This was inspired by Xez2003's The Black Arrow; A Tale of Two Kingdoms. I do not own Disney Descendants.
The sun set on his last day with the Islanders and everyone was devastated to learn he was going. Dozens of people came to shake his hand and thank him for everything and to wish him safe travels. Little kids crowded around his knees to cry and beg him for hugs and kisses and cuddles Ben obliged, feeling sadder, until one-by-one every child was pulled away to bed by parents and overseers.
"I haven't seen Mal still," Evie whispered before she slipped off to bed. "If you see her, can you check on her?"
"I'll go look before I turn in, Ben assured her.
His sixth sense regarding Mal still hadn't slipped away. He followed his heart down into foliage, past several towering trees, and then discovered a tiny little alcove with a waterfall spilling into a little pond with glistening white rocks at the bottom of the water. His skin prickled and became icy with fire as he stepped up to the water's edge and then glanced down. He scuffed his toes against the earth and sighed. "You could still come with me," He invited the waters, somehow knowing she'd hear. "I've been thinking… ever since we got here… I can't go back to live the way I was."
There was a sound like mist to his right and he caught a glimpse of purple reflected in the water.
"I… need to be wanted. Need to be needed. And the person I am - the person I became here - I need to be loved," He looked over all Mal and watched her examining the water with a blank expression. "She doesn't love me. I don't love her. But you…"
Mal brushed her hair away. "And Audrey?" She asked softly.
"Divorces exist," Ben reminded her. "I'll make you a queen if you let me."
"And Belle?" Mal whispered.
"Well, she's still small. Her mom would probably get primary rights. But I'd still have her sometimes." Ben put his hands in her pockets and stared at her. "I can't stop being her dad," He whispered.
"But you can stop being Audrey's husband," Mal pointed out blandly.
"She stopped being my wife years ago."
"You'll rip her whole life apart."
"Hasn't she done that to me?"
"Ben."
Ben dug his toes into the ground and then took a seat on the edge of the pond. He combed his fingers through his hair. "What am I supposed to do, Mal?" He whispered. "Even if I froze her funding and made her spend time with Belle and dismantled her stupid spa, She's never going to be you, Mal."
"But you committed to her," Mal reminded him, taking a seat. "And maybe she can't be me, but I could never, ever be her. All the royal responsibilities and people telling me where I need to be all the time… I can't do that."
Ben slumped his shoulders. He knew she couldn't. And truth be told, he'd rather her be out here with her people, healing from everything her mother had done to her.
"I love you," He admitted out loud, tossing all cares westward. "Do you love me?"
Mal sniffed. "I don't know what love is," she reminded him. "That's all primal lies."
"This is love," Ben annunciated. He reached across the earth and took her hand. "I finally figured it out. I'm not… faking anything anymore. I feel like I'm finally living." Ben got to his knees and, using the tips of his fingers, traced a pattern down her cheek. "I think I've always loved you," he whispered. "Please, please come with me. I'll do anything. I'll divorce Audrey, I'll - I'll-" he took a deep, steadying breath. "It won't be easy, but I swear I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it worth it."
Mal put a hand on his and shook her head. "I can't leave here, Ben. After everything… Auradon isn't what I want. Please, don't ask me to leave again."
Ben deflated, staring at the ground in disappointment. Mal cupped his cheek. "In another world, we could have made it work," she whispered. "But the way I am… I can't anymore Ben. It's been too long. I've done too much and I've seen too much."
"I left you too long," Ben muttered. "If only I'd thought of the Isle years ago. Instead… I went looking for love in the wrong place."
Mal let out a despairing sort of laugh and her breath ghosted past his cheek. "This is who I really am, Ben. My mother and grandmother and everyone before me was a forest fairy. I'm finally home."
"I know," he whispered.
"You have to be king," Mal whispered. "And I-I have to be Queen of the Isle. I have to protect them."
Ben sniffed and nodded. Mal put both her hands on his cheeks and pulled him close before she stopped. He could smell her breath from where he was hovering, nose no more than a few inches away from hers. "We're not drunk," she whispered. "You're still married."
Ben shook his head. "I just spent two months doing the most good I've ever done because of you and your light trick. God will forgive me if all I want is to be in your arms this last night." He cocked his head at her. "Are you going to leave me again tonight?"
