Chapter Eleven

Bens POV

I pulled the blanket closer to Mal as shivered on the couch in the theater room. We had decided that after that long day we would watch a movie, her favorite...well before everything, How to Train Your Dragon. I smiled softly as I watch Mals expressions slowly change with every scene, the day went better than I expected, she was, after all, starting to get more comfortable with me, she hardly flinched when I moved to grab her. She was talking to me. I think she was starting to trust me.

I smiled as I thought about our day. It was like I was bringing her home for the first time again. She wanted to explore all the parts of the Castle after she got comfortable with me.

"Now let's go...I'll show you around" she gave me a small smile. I glared at Jay and Carlos as they tried to get closer to Mal, I watched as she flinches and cowers closer to my chest.

I moved my gaze from them to Mal, "Mal why don't you go wait at the library with my mom." she gave a small pout but her eyes also spoke that she was scared. She was scared to trust someone else, "I'll be there in a few minutes" I added while caressing her cheek and giving her a soft smile, "and in the meantime you could pick some of the books you want to read so you can take them to your room" her eyes twinkled with hope before nodding her head. Her face grew soft, instead of having a small frown crease between her brows and her lips that her pursed into a pout with her eyes glinting fear and insecurity. Instead, her face grew into a small smile with her eyes grew and glistened with happiness and reassurance.

I turned to look at my mom who was still being held back by my dad, "Mom can you take her to the library" mom gave me a smile with tears forming in her eyes before nodding her head. I turned to Mal and brought her closer to my mom as I continued to talk, "Mal this is my mom. She's going to take you to the library" Mal bowed her down but gave mom a nod in acknowledgment. Before Mal left she gave me a nervous look which I returned with a resulting look for encouragement.

"What the fucking hell did you think it was a good idea to bring Mal?!" I said turning to look at Evie and Carlos. Evie like the rest of the girls, while I was distracted, moved closer to the guys (Jay and Carlos) t get away from my temper.

"Son control yourself," my dad said stepping between me and them "you needed to calm down" he reasoned "Mal is your mate, it would make sense that you would calm down and you did"

I took a deep breath in trying to keep calm, "I'm sorry your right dad" I turned to lean against my desk "it's just harder than I expect it to be"

"So what" Jay inputted "are you saying you regret bringing her"

I banged my fists on my desk before turning to look at Jay "Don't put words in my mouth Jay!" I glared at him

"Than what did you mean, Ben," Carlos asked stepping closer to Jay.

My glare moved to Carlos, who was giving me a hard look, "I meant that the bastard put Mal through hell"

Jane put a comforting hand on Carlos' arm before turning to me, "what do you mean Ben?"

My heart clenched, "she's just changed so much..he messed with her"

"Ben-" I cut of Lonnie

"Do you know what happened," I said turning to look at all of them "last night she had a nightmare she couldn't fucking breath she woke up gasping for air and fisting her sheets. She was crying and I couldn't fucking help her! Every time I got closer she would cower away protecting her face like I was going to hurt her. I had to keep repeating to her 'you're safe' to get her to calm down and even she still tensed when I pulled her into my arms. And when I told her to let it all out she sobbed into my chest clinging onto my shirt before punching me in my chest as she continued to cry!" a lump formed in my throat as I continued "Then this morning she woke up gasping for an arm like someone was choking her! And when I finally calm her down she starts having a meltdown because she didn't make me breakfast! She was panicking and crying..she thought I was going to hurt her! She was so fucking scared that she injured herself. And when I finally got her settled and started to give her food, she said 'I can't eat first the man eats first'" I looked at everyone again "and when I told her no that's not happening she asked me" I took a deep breath trying to control myself "she asked me it's that's a rule! She fucking asked me if that's a rule!" I slammed my fist into the desk.

Lonnie and jane were sobbing burrowing their face into their boyfriend's chest, Carlos had a pale face with ghostly expression and tears falling one by one, Jay, on the other hand, had tensed up and gave a hard look with tears forming in his eyes while Evie was on the floor crying. My father had taken off his glasses and had fallen into a chair into despair.

"So tell me how the fuck am I suppose to be right now!" I continued, "How can I be calm when I know what that bastard did to her and how Audrey and Chad are still not found!"

