After spending hours looking through potential designs, Mal trudged back to Ben's castle with a massive migraine forming. There were so many minor details that could change how the dress be designed, from the color, the material, the train length, and many more aspects that Mal couldn't remember. Every single dress had some skin showing, like it was created to seduce.
Truth be told . . . Mal didn't like any design.
Now don't get her wrong! Mal appreciated all the time and effort Evie put into making different variations and alternatives for the dress. No dress screamed, 'This is the one.' About halfway to Ben's castle, Mal realized the problem with ALL the dresses.
Each design was made for a woman ready to start a new life with her husband.
None were created for a woman who already had a life, and wanted to share it with her true love.
Although the realization was accurate, there wasn't much Mal could do about it. Sure, she could tell Evie she wanted a more modest design, but that would raise unwanted questions. Mal could tell the blue-haired princess about her daughter, but she wanted to be selfish—
Ben deserved to know before anyone else.
When Mal returned to her future castle, she strolled through the corridors until she found her beloved and her best friend standing in front of a door just down the hall from her and Ben's room. A few weeks prior, right after moving in, she had seen her beloved slink out of that same room. Ben claimed the room was part of a surprise and kept the door locked to avoid her prying eyes. Now that Jay seemed to be part of the room 'scheme', it made Mal more suspicious about what was being hidden behind the door.
However, the future queen had more important things to worry about, including the still unknown argument between her two friends.
Honestly, Mal wasn't surprised by her best friend's reaction to the interrogation. Jay tensed at the mention of the blue-haired seamstress and their not-so-secret spat. The married Isle Thief stubbornly insisted Mal shouldn't worry about his 'disagreement' with Evie. It will settle itself when Evie realizes he spoke the truth and that she needs to stay out of other people's business.
His simple response confirmed the argument did have something to do with her . . . but there was something more causing the rift between them.
The next morning, after nearly an hour of nonstop begging, Mal convinced Jay to walk with her to Evie's castle so the three of them and Carlos could walk together to Jane's birthday party at the Enchanted Lake. Besides, she needed to talk to Evie about the dress designs, and Mal would feel better discussing it if Jay was with her.
But of course, her plans couldn't go as she wanted.
First, as soon as they entered the starter castle, Evie's all-too happy smile transformed into an annoyed from at seeing the Isle Thief with the future queen. In an instant, the seamstress plastered a feign smile, ignoring Jay entirely as she asked Mal if she had anymore thoughts about the wedding dress designs.
Before Mal could voice her concerns, her phone rang. Normally, she would ignore the call and continue the conversation. But when she checked the caller ID, it indicated to be an unknown caller. Once the call timed out, the phone rang once more with the same ID tag. Raising a cautious brow, Mal excused herself as she ventured through the castle to the entrance.
As soon as the front door closed behind Mal, the ring-tone halted as a pink smoked billowed just a few feet ahead of her. "About time you came out," teased a familiar voice. "I thought I'd have to cause a scene to get your attention."
A small, ironic laugh escaped Mal's lips as she observed the trespasser's appearance. "Well, well," she greeted drearily. "I should have known you would take the crown for yourself, but I didn't think you would do something so . . . villainous by taking the scepter too."
"Can you blame me?" the perpetrator wondered, twirling a strand of her magenta ombre hair with midnight blue tips. Her black-and-blush leather 'jump-suit' with black feather accented duster matched the evil sorceress vibe she was going for, with the Dragon's Eye in one hand and the queen's sapphire crown on her newly colored hair. "The crown and chance to become 'queen' were stolen from me, so I decided to steal for myself."
"You already stole something," Mal bantered with a glare. "You stole your child's life. Isn't that enough for you, Audrey?"
Enchantress Audrey scoffed, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "When will you let that go?" She interrogated harshly. "When will any of you let it go? If you aren't harping me about it, then my grandmother is! If not her, then it's Chad because his sister guilt-tripped him! For the thousandth time, I don't care if he was the father or your opinion about it. It was my choice, and I did what I wanted."
"Chad feels guilty about what happened. When will your guilt sink in?" Mal retorted cautiously, putting aside the fact that Chad had a sister that likely none of the Core Four knew about. "When will you realize that this isn't the way to get what you want? Just give me the scepter. We can end this before you go too far and do something you'll regret."
Audrey tossed the scepter to her other hand, out of reach of the fairy. "I'm just getting started," she warned with a sinister smile. "After all, you are hiding something, and I said I would find out what it is. With the scepter, I intend to do just that. It's time for revenge."
Before Mal could prepare herself, Audrey waved the illuminating scepter in her direction. With the simple motion, the fairy fell to her knees by a powerful, invisible force, unable to move. While immobilized due to the magic, the gold chain of Mal's precious locket came into view, catching Audrey's attention.
"That damn locket," Audrey sneered bitterly, though cradling the heart-shaped charm in her hands. "You show it off like it's the best jewelry you own, yet hide it the moment someone asks to see the pictures inside. It always made me wonder . . . what are you hiding in this dragon heart of yours?"
Panic swirled in Mal's eyes widened as she caught on to the new villain's intentions. "Audrey, wait—!"
