Holidays are over (hope ya'll had good ones!) Which means I can breathe again! XD Here's the new chapter!
As the room brightened, Persephone began to give instructions, mentioning private rooms and tables full of food, but Mal wasn't paying attention to any of it. All she could think about was Ben. Ben, who hadn't gotten upset at them, at her, during this horrible experience. Ben, who for some reason believed that she was good, that she wasn't like her mother. Ben, who was still under a love spell.
She'd give him the antidote now if she could, just so she wouldn't have to see his earnest expression when he came to try and convince her that she wasn't evil. So she wouldn't have to watch the confusion that would settle over him when the Fates ultimately showed her giving him the spelled cookie. He could shout and scream at her, and then he could go be with Audrey. He could be with who he loved. Like he would tomorrow, or later today.
It's not like him being spelled helped her anymore, anyways. She wouldn't be getting the wand anytime soon. Honestly, she wasn't even sure she wanted it at this point.
Mal was snapped out of her thoughts by Evie shaking her arm. "Jay and Carlos are going to go scout." Evie was telling her. "Do you want me to stay here?"
Mal shook her head while watching Ben out of the corner of her eye. He looked like he was arguing with his dad. "Go get food." Mal told Evie. "I'll be fine."
"Mal," Evie's eyes darted to Ben as well, and Mal reached out to squeeze her hand.
"I will," she insisted. "Maybe... maybe not at first. But I will."
Evie squeezed her hand back, and hesitated for only a moment before going to join the line, the call of food being too strong. Even though Mal knew that Evie probably didn't look forward to being so close to the royals, the Isle taught them to never turn away a meal and other than some light snacking, none of them had eaten all day. Who knew when they'd be able to eat again after this.
It only took another minute for Ben to escape his parents and make his way to her.
"We need to talk." He said softly when he reached her side, taking her hand in his. Mal nodded, letting him lead her over to Persephone. She avoided her stepmother's eyes as Ben asked for a private area, and then they were going through a veil of vines to a place behind the screen.
Mal stood away from Ben, keeping her eyes on the ground. Here she was, an Isle gang leader, the daughter of Maleficent, and she couldn't even bring herself to make simple eye contact. But Ben was different. He was sweet, pure in a way that a lot of the kids on the Isle weren't, and with his ridiculous notion that she was good... she could admit that some part of her didn't want to disappoint him.
"Mal, please look at me." Ben pleaded softly.
Mal didn't respond, but lifted her head just a little. She still avoided his eyes.
Ben sighed, but didn't ask again. Instead he said, "You're not evil, Mal."
"How can you say that?" She asked him, wrapping her arms around herself. "Ben, you just watched me sing a song about taking over the world with my mother."
He didn't answer and she began to pace, her fingers digging into her arms. "I'm not a good person, Ben." She said, finally looking up at him. "On the Isle, my whole life was stealing, looting, fighting, and hurting people."
"You were trying to survive," Ben said, taking a step forward. He stopped when Mal took a step back and shook her head. "Did you enjoy hurting people?"
Mal scoffed, "That doesn't matter."
"Yes it does," Ben insisted. "What about the gangs?"
"Excuse me?"
"Carlos said that no one is alone on the Isle." Ben explained, "The gangs are for protection, right?" While Mal didn't answer, she didn't stop him either so he continued. "And you led one. You protected people. Gang fights, that was to make sure you were all safe as well, wasn't it?" Tears began to flood Mal's eyes, and she hated that he could break her barriers so easily.
"That doesn't mean anything." She told him, "I was.. I was using it as an advantage." Well, a lot of the people in her gang were skilled, so that was partially true. Ben obviously didn't buy it. But even then, she was still cruel. She used words to hurt people. She used weapons to hurt people. While some of it was a game of survival, the lines were so blurred that sometimes she couldn't tell what was neccesary and what wasn't.
She didn't think she could explain any of that to Ben.
He took another step forward, and this time she didn't stop him. "You were willing to give up your spot here for the younger kids.. If you were like your mother, if you were evil, you wouldn't have done any of that."
Mal shook her head, "You're only saying that because... because..." She trailed off, blinking faster and trying not to react as Ben got even closer.
