked up and smile at Ben hurrying herself to get to him and hugging him with all her strength, she knew how every night was a nightmare for him. She had offered him to stayed on the phone with him several times but he had always told her that she needed her sleep, he even went as far as to turned off his phone. Like every morning, she would ask him how he was and he would try to downplay how the entire situation was making him feel but once they were alone, he would open up about it. Suddenly Evie was next to him with some pants and a shirt smiling proudly at him while she explained that she was looking to expand into designing clothes for men.

Without letting go of Mal, he turned towards Evie and manage a small smile and proceed to asked him to please tried the clothes on with a hopeful look in her eyes. Ben gave a little looked at Mal who seemed equally excited as Evie so he decided to give it a try, anything that made the girls happy was something that he would try to do for them. He found himself in their bathroom changing and looking at the mirror for the second time today, he looked tired but then he inhale deeply and found himself smiling at the smell of Mal surrounding himself.

With one last huff, he left the bathroom just to be welcome with Evie shrinking and Mal laughing at her friend. Evie circled him making some notes of what she should change but mostly saying how amazing he looked in her clothes, she was excited to start designing more clothes for him. Ben laughed a little at her excitement and was about to go back to the bathroom when the girl stopped him, he needed to use the clothes the entire day so she could see how they would look after a normal day. Then Evie told Mal to go stand next to Ben while she got out her phone and took a picture of them, Ben was surprised but the first one but was quick to smile and hug Mal toward him for the next one.

The three of them walked towards the dinner area, Evie making conversation about her next projects and how she was so happy that she had the eye of the designer already that really didn't need to take measurements. However, Evie still wanted to take some measurements for the next attire she was planning. Once inside they went to stand in line to pick some food and Mal took the opportunity to ask him about breakfast at the castle but the second the words left her mouth she saw Ben's expression fell and she knew things were not getting better.

Mal gave him a quick peck on the lips trying to reassure him that even though things weren't perfect, at least, they had each other. They picked their food out and walked towards the table the group usually share every morning when they were a couple of steps out of it Cora squeal making almost everyone in the cafeteria stare at her while Evie laughed and Mal and Ben stop in their tracks. "You guys match! Oh, my Fairies! You are the cutest couple ever!"

For the first time Ben looked between Mal and him and then notice the smirk on Evie's face, she had made them match. Cora was right they looked cute and he was happy about it, he wondered if the entire line Evie was planning was just to make them match. They made it to the table while the rest of the cafeteria murmured about Cora's outburst, Ryder and Azis appeared but for the first time since they arrived at Auradon they seemed to not be talking and while one went to have some food the other walked straight towards the table. Cora stood and went to follow her brother in the line for food while Azis stand next to Ben, who was nuzzling his nose in Mal's hair making the girl giggle. Azis clear his throat making the couple turned towards him, Mal with a smile and surprise face and Ben with a confuse face.

"Can we talked later?. We have third period together so maybe after second period we could meet for a little while?" Mal thought he was talking to her and was about to correct him about having second period together but Ben beat her to it noticing that they did share second period. He agreed but seemed a little apprehensive about it Azis smile and told the group that he was going to finish a project for his second period so he was going to see them in their classes. He left and the rest of the group stayed silent until Cora and Ryder joined them, both of them seemed annoyed.

Zohu tried to look at her asking her with his eyes if everything was ok but she just shook her head letting him know that she was not ready to say anything. The others ate in silence and when they were finished, they said their goodbyes going their separates way to their classes. Mal took the opportunity to take Ben's hand and guide him towards the garden situated behind the main building, they sat on a bench and she kiss him. She kissed him trying to convey how much she love him and how much she wish to take all his problems away, he was quick to respond to her advance, his hands founding her waist bringing her as close to him as possible.

