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Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Measures

Ben was sitting with his hands in his hair. He had a splitting headache, was severely dehydrated, and had felt this way for hours. It was the morning after the disastrous defeat of the Auradon army at the hands of the villains and their undead army. Following that scarring and traumatizing loss, most of the leaders of the continent's south side had been called to Auradon City for an urgent emergency meeting.

Auradon had never suffered an assault like this on home soil. Not even in the unification war had the forces of the United States of Auradon been delt such a devastating blow. The official reports weren't in yet, but Ben didn't need to know the exact number of casualties to know what a catastrophe the battle had been.

As of now, about a dozen people were talking, each one trying to shout louder than the previous one. There was a lot of yelling and angry glares, but Ben didn't doubt that everyone in the room knew that time was of the essence and that they needed to act quickly.

The room actually wasn't an official conference room, but instead a large office within the Auradon City police headquarters which had hastily been equipped to fit all these people. Most onlookers were actually standing on the sides, leaning against walls or cabinets. There was a large table in the center of the room, with a detailed map of Auradon's southern coastline displayed on it.

Ben was sitting in the center of one side of the table. Mal and Lumière sat directly to his left, and his parents sat directly to his right. The rest of the room was filled with his fellow rulers, some of their entourage, a few army officials and some of Ben's other friends and associates. Archer sat directly opposite of Ben, and looked as tired and grumpy as Ben had ever seen him. CJ was standing behind him, seemingly doing her best to disappear in the shadows. Evie, Carlos, Jay, Lonnie, Chad and Freddie were also present, as well as the members of the Righteous Sons, but they were all shoved to the sides.

"Order! I demand order!" Yen Sid yelled, banging his massive fist on the table.

This outburst silenced everyone, and they leaned back in their seats.

"Yammering like rabid monkeys will get us nowhere! We must establish a strategy!" Yen Sid went on, his eyes again scanning over the map.

The aging sorcerer sat at the middle of the table on Ben's left. Around him sat the remaining members of the council of five. Fairy Godmother, still in critical state, had been hastily transported to Arendelle for emergency healing.

"We have yet to receive an accurate headcount of the enemy's numbers…" Merlin murmured, pushing his glasses further up his nose as he examined the many papers strewn about in front of him.

"Those numbers will not be accurate for very long." Dallben, the enchanter, spoke up. "The magic of the Black Cauldron allows the user to make the bodies of those perished in battle do his bidding. I'm afraid the undead army will grow with every passing minute…"

"Are you saying that Auradonian casualties will be used in battle against us?" Adam spoke up from beside Ben, his jaw clenched.

"That is my gravest fear." Dallben nodded. "The Horned King had not been able to use the cauldron in the unification war, but if he had, it might have been enough to turn the tide in battle."

"Yes, yes, there's no denying it is a powerful relic." Yen Sid muttered. "Dark and malicious, but powerful. The question is, how do we combat it?"

"What magic do we still have at our disposal?" King Eugene asked from the other side of the table. "Enough to tip the scales?"

"It's no secret that we're severely weakened." Fauna answered. "The Fairy Godmother is yet to awaken from whatever that maniac inflicted on her. My fellow fairies and queen Elsa are doing their best, but there's way to know when she'll recover…"

"Elsa told me she never encountered a case like this." Queen Anna added from beside Eugene. "Fairy Godmother's own magic would have been the best healing property, but it is now sadly unavailable to us."

"But aside from Fairy Godmother…" King Charming, who was sitting next to Archer, interjected. "Surely there are others who can, you know, pick up the wand and head to the frontline…"

"Do you suggest we simply throw all our magic wielders into battle?" Anna asked. She didn't appear to be pleased by that perspective.

"What choice do we have?" Eugene countered. "If the accounts of the battle of Belle's Harbor are to be believed, then what choice do we have aside from countering with magic?"

"Magic wasn't the issue." Archer spoke up. His voice was a little raspy, but a gleam in his blue eyes made sure that everyone knew he meant business. "The undead were vicious, but brittle. Any adequately equipped soldier would have been able to take out a sufficient number. But that's the thing… Their numbers… They overwhelmed us simply by utilizing their numbers and ferocity."

