A/N: Guess who's returned with a new chapter :) It's great to be back. I hope everyone is safe out there. My sincere apologies for the very heavy delay in posting but this this whole virus crisis situation has turned real life upside down and for a couple of weeks my mind was totally elsewhere. Anyways I'm back now. I might still not be able to return to my previous regular weekly weekend posting schedule but I promise to try my best to give more regular updates.
As always a big thank you goes to my beta Wanderlustandfreedom and Harry Potter Fan 1994 for their precious help with this chapter. And I'd also like to thank my regular reviewers Carvie16, fresh-BLOOD-was-drawn-2night, AmethystDragon14, Harry Potter Fan 1994, Stardust28 and SparkyGurly 227 for having left a review for the last chapter.
Any feedback (big or small) is always appreciated and is a great motivational boost for me to continue writing so don't be afraid to leave me a message with your thoughts.
AmethystDragon14: You actually liked Gaston...don't worry it won't last long lol. And Harry...just throwing a wild guess here but you're going to wish him dead even more after this chapter lol Your questions about Evie and Ben will be answered in this chapter. Ehmmm...to be honest I'm a little worried about your reaction to the end of this chapter...but you know that things need to get bad before they get better right?
Stardust28: I'm so happy that you've enjoyed my story and the way I'm portraying things so far. You know I'm always looking forward to know what you think of the chapter - I expect this one to raise quite a few eyebrows lol.
fresh-BLOOD-was-drawn-2night: We're about two thirds in the story and there's so MUCH more to come so answer your question you definitely need to look out for Uma (evil smirk lol)
SparkyGurly 227: I'm just throwing a wild guess here but you'll probably volunteer to dig Harry's hole after this one. And also another one for Uma maybe lol. I'm glad you found the Evie/Mal relationship buildup good as this was one of my concerns - I had to "accelerate" the development of their closeness because of plot needs and I was worried that it would feel too rushed. Dizzy...you ask? Yes you'll definitely have to wait and see about her - I've really tried to include as many Descendants/Disney characters so yes there might be space for Dizzy somewhere ;)
Carvie16: Wow...I'm always so eager to read your reactions to my chapter. I admit the story is heavy in certain parts (I also consider this chapter a heavy one) as the heroes and villains react to the ongoing game of deceit and lies - this assassination attempt is one of them. I'm genuinely curious to know the reason why you found the assassination attempt underwhelming - as a plot point in the story or was it in the way I wrote it out? I know I haven't invested too much in Arthur as a character so I can understand that his life being in danger can be indifferent to some readers.
Harry Potter Fan 1994: Thanks for the writing tips - you're always so helpful :) Re Evie/Mal - yes I meant pained and that is the message I wanted to portray. I'll keep your precious advise in mind for future chapters.
Last chapter, in a last ditch attempt to obtain the information she needed to save Arthur's life, Mal had a painful confrontation with Creepy Harry which left her devastated as the events brought back the painful memories of Maleficent's death. Carlos managed to deliver Mal's message to Camelot which led to Lancelot's arrest and the assassin's death. But Ben seems to have stumbled onto something - could Arthur's life still be in danger? Read to find out...
Chapter 29
Mal walked back into her room. She was limping in pain with every step. Who would have thought that dancing lessons could be so tiring and painful? Mal couldn't wait to take off her shoes and rest her sore feet. But deep down, she was glad for the distraction. It kept her mind busy and prevented it from straying to her worries about Arthur. Mal stopped and rested her hand on the top of her desk chair, letting out a deep sigh. While she was imprisoned here in Auradon's castle, she had no way of knowing if her message to Camelot had made it to the castle in time.
Something on her right side closed with a loud bang, and Mal jumped a little in surprise. Her head snapped towards the sound. She shuffled back when she spotted Gaston outside the door to Evie's quarters.
"Your freedom is over, Princess," the Lord announced, walking up to her.
"Why?" Mal asked, straightening her posture while trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. Could he have discovered her ploy with Harry? "What did I do?"
