"So-" I began after me and Evie had sat in silence for a couple of seconds after Ben left the room. "Sister" I smiled as I looked up at her.
"Sister" she smiled back as she slid closer to me so we could talk more privately. "Well, isn't this a turn up for the books?" she chuckled.
"I know" I replied. "It doesn't really tell us anything that we didn't already know," I chuckled. "We treated each other like sisters anyway" I reminded her lovingly and we both smiled warmly at each other.
"I know that" she replied. "But this is a big deal" she advised as she pursed her lips together.
"Yes" I nodded. "A very big deal" I was quick to add. "How are you?" I enquired.
"Really Mal!" she exclaimed. "You have a fight, an accident and a hospital stay, and you want to know how I am" she urged.
"Ben told you about what happened with Leah?" I asked slowly. I should have known that Ben would have told Evie, Jay, and Carlos something about what had happened, I just hoped that he hadn't let the Dragon out of the bag. I didn't know if I wanted to tell them yet, this wasn't anything against them. It was that I hadn't even had the time to get my own head around it.
"Yes" she nodded.
"What else did he tell you?" I enquired.
"He told me about this proclamation that is now over you two-" she started to explain. "Your fight with Leah, your surge of your magic" she continued.
"My magic!" I exclaimed as I started to feel fear and panic start to engulf my stomach. "What exactly did he tell you?" I insisted.
"That you got overwhelmed so he got Dawson to drop you both off at some Enchanted Lake" she replied before I could fixate on my panic any further. "He thought the time alone would help calm you," she added. "Why? Did he miss something?" she asked, and I could tell by the look on her face that she knew that there was something else going on that she wasn't aware of. I couldn't help but feel relieved at the fact that Ben had kept my transformation a secret, yes if he had told anyone about it then I wasn't going to be too annoyed with him. I knew that he would have had his reasons for doing so, and if my accident didn't happen then at least I would have been afforded the time to get my head around it before making any decisions on whether I was going to tell my family and/or friends. As an afterthought I also thought that Ben hid my secret as I hid his for him, something of which I was going to thank him for later on.
"No" I replied as I shook my head. "Of course not," I dismissed.
"It sounded like quite a fight with Leah" she noted, obviously picking up on my anxiousness.
"Urgh!" I grunted. "Don't remind me," I sighed. "I just dread to think what backlash we are going to get now" I groaned.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well yes she spat at me and slapped me first-" I started to explain. "But the fact that I slapped her-" I added and by her limited reaction told me that Ben had already told her about this. "I know she is probably going to try something" I stated. "Especially as she threatened me" I added with pursed lips. I really hoped that Leah wasn't going to try something - surely, she had put me and Ben through enough! But I knew that this wasn't how things worked with Leah, especially after what happened between the pair of us at Beauty Castle - she was going to make me pay for what I had said to her. And that was her decision, but she was going to have to live with the consequences if she did try anything, and I meant what I said to her - I may not interject for her next time. And if I was being completely honest with myself, I didn't know how I was going to react if I found myself in such a situation.
"I know" she answered. "Ben said," she informed me. "Surely she knows that Ben isn't going to allow you to eat or drink anything without it being screened?" she pressed.
"Ben has already said that" I replied. "Ben wants to put things in place in case Leah tries anything" I advised. "Even though she might have just said it as an empty threat to worry us and make us panic, Ben said he can't take the risk," I added.
"Well can you blame him?" she asked rhetorically. "You are the love of his life" she added, and I couldn't help but smile happily at this.
"And he is mine," I replied lovingly. "I don't think I need to ask how he was when I was in hospital, given his reaction to when I woke up" I stated as I pursed my lips together.
"No," she said as she shook her head. "He was beside himself," she added. "He wouldn't talk very much; and when you did you could hear the pain in his voice" she stated, and I couldn't help but sigh at this as my mind started to show me my Beast in pain at the fact that he couldn't help me. "I think one of the worst parts for him was just before you went for your MRI scan" she advised.