"Son," my father said walking closer to me "I know you feel like you can't help her, like she's never coming back, like she doesn't trust you..but you're wrong just look at what just happened, she saw how angry you looked when you saw her but she still trusts you enough to not cower behind you" I turned to face him, "Ben, she trusts you...more than she does with anyone else, you just have to be patient" I swallowed hard before nodding my head, I can do this. She will come back. Dad cleared his throat, "And as for Audrey and Chad we found out that she had been saying in her mother's cottage, but she's gone from that place"

"Do you think her family is helping them hide?" Jay asked

Jane shook her head, "I don't think it's her parents. Aurora didn't seem to happy with daughter causing Mal to leave and neither did Phillip"

Evie, who had gotten up from floor wipe her tears, "Then it's her grandparents. Queen Leah and King Stephan don't like Mal because of her mother"

"Well yeah because she cursed their daughter and they grow up without her but that doesn't mean they would support Audrey doing that" Lonnie cut in.

Evie looked at Carlos and Jay before looking at me, "that's not why I said them" she took a deep breath "you see years before Stephen became King he meets Maleficent at the moors, the place beyond the huge thorn wall. They fell in love, well at least she did, he had promised to return to the moors but instead, he got married to Queen Leah to become King. To mary Queen Leah and become King Stephan had to kill Maleficent and bring back her wings-"

"But Maleficent doesn't have wings" Lonnie interrupted

Carlos shook his head, "no she did. Maleficent like Mal is a fae, they are special types of fairies who have beautiful strong wing like a hawk" we stayed silent trying to the information and Jay say this as a cue to continue, "Stephan come back and told he loved her and she forgave him but it was just an act he drugged her and cut off her wings with iron" Carlos cut in again, "The only things harmful to faes."

Evie continued, "so after Maleficent found out she was furious and that's why she cursed Aurora."

We stayed silent, the motives are there…

I looked at my dad "Dad can you look into this and ask guards to watch Queen Leah and King Stephan … I need to go look for Mal" he nodded his head before turning to talk to Evie about the matter.

I hurried to the library running down the stairs to get there faster. I opened the door quietly only to see Mal holding a huge stack of books covering her from her waist to her over her head. I wanted to move right away to help her but for a second a remembered Mal when she first came into the library she had gasped and tried to read so many of the books in here she didn't even want to leave. I watched as Mal waddle around slowly taking careful steps as she tried to get closer to the nearest couch where my mom was sitting.

"Did you like these, dear" Mal nodded her head enthusiastically after putting then down, "ohh I think you will love them"

"Did you find any books you like, princess?" I said finally making my presence known. Mal immediately moved towards me carefully directing me to the books she chose. Her eyes flickered towards me, showing me the books and looking for my approval. I gave her even though I told her she could take them even if I didn't agree. She then moved me around the room trying to find me a book to read.

After the library a hurried Mal to go get a jacket from her room since she wanted to go outside to see the rose garden. To get to the rose garden I had decided to take the long way to cross the bridge over the lake. The bridge, as well as the rose garden, was in the back of the Castle, I began by walking her out of the front door into the walkway of the bridge, I remember when I brought her here for the first time all she wanted to do was get art stuff and start painting but now all she could do was stare in wonder which was one of her expressions I loved to see since she didn't do it often. When we got to the middle of the bridge she stared at the lake and trees around but shivered slightly with the strong wind. I on instinct pulled her closer and hugged her body hiding her face into my chest.

She tensed before I realized what I did and tried to explain to her "its okay Mal you're safe I just wanted to keep you warm" I felt her nod her against my chest "let's move on, okay?" she nodded her head and when I made a move let go of her, she still held on to me. I smiled before kissing her on her head.

Once we did make it into the rose garden Mal was star struck. The pathway of the bride went straight to the rose garden. The first thing that you noticed right away was an entrance made of greystones that seemed to sparkle with the sun's light when you walked in you noticed the huge circular area with a gazebo in the middle elevated with the lake under the gazebo running from one end of the garden to the other. Two smaller bridges we on either side next to the gazebo to walk to the other side. The area is surrounded by trees of different fruits and the rose bushes surround the area covering the stoned area with vines and roses. The roses even covered the gazebo on top and even surrounded the gated area.

Mal froze in their stop staring in marvel.

"Do you like it?" I asked staring down at Mal while caressing her pink tainted cheek. She looked at me with her big green eyes twinkling, "yes"

"Why don't you go explore" she took a step into the garden before looking at me again
"Go on" she nodded her head while smiling at me. She rushed to the gazebo looking inside before trying to reach to tug the water before going around to tough the roses and pick some fruits.

She slowly drifted to sleep as the movie came to an end. She shivered a bit so I carefully laid my jacket on top of her before carefully picking her up, I carried her to her room after turning everything off. Once I made it into her room I took off her slippers and laid her carefully on her bed after pulling her blanket down to cover her with them and laying my jacket on the end of her bed. I pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead before slipping out of her room as quiet as possible.


Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Questions!

who should Mal remember first?

What else did you think Audrey did to Mal?

How bad do you think Hades and Maleficient will react to what happened to Mal?

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