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Ben pressed a hand to his chest as he stared at the young man in the room. He was sitting on the back of the sofa, balancing carefully as one bare foot swung back and forth. A long shepherd's crook was tucked under his arm as the young man carefully molded snowflakes out of thin air.
The boy looked out under his long, shaggy locks and smirked at Ben in a way that was almost similar to Mal's smirk. "Hello?" He asked.
"Hello." Ben gasped as he relaxed. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were there." He straightened his suit and took a few calming breaths to recover from the shock.
The boy's face fell dramatically. He stared at the ground as snowflakes settled on his hoodie. "Not many do." He sighed, glancing out to the window. He stood up on the couch and swung the staff up over his shoulders as he walked off the sofa's back and onto a table without either making a sound, as if he were weightless. "It's a wonder you can see me at all. I was a little worried that I'd have to find some way to convince you. Must be how used to magic you are." He continued in a mournful tone. Ben observed the way the snow followed him.
He didn't seem to weigh anything but he wasn't see-through. Ben had never seen anything like him before, but if he was from the moors that would make sense. "Are you a spirit?" He asked as he picked a plush chair sitting against the wall and sat down to face the newcomer as he took a stroll upon the tables and chairs in his and Mal's living space.
The boy shrugged. "I don't know what you'd call us." He said honestly. "I come from a… different place?"
He jumped down and sat on the end of the table he'd previously been walking on, about eight feet from Ben.
Ben cocked his head. "Are you from the moors?" He asked.
"What?" The white-haired boy asked. "Never mind." He stopped Ben before he could speak. "No, I'm not from anywhere in Auradon. My name is Jack Frost."
"Jack Frost?" Ben asked cautiously. His mind leaped to the immortal villain Jack Frost, who now resided on the Isle.
"I know you guys have a Jack Frost too." Jack held up his hands. "But… we're different. I think he's a blizzard incarnation, and I'm a moon incarnation."
"A moon incarnation?" Ben asked. "I'm sorry, I don't know that much about magic. If my wife was here, she might know what you were talking about."
"The queen's not here?" Jack jumped up and flitted away from Ben.
"No, but I can pass on a message?" Ben asked, standing up and taking a concerned step forward.
"No, no. That's fine. I was just hoping to… talk to her." Jack wilted.
Ben frowned. "Is it anything I might be able to help with?" He asked.
"Well…" Jack hesitated. "It actually is all about you and Auradon as a whole, but… I was kind of hoping to be able to talk to her and you at the same time because, y'know, she's like me and…"
"You're magical," Ben stated calmly.
Jack straightened his shoulders. "Yeah, I am." He narrowed his eyes as if he thought Ben might have something negative to say about that.
"That's fine." Ben held up his hands in surrender. "Well, Mal won't be back until the first of August. You can feel free to stay until then or you can talk to me. I'd even be willing to let you call Mal. She wouldn't be there physically, but you could still talk to her if that'd help."
"No." Jack shook his head. He was creeping closer to the window. "I'll just… wait until she gets back. Sorry for barging in."
Ben felt increasing alarm as Jack put a hand on the windowsill. "Wait, I can have someone escort you, or I could even do it myself if you-" He began to protest.
Jack opened the window and jumped up on the pane. Ben's eyes went wide. "Wait!" He yelled as Jack gave a quick wave and suddenly vanished. He ran to the open window and stared down at the ground in horror until a shadow flew past him. He looked up to see Jack soaring away on the wind, heading southeast, almost as if he was headed to the Isle of the Lost. He was already out of earshot, so Ben didn't bother calling after him. Instead, he sank to the floor as the adrenaline faded out of his system.
The bathroom door opened, and Carlos peeked out. He stared at Ben on the floor. "You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah." Ben stood back up, still shaking.
"What are you doing over there?" Carlos asked as Ben pulled the window shut.
"Nothing." Ben sighed. "Uh, are you guys done?"
"Just about," Carlos answered. "Here, come on in." He gave Ben none-too-few weird looks as he brushed his knees off and walked towards the bathroom.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Carlos commented. "Did you throw up out the window or something?"
"No," Ben replied as a heavy red blush set into his cheeks.
"Why is there slush melting on the back of the couch?" Carlos asked.
"No reason." Ben slipped into the bathroom. Evie and Jay looked up as they heard his footfalls. Mal was still there, looking up out of the water. When she saw Ben, her eyes lit up and her smile grew brighter, and she waved, but otherwise remained focused on Evie. Jay crossed his arms and glared at Ben harshly.
"The thing is…" Evie was telling Mal, "I don't want you to feel like you're being left alone again. Ben actually mentioned that if you wanted to come with us you could, and-"
"No." Mal interrupted. "Hold on, please. I'm so, so happy you're going to be able to do this, but I've got two kingdoms to run. Both are at very pivotal moments in their development. I can't do that plus school. I don't even need school." Mal threaded her fingers through her purple locks, which were back down to her shoulder blades. "I know I'm not alone, and that I can always come to visit you if we want. And you'll have your phones, so you can call, and – Evie – You're going to be so, so amazing. I can't even imagine what you'll end up doing. You totally need this. It'll help you be spectacular. My path has already been decided. By me. Not by Ben or the palace. And I'm happy with where I am. I can't go to college right now, but if you go, I'll be so, so proud of you."
Evie had deflated during Mal's speech like a balloon, but she still nodded. "Is that everything you wanted to tell me?" Mal asked.
The four villain kids exchanged looks, and then Jay nodded without a word.
"Can I say hi to Ben, then?" Mal asked.
Evie and Jay scooted a little so that Ben was able to kneel beside them. "Hey." He said, waving a little.
"Hey, babe." Mal smiled. Ben's cheeks went a little pink. Jay crossed his arms and bit down hard on his tongue. Ben swallowed and put his hands in his pockets.
"Hey." He repeated, then cleared his throat. "I miss you." He told her.
"Miss you too," Mal replied, shooting a little glance at Jay. It was beyond clear that she disapproved of his continued disapproval, but it wasn't like she could force Jay to like Ben. "Sounds like you're keeping busy though. Are you sleeping now that the spell is broken?"
"So far, so good," Ben admitted. "It's actually rather nice."
"What, to have that entire gigantic space to yourself and not have to share with me?" She laughed.
"No, just the fact I can fall asleep again. I miss you." Ben reminded her. Mal laughed again.
