Descendants Stand-Alones

by WanderlustandFreedom

Containing all previous Descendants Oneshots published under my account, including The Many Misconceptions of Lady Mal and Depressed, along with new ones. Now featuring Locker Art Wars and Can You Hear Me(Where Ben is deaf). Suggestions are open.

17. Westward Pt 1

Ben watched the carriage turn into the driveway, feeling expressionless. He watched the servants load his suitcases into the back and the horses fed and watered as they waited for him. This would be the carriage that would take him to the Cinderellasburg Castle, where he would be conversing with King Chad on the state of his kingdom.

Ben was twenty-seven and the High King of the country of Auradon. Underneath him were about a hundred other royals of various backgrounds who had either inherited their kingdoms or had them gifted to them in thanks for extraordinary acts of bravery. The country was beautiful – high purple mountains in Arendelle, deep blue seas in Oceania, thick forests in Sherwood and hundreds of magical places in between. Ruling at Ben's side was his queen, Audrey, whom he had known since he could walk. They'd been married seven years and had one child between them, a stubborn and often cross girl whom they had misnamed Belle Joy, after his mother.

"Is Audrey coming down?" Ben asked with a sigh, casting a glance to the side at a servant who was standing at attention nearby.

"No, your majesty," the servant declared. His hat slipped down on his forehead even more. "She's in the spa. Her back has been hurting her more. She says to come see her when you return."

Ben nodded. Audrey wouldn't want to see him when he returned, he knew. He hadn't seen her for three and a half weeks now. Little Belle sometimes came into his office to gift him flowers and demand candies, but she had a nanny and the nanny took care of her. He and Audrey didn't need to.

With a sigh, Ben stepped out from under the overpowering shadow of the castle and towards the carriage. No one was there to see him off despite the fact this was a two-week long meeting. Audrey was in her spa, Belle was probably taking a mid-afternoon nap, his mother had moved out with the death of his father and now resided in a small home where Ben took Belle to visit weekly, and there was no one there to say goodbye or tell him they'd miss him.

"Let's go," The king nodded to the driver of the carriage. A few shouts rang out – orders for servants and directions for others, and the carriage began to move as Ben was sitting down. He fell into his seat, hitting his elbow against the side of the door, and rubbed it slowly as the noise diminished and the castle disappeared.

Ben rested his head against the frame of the carriage and winced when they went over a rock and he knocked his skull into the wood. It was going to be one of those journeys. One where he went over all the decisions he'd made and reminisced over his life and wondered how things could be different.

Auradon was one of the center-most kingdoms. Charmington was closer to the sea and had a large dock, which was used to export goods to the outermost province of the Isle of the Lost. The two were separated by a very large and thick forest known as the Seeoderschwarz. About 250,000 square miles of nothing but forest and forest and the occasional stream or river and more forest. It was teeming with natural resources, he was told, and the majority of the land was owned by the Charmington Forest Service and the Charmington Logging industry, which made for pleasant interactions. Ben supposed that King Chad had been dealing with land disputes between the two for as long as he had been trying to get Weselton and Arendelle to get along.

Ben got a glimpse of the ocean before the road took them into the heart of the forest. For several dozen miles, the roads remained nice, but they soon began to rumble and clatter down a thin, unpaved, barely-cleared road. Ben watched mile markers give way to large boulders, fallen tree limbs, and wild plants. He ought to petition Chad to improve all the roads, but knew that his old friend was busy with other things.

The sun remained high in the sky for what seemed like several years before it suddenly jumped to the horizon and the trees began to cast thick shadows around them. Ben supposed he must have dozed off as the armed escorts and the driver lit up their lanterns. He pulled a thicker jacket out of his travel bag to wrap around himself as the cold spring air started to nip at his fingers and ears. Winter had just ended, but the nights were still frigid.

The sky grew so dark that the trees blended into the atmosphere. Ben couldn't see any stars past the lanterns and the roof of the carriage, but he supposed they were up there somewhere. He tried to curl up into his seat, but every bump knocked his back a little more out of joint and every shout from outside kept him feeling like he was supposed to be awake – supposed to be doing something important.

What was he supposed to be doing?

They continued on, switching drivers once at half-past midnight. No one checked in on him. That was fine – he'd been on long journeys before. Three minutes before three a.m, they rolled to a stop. Ben startled out of a daze. He'd been tracing the wood grains in the beams with his eyes, and now struggled to see in the dark as hushed whispers came from outside. He tried to listen but couldn't hear much. Slowly, he reached for the carriage door, expecting them to jump into motion at any second. His hand twisted the latch. The carriage made no motion. He opened the door and leaned out. "Why have we stopped?" He asked a soldier, who was staring ahead in shock and confusion. He didn't answer.

Ben followed his gaze. Everyone's eyes were focused ahead on a green orb swinging in the middle of the road. Like some sort of haunted ghost. Ben felt his eyes falling out of focus as he watched, but he was used enough to it that he was able to rip his eyes away to step down, out of the carriage, and onto the ground. "Who goes there?" He asked loudly, without hostility. "Are you in need of help?"

The light came closer. It's presence was overpowering. The urge to look and to fall into a deep, deep sleep was almost irresistible. Ben put a hand up to block the light and spotted someone behind it, swinging it in a dizzying pattern. They had a cloak on – or possibly a cape – and wore slim, tight fitting boots. Either it was a girl, or a man with very slim, feminine ankles.

Then, a voice, as overpowering and alluring as the light, which penetrated every particle of him, straight to the bone. "Why have you brought soldiers in our midst?"

A girl, he thought vaguely. Definitely a girl, but a powerful one. He could feel her authority.

"They are here to protect me," Ben explained calmly. "We're not here to hurt you."

It occurred to him too late that perhaps he shouldn't have insinuated he was anyone important. In the dark, his identity was mostly concealed. With great trepidation, he swallowed and asked: "Will you allow us to pass?"

The light stopped swaying and its wielder held it closer to the side of the carriage. Ben swallowed as he recognized the Auradon crest on the side of the craft. "You are from the high kingdom?" She asked slowly, cautiously.

Ben swallowed. "Yes," He affirmed.

He could barely see the woman behind the light, and it became much harder as all of the lanterns in the company – all the ones that had been held by the driver and the guards – turned green. "Take them," The woman ordered, and then her light disappeared. The driver and the escorts came back to life, gasping for breath, and several loud battle cries echoed from the forest. Sturdy arrows the length of his arm with ropes attached to them flew through the air, going through the roof of the carriage and splintering the wheels. The horses reared up almost as one as figures with black, green, and purple torches rushed through the trees.

"We're under attack!" One of the horsemen yelled. "Barbarians! Yield!"

"Don't hurt them!" Ben struggled to be heard over the whinnying of the horses. He reached out and caught the reins of one and pulled them back down to ground level as he tried to calm the frightened creature. "I think they're only frightened of the weapons! If we throw them down-"

"You'll have us all be murdered?" The man bellowed, wrenching his reigns away from Ben and shoving him back. "Get down and take cover! We already have a soft man on the throne – we don't need one on the battlefield as well!"

Ben fell to the ground, and the soft dirt gave way under his frame. The officer had, it seemed, not recognized him in the dark with his coat covering his jacket. "Wait!" He yelled as the men spurred their horses to action and they began to hurry away. The carriage, with one broken rim and at least five broken spokes, more than tripled its previous pace as it took off into the night. The horsemen followed it. Ben spotted a horse's hoof coming down on him from above and rolled to keep his skull intact. He crouched, face down, into the dirt as horse hooves plundered the ground around him. A scary vision of a hoof severing the connection from his head to his neck made every hair stand on end as he gasped, shaking.

It was all over in a matter of seconds. Chances were, if Ben had stayed inside the carriage, he'd be safely away with them. As it was, he was afraid to even move as shouts echoed through the forest and then fell to whispers around the road. What were the chances they wouldn't spot him; that he'd be left to wait for his caravan to realize he'd been left and return to retrieve him?

Hands seized his shoulders and yanked him up, keeping his knees pressed into the mud. He gasped at the same bright green light was shoved into his eyes, blinding him from the people holding him captive. "Who is he?" The woman holding the light asked.

"Can't tell," A smooth, male's voice replied. "He's unarmed."

"I don't mean any harm," Ben gasped, closing his eyes as the bright light made his brain feel like it was pulsating inside his skull. "We were just passing through the area."

"Heading to where?" The female demanded.

"Cinderellasburg," Ben provided.

"Where?" The woman asked.

Ben paused and opened an eye to see if he could see her. "It's… King Chad's kingdom?" He asked. "I'm supposed to meet with him tomorrow afternoon."

"He's important," The woman decided. A little fear had crept into her tone. "He was traveling with a guard to meet someone."

"Who are you?" Another man – one with a little bark who was tightly gripping his left arm – demanded.

"I-" Ben faltered. "I'm… just a representative from the High Kingdom."

"He's lying," The first man accused. "He paused!"

There was a long silence. Ben tried to slow his breathing as he waited for his own verdict.

"We'll take him to E. She'll make a decision," The woman declared.

Ben's eyes flew open. "Wait!" He gasped. "I'm being expected! And the carriage will come back for me. Let them come back and I'll convince them to let you walk free!"

The first man laughed. "We can't trust him, can we?" He asked.

"No," The woman agreed. "Tie him up, and we'll take him back to camp."

A blindfold was whipped across his eyes and his head was wrenched back. Ben tried to call out, but before the blindfold had even been fastened, a gag was tied across his mouth and a thin rope was strung around his wrists several hundred times, so they were biting into his wrists. He was forced to his feet and the three began to lead him away, though he could hear first the footsteps and then the heavy breathing of many others around him.

"Who is he?" He heard someone whisper.

"Someone important," The woman whispered back. "We're taking him to Evie."

Evie. He was going to be judged by a girl named Evie. A leader? What sort of leader might a band of… outlaws? Misfits? Castaways? He wasn't sure what to call them. But what sort of leader could they possibly have?

Ben tripped over tree roots as he tried to keep pace with the two men leading him. Behind him, he heard shouts and distant 'Find him!'s. The carriage had returned too late.

They marched for about an hour, and then the leader called a pause. "We're going too slow," She decided. "Take the blindfold off of him, and cover your faces. We'll move faster if he can walk straight."

The blindfold was removed off of her command, but everyone was already covered. Ben's head swiveled to examine his surroundings. They were in the middle of the forest, hidden in the thick underbrush, and there were about twenty people in number. Two held onto his arms, and others surrounded them, armed with knives in case he tried to run. The person on his left, who had spoken with the bark, had bright blue eyes, and light hair and skin. The person on his right, with the smooth voice, had more ethnic skin that reminded him of Aziz, from Agrabah, and long brown hair poking out from under a cap. Black, beetle-like eyes caught the light of the stars as they examined his face, which was still covered with mud and dirt.

Up ahead, he caught a rush of long, thick hair as the woman who he assumed had been the one to previously hold the light turned away from him. He could see, in the light of the stars, that her hair had an odd quality to it. Something that looked very, very different from the others. "Let's go," She commanded, and the group continued on.

The uneven forest floor was more compatible with his feet now that he could see where the roots, rocks, and uneven spots were. The fresh night air brought a soft of calmness to his bones despite the tense situation. And holy heavens – he had never even known this many stars existed. He had to rip his eyes away from the vast, glittering expanse above in order to keep from tripping. There was no moon to outshine the pinpricks of light as he stared, dumbfounded, at the constellations and beautiful clouds of heavenly fog.

Hours later, as the sun began to light the sky, Ben heard yelling, and then saw smoke rising into the sky. They walked into a camp, and his mouth dropped at what he saw. Hundreds of people – not one older than he was – were living in the center of the forest. He could see hammocks strung up and small lean-to's and two or three half-made teepees. They weren't of the greatest construction, but had clearly been here for several weeks, if not months.

Ben was led to the largest teepee by his two captors. The other group broke away as they took him inside, forced him to his knees in the center, by the supporting pole, and tied his hands and ankles together around it. "Try and get some sleep!" The smooth-talking one snapped. "E will be in soon to question you." Ben didn't fail to notice how they'd positioned his back facing the entrance, so that he'd never be able to see who came in.

"Could I have some water, please?" Ben requested. His throat had started to become a little dry as they had walked, though the night air hadn't made it too bad. Now that he was sitting though, he was feeling a little light-headed.

The two snorted. "Ask E," The man with the bark in his tone replied. He spoke a bit childishly, as if he hadn't quite wrapped his head around what they were doing yet. "She's the compassionate one of the three." There was the sound of someone hitting someone else, and Ben realized that the reason they were trying to be secretive about the camp is, because, if he was someone important, he would know who to prosecute. He decided it would be wise to pretend he'd never heard the name 'Evie'.

The teepee flap closed, which was unfortunate because it blocked out most of the sounds from camp outside. He shifted against the frost on the ground, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes to fall into a restless sleep.

---

He woke because he realized someone was watching him. Slowly, he levels his head and tries to wipe his chin on his shoulder in case there's any drool on the corners of his mouth. Then, he glances cautiously at the peripherals of his vision and spots the same dark haired, black-eyed man who escorted him here. His face is still covered, but in the light coming from the top, he can tell that the man has tan, olive skin. He's pretty sure that he isn't the only person in the room, though.

"He's awake," A woman says behind him – someone new with a bit of an edge in her tone. The way she says her 'E's is hard.

Ben swallows. "Sorry," He apologizes, shifting his weight a little to try and work some of the stiffness out of his limbs. "Uh, are you E?"

"No, I am," A third woman different from the first two he's interacted with speaks up. Her voice is clear, refined, like she's been raised royalty. "And you are?"

"I'm, uh," Ben stuttered, unsure if he should tell them his name. "I'm a traveler. I was headed to Cinderellasburg."

He could hear footsteps approaching him from behind. The way they step – they're wearing high heels. He'd been with Audrey enough to hear the difference. They crouched down and he could see someone wearing deep blue examining him out of the corner of his eye. "And what is your name?" She asked.

"What's yours?" Ben countered back. In response, he heard someone close to the door draw a blade. "Ben. My name is Ben."

E hummed. "I'm Evie."

He heard a scoff from the front of the teepee. "Why'd you give him your real name? He'll rat you out now." It was the first woman; the one with the light.

"I don't think so," Evie replied. "And besides, he could have just said that he was captured by a woman named E."

"I'm the one who captured him, Evie. They'll come for me first," The light woman declared.

Ben swallowed. "Listen, I'm not going to send anyone after you. Honest. But, I am a bit curious, why are you hiding out in the forest and attacking travelers?"

"We don't attack travelers," Evie declared. "We only got a little concerned when we heard that there were soldiers marching through. You must be someone important for you to be so well protected."

Ben chuckled nervously. "Not especially - I'm only a representative."

"You're lying," Evie declared. "Be careful. M has been lusting after some blood." By the doorway, the woman who had first stopped his party stepped forward. He listened to her criss the teepee, and then felt the cold steel of a blade press against his cheek. M. She was called M. And the last woman, the one with the hard E's, he didn't have a name for. This must be the three.

Ben let out a slow breath. "I, uh, what keeps me alive the longest, then?"

"The truth," Evie replied simply. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm Ben," Ben confirmed with another deep breath. "I'm traveling to Cinderellasburg for a meeting. I'm from the high palace."

He felt Evie pause behind him, and then a manicured hand landed on his shoulder. He could see many large and beautiful rings, and dark blue nail polish. "The high palace?" Evie asked. Her mouth was closer to his ear now. "What is your title?"

Ben twisted his hands to keep them from shaking. "I, uh," he swallowed and decided to bite the bullet. "The, uh, King. I'm King Benjamin."

