After lying in bed for a few minutes I then went to get ready in the bathroom that Evie told me to use last night. I quickly went to the toilet, showered and got changed into the same clothes that I had worn last night. I just hoped that I was going to be able to get into Ben's limousine before the press managed to take a photo of me – but I wasn't going to hold my breath. The press always had the proclivity to be there when I neither wanted nor needed them to be.
When I was finished getting ready, I then collected all of my things together and pull my bed straight before leaving the room to go and find Evie and Doug. I happened to find them both sitting at the kitchen Island, with Evie making breakfast as Doug was busy typing something on his laptop.
"Morning!" I called to them as I walked up to them, and I saw in a chair, so Doug was sitting on one side of the Island with me sitting just across from him.
"Morning!" they both answered happily.
"Have you been up long?" I questioned.
"No" Doug answered as he looked over to me. "We have been up around just half an hour really" he advised as Evie continued with what she was going.
"Cool" I smiled at him.
"Do you want any breakfast?" Evie said as she turned and placed Doug's cup of coffee next to him.
"Erm- "I muttered as she looked at me. "Yeah thanks" I replied, and she winked at me. "I'll have to ring Dawson too in a little bit" I advised as she went to turn away from me.
"Why?" she asked as she stopped and looked back at me.
"He'll need to come and get me" I stated, and I watched as she threw me a confused look. "I have a meeting this morning; and I need to get changed" I added.
"Oh" she muttered. "Well, aren't we just settling into royal life?" she teased with a playful grin.
"Aren't we just" I chuckled back.
"Is toast, ok?" she enquired.
"Yeah, that's fine, thank you" I replied, and she turned to go and make me some toast. I then went to say something to Doug, but I stopped when he started chuckling. "What are you laughing at?" I asked him.
"It would appear you have made quite the splash Mal" he teased as he looked away from his laptop screen and over to me.
"How?" I questioned in shock.
"Look" he advised as he slid over his laptop for me to see the following online news article:
Future Queen seen first time since mystery ordeal, and with a new look!
By Charlie Charlton, Auradon Times
As the upcoming wedding is getting closer and closer all eyes are on King Ben and our future Queen, Dame Mal Faery. So, it won't be any surprise that it hasn't gone unnoticed by the kingdom that something has going on behind closed doors at Auradon Castle. No news has yet to be broken about what happened to the future Queen and the Kingdom's beloved consort, but everything seems to be ok with Dame Mal.
Last night Dame Mal was seen getting out of the royal limousine and walking into a block of newly built flats in Auradon City Centre. And due to the fact, she wasn't seen living the premise it can only be assumed that she is visiting one of her family members.
However even though the future Queen was only seen for a matter of minutes a lot can be picked up upon. Whatever happened to her doesn't seem to be as bad, thankfully, as Dame Mal looked a picture of health.
She was dressed in a pair of lazy dark purple sweats with a dark purple t-shirt with a bright green symbol of a green dragon. To finish the ensemble, she was wearing a pair of dark purple sneakers. However, there was one change in her was that her usually bright purple hair was now hanging loose; but there were now bright blue steaks in her hair – which suits her perfectly. Did this have something to do with what recently happened to her? Especially given the fact that her father was recently in Auradon or is this a spontaneous fashion change. Only time will tell I guess, if King Ben or his future Queen decide to reveal all.
"Oh, come on!" I exclaimed after I had finished reading the article.
"What?" Evie asked as she handed me a cup of coffee.
"Thank you" I replied, and she smiled at me. "I really can't do anything without the press getting their hands on it" I stated as I slid Doug's laptop back towards him.
"Are you really surprised?" Evie questioned.
"No" I answered. "Not really" I sighed. "Saying that- "I added. "It's the first time they've called me future queen in the headline" I noted. If I was being completely honest with myself, it did feel strange to be called 'future Queen'. Yes, I knew that this would happen at some point, but I didn't guess it was going to be this soon. I think I was going to have to mentally prepare myself for what it was going to feel like when I eventually married my Beast, and everything that came with it.
"Yeah" Evie answered. "Well- "she started. "The fact that Ben has recently proposed probably means the press are also changing how they look at you, as in the next few months you will be Queen of Auradon" she reminded me.
"Yeah" I replied. "Is it wrong for me to say that I don't want to be Queen?" I asked them rhetorically.
"Is something wrong?" Doug asked as his face dropped as he looked at me. "I thought you and Ben were happy" he quickly added in concern.
"We are Doug" I confirmed, before he started to think otherwise. "It's just that I'm not with Ben because of the titles and the things he buys me, I'm with him for him" I started to explain. "I just want to be his wife" I insisted, and I watched as a large and warm smile spread across his face.
