Two Worlds

by GabrielleMaria

When two worlds become one, it may not be everything you are expecting, especially for Ben and Mal. The prince of Auradon did not know what to feel when he was told he was going to marry the princess of the Moors, but he was not expecting to be meeting her...

2. Chapter 2

Hello! Welcome back to my second chapter! and it is a LONG one!

I would first like to thank Tracie Adams for helping me with this story and joining me on finishing my other stories as well!

Anyway! Please let me know what you think.

InuKagLove22: Thank you so much!

Tracie Adams: you know what happened;)

shortanamx: thank you!:)

Sasamc124: thank you! I loved writing the introduction! It was my favorite part of the first chapter!

anonymous reader: thank you!

Urmimala Hazra: yes! thank you! I know I made Ben a douche in the first chapter... but things could change...???... *look down?*

Roselinda: I'm going to try! I have chapters 3-6 planned out too

emma9400: thank you so much! Please let me know what you think!

---

The next day, Ben was walking down stairs to breakfast when he heard giggling coming from Mal's room.

"Well, I'm glad that Ben settled down yesterday," he heard Jane say from the other side of the door. "I don't know what got into him. He never, and I mean never, gets that drunk. Only a little bit tipsy when he hangs out with Chad, Doug, Ryder, and Aziz."

Ben shook his head. He knew he made a fool of himself yesterday, and he had a lot to make up for.

"It's fine," Mal said. "I wasn't expecting the most welcoming of greetings. I don't appreciate or approve of his actions yesterday, but I can't really blame him."

Ben leaned in closer to hear what they were saying. What did she mean by that?

"What do you mean?" Jane asked.

"Well, what would you think if your parents told you that you were going to be betrothed to… oh I don't know… the son of Yzma? I heard that she had a son or at least a child before they were sent off to the Isle."

It was quiet for a moment, because Jane didn't know what to say or think. Mal was right. She wouldn't want to be married to someone she didn't know.

"I mean I get what you're saying, but what he did was wrong," Jane said, trying to explain herself better. "The situation sucks, but the way he reacted and threw enchanted lake water on you was not right."

"Yeah," Mal said with a sigh. "I think he actually feels really bad about it."

"I hope so," Jane said. "If he treats you badly again, I'm going to smother him in his sleep," she said, making Ben lightly chuckle.

"I don't think he'll be doing anything," Mal said. "Isn't that right Ben?" Mal exclaimed loudly, making Ben's eyes widen.

The door opened to reveal Ben standing on the other side with wide eyes and a red face. Mal chuckled, making Ben's cheeks grow redder.

"How did you know I was listening?" He asked sheepishly.

Mal shook her head and laughed. "I have sneaky best friends, and I know when I'm being watched or someone is eavesdropping."

"I'm sorry," he said as he leaned against the doorframe. "I didn't mean to, but I heard my name."

"Yeah," she sighed. "We were talking about yesterday's festivities again."

Ben threw his head back and smiled. He knew that it was going to be a topic that was going to be talked about, amunks themselves, for a while.

"I will say this again," he said as he stood up straight, looked down at Mal, and took a breath. "I am very sorry for the way I treated you yesterday. I was very out of character, and I am never going to treat you like that again."

"Well, like you heard," she said as she looked up at him. "I don't blame you. We're stuck in this for our kingdoms," she said. "I'm just sorry that you had to break up with your girlfriend to marry me," she said as she turned around to walk back into her room, and let him follow her in.

"You know about Audrey?" he asked as he looked at Jane.

"Yeah," Mal said. "I am assuming she is not my biggest fan."

"You would be correct, but wrong about the other," Ben said, making Mal look at him with a confused look. "I am happy to be out of the relationship."

"Why?"

Mal knew the answer, because she and Jane talked about it the night before, but she wanted to hear it from him.

"I have been trying to get out of a relationship with her for about 3 months," he said as he rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "She is… much."

"So is my best friend," she said as she turned in her seat to look at him. "But, I'm not trying to end our friendship."

"But is your best friend a rude, prissy, spoiled, horrible person?" he asked.

"No," Mal said, shaking her head. "She is actually the opposite."

"Evie right?" Jane asked as she gave Mal a smile.

"Yes," Mal said, returning a smile back to Jane. "I'm still sorry," she said as she turned her attention back to the prince.

"Don't sweat it," he said with a smile. "I should be thanking you, to be honest and apologizing in case you had to break off any relationships."

"Nope," she said as she shook her head. "No relationships here."

"Really?" he asked with a look of shock on his face.

"Why do you seem surprised?"

"Well, you are a very pretty girl," he said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I just assumed…"

"You also assumed that I was a monster that was hiding my hideous features," she said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Breakfast anyone?" Jane said, cutting in between the conversation.

"Sure," Mal said with a smile, while Ben was standing there with a gape in his mouth. "Coming?"

Ben shook his head to clear his thoughts before nodding and following them out of Mal's room.

"Good morning," Adam said as Jane, Ben, and Mal walked into the dining room.

"Good morning, your majesty," Mal said as she went to pull out her chair for only Ben to do it. "Oh," she said in a small surprise. "Thank you."

He gave her a small smile before pushing in her chair and walking to his own.

"How did you sleep, Mal?" Belle asked as she handed Mal a bowl of strawberries.

"Okay," she said as she took the bowl from the queen. "I'll get used to it."

"What do you mean?" Adam asked.

"Well, I'm not used to all the privacy," she said. "I used to live in a smallish house, in a tree, with my 4 friends."

"You used to live in a treehouse?" Ben asked with a confused look on his face.

"If that's what you want to call it, I guess," she said with a shrug. "It had two rooms, a bathroom, and a small dining and kitchen area."

"An apartment in a tree?" Belle asked.

"An aparttree!" Adam said with a laugh.

"Sure," Mal said with her own chuckle. "I lived there with my best friend Evie, my cousin Uma, my friend Jay, and my friend Carlos."

"So you shared rooms?" Belle asked.

"Yeah," she said as she nodded her head. "It is normal in the Moors. The only person who doesn't share a living space is my dad," she said with a chuckle.

"Your parents aren't married?" Jane asked.

"No," Mal said as she shook her head. "My parents are not married."

"Are they divorced?"

"If you want to call it that," Mal said. "There is no real marriage in the Moors. They were together up until I was two, and then they decided to part ways. My dad stayed in the Moors for me, and for other obvious reasons," she said with a laugh. "But he only leaves to check on the underworld."

"Wait," Adam said, holding his hand up. "Your dad leaves the Moors?"

"Yeah," she said as she slowly nodded her head. "He leaves every other day to check and judge souls. That is part of his job."

"I thought that the barrier was up so none of you can get out?" he asked.

"The barrier is for our protection," Mal explained. "It was to keep Auradon out. Not us in," she said, making the royal family look at her in shock. "But, maybe things will change after we get married," she added, but did receive a response because the royal family was sitting there stunned.

They never really thought about it like that. They were the villains of the Moors.

"Are you okay?" Mal asked as she looked at them.

"I think you broke them," Jane said as she leaned in closer to Mal.

"We are the villains," Ben said as he slouched in his chair. "How did we not see this before?"

"Because you live in the land of ture love and happy ending?" Mal asked, making Ben look at her.

"That was a slight rhetorical question," Ben said, making Mal chuckle.

"Yeah, I know," she said as she put a strawberry up to her mouth. "So, what is Auradon like?" she asked as she looked around the table.

"What do you want to know?" Jane asked.

"What do you guys do for fun?"

"I like to read," Belle said as she smiled at Mal. "I like to bake, and I like to make sure that Adam and Ben are not running themselves into an early grave from running the kingdom."

"Woah woah woah," Ben and Adam said as they looked at Belle in surprise.

"We do not work that much," Ben said as he sat up in his seat.

"Says the guy who Doug and I had to carry out of his office because he fell asleep at his desk," Jane said as she looked over at Ben.

"One time," he exclaimed and threw his hands up. "You fall asleep one time at your desk and you will never hear the end of it."

"One time?" Mal asked as she gave him a raised eyebrow. "I have been here for less than a full day, and when I was walking back to my room from getting water, I found you asleep at your desk."

Belle, Adam, and Jane started to laugh out loud, making Ben flush red.

"You better get used to it," Belle said. "If you can't find him at midnight, he's going to be in his office."

"Wait," Ben said as he held his hand up. "You were the one to cover me with a blanket?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said as she nodded her head. "You had the window open and you had goosebumps on your arms, so I went to get you a blanket."

Ben gave her a smile before nodding his head. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," she said as she gave him a smile and scrunched her nose. "So, what else do you guys like to do for fun?"

"I used to tutor and volunteer at the animal shelter, but now I am yours 100 percent," Jane said with a bright smile.

"Jane, I do not want you to give up on things that you enjoyed doing to be my lady in waiting," Mal said. "I…"

"Mal, I honestly do not mind at all," Jane said. "Getting to know you is fun, and I am excited and very happy to do it."

"Can we negotiate?" Mal asked as she gave Jane a smirk. "How about you continue to be my lady in waiting, but only half the time."

"But that's…"

"I know it is not the proper or standard amount of time a lady in waiting works, but I truly don't want you to give up on your hobbies to wait around for me," Mal said. "I am a princess," she said as she threw air quotes up when saying princess, and used a teasing tone. "But I am not just a normal princess. I never had a lady in waiting when I lived in the Moors, other than my best friend making me an abundance of outfits," she said with a chuckle. "We can be friends and you can show me the ropes of Auradon girls. How about that?"

"So a part time friend in waiting?" Jane asked.

"Full time friend. Part time waiting," Mal said with a smile and laugh.

"Deal," Jane said as she held her hand out for Mal to shake.

"So, what do you like to do for fun, Mal?" Belle asked as she drank her tea.

"I have quite a bit of hobbies," she said. "I like to draw and paint, Ilike to read, l sword fight, I play the piano and the guitar, and I like to cook," she said. "Those are just a few."

"Those seem fun," Belle said with a bright smile. "What do you like to read?"

"I'm sorry, Belle," Adam said as he interrupted his wife. "I am sitting on the edge of my seat to know more about the Moors."

"What more would you like to know?" Mal asked as she perked up, knowing that her home was the topic now.

