Merry Christmas Eve! Here is the next chapter!
I figured I would give you the first part today and then give you the second part tomorrow on Christmas day. I really hope you enjoy this 'surprise'.
I know most of you are probably spending time with your families, so I'll make this quick so you can get back to your pre-celebrations: I posted a new story called 'A Second Blessing' that is a crossover between "Descendants" and "Black Lightning". Please be sure to check it out since it has less than 50 views right now.
Enjoy.
After the debacle yesterday, Mal was a little less than eager to attend the coronation, but as Ben's official girlfriend, she had no choice. Either way, the coronation at the cathedral was still a grand event like no other. The cathedral steps were lined with royal-blue carpet, brimming with honored guests.
A carriage drawn by two white horses rolled up in front of the cathedral. Ben and Mal sat in the back nextto each other. Mal wore a radiant purple dress and had her hair up in a fancy bun, her hands gloveless. Ben wore a deep blue suit. Guests threw flower petals and confetti at them.
Inside the carriage, Mal was staring down at her hands to avoid the vicious looks of some of the viewers; her hair being pinkish because of her annoyance and irritation. Obviously, news about the fiasco yesterday spread across the kingdom, which meant the story was altered so Mal was the villain. What else would you expect from the people of Auradon?
Ben noticed Mal's apprehensive behavior and decided to comfort her by taking her hands in his. "Don't be nervous," he instructed with a small smile. "All you have to do is look beautiful. That won't be a problem for you."
"I'm not really nervous about the spectators," Mal claimed with a soft sigh. "I'm nervous about my parents watching. My dad doesn't like it when I put my hair up like this, but Evie insisted."
"Sounds like you have another story," Ben teased as he leaned forward with a curious smile. "Want to tell me about it?"
"It's nothing special." Mal shrugged her shoulders carelessly. "It's just . . . when I started middle school, a couple boys picked on me because of my purple hair. The next day I wore a stock-hat despite it being nearly ninety degrees out. It didn't take long for my parents to figure out. My dad practically banned me from doing anything to hide my hair, which included putting it up in a ponytail or a bun like this, because he found my unnatural hair to be so beautiful. He said that I needed to embrace my uniqueness. Mom's probably trying to keep his temper under control from seeing me like this."
Ben chuckled at hearing the story. "Well, I love your magical purple hair," he reassured as his smile grew. "It's almost as beautiful as you."
Blushing softly, her embarrassment gave another reason for her hair to be pinkish. "Thank you," Mal muttered as her gaze went back to her hands. "Hopefully Auradon thinks so too."
With a small sigh, Ben removed his golden ring—gifted to him by his father—from his finger and offered it to his beloved. "Here," he said as he held the ring out to her. "I want you to wear this, so you know there is someone in Auradon that loves; maybe even more than your parents."
Mal laughed at the claim. "Not that I don't doubt your emotions, but my parents will do anything and everything to prove their love for me."
Ben raised an eyebrow challengingly. "You think I wouldn't?"
"Well . . ." Mal trailed off, almost afraid to ask, "what would you do?"
Hesitating for a brief moment—maybe to ponder on an idea or two—he declared, "I would bring down the barrier on your home, the Isle of the Lost, to prove my love for you."
"Don't say that too loud," Mal joked with a bit of tenseness in her shoulders. "You'll be kicked off the throne before you can become king."
Placing his ring on Mal's finger, Ben kissed her hand adoringly before staring deep into her vibrant green eyes, cooing softly, "As you wish, my queen."
Meanwhile, on the Isle of the Lost, Maleficent and Hades were sitting in the comforts of their home as they watched the Auradon TV program, which showed royal limos snaking their way up to the entrance of the cathedral. It was coronation day after all! They just had to watch the event since their daughter would be somewhat involved.
On the TV screen, Snow White, the anchorwoman, stood on a platform facing a camera man, announcing, "Here we are, broadcasting live from the coronation, where Prince Benjamin will soon be crowned king! I'm Snow White, bringing you up-to-the-second coverage of who's the fairest of them all!"
Maleficent rolled her eyes at the woman's dramatic introduction. "I can just imagine Grimhilde insulting Snow White in her home right now."
Hades snickered as the camera panned over the guests mingling besides a stage, where a bell jar covered by a sheet was on display. The married couple barely saw a glimpse of Evie, Jay, and Carlos before the camera panned over to Fairy Godmother.
"Aw, Fairy Godmother is looking radiant!" Snow White complimented as Fairy Godmother uncovered the bell jar to reveal her magic wand. "But what happened to her daughter's hair? It was so long and beautiful yesterday! Looks like someone decided to get a bad haircut."
"No, Mal did it," Maleficent grumbled as she situated herself better against her husband's side, who wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "You don't mess with our baby girl."
"And here comes Prince Ben now!" Snow White announced unknowing to the wingless fairy's words. "Ooh, he went with a classic prince couture. That is a Benja-win."
