Chapter 7:
Mal's POV- Sunday Mid-Day-June
Whilst Ben was taking control over the Isle, I was creating a plan of my own. When Jay took control of the Gaston's territory, it allowed me easy access to where I needed to be. After recovering from my injuries, I knew it was time. I had told Jay that I would be gone for a few days, and began my Journey.
"The Forbidden Fortress" I said to myself in awe. This place never ceased to amaze me. When we came here the first time, it was shrouded in darkness, and thorns have overgrown the area. Since the parents had returned, the place had 'brightened' up a bit, and by that, I mean the thorns had receded slightly. I made my way across the bridge, with some scepticism I might add after what had happened last time. Opening the doors to the castle, it was still as I remembered, dark and dusty.
The only difference being the layout this time. There was no magical caves, no magic mirrors and certainly no hordes of flesh eating goblins. I made my way through the throne room, remembering what had happened last time.
'No way I'm sacrificing myself for someone else this time' I thought, and carried on to the balcony, where the contraption was built. The view was magnificent, dare I say. It overlooked the entire Isle, and stood taller than any building on it. I could see Bargain Castle, my once called home, and I could see Hell Hall, where the current 'King' of the Isle stood, along with his runt of a boyfriend.
'None of this will matter soon,' I thought to myself, before turning around and eying my real prize. Behind me stood the contraption that the parents used to try and break the barrier, and surrounding it was them in their sleep riddles state. And there it stood, her Sceptre, the Dragon Eye. I knew once I had its power, I could cease control of the Isle, and rule once again.
I slowly approached the Sceptre, and firmly grabbed it yanking it from the contraption, freeing it from its hold. This time I didn't experience the flashback, but instead felt power coursing through my veins. Something felt different, like the sceptre was alive in some way, coursing with magic. 'That's impossible, there's no magic on the Isle' I thought to myself but there was definitely something off about this, so thought I'd give it a try. "Wing of bat and raven's eye, and lift me up into the sky" and nothing happened at first.
"Stupid thing" I said to myself before smashing the base against the floor. There was a large flash of light, and soon after, I started to rise off the ground rather slowly. I rose to the same height as the taller spire on the fortress, and was able to grasp hold of it, securing myself on the roof of the tower. Still astonished by the power the Sceptre had, I looked above at the dome, and notice a crack, small enough to go undetected, but large enough to magic to seep in.
After all the Spectre had been sat under this crack, for quite some time, it became clear to me that it had regained all of its magical properties, and I could finally seek my revenge on Ben, and the little pricks he calls 'friends'. I started to cackle, and almost like magic, thunder and lightning appeared behind me, symbolising my power had returned.
As I stood on the roof of my fortress, I knew I had to make a large show of power. I aimed the Sceptre towards Hell Hall, and shot a green beam of light towards it. The beam pierced through the sky, and struck the house, causing it to shatter. Wood and debris flew out, and a crater was left where the once mighty house stood. I could see as people headed towards the rubble, wondering what had occurred, and where the beam had come from.
'This is perfect. Now I that I have magic on my side, I'm finally able to exact my revenge on this place'. I made my way back down the spire, and rightfully took my place on the throne inside the fortress. It reacted, relighting all of the torches on the walls, and clearing any thorns that had made their way inside. 'Finally, I am home'
Ben's POV-Sunday Mid-Day
Carlos and I made our way back from the market towards Hell Hall, having a general conversation. I had realised that I didn't know too much about Carlos, but it was evident that he didn't know anything about me
"Really, your middle name is Florian" he said, hunched over and laughing.
"Oh yeah, there's much you don't know about me. Speaking of which, what's yours, huh?" I said, laughing along with him. But that question quickly quietened him. "Oh, too embarrassed to say are we" I said, with an inquiring look on my face.
"Fine, you told me yours. It's De" I said, smirking. "Ha-ha, very funny" I replied, before finally reaching Hell Hall.
As we opened the gate, a large flash occurred in front of Carlos and me. I quickly pulled him into my arms, sheltering him as the house exploded in front of us. We were throw back, a couple of feet before slamming into a wall. The pair of us were knocked unconscious, and within a few minutes, awoken by Evie who had seen the blast from her castle.
"What the hell was that" I asked, staring at the crater where the house once stood.