"Can we not push them back? Make a show of force?" King Phillip proposed from Eugene's other side.

"We'd need a large army for that… A very large army…" Archer pondered.

"I still don't completely understand." King Charming muttered. "If they are undead, how can they be beaten?"

"From what I saw in battle, they can 'die', or at least be beaten relatively easily. Blunt force is the most effective, so I suggest we equip most of our soldiers with axes and war hammers. Arrows do no damage, but fire arrows might, so I also suggest we use those. If we want to truly be effective from a distance though, I'd suggest heavy artillery." Archer went on, and most people present took notes.

"And the magic they have at their disposal?" Anna asked. "That Solomon… Ursula's daughter… My guess is that war hammers and trebuchets aren't the answer…"

"True…" Archer reluctantly admitted.

"So, magic then?" Eugene interjected, before Archer could suggest anything.

"That's dangerous." Mal said, to Ben's surprise. He looked at her while she started addressing the entire room. "Look at Fairy Godmother… Solomon uses dark magic… Very dark… Fairy Godmother explained to me how she'd risk her magic getting contaminated by his…"

"It's true we still do not know the full extent of his powers." Yen Sid pondered. "We are dealing with a villain who is unflinching and who wields an extraordinary force beyond our comprehension. Frankly, I doubt whether or not even our combined efforts would be enough."

"What are you saying?" King Charming asked, basically scoffing. "Are you saying this punk from the isle is more powerful than all of Auradon's exquisite magic wielders combined?"

"More powerful? Maybe…" Yen Sid answered. "More dangerous? Definitely…"

"It is not a strategy we should think of lightly in any case." Merlin argued. "We must be resourceful, lest we risk our total annihilation."

"And sadly, time is not on our side." King Eric spoke up. "Reports from Triton's ships come in about every few minutes. There is a lot of activity along the shorelines. The villains are regrouping, but we can't get any specifics because any ships that come too close risk falling victim to the sea witch's daughter."

"Uma…" Mal mumbled. "Yeah, I bet she's enjoying herself."

"What more of Triton?" King Eugene asked. "And what of our forces? What do we have at our disposal, is my question?"

"Triton's full fleet has shipped out from the bay." Eric recounted. "But I fear an attack by sea would not be wise."

"No." Ben immediately stated. Everyone in the room looked at him. "Triton is totally separated from all our other forces out at sea. If he were to run into trouble, there'd be no way for us to help him."

"A fight on land it is then." King Phillip nodded. "The forces of Auroria are being mobilized as we speak."

"Same for Corona." Eugene raised his hand. "The first battalions are already marching."

"My forces are mobilized around Charmington, but the villain army lies right in between them and Auradon City. What will you have me do?" King Charming asked somewhat lazily.

"Hold your positions." Adam answered before Ben could. "Inciting a battle at this stage would be a waste."

"And what if the villains decide that Charmington is next? Would you have all my people perish?" King Charming went on, sounding angry.

"Of course not." Ben interjected. "But our intel suggests that Solomon will not move west. He will focus his attention on Auradon City."

"You have intel on this maniac?" King Charming questioned.

"Yes." Ben nodded, his head still hurting.

"From what source, if you don't mind me asking?" The king went on.

"CJ Hook, a former associate of Solomon's." Ben answered, looking over at CJ on the other side of the room.

Everyone in the room followed his example, and CJ seemingly tried to cower away from all these prying eyes as much as possible.

"What does she know?" King Eric asked, looking at CJ with interest.

"CJ?" Ben addressed her, indicating that she should speak.

CJ exchanged one look with Archer, rolled her eyes and stepped forward. "Solomon wants a fight. He wants to show both us and his followers that he can beat the Auradon army. He told me himself that he wants to land a blow so decisive that no one will dare to oppose him anymore."

There was an immediate uproar, with nearly everyone at the table making their concern known using raised voices and some very concerning language.

"Order!" Yen Sid bellowed again, and again everyone fell quiet. "What do you mean by that, girl?" He then asked, directing himself to CJ. "Do you know what his precise intentions are?"