"Well," She said. "Thanks for calling again. Everyone has been bogging me down and trying to convince me I need to raise defenses. I swear Ben, if you do this to me ever again, I'm going to make you come and explain everything to them. But hopefully, I'll be able to quell the tides. I'll be home soon. You should pick out a new movie I haven't seen yet. I don't think I've ever seen Sleeping Beauty."
"You'd want to see Sleeping Beauty?" Carlos asked incredulously.
"Yeah." Mal nodded. "I've actually met Aurora, and she's very nice. Her daughter on the other hand…" Mal rolled her eyes. "Let's just say she's very different."
Ben groaned and stared at the ceiling. "It's not lusting if we love each other!" He mimicked and rolled his eyes.
Mal laughed. "She can't be a very passionate woman, can she?" She repeated.
None of the villain kids said anything, so Ben waved to Mal. "Well, I'll see you soon, okay? Do you think everything will be okay over there?"
"Yeah." Mal's eyes lit up. "I really want you to come and talk to everyone, non-politics related. You're still relatively liked. A lot of the others here want to see you too. Do you think maybe we could steal you away for a week?"
"Maybe." Ben shrugged. "I'll pass the idea by Mom." He hesitated. "Maybe if we make it before Auradon Accelerated's fall semester starts up, Evie, Jay, and Carlos could join us."
"I'll ask." Mal nodded enthusiastically. "Anyways, I'm going to bed now. Get some sleep."
"Now that I can." Ben chuckled. "Okay, bye!" Mal waved her hand, and then the water faded back to clear. Ben pulled the plug on the tub and emptied out the basin as the Villain Kids stood up in silence. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.
"What did she say?" Ben asked.
"She liked our ideas a lot," Carlos muttered. "She was really happy for us."
"That's good," Ben said as he hefted the basin out of the tub and replaced it on a corner of the counter. "Is there something you need to ask me?"
No one said anything. Ben pushed himself up and sat on the edge of the counter. One by one, they folded their arms and began to glare at the ground. Finally, Evie, in the smallest voice he'd ever heard her use, began: "I guess we're just shocked by how different she is."
Ben exhaled and hunched his shoulders. "It must be hard." He empathized. "I mean, I get surprised by how different she is just coming back from the moorlands every month. She comes back and she's glowing and stronger and more beautiful. I can't imagine missing a year." A lock of hair fell in front of his face. Like Mal, his hair was getting long.
"When did she give up on evil?" Evie asked, squeezing her eyes shut.
"From the very beginning," Ben explained. "I think she mostly did it out of revenge to her mom at first, but then she decided that she didn't like being good, and she didn't like being bad, and that was when she went to the moors and became something else entirely."
"And this is her life now, for good?" Evie's lip wobbled.
Ben shook his head. "I'm not entitled to make those decisions." He reminded them. "But I don't think she'll want to leave. Guys, I'm sorry, but she's queen now. She's got an entire prophesy that states she'll unify Auradon and repair all the mistakes our country has made."
Carlos exhaled. "We get it." He whispered. "We heard the coronation blessings. We watched everything we could from the Isle. It's just... going to be hard for us to wrap our heads around it. Around you." He sighed and swallowed. "You're a good man, Ben. It's just hard to know she left us behind for you."
Ben's heart plummeted into his stomach. "She never wanted to." He blurted out. "She tried to see you guys in her Auradon life before she left. In the clothes and the note you wrote to her and in-"
"Ben," Carlos interrupted. "You don't have to lie to make us feel better."
"She wrote you a note," Ben continued. "I watched her print it. She wrote a note to the Isle of the Lost before I told her Auradon screens the mail that's sent, and she took it and put it somewhere. Ask her about it when she gets back."
Evie, Jay, and Carlos exchanged glances. "Okay," Carlos said. "Thank you, Ben."
"Of course," Ben mumbled. He watched as the three of them gathered up registration packets and class itineraries. They wouldn't have to formally apply since Hiro Hamada had approved the three of them, but it was still up to them to register and put their schedules together. Ben had a feeling they'd all hang out in Evie's room tonight and stay up pouring out over everything. He followed them to the door and said goodnight as they disappeared. Then, he returned to the bathroom to dry the basin and put it back in its official place.
Jay hated him. Hated his guts and wished he could never see him again, probably. Ben had no idea what sort of history Jay had with Mal, but could only imagine how hurt Jay must have been over anything. That was a type of hurt that tourney games and college opportunities just couldn't fix. Evie was also hurt, also disliked him. She seemed to be having trouble accepting the Mal she'd assumed was living in the palace with the person Mal actually was, where Jay seemed to be having trouble connecting fifteen-year-old Mal to seventeen-year-old Mal. But Evie was slowly, slowly rationalizing through the situation and taking everything in. Out of the three, Carlos was having the easiest time. Not that it was an easy transition, but the young man was making leaps and bounds. Carlos was accepting Ben, accepting Mal's lifestyle, and looking forward a little. It was interesting to watch the three work through everything, though Ben's heart went out to them.
The second time Ben was summoned in the middle of the night for a phone call, it was close to two am and he was fast asleep. Shaken out of his stupor by another nighttime palace attendant, he couldn't even comprehend what he was being told until he'd swung his feet off the bed and sat up.
"What?" He gasped as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes.
"Urgent call from the Isle," An attendant informed him. "You need to get up to take it right now, please."
Ben nodded and began to walk to the door. He paused briefly to grab a bathrobe from his closet and then he and the attendant exited the room and into the hallway. 'I can find my way to the queen's office by myself," Ben told them. "Thank you for coming to get me." The attendant nodded, and he and Ben parted ways. Ben immediately set on his way to the offices.
As he neared the entryway, he heard the distinct sound of the front doors opening and frowned. Guards were usually set to patrol either inside or outside on the rare occasions that the royal family, who happened to routinely house a magical enchantress, required protection. There shouldn't be anyone coming inside or outside. Ben took a few steps into the entryway and almost collided with a figure in dark leather. "Jay?" He gasped.
Jay looked as startled as Ben did, and his expression quickly morphed into one of intense hostility. He had obviously come from outside, and Ben wondered what he'd been doing. Jay scowled. "Are you tailing me?" he snapped.
"What? No, no," Ben tried to step around Jay. "I'm headed towards Mal's office real quick. You can feel free to head outside whenever. Now, pardon me, she has an urgent call coming in from the Isle."
Jay blocked his path and straightened up. "Well, I guess I'd better come with you, considering I lived there. I might be able to offer advice."