"No one knows" she began, "I only saw it explode, and that's when people came running." Carlos slowly approached the crater, before falling to his knees sobbing. The place he had grown up in was gone, destroyed and boy was he hurt.
I kneed beside him, before saying "I will not rest until I found who has done this. They are going to pay considerably for what they have done." I finished rising from my knees. People around scuttled away, fearing what I would do to them, but Carlos was devastated, and I wanted to be there for him. Evie offered us refuge in her castle until we found somewhere else to stay, or a way to rebuilt what we had lost.
"Thank you Evie" I said, before helping Carlos down the street. He didn't need to be seen like this.
I helped Carlos into one of the spare rooms, in Evie's castle allowing him to fall onto the bed. All he wanted to do was curl into a ball, and sob over what he had lost. Who could blame him, it was difficult for me to witness, let alone him, having lived there for 15 years. I was angry, and needed some way to release it. That night once Carlos had fallen asleep, I went out for a walk, trying to calm myself down.
I hated seeing Carlos like this, and I knew he wouldn't recover quickly from this. That's when I saw it. In the distance, a glowing structure, standing over the rest of the Isle. I'd never noticed before, but now it was very prominent. Towers and Spires taller than anything else on the Isle. That's when it hit me. 'That's the forbidden fortress, where the parents tried to break the barrier' and I instantly got a bad feeling in my stomach.
I raced back to Evie's, waking both of them up, telling them what I saw. "Oh, this is not good" Evie said, pacing back and forth, whilst Carlos was shaking his head. "What, what isn't good" I barked, trying to get their attention.
Evie finally snapped out of her trance. "The Forbidden Fortress was the home of Maleficent before she was banished to the Isle. Since then, only Carlos, Jay Mal and I knew its location" "Mal, it was Mal"
Carlos chirped up. "She was looking for revenge, and now she is exacting it. She'll target us, and our territory, before reclaiming the Isle for herself" he finished. Both Evie and I looked at him, "That's very specific Carlos" I said to him, "Besides, it's been three months since the incident, and nothing has come of it" Carlos argued back "And? She held a grudge against Evie for 10 years, and her response to that was to curse her into a 1000 year sleep" Evie nodded, with a look of realisation on her face. "None of us are safe anymore," was all she said.
"Guys, calm down, Mal doesn't actually have any power, there's no magic on the Isle so…" I said, before seeing a bright flash outside the window. Everyone ran to the window, gasping at what they saw. Mal was walking through the market with Jay by her side and Diablo saw on the Dragon Eye Sceptre. Anyone in her way was forced against a wall, until she had passed.
She slowly approached Evie's castle before bellowing towards us "Ben, I want to talk" she said, cackling after her statement.
"Ben, don't go out there" Carlos begged, but I knew I had to challenge her. This girl had been a thorn in my side long enough, and she needed to learn her place on this Isle. 'Ideally in a gutter' I thought to myself, as I exited the castle.
"Ah Mal, how's the wrist" I remarked, as I walked toward. This clearly angered her, and caused the crowd of people to snicker behind her back.
"I'm here to challenge you" She began, stroking Diablo, acting like her mother. "The Isle is rightfully mine, and I'm here to take it" she stated, causing me to retort back
"And how do you plan to do that. We all saw what happened last time you attacked me" growling at her, as I approached. Once again, the memory of the event was enough to anger her.
"Times have changed now Princey." She said, winking, before rising her sceptre pointing the Sceptre towards me, and releasing a powerful blast, knocking me to the floor.
"Enough", I shouted. "If it's the Isle you want, then you'll have to go through me", quacking transforming into a wolf, and beginning my assault. But this time was different.
I lunged at her, but she quickly dodged it, and kicked me in the gut, causing me to whimper.
"Someone's lost their touch" she taunted, as I continued to lunge for her and miss. I was able to catch her leg, scratching it in the process, but it was hardly enough to cause any real damage. She continued to use the staff to knock me to the ground, or force me against the wall, and I couldn't keep up. I could feel myself weakening with every beating I took.