Evie's hand jumped off of him and he felt M withdraw the knife. "Oh my," Evie gasped in horror. "Oh, we're doomed. We're so doomed."

"I'm sorry!" M gasped. "I had no idea who he was!"

"Wait, wait!" Ben laughed uneasily. "I'm not going to, like, send the army after you. I'm just… who are you and why are you hiding in the forest? I want to help you – not hurt you."

There was silence in the room. Ben heard the shifting of weight and felt more than a few confused glances. Then, he heard footsteps and a breathtaking woman stepped into his field of vision with a frown plastered across her face. She was tall with extra height from her high heels, adorned with shiny and sparkly accessories, but still looked absolutely deadly. Her long, blue hair spilled over her shoulders like some sort of tinted waterfall and her eyes were browner than any expensive chocolate or polished wood he'd ever seen. He felt his breath catch in his throat but quickly got himself back together as he continued examining her.

Her clothes had many different pieces of fabric stitched together and pieced into a array of blue, black, and grey. It was striking, but Ben immediately came up with a theory – they didn't have access to much in terms of quantity, so they used the best parts of everything.

Evie sat down on the ground and examined him. "We're refugees," She explained patiently. "We're fleeing oppression."

"Oppression from who?" Ben demanded. "Tell me the name and I'll do everything I can to fix it." He'd never been able to do more than placate people and fill out paperwork – if he could use his title to do something good, then-"

"Oppression from you," Evie explained patiently.

Ben's mouth fell open. He stared at her, trying to figure out what on earth she was saying. From him?

Across the area, the person currently acting as a guard dropped his face covering. He had a long, angular face. Ben skimmed him a little more in his shock and caught something odd – he had a design painted on the scarf he'd used to cover his face. It looked like a genie with words across it. He couldn't read it from that far away, however.

Evie brushed her leg off. She was wearing leggings, so it wasn't at all indecent, but the motion still brought Ben's gaze back to her. She'd brushed off a similar patch with the outline of a woman wearing a crown with her head covered. Across the woman's arms were the words "Long Live Evil."

"Villains," Ben whispered, and everyone in the room tensed. He could feel M getting her knife ready from beside him. "You… support the villains? Is that what this is? You don't seem like you're like them – if I suppressed you for that-"

"We're not villains," The woman with the hard E's sighed. She, too, stepped into view. She was an ethnic woman with dark skin and beautiful plaited braids on top of her head that led down into elegant curls. A sword was strung at her hip. Ben wondered how these people could look so well-put-together in the forest. Her outfit had shells and what looked like seaweed décor sewn into it. Ben searched her for a similar 'Long Live Evil' patch, but couldn't find anything. She did, however, have a little teal blue octopus on her leg.

"If you aren't villains, then who are you?" Ben furrowed his brow.

"We, uh, carry on the heritage," The man on the edge of the teepee spoke up. He held up the little badge which, it could now be confirmed, was a genie.

A genie, a queen, and an octopus. Ben swallowed. "So, uh, Evie? Is that for the, uh, Evil Queen?"

Evie pinched her lips together and nodded with a frown. Ben nodded to the dark-skinned man. "And, uh Jafar. And Ursula?" He swallowed. And then the woman behind him – M – she would have to be…

Well, he had a lot of villains memorized, and a couple of them started with the letter M. Macbeth, Medusa, Madame Mim… she could be the daughter of Marina, Ursula's sister. However, it was the bright green fire from last night – the fire that was still dancing in front of his eyes and making the world seem a little hazy – that gave away her identity.

"And Maleficent?" He asked.

Evie's eyebrow spiked upwards in an attractive arch. If he could have someone build a bridge with the same perfect arch as that brow, it'd become a country landmark. She glanced behind him with a tiny smile pulling at her lips. "You brought back a smart one," She hummed. Ben blushed a little at her pride.

M snorted, and Ben's hair rose up on end. She sounded like she was exhaling fire and he could swear he could smell smoke. These weren't ordinary people – he was dealing with, he assumed, a skilled chemist with a royal exterior, a mage of waters, a dragon-shapeshiftee, and possibly someone with genie powers despite the fact the olive-skinned man seemed to rely much more on his muscles than on magic.

"Let's talk about this," Ben exhaled, shifting his weight a little. "Also, is there any chance I could stretch my legs out? You can keep me tied up, but can I at least stand up so I can get rid of these cramps?"

Evie spiked the other eyebrow, considered, and then nodded behind the pole to M. Ben felt someone take hold of his wrist. Her hand was soft and smooth and made his breath catch. He was surrounded by beautiful people. M sliced through all of the cords binding his feet and Ben carefully moved his legs out from under him and stretched out his limbs. His legs were stiff and tingly as he tensed and relaxed the muscles with a grimace. "Thank you," He exhaled, tilting his head back in the direction of M. He couldn't see her and guessed she didn't want to be seen just yet. That was fine – he wasn't sure he could stand having four flawless people examining him while he was covered in dirt and dried mud.

"So, you're the children of the villains," Ben exhaled, closing his eyes as he tried to wrap his head around that idea. "So… you come from the Isle of the Lost? How did you escape?"

Evie tilted her head and squinted with a tiny smile. "We have our methods," She said simply. "Your barrier is still intact. And we left all our parents to rot."

Ben felt a frown growing on his face as he turned his eyes downcast. "You've been through a lot, haven't you?" He sighed.

The olive-skinned man furrowed his brow. "Since when do heroes care about villains?" He asked.

"Since when am I a hero?" Ben muttered miserably. "I've been king since I was sixteen and I've never actually been able to do anything for anyone."

Evie turned to examine Ursula's daughter with a little amusement in her eyes. The daughter of the sea witch looked a little guarded, but it was clear his words had enchanted her. "You could have done something for us," She suggested. "That island is a prison, thanks to your father. No one deserves that."

"Yet you left your parents there," Ben mumbled. Ursula's daughter blinked in surprise and fell silent. Ben continued shaking his head. Every one of her words felt like M had decided to slit his skin with her knife. Ben closed his eyes in pain. "I wish I'd thought of it," he mourned. "I was so concerned with Auradon. Spoiled, selfish, needy Auradon. I should have… I should have thought of you guys." He scuffed the base of his boot in the ground with closed eyes. "I'm a pretty lousy excuse for a king. Is it… is it too late to help you now?"

"We don't need your help," M scoffed behind him. Her voice was like grinding nails.

"Wait," Evie held up a hand. "We… want to have our own place. Here." She gestured to their surroundings, and Ben realized she was referring to the forest area. "You're the King – couldn't you make it so we can live without anyone… hunting us?"

Ursula's daughter and Jafar's son leaned forward in interest. Ben blinked. Could he do that?

He was King; couldn't he do anything?

But this was Chad's kingdom; his inheritance.

"I have a proposal," He declared, straightening up. "I can't – or won't – give you this land because it already belongs to Chad's Kingdom. I don't want to rip away his inheritance. But, further west and past his kingdom and Arendelle, there are some inhabited lands that belong to me. It's part of what I inherited when I took over the kingdom. You can't stay here in Chad's kingdom, but if you move out there then I'll give you your own lands."

"We've already come this far," Ursula's daughter protested. "Our people are tired. We can't walk past another two kingdoms." She looked at Evie. "Can we?"

Evie's eyes were bright. "Why not?" She asked. "We wouldn't have to hide, and if the king sanctions it, it's ours. People might be angry when they find out, but we can defend ourselves well enough. We can elect leaders and have beautiful buildings and pretty things and… a place. A place for us."

"I'll help protect you too," Ben offered, sitting up a little straighter. Gosh, it felt great to have a purpose. "Auradon City has its own army, and I can command other armies if needed. If anyone attacks you, they'll be attacking the high palace. Treason."

Ursula's daughter looked a bit suspicious. "We're not gonna hold you to your word on that," She scoffed. "It's not like the palace has done much for us so far."

She was right, but Ben was determined to prove her wrong. "I'll prove myself," He declared. "I'll help take you guys there personally, and I'll help wherever you need help."

Jafar's son began to laugh hard. "You?" He snorted. "You're not coming untied."

Oh, right, there was still that.

Evie frowned, suddenly looking doubtful. "How do we know you're not just telling us all of these things to get us to let you go? That you won't betray us as soon as we let you help us?"

Ben's shoulders slumped. "I guess… you'll have to leave me tied up then," he decided. "Until I can think of a good way to prove myself."

Ursula's daughter spiked an eyebrow. "He's willing to stay tied up?" She asked.

Evie squinted at him like she was trying to see through him. "Let him go, M," She declared.

"What?" M squawked behind him. "No – we can't trust him!"

"No, we can," Evie nodded. "And anyway, I bet Jay could outrun him."

"I don't know the way back," Ben offered. "And, uh, M, you have magic, yeah? If you know a spell, I'd be willing to submit to that."

Ursula's daughter let a little smile spread across her mouth. "Huh," She hummed. "Humble."

His words had apparently placated M. He felt her cool, smooth hands take his again, part his wrists, and slit all the bindings. Ben pulled his wrists in front of him and rubbed them. They were rubbed raw and had dozens of purple lines across them. He exhaled, leaned back against the pole, and let his eyes flick between the three people who had shown themselves. "Do you, uh, still not want me to know what you look like? It's okay if you're not comfortable."

"Huh, he's also a gentleman," Ursula's daughter hummed. "How refreshing."

"He's certainly not lacking…" Evie hummed, letting her eyes trace over Ben's frame. His mouth went a little dry.

A scoff came from behind Ben. "Don't fall too hard, ladies. You might forget which way is up."

"Better to forget up than down," Ben reasoned. "You can keep stepping forward so long as you don't accidentally step back."

Ursula's daughter gave him a little sort of half smile and then held her hand out. Ben took it, and she helped him to his feet. "Uma," she introduced herself. "Jay is the djinni to your left, and Mal is the sneaky little witch behind you."

"Hey!" Mal snapped. "I didn't give you permission to give him my name?"

"It ain't your full name!" Uma snapped back. "What, you gonna let him call you 'M' for eternities?"

"Yes!" Mal insisted.

"Mal," Ben repeated, pausing their argument. "Short for Maleficent?"

He could suddenly feel Mal fuming behind him as Jay chuckled. Evie rolled her eyes. "Okay guys, let's stop this." She looked up at Ben. "Do you know how far the lands are? Or even what direction?"

"I know they're past Chad's kingdom," Ben rubbed his hands together. "However, I must admit that I am very turned around after marching around in the dark. But if you have a map or something, I could plot out the place for you?"

"We don't," Uma shook her head. "We've been here for about a month, trying to keep everyone together and avoid Auradon."

"I've got to hand it to you – I don't think anyone suspected a thing," Ben shrugged. "I didn't even know that the barrier had been, uh, opened?" He folded his arms. "Well, if you know where Chad's Kingdom is, and the road is relatively straight through the forest, then just draw a direct line from the trail to the castle and walk straight past it and keep going. To the West."

"We know that there's a castle," Evie informed him, "But we've been moving away from it. We could send someone out to find it, but we didn't want to interact with them."

"So, you don't have a map, and you don't know where things are around here?" Ben sighed, shoulders slumping. "I don't expect you to trust me with knowledge of where we are exactly, but I have one last proposal. If you have a compass, or even a needle, some paper and water, and a magnet, then I can find the direction for you that way."

"A needle, paper and water, and a magnet," Mal repeated behind him in a drawl. The urge to turn around and see her was almost overwhelming. "What, are we gonna make a fridge magnet?"

"Get Carlos," Evie requested, nodding to Jay. "He can help us out."

"We'll bring the stuff," Jay nodded as he leaped to his feet and rushed to the door. Ben felt a rush of warmer air and heard a jumble of voices before the flap closed again and all was quiet.

"What are we gonna do with him once we know the direction?" Uma asked, examining Ben's face. "I mean, he's gotta go back to his kingdom, right?"

"I can probably stay away for a little while?" Ben offered with a shrug. After all, it wasn't likely that Audrey would notice he was gone for many weeks. Paperwork would just have to wait.

Actually, the idea of leaving all that behind sounded rather nice.

Evie furrowed her brow at him. "Well… I don't know. We're already committing national treason by kidnapping him. I say… he takes us there, and then we make sure he gets back to his palace safely. Is that okay with you, Ben?"

"You won't need me," Ben assured her. "I'll teach your Carlos how to build the compass. He can guide you."

"It'd probably be best for you to tell us when to stop," Mal drawled. "To make sure we're off of everyone's property."

"Ah," Ben nodded. "Okay, yeah, I'll take you all there." He folded his arms awkwardly and then held his hand out to Evie to shake. She did so with a smile and a nod. Uma, too, stepped forward to receive a handshake before Ben exhaled. He had a feeling Mal wouldn't let him anywhere near him. "Thank you all for your hospitality," He bid them.

Uma snorted. "We captured the King of Auradon from his carriage, hiked him through the woods blindfolded, and tied him to a pole."

"And then trusted me enough to let me help out a little," Ben replied.

The teepee flap opened and Ben had to resist turning around as Jay reappeared with another boy in tow. He had on a thick red, black, and white jacket, long white and black hair, and shorts. Ben supposed that this was Carlos.

Carlos opened his hands and procured everything Ben had asked for – down to a sealed bottle of water. Ben smiled and reached out for the needle and the magnet. He rubbed the needle against the magnet – one end with one side and the other with the flip side – as everyone watched and then poked it through a mostly clean sliver of paper. He opened the water bottle and discovered it was filled to the brim – which was good for his purposes. Ben dropped the needle in, and the paper kept it afloat. Everyone watched the needle spin around to point towards where Uma was standing. Ben smiled. "That's north," He declared, pointing towards it. "The pointy end points north. No matter where you go, it will always point north. You may have to remagnetize the needle or switch the paper, but this is north. Here, walk around. Spin in a circle. It's always going to be north."

He handed the bottle to Carlos, who took a step forward and then a step back before he turned in a little circle and let out a little laugh. Evie, Uma, and Jay all leaned in. Evie looked entranced, Uma impressed, and Jay confused. Ben wondered how Mal had reacted to his meager survival skill. This was, technically, an elementary project, but it was helpful.

"How does it work?" Evie asked, astonished. "How does it know?"

"Well, the world is a big magnet," Ben explained. "So, like this tiny magnet will stick to a fridge, the needle is attracted to the ground. It lines up."

"Woah," Evie mumbled and looked up at him through her long, blue lashes as if he was the most extraordinary person on this side of the planet.

"I don't get it," Jay declared. "Don't magnets also push away?"

"Yes, there's a north and a south end," Ben affirmed. "That's why I had to rub the needle in a specific way. One side pushes away from the north and the other pushes towards it. That's what makes it straight. They're attracted to each other." He clapped his hands together. "So, knowing that that is north, the opposite - that way – is south. And if we go in a little circle with our "Never Enter Santa's Workshop" acronym, then that's east and the way we need to go is-" He paused, coughed a little, and gestured to the door flap. "Through Mal."

"Never enter Santa's workshop?" Mal asked in a drawl. Amusement overshadowed her tone. "What kind of goody-two-shoes are you?"

Ben shrugged as a deep blush crept into his neck and ears. "Well, you can also say 'Never eat soggy waffles' or 'Never eat Sour Worms', or 'Naughty Elephants squirt water.'"

"Ugh," Jay blanched. "I hate soggy waffles. Definitely a perk of leaving the Isle. Sour worms though… it depends on where they come from."

Ben paused and then turned to stare at Jay. "Are you talking about… gummy worms or real worms?"

"Gummy worms?" Jay repeated, confused. Ben felt his stomach turn.

