Chapter Text
Mal was stalling and she knew she had been ever since the coronation. In her relationships, in her future, in her life. After the debacle with Audrey was over, she finally took the time to take a step back to breathe and actually sit down to sort through her mind for what felt like the first time in months. There was enough to sort through that at one point in her life she would have just walked away instead of letting herself become overwhelmed.
Dealing with the situation of the barrier being gone was one huge messy complication that had many of them pulling at their hair in frustration. Mal had been desperate when she had told Ben that she couldn’t become a queen with the people on The Isle of the Lost still suffering; and then she had been too caught up in the moment to realize that just dropping the barrier in one go would be a mistake. Because as soon as the adrenaline had died down, horror had washed through her. The villains that The Isle had originally been created to hold, were suddenly free, with full access to their magic.
Her eyes had instantly gone to her family and as soon as Evie, Jay, and Carlos saw her face, they had seemed to almost crumple into themselves with the realization that their parents had just been set loose. Within the sea of excitement, the four of them had huddled together, Mal’s hand clutching Evie’s as she tried to reassure them with only her presence that she would protect them.
Auradon had quickly found out that many of the villains had escaped as soon as the barrier went down. Those with powerful enough magic like Jafar and Ursula had simply just vanished; others with more subtle abilities like the Evil Queen only needed to blend in for long enough to disappear in the confusion. Some were wily enough to leave without the use of magic, like Captain Hook; while a handful like Cruella and Madame Medusa were either too far gone or unwilling to leave behind whatever they had claimed as theirs. It was very few that stayed either in Auradon or willingly await ed judgment on The Isle, and among them were Hades and Dr.Facilier. The ones that were violent or caught trying to make their escape were quickly gathered up and temporarily locked in the dungeon while everyone tried to figure out what to do with them.
Mal was also one of the only ones thinking about The Isle itself and what would happen to it. She hated it with a burning in her chest that made her want to reduce it to little more than ashes scattered in the wind. But at the same time; it had been her home for most of her life, some of the most important things that shaped her happened on that miserable piece of rock. It was where she was born; where she fought and struggled and crawled her way through life, barely surviving but becoming strong because of it. Where she met a boy with an infuriating smirk and sticky fingers that she hadn’t trusted but had slowly become a strong protective pillar she could lean on. Where a small head of curly white hair had been little more than a useful annoyance but had wormed into her heart with warm smiles and snarky quips. Where a beautiful girl who had made her seethe with bitterness had showed her what it meant to care for another with gentle hand holding and soft encouragements. But The Isle was also a cesspool full of garbage and abuse and the stench of the worst crimes people could do to one another for twenty years. Where all of the children who were born and raised there faced terror and pain and were never allowed to love.
She didn’t know what to do with The Isle of the Lost, and everyone else was too busy dealing with their own lives to help her come up with a solution . And when it came down to it, Mal just didn’t want to burden anyone with her indecisiveness. Not Ben who had so much on his plate already. Not Jay or Carlos who were each making plans for their futures. Not Evie who was juggling her fashion line and had taken on the sudden responsibility of several kids. Not even her father, who she was still a little wary of.
Speaking of Hades.
He had been offered a room in the castle by Ben and a tooth clenching reluctant Adam; but the god’s hair had flared as he sneered as them both and said he has other places to be before pulling Mal aside. He had extended an open invitation to the underworld with a small smirk and had promised to return and catch up as long as it wasn’t in the castle. Then there was a string of derogatory remarks about Ben and his family and insistence that Mal was settling for safe instead of fighting for what she really wanted, which was both ironic and infuriating since she had very much fought for everything else in her life. That conversation had gotten heated fast and ended with flashing green eyes and a burst of blue flame that signaled his abrupt exit.
She had shrugged it off as good riddance even when a part of her that she hid away from everyone had feared that it meant she would never see him again. That evening she had found a single black flower on her pillow. There was no note but she knew it was from him after he had mocked her about expecting flowers just the day before. It was beautiful , in an unconventional way , with brittle petals and thorns hidden in the stem waiting for a careless touch to draw blood. It smelled vaguely of brimstone that reminded her of Hades and of the magic she had felt when holding his Ember.
She loved it.