"No," Mal shook her head and combed her fingers through his hair. She trailed her fingertips down his collarbone with a smile. "If there is a god," Mal breathed against his neck, "She's sadistic and cruel and takes pride in making our story end like this."
Ben snorted and leaned in. The only thing separating them was a moment of hesitation before Mal's nimble fingers wrapped around his ears and she moved to wrap her toned legs around his waist. Then her lips fell onto his like they had been destined to be there all along and he lost himself in everything that she was. It was all Mal, Mal, Mal.
A servant helped him down and wrinkled his nose at the King's appearance. Ben glanced around at the palace. Aside from the longer days, nothing had changed.
"Where's Belle?" He asked softly, going to pull his own collection of Isle items down before any of the servants could dispose of them.
"She's with her nanny," A servant responded. "Would you like me to fetch her?"
"Please," Ben agreed. "Send her up to mine and Audrey's old room, and if you could have a bunch of boxes sent up, that would be lovely. We're going to be decluttering and sending things away."
"Yes, your majesty," The servant made to take his bundle, containing his jacket and clothes and a few things that the children had made him, but Ben held it tighter to his chest.
He was followed inside. He'd forgotten for lurid and expensive it was in here. As he tapped his foot against the carpet, he sighed. "I want this replaced," He announced. "Please find a simple brown, and repaint the walls to be white again. And I'm going to have the windows be made clear to let in more light."
The servants exchanged looks. "Queen Audrey designed this room herself," They announced.
"I know," Ben assured them. "But this is my castle and my family home. I want it changed back." He picked up a gold ornament of no particular value off the table and sighed before passing it off. "That can be the first thing to go," He declared.
He made his way up to the spa room and opened the door softly without knocking. Audrey was lying in a chair with her eyes closed, sighing as someone rubbed her scalp softly. Ben walked to the windows and pulled open the curtains. Audrey's face twisted. "Who's there?" She asked.
"Me," Ben called, frowning around the room as he tried to remember what it had been before.
"Did I know you were coming?" Audrey asked, lifting her hands up for him. He walked over and she took his face before making as if she was going to kiss his cheek. Her eyes were still closed. Her mouth never touched his skin.
"I live here," Ben told her. "And I've been gone, so I figured you would want to see me."
"It has been a while, huh?" Audrey asked, eyes still shut tight. She still hadn't even looked at him. "How long? A week?"
"Thirteen, actually," Ben tried to keep the bitterness out of his tone. "I've been gone for three months."
"Oh!" Audrey sounded surprised. "Oh, I hadn't realized. What a long trip. I've just been in here."
"Is your back still hurting?" Ben asked.
"It is," Audrey frowned, shifting uncomfortably. "I can't figure out what's wrong with it though."
"I think you need more fresh air," Ben declared, going to fling the window open. A brisk breeze of cool air flew in from outside. Audrey yelped. She opened her eyes and sat up. Ben didn't give her time to protest. "Belle and I are going to be in our room. You can come up if you want. And tomorrow we're going to be in her room. She's getting older and I want to fix her room up."
"That sounds like a good idea," Audrey nodded, rubbing her back. "She's almost three now, right?"
"Six," Ben replied flatly.
"I was close," Audrey shrugged. She examined Ben a little closer. "You look different," She commented. "Have you been working out?"
"Sort of," Ben shrugged. "I think you should join me. We can try some things to help strengthen your back again. Like when you did cheer." Audrey made a noncommittal sound. "I'm going to be redecorating our bedroom," he told her. "So don't freak out when we have crews coming through. I'll put your favorite things aside for you to keep."
Audrey frowned. "What kind of redecorating?" She asked.
"Simple things," Ben promised, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He meant, of course, simple as in the decorating style. Not in the changes he'd be making. The action, however, distracted Audrey.
"You didn't ask permission," She accused, brushing the skin where he'd touched her.
"Neither did you when you took my face earlier," Ben replied. He exhaled and patted her hand. His ring was back on his hand, digging into his skin a little bit more. Maybe he'd put in an order for a different one and let Audrey keep this one as a memento. "One more thing, Audrey," He said as he started to walk towards the door. "Our High School reunion is in a few months. They're holding it at the school and there's going to be games and things. You'll need a pair of tennis shoes. Do you want white or pink?"
"You can't go," Audrey frowned. "What if there are other girls there?"
