"A lie discovered is enough to create doubt in every truth expressed."
—
Today had to have been the best day of Mal's life. Laying across her bed in Evie's Castle, the Daughter of Maleficent was still seeing stars. It had truly been a whirlwind of events, what with VK Day now officially over, and four new kids deep in sleep about the castle. Sure the incident with Hades was unexpected, but it wasn't anything Mal couldn't handle with a bit of dragon fire. He was back behind the barrier where he belonged. But the best thing had to have been the proposal.
It wasn't necessarily a surprise, as Mal had honestly seen it coming just by the way Evie had been fussing. But it was still incredible none the less, being surrounded by all of Auradon as he got down on one knee for her. Her. Daughter of the Evil Fairy. Smiling even broader, Mal twirled the new ring on her finger mindlessly, thinking of her fiancé. She would be moving into Beasts Castle soon — the plans had already been laid out. Belle and Beast had been ecstatic about the idea, and Ben, well he was Ben.
But there was one thing still niggling the back of her mind. Despite all the good that had happened today, a certain Princess kept cropping up in her memories. Of course Mal wasn't expecting the Daughter of Sleeping Beauty to be her number one cheerleader. But they had come to a somewhat rocky understanding of one another after the Coronation. Audrey and Chad, despite being on and off, seemed content together. And Mal had barely seen Audrey in the past year anyway. So the fact that the now blonde haired princess was suddenly stuck in her thoughts seemed a bit unusual.
Her reaction to the proposal had been unexpected, to say the least. Audrey must have known already Mal and Ben planned on staying together. So why was she suddenly so against their marriage? And even stranger was the look held on her face, one which was giving Mal goosebumps. The Dragon Girl expected hatred or jealousy from the daughter of Aurora, but not fear. Audrey looked completely stricken, even a bit afraid of the news. Queen Leah had to practically keep the young Princess from fainting right there on the spot. Why was the reaction so extreme all of a sudden?
Rolling over onto her stomach, Mal dropped her brows as she thought. Thinking about Audrey, the fact that she'd completely slipped out of existence for a year was a bit off too. No one really said anything about it except Chad, but skipping a whole six weeks of classes for a spa trip? That was a bit extreme, even for someone like Audrey. Shaking her head, Mal rubbed her brow. She was looking into this way to much. This was Audrey, someone who had the emotional depth of a pie dish. Not really thinking of anything for a moment, Mal's heart suddenly leapt as three knocks echoed through the house.
They were quiet knocks, but knocks none the less as Mal sat up. It was late in the night, a time when all of Auradon really needed to be asleep. Her included. So as the knocks continued, Mal shuffled down to the foyer in her fluffy purple slippers, prepared to blast any possible creepers to the moon. Reaching for the door, Mal opened it and was instantly ready for a fight. She wasn't expecting to find Audrey on the stoop, huddled into a huge coat looking like a deer caught in a trap. Dropping her arms with a sigh of relief, Mal's facade of tired indifference was ready to slip back into place.
"Audrey. It's the middle of the night, what are you doing here?"
At being addressed, the Princess turned slightly. This revealed the long gash, one trailing down from across the bridge of her nose to the side of her neck. It was bleeding profusely, and struck Mal dumb at the sight of it.
"M-M-Mal..." Audrey croaked, hugging the coat tighter around her shoulders as tears escaped from the eye unaffected by the wound across her face, "...help me."
The Princesses hands were shaking, red with what looked to be more blood all the way up to her elbows as Mal blinked away the initial shock and nodded.
"Yeah. Come in,"
Audrey nodded quickly, obviously still in a state of shock herself as she crossed the stoop. Being inside the house didn't seem to calm her any, as she still jumped when Mal turned the lights on. The Princess looked even worse in the light, covered in pale bruising which would no doubt darken with time. She had been fighting something, no doubt about it was all the blood that worried Mal the most. Being sure not to touch her guest, the Dragon Girl led Audrey into the living room, "sit down here. I have to get Evie, she knows how to stitch."
