"Check this out," Ben proclaimed with a bright smile as she wandered into his office, balancing a large plate of sushi that she'd brought for lunch. She set it down on a side table and walked over to where he was holding two phones – hers and his – and comparing them to a large paper calendar sitting on his desk. She squinted at the paper calendar, taking note of the mostly 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. days and the small, fifteen or thirty minute breaks in between clusters of two or three events, and then glanced at the screens.
"Holy crap," She whispered, taking her phone out of his hand. Her schedule had been completely revamped, starting with next Saturday. Suddenly, she was signed up for meetings she hadn't even heard of, mostly with charities and public organizations. A bewildered smile spread across her face as she took Ben's phone and began comparing his old schedule to his new one. "You went from an eighteen-hour workday two Tuesdays from now to a ten-hour workday?"
"Check out Saturday," Ben advised, doing his best to hide a smirk. Mal glanced over at the date in question and her mouth dropped open. "Three hours?" She asked. She couldn't even remember a day when Ben had had a normal eight-hour workday since they'd graduated. "Is this for real?"
"And they're later in the day, too," Ben pointed. "The first thing is at 2 p.m. That means that the morning after we stay out all night partying, we can sleep in and relax."
"If that's what you want to call it," Mal quipped. Ben swatted her knee a little with an eye-roll and then watched as she skimmed over the upcoming dates with a growing smile. "That's amazing." She whispered. "I mean, I'm not excited about all my meetings, but I'm excited that you don't have to do as many meetings."
"Yeah, and I skewed it, see? You have more charity events, public events, things that will make you look good to Auradon while I'm taking on more of the law hassling and judiciary stuff. And now that we have this balance, maybe I'll even be able to take Sundays off," Ben pointed out. He clicked a pen and then began crossing out things on his paper calendar with an almost sadistic look.
"Hopefully this will help me find something to be involved in, right? Didn't you say Auradon likes the queen to be involved in stuff?" Mal asked. She watched him write: "Moved to Mal's schedule," on a corner of a meeting notice and turned off their phones with a smile.
"That's right," Ben nodded. "And I was thinking of a few suggestions if you want them?"
"Yes, please," Mal nodded. She stood back up and went to go grab her platter of sushi. This she brought back over to the desk and put it down on top of the calendar, effectively ending Ben's scribbling. "Also, it's lunchtime. Stop working and pay attention to me."
Ben laughed. He uncapped a sealed container of wasabi and scooped a bit out with his finger. He waited as Mal pulled up a chair and then moved in for the kill, dabbing it on the end of her nose. Mal made a face at him as she reached for a napkin with a growl.
"Okay," Ben began, picking up a pair of chopsticks and using them to leverage a roll to his will as he thought. "Firstly, there's always a need to help lower-income families. There aren't as many in Auradon city though, so you'd have to travel a bit. I was thinking you might like more to help with a.) disaster victims or b.) education support. There are other groups of course, but those two have been really prominent in the news the last few weeks and also I know you happen to have… opinions on those two things."
"I have opinions on the state you left the Isle of the Lost in," Mal crinkled her nose. "How many disaster victims could Auradon possibly have?"
"You'd be surprised" Ben exhaled, slumping into his chair and staring at the ceiling. "We've actually had a steady increase the last few years in kingdoms like Powhatan, DunBroch, Ariel's gateway, Camelot-" He broke off with a dramatic sigh. "Places where they let things fall into disrepair before actually fixing them."
"Ariel's gateway?" Mal asked with a raised eyebrow.
"They have climate problems from that wall they built to protect Melody and harsh weather," Ben explained. "So everything made of wood rots a bit quicker. It's hard to keep up." He popped another sushi roll into his mouth and chewed as he thought. "I was giving a broad 'disaster' description though. Really, you could specialize in victims of a certain disease, sexual assault victims, roadway victims, or maybe-"
"Victims," Mal cut him off. She exhaled. "Education is something I can get behind though. What were your thoughts there?"
"Education is always prevalent because people are always convinced that they're being wronged," Ben shrugged. "And it'd be easy for you to work on the school board because they meet in the evenings when you're free, and it'd make you super popular in the eyes of parents and young children."
"Or super hated," Mal shrugged. Ben sunk a few inches into his chair and let out a longsuffering sigh of agreement. "I don't know. Is there a date I need to have decided what I'm going to throw my weight behind?" She asked.
"Of course not," Ben shook his head. "And you can always change directions. I'm just tossing ideas at you."
"How come I have to get involved?" Mal frowned. "Isn't being queen enough? What do you get involved in?"
"I pass laws since I'm the heir to the line," Ben laughed. "You can make declarations, and you can stop me from making laws, but you can't pass them unless a state of emergency is declared and I'm unable to."
"So, if you died or were seriously ill or something?" Mal asked. Ben nodded in acquiescence. Mal sighed.
A blinking light appeared on Ben's intercom receiver. "Your Highness?" One of the palace secretaries asked.
Ben clicked a button on the receiver. "Yes, Debra?" He asked.
"Someone from the… Knights for Freedom would like to schedule a meeting with you?" Debra relayed uncertainly.
"Knights for Freedom… Knights for Freedom…" Ben grumbled, lifting the sushi tray up to glare at his calendar. He leaned over and opened the connection again. "I have a meeting scheduled with them for next Thursday."
"The Knights for Freedom, not the Knights of Freedom," Debra annunciated.
"Oh," Ben sighed, setting the tray back down and pinching the bridge of his nose while he began to shuffle papers around on his desk. Mal picked up his phone and handed it to him, ending his search. He smiled at her and mouthed: "Thank you." "Knights for Freedom, Knights for Freedom... where have I heard of them?" He pressed the button on his receiver again. "Debra, who are the Knights for Freedom?"
"They're the… sorry, one second," The line went dead. Ben drummed his fingers on his desk like he was trying to remember something. "Oh. Maybe you don't want to schedule this meeting after all," Debra winced, "They're the extreme Monarchists who have their social media thing against the villains and the Isle of the Lost. They say they want to speak with you regarding the immediate security of the Kingdom."
Ben's shoulders fell and he stared at the ceiling in hopelessness. "Yeah, I might need to think on that one. Let me guess, they're angry about me proposing."
Debra didn't respond for a few seconds, and then responded: "Yeah, that would be it."
Ben rolled his eyes. "Not now," He told Debra. "I'm not taking any press or any meetings regarding my personal life for the next two weeks. You can tell them that Espousal Day details are still being hammered out and they will be released on October fourth."
Debra's side of the connection went silent and Ben buried his face in his hands with a groan. "This is ridiculous," He grumbled.
Mal took a silent bite of sushi as Ben began to shuffle through things on his phone. After a few seconds, the intercom came back to life. "Your Majesty," Debra began in a weary tone. "They announced they're going to come up to the palace to protest and hung up. Shall I post guards about the entrances?"
Ben grumbled as he pressed the intercom receiver. "Yes, only about the entrances though and tell them to not allow anyone to hurt palace grounds or crowd entrances." Then, after a brief hesitation, he asked: "Debra, have you been receiving the notifications about responsibility and schedule changes I've been making all morning?"
"Um… no," Debra mumbled. There was the sound of shuffling papers on her end. "Oh, yes, yes. Is this in regards to Lady Mal? Oh, wait, yes, it is." Debra hummed for a few seconds. "Oh, next week? Really?"
Mal snorted, and Ben rolled his eyes at her amusement. "Yes, starting next Saturday. I just let her know of the changes."
"Is she allowed to take stuff up before you're married? And why is there nothing scheduled for Friday?" Debra asked. "I thought you had that charity thing and now you're blank from two o'clock onwards."
Ben started chewing on his cheek in thought as he tried to stop a laugh entering his tone. "Well, see, Mal and I dated for a very long time and neither of us sees the point of a long engagement and we want to have a ceremony away from the kingdom so-"
"Please tell me you're not eloping overnight and not announcing anything to the kingdom a week before you're actually announcing the details of your wedding," Debra groaned. "Because you know that will just send people into fits over how she's 'infiltrating the palace' and 'going behind the public's back'."
"You know what, too bad," Ben declared through the intercom with a snort. "This isn't really about the kingdom. We're going to do a large event for her coronation and treat it like Auradon's wedding. Chances are most people will never realize we were actually married before then."
Debra made a sound of disbelief and there was the sound of more papers being shuffled around. "This is going to be so much paperwork," She groaned. "Okay. Fine. It's your wedding, your life, your kingdom, fine. I assume you don't want this information getting out?"
"Yes, thank you, Debra," Ben chuckled at her dismay.
