The next day at mid-afternoon, the sun shone over the rose garden as the Core Four observed the scene. Family Day had just begun as Ben led his classmates in a rendition of 'Be Our Guest', which the four didn't have to participate in. The song was a little too cheery for their taste.

The four friends slowly joined the others for the celebration. While most students danced with their families, Mal and her friends took a moment to enjoy all the delectable food offered. Mal has particularly liked strawberries, especially since her first date with Ben. She sent a small bundle to her father a few days prior so Mallory could try the tasty fruit.

Those students searched for their parents once the dance number was finished while Aziz headed straight for the Core Four. The Auradon thief greeted his Lost Boy with a simple, loving kiss, causing the trio to smile at the couple's affection for one another.

"Are you ready?" Aziz questioned with a small, soft smile.

"No," Jay admitted immediately. "But I can't keep them waiting. I hope they like me."

"I know they will," Aziz reassured, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I told them almost everything about you, so they practically know you already. Just try not to contradict what I said."

Chuckling softly at his beloved's words, Jay averted his attention to his friends. "You guys coming with?"

"Carlos and I are going to stay behind," Evie denied quickly before anyone could speak up. "He doesn't want Dude to overreact around Rajah. I'm going to stay with Carlos, so he isn't alone. We'll hang out with Doug or Lonnie while you're gone."

Satisfied they would be entertained while gone, Mal trailed after the couple to be the supportive friend. Aziz led them to an open area of the gardens where benches were placed for visitors who needed a moment's rest. Sultana Jasmine and her husband, Aladdin, were on one bench. They didn't wear anything that would show off their royalty, only simple clothing worn any other day. They were reserved about their status. That couldn't be said about others. . .

Anyways, the reason they sat at the bench was because of an elderly tiger who couldn't stand without being tired. Poor Rajah lay at his owner's feet, resting his head on her lap as he gazed up at her in a sad, weary way. As the trio approached, Sultana Jasmine visibly sighed as she rubbed her loyal companion's fur.

"—shouldn't have brought him today," they heard Sultana Jasmine say. "We should have left him with Genie and Dalia."

"Aziz wanted to see him," Aladdin reminded softly. "This may be his last chance. It won't be long before—"

"Mom!" Aziz interrupted before he could hear the rest. "Dad. Here's my boyfriend, Jay, and his best friend, Mal."

The parents perked up at hearing their son, smiling bravely at their visitors. "Nice to finally meet you," Jasmine greeted kindly, though it didn't reach her saddened eyes. "Aziz told us so much about you. We feel like we know you already."

"Aziz warned me about that," Jay joked to break the tension. "I hope he didn't tell you too much."

"I'm sorry we're not too sociable today," Aladdin apologized. "I'm afraid we won't be for quite some time."

"That's alright," Mal quickly reassured. Mal knelt to look at the tiger to change the subject, commenting, "But I'd like to know who this handsome kitty is."

Smiling softly at the fairy's vain attempt to keep the atmosphere upbeat, Jasmine informed, "This is Rajah, my best friend and loyalist companion."

"I'll be sure to tell Aunt Dalia," Aziz teased, though his playfulness didn't reach his eyes either.

Hearing the new voices so close to him, Rajah turned slightly to see the brave fairy before him. Curiosity plaguing his mind, the old tiger shifted his body so his head rested on the fairy's lap instead. Rajah purred happily when the fairy scratched him in his favorite spot, the place behind his ear that he could never reach. He noticed the Isle thief standing beside the fairy, his hand close. Raising his head off the comfortable lap, Rajah maneuvered his head forward so he would rub against the newbie.

Aziz allowed a small smile to emerge despite feeling so depressed. "Looks like Rajah likes both of you," he commented with his best happy tone. "And it looks like I made the right choice too. . ."

Suppressing her smile at the lovey-dovey comment about her best friend, Mal used the opportunity to stand. "Well, this has been fun," she insisted kindly, "but now it's Jay's turn to come with me to meet Ben's parents. We will talk again later today, though."

Perking up, Rajah shakily stood and slowly followed the Isle duo. The two barely managed to step forward before they felt the elderly tiger push between them so he could lead the way.

"Rajah has a soft spot for Ben," Jasmine informed softly. "If you don't mind, can you take him with you? There's someone I need to speak with, and I don't want him around. Besides, Rajah may become a little more energetic at seeing Ben."

"Of course!" Mal agreed, petting the tiger's forehead in a way that made him purr once more. "We will bring Rajah back soon."

"Rajah!" Ben greeted cheerily as the trio came closer.