"Because of the love spell?" He offered. Her eyes widened in shock and she stepped back. He didn't look upset, just watching her carefully.
"You know?"
He nodded, "Since our first date. The enchanted lake washes away spells."
"Oh," Mal whispered, thinking back to that day. She had felt the lake's magic, but hadn't thought to ask about it. Which in hindsight was pretty idiotic of her. "I-I'm so sorry," She said in a rush as she fully realized what he was saying. "I swear, I was going to give you the antidote tomorrow. But even then it doesn't excuse anything, spelling you was wrong, messing with your emotions like that, there's no excuse. The others, it was my idea, and if-"
"Mal, Mal," Ben cut her off, taking one of her hands and squeezing it gently. She was quiet as he gathered his thoughts. "Not going to lie, at first I thought it was because you had a crush on me and didn't know what to do since I was with Audrey." He laughed softly, "But now I'm guessing it had something to do with the coronation instead?"
Mal looked down, "I did like you," she admitted, a small blush forming on her face. "I do like you. I mean, I didn't realize it then. I don't think I knew what I was feeling. But... you're right. I used the spell to get close to the wand. I'm so sorry, Ben."
Her words caused Ben to smile, even though she couldn't see it. "I forgive you," He said, causing Mal to look at him in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe those words. Her expression soon changed, though, as she thought about the past few weeks.
"Why didn't you say anything before?" She asked, a sharp pain in her chest. "Why fake it?"
Ben cupped her face, caressing her cheeks as he said. "I haven't been faking anything." Mal let out a soft breath and Ben leaned down, waiting a moment to give her time to pull away and closing the distance when she didn't.
Mal had kissed a few people on the Isle before, fleeting moments of curiosity and lust, but she had never had a kiss like this. Never had she felt the warmth, contentedness, and happiness, that filled her body now. Never had she not wanted a kiss to end. But all too soon, this one did. Ben rested his forehead on hers and looked just as dazed as she felt. She could help the laugh that passed her lips as he grinned at her, and he kissed her again before pulling her into a hug.
"I love you Mal," He told her. "You don't have to say it back, but please believe me when I say it."
She hugged him tighter. "I'm sorry I can't say it." She said, meaning every word. "I will one day. But I can't right now."
Mal didn't know how her words made Ben's heart soar, and he kissed her head. For a few moments they stayed like that, until he said. "We are going to have to go back in with everyone."
"A few more minutes?" Mal asked with a sigh, turning her head to glare at the vines.
Ben laughed, and was happy to oblige.
Out in the main room, Aurora and Phillip had pulled Audrey over to one of the corners. It had been decided that Pierre would distract Leah, with Ruby's help, so she couldn't interfere with the upcoming conversation.
"Would you like to tell us what's going on?" Aurora asked her daughter. The way Audrey had acted on screen wasn't the girl she had raised. Not only had she treated the VK's badly, but by doing so she disrespected not just the soon-to-be High King, but also her boyfriend.
"Nothing is going on," Audrey said, some sass sneaking into her voice. "I was just having a bad day."
Phillip narrowed his eyes, "Watch your tone." He warned. "Will this 'bad day' continue in the memories?"
"They're villains!" Audrey defended.
"They're children!" Aurora snapped back, then took a calming breath before continuing on. "Audrey, they were raised in a horrible environment, but that doesn't mean that they are evil."
Audrey scoffed, "Yeah right." Although she didn't seem as fired up as she previously was. "They grew up surrounded by villains."
"And you grew up surrounded by heroes." Phillip cut in. Audrey dropped her arms with a gasp. Never in her life had her father said something like that to her.
"Daddy?"
Phillip rubbed his temple, "I'm not saying that you're a villain, Audrey." He said with a sigh, "But I am saying that your attitude isn't the one we raised you to have. You were raised to not judge people based on their parents or on their status. You were raised to give everyone a chance, no matter where they come from. But it seems like you've abandoned that."
Audrey flushed and looked away from her parents.
"You won't be leaving the castle over spring break." Aurora said, "I think you need some time away from everyone else, to reflect on things."
"But what about the festival?" Audrey asked, referring to Corona's Flower Moon Festival. The family had been going for the past few years as a show of support between the two kingdoms, especially considering that Pierre was dating Princess Ruby.