"What happened?" I asked slowly.
"Well Ben asked to see you before you went for you-" she began to explain. "I went with him, and we were given a bag that contained your clothes," she continued. "When Ben's eyes landed on you, I swore I heard him whimper" she said sadly, and I nodded at this. I knew that both the mortal and the Beast part of Ben probably was going to be suffering after my accident - something of which I would make sure that I made him feel better for.
"I can imagine that was painful for him," I answered.
"It was," she confirmed. "Especially at what happened next" she advised.
"What happened?" I repeated.
"A member of staff told Ben that you couldn't wear jewellery for your scan, they asked whether he wanted to remove it" she advised.
"Oh" I muttered. "I wondered where they had gone," I added as I stroked the top of my chest when my necklace normally was before I looked down at both of my hands. "I need to get them back" I smiled up at her.
"Yes, you do" she nodded. "Saying that, Ben does suit them" she teased with a broad grin.
"He's wearing them?" I questioned slowly. "Bless him," I said. "I guess he did that, so he feels close to me" I noted.
"I guess so" I sighed as I thought about everything that I needed to talk to Ben about, but I didn't know how I was going to manage that - given the current proposition that was hanging over us.
"What's wrong?" Evie asked.
"Well, I need to talk to Ben about all of this," I explained.
"Why can't you?" she enquired.
"E it needs to be a private conversation-" I began to explain. "And until the validity of that proclamation is questioned, we need to follow it, and if it holds, I won't have another private conversation with him until our wedding day" I urged. "Heck!" I exclaimed. "Maybe even our wedding night" I stressed. "I doubt we will have much time alone during the day" I sighed.
"Probably not," she agreed. "But I'm sure we can think of something-" she dismissed. "Maybe I could sit in the corner with my earphones in?" she suggested.
"That would work," I nodded. "Thanks E" I smiled.
"You're very welcome" she smiled back at something.
"Evie-" I stated as a thought came to me after speaking to our father.
"Aha?" she answered.
"You know there was a time when you wanted to be a princess-" I stated. "You even came to the Isle thinking you were one" I reminded her.
"Yeah" she nodded. "Audrey sharply told me that I wasn't," she said sadly.
"Well, that's another thing she was wrong about" I replied.
"What?" she asked in confusion.
"Evie if I am a princess of the underworld, so are you" I urged and I watched as her face dropped. And I realised that my title had just got longer - my title was now Dame Maleficent Bertha Faery, Knight of the House of Beast, Princess of the Underworld, and this was before Ben had me crowned as Queen. "You are now Dame Evelyn Grimhilde, Knight of the House of Beast, Princess of the Underworld" I reminded her.
"Oh" she muttered. "Yeah" she nodded at this, and I could tell that she was still trying to take everything that had happened today.
"How do you feel about that?" I asked.
"Honestly-" she started. "I think it is all sinking in," she admitted. "It still doesn't feel real," she added.
"I get that" I nodded. "I felt the same when I found out about Hades, our father" I smiled at her.
"Our father" she repeated with a warm smile as she slid closer to me, and she pulled me into a hug.
When we pulled apart, we shared a brief look before Evie offered to go and get Ben, something of which I couldn't wait to do was see my Beast. I could hear him pacing in the room next door, I knew that he knew that I needed time with Evie, and he would never stop me from doing this. But I also understood his Beast like nature and given what had happened I knew that he was struggling to be away from me at the moment. I was also feeling an urge to be with my Beast that I hadn't felt before and when I felt a roar within me, I knew why. The Dragon part of me was yearning for Ben, I yearned for him anyway but due to my recent transformation something had changed within me - something of which was something else that I was going to have to come to terms with.
"Mal!" Ben exclaimed as he quickly walked back into the room and when I looked up at him, I watched as his face lit up.
