Spending just a little longer with his little girl and promising to visit more, Ben hurried home so he could arrive in Agrabah when the Core Four did. Since Ben had recently helped the kingdom of Camelot, Merlin agreed to transport the king to Agrabah.
After his future father-in-law's reiteration . . . Ben was admittedly short with the wizard. The king gave blunt responses during their conversation, pondering a single question—
Why did Merlin refuse to listen to a concerned student?
With a swish of the wizard's wand, the king as at the palace gates just as the four approached.
All were excited about staying at the new kingdom, since they only ever lived in Auradon and on the Isle. Jay was more anxious about seeing Aziz and his parents, considering the abnormally large box in his hands, containing a special gift for the family.
Once led to the inner palace garden, the group observed the depressing scene. The trio sat sadly around the fountain Rajah enjoyed playing and resting by. In a kind attempt to cheer them up, Jay gave the gift to Sultana Jasmine, who was the most affected by the passing. The Lost Boy warned that the present may have been given too early, since they were still grieving.
Curious by his words and the unusually heavy box, Sultana Jasmine cautiously opened the loosely fitted lid. Once barely lifted, the lid flung open as something small lunged at her, licking her face.
Jay saved his money to buy the family a tiger cub to help fill the void of Rajah's absence. The tiger cub—which had an albino color scheme—was born the same night Rajah passed, making some believe he had reincarnated into the cub. However, Sultana Jasmine thought the name 'Hakim' would be a better fit, in honor of the loyal guard that passed before Rajah.
During their week-long stay in Agrabah, the 'seniors'—consisting of Mal, Jay, Evie, Ben, and Aziz—were notified of the 'Secret Senior' details.
Every year, Fairy Godmother assigns the seniors a classmate to get a gift for. Everyone has one month to prepare the gift, which will be given the day before the first day of school. This way summer vacation ends, and the school year starts, on a positive note.
A week before the seniors were assigned, Fairy Godmother sent a notice to all, warning of the date of the exchange. That 'date' just happened to be on Mal's birthday—
Giving Jay the perfect idea.
The Lost Boy made some hardcore negotiations regarding a couple situations. It took a week's worth of begging before Fairy Godmother agreed to manipulate the arrangements. In that same week, Jay miraculously convinced Ben to move out of his dorm room.
Originally, Jay asked to switch rooms, using the excuse that he and Aziz needed as much time as possible to plan their wedding. Ben agreed, but moved his belongings back to his room at his parents' castle. With only being a short walk away from the school, Ben didn't need two bedrooms, especially when he could keep whatever belongings in the school office. This way, Carlos could have a room all to himself, since he's only ever had a closet and shared.
There was just one last thing Jay needed to do—
Which led to this confrontation, merely an hour after the classmates were assigned.
Raising a cautious eyebrow at her friend while in the privacy of her room, Mal interrogated forcefully, "You want to me to . . . what?"
"Give me permission to tell Aziz about Mallory," Jay repeated calmly so the fairy wouldn't freak out too much. "I promise, I'm not planning anything for your birthday. I just don't want to keep secrets from my fiancé. We want to get married soon after we graduate."
"Nearly two years together and you want to get hitched already," Mal teased, sitting to full attention on her bed. "Have you told anyone about our birthday? I don't want people knowing—"
"Because it will remind you of Lory," Jay finished with a slight eyeroll. "You've told me before. Carlos and Evie constantly hound me around the time they think is your birthday. There's no harm in telling them. It's not like something like Family Day will happen again."
Mal shuddered at hearing the dreadful school event. The only good thing to happen was the friendship she gained with Queen Leah. In fact, after cotillion, they started writing to one another to keep their friendship, despite the protest of Queen Leah's family.
"Aziz is great at keeping secrets," Jay reassured softly. "I promise, he won't tell anyone about Lory."
"Quit making promises you can't keep," Mal scolded at the ridiculous vow. "You know as well as I do that Auradonians are terrible secret keepers. Aziz will tell Ben the first chance he gets. I don't want Ben's opinion of me to change because someone else telling him I conceived a child from the abuse. I want to tell Ben when I'm ready."