"Rapunzel will understand," Aurora told her. "Pierre will still go."
Audrey deflated, but held her tongue. It wouldn't do her any good to argue. Although, she dared to ask, "Will Grammy be staying with us?" It wasn't that she didn't love her grandmother, of course she did! But her Grammy was very... insistent on Audrey being the Queen of Auradon, and even though she hoped that Ben would see the light, she was sure she'd still be scolded for 'losing him,' even if it was only for a short amount of time.
Her parents shared a look before Aurora answered, "No. Now come on, you have some apologizing to do."
Audrey stayed still for a moment, and her parents looked back with raised brows. "What if they aren't alone?" She asked, her head down.
Aurora looked at the group, and back at her daughter. She couldn't see Ben and Mal anywhere, but she did see the other VK's.
Phillip bent down and whispered something in her ear. She nodded, and he looked to Audrey. "If you can't get them alone right now, you can apologize later. We won't make you do it in front of everyone."
Audrey practically sagged in relief. "Thank you." She told her parents, before going off to look for the young couple on her own.
While Mal and Ben were working things out, Evie was currently attempting to balance four plates and a couple drinks while Jay and Carlos were doing recon.
"Do you need some help?" A small voice asked. Evie looked down to see a little girl with blonde hair smiling up at her, one who had likely been in the kids area during the viewing.
Evie smiled while trying to figure out who her parents were, and where they were. "No, it's alright," she told her.
The girl frowned, eyeing Evie suspiciously. "Are you sure?" She asked, "Cause you might drop one of those."
Evie almost laughed. She had balanced far more than what she was currently carrying in her life. But the little girl was being serious, and she didn't want to hurt her feelings.
"Its not the first time I've done this." She told the girl. "And it probably won't be the last."
"Papa says that just because something keeps happening doesn't mean its right." The girl said sternly. "And Papa doesn't lie."
At that moment, the girl began to remind Evie of a stubborn Mal. She put the plates and drinks on the table, keeping a close eye on them and the other people around them as she knelt down. Winning an argument against the child probably wouldn't work, so she'd try to distract her instead. "What's your name?" She asked.
"Klara." The girl, Klara, said with a smile.
"I'm Evie." Evie held her hand out, and Klara shook it. "Where are your parents?"
Klara pointed to the middle seats, where Queen Anna and Prince Consort Kristoff were talking with another couple who she recognized to be the Queen and King of Corona. "They know I'm over here." The girl said suddenly. "So you can't get rid of me that way."
She definitely reminded Evie of Mal. "I'm not trying to get rid of you." Evie defended, adding a small gasp to her words and channeling shock and innocence.
Klara's squint made it clear she didn't believe Evie. She then pointed a finger and said, "Stay right here. Don't move."
Evie stood chuckled as Klara ran off, casting a few looks behind her to keep an eye on the bluenette, but did as she was told while trying to ignore any stares her way.
It wasn't long before she was back, dragging over a tall young man, with pale blonde hair and light blue eyes.
"This is my brother Aleksander." Klara introduced, bouncing on her toys lightly. "I brought him to help. Alek, this is Evie."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness." Evie said with a curtsy.
Prince Aleksander shook his head, "Please, call me Aleksander."
"All right."
"So, what am I helping with Klara?" Aleksander asked, swinging Klara's arm lightly. The girl pointed at the table, to where the plates and drinks were.
"She was trying to balance all of them, Alek!" Klara said in exasperation. "And no one was helping her!"
Evie blushed as the prince looked at her, before smiling down at his sister. "Well, now we are. May we?" He asked. Evie nodded, and he picked up two of the plates while Klara collected the drinks. Evie grabbed the remaining items and guided them down to the seats.
She could feel Jay's gaze, and subtly gave him a signal, letting him know that everything was okay.
Away from Evie, and closer to Jay, several royals were gathered in a group, with King Beast and Queen Ella in the center arguing.
"You should have told me!" Beast hissed. He'd yell if he could, but Persephone wouldn't give them a private place to argue. Instead, letting his son go into a room with the fairy who was planning their demise. As it was, Ella was glaring right back at him, "And break the law? A law you helped create? Ben's plan was sound!"