"I need Mal's Phone so I can key it into my system, so I can schedule meetings ahead of time for her," Debra reminded Ben. Ben nodded and sighed as he looked around for Mal's phone. She held it up to show him, and he gave a thumb's up without reaching to take it from her.
"You'll have it before next Friday," Ben promised, sending a pointed look at Mal, who only rolled her eyes and gave him a thumb's up. "Anything else?"
"Ugh. I'm sure there's a list, but I have to put it together. Are you in-office for the rest of today?" Debra asked. Ben exhaled and budged the tray aside to check his schedule.
"No, only until two. Then I'm out-of-palace and down to Charming Castle. I'll be back around five, and then Auradon Emergency Services has a late-night meeting at seven," Ben rattled off. His shoulders slumped down in exhaustion as he listed the things he had to finish that day.
"Hmm," Debra hummed sympathetically. "Only one more week of this, I guess? Well, I feel bad to remind you of this since I know you have to fix things up there, but Corona is welcoming a new royal baby in three months and you have to clear the Cathedral for use since it's officially a historical landmark, finish paperwork from your meeting with the Charmington Officials last week, and you still haven't sealed those laws you've been working on for the last year."
Ben slumped into his chair a little and shook his head. "I have an hour and ten minutes; I'll try and finish everything up," He sighed. "Okay, thank you, Debra. You're a lifesaver."
"You're welcome, your highness," Debra replied. The light finally blinked off. Ben dropped his head to his desk and thumped it lightly against the wood a few times before he closed his eyes and made an incomprehensible sound at the back of his throat.
"I didn't know Corona was expecting a royal baby," Mal began in a lighthearted tone, reaching over and running her fingers through Ben's hair. He grimaced and sat up.
"Yeah, they are," He confirmed, stealing a sushi roll with his fingers, which was against the rules, and opened a drawer in his desk. "And do you know who it is?" He asked, setting a folder stuffed full of papers onto his desk and finding his pen from before.
"Who?" Mal asked. She moved the tray to give him more room. It was pretty clear that lunch, short as it had been, was over for him.
"Anxelin," Ben shook his head. "That's crazy to me. She was a year younger than us in school and then she married someone from Corona before Evie and Doug even got married. Now she's expecting… I think a boy."
"I thought Rapunzel's daughter was a first-year when we were seniors?" Mal asked with a frown.
"That's Ruby," Ben corrected her. "And she just barely got engaged and they sent out wedding announcements for next summer, like, two weeks ago." He let out a breath as he signed his name at the bottom of one of the documents in his folder and flipped to the next one. "By the way, want to be my date for the Corona Wedding and subsequent Cotillion as Mr. Jack Coebly becomes Lord Jack Coebly?"
Mal let out a laugh. "Only if there's a cake."
Ben laughed and continued shaking his head. "I can't believe she's having a baby. I literally grew up with her. She threw a ball of mud at my face during summer camp one time."
Mal burst into laughter. "Oh, I wish I could have seen that," She laughed. She imagined a smaller Ben spitting mud and pebbles out while struggling to get to his feet.
Ben joined in with her laughter. "Yeah, she had her moments growing up. We all did."
"I mean," Mal giggled, "People still talk about the time I almost destroyed all of Auradon, so…"
"Exactly," Ben agreed. He went down a checklist, blacking out little circles and squares before scribbling his signature on the bottom. "Okay, I'm going back to work. Thank you for bringing me lunch."
Mal frowned. "Ouch, I've been dismissed," She mourned, standing up and taking the remnants of their food off of his desk. Ben gave her a weird look, and she paused. He was giving her a look that told her she was stalling, meaning… "Do I have something right now?" She asked with a wince.
Ben looked at his watch. "Soon." He corrected.
Mal scrunched up her face, trying to remember what Ben remembered and what she didn't. He rolled his eyes. "Evie is coming up to do a dress fitting with you. She literally texted you five minutes before you handed me your phone to fix it today."
Mal let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness it's not actually important," She sighed. "Okay. I'm going to go then. I love you."
Ben smiled and waved as she walked towards the door. "I love you too," He told her. She heard the continuing scribbles of his pen on paper as she walked away.
On Friday night, September 29th, Mal was waiting for Ben outside his last meeting, listening to the unintelligible debate as they finished things up. There was a sudden silence, and then the room exploded into sound. That was a good sign. Mal glanced at her watch. They were scheduled to wrap up in five minutes, but maybe they'd finish a few minutes early. Mal pulled a tube of chapstick out of her pocket and ran it over her lips. The doors opened and she slipped into the doorframe as people began to stream out in small clumps, heading home for their weekends.
Wow, it must be nice to go home and not have work the next day. Ben was lucky if he could take off Christmas day and one of their birthdays, usually hers. When he'd turned twenty-two, he'd taken off half of the day, similar to what he was doing today. Ah, the perks of being a lower royal and not having to balance everyone's problems.
Ben stood at the head of the table, shaking people's hands with his right hand and packing up with his left hand. No, he wasn't ambidextrous, he was just really learned at doing many things at once after eight years of single-handedly ruling a kingdom.
"Should we stick around to hear the drama again?" King Eric asked with a laugh as he slipped past Mal. Her cheeks turned bright red. This was the Seaside's yearly conference, so the room was full of Ariel's red and black-headed relatives. She slipped past one of Ariel's nieces who she had gone to school with and took a seat on the table. Immediately, she became a centerpiece.
"Okay, let me see the ring, sweetheart," Melody said, eyes sparkling as she pulled her husband over to see Mal. Other people, mostly girls, gathered around and chorused: "Let us see!"
Mal held out her left hand with a smile. Immediately, gasps ran out around her. "It's beautiful!" Melody squealed. "You're so lucky!"
"Ready to be a queen?" Melody's husband asked, taking Mal's hand to squint at the pretty stones.
"Ugh," Mal scoffed. "No. I'm not. I just want to be married." He laughed and dropped her hand.
"Well, it's only a few more months, right?" He asked with a smile. "Soon you'll be both."
Mal nodded and glanced down the table. Ben was holding all his papers underneath his arm, standing and waiting for her with a bright smile. She had drawn most of the attention away from her, so he was only talking sideways to Ariel herself as people bubbled around her in excitement. A few more months until she was queen, maybe, but in truth, she only had a few hours until she could call herself Mrs. Benjamin Florian. Eek. She had two bad middle names now. Or, rather, she will have two bad middle names.
Melody followed Mal's gaze to Ben. "Are you two going out tonight?" She asked.
"Yes," Mal nodded. A little color filled her cheeks as she beamed happily. "With all our friends. We're going to celebrate."
Melody waved down the table to Ben, who glanced over his shoulder in a joking manner, as if making sure she wasn't waving to someone behind him. He met Mal's eyes and made a motion over his shoulder as if asking if she was ready to go. Mal slipped off the table and parted the crowd with her arms. She walked over to Ben, who set his things down on the table and leaned into the edge as Ariel's relatives let her through. She put her arms around his neck, and he set his hands on her hips to draw her closer. They shared a kiss, inciting squeals from the people behind them, and then Ben picked his things from the meeting up.
"Thanks for coming," He nodded to everyone. "Mal and I are going to slip out now, so we aren't late."
"Have fun!" Melody waved. She linked her arm through her fiancés with a bright, blinding smile as Ben and Mal waved past everyone with their arms around each other's waists.
"Are you going to look like this all tonight?" Ben whispered as they hurried through the corridors towards the garage, where a stretch car was waiting for them. He picked at her shirt, which was a solid purple, modest top. It had a wide hem across the top and bottom, and was elbow length, without any patterns at all. She wore black jeans with black patches underneath some decorative rips, and combat boots.
"Of course not," Mal rolled her eyes. "Evie would flip out if I married you like this." The two shared a laugh, and Ben presented his own outfit to her for her opinion.
"Do you think I'm safe?" He asked. He wore a long-sleeved blue button-up shirt and dark grey pants. "I think this is the same thing I wore to Evie's birthday last year," He continued with a laugh.
"Absolutely not," Mal shook her head. "You should know that Evie never allows for important occasion outfit repeats. Why do you think I need a separate closet for dresses?" She elbowed Ben with a smile. "She has things for you. She didn't trust you to dress properly."
"Ouch," Ben snorted. "You'd think I could have figured it out since I'm twenty-four and I've been king for almost nine years, but apparently not."
Mal's mouth dropped open. "Oh my gosh, when did we come to Auradon?" She gasped, staring at the ground as the continued walking. "Wasn't it October? Holy crap, has it really almost been nine years?"
