After their first night together, Mal felt a weight of doubt lift off her shoulders. The entire night, Ben was so gentle, without treating her like glass. Everything the fairy requested, the king obligated to both of their pleasure. Since that day, they formed a routine of spending the weekends together, exploring each other in ways they never thought of before.

In all her life, Mal has never felt so loved.

From their first night on, Mal could feel herself letting go of all her past trauma. All her memories from that torturous night were forgotten. The fairy tried to remember anything from that night. She knew her abuser and how he made her drunk, so she couldn't fight back. When she tried thinking about the trauma, it was gone. Instead, she only remembered how Ben made her feel in bed, listened to her every need, and worshipped her until she exploded with pleasure. Once she realized the memories of that traumatic night were truly gone—

Mal cried.

The fairy truly scared her closest friend and their loved ones when she suddenly burst into tears during their double date. Her beloved was so quick to comfort her while her best friend tried prying answers from her. Mal knew she confused them when she laughed, insisting that they were tears of relief. After explaining her revelation, her beloved hugged her tightly and refused to let her go for the rest of the date—

Until Ben took her home to his castle and made love to her into the morning, where they cuddled until their friends rudely barged in again.

In their defense, Aziz and Jay wanted to say their temporary goodbyes since they were officially moving their belongings to Agrabah. Although the king offered a room in his castle for the week leading to and after 'VK Day'—the day new transfers would come to Auradon—the married couple denied it. They insisted that the sooner they settled in their home, the quicker they could find a suitable surrogate mother to start the next chapter of their lives. However, they did take the offer for the night before VK day.

The morning of VK Day, Mal found herself lost in thought on the back balcony of Auradon Prep, stalling before the opening ceremony. Since the relieving revelation, the fairy has been pondering ways to tell the truth about Mallory. Mal knew, or at least hoped, Ben would eventually accept Lory as his own, but she still feared his initial reaction. Would he be upset because she didn't tell him sooner? Would he need space to process the 'aftermath' from that night?

Would Ben no longer love her?

When the fairy voiced her concerns to the married couple, they scolded her for her ridiculous thought. Aziz insisted Ben would love her no matter what; Mallory would not change that. Jay argued Ben would love Mallory the moment he saw her. Despite their persistent insistence, Mal couldn't help the constant worry poking at her brain.

While lost in thought, strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a tight embrace from behind. After years of avoiding any physical contact, Mal adoringly leaned her head back, resting against her beloved's shoulder. Kissing her cheek lovingly, Ben noted, "You were lost in thought again. Is everything all right?"

Hesitating, Mal shook her head in denial. "There's something I need to tell you," she admitted reluctantly. "But . . . I don't know how. I'm afraid it will change things between us, for the worse."

"That won't happen," Ben vowed vehemently. "Nothing you need to say will negatively affect us. I promise."

Sighing softly, Mal grumbled, "I hope you're right."

"Hey." Tilting her beloved's chin up so their gazes would meet, Ben smiled comfortingly. "Cheer up. It's VK Day, after all. The sooner we get the kids settled at Evie's starter castle. . ."

Mal smirked, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "The sooner you and I can celebrate our way."

Citizens of Auradon gathered eagerly on Auradon Prep's front lawn to greet the school's newest Isle additions. King Beast and Queen Belle mingled among the crowd, smiling at all the citizens waving homemade posters and banners to welcome the new transfer students. A giant video monitor displayed a real-time feed of the Isle's barrier opening. WELCOME TO OUR NEW VKS blazed across its screen. The king's stretch limo sat parked in the circular driveway. In just a few minutes, it would be crossing the barrier to pick up the four young VKs—

After an important announcement by King Ben.

On the sideline, Audrey stood with a gruntle frown and hazel eyes unwelcoming. She hadn't wanted to attend, but her grandmother—Queen Leah—insisted they needed time away from their kingdom, especially with her ex-husband under castle-arrest for the rest of his life.

But that will be explanation will be for another time.