"We talked a little bit about the growth, yesterday, before… we'll you know," he said as he looked at Ben and chuckled.

Ben threw his head back and groaned, before throwing a raspberry up and catching it in his mouth.

"I want to know more," he said. "How the Moors evolved into what it is today. When I was younger the Moors was an enchanted forest that no one was allowed into, but Aurora and Phillip," he went on.

"It is still that way, but more evolved," Mal noted as she took a drink of her water. "My dad would disguise himself, and go into some of the libraries all over Auradon. He would borrow books that would help us make our land a more livable place."

"Why did he disguise himself?" Ben asked.

"How would you feel about seeing the King of the Underworld walk into a library you were in?" she asked, making Ben nod his head in understanding. "It started out with simple things. Housing was the first. Everyone lived in small huts, until my dad showed my mom a blueprint of a house in a tree," she said, and she was getting excited talking about the Moors. "My parents got all of the housing up and into the trees in the first week of the evolution."

"How…"

"Magic," Mal said, answering the unfinished question. "It helped to move things along faster."

"You have magic?" Adam asked.

"I'm a fae and a goddess," Mal said. "I think it would be inevitable that I have magic."

"Well, here in Auradon, magic is illegal," he said.

"But…"

"But," he said, cutting Mal off. "I know if you don't use your magic, you are going to have a magic overload. My niece is a fairy with magic, and she is allowed to use enough magic so that she doesn't hurt herself."

"So I am allowed to use my magic?" Mal asked.

"Yes, but only at the castle, not all of the time, and not for everything," he said with a small smile. "But I have a feeling that those rules are going to be broken."

Mal laughed before nodding her head. "Maybe just a little bit," she said as she held her hand up to show him with her fingers.

"What do you like to draw with, Mal?" Belle asked. "Maybe I can take you into town and we can get you some supplies."

"I like to draw with almost everything," she said. "I use paint, pencil, marker, charol, water colors, whatever else," Mal said with a smile.

"That's great," Belle said. "We will go get you some things so you have something to do, while Ben and Adam are busy doing kingdom stuff."

"Thank you, your majesty," Mal said with a smile.

"Since you are going to be my daughter in law," Belle said in a hushed tone, not knowing how touchy the topic was. "You may call me Belle."

Mal gave her a tight smile and a nod, before peaking at Ben to see his cheeks red. Understandable that neither knew how to feel about the situation, even though they were going to try to get to know each other.

"So, what do you do for fun, Ben?" Mal asked, making Ben look at her with slightly wide eyes.

"Oh," he said as he sat up a little straighter. "Not much. I like to go running, swimming, I also like to sword fight," he said, making Mal look at him with a shocked and excited expression. "I was the team captain for the Auradon Prep ROAR and tourney team," he said.

Mal turned all of her attention to him, and she seemed excited to learn about the prince. He thought it was weird at first, because not even Audrey was this interested in him when they had spent time together. The only time she would be lovey or affectionate was when they were in public or if the press were around. Mal was different. She seemed actually genuinely interested and wanted to know about him.

"That's fun," Mal said as she gave him a smile. "Maybe we could spare one day."

"I would rather not sword fight my fiancé," he said as he wrinkled his eyebrows at her.

"I may be your fiancé, but I bet you can't beat me in a match," she said, making Ben give her a surprised look.

"Want to put your money where your mouth is?" He asked, smirking at her.

"Ben," Belle said, warning her son.

"She started it," he said with a gruff as she slouched in his seat.

"And I'll finish it too," Mal added before pointing at him.

"Mooooom," Ben whined as he held his hand out toward Mal.

"No, Ben," Belle said. "You are not going to sword fight with Mal," she said pointing at him. "And the same goes for you too, young lady," she said as she shifted her gaze to Mal.

Ben looked at Mal and saw her smirking at him. She gave him a wink, making him smile. He mouthed 'later" to her before Belle stood up from her seat.

"Now," Belle said. "Mal. Jane. Why don't we get ready so that we can take Mal out and get her some things to keep her occupied," she said as she walked around the table. "And I assume that when we get back the both of you will be in your offices?" She asked as she looked at her husband and son.

"Maybe," they both said as they hung their heads.

The girls laughed and followed Belle out of the dining room to get ready for the rest of the day.

---

"That was interesting," Mal said as she and Jane walked into her room. "I did not think that the press would be that fast to bombard us."

"Well, when Princess Audrey has a mouth as big as a hippo, I'm surprised they weren't already at the castle gate," Jane said as she threw the bags down on the bed. "I'm just glad that Chip was there. He hated when they bombarded Ben when he was younger, so I only assumed he wasn't going to be that far away from Belle."

"He is very nice," Mal said as she took a couple of things out of the bag. "He seemed happy when he found out that Ben and Audrey had split, and it's only been two days."

"No one in the castle really cares for Audrey," Jane said. "I wasn't lying when I said she was much, or when Ben said those things about her," she said. "I bet he's nervous about the ball in a month."

"Please don't remind me," Mal groaned.Belle had told her on their outing that they were going to hold a ball in her honor, and for Ben and Mal's engagement. Mal was skeptical at first, because she didn't know how the Auradon royals were going to react to Maleficent and Hades' daughter marrying their crowned prince. "It's bad enough that we have to have one just to introduce me, but knowing Audrey's family is going to be there is enough."

"Ben isn't going to let them do anything," Jane said as she sat on the edge of Mal's bed. "He's only going to be worried about Audrey and Stefan. Aurora and Phillip are amazing."

"What about Queen Leah?" Mal asked.

"Queen Leah sadly passed away when Audrey was little," Jane said. "It really crushed Audrey and Stefan, and they both dwell on it still to this day."

"I mean that's horrible to hear that she passed, but I don't think she would want them to mourn her like that," Mal said. "I don't know what it is like to lose someone, but I know my parents and friends would not want me to do that."

Mal's new phone went off, making the conversation between the girls stop. She went to pick it up and saw a random number calling her. She gave Jane a look before answering.

"Hello?"

"What's your favorite scary movie?" A creepy deep raspy voice asked.

"My life," Mal said with a cold tone.

"Well damn," Ben said before he started to laugh. "So much for trying to scare or play a joke on you."

"First things first, Benjamin," Mal said as she placed her hand on her hip. "Nothing scares me."

"Noted," he said with a chuckle. "How was the rest of your day?" He asked. "My mom told me she got you a phone and she gave me your number."

"Well, that was rude," Mal said. "She knows that I am engaged. She shouldn't be giving my phone number out to random guys," she finished with a laugh.

"Har har," Ben said.

"It was fine," Mal said as she flopped on the bed. "Just the press bombarding us was much."

"Yeah," he said. "I'm sorry about that. We should have thought about that before you went out with mom."

"It's fine," she said.

"Mal?" Jane called, making Mal look up from where she was. "I'm going to head out. I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she walked toward the door.

"Okay, have a good night Jane," Mal said as Jane closed the door behind her. "How was the rest of your day?" she asked as she rested her head on one of her pillows.

"It was a day," he said. "I got a couple of calls from my friends, asking me what happened between Audrey and I," he said, making Mal roll her eyes. "Especially from Chad, he's the son of Queen Ella and King Kit," he told her. "After I explained to them the situation he and the rest of my friends are dying to meet you.

"Why?" Mal asked as she scrunched her nose.

"Well, first they want to meet the girl that I am going to be marrying, and two they want to see you for themselves because they didn't believe me when I described you," he said, making Mal smirk.

"And how did you describe me?" She asked, making Ben go quiet.

"I'm sorry… I… think you're breaking up," he said, making Mal laugh. "I can't hear you."

"Oh I'm sure you can't," she said.

"Anyway," he said, trying to change the topic. "They are coming over tomorrow to meet you, but I said that if you weren't ready that they would have to wait."

"Who are they all?" She asked.

"Chad, Doug son of Dopey, Ryder son of Rapunzel and Eugene, Aziz son of Aladdin and Jasmine, and Lonnie daughter of Shang and Mulan," he said.

"No Audrey?" She asked.

"I wouldn't have you go through that," he told her.

"Well, thank you," she said. "When would they be coming?" she asked.

"Around lunch time," he said. "But like I said, if you are not ready, I can tell them not to come."

"It will be fine," she said. "I'm going to have to meet them sooner or later."

"Sadly, yes," he said.

"Why sadly?"

"Because you are going to be meeting my friend," he said. "The people who are going to embarrass me more than my parents."

"They can't be that bad," Mal said.

"Doug and Lonnie, no. Aziz and Ryder, absolutely. And Chad," he said, but paused after saying his name. "I am more worried about Chad being inappropriate. I just don't want him to make you feel uncomfortable."

"I am pretty sure that I can handle a prince," she said. "I handled you yesterday," she added.

"That is very true," he said with a laugh. "Hey. Can I call you back in a while? My mom just walked in."

"Yeah," she said.

"Great. Talk to you later," be said with a smile on his face.

"Bye."

He hung up the phone and put it down on his desk, letting his mom walk in and close the door behind her.

"Hi, mom," he said. "What brought you back here?"

"I came to give you this," she said before she set a burgundy velvet box on his desk.

He looked at the box with wide eyes before looking back at his mom. He knew what was in the box, but he couldn't believe that she was giving it to him. He picked up the box and opened it to reveal his mother's platinum rose flower diamond engagement ring. He used to think it was the prettiest ring he had ever seen, and when he was 9 he used to tell her that he wanted to give it to his future wife.

"This is your engagement ring," he said as he held the box in his hand.

"Yes it is," she said. "I know this situation may not be what either of you were wanting, and you don't have to give it to her, but I know that it was important to you to give that to your future wife."

Ben let a tear out. He hadn't thought about the ring until she placed it on his desk.

"You want Mal to wear it?" he asked.

"I am just giving it to you because you said you wanted it, but if you don't want her to have it then that is up to you," she said as she walked up to her son. "You may not love her, but you may grow to love her, and that is what is important. You have the decision to make your dreams come true, and I am sorry your father and I have taken your choice of marriage away," she started but stopped when he put his hand up.

"Thank you, mom," Ben said as he gave her a hug. "I'll think about it."

"And that is all I ask," she said before she kissed his cheek and turned around to walk out of his office.

