The next morning, after an eventful evening of celebrating their engagement, Mal and Ben were happily cuddled together on the couch in the parlor. Between discussing small details for their party, they would lose themselves in sweet kisses. At one point, when things became heated, Ben leaned his beloved back, gently laying the fairy against the seat of the couch while remaining on top.

Just as Ben attempted to go further, his beloved laid a delicate hand on his chest, lightly pushing. Immediately, the king pulled away, gazing into those beautiful green eyes. "What's wrong?" he wondered. "Did I push you too far?"

"No!" Mal shouted in denial. "It's just . . . I shouldn't let this go any further without telling you the rest of the truth. But I'm afraid it will change things between us for the wors—"

"Never," Ben interrupted forcefully. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, he vowed, "Whatever you tell me will only make things better between us, because I love you too much to allow anything to jeopardize us."

"I hope you're right." Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Mal blurted, "I have a—"

SLAM!

Flinching at the abrasive sound, the couple sat up just in time to see King Beast storm into the parlor with Queen Belle and Fairy Godmother struggling to keep up behind him. "Apologizes for the interruption," King Beast acknowledged, forcing manners through gritted teeth. "There's been a breach in the museum's security."

"The 'Queen of Auradon' crown has been stolen," Queen Belle interjected solemnly, "along with Maleficent's scepter."

"We have a list of suspects," Fairy Godmother added. "The first is Uma, since she still on the loose and has Ben's ring."

Snarling her nose, Mal shook her head in denial. "But that's impossible. She's—"

"How do you all know about the break-in?" Ben demanded, interrupting his beloved by accident. "Why did whoever tell you before me, the current King of Auradon?"

"The guards were . . . concerned, after yesterday's debacle," King Beast argued, struggling to keep his temper in check. "They can't be blamed. All of Auradon was shocked when they found out about Hades's relation to our future queen."

"Before I came to Auradon, my mother asked that I keep my father a secret," Mal informed quietly, so she didn't worsen anyone's rage. "I didn't know they were high school sweethearts until my mother sent me a letter after graduation. Hell, I didn't know they were only separated."

"Do you know where your mother is?" Fairy Godmother wondered softly. "I'm sorry to say this, but she's another suspect, especially since there was a break in not so long ago at Stefan's—"

"It's not Maleficent," Ben interrupted forcefully. "It can't be her. She's been seeking refuge in Wonderland."

Whipping her head toward her fiancé, Mal allowed her jaw to drop at the declaration. She only found out weeks ago about her mother's whereabouts and never told a soul. "How do you know about that?"

The current king paused, perhaps realizing his words or his mistake. "I sent a letter to your father, asking for his and your mother's blessing to marry you," Ben admitted hesitantly. "He told me I would have to send a letter for her to Wonderland. A day later, I discovered a playing card—the Queen of Hearts—on my desk, with the word 'yes' written on the back."

Only a small fib, but it was believable enough for Mal to not ask more questions.

"That still doesn't solve our initial issue," King Beast argued, trying to get everyone back to the problem at hand. "We have no definite leads for the culprit since the museum's cameras were compromised. I suggest suspending travel to the Isle."

Ben raised a suspicious yet concerned brow. "I hope you mean temporarily," he warned sternly, "because I will have the barrier removed, sooner than you think."

"Son, you need to wait—"

"No!" Standing tall and proud from his seat, with his stubborn chin held high, Ben declared, "I am tired of waiting for my dream to become a reality. The barrier will be removed, as a gift to my queen and princess during our engagement party."

"Ben, be reasonabl—"

"The decision is final," Ben asserted, glaring sharply at his parents. "And there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

Challenging them to say more, the king stormed away to find a safe place to contain his temper. Watching her beloved leave, Mal's curiosity got the best of her. She knew Ben refers to her as his 'queen'—

But who could be his 'princess'?

Unable to think clearly after the day's unexpected turn of events, Mal needed someone to talk to about what transpired; someone who could keep the news a secret.

Who better than the very bo—man, that helped keep quiet about her daughter for so long?

After nearly half an hour with no reply to the SOS text, the fairy made the small journey to their Evie's starter castle. Mal vaguely remembered the Isle thief commenting about hanging out with Carlos, who currently lives at the starter castle for the summer. That would be the most logical place to go.

Instead, the future-queen arrived to find Evie alone in her sewing room. At least a hundred dress designs littered the floor surrounding the princess, who was busy furiously sketching on pristine paper. Judging from her irritated expression, something must have upset her.

"E?" Mal greeted, cautiously approaching the fashionista. "Is everything ok?"

Raising her gaze, Evie perked up. Instantly, the blue-haired teen plastered a fake smile on her lips, like everything was perfect in the world. "Hi Mal!" Evie welcomed too sugar-sweetly. "I didn't know you were coming by today! I thought you'd be celebrating your engagement with Ben."

"I was," Mal answered slowly, "but something came up."

"Well, I am so glad you are here!" Evie cheered, maintaining a false, up-beat attitude. "We can get started on choosing a design for your dress."

"Actually . . ." Mal winced at the awkward situation. "I didn't come to talk about the dress. I need Jay. Do you know where he is? He's not answering his phone."

Like a flip of a switch, Evie's perky smile turned into a frustrated frown. "Him and the transfers are helping Carlos decorate for Jane's birthday party tomorrow," the seamstress grumbled bitterly. "Are you sure you need him? I could help you if you let me!"

Considering it for a second, Mal shook her head in denial. "This is something I need Jay for," she insisted. "I'll just wait for him—"

"He won't be here," Evie interrupted with a scoff. "This is the last place he wants to be. He barely stayed long enough for us to fight again."

"Again?" Mal repeated incredulously. "You mean you've gotten into arguments before? Why wasn't I told about it?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. Jay's just refusing to admit he's wrong. You know how stubborn he could be." Rolling her eyes, the fake smile reemerged as Evie changed the subject, "So about your dress. I sketched various designs and styles, but I didn't know which you'd like more. Do you wany to see?"

To keep the peace, Mal politely nodded even though a single thought raced through her mind.

Why the hell were Jay and Evie in a spat? And why did Mal believe she was the reason for it?