Chapter 3

The enchantments work well for the next week or so. One night Mal takes a shower, then heads to bed. She forgot to put any of the enchantments back on. She didn't know they were enchanted, so she had no idea she had done anything wrong. As she sleeps she cast a spell that brought Ben to her bed. She doesn't harm him, doesn't even wake up. Ben just goes back to his room, wondering if he was sleep walking. But less than an hour later, he wakes back up in her bed again. This time he wakes Mal up.

"Mal?"
"Ben, what are you doing in my room, your mother will…"
"Mal, this is the second time you brought me here…in your sleep."

"But…" She worries that she and her friends will get tossed out because she isn't following the rules about being in each other's rooms with the door shut.
"But nothing, ok go back to bed."
He left. Around three am he woke up again in Mal's bed, this time she was on top of him, her hands around his neck, eyes glowing. Ben knew he was in trouble. Ben's shouting wakes Evie.

"Mal, Mal listen to me, come on Mal. Come back to me. You know you don't want to hurt Ben. You love him." That's when Ben notices, she isn't wearing the bracelet or the ring.

"Evie, get my signet ring."
"What, why would you need that now, really Ben." Evie was shocked that that would be an issue at this critical moment.
"It's been enchanted to shield her mind."
"Oh." Evie dove for the ring on her nightstand, and grab's her left hand and replaces it. Immediately Mal's eyes stop glowing.

"Ben?" She asked looking at her hands one on Ben's neck, the other being held by Evie. "What?"
"You.. It's over."
"It won't be over until we find out…"
"Why did you take my ring off?"
"I took a shower, I guess I forgot to put it back on, why?"
"Fairy Godmother put an enchantment on it. A spell to block your mind from being controlled."
"Oh…oh."
Mal was saddened that it had come to this. A need to protect himself from her. With a spell and a lie. They didn't even tell her they had done such a strong spell on her.

It was then she decided that she would leave until she could find out who was behind this. She would leave the ring behind to draw the villain away. She made a plan, and just had to wait until there was no one in the palace.

Mal kept a small bag packed waiting for the time when she could sneak away. That time came about a week later. The summer was 4 weeks gone and 6 weeks left. Mal worried that she wouldn't figure out who was behind this, and not be able to return to school. The staff were all in a meeting, Ben was in a council meeting, her friends were at their volunteer jobs and Belle and Adam were away, travelling the country. So Mal grabbed her small bag and walked out the door, leaving only a note for Ben behind.

Mal waited until she was clear of the palace, and transported herself to the other side of the country. She looked around to find a place to stay and work. She would need money soon, she had stashed away a few hundred dollars, but she knew it wouldn't last long. In an alley Mal used the transformation spell she had learned from the fairies in her magic class, changing into someone she had never tried before. She had super curly red hair, fair skin and freckles. She had learned to fix her eyes, by carrying colored contacts that made her green eyes brown. So she popped them in.

She left the alley and walked through the streets. As she passed others she worried she would be noticed, but after passing a few strangers, she relaxed. No one knew the difference. Mal looked into the windows of the different shops, looking for a sign they were hiring. Or a place to rent. As if by luck Mal passed a bakery that had a sign stating early morning baker wanted, housing comes with the job. Mal had to laugh, Queen Leah's little home Ec, punishment was going to come in handy after all. It was going to help hide Mal.

Mal walked into the shop and found the shop keeper….Crap it was one of her fairy teachers, Miss Fauna. Mal had never thought to ask them what they did outside of their teaching herself, Jane and Evie. It was then Mal realized she had transported herself right into Audrey's home kingdom. Well, there was no way Ben would look for her here. So she just hoped her transformation would trick Miss Fauna.

"Can I help you pick out a treat deary?"
"I was actually interested in your job." Mal said, hearing her voice for the first time. It had an accent. Mal found it kind of cute, and definatly would help her disguise.

"Can you bake…?" She was looking for Mal's name, and she had to think fast.

"Annie." Ben's other girlfriend, the little five-year-old niece of Lumiere, was the first name she thought of.

"Annie. Can you bake?"
"Yes, Madame. Breads, rolls and pastries. Also cookies and cakes."
"Ok, I need the baking started at 3 am as I open at 6. I provide a room over the store. There is furniture there. I assume you are new to town?"
"Yes, just in from…" She quickly provided a cover story about being from Queen Merida's land since her accent seemed to sound like that. She was moving away from home because her parents wanted her to take over the family farm, and she wasn't into farming. Fauna brought it.

"'I'll give you a week trial. And we will go from there. I have a small kitchen, feel free to make whatever meal you can find. Then go get settled in. I will show you the kitchen, supplies and the baking list before I head home. It will be nice to sleep at home for a change."
Mal was surprised at how trusting Fauna was, but Mal knew she was trusting.