Epilogue

Air. Rustic and fresh. The feeling of its rush as it messed her long purple hair. Mal couldn't wipe the smile off her face – at the sense of freedom she felt – as she rode her white horse across the forest. She turned her head behind her to check whether she'd outrun her pursuer and beamed in satisfaction. Mal then pulled at the straps of her horse's reins to bring the animal to a stop and bent down to pat its long mane. "You did well," she whispered.

"Going somewhere, your majesty?"

Mal's head snapped up, spotting a horse and its rider making their way down a low ledge in front of her. "Ben," she whined with a slight pout.

Ben stopped beside her and dismounted, tying his horse to a nearby tree before turning to help his wife down. "Did you think you could outrun me?" he quipped with a grin. "I grew up in these woods, remember."

Ben leaned in, their faces a mere inch away, and a thrilling shiver raced along Mal's spine. "It means that I'll just have to keep trying harder, your highness," Mal whispered before pressing her mouth to his.

Time stopped for a few minutes until someone cleared their throat in clear annoyance. The pair broke apart and burst in a fit of laughter as they turned to face a stern-looking Jay, clad in his full Auradon guard armor. "Your majesties!" the soldier complained. "I would've never accepted the promotion to become your security guard if I knew that I'd be chasing after both of you as you try to sneak away from the castle when no one is looking."

"Jay," Mal laughed. "You know the king works way too much. He needed the break to do some exercise and get some air – otherwise, he might soon become part of his office's furniture. I'm only doing this in the kingdom's best interest."

Ben rolled his eyes and kissed Mal's cheek. "Thank you, my love," he snorted before helping her back up the horse and walking around to untie his.

"We're all ready to leave for the Moorlands, King Ben," Jay stated.

Ben's expression turned serious, and he looked at Mal before nodding at Jay. Today was an important day – nearly two years had passed since the end of the Great War and more than a year since they'd been married. So much had happened since then. Gaston was tried and found guilty of both Adam's and Stefan's murders. The people of Auradon had demanded his death, and Gaston was hanged in Auradon's main square amidst a roar of applause and cheering. Ben hadn't attended. Only Mal's intervention had prevented Uma from following his same fate for her role in Arthur's attempted murder, and the courts turned her death sentence into life imprisonment in the Dwarf Mines.

Diplomacy between the West and East had resumed, and Arthur succeeded in reuniting all kingdoms under one council. Peace reigned over the entire Fairytale land at last. Audrey and Chad married in the summer. Auroria's people had petitioned the princess to be their leader, and Audrey was crowned Queen of Auroria. And then the unexpected happened. Ben involuntarily gulped as his mind wandered back to the memory of the new council's first meeting all those months ago. It had filled his heart with so much pride but also wistful sadness. If only his father had been alive to witness it. They'd voted and decided that the land would continue to be divided into the existing territories - each governed by a council of members made up of both noblemen and commoners' representatives. But they still needed someone to lead and guide in this transition, and Arthur was the obvious choice on everyone's lips to head it – he was good, kind, and had helped the Western kingdom flourish for years. But the aging king declined the position and instead put forward Ben's name. Mal had squeezed his hand tightly as, one by one, all the council members backed Arthur's suggestion without hesitation. On that day, the western and eastern border fell as the United States of Auradon was officially created.

But Ben pushed all that aside as he rode up next to his wife. "Let's go, then," he replied, smiling at Mal. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and nervousness but also a hint of sadness. Today marked Mal's eighteenth birthday. And it wasn't a birthday like any other, though, as it was the day her Fae powers would awaken, and she'd be crowned Queen of Moorlands. She'll be able to honor her mother's memory and fulfill her destiny by restoring her lands and people to their former glory.

Mal grew quieter the closer they got to the Moorland's ruins. Merlin would be heading the coronation ceremony, and Mal had asked for only Arthur and her closest friends to be present. Ben understood his wife's nervousness. He'd felt it too on more than one occasion. Ruling a kingdom was a great responsibility, but Mal's unconditional love and support had given him the courage to go through it, and he was determined to do the same for her. She'd been having nightmares of her parent's murder as her birthday grew closer. Mal confessed to him that she was afraid that she wouldn't keep the promise she made to her mother - to be the strong and brave ruler her people needed.

They arrived, and Ben helped Mal out of the carriage, together making their way to the top of the familiar hill until they stopped in front of Maleficent's faded portrait. Mal stilled, staring at the wall's image, and reached for her mother's pendant around her neck. Ben clasped her free hand, and their wedding rings clicked together. Mal blinked and turned to Ben, who nodded at her with a smile.

Ben led Mal to the center of a large opening where Merlin, Arthur, and the others waited for them. Mal relaxed as her eyes fell on her friends and family - Evie, Chad, Audrey, Jasmine, Lonnie, Jay, and Carlos all looked at her with an encouraging smile. Then a baby's cry split the air, and all eyes turned to Lonnie as she bounced the little girl in her arms. Lonnie mumbled an apology as she tried to quiet her wailing child to no avail until Carlos stepped in and took his little niece in his arms. She quieted down immediately, oblivious to the smug look Carlos gave his older sister.