"Ehm, precise? No… I don't think so…" CJ hesitantly answered. "But I do know that he's not interested in any of your kingdoms. No offense…" She then told Phillip, Eric and King Charming. "He only wants Ben and Mal. He wants to see them suffer, so my guess is he'll go after them wherever they are…"

There was a moment of silence after CJ's proclamation where everyone suspiciously eyed both Ben and Mal. It was as if Solomon's presence just became a whole lot more threatening in just these past few minutes.

CJ's comments were nothing new to Ben. He knew of course that Solomon wanted to 'burn Auradon down to ash', but his premier targets had been Mal and himself from day one. Ben didn't precisely know what had transpired between Mal and Solomon on the isle, but he'd seen enough to know that theirs was a relationship beyond fixing.

All of Solomon's attacks and taunting messages had somewhat been directly addressed to either him or Mal, with the destruction of the orphanage being an especially malicious example. But Ben never had the intention of running. No, he wanted to show everyone, and especially Solomon, that he would not be taken lightly.

Now more than ever, after his enemy finally invaded the kingdom and delt Auradon its first ever defeat, Ben needed to show resolve. He needed to show that Auradon's strength had not lessened, and that they were still perfectly capable of countering Solomon and his villainous forces.

"I won't run." Ben confidently stated. "The battle at Belle's Harbor was a tragedy, but we lost because we were outnumbered and surprised. We were unprepared for the ramifications of the cauldron, but our enemy has no more tricks up his sleeve. We have seen the undead, and know how to best combat them. Solomon wants to come after Mal and me, does he? Well, I intend to welcome him with open arms and the best of Auradon's armies at my back."

There was a moment of silence, but then most people started applauding and hollering. Ben looked to his side, where Mal was looking intently at him. She didn't smile, but she did nod approvingly and her eyes sparked with confidence.

"If he is coming to us, then that's our only advantage." Adam said. "We can choose the field of battle. That might give us the edge."

"We must lead the army away from civilians. We can't risk the unnecessary casualties like in Belle's Harbor." Anna added.

"No offense…" King Charming began, in a tone that almost suggested that he was expecting to be reprimanded. "But should we not focus our efforts to immediately counter the villains' advance? Should we not send all our forces directly to their army and push them back into the sea?"

"Surely not at the cost of innocent lives?" Anna countered.

"Of course not. But the best thing, you have to agree on this, would be to get these villains out of Auradon as fast as possible." King Charming argued.

"A full-fledged assault will yield unpredictable results." Yen Sid interjected. "We cannot risk the safety of our people. They must first be led somewhere safe, away from any battle."

"That should indeed be our main priority." Fauna agreed. "But I still suggest we move to evacuate everyone around the south coast."

"That's hundreds of thousands of people." Adam grunted, flipping through some of the papers in front of him. "A large undertaking…"

"The alternative is risking them getting caught in the crossfire." Ben told his father. "I agree. Our first order of business is to keep the public safe."

"Solomon will use them!" A voice spoke up from the other side of the table. Ben looked up and saw, to his surprise that CJ had again raised her voice. "Solomon will use the people… That was his entire strategy when he raided all those villages… He wanted people to flock to Auradon City… He doesn't care about innocent lives…"

"My god…" Merlin muttered, wide-eyed.

"Like cattle to the slaughter…" Yen Sid added, rubbing his chin. "My king, I suggest evacuation be given even more priority. We need the people out of Auradon City."

"Yes. Yes, of course!" Ben resolutely replied. "How long will that take?"

Multiple people started looking through their notes, and Lumière was the first to speak up. "Your grace, if we move fast and have the people pack lightly, we will still need over two days if we also want them to have proper accommodations."

"Corona can provide those." Eugene spoke up. "My wife has established numerous new homeless shelters that can be modified to fit all those people."

"Good, good…" Ben mumbled. "But two days? That's too long, no?"

"Yes." Adam replied. "I don't know the specifics, but my guess is that the undead army doesn't need to rest or feed. Technically, we're lucky that Solomon has chosen not to attack yet."

"What if we lure him away?" King Phillip proposed. "Send an Auradon army west, away from the city and the travelling civilians, and have him take us on there?"

"Then we leave both the people and the city open and exposed." Ben countered. "If they see through the ruse, they'll be able to attack without any sort of resistance."