He sat in his chair and stared at the ring in the box. He knew he wanted his wife to wear it, but he didn't know if he wanted to give it to Mal. His father gave it to his mother out of love, and he wanted to do the same. He needed to think about it. He needed to see how things would go with Mal. So far things were going great, except for the first couple of hours she was here, but they were getting along very well.

---

"I know, E," Mal said as she sat on her balcony with an open communication portal in front of her. "I miss you guys too."

"How is everything over there?" Evie asked. "Have you replaced us yet?" she asked in a jokingly mocking tone.

"That will never be possible," Mal said with a laugh.

"Yeah, you better be saying that," Uma said, making the rest of them laugh.

"How have you guys been?" Mal asked as she sat on one of the wicker chairs that was on the balcony.

"Jay is still a pain in my ass," Carlos said, making Jay shove him and laugh.

"You love me," Jay said.

"Some days," Carlos said as he got back up and smiled at his best friend.

"Your parents miss you," Jay said.

"I miss them too," Mal said as she frowned. "I'm going to call them in the morning, because I know dad is going to be back from his rounds."

"Who is the cutie behind you, Mal?" Evie asked, making Mal turn around to see Ben standing behind her and in the doorway.

"Oh," she said as she scrunched her nose. "That's just my fiance," she said as she turned her attention back to her friends.

"You wound me," Ben said as he walked over and held his hand to his chest.

"So you are the guy my best friend is going to be marrying?" Evie asked.

"That would be I," Ben said as he sat down on one of the other chairs. "And you must be Evie."

"I am indeed," she said with a bright smile. "It is very nice to meet you, Prince Benjamin."

"Do we get to introduce ourselves?" Carlos asked.

"Can I take a guess?" Ben asked.

"Go for it," Mal said as she held her hand out.

"Uma," he said, pointing to Uma. "Jay is the one with the beanie, and Carlos is the one with the white tips."

"Ding ding ding!" Mal said as she smiled at him. "You win!"

"What's my prize?"

"Please don't kiss in front of me," Jay said as he turned away from the portal. "I don't want to see that."

"Jay, I have only known Ben for 2 days. I am not going to kiss him," she said.

"Well, it's going to happen sooner or later," Evie said as she winked at Mal. "You guys are getting married."

Both of their cheeks turned red, making her friends awe at the couple.

"So how are you guys getting along?" Uma asked. "I know you guys didn't get off on the best…"

"You told them?" Ben asked as he turned to Mal.

"Yes," she said as she nodded her head and threw her feet over the side of her chair. "I tell them everything."

Ben shook his head and laughed, before turning his head back to the portal. "We are getting along better."

"What is Mal's favorite fruit?" Jay asked.

"Strawberries," Ben asked with a quickness.

"That is her favorite berry," he said.

"Technically, a strawberry is a fruit because it has seeds," Ben said. "She also liked pineapple, which is in fact a berry."

Mal's friends looked at the prince with small gaps in their mouths after hearing the random knowledge.

"Mally," Jay said. "You are marrying a nerd."

"Yes," Mal said as she nodded her head. "I am aware."

Ben laughed before looking back at Mal and noticing charcoal on her jaw line.

"You have something," he said as he reached over and brushed his thumb down her jawline.

He pulled back his thumb to show her the black smudge, and she groaned.

"You guys didn't tell me that I had charcoal on my face," she said as she looked at her friends.

"We're used to it," Evie said as she laughed. "Hey, call us tomorrow, after you talk to your parents. It's getting late, and we have to pick up Dizzy. She's staying the night with us."

"Seems like I am the one getting replaced," Mal said with a laugh. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye, Mal," they waved. "Bye, Prince Ben," they said, making Ben wave back and smile.

The communication portal closed and turned into a small stone that landed on the ground. Mal picked up the stone and walked into her room, with Ben following her.

"They were nice," he said.

"What did you expect?" she asked. "Never mind, I know…"

"Shuuuuuuuuuuuush," he said as he put his finger over lip, making her laugh. "I get it. I was a douchebag."

"I thought you were going to call me," she said as Ben pulled his hand away.

"I did," he said. "You didn't answer, and then I saw your light on under your door, but then you didn't hear me knock."

"I see," she said.

"So, what happened to the girl who said no one can eavesdrop on?"

"She was busy talking with her friends," she said.

"I see," he said as he leaned against her bedpost. "So, you are easily distracted?"

"No," she said as she pointed at him.

"Then tell me more about you," he said. "I want to know who I am going to spend my life with."

"Me," she said as she started to think about herself. "What do you want to know?"

"How about your full name?"

Mal threw her head back, groaned, and flopped on her bed, making Ben laugh.

"My FULL name is Mallory Bertha Drakos," she said. "And yes. I hate my middle name."

"It's a nice middle name," he said. "Very pretty."

"It's awful," she said, making Ben laugh.

"Mines Florian," he said.

"Florian? How regal," she said as she laughed.

"Well, it's better than Bertha," he said as he sat on the bed.

"Is it?" she asked as she looked up at him and laughed.

"Okay," he said. "You like to paint, and draw. You like to cook. You like sword fighting. And you like to play the guitar and piano. What else is there to know about Mal?"

"Not much," she said. "I'm pretty boring."

"You're sassy for one," he said, making her laugh. "Sarcastic too," he added. "Come on, give me some facts that everyone should know about you. Like how often do you dye your hair?"

"What's that?" she asked.

"How often do you put the color in your hair?"

"I don't," she said. "My hair grows purple," she said.

"No shit," she said in shock as he laid his head down. "You're shitting me."

"What?" she asked with a laugh.

"You're telling me that your hair grows naturally purple?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "What else do you want to know?"

"What are your favorite foods? What is your favorite color? What is your favorite animal? Do you like to swim? What do you dislike? What do you like to cook? What did you and your friends do for fun in the Moors? What do you like to draw? What is your family like?"

"I love strawberries, pineapple, and watermelon. My favorite color is purple, obviously. I have a slight obsession with dragons," she said with a laugh. "I cannot swim," she said, making Ben look at her in shock.

"What?" he asked. "You can't swim?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Can I teach you?" he asked.

Mal looked at him skeptically. "I'll think about it," she said.

"Okay," he said with a chuckle. "Go on."

"I dislike bananas, yams, and tomatoes. I love to cook all sorts of food. My friends and I would have mud fights with the water nymphs and the trolls of the Moors. I love to draw anything and everything. And my family," she said as she paused. "What do you want to know about my family?"

"What are your parents like?" he asked.

"My mom is amazing," she said as she smiled. "I want to be just like her. Smart, noble, caring, beautiful, and everything else," she said.

Ben looked over at her and saw she was staring at him. Her eyes were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Eyes he could get lost in for hours.

"Well you are a beautiful girl," he said, making her cheeks flush red.

"I'm not," she said as she shook her head. "My mother is beautiful. I'm just… Mal."

"Well just Mal," Ben said as he turned onto his side to give her his whole attention. "You are a very beautiful girl, and you cannot tell me different."

Mal shook her head and laughed out loud. She was not used to someone calling her beautiful other than her parents, and she didn't know how to react.

"So, what else about your mother?" he asked.

"She is nothing like what you Auradonians have heard about her," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"She cared for Aurora," Mal said. "My mom did place the curse on her, but she tried to take it off the day before her sixteenth birthday," she said as she went on to tell Ben the rest of her mother's story.

"Wow," Ben said as he scooted up the bed to get more comfortable. "I didn't know any of that. The stories I heard were similar with the curse and all, but different in the ending."

"Well, like I told your mom and Jane," she said as she turned onto her side. "Who are you going to believe? A King or the fae that cursed a baby?"

"Well, there are two sides to every story," he said as he turned his head to look at her. "And I am glad that you told me the truth."

Mal gave him a smile before turning onto her side to face him.

"Now you want to know about my dad?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

"My dad is very protective," she said.

"Good to know," he said as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "I can't wait to meet him."

"You sound so eager," she said with a chuckle.

"Shush," he said again, making her laugh.

"Is that all you're going to tell me for the rest of my life?" she asked.

"If that's what it takes," he said. "Now go on. Tell me what your father's side of the story is?"

"Oh," she said. "No, his story is the exact same from what you guys have heard. There is no shaking that," she said with a laugh.

"I see," he said with a laugh.

"Now tell me about you," she said as she moved a little closer to him.

"Me?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said. "A relationship works both ways. So tell me about Prince Benjamin Florian Anderson."

"Well me," he said as he put his hands behind his head. "I love raspberries, blueberries, apples, peaches, and watermelon. I love the color blue, if it wasn't obvious," he said, making Mal laugh. "I love to swim, and will bug you until you let me teach you."

"Trying to kill me before we actually get married?" she asked.

"I would never try to kill you," he said. "You actually might make fun of me, if I get the opportunity to teach you."

"Why?" she asked. "Do you have little crowns on your trunks?"

Ben laughed out loud, making Mal laugh too. "Maybe," he said as his laughter died down.

"Wait!" she exclaimed as she looked up at him with a huge smile. "I was right?"

"Shush," he said. "Now where was I?" he asked, making Mal laugh. "I hate brussel sprouts and yams. I like to read, just like my mom. I have a short temper, and I am sorry in advance if it comes out of you. I have a very big sweet tooth, and cookies are my favorite."

"What about your parents?" She asked.

"You know my parents," he said as he looked down at her.

"Yes, I know," she said as she turned to look up at the ceiling, making her head land next to his chest. "But I want to know if there is anything different about their story."

"Nothing much," Ben said. "My father was spoiled and mean, but my mother," he said as a smile grew on his face. "She was the inventor, along with my papa."

"Really?" Mal asked.

"Yeah," Ben said. "She loved to travel around the lands and see the places she read about in her books."

"That's amazing," Mal said. "I wish I could see the places I read about."

"Where did you want to visit?" he asked as he looked down to see her almost asleep.

She turned onto her side, and this time her head was laying on his chest, making him smile.

"I read about a kingdom where the Queen paints all over the town," she said before yawning. "I think that is beautiful."

Ben knew exactly where Mal was talking about. Mal read about the kingdom of Corona. Where Ryder and his family live.

"That's the kingdom of Corona," Ben said as he adjusted himself to move his arm under her head. "It's where my friend Ryder and his parents are from. Maybe I could take you there if you really want to see it," he said as he looked down and saw that she was fast asleep.

