Here is the next chapter!
My apologies for this chapter taking so long to be added. As stated for the past few chapters, college has finally started again for me. With that said—starting next week—I will try to update two to three times a week. And is anyone else having trouble with Doc Manager? I tried uploading this document four times and ended up having to copy and paste it over a different document I had previously uploaded to get it to work.
Anyways, this chapter is longer for the obvious reason: we are starting "Descendants 3"! Of course, many things will change from the usual plot. With some things changing, a few events will be added. After all, I promised you that you will see Carlos become a 'Momma's Boy'!
You won't be disappointed.
Enjoy.
Today's the day, Mal thought positively as she gazed out at the horizon from the Auradon Prep's back balcony, looking absolutely beautiful in a dragon-patterned dress and dragon-wing epaulets. Just one more hour to go till we can bring those kids to Auradon.
Now, I know what you are probably thinking:
What happened after graduation?
For starters, Ben had a hell of a time trying to close the wound on Mal's hand. After cleaning the cut, he had Lumiere help suture it as best as they could. It took almost an hour and nearly a whole spool of thread! For precautions, Ben wrapped Mal's hand until it was covered in a thick layer of bandages. By the time they went to celebrate their graduation with their friends, a little bit of blood seeped through, but not as much as there would have been if they didn't stitch it beforehand. Mal was finally able to remove the stitches yesterday without the cut opening back up, but still had her hand bandage since it wasn't healed all the way.
Despite the serious injuries of the Queen of the Isle, no one could identify who exactly was responsible for the incident. King Ben tried to find any evidence, whether it be video or even a witness. Somehow, the security cameras' video footage got scrambled in the mix, meaning it became distorted. King Ben ended up hiring a technology specialist to fix the footage so he could find the culprit that injured his queen. Over a month has passed since then and they have come no closer to finding the perpetrator.
In fact, it was now the day that Mal, her three friends, and her boyfriend of two—nearly three—years would be traveling to the Isle of the Lost to retrieve the four new transfer students that would attend Auradon Prep during the new school year. After receiving all of the applications two weeks ago, the Core Four announced the week prior that the Isle students would be Squeaky, Squirmy, Celia Facilier, and Dizzy Tremaine—as the Core Four had initially determined during their first visit for the VK Program.
While she was deep in thought about an entirely different issue, Mal failed to notice someone sneaking up behind her. That someone was none other than King Ben, who was looking sharp and self-assured in his cobalt suit. Careful to not make a noise, Ben quietly strolled forward before abruptly hugging his queen from behind
"Ben!" Mal squealed at the sudden action. Twirling herself around in his eyes, she gave him a silly kiss on the nose, causing him to snicker. Gazing softly at the scenic view, Mal sighed softly as she declared sadly, "Not a tentacle in sight."
"Uma will show herself soon enough," Ben reassured for the twentieth time that week. "When she does, she will be welcomed with open arms and granted amnesty for her actions during Cotillion."
"But she doesn't know that!" Mal whined cutely. "Uma will think that we will have something planned to capture her, not to reason with her. I need to be the one to speak with her—"
"So she knows you managed to convince the Royal Council to allow this." Ben finished with a knowing smile. "You may want to play the 'family card' again. Hopefully, she will listen to you this time."
"I wish I could somehow scour the sea for her," Mal commented with a thoughtful look on her face. "Maybe I could ask my uncle—her grandfather—to search for me since I can't swim . . ."
"You can send him a message once we get back," Ben promised with just a hint of impatient in his tone. "For now, we need to go. Everybody's waiting on us, including the Isle children and your sister."
Despite her once glum attitude, Mal perked up happily at the news. "Beasty's here?" She questioned rhetorically yet curiously. "Why?"
"She wanted to see the new Isle children come to Auradon since she missed the chance to see your arrival," Ben fibbed a little too professionally; he's been spending too much time with Jay and Carlos. "Sadly, Queen Leah and Audrey decided to join her. Aurora said she would try to get away from them so you two could talk in private. There's something she's wanting to tell you that she can't say in front of them."
Mal raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Does it have something to do with Diaval?"
"She wouldn't tell me," Ben claimed as he moved himself, so he had an arm around her waist. "You can ask her yourself. Now, let's go. We don't want to be late."
Mal leaned into him as they crossed the balcony to the exit. She was grateful to have her king by her side—
Though her mind lingered on what her 'sister' could possibly tell her.
Meanwhile, on the Isle of the Lost, Hades and Maleficent were laying on the couch in comfortable silence as they watched the Auradon News Network.
Well . . . more like uneasy silence.