"Sound? Those four are trying to steal the wand! Everything we've worked for could have been destroyed!"
"Everything we've worked for? My stepsisters are on that island with their abuser! Annie was ripped from her husband, her children ripped from their father, because you suddenly decided that she should be on that rock as well. And those four? They're children! They are all children! And the people who are supposed to be loving them are hurting them. So tell me, Beast, why should I have told you anything?"
Beast clenched his jaw, unable to argue against her words, at least not with other council members around them. Judging from Ella's expression, excluding the red eyes, she knew that she drove him into a corner. Relations with Ella and Kit had always been tense, but he couldn't afford a kingdom to try breaking away from Auradon, possibly taking other kingdoms with it.
"Maybe we should all take a breather." Florian said, stepping between the two royals. "Emotions are high right now, considering everything that's been revealed." He looked Beast's way, "Adam, we can always discuss this more at a later date."
Not that it would do much good, as Ben's coronation was coming. At least the VK situation would be dealt with soon. As the group dispersed, with Florian following Beast, Ella sagged into her husband's arms. "What are we going to do?" She asked him. "Ben is becoming King, but Beast is still his father. He'll be in his corner."
Kit rubbed her arms, watching Beast warily. "We'll figure it out." He told her. "We always have. Beast might be in Ben's corner, but he's not the only one." He looked around the room, looking at the AK's. "This next generation will change things, Ella, and we'll be here to help them."
A few yards away, Jay stood close to the wall, thinking about what he'd heard. He wasn't surprised that Beast was upset, it was the defense from Ella that was shocking, especially considering how her son acted.
He scanned the room, noticing Evie with a little girl and a blonde guy. The guy tapped the little girl's nose and headed to the food table, while the girl sat down next to Evie and began to talk. From what he could see, it seemed like she was telling Evie about her kingdom.
Noticing Carlos getting closer, he shifted his focus. "Learn anything?" He asked.
Carlos nodded, "Aladdin and Jasmine seem to be neutral right now, along with Shang and Mulan. Actually, they seem to almost be interested in finding out more about you."
"All of them?" He asked, a slight panic in his chest that he tried to push down. None of that sounded good.
"Yep. Remember, their kingdoms are right next to each other."
"Right. What else?"
Carlos pointed across the room to the Auroria clan. "Audrey and Queen Leah don't share the same views as the rest of the family." He said in a low voice. "While I wouldn't call Aurora and Phillip trustworthy, they don't seem hostile. As for their son, I overheard him tell a girl that as far as he's concerned, Mal isn't her mother."
"Think he's faking?"
"Honestly.. No." Jay put that information in the back of his mind, and began to debrief Carlos with what he'd gathered.
"Snow White doesn't know what to think of Evie, which is okay for right now. And Evie has been adopted by a child."
Carlos snorted. "I noticed. Just another Thursday."
Jay chuckled, thinking back to the days when Evie would patch up the Isle kids and, with Mal's permission, help Harriet on the ship. "Yeah. But the big news is Queen Ella and King Kit. I think they're on our side."
"Really? I mean, Queen Ella was outspoken during the viewing, but with Chad..."
He hummed, his eyes finding the young Charming, who was sitting with a few other kids. "Well, kids aren't always like their parents." He said, looking down. "We should know that more than anyone."
"Yeah. I guess we should." Carlos was quiet for only a moment, then tilted his head. "Think we should go join Evie?" He asked, just as the blonde guy returned to their friend and the little girl.
With narrowed eyes, Jay nodded. They gathered enough information, now it was time to see who that guy was.
In a different area of the room, Megara was on a mission. While her husband was afraid of Persephone, Meg had no such qualms. She spent years around Hades, and while his wife had a temper even worse his, she wasn't going to let that stop her.
"What is going on?" Meg asked, wasting no time for pleasantries as she reached the goddess. "Why did you bring us all here to watch the VK's lives?"
Persephone delicately shrugged. "I said I was bored," she said.
Meg crossed her arms, "And it just so happens that one of those kids speaks Greek fluently."
"What are you getting at, Megara?" Persephone asked, a warning tone in her voice. But, Meg wasn't known for backing down.
"You look towards her a lot."
"Everyone does."
"With that much protectiveness?"