Mal exhaled, walked up to Merlin, and knelt in front of him. Merlin put his hands on her head and began to speak strange, foreign words in a low voice. Suddenly the air around them changed, and everything felt warmer. Mal felt breathless, and her stomach jolted and twisted like that day at the Black Arrow's camp when Merlin had called for that hawk. Merlin's Fae chants became clear in her head, and Mal's eyes shot open, watching in amazement as the burnt ground beneath her transformed into tall grass and multi-colored flowers, and years of mildew and ash marks vanished from the half crumbled structures. Birds of all colors and sizes flapped overhead and came to sit on the pillars around them. Everyone gasped as the ground beneath them shook slightly, and the forest around the abandoned ruins came to life with tall orange, peach, and apple trees springing from the earth. Out of the renewed woods came hundreds and hundreds of people who began walking towards them – the Fae people who'd come to give their respects to their new Queen.

Merlin removed his hands from Mal's head. "It is done. Rise, Queen Mal," he stated with a proud smile. "Queen of Auradon and the Moorlands." A rush of wind blew across the clearing and surrounded Mal as soon as she straightened. The force lifted her off the ground, and a bright light enveloped her.

"Mal," Ben gasped and rushed towards her, but Merlin caught him by the arm.

The old man shook his head with a smile. "You don't need to be afraid. Look," he instructed.

The bright light dimmed, and Mal floated back to the ground. Everyone gasped. Ben's jaw unhinged, and he felt his eyes widen as they first focused on Mal's glowing green eyes and then on the two black horns protruding out of her head and the two large wings now sprouting from her back. "What the…" he managed to mutter. On instinct, Ben walked up to her. He ran a thumb up and down her horns before brushing his other hand against her wings. "Wow!"

Mal blinked, snapping out of her daze, and stepped back from her husband. "Careful Ben, that tickles," she stated. Mal reached up to feel her head and then brought her hand back down, staring in shock at her fingertips for a few seconds before turning to Merlin. "What happened to me?" she stammered.

"Breathe, child," Merlin soothed, noticing her sudden pale complexion. He walked up to her. "It's just the effect of the awakening of your magical Fae powers. The horns and wings are a distinctive trait of the royal family."

"But.." Mal muttered, unable to form any sentence as her mind continued to spin.

"Will they remain like this forever?" Ben asked, grasping one of Mal's hands and running a thumb across it in comfort.

"No, Ben. Don't worry." Merlin replied with a smile. "She just needs to learn to control it." He then turned to Mal and locked eyes with her. "Child, you need to relax. Close your eyes and take a deep breath and feel the power coursing through your body."

Mal felt a rush of adrenaline running through her as she reached deep within her to feel her magical powers. Ben squeezed her hand in comfort, and she thought about him and their new married life together. Mal exhaled, letting go of her fears, and felt her eyes turn back to their usual color. She opened them and touched her head before looking over her shoulders. Her horns and wings were gone, and she turned to Ben with a bright smile.

Silence fell on the group until everyone erupted in cheers. Mal's heart fluttered and turned to give Ben a quick kiss on the cheek. If it weren't for him, she would have never known the truth about her family. She wouldn't have found the strength to get over her tragic past and fulfill the responsibility to honor her family legacy. She owed him everything.

Mal walked around to greet all the Fae people who'd turned up to celebrate her coronation. She listened for hours as they recounted their lives before the Great War – helping the neighboring kingdoms recover from droughts and extreme calamities - and how they'd spent these last years in hiding, powerless and afraid of being persecuted. At that moment, Mal knew – she had to rebuild her old home and lead her people to prosperity just like her mother before her.

Morning turned to afternoon, and it was time to return to Auradon. Ben linked his hand with Mal, and together they began to walk towards the carriage when the queen stopped. "What?" Ben asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Actually, yes," Mal replied as she turned to observe him with a playful eye. "Something is wrong. You've got yourself a huge problem to solve, your majesty."

"What problem?" Ben said, arching his brow in worry.

"I think I've finally discovered a way to outrun you," she grinned before leaning to kiss Ben's cheek. "Let's see who gets back to the castle first. Catch me if you can," she whispered. Before Ben could comprehend what was happening, Mal outstretched her wings and took to the skies. She looked down at a dumbfounded Ben with a wide grin and burst into laughter.

Ben blinked and laughed before clenching his jaw in determination. "Game on," he stated, grabbing hold of the reins of the nearest horse and started riding down the hill.

Jay rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath. He kissed Lonnie and his daughter before rushing to follow the king. Why had he accepted this job? It was going to be the death of him.

Mal watched as her husband galloped through the valley and decided to give him a few more minutes of a head start. She flapped her wings with a smile and rose further in the air, circling the Moorlands before soaring off in the direction of Auradon as the wind, fresh and free, messed her purple hair. Life was good.

The End :D Thank you all for following me on this amazing journey. If you'd like to read it I've included a short thank you note as a chapter in itself (chapter 45) - it's decided all to you - all those friends on this website who've made this story possible.

And if anyone is up for it I'd love to hear your final feedback on this chapter or any lingering thoughts on the story in general in one last review.

It's time to say goodbye for now - I'll be taking a break from writing for a while as I recharge and rekindle my inspiration to write. WanderlustandFreedom has left me a goodbye present - a plot bunny of hers to write. I'll be looking for a co-author for that so anyone who will be interested in a colloboration drop me a PM. The Disney BAL wedding special in summer might do the trick and be the perfect inspiration to jolt my writing muse.

Thank you all!