The elderly tiger surged forward as best as he could, standing on his back legs to place his paws on the prince's shoulders. Ben merely chuckled when he was pushed back by the animal's force, an act that would scare anyone else. "You were always good at giving hugs," Ben commented, helping the tiger back on his four paws. "If you behave, I'll see what I can do about giving you a treat."

Rajah purred at the prospects, rubbing his head against the prince's leg. Mal raised a curious brow at the action. "He does have a soft spot for you."

"Because I spoil him every chance I get since I don't see him often," Ben informed, keeping a hand on the back of the tiger's neck. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," Mal admitted bashfully. "But not as much as before. I think meeting Aziz's parents helped."

"We didn't talk much, but they were accepting of us," Jay claimed with a relieved sigh. "Now I have nothing to worry about except if someone walks in on us."

Snickering at the Isle thief's comment, Ben extended his free hand to his beloved girlfriend. "Ready?"

Taking a deep breath to control her nerves, Mal graciously took the offered hand to steady herself. "Ready."

A short walk later, the three humans and gorgeous animal stood before the current King and Queen of Auradon. "Mom, Dad," Ben addressed with a short nod. "This is my beautiful girlfriend, Mal, and her best friend, Jay. They are both from the Isle."

"Hi," Queen Belle greeted with an uneasy laugh. "It's . . . so nice to finally meet you."

"Hi," Mal replied uneasily as she slightly hid behind Ben, tightening her grip on Ben's hand to keep calm.

King Beast merely waved at the 'unknown' people, but his harmless act caught the attention of the old tiger. Rajah bared his teeth as he growled viciously, believing someone close to him was being threatened.

Instinctively, King Beast stepped back with a disgruntled huff. "Why is that animal here?"

"He followed us after we met my boyfriend's parents," Jay informed as he lightly tugged Rajah's collar to get him under control. "He was acting fine a few minutes ago."

"Rajah doesn't like Dad," Ben revealed reluctantly, "because Dad doesn't like Aziz."

Not acknowledging the claim, King Beast raised an eyebrow at the earlier comment. " 'Boyfriend'?" he repeated slowly. "You are dating that tapet—"

"Dad," Ben chided with a sharp glare. "Don't make me cause a scene. The last thing you want is to have people rethink their opinion of you, especially with tomorrow's coronation."

King Beast narrowed his eyes at his son. "You would ruin—"

"Yes," Ben interrupted quite bravely. "I did it to someone I didn't give a shit about, and I won't hesitate to do it to you."

King Beast clenched his jaw at his son's disobedient attitude. The father was about to scold his son when Aziz appeared, clearly out of breath.

"Sorry to interrupt," Aziz apologized unsympathetically. "I need Ben. Mom's stubbornness is about to turn her conversation into a loud argument and possibly a fight. Mom will walk away for Ben."

"I'll bring Rajah to help calm her," Ben reassured before his parents could intervene. "If you, Mal, and Jay go find Carlos and Evie, I'll meet you at the clearing, and we can teach them to play croquet."

"I'll see if Lonnie wants to join us so we can play teams," Aziz added.

Satisfied with that last condition, Ben lightly kissed Mal's forehead to reassure her. "I'll be back soon," he promised quietly. "The clearing won't be crowded, so you shouldn't worry about someone invading your personal space."

"Thank you," Mal mumbled.

"You don't have to thank me," Ben insisted, placing another kiss on her forehead. "I love you."

The argument hadn't intended to be as heated as it was.

Jasmine wanted to speak about the fight between their sons a few days prior, but the Charmings blew her off. Their son claimed Aziz caused the fight that got Chad suspended for the week, but Jasmine kindly reminded him that the surveillance footage proved otherwise.

Ultimately, Sultana Jasmine declared Agrabah would no longer do business with Cinderellasburg. The people of Cinderellasburg are more than welcome to visit Agrabah, but the royal family is banned from Agrabah. That condition will only change when the Charmings' son apologizes to Sultana Jasmine's son.

Of course, King Charming acted irate, insisting Sultana Jasmine couldn't make such a decision about the kingdom without her husband's approval. Sultana Jasmine forcefully reminded that she was the Sultan of Agrabah, not her husband. All decisions regarding her kingdom were up to her, and she did not need her husband's input.

Before the situation could escalate more than it had, Ben stepped in. The prince smiled as he greeted Jasmine, ignoring the other queen and king. Ben and the stoic Rajah worked together to get Sultana Jasmine away from the married couple. Shortly after, Sultana Jasmine reunited with her husband while Ben joined his friends in croquet.

The three Auradonians taught three of the four Core Four how to play while Carlos opted to run around with Dude, leading to an even number of boys against the girls.