"I have one!" Uma declared. "North, East, South, West. Never entertain sexy women."

Jay burst into laugher and Ben felt his blush grow a little deeper as he nodded. "I suppose I'm making a grievous mistake then," He mumbled. At his words, everyone began to laugh. Even Mal let out a guffaw behind him, which made Ben a little prouder than he should have been.

Jay, Evie, and Carlos began to talk excitedly, coming up with different variations to his acronym and switching the paper out so they could continue to watch the magnetic needle spin. Uma watched them with an air of satisfied indifference. Ben rubbed his still-sore wrists and watched them exchange excitement as they took turns picking up the water bottle and spinning in tiny, careful circles to see it point north.

Something blindingly purple appeared in the corner of Ben's vision before a woman with long, lush violet hair appeared and stepped towards them. Ben's mouth fell open with a pop and he let out a little gasping sound like he was about to start choking on something. Evie, Jay, Carlos, and Uma all turned to see what the matter was as Mal leaned over to take the water bottle for herself.

She was beautiful. More than beautiful. She was so lovely he wanted to get back on his knees in her presence. Grey eyes with little sunspots and black lashes. Her skin was paper-white with little hints of color blooming on top of her cheekbones and across her nose. She was short, delicate, but strong. Ben stared in amazement at the pink color of her mouth and the perfect pout her lips took up before Jay snorted and shook his head. He tore his eyes away, red clouding into his face. "Sorry," He apologized. "I just… realized I really am the ugliest person here."

There was more laughter at his self-depreciation, but he could feel everyone's eyes – Mal's eyes, especially – on him. "You don't look half-bad," Evie replied. "A bit dirty, but there's nothing some water can't fix."

Mal hummed as she turned slowly, examining the needle, and then pulled the tiny craft out so she could take a swig. Ben watched a little trickle run down her chin before she wiped it away and then extended it to him as, he assumed, a peace offering. "Here," She directed. "You asked for water earlier."

He took it, careful to avoid her hands, knowing he'd drop the container now that he knew what ethereal creature that soft skin belonged to. He avoided her gaze as he raised the container to his lips and sipped slowly. He couldn't risk embarrassing himself in front of everyone – in front of her – with any horrible manners.

It occurred to him that he, a married man with a daughter and wife at home, had agreed to basically abandon his country and march across two kingdoms to help three extremely beautiful women resettle their people outside of Auradon. He'd thought Evie and Uma were beautiful(Evie especially, well-kept and gentle as she appeared), but that was before he'd seen Mal. Not that there was anything particularly empowering about Mal – Evie was the one with the bling, the perfectly-kept hair, everything. Ben had a feeling that the two other boys would consider Evie and Uma far more beautiful above Dangerous Mal, but something about her had him feeling for balance and brushing his dirty shirt off.

Mal squinted suspiciously at him as he handed Carlos his water bottle back and he tried to keep a clear head as tiny lines appeared around her eyes. They left little lines around her lashes because her face had a thin, even layer of dust across it that rubbed off when she furrowed her gaze. Her hair was mostly brushed but had little knots here and there from the time she'd spent stopping his carriage and hiking around in the woods last night. Which reminded him…

"Uh, I – ahem – Mal?" He coughed and then cleared his throat. "I said I would submit to a spell if you had one. Something to ensure to you I won't run, or that I'm not lying? I still hold by that."

Mal's gaze immediately flicked over to Evie and Uma. "I think it could be needed," She drawled. "But my comrades seem to have decided you are the most trustworthy person on the planet despite the fact they've known you less than an hour."

"He has that honest look in his eyes," Evie hummed, though she was avoiding Ben's gaze entirely.

"That's how people are cheated, Evie," Mal reprimanded. "That's how my mother made it onto the Isle of the Lost – because she thought she could trust Stefan And they knew each other a lot longer than thirty minutes."

Ben frowned. "Pardon?" He asked. "What are you talking about?"

Mal glared at him, and he held up his hands even as his knees shook. Evie sighed. "Go on, then, Mal. Nothing that will hurt him." She kept her gaze far from Ben as she said this. Uma and Carlos, too, were examining other areas of the tent. Carlos had recreated the magnetic compass in the shallowed canteen and was watching the magnet stay aligned to the north and south.

Ben immediately hit his knees in front of Mal, which wasn't exactly hard as her presence was still intoxicating, and bowed his head as some sort of odd gesture that he really was willing to go through with this.

A green light filled the tent. A few slim fingers appeared in his field of vision, dragged his head up until he had met her eyes, and then she held a flat hand up as if she were about to give him a high-five. It was an oath, he realized. She was demanding an oath.

He held his right hand – the hand of authority – up and took a little breath to prepare himself. "Do you, King Benjamin-"

"Florian," Ben interrupted. His face erupted into red as he admitted this, but he had a feeling she'd need his full name for the spell. "My full name is Benjamin Florian. You can add on the King of Auradon if you want."

Uma laughed. "Florian?" She gasped. "I thought you people were supposed to be good to your children. Were your parents high?"

Ben ducked his shoulders a little and heard Mal snort. "Still not as bad as mine," She declared shortly and then cleared her throat. "Do you, King Benjamin Florian of Auradon, swear that everything you have told us thus far is true and right to the best of your knowledge?"

"I do," Ben affirmed, daring to meet her eyes. Where they had been grey, they were now bright green. He couldn't find any little golden flakes in that swirling forest of magic.

"And will you accompany us westward without attempting to sabotage, mislead, or harm us?" Mal demanded.

"Or even think unkindly to you," Ben added. At this, Mal's face twisted in confusion and she appeared to lose her train of thought.

"And, uh," She stammered, blinking a little. "Will you ensure our safety in our solitude to the best of your abilities when this matter is over, regardless of the terms on which we part?"

"I will," Ben nodded. And then, before the spell could be broken, he began to speak again. "And will you, daughter of Maleficent, promise to me that I can trust you to neither attack nor harass my other people so long as I protect you from them?"

Mal looked shocked at the audacity of his request. She glanced away from him, towards Evie and Uma, and then her face stiffened. "We will neither attack nor harass them, but if they come through your defenses to war, we will rise to defend ourselves."

Ben nodded – this was acceptable to him. "And, will you, when the time comes, allow me to depart when the time comes for me to leave? In other words, can you ensure that I will not forever be your prisoner?"

"I swear it," Mal replied nonchalantly, though a heavy weight fell on the room. A promise made by someone of fae blood was binding. Mal would keep that promise on the price of her own life.

The magic faded and Ben let his hand drop before he got back to his feet, brushing his knees off. Mal, Jay, and Carlos were looking at him curiously, though Evie and Uma had appeared to accept his nature. Mal crossed her arms. "What gave you the thought to demand things of me?" She demanded. Her grey eyes still held hints of green as she glared.

"When did I demand anything?" Ben asked. "I asked if you would promise me. You could have very well have said no, though that would have hurt me greatly."

Mal squinted at him like he was a puzzle and she couldn't tell what he was supposed to be, much less which pieces to begin pushing together. Ben supposed she'd never met a person with good intentions in her life before he.

He closed his eyes and wrenched his gaze away from hers. It wouldn't do to stare so much after the embarrassing reaction he'd had upon seeing her for the first time. He had no idea if Mal was married, promised, tied to another or even committed to a past love, but he couldn't risk leading her on. "Now, I must admit that I am exhausted," He announced, leaning against the pole. "I assume that you have word to spread and plans to make – would you like me to be there? Or is there a chance I could rest for an hour or so more?"

"We won't be leaving anything soon," Uma declared, straightening up. "We're a little low on resources. Give me two more days and I can have enough to take everyone past the first kingdom."

"If I take a group out now, we might be able to catch something in time for your teams to prepare it for the journey," Mal offered.

"I'll tell things to everyone and Carlos can help me arrange people into groups again like we did when we were crossing the water," Evie nodded amicably. "We'll move faster that way."

"Where can I help?" Ben asked, pulling off his coat and rolling up the sleeves of his blue button-up shirt. "I admit I don't have much experience, but I can help with heavy lifting or cooking or organizing-"

"You can cook?" Uma interrupted, staring at him skeptically. "You look like you wouldn't know a ladle from a spoon."

Ben frowned at her. "I actually quite enjoy it," He whispered. "It's a skill I always have possessed."

Uma snorted. "Did you quote my mom on purpose, or did it slip you that that was one of her lines?"

Ben blinked. "I'd forgotten," He mumbled and shoved his hands into his pockets. "But please, don't make me sit around and play prisoner. I want to help. Give me a job, work, a purpose. Please."

Evie and Uma exchanged looks and Uma nodded. "Okay," she agreed. "When the time comes, we'll have you help load and carry things. And I will take you up on that cooking thing you mentioned. But not now, Beasty Boy. You were up all night, remember?"

"Uma's right," Evie agreed. "Besides, word hasn't gotten out about you yet. It'll be easier to convince the others if they don't have you in that shirt behind me."

Ben frowned and picked at his shirt. "What's wrong with this shirt?" He asked.

"The Auradon crest, idiot," Jay rolled his eyes. "The overbearing symbol of our plight. Left to rot for thirty years by the government who works so hard to give their citizens peace and happiness."

"I'll find you something, or I'll make you something myself," Evie declared, sizing him up and letting her eyes hover on his for the first time since he'd glimpsed Mal and lost all semblance of his senses. Even now, his vision was fuzzy, his ears were ringing, and the tips of his fingers were numb in shock. "For now, let's get you something to sleep on, so you can rest before we need your help."

Ben nodded. "I, uh, am good to sleep here," He gestured on the ground. The teepee had no floor covering, so the base was just bits of grass and some dirt patches, but Ben was so tired he didn't find it all that unappealing.

"No," Evie narrowed her eyes. "We've already treated you unkindly as it is. We will find you a proper place to sleep and something proper to wear."

"I've got things in our supplies," Uma declared. "I'll get Gil and we'll bring them over. There might be a spare shirt and some pants he can wear too."

"Let me handle that," Evie shook her head. "You can bring in things for a bed, but leave his clothes to me. I've never made an outfit for an actual royal before."

"Other than yourself?" Ben asked, rubbing his eyes momentarily before yawning.

Evie tilted her head. "The Evil Queen has no royal status in Auradon," She reminded him. "She lost it when she was banished."

Ben shrugged. "The crown doesn't make you a queen," He told her. "I mean, your mother did bad things. She used her power to hurt. She wasn't a true queen. But you're not like her. You get to chose who you're going to be. Uma's mother imprisoned and tricked dozens, your mother attempted murder, Mal's mother is the mistress of all evil, and I've got the poster parents for goodness. But true queens and kings reach inside themselves, use what they've been given, and stick through with good causes until the end. And, if I have my say, I'll crown you myself when this is all over, Evie. None of you are evil. I can look into your eyes and just… know." He let his gaze flicker from Uma, who looked skeptical, to Evie, who looked touched, and to Mal, who looked even more confused.

"Are you always this perky?" Uma drawled, squinting at him as if he was suddenly hard to see.

Ben deflated a little. He'd have to learn to cut back on his speeches a little. "A little bit over the top?" He asked.

"A little more than a little bit," Mal snorted, still looking baffled. "I think you need more sleep than we were originally estimating."

"Well, so much for my first impression," Ben sighed, scuffing his toes into the dirt a little and sighing. He put his hands into his pockets and then glanced around at them all. "I do believe that, though."

No one said anything. They shifted their weight a little, squinted at him, and then slowly let their gazes flick to the ground. Finally, Uma took control of the situation. "We'll be back," She decided, stepping towards the flap. "You hang tight – it should be ten minutes and then we'll be back."

"I'm gonna get a crew together," Mal announced, following her to the door flap without another glance at him. Uma propped the flap open and gestured to it, waiting for Mal to go through.

"Loser, passage for one. Right this way, please." She drawled, raising an eyebrow at Mal.

Mal crossed her arms. "Are you gonna go, then?"

"Guys," Evie rolled her eyes. "You need to stop."

Mal and Uma both sent shifty glances towards Evie, and then Mal ducked out with Uma following her. Jay moved to the exit, and Carlos packed up the magnet and the needle with the utmost concern. The last person in the teepee was Evie, who examined him carefully. She didn't say anything, only examined his features and squinted as if she was trying to see underneath his skin.

"Looking for something?" Ben raised an eyebrow.

"Is everyone in Auradon as resistant to beauty as you are?" She asked. "I took your breath away, Uma fascinated you, and with Mal, you reacted hard enough for the boys to notice, but then it was as if you hardly noticed how we looked." She looked almost offended. "Boys from the Isle still take more than a few seconds to begin breathing again around me."

Ben blushed. "I see that you're beautiful, but – uh – beauty isn't everything."

"Are you attracted to danger?" Evie asked, and Ben's cheeks burned even brighter. "You seemed awfully taken with Mal for those first few seconds."

"I wasn't expecting the purple hair," Ben lied. Truth was, his heart was still pumping fast and he felt a bit woozy. "I, uh, am not a masochist."

Evie frowned deeper. Was she offended at his reaction to the three of them? He tilted his head to the side. "You're used to everyone thinking you're prettier than Mal?"

"She's dangerous," Evie replied simply. "Uma's taken and Mal is dangerous. And… I like to think I'm the fairest of them all." She folded her hands together and looked over his shoulder like she was some sort of unseeing statue.

"But you're also smart," Ben proposed. "And resourceful. Again, we had no idea you were even here. That's impressive."

"Yes," Evie nodded. "It's… odd, being away from my mother. For the first time, it's like I'm more than just a pretty face. Knowing I don't have to play dumb to get a guy… that I'm smart."

"I can't imagine living like that," Ben sympathized. "It sounds… horrible. I'm so sorry. I wish I'd thought of you guys years ago."

Evie hummed. "Yeah, my mom's not a barrel of laughs. Just ask Snow White. But, uh, it's over now. We're in Auradon now. This… this is the land of opportunity. We can be whatever we want here."

"Yes, you can be," Ben agreed. "And I'm going to do everything I can to help you guys."

Evie's stare hardened into something indecipherable and unreadable. Ben took his hands out of his pockets and folded his hands together as her eyes bored into his soul. Finally, having not found whatever it was that she was looking for, she spun around and headed to the door. "Uma and Gil will be here soon," She announced. "I'll see you later, Ben."

The flap closed and Ben was left alone. In under an hour, his life had been completely spun on its head. And boy was he exhausted. He sat down and leaned against the center pole. Against his will, his eyes drifted closed. 'Only for a few seconds' he promised himself. 'then I'll wake up when Uma and Gil get here.'

---

When he woke up, he was buried underneath a very large, heavy blanket that was pressing him into a thick comforter. The feeling would have been relaxing if it hadn't been so unbearably hot. Slowly, Ben crawled out from underneath the weighted item and discovered that his shoulders, knees, wrists, and ankles were sore. He winced as he rubbed them and then squinted at the daylight visible at the top of the teepee. It looked like mid-afternoon outside and was high-noon in Agrabah inside the teepee.

Ben picked at his clothes. He looked like he'd walked through a waterfall. He was completely drenched in his own sweat and completely parched. He ran his hands through his hair and then found, like Evie had promised, a new outfit laid on a tarp at the center pole of the teepee, where he had originally fallen asleep. A long-sleeved maroon shirt that looked like something that would keep him warm on a jog in November, some tan pants with very deep pockets, and a pair of shoes that were brown with black designs on the sides. He wondered if Evie had made them.

He wasn't too excited to see the winterish clothes but grateful that Evie had come through nonetheless. He wondered what his wardrobe would be the next few months and found he wasn't exactly sorry to say goodbye to suits and polished shoes for a little bit.