Protests interrupted by the magic force, Mal couldn't stop the distressed squeal from escaping her lips. The fairy watched in horror as Audrey effortlessly ripped the necklace from her neck, breaking the chain as a result. Standing fully, Audrey slowly opened the locket to build up the anticipation.
The evil enchantress's eyes widened as she gazed at the two pictures. "No fucking way!" Audrey shouted, averting her attention to Mal. "This girl. . . Is she your daughter?"
A single tear trailed down Mal's cheek, giving Audrey the answer she was looking for. "No wonder you are so offended by my abortion," Audrey commented, trying to smash the pieces together to force them to fit. "You were thinking about being stuck in a situation similar! Who's the brat's father? She looks too old to be Ben's—wait!"
A mischievous gleam appeared as Audrey smiled victoriously. "She's the secret you've been keeping from everyone!" She determined. "What, does her Isle father refuse to claim her?"
"That's . . . not the whole case," Mal struggled to say. "Audrey . . . please—"
"Just WAIT until Ben hears about this!" Audrey interrupted, her smile growing sinister with each second. "Do you think he will still love you when he finds out you have a daughter? Actually . . . why don't I tell everyone at Jane's birthday party? My reputation was ruined in front of a crowd. It's only fair that you know exactly how it feels."
Before Mal could persuade the villain otherwise, Jay, Evie, Carlos, and Celia burst out of the house after hearing some commotion. Not bothering to savor the aghast and dismayed expressions, Audrey disappeared in a cloud of charcoal and pink smoke—
Taking Mal's locket with her.
No longer in range of the scepter's powers, the crushing weight surrounding Mal dissipated to nothing. Once she caught her breath, Mal stood to alert her friends of the danger.
"Audrey has the scepter, and we need my father's ember," Mal informed, coming up with the game plan on the spot. "It's the only thing stronger than the scepter. I left my spare key at the hideout, and we don't time to travel across the island twice. Any suggestions?"
"I have a spare at my dad's arcade since I'm his errand rat," Celia notified helpfully. "I can get you in and out quick."
"Perfect. Go change and we'll leave," Mal ordered, changing her attention to her worried friends. "Evie, Carlos, you need to come with us. Although I wanted Ben to meet them first, there's someone you should meet."
Jay couldn't help his surprise. "You're really going to introduce them?"
"I have to," Mal claimed bitterly. "Audrey knows. We need to get back before she tells Ben!"
Meanwhile, those who attended Jane's birthday party were having a blast at the Enchanted Lake. Some splashed around in the sparkling clear water while others enjoyed cupcakes off a three-tiered pastry stand as they gathered around a crystal punch bowl. A periwinkle banner decorated with pink bows reading 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE' hung above their heads.
On the sideline, hiding away on the stone pavilion at the edge of the lake, Jane stood with her hands delicately placed on her stomach. Although a small smile graced her lips, nothing could hide the nervous and worry in her gaze as she looked amongst the crowd, searching for—
"Hey, Jane!" Chad greeted, causing the birthday girl to flinch. She had been so focused that she didn't notice Prince Charming Jr. standing next to her. "Chloe wanted me to tell you 'happy birthday' and that she's sorry she couldn't come today. Her junior high is having R.O.A.R tryouts for the next week and she's trying to make the captain's spot so she can be on the team."
Jane shook her head in mild amusement. "It sounds like your sister is trying to rule her school before she comes to Auradon," she joked. "It's a shame you won't be in the same school together."
"Chloe considered skipping grades, but she'd have to move two grades to be a freshman while I was a senior." Chad shrugged his shoulders carelessly, but Jane could tell there wasn't truth behind it. "Chlo didn't need the stress of catching me just to see me more. Besides, I still have summer school and fall semester before I can technically graduate, since I admitted to cheating all year before Audrey got caught."
"Because Chloe made you grow a conscience," Jane teased, but the playfulness didn't reach her eyes. "Maybe she should've tried skipping grades or transferred sooner to be with you. You would've changed for the better a long time ago."
"True," Chad agreed with a short, bitter laugh. "I would've been focused on keeping an eye on her instead of sleeping around or having a drunken one-night stand with Audrey resulting in her pregnancy. My baby could've been five next month."
At hearing those words, Jane tensed. She hadn't meant to react in such a way, but after her recent discovery—
"Is everything okay?" Chad wondered, knocking the birthday girl from her thoughts once more. "You look . . . worried, I guess?"
"I'm fine!" Jane insisted just a bit too quickly. "I'm just waiting on Carlos. There's something I need to tell him."
"What, are you pregnant?"
Chad hadn't meant any harm by it. From how Jane reacted, whirling her head toward him with wide doe-eyes, he knew he hit the nail on the head.
And felt like an ass for it.
"Holy shit," Chad whispered incredulously. "I was just kidding! Are you really—?"
"Shhh!" Jane hushed, gazing around worriedly, making sure no attention was on them first. "Our first was about a month ago. We had just gotten back to my room after celebrating his birthday when I came on to him. We spent all night and most of the next day together. Thankfully no one else decided to stay in my hall's rooms this summer. We would've been caught for sure."