Persephone didn't answer right away, but when she did her voice was low, "I don't know what you think you're implying. But banish whatever thoughts you have towards Mal. Leave her alone. Tell your husband to leave her alone."
"I don't think he realizes." Meg told her, "He's nervous because of the blue flames, but thinks it might just be because of Maleficent."
"And you won't tell him?"
Meg sighed, glancing towards her husband, who was talking to Ariel. "I love Hercules, but he doesn't always see the big picture. To him, Hades is evil, even though I willingly signed that contract. He's blind to the rest of his family's doings, because they haven't hurt us." She looked back at Persephone, nodding her head. "I won't tell him, and if Mal would let me, I would love to help her navigate dealing with the gods, but only when she's ready."
Persephone examined Megara, taking in her words and her demeanor, before accepting her words as truth. Out of every mortal Hades made deals with, Megara was his favorite. And honestly, Persephone was fond of her as well.
"At this moment, Mal would rather pretend that she isn't part Hades.." Persephone admitted. "The only thing that keeps her from completely turning her back on her heritage is Hadie. But as we know, she won't be able to hide it forever."
"I'll be there for her when she needs it." Megara vowed. The women shared a look of understanding, and Megara left, just as Mal and Ben exited the room they had been in.
Mal looked at Persephone cautiously, while Ben thanked her for the room. She felt her stomach drop as her step-mother avoided looking at her, and forced herself to restrain her eyes from seeking out Megara. Instead, she let Ben guide her to the VK seats, which had acquired quite a few people since they had left.
In addition to the other VK's, Reiner, and Elsie, there was a man and little girl she didn't remember. Evie's eyes widened as she saw Ben and Mal's joined hands, and Mal nodded at her with a smile. She almost laughed at the bright look on her friend's face, but was distracted as the little girl jumped up and hugged Ben tightly. "Hello Klara." He greeted as the child backed up. "What are you doing over here?"
"I was helping Evie!" Klara declared. "And so was Alek." She then looked at Mal, her smile turning a bit shy. 'Hi!"
Mal waved and smiled back, "Hi. I'm Mal."
"This is Klara," Ben said, one hand resting on the girl's head, while the other swept towards the blonde near Evie. "And that's her older brother, Aleksander." Mal nodded politely while Ben continued. "They're Aksel's siblings." He then frowned, his gaze sweeping the group before resting on Elsie. "Where is Aksel?"
Elsie nodded towards the middle of the room, where Aksel was walking away from his parents. He wasn't the only one moving around, as many people were making their way back to their seats.
Aleksander took notice as well, and reached for Klara's hand. "It was nice to meet you, Mal, but it looks like it's time to get this one back to the kid room."
"Do I have to go?" Klara asked with a sigh. "Can't I stay here with Evie?"
"Afraid not." Aleksander told her. "There are some things that you can't be apart of quite yet."
Klara pouted, and Evie leaned forward to touch her arm. "How about you come see me again at the next break?" She said, looking at Aleksander to see his reaction. He grinned, and Evie relaxed as Klara's pout lessened a bit.
"Okay," she said, letting her brother take her away from the group.
Aksel arrived as they left, and he watched them in amusement. "I feel like I missed the party."
"Your sister adopted Evie." Reiner said as the group settled in chairs, a new formation now that there were more people.
Aksel laughed while Evie blushed. "Sounds about right." He said, before nudging Ben with his arm. He nodded at Mal and lifted an eyebrow. The girl in question rolled her eyes while Ben gave a thumbs up and Elsie groaned at their awful attempts at subtleness.
Mal leaned closer to her best friend. "Did Doug ever come over?" She asked quietly.
Evie's smile fell. "No." She said, shaking her head and clearing her throat. "Maybe... Maybe he doesn't want to be my... anything, anymore."
Mal wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, "Then he's an idiot." She said. As of right now, Doug was almost lower than Audrey and Chad on her dislike list. She wouldn't hurt him, but he'd better have a good explanation if he wanted to get near Evie again.
All around them, the lights began to dim, and Persephone and the Fates stepped forward.
"I hope that your break was efficient." The goddess said. One of the Fates snorted, and she glared down at her. "We'll have another in a while. For now, let us continue with the past."