He rolled the sleeves up on the shirt to his elbows before he wandered closer to the flap of the teepee. He could hear people bustling around outside. He wondered if it was 'safe' to go out now. He wasn't exactly wearing Auradon colors anymore. What if Evie, Mal, or Uma got mad at him?

He pushed the flap open and stepped out. And the sight outside shocked and scared and thrilled and amazed him all at once. There were so many people.

People were rushing across the camp, which was actually much larger than Ben had first realized. People were standing and chatting, passing water bottles back and forth with bright smiles. People were tending small shops and exchanging wares. Hurt people sat in chairs and talked with each other. Young children raced on little horse and dragon toys, and there were even young adults his age who were walking arm in arm, shoving each other, everything. There were carts and small wagons lining the outside of the main road, which stretched for at least two miles in either way. There were other teepees and small structures, but it appeared everyone was living out of wagons and off the land. How extraordinary.

"Ben!" Someone called, and Ben's head snapped up in the direction of Jay, who was sitting on the back of a cart with Mal and Carlos. Mal was kicking her legs back and forth nonchalantly, and the sight of her made him pause before he glanced to make sure he wouldn't run into anyone and then crossed the road to join them.

"Sleep well?" Jay asked with a laugh as Ben neared them. "You look like you came back from the dead."

"Close enough," Ben shrugged, shielding a yawn. "How long was I out?"

"Four years," Mal drawled. "We made it all the way to the new land without you."

Ben snorted at the same time as Carlos. He took that as a good sign – he was catching on to her humor rather well. Mal looked down at him, carefully taking in the red shirt and his mussed hair, and then glanced away.

"It's only just starting to become evening," Jay assured him. "But we've got things on their way. Some people are already packing up. I think Evie is gonna have your teepee dismantled with the rest and put your stuff in with Carlos and I's wagon. That okay?"

"Only if it's okay with you," Ben assured Jay. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Nah, it's cool, man," Carlos nodded. "We've never met a king before. We'll have to assimilate you into Isle culture."

"Assila-wha?" Jay crinkled his brow. "You and Evie both talk mouthfuls."

"It means to integrate. To mix," Ben supplied.

Jay rolled his eyes. "Well, look at this, guys," he elbowed Carlos with a roll of his eyes. "He's pretty, he gives inspirational speeches, and he has a brain."

"Two of those are true," Ben conceded. "However, I'm not sure my looks prevailed after having my face in the mud and then passing out for, well, all day." He tried not to look at Mal or Jay too hard or to sound like he was accusing them.

"Beauty is pain," Mal drawled, pulling her leg up onto her knee and continuing to kick the other one out. "And it could be worse. You could have been woken up right before midnight, hiked through the forest with a defense squadron thinking that the high kingdom had sent someone to order you to move or be moved, accidentally kidnapped the King of Auradon and then stayed up till now without a nap so you could go hunting to feed two-hundred kids and young adults." Mal let out a long, loud, piercing yawn. "I have been up for seventeen hours on two hours of rest."

"My cot is still set up if you want it?" Ben offered, cringing a little as he imagined how damp it might be from him basically drowning in his own sweat. Luckily, Mal didn't seem interested. "And wow, you lead defense squads, cast magic spells, and feed the masses. Anything else?"

"Spray paint," Jay mumbled under his breath. Mal kicked him.

"Excuse you," She spat. "Spray paint is a noble art form. I'd like to see you create anything remotely intelligible."

Jay furrowed his brow. "Intelli-wha?" He asked.

"Don't hate on the spray paint," Carlo nodded. "Her crap is pretty darn near perfect."

Mal let out a snort. "Ha! That's me, I am perfect. She multi-tasks; she dabbles."

"You're the best," Carlos shrugged. Mal nodded in agreement.

"Are you guys… a couple?" Ben asked slowly, glancing between Mal and Carlos. Carlos burst into laughter while Mal gave him an unimpressed look.

"No," She shook her head. "No. So don't get all worried, Prince Charming."

Ben's face turned red as he held up his hands. "I wasn't implying anything," He insisted. "I just wasn't expecting such high praise among friends from the Isle of the Lost."

"We're more like family," Jay explained. His face had taken on some dark tones and he was examining Ben in that same way Evie had been.

"Nah," Mal shook her head and kicked him again. "The King's right. We're like a gigantic lust-fest. You, me, Evie, and Carlos. We're all in a gigantic, messy relationship together."

"Oh, does that mean I get to hold your hand and bring you flowers?" Jay puckered his lips out as he teased her. Immediately, a cloud of rage darkened Mal's face.

"No, that's what Evie's for," She shoved Jay off the cart this time. "But you can walk down the street and make sure Shrimpy isn't messing anything up."

"You're too much work, Mal," Jay sighed. "I'm breaking up with you. You can keep Evie and Carlos."

"Who's Shrimpy?" Ben asked, crossing his arms and choosing not to comment as Carlos began to laugh even harder.

"Uma," Jay rolled his eyes. "She and Mal are having this power struggle that Evie usually balances out."

"It's not a power struggle," Mal hissed. "I'm more powerful than her. Especially here. Her little seashell trick only works near the ocean. I can turn into a dragon wherever. What we have is her thinking she can control me, and Evie trying to convince me to let her."

"So Evie's in charge?" Ben asked, glancing between Carlos and Jay in amusement.

"Evie's our people leader," Jay explained. "She's the, uh, Carlos, what's the word?"

"Executive person," Carlos supplied. "She works better at getting the people to rally behind her, though Mal and Evie both think they're effective leaders." He elbowed Mal, who simmered. "Uma is better at dividing resources and keeping track of things, so she's our Resource Advocate. Mal, you probably noticed, is a fighter. She's the one who keeps us safe and handles the weapons, the squads, anything involving hunting or fighting, etc…"

"Military," Ben supplied. "Cool. It looks like you have things going."

A whiff of something nice caught his nose and he turned to look down the road. In the distance, a thin smoke was rising. "Is that where Uma is now?"

"Yeah," Carlos nodded. "Mal and whoever else was hunting today brought back a few deer. Uma, Harry, Gil, and the pirates used to work her mom's food shop on the Isle, so they and whoever else can cook are handling it."

"I hope she falls in," Mal muttered under her breath. "I wonder what fried octopus tastes like."

"Have you ever tried being nice to her?" Ben suggested, raising his eyes at Mal.

"Have you ever tried kissing up to a live wire?" Mal shot back, turning her fiery gaze on him.

"No, why did you do that?" Ben replied. Carlos snorted and shoved Mal's arm. Mal scoffed and kicked her leg out at Ben. Ben caught her boot and held it up higher. Mal yelped a little as she scooted forward and scowled at Ben as Carlos and Jay both laughed at her. Ben took a moment to examine her foot in his hands. It was small – he could wrap his entire hand around her sole – and he probably had mugs at the palace with a wider diameter than her ankles. Tiny little Cinderella feet, this girl had. But she made up for her size with what looked like acres of toned muscle. He could see strength in every single tendon going up her leg. It helped that she was wearing tight pants with a few threadbare places behind her knees, across her calves, and even stretching up inside her thighs.

He dropped her foot as he felt his face growing a bit warm. Mal scowled a little as she moved back to her original position but didn't seem to have noticed him examining her. Either that, or she seemed to not care. Jay and Carlos, on the other hand, exchanged a cautious look.

Jay leaned forward and clapped Ben's shoulder. "Come on," He invited. "I'll show you Uma's area. You'll probably be helping us pack things up there tomorrow."

Ben nodded and let his eyes rest first on Carlos and then on Mal. He put a hand behind his back and bowed to them both, to which Carlos snorted at again. Then, without another glance back, he followed Jay away.

As soon as they were in the midst of the crowd and out of sight of the cart, Jay swung an arm around Ben's neck. "Okay, listen up," He whispered in a hushed, warning tone. "I want you to picture Mal for a second. Don't ask questions; just do it."

Ben blinked. It wasn't hard to conjure up the image of the purple-haired fairy – especially so soon after glancing at those long, long legs she had. "Okay?" He questioned, furrowing his brow.

"She's pretty, isn't she?" Jay pressed his lips together. "I'm sure you noticed how her mouth is all one color and how her eyes have those little flecks that catch the sun, right?"

Ben's mouth went dry. "Jay, if she's yours, then-"

"She's not," Jay hissed, cutting him off. "She's no one's. That's why I'm telling you this – don't go after her. She's pretty to look at, but don't touch her. She's dangerous."

Dangerous. He said it the way you would talk about a person's identity. They're Christian. They're Bisexual. They're president of the women's court or they're the national tourney champion. Not a description; a title. "That's what Evie told me about her," Ben nodded. "But, uh, Jay, I wasn't-"

"Evie's right," Jay interrupted. "Because that purple-haired pixie has more fight in her pinky finger than the rest of us do in our bodies. Even Uma. And she doesn't exactly consider love a priority."

"Jay," Ben interjected with a blush coloring his cheeks. "I'm, uh, taken back home. I'm not going to make a move on Mal."

Jay blinked in surprise. "You're taken?" He asked. "As in, you've got someone waiting for you? Why did you agree to stay, then?"

"I, uh-" Ben stammered and then swallowed. "It's complicated. But she'll understand."

"Sheesh," Jay snorted. "Must be one heck of a patient lady. Alright, then."

They stepped under a little string of blue lights and Ben saw people hard at work cutting up the carcasses of several deer. Dozens of small, hot fires were being tended to by a variety of people in teal blue. Most of them seemed to be pirates. Ben watched a pirate with a teal sash tied around his hat take a large, clean knife from a collection.

"Be warned: Uma might put you to work," Jay called in his ear to be heard over the noise.

Ben looked around at the hustle and bustle. His stomach growled a little at the good smell in the air. "I'd be happy to help,"

"Wonderful," A voice came from his immediate right. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Uma put a hand on his bicep and turned him around. "You ever done any of this before?" She gestured over her shoulder to the deer, which had been strung up with rope so they could effectively get the meat off, and pulled a long, sharp, clean knife out of the pile.

Ben glanced over his shoulder and discovered that Jay had vanished. That didn't surprise him. "I have done high school dissections and I'm a quick learner," Ben shrugged. To be honest, he'd much rather be tending the fire than dismembering meat, but if that's what Uma needed then he would do it.

"Lovely," Uma clapped him on the arm and handed him the knife. "Gil has been at this for four hours since Mal's crew started bringing in the first few. They brought in extra so we could smoke some and that way we don't have to stop as we travel. I'm going to have him show you how to do it so you can take his place and then when all is said and done, you'll either be on the smoke racks or cooking things with Harry." She pointed at a tall, bulky, blonde-haired man who was mostly apart from everyone else. Ben nodded and, taking the knife firmly in his hand, headed towards the lone outsider.

"Hey, I'm Ben," He called when he got near enough. "Uma sent me to help you out. She said she wants you to teach me how to do this and then take a break."

Gil wiped off his forehead as he stood up and looked at Ben. His face lit up with a bright, childish smile. "Hey man! I know you! You're the character who passed out in the teepee today when we were bringing you your cot!"

Ben turned a little red. "Yeah, sorry about that," He apologized. "I meant to be awake to help you guys but I, uh, had lost a lot of sleep."

"Hey, no problem," Gil reassured him. "And uh, you're King Ben, right? I know you, man!"

"Really?" Ben raised an eyebrow and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "No one has recognized me yet."

"Well, my dad talks about your dad a lot," Gil said nonchalantly. "My dad… well, I'll give you a hint. He's quick, slick, and his neck is incredibly think."

G. Gil. Gaston. Ben inclined his head. "Do you… have a problem with me?" He asked cautiously. "I mean, I don't have a problem with you, but…"

"Nah," Gil shook his head. "I never really cared. But hey, when you get back to the castle, tell your mom that Gaston says hi, and tell your dad that – well, actually, don't mention that." He snorted and then gestured to the deer he was working on. "I already got the insides out and took care of the fur. We have someone from Evie's crew working on the hides because they're tough and we can make things with them. Mal has this nifty spell she made up that makes it so we don't have to wait for the meat to get older so it's softer. Usually, you have to wait until after this thing that Evie and Carlos know the word for goes away. It think it starts with an r…"

"Rigor Mortis," Ben supplied.

"Yeah, that's the word!" Gil nodded in approval. "We basically do it piece by piece. I already did the shoulders and that's the easy part, but I'll help you go through the rest. We have people over there with smaller knives who are getting things ready to be smoked or dried or cooked. The important thing over here is to not let it touch the ground and to not shred the meat to bad – oh, have you washed your hands?"

"I haven't," Ben shook his head. "But I will right now." Gil nodded and turned back to the beast. Ben turned away and spotted a line of people rinsing their hands off under a stream of water. He followed them, scrubbed his hands off(they even had soap… in the forest?) and then returned as Gil was handing off a few large pieces of meat to a young girl who'd come to get them.

Gil carefully explained how to trim the fat so that Uma could have the others turn it into soap or use it for whatever else she could find. Then, he guided Ben through the butchering process. Ben never, in a hundred years, had imagined he would be doing this, but decided it was best to consider his life choices when he wasn't holding a very large and heavy knife.

Gil stopped helping him after a while and went to go clean his knife off and get his water bottle, but then he returned and started talking to Ben as Ben worked, occasionally giving advice but mostly telling jokes about Auradon, the villains, and everything else he could think of. It was refreshing – Ben couldn't remember the last time he'd actually laughed with a friend.

"Hey, Ben," Gil started, taking a swig of his water bottle. "Do you know the name of the prize my dad won?"

Ben paused to briefly examine Gil, who was trying his best to not smile as he kept his eyes off his new comrade. "No," He responded slowly. "Does it have anything to do with hunting?"

Gil shrugged. "Depends on your point of view?" He shrugged. "I don't think so."

Ben shook his head. "I give up," He declared. "What was the name of the prize your dad won?"

"The No-Belle prize," Gil responded, snorting a little as he spoke.

Ben burst into laughter – the embarrassing kind where you snort and chortle more than you actually laugh. He turned away from Gil as Gil began to laugh even harder at his embarrassment, and then leaned his head against the tree they'd been working beside. "Oh my gosh," He gasped. "Oh my gosh."

Gil smiled brightly and took another drink before he pointed to the sky. "The sun is going down," He pointed out. "We better finish up soon. Do you have a place to stay? It'd be nice to have a bunkmate. Harry usually hangs with Uma."

"I've been put with Jay and Carlos," Ben explained. "But maybe I'll switch around. I like you a lot."

"Me too," Gil nodded. He got to his feet. "Let me finish up these last little bits. If you take what you've cut up over to Harry and everyone, they can show you how we get things done."

Ben nodded. He would have shaken hands with Gil, but his hands were kinda gory. So instead he laughed and thanked Gil and then took the collection of his work over to the opposite side of the road, where he put it down on a rack, like how he'd seen another young boy do it.

"Well, well, well," Someone drawled over his shoulder. "Wha' a lovely surprise."

Ben turned and found a man's face hovering close to his. He leaned back a little, eyes wide, and the man let out a tiny, barking laugh. "How's it feel being a king now?" He asked, leaning in even more with a crazed glint in his eyes. Then, maniacal laughter spilled from his lips as he retreated, curling his fingers and removing his pirate's hat. His red and white clothes were in tatters and clutched in his left hand was a glinting, slightly dinged pirate's hook.

"Give it a rest, Harry," Uma rolled her eyes, putting a hand on Ben's shoulder as she navigated around him. "He's still new."

"Aye, we nicked him," Harry agreed, a mischievous glint in his eye. "How long d'ya think he'll last?"

Uma laughed. "Evie told us not to scare him off. Honored guest."