"Mal...she's...she's d-dead."
"What?" Heart thundering, Mal suddenly became very worried about her blue haired friend as Audrey lifted her hands. It was most definitelyblood on her skin, creating a brutal mosaic of patterns as Audrey began to cry again, "Audrey, what do you mean?"
"She's dead...I-I couldn't...I couldn't save her."
"Audrey." Kneeling down slightly, Audrey's eyes were filled with nothing but fear, "who's dead?"
"...my Grammy...she's...she's dead Mal." hands quaking in utter panic, Mal did the only thing she could possibly think of. She pulled the Princess into a tight hug. Audrey cried, loud and desperate and in utter grief as Mal clutched onto her. No doubt the whole house was stirring now, as Evie was the first one down the stairs, gasping.
"Evie, you need to keep the kids upstairs, they don't need to see this." Mal ordered her immediately, feeling Audrey's blood on her smear onto her cheek as the young Princess continued to grasp her nightgown in a death grip, "have Doug call the police and an ambulance, I think something happened at the Honeymoon Cottage."
"Mal..."
"Evie, please just do it. This is an emergency."
And off the blue haired girl went, yelling at the guys to get up, and for the kids to stay in their rooms. Grateful for her best friend, Mal gently pried Audrey off of her. Up close, she could see the true extent of the wound in her face. It would leave a keep scar, still dripping as Mal's stomach churned. It didn't look like any sort of sword or blade wound, it was far to deep and forceful. It almost looked like an animal had done this, it's claw shredding the skin easily, like ribbon. Audrey had grown heavy in Mal's arms, her cries silenced.
"Audrey?"
Standing so she could lower the princess to the sofa, Audrey didn't look good at all. She was unconscious now, still bleeding with her lips parted slightly as Mal checked her pulse. It was strong against her fingertips, but the girl had no doubt come to them on foot. And the trip from Auroria to Auradon wasn't necessarily short. Glancing up as Evie reappeared in the living room, she had the medical kit in hand. The guys followed behind her, Jay and Carlos with their swords leaving the house to patrol the outside. Doug was probably still upstairs, watching after the kids and making necessary phone calls.
"Mal, what happened to her?"
Stepping aside so Evie could look at the wound, the Dragon Girl shook her head, breathing shakily.
"I don't know. But...Evie, I think Queen Leah is dead."
"What?"
"It's what Audrey was able to tell me before passing out. I think the shock of it all was just to much for her. That and blood loss maybe." Running a hand through her hair, Mal began to pace as the clock ticked by slowly. Evie worked as a diligent nurse, cleaning and stitching the wound so healing could begin. Audrey winced and cried out during the process, as they had nothing for the pain, but Evie was nimble with a needle and thread as she carefully laid patches of white gauze over the worst half of Audrey's face.
"That should hold it for now, but I'll be glad when the medics get here. Mal...that gash was violent and deep," Evie said, obviously unnerved as she used a few sanitary wipes to clean the red staining off Audrey's fingers, "I've never seen anything like it. Not even on the Isle."
"I remember once one of the older boys messed with the big bad wolf?" Mal mused, speaking aloud as she paced nervously, "He lived somehow, but had claw marks similar to this one all over him."
"You think it was an animal attack?" Evie questioned, eyebrows lifting, "inside the palace?"
"I'm just...thinking aloud, E. It's not any kind of real answer."
"Right. Right, I'm sorry. It's just these injuries are strange. And you said Queen Leah is...dead? How did Audrey even get away from something like this?"
"I don't know E," Mal said, shaking her head, "I honestly don't know."
Glancing up slightly as there were footsteps on the stairs, Doug appeared. He looked as stricken and stressed as the rest of them, glasses fogging up with each hot breath.
"I called the Police. And an Ambulance is on its way now."
"Good. I need to let Ben know what happened tonight."
"Go, Mal. I'll watch over her."
