Here is the next chapter!
Cotillion, just like the coronation, will be broken up into two different chapters. Those chapters will be in two different perspectives, and you can probably guess why. The second chapter will be posted in the next couple days since I have a couple things I need to do before my next semester of college starts next week. Luckily, I only have two classes, but I'm gonna have to get a part time job, so we'll see how updates go in the future.
I won't say much in this chapter regarding the events of Cotillion. I know some of you are wondering how I'm going to do the exchange between Uma and Mal. How I'm doing their fight is how I'm going to do a couple other events regarding "Descendants 3". After all, Mal never had the chance to look at a certain something, but of course that will change too.
Enjoy.
"Aidoneus, hurry up!" Maleficent called to her husband as she strained to a sit-up position on the couch she was laying on. "It's almost time!"
"I'm almost done, Malef," Hades reassured from the kitchen, rinsing the last set of dishes to be set in the dish strainer. "I haven't cooked that big of a meal in six months. I didn't think you would have such a big appetite."
"That's because I didn't eat much in Auradon," Maleficent revealed as her husband came to sit next to her. Laying against him comfortably, she sighed softly. "Mal didn't know what to give me while I was a lizard because she didn't know if it would be harmful or even healthy. I am so glad I married such an amazing cook."
"You know, I'm amazing at something else too," Hades teased with a mischievous wag of his eyebrows. "But it looks like I'm gonna have to wait a little before I can remind you of that."
"It will be a while," Maleficent agreed as she kissed her husband's cheek lovingly. "My ability to walk is worse than it was when I first came to the Isle. Good thing I have you to carry me everywhere I need to go."
Smiling down at his beloved, Hades kissed his wife's forehead lovingly as he mumbled, "I love you, my queen."
"And I love you, my king," Maleficent cooed as she nestled her head against his neck in her way to show that she meant it. "I could tell you that all day, but then I would miss seeing our baby girl on TV. Cotillion's starting!"
Chuckling at his wife's eagerness, Hades adverted his attention to the television screen, where the event, as stated before, was beginning.
The first thing shown was the location of the festive party, which was held on a white yacht docked in the marina with the Auradon royal crest adorning both sides of the large ship. Orbs of light hung from long cables strung over the deck. A set of stairs with a blue-and-gold-trimmed carpet led up to a stage. Everything looked incredible.
Party-goers boarded the yacht in front of roped off fans and paparazzi, and a few, including Evie and Doug, stopped to talk with news reporters in front of the step and repeat.
Evie wore a floor-length midnight-blue dress with black beading branching across it, a long blue cape, red gloves, and a thin gold choker featuring a red heart gem centerpiece. Her handbag was the shape of a poison apple with a bite taken out. And to top it all off, she wore a ruby-studded hair ornament clipped neatly to the side of her bun. Evie struck pose after pose for the cameras.
News reporters held microphones up to her. "Evie, you look beautiful!"
"Thank you so much." She struck another fetching pose, one that would make her mother somewhat proud.
"The dress is gorgeous! Did you design the barrette?"
"No, it's not my creation, actually," Evie denied with a smile. "Many of the hair accessories this evening were created by a fabulous new designer, Dizzy of the Isle!"
"In other words, she saw Dizzy while she was on the Isle," Hades assumed as he slightly tightened his grip on his wife's waist. "I figured Celia would have told me that by now since she and Dizzy are best friends."
Maleficent raised her head slightly so she could get a better look at her husband. "You've talked a lot about Celia for the past few hours that I've been back. Why is that?"
"She's been running errands for me while you've been gone," Hades explained with a careless shrug. "Her father—Dr. Facilier—works two jobs, a principal during the day and the arcade at night, but he still can't afford enough food for the both of them. I started feeding Celia every time she came over. Then all of a sudden, Dr. Facilier asked if I would be her god-father, since he's been struggling to raise her on his own."
Maleficent smiled at the little reveal. "Facilier probably asked you because you've raised a teenage daughter and he's afraid what it's going to be like."
Hades shook his head in amusement at the possibility as the couple returned their attention back to the television screen, faintly hearing a news reporter ask the blue-haired girl who her date was.
"This is my Doug." Evie extended a hand, to which Doug took and moved closer to her. "Dopey's son."
He stood by her in his tan suit and black bow tie, waving at the cameras almost bashfully. It's almost like he knew everyone on the Isle was watching them.
"Grimhilde's not going to like her being with him," Hades commented knowingly. "She expects Evie to date a prince. Hopefully she won't be too harsh to her daughter."
Maleficent didn't say anything as she perked up at seeing something on the TV screen. "Look at him," she instructed with a little pride in her voice. "Carlos finally asked out Jane."