At this, Harry's face twisted into something similar to rage, though a strong sense of humor remained trapped underneath his skin. "You said I could hook him!" He declared, brandishing the hook at Ben.

"I said if he didn't do his work," Uma corrected, rolling her eyes. "And you don't need to get all jealous. If anything, he's gonna end up Evie's second." The daughter of the sea witch gave him a cursory glance. "Though he probably wouldn't mind if Mal decided she wanted a partner."

Ben's cheeks burned red. "I'm not here for any relationships," He corrected Uma quickly. "I'll be working with them, and you, but I'm, uh, already spoken for back home."

Uma raised an eyebrow and turned to Harry. "Don't listen to him," She advised. "You should have seen him turn into a fish when he first saw Mal. Even if he is spoken for, it won't last long with her around."

"I'm married," Ben interrupted. He felt around his neck and pulled up a ring on a chain strung about his head. "I don't wear the ring while I travel in case of ambushes but I'm married."

Uma gave the ring a cursory look. She hummed. "Pity for her," She shrugged and then turned around. "Alright, Harry, how much more?"

Ben let the comment slide. True, Mal was lovely, and yes, Evie seemed to be rather offended that he didn't find her equally so, but he was tied to Audrey by law. There would be no ruination of that fact while he remained here.

Uma and Harry wandered away without giving him any more commands, and Ben shifted uncomfortably before glancing down the assembly line. It amazed him how many people there were. Children and teenagers were everywhere, tending to all sorts of different tasks. He noticed that there were fewer of them further down the path, where large drying racks were set up beside fires and a couple of smaller children occasionally turned the meat so it would dry evenly. He headed down that way.

Ben supposed, gauging from the shortage of helpers and the type thereof that this was a task reserved for the small children, but seeing as he'd been given no other orders, he guessed that this would be a good place for him to pitch in until Uma came up with another job.

A bright-eyed little girl with colorful streaks in her brown hair was chatting happily with anyone who dared come too close to her lively spirit. Ben examined her from a distance – the colorful, jeweled headset around her head, the large glasses, and frilly dress. It struck him how alike she and Evie were. He'd assumed all of the people on the Isle simply went around ruining each other's lives over and over again and again, yet it seemed he couldn't have been farther from wrong. These people were creative, dedicated, and happy. Sure, they could all probably kill him and they had all had their fair share of hardships, but they were good. A deep love was taking root in his chest for every single one.

"Can you acquaint me with the process?" He asked cheerfully, stepping up next to the small girl. She looked up at him with a bright, fearless smile. "Of course!" She exclaimed. "We're just rotating everything around every half hour to make sure it dries evenly. And there's a system! Those ones over there will need to be done in five minutes, and then those and those-" She pointed to each of the fires in turn and it occurred to Ben that there were six fires. Clever.

"So, what's your name?" He asked, reaching up and helping her begin unpinning strips of meat. They had a nifty contraption that looked like a giant shelf, but with thin boards that held clothespins to dangle the meat in the smoke and above the flames. There were four to each fire set at equal distances with about two or three hovering around the one he had joined.

"I'm Dizzy," the girl introduced. Ben cast his mind back to his list of villains that he'd memorized at fourteen for his ninth-year history project – she could be the daughter of Doctor Doom or Doctor Doofenshmirtz, but his best guess was Lady Tremaine's granddaughter.

"Drizella's daughter?" He asked to confirm.

Dizzy nodded a little, keeping her mouth closed in an easygoing line. "Yeah," She agreed softly. "What about you? Were you sent to the Isle afterward? You don't seem like someone who was there for very long."

"Neither do you," Ben pointed out, casting his mind back to Mal, Evie, and Uma. "And no, I'm someone Mal picked up on the road yesterday and I've decided to hang out."

Dizzy looked over at him with wide eyes. "Oh!" She gasped and almost dropped the piece of meat she was turning. "You're the king? You're the person who's going to be helping us?"

Ben could blush and stutter out something. Or he could tease her for not knowing him. Neither seemed like the best reaction. So, instead, he stopped and wiped his hands on his pants for a second before he bowed, picking up Dizzy's hand and kissing her knuckles for a few seconds. He could feel eyes boring into his back – maybe Uma, maybe Harry, maybe any number of Islanders. Or maybe Mal. He imagined her green gaze watching him and a smile crooked his mouth as he stood back up. "I'm Ben," he introduced, leaving out the title. It was better without the title. He was more like them without making himself out to be something he had never really been able to play the part of. "Please to meet you, Lady Dizzy,"

"Well, aren't you a charmer?" A sultry voice came from behind him. He glanced over as he straightened up and saw Evie, still in her clothes from earlier, looking a little offended as she watched him release Dizzy's hand. "Where was that chivalry earlier when I was with you?"

Ben's danger sense, however weak it was, started tingling. "I don't usually do that," he admitted with a light blush. "I just thought that… the situation called for it." He wanted to impress the younger girl. He wanted to make her feel special.

"Ah," Evie's lips curled. "I see. You shake hands with me, kiss Dizzy's hand, and get on your knees for Mal."

"I did not-" Ben began before he recalled what she was referring to. He exhaled. "Evie, is it so much of a problem to you if I want to make Dizzy feel special? Could you perhaps be grateful for the way I did act rather than terrorize me for not immediately being smitten?"

Evie flinched and frowned and Dizzy set a hand on his arm. "It's okay, Ben," she consoled him. "Evie and I are like sisters. And she's been through lots. You can take the Isle out of the girl, but you can't take the girl out of the Isle!"

That doesn't stop Evie from turning and striding away.

"I hurt her, didn't I?" Ben whispered as he watched Evie disappear.

"It'll be okay," Dizzy shakes her head. "She's just been clued in to how she's still bending to her mom a little. We all forget; it's hard when we haven't been gone so long yet." She glanced through a rack at Ben. "Her mom used to beat her for every man who didn't stare when she walked past. So she's always tried really hard with people who don't react as quickly. And it doesn't help that you're a King with a big castle." Dizzy paused as she flipped around another strip of venison. "How many rooms in your castle?"

"I, uh…" Ben stuttered, completely thrown off by what Dizzy had revealed to him about Evie. He couldn't imagine being beat because other people didn't look at you as you walked past. "Uh… too many. Too many to count."

Dizzy nodded like this made sense. "Do you think there'd be enough for every one of us to come to live there?" She asked. "I know Evie said that we're going to go build our own place, but I was just wondering."

"I don't think so," Ben replied honestly, looking around at everyone surrounding them. "I wish, though. I'd take you all with me in a heartbeat." Then, he smiled at Dizzy. "Especially you."

"I've always wanted to go to Auradon," Dizzy sighed dramatically. "Do you really have carpets you can walk onto? Have you been to a swimming pool before? What does ice cream taste like?"

Ben stopped and stared at her. There was this horrible building in his chest that felt like he was being filled with hot tar. "Carpets?" He asks weakly. They have carpets everywhere. They have carpet decorations hanging on some of the walls. Little Belle has bright pink carpets that make his head hurt every time he walks in. Audrey has her own thick, plush carpet rug that he's not supposed to touch. And swimming pools… he's taken Belle to the pool more times than he's taken her anywhere else. She doesn't like swimming but he makes sure she goes and that she knows how to swim, no matter how much of a fit she throws. "I, uh, yeah," He agreed softly. "I'll have some carpets sent to you guys when you get things set up. Big ones with fun colors that feel soft. And, uh, yeah, I love swimming. Ice cream… well, there are different flavors, but it's cold and sweet, and if you eat it too fast, then it gives you a headache."

"Really?" Dizzy gasped, eyes growing large and bright in excitement. "I've never had ice cream and most of the carpets are ruined. Cruella De Vil has lots, though, but we're not allowed to touch. Mal once threw a party at Carlos's house and so I got to see them then. And I don't know anyone except for Uma and her pirates who can swim."

"You live on an island," Ben blinked. "You can't swim?"

"There's a barrier," Dizzy shook her head. "Even Evie and Mal can't swim."

The back of Ben's neck grew hot, as if someone was glaring at him from behind. He stored that bit of knowledge about Mal away and then exhaled. "If you can't swim… how did you make it here?" He asked.

"Carlos built boats," Dizzy shrugged. "After he broke the barrier and Mal kept it open for everyone to get out, they put everyone on boats. And Mal cast an invisibility spell so we could cross without Auradon finding out. That's also why Uma was allowed to come."

There was so much information in that sentence that Ben had to stop and stare. Carlos built boats. Carlos broke the barrier. And Mal held it open. Holy crap.

"That's cool," he managed to choke out after a little bit. "And good that you were able to come over. I… wish I'd been able to bring you over myself. I guess I was too busy being king… gosh, that sounds lame." He exhaled and shook his head. "So, what about you? What was your life like?"

"I worked in Grandma's hair shop," Dizzy answered. "I had a few customers… a witch here and there. I mostly did lots of scrubbing and scouring and sweeping. Lots and lots of sweeping."

"Sounds like the old Cinderella treatment," Ben mumbled.

Dizzy's eyes flicked back up through the rack, and then she glanced past Ben as a group of kids ran by screaming. "Yeah," She mumbled. "She went from Wicked Stepmother to Wicked Grandmother."

Ben gestured out to the kids with a thumb. "You want to join them?" He whispered.

Dizzy shook her head. "Not really," She declined. "I know I should, but I'm used to the work. It still feels weird to play."

A little boy that only came up to Ben's knee dashed up and tapped his hand on Ben's thigh. "Diseased," He announced. "You're diseased."

Diseased. Ben glanced up as the group of kids all howled and shrieked at him. He reached over and tapped Dizzy. "Now you're diseased too," He laughed.

"Me? I can't be diseased!" Dizzy stared at him. "Who will tend the fires?"

A man in white and red steps up out of the shadows that Ben hadn't even realized were falling over the camp. It's Carlos, who has apparently made his way down to Uma's side of the camp. "Go on, Diz," he encouraged her. "You need a break. I'll cover you."

Dizzy hesitated, and Ben took her shoulders and shoved her away. "Go on," He told her. "Go play. You're only a kid once."

The little boy jumped up for Ben's hand. "You too!" He declared, yanking on Ben's fingers.

"I dunno," Ben shook his head. "I've got to help Carlos with the – Woah!" He tripped forward, glimpsing only Jay's long, brown hair as he caught his balance, and then the other diseased kids flooded around him to pull him in as Mal's two associates began finishing the fire he and Dizzy had been on. Dizzy shrieked as she was pulled into the vortex of screaming kids.

Ben laughed as he was pushed to the ground and then started grabbing random children, gathering them into his arms, and tickling their sides mercilessly. He laughed, then let out a little roar that made all the kids scream and giggle. Little ones climbed up onto his back and older children hung off his neck as they tried to team wrestle him to the ground. Some danced out of his reach and pointed their fingers with little shrieks. "Beast!" They cried. "Beast! Beast!"

It appeared word of who he was had gotten around. Ben didn't mind all that much as he picked up one of the smallest children and tossed them, squalling above his head, into the air. More kids gathered around. "Me! Me! Me!" They begged. Others held fast to his back. "Piggy-back ride!" They shrieked.

Instead, Ben reached out to one of the older kids. "Tag!" He yelled. "You're diseased!" Immediately, everyone jumped away, screaming, and took off running as the child tried frantically to tag everyone who dashed past. Ben jumped out of the way and about ten small children and older toddlers ran after him, letting out little yells as they dashed away from the tagger.

The sun went down. Ben did his best to guide the cluster of children away from the fires, but they all slowly dropped out one by one as the sun dipped out of sight and the night grew cool. Some mothers and caregivers called the children for dinner while others went of their own accord. Eventually, Ben was left to pick up three tiny kids who hadn't yet recovered from Isle emaciation and head up to the camp with Dizzy looping her arm through his and resting her head on his biceps. He balanced one kid on each shoulder as they yawned and stuck thumbs into their mouths, and then one six-year-old boy climbed onto his back and burrowed his nose into Ben's shirt as they walked up. The racks were still up, but adults were now switching the meat from side to side as the children all ate and went to sleep. Ben found several clean blankets stacked beside a wooden cart and spread them out, laying each of the three kids comfortably before covering them from the night chill. Dizzy he let use his arm a little longer as she tried to find Evie and then finally set her inside what she said was her cart so she could curl up with a soft sigh on her own blankets.

Ben leaned against a tree and watched as Uma directed for bones to be chopped up for broth to be made with and a large collection of young adults started packing away the jerky venison for the trip. His arms felt a bit sore from playing with all the kids, but he supposed he'd better get used to it. A few days more, and they'd be packing up this small camp and heading west.

He wondered if Audrey had been informed he'd vanished yet.

Someone slinked up through the shadows to him and held out a white plate to him. He took it, curious, and then saw green eyes light up through the dark. His hands went a bit clammy and a deep fire lit in his stomach as he stared at her. Mal.

"Good job tonight," She commended. "That looked absolutely exhausting."

Ben laughed a little, nervously. "What's this?" He asked.

"Dinner," Mal declared, stepping forward and leaning against the tree as well. She was facing the other direction and not nearly close enough for him to touch, but it was still close and he felt his breath hitch. "You missed it, so Uma put that aside for you."

"Ah," Ben nodded, squinting through the dark and then reaching down to feel some jerky and something that felt like a fresh vegetable on the side. "Thank you." It occurred to him that he hadn't eaten all day. "Is it safe?"

Mal burst into laughter, rolling her eyes, and Ben blushed. "Sorry," He apologized. "I didn't mean to accuse or anything."

"No, no," Mal shook her head. "I get it. Be careful of the food offered by kids of villains. I'm sure every kid in Auradon would know that."

"No!" Ben disagreed, snapping a little in his haste to explain himself. "No, that wasn't it at all. I totally trust you!" And to prove this, he reached down and found a piece of the vegetable, quickly raising it to his mouth and biting. Mal watched him with slatted eyes. It was so dark, he could barely tell where her body was, though he knew in the back of his mind what she looked like. Thin and powerful and with calluses and muscle in place of everywhere Audrey had soft skin and plush weight. He remembered, briefly, what it had felt like when he and Audrey had last lain beside each other over two years ago and then pictured Mal lying at his side in his wife's place.

God, was he so twisted that he was replacing Audrey after being away for a day?

'A month,' a voice nagged in his head. 'You haven't seen her for over a month. And she didn't look at you when you went to see her, so she hasn't seen you in longer.'

"I was just joking," she started in a slow tone. "I don't expect you to trust us after knowing us for a day and for, well, everything last night."

Ben blinked back at her and he hoped he could see the honesty in his eyes. "But I do," he replied.

Mal rolled her eyes. "Well, maybe you're a fool after all," She declared, and then pushed off of the tree. "Don't die overnight. Evie's rather fond of you."

"No, she's not, but she thinks I'm fond of you," Ben refuted. His words made Mal stop. She didn't turn to look at him, but he could almost feel her lips press closed.

"Careful, your majesty," she mumbled in a little hiss that had him immediately drawing connections to snakes and lizards and dragons. "Hasn't anybody bothered to warn you yet?"

"Only every person who mentions you," Ben raised an eyebrow. It was dark, but he somehow knew she would know. "It makes me wonder what happened to the last poor fellow?"

Mal snorted a little like he was a small child who'd said something particularly amusing and then walked away, still not looking back at him. He frowned a little and finished his dinner in the dark. Then, minding the ground, he headed back to the fires. In the light of one, Uma and Harry were standing very close, speaking to each other with tiny grins and soft whispers. Uma wrapped her fingers around Harry's hook carefully, and he watched her with a crazed look.