Less than a month ago, Maleficent drank the last of the Enchanted Lake water, which had helped slowed her ill condition. Now, her health has become worse and worse with each passing day. She couldn't walk, move her body, or even eat. It would be a miracle if she survives longer than a week at this point.
However, the married couple didn't want their minds to linger on such a sad subject. It's a special day after all! Their daughter is getting—
Whoops!
Don't want to spoil the surprise just yet!
Anyways the couple watched as the TV channel showed pastel-clad students, teachers, and parents gathered eagerly on Auradon Prep's front lawn to greet the school's newest Isle additions—or at least that's what the couple's daughter believed. Throngs of curious Auradonians had flocked to the event and were milling about the well-groomed gardens, converging under the King Beast statue and clustering on the school steps.
The Auradon Knights marching band, wearing snappy blue-and-gold uniforms, blasted out a toe-tapping number as the school's cheer squad shook their pom-pos and rallied the growing crowd. King Ben's parents, King Beast and Belle, mingled among the crowd, smiling at all the electrified citizens who were waving homemade WELCOME ALL posters, flying painted REUNITE banners, and holding cheery flower bouquets.
Queen Leah, Queen Aurora, and Princess Audrey stood on the sideline near a row of meticulously trimmed hedges. One looked on with great enthusiasm while the other two couldn't care less about the exaggerated hoopla. Audrey's mouth formed a serious line, and her brown eyes were unsmiling. She pulled at her long ash-brown hair—which was newly streaked with pink and blue—straightened her pink leather ensemble with a disgruntle frown.
From what the couple on the Isle could see, Queen Aurora excused herself from her family members and walked to the other side of the lawn. On the other side just happened to Mal's friends—Jay, Evie, Carlos, Carlos's girlfriend Jane, and Evie's boyfriend Doug—who greeted the queen with the same happiness that she was most likely feeling
A giant video monitor was set up atop the school's battlements to carry a real-time feed of the Isle's barrier opening. WELCOME TO OUR NEW VKS blazed across its screen. A formal royal guard detail stood in their pressed gold uniforms around the lawn. The king's stretch limo, now painted purple in Mal's honor, sat parked and ready to go in the circular driveway. In a few minutes it would be crossing the barrier to pick up the four new VKs—
After a certain announcement by King Ben, which should be beginning right about . . .
"There they are," Maleficent noted weakly, but with a small amused smile. "The king must be so nervous, yet our baby girl has no idea what's about to happen."
Back in Auradon, Mal and Ben made their grand entrance into the packed festivities. The Queen of the Isle surveyed the bustling celebratory scene, quite pleased to see the newest VKs would be greeted with more excitement and fanfare than she and her friends had been when they'd first arrived. Mal was amazed by how things in Auradon had truly changed—
Though Mal didn't realize until later that that wasn't the main reason why the audience was there.
Pausing for a moment to adjust his golden crown, which bore the Beast family crest, Ben stepped up onto the podium to speak to the restless crowd. Within half a second, Mal caught sight of her 'Beasty' standing with her friends. Smiling widely, Mal attempted to walk the rest of the way off the stage to greet her sister.
However, Fairy Godmother—looking proper as always in a plain, conservative powder-blue dress—blocked her path before she could get to the exiting steps. "Stay," the headmistress ordered sternly.
"Stay here?" Mal clarified in confusion as she gestured to the stage. "But my sist—"
"Will still be here in a few minutes," Fairy Godmother reassured calmly. "Now, stay."
Although she was a bit perplexed by the unusual request, Mal went along with it for the time being as she joined Ben's side on the stage. The two waved at the jubilant crowd, who appeared to be over-excited for a strange reason. Although she used to find the royal wave rather awkward—since she never had to do such a thing on the Isle—Mal now performed the somehow difficult action like a natural.
"Bibbidi-bobbidi." Fairy Godmother began as she tested the microphone. "One two, one two. Can everybody hear me?"
The crowd responded with mighty shouts and cheers, though some laughed at the headmistress's actions. Satisfied with the answer, Fairy Godmother offered the golden mic to the King of Auradon. "Ben."
"Thank you, Fairy Godmother." Ben paused a moment to observe the massive crowd. After taking in a deep breath, he broke out in one of his trademark smiles as he belted with rock-star style, "What's up, Auradon?"
Once again, the audience cheered with a small applause so the king would know they were listening. Any moment now he would do the thing they've been waiting for, for the past hour or so.
"Thank you so much for coming out to welcome our new arrivals," King Ben acknowledged politely. "They'll be here soon."
Clearly displeased by the whole circumstance, Queen Leah mumbled bitterly under her breath, "Not like we had a choice." Audrey nodded in agreement, her frown growing deeper with each passing second.