"Mal," Gaston cackled, "did you take me for a fool?" The Lord brushed past her and stopped a few steps in front of her door to block her escape. Mal twirled around to face him. "With Arthur dead, there's no need to keep up the charade."
Mal's heart skipped a beat but she glared nonetheless. "Arthur is not dead!" she retorted. "I sent a message ahead to Camelot. Sir Lancelot won't be able to help you."
Gaston began to laugh and Mal felt her stomach turn as Harry entered the room. The knight stopped beside the Lord and didn't utter a word as he gazed at her with a wide smirk. Mal's world came crashing down as realization hit her. "You tricked me!"
"Don't look at me that way, Princess," Harry cackled. "We're in a war, remember? It was nothing personal, but I must admit I truly enjoyed your attention."
"Your help was fundamental, Mal," Gaston continued, clapping Harry on the shoulder. They began to back away towards the door. "A false accusation is what we needed to get Sir Lancelot out of the way. Without him, getting to Arthur was a piece of cake. And with Arthur gone, there are no more obstacles to your marriage with King Stefan. It's better you get used to this new reality quickly, my dear." With that, Gaston shut the door to the hall. Mal heard a large bolt click into place. She was locked in.
Hot tears began to trickle down Mal's cheeks as she ran up to the door and banged against it with all her might. "Let me out! Murderers!" she cried. Her knees buckled underneath her and Mal slid to the floor in a heap.
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Anthony Tremaine walked through the corridor leading to Arthur's private quarters. The guard stationed outside the door turned his head to the side when he heard the approaching footsteps and spotted the armored soldier making his way towards him.
"What are you doing here, Anthony?" the guard asked with an arched eyebrow.
"I've come to replace you, Aldwin," Anthony replied, keeping a straight face.
Aldwin lowered his head to examine the young guard in front of him. "And since when are the recruits in charge of protecting the King?"
"With the captain in prison, there's been a reshuffle of all the guard shifts. Didn't you know?" Anthony asked, trying to sound casual.
"I was expecting Peyton," Aldwin countered, holding Anthony's gaze.
Anthony let a small smirk pull at his lips before he broke eye contact with the guard. "It's a pity," he commented with a soft sigh, "that no one told you about the change." The young guard turned his back to Aldwin and took a step away. "Peyton is unwell. He felt some sudden pain in his abdomen." With one swift movement, Anthony pulled out a dagger hidden in his uniform's side pocket and whirled around, thrusting it in Aldwin's stomach. Aldwin let out a pain-filled cry. The assassin withdrew the blade and stabbed the guard a second time. Aldwin fell to the ground, unmoving.
Anthony smirked down at the fallen guard, sidestepped him, and stopped in front of King's chamber. He twisted the handle and pushed the door open. From the lower levels of the castle came the sound of thundering footsteps. The loud noise could only mean one thing - he'd been discovered. He was running out of time. Anthony moved inside and didn't look back.
Ben rushed up the steps leading to the king's private quarters. A group of guards and Uma followed on his tail with intense, angry, and worried expressions. The Auradonian Prince skidded to a stop in front of Arthur's room. He stared wide-eyed at the dead soldier on the floor for a mere second and barged inside. "No!" Ben shouted before leaping into action. Anthony had his back towards them and was wielding a bloody knife in his hands. He had cornered Arthur, who was backed against the ledge of his bedroom window. Ben pulled a dagger from its scabbard at his side and threw it towards the killer. It buried itself in his spine.
Anthony jerked back with a pained cry, but still managed to thrust his knife into Arthur's gut before collapsing. He did not move again.
"Arthur!" Ben yelled, running to the wounded king.
"Ben," Arthur moaned in pain, closing his eyes as he fell onto the window ledge behind him.
"Quick, let's carry him to the bed," the prince ordered the two guards closest to him. "Uma, call the castle physician. There's no time to waste."
Uma had been rooted to her spot beside the door. She blinked as if the world had changed before her eyes. She focused on the Auradonian Prince for a moment before she ran out of the room. Ben collapsed against the door. So close… he'd been so close.