To mask her discomfort for being there, Audrey pulled on her long, newly dyed, ash-brown hair, which was streaked with pink and blue highlights. When that began to hurt her head, she switched to straightening her pink leather ensemble. The whole reason she changed her appearance was so Ben would see she could change into the queen he wanted her to be.

It better not be for nothing.

A few moments later, the lovely couple arrived with a round of cheers erupting from the crowd. Mal was pleasantly surprised by the bustling, celebratory scene. She was glad the transfers would be greeted with much more excitement than when she and her friends first arrived.

Soon, the two stepped onto the platform with the restless crowd settled down slightly. Ben was handed a microphone while Mal stood by his side. Her king requested that she stay next to him while he made his announcement. She thought nothing about it when she obligated.

"Thank you all for coming to celebrate VK Day," Ben began what could be a lengthy speech. "Our new arrivals will here soon to greet you all."

Clearly displeased, Audrey mumbled under her breath, "Not like we had much of a choice."

"Behave yourself," Queen Leah scolded quietly. "Today is a special day."

Observing the crowd's reaction for a short time, Ben focused all his attention on his beloved. "Mal," he began with a cheeky smile. "This is the spot where we met not so long ago, where I had the pleasure of basking in your beauty for the first time. To this day, nearly three years into our relationship, I still get lost in your beauty."

The audience awed and cooed at the compliment while Mal blushed at all the attention. Ben gazed at her for some time, distracted by her beauty and forgetting what he was going to do next. After a moment, the king abruptly turned off his microphone before tossing it to the side of the stage. "Fuck it," he mumbled under his breath. "Just gonna go for it."

While Ben dug through his pocket, Mal tilted her curiously, wondering what he was doing. Once he grabbed the desired item, Ben knelt on one knee. Mal gasped, covering her mouth with shaking hands. He couldn't be—!

"I love you, Mal," Ben announced, staring into her beautiful green eyes. "I want to take the next step in our relationship. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, watching our daughter—or son—grow to be as perfect as you."

Pulling back the lid of the blue velvet box, the king revealed a specially designed gold ring with a purple gem in the center. "Please," Ben pleaded, his voice cracking from his overwhelming emotions. "Will you marry me? Will you be my queen—"

"Yes!" Mal squealed happily, accidentally cutting off her beloved. "Yes!"

Massive cheers exploded throughout as Ben slipped the ring on Mal's finger. Once he stood, the newly engaged fairy pulled her fiancé into a kiss, as though they were the only people in the world.

Surrounded by the celebration of love, Audrey tried to mask her devastation. She couldn't help the ache in her heart from losing the crown. Her goal—her childhood dream—to be 'Queen of Auradon' will never be fulfilled now. Everything was ruined because of that wretched—

But that was the least of the princess's concern.

"Audrey!" Queen Leah scolded in a harsh whisper, causing her granddaughter to flinch. "I heard you shout during the proposal. Why would you do such a thing?"

"Because the crown was supposed to be mine," Audrey claimed bitterly, glaring at the newly engaged couple. "That proposal was supposed to be mine, but she stole it from me. She ruined my chances of being queen!"

"Oh, Audrey." Queen Leah shook her head in disappointment. "You lost your chance when you cheated on King Ben with Prince Chad. You need to learn from your mistakes and apologize for what you have done."

"Apologize?!" Audrey questioned hysterically. "For what? I've done nothing wrong! They should be apologizing to me!"

"With that attitude, you will never be queen."

"I can't believe it!" Mal squealed. Hurrying down the steps, she hugged her best friend excitedly. "How long have you known?"

"A few months," Jay admitted, gladly accepting the embrace he always thought was impossible. "Ben told me and Aziz while we were moving senior year. We decided to marry early, so we didn't draw attention away from your engagement."

"Speaking of your husband," Mal playfully teased, pulling away from the embrace, "when's he going back to Agrabah for the meeting with the surrogacy agency?"

"As soon as we leave for the Isle," Jay revealed with a hopeful sigh. "Aziz will keep me updated. I'm hoping he will have good news when he's back for Jane's birthday party. Or he'll wait to surprise us at your engagement party the day after."