"I see no choice but to fortify." Archer suggested. "If we truly aim to get all the people out of Auradon City, and it will take two days, then we need to fortify the outer limits and have men stationed along the entire line. We still have the home advantage, and we should be able to hold the enemy off long enough for everyone to get away safely. Afterwards, we'll pick a sufficient field for the decisive battle."

"I see no other option, your grace." Yen Sid acknowledged. "I agree that the city's outer limits are not the, ehm, best spot for a battle, but it's necessary if we want to give our people the best chance of leaving unharmed."

"I know… I know, and I fully agree." Ben nodded. "So, what do we have at our disposal?"

"Troops have been recalled from the coast and reserves are also pouring in from nearby barracks." Adam recited, still looking at his papers.

"How many?" Ben inquired.

"When all is set and done we should be over 35.000 men strong." Adam replied. "And how long before those reinforcements arrive?" He then asked Eugene and Phillip.

"I can have 3.000 cavalry troops here in about a day." Eugene stated, looking over his own papers. "7.000 more are being mobilized, but that will take a few days."

"I have 13.000, but none that can get here within two days." Phillip added. "I apologize, but there's simply not enough time to get my army up and ready."

"It's not anyone's fault that we're in this ridiculous position." Adam sighed. "We will just have to work with what we have. Eugene, if your cavalry joins up with Auradon's current defenses, we will be 38.000 strong."

"Still, spread over such a long line of defense across Auradon City, those numbers become far less impressive." Yen Sid pondered. "Especially when you consider that the enemy will most likely attack one spot and that the undead army is specialized in outright overrunning opponents."

"We can take other precautions." King Phillip suggested. "Let's set up trenches, pikes and other blockades. Anything really to slow down the enemy's advance."

"Still, no matter how we fortify, do we truly wish to combat this army of undead soldiers with nothing but our own soldiers? We have to take into account that we are likely to be outnumbered…" Eugene pondered.

"We have more than just soldiers though." Archer countered. "A defensive line across Auradon City will allow us to place transportable artillery along the border. If we can determine at a reasonable time where they will attack, we can place trebuchets and catapults at that point to pound them with."

"And what about the cavalry?" King Charming offered. "Adam, how many horses in your army?"

"It's my son's army, Henry." Adam addressed Cinderella's husband.

"We have 4.500 on horseback." Ben immediately spoke up, glancing at his father and trying not to seem too thrown off by King Charming's remark.

"That's 7.500 horses. Wouldn't that be enough to deal a sufficient blow to the enemy? Why not send out a cavalry charge when they reveal their position?" King Charming proposed.

"The undead aren't regular soldiers, as I explained." Archer interjected. "They don't run, cower or retreat. Yes, they are brittle, but they have numbers and ferocity on their side. When the horses see that these enemies will not back down, they will freak and break formation. In any case, sending cavalry straight into an army of zombies is a really stupid idea."

King Charming sat back in his seat, a grumpy expression on his face.

"Horses can be helpful later in the battle though." Adam spoke up. "Not in a direct charge, but when the enemy is pinned to our defenses…"

"That could work." Eugene nodded. "Send cavalry from either side of the battle, they can cut right through their lines and divide their force."

"Good. So, we will have transportable artillery and cavalry at the ready across the defensive line. When the enemy makes their point of attack known, we can swiftly move all these assets to that location." Ben recounted.

"Providing we'll have held the line." Archer pointed out, making everyone look at him somewhat accusingly. "What? My guess is that Solomon won't hold back. We need to be prepared for a ferocious and swift attack."

"And we will be, after we have optimally secured our defenses in the time that we have." Ben replied.

"We also still possess magic, let's not forget that." Eugene again offered. "Which magically adapt individuals can join the fight?"

"I will." Lancelot stated from behind Merlin. "Offensively I can sadly not offer much, but my protective spells will be of help."

"I'm there too." Archer stated, lazily putting up his hand. "I know I technically don't possess any magic, but I do have Excalibur."

"I can offer guidance and spells." Yen Sid declared. "Protective spells mostly, and they will not be as powerful as those of Fairy Godmother, but I am at your disposal." He addressed Ben.