With their arms intertwined, Carlos and Jane descended the steps to the party deck, past bushels of colorful flowers in clusters of white, yellow, and blue. Carlos was super fashionable, thanks to the incredible skills of his mother, in red knee-length pants and a black-and-white leather jacket. Jane's gown was a long sparkling periwinkle dress with a magenta bow at the waist.
Fairy Godmother spotted the couple and made her way from the refreshment table to the dance floor, waving her magic wand and looking like a true fairy in a pale blue dress ad hooded cape tied at the neck with a pale silk bow. The three seemed to speak for a few moments before the mother of the trio realized they were each other's dates.
Kissing her hand softly, Carlos led Jane to the dance floor, where they were greeted by Evie, Doug, and Jay. Jay looked incredibly handsome in his red-and-gold leather suit jacket and crimson fingerless gloves. He moved to dance with Lonnie, whose dress was actually a coral pink jumpsuit with a long open skirt.
The music stopped, getting everyone's attention. Young men in pale yellow suits lined the yacht's steps. In one unified motion, they lifted their trumpets and began playing fanfare.
All eyes turned to Lumiere at the top of the steps, looking the same as he did when he came to the Isle of the Lost all those years ago. That night, he wore a white suit with gold epaulets and a pale gold bow tie. "The future . . . Lady Mal!" Lumiere announced.
Mal entered at the top of the staircase, looking absolutely stunning in a yellow dress bejeweled with blue gems, blue and yellow tulle, and a sparkling cape that trailed the ground behind her. Evie edged up the look by adding a leather bracelet and leather-like boots. Mal's hair was back to purple with it in a pretty side braid that snaked down her shoulder.
The married couple couldn't deny that Evie did a good job on the dress. However, they could tell that Mal was still uncomfortable. The dress was perfect for someone born in Auradon, but it just didn't match their daughter.
The throng of people responded to Mal's purple hair with a murmur of surprise. Her friends drowned them out with their claps and cheers. Others joined in. Photographers turned all their video equipment on Mal.
After surveying the crowd, Mal slowly descended the stairs toward the deck. Halfway down the stairs, she suddenly stopped when she caught sight of an elder man standing next to King Beast and Queen Belle, causing Mal to perk up happily. That man seemed to ignore the protests of the retired royals as he went to up the stairs to greet her. It was obvious Mal squealed in delight before hugging the old man.
"That's Maurice," Maleficent reminded her husband. "Queen Belle's father and King Ben's grandfather. Mal used to tell me, when I was a lizard, about how well she gets along with him. There were a few times where he's given Mal painting lessons. She's improved tremendously from when she first started."
"Mali told me about him a couple times," Hades recalled vaguely. "He figured out I was her father after first meeting her. He's a very sharp man, though people still believe him to be a crazy old man."
Back on the TV screen, Maurice took Mal's trembling hand and helped her down the rest of the stairs so she could greet King Beast and Queen Belle at the bottom. King Beast wore his royal-blue suit with gold sash and signature black bold-frame glasses while Queen Belle wore a gold dress and a delicate crystal-encrusted gold crown.
The three family members talked with Mal for a few moments before Evie suddenly appeared at her side. Evie must have noticed Mal was feeling a little uneasy and decided to come to her aid. After being excused from the conversation, Evie led Mal out onto the deck with the other guests.
In the matter of moments, fanfare played as the loyal Lumiere announced, "King Benjamin!"
A second later, King Ben appeared at the top of the stairs in a sleek royal-blue silk jacket with gold accents. The belt he wore had a gold beast-emblem buckle. His honey-brown hair was swept across his forehead under his thick gold crown.
His blue-green eyes sparkled like stars, but the married couple on the Isle of the Lost noticed something unusual. For some strange reason, the king's eyes appeared to be glazed over, almost like he was in a trance. No one present at the event seem to notice as they applauded his arrival.
Without a word, he walked down the stairs, passing his parents and grandfather without looking their way. Maleficent and Hades knew that wasn't like the king to ignore his family, specifically his grandfather, because he cared too much about them.
Something wasn't right with him and it didn't go unnoticed by his parents either.
After descending the stairs, King Ben stopped in front of Mal before bowing politely. Instead of bowing in return like any Auradonian would, Mal curtsied just like she would do on the Isle of the Lost. That little action gave her parents a tiny bit of relief that she was back to being an Isle princess, not pretending to be something she wasn't.
"Mal," King Ben began with a bit of sadness in his tone as he came up from his bow, "I wish I had time to explain . . ." He turned around and looked toward the top of the stairs.
Mal's smile faded away as her expression changed from happiness to complete shock, her jaw hanging open slightly with her eyes wide in disbelief. The crowd gasped the same time Maleficent and Hades did.
They were not expecting to see her.