The kiss took a life of its own and they found themselves lost in each other trying to see who was in control of it and once again deepening it further and trying to get closer. The alarmed on Mal's phone alerted them that first period was five minutes away and they needed to start their way to their respected classrooms. Taking each others hand they stood and began to walk back to the building while Ben told Mal about what happened at breakfast at the castle and how the night before his mom just ate a simple salad in two minutes and then excuse herself leaving him to eat by himself.

Mal promised him that things would get better but that it was important that his parents talked. She asked him to please let her talked to him on the phone at night so she could, at least, be there for him but Ben insisted that she needed to sleep. In a week, Alexandra would be back from visiting her parents and at least, he would have someone else in the castle that he could talk too. Ben walked Mal to class telling her that he would see her at lunch giving her a quick peck on the cheek and looking at her with a smile on his face. He was going to give her a proper kiss when Audrey appeared next to them asking them to move so she could get into class, even though there was enough space for her to do so without them moving, Ben said hello to her and they moved. The teacher came next and Mal waved him goodbye and he made his way to his classroom focusing on how his mood had just improved by seeing Mal and spending minutes with her.

When they finally get together and she was her queen, well officially because he already consider her his queen for all intended purpose, he would see his day in a brighter light. That thought made him think back to his parents and his mood sour a little bit, he needed to do something to help them move on from this fight. His classes went fast until second period finished and Azis appeared next to him and then Ben notice that they didn't have any projects due for that day but decided to wait to see exactly what he wanted to tell him before asking him why he was avoiding their friends.

Azis went straight to the point and told Ben about his concerned for him since this morning, he also took the opportunity to apologize to Ben for the way he had been behaving towards him since arriving at Auradon. To say that Ben was taken aback with this was an understatement but he welcome the chance to reconnect with the boy that at some point in his life had opened his eyes to the injustice that some people lived to mistakes from the past. The memory of Azis and Aladdin was one that had helped him when he was debating with himself about the possibility to give the Islanders a chance, the scene of little Azis crying because those awful people were talking badly about his father was permanent engrave in his mind.

Ben graciously accepted his apology and even went on to tell him that it was not truly necessary because they both had grown apart and if Azis was guilty of not trying well he was too. Azis nodded happily to see that his kind heart was as pure as always and so push for an answer again about why he was looking so sad in the morning. The King sighed and motion Azis to walked with him to their next class and then sat down in his usual seat and Azis sat next to him leaving his backpack on the floor and turning completely toward Ben ready for him to speak. Ben opened up about the trip, which Azis already knew about, and his consequences on his parent's relationship and how it was taken it's toll on him.

Even though Azis thought it was extreme the effects a fight had on him he realize that maybe it was only one of the many factors that contributed to the stress, he had on him. Still he remembered how fairytale-like was the life of Ben before the arrival of the Islanders, he was the Prince that was going to marry a princess and be happy ever after. However, he was now the King that was going to marry a fairy daughter of one of worst witches ever but he was still going to be happy ever after. Actually, the few times he had seen Ben before moving to Auradon were on the weekends were the Royals gather. He never approaches him because Audrey was usually glued to his side, and oh my god that girl was annoying to the point where he rather not be near her even if it meant that he would miss hanging out with friends.

Both boys talked for a while and Ben felt free to open about all the things that were bothering him, he knew that Azis would understand more about the pressures of being a King than Mal could. Azis then started to see that Ben was feeling extra pressure because not only were his parents fighting but that made his moral support in what the kingdom stand weaker. He felt like he couldn't go to them when he had doubts about the council because that would add to their problems which were creating extra pressure on the King. Sure he had already proof himself but still they were members that wanted him to fail so they could see to find a more conventional King and other families that wish to be considered for the position too, Audrey's family came to mind for example.

Azis told Ben that he was taking things out of proportion and that was increasing his stress levels to a point where he was making himself sick over a simple fight between his parents. Yes, it was weird for them to fight but parents do that, Azis even went to tell him about some arguments his parents had and how it affected him but overall said that it was important not to take things out of proportion.