Mal couldn't believe she was having fun with the boring game. She was genuinely having a fun time, especially since she could spend more time with her . . . boyfriend. Mal couldn't believe she was calling Ben that. Maybe he is—

"Hello there."

Mal flinched the voice that interrupted her thoughts. Still, the fairy kindly smiled at the older woman in a pale pink suit. "Hi," Mal greeted sweetly.

"Now . . ." The woman trailed off, circling Mal to get a better view. "Have we met before?"

"No, I don't believe so," Mal politely denied with a light shake. "I'm new. I transferred to Auradon Prep about a month ago."

"Well, I am Queen Leah," the woman introduced, extending her hand. "But you, young lady, may call me 'Leah'."

Though her smile faltered slightly, Mal still shook hands with the royal. "Mal," the fairy greeted respectively. "Nice to meet you."

Queen Leah hesitated, running a hand through the tips of the fairy's natural purple hair. "What a beautiful color," Leah genuinely complimented. The royal paused in her action when she noticed the teen tensed up. "Is something wrong?"

"I-I don't like people in my personal space," Mal stuttered as she stepped back, out of reach of the old woman. "An incident at my home kingdom made me that way. I'm sorry if that offends you."

"I'm sorry I wasn't considerate," Queen Leah apologized with a kind smile. "I assumed my action was acceptable since you shook my hand. If I am ever too close, let me know. You won't offend me when you are only doing what's best for you. I have a question if you don't mind me asking."

"Of course!" Mal insisted politely. "As long as it is nothing too personal."

"Of course," Queen Leah agreed understandably. "But I was curious . . . where did you say you were from?"

"The . . . Isle of the Lost," Mal admitted reluctantly. "My three friends and I were given a chance to live in Auradon because of my . . . boyfriend's proclamation."

"Oh!" Queen Leah exclaimed in recognition. "You're Prince Ben's new girlfriend! My granddaughter said you were hideous, but you are gorgeous! She must have been jealous of your looks. I can't believe Maleficent has a daughter as gorgeous as you."

Mal sighed at the name. "You knew who I was?"

"Before I ever approached you," Queen Leah concurred, still smiling. "I wanted to see how you would react to me as a stranger than as someone you vaguely knew. I am impressed by how respectful you were. Your mother taught you well."

"And like my father," Mal corrected with a careless shrug. "When my parents divorced, my mother forced me to stay with her, and I could only see my father on the weekends. I finally began living with my father a couple years ago, and my mother didn't care if I visited."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Queen Leah commented as her smile faltered. "Do you mind if I ask who your father is? I know your mother wouldn't trust a human again, let alone marry one."

"True," Mal agreed with a soft sigh. "But my mother wanted me to keep him a secret. Though we are not seeing eye to eye now, I still need to respect her wishes."

"That is very admirable of you," Queen Leah complimented. "I must say, I have only spoken with you briefly, but you are much better for Prince Ben than Audrey. Our family knew she was cheating on Prince Ben for quite some time. Whenever I spoke with her, she promised to end things with him, but it never happened. I'm afraid Audrey was more focused on becoming 'Queen of Auradon' than having a healthy relationship."

"Why did she cheat?" Mal wondered curiously. "I don't know Chad well, but I know he is blatantly disrespectful to everyone."

"Sadly, I can't give you a reason." Queen Leah sighed in disappointment. "But I know it started at a Halloween party during their eighth-grade year. Prince Ben didn't go because his grandfather, Maurice, was visiting. Someone snuck alcohol into the party, which led to Audrey having sexual intercourse with Prince Chad. I thought she would have learned her lesson, but I was sadly mistaken when I saw those leaked messages."

Mal tilted her head curiously at a phrase. " 'Learned her lesson'?" she repeated in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"After the first time, Audrey got herself on birth control to prevent it from happening again." Queen Leah shook her head in dismay. "I was completely against it. What she did was so heartless and cruel."

"What did she do?" Mal urged. "What happened?"

"Audrey became pregnant with Prince Chad's baby," Queen Leah confessed. "Instead of keeping the child, she . . . had an abortion."

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There were no words to describe the horrible feeling that went through Mal at hearing that word.

The fairy only ever said that word once, and only when she fought against having one herself. Hearing that word brought back her anger, her fear, her anguish, and her disgust experienced in the proceeding days when she was taken advantage of. Hearing a teenager the same age as her became pregnant at the same time but aborted her baby horrified Mal.

Mal's mouth paused in an open-mouth gasp that wouldn't escape. The fairy's bottom lip quivered so severely. The queen wanted to do something to comfort her, but she wasn't sure what she could do. Queen Leah was about to ask if there was anything she could do—

But her granddaughter appeared, smiling like everything was perfect.

