Three days ago

Mal was reading a good book in her room, which was now Beast Castle when Evie burst into the accommodation in desperation.

"Evie, what happened?"

Evie looked like she had run a marathon and after entering she closed the door rather aggressively and checked that there was no one behind her, while Mal watched everything without understanding anything.

"Ben is going to propose to you." The blue haired girl said desperately and when she looked at Mal's state her nervousness increased. "Mal?"

Mal's brain stopped to process the information. She returned to her bed feeling nervous to the extreme.

"He's going to do what?"

She asked in a louder tone than she realized.

"He's going to propose. Jay told me, he's looking for me to know if he should ask you or not, he's so scared Mal."

"Afraid? Afraid of what?"

His distant mind snapped back into place when he heard that Ben was afraid.

"Of you saying no. Mal I know you're scared of being queen, but Ben loves you so much."

Evie sat down next to her and took her hands that were freezing.

"I love him too, I love him very much. I just don't want to marry him, out of obligation."

She explained the same thing she had said over the years.

"Ben doesn't want to marry you for that, he loves you, he loves you so much that he's been putting up with the Council people all this time."

Evie told what had been a secret between her and her brother-in-law until now.

"What do you mean?"

"By the laws of Auradon, Ben and you should have been married years ago, but he didn't want to. He wants to bide his time."

"What?"

She was angry at the ridiculous kings and their laws, but what Ben had been doing all these years was unreasonable, he was putting his kingdom at risk while he waited for her.

"So what do I tell him?"

Evie questioned worriedly, but when a brief smile on her friend's face reassured herself. She knew what answer to give Ben.

(...)

Enchanted Lake

"What do you mean ring?"

He asked nervously and not understanding how she knew.

"This one."

Mal gently took the ring she hid so he wouldn't notice.

"It has an explanation."

The king spoke in a stammer.

"He was going to ask me to marry him."

She spoke quietly.

"Did you know?"

Ben asked without understanding.

"I suspected, you can't lie."

Mal explained caressing his cheek affectionately.

"So, is that a no?"

He asked, but stating that he would get a no.

"Do you really think I would say no? Ben, even if you had asked five years ago, I would have said yes. I love you, silly king, I will always say yes to you, yesterday, today and always."

She took his chin affectionately and brought her eyes to him so that he would pay attention to what she was saying. Finally she handed him the ring in her hand.

"Are you ready to be queen?"

He asked honestly and knowing that he could change his plans at that moment, depending on what she said.

"Certainly not." She giggled at the thought of her with the crown. "But to be your wife, yes."

"Then you'll let me make things right, as I had planned?"

He knelt on the floor and looked up at her.

"All right."

How overly romantic it was. How she loved that about him.

Ben took her hand smiling and the ring. A silver ring with a purple stone in the middle of it. It was simple compared to the others of the nobility, but knowing Mal, he knew he would prefer something simple. He took a deep breath and stared into her eyes.

"I love you. I've never loved a girl like you. I've been sure of that since you agreed to stay in Auradon. So, if you love this poor king who fell in love with you from the first time he saw you and you think you can keep him for life. I promise you, I will do everything to make you happy. Mal Bertha Faery, will you marry me?"

He obviously got emotional and seeing him like that brought tears to his face. his face.

"Yes, I will marry you."

Ben put the ring on her finger who pulled it off and gave him a long kiss. He hugged her and spun in the air. How happy he was.

"I'm glad you accepted."

"Why?"

"Because maybe there's a celebration party going on, because you finally said yes."

"Hey!"

"What? People have been waiting for you to say yes for five years, especially me."

"Just for the record, you only proposed now."

She recalled hugging him.

"So it's my fault?"

"What does it matter anyway? We're getting married."

The two headed for the castle, Mal thought it would be a little party between friends, but he got a big fright when his now fiancé, gave a shout "she said yes!" and suddenly found himself in the midst of euphoric shouts, as well as hugs from people who were certainly not just his friends.

"From what I see you have failed, Helena."

A stranger to most people went up to the fairy to speak."

"There was nothing I could do, his mind was already made up!"

She bickered determined not to carry that guilt.

"There's nothing we can do now. Marlin warned her magic has been getting closer. She must know about both of them."

"We have to do something, we can't let this happen, if we go public?"

Another person stepped up to speak.

"No, that's out of the question!"

"Helena enough! If they get married you know what happens, or do you want the curse to fall on Auradon?"

"Not yet, let's keep reading books and until the wedding day we have time."

Fairy Godmother intervened. She knew her friends' methods and they were not friendly.

"We've been trying for years."

"No, we haven't been trying at all, because we never imagined this would happen, we never thought history would repeat itself!"

Helena reminded them distressed.

"Tomorrow we go after Marlin, we'll see how much time we have. Then either they separate the two or we come out of the shadows, one way or another Ben and Mal won't stay together. Together."