Ben nodded. "There's no denying we've got some powerful individuals who can deal some substantial damage…"

"I'm here too…" Mal said, putting up her hand.

Ben turned to his left and looked at her somewhat doubtful.

Mal looked at Ben very intently for a second before turning to the others. "I can do more than offer protective spells. If push comes to shove, I can transform into a dragon and cause some major damage."

"Will you not risk harming yourself that way?" Anna asked, somewhat worried.

"Arrows don't pierce my scales, but I'm not sure how Solomon would counter. In any case, I don't plan on sitting on the sidelines. No one wants Solomon out of Auradon more than I do, and I want to help however I can." Mal stated.

There was another moment of silence after that, where most people seemingly contemplated the upcoming battles. Ben was also a bit lost in thought. He had long stopped trying to withhold Mal from entering the battlefield, but having her transform into a dragon would make her a prime and easy to spot target. It was true that they didn't know how Solomon would counter that, but Ben refused to believe he wouldn't take Mal's magical abilities into account.

"In the meantime…" Adam spoke up, forcing Ben to pay attention again. "The rest of the kingdom should still mobilize as many troops as possible. Every corner, from Arendelle and Agrabah to Northern Wei and the Summerlands, has to be prepared for all-out war."

"It will take time." Anna replied. "Especially if we need to transport our troops this far south."

"Aladdin and Mulan have already started preparing, but we can't count on them to be of much help yet." Eric added, sighing. "It's the sad truth that we are spread out."

"And Solomon knows this, sadly enough." Archer acknowledged. "He knows that none of the kingdoms are at full strength. And, frankly, every victory on his part will only increase his force's numbers and strength." Again, the people in the room looked at him somewhat accusingly, and Archer blushed a little. "I'm not saying I don't have complete faith in our victory, but just so you know…"

"We need to win as fast as possible, we get it." Ben sighed, though he cracked a small smile. "All the more reason to pool all our resources into this first big battle."

"And all the more reason we have to give it our absolute all." Adam added.

"But not at the expense of the people." Fauna interjected.

"Of course not." Ben immediately replied. "Only after the evacuation is successful, and every single person is safe, will we shift all available resources to the battle."

"So…" Adam spoke up. "To conclude… We all have roles to fulfill and plans to execute. We have little time and a looming threat that continues to grow increasingly severe in nature. These may just be the most trying times in Auradon history, but I have complete trust in our abilities, and I know we will be able to successfully protect our people and repel this threat. I wish you all good luck, and may we celebrate our victory once all this is done."

The people in the room again clapped and hollered, but Ben felt weirdly empty inside. While the other rulers and important figures gathered their things and stood up, he remained seated. His father had just capped off this very important meeting in an extremely confident and reassuring manner. Ben was, apart from everything else, still fairly young and inexperienced. His father had already led the kingdom to victory in a great war, and Ben was certain that everyone in this room held Adam's council in far higher regard than his own.

Mal must have noticed the look in his eyes, because she reached out and took his hand in her own. Ben glanced at her and gave a soft smile. They would get the chance to talk later, when the room would have emptied out.

On his other side, Belle was seemingly eager to talk to her son as well, but she saw the way Ben and Mal were interacting, and apparently realized they both wanted and needed some time alone. Adam did not look back at him, instead continuing a soft conversation with both Eugene and Phillip, which undoubtedly had something to do with their defense strategy.

Evie walked up to Mal and whispered something to her that Ben couldn't understand. Archer and CJ had hastily left the room. Jay, Lonnie, Carlos and Freddie were already heading to the exit, Chad had been approached by his own father, and the Righteous Sons were following Archer and left.

Mal whispered something back to Evie before nodding. Evie apparently got the message, because she immediately followed after Jay and Carlos. Within a few minutes, everyone had left the room safe for Ben and Mal, who were still in their seats and kept glancing either at each other or at the map still on the table.

"What's the matter?" Mal asked.

"Aside from everything, you mean?" Ben responded.

"Come on, I can see that something else is bothering you." Mal insisted.