Then, Audrey frowned at seeing Mal, not once noticing her distraught reaction. "What are you doing here?"

"Audrey," Queen Leah scolded. "Don't be rude. She and I were having a pleasant conversation before I upset her."

Audrey scoffed at the claim. "Grammy, do you know who she is? She's—"

"A very respectful young woman," Queen Leah interrupted forcefully. "A young lady who chose to be kind instead of causing a scene. You know, you could learn a thing or two from her."

Mal slowly shook her head in disbelief. "How could you kill your baby?"

Audrey shot her grandmother a dirty look. "You told her?"

"I thought you were telling everyone after last week's fiasco," Queen Leah retorted. "It's about time that you told the truth about something."

"How could you!" Mal repeated near hysterically, catching unwanted attention from bystanders. "That child was your baby! Your daughter or son you should've loved unconditionally! How could you . . .?"

Audrey scoffed at the lecturing her. "I was way too young to have a kid," the princess insisted with a careless shrug. "I would've been fifteen by the time I gave birth to it—"

"They," Mal corrected automatically.

"It," Audrey retorted dramatically to push the fairy's buttons. "I didn't want my reputation to be ruined by it. I never wanted kids, so I had no problems killing it. Besides, it's my body. I can do whatever I want—"

"That is a bullshit!" Mal insulted before she turned her attention to the shocked queen. "I apologize for my language, Leah. I passionately believe if a life is conceived, they deserve to live, no matter the circumstances that created them. Even if she's the mother, Audrey had no right to take her child's life just because she didn't want her or him. Her child had the right to live while Audrey had no right to play the role of a god."

"I understand, sweetie," Queen Leah reassured softly. "I feel the same, but I'm worried about you right now. You look as though you're having . . . a moment. What can I do for you?"

Though surprised by the royal's compassion, Mal was more surprised when someone's name appeared in her mind first. "I-I need B—"

"HEY!"

Of course, to make matters worse, Chad Charming stormed over to the three women, catching everyone's attention. The prince obnoxiously stood before the family pair, causing Mal to step back instinctively. "What do you think you're doing?" he interrogated. "Stay away from them, freak!"

At that exact moment, the fairy's knight in shining armor appeared next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and laid a hand on his chest, keeping her teary-eyed gaze on the trio. Confused by her emotional state, Ben, her loving boyfriend, cautiously wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping the connection light in case she needed to break away quickly.

"What's going on?" Ben questioned calmly, the opposite reaction of the previous prince.

"It's a misunderstanding," Queen Leah insisted pleadingly. "Mal and I were having a pleasant conversation until I upset her by mentioning Audrey's—"

"Grammy," Audrey chided with a scowl. "Don't—"

"Abortion," Leah finished stubbornly, "of Prince Chad's baby."

The crowd around them gasped dramatically at the news while Mal buried her head into her boyfriend's shoulder to hide her emotions at hearing that dreadful word again. Though the revelation infuriated him, Ben kept his attention on his girlfriend.

"You're okay," Ben reassured his beloved as he kissed her forehead lovingly. "Just remember, I love you."

"How can you say that to someone like her?" Chad spat in disgust. "Did she put a love spell on you—"

"You can't put a love spell on someone already in love," Ben declared for the umpteenth time. "And you need to learn some respect."

"No way!" Chad denied arrogantly. "Ben, they were raised by their parents! What do you think they are taught? One is a gay thief who loves to hurt people, one is a gold-digger and a cheater, and another has such bad anxiety that he constantly needs the campus therapy dog. Meanwhile, she"—he pointed at Mal, who glared back at him—"has such bad emotional issues that she needs psychotherapy!"

Ben glared at the disrespectful prince, gritting his teeth to keep something hidden. "Watch your tongue," he warned through a growl. "You don't know what she's been through."

"And you do?" Chad bravely challenged.

Ben hesitated, unsure if he should lie or tell the truth. Before he could make that decision, Jay appeared to help save the day. "I'll take her from here," the Isle thief volunteered. "I'll calm her down, and you can check on her later."

With a slight nod, Ben kissed Mal's forehead one last time before reluctantly allowing her best friend to take her away. Before they could get far, Chad stupidly grabbed Mal's wrist. "Hold on a—"

BAM!

The audience dramatically gasped once again as the spoiled prince was knocked down, clutching his injured jaw. Mal towered over him, trembling from rage as she tightened her clenched fist. "Don't you EVER touch me AGAIN!" Mal threatened, practically screaming the emphasized words.