Ben crossed his arms and leaned against the door. "Then you'll trust me and I'll trust you," He suggested, though a pool of guilt twisted his stomach. "Now, Belle is waiting for me. I'm going to be letting her nanny go and you and I are going to raise her. If you want to talk to me about it, you'll have to come out of the spa."
He reached for the handle, pausing to see if Audrey would protest. She didn't, but she did look absolutely baffled as she sat back down. She hadn't thought about anything else in a while, so Ben figured it'd take a minute for everything to sink in.
Ben twisted the knob to his room for the first time in almost seven years and stepped inside to commotion. The poor nanny had marks up and down her arms and looked frazzled as Little Belle twisted on the ground, screaming. "I don't wanna!" She hollered. "I don't wanna!" Large boxes piled around her.
Ben put a hand on the woman's arm. "Thank you for everything you've done," He whispered. "I'll take it from here. She won't be allowed to behave like this anymore. I'll send you a bonus in the mail and write you a letter of recommendation if you like."
The nanny wasted no time in leaving. Ben knelt down beside Belle and put a hand on her back. "Belle," He called, using the stern tone he'd finally learned how to use with Mal. The girl quit beating her fists into the carpet and looked up at him with red eyes.
"Daddy, Mrs. Marks was being mean!" She complained. "I want a new nanny."
"No, Belle, you were being bad. Dad told her to bring you up here, and you hurt her, and I'm angry with you," He frowned at the child, but she wasn't much fazed by the show. "From now on, Mom and Dad are going to be in charge of you. And if I see you throwing a fit like this, I'll make you sit on a chair in a corner all by yourself for a whole day." He crossed his arms and pinched his lips at her. Belle snarled at him, sat cross-legged on the carpet, and pouted. He only rolled his eyes.
"Dad hates this room," he told her, gesturing around to the vibrant reds and gaudy pinks. "We're going to rip everything out and you're going to help me. If you're good, then I'll give you some candy afterward. If you're bad, I'll make you sit on a chair until you want to be good. If you break anything on purpose, Dad's gonna find something to break in your room. Do you understand me?"
Belle pouted, but then slowly got up and walked over to a collection of sequined pillows on Audrey's couch. "These?" She asked.
"Those," Ben let his face soften into a smile to cheer her up a little. "And then tomorrow we're going to do your room too and make it look like a big girl's room." Belle wiped the last of her tears away and then picked up a pillow and carried it over to a box, swaying as she did. She dropped it in with a little poof, and then looked up to see his reaction.
"I bet I can do more than you," He challenged, and Belle scrambled back to the couch. He let her gather as many pillows as she could into her tiny arms before walking over and scooping her up with a little growl. He dumped her into the box playfully on top of the last pillow as she squealed.
"Daddy, I'm not a pillow!" She protested.
"You aren't? But you're squishy and soft like one!" He picked her up, spinning her around with a smile, and she put her arms around his head, squealing as she grabbed the back of his shirt.
Eventually, they slowed down, and then Belle poked at something on his collarbone. "What's this?" She asked.
Ben looked down. It was a bruise. A dark purple bruise a little smaller than a golf ball right underneath his collarbone. His mind blanked out. What to tell her? What to say?
Someone gave that to Daddy, Princess. Daddy let someone do that. Daddy loves another lady, sweetheart.
Ben smiled and kissed her cheek. "That happened to Dad on his trip," He explained. "It'll go away in a few days, and then it'll all be over."
"What'd you do?" Belle asked, poking at it a little. Ben let her, even though it stung a little.
"Well, Dad went far away, and he met-" He paused for dramatic effect. "A dragon. And this dragon was fluffy and sweet and very, very sad, and so now our family has a dragon for a friend." He tapped the bruises. "But this was something the dragon gave Dad by accident. She said that she was very sorry."
"Okay," Belle nodded, accepting the story. Then, after a moment of contemplation, she leaned forward and kissed it awkwardly. "Nanny Boe always kissed my boo-boos," she explained, and then hugged her arms around his neck again. "I'm sorry the dragon hurt you."
Mal had hurt him. Probably not as much as he'd hurt her, but he still ached for her presence. His mental compass was firmly attuned to her. Just like the needle on the water, they'd all been so amazed by, part of his soul still pointed out west towards where he'd left her behind. They'd laid their whatever-they-had to rest, but he still missed her all the same.
Ben smiled and cuddled the little girl close. Nothing was going to be the same again, but everything would be okay.
Hard, but okay.
His dragon had taught him how to be happy again.