She looked so peaceful, and he didn't want to wake her. Her hair was spayed over her shoulder, her hands were under her face, and her eyelashes were full and long. She looked so beautiful. He had this warm feeling in his chest, and he didn't know what it was. He slowly raised his hand and touched her hair. It was as soft as cotton. He started to brush his fingers through it and started to think. Maybe this would be different. Maybe he and Mal would be happy. Maybe they could even fall in love. He started to think about how they could make each other happy. He didn't know how long he was laying there, stroking her hair and thinking, until his eyes started to drift, and he fell asleep with Mal lying on his chest.

---

"Alright, dude," Aziz said as he clasped Ben on the shoulder. "Where is she?"

"Az, you have been here for 30 seconds," Ben said as he walked around the prince to say hello to his other friends. "Can I at least say hi to the rest before you bombard me about my fiance?"

"Calling her fiance after she forced you to break up with Audrey?" Chad asked, making Ben pull away from the hug. "What kind of spell does she have you under?"

"Chad, stop being a fucking prick," Lonnie said. "Ben isn't spelled, and he hasn't wanted to be with Audrey for a while," she said. "But you would know that if you paid any attention to the way Ben feels instead of staring at Audrey's boobs."

"I would watch your mouth, Chad," Ben said as he gave Doug a hug. "Mal is a princess, but even she would rip you a new asshole."

"I like her already," Ryder said with a bright smile on his face.

"Yeah," Ben said. "She's great."

"You have known her for three days," Chad said. "What do you even know about her?"

"I know more about her than I do Audrey in the past 7 years that I dated her," Ben said, looking at the blonde prince.

"And yet you never asked Audrey to marry you," Chad said. "What a waste of a relationship."

"Chad, if you don't know how to act," Ben said as he glared at his friend. "Then you can leave. I'm not going to have you treat Mal badly."

Chad rolled his eyes and threw his hands up. "Fine," he said. "I'll be good to the…" but stopped when Lonnie back handed him in the mouth.

"Watch your mouth," she said as Chad brought his hand up to his mouth.

"Thank you Lonnie," Ben said. "Mal is probably in her art room still," he said. "My parents and I surprised her with it this morning."

"Cool," Doug said. "She likes to draw?"

"And paint," he said. "She uses all sorts of things to draw and paint with," he said as they made their way up the giant staircase.

They continued to walk through the castle hallways until they heard singing coming from a room with the door cracked open.

Some people long for a life that is simple and planned,

Tied with a ribbon

Ben walked up to the door with a smile on his face. He hadn't heard Mal sing, but thought that she sounded beautiful. He opened the door, with his friends behind him, and saw Mal putting things away with headphones in her ears.

Some people won't sail the seas cause they're safer on land,

To follow what's written

She was wearing a pair of overalls that were splattered in paint, a purple crop top, and she was barefoot. Ben could help but think she looked kind of hot. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and her face, arms, and the skin of her hips were covered in paint and charcoal.

"Are you guys going to stand there? Or are you going to come in?" she asked as she turned around to face Ben and his friends.

All, but Ben, looked at her in shock, making Mal smile and laugh.

"Hi," she said as she put her stuff down and walked over to them. "I'm Mal."

They all smiled at her, besides Chad. Doug was the first one to walk up and shake her hand.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Doug. It's very nice to meet you."

"It's very nice to meet you too," she said. "Ben has told me a bit about you all, but not much."

"The bastard," Ryder said, smacking Ben on the arm.

"Ow," Ben said as he held his arm. "What the fuck?" he exclaimed, making Mal and the rest laugh.

"Hi," Lonnie asked as she walked up to Mal. "I'm Lonnie."

"Hi," Mal said as she shook Lonnie's hand.

Mal shifted her gaze to the three left, and Ryder walked up to her with a flirtatious smile.

"Why hello," he said, making Mal give him a weird look. "You are ravishing," he told her as he took her hand and kissed it.

Mal and Ben shared a look, and they were thinking the same thing.

"Did you not tell him that we are engaged?" she asked Ben.

He walked over and pulled Mal's hand away from Ryder's lingering kiss. He looked up at Ben with a what the fuck look, before Ben stepped in front of Mal.

"Get your own fiance," Ben said, making Mal chuckle.

"But yours is pretty," Ryder said.

"Yeah, I know," Ben said, making Mal's cheeks flush from behind him.

"Shove off you flirt," Aziz said as he shoved Ryder off to the side. "Hello, Mal," he said as he took a step around Ben. "I am Aziz," he said as he shook her hand.

"Hello," she said with a kind smile. "It's very nice to meet you all," she said as she looked at all of them and then stopped on Chad. "Hello," she said as she walked up and held her hand out to him. "I'm Mal. You must be Chad," she said.

"Yeah," he said as he looked at her hand. "I…" he started but stopped when he heard Ben clear his throat. "It's very nice to meet you," he said with a fake smile.

"Likewise," Mal said as she squinted her eyes at him. "So what did you all have plans for today?" She asked as she turned around to grab some charcoal that she had sitting on her easel.

"What if we…"

"Mal!" They heard Jane yell.

"In here Jane!" Mal called back.

"Oh!" Jane said in excitement. "Hi everyone!"

"Hi, Janey!" Lonnie said as she pulled Jane into a tight hug.

"What are you all doing here?" Jane asked as she went around the room to hug everyone.

"We came to meet Mal," Ryder said. "And we found out that Ben doesn't like to share."

"My fiancé? No," he said, making everyone laugh. "That would be very inappropriate."

"You freak," Jane said as she smacked Ryder on his arm, making him laugh. "Anyway," she said as she walked over to Mal. "What did you have planned for today?"

"I was going to suggest that we go swimming," Lonnie said, making Mal's eyes widen.

"I think that is a great idea," Ben said as she turned to Mal and smirked at her.

"Well, have fun," she said as she turned back to her drawings. "I'm going…"

"No no no," Ben said as he turned to her. "You are coming."

"No I'm not," she said as she looked back at him. "And you can't make me."

"Want to make a bet?" He asked.

Before she could say anything he threw her over his shoulder, making her yelp.

"Come one guys," he said as he walked toward the door. "Jane? Do you have any spare bathing suits Mal can borrow?"

"I think so," Jane said.

"Great," he said as he walked down the hallways with Mal squirming in his hold. "Can you lend one to Mal? She'll need it."

"Jane," Mal said as she tried to look at her friend. "Please don't…" she started, but stopped when she felt a sharp pain on her but. "Ow!" She exclaimed. "Did you just spank me?" She asked Ben in shock.

"It was deserved," he said as he rounded the corner to where Mal's room was.

Mal pulled her hand back, and smacked Ben hard on his butt, making him jump.

"Ow!"

"Yeah," she said. "Not fun huh?"

He stopped at her door and placed her in her feet.

"Behave," he said. "The guys and I will come and get you three in 30 minutes, and you better be ready," he said as he pointed at her.

He turned around and walked down the hallways, letting the guys follow him to get ready. Mal took a deep breath, before Jane pulled her into her room. She was dreading today already, and it wasn't even half over.

---

Jane and Lonnie walked downstairs to see the guys walking out of the kitchen with a basket of food, and a cooler with drinks, and Ben noticed Mal was not with them.

"Where is Mal?" he asked as he put the basket down.

"She's upstairs talking with her parents," Lonnie said. "They are really nice."

"I should go check on her, and say hello to them," Ben said as he started to walk toward the stairs. "We'll be down in a bit."

Ben jogged up the stairs and to Mal's room to hear her laughing. He took a breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in," he heard Mal call.

He opened the door to see Mal sitting on her bed in a tank top and shorts, and she was sitting in front of her communication portal.

"Hi," Mal said as she smiled at Ben. "I'm just talking to my parents. Do you want to meet them?"

Ben nodded his head before walking over to the bed and taking a seat next to her. He looked at the portal to see a brunette woman with brown horns, green eyes, and red lips. Mal's mom. And next to her was a tall man with blue hair, dark brown eyes, and scruff along his jaw. This was Hades, Mal's dad.

"Hello, Queen Maleficent and Lord hades," Ben said as he gave them a smile. "It is very nice to meet you."

"Hello, Prince Benjamin," Maleficent said as she gave him a warm smile. "It is very nice to meet you as well," she told him.

Ben looked over at Hades who was staring at him with a scowl and he started to growl.

"Hades," Maleficent said as she nudged him with her shoulder. "Be nice."

"The kid is marrying my baby," he said. "As a father and his future father-in-law, I don't have to be nice to him."

"Daddy," Mal said as she gave her dad a pleading look.

"Fine," Hades said. "Only for you," he said,pointing at his daughter. "Now, going back to how you are…"

"I am fine, dad," Mal said. "Ben, Belle, Adam, and Jane have been wonderful to me," she said.

"Good," he said with a nod. "Because if a certain someone isn't treating you right, I have no problem coming and…"

"That won't be necessary," Ben said. "Mal is a very sweet, nice, and sassy girl," he added. "She is in great hands."

"She better be," Hades said.

Maleficent rolled her eyes and shook her head before turning her attention back to her daughter and Ben.

"So, what do you have planned for the rest of the day?" she asked.

"Ben and his friends are dragging me swimming," she said as she threw her head back.

"Mally, you can't swim," Hades said.

"Yes," Mal said as she looked at Ben. "I know that. But a certain prince said he is going to teach me," she said as she nudged Ben's shoulder.

"That is very nice of you, Ben," Maleficent said as she smiled at him. "Well, we won't keep you waiting. Have fun you two, and be safe," she said.

"We will," Mal said. "Bye mom. Bye dad."

"Bye baby," they said in unison.

"Bye, Ben," Maleficent said.

"Bye, Queen Maleficent. Bye, Lord Hades," Ben said as he gave them a wave,

"Please, Ben," Maleficent said. "You can call us Maleficent and Hades. No titles needed," she said.

Ben gave them a smile before nodding his head. The portal closed and turned back into the stone it did last night. Mal jumped off her bed before picking up the stone and placing it on her end table.

"Are you ready?" Ben asked as he stood from the bed. "They are waiting for us downstairs."

Mal groaned loudly as she threw her head back. "Do I really have to go?"