Finally, I had to revert back into my human form, as I was too weak to continue. I pulled myself up from the floor, before she walked over to me and kneed me in the gut once again. I fell, clutching my stomach. At this point, blood was pouring from cuts on my face. Once again, she pushed me against one of the brick walls on the castle, and I heard a snapping sound coming from my right leg. Clearly she was out for revenge. She pulled a knife from her pocket, and proceeded to slice me with it. One after another, she continued to slice and kick me, blooding pouring out of every wound. She eventually stopped, delivering one more blow into my head.
Everything started to go blurry, and I blacked out.
Carlos POV:
After seeing Mal and Ben begin to fight, both Evie and I ran outside, only to witness what was happening. Mal was laying into Ben, who was unable to fight back. After delivering her final blow to his head, Mal spat on Ben, calling him "Pathetic" before placing a curse on him, and leaving.
All I saw was an orb of energy be pulled from Ben's stomach, before being dispelled across all of Auradon. One flew towards a ring I was wearing. It was a ring Ben gave me after we had been together for three months. It was a simple gold ring, with an engraving of a beast. Everyone who had witnessed what occurred froze in fear, as Mal left, but I and Evie ran up to Ben.
I pulled him into my arms, shaking him hoping he would awaken, but he didn't. His pulse was weak, and he was barely breathing. "Ben, come back to me" I cried, holding him in my arms. "Don't die on me please".
Evie comforted me, before suggesting we move him to the bedroom, where we could better treat his injuries. We laid him on the bed, and only then did realise the damage Mal had caused. Ben's right leg was broken, and his chest was heavily bleeding. He had three slashes across his chest, and numerous cuts and bruises elsewhere. His face was swollen and he was barely recognisable.
"He has to be treated in Auradon" Evie said "The Isle didn't have the capacity to treat Mal, and she only broke her wrist. This, this is far worse" I looked at her, tears welling in my eyes. I knew if Ben left the Isle, I couldn't be there to support him through this, and she knew that. "Carlos, it's what's best for Ben" she said, placing her hand on my shoulder.
I nodded, and she left the castle, making her way towards the medical signal. Luckily, every port on the Isle had one, so there was one close to Evie's castle. Evie returned five minutes later, with some bad news. Unluckily, Mal had planned for this, and had destroyed all of them. It was clear she wanted Ben to die, and would stop at nothing to see this.
"What do we do now" Evie said, and I could see that she was starting to tear up as well. It went silent for a few seconds, neither of us knowing how to proceed. Then it hit me "The laptop" I cried, "Evie, go to Dr Facilier's office and get his laptop. It can be used to call Ben's parents. "GO NOW" I screamed, knowing it was Ben's only chance for survival.
I remained by his side, sobbing, and trying to treat his injuries as best I could. There was nothing I could do about his leg, but I'd make sure to try and treat the wounds on his chest. All I could do by apply pressure, to try and stop the bleeding. After about 10 minutes, Evie came running back with the laptop. I quickly loaded it up, and opened the app, calling the only contact available. It rang and went to voice mail twice before I finally got a response.
A rather angry looking British man answered the phone, "This is Cogsworth. How did you get this number" he snapped, and was immediately disgruntled when Evie and I appeared on the screen.
"Please, we need help" I plead, trying to get his attention "Get the King and Queen, it's about Ben" I sobbed, begging for him to respond. As disgruntled as ever, Cogsworth complied, after hearing the mention of Ben's name. After a few minutes, the King appeared on screen, causing Evie and I to bow.
"What is the meaning of this and who are you?" he asked rather sharply
"I'm Carlos, and this is Evie. It's about Ben Sir" I started, still sobbing over what had happened. "He was attacked my Maleficent's daughter, and isn't responding to treatment" I moved the camera showing him the damaged caused.
The King gasped before proceeding to speak "I'll have armed guards come pick him up from your location. Thank you for your service to the kingdom, and I wish you the best on the Isle"
"Wait, what? You're just going to take Ben and leave us here? After everything we have been through with him. I will not let you take my boyfriend from me" I screamed at the Laptop, my sadness being replaced with rage. "You have no right to just take him away. Not after what you did to him. He needs medical help, and we are the only people that know what happened!"
Evie dragged me away from the screen before I could continue my little rant, and perked up herself. "Your Majesty, it would seem that Mal placed a curse on Ben before she left. However, she are not what type of curse. A yellow orb was dragged from Ben's body, and then dispersed over Auradon. We need to accompany him to Auradon. We are only people who know what actually happened."
