The Golden Age of Unlikely Friendships

Author's Note

Hello, everyone! Here is that promised longer chapter after the shorter update yesterday. I hope you enjoy it! :D

Leave reviews and all the things!

**This story was given to me by WanderlustandFreedom. The majority of the ideas/outline and the first several chapters, including this one, are ALL HERS..**

Year 5

For the first time, Maleficent and Mal attended the meeting afterparty.

Maleficent adorned her horns with jewels and silk and wore a long robe with fae symbols on it. Ben made sure to ask her about every one and she had answered, the slightest of smiles on her face.

Mal was different this year. She'd dyed her hair blonde, a bright blonde that was so bright it almost blended right into her skin.

Chad laughed at it. "You can't see where her face ends," he had said loudly to Ben and Mal had stared at him before tugging on her mother's sleeve to whisper in her ear.

Ben had scowled. "You didn't like purple and you don't like blonde and you still can't see why she doesn't like you."

Chad had no clever comeback.

Mal was also different because she'd suddenly gotten taller. He was looking at her chin whenever they talked now. Her voice was still gruff and she still had her dirty fingernails and dirty hair, though she cleaned her face off now.

"It's great you came this year," Ben told Mal the moment he'd made his way over to her. "Let's go get some food. It's all super good."

A hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Don't go too far," King Adam demanded. "Your mother and I have a surprise for you."

"I'll come back. We're just grabbing food." He wiggled out from under Adam's grip and he and Mal headed out and down to the buffet table, where she took a napkin and began to wrap things up and stuff them in her pockets.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "You know, there's plenty for everyone," he said. "And we can get more if we run out."

"These are for my friends on the Isle." Mal licked the powdered sugar off her fingers and then wrapped them around a chain on her neck. "Hey, look. My friend made this based on the drawing I gave her. She melted it down herself."

Around her neck was a little rose pendant, with the petals crimped up and different lines criss crossing them. "That's where I did the shading." Mal pointed.

"I see," Ben said. "She's pretty talented. Maybe you can have a pastry one next year."

Mal shrugged. "The Isle revotes next year. I don't know if it'll still be my mom and I coming."

"Oh," Ben's shoulders sank. "I hope so. I like your mom a lot."

"What about me?" Mal clenched her fingers around the pendant. "Do you like me?"

"Absolutely," Ben said. "I think you're unique and smart and witty." Witty was a word he'd been using a lot lately. His dad had begun calling him that whenever he did something he didn't like, but that Belle thought was fine.

Mal hummed and took another pastry for herself before she turned and pointed over toward Ariel. "I don't understand her sleeves," she said. "She looks like she's wearing swim floats."

"That may be part of the charm," Ben said. "What do you think of Agrabah? My theory is that you could make an entire new outfit with one pant leg alone."

"You mean that isn't just their legs?" Mal asked sarcastically. "I mean, the rest of the outfit is so form-fitting."

"Let's be fair here, though," Ben said. "It is part of their culture and the colors are cool and they pull it off. And as far as excess fabric, I think your mom has them beat. No offense."

Mal squinted at her mom across the room as the train of the robe wove through everyone. "You do have a point," she agreed, stiffer than Adam's anxiety pose.

Someone else caught Ben's eye. It was Audrey, dressed in a lovely, sparkly white dress and waving from beside her mother. He waved back with a little smile.

Mal nudged him. "Isn't that Aurora's daughter?" she asked. "She wears so much makeup."

"I can't tell from here," Ben said. "She started wearing makeup this year though."

"She's got pink and sparkles..."

"Sounds like her."

Audrey had been hanging around the palace more and more lately. She wasn't too bad when Mal wasn't around. Sometimes spoiled, but she had cool ideas and stayed out of trouble and would play games with him even if she wasn't very interested in them. A good friend.

"So my mom was wondering if maybe it would be cool to, uh, have you come visit. Or we could visit you, if your parents like that idea," Mal said. She looked extremely stiff and uncomfortable. Her hands were folded behind her back like she was some sort of general. "She wanted me to be the one to ask."

"I'd like that," Ben said. "We should ask-"

"Ben," King Phillip appeared behind them. He took Ben by the shoulder. "What are you doing over here, lad? You should be over by Audrey. Your parents will be talking any minute now."

"What?" Ben asked. "What for?" He ducked under King Phillip's arm only to have his path back to Mal blocked by a hand.

"Why, the announcement!" Phillip said.

"We're playing!"

"Come now..." He ushered Ben away from Mal with two firm hands on both shoulders and took him right to his mother, who was standing beside Aurora with Audrey.

"Oh, there you are," she said. "I've been looking everywhere. Oh, your hair..." she bent down and brushed it into place.

Ben noticed a circle was forming. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Everyone," Adam raised a glass and tapped his spoon against it. "I have a quick announcement I want to make. Happy news." He stretched out his hand and King Phillip walked out towards him, where they shook each other's hands like they were congratulating each other. "Auroria and Auradon have finalized the terms of a contract several years in the making and we've paved the way for a betrothal to take place."

Ben's blood filled his ears. A betrothal? With who?

"Ben," Adam said with a proud smile, looking to where he stood beside his mother. "We've arranged a betrothal between you and Princess Audrey. After you're both eighteen, we hope you'll marry and rule together."

"Audrey?" Ben repeated. "We're going to get married?"

Audrey scooted over a few more inches and took his hand. "We're friends, aren't we?" she asked.

Yes, Ben thought. Friends. Exactly.

He stared at their linked hands and then turned to his mom to see tears brimming in her eyes, unsure whether they were tears of joy or sadness. His dad was still shaking Phillip's hand with that proud, proud smile.

Everyone began to clap. Everyone except for one woman with horns and jewels and her blonde-haired daughter, who looked just as confused as he did.

"Ben?" Audrey whispered. Her eyes flit back and forth nervously. "Everyone's watching. Say something."

Ben didn't know what to say. He didn't want to embarrass Audrey or his mom, but he didn't want to marry her either. He swallowed around a huge lump in his throat.

Maleficent took the headpiece off of her horns with a sigh. She put her arm out around Mal's shoulders and guided her out, almost dejectedly. Ben's hand shook in Audrey's as he watched Mal and Maleficent leave, unnoticed by the other guests who were celebrating the announcement of the betrothal.

It was a good thing the clapping grew too loud for Ben to say anything anyway, because he was pretty sure he would have dropped Audrey's hand and run away as fast as he could if he'd been given the chance.

If that was running after Mal and Maleficent or away from the palace… He was certain it would've been the first option.