"What?" I asked slowly as I started to get confused at the look that Doug was currently giving me.
"And that my dear is how everyone knows you love Ben- "he started proudly. "You see him for the man he is, not for the titles and money" he continued happily. "Which is something that I know he has always wanted" he continued. "If I am being honest, I think a lot of people were cynical of his relationship with Audrey" he admitted.
"How so?" I asked as I pulled one brow up at him.
"Well- "he started. "To put it bluntly" he added. "Yes, you and Ben might have discussed your future together; and given the length of time that you haven't been together this is understandable" he stated. "But with Audrey" he sighed. "She told everyone all these changes that she was going to make as Queen; and a lot of them are questionable" he continued to explain. "And some of them you could see that her grandmother was behind" he finished as he grimaced.
"Wow!" I exclaimed. "Like what?" I questioned as I was eager to know what Leah was about to do to try and play puppet master behind the scenes.
"Well, she wanted to put stronger security on the Isle" he advised, which made me roll my eyes. This didn't really surprise me; Leah is terrified of my mother and father by the looks of it. So, if Audrey did marry Ben, I guessed that she would do everything in her power to influence more security on the Isle. As the last thing that Leah would want would be any part of my family to cause her any further problems. "Have everyone wear similar colours, light pink and light blue" he explained as he broke me out of my train of thought. And when I looked over to him, I saw him pull a very disgruntled face. "Bring back all these old laws that have been outdated for years" he finished, and I nodded at this. Any old laws being reinstated told me that Leah had a reason why she wanted them, which only made me even more glad that Ben had brought me and my family from the Isle, as Lucifer only knows what would have become of us.
"I can't see that Ben would have liked any of them" I stated.
"No" Doug answered as Evie turned back around to get my toast. "Given who is now going to be his Queen" he smiled at me. "I guess what I am saying Mal is that you allow Ben to make decisions" he added. "You ask him his opinion on things, you allow him to be himself" he continued warmly. "You don't drag him around to show him off" he said before taking a drink of his coffee.
"Of course not!" I exclaimed. "I hated how Audrey used to treat him like that" I grimaced. "I remember standing at my locker and I heard her talking at him" I told him. "Her demanding things from him, he never really looked happy" I added as I remembered standing at my locker with Ben and Audrey in the distance – with Audrey always talking at him.
"No" he answered. "He didn't" he was quick to add. "I think we all hoped that they wouldn't work, as Audrey as Queen would be difficult to live with" he stated.
"I can imagine" I noted as I started to think about what Doug had just told me and I couldn't stop my lips pursing together and my fists bawling up. Audrey never deserved Ben; Ben needed someone who allowed him to be the person that he is. He needed to be happy and carefree; not weighed down and dictated to – and this was something that I prided myself on. As I wanted Ben to be the person that he was, and I was never ever going to get in the way of that.
"You are a lot better for Ben" I heard Doug say, which made me look back at him. "Everyone can see it" he smiled.
"And some don't like it" I told him.
"So" he shrugged. "Like you care about that" he teased. "Given the recent fight of the century" he chuckled.
"Hey!" I said pretending to be hurt as Evie giggled at me as she put my already two pieces of buttered toast on a plate in front of me. We then all went on to have a lovely breakfast together and talked about what we were going to do today. And as we did this, I still took in what Doug had just said to me, it meant a great deal to me. I just wished that there weren't people in the kingdom that disagreed with what he said. But I just had to keep telling myself that they were the slim majority that believed that me and Ben shouldn't be together. But Doug was right; I didn't really care about what they thought. What mattered was what I, Ben and my family thought, but mostly Ben. And this is what I was going to keep in the forefront of my mind in the next coming months.
A couple of hours later I walked out of Evie and Doug's apartment block to see Dawson stood waiting next to Ben's limousine; when I left the apartment block Doug went to go and get ready for work. And Evie told me that she was going to come to Auradon Castle later on today as she wanted to do some sketching this morning. As I made my way towards the limousine, I noticed that the press was in the distance talking photos. I just kept my face blank, and I was very thankful as Dawson opened the car door for me as I stepped up to him and quickly climbed into the car, with Dawson closing the door behind me.
"Did you have a good time Dame Mal?" Dawson called after he climbed into the car and start to pull his seatbelt on.
"I did indeed Dawson" I answered back as I pulled my seat belt on. "Thank you for dropping me off and coming to get me" I added.
"Of course," he grinned as he started the car.
"Have you seen Ben this morning?" I enquired.
"As I was leaving to come and get you, he was just walking into his office" he explained.