Choosing not to pay attention to everyone's reaction, the fairy again twirled on her heels to be taken away from the fiasco she created.

An hour later, the Core Four sat at the picnic area during lunch. None of them spoke since there was a tense atmosphere around them. The three friends thought it was best to keep quiet so Mal could have a few moments of peace to control her emotions. Within a few minutes, she returned to her 'normal' attitude, though she picked at her food in disgust, still too glum to eat.

Until someone broke the quietness.

"Mal, you are my hero!" Aziz proclaimed, taking the vacant seat across from her at the picnic table. "If I was straight and you weren't dating my best friend, I'd kiss you."

Jay, who sat on the table's edge, raised an offended brow at his boyfriend. "Excuse you?"

"Oh, you know I love you," Aziz insisted teasingly. "I'm just so happy!"

"What are you so happy about?" Mal interrogated curiously. "All I did was have a mental breakdown and punch Chad."

"Exactly! You broke his jaw!" Aziz exclaimed cheerily. "One parent is a doctor, and they said it will take eight weeks to heal! That means the bastard can't play Tourney for that long! His parents may make that time even longer!"

Sitting next to the Auradon thief, Evie tilted her head curiously at the last statement. "Why's that? I thought his parents believed his every word."

"They used to," Aziz corrected, his cheery attitude changing to a more saddened one. "His family knew about him seeing Audrey behind Ben's back but had no idea about the baby. They were pissed when Queen Leah told them the truth. They were scolding the bastard so harshly. I think they are considering having him castle-schooled, but then they would have to put up with his lazy ass all day."

"Aziz," Jay scolded when Evie visibly flinched at the vulgar language, "control your mouth around Evie. She was castle-schooled most of her life. She isn't used to teenagers cursing whenever they want."

"She'll get used to it with me around," Aziz joked to uplift the teenagers' spirits. "But I guess I can tone it down. That means I'm going to be a little more vulgar tonight."

"Speaking of, how have you not been caught yet?" Carlos genuinely wondered from his place across Evie and a foot away from Mal. "Every other night, I'm alone in our room, especially on weekends. Does nobody in the neighboring rooms hear you or . . . ?"

"The room is soundproof," Aziz revealed, smiling mischievously. "I moved my bed away from the wall so it didn't bang against it, just in case. Nobody's complained, so I don't think we're loud enough."

"I can change that," Jay boldly offered, much to the amusement of his boyfriend but the disgust of his lady friends.

"Guys," Mal chided with a scowl. "I'm trying to eat."

"You haven't touched a thing," Aziz retorted while stealing a random food item off her tray. "But I will!"

Chuckling softly, the fairy pushed her plate forward so the Auradon thief could continue eating her food. The other boys believed it was free game, so they also dug into the meal. Everything was gone in minutes. By that time, Ben came toward the five, looking like he had a heavy weight on his shoulders.

"Hey guys," Ben greeted as he clasped his hands. "How is everyone?"

"Amused but disgusted," Evie answered with a shake of her head.

"Aziz and Jay told us a little too much about their life at night," Mal enlightened with a light shrug. "Then they and Carlos stole my food."

"You gave it to us," Carlos corrected, "and didn't stop us."

Smiling at the playful banter, Ben reluctantly broke up the little party. "Aziz, your parents are looking for you," he informed. "They are about to return to your home kingdom."

"Why?" Aziz interrogated defensively. "They'll miss your coronation—"

"They are taking Rajah home," Ben interrupted calmly. "They know they will miss it and gave me their best wishes. Your mother offered their spots at the coronation to Evie and Carlos; that way, they aren't by strangers."

Huffing in annoyance, Aziz grumbled, "I better tell them 'bye'."

Reluctantly standing, the Auradon thief stole a kiss from his Lost Boy before he shuffled off to meet his parents. Meanwhile, Ben knelt before his beloved and cautiously took her hand. "Are you alright?" he wondered softly, rubbing soothing circles on her hand. "Do I need to do anything for you?"

"I'm fine," Mal replied in a small, timid tone. "Just needed some fresher air and to take a walk."

"If you need anything, I'm here for you," Ben reassured kindly. "In fact . . ."

The prince trailed off as he removed the gold ring on his finger. "This ring was given to me by my father when I started Auradon Prep." Ben offered it to his beloved. "I want you to wear it tomorrow during the coronation and every day after; that way, you will always remember I will always love you, no matter what."

Taken away by the raw emotion in his declaration, Mal lifted her hand so Ben could slip the ring on her finger, who kissed her hand lovingly.

Maybe . . . one day . . . Mal would gain the courage to tell him the story of that monstrous night.