The King finally responded, "Very well, you two may accompany him to Auradon, for as long as he is unwell. Once he is healed, the three of you will be placed back onto the Isle. Is that fair?" Evie and I nodded in response. Before he hung up, the king had done last thing to say "And we need to discuss the matter of you being my son's boyfriend" ending the call once he had finished.
After about 30 minutes of waiting, we finally heard cars pull up outside. "Finally!" I screamed, running to the door allowing the guards and doctors into the castle. The guards remained at the door, whilst the doctors moved Ben onto a gurney. We followed them out of the castle, and whilst Ben was wheeled to an ambulance, we were taken to a car that followed.
I protested, wanting to remain with Ben, but they not allow it. The King and Queen wanted to meet with us immediately, and Ben was being taken straight to the hospital. I finally gave in, sitting in the back of the car, as we followed the ambulance off the Isle. People crowded the streets watching us, as we approached the barrier. Evie grabbed my hand, and squeezed it tightly.
We were both scared of what would happen when we crossed it. We saw the barrier fall in front of us, and a bridge formed beneath us. Both Evie and I stared out the window, watching this marvel unravel in front of us. We looked out the back of car to see the barrier rise, only to see Mal stood watching us.
"We're finally free" I mumbled to myself, turning back around, and slumping into my seat. Evie did the same, before pulling me into a hug.
"It'll be ok Carlos, Ben's going to be alright. The doctors here will know how to treat him. Don't worry, and think about it. We're in Auradon. We finally got off that Isle" she finished, trying to maintain the smile of her, but I could see through it, she was as worried as I was. When we finally reached the mainland, it everything we expected.
Luscious greenery everywhere, with trees flourishing in the sunlight. We quickly joined onto a motorway, seeing all of the scenery as we drove past. After about 10 minutes of driving, we turned onto a slip road, pulling off of the motorway, whilst the ambulance continued. I placed my hand against the window, reaching out to Ben. What it would accomplish, I don't know, but it made me feel better.
We approached the King's castle, and my god was it impressive. As we approached, I started to get nervous, very nervous. I had shouted at the king down the phone, and then claimed Ben was my boyfriend, and how I could have to justify that without his support. The King was not going to be impressed, and I had to prepare myself for this. Evie was just gob smacked by what she saw. Her mother had always taught her that beauty was the most important thing, that she should get a prince and live happy ever after.
I had been trying to her convince her otherwise, but me being with Ben didn't help, I'd 'snagged my Prince' as Evie would say. The car stopped, and the doors opened. We proceeded up the stairs, being escorted by a large number of guards 'clearly someone is nervous' I thought to myself referring the King, but how could I comment. I was sweating through my clothes. We were brought to a small room, with a few chairs, and waited. And waited, and waited. After about 30 minutes of waiting, I got frustrated, and started to walk towards the door. Just as I did, I saw the handle turn, and quickly ran back to my seat. Both the King and the Queen entered, the Queen wearing a nice smile, whereas the King as the sternest look on his face. Evie and I panicked, before bowing to them.
"You may rise" the King began, gesturing me and Evie back to our seats. "So, what happened? The doctors say that Ben is in a serious condition, and may not recover" causing me to sob. Evie pulled me into a hug once again, before explaining what had happened on the Isle."Ben had gotten into a fight with Mal, Maleficent's Daughter. As you can see, Ben didn't fare well from it"
The queen joined me in a sob, before kneeling beside me, helping Evie comfort me. Evie continued "What is more worrying is that once Mal had laid the final blow, we witnessed an orb leaving Ben's body. It rose into the air, and dispersed all over Auradon"
I spoke up, trying to stop sobbing "Part of it entered my ring, and it's been glowing ever since" I said, pulling it off, and handing it to the King.
Queen Belle spoke up "May I ask why the fight began?" she spoke calmly, still trying to comfort me, as I continued to sob.
"Mal and Ben had been in dispute over the Isle since he arrived. She didn't like the…" she stopped, searching for the right word "Influence Ben had over the Isle, so she challenged him. Ben accepted, and…" Evie stopped.