"Isn't it insane?" Ben asked. "Everyone's grown up and gotten married and some of our old classmates have kids…" He shook his head and let out a weary breath.
"We're almost there," Mal smirked. "And then no one can say we're the last in our year to get married."
Ben hummed in agreement as they reached the elevators to the garage. He pressed the button for her and guided her in once the doors opened. Mal waited for him to press the button and then pushed him into the wall of the elevator, pressing herself against him. He laughed at her as she leaned into his grasp, listening to his heartbeat as he kissed her head and rubbed her back. The floors changed, and he leaned down to whisper: "Better get up. You know they won't have let us beat them there."
She hummed in acquiesce and straightened herself, though she stole his left hand and held it tightly. He leaned down just as the elevator reached their floor and kissed her softly. Her toes curled and she leaned into him before they heard the ding of the doors and looked up.
The sound of cheers filled their ears. Glitter spilled into the elevator, making Mal squawk a little in outrage as silver sparkles fell into her hair and onto her skin. Doug, Jay, and Carlos let off four or five tiny party poppers each, the kind that parents got for small children on holidays, making colored paper rain down on the group from above.
Mal raised a hand triumphant over her head and yelled in excitement.
"Let's get this party started!" Jay declared, jumping up onto the palace limo in his excitement, and then helping Lonnie up onto the hood as well.
Ben, Mal, Belle, Adam, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Doug, Jane, and Lonnie crowded into the car and spread out as the driver guided them out of the palace. They all had to show ID on the way out, but soon they were cruising along on their way to Merida's Kingdom of DunBroch.
"I have Newlywed questions!" Evie announced as the car slowed into early evening traffic as people rushed home on their Friday nights. She shook a basket full of tiny papers, and everyone laughed. When Evie and Doug had gotten married, everyone had come up with embarrassing or funny questions to ask the new couple. Ben snatched one up immediately, cleared his throat, and turned to Mal with utmost seriousness. "Okay Mal, if my mother in law were an animal, which would she be?"
"That is not the question!" Mal protested, snatching the question out of his hand as Ben leaned back into his seat, laughing. "See? It's not the question. The question is: what color was I wearing on our first date?"
"You answer first," Ben laughed.
Evie frowned. "Wait, but Mal only wears one color! That's not fair!"
"You set up the game," Jay shrugged, shuffling through the papers to find a good one. "Ah-ha! What is the strangest place the two of you have done the dirty?"
"Okay okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Mal rolled her eyes. "Ben's mother-in-law would be a dragon if she weren't a lizard. My mother in law would be a mouse because then she could hide away in the library all the time." Mal paused to lean over and high-five Belle, who was already laughing so much her eyes were filling with tears. Or, maybe, that was just due to the occasion. "I wore purple and Ben wore-" She slapped her hand onto her knee as she remembered: "He wore blue but he also had swim trunks with crowns on them underneath that!"
"You didn't answer my question!" Jay reminded her with a frown, waving his slip of paper like a little flag. "Strangest place, come on. My guess is on the Isle of the Lost somehow."
"No," Ben shook his head, covering his eyes and pinching his brow in the same motion.
"Ben's king," Mal reminded her friends. "He's not allowed to conduct himself in such a frivolous manner."
Ben hit her arm lightly. "Quit taking digs at me," He told her. "You were just fine with that explanation when we were nineteen, I don't see why you keep bringing it up more and more now that we're actually getting married."
"Wait, at all?" Jay's mouth dropped open.
"Next question," Mal declared, reaching for another slip of paper. "By the way, we should ask you guys some of these things. Specifically, Jay and Lonnie since they're the ones who are holding out of us."
"You can do the Carlos-Jane-Evie-Doug thing and go for standard engagement time, or you can do Ben and Mal's thing and wait, like, five hours, or you can keep holding out for the right day, and that's what we're doing," Jay shrugged, leaning back into Lonnie's knee and smirking up at her.
"Oh, this is another one we can't really answer," Mal grumbled, shuffling through slips of paper. "Hey, Ben, what do I normally wear to bed?"
"Whatever pajamas are in your drawer," Ben shrugged. "And a ponytail because you hate the feel of hair on your neck as you sleep."
"That's right," Mal nodded with a satisfied smile. "And Ben is big into tank-tops and shorts, but you never know because he wears his blue bathrobe until he actually gets into bed."
The window between the driver and the passengers slid open. "Sorry to interrupt," The driver announced, glancing into the mirror at them all. "Are we stopping by Auradon Courthouse to get a license before we go to DunBroch?"
"Yes, thank you," Ben confirmed, dropping an arm around Mal's shoulder and pulling her close to him. The window closed and Ben picked up the basket of questions and began shuffling. "So, Evie, why don't you tell us what your agenda is while Mal and I go through a few more of these?" He suggested, digging deep and picking one at random.
"I have your outfits in the back," Evie smiled. "And everything is set up. Since Doug, Carlos, and Jane are qualified to witness and your dad is officiating, we can literally do this anywhere once we have your license."
"Like, here in the car?" Carlos asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't give Mal any ideas," Adam warned with a grunt. "She'll take us up on that, don't think she won't."
"No," Evie glared at her best friend, who was nodding and looking like she didn't think it was such a bad idea. "No. Not until you're in the dress. So help me, Mal-" Evie made a furious gesture that had Doug laughing and pulling her back so he could rub her hands and calm her down.
Ben elbowed Mal. "First impression?" He asked.
"You were a prince!" Mal exploded, completely baffled. "And then you held onto my hand for an extra two seconds and you were staring at me, and then when you started talking it was right to me and not anyone else, and I was like: What are you doing?"
"Hey, hey Mal," Carlos whispered, reaching across the car to poke Mal with his foot. He flicked his head to Ben and whispered: "Does he shed much?"
"Okay!" Ben groaned as everyone laughed. Belle and Adam, who had heard the joke a few too many times, just shook their heads as they watched the young people interact.
Mal hummed as she raked her fingers through the basket. She picked one, skimmed it, and then slumped her shoulders a little. "What?" Ben asked, leaning over her shoulder. She held it at an easier angle for him to read, and he nodded as he leaned back into his seat.
"What is it?" Jane asked, reaching to steal the basket from Mal as Mal heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes.
"How many kids does your spouse want?" Ben announced to the car. He elbowed Mal. "Zero." Mal took a slow hiss of breath and nodded as Ben rolled his eyes. "Do you know the answer for me?" He asked.
"I don't want to imagine," Mal joked, turning to examine him as he raised an eyebrow.
"Go on, guess," He encouraged. "We've never talked about this, so it's not something you should know an easy answer to."
Mal hummed and traced his facial features with her eyes. "It's between three and five," She announced to the car. Ben's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Five," She decided and leaned back into his shoulder. "Was I right?"
Ben raised his hands in the air with a small laugh. "She knows me, guys." Mal nodded, biting her lip and staring at the carpet as Belle and Adam exchanged amused looks. Everyone else looked a little uneasy at the lack of conversation and the two bitter ends.
Adam let out a guffaw to break the tension. "That sounds exactly like me," He chuckled.
Belle threw her head back a little. "I know!" She laughed.
Mal dropped her shoulders and stared at her future in-laws. "Really?" She asked. "You?"
Belle and Adam nodded through laughter, and Adam pointed at Ben. "Your mother," He began, shaking his head. "Fought tooth and nail for you to be born, and I was not convinced until…" He turned to Belle. "When was I convinced, darling?"
"Right at the end," Belle shook her head, making a motion with her hands to mark the end of a timeline. "I remember you were still shaking your head at me when I was in labor and we were heading to the hospital, and I snapped at you because you were acting like a butthead." She rolled her eyes and squeezed Adam's hand as he laughed and nodded along to her words. "But then I put Ben in your arms, and you held him for a few seconds, and I watched all your walls crumble." Belle spread her hands with a satisfied smile. "So, I got my baby and Adam got over his dad issues."
"In that order," Evie laughed, setting a hand around her belly and leaning her head on Doug's shoulder.
"In that order," Belle agreed, laughing. "And it only took four years."
"But dad," Ben asked, sounding a bit astounded, "You had Auradon to think of. What were you planning on doing?"
"Not having children until I absolutely had to," Adam shrugged. "I just didn't really see the appeal, to be honest. Belle was all over baby names and setting up your nursery and rooms as a kid, and she arranged every birthday, every Christmas, every Easter for you growing up, and when she was making all her plans, I never really got why she wanted it so bad." He squeezed Belle's hand and smiled. "Is it too late for me to tell you that you were right?" He asked.
Belle held her chin up with pride. "Not at all," She smiled, biting her lip as she looked at Ben and Mal, arms around each other and both looking a little surprised. "And really, I think we did just fine with him."