"Benny!" I exclaimed back as he quickly walked over to our bed, and he jumped onto the bed. "Evie says she is going to sit in the corner while we talk" I advised as I kicked the covers back and we both climbed underneath them.
"Yes" he smiled as he pulled the covers over us and we cuddled into bed. I looked over to see that Evie had closed the door after the pair of them and she was now sitting in the corner connecting her earphones into her phone.
"I told her that I wanted to talk to you-" I stated as I heard music started to play from the corner of the room. "And I couldn't" I added as I looked up at him and I watched as his face dropped at this. "So, she suggested this" I continued as I cupped the left-hand side of his face with my right hand.
"I'm glad she did" he returned as he brushed his nose against mine. "But first things first" he smiled.
"Wha-" I managed to get out before he crushed his lips against mine. Our lips moved in perfect sync with each other, and it didn't take long before my hands moved into his hair as his arms tightened around my waist and he held me against him. We kept breaking apart for a couple of seconds and then crushing our lips together as we tried to seek some solace in our current situation. I loved being in my Beast's arms like this, I knew that I would never ever be able to get enough of Ben - and I never wanted to. I loved him so much, my perfect Beast. When we had broken apart for the sixth time, we rested our foreheads against one another's as we both worked on calming our breathing down.
"I see" I panted.
"Sorry" he quickly breathed. "I needed to do that," he smirked.
"I'm never going to stop you from kissing me Ben" I smirked back at him. "I love it!" I exclaimed.
"I know you do," he purred. "You love my lips on you" he flirted.
"I am so glad Evie has earphones in" I chuckled, and I watched as a playful glint entered his eyes. "How are you doing after all this?" I asked.
"I'm better now you are awake" he admitted as he cupped the right-hand side of my face with his left hand. "I was so scared Mal" he said sadly as he slowly stroked his thumb along my cheek. "I thought I was going to lose you" he admitted further.
"Hey!" I exclaimed as I cupped his face in both of my hands. "You haven't lost me," I told him as I locked my gaze with his. "You're stuck with me," I reminded him. "We have a contact and everything," I teased, trying to make it light hearted.
"You are so playful," he chuckled.
"Maybe" I giggled back. "I do need to say thank you though" I stated.
"For what?" he asked as his face dropped into confusion.
"Not telling Evie, Jay and Carlos about me-" I began. "You know" I shrugged.
"Of course, I wouldn't" he advised. "That's your decision if you tell them, I didn't want to take that away from you" he offered kindly.
"Well, I don't know what to do about that, I need to think about it" I answered as I bit down on my bottom lip. "Is it wrong if I don't tell them?" I questioned out loud.
"I don't know" he answered. "I don't think so," he added. "This is something that you need to decide, I can't make that for you" he smiled at me. "But I do know that if you do tell them, they won't think any less of you, they love you Mal" he told me simply.
"I love them too" I replied, and I smiled as I started to think about Evie, Jay, and Carlos. This was the truth I did love them; they meant a great deal to me. They had helped me through so much, even before we had come to Auradon. I knew that they wouldn't judge me for me changing into a Dragon, but I needed time to get my own head around it before I started telling people - if I decided to that is.
"I don't want to think about this right now," I confessed. "I have plenty of time to think about that" I dismissed as I slid my right hand around the back of his head, and I started to run my fingers through his hair. "What I can't get over is the fact that you asked my father for help," I urged.
"I would do anything for you, Mal," he told me. "Anything!" he stressed slowly.
"I know you would," I smiled at him. "And you did," he reminded me. "But what was the price?" I asked, knowing that my father wouldn't do anything without nothing in return.
"He asked for a few hours in the sun, I didn't see much problem in that" he answered. "Apart from our father's locking horns" he sighed.
"I see" I muttered. "Well, that isn't really surprising, is it?" I stated.