The King, had finished examining the ring, and spoke up. "Carlos, we need to keep the ring for a few days alright?" he voice was gentler now, almost calm. "You and Evie will stay at the castle until Ben has recovered. Due to your…status… you will be under constant guard and have restricted access to the castle. During the day, you will be escorted to Auradon Prep, to keep up with your education. As soon as the school day has finished, you will be escorted back to complete any homework set. We will keep you updated on Ben's situation. Tonight, you will accompany the Queen and me for dinner. We would like to get to know you better" Again, me and Evie nodded, and we were led out of the room, towards a shared bedroom.
We entered the room to see two double beds, each with silk sheets on them. The room had a private bathroom, and several large wardrobes filled with clothes. It also had a desk, with a computer on it, as well as a television screen mounted on the wall. Evie had fallen in love. She walked into the room, and gasped at the sight. She ran over to one of the beds, before jumping onto it, sinking into the soft fabric.
I decided to explore the room, seeing what I could find. The bathroom had both a bath and a shower, and the view from the windows in the room was impressive. "You can see the entire Kingdom from here" I said, ushering Evie over to the window, causing her to gasp once again. One building in particular stood out, Auradon's General Hospital. I broke down once again, and Evie put her arm around me.
"It'll be fine Carlos. Now, why don't you go take a shower whilst I pick out the clothes we are going to wear for this evening" she said, in a calm voice. I nodded, and proceeded to enter the shower. I turned it on, and screamed, as the water ran over my body. It was burning, and I quickly started to twist a dial on the wall. The water quickly turned to a nice, warm temperature, and it was like something I had never experienced before. I used the different types of lotions, washing my body and my hair.
"My god Evie, this is amazing" I called. This was the first time I finally felt clean. I walked out of the shower, with nothing but a towel up to my waist. Evie blushed, before speaking up. "This is what you are wearing tonight" she said, holding up a navy blue and gold suit, similar to the colours Ben usually wears. Evie proceeded to take a shower of her own, whilst I turned on the TV. I had access to these channels for a brief second back on the Isle, but now I had full reign of everything. I flicked through to channel, shuddering when the two twins that looked like Mal appeared on screen. I finally found a TV show about a nanny, who was looking after four kids.
Whilst watching this, I wandered over to the desk top, and turned it on, having a look what was on the internet. All that appeared on screen was the news articles of what Ben had done, as well as several articles about Ben's past; different birthday parties, and royal appearance came on screen, showing me the life he had led before. As much as I didn't want to snoop, he was right earlier I didn't know much about him. I clicked on the Wiki page, and started to read about him. It seems he was highly regarded before the incident had occurred, but I stopped when I reached what had happened a few months ago. I trusted Ben, and took his word on what happened.
After about 10 minutes of searching, Evie stepped out of the bathroom. She had already dried off, and had changed into her outfit for tonight. It was a lovely blue ball gown, with a broken crown symbol on the back. She also had a jewelled tiara on. "Carlos, hurry!" she exclaimed, "We only have 15 minutes before we have dinner with the King and Queen". I quickly changed into my outfit, and dried my hair, returning it to its original messy state. Evie just looked at me whilst I did so, and quickly ran over, fixing my hair creating a quiff. Before I could mess it up again, the doors opened and the guards escorted us down to the dinner room.
Sunday Evening
We entered a room to find a large table, which could easily seat 100 people. The King and the Queen, were sat on one side of the table, and Evie and I sat opposite them. The chefs started to bring out trays after trays of food, somethings Evie and I had never seen before. We began the meal with a rather awkward silence, before Belle spoke up. "So Carlos, Evie, how did you meet Ben?" she asked.
I spoke up first. "I met Ben on the first night when he was on the Isle" speaking with some food in my mouth. The King and Queen weren't impressed to say the least, but I continued none the less. "I was returning to my shelter, so I could catch up on the news. My mother wouldn't allow me to have a TV in my room, so it was the only place I could watch it. On my way, I heard howling in the distance. My mother told me that dogs were vicious, pack animals, so I ran, trying to get away from it. That's when I encountered Ben. He was hiding in my shelter, and since then we became close friends."
I heard the king scoff "more than friends it would seem" and Belle quickly reacted, slapping him on the arm. "Carlos, I apologise for my husband" she said, staring at him whilst she did so.