Ben winced internally. He should have just stopped at 'the office'. "This is from the city, Jay, not from the old Isle. And I'm not making any decisions; I'm just taking the call and delivering the message." But Jay crossed his arms and Ben deflated. There was no way he could politely refuse the other man without Jay thinking that he was trying to hide something. With a sigh, Ben turned and continued to Mal's office with Jay hot on his heels. He'd forgotten how exhausting it was to have an Islander constantly looking down on him. It wasn't that he didn't like Jay; it was that he knew Jay still hated him and he wasn't quite sure how the Islander would act without one of his better-reasoning friends around.
Ben opened Mal's office door and flipped on the light. Jay took up guard at the door as Ben swallowed and began to examine Mal's computer. Her system, unfortunately, was completely different from his as she had adapted the methods to suit a completely different government. Ben sighed and pulled out his phone to page a palace technician. While the app was open, he coyly summoned for a palace guard, just in case.
"What are you doing?" Jay demanded, stepping forward to examine Ben's motions.
Ben exhaled and put his phone away in his bathrobe pocket. He understood not being liked, but he wished Jay wouldn't be so... antagonizing. "I've never used Mal's computer," Ben admitted with a gesture at Mal's system. "I can't turn it on."
Jay furrowed his brow and Ben sighed, taking a little seat on the edge of Mal's desk as he pondered what to say. "How is it outside?" He asked.
Jay scrunched up his face. "If you're wondering why I was outside, it's none of your business, Your Majesty."
Ben rolled his eyes at the title as Jay kept his gaze turned towards the wall in a death stare. "I just assumed you were out exploring. It's a trend I'm noticing with Isle kids. You're all very obsessed with the 'go-wherever-I-want' freedom. Mal does the exact same thing." He sighed. "Listen, I notice you're having a hard time adjusting to Auradon. I know I'm not Mal, but I'd like to help out if I can." He put his hands in his bathrobe and Jay turned his fiery stare back towards him.
"I'm fine." Jay snapped. "Auradon is having a hard time adjusting to us. And you're the last person I'd want help from, ever. I don't need a royal who left me to fight for scraps in a city of death where everything is designed to kill you and then proceeded to steal my best friend and make her a figurehead for Auradon-"
"For the Isle," Ben cut off Jay irritably. "Let's just make that clear before she lays it into both of us. She made herself a figurehead from the Isle she wanted to raise up." Ben tried to lay pressure on what Mal's choices had been as much as he could.
"You took her," Jay spat.
Ben sighed. That, unfortunately, he couldn't deny. It would go down to be lost in history that the palace had taken Mal from her home and turned her into their queen. "Yeah, I'm sorry," Ben apologized. "It didn't occur to my parents that she'd have a life on the Isle that she wouldn't be prepared to leave. We genuinely thought she'd been scheming since she was small and that her mother would have told her all the curse details. We weren't expecting a teenager, someone so young, who had no idea what was going on. But... shouldn't you be blaming Maleficent for making the curse or my parents for making the Isle? It's not my fault. Everything happened before I was even born."
Jay opened his mouth, but the door opened before he could say anything. Doug appeared, rubbing a sore spot on his arm. He brushed past Jay and leaned down to examine the computer's external components and ports. "You're lucky I'm still here, Ben," Doug sighed by way of greeting. "I was working on your wifi system."
"Thanks for your help, Doug," Ben sighed in relief. "What's wrong with the wifi?"
"Too many guests," Doug grumbled. "I'm hoping to get home before midnight, so let's hurry."
Ben blinked in surprise. "It's past two a.m," he informed Doug. Doug turned and stared at him, then let out a groan.
"Why are you up?" Doug asked as the computer screen lit up and began to hum.
"Incoming call from the Isle," Ben yawned. "The palace attendants woke me up to receive the call for Mal."
"She needs to hurry back," Doug hummed. "I hope you know her password."
"I don't," Ben groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. He had no idea what it could be either - he and Mal didn't share passwords at all. He had no past knowledge to guess at what it could be. "Want to bet ten dollars I can guess it within the hour?"
"Try 'Maleficent10," Doug recommended with a snort. "That was it before I told her to change it. Do you have her phone password?"
"I don't," Ben shook his head. "Her phone falls under the category of 'her space', and I don't interfere with her things. But I bet that her password has something to do with the Isle..." He trailed off, and then glanced at Jay to see if the other man would have any recommendations. Jay kept his arms crossed and a mask of calm across his face, but his eyes betrayed that he was as stumped as Ben and Doug were. Ben squinted at the notes on Mal's desk and then snorted. "Actually, hold on." He pulled a post-it note off of the edge of Mal's screen. "According to this, it's 'bellesdaughterinlaw'. No embellishments or anything."
"Sounds like her," Doug scoffed. "Someone needs to teach that girl how to pick better passwords."
"I'm not going to say anything to her about it," Ben warned his old friend. "Keep in mind she was raised in an open information society and she doesn't really care for much security." The computer screen flickered and then the password screen appeared. Doug slid a keyboard out of a hidden drawer in the desk. A smile crossed Ben's face when he glimpsed the shiny spots on her keyboard where she'd rest her wrists as she typed. Doug chuckled.
"She prefers the keyboard over the touchscreen stuff," Doug commented and withdrew as Ben leaned forward and punched the code in. Jay came over to supervise as Ben hit enter. Doug raised an eyebrow at him. "So, you're Jafar's son?" He asked.
Jay crossed his arms and flexed his muscles. "Yes," He admitted.
"Cool," Doug nodded and rubbed his sore hands. "So, quick question, the blue-haired girl in your group, what's her name?" Ben glanced over at Doug with a raised eyebrow. He had no idea when Doug could have possibly crossed paths with Evie, but he hoped his friend knew what he was getting into.
"What's it to you?" Jay demanded. Ben felt warning bells go off in his head and decided it was a good time to intervene.
"Her name is Evie," Ben interrupted before Jay or Doug could grow defensive. "Daughter of the Evil Queen. She's like Mal, except she likes fashion and makeup instead of swords and heights." He gestured to the screen. "Where's her communicator?" He asked.
Doug sighed and leaned down to navigate through Mal's apps. "So... is she enough like Mal that she'd deck me if I tried to say 'hi'?" He asked.
"No," Ben shook his head. "Probably not. But... don't mention Mal to her. Evie is devastated Mal wants to stay. I don't think she's as... fiery as Mal was since she avoids me instead of trying to engage me, but Mal still wants her to chill about her place in the palace. We were talking last night, and she's just exhausted with how Evie wants her to leave." Jay shifted his weight like he wanted to ask what Mal had been saying about him.