"Yes," he said. "You really have to go," he said as he walked around the bed, took her hand, and dragged her out of her room.

---

"I'll wait right here," Mal said as she sat on a rock by the lake.

"Come on, Mal!" Jane said as she started to climb the side of the waterfall. "This is going to be fun."

She watched as Lonnie followed her up to the top. She and the girls walked down ahead of the guys to quickly take off their shirts and tank tops. The bathing suit Jane lent to Mal was a light blue one piece, with a high neck, sheer lace covering her frame, but there was more covering her bottom and top. The guys were bringing the rest of the bags and coolers, and Ben placed the towels next to Mal before pulling his shirt over his head.

"Come on, Mal," he said as he held his hand out. "It's time for your first lesson."

"I'm more of a visual learner," she said as she scanned the lake.

"Yeah," he said as he took her hand and hoisted her up on her feet. "And I'm a walking talking banana."

"I sure hope not," she said as she looked up at him and scrunched her nose. "I hate bananas."

"If she doesn't want to go in, don't make her," Chad said as he took a beer out of the cooler. "No point in ruining your fun to make her do something."

Mal and the rest of the guys looked at him with a confused look because of what he said. Mal even heard Ben lightly growl, but it wasn't loud enough for anyone else to hear. There was a yell, making them turn to see Jane and Lonnie jump from the top of the waterfall and into the water. Mal laughed, and before she knew it, Ben scooped her up into his arms and jumped into the deep end of the lake. She held onto his neck tight, not wanting to let go as the water consumed them both. He swam back up, with a firm grip around her, and she gasped when she came out of the water. He swam forward and then stood up before placing her in her feet.

"You ass," she said as she smacked his chest, making him laugh. "I could have died."

"I told you I wasn't going to let you die," he told her as he moved a piece of wet hair out of her face. "Come on, lay back and float."

"If I do it will you make me do it again?" She asked.

"Yes. Now do it," he said.

For the next hour Ben taught Mal how to swim while everyone else swam around them. Everyone was by the waterfall, Chad was drinking on the shore, and Mal was sitting in a shallow end on the lake eating a couple of strawberries. She sat close to the deep end and was kicking her feet back and forth until she felt something grab her foot, and drag her down. She tried to see what had grabbed her but she couldn't see anything around her. She tried to swim up, but she was too scared to and started to panic.

"Mal?" She heard a muffled voice yell. "Where are you?"

She was sinking and she couldn't swim up. She heard a splash and then she saw a blurry figure swimming toward her. She couldn't make out the figure until it got closer, and then she realized that it was Ben. He wrapped his arms around her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He swam up, and when they reached the surface, Mal took a deep breath. Everyone was running toward them, and Doug pulled Mal out of Ben's arms when they got closer. He placed her on a rock, and Ryder wrapped a towel around her.

"Are you okay?" Jane asked as she wrapped her arms around Mal.

"What happened?" Lonnie asked.

"I don't know," Mal said as she shook her head. "I was sitting there and then something pulled me in."

"What's going on?" Chad asked as he walked over to where everyone was.

He was dripping wet, and he was wobbling a bit with every step.

"Where were you?" Ben asked as he turned to Chad.

"I was swimming on the other side of the lake," he said with a bright smile. "Why?"

"Mal almost drowned," he said as he walked over to her, threw a towel over his shoulder, and sat down.

"Oh no," Chad said with a chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" He asked as he pulled Mal close to him. "She could have died!"

"But she didn't," he said. "Come on, it's kind of funny."

Everyone looked at Chad with disgust. They didn't think anything about Mal almost drowning was funny, especially Ben. He stood up, picked Mal up in a bridal hold, and turned to Chad.

"Fuck off, Chad," Ben said as he started to walk toward the car.

"I'm fine," Mal said. "We don't have to leave."

Ben stopped in his tracks before turning back to the group who were getting things ready to leave.

"It's fine," he said as he started to walk again. "I want to make sure that you are okay," he said.

"I'm fine," she told him. "I promise."

"That's great," he said as he continued to walk. "But we are done swimming for the day. We can watch a movie with everyone at the palace, while Chad leaves," he said.

"He doesn't have to leave," Mal said. "He might get upset."

"I don't care, Mal," he said as he reached the bridge. "He was rude, and I told him not to be."

"Ben, it's fine," she told him. "I have heard worse, and that wasn't bad."

He set her down on her feet, and looked down at her.

"Fine," he said. "Thank you for being understanding."

"Understanding is my middle name," she said with a smile.

"No, it's Bertha," he said with a chuckle.

"Shuuush," she said before she started to walk across the bridge.

---

"Mal's great, man," Aziz said as Ben walked his friends to the door.

"Yeah," Chad scoffed. "She's so great. She ruined our swimming day," he said with a slur.

"Fuck off, Chad," Lonnie said as she punched his arm. "You're a fucking douche bag."

"What is up your ass with Mal?" Ben asked as she walked up to Chad. "You have been treating her like shit, and I want to know why."

"I haven't been treating her like shit," he said. "She's just not good enough for you."

"What do you know?" Ben asked.

"Well as your best man…"

"You're not going to be my best man," Ben said, cutting him off and taking a couple more steps toward him. Before Chad could say something back, Ben grabbed Chad's throat and pinned him against the wall, shocking his other friends. "If you ever treat Mal badly again, you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Chad said, making Ben let go and take a couple steps back.

Chad was the first to leave the castle, leaving his other friends with Ben.

"If you weren't going to do it," Doug said as he clasped Ben on the shoulder. "I was."

"I'm sorry if that seemed too much," he said. "I just… I promised Mal that she wouldn't have anyone be rude to her."

"And you shouldn't," Ryder said. "Chad was being a dick."

"I'm going to be watching him from now on," Ben said.

"So are we," the other four said, making Ben laugh.

"Okay," Ben said. "I have to get Jane and Mal to bed, because we left them asleep in the theater room."

"Alright," they said. "Goodnight. We'll see you soon," Ryder said as they walked out of the castle.

Ben closed the door, and walked back to the theatre room to see Jane and Mal asleep on one of the recliner chairs. He lifted Jane out of the chair and walked her to the room she stayed in at the castle. When he walked back to get Mal he saw her getting up out of the chair. She was half asleep, and stretched her arms up, before almost falling over.

"Woah woah," he said as he caught her before she fell. "I got you."

"Thank you," she said as she yawned. "I better get upstairs. I don't know if I'll make it if I don't head up now," she said with a small chuckle.

"I can carry you," he offered.

"I think I can manage," she said. "But thank you."

"Well, I'll walk up with you in case you need my assistance," he said.

"You got it," she said with a laugh and a solute.

They walked out of the theater room, toward Mal's room, and half way there Mal stumbled, making Ben scoop her up in his arms.

"Yeah," he said as he adjusted her in his hold. "That's what I thought."

"Shush," she said as she nuzzled into his shoulder. "I'm trying to sleep."

He laughed before he walked her to her room. He laid her down in her bed, and she turned into her pillow, making Ben smile. He stroked her hair and watched as she turned into his hand. He leaned down, placed a light kiss on her head, before leaving. He didn't know what was going to happen between him and Mal, but he wasn't afraid to see how their relationship was going to progress.

---

Two weeks had passed and Ben and Mal had gotten closer. Lonnie and Doug would come and get to know Mal, and they even started to get closer to her. Mal was walking back to her room, when she heard growling coming from Ben's office. She peaked her head in and saw him sitting at his desk with his hands knotted into his hair.

"You okay?" She asked, making Ben look up and see Mal standing there in her paint stained overalls.

"Oh, hey Mal," he said. "I'm just going over some paperwork."

"You seem frustrated," she said as she walked over and sat on the corner of his desk.

"This is a lot," he said. "But I have to get used to it. I'm going to be king," he said as he sat back in his seat and threw his head back.

"Well, maybe I can help you," she said as she stood up and stood next to him. "I'm going to have to learn this too," she said. "Might as well learn it together."

She grabbed one of the papers on the desk and took a seat on the arm of his chair. He didn't have time to move his arm, and it was now behind her and almost around her waist.

"Here," she said as she looked at the paperwork on the map. "Why not have the trade route start from Agrabah instead of South Riding?" She asked. "That way there is no back and forth. We start in Agrabah then the route takes it all the way back to Agrabah."

"I thought of that too," he said. "But , Agrabah does not want to wait a full route until they get their trade."

"Then we do two trades," she said. "There is a stop in Belle's harbor, and from there the ships can trade goods, and move them back in half the time it would with one route."

"That may just work," he said as he looked up and looked at the map. "It would help too if the trade went from Tigers Head to Belle's Harbor," he said in excitement. "You're a genius," he said as he pulled her and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

"Not a problem," she said as she leaned back in the chair. "Have to get the ropes around here," she said.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" He asked. "It's going to be our first interview announcing our engagement."

"It's more of announcing me and our engagement," she said with a chuckle.

"Yeah," he said with a laugh. "Let the fun begin. Now it's going to be questions about the royal wedding and nothing more."

"Oh, I'm already getting it from Evie," she said. "Trust me."

Ben laughed as he looked up at Mal. The more he spent time with Mal, the more he didn't mind the arrangement. He was genuinely starting to like her, but he didn't know if she felt the same.

"Hey," he said, making her look at him. "What do you say about going on a date with me?"

"A date?" She asked.

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "You know, where a couple goes out, has something to eat, and talk."

"Really?" She asked.

"Have you never been on a date?" He asked.

"No," she said as she shook her head.

"Well then let's go," he said as he took her hand and pulled her out of his office.

"Can I at least change first?" She asked as he pulled her down the hallway. "I don't think my outfit is proper enough."

"Who do you have to impress?" He asked. "You got another fiancé or boyfriend I don't know about?" He asked, making her laugh.

"No," she said. "Only you, but I still feel like I should change so I'm not covered in paint."

"Fine," he said. "Go change and then meet me downstairs in 15 minutes."

"Yes, sir," she said as she soluted him and walked off to her room.

Mal went to her room, and quickly changed into a pair of denim jeans and a t-shirt. She ruffled her hair to make sure that it looked decent for her date. Her first date. And with a prince. A prince that she was going to marry. A guy she didn't know almost three weeks ago. A guy she was starting to like, and starting to like a lot. They had stayed in the same room the second night she was in Auradon, but he might have just fallen asleep when they were talking. She shook her head and took a deep breath before walking out of her room to meet Ben.

