With the end of pregnancy approaching, many things are coming to the fore. They enjoy every moment and make every day special. As if these eight months could cope with every moment of longing that might come.

Mal, perhaps more than them, doesn't mind the choice she's made, but something inside her is pushing her to do and say things that she hasn't had the courage to do so far in her twenty-four years.

"So, have you seen her?"

Mal asked Nanny.

This is one of the people she really needed to meet and talk to, if only for the last time. Their relationship is still very complicated for Mal. Nanny is part of a family she didn't know she had and, as kind as the fairy is, she hasn't been to see her in Auradon for eight years.

"Yes."

Nanny said with a big smile, because she was talking about the future princess, and that smile always appears when she's with Mal. This was the first time that the girl had wanted to go to see her of her own free will, without life and death needs.

"Please, Nanny, tell me a bit about her."

The two are in the castle. The queen is sitting on the couch, since getting around has become impossible, and she can no longer leave the palace. Mal is incredibly worse now. Her hair has started to lighten, her intense eyes aren't so intense anymore, and her magic is fading with each passing day.

"No, the future is something you don't talk about in the present, and besides, you're going to meet her yourself."

"For minutes, if I'm lucky." She remembered something that had been discussed for some time between Merlin and Rashid. Exactly how long her body can withstand being without magic. If she's lucky, she'll be fine for a few minutes. "Just tell me one thing, is her hair purple?"

"You're very persistent, girl."

Nanny laughed at the question.

"You still haven't seen anything."

If the woman had the opportunity to get to know her granddaughter a little better, she would see just how stubborn Mal can be.

"I know you still blame me for not coming sooner, I hope you'll forgive me Mal, there are many things I can't tell you about myself and especially about your mother."

She apologized sincerely, taking the girl's cold hands in hers, another sign of a lack of magic, a lack of warmth.

"I don't understand yet, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's to let go of various feelings." She squeezed her hands. "You're here now, and that's what matters." She wiped the tears from her face. "Just promise me one thing? My daughter will get to know you and have a great-grandmother."

The lady laughed heartily.

"Yes, I promise I'll be close to you both."

"I imagine you already know, but even so, Ben and I have already decided on her name."

"Yes, I know, but you're still never going to take information from me, young lady."

She said, sipping some more tea.

"Nanny, please, just a little something."

She asked, realizing that her convincing tricks weren't working so well on her.

"All right." She looked at her grandmother for a while. "She'll be as tall as Ben."

"What? Her height? That's no valid information, Nanny."

She complained in frustration at the fairy who laughed at her and her disappointment.

(…)

Auradon is in a terrible mess, and it's not like it was in the era of the witch Agatha Darkness. It's a political mess. Some kingdoms have started to adhere to the law against magic on their own, which has made the king pack his bags and prepare for a trip to the Northwest, Cinderellaburg and New Orleans.

"Do you promise you'll be all right?"

The king asked his wife for the fifth time in a row, while folding his shirt again

"You talk as if I'm going to turn into a dragon and fly around the city. Ben, stop folding that shirt like that!"

She asked, taking the clothes from his hands.

"I don't want to go."

He spoke like a spoiled child and dropped his suitcase and sat down with her on the bed.

"I'm sorry to inform you that you're the king, and you have to do this." She ran her hands over his cheeks and he moved closer to her. "And besides, your parents are going and everyone loves them, everyone listens to Adam and Belle, you can convince them easily."

"And I'm just going to be a helper?"

"Stop being so grumpy, Benjamin!"

"I'm going on a trip without my queen, I have that right."

"My God, I've created a monster!"

She pulled his chin and gave him a long kiss. Mal stopped for a moment to analyze him, Ben has hazel green eyes, a small nose, a few dark circles under his eyes, the result of tiredness and the most beautiful smile, in her opinion.

"What's wrong?"

He asked, seeing her gaze and her hands run over his face.

"Nothing, did you know that I think you're the most beautiful man in Auradon?"

"Oh really? That's nice, but I think Jay's more handsome, his muscles and that long hair of his, it's hard to beat."

He commented, and Mal's laughter came naturally.

"I don't think I've looked at anyone else since I fell in love with you."

"Funny, me too, but for me, it was from day one."

"When did I become so soft?"

She asked, not recognizing herself making romantic speeches.

"I like the term in love."

"Eight years together."

She entwined her hands in his, looking at the ring, thinking back over the years.

"The best years of my life."

He kissed her hand.

"Are you going to tell her our story?"

"Yes, do you want me to include the cookie or wait for her to grow up?"

By then he was already lying on her legs and enjoying the affection he was getting.

"I forgot those details, we're not a normal couple."

She laughed, remembering how their love story began.

"We're the best couple. Beast and Dragon, baby."

"What a perfect match."

They both fell silent and just stared at each other in silence.

Ben thought she was the most beautiful woman in the whole kingdom. He knew every part of her face, and now he wanted more than anything for his little girl to be like her, to have her eyes, her expressions, her dimples, which he thought were beautiful.

Mal imagined her with his eyes, his delightful laugh, his calm, and positive way of seeing the world, his brown hair that occasionally grew too long and fell into his eyes.

"My Mal."

He said with a huge smile as if he were a teenager falling in love for the first time.

"Always yours."

She stroked his tired face and kissed his red cheeks.

"I have to go."

He said, but remained in the same position as before.

"Have a good trip." She got up and walked to the door next to him. "We'll miss you."

"Bye, little dragon, be nice and try not to make too much of a mess in there. Daddy loves you." He kissed Mal's stomach. "And you, take care, wait for me, I love you." He kissed her. Like those kisses worthy of fairy tales.

"I love you."

(…)

Later, Ben and his parents were in Cinderellaburg and were about to get into the limousine when the driver stopped him and handed him an envelope from the Queen. As soon as he saw it, he noticed Mal's handwriting.

(…)

Evie was in the studio when Doug called her and handed her and her friends who were with her at the time an envelope.

(…)

15 minutes later

"The baby's coming!"