"I think so too," Mal whispered. She leaned her head onto his chest and wrapped her arm around his middle in a flat sort of hug. Everyone laughed. Outside, the car slowed to a stop.
"Here's us," Ben laughed. He got up, still hunched in the small space, and offered his hand to Mal. "Dad, Doug, Carlos, I think we need you guys to witness for us."
"Yeah, I'm staying here to scheme things," Jane laughed, removing her arms from where they'd been around Carlos's shoulders and scooting down towards Evie.
The door opened, and the driver appeared. "Courthouse," He announced, holding out a hand as he helped Ben out. He then moved out of the way as Ben turned to take Mal's hand and help her out of the car.
"Do we need to cover your hair?" Ben asked as Mal straightened up and stretched her arms over her head. She shrugged.
"Maybe," She nodded. She leaned back inside. "E, do you have a hat? And some sunglasses, maybe?"
"I do," Evie declared with a satisfied smirk. She got up. Everyone let her pass ahead of them out of the stretch car before Carlos, Doug, and Adam followed her out. Evie walked around to the back of the car and pressed a button. Inside were two garment bags, some shoes, and a box full of odds and ends. Disguises. Evie handed Mal a wide-brimmed black hat, which she quickly twisted her hair up underneath. Evie handed Ben a baseball cap, which immediately turned him from a 24-year-old executive leader into a 15-year old sports player. They both took a pair of Evie's signature sunglasses and laughed at each other's distorted appearances.
"This is like when you turned your hair white," Ben commented, shaking his head and reaching to curl a little loose purple lock of hair around his finger.
"You're not a fan?" Mal laughed.
Ben shook his head. "I like your purple hair," He sighed. He reached down and took her hand, squeezing it tight to his palm.
Adam took a cowboy hat from Evie and then the five of them walked up to the front doors of the building. It was the first time in many years Mal had been able to use the front doors to a public place that wasn't Evie's spa or salon, or the palace. Usually, she had to be escorted out and around the long way.
The inside of the building was large, made of hewn stone and with large, glorious paintings on the walls. They appeared to be themed around the compass directions – Elsa of Arendelle to the North where she lived, Aurora to the West, for the 'setting sun' theme her story revolved around. Snow White was to the south, probably because her story was first and had begun in the southernmost tip of the Auradon continent before other heroes appeared north of her. And, finally, Belle and the Beast on the East wall, towards the rising sun, because their family was the supreme rulers of Auradon and therefore the sun would always rise on another day of their rule. A skylight made the dust visible in the air, filtering down in soft waves past the glossy oil paintings. A pillar of light fell down, down on top of the head of an office clerk who was behind a desk in the center of the tiled room, carefully feeding papers through a shredder.
"I've got this," Doug whispered to the group, walking towards the clerk. Mal and Ben stood, still holding hands as they stared at the gigantic paintings on the walls. Ben focused particularly on his parents. His eyes followed the slope of the Beast's back, the crooked angle of the horns.
Mal leaned up and whispered in Ben's ear: "Your mom's hair is turning grey."
Ben winced and nodded. "I hadn't realized, but yeah," He whispered. "She's getting older."
Doug set his hands down on the desk of the clerk and waited as he finished shredding and stood with a smile. "Good afternoon," The clerk smiled. "How may I help you?"
"We were hoping to see a judge for a few minutes to apply for a marriage license for those two over there," Doug pointed back towards the group. Ben, Adam, and Mal all directed their gazes to the ceiling so that it would be harder to recognize them from a distance. "I'm here to witness, along with that young man over there, and the larger gentleman behind them is going to be to one to officiate." Doug turned back to the clerk with a smile. "We weren't sure who we needed to have here," He explained.
"Do you have proof of age, proof of citizenship, and a photo ID with you today?" The clerk asked, immediately moving away to draw two long forms out of a drawer in his desk.
Doug glanced over his shoulder. "Please, guys, tell me that this isn't the one time you don't travel everywhere with those papers."
Ben laughed and Mal shook her head with a groan. "I have them," Ben confirmed. "I grabbed an extra copy of hers before I left work today." He patted his breast pocket to signify their location.
"I already have mine," Mal frowned. She unzipped a long pocket in her jeans and withdrew the documents, white and folded in thirds. Her photo ID's were tucked into her back pocket.
"That's a first," Ben laughed. "It's just the event, huh?"
"Yeah," She agreed with a chuckle, glancing back at Doug, who turned to the clerk shaking his head.
"For once they're on different pages," He mumbled. "What else do we need?"
"There's a processing fee of 35 dollars," The clerk recited, pulling two pens out of a jar of beans and handing them with the forms over the desk. "You pay that here, and I'll direct you to a room with a judge. Fill out the forms outside the door and take them in, and they'll give you your license. It'll take about a half-hour."
"Sweet," Ben whispered. He stepped towards the desk and took the forms from Doug as he handed them over. The clerk studied him as if he suddenly recognized him, and then shrugged and returned to his work.
"We'll bring the pens back," Doug told him as Ben pulled a palace debit card out of his pocket and slid it into a card reader. A few beeps later, the clerk leaned forward and pointed to an upper floor.
"Room 216 is open right now. Judge West will see you," He informed them. "Congratulations, by the way."
"Thank you," Ben beamed. He turned and handed a form to Mal as he tucked the palace card back into his pocket. Mal took a pen from him and began examining the form with excitement. Full name… Lady Maleficent Bertha. Age twenty-four. Gender, Female. Birthdate… social security number… place of residence… previous marriage information and contact information.
They took the elevator to the second floor and skirted around to room 216. Ben and Mal, who were both very used to completing paperwork on the fly, carefully stacked the forms on top of each other and put their pens behind their ears. Adam knocked on the door to Judge West's office and slipped his hat off. Ben and Mal removed their sunglasses but didn't dare take off their hats yet. A janitor pushed a yellow cart past them and gave them a bright smile, which they cautiously returned. He didn't seem to recognize them.
"Enter," A cool voice behind the door commanded. Adam twisted the knob and the party passed in front of him, quickly and quietly. Inside were several large chairs and a large wooden desk. A medium-heighted man with broad shoulders stood up with a smile. "Judge West," He introduced himself.
Adam stepped forward, followed by Doug and Carlos, to shake the Judge's hand. "Adam," Adam introduced himself carefully. Judge West raised an eyebrow and waited for the last name, but when nothing happened, he moved onward.
"Doug Gibson," Doug smiled.
"Ah, uh, Carlos," Carlos stammered. He glanced over at Mal and Ben and shrugged sheepishly.
Ben stepped forward. He handed the completed forms to Judge West and shook his hand with the other. "I'm Ben," He introduced himself, exactly the way he had to Mal and her friends when they'd first come to Auradon. "Nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you as well," The Judge nodded with a smile. He set the forms down and reached around Ben to shake Mal's hand. She shook it and hesitated on what to tell him. "And this lovely lady is?" Judge West asked.
Mal smiled. "The future Mrs. Ben?" She chuckled softly and swallowed. The gig was up. "I'm Mal."
"Mal," Judge West repeated slowly. He withdrew his hand, looked down at the papers, and shuffled them around before looking up. "Mal? As in, Lady Maleficent? Is this for real?"
Mal slipped her hat off and her long purple hair cascaded down her back. She chuckled nervously as Judge West looked down at the papers, sat down, and pointed at Ben. "King Benjamin," He murmured and shifted his attention to Adam. "Former King Adam and-" he moved to Carlos. "Carlos De Vil."
"Surprise?" Ben chuckled. He took off his baseball cap and fixed his hair.
Judge West blinked a few times and swallowed. "Well, I'm privileged," He murmured. "How am I serving you fine people today?"
"We're here to get a marriage license," Ben explained. "That's our paperwork there."
Judge West exhaled, looking a bit overwhelmed, and cleared his throat. "Well, congratulations. I need to see a photo ID from both of you, along with proof of citizenship and proof of age."
Ben and Mal both reached for where they had their papers hidden and brought them out. They smoothed them out and placed them on the desk. Then, Ben fished in his wallet for his photo ID while Mal pulled one out of her pocket.
"Do either of you have a Driver's License?" Judge West asked. Ben immediately withdrew his while Mal heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head.
"Okay, I have a few questions I'm required by law to ask you, and then I'll print your License and you're free to get married whenever you want within the next year," Judge West explained. "Any questions?"
"Do we ever have to renew the license?" Mal asked with a frown.
"No," Ben and Judge West answered at the same time. "The license expires after a year if you don't get married. After the ceremony, let us know and we'll put it on record. Ta-da." Judge West explained with a smile.