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Hours later, after he'd been freed from the dungeons, Lancelot stood in one of the far corners of Arthur's chamber, staring at the unconscious king with a somber expression. Uma crossed the room and walked up to the knight, careful not to draw any attention towards herself. The physicians who stood at the side of Arthur's bed didn't seem to notice her and continued to discuss among themselves.
"What do we do if he survives, Duchess?" Lancelot whispered, unable to hide the nervousness from his tone.
"What we've always done, Lancelot," Uma replied. "We'll continue serving him with the utmost loyalty until we can find the next best moment to strike again."
Lancelot scowled at the Duchess. "I can't take any more risks and you know it. Yes, you'd win the war if Arthur is killed during a second assassination attempt, but as the head of his security, I would be held responsible and imprisoned for his death. That's why we've staged these false accusations against me, remember that!" The knight glared down at her. "Pray that he dies, Duchess!" he continued before storming away.
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Lonnie stared at the cauldron of boiling soup in front of her, lost in thought. Her head was spinning. Mal had returned to the castle after the hunting trip. Why hadn't she left with Ben? Had something happened to him? A loud, banging noise came from the door behind her. The maid jumped and gasped as she turned around, staring in shock at the doorway. Jay barged into her small house with a furrowed brow. For a second, she froze, but then blinked and got a hold of herself. "Jay!" she exclaimed.
The tanned soldier walked up to her and grabbed her arms. "Lonnie, there's no time to waste. Gather your things. You need to leave now!" he stated with an urgent tone.
Lonnie stared at Jay's hands, still gripping her tightly, as she struggled to hide her fear and confusion. When he realized, he dropped her arms as if she had burned him. "Why?" she asked. "What's wrong?"
"They've arrested Evie," Jay responded urgently. "And for some reason, Gaston has issued another arrest warrant for you. The royal guard is on its way here."
There was a short pause as Lonnie pieced everything together. Her frame shook as the air around her became thick to breathe in. "Carlos!" she exclaimed.
"Where is he?" Jay asked.
"He's on his way back from Camelot. He's also in danger!" Lonnie replied.
"I'll go meet up with him in the forest but please, let's go. We're running out of time!" Jay pleaded with her.
Lonnie rushed to a chest in the far corner of her house where she kept her belongings and began to pack them into a bag. Then she stopped. Lonnie turned around to find Jay staring at her with an unreadable expression from across the room. Jay lowered his gaze to the floor.
Lonnie walked back to him and the Agrabahi soldier locked eyes with her. "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" she asked with a soft whisper.
Jay's eyes roamed her face with an expression that made Lonnie go weak in the knees. "Because it's the right thing to do. I won't let anyone hurt you." A small smile slid onto Lonnie's face as Jay's words sank in. The room faded into silence, and the maiden returned to her task of packing, noticing how the situation didn't feel that scary anymore.
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Mal's heavy sobs had died down to soft whimpers by the time the stars faded away and the night sky turned from black to grey. The early morning light seeped through the cracks in the closed window into the princess's room, but Mal didn't care. She'd lost everything. She'd broken Ben's trust, and Arthur was dead, and it was all her fault. The princess uncurled herself from her fetal position and lifted her head from the pillow when the sound of her door being unlocked alerted her to the presence of someone entering the chamber. Her expression hardened. She wouldn't give Gaston the satisfaction of gloating at her desperation.
"Mal," a soft voice rang out. Mal relaxed when Claudette rushed towards her, settling on her bed. Mal caught a glimpse of a soldier outside her door before it was once again locked behind the matriarch. Ben's mother passed a hand over her cheek in a gentle caress. "What did they do to you, my child? Why are you crying?" Claudette asked, examining her in concern.
"Claudette, help me," Mal pleaded. "I need to escape from this castle."
Claudette's expression turned into one of confusion as her eyes flitted over Mal, hovering on her face. "What happened, Mal? Why do you want to leave Auradon?"