Ben didn't feel like keeping anything from her, so he chose to answer. "Did you pay close attention during the meeting? All these rulers… They still see dad as the true king…"

"Well, they have all spent years ruling together… It's an adjustment period…" Mal tried to encourage him.

"Still, it also makes me doubt I could ever live up to him." Ben explained, pouring out all his doubts. "He was such an awesome ruler… He did so much… And I feel like I should follow in his footsteps…"

"You're not your dad." Mal told him. "Just like I'm not my mother. There's nothing wrong with that, Ben. I've seen firsthand the things you've done, and I know you're gonna be a great ruler. Give the rest some time… They'll come around…"

"I'm barely an adult, and already I've led my kingdom into a war of endless destruction…" Ben pondered. "Not a great start…"

"At least things can only get better…" Mal shrugged.

"Not if we lose…" Ben muttered.

"We're taking all possible measures…" Mal strictly replied. "I mean, what more can we do?"

"It's not about what we can do, it's about what we could have done…" Ben moped, feeling more doubts cloud his mind. "We could have saved so many more people…"

"Ben…" Mal immediately reprimanded him, gripping his hand more tightly. "Ben, I know that what happened was horrible… Terrible… But, I'm sorry, we must focus on what we can still save instead of everything that happened in the past…"

"It's just… It's just…" Ben stammered. "I've been such an idiot for such a long time!"

Mal's eyes widened, but she didn't interrupt him as he started ranting, and he was subconsciously thankful for that.

"I've been so stupid! The villains have been knocking on our door for such a long time, and I kept ignoring it… I could have done something! I should have done something! I should have been more vigilant! I shouldn't have underestimated them! Right from the start, I should have locked down the isle and gone looking for the cauldron… But I didn't… Because I'm a stupid idiot…"

"Ben…" Mal began, rubbing small circles over his hand. "Again, you just can't keep beating yourself up for everything you could have done differently… And frankly, you wouldn't be that good of a king if you keep questioning every decision you've ever made…"

Ben felt a twitch of anger, but also immediately realized that all Mal was trying to do was salvage what little confidence he still had. "But… Belle's Harbor… So many people died…"

"And that was horrible…" Mal acknowledged. "And I am just as sad and confused, and angry… God, Ben, I'm so angry… It might be the sleep deprivation, but I've not stopped thinking about Solomon, and how I want to punch him in the mouth and pull his heart out through his throat!"

"Mal!" Ben exclaimed in a mix of amusement, astonishment and shock.

"I'm serious, Ben!" Mal replied. "I've never hated someone as much as him! I want him gone!"

"Me too…" Ben agreed. "And every second he is able to spend in Auradon is another second people could get hurt…"

"Which is why we're gonna fortify the city like a freaking prison, beat that disgusting undead army of his back into the ground and throw him out of the kingdom like yesterday's trash." Mal confidently told him.

"If only things were as simple as that." Ben muttered, tapping his fingers on the table.

"It's not gonna be like Belle's Harbor again, Ben. We're prepared now…" Mal tried to encourage him. "We have like, what, forty thousand soldiers, right? We're fortifying an entire city! All of Auradon is joining together against that freaking tyrant! If we don't win now, I don't know what more we can do…"

"So, what if we don't win?" Ben asked, trying to sound casual.

"I think we've discussed that before, and I already told you not to think like that." Mal reprimanded him. "And if nothing else works, I'll fly up and fry him from a distance…"

Ben audibly breathed out. "Look, as much as I want to see that…"

"Ben, you can't seriously still protest to me doing everything I can to protect what will soon be 'our' kingdom…" Mal interrupted him. "We've also been over this. You can't stop me from following you into battle."

"I know that." Ben nodded. "But having you transform into a dragon… It's just so risky…"

"Why? I'd be a freaking dragon!" Mal objected.

"Yes, which means that everyone, including Solomon, would be able to spot you at any given point during the battle. Do you honestly want a target that big on your back?" Ben countered.

"Again, I'd be a freaking dragon!" Mal repeated.