"Cool," Mal nodded. "Well, ask away."
"Are either of you married to someone else?" Judge West asked, gathering up the forms and scanning them into the computer.
Carlos snorted as Adam rolled his eyes. "No," Ben shook his head. Mal shook her head alongside him.
"Are you third-cousins or closer-related relatives?" Jude West continued, clicking a few things on his computer.
"No," Mal and Ben shook their heads.
"Do both of you offer consent of this union and agree to the terms therein?" Judge West asked. He glanced over at them. "I can recite terms if you need, but I have a feeling you're both relatively well-versed in legislatures."
"Yes," Ben and Mal answered simultaneously. She put her hand on his shoulder, and they smiled at each other. Judge Danforth chuckled, and the sound of a printer behind the desk started up. He whipped out a piece of thick cardstock and plopped it down on the desk in front of them. Mal let out an exhilarated breath.
"I, Judge Charlie West, do hereby declare this marriage to be lawful and uphold this couple's decision to be married," Judge West recited. His eyes rested on Mal as her smile grew wider and wider. Ben could barely keep his eyes off of her to pay attention to the Judge. "You need a witness to sign with you."
"Not an officiator?" Ben asked, pulling the pen out from behind his ear. Mal mirrored him.
"No," Judge West shook his head. "You do need an officiator and at least two witnesses for the ceremony though."
"Cool," Ben mumbled, leaning down and dragging the pen on the line labeled 'Groom' to forge his most kingly signature. Then he turned, and Mal stepped forward. He dropped an arm around her shoulder as she uncapped her pen and together they stared down at the paper in excitement. Mal could scarcely breathe as she took it all in. 'Marriage License', the paper proudly read. The official Auradon crest, the same one she saw Ben stamp on everything he did, graced the bottom of the paper. It had never seemed so glorious.
She leaned down and held her breath as she carefully signed her name across the bottom of the page. "Mal B." She drew. Then she straightened up and let out her breath.
Judge West chuckled as Adam carefully pulled the paper towards him and signed on the witness line. He looked at Mal, and then at Ben. "It's always fun to watch the bride's face light up," He confided. "This, and signing adoption papers are the happiest parts of my job."
Ben pulled her close under his arm and pressed his cheek to her head. "Happiest part of my job is getting off," He laughed. "Unless there's a meeting we're both involved in. Then I get to hold her hand under the table and it's not so bad."
Judge West laughed as he turned the paper towards him and signed the final line in thick, black strokes. "You'll need to sign on the back after the ceremony," He told them. He picked it up and waved it back and forth for a few seconds to dry the ink. "Well, I have something that I personally would like to say before I hand this to you," He announced, standing up and walking around his desk. "You see, I'm here eight to six every weekday. I have people in my office every hour of every day. I don't get ten minutes to myself during that time. I deal with divorces, marriages, lawsuits, adoptions, the works. And I've been here long enough I've seen some people who I issued marriage licenses come back through for divorces."
A still silence filled the room, and Judge West cracked a smile. "I've learned, on sight, the type of marriages that last versus those that fizzle out when spouses get tired of each other. I know the types of dynamics you need to have in order to have a successful marriage. And I can tell you, based on sight alone, that you two are going to have a long and happy life together." He extended the license certificate towards them with a smile.
"Do you tell everyone that?" Mal asked with a smile, reaching out to take her marriage certificate.
Judge West held her gaze for a second. "No," He shook his head, a coy smile balancing on his lips. He shook her hand. "Have a lovely night, you wonderful people." He made a broad gesture to the door.
"Oh, ah!" Ben held a hand aloft to make a quick request. "Out of curiosity, could you not tell anyone that we were here? Or, post about it, or-"
"I've got it," Judge West nodded. He moved to the door and opened it with a flourish. People were passing by the office outside. Mal panicked and quickly started twisting her hair up to cover it with her hat. Ben helped her tuck in the sparse purple strands before he pulled on his baseball cap and put his sunglasses on.
They thanked Judge West and shook his hand as they passed by him, out of the office. He saw them down to the front doors and out of the building. The moment the doors closed, Mal balled up her fists and let out a whoop of triumph. Ben laughed as she skipped down the stairs and towards the waiting car with her brand-new license clutched in her hand. She flung open the door and leaned in, proudly displaying the document. "We did it!" She screamed. The car erupted into cheers. Mal laughed as she pulled off her hat.
Adam handed his hat to Ben and climbed in with Carlos and Doug while Ben and Mal walked to the back of the car and popped the trunk open to stow their disguises. "Happy now?" Ben laughed as he slammed the trunk closed and put his arm around her to start guiding her to the car.
"Very!" Mal laughed, kissing his cheek. "Are you ready for this?" She asked him.
"More than ready. Are you ready to become Mrs. Benjamin Florian?" They paused outside the open door to face each other with bright smiles.
"Of course," Mal whispered. "I feel like I've been waiting for this moment my entire life." Ben smiled and took a step closer to her. She stumbled and fell against the car. One of his hands snaked into her hair and the other to her waist as he fell upon her, pressing his mouth to hers and sending electrifying currents up her spine. Her brain felt like a lightbulb about to burn out – flickering and fading in and out as her hands tried to find a place in his hair.
"Hey, there'll be plenty of time for that later!" Jay called from inside the car. "Come on, let's go!"
Ben broke off of her with a laugh and helped her right herself. She was still seeing stars as the magic of a True Love's Kiss cleared her brain, and almost stumbled over the threshold of the car as Ben helped her in.
"Now," She announced with a wide, breathless grin. "The party can begin."
The car pulled out once more with loud cheers echoing from within.
They rendezvoused at a quiet pub in DunBroch, in a back room where the sounds of the public party outside were loud enough for them to feel like they were normal young adults going out to celebrate while also keeping them well-hidden from any nosy photographers or journalists.
The entire building was made of polished wood with sculptures of the story of the current queen hanging here and there. Wood carvings were of particular importance to DunBroch. The door to their rented room was propped open for sake of heat, but one by one they all began to show signs of overheating. Ben rolled up his sleeves, Mal tied up her hair, Carlos and Jay pulled off their vests and everyone kicked off their shoes in a heap by the entrance. And slowly, everyone's drinks changed to 'on the rocks' alcohols, with the exception of Evie and the two seniors, who sipped water together and watched the others participate in drinking games that changed every five minutes while they regaled each other with stories of Ben and Mal's youths.
"Never have I ever felt threatened by my parent's status," Lonnie announced, trying to flick a penny into one of the filled shot glasses that stood balanced in a little tower in the center of the table. As a simultaneous groan rose around the room, Lonnie pumped her hands into the air with a cheer and handed the glass she'd won from the middle of the table to Mal, who fished the penny out knocked it back like it was water and set the empty glass with a set of others.
"That's a low blow, Lon," Jay groaned, lounging out across a bench that spread against the back wall. Carlos hit his legs to signify he wanted Jay to move and sat down, draping an arm across Jane's back.
"Hey, I know how to win," Lonnie laughed, picking up a glass and examining it tersely. She decided it was water instead of one of the numerous types of alcohol they were playing with and took a drink.
"Just say: Never have I ever worn the color pink," Evie called from her spot of the wall.
"That's true!" Jay pumped a fist. "Never have I ever worn the color pink." More groans came from around the table and Jane dropped her head onto the wall beside Carlos. "I'm done," She announced. "I won't make it to the wedding if you guys keep calling me out."
Ben reached over and poked Mal's arm to get her attention. "You good?" He asked.
Her eyes were bright as she nodded. "Never better," She promised. She handed him a glass and he used it to hide a smile as he, too, knocked it back. She didn't even show the faintest signs of being tipsy, despite the fact they'd been playing for almost an hour.
"Jay!" Evie called. "Why didn't Harry Hook like you?"
"He couldn't keep up with my dashing looks," Jay informed her, sweeping a hand through his long hair and giving her a wink.
"He lost in a swordfight and never got over it," Mal rolled her eyes. "Why are we talking about Harry?"
"You two had a fling back when you were preteens, didn't you?" Evie asked.
The room erupted into boos as Mal scrunched her brow in thought. "Jeesh, maybe? He's gay, though. He and Gil… I mean, they're probably not doing the dirty, but then again they probably are."
"Yeah, I saw them kiss once," Evie nodded in agreement.
Carlos immediately let out a snort. "Only once?" He asked. "I swear, every time the pirates celebrated anything, you'd see Hook and Gaston's kids, making out in the corner."
Mal waved her hand. "It's fine!" She called and then smiled at Ben. "He can do his thing and I'll do mine."