"Ben is waiting for me in Camelot!" Mal whispered.
"Ben," Claudette trailed off with knitted brows. "What are you saying, Mal? Ben is out hunting with Doug." The matriarch stopped speaking, and her face broke into a wide smile as her eyes glazed over. "Ben," she whispered, getting up to her feet and walking to the closed window. "He promised me he would return in time for dinner."
Mal froze, and her skin tingled with sudden raised goosebumps. A look of horror fell onto her face as the Fae princess recalled Claudette's strange behavior the last time they'd spoken, and the realization hit her like a tidal wave. The guilt for keeping the secret of Adam's death from Ben had started to unravel the matriarch. Mal stared ahead blankly for several seconds before covering her mouth as Claudette opened the window and continued to speak, "There he is. He's back, I told you," she exclaimed with a giddy smile. "I can hear him. He's calling to me. I must go and greet him." Claudette flashed Mal a bright smile and made her way towards the doorway. She tapped three times on the heavy wooden door, and the guard let her through, leaving Mal once again alone with her thoughts.
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Merlin found Ben alone, sitting on one of the benches in Arthur's private garden, staring at the clear skies touched with the fading colors of the late afternoon with a forlorn expression. The elderly Fae sat down next to him and, taking in the young prince's stooped posture, rested a hand on his knee in comfort. "Arthur isn't out of the woods yet, but he's strong, and he'll survive this, Ben," Merlin reassured. "But he's alive only thanks to you and Mal." Ben didn't reply and instead slumped further forward, shifting his gaze to stare at the ground at his feet. Merlin's eyebrows drew together in worry, sensing there was more to the prince's subdued demeanor than his concern for Arthur and Mal. "What's wrong, Ben?"
Ben remained silent for several seconds, and then took a deep breath before straightening himself up and turning to look at Merlin. "I think that Mal has switched sides and is now helping Gaston," he stated bluntly.
Merlin gaped at the Auradonian prince, who was staring at him with this hurt in his eyes that the Fae had never seen before. "That's impossible, Ben. Mal would never do something like that. She loves Arthur like a father. Why would you think that for even one second?"
"She fed us the wrong information, Merlin. Sir Lancelot wasn't Arthur's killer." Ben snapped before pausing. "And there's something I haven't told you. When I went to rescue Mal from Auradon, I caught her kissing the son of Captain Hook. Merlin, you've taken care of Mal since she was a little girl, right?" The prince's lips curled into a deep frown as Merlin nodded. "Do you think Mal could ever kiss a man she doesn't love?"
"No, Ben, Mal would never kiss a man she doesn't love, but there must be an explanation for her behavior." Merlin exhaled softly. "I refuse to believe that Mal has betrayed us. This son of Captain Hook could have tricked her somehow in believing that Lancelot was the assassin." Merlin squeezed Ben's knee. "Mal cares for you deeply, Ben. She risked her life to rescue you from Auradon's dungeons, remember. Have faith in her. Our priority now is to get her out of Auradon safely, and then she'll be able to explain exactly what happened."
The somber prince looked at Merlin, giving him a little nod before standing and walking away from him.
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Uma stopped outside the great hall as her gaze fell on Ben. The Auradonian prince was sitting at the head of the large dinner table with his back towards her, drinking from a wine goblet. She took a deep breath and tried to relax her angry posture, donning a joyful face like a mask. "Great news," she announced, entering the room and walking up to Ben. "Arthur's safe and will make a full recovery." Uma's smile dropped off of her face when Ben turned to look at her with a vacant, blank expression. Her gaze followed the prince as he stood from his chair and walked along the side of the table for a few meters before stopping, still carrying the wine goblet in his right hand. It was then that the Duchess noticed that Ben was clutching what appeared to be a silver necklace around his collarbone with his other hand.
"Hurray," he muttered, the slur in his voice, making it obvious that he'd been drinking for some time.