Doug straightened up with the communicator system live on the computer. A pulsing icon was indicating an awaiting call. "Mal usually takes her calls through an earpiece. She likes to have the one in while she blows out the other with music. It should be in the first drawer there. Do you want it?"
Ben instinctively began to reach for the drawer handle, then paused. Jay would demand to hear everything afterward, so... he swallowed. "No, that's fine, Doug," he decided, forcing his hands to settle and still on the top of the desk. "Thank you for all your help. The palace just wouldn't run without you."
"No, it wouldn't," Doug yawned. "Okay, can you handle powering it off, or do you need me to stick around?"
"I can handle it," Ben assured him, clapping his friend on the shoulder lightly. "Go home and get some rest. Or feel free to crash here... either way."
Doug yawned. "I might try and go home... maybe."
"Feel free to join us for breakfast tomorrow if you decide to stay here," Ben invited.
"I will," Doug yawned and turned to leave the room. He opened the door mid-wave to Ben and paused. A guard appeared, looking around the inside of the office. Doug stumbled back as the guard examined the scene - who was inside, where they were, everything. Ben held up a finger and raised his eyebrows, and the guard nodded in understanding and stepped back into the hallway, out of sight. Doug followed without a word and the door shut behind them.
Ben found Mal's mouse and tapped the pulsing icon on the screen. A crackle of static and sound echoed through the speakers behind Mal's screen. "Yes, I know," a voice snapped on the other end. "I'm trying to get a hold of the palace, but it's not like King Benjamin can be awake all hours of the day."
"Hello?" Ben asked. "Is anyone there? Can you hear me?"
"Yes, a relieved voice confirmed through the phone. "Is this King Benjamin?"
"Ben," Ben replied. "Is this Eliza Deavor?" It'd better be, because Eliza was the only one Mal had given permission to page the palace, and unless Eliza was dead or incarcerated, he would be angry at anyone else waking him up before daylight hours.
"Yes, this is - I am Eliza," Eliza let out a second relieved breath.
"What's the problem?" Ben asked, reaching for a pen and flipping a file over.
Eliza took a deep breath. "There's been a murder," She informed him. An icy feeling coated Ben's spine. "An Isle political statement. One of the citizens was captured by Isle rebels outside the barrier. Her body is hanging in one of the trees on the rotten part of the Isle, where we can all see it but can't reach it. The murderers are hiding outside the entrance gate, waiting for someone to either leave or try to come back into the city. Myth, Mercy, and May, along with the rest of the magical citizens of the Isle can't use their magic in the sealed barrier. We still have citizens outside. How should we see them to safety?"
Ben's hand stilled as he processed all that he had been told. It was clear the Isle needed an immediate response, meaning he'd have to borrow Mal's shoes to try and fill her footsteps for a little while. His throat pinched. After only two seconds of silence, Jay leaped into action at his side, elbowing Ben aside a little as he leaned towards the computer in a small panic. "Get a task force together to lead them to safety!" He demanded in a shout.
"No!" Ben protested immediately. "No, we can't do that." He pressed his fingertips to his brow line and used an arm to guide Jay away from the computer by a few inches.
"Of course we can!" Jay exclaimed. "We have plenty of strong people in the city!"
"I don't want more casualties!" Ben snapped back firmly. "If we send them out, it'll be like killing fish in a barrel. We can't fight back."
Jay's face turned red and the veins in his neck and arms began to throb. "People have died and will die if we don't do something!" Jay yelled.
"I know that," Ben reminded Jay crossly. He just needed a minute to think... what would keep the most people safe until Mal got back?
"No, you don't know anything!" Jay exploded. "You royals, you have no idea how ruthless and cruel the Isle of the Lost can be!"
"Jay!" Ben yelled. "This has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Mal and the Isle. It's about protecting the people there." He put a hand down on Mal's desk as if he was cupping her hand under his and turned to the computer. Eliza hadn't been able to see the dispute, only to hear it. "Eliza," He began and exhaled. "You're better qualified to guide the Isle than I am. Until Mal gets an official second-in-command, you're her senior citizen. But speaking as Mal's husband, we cannot organize an attack without the Queen's approval. We don't want to pointlessly lose citizens to the people outside." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "As for the people outside, we're already planning to invade the Isle of the Lost to free people the villains have been holding captive. Mal will probably accelerate those plans. Hopefully, they'll have the sense to hide themselves, but if they try to come to the entrance, do your best to protect their entry back inside. I wouldn't leave the barrier, though. I'll get in touch with Mal and we will, for sure, hammer out something that will hopefully keep everyone safe, I'll try and call tomorrow, or later today, really, with details from the queen. For now, don't attack and try to keep panic at a low."
"I agree with all of that." Eliza hummed. "We, uh, can't do anything about the body yet, though."
"Can you hide it from view?" Ben asked with a wince. "Have some magical citizens spell something up?"
"Maybe," Eliza exhaled. "I'll get back to you. Sorry for the late call and the bad news."
"Thank you for calling," Ben nodded. "I'm sorry I don't have any easy answers."
Eliza hummed. "You're a good man and a good king. We're happy you're on hand and grateful Mal married someone sensible, who cares about the Isle."
Ben chuckled softly. "Thank you, Eliza. I'll try and get back to you as quickly as I can," Ben reached for the mouse and then ended the call. He set about shutting down the computer as Jay frowned. Ben waited with trepidation for the man to explode and wondered if now was the time to call the guard inside.
"You're not doing enough!" Jay exploded after several seconds of silence. "I thought you were supposed to be taking care of Mal's kingdom?"
"That was never Mal's orders," Ben disagreed. "The only reason I gave Eliza any suggestions at all is that it was an emergency. You heard Mal. I'm supposed to be sticking to my kingdom."
"You're letting Mal's people die!" Jay snapped, hands balling up into fists as Ben finished shutting down the computer and straightened up.
"I'm protecting her people," Ben explained in a slow, soothing tone. "And the citizens were warned about the rotten part of the Isle not being safe."
"The Isle has never been safe, but of course you wouldn't know! You privileged, spoiled royals have spent your entire lives basking in comfort and riches while Isle folk like Evie and Carlos and Jay and your wife were starving to death in clouds of smog!" Jay slammed his hands down on the desk and there was a loud cracking sound, though Ben couldn't see any immediate damage. He straightened up, gaze growing hard, and shoved his hands into his pockets so Jay couldn't see how tightly they were clenched.