Ben smiled and thanked Azis for his words, "You know I really appreciate that you took the time to talked it really helped me to have another perspective. Mal is amazing but I don't want to burden her either so I told her about some things but not everything, I know she was going to blame herself for it like she did in the beginning because of the trip. I feel awful we haven't even celebrated that we are back together with you guys and I know that she wants to celebrate it with all of you."

"Don't worry everything is going to be better, just give everybody a chance to cool off and you have me whenever you want to talk," Ben smiled and took the opportunity to ask Azis about what happened that morning and the boy told him that he and Ryder were fighting. "It has nothing to do with you. It's just that I sometimes get tired of Ryder's attitude but I rather just chill before talking to him."

Suddenly they realized that there was no way they had only talked for 10 minutes, which was the time between periods so they looked at their watches and noticed that they had been talking for almost an hour. They stood up and walked out the room and into the empty hallway, then a thought strike both of them maybe they were in the wrong classroom and sure enough, they had been sitting two rooms away from their actual class. It was too late to joined the class so Azis walked with Ben towards Mal´s and Evie´s classroom making small talk about everything and nothing, when the two girls got out of their class they were meet with the two boys laughing.

Evie smile and turned to see Mal that had a shock expression that slowly change into a smile, they walked towards the boys and Ben smiled at Mal giving her a quick peck on the lips and asking her about her class. Azis took the opportunity and drape his arm around Evie´s shoulder and then whisper to her ear and idea that had come to him when he was talking to Ben, the girl turned her head towards him smiling and she gave him a peck on the cheek making him blush a little.

Together they went to the cafeteria to eat something and joined the rest of the gang who gradually appeared there except for Ryder. Mal and Ben would usually eat quickly and then go on their way to spend some quality time together so Azis and Evie count the minutes until they excuse themselves to turned and tell the others about Azis idea. Finally, the couple said their goodbyes promising to see the rest at class and Azis stood and told them that they were going to have a small get together.

Once he explained how Ben and Mal wanted to celebrate getting back together with them but since they came back things weren't exactly right at the castle, they had refrained from doing it. That is where they came in, they needed to do that for them and as soon as possible so Evie stood and explained that Ben and Mal had a date tomorrow night which would make an excellent opportunity to have it. Just like that, the group started planning what should they do and where the best option would be the castle but they knew that would be impossible.

Finally, they decided that Zohu's room would be the perfect spot and Evie was in charge of making the couple go there after their date. With that, they went their separate ways except for Evie that follow Azis back to his class. "I'm really glad that you are on board with Ben and Mal now. Is really important for Mal to have all her friends on her side."

Azis smile at Evie's concerned for her friend, she was such an amazing girl and he was happy that she was on board with his idea from the start. If it were him he would have doubted his intentions but not Evie, she believed him the second he said he wanted to do something nice for the couple and that meant something to him. Evie asked him if Ryder was going to attend and he wasn't sure, he would invite him but he rather not put pressure on his friend to go because he could make it uncomfortable for everybody.

On the other side of the hallway, Mal and Ben were kissing each other goodbye promising to see each other before he needed to go back to the castle. Ben went on his way feeling lighter spending time with Mal and talking with Azis had a positive effect on his mood until he found himself in front of Audrey, the girl informed him that her parents were coming into town tomorrow and that she would see him at dinner. He didn't understand exactly what she was saying at first and then it dawn on him, one of his parents must have heard about her parents coming and because of protocol they were invited for a dinner at the castle.

Of course, Ben didn't know anything about it because they wouldn't tell each other anything and apparently they wouldn't say anything to him either. Before he could react, Audrey had given him a quick kiss on the cheek making all his good mood disappear. With a groan, Ben enter his next class and wonder when his life was going to stop been such a rollercoaster.

Notes

Hi! Sorry for the delay but this is the second time I write this chapter, apparently saving the file into my computer didn't work and then I just felt bad about it. I hope you like it.