Adverting his gaze from his subjects, Ben focused all of his attention on his queen. "Mal," he began with a nervous smile, "this is the exact spot where we officially met for the first time not so long ago."
Mal allowed a soft smile to grace her features. She remembered the day very clearly, even though it happened twenty-six chapters ago. Mal stayed inside the limousine a little longer to compose herself from being separated from her parents, but was soon distracted by that thought when she finally met the prince she had been crushing on for twelve years at that point.
"I feel like I've known you my whole life," Ben continued as he smiled knowingly. "Did I mention . . . I'm in love with you?"
As if on cue, Doug stepped forward, cleared his throat, and began strumming on his guitar. Mal laughed in embarrassment, her hair changing into a blue hue as Ben began to serenade her. She couldn't believe he was going to do this in front of everyone!
"I met this girl who rocked my world, like it's never been rocked," Ben began as he slowly twirled Mal around on the stage. "And now I'm living just for her. And I won't ever stop. I never thought it could happen to a guy like me." Once they came back to their starting position, Mal gazed at the crowd with a happy, yet unbelieving smile. "But now look at what you've done. You got me . . ."
Hearing her king trail off for a moment, Mal turned around to see Ben kneeling before her. ". . .down on my knee," he finished.
Mal gasped, bringing her shaking hands to cover her mouth in surprise as Ben passed the golden microphone to the side before revealing a blue box from his pocket. "I love you, Mal," he confessed as he stared into her beautiful green eyes. "I want to spend every day of my life with you."
Pausing for a moment, Ben pulled back the lid to reveal a spectacular one-of-a-kind vintage-style ring with an enormous purple stone encased in a gold dragon design. "Will you marry me?" Ben proposed, his voice cracking from his over-whelming emotions. "Will you be my queen?"
Before Mal had the chance to answer, Audrey rudely shouted, "No!"
Returning to the Isle for a moment, Hades and Maleficent jumped in surprise at hearing the other teenager answer for their daughter.
"What is that princess thinking?" Hades wondered angrily. "She has no right to butt in like that! She's going to ruin everything!"
"Not necessarily," Maleficent argued softly as she gestured to the screen. "Look at them. They look just like us when you proposed to me. You know what our baby girl is going to say."
As if she was listening to her parents—and, thankfully, hadn't heard Audrey—Mal squealed in an explosion of emotion, "Yes!"
The Auradon palace bells pealed loudly as Ben slipped the ring on Mal's finger and stood while embracing her. The couple kissed—a real True Love's Kiss—as if they were the only two people in the world. Dozens of onlookers flipped DIY welcome signs to reveal sweet congratulatory messaged like Queen Mal, Happily Ever After, and True Love, Mal!
Maleficent smiled at her husband with a mischievous, yet knowing glint in her eyes. "Looks like our daughter is getting married!"
Once the newly engaged couple broke their kiss, Mal's happy expression suddenly turned to worry when she remembered something. "Ben, my parents—"
"You think I'm not the type to ask for your parents' blessing?" Ben interrupted teasingly, finding himself amused by his fiancé's eyes going wide in surprise. "I asked them at the beginning of our senior year, while you were trying to get them an anniversary gift and them getting you a birthday gift. They are actual watching from the Isle as we speak. By the way, your father's mohawk is way bigger than how you described it."
Mal laughed gleefully as she leaned her forehead against his lovingly. Everything was absolutely perfect!
However, Audrey, surrounded by the colossal celebration of love, felt crushed under the weight of utter devastation and raw heartache from losing the crown for good.
To make matter worse, her mother came changing toward her with a pissed off look on her face. "What were you thinking?" Queen Aurora interrogated sternly. "And don't play dumb with me, young lady. I heard you, even though no one else did."
"She has every right to be mad!" Queen Leah defended quietly so none of the bystanders would snoop. "That fairy stole her crown and the king—"
"Stay out of this, Leah!" Aurora ordered with a newfound courage. "May I remind you, Audrey abused Ben for over three years. She doesn't deserve him or the crown!"
"How dare you speak that way to me!" Queen Leah exclaimed dramatically. "I am your mother!"
Narrowing her eyes, Aurora stepped forward so there was merely a foot of space between them. "You were never my mother," she denied with an unusual hatred in her tone. "My mother is on the Isle of the Lost because of the lies you and your husband spread across the kingdom. And you will no longer interfere with how I raise my daughter."
Adverting her attention to a completely astonished Audrey, Aurora declared, "Until you learn to respect the future Queen of Auradon, you are cut off! That means you will receive no financial aid from me or your father whenever you want to purchase anything, especially when it's something you don't need. In fact, you can start packing your things in your dorm room. Since your father and I are paying a lump sum for you to have a room all to yourself, I'm going to have a talk with Fairy Godmother to change that. Starting next week, or perhaps even sooner, you will be sharing a room, just like everyone else at Auradon Prep."