---

"What do you think?" He asked as he walked her to a small meadow in the forest for a picnic. "How is this for a first date?"

"I have nothing to compare it to, so I would say it's the best," she said as she chuckled. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," he said as he smiled at her. "If you don't mind me asking. What kind of magic can you do?"

"Lots," she said. "I can heal plants and trees like my mother, and I have godly magic too," she said.

"Can you conjure a storm?" He asked.

"I have never tried," she said.

"Well, go ahead. I'm not going to tell."

Mal gave him a weird look before she sat on her knees and closed her eyes. She raised her hands as they started to glow. Her hair started to hover, and Ben was staring at her in amazement. Clouds started to form above their heads, and then it started to rain, and Ben started to laugh out loud. Mal opened her eyes as she laughed as the rain started to pour down in them.

"Come on," Ben said as he took her hand. "Let's get out of here before we get pneumonia."

Mal grabbed the basket before Ben pulled her off the ground. They ran through the forest laughing as the rain continued to pour on them. They rushed toward the castle laughing, and when they got to a place where the rain was not pouring down on them they stopped, but didn't stop laughing. Mal placed the basket on the stone floor, before she rang out her now soaked hair and Ben shook his head, making the water fly everywhere.

"Thank you, for that," Mal said with a laugh and as she wiped her face.

"For the date. Or for making you even more wet?" he asked with a smirk.

"Both," she said as she looked up and smiled at him.

Ben looked down and saw her beautiful green eyes looking up at him. He could stare at them all day if he wanted to, and he would if he could. He slowly brought a hand up to move a piece of hair out of her face, and moved his fingers down her jaw. She was biting her bottom lip as he moved his knuckles to her chin. She looked down at his lips, wanting nothing more for him to kiss her. When she looked back up to meet his hazel green eyes, he pulled her in and connected their lips for the first time. Warmth filed both of their chest as the kiss lingered, and neither wanted the kiss to end. He moved one of his hands to her hips and pulled her close. Her hands landed on his chest as his other hand held the back of her head. They didn't know how long they were kissing, until they needed air. When they pulled apart, they rested their heads against each other and laughed.

"Well that was…"

"Yeah," he said out of breath. "I know."

"We should change before we get sick," she said as she smiled up at him and bit her bottom lip again.

"Yeah," he said as he held the side of her face.

He smiled down at her before giving her another small kiss. They both walked upstairs to get out of their soaked clothes, not knowing that his parents had seen the step that they had taken.

---

Ben was walking back from his office when he heard a piano being played. He hadn't heard anyone play the piano in years, and he followed the melody until he reached the library doors. He opened the door to find Mal sitting at the piano. Her fingers were gliding across the keys so effortlessly, and he couldn't help but stare at her in awe.

"Are you just going to stand there?" she asked as she continued to play.

"I didn't want to disturb you," he said as he walked in and closed the door behind him. "I heard you when I was leaving my office, and I came to see what was going on."

"I see," she said as she continued to play. "Do you know how to play?" she asked.

"No," he said as he shook his head and leaned against the piano. "My mother knows how, but I don't."

"Want to learn?" she asked.

"I would rather listen?" he said.

"And I would rather watch people swim, but I was forced to learn," she said with a laugh. "So, come on. Sit your butt down, and follow my lead."

Ben rolled his eyes before he sat down next to her and watched her change the melody she was playing to something he heard many times before.

"My parent's song," he said as he smiled down at the piano.

"I thought to start you off with something you would like to learn more than Mary had a little lamb," she said, making him laugh.

Tale as old as time

True as it can be

She started to sing as she continued to move her fingers across the keys.

Barely even friends

Then somebody bends

Unexpectedly

"Come on," she said as she nudged his shoulder. "Sing along."

"I don't sing," he said.

"You don't? Or you can't?" she asked.

"Both?" he asked, making her laugh.

Just a little change

Small, to say the least

Both a little scared

Neither one prepared

Beauty and the Beast

He watched her and knew at that moment that he was falling in love. He had never felt this way about anyone in his life, and he never wanted to feel this way about anyone other than her.

Ever just the same

Ever a surprise

Ever as before

And ever just as sure

As the sun will rise, oh woah

"You're amazing," he said as he scooted closer to her.

"I'm okay," she said as she slowed down the tempo to have him join in. "Come on," she said. "Put your hand over mine, and I'll guide you."

Ben did what she told him, and she guided his right hand across the keys, making him smile.

Tale as old as time

Tune as old as song

Bittersweet and strange

Finding you can change

Learning you were wrong

He could smell her hair as she moved her head to the melody, and it smelled of honey and lavender. He wished he could stay in the moment forever, just like he did their first kiss.

Certain as the sun

Rising in the east

Tale as old as time

Song as old as rhyme

Beauty and the Beast

Belle and Adam peaked through the library door after hearing the familiar toon, and smiled when they saw Ben and Mal enjoying time together. They knew that this was not the ideal situation that either of them were wanting, but it was turning out to be better than they expected.

Tale as old as time

Song as old as rhyme

Mal looked up at Ben and smiled as she was finishing the song. He smiled back down at her, and both of their chest felt warm.

Beauty and

The Beast

As she finished the song, Ben leaned down and pressed his lips to hers again. And something he wanted to do since their first kiss a couple of hours prior. Belle and Adam closed the door, letting the two have their moment, and happy with the way things were turning out.

---

The next morning Ben was running around the castle looking for Mal. Their interview was in 20 minutes and he could not find her anywhere. He had checked her room, her art room, his office, the kitchen, and the garden, but she wasn't in any of them. He heard a loud bang coming from the library, and then realized that the library was the only place he had not checked. He ran to the library to find Mal on a ladder putting books away.

"There you are," he said, making Mal look at him. "I have been looking for you for over 20 minutes."

"Well you weren't looking that hard because I have been here the whole time," she said, as she reached to put a book on the shelf.

"Ha ha," he said as he leaned against the bookcase. "We have our interview in 20 minutes."

"Okay," she said. "I'm almost done. I just have a couple more books to put away, and then I am all yours to show off to the press."

"I am not showing you off to the press," he said. "We are introducing you to the kingdom and announcing our engagement."

"Tomato, Tomahto," she said as she reached a little farther to put a book away.

"Be careful," he said as he watched her reach farther. "You're reaching a little too far."

"I am not," she said. "Don't get your fur matted," she told him as she reached to put another book away. "I am almost…" but stopped when her foot slipped and she fell off the ladder.

Ben had quick reflexes and caught her before she hit the ground. They rolled and Mal started to laugh as she rolled on top of Ben.

"Thank you," she said as she pushed herself up on her hands.

"Yeah," he said. "What was that about you being fine?" he asked, making Mal shrug and laugh.

"I can be wrong one time," she told him. "But don't get used to it."

"Well see about that," he said as she got off of him and sat on her knees.

Mal laughed as she looked to her left to pick up the book that fell. When she picked it up she saw a beautiful ring sitting on the floor under the couch. She picked up and couldn't help but be speechless about how beautiful it was. She had never seen such a pretty ring.

"What's this?" Mal asked, making Ben look to see his mother's engagement ring in Mal's hand.

"Oh," he said as he stared at the ring in shock. "Um… that's my mom's engagement ring."

"Oh," she said. "We should give it back to her."

"Well," he said, making Mal look at him again. "She gave it to me."

"Really?" Mal asked. "Why?"

"Um…" he stuttered. "She gave it to me to give to my nurture wife."

"Oh," she said as she looked back at the ring. "Here," she said as she held the ring out to him.

Ben looked at Mal as she held the ring in her hand, and smiled when he saw she wasn't looking at him. He took the ring from her hand, and before she could take her hand away he slipped it onto her left ring finger. Mal looked at her hand in shock, before looking back at Ben to see the smile on his face.

"Ben…" she said as she looked at the ring on her finger. "This is something very special, and…"

He stopped her by pulling her in for a kiss, and when he pulled away he smiled at her.

"You are special," he said. "I want you to have it."

Mal continued to look at him in shock. She couldn't believe that he would give her something so special.

"I can't imagine anyone other than my mother and you wearing it," he said.

Mal smiled at him, trying to hold back her tears. She didn't know what falling in love felt like, but she was pretty sure that she was falling in love with him.

"So," he said, making Mal focus on him. "Will you accept it?"

Mal smiled and nodded before pulling him in for a kiss. "Yes."

Ben smiled brightly at her, before pulling her in for a hug. A knock at the door broke them apart, and they stood up as the door opened. Belle and Adam walked in with smiles on their faces.

"Are you both ready?" Adam asked.

"Yeah," Ben said as he took Mal's hand.

Mal straightened her dress with her free hand, before walking out of the library with Ben.

"Adam," Belle called, before he followed Ben and Mal. "Did you notice the ring on Mal's finger?"

"I did indeed," he said with a smile.

"Good," she said. "I'm happy that he gave it to her," she said. "I had a very good feeling that he would want her to have it."

"And what a perfect fit," he said.

"The ring or them?" Belle asked as she looped her arm through Adam's.

"Both," he said as he led Belle out to the press conference.

---

"Thank you all for coming out today," Ben said as he stood up in front of a podium. "Obviously we all know why you are here," he said, making the small crowd of press laugh. "I would like to introduce my fiance, Mallory Drakos, Princess of the Moors," he said as he held his hand out for Mal to approach.

The crowd stared in awe when Mal approached the podium, and Mal looked at them with a weird look.

"You all look like you have seen a ghost," she said as she stood next to Ben.

Reportes started to raise their hands, waiting to ask Mal questions.

"Yes," Mal said as she pointed to a girl with blonde hair.

"Your majesty," the reporter said. "My first…"

"Okay," Mal said as she held her hand up. "First, no your majesty, just Mal."

"Okay, Mal," the reporter said. "My first question is, how do you look the way you do?"

"What do you mean?' Mal asked. "I was born, grew up, and grew to look like this."

"What I mean is why don't you have green skin like your mother?"

"Oh," Mal said. "That is because my mother does not have green skin."