"No, I think I should explain what I said over the phone. Whilst on the Isle, Ben and I got to know each other. I told him that I was g-gay, and he said that he was bisexual. After about a week, he asked me to be his boyfriend. On our three month anniversary, he gave me his ring" I finished, looking down at my finger, remembering I wasn't wearing it anymore and sighing.
Evie quickly chirped up, telling about the first time she had met Ben, and how she designed him the outfit he was wearing today. By the time she had finished, the main course of dinner was complete. The chefs started to bring out dessert, causing me and Evie to gasp again.
"This is so much better than the rotten food on the Isle" I exclaimed causing Belle to gasp, as I reached for something the chef had called chocolate cake. Evie reached for a load of different fruits. We recognised apple slices and bananas, but there were also smaller berries. She added some cream into before digging into her food.
The King and Queen carried on making small talk, asking what school was like on the Isle, and what they taught us. I told them about Yen Sid, and Weird Science which they didn't seem too surprised about. We also told them about Lady Tremaine's class, which caused shock on their face, and they were completely stunned, when we told them about Mother Gothel's Selfishness Class.
Both Evie and I mentioned that because we were advanced students we didn't really have a choice in the classes we attended, and that we didn't really enjoy them. "What do you enjoy?" asked the King, intrigued by the statement.
"Weird Science is my favourite" I chirped up, my mind being taken away from Ben for a moment. "I like tinkering and creating things. I once made an automatic broom that helps clear things away" I added, proud of my invention. They seem surprised, and asked if I could replicate it in Auradon. I happily agreed.
Evie responded to the question stating she didn't really have a favourite. "My mother always wanted me to pursue beauty, so I've never had much of a chance to try anything else. Even in my other classes, I was more focused my looks rather than my education. Beauty is power" she ended, sighing over her mother's words.
Belle was looking down at the table at this point, whilst the King was deep in thought. We had gave them a lot to think about however. "Well, it's getting late, and I don't want to miss my first day of school" I said, pulling both the King and Queen out of their thoughts.
"Ah Yes. Thank you both for a nice evening." The King said, before adding "Carlos, I hope you find time to recreate that contraption" he said with a smile. Evie and I were led back to our dorms. It was only 7:00pm, but I noticed the awkwardness that was forming around the table, which is why I cut it short.
About an hour after we had returned to our rooms, we heard someone knock on the door. I opened the door to find the Queen stood there rather sheepish. "Y-Your Highness" I stumbled, bowing, then I realised I was shirtless. She blushed at the sight, and chuckled.
Evie heard what I had said, and had quickly jumped out of bed, following my lead. I gestured the Queen inside, and led her to the table before reaching for a t-shirt. "Can we help you, Your Majesty" Evie said, sitting beside me.
"Please, just call me Belle" she said, with a calm voice, before raising her purpose of the visit. "I wanted to know what life was like on the Isle." She said, staring down at the table. "I wanted to try and get to know you better, so maybe I could help over children on the Isle." She finished, with a few tears in her eyes.
Evie took Belle's hands in her own, and started to begin. "Are you sure you want to know?" she asked. She wanted to make sure the queen was prepared for what she would her. Belle looked at her, and nodded, so Evie began.
"Well, the food isn't the best. Mostly we eat stale foods, or rotten fruits. School only teaches us how to be evil, and now how to better ourselves. Our...parents… don't treat us the best. Some children on the Isle have it better than other." As Evie said so, I started to tear up. I knew she was talking about me and I think Belle noticed. But Evie continued anyway, properly showing her what it was like.
"Some children are beat, or whipped for not finishing their chores whilst some parents just don't care about them". As Evie said so, I reached for a scar on my face, remembering how it was formed, and Belle definitely noticed. "We have to fight for everything we want, whether that be food, water or clothing, and sometimes we go days without even eating." Evie continued.
By this point, I think Belle had heard enough. She was sobbing over what Evie had said, and we were both comforting her. She finally spoke up "Thank both of you for being so honest. If there is anything you need, please let me know. I want to help you in any way I can" We thanked her, and she left our room trying to smile at us when we did so.
After she left, Evie and I decided to stick on some TV before we went to bed. This time it was some show about a bunch of people on a spaceship. I fell in love with it, whilst Evie couldn't have been less interested