Everyone laughed. Mal picked up a glass of amber brandy and toasted it slyly to Ben before she took a small sip. He grabbed her hand and pulled her forward with a tug that had her sloshing beer all down her side and onto him a little bit. She tried to hold it aloft as Ben pulled her forward and pressed their mouths together. The room was screaming. His hand found a place at the back of her neck where he pushed their heads even closer together and her toes curled up as she tried to find a way to balance on the edge of the bench, so she didn't pull him and her toppling onto the floor. Her hand balled up his shirt as Ben's mouth opened against hers, sending even more jumbled signals to her confused brain. Their noses knocked together as he laughed against her mouth.
He went deeper, pulling her in and holding her tightly to him at an angle she knew would bruise her lips as he chewed lightly on her lower lip and let his tongue skim her mouth. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she tried to keep up with his needy pace.
When they stopped, she felt drunk. Physically, energetically drunk. She laughed, sounding more like her mom as she tried and failed to stand up and ended up staying collapsed across Ben's lap with her eyes rolling into the back of her head as the lights screamed at her brain. She could tell from Ben's shaking hands alone that he was feeling the burn of magic too.
"You drunk already, Mal?" Jay laughed. "We've still got all night. It's only eight!"
Mal waved her hand half-heartedly at Jay. "M'Fine!" She groaned.
"Ugh," Ben sighed, still swaying as his brain tried to remember which direction was up. He carefully helped her off of his legs and tucked her underneath his arm. "We should not have done that." He announced, reaching shakily for a glass of water.
"I can't see anything," Mal complained, trying to lift a hand to rub her face.
"One more?" Ben asked, turning towards her.
Mal leaned up and they shared another kiss. She immediately broke away with a groan. "I'm going to throw up," She declared.
Jane fixed her with a weird look as she stood up beside Carlos and walked to sit with Evie, Belle, and Adam instead. "From kissing?" She asked in an odd tone.
Mal mumbled in agreement and slumped into Ben's side, squeezing her eyes closed as a giddy smile froze on her face.
"It's True Love's Kiss," Evie explained. "It's a little too powerful to be used so continuously. That's why they almost never kiss."
"Ouch," Jay laughed, standing up and prodding Mal's cheek with his finger. Mal batted his hand away, scrunching her face up, and Ben moved to protect her from Jay as Jay laughed. "You guys look wasted."
"I thought True Love's Kiss was just a description, not a condition," Lonnie furrowed her brow as she pushed a few glasses of water towards the two of them sympathetically.
"Both, sort of," Evie shrugged. "But there's a difference between having true love and being someone's true love. I bet all of us in here could cure our spouses if we wanted and if the situation called, but we can kiss each other normally without getting drunk off the euphoria."
"Are they actually drunk off each other, or is it just the spells on the drinks being negated?" Carlos asked.
"The magic shouldn't interfere with anything Mal spelled. And they're like this anyways. It's kind of funny to watch how wasted they can get each other."
Ben slowly began to straighten up. He took a water glass and took small sips and color returned to his cheeks. "It's wicked awesome though," He informed the room with a dry throat. "And it heals, like, everything."
"Everything?" Lonnie asked. "That sounds awesome. So, if Mal wakes up with a cold-"
"Usually, that's Ben," Mal interjected. "He works harder than me. But yeah, True Love's Kiss heals the common cold."
"And anything else gets us black-out drunk," Ben laughed, standing up with a wobble and reaching for a shot glass. "Never have I ever not gotten a buzz from kissing." He rolled his eyes.
Mal leaned forward and punched his arm. "Audrey," She reminded him. Across the room, Belle and Adam let out twin sounds of exasperation. Ben sighed and knocked his glass back.
Mal stood up and put a hand on his shoulder for a few seconds before announcing: "Never have I ever kissed anyone besides my true love."
The room erupted into immediate groans. "Not all of us are as prudish as you are, Mal," Jay protested. He and Lonnie shared an eye-roll, and then a kiss before they knocked back two identical shots.
"How are you all not black-out drunk already?" Adam laughed. "I couldn't even hold that much alcohol and keep a steady conversation when I was the Beast."
"Magic," Mal laughed. "I spelled the drinks. Hope you don't mind." She laughed, and then punched Jay in the arm. "That's for calling me a prude." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Yeah, I wouldn't call Mal a prude," Carlos rolled his eyes, twisting a shot glass in his palm and holding the empty glass up to the light. "She was just squeamish about kissing those first few months."
"A prude," Jay deadpanned. "The word you're looking for is a prude."
Ben shook his head. "Listen, she's my fiancée and she and I have had all too many conversations regarding the ways of life, and I can tell you that Mal is anything but a prude. In fact, chances are if I wasn't a king and refusing to bed her until I'd wed her, you all could call her a harlot."
"Ouch!" Mal frowned. "Although, you're probably closer to the truth than Jay is." She leaned up, kissing Ben's neck when he wouldn't bend down.
"You almost just passed out and you want more?" He asked, setting a hand on her hip and handing her a glass. "Never have I ever dyed my hair."
Mal dumped the glass on his sleeve without comment. Ben jumped back with a yelp. His sleeve and the right part of his shirt were soaked and stained with amber liquid. "Hey!" He objected. He seized her arm before she could duck away and dumped a second glass on her shoulder as she shrieked and laughed.
"Her hair!" Evie sputtered, jumping to her feet and running to free Mal from Ben's grasp.
"Yeah Ben, my hair!" Mal laughed as Evie batted Ben's hands off of her best friend and picked up a clump of soaked hair with a sigh.
"Yeah, her hair; I didn't finish." Ben stuck out his tongue and raised a third glass threateningly.
"Don't you dare," Evie hissed. Doug rolled his eyes and picked up a glass of his own. He'd been avoiding the conversation for the most part but taking part in the drinking games when his friends weren't too distracted to play.
"E, it's fine," Mal snickered as she started to calm down. "We can just braid it back or something. It doesn't matter."
"It does matter!" Evie whined. "Look, your shirt is all soaked through too!"
"So's mine," Ben shrugged. "It doesn't matter. She still looks amazing!"
"You think that anyway," Evie protested, glaring at him over her shoulder.
Ben picked up a shot glass and took a sip before he moved Evie out of the way carefully. "Watch this," He told her. He pulled Mal towards him and pressed his lips back on hers. Immediately, her eyes rolled back into her head and his knees began to shake. They broke apart before Ben fell into a spare chair and Mal grabbed onto the table for support. "See, Evie?" Ben laughed. "That's all it is. We could have the ceremony right here, while we're all like this."
"Don't sound like such a bad idea to me," Mal slurred. She pressed her hands to her head. "Ugh. I'm going to be so hungover tomorrow."
"You have a meeting at two-thirty," Ben reminded her with a smile. "And I have one at one."
"Cancel them," Mal groaned. She stood back up. "Geesh, some queen I am. The first day and I'm already suggesting we blow off everything."
"Good thing you have Ben, otherwise the kingdom would fall apart," Carlos nodded. "You're just going to have to be the obedience threat. 'Listen to my husband or I'll rain fire down on you.'"
"Casually transform into a dragon every time someone is trying to blame him for something," Lonnie laughed.
Mal shook her head. "Oh, there'd be a revolt," She rolled her eyes. "Already I cause more than my fair share of paperwork."
"Not really," Ben disagreed. "Now, if the country knew I'm actually getting married now, a week after I asked Mal, and not in a few months like they're all guessing, that'd be paperwork." He rolled his eyes and stood up. "It's almost nine now," He announced, kissing the crown of Mal's head. "When do you want to do this?"
Mal smiled and slipped her arm around his waist. "Now," She smiled. "Let's do it right now."
"Okay," Adam stood up. "Where do you want this?"
"What?" Evie sputtered, looking like she'd swallowed a plum as she began to turn thirty different colors. "No!" She protested. "No. First, all these empty glasses have to go. And Mal doesn't have any makeup on – I need at least thirty minutes. And for heavens sakes, you can't wear that. I want both of you out of those soaking wet clothes before we do anything else!"
"I agree with Evie," Mal hummed, staring at Ben with a frozen smile etched on her face. "I want you out of those clothes before we do anything else too."
Evie dissolved into groans as Ben laughed. "Okay, Evie," He sighed. "What do you have for us?"
"Doug," Evie spun on her heel. "Can you run out and get those garment bags from the car for us?"
Doug got to his feet and saluted his friends sarcastically.
"Help me gather up all of this mess," Evie told Carlos, Jane, Jay, and Lonnie. She began to stack empty shot cups by the tens up on the table. Jay dropped to the ground and began to search underneath the chairs for glasses that had been set down or kicked out of sight.