"No" he said. "I've just spoken to my father about it," he advised. "He didn't seem very happy with the fact that I had brought Hades; and things were tense between them," he added. "I apologised for putting him through that" he explained. "But he told me that he understood why I did what I had done, as if the roles were reversed, he said that he would have done the same" he continued.
"Your father is a very understanding man" I noted. "He isn't going to hold it against you," I added.
"I know that" he sighed. "I just hate upsetting him and my mother," he said as he pursed his lips together.
"Ben," I cooed. "I don't believe you have any reason to be upset," I added. "So please, don't fixate on that" I pleaded.
"I'll try" he prompted.
"I do know one thing though-" I began, hoping to take him from his current dismay over upsetting his father.
"What?" he questioned in confusion.
"We may have to change our marriage contract" I stated.
"Why?" he asked slowly.
"Well, it looks like there is something else I am bringing to the marriage" I reminded him. "The fact that I am the next in line for the throne of the Underworld" I added quickly.
"I see," he noted. "Would you actually take it?" he questioned.
"I suppose I'd have to, wouldn't I?" I replied. "It's my birth right," I added. "And if I abdicated it would only go to Evie, who I think would want it even less than me" I informed him.
"Yeah" he stated, and we both threw a quick glance at Evie before looking back at each other. "I suppose you're right," he agreed.
"Yeah" I nodded. "If I did take the Underworld Ben-" I began.
"Yes" he prompted me.
"Would that make you King of the Underworld?" I asked.
"No" he answered simply. "It would mean that you are in charge" he stated. "And I would be the King Consort" he told me which made me laugh wholeheartedly. I couldn't believe it! The roles would actually be reversed! I might admit that it would make a change from being Ben's consort, even though I would do anything for my man.
"What?" he asked as he smiled happily at me.
"So, the roles would be reversed" I stated.
"Yes" he nodded. "They would," he laughed, which only made me laugh harder. "I love you Mal" he said lovingly as we gazed back into each other's eyes.
"I love you too Ben" I answered before I pushed my face forward and pressed a brief kiss against his lips. When I pulled back my eyes caught my necklace under Ben's shirt, and I couldn't help but smile at this.
"What?" he enquired in confusion.
"That necklace sure does suit you Ben" I giggled.
"Oh" he muttered. "I forgot about them," he advised.
"I see," I noted. "So does that mean I can't get them back?" I teased.
"No" he stated. "They are going back where they belong" he insisted as he sat up next to me. "Right now," he advised as he put both of his hands at the back of his neck to undo the clasp as I also sat up. When Ben had undone my necklace, he then moved his arms forward and placed my necklace against my neck before his hands disappeared behind my head and he quickly fastened the necklace.
"Now that looks better" he smiled at me as he brought his hands back in front of him. He then slid his signet ring, my promise ring and engagement ring off his fingers and he placed them on our bed in front of him. He then gently picked up my left hand as he picked up his signet ring and he slowly and carefully slid it back onto my index finger. He then picked up my engagement ring and slid it onto my wedding ring finger, before copying his actions and sliding my promise ring in front of my engagement ring. "There" he smiled as he took both of my hands in both of his. "Back where they belong," he said proudly.
"Yes" I agreed. "Feels so much better" I said, and I watched as my favourite broad grin spread across his face. We both then lay back down on our sides as we cuddled under the covers, we stared lovingly at each other for a few seconds before Ben pressed a brief kiss against my lips, which made my stomach feel like it was doing somersaults.
"We will get through this Mal" he stressed. "I promise" he vowed.
"I know we will, my love" I replied as I brushed my nose against his. "Because I know my Beast will get his Dragon through this" I stated, and I watched as a proud look entered his eyes.
"Of course, I will" he promised before he pressed a kiss against my lips before we cuddled back together. As the room fell into silence, I just got lost being cuddled into each other, yes, we still did have a lot to talk about right now it could wait. After everything that had happened right now, we just needed to hold each other before we had to go back to our reality, which in my opinion we were in no rush to go back to.