"But we don't know what Solomon could do…" Ben confessed his doubts. "He could have taken it into account… A-and I don't want to see you hurt… Or worse…"

"Ben…" Mal began, squeezing his hand again. "At the beginning of every battle, I watch you charge into the fray sword first. Did I ever protest? You are undoubtedly in more danger than me during every battle… A-and if anything would happen to you, not only would I lose the person I love most, but the kingdom would lose its king…"

Ben felt a sharp stab of empathy for Mal, and all the stress she'd undoubtedly been put through ever since they began their relationship. "But I am king… And what sort of king would I be if I wouldn't lead my people…"

"I don't blame you for that, but I find it somewhat ironic that you keep putting yourself in these ridiculously dangerous situations, and then dare to object to me following you." Mal answered. "Face it! From now on, wherever you go, I will follow. The sad reality of our lives is that most of the places we go to are dangerous and will most likely result in at least one of us dying an untimely death. So, why bother to fight it? Why not live our lives to the fullest and skip these meaningless arguments?"

"You make some valid points." Ben smirked, looking intently into Mal's beautiful eyes. "And you'd be a freaking dragon…"

Mal didn't answer, and instead put her head on Ben's shoulder.

Ben softly stroked her hair. "I still can't help but feel scared…"

"That's natural, and can't be helped…" Mal replied. "So you can feel scared, but don't worry about it…"

"I'm still glad to have you in my life… Despite all that's happening…" Ben told her, brushing some of her hair aside.

"Yeah… I'm sorry I've been such a complicated package…" Mal squinted. "But I'm also glad you chose to stick things out…"

"It's good to still have things to be thankful for in this otherwise bleak existence…" Ben groaned.

"God, you're so melodramatic…" Mal scoffed.

Ben wanted to lean in for a kiss, but at that moment the door opened and Adam looked in.

"Ben, me and the other leaders are about to be escorted to what we will determine to be the frontline. You should be there too." He told his son with only the slightest hint of an accusatory tone.

"Of course. Right away." Ben replied, immediately grabbing the few papers in front of him and cramming them into his satchel.

"Mal, you are of course welcome to join." Adam told Mal with a kind smile.

"I'm actually gonna join Evie and help set up the camps for our troops." Mal told him. "I can help a lot with my magic, and we need to make things as easy as possible for the soldiers."

Adam seemed impressed. "Very well. Then just you, Ben."

Ben just nodded as he grabbed the last of his things. He and Mal said their goodbyes as they left the room, after which Ben was left alone with his father.

"Are you nervous, son?" Adam asked. "Scared?"

"Of course, but it's somewhat natural, no?" Ben responded.

"Yes. Trust me. I didn't sleep for weeks during the unification war." Adam told him. "And I can't imagine what you must be going through…"

"It's my duty…" Ben argued.

"And feel worse every day about having burdened you with it." Adam sighed, making Ben look up in surprise. "Of course, I had no idea we'd be stuck in a war in only your first few years of ruling. I'm so sorry things are so difficult."

"It could be much worse." Ben replied, a weird, tight feeling in his chest. "Your guidance and your presence helps. I feel like the other rulers still don't truly think of me as king."

"Give them time." Adam advised, not even bothering to deny Ben's claims. "Some of them are a little old-fashioned, but they're good people, good rulers and they have the kingdom's best interests at heart."

"I believe that. But as I said, your presence helps to put me in a more positive light in their eyes." Ben said.

"I don't want my presence to decrease your authority." Adam immediately explained. "Nor do I want the other rulers to only take you serious when I'm there. Son, if you have any issue with…"

"No, I want you there." Ben interrupted him. "I have much to learn, and who better to be there to offer me council than you?"

Adam cracked a smile. "I truly hope we'll be able to end this war soon. I do want you to experience the good side of ruling. You, son, can do so much more than I could have ever accomplished."

Ben was touched, but he and his father had just left the building and were in earshot of the other rulers. "Help me win this war then. Surely you've not lost all of your tactical know-how…"

Adam smiled and nodded while he and Ben were ushered into the cars that would take them away. Ben carefully breathed in and out as they drove through Auradon City. Evacuations had already begun, and some of the high-risk citizens like the sick and elderly were already being transported. Aside from that, droves of soldiers were marching past, moving weaponry or other supplies. Ben felt a somewhat familiar feeling of tension, fear and hesitation that was almost always present before a big battle.