Evie picked at Mal's hair and frowned. "Kneel," She commanded, pressing Mal's shoulders. Mal knelt and Evie gathered her hair up and began to braid the wet strands back. Doug came rushing back in with the black bags and handed Ben the thinner, smaller one before Evie could command him to do so.
Ben patted Doug's shoulder. "Thanks, Doug," He smiled before he slipped out the entrance to the room.
"I grabbed your makeup too, Evie," Doug told his wife, setting the garment bag and Evie's plastic makeup bag on the now-clear table. Jay and Lonnie were rearranging the remaining filled shots and stealing a few as they went. He kissed Evie's cheek and went to aid Carlos and Jane in carrying all of the glasses out of the room.
Evie worked fast, pulling all of Mal's hair up behind her ears and into a beautiful up-do. She used bobby pins to give the impression that Mal's hair had been curled and then twisted her head back and forth to check every angle.
"Wow," Someone said from the door. Everyone looked up. The bartender had come back to check on everyone upon seeing the glasses everyone had carried out. He glanced back and forth, apparently surprised no one was passed out. His eyes landed on Mal and his mouth dropped open. "You-you!" He sputtered in shock. Jay had been the one to check them in and purchase the room, so he'd had no idea he was currently housing royals.
"Yeah, isn't she lovely?" Ben proclaimed, appearing in the doorway. Mal's breath caught in her throat. He'd changed into a white suit with a blue tie and blue satin lining on all of the folds. He stood straight over the bartender, who swallowed nervously. "I'd prefer you didn't mention to anyone that we were here," Ben murmured.
The bartender swallowed, looking more than a little shocked, and backed away. Ben looked back over at Mal, who let out an exhilarated breath. "Hi!" She whispered as Evie finished crimping her hair.
"Hey," Ben smiled. He carefully side-stepped Evie to cup a hand against Mal's cheek before Evie helped her to her feet.
"Out, now," Evie told Mal, taking the bag and her makeup and rushing the bride out into the hall. They took a turn down the hall and into the bathroom, and once again Mal was getting dressed in a stall.
Evie removed the dress out of the bag and held it aloft for Mal to examine it. Even though she'd been fully prepared to marry Ben in an alcohol-soaked shirt with no shoes, Mal was blown away yet again by Evie's skills. The creation looked a bit like Mal's cotillion dress. It was short – only extending to her knees in the back, and it had little wing-like shoulders with embellished scalloping on it. Similar decorations were stitched into the bodice. Dozens of layers made the skirt fall elegantly around her legs. The dress was built of black, shimmering material with purple detailing. Mal saw immediately what Evie was trying to do. Flip the Bride/Groom color code. Ben always wore black suits, so Evie put him in white and gave Mal the dark shades. And Ben was the Auradon kid and Mal was the Isle girl, so in a way, Evie was paying tribute to their roots.
She stepped into the dress in a stall and Evie zipped her up. She carefully applied makeup to Mal's eyes, working fast but keeping it neat. Still, the clock was ticking even closer and closer to ten and Mal was growing more and more excited.
"Aren't you nervous?" Evie asked as she drew a thin line on Mal's upper eyelid. "I almost fainted when I married Doug."
"And you cried," Mal recalled. "No, I'm not nervous. I honestly feel like… this is something I've waited my entire life for."
Evie blew on Mal's eyelid so that the liquid eyeliner would harden. "Well, you've got lots to look forward to. A whole lifetime." She carefully began to work on Mal's lashes. "And really, maybe it's selfish of me to say this, but I hope you and Ben have kids soon. I want my baby to grow up next to yours." Mal's smile faded a little bit and she swallowed. Evie brushed her hair with her fingertips. "You know it's inevitable, right? Especially after tonight."
"I know," Mal murmured. "And that's okay. I'm okay. I mean, sure, it's still a bit scary, but in the end, I'll be okay."
Evie hummed and patted Mal's shoulders. "You're done," She whispered. She took a step back and wrapped her arms around her belly. Mal watched her and then took a look at herself in the mirror. Through the sparse water dots, she smiled at her reflection. The eyeliner made her eyes appear larger, and her smile made the gold flecks Ben had noticed once, long ago and under a spell, stand out even more. She moved her head to see the earrings Evie had slipped through her lobes and smiled a bit at her reflection.
"You look lovely," Evie whispered.
"I do," Mal agreed. "And especially considering I had a whiskey or something, dumped on me a half-hour ago."
"Forty-five minutes, actually," Evie smiled. She let go of her stomach long enough to step forward, slip her arms around Mal's shoulders, and squeeze her arms. Mal examined her reflection. Part of her couldn't believe this was it. This may very well be the pinnacle moment of her life. She turned her head to the side and examined Evie as her face fell solemn.
"Does it hurt?" She asked, drumming her fingers on the sink. Her fingers felt like they were filled with loose energy.
"Does what hurt?" Evie asked with a furrowed brow, turning to look at Mal with a raised eyebrow before they continued staring at her reflection.
"Well, you know-" Mal wrung her hands and continued staring at her reflection expressionlessly.
A light lit up behind Evie's eyes. "Oh," She chuckled. "That." She hummed and traced a little pattern on Mal's back. "Not much, and only at the very beginning. Kay?"
"Kay," Mal whispered. She turned and took Evie's hand. "Thank you. I wouldn't be here without you."
Evie smiled. "Well, I wouldn't miss this for the world," She squeezed Mal's hand and then turned back to the garment bag. She pulled out a pair of black boots with sequins on the heels and dragons curling around the heels. Mal let out a laugh as Evie set them on the ground and then withdrew a small bouquet of white calla lilies. "Ready?" Evie asked.
With new shoes and flowers in hand, Mal and Evie trekked back down through the hallway and back to the room, where everything had been cleared out of the way. The chairs had been rearranged in a semi-circle pattern with one row and one tiny walkway and Adam was standing near the back, leaning a bit on the table, and searching for the correct words on his phone. Evie shut the door behind Mal and everyone looked up. Carlos shook his head. "Now there's an Isle Bride," He whispered, winking at Evie, who had gone for Auradon's white wedding.
Evie took her seat closest to the walkway. Doug sat beside her, and one by one Jane, Carlos, Lonnie, and Belle all took their seats. Adam straightened up and then they all glanced to the side of the room. Mal followed their gazes.
Jay and Ben looked like they had just finished up a conversation. They were staring at her with two very different emotions. Ben looked absolutely amazed by her presence and was breathing very, very slowly. Jay's eyes were filling with tears as he beamed happily at her. Jay moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her nose in the tank top he'd had on under his vest and found it smelled like work and sweat.
"Hey," He whispered. "You look amazing. Like a real Auradon Lady."
"Uh oh," Mal breathed. "That wasn't the intention." She wiped away a few sudden tears she found in her eyes. "Thanks, Jay."
Ben stepped forward behind Jay. He put an arm behind his back in preparation to offer the other one to her. Jay let go of Mal as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He took her right hand and then reached for Ben's left. Then, carefully, Jay placed Mal's hand in Ben's and withdrew his own. Mal could scarcely breathe as Jay clapped Ben on the shoulder.
"Take care of her, bro," Jay told him firmly. Mal laughed and squeezed Ben's hand.
"Thank you, Jay," Ben nodded, squeezing back.
Jay nodded and looked up, meeting Mal's eyes. She tried to blink back more tears as she cleared her throat. "Thanks, Jay. For everything." Jay nodded and went to sit down. Ben dropped her hand and offered her his arm instead. She slipped her arm up against his elbow and they looked at each other for a few seconds. Mal felt more tears rising up in her eyes.
Ben dropped the hand he'd put around his back and wiped a few tears out of her eyes. "You look flawless," He whispered.
Mal smiled. "So do you," She breathed.
"Are you ready to do this with me?" Ben asked.
Mal nodded. "Always," She confirmed.
They took two tentative steps together through the brightly-lit room and then stepped past the row of their friends and stopped beside Adam. Ben let Mal's arm go and Mal handed her flowers to Evie before she and Ben took each other's hands and looked towards Adam.
Carlos leaned forward in his chair and held out two glinting bands. "Rings," He whispered. Ben quickly released Mal's hands and took the bands from him. He slipped the smaller, thinner one onto Mal's finger, right on top of her engagement band. She took a moment to examine it. It was thin, with a traditional centerpiece diamond and lots of smaller stones set in a perfect line around the circumference of the band. She smiled and looked up to meet his eyes. His face was framed by one of the bright ceiling lights. Ben turned her hand around and dropped his ring into her hand.