Giving Evie a grateful smile, Mal left the living room and slipped into an empty office. Picking up the landline, the Dragon Girl dialed Ben's familiar number. Waiting as the phone rang and rang, Mal immediately felt sick to her stomach as it flipped to message. Ben was always near his phone, why wasn't he answering? Trying again, the same thing happened as Mal put the phone back in confusion. Dwelling on it for only a second, her head snapped up at the sounds of approaching ambulance sirens, and the thunder of many boots as paramedics practically raided the house.
Watching from the office doorway as Audrey was lifted with great care onto a stretcher and carted away with some speed, the dread in Mal's stomach was growing by the minute. What had happened tonight?
"Did you get ahold of Ben?" Evie asked, appearing by Mal's side once the chaos had passed.
"No. He's normally near his phone, so I don't know why he's not answering."
"Maybe he's asleep?" Evie provided, nodding to the guys who were standing on the front porch, "It is really late."
"Maybe." Mal mused, huffing slightly as she turned and practically ran up the stairs. Evie was instantly at her heels, watching as Mal threw on an oversized purple sweatshirt and pants.
"Where are you going?"
"To the hospital." Grabbing her phone off the charger, Mal tucked her purple hair up under a baseball cap.
"I'll come with you..."
"No, E. You stay here with the kids; don't tell them what happened tonight."
"But what are you even going?" Evie asked again, stepping aside so Mal could pass and head back down the stairs towards the garage, "Audrey isn't your friend."
"There's something that's been bugging me." Mal admitted honestly, grabbing the keys to the Porsche Ben had gotten her right before Cotillion, "and only Audrey has the answers. I'll be back soon, ok Evie?"
"Just be careful."
"I will, E. I'll call you when I get there."
Embracing briefly, Mal turned and hopped into her car, starting up the engine with a thunderous rumble. Tearing from the driveway with a spray of gravel and dust, the Dragon Girl sped into the night towards Auradon General Hospital.
...
...
"I do not trust words.
I question every action.
But I NEVER doubt patterns."
—
Mal always hatedwaiting. She hated the silence of it, and the way she could never seem to fall in 'just that' position, where she could sit comfortably for hours. She hated being able to hear her own blood rush through her ears, or be forced to fiddle her hands and toes because they are falling asleep from the waiting. There was never any waiting on the Isle of the Lost. If you waited, you'd miss a chance. A chance at more slop, a chance at a better steal, a chance to keep your face from getting punched in. Waiting was still a new concept for Mal, and she hated it.
Currently, she was sitting in a tiny room with about five other people. Three of them were mothers, all of whom were huddled together speaking quietly. One of them was an old man, who had fallen asleep in his chair. And the last was a middle aged man, holding an ice pack to his face where blood still trickled down on to his lip. And then there was Mal, itching to get up and move around. Desperate for some answers.
"Mal?"
Glancing up, the Dragon Girl happily stood to shake hands with the young Doctor whom was no doubt handling Audrey.
"Hi, yeah. How is she?"
"Stable. She's still a bit dazed at the moment, but the shock of her injury should wear off with some rest and proper treatment."
"Can I see her?"
"Of course. But she may not be fully lucid yet, as we've started her on some pain medications to help with healing. If you'll follow me."
Nodding, Mal shoved her hands in her pockets as the Doctor led her through the hospital to a single bed room. It was isolated from the others, giving Mal some privacy as she entered where Audrey was staying. Even if they weren't friends, Mal didn't like seeing anyone hauled up in a bed. Audrey appeared to be sleeping, the box tracking her heart rate beeping steadily by the bedside. She had tubes and wires all around her, one of the bags refilling her depleted blood supply as Mal sighed deeply and pulled a chair to the opposite side closest to the window.
"Audrey? Hey, can you hear me?"
Mal kept her voice low, gently reaching out to tap the back of Audrey's hand as to not startle her. One uncovered eye fluttered open slowly, blinking once, then twice as her head turned.