"You will," Jay vowed, urgency clear in his tone. "I promise, Aziz will know how important it is that Ben doesn't know. I promise, you won't regret giving me permission to tell."
"Again, don't make secrets you can't keep," Mal retorted bitterly.
However, after a few moments of pondering the pros and cons of the situation, the fairy sighed exasperatedly. "Fine," Mal relented. "You can tell, but, in exchange, I need a favor."
"Of course," Jay agreed, teeming with positive and jittery energy. "What do you need?"
"I need pictures of Hakim and Rajah," she requested, before explaining further, "I was given Aziz for the Secret Senior, so I want to do a painting. If you get me something from your future in-laws, you can tell Aziz about Mallory."
With no trouble, Jay convinced Sultana Jasmine to send a few pictures for the fairy. The Sultana's only requests were to be updated on the painting and the photographs be returned upon completion. With every update, Mal was given more and more reassurance that the prince would fall in love with the artwork.
And on her eighteenth birthday, Mal saw it for herself.
About an hour before the seniors would have lunch at Tiana's Diner, they met in Fairy Godmother's classroom to exchange their gifts. One by one the students trudged into the room; most only motivated by the prospects of food afterwards and chances of receiving an expensive gift. Only a handful were genuinely eager to give their appointed person their gift.
A king was particularly anxious to get this over with, since he had special plans for after.
However, Ben kept his emotions at bay as he lovingly kissed his girlfriend's cheek, muttering in her ear, "Happy birthday, Mal."
Mal flinched, eyes widening at the unexpected words. "You know?" She questioned in a whispering tone. "Did Jay tell you?"
"Professor Yen Sid did before you transferred," Ben calmly informed, keeping his voice quiet so no one else would hear. "I didn't say anything last year because you didn't, and neither did your friends. I couldn't let it pass this year without at least acknowledging it, especially since you are eighteen."
"Please, don't tell—"
"Your 'secret' is safe with me," Ben reassured with a small smile. "I have some business to take care of after this, so I won't be with you during lunch. When I get back, you and I can celebrate in private. We could recreate our first date at the Enchanted Lake. What do you think?"
Surprised by the offer, the fairy couldn't help smiling brightly as she considered the suggestion. "Alright," Mal agreed, "but there better be hushpuppies and strawberries waiting for me instead of surprise cake."
"If that's what the birthday girl wishes," Ben teased, kissing her temple lightly. "It'll be a good day. You'll see."
And, she truly did.
Once all the seniors sat with gifts in hand—some large, but most relatively small—Fairy Godmother perkily strolled into the room with a stack of papers on her clipboard.
"Good afternoon, children!" the headmistress addressed cheerily. "We have a lot to do before lunch, so let's get started!"
Glancing at her chart, Fairy Godmother smiled warmly. "Mal, you're first," she acknowledged. "Please, give your gift to your designated senior."
Exhaling softly to get rid of her nerves, Mal slowly made her way to the prince that sat a few tables away with her best friend. "Aziz," she greeted, handing him a medium-sized package wrapped in purple paper. "If you don't like it, blame your mother and fiancé for telling me otherwise."
Snickering softly at the fairy's words, Aziz graciously accepted the gift. Although slowly opening the present to build up suspense, the prince couldn't help gasping once the painting was fully revealed.
The scenery of the artwork was the inner garden of the Agrabah palace. In the painting, Aziz sat on the fountain's edge with a happy smile. Hakim, the albino tiger cub, laid on his back on the prince's lap as he lulled to sleep. Rajah, the deceased but ever loyal tiger, was curled at the prince's feet in a peaceful sleep no one could disturb.
Aziz had no words to show his appreciation for such an incredible gift that honored the two beloved tigers that became his family. The prince was a sobbing mess when he hugged the fairy, the only way he could thank her since he lost his voice. His classmates couldn't blame Aziz for being so emotional.
But he's not the only one that would react in such a way.