"Sounds like no amount of protection could've prevented it with how much you went at it."
Flushing at the suggestion, Jane cleared her throat to help rid her embarrassment. "Ummm, about that . . ."
Raising an amused brow, Chad couldn't help chuckling when he caught on to the truth. "So, you two wanted to have a fun senior year," he teased playfully, causing the teen to grow redder. "I'll stay around during spring semester to help with everything. Hopefully it can be the start of making up for ruining our friendship and being an ass to Carlos."
"You want to make up for your past?" Jane questioned rhetorically, though her tone was serious. "Our friendship didn't survive when we transferred to Auradon Prep because you wanted to be perceived as popular and didn't want to be roped in with me, the headmistress's daughter, because everyone thought I would snitch about every little thing they did. If you are serious about making it up to me, then prove it by apologizing to Aziz and Jay. You were worse to them than you ever were to me."
"I will apologize as soon as I see them next," Chad vowed with a brisk nod. "And it wasn't because you were the headmistress's daughter or that I wanted to be popular that I distanced myself from you. I'm not saying this to ruin your birthday or your relationship with Carlos, but some of our classmates bullied me because they found out I—"
SWOOSH!
A fierce swept through the party, killing the music as it went. Pink smoke swirled on the grass as an enchantress appeared from within it, wearing the queen's crown and clutching the Dragon's Eye scepter.
"Well, well," Audrey greeted, grinning mischievously. "It seems like someone forgot to send me an invitation."
Reveling in the shocked and scared expressions around her, Audrey plucked a blue-frosted cupcake from a terrified guest. "I wouldn't be expecting Mal if I were you," she cooed sadistically, tossing the cupcake behind her for spite. "If I had to guess, she's probably on her way to the Isle for help."
Mentioning the island fueled Audrey's desire for revenge. "How could you accept someone like her?" she interrogated, spinning the scepter to seem more threatening than she truly was. "She's a damn liar! She's been keeping a secret from all of us ever since she stepped foot in Auradon! How could you allow someone like that to become queen!"
Upon seeing the confused looks on the spectators' faces, Audrey's sinister smile returned eviler than before. "Didn't you hear the big news?" She paused for dramatic effect, revealing slowly, "Mal has a daughter!"
Nearly everyone gasped before whispering conspiratorially to one another. They wondered how truthful her words were, or if she was only spouting lies. Meanwhile, Jane and Chad casted worried looks to one another, wondering what they should do before the situation becomes worse.
"Mal kept her daughter hidden on the Isle of the Lost," Audrey vehemently insisted. "Her ex got her pregnant, and then refused to claim the child! The best part is, Ben has no idea about any of this!"
Although there was no proof, a majority were becoming convinced by the princess's words. The rest wondered if her insanity was caused by the couple's engagement.
"You still don't believe me?" Audrey interrogated incredulously, clenching her jaw in aggravation. "Fine. If you like to ignore so much, then you're going to love this!"
Slamming the scepter to the ground, an ominous, charcoal fog emerged, rolling through the forest. Once touched by the fog, students began to sleep, like they were placed under a spell. On the stone pavilion, Chad lightly shoved Jane behind a pillar so she couldn't be seen by Audrey.
Instead, when shifting her gaze, the . . . villain only noticed the young prince standing alone. A sneer emerged as she thrust the scepter in his direction. A ball of pink light zoomed in his direction, striking him in the chest. The pain and unexpected force knocked Chad off balance and forced him to fall straight into the Enchanted Lake.
Once an amused smile transformed on her lips, Audrey used the scepter to teleport away in a puff of smoke.
Waiting for the coast to truly be cleared, Jane dived into the magical water of the Enchanted Lake. Thankfully, she found Chad within a few seconds, who seemed to be waiting as well. Chad motioned to his hand, signaling he would count down before they emerge, just to be on the safe side. Once all fingers were down, the two surged to the surface, gasping for air.
"Jane!" Chad called out, swimming to her aid. "Are you okay?"
"Am I okay?" Jane repeated incredulously. "You're the one that got hit by her magic!"
"The pain went away as soon as I landed in the water," he insisted. "Let's get you out before you freeze."
Climbing onto the pavilion, Jane swiped Chad's second phone from the table. Hers was most likely damaged by the water, and she had a gut feeling his other phone was with him too when he fell in. She began dialing a number, hoping he wasn't placed under a spell yet.
"What do you need, Chad?" Ben wondered bluntly on the other line. "I'm running late for Ja—"
"It's me, Ben!" Jane shouted into the phone, watching as Chad wrapped a towel around her sopping wet shoulders before grabbing one for himself. "I'm with Chad. Stay where you are! Audrey has the scepter and forced everyone to sleep. We escaped the spell because of the Enchanted Lake's magic. She tried making everyone hate Mal by spouting some ridiculous nonsense."
That caught Ben's attention as he forcefully questioned, "What did she say?"
"That's not important," Jane stubbornly insisted, though she and Chad shared a look of uncertainty. "I'm gonna tell Mom to get her wand."
"Wait, Jane! The wand isn't strong eno—"
CLICK!