"This is Mal's desk," he reminded Jay in an authoritative tone. "This is her office we are in and her stuff and her kingdom we are discussing. I get that you're mad and that you want to protect the Isle. I know Auradon has a lot to answer for. But I am not going to go behind Mal's back and organize a militia that will turn into an inevitable massacre. We need to wait for her instructions. You're always accusing me of manipulation and using her reputation to better myself, so you can't go commanding things behind her back just because she's gone."
Jay let a fist fly. Ben could hear his head snap back in a thunderous crack that seemed to reverberate in the pain blooming across his face. He felt himself stumbling back into the wall. Ben pressed a hand to his mouth where Jay's knuckles had collided and his fingertips came away red. His ears were ringing. He looked back to Jay upon finishing this little self-assessment. 'Mal is going to be furious,' he realized. Beside the desk, he could see Jay coming to the same conclusion. Punching the King of the entire nation and drawing blood from his best friend's husband was taking it a few steps/strides/leaps too far.
"Ben," Jay gasped. "Your face..."
Ben stopped Jay with a hand. His mouth and nose were both bleeding. He found a box of tissues and started trying to stall the blood, all the while feeling his teeth to make sure Jay hadn't knocked any out. He crossed the room to the door and opened it. The guard outside straightened and his mouth fell open as he took in the state of the king.
Ben turned to Jay. "It's late. We'll speak tomorrow after I've spoken to Mal." Then, to the guard, he asked: "Will you please take Jay back to his room? He doesn't have to stay there, but I'd like him to keep away from the offices and from the Royal Family's rooms. I'm good to escort myself."
Jay looked a bit sick at Ben's words, but he didn't protest the guard as Ben took another wad of tissues and exhaled. The two disappeared and Ben shut his eyes, already dreading the inevitable conversation he'd have to have with Mal.
"You'd better have a good reason for calling before daylight hours," Mal grumbled, rubbing her eyes as she sat down. The fairies who had woken her and summoned her twittered excitedly. Ben wasn't sure what the moorland creatures thought of him, but the ones who usually greeted him seemed to be fans of Mal's husband.
Ben was sitting on a chair in the bathroom and peering down into the basin as he held an ice pack to his lip. Jay's punch had split his upper lip and possibly moved his teeth back, but his nose and jaw weren't broken, so he considered it a stroke of luck on his part. Even so, scary red and dark blue bruises were starting to form. He sighed, knowing it was inevitable that she'd ask what had happened. "Depending on how you react, I might have two good reasons." He replied.
Mal took a good look at him and her mouth fell open. "What happened to your face?" She demanded, bracing her hands against the ground and leaning towards the water on her side.
Ben winced. "Jay," he explained. "He wanted to set up an Isle militia and I... might have put my foot down a bit too hard." Ben swallowed. "I told him he couldn't accuse me of manipulation only to turn around and go behind your back while you're gone."
Mal's eyes lit up and her face turned red. Ben thought he saw shadows going across her hair, and then he realized her horns were materializing out of sheer rage. "Jay was going to set up a militia?" She demanded. "In my country!"
"I told him no," Ben assured her. "And really, the punch isn't as bad as it looks. I'll get my teeth checked out tomorrow, and the bruises should be gone after a few days."
"Punch?" Mal hissed, curling her hands up.
Ben winced and closed his eyes, making the decision to change the subject. The more he said, the more Mal would take out of poor Jay's hide. "We got a bad call from the Isle tonight. Rebels are hiding outside the gate to attack people coming in and going out. Someone was murdered and strung up in the trees to scare everyone. They're calling it a-"
"A statement?" Mal interrupted with wide, surprised eyes.
Ben nodded with a sigh. "You still have citizens who are now trapped outside your safety barrier. What do you want us to do?"
Mal's angered expression had completely fallen away. She trailed her fingers through her hair and twisted a small lock of hair that she almost looked like she was about to bite before she exhaled. "I guess this is it for my plans to open the Isle to Auradon in two weeks." She sighed.
An idea came to Ben. He blinked. "I could send the army for the day," He offered. "Leave them under your direction for the day and with their help and your magic, you can put down your rebellion without, hopefully, any casualties. We can still keep the plans for your massive project so long as I get your word no one will be hurt under your direction. And if Auradon citizens want to join the army ranks to truly 'see the Isle', I'll be okay with that. You can still do it."
Mal's hands dropped. "You'd do that?" She asked. "Auradon would be furious if you let me lead some of your soldiers for a day."
"Then I'll go over," Ben decided. "And I'll help you in securing the Isle. We'll show Auradon how well we work together and we'll show the Isle that I really do support you and I'll willing to let you lead." A smile spread across Mal's mouth. She nodded and mouthed the words 'that works'. Then, she exhaled.
"As for the current situation... what did you tell Eliza?" She asked, lifting her hands to twist them through her hair.
"Well, first I made it clear I was giving suggestions, not commands," Ben began, shifting the ice on his nose. "And I asked her to keep the peace and quell the panic."
The smile returned to Mal's face and she nodded along to his words. "Good," she agreed and then sighed. "I'm going to have to leave the moorlands a little early so that I can help make arrangements for everything. Let Eliza know I'll be on the Isle after the 27th." A bright smile spread across Ben's face in spite of the numbing bruises.
"Really?" He asked. "Will the moorlands be okay?"
"That's why I'm not coming home right away," Mal explained with a groan. "It's a mess of politics over here. You're the only popular Auradonian because of our relationship, but not everyone likes you. I'm... struggling to demilitarize the country. Some groups have agreed not to fight, but are making all sorts of magical weaponry and..." she trailed off with a sigh. "Please don't ever do this to my country again, Ben." She begged.
"I'm going to impose restrictions on the barrier," Ben agreed immediately. "We won't go near it without permission, we won't place armed forces anywhere around it without everyone's knowledge, I'm going to pull out all the stops." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Do you want me to go ahead with our plans for your Gold Rush project?"
"Not everything needs to be secretive," Mal sniffed. "You don't need to come up with silly codenames for everything."
Ben shrugged. "It's just how I was raised." He replied. "You like it."
A little color came into Mal's cheeks as she smiled at him. She opened her mouth a little, bit her lip, and then closed it again with a smile. Ben raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you want to say?" He asked.
Mal watched him for several seconds, observing the colors in his eyes, and then began to fumble her words a little. "I - there's been something on my mind. But I don't think it's the right time for me to talk with you about it. Maybe later."
Ben nodded and closed his eyes, pressing the ice to his lip carefully. "Well, I'd better get back into bed then, and you'd better get back to your rest too." Mal nodded with a sudden yawn and stretched her arms up above her head. Ben watched her move with a soft smile. "I love you," He told her.