Uma blinked in surprise at Ben's odd behavior. The prince had just saved Arthur's life and foiled Gaston's plans. He should be ecstatic. This wasn't the response she'd expected from him. "What's wrong, Ben?" Uma asked, her eyes narrowing, "Aren't you happy?"
"Of course I am!" he replied in a sarcastic tone, raising his glass to his mouth and having a long drink. "I'm a hero now." Ben nodded, throwing a dejected look at the silver chain in his left hand.
Uma stared down at the obvious distraught Ben as a sudden and unexpected sad feeling began bubbling inside her chest. The duchess swallowed. This was the second time that she felt that way around the prince. Uma pushed those thoughts aside as she began remembering their last conversation after returning from Auradon, and something in her head clicked. "It's about Mal. Isn't it?" she probed, her voice laced with concern.
"Mal has betrayed us, Duchess," Ben whispered, turning around to face her. He rested the wine glass on the table beside him. "Mal betrayed me."
Uma closed the space between them and reached out for the silver necklace. "Was this a gift from the princess?" she asked.
Ben nodded, his eyes growing distant for a moment as he thought about the day Mal had given him the trinket before his expression darkened. "She told me she loved me and wanted to share her future with me, and I believed her. I trusted her because I thought she was different from everyone else. All the people around me have done since Gaston killed my father is lie to me," he mourned, with angry tears filling his eyes. "Why did she lie to me?"
Ben didn't move, and Uma's free hand balled into a fist as the wave of sadness that had washed over her only intensified. The prince's words brought back the painful memories of Gabriel's betrayal, and the duchess exhaled and focused on Ben's eyes instead. Uma stilled, frozen in place as if she'd was seeing him for the first time. Her heart fluttered in her chest at their closeness, and she swallowed to clear the frog in her throat. Uma couldn't believe it as a million thoughts filled her head. She hadn't felt this way around a man in years. But Ben was just merely a pawn – her means to get control over Camelot. Blood rushed through her head as she felt her knees begin to shake. Could it be?
"No, Ben," Uma blurted out, finding her voice, breaking the silence. "Don't make my mistake and lose hope." The Duchess stroked one of his cheeks. "Because I was wrong, Ben. There's always hope for love." Ben remained silent, meeting Uma's eyes as the Duchess rested her hands on his shoulders. "You've brought the spark of love back into my heart, Ben," she paused. "I never thought I could feel this way about someone else after Gabriel's betrayal, but it happened." Uma kept her eyes locked with Ben's as she snaked her hands behind his neck, unclasping the chain of Mal's necklace.
Ben didn't flinch, seemingly mesmerized by the Duchess's eyes as they bored into his soul. He stilled, his brain too numbed for reasoning and coherent thought...all he wished at that moment was for the deep ache in his heart to be washed away and disappear. And before he could fathom what was happening, or stop her, Uma lifted his chin and leaned in, pressing her lips onto his.
A/N - Duh duh. I'm not going to hide behind a corner in fear of the pick forks this time - lol XD - on the contrary I'm actually very eager to find out your reactions. The villains have sewn a crafty web of deceit and their plan would have worked if only Ben hadn't realized that something was off. Arthur has survived but things are still not looking good for the heroes. Claudette is coming to terms with the guilt for her role in the cover up of Adam's death and the loss of Ben. Evie has been arrested but all I'll say is that we haven't seen the last of her. The same fate was about to happen to Lonnie until Jay came to her rescue - wonder why he risked his life to save her (emoticon whistling away lol). Mal is even in a worst situation now - with no allies left around her and Ben starting to doubt her - she's totally at Gaston's mercy. And what about the final pitch fork moment? - a distraught, hurt and confused Ben fell into Uma's arms but will the prince realise his mistake? And what impact will this turn of events have on Ben's relationship with Mal?
I'm happy to say that this chapter marks the 2/3 part of the story. There's so much more to come and I hope that all of you will continue sticking around till the end of it. As I mentioned above I hope to be able to post a chapter next weekend but I can't promise anything with everything that has been going on. In the meantime take care and stay safe out there! Till next time :)