Unsurprisingly, it took some time for every senior to receive their gift. Some received gift cards to fancy restaurants or expensive clothing stores because they had no idea what to get. Jay had no problem with that since it would pay for a date with his fiancé. Evie received a new tiara from Ben, who claimed her stepsister Snow White helped design it so it would be perfect for the princess; much to the annoyance of Audrey, who received a gift card to a restaurant she didn't like.
For a moment, Mal truly believed she wouldn't receive a gift, until her best friend approached with a small purple box with a green bow on the lid.
"I know what you're going to say," Jay insisted before Mal could speak, "but I kept my promise because I was planning something for this Secret Senior gig."
With an unmeasurable smile, the Lost Boy gladly handed over the gift. "Happy 'Secret Senior."
Glaring at Jay for such a comment, Mal accepted the gift, quickly removing the lid to get the exchange over with. However, the fairy found herself smiling at the contents inside. For her gift, Jay created a beautiful gold heart-shaped locket engraved with the two dragons Mal created to represent her and her daughter. Inside the locket was pictures on both sides; one was a new picture of Mallory holding a new three-headed dog toy, while the second was the first picture of the mother-daughter together when Mallory was first born.
Just as the fairy was going to thank the thief for such a heartwarming gift, Mal noticed a second object in the box, making her scrunch her nose while she placed the necklace around her neck. "What's that strange key for?"
"The second part of your gift," Jay revealed, his grin turning mischievous. "But there is way more to it." He spared a glance toward the headmistress. "May we be excused so I can show her?"
"Of course!" Fairy Godmother declared cheerily. "In fact, everyone, take a few minutes to freshen up. We will meet out front in twenty minutes—"
The rest wasn't heard, since Jay dragged Mal away toward the rest of her gift.
In a record time for running from the academic building to the dorms, Jay practically threw Mal in his room, securely locking the door behind them.
"Watch it!" Mal scolded her friend, who rushed to move a few discarded objects out of the way. "I don't like you manhandling me. Touch me like that again and you'll be lucky to have kids."
"I don't think Aziz wants kids so that wouldn't work for a punishment," Jay commented offhandedly, focusing on his current task. Determining his room was at least half-way decent, he averted his attention to Mal.
"As you noticed, the key has two sides to it," the thief explained. "One side unlocks my room, so you can come in whenever you like."
"Why would I want to do that?" Mal interrogated bluntly. "And what does the other side go to?"
Instead of giving a verbal answer, Jay swiped the key before strolling to his bedside table, which had a peculiar padlock attached to the drawer. Fumbling with it for a moment, the drawer slid open with Jay pulling out a device protected by a purple case. Walking back to his friend, Jay held out the tablet just as it rang.
"You may want to answer that," Jay advised with a teasing smile.
Although Mal had a deep scowl when she answered the video call, it quickly transformed into an astonished gasp at seeing the caller. "Mallory?" Mal greeted in confusion.
"Mommy!" Mallory cheered as she touched the screen, disrupting the connection for a moment. "It's our birthday, Mommy! Surprise!"
Dumbfounded by the whole scenario, Mal whipped her head toward her grinning friend. "How long did you plan this?" the mother questioned. "Is this call only for now?"
"First, it took the whole month to get everything finalized," Jay revealed, his grin growing wider. "The locket was a distraction for our classmates. This is your real gift. I convinced Fairy Godmother to charm the tablet and send another to the Isle so you could talk to your father. She doesn't know anything about Mallory. You can talk to Lory every day if you want. I told Aziz about her and gave you a key to our room—"
"So I could have a private place to speak to Mallory," Mal deduced as her eyes grew wide at the revelation. "So, I could talk to Lory without worrying about anyone finding out about her. That's why you were so insistent on sharing a room with Aziz!"
Jay's smile grew even wider at his friend figuring out the puzzle. "So? How did I do?"
Unable to hide her smile, Mal admitted, "It's the second-best present I ever received; the first being my daughter."
Knock, knock, knock!
Not waiting for an answer, Aziz barged into his best friend's office with the precious painting in his arms. "Hey, Ben?" he called out, closing the door behind him. "Can I put thi—where are you going?"