Ben set his plate down with a small stack of others he could vaguely see the outlines of. Uma glanced up at him. "Oh, good, you did get something to eat. I was wondering."

Ben nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "Thanks for setting it aside for me."

Harry tilted his head a little and frowned at Ben as Uma's face twisted in confusion. "What?" She asked.

Ben stopped and examined her face. Pure, unabashed loss. She had no clue what she was talking about. "Oh," he shrugged it off. "I must have been misinformed. Pardon me. Well, I'll see you in the morning, then."

He turned and walked away, and Uma did not follow.

He went back up the road and found where Jay, Carlos, and Mal had been before. Jay and Carlos were curled up in their cots in the backs of their carts, and in the middle was a spare one for Ben. He hopped up, pulled his shoes off, and glanced around and up at the stars before noticing the next cart over. It was darkened, but nothing could silence Mal's striking green gaze as she hovered on the edge of the cart, gazing out over the road with her slatted gaze and watching everyone come and go. Watching him, specifically. She was like some emerald-gazed gargoyle, staring down from above.

Ben didn't say anything to her. He had a feeling he'd done enough damage for one day. He pulled up under the blankets and pressed his nose into the pillow, trying to put out the girl next door from his thoughts without forcing his head to acknowledge that there might be a small problem.

---

There was a loud crash from across the road and the ground shook as Ben, Jay, and Carlos were rolling up all their few possessions and packing them tightly into the very back of the cart. "Don't drop the teepee so hard!" Evie commanded, stomping over to where three young adults were sheepishly looking over. Ben felt the ground continue shaking as she walked past, and then turned to help Carlos heave a collection of wires, metal attachments, and whirring parts into the cart. Carlos said it was going to be a fan, but Ben couldn't quite see the vision yet.

"Ben!" Someone shouted, giving the 'e' in his name a little bark to it. "You finished yet? We could use your help down in the docks!" It was Uma, looking like she was ready to murder anyone who got in her way. Consequently, a path opened up. It was interesting, Ben had noticed, how everyone regarded the three – Uma, Mal, and Evie – as unspoken leaders who had no higher standing in comparison to each other.

"He's helping us pack up!" Jay declared, hoisting up a group of large, curved sticks that had been entrusted to his care by Evie for some sort of invented game. If there was one thing Ben had learned during these last few days, it was that the Islanders, now that they had left, knew how to have fun. They were always coming up with new activities and games. Ben hoped they'd be able to stop in Charmington to grab some cards so he could teach them card games. "Go get your lackeys and have them help you."

"They're all busy," Uma refuted, leaning against their cart. "I need help dismantling the last of the smoke system. So I'm coming to fish him out of your dump. My part of the camp's the important one anyway."

A leering voice came from the next cart over. "Just like your mother, always a catch." Ben turned to give Mal and exasperated look. He momentarily forgot his goal in the face of her new outfit – a neon green pantsuit with black streaks across it – but still managed to give her an exasperated look.

"Relax, Mal, I'll give your pet back unharmed," Uma rolled her eyes.

"Oh no, feel free to do whatever. Not like it'll hurt me at all," Mal arched an eyebrow. "Besides, it's about time you did something useful anyway."

"You eat, don't you?" Uma challenged. "Unless you'd like to eat raw meat with all the blood still in it?"

"We both know I wouldn't have a problem with that and it'd only make me look tougher than you," Mal deadpanned. Ben gave her a cautious glance. There was no joking in her voice.

"Last I checked, your mother thought she had things all sewn up too. How'd that work out for her again?" Uma asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Okay, enough," Ben rolled his eyes. "Mal, why don't you come off your perch and help Jay and Carlos finish? Unless you'd like to go help Uma pack things up?"

Jay gave him a sideways look with raised eyebrows, which only made Ben set his hands on his hips. Mal looked utterly offended. She hopped off her cart and took two steps so that the top of her head was about two inches away from his chin. If he really wanted to, he could lean forward and kiss her forehead, but he knew he wouldn't.

"What makes you think you can give me orders?" She asked with a low growl building in the back of her throat. Her teeth were clenched together.

"I didn't," Ben shook his head. "I asked why you weren't hopping down. I never told you that you had to."

"You insinuated it," Mal hissed.

"You assumed I did," Ben replied.

Uma crossed her arms and looked at Mal expectantly. Mal was fuming. He could practically feel her steaming. "I could hurt you," she threatened.

Ben shrugged. "Not without permission, I bet," he conceded. He doubted she'd hurt him anyways.

Mal let her gaze settle into something offensive and angry. She turned away from him and walked away with her hair flying out over her shoulders as she stormed off. Ben chuckled a little, knowing she'd hear it, and then turned around. Carlos's mouth was open a little and Jay looked like he was positive he'd started hallucinating.

"Wow," Uma nodded her approval. "I've never seen anyone do that."

Carlos reached out and tapped Ben's arm. "He's still alive?" He whispered. "She must be killing you from a distance."

"She won't," Ben rolled his eyes. "If she comes back, see if you can put her to work. She spends too much time perching up there."

Uma snorted and then nodded her head back to where her area was. Everyone called the area "the docks" because apparently, that had been Uma's territory on the Isle. Mal and Evie, meanwhile, shared "the city", though Evie was allowed to go wherever she wanted because she was a good diplomat. Apparently, Evie had been part of Mal's gang but had risen to a leadership position when Mal and Uma were unable to compromise without a mediator.

Uma showed him to an area mostly untended and set him to work dismantling things. She didn't stick around to help though. She never did, and Ben had a suspicion that it was because Harry Hook was still unsure of him.

After an hour of breaking apart wooden beams and stacking them into small, easily-maneuverable piles, Ben felt all the hair on the back of his neck rise up. He knew why. It always did when Mal entered the area.

He didn't bother searching for her. Part of the reason why was because Evie had picked up on his hypersensitivity and was a bit sore over it. He didn't know if she was around, but it was better to be safe than sorry. The other part was that he was curious to see if she'd seek him out.

He'd almost blocked out the prickling of the skin on the back of his neck when a pair of pale hands snatched the bundle he was reaching for and held them off the ground as he tied a rope around them. Ben almost jumped out of his skin. He glanced up and met Mal's bright, electric green eyes, then focused his gaze on the ground and on the task at hand.

She helped him tie up the smoking racks and then, when all twenty-four were tied up, gathered a few stacks into her arms. Ben watched her pick up two, then four, then eight stacks, and silently set out to do more than her. Not to prove he was stronger, because that was a useless endeavor, but to prove he was strong enough to help her. He lifted two with ease, then four with a bit of an awkward shift, then lifting six was like lifting Little Belle, and eight wasn't too bad, so he went to ten and then twelve and then found himself again staring into Mal's eyes as they both reached for the last one, her twelfth and his fourteenth.

Mal turned her head to the side a little. Ben cleared his throat a little bit. "Would it be more chivalrous of me to take it so you don't have to lift it, or let you take it so that I'm not coming off as underestimating your strength?"

"I know you don't underestimate me," Mal assured him softly. "But you should let me take it so that we're equals."

Equals. A title, not a description. Just like how Mal was "dangerous". She was offering an equal status. And she was offering to take it. Ben tilted his head at the same angle she had hers at. "This is your olive branch for threatening me earlier, huh?"

Mal's face turned scarlet and her hand shook above the pile a little. Ben smirked a little, picked up the bundle, and handed it to her. He and Mal took their stacks and headed towards Uma's carts. Ben hefted his into the cart and then jumped up to help Mal stack hers beside him. She didn't say anything as he pressed each stack into place, but she did nod an approval when he hopped back down. They stood beside each other for a second, and then Ben turned to head towards where Harry was packing up cooking supplies.

"Where are you going?" Mal asked, wrinkling her nose and turning to watch him leave.

"To go help Uma," Ben replied. "Aren't you ready to hit the road? You have a kingdom waiting for you."

Mal blinked slowly and said nothing as Ben walked away. He knew she was gone when his muscles relaxed and his skin began to warm again, but it still filled him with sadness when he glanced over his shoulder and she had vanished from view.

God, what kind of womanizer was he trying to make himself into?

---

"We need two to every wagon!" Evie commanded, walking down the road early the next day. Everything had been packed up, tucked away, secured and tied into the carts. The carts, it should be mentioned, were of various varieties. Some had tiny awnings raised over them, some had two wheels and a handle, others had four and were pushed with handles screwed into the side. Most were wood, though some were metal, and now everyone's belongings were cramming into them. Until they arrived, this would be where everyone slept and kept their things.

Jay and Carlos picked up the handle of the cart without even turning to Ben. They began chattering – a conversation about their parents on the Isle that they'd started hours ago – and Ben twisted his hands before turning away. "Evie!" He called, and the blue-haired girl turned on her heel. "Do you have any community carts that I could help with?" He asked.

Evie considered him and then nodded towards a rather long cart that had teepee poles and clothes stacked in most of it with several dozen hides weighing them down. Ben nodded and went to pick up the handle at the front of it. The wood was rough, but it would smooth out in a few days. The opposite was happening to his hands. Before, he'd only had calluses where he wrote, but now he was gaining thick patches all along the insides of his hands and on his arms a little bit. He had, for the first time in his life, a farmer's tan where he kept rolling his shirt up.

"Ben! Ben!" A group of nine-year-olds ran up with bright smiles and giggles. Ben quickly dropped the handle to give them all hugs. These kids were so much more expressive than moody Little Belle. They never begged for toys or candy, instead pleading for loves and hugs and the chance to be thrown into the air. Ben was happy to oblige – he didn't want to imagine how often they'd gotten bear hugs on the Isle. If only he knew how to help Little Belle be more like them – happy with small things, patient, and always wanting loves. Maybe it was the outside air? Or the chores?

Maybe he'd let Belle's nanny go when he got home. Let her go and downsize her room – make her spend time outside with other kids her age and without the endless expanse of colorful toys that didn't even entertain her anyways.

Of course, Audrey would complain. What were the chances he could do the same thing to his wife?

A little girl shyly extended a bouquet of white daisies that had been carefully pinched off their stems and arranged with little grass strands tying them together. Ben made a show of gasping in surprise, reaching for them carefully, pulling one out to put back into her hair, and then carefully tucking the rest of the bouquet into his suit pocket.

"Speak French!" One of the children begged, tugging on his arm.

Ben laughed. "Je parler pas Français!" he protested. "Tu es dingue!"

"To-eh you!" a little girl reached up and patted his cheeks as she tried to repeat what he'd said.

Ben kissed both of her cheeks and gave her a quick hug before standing back up. "Alright, little language learners, we have to get this show on the road. Go find your carts so you don't get left behind!"

They left gradually, bidding him dozens of farewells that left a bright smile plastered on his face, even when he felt his skin grow cold and his hair begin to stand on end again.

Did she always have to watch him? Why couldn't she just come talk? Instead, he always had to keep from looking for her, trying to keep Evie, Uma, or anyone else form thinking he was anticipating her arrival. Trying to convince himself to not anticipate her arrival.

"Alright, everyone!" Evie yelled from further down the road. "Jay and Carlos are in the lead. Anthony Tremaine is at the rear. Let's go!"

Slowly, one by one, carts began to pull out. Ben fished in his pocket for a handkerchief, still ignoring the icy feeling that told him a fairy was watching him, and then wrapped it around the handle before picking it up and heading forward. The weight of the cart was heavy, but not horrible. Ben could manage it with one hand for a short amount of time and then switch hands. His shoulder might kill at the end of the day, but he'd be able to manage.

As he hit the main road, he felt the wheel catch on something. He pushed a little more, and the wheel skidded but didn't continue forward. He glimpsed purple out of the corner of his eye and then chose to neither react nor meet her gaze as Mal ducked under the handle and then pulled out her own handkerchief to lay across the handle. Together, they shoved, and Ben felt a rock come loose in the ground before they moved forward and into a long line heading west into the forest.

"Thank you," Ben bid Mal. He wondered if she was sticking around to help him, though she should be helping Evie with their cart. She and Evie, being close as sisters, shared a living space, though Mal tended to go where she wanted when she wanted and only returned to the cart when she wanted to perch and observe all her subordinates.

"Yeah," Mal shrugged carelessly. She was silent for several seconds and then asked: "You're serious about all this, right?"

"Mal, I gave you my oath," Ben reminded her. Mal remained tight-lipped. "I won't be going anywhere until I've helped you guys resettle."

At this, Mal gave him a cursory look. "Why didn't you go help Uma?" She asked, changing the subject.

Ben blinked a little. "Well, Jay and Carlos kinda took over my cart, so I asked Evie and she directed me to come here." He tilted his head at her. "Why aren't you at your cart?"

Mal squinted at him. "This is my cart," She nods to the back.

Ben turned and furrowed his brow at the teepees and the hides. "I thought you had the one next to Jay and Carlos?" He asked.

"That's Evie's," Mal nodded in agreement. "I bunk with her and I watch over my gang." She shook her head. "Isle stuff. You wouldn't understand. But this is mine."

"Oh," Ben's cheeks turned a bit red. "I'm sorry for grabbing it so suddenly. This is… a little awkward."

"It's fine. Evie's fault anyway. She probably orchestrated it." Mal nodded to the front and Ben looked up just in time to see Evie turn around. She wasn't pulling a cart, but she was walking next to Carlos and holding a magnet. Ben admired her courage – strutting through the woods in stilettos. Even Audrey would have worn sneakers.

Ben pinched his lips together as he realized what has happened. A set-up. Evie must have known Mal would ask what he was doing. He wondered what her intentions were – to see if he would fall over himself again, to see if Mal would incinerate him or… what? "Is everyone trying to set me up to be beside you?" He asked with a little frustration. Behind him, the camp disappears. Beside him, Mal gave him an odd stare.

"Not me," she replied after several long moments. The cart clatters over several rocks.

"I would believe that, except I can feel your gaze wherever I go," Ben shot back. "You think I don't notice you watching, but I do. And things keep happening – you keep appearing – and I know they're not coincidences."

Mal furrowed her brow. "What are you implying?" She snapped.

"You know exactly what I'm implying," Ben fixed his gaze on hers. He may not have fire behind his eyes, but he's served as a father and as a king and knew how to do a pretty good death stare. Mal kept her gaze focused on the road and curled in her shoulders a little. "Is this what you do on the Isle?" He asked. "Hang out and scope out gentlemen and bewitch them into asking for dates?"

"We don't really date much on the Isle," Mal replied. "It's more like… gang activity."

Ben kept his eyebrows arched as the trees grew denser around them. The children are singing group songs around them as they march alongside the carts, picking up flowers and leaves and pretty pebbles. Many of these items will end up gifts for Ben later on. Finally, Mal broke. "I don't hand out to scope for… boys. I like being high because then I can see danger faster. That's how we spotted your company in the first place. It's how we kept safe on the Isle. They call it a hierarchy for a reason – whoever's at the top is the safest."

"Actually, second-highest is safest," Ben reasoned. "Everyone's always trying to knock the top person off, so if you're right below him or her, you're mostly safe." He elbowed her a little. "Which, I suppose, is why I'm the most-protected person in this camp. I'm right below the three and above everyone else." It also helped, he supposed, that the three all seemed to like him.

Mal debated his ideas with a snort and then a nod. He took that as a good sign.

The trail continued. Ben wondered briefly where it was coming from – there hadn't been any followable trail in the days he'd been in camp, but then he realized that must be the reason Mal's eyes are still lit up like she is doing magic – she has been creating the trail, due west, despite being stuck in the middle of the line. And with this knowledge, he tried harder to push the cart himself so Mal didn't have to overexert himself. Mal, however, matched her speed to his and he had to back down before they ran into the cart in front of them.