"M-Mal?"
"Hey, yeah. How are you feeling?"
"I...I'm not sure." Staring up at the ceiling dazedly, Mal wondered how much morphine she was on as Audrey's brow dropped slowly, "I'm in the hospital?"
"You came to Evie's place, remember? You passed out."
"Oh." Blinking again, Audrey's head once more fell to one side, her eye staring at (or rather through) Mal. The sad look from earlier returned, creasing her features as she inhaled shakily. Keeping her hand close to Audrey's just in case she had another episode, Mal pursed her lips.
"Audrey. Do you think you could answer a question for me?"
"...maybe. Depends on the question." Audrey replied, closing her eye for a moment as Mal nodded weakly.
"Why don't you want Ben and I to get married? I mean, I thought we had an understanding. You had to have known it was going to happen at some point."
"I was ok with it."Audrey said after a moment of thought, eyes still closed as she slipped closer to sleep with a yawn, "but then Ben started changing, and...and I knew you were in danger."
"Danger? Audrey what are you talking about?"
"Danger...Mal, the curse. It's the...curse."
"Audrey? Hey, Audrey wake up. What curse?"
There was no answer from the literal Sleeping Beauty as Mal frowned even deeper and sunk down in her seat. She had come here hoping for answers. From Audrey she expected a simple truth like jealousy or spite. But now, what with these ramblings about danger and a curse, Mal was more confused then when she started. Glancing down as her phone buzzed, several texts appeared on the screen. Phone calls were allowed at the hospital, so Ben was resigned to many, many frantic texts, one after the other.
Most of them felt like excuses for missing her call. 'I was asleep', 'dad and I had a bit to drink', 'I'm worried please respond.'
Mal ignored these in irritation. She would have to call Ben and make him explain himself. Ignoring all of the texts from her fiancé, Mal found one that wasn't like the rest. It was from Evie with a news clip attached. Opening it up, the Dragon Girl's stomach ached.
'Deadly home invasion of Honeymoon Cottage reported! Queen Leah, age 75, found dead. Princess Audrey nowhere to be found. Queen Aurora and Prince Phillip once again off the grid during such a tragedy.'
"That was fast," Mal mumbled to herself, clutching her phone a bit tighter as she glanced at Audrey. The girl was in a fitful sleep at best, twitching every few moments and whining in pain. Suddenly, she began mumbling. Leaning closer as to decipher what she was saying, Mal's lips pulled into a deep frown.
"...lying, you're dangerous, Ben. Stop...the curse, it's come true. You'll hurt her...can't..can't silence me."
Thrashing a bit in the bed, Audrey began to cry as Mal reached out. Touching her forehead, the Dragon Girl cast a light calming spell. The Princess immediately stopped moving, relaxing into the white sheets as her frantic heartbeat faded into more pleasant dreams. Rubbing the back of her neck and sinking back down into her chair to watch the girl sleep, Mal sent a text to Evie.
'Don't tell anyone about what happened tonight. Don't ask questions.'
It was a code they had, all of the VK's. 'Don't ask questions', was a phrase used when something really bad was going down. Something no one else needed to know. Something which could possibly have repercussions further reaching then just them. As expected, Evie sent back a reply almost instantly.
'Ok. Please stay safe.'
Clutching her phone a bit tighter, Mal ignored all incoming texts and calls from Ben as she hauled up into the chair, once again stuck waiting. She had to be here when Audrey woke up again. Not only to chase away the press who were no doubt already on their way, but also to get the answers she needed.
...
...
A/N: Hello my beautiful readers! Rose here, back again with the start of a new story! This is set in a world where D3 never happened. Some events may happen in similar ways, but for different reasons. I'm going for mystery crime drama? Which means I want dark and gritty, and some characters may be a bit...off.
I love hearing what you guys have to say so PLEASE drop a comment below, follow this story and I can't wait to see you guys next chapter. Cheers!
-R