A bright, happy light came into Mal's eyes. "And I love you," She reminded him. Then, a dark shadow crossed her expression. "You let Jay know I'm going to have words with him, alright?"
Ben sighed, knowing it was inevitable, and nodded. "Goodnight," He bid, and then the connection shut off. Ben returned to bed, almost two hours after first being awoken.
Ben's parents didn't say anything about the dark colors spreading across Ben's nose, but Evie and Carlos had a very urgently-whispered conversation about how freaking mad Mal was going to be. Ben didn't comment much on it - all he did was say "Mal and I had a conversation about the Isle and everything last night. She's coming home early."
Everyone was correct in assuming she was pissed.
Mal hadn't let Ben know when exactly she'd be home, only when Eliza should expect her, so as the days ticked down to the 27th, everyone became a bit antsy - especially Jay. Jay and Ben didn't speak again and barely interacted with each other, and Ben figured that was for the best until Mal returned.
Everyone was gathered in the dining room together on the twenty-fifth, two days before Mal was officially due back, for dinner when Ben wandered in late with a stack of papers under his arm. Belle and Adam exchanged glances at the workload as he set it on the table and pulled out his chair.
"Work at the table?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow and threading his fingers together.
"I'm not going to touch it until I get up to my room," Ben sighed, reaching for a roll and beginning to serve himself.
"Busy day?" Carlos asked.
Ben nodded. "Lots of trade problems between Arendelle and Weselton again, Cinderellasburg wants Mal and I to journey down there for some sort of official apology from the royal family and my ex-girlfriend still isn't letting herself move on, meaning I had to carve out an hour to write a strongly-worded email to her grandmother." Ben exhaled with a roll of his eyes. There were other things, of course, but they were things he wasn't supposed to be discussing with them. "I, uh, got an update from the Isle of the Lost."
Evie, Jay, and Carlos exchanged glances and Evie took up the role of speaking. "What's going on?" She asked.
"The body was removed from the trees," Ben began, pouring himself a glass of water and closing his eyes as he thought. "Someone was able to sneak over the wall with some rope."
"A rebel?" Carlos asked, furrowing his brow.
Ben shook his head. "No, they can't come within a certain distance of the wall. It was someone with a card. But they managed to scale the entire thing from a far side and drop in the long way. It's great that they were able to get in, but Eliza is thinking Mal will be upset if people start climbing those walls that she paid to have built." He tilted his head to the side and started skimming the top of a document as he ate.
Evie and Carlos nodded along to his words, and Jay pushed his plate away without a word. Behind Ben, the door opened and a black-haired woman appeared. "Evening, Sophia," Belle smiled and waved.
"Hello!" Sophia smiled and dipped her head towards the former queen. She came to stand behind Ben and held up what looked like a shirt with a circle pulling part of it taunt around the neckline. "Evie, I was wondering if you could teach me that trick you told me on the Isle. With the beads?"
"Oh, yeah," Evie nodded and a little smile spread across her face. "I'd be happy to. Can I finish dinner first?"
"Oh, of course!" Sophia held her hands up. "And actually, I have some beads up in my room that you could use to do the same thing on one of your outfits. I even know an apple blossom stitch."
Evie's eyes lit up in excitement. "That sounds wonderful!" She exclaimed.
"I'll go grab them!" Sophia declared, turning and heading back towards the door. She opened the door, paused, and then stepped aside with a smile and a finger pressed to her lips. Mal appeared, stepping around the door and glancing around. The tips of her horns were peeking out from underneath her hair and her eyes and skin were glowing. Mal waved, spotted Ben, immersed in his paper, and smiled. Everyone watched her tip-toe forward, her combat boots making little thuds against the flooring, and then lean down to put two fingers underneath Ben's chin, dragging his head away from his paper and up to make eye contact with her. Ben blinked a little, focused, and let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, thank god you're here!" He exclaimed. Mal barely had time to laugh before he had leaned up to kiss her, cutting off whatever sarcastic retort she'd been about to procure. Mal put her hands up by his eyes as a smile spread across her mouth. Jay curled his hands into fists and kept his gaze on the ground as she withdrew, laughing.
"You kiss me like that, and people will start to think you actually missed me." Mal chuckled, putting a knee on Ben's leg for balance before stabilizing herself.
"I did miss you," Ben mourned. "But you don't care, do you? I don't know if you'll ever come back, but you always know where you'll find me, huh?"
"I missed you too," Mal promised with a smile. She drew her hands down his cheeks, away from his hair, and then used her thumb to brush over Ben's nose. Most of the bruising had faded into malformed yellow marks, but the bits around the bridge of his nose were blue still. Ben winced as her touch ghosted across the damaged area and Mal made a little sound of sympathy as an ugly scowl knit itself across her face. She turned and cast a death stare at Jay, who flinched, sank a little into his seat, and refused to meet her eyes.
"Don't lay into him, Mal." Ben sighed. "You just got back."
"I did just get back, and I just barely saw the damage," Mal agreed. "Your point is?"
"It's almost gone." Ben frowned. "Just let it go."
"Let it go like he let his fist slip after he gave my assistant orders without my permission?" Mal demanded in a hiss. Her hair was rising to stand on end and her eyes were giving off an unmistakable, lazer-like glow. "The word for that is insubordination, by the way."
"I'm over it," Ben told her firmly. "And I'm the person who was punched. You don't need to fight that battle for me."
Mal sneered. "Well, fine, I'll just remain angry he messed up my favorite face. But the Isle is my kingdom and-"
"I'm sorry," Jay interrupted, putting his elbows on the table and ducking his shoulders. "I know... this isn't the Isle of the Lost. Believe me, I know it. It's just going to take some time. I'm used to jumping up in your defense and being your second-in-command, and it's weird now that you've got... him."
"Say his name," Mal demanded, squinting at Jay. Her horns grew a bit larger atop his head. "Look me in the eyes and say it."
Jay's jaw grew tight and he had to clearly force himself to look up and make eye contact with the magical queen of the moors. "Ben," he gritted out. "It's hard letting go of old habits and realizing Ben is your second-in-command now." He splayed his hands on the table and let his eyes squeeze shut.
The light mostly went out in Mal's eyes and she nodded, accepting the apology. Her horns withdrew a little as she pulled out her chair and took a seat beside Ben.
"How's Auradon?" She asked, reaching for food with a clear expression.