"It is true," Ben said. "I have met and spoken to Mal's mother and father, and all I am going to say on the topic is that there are two sides to every story, and maybe listening to the 'good guy' isn't always what it pans out to be."

Mal smiled up at Ben, before looking back at the crowd. "Next question."

"Where do you get your hair done?"

"It grows this color, if that is what you are asking," she said.

"Do you have magic?"

"Yes, but I do not use it often," she said. "Only enough so I do not have a magic overload."

"What are the Moors like?"

"The Moors are a beautiful place. Full of beautiful trees, plants, and creatures," Mal said as a smile grew on her face. "I can't wait to go back and visit my family and friends."

"How many friends do you have in the Moors?"

"Four."

"Do they have names?"

"Well, it would be weird if they didn't," she said, making the reporters laugh.

"How are you liking Auradon?"

"It's cool," Mal said. "I have learned a lot and seen a lot."

"What have you learned?"

"To swim for one," she said. "Though it's not my favorite thing to do," she said, making Ben chuckle.

"How are you and his majesty getting along?"

"Swimmingly," she said, making everyone laugh out loud.

"Who knows who better? You? Or his majesty?"

Ben and Mal looked at each other before looking back at the crowd.

"Me," they both said at the same time.

They both snapped their heads at each other before pointing at the other.

"I think not," Mal said. "I know you better than you know me."

"No way in the underworld," Ben said as he turned toward her.

They stared at each other, not wanting to break their stare off, but turned when the reporters started to shout.

"Why don't we make a game of it?" One asked, making Ben and Mal look at him in curiosity. "Both of you could come down to sit on the steps, and we can ask you questions to answer about each other."

Mal turned to Ben and poked his chest. "You're going down, Florian."

Ben laughed before taking her hand and helping her around the podium. "Prepare to be wrong two times in a day, Bertha."

They walked down to the middle of the steps and sat down, but Ben didn't let go of Mal's hand after the sat. He held on to it and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Okay," one of the reporters said. "What is Mal's favorite color?"

"Purple," Ben said.

"What is Ben's?"

"Blue," Mal said as she smiled at the crowd.

"What is Mal's favorite hobby?"

"Painting and drawing."

"What is Ben's favorite hobby?"

"I would say working, but it's reading."

Ben laughed at the answer, making Mal smile.

"Who is Mal's best friend?"

"Her best friend's name is Evie."

"Who is Ben's best friend?"

"Doug."

"What is a secret talent of Mal's?"

"She is an amazing singer," he said as he smiled at the crowd. "She has the most beautiful and angelic voice I have ever heard. I could listen to her forever if I could."

"Mal looked at him with a smile after hearing that.

"That is so sweet," the reporter said. "Mal? What is a secret talent of Ben's?"

"He can catch any food you throw at him with his mouth," she said, making everyone laugh. "I have thrown many foods at him, and the only time he hasn't caught it was when he wasn't looking."

Ben laughed and squeezed Mal's hand, before looking back at the reporters.

"What is Mal's dream?"

"To be just as amazing as her mother."

"What is Ben's biggest dream?"

"To be the best king Auradon will have."

Twenty minutes have passed, and Ben and Mal were still answering questions about the other. They didn't keep track of the time, and didn't realize that the interview had been going on for so long, until his dad cleared his throat.

"I am sorry to interrupt," Adam said, making everyone look at him. "But, we do have to end the interview."

"But I was about to win," Mal said with a small whine.

Ben looked back at her with a gap in his mouth. "No you weren't."

"Shuuuuuush," she said as she pressed her finger to his lips. "Yes I was, dear."

Ben shook his head and laughed before helping Mal up. He turned to the reporters and smiled.

"Thank you all for coming out," he said. "I hope you got all the information that you needed."

"Two more questions?" One reporter asked.

"Sure," Mal said as she sat back down and turned back to the crowd.

"Are you excited about your engagement ball this weekend?" She asked.

"I don't know about Ben," Mal said. "But I am a little nervous. I'm going to be around all of the royals in Auradon, who are going to be judging me."

Ben looked at Mal with a slightly shocked look on his face, and knew he was going to have a small talk with her later. He didn't want her to be nervous about it, and was going to make sure that she wasn't.

"If this interview has told us anything," the interviewer said. "You'll be amazing. Now, the question everyone is wondering," she said. "When is the royal wedding?"

Mal looked at Ben, because they didn't know when they were getting married, and have never talked about it.

"Um…" Mal said.

"When we know," Ben said as he took her hand again. "We will tell you."

"Thank you, your majesty," the reporter said. "Thank you for having us."

"Thank you, again," Ben said as he helped Mal up. "And safe travels home."

After the interview Ben and Mal walked into the library to have another piano lesson. After about a half an hour Ben turned to mal.

"Hey," he said, making Mal look up at him. "I don't want you to be nervous about the ball. Everyone is going to love you."

"You have to say that so I don't run away," she said as she continued to move her hands across the ivory keys.

"No," he told her. "I mean it."

"Well, how would you feel about being in a room where your fiancé's ex-girlfriend, said ex girlfriend's family, and her god family are going to be?" She asked.

"I'm not going to let any of them bother you," he told her. "Zeus and the rest of the gods are great, but Audrey and Stefan may be a problem."

"See," she said. "Everyone is going to hate me."

"The only person who is going to hate you is Audrey and Stefan," he said as he wrapped an arm around her.

"And Chad," she sighed.

"Chad's just a dick," he said. "He has been since we were 10."

Mal had a feeling in her gut that Chad was the one who pulled her into the lake, but she couldn't say anything because she didn't know for a fact and because she didn't see anything either.

"Just don't worry about it," he said, making her break out of her thoughts. "You're going to be amazing, and I'll be by you about 90 percent of the time," he said, making her chuckle.

She smiled at him before continuing to play. "Come on," she said. "Your turn."

Ben huffed a laugh before copying what her Mads did on the keys. He could feel Mal's nervousness, and he was going to make sure that she was going to be treated with respect.

---

"Stop playing with your dress," Jane said, making Mal stop fiddling with the jewelry on her dress.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't help it."

Mal walked over to the mirror to see what she looked like one more time before Ben came and took her to the ball. She was wearing a dress that Evie had sent to her a week ago, and she looked stunning. It was an eggplant purple jeweled mermaid dress with an overlay skirt around her waist. It had a slight plunge to the neck, but not anything too revealing. Her hair was in a high ponytail, with loose pieces falling around her face, and her bangs sat right on her brow. A knock at the door made her jump, and she saw Jane walk to get it.

"Hey," she heard Jane say as she stayed in her same spot.

"Is she ready?" She heard Ben ask.

"Yeah, she's just nervous."

Ben walked into the room and saw Mal's back to him.

"Mal?" He called.

She turned and he choked on his breath when he saw her. She looked so beautiful he couldn't put it into words.

"Hi," she said in a not so convincing voice. "Are you ready?"

"I'll see you both out there," Jane said as she left the room.

"You okay?" Mal asked as she took a step toward Ben.

He shook his head, before looking at her. "Yeah," he said. "You just… you look… just… wow."

"In this old thing?" She asked, making him laugh.

He took the final steps and took her hand into his. He felt the ring on her finger, making himself smile a bit bigger.

"You have nothing to be nervous about," he said. "Just take a deep breath, and we'll get through this together."

Mal took her breath, smiled up at him, and squeezed his hands.

"Thank you," she said.

He leaned down and gave her a small kiss before threading her arm through his.

"Shall we?" He asked.

"We shall."

---

Everyone was introduced, and waiting for Mal and Ben's introduction. They stood behind a pair of thick wooden doors. Mal kept taking breaths to keep her nerves at bay. Ben kept rubbing her hand, trying to to help her.

"Announcing Prince Benjamin Florian Anderson of Auradon and his fiance, Princess Mallory Bertha Drakos of the Moors," Lumier announced as the double doors opened to reveal Ben and Mal.

Ben led her to the edge of the staircase, and the crowd started to clap for the couple. Mal scanned the crowd as she smiled. She saw Jane, Lonnie, Aziz, Doug, and Ryder standing behind Belle and Adam. and then behind them was Chad and a brunette girl who was glaring at Mal with daggers in her eyes. That must be Audrey, Mal thought.

"Are you ready?" Ben whispered as he squeezed her hand.

She looked up at him and gave him a smile and a nod, before he helped her down the grand staircase. When they reached the bottom, Belle and Adam walked up to them with smiles on their faces.

"You look like a dream," Adam said as he kissed Mal's hand.

"And you look very handsome," Mal said as she curtsied to him.

"Mal," she heard someone call her. She turned her head to see Jane and Lonnie walking up to her with bright smiles on her face. "You look amazing."

"Thank you," Mal said as she gave Lonnie a hug. "You look beautiful," she said as she looked at Lonnie's pink and silver dress.

"Hey," Ben said as he wrapped an arm around Mal's waist. "It's time for our first dance."

Mal scrunched her nose, making Ben laugh and lean in close to her ear.

"The sooner we get it over. The sooner we get through meeting with every royal in this room," he said.

"Fine," she said as she turned to him.

He smirked at her, before looking at Lumier and nodding his head.

"And now," Lumier announced. "It is time for the first dance of the night between our prince and his fiance."

Ben led Mal into the grand ballroom, where everyone followed and gathered around the dancefloor. He spun Mal in a half circle, and then pulled her close to his chest.

"Don't let me fall," she said as she placed her left arm on his shoulder.

"Never," he told her with a smile as the music started to play.

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream

I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam

And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem

"Who picked this song?" Mal asked as he guided them across the dance floor.

"I may have had a say in the matter," he told her as he spun her around and pulled her back to his chest. "Why?"

"Well, first," she said as she looked up at him. "You picked the song that is from your ex-girlfriend's tale."

"And from your tale as well," he said. "Don't forget that your mother was a part of the story. It may be what Aurora and Phillip sang to each other, but your mother loved Aurora too."

But if I know you, I know what you'll do

You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

But if I know you, I know what you'll do

You'll love me at once

The way you did once upon a dream

"But, you are not the one who is getting death glares from a certain red faced princess," she said as she tilted her head to the side.

Ben spun around and saw Audrey with fire in her eyes. He looked back at Mal and smiled, before twirling her around.

"She'll be fine," Ben said. "She is just bitter because you are living her dream."

"And what would that be?"