"I have a question," Ben announced when his mouth began to feel a bit dry. "You mentioned when I first came here that your middle name was worse than mine. And I've been thinking; what could possibly be worse than Florian?"

Mal panted a little as they walked. Ben reached back with one hand and found a dinged water bottle – a treasure from the Isle – tucked inside. He handed it to her, and she let one hand off the handle to take a drink before passing it to him and then answering. "Bertha," She replied. "My middle name is Bertha."

Ben almost dropped the water bottle. "Bertha?" He repeated. "As in Mal Bertha?"

"Yeah," Mal frowned. "Just my mother doing what she does best; being really, really evil." She brandished a finger at him. "Now, don't you go spewing that around!" She warned.

Ben blinked at her nail, dangerously close to his eyes. He squinted a little at her and then managed to take a drink before re-stowing the water bottle away. "Wait," he frowned. "Who else knows?"

Mal kept her lips sealed shut and Ben formulated his own answer. Evie, Jay, and Carlos at the most. At the least, only him. "What makes me so special?" He asked.

Mal shrugged, furrowing her brow together. "You asked," She decided.

That sort of makes sense. Mal wasn't very approachable; chances are no one had ever bothered to ask. But that didn't explain how she didn't want him telling anyone. If she'd were honest with anyone who asked, then it wouldn't be a problem if he said anything. "Mal?" He asked.

Mal sighed in something like agony. "Ben," she began, "Shut up and walk."

---

When they stopped for the night, Ben made sure Mal had a place to sleep either in her own cart or in Evie's. It looked like she'd be staying in Evie's, as she was back up on her perch again. Evie's cart had a little bench overlook on top of it, which made it a bit heavier, but they can also fit emergency supplies and some sparse weapons in there, so it doesn't matter. She watched him as he walked by, glanced at the small space they'd cleared out, and noticed her spellbook set on her pillow.

"You're doing it again," He teased a little without much humor in his tone. "Perching and scoping out gentlemen to kidnap and bewitch."

Mal let her face twist into a little thing of amusement. "What does that say about you?" She asked.

Ben, once again, was at a loss for words. He hadn't meant to convey his predicament so obviously… that he is being bewitched even though he really shouldn't be. He swallowed as Mal leaned down from her perch to examine him. Her green eyes had faded to grey, and he could see those golden flecks sparkling in the setting sun. "Is it working?" She asked softly, curiously.

Ben jolted out of his thoughts and shook his head furiously to clear it. "Goodnight Mal," He bid her and then left.

---

"This is worse than any punishment my mother ever gave me," Mal growled as she kicked a rock out of their path. Ben snorted. It's the third day of walking. Their faces are all sunburned. Ben's hands had cracks running up them. Mal's fingernails were chipping off and her nails have little brown streaks in them. Everyone had splinters, but theirs's are less because of the ingenious idea of the handkerchiefs.

Mal had entertained him occasionally with stories of everything under the sun – the Isle, setting up the camp, and – his favorite – her childhood. He'd decided Mal definitely had a height complex – she wa a dragon, meant to be in the air anyways, but this combined with the fact she grew up in a tower on the Isle of the Lost and one of her chores was to scope for danger while her mother slept and then later they built a hideaway that was forty feet off the ground and Mal used to stay up all night watching over her friends… it's no surprise she acted the way she did now. He had noticed, however, that she had shifted her post to be of equal distance between him, Jay, Evie, and Carlos since he'd arrived. He was in her circle of protection now, and he was creeping steadily towards his own circle of danger.

Part of him knew he should come clean about Audrey now. Part of him hoped that someone else would mention it to her. A very naïve part of his brain wondered if she already knew and was only doing these things – watching him, dropping small remarks, examining him – to see how uncomfortable she could make him.

If she was, there was a problem with that plan – he wasn't uncomfortable. On the contrary, a week of eating Uma's food and doing real work and having real conversations with people and sleeping under real stars had done wonders for him. Part of him wanted to throw Audrey's ring in a bush and let Evie rip up his Auradon crest shirt for scraps and never, ever look back, but the other part whined uncomfortably and conjured up a feeling of disappointment and guilt in such a strong manner than Ben was almost left gasping for breath. He wasn't uncomfortable; he was desperate for change. And that realization was despicable because really, if he needed more love, he should ask Audrey to be more affectionate. To come into his office from time to time and smile. To attend dinner with him and Little Belle. To go places with him and go see their old friends. He shouldn't have been running off with other women and over-analyzing the amount of time they spent watching him whenever he's helping to do any heavy-lifting or when he's playing with the other kids or… anything.

"Yeah?" he snorted as Mal continued to complain under her breath. "I don't know about you, but this is the best thing that has happened to me."

Mal rolled her eyes. "You were obviously spoiled rotten, then."

"Guilty as charged," Ben affirmed in the driest tone he could conjure up. Maybe that's the problem with Little Belle – he and Audrey have spoiled her too much. Would it be too drastic to take everything away and start from scratch? Perhaps if he could keep Audrey out of the picture long enough, then…

God, he couldn't decide if he wanted his wife closer or farther.

Mal tripped a little over a sparse rock and Ben snatched her arm before she could fall forward. Her face turned a little red as she regained her footing. "Sorry," she mumbled quickly and then kept her gaze fastened on the ground in embarrassment. Ben let a little smile pull at the corner of his mouth. He decided not to mention it.

"What's Auradon like?" Mal asked, huffing a little harder as the trail turned steeper.

Ben shrugged. "They're very... selfish. I mean, I'm going to probably work until the day I die for them, but I'll never get any credit for it."

"Or at least until the throne is passed on," Mal reminded him nonchalantly. Her words made him stumble. She snatched his arm and hoisted him back up as he stared at her with a bit of a wild tone in his eyes. He hadn't mentioned to anyone, yet, that he had a daughter. Jay, Uma, and a couple of other people knew about Audrey, but the fact he was also a father hadn't been raised yet. How would Mal know?

"I wasn't trying to insinuate anything," Mal snapped a little, wrinkling her nose at his reaction. "Geesh, did I hit a sore spot or something?"

Ben stared at her, trying to puzzle out what she meant, and then slowly shook his head. "No," He mumbled. "My apologies. I misheard."

Mal examined him a little bit more and then turned her attention back to walking without any further questions or prodding. Ben, too, focused on taking one step before another as the cold sweat dried off his skin, and his heart thudded in his chest.

---

They passed Charmington by, and then a week into the trek, it rained.

They had seen the storm coming, and so they'd had time to erect teepees and lean-tos and a couple of large canopies that Carlos had whipped up. Then, they'd turned over some of the carts and covered all the supplies with tarps and hides. Now that there was no more work needing to be done, Ben was hiding out underneath a cart with Jay and Carlos, Evie and Uma. Evie, Uma, and Carlos were doing some sort of crazy math that Carlos invented to figure out how far they've gone while Jay and Ben played a game with a stick. The stick had one end painted red. One person flipped it to the other, and if they caught the red end, it's a point against them.

Ben heard the first few drops hit the ground as he caught the stick in mid-air. He paused, twirling it in his fingers before looking around at their group. "Where's tall, pink and scary?" he asked, flipping the stick to Jay, who snorted at the contradiction he'd painted. Ben raised an eyebrow at him as he threw the stick wide and Ben had to lean in his chair to grab it.

"Out," Uma shrugged. "Don't worry, Prince Charming, she'll be back soon. Then you can stop pining for her."

Ben rolled his eyes. "I love how you all assume I'm completely smitten for her despite the fact I treat her and Dizzy about the same way," he snorted. Now, to be fair, he did think Mal was very lovely, but he had Audrey to remember. Aside and Little Belle.

"Except you don't drool when you look at Dizzy," Evie laughed. She'd stopped being sore at Ben's subtle rejection and was now prone to making all the suggestive comments she could, taking great joy in the way he dismissed her every whimsical notion. "And your eyes don't get all big and wide and you don't start ignoring everyone else around you."

Ben scoffed. "Sure, Evie," He sighed. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Give it a month," Evie recommended with a wicked grin. "You'll be helping her sleep at night and I'll be right." She turned to Uma with a smirk pulling at her lips. "I can't wait to see what their wedding will look like. It's sure to be a royal spectacle."

Ben's mouth went dry. This was not careless teasing. It was not friendly jabs. He and Jay both stopped their game as Jay's dark gaze hovered on Ben's shocked expression.

"Evie," Ben swallowed nervously. "You know I'm married, right?"

Evie's mouth dropped open and she spun to stare at him face-on. Ben kept his expression straight and serious as he pulled out his ring. "I, uh, don't wear the ring when I travel. It got broken too many times the first year I tried." He held it out for proof. It was a flashy, rough, ugly sort of thing. Ben hadn't ever actually thought a wedding ring could be ugly until Audrey had dropped that one in his hand. It was blue and made entirely from sapphire with little silver tendrils curling around it. Partially clear, and with her name on the outside, though it was hard to see without focusing. It was, he thought, a good allegory for how their relationship was. Very expensive, flashy, centered on her and often uncomfortable to wear.

Carlos sucked in a breath as Uma let out a whistle. "Way to go big or go home," she laughed. "Why'd you pick that shade of blue? It doesn't match with anything."

Ben shrugged, red tones creeping into his neck. "She did," he admitted. "I, uh, just went along with it." He replaced the chain around his neck and hid the ring from sight, feeling sheepish. "I, uh, know it doesn't exactly blend in very well. I think that was her intention."

Uma turned her head to the side. "But you like this girl, right?" She demanded. "Like, Auradon True Love and everything?"

Ben blinked slowly at all of them as they leaned forward. This was the part where he agreed. Yes, he and Audrey were in love. They were, after all, the example of what everyone in Auradon wanted. He had to play that part so that these people - these new citizens of Auradon - would know what to search after. Perfect marriage with your one True Love and Happily Ever After. But for some reason, he couldn't conjure his affirmation. He gave an odd motion instead - something that was half nod and half-shrug. He tried to open his mouth to say something to back up his motion but a dozen images stopped him. Audrey, not even looking at him when he came in to tell her Belle had been dropped from preschool for bad behavior. Audrey, forbidding him to touch or move a dozen different items when they first moved in together. Audrey, slowly filling up everything everywhere with her and her presence while Ben watched all things small and simple fade from existence.

"Oh man," Carlos exhaled. "That's rough, man."

Ben blinked. He hadn't said anything aloud, but apparently, his face had changed while he was consumed in his thoughts. "It's, uh, not ba - I mean - it's manageable."

"Does Mal know?" Jay asked, pulling his focus back to the purple-haired girl's right-hand associate.

Ben shrugged. "I assumed word would get around but apparently not. Does Mal need to know?"

His only answer was an awkward silence and the shifting glances of everyone around. Ben's heart sank. This had obviously gone way further than he ever intended. "I'll... drop a hint," he agreed dejectedly and ran his hand through his hair.

"A hint for what?" Someone asked as they walked up. Everyone's heads snapped over to where Mal was approaching with a sword swung over her shoulder. Ben swallowed. It was one thing to - break her heart? Let her down? Disappoint her? But it was another to do it when she had a means to decapitate him.

"Nothing," Ben assured her. "Where did you run off to?"

"Just out," Mal rolled her eyes and used her foot to pull up a chair beside Evie, within easy reach of Ben. She stuck the sword into the ground, leaned her chin against her hand, and then put her feet over by Uma's chair. Uma wrinkled her nose and kicked Mal, but Mal moved her foot out of the way of the blow and then set it on top of the teal-haired girl's foot.

Ben sighed and leaned over to knock Mal's hand out from under her chin. "Quit antagonizing each other," He demanded. "You guys are so similar it's hilarious."

On instinct, Evie opened her mouth to make a snide comment, then closed it without further comment. Mal stuck her tongue out at Ben. "Sure, your majesty," She rolled her eyes. "I thought you weren't going to be giving out orders?"

"Fair point," Ben nodded. "Mini-Maleficent, would you kindly refrain from pestering the daughter of Ursula, who is patient enough to keep feeding your ungrateful behind day after day?"

Uma burst into laughter about the same time Mal spun around, eyes lit up, to glare at Ben. "Beasty boy," She drawled, glaring at him. Ben's heart thudded against his chest. There was a sudden pain under his tongue and he realized that Evie was right - he was drooling. He closed his mouth in time to listen to Mal continue talking. "Would you like to quit talking or would you like to lose a few fingers?"

"To be honest, neither option sounds quite right," Ben sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You know what, Mal? I'm calling your bluff. Let's see this violence you keep threatening me with." He leaned back into an upright stance and offered Mal his right hand. She blinked at it in shock.

"What?" She gasped. "Are you insane?"

"Go on," Ben snorted. "Let's see your threat in action. I bet you won't."

Mal shoved his hand away. When their skin brushed, his heart did flip-flops inside his chest. He could feel pins and needles all along where she had touched him, and he was suddenly short of breath. As he leaned back into his seat, trying to conjure up a triumphant smile, he focused on making sure his lungs were still functional.

A sudden boom echoed throughout the sky. Everyone gasped and Mal seized her sword, jumping to her feet. Evie, Jay, Uma, and Carlos all spun around to see where the sound had come from. Ben stared. "It's just thunder," he told them. "Did you not have it on the Isle? In storms and everything?"

"We had storms," Uma frowned, staring at him in confusion. "But our storms didn't yell at us."

Ben snorted and then covered his face as he laughed. "I'm sorry," He apologized. "It's not the storm, it's the electricity in the air. The same stuff that's in batteries. See, when the weather is dry and there are lots of temperature changes in the air, you can get lightning. It's a lot of sparks that can fall from the sky. You'll probably see some here soon - it's very beautiful. But anyways, light travels faster than sound, so the lightning comes first and then the thunder follows. You can actually calculate how far away the storm is by counting how far in between they are."

"So, the thunder comes from the lightning?" Evie asked, leaning out over the edge of the cart and examining the sky. In the distance, Ben could hear people panicking, calling for help. They'd have to head out to explain everything soon.

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "But when they first named them, they didn't realize that." He stood up, brushed his legs off, and then pointed to the skyline, where scores of dark clouds were approaching. "Here, wait a moment, we'll probably see some lightning and then I'll show you how to tell how far away it is." He leaned against the cart with an arm above his head. Evie, Carlos, and Mal all leaned forward, examining the skyline quizzically.

"We didn't have lightning on the Isle," Jay murmured. "I guess the barrier stopped the electricity."

"But you do know what electricity is, right?" Ben asked. "I can explain that too."

"We do," Carlos nodded. "I found a book on it once. And that's how we escaped. I used a magnetic pulse to break the barrier long enough for Mal to get in the hole and hold it open."

A flash of yellow appeared off in the far distance. Evie gasped in shock and Ben saw every single hair on Mal's arm stand up on end. Her face had gone paler with surprise. "One," he counted softly, still tracing her face with his eyes. "Two, three, four…" He waited for the boom of thunder to follow. Finally, it did, making everyone jump a little before they all relaxed and began to laugh. "Twenty-two," Ben announced. "Sound travels a mile every five seconds. The storm is a little over four miles away."

"Four point four," Carlos breathed. "You divide the seconds by the time." He began to laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Can you tell when it'll get here?" Mal asked, frowning a little as she cautiously waited for another bolt to appear. Ben smirked. Was the daughter of Maleficent afraid of a little lightning?

"No," he responded. "If we had some wind gizmos, we could tell how quickly the wind is blowing and then distance over time is speed. And in Auradon, we've launched satellites so that we can track storms from space and see what direction they're moving and where they form."