Mal laughed gleefully at the information. "Then it's a really good thing I said yes!" she joked. Her gleeful smile refused to leave her. "Now, you won't be the only one married."

Before more could be said between them, Evie grabbed Mal's wrist, twirling her around to face her. "Congratulations!" Evie cheered, subtly dragging the fairy away so she wouldn't notice. "I have done thousands of sketches for your wedding dress!"

As his friend was pulled away, Jay glared at the blue-haired princess, who shot him a nasty look back. The thief held his tongue, for he didn't want to ruin his best friend's day. Instead, Jay joined his husband, who was busy congratulating his best friend.

Once the king and Auradon thief broke from their bro-hug, the Isle thief intervened. "Congratulations," Jay greeted politely before getting down to business. "Three days. Don't forget."

"We won't need them," Ben insisted, maintaining his smile so no one would think anything was wrong. "If she doesn't tell me, I'll tell her I know."

After such an amazing announcement and life development, Mal couldn't have been any happier.

Until someone roughly tugged her arm, forcing the fairy to twirl around. Her excited smile faded into a worried frown at facing someone who would ruin the festivities.

"Congratulations," Audrey greeted with feigned sincerity. "You won him fair and square."

After a moment of thought, Audrey cocked her head arrogantly. "Oh, wait, you didn't," she sneered. "You wanted Fairy Godmother's wand, so you spelled Ben to get closer to it. At least, that's what the rumors say. What a touching story for your kids."

Mal flinched at the rude comment. When the fairy's eyes widened with worry, the princess narrowed her eyes. "You're hiding something," Audrey determined, stalking forward menacingly. "And I'm going to find out what it is."

"I have nothing to hide," Mal fibbed, faking a smile. "But I do have some kids waiting for me. So, if you'll excuse me . . ."

As the fairy turned her back, Audrey sharpened her glare. Mal was keeping something secret.

Something valuable enough for revenge.

About an hour later, the villagers of the Isle of the Lost stared in awe at the purple limousine parked next to Lady Tremaine's Curl Up and Dye. Each of the Core Four volunteered to 'mentor' the new students—Jay and Carlos had Squeaky and Squirmy, Evie gladly chose Dizzy, and Mal had the 'pleasure' of dealing with the mischievous Celia.

Once everyone found themselves a seat, Jay drove the fancy limousine through the narrow streets while the younger generation of VKs buzzed with anticipation of seeing new, unfamiliar land. The children were distracted by all the gadgets, gizmos, and delectable treats—

Until the limousine slowed down to a halt at the Bridge Plaza of the Isle of the Lost.

Before the group could question their driver, they noticed a blue-haired man standing on the edge of the barrier, just before the broken barrier. But why would he be—

"Mali!" Hades called out. "Come on out, baby girl."

Smiling softly, Mal climbed out of the vehicle without a word to the group. Keeping the door open, the fairy walked toward her father, who smiled warmly. "Do you really think I'd let you leave without seeing me first?" Hades interrogated teasingly. "Especially after such good news?"

Unable to mask her smile any longer, Mal happily hugged her father, who wrapped his arms tightly around her, so she would know how much he loved her. Kissing her forehead lovingly, Hades gently lifted his daughter's chin to gaze into her shining green eyes. "I am so proud of you," he declared, "for not letting your past trauma interfere with your life. You will be an incredible queen."

Noticing movement from the corner of his eye, Hades raised his head just in time to see his daughter's fiancé had approached, standing only a few feet away. "King Ben," Hades greeted respectively, nodding in acknowledgment. "I expect you to treat my daughter well."

"Absolutely," Ben agreed without hesitation, "and we will be sure to invite you and your wife to the wedding."

Meanwhile, back at Auradon Prep, the crowd of gathered spectators had their eyes glued to the unbelievable conversation taking place on the jumbo screen. It transmitted a live feed from the Isle of the Lost, so everyone could see and what was happening. They all had the same question:

How on Earth had the future queen kept her father a secret for so long?

Audrey convinced herself that was not the only secret Mal hid.

Maybe, if Audrey was quick enough, she could be the one to exploit it.