"Bless him" I smiled as I started to think about my lovely Bennybear. "At least I know where to go when we get home" I added.
"I'm sure he's looking forward to seeing you" he grinned at me as he pulled away.
"As I am him Dawson" I agreed.
"As I am him"
When I climbed out of the limousine I quickly walked into the main hall, and I smiled when I saw that Belle was waiting for me. I was about to question why she was here but then it hit me – she knew that the first thing that I was going to want to do was see Ben when I returned. I was very grateful that she was doing this for me, I just hated that this was mine and Ben's life right now. I guess that as this whole proposition business is still so new it felt so raw; and it was going to talk some time to get used to.
"Morning Belle" I said to her happily as I stepped up to her.
"Morning Mal" she answered.
"I don't think I need to guess why you are here" I stated as I pursed her lips together.
"I guessed you would want to see Ben" she replied.
"You guessed right" I confirmed.
"How was your evening with Evie?" she enquired.
"Good, thank you" I answered. "How was your evening?" I questioned.
"It was good too" she confirmed. "Just a meal then watched TV, Ben went to bed early" she added.
"Did he?" I asked.
"Yeah" she said. "He said he was going to play on his PS4" she advised. "But when I went to check on him a while later, I heard him talking to you" she smiled as we started to turn and walk towards Ben's office. "So obviously I didn't disturb you two" she offered kindly.
"Ok" I said but I suddenly stood still, which made Belle also stood still and I watched as her face dropped in confusion.
"Hang on!" I exclaimed. "That's not breaking any rules, is it?" I questioned.
"No" she answered simply. "It isn't" she confirmed. "You were only talking" she reminded me.
"Good" I smiled meekly. "Because I need some contact with Ben, I can't go without speaking to him for months on end" I sighed sadly.
"I hate the fact that the pair of you are going through this" she said sadly.
"Me too" I agreed. "But I can go through anything for Ben" I added proudly, and I watched as a large and warm smile spread across her face.
"Speaking of Ben- "she began. "Let's go find him" she added cheerily as she linked my left arm. We both then started to walk towards Ben's office, as his office came into view, I started to feel my stomach flutter. I really couldn't wait to see my Beast, the love of my life and my one true love.
"Benny!" I sang as I quickly walked into Ben's office, and I felt my stomach flutter once more when I watched his eyes light up as he looked up at me.
"Mal" he said happily as he stood up as I walked up to him, and I stepped into his arms. When I snuggled my face into his chest I sighed as he tightened his arms around my waist; I loved being in his arms. This was my favourite place in the world; and I was going to revel in this moment with my fiancé. "Mally?" he sang happily as he pressed a kiss against the top of my head.
"Aha?" I answered as I noted that Belle pulled the door to ajar before standing outside. I valued that she was giving me and Ben somewhat privacy, even if it was for just a few moments.
"Let's cuddle properly" he advised as he pulled away and looked down at me as he slid his arms away from my waist.
"How so?" I questioned and he smiled as he sat back down in his chair, and he held his arms out to me. "Oh" I muttered as I realised what he wanted. "I see" I noted as I climbed into his lap, and we slowly wrapped our arms back around each other.
"Hmm this is so much better" he purred as he snuggled his face into my right shoulder.
"I know" I stated before pressing a kiss against the top of his head just in front of his crown. "But I have to go soon" I advised.
"No!" he exclaimed as he tightened his arms around me.
"I don't want to go baby" I answered. "But I have a meeting at ten" I reminded him. "And I need to go and have a shower and get changed; I can't really meet Madam Kield like this" I stated as I pointed down to my clothes with my left hand.
"Probably" he agreed as I placed my left hand against his chest. "And knowing what Madam Kield is like she will be here early" he added.
"What do you mean?" I questioned.
"She has made dresses for my mother in the past" he told me. "She loves the fact she can have royalty on her books; and the fact that you have requested a meeting with her" he continued. "You are going to be the jewel in her crown" he smiled warmly. "She's probably thinking you are going to ask her to make your wedding dress" he advised, and I couldn't help but sigh. I knew that this thought probably went through Madam Kield's head; I just hoped that I wasn't about to offend her by telling her that this wasn't the case for what I had arranged a meeting with her.
"Well, we are only having a discussion" I answered. "You know that I have already given Evie the rights to my wedding dress" I added.
"Look at you" he teased. "Arranging meetings" he said proudly.
"Well, I have been taught very well" I smiled. We both then laughed for a few seconds before we cuddled tightly together. We then both near enough sat in silence before I had to go and leave and get ready for my day; but this is something that I loved about my relationship with Ben. We didn't have to do anything, and it would still be perfect. Just like my Bennybear.