"Woah," Evie whispered softly. Ben ripped his gaze off of Mal long enough to see that she'd looked back at him. The look on her face was one of pure amazement. Then, she glanced at Mal and her face twisted in something like pain. Ben turned back to Mal and raised an eyebrow to see her studying him.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"This is all common knowledge in Auradon, isn't it?" She asked, setting her sword aside dejectedly. "There's no way you just happen to know all this."

"Well," Ben shrugged his head back and forth. "It's taught in some schools but I doubt anyone remembers it. I know it because, well, there was this one story about a little girl who left her bear in a rainstorm and she was trying to figure out how far away the storm was so she could go grab it. It was like, the second grade. I'm probably the only person who remembers it. And then the distance and speed stuff, I know that from a physics book I reread last summer."

"And the compass?" Mal asked.

Ben laughed. "It's stupid," He warned her. "See, when I was younger, I really wanted to run off into the wilderness and leave Auradon behind. So I read all these books about people who survived being stranded or lost or people who struck out on their own. There was one about a guy who got lost in a jungle after a plane crashed. There was a sewing needle in a first aid kit he had and so he made a compass and figured if he went straight in one direction, it'd keep him from going in circles."

"So, you just remember everything you read?" Evie asked.

"Not everything," Ben shook his head. "But lots of things, yes. I like to read."

Mal wrinkled her nose up further and further as he spoke and crossed her arms as if his words were irking her. Ben tilted his head at her. "Do you have a favorite book, Mal?" He asked.

Mal turned away and hefted her sword back up into her arms before pulling a whetting stone out of her pocket and starting to scrape the edge of the blade with it. "I like the history books we had back on the Isle," she muttered, glaring at the ground.

Ben furrowed his brow. "Did you guys not have any storybooks sent over? Or fiction stuff? I know Auradon wasn't the best provider, but surely some things would have slipped in along the textbooks?"

Mal huffed and turned her head away from Ben's. Her face was an angry peach color. "I can't read, Ben," she admitted in a hiss.

Ben dropped his arm off the cart and stared at her in shock. "What?" he gasped. "But… Evie and Carlos can." He nudged Uma. "Can you?" He asked. Then, across the way to Jay, "Can you?"

Uma snorted and shook her head. "Only the menu items and some words in dutch," she replied.

Jay shook his head. "I know numbers," He replied.

Mal still wouldn't meet his eyes, instead brushing her hair to cover her face even more. Ben took a step forward and leaned a little bit to catch her hard gaze glaring at the ground. The moment she glimpsed him in her peripherals, she whipped away and turned her back to him. "Mal?" He asked.

"What, Ben?" She snapped, venom dripping from her tone. "I can't read. Sorry that not everyone on the Isle is as educated as you Auradonian filth."

"Mal," Evie whispered softly behind him.

Mal turned briefly to her friend, and then turned back away, still avoiding him, and continued sharpening her blade. "I didn't need to know how," She explained in a softer, more vulnerable tone. "I needed to know what was poisonous and how to use whatever magic I could inside the barrier. I needed to memorize the spells my mom told me and I needed to make sure my gang was protected and never questioned. When I showed up for classes, it was to hurl spitballs at students and mock the lower villains who taught the classes. We had Hostage Taking, Selfishness 101, things like that. I made Carlos do all my work."

Ben's gaze flicked over to Carlos, who had nodded twice to her final statement. Before his eyes, a picture spread of Mal, the pinnacle of evilness, trying to be everything her mother wanted her to be, throwing everything paper at Carlos. That was why Carlos knew math and reading and some sciences. Mal's education had inadvertently gone to him. "I could teach you," He offered before he gestured to Jay and Uma as well. "I could show you all how to read."

Uma scrunched her brow together. "I'd like that," She nodded. "And I'd want Harry to learn with me. Think I could learn things like you?"

"I'm sure you could learn more," Ben laughed. He glanced at Jay, but Jay didn't look too interested. Mal glanced up, pushing her hair back just enough to peer out at him, and then went back to sharpening her sword without a word. He wasn't sure if that was a yes or a no. He cleared his throat. "But you like history?" He asked.

Mal said nothing. He waited, but she remained tight-lipped. Finally, he turned away with a sigh. Some days, she was open to him. Others, she was just as closed off as Audrey.

"I better go calm everyone down," Evie hummed after a moment. "Uma, want to help me cover ground?"

Uma nodded and the two girls peered out from under the cart cautiously before they sprinted across the field. Ben furrowed his brow at them. It was as if they were afraid of the sky. Carlos left too - in the same manner - looking excited about a revelation he had just had. Now it was just him, Mal, and Jay.

He listened to Mal scrape her blade against the stone and sighed as another flash of lightning lit up the sky. One… two… three… at eighteen seconds, thunder shook the sky, inciting more panic from the others in the camp. He saw Mal flinch, but she made no sound. It occurred to him that if they had counted the time between the first and second lightning strikes, they could tell how fast the storm was moving. He'd suggest the idea to Carlos when he returned.

"I don't think this is a problem, but if the lightning happens to start a fire when it strikes, we'll have to put it out somehow," Ben mentioned, scoffing at the ground. It wasn't dry, per se, but would still probably blaze if prompted.

Mal glanced towards the clouds, finally pushing her hair back out of her face. "I'll put it out," She promised. "I know a spell. It's made for dragon fire, but it should work fine for normal fire."

Ben nodded and sat down with a sigh. "You know lots of spells?" He asked. Mal nodded but didn't expand. "Did your mom make you memorize them."

Mal glared at him. A real glare, one that made his entire body feel cold and hot at the same time. "Ben," She spat, and he knew she was being absolutely serious about this because she was using his real name and not something like 'Prince Charming' or 'Beast Boy', "don't ask me about my mother,"

Ben nodded and looked away from her. "Sorry," He apologized.

There was a deep silence. Ben supposed that Mal had gotten used to him responding with varying levels of sarcasm and now his sincerity was strange to her. He listened carefully as she set her sword aside and then sat down in her chair, still facing mostly away from him. There were several long beats of silence, wherein lightning flashed again in the distance and then, ten seconds later, thunder made Mal jump. He glanced over at her, watching her purple hair brush against the back of her chair.

Finally, she cleared her throat and turned her head a little more so he could see the elegant slope of her nose behind her hair. "Evie used to read books aloud when she was first learning. Carlos taught her because he noticed she was interested in chemistry. Mostly books on sciences and then some literature. She read Sleeping Beauty aloud once or twice. Didn't notice I was listening in for a long time and then just waited until I wasn't busy to start reading."

"She's a good friend," Ben gave a slight nod. "I'm glad you had that opportunity."

Mal snorted a little. She looked down the field and Ben followed her gaze to see Carlos dashing across the field holding a variety of metal tools. Ben stood up and held his hand out. "Carlos!" He called. "I had a thought on how to predict when the storm will get here."

Carlos reached the carts, panting, and then dropped a variety of things onto the ground. "Oh?" He asked. "I was going to build a thing for the wind."

"You should," Ben nodded. "Just in case we run into a storm with no thunder or lightning. But if you count the distance twice, so two lightning and thunder rounds, and also count the time between flash number one and two, we can figure out how much ground the storm covered in X amount of time, and then distance over speed is time."

Carlos tilted his head and then began to nod ecstatically. He sat down in his chair with his collection around him and began fiddling while also examining the skyline. It wasn't long before he pointed and said "There!" and began tapping out a count on his leg.

Mal continued looking out over the field. "Evie and Shrimpy better get back soon," She grumbled. "Don't want them to be stranded out in the field."

"Uma," Ben corrected automatically. Thunder cracked and Mal stiffened. Ben stood up and stepped out from under the cart's cover. He headed around to the side and pulled from a chest he'd been given two jackets that Evie had gifted him. One she'd made after measuring him, the other she had simply altered. The 'From Scratch' one was blue, and the other was brown. Ben wondered if she'd have a problem if he kept one or both when he left.

He pulled the brown jacket on, noting how it didn't quite fit right around his torso, and then stepped back underneath the cart. Mal was leaning forward in her chair, squinting down the field and looking a little concerned. Thunder cracked again and she jumped.

"That's three!" Carlos exclaimed. "So it's now point six miles away and before it was one. It was thirty seconds in between flash to flash, so it traveled point four miles in thirty seconds."

"So about another minute and a half?" Ben asked. He heard a plopping sound on the underside of the cart. Mal withdrew her foot from the edge of the cart, looking alarmed.

"You sure the carts will be safe, Mal?" Carlos asked, glancing up at the wooden underside in fear.

"Should be," Mal nodded. "I spelled them all."

Ben dropped his blue jacket, the one Evie had made, around her shoulders and pulled her hair out from under the collar. Mal almost jumped straight out and her hands balled into fists as she whipped her head around to see what he was doing. "Relax," He muttered under his breath, smoothing the shoulders down over her own petite ones. "There. That'll protect you from the thunder."

Mal did relax a little, though she stared at him with something that was either fearful confusion or confused fear. "Why do I need protection from the thunder?" She asked.

Ben shrugged, sitting back down. "You don't seem to like it much. Don't worry; it won't actually hurt you."

"I'm just not used to it," Mal scoffed, picking at the zipper on his jacket. "So I don't actually need this?"

"Nah," Ben shook his head. "Just thought I'd be nice and grab something for you." He didn't look at Jay or Carlos. He didn't want to see the judging looks in their eyes.

The rain started to come down in tiny little pitter-patters that made Ben relax into his chair with his eyes closed. The smell of rain and of wood and of Mal washed over him. This was nice. He could stay like this for a long, long…

Someone screamed.

He snapped to attention, looking around to see Evie and Uma in full sprint across the field. Evie. Evie had screamed. What was wrong? Was there a snake, or-

Mal jumped to her feet. "Come on!" She yelled, anxiety clear in her tone. Evie dashed towards them, face white, almost crying, while Uma slowed, looked confused. She held a hand up to the sky as lightning flashed overhead and thunder followed almost instantaneously afterward.

Evie crashed into Mal, flinging water off her hands and shaking from panic. Ben was baffled. "What's wrong?" He asked, staring at them in shock. "Was there a snake or something?"

Mal wrinkled her face up at him. "What?" She asked. "No, we could have dealt with a snake. But the rain. Doesn't it-"

"Guys!" Uma barked from where she stood, about five feet from the carts in the rain as it came crashing down, soaking her from head to toe. "It ain't burning!"

Evie stopped sobbing and stared at Uma in wonder. She examined her own skin, where a few raindrops had fallen, and then reached her hand out to catch a handful of water. It slipped through her fingertips, taking all dirt with it, and she let out a breath.

Mal frowned at the water outside and then, in a moment of determination, stepped out into the downpour. Jay had finally gotten to his feet to stare outside with his jaw gaping. She turned her face skyward, closed her eyes, and stood still while the rain hit her face. "Oh my gosh," she whispered. "It's clean."

Evie stepped out too, then Jay and Carlos. Evie began to laugh, clapping her hands to her mouth. "Auradon has clean rain!" She gasped. "Woah!"

Ben's hands shook a little as he took in the scene, and then he swallowed as he slowly got to his feet. "Don't get too cold," he warned. "You'll catch a chill."

Mal opened her eyes and looked back at him. A blinding smile spread across her face, making his heart twist. He raised an eyebrow in response to her and then nodded to the downpour. "You don't have this on the Isle?" He asked.

"Our rain burns our skin," Mal explained. "And it rots through wood. Dangerous."

Ben felt like he might be sick as he watched her take in the new experience with a smile. She turned away from him and then walked out further into the field. He watched her in the rain. Her hair stuck to her face and her smile grew all the brighter when raindrops hit her cheeks. She turned her face heavenward as if there was nothing more magical than rain.

Holy heavens above, she was beautiful. So beautiful he could feel his knees giving out as she slowly stole the breath from his lungs.

The storm grew thick and nasty, but all the VK's stayed out, spinning and laughing as they explored the new experience. Jay was the first to come back, shivering and blue with a bright smile on his face. Then, softly after, Mal returned, puffing a little as she collapsed into her chair. His jacket had served as a waterproof covering, so she wasn't too soaked, but her hair still stuck to her face.

"That," she gasped, "is magical,"

Ben chuckled and then leaned forward and picked up a lock of her hair, turning it in his hand. It curled when it was wet. Then, coming to his senses, he dropped it and turned back to the outside. "Yeah. I've always loved the rain."

"You love everything," Mal blurted out. Ben glanced sideways at her. If he was single, this would be the perfect moment for a pick-up line. If he was dating her, it'd be the perfect time to make her blush with something like "I love you."

Uma gasped as she stepped back into the cover of the cart, and Mal's mood soured just a tad as she turned away from Ben. Uma watched Ben out of the corner of her eyes as she collapsed back into her long-abandoned chair with a sigh. And Ben remembered what he had to do. Clue Mal in.

How to do it? How to break this fragile little thing they had going? He swallowed and looked back out at the rain. The sky had darkened, and he could barely see Evie and Carlos enjoying the downpour. The clatter was so loud that he wondered how, if he said anything, anyone would hear him.

Mal stood up and stood beside him, close enough he could drop his arm around her and pull her close if he wanted. Not if he wanted; if he could. If he wasn't already spoken for. "I love the rain," she whispered softly.

It was probably, he thought, the first time she'd ever admitted to loving something aloud.

"My daughter hates it," he whispered, keeping his eyes locked on the sky as a flash of lightning lit the sky up.

There was a very, very long silence. Except for the fact that Mal had put a foot behind her and he could feel the increasing confusion and hostility rising from her, he would have thought the statement had gone unnoticed. He finally dared to glance towards her and the sight was worse than he'd anticipated. Her lower lip was jutted out as she squinted at him and clouds of hurt had fogged over her eyes. Behind him, he could see Jay and Uma exchange an anxious glance while letting out simultaneous exhales. "What?" Mal asked.

"My daughter," Ben forced himself to say. "She, uh, she's a lot like her mom. Doesn't really like the rain very much. It used to scare her a lot, but now she just complains whenever it rains." Belle would complain no matter the day or time, but there wasn't a way he could phrase that frustration at the moment. He turned a little towards Mal and then glanced down at his jacket on her frame. "During rainstorms when she was little, she'd come and curl up in our bed. My wife would steal my sweaters and we'd read together."

It occurred to him too late that details like that might hurt her more.

Mal's face glassed over and looked down at the jacket around her shoulders. Her hands came up to tug lightly at the zippers. "You're married?" She asked, sounding very stifled.

"Yeah," Ben mumbled softly. "For seven years."

He waited to see what her full reaction would be. Mal's emotions were always puzzles. Her sarcasm made up for laughter and amusement. Her insults made up for tears or anguish. He watched her hands curl around the zipper of his jacket before she abruptly spun around, ripped it off her shoulders, and dropped it in his chair. She pushed her wet hair back and then ducked back into the storm. Ben followed her departure with his eyes. She glowed green until the darkness grew too thick and she had vanished from sight.

"You could have said that a bit better," Uma reprimanded softly. She reached for Mal's sword and ran her finger down the blade. She and Mal both liked using big, scary, threatening things to hide behind.

Ben nodded silently. "I guess," he muttered, and then picked up his blue jacket. Part of him wanted desperately to raise the jacket to his nose and take a deep whiff to see if she'd left behind any scent, but he knew now wasn't the time nor place.

"So, are you and your wife... close?" Jay asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. "Because earlier, you made it sound like you weren't."

Ben considered a response, twisting the collar of his jacket in his hands. When none came to mind, he shrugged and looked out to the rain. The rain that Mal loved. The rain she'd looked beautiful in.

Maybe if Audrey could find joy in small things like Mal could, he'd love her-

Well, he shouldn't be thinking like that.