Mal took his left hand and singled out his ring finger. She carefully slipped the ring past his nail and knuckles, and then to the base of his finger. He turned it around for her, and she recognized the tell-tale glint of etching. 'Ben Mal', the etching read. And really, that was the thing that did her in. Mal teared up. There was a ring on Ben's finger. A ring with her name on it. Ben was wearing a wedding band with her name forever engraved beside his, and that thought made her want to absolutely sob.
They turned towards Adam, who cleared his throat and squinted at his screen. His large reading glasses made him look like some sort of square-faced professor. He looked down at their joined hands and then straightened his back. "You both look amazing," He started. "I honestly didn't think I'd ever be here. With the other girls Ben dated, I was sure I'd be standing on the sidelines at a big, white ceremony, watching the bride trip a million times on her dress and I was sure I'd be wondering if she was there because she loved my son, or because she loved my son's title. And I'm glad I don't feel like that now. You, Mal, are the miracle Belle and I prayed for for our son, and neither of us would have this event any other way."
Adam looked down at his phone and began: "Dearly beloved, we gather here today to celebrate the union of Ben and Mal, as they choose to be called. This contract is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously, with a deep realization of its responsibilities and obligations." Adam swallowed and turned his phone off. "Ben," He began. "Do you agree to take Mal as your lawfully wedded wife, to love and take care of her as best you are able to for the rest of your life?"
Ben smiled as he ran his thumbs over Mal's knuckles. "I do," He agreed, calm and clear as Mal sniffled.
Adam turned to her, a repeated the question, but Mal couldn't hear his exact words. She was focusing on how warm and how right her hands felt in Ben's. Her throat tightened with emotion and so, so many words she didn't know how to speak. It was all she could do to rehearse: "I do," when she heard Adam stop talking.
"As an officer of the law, I decree this union to be legal and lawful. From this moment forth, you twain shall be husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Ben dropped her hands like they were hot coals and took her face. She rose up on her tip-toes and pressed her lips to his.
It was by far, the most magical moment of her life. Every nerve was on fire, every cell was singing. There were tears – not just hers, but his too, and then suddenly their friends were slapping them on their backs, enveloping them in a giant hug as they all screamed and cheered. They stopped kissing when they both started swaying and became in gross danger of dropping to the ground, and then they just squeezed each other's hands as Jay and Lonnie handed out the last shot glasses to everyone except Evie. Even Belle and Adam took a glass each before Carlos managed to untangle one hand each from Ben and Mal to force a glass each into their palms.
"To the future!" Jay proclaimed, jumping up on top of the bench he'd been lounging on earlier.
"To Ben and Mal!" Belle corrected with a shake of her head.
Everyone raised their glasses over their heads in toast, and no one besides Ben heard Mal's breathy gasp of: "To Happily Ever After," Before they downed their shots. Ben swept Mal of her feet and kissed her again. He almost collapsed as their worlds spun in colorful, enjoyable patterns.
"This is the beginning," Ben whispered against her cheek as he set her back on her feet.
"I can't wait to see what the ending looks like," Mal laughed, and pulled his head down to kiss him again, and again, and again.
They left DunBroch at 1:45 in the morning. Belle and Adam fell asleep in the car, leaning into a corner with their heads lolling every time they went around a new corner. Jane and Carlos spread out on an entire bench and fell asleep with Carlos's arms curling around Jane's shoulders. Doug splayed his arms out over the headrest of a bench and Evie curled into his chest to fall asleep against his side. Jay and Lonnie spread out on the floor, bodies pressed close to each other and fingers wrapped around each others.
Ben leaned into the corner opposite his parents and Mal leaned against him, into his side. Smiles were frozen on both of their faces as Mal played with the tie on his suit.
"Mrs. Mal Bertha," Ben whispered in the dark of the car to her. "Or even Mrs. Benjamin Florian, if you want to really be able to tell the difference."
"I like the sound of both," Mal murmured. She kissed his jaw and pulled the tie out from around his neck. Her mouth still tasted like alcohol. She was smiling as he rested his hand on her hip.
"I'm glad you decided to do it this way," Ben whispered. "It's exhilarating. I don't think we've done anything like this since we graduated."
"We had Evie and Carlos's weddings," Mal recalled, sliding her hands along his frame on top of the white suit. "You got a little drunk with the guys there."
"A little," Ben nodded. "I haven't gotten wasted since you graduated though. It feels great."
"It does now, but just wait till we get up tomorrow," Mal yawned.
Ben made a grumble in the back of his throat. "Do you have a spell or something that can fix a hangover?" He asked. Mal laughed and leaned up to kiss him. Ben let out a sound of contentment against her mouth.
"I don't know about a spell, but True Love's Kiss might come in handy," Mal shrugged. She tried to kiss him again, but he moved, and she got his cheek instead.
"Slow down, darling," He whispered. "We won't be able to stand up if you keep going." Mal sighed and he craned his neck down to bite and kiss at her neck, which was safe territory that didn't make their heads spin.
"How much longer?" Mal whispered against his hairline. His hand moved from her hip to cup at the back of her neck as he continued biting at her neck, turning the skin pretty shades of pink and red.
"Soon," He whispered in between breaths. "Be patient."
Mal threaded her fingers through his hair and hummed as Ben moved further down, to her shoulder, so she could lean her head against the seat beside him. She watched fuzzy lights stream by through the tinted windows and listened to the thrum of the engine, though she didn't feel at all like going to sleep yet.
After about twenty minutes of nothing – no conversation, no looks, only Ben's mouth on her skin, Mal felt the car begin to slow down. Ben stopped and straightened up in the seat. Almost as if he'd announced something, their friends began to roll over, stretch, and yawn. Jane rolled off the seat an on top of Lonnie with a yelp, and the two girls laughed as the car stopped and the Driver's door opened and closed. As Carlos helped Jane off of Lonnie's legs with a laugh, Ben's hand settled back on her hip. The door to the stretch car opened and their driver appeared.
"Evie and Doug?" He asked through the darkness. Mal glimpsed the outline of Evie and Doug's townhouse outside as the driver squinted past them. She listened to Evie waking Doug up across the car and climbed off of Ben long enough to give her friend a hug as Evie stepped over a still-out Jay.
"Thanks, E. You're the best," She whispered, squeezing Evie tightly.
"I know," Evie yawned. She patted Mal's back. "Be good. I'll talk to you later. You look at your schedule and tell me when I need to have your white wedding dress to you."
"I will," Mal promised as Doug helped Evie out of the car. "Love you, E."
"Love you too, Mal," Evie sighed. The door shut behind them and Mal watched her best friend and her husband's fuzzy figures approach their front door.
They dropped off Jay and Lonnie at their apartment and then Carlos and Jane at Auradon Prep before they set on their way to the palace. Adam and Belle had to be helped out and up to their rooms by palace workers while Ben and Mal linked hands and took the elevator up to Ben's room, which was now theirs by default since he was already in the master suite.
As Ben unlocked his door(His was required to be locked by law after eight at night), a female servant came around the corner with a pile of sheets. Her eyes settled on Mal as Ben fumbled with a key and she gave an uneasy, knowing sort of smile as she passed by. Ben opened the door and held it ajar for her. She slipped inside and watched him step inside, close the door, and turn the lock back in place. He turned around and began unbuttoning the coat of his suit as Mal reached up and began taking pins out of her now-messy hair.
"You nervous?" He asked, setting the suit coat on the back of a chair and stepping behind her to tug her zipper down.
"Windows," Mal reminded him as the sleeves slipped off her shoulders. He leaned down to bite the sensitive skin he'd attacked earlier and then moved to yank the curtains closed. The master bedroom was one of the higher spires in the palace and completely closed off to the outside world, but it was more a matter of principle. "And no. I'm not."
He returned to her and she immediately began unbuttoning his shirt, running her fingertips over the skin of his chest. She pushed his shirt aside and leaned forward, into his grasp, and pressed her ear against his chest. Ben set his hands on her shoulders and started to slide her dress off of her, but she stopped him by running her hand down his shoulder. He carefully set his hands on her hips instead.
"This is where I belong," Mal whispered, trailing her fingertips down his pectorals. She closed her eyes and listened to the steady thrum of his heart beside her head. "I feel like I'm finally coming home."
Ben hummed and leaned down, kissing that spot on her neck that was quickly becoming a favorite spot for him. "You are home," He whispered. His hand traveled up her sides. "Are you ready now?" He asked.
Mal closed her eyes and listened to his heart beating against her cheek. She let out a steady breath. "Always," She whispered, and together their hands started to move again.