Ben thumbed through his stack of papers, withdrew a lined paper, and handed it to her. Mal started reading, and her hand fell slack against the table. She turned to stare at Ben. "Is that for real?" She asked. Ben nodded without a word. A little smile spread across her face. "You're really going to-" and then she stopped as Ben held up a hand. He glanced to his parents carefully.
"Going to...?" Carlos asked, trailing off.
Mal focused her gaze on her plate as a broad smile stretched across her lips. She didn't say anything as she handed the paper back to Ben. "Carlos, I have an assignment for you for the Isle of the Lost. Are you interested?"
Carlos's eyebrows shot up as he exchanged a look with Evie. Jay's gaze was still trained on the table. "Sure?" He asked, slowly. "What was with the paper?"
Mal waved him off. "Nothing," she declared with a bright smile. But her smile was bright as she took Ben's hand and squeezed it tightly.
It was August second.
Sun beat down from above. Mal was surprised the sun hadn't melted the sand of the beach into glass. Utopian children were lounging in the waves with sunburned skin as two ships ferried people from Auradon over the to Isle on a mass service project she guessed would go down in history. Ben was on one of them, and he was bringing almost one hundred Auradonian citizens over. The official Auradon Guard had arrived late the previous night and now stood behind her, waiting on their king.
Mal didn't feel like a queen as she stood with a ripped leather vest in the sun. She felt more like a warrior. Ben's sword was strapped to her waist. Her hair was long again and sun-bleached a brighter purple. She had a feeling it'd go dark again in the winter. For some reason, the people revered her when she walked past. She didn't see why. She was only seventeen, and she was guess-working most of this queen-business.
It took a while for the ships to dock. Once the gangplanks were lowered, people became to stream onshore. Mal had never seen a more mixed group in her life. Most were children of heroes, but some came from ordinary backgrounds. She had to admit, she had been doubtful many would show up to assist the people they'd thrown onto here, especially after hearing the stories of violence, but many people had shown up eager to assist. They came in groups of friends, mostly empty-handed, but determined.
"Hey." Someone said behind her. She barely had time to turn around before Ben scooped her up. She shrieked and laughed a little as he spun her around and then set her down carefully.
"Hi!" She greeted him. "Fancy seeing you here."
"Truly." He agreed, taking her hand. "Are you ready to liberate your first nation?"
"Third." She corrected. "The moors, and all the people inside the city. Now the rest of the Isle." She looked out over to the border of the Villainous Isle. "This is really, really cool. Auradon has never done anything like this for us before."
"Well, it's time we started to change that." Ben laughed, raising her knuckles to his lips in a silly flourish. The bruises from two weeks ago had faded almost completely, and now he was looking back to his old self.
Mal hummed in agreement and looked around. "Today is a great day to be bad." She told him. "We're not lost anymore, we don't have to steal to live... everything is great." She flashed a bright, beautiful, white smile at Ben. "Should we let my islanders fight with or without magic?" She asked him.
"Without," Ben recommended. "You're pretty powerful, but so is your mom. I'd be willing to bet your mom can't sword fight as well as she can spell. Besides, we have no idea what sort of capabilities the villain kids who haven't come over will have. Do you know of anyone in particular who is missing?"
"One of the sons of Gaston, Gil," Mal said automatically. "In fact, all of the pirate crew. Uma, Ursula's kid, Harry, all their gang. Facilier's kid, lots actually." She sighed. "Okay, you're right." She stepped up a few feet in the sand and muttered: "Make me heard really well, make it loud without a yell." Then she opened her mouth and yelled: "Your attention please!" Her voice echoed along the beach and everyone stopped talking.
Mal surveyed the group. She spotted Lonnie, who was already holding a sword and leaning on it. Evie, Jay, and Carlos were making their way to the front of the crowd, dressed in their old Isle clothes. Mal hesitated when she saw Audrey in white shorts and a pink tank-top but said nothing. She assumed Ben had already met her. Luckily, she couldn't seem to spot Ben's other old friend, Chad, anywhere.
"Lost boys, lost girls!" Mal proclaimed, "Today's the day you won't forget! Everyone, come and take your shot. You all know you're the best." She paused to brush her hair out of her face and spread her arms. "You know, they told us that being from the Isle was bad - whose glad to be bad?" She yelled. Isle citizens thrust their arms into the skin and yelled in support. because really, now, it was great to have a safe city and guaranteed protection.
"We're going to divide up into groups!" Mal announced. "We have swords, we have stun guns, and we have people who are going to stay behind to explore the safe part of the Isle. Ben already gave you the rundown on the mainland, so let's set straight to work. I want a group of swords people with me. We're going to go in and try to push back any of their resistance. I'm one of two people who can use magic inside the barrier, and the other is not present. Now, unless someone has been keeping secrets, there should be no guns on the Isle. I know for a fact that the villains will possess many types of improvised weapons. If you're not comfortable with a sword but still want to go in, we're going to give you a tranquilizer gun for anyone who comes at you. You'll go in second and while the first group tries to flush out the prisoners, you will be responsible for subduing the villains and making clear the way back to the city. If you don't feel comfortable going in at all, you'll stay here to receive the people coming in; especially if you are medically trained at all."
People exchanged looks, and a couple of people began to separate, then paused. No one knew where to go.
Mal folded her arms. "I'm going to head the fighting group with Carlos. Jay and Evie are going to do group two. Hopefully, this won't take more than three hours and we can all go home unless you want to stick around for the rest of the day and look around." A couple of people laughed.
Mal walked over to a large collection of swords. When people had first started coming to the city, they'd brought all their weapons with them. When she'd asked if anyone could donate for the day, this had happened. Now there was a large quantity of close-range melee-type weapons. She picked up a sword and showed it off. "If you're with group one, one of these or any of the weapons that were brought with the ships will do. If you're with group two, tranquilizer guns will be handed out as you walk out of the city. If you're staying behind, you're teaming up with the Islanders to do everything you can to keep these people alive. Use my weapons incorrectly and I'll send you home at the mercy of my husband."
People split. An especially large number went to group two, with only about twenty people coming to one. Islanders were also moving in to join ranks. Mal watched Audrey take a few steps towards Ben and put a hand on his shoulder. They began to talk as everyone around them walked to join a group.
Later, Mal wasn't sure what drove her to action. It wasn't in spite or jealousy. She'd come to a general calmness in her heart about Audrey. The situation had been unfair to everyone, and Ben's old girlfriend was no exception. However, Audrey would only continue embittering herself if Mal let this continue. So maybe, in hindsight, Mal had done what she had in a glimpse of what could happen - what Audrey could do.