Ben raised his gaze to his friend, freezing like he had been caught in a compromising position. It must have looked strange, seeing the respected King of Auradon dressed like an Isle commoner with his hooded, dark leather jacket and skinny jeans that hugged him in places an engaged man, like Aziz, shouldn't be admiring. In one hand, Ben held a worn-out backpack while the other held a small purple box with a green bow on top, nearly identical to the box Jay had a few minutes prior.
"Secret," Ben fibbed bluntly, placing the unusual box in his pocket while zipping the backpack. "Official king business that I can't discuss."
Aziz rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Bullshit," he called out. "You're going to visit Mallory again, aren't you?"
Huffing in aggravation at being caught so easily, the king threw the backpack on while facing the prince. "Is it so wrong for me to want to spend some time with my princess?" Ben interrogated forcefully. "Especially since it's her birthday?"
"None whatsoever," Aziz quickly claimed before the king's temper could be tested. "You just didn't need to lie about it, especially to me of all people."
Ben sighed, letting his shoulders droop so the tension in them could fade. "You're right," he agreed softly. "I'm sorry. I'm a little on edge because I know I can't stay with her long, or else I'll be late for my date with Mal."
"Nothing you need to apologize for," Aziz insisted. Smiling softly, he wondered knowingly, "So? What did you get your little girl for her birthday?"
"Besides a small birthday cake, a replica of Mal's new locket," Ben answered with a smile of his own. "Unlike Mal's, Lory's locket has three sections. Jay gave me the picture of her and Mal when she was first born, and Hades sent one of me holding Mallory while she was napping. The center piece is reserved for when we take a family photo together. I have all the original pictures used for both lockets, since Hades insisted I keep them."
"I don't mean to be rude, but I really need to go," Ben persisted hurriedly. "You can keep the painting in here until you get back from lunch, so you don't interrupt their video call."
"Thank you. You are incredible for doing so much for Lory," Aziz complimented, though his smile faltered slightly. "How long do you think you can keep this up; keeping your involvement with Mallory a secret from Mal?"
"For as long as I need to," Ben insisted, smirking all too confidently. "Don't you know? I am the best secret keeper in Auradon."
Spending an hour with his princess was worth the stress Ben endured to keep this trip to the Isle even more secret than the others. The king perfectly timed the drive, arriving just as Mallory finished the video-call with her mother. The birthday girl squealed with delight when Ben 'magically' appeared behind her. Mallory loved the locket just as much she loved 'Cerbie', because it looked identical to her mother's.
"I have a piece of Mommy's heart!" Mallory had exclaimed while clutching the heart-shaped locket to her chest, causing the men to chuckle at her innocence.
After lunch with his little girl—ending with Mallory blowing out a candle on her birthday cake—Ben hurried back to Auradon for the birthday picnic with his true love. So everything would be ready on time, the king asked Fairy Godmother to drop Mal off at the forest path leading to the Enchanted Lake, since they would be going that way anyways. Curious by unusual request, Mal walked through the woods with a gentle smile on her lips, wondering what her boyfriend could be doing.
No words could describe how Mal felt at seeing how much work Ben put into their last-minute date. A delicious arrangement of food awaited her, including the requested strawberries and hushpuppies. The gazebo pillars were wrapped in twinkle lights. Purple balloons of various shades scattered across the stone to make the scenery more romantic and festive.
Although Mal wasn't expecting any gift, Ben surprised her with a brand-new paint set. Earlier that day, he heard Mal comment about using all her old paints for Aziz's gift. Since she used all her supplies for her favorite hobby for a selfless reason, Ben thought new paints would be the perfect gift.
Just when the fairy believed the day couldn't get better, Ben 'magically' revealed a cupcake with a single lit candle. Before Mal could wonder how he hid the dessert, the king instructed her to make a wish, holding his phone to capture the moment. Closing her eyes, Mal knew exactly what she wanted.
I wish . . . Ben will love Mallory . . . like she is his daughter.