"Me," he said, making Mal shake her head and chuckle. "Her having an engagement dance with me, and to this song too."

"Trying to crush her dreams more?" she asked as she looked at him with a side smile.

"More like, trying to enjoy mine," he said as he pulled her close and laid his head on hers.

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream

I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam

And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem

But if I know you, I know what you'll do

You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

As the melody started to slow, Ben pulled away from Mal and looked down at her with a loving smile on his face. He leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips, before he dipped her. The crowd around the dance floor started to clap, making the couple laugh. When he brought her back up and broke their kiss, they laughed.

"Was that so bad?" he asked as he walked her off the dance floor.

"No," she said as she shook her head.

"Now, it's time to meet the royals," he said.

"That is what I am least looking forward to," she said.

"You're going to be fine, Mal," Belle said as she walked up to her son and Mal. "We're going to be by your side all of the time."

Mal gave her a smile before nodding her head. She knew not every royal was going to like her, but she was going to put her best foot forward, and not let them get to her. Ben laced his fingers through Mal's before they walked over to the nearby door that lead to the dining room. The first royals to greet Mal was Lonnie's family. They were nice and very excited to meet her. Doug and his father were next, and they came with Snow White, her husband Ferdinand, and their two children Emma and Neal. Next was Aziz, his parents Jasmine and Aladdin, and his brother Emir. Ryder came with his parents Rapunzel and Eugene, and his sister Ruby. As they came to meet Mal, she felt more comfortable because everyone was being nice to her. She was afraid that everyone would see her as Stefan portrayed her mother.

"Mallory," a blonde woman in a baby blue dress said as she walked up to Mal. "It is so good to finally meet you. I'm Ella, Chad's mother," she said as Chad and a tall brunette man walked up behind her. "And this is my husband Kit," she said as she held her arm out to her husband who had a smile on his face. "And you have mey Chad."

Mal looked at Chad to see him standing there with a straight face.

"I would love to get to know you," Ella said, making Mal look back at her. "Snow, Jasmine, and I would like to have tea with you and Belle if that would be okay?"

"Of course," Mal said as she nodded her head. "I would love that."

"Great," Ella said as she squeezed Mal's hand. "We'll plan something later."

Kit held his arm out for Ella, and they walked into the dining room with Chad following behind them. Mal's eyes widened when she saw who was walking up next. A blonde woman with a pink dress, and a brunette man by her side.

"Hello, Mal," Aurora said as she walked up to the purple haired girl.

"Hello, Queen Aurora," Mal said as she gave the queen a small smile.

Aurora couldn't help herself, and she pulled Mal into a tight hug.

"I have been wanting to meet you for years," she said over Mal's shoulder. "You are just as beautiful as I imagined."

Mal didn't know what to say. Jane and the others told her that Aurora and Phillip were kind, but she wasn't expecting this.

"Briar," Phillip said. "Let her breathe. You will have many chances to chat."

"I'm sorry," Aurora said as she pulled away from Mal. "I am just very excited to be meeting my sister," she said in a very low whisper. "We'll talk later," she said before she walked away with her husband, not giving Mal a chance to comment on what Aurora said.

"Mal," a man with a rather large crown on his head said, making her look at him.

He held his hand out for her to take, and before she grabbed it, Ben grabbed the man's hand first.

"I am going to need you to take off all of your rings before you shake my fiancé's hand," Ben said, making the older man look at him.

"I don't understand, my prince," he said. "You didn't…"

"You know perfectly well why I want your rings off, Stefan," Ben said, making Mal look at the man with wide eyes.

Stefan took a breath before looking back at Ben. "Very well," he said as he slipped off all of his rings and placed them in his coat pocket.

"Thank you," Ben said with a straight face.

He shook Mal's hand before walking off and into the dining room.

"Hello, Bennyboo," Mal heard, making her turn her head toward the girl he had left for her.

"Hello, Audrey," Ben said.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" She asked as she twirled her hair and looked over at Mal.

"Of course," he said as he took a step closer to Mal and laced his fingers with hers. "Audrey, this is my fiancé, Mal," he said as she squeezed Mal's hand and smiled down at her. "Mal, this is Princess Audrey, one of my…"

"His ex-girlfriend," Audrey said, cutting Ben off. "He left me to marry you."

"Well," Mal said as she gave Audrey a sweet smile. "It is very nice to meet you," she said as she held her hand out for Audrey to shake.

Audrey let out a small gasp when she saw the ring on Mal's finger. The ring she was supposed to be wearing. The ring Ben was supposed to give her. She looked up to meet Mal's eyes, and held her hand out only for Jane to grab her wrist.

"Take them off," Jane hissed through her teeth.

"What?"

"Take them off now," Jane said again. "You took Ben's ring and replaced it with one made of iron. Do you really think that we would be so stupid and not think that you would try something yourself?" Jane asked, making Audrey look at her in shock. "Now, take them off before I rip them off, and if you try it again, I'll not be so nice," she said as she let go of Audrey's wrist.

"I'm not wearing anything that could…"

"Then shake my hand," a woman in a light blue dress and pink bow around her waist said as she walked up next to Jane.

"Fairy Godmother," Audrey said in surprise. "I said hello to you earlier. I was just trying to say hello to Ben's new fiancé," she said as she glared at Mal.

"And I know you would never harm me," FG said. "Now shake my hand to prove you have nothing to hide."

Audrey hesitated and looked like she was starting to get nervous.

"Audrey!" Chad called, making everyone turn to see Chad walking toward them. "Your grandfather asked me to come and get you."

Audrey sighed in relief. She looked back at the people in front of her.

"If you will excuse me," she said as she started to walk toward Chad, but Ben grabbed her upper arm, making her look at him with wide eyes.

"I want my father's ring back," he said with a slight growl. "Do I make myself clear?"

Audrey nodded her head, before taking Chad's hand and walking into the dining room. FG and Jane walked in, following Audrey and Chad, and Belle and Adam followed behind them.

"You know," Mal said, making Ben look down at her. "You may be a prince from Auradon, but you're kind of scary when you're mad."

Ben laughed before taking Mal's arm and leading her into the dining room for dinner.

---

The night went on and Mal was currently dancing with her cousin Hercules. She was surprised to see that he had asked her, because she didn't know how they would react to her. He was very kind, and he even told her funny jokes about her dad, and she couldn't wait to tell him them. She was on her way to her seat next to Belle when someone grabbed her hand and turned her around. She looked up to see Chad standing there, looking down at her.

"May I have a dance?" he asked.

"Oh," she said as she looked at him in shock. "Of course."

Chad led her onto the dance floor, and put his hand on the small of her back. She looked and saw that Ben had just walked onto the dance floor with Audrey and he looked irritated.

"So," Chad said, making Mal look at him. "What is your plan?" he asked.

"What do you mean plan?"

"You know what I'm talking about," he said with a scoff. "Now that you have Ben under your spell, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm sorry to inform you," she said as she gave him a serious look. "Ben is not under any spell."

"Please," he said. "Why would he leave Audrey, a princess who is rich, beautiful, and who he has been in a relationship with for 7 years, for you?" he asked.

"I didn't know he was in a relationship before I came here," she said. "And you know too that this was not our planning. This is for the good of both our kingdoms."

"Oh," he said. "The Moors. The kingdom of Maleficent. Isn't it funny how you ruined Audrey's life who is the daughter of Aurora, just like your mother did Aurora?"

"Okay," Mal said as she looked up at him, making her eyes glow. "Listen and listen good. I did not spell Ben into marrying me. This was not a plan I had, nor my parents," she said. "And if you think, for one second, that I am going to let you talk shit about me and run my name through the mud. You have another thing coming, because you do not want to fuck with me," she said before she felt someone tap her shoulder.

She turned around to see Doug standing there with a smile on his face.

"May I cut in?" he asked.

Mal looked at Chad, before looking back at Doug. "Absolutely."

Doug took Mal's hand as guided her to dance the rest of the song.

"Your timing was perfect," Mal said.

"Don't mention it," he said as he shook his head. "I saw Ben was busy, so I thought that I could step in."

"Thank you," she said as he led her through the rest of the dance.

Across the dance floor, Ben was having a discussion with Audrey that was making him just as pissed as Mal was now.

"So tell me,' Audrey said as she ran her fingers up his arm. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Audrey," he said. "I would be better, and happier if you didn't steal my ring."

"Bennyboo," she said. "You gave me that ring when we were dating, don't you remember?"

"I would never give you that ring," Ben said. "That was my father's ring, and I know I didn't give it to you because I never took it off."

"And why are you blaming me?"

"Because I told you who Mal's parents are, and magically," he said as he waved his hand in the air. "The one that was on my finger was made of iron."

"I think you're confused," she said. "Maybe being around her has made you…"

"Mal is amazing," he said, cutting her off. "She is the best person I have met in my life."

"You don't know her."

"I know more about her than I know about you," he said. "And we dated for seven years."

"And after all those years together, you gave your mother's ring to her," she said, making Ben look at her.

"Yes," he said. "I gave it to her because she is going to be my wife, and I love her."

"You don't…"

"No," he said. "You cannot tell me who I love and don't. I am happy with her. That is all that should matter, and if you were truly my friend you would understand."

"But I love you," she said as she placed her hands on his chest.

"You don't love me," he said. "You love the crown that comes with me and we both know that," he said. "Now, if you will, please excuse me. I'm going to find my fiance," he told her as he walked away in search for Mal.

The rest of the ball went on, and Ben and Mal didn't leave each other's side. Guests started to leave one by one, and by the time the last guest left, Belle and Adam could not find Ben or Mal in the ballroom or dining room. They checked other rooms of the castle, but heard a small growl coming from the library. They walked in and saw Ben laying on one of the couches asleep, and Mal was asleep on his chest. His arm was wrapped around her so that she didn't fall, and they couldn't help but smile at the pair. Belle walked around to the back of the couch, before taking the blanket and laying it over the couple. Ben nuzzled his head against Mal's as he tightened his hold around her waist. Belle and Adam took their leave, and closed the door behind them, letting Ben and Mal sleep. It had been a big day for them, but things were going to get a lot more hectic in the next couple of months.

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Okay! That's it for now! Please let me know what you think!

Until next time my lovies! xoxo GM