Before her daughter could argue or complain, Aurora turned her back to her so she could congratulate her sister.
"How long have you known?" Mal interrogated in surprise as she hurried down the stages' steps to hug her best friend.
"For months!" Evie admitted with an overjoyed smile. "Your mother told Mom and then Mom told me a couple days later. Who do you think helped Ben plan most of this?" Pausing for a moment, Evie ran her fingers through Mal's semi-long purple locks before musing, "You are going to rock that crown."
Then with a snap of her fingers, Evie adverted the subject to more important business. "So! Mom and I have done about a thousand sketches of your wedding dress each. And Belle's planning an engagement party for next week!"
Mal laughed gleefully as she adverted her attention to her future in-laws. "Then it's a really good thing that I said yes!"
"Hugs!" Beast proclaimed, and swallowed Mal in a giant father-in-law-to-be bear hug.
"Hugs, hi!" Mal returned the hug as best as she could, glowing and at home with the royal family. After being with Ben for so long, she finally felt accepted by his parents.
"I finally get a daughter!" Belle cheered, taking her turn to hug Mal with her face filled with sheer joy.
Mal pulled away from the hug with a genuine smile. "I love you, Belle."
I love you, Belle mouthed in reply, too overcome with emotion to speak.
Before Mal could move or even greet the next person, someone behind her cleared their throat. Twirling around, a wide smile spread across her face as she squealed in delight before hugging the person. "Hi Beasty!"
"Hi!" Aurora greeted as she returned the hug with the same, excited energy. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!"
Pulling away from the embrace, Aurora took a moment to remove a pink flower from her hair to place it behind Mal's ear. Smiling softly, Aurora complimented, "You are going to make a beautiful bride. I can't wait to see you on your wedding day."
Although she wanted to speak with her sister like that forever, Mal needed to change the subject. "Ben said you needed to tell me something?" Mal recalled curiously. "What was it?"
Aurora sighed, knowing she couldn't avoid the subject any longer. "It has to do with Diaval, the raven our mother was friends with. He's—"
RING! RING! RING!
Huffing in annoyance at being interrupted for a second time, Aurora checked her phone reluctantly. "It's my husband," she informed her sister. "Audrey must have talked to him. I need to take this, but I promise I will tell you as soon as I get another chance."
No sooner had Aurora hurried off to answer the phone call, Evie, Carlos, and Jay bounded to Mal with goofy, exaggerated steps. Jay bowed elaborately in Mal's direction and spoke, his voice syrupy with sarcasm: "All bow to Your Royal Majesty!"
Carlos followed suit as he jokingly greeted, "Your Royal Purpleness."
Although Mal found it amusing that he used the name he called her thirty-five chapters ago, Mal mockingly waved her hand in a royal way as she jokingly ordered with feign disinterest, "Silence, annoying peasants."
"As you wish, my liege!" Jay exclaimed, who rose from his ridiculous pose.
"Your Crankiness," Carlos added with a snicker.
As Mal walked away, someone roughly grabbed her still injured hand and twirled her around. While wincing in pain, Mal noticed that 'someone' was none other than Audrey, who glared at her with disdain. This couldn't be good.
"Congratulations. You won him fair and square." After a moment, Audrey cocked her head as she tightened her grip on Mal's hand, causing her to wince once again. "Oh, wait, no you didn't. You somehow convince Ben to break his engagement with me so he could be with you. What a touching story for your kids," she sneered.
Mal cocked her head in the same manner as the princess had, her eyes glowing in defiance as she jerked her hand away. "Not as touching as yours, which is your grandfather murdering a king so he could have the throne, inhumanly removing a fairy's wings, and lying to an entire kingdom in the process."
"Okay." Ben clapped his hand, unaware of their dispute. "Let's do this."
He glanced at his watch, then fist-bumped Jay and Carlos with new focus. They were expected elsewhere. The king was clearly in good spirits and ready to head to the Isle to pick up Dizzy, Celia, Squeaky, and Squirmy.
Mal flashed a fake smile at Audrey. "And speaking of kids, we have some kids waiting on us. If you'll excuse me . . ."
"Hades," Maleficent called as she barely managed to raise her head from the couch. "Where are you going?"
"You are getting worse and worse with every passing hour," Hades began as he threw on his over-sized leather jacket before checking his appearance in the nearby mirror. "I thought they'd bring down the barrier by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case. So . . ."
The god trailed off as he tossed an object into the air. When he caught it, his wife recognized it to be his ember.
Hades showed off his ember as he revealed, "I'm going to speed things up a bit."