"Audrey!" Mal called in a short tone. "You should come with me."
Audrey looked over at Mal with her mouth half-open as she stared in surprise. "What?" She asked dumbly.
"You should come with me," Mal repeated. "I'll need your help. If you're not comfortable with it after a while, you can come back." She tossed Audrey the sword she'd been wielding and bent to pick up a new one. Audrey yelped and let out a very unladylike word as she fumbled to grab the sword from mid-air. Mal smirked as Audrey blushed.
Behind Audrey, Ben was giving both girls an impressed smirk. Mal winked at him, and he rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Audrey was starting to turn colors as she stared at the long blade in her hands. Before she could drop it, Mal told her: "Keep up the language and you just might steal Ben from me, Audrey." Both Audrey and Ben looked surprised at her words. Mal continued: "Ben's got a weird thing for bad girls."
Ben's entire face and ears went red as Mal gave him a devilish smirk. "I do not!" Ben protested as people around them began to giggle and laugh. Mal waggled her fingers at him. Audrey looked hard at Ben's red face and then her gaze flickered between the sword and her former boyfriend. Her face turned stony before she hefted that sword over her shoulder and stalked away to join team one without a second glance towards Ben.
"Now you've made it personal," Ben warned, coming towards her. "She's gotta prove she's badder than you, and good enough for me in her mind now."
"Badder than me? Does such a thing exist?" Mal asked. They chuckled, though Ben still looked worried. He pulled her towards him. Mal put her hands up around his neck, but he simply grabbed his sword out of her sheath. The blade flashed in the light as he examined it with a little smile.
"This is staying behind," He told her. "I don't want you losing it."
Mal frowned. "Please?" She begged, but Ben shook his head and handed her one from the pile. She sighed. "Fine."
Ben snorted. "We need to just get you one of your own," He remarked, and then put an arm around her shoulders. "So, are we doing this together?"
Mal chewed on her lip. "Actually... I need you to lead the groups behind me," She sighed. "And, please don't hate me for this, but I need someone to give orders to, well, Jay. He just works better as a follower."
Ben deadpanned at her. "I wanted to go with you, he complained. "You're going to make me go with the guy who punched me for not setting up an Isle army so we can do the thing we're doing now?"
"Look, I'm not doubting your abilities with a sword, but I actually need you to be with them. Can I count on you there to help me?" Mal stuck out her lip the slightest fraction and Ben deflated. "Yeah." He sighed. "But I'll still miss you."
"I know." Mal got on her tiptoes and put her arms around his neck. "But… do this for me and I'll… make it up to you." She rested a finger on his collarbone and Ben watched her trace the outline of the bone.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "You sound either doubtful of your ability to do that or overly-confident in your pre-prepared plans."
Mal cocked her head shyly. "I… might have thought you and I should… spend some quality alone time with each other." She met his eyes. "You know?"
Ben tilted his head and a tight, disbelieving frown spread across his cheeks. "I get the feeling you're not talking about Auradon Hero Movies."
Mal unwrapped her arms a little to play with the collar of his faux-Isle Jacket that Evie had made for him on Mal's request. "Not exactly." She sighed, with a little pink blush blooming across her cheeks like a tiny azalea.
"Don't let me jump to conclusions." Ben raised a lazy eye at her and then raised a hand to brush a thumb down her cheek.
"Well, we've been married about a year. It's about time we officiated that." Mal met his blue gaze without a single blink.
"I don't know. Are you sure you want to? It's not exactly something you can take back." Ben whispered, well aware people were still slipping around them.
"You're my best friend," Mal told him. "And I love you so, so much." The corners of her mouth crinkled as Ben brushed his fingertips on her hairline.
"You're still seventeen." Ben pointed out, brow knitting together a little. "We - I - can wait. We don't have to rush. I want you, but I want you to have that time to grow up and be sure before that time comes for us." He kissed her forehead. "Let's talk later. I'm going to go with my group now, okay?"
"Kay," Mal said. She kissed his cheek. "Bye babe." She whispered. Ben laughed with red appearing in his cheeks as they stepped apart. He slipped away. Mal hefted her sword and began to head towards Carlos to direct group one.
Over in group two, Evie was hustling around. She was trying to organize the group enough to direct them. It wasn't easy when her talents lay more in allure rather than blunt force like Mal's.
As she opened her mouth, someone coughed behind her. "Uhm, excuse me." Someone tapped her shoulder.
She turned around and saw a man with sandy blonde hair and glasses. He coughed upon seeing her and swallowed as he blushed. "Sorry to bug you, miss." He said in a higher octave. "I'm not sure where I should go. I'm not entirely sure…"
"Do you have good aim?" Evie interrupted him.
He faltered. "Uhm, no." He admitted.
Evie nodded. "Okay then, sir… what's your name?"
"Doug!" Doug said quickly.
"Well, Doug," Evie said. "You should go into group three and help those who come back."
Doug nodded. "Uh, thanks, miss…?"
"Evie." Evie supplied. She gave Doug a quick smile. "Nice to meet you, Doug." She told him as she turned back to the crowd. "Listen up!" She yelled. No one paid her attention. She saw Jay standing on a soapbox a little ways away and began to head his way. He held out a hand to help her up and then cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Attention!" Jay bellowed. "If you're over here, you should be group two. Now pay attention to Evie, because she's going to give you a crash course in Isle culture. It is beyond important that you're aware of how to blend in because we are going to break up into smaller groups the farther in we go in. Sorry, but it's just not feasible to stick together when there's forty of us and a hundred of them. Mal's group will go ahead and will hold the villains back, but as a last resort, you should try to blend in. So, shut up and pay attention!"
Evie stood up straight and set a delicate hand on her waist. "Now I know you think that you could never be like us, but everybody's got a wicked side. If you want to get it right, you need to watch and learn. We're going to teach you how to not care and how to disappear because you'll draw attention if you act like this. You've got to be wrong to get it right around here!"
The crowd murmured in consent, and Evie tried to relish in the feeling of everyone staring at her as she explained how to mold your reactions to fit in with the villains. And suddenly… all of it felt fake. Evie could scarcely explain it, but it was almost as if the sky had parted and shone a new light, and she felt rather like a child's toy now than a real person.
Fake. She was fake. None of this felt real.
I do not own Disney's Descendants, Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, 101 Dalmanations, Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, The Incredibles 2, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Cinderella, the Princess and the Frog, or Dreamworks Rise of the Guardians,