A carriage drawn by two white horses rolled up in front of the cathedral. Ben and Mal sat in the back next to each other. Mal wore a radiant purple dress and had her hair up in a fancy bun.
Hades fumed at the sight of his daughter wearing her hair in the unusual style. "She's hiding her hair again."
"She's keeping her hair from being caught in the clasp of the cape," Maleficent corrected before her husband could get too fired up. "Cruella showed me the dress before she sent it to Auradon. Mal's hair was probably too long for something she wanted to do; something that would show that she is more than a villain."
"That something better be good." Hades commented with an aggravated huff. "Or else I'm going to ground her for a week."
"You can't ground her." Maleficent teased as she nuzzled her head against his neck lovingly to distract him. "She's in Auradon and only four Auradonians know about you."
"I can still ground her," Hades grumbled, though his initial anger dulled down to a minor irritation. "Somehow . . ."
The married continued to watch as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the cathedral, footmen opening the carriage door to help Mal down. Taking her hand, Prince Ben and Mal walked up the cathedral stairs to greet King Beast and Queen Belle.
After the four spoke for a few minutes about who knows what, the royal married couple went to enter the cathedral, leaving Mal and Ben alone for a few moments. Maleficent and Hades watched with somewhat interest as Ben kissed Mal's forehead in reassurance before she was led away by an attendant.
That is when things started to get a little interesting.
The cameras suddenly changed the viewpoint into inside the cathedral. Mal was slowly walking down the long aisle, eyeing those that glared at her viciously. With a small smile gracing her lips, she continued to glide down the aisle as her cape magically lifted into the air. The audience gasped as the cape suddenly transformed into hundreds, possibly thousands, of beautiful purple butterflies.
A handful of butterflies flew to Mal's hair to create an outline of a tiara or crown. The rest went to her back to form the most beautiful set of wings, which followed closely behind her. Mal looked more like a fairy queen instead of a villain that the Auradonians painted her to be.
Mal's smile grew at hearing the second round of gasps. She spared a glance at the nearest camera, her smile turning genuine. It was almost like she knew her parents were watching from the Isle of the Lost.
Once Mal arrived at her designated spot, the butterflies flew to the flowers that hanged from the ceiling. While the audience marveled at the scene, attendants opened the main doors to the cathedral for Ben. He walked down the aisle with the spectators bowing to him as he passed. As he glided down the aisle, Ben smiled only at Mal, who smiled back as well before bowing in respect.
Ben approached the stage where Fairy Godmother, his parents, and the wand awaited him. Fairy Godmother lifted the crown from Beast's head and placed it on Ben's once he knelt before her. King Beast lifted the lid of the bell jar so Queen Belle could hand it to the Fairy Godmother. Ben waited anxiously to be bless with the wand, almost like he feared something would happen if he waited too long.
Fairy Godmother held the wand out to Ben like she were going to knight him. "Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Auradon," began Fairy Godmother for all in the cathedral and those watching on Isle to hear, "with justice and mercy as long as you shall reign?"
Taking a deep breath that almost no one could see, Ben vowed, "I do solemnly swear."
Fairy Godmother lifted the wand. "Then it is my honor and my joy to bless our new king—"
The wand was snatched out of Fairy Godmother's hand. The audience screamed and shouted as a fierce bolt of lightning hit through the largest stained-glass window in the cathedral, shattering into a million pieces that, luckily, didn't hit any of the bystanders.
None of them realized at that moment that the lightning bolt struck the magic barrier of the Isle of the Lost. Just like the incredible artwork, the magic dome shattered, potentially freeing all of the villains from the island.
Except . . . one fairy wouldn't—couldn't let that happen.
As fast as her legs could carry her, Maleficent burst off the couch and staggered to her room, using the wall to keep her balance. Hades jumped from his seat to go after his wife, who emerged from their room a moment later wearing her town cloak and holding the Dragon's Eyes. "Malef, what are you doing?"
"Going to Auradon," Maleficent announced as she slumped against her scepter to support her. "Those Auradonians are going to turn the situation around to blame Mal like they did with Family Day yesterday. I am not going to let that happen again."
"Babe, I wouldn't," Hades advised as he cautiously blocked his wife's path. "You don't know what they'll do to you for leaving the Isle."
"I'm not afraid," Maleficent claimed in a small, timid tone. "There's nothing worse they can do to me that I have already experienced."
One hand still gripping the scepter, Maleficent laid her other hand on Hades's cheek. Leaning forward, she kissed her husband with more love than she ever had before. It was almost like a good-bye kiss.
Reluctantly pulling away, Maleficent leaned her forehead against her husband's, whispering softly, "I love you, Aidoneus."
Before he even had a chance to respond, Maleficent vanished into green smoke—
Making Hades fear that, that would be the last time he saw his wife.