The thing that Mal had been pushed aside the most was the small matter of her impeding marriage, Hade’s words ringing in her ears. It had been too much from the moment that Ben had proposed on live television in front of everyone in the kingdom and several different countries, to when she had thought she could decline when she had presented her ultimatum so she could focus on finding a new way to free the children on The Isle. She had felt trapped under all those eyes, under the eyes of her three precious friends, under Evie’s unreadable gaze. There was really no choice but to accept in that moment. And then everything had quickly spiraled out of control and she was able to push it out of mind while focusing on more pressing matters.
The truth was that she wanted to be Queen, just not in the way Ben was offering. In the blackest part of her heart, the part that had over sixteen years of dark aspirations twisted into it by the Mistress of All Evil, she knew that she the idea of ruling made her blood heat in excitement and satisfaction. The fact that her mother had never truly taken over a kingdom as her own while Mal herself had just been handed the crown, just made it all the more delicious. But when it came down to it, she didn’t want the title only because she was expected her remain by Ben’s side forever. A Queen in only title, not actual power. Like Belle, who spent her days planning balls and stroking her husband’s ego; who had no real say in any actual matters of the kingdom and did little more than smile at the endless amount of useless parades to show a united family leading a united allegiance.
Mal wanted, needed, to be a real leader ; one unlike all those royals in the United States of Auradon who had mostly stumbled into their titles and painted solutions with a broad brush across their individual kingdoms, addressing the masses but not the individuals. She would be the unmovable protector for all the beaten and abused. Like Carlos, who still violently flinched or lashed out in fear, and hid his hurts and pain. She would be an understanding ally to those who had spent their life knowing nothing but the need to take and take in order to survive another night. Like Jay and his hands that still grabbed trinkets out of habit and looked at his treasures in fear at being caught and sent away . She would be a gentle supporter to all the people who had fits of self-hatred because they were raised by parents who told them they were worthless. Like Evie, who Mal still needed to remind how beautiful she was because she would seize in anguish at even the implication of criticism. She would be a caring mentor to the kids that suddenly found themselves brimming with terrifying and amazing magics that they were never taught to control. Like Mal had been after stepping past that barrier for the first time, fighting down the inner panic that she might destroy everything around her if she was careless.
The people from The Isle, her people, didn’t need the situational acceptance but definitive black and white views that Auradon , and by definition Ben, was built on. They needed a leader who would not only fight for them both physically and politically, but also someone who understood their suffering and would ease the way to living away from t h e h orrors they had endured. These criminals and villains and children who would always hold a sliver of darkness within them that marked what they did in the name of survival, would not benefit from the fairy tale that was being offered to them now. Because Ben was a good king, but there was no chance in hell that the people from The Isle would happily accept him or his help. They would never see him as their leader. Not the way they would her.
Mal loved Ben, but in her heart, she knew that he would never understand her the way that she needed him to. Only those three understood her that way; with their still wicked grins, their wordless loyalty, and their shared scars. And it was still only them that she looked to whenever she needed help, because she knew that as kind-hearted as Ben was, he would try to fix everything in his own way instead of help ing her better shoulder that burden herself. He had proven time and again that he would jump feet first into situations that he had no business being in simply because he felt it was the right thing to do. It was that reason that she knew she would not be able to marry him, because she loved Ben, but she didn’t love him enough to let him try to mend all her broken pieces. She didn’t love him enough to trust that would be able to look after her people.
Ben was the golden boy. A king who preached kindness, a man who wanted the best for everyone under his rule. Ben’s heart was beautiful. A little bruised from the past year, since he extended the hand of friendship to four disheveled and distrustful teenagers and they had dragged him through hardships that he had not been prepared for. But whole, full of light and hope. And Mal was a dragon who hoarded everything inside herself, who cradled her own heart away from sight. Her heart that was broken long before she knew what that meant by a mother who could not and would not love her. A heart that had taken multiple beatings and cracks and continuous breakage for most of her life. That had been slowly pieced together with the help of three equally broken hearts. And as four hearts beat as one, they fit their broken edges together.
Carlos had fought his fears. Had grown, put on wiry muscles, and faced his anxiety and trauma with bravery. Slowly, the days where he would curl in on himself in fear had declined and now it was only rarely that a raised voice sent him clutching onto his friends in panic. He had met someone who looked up to him like he was a hero. The bloody sharp edges were softened as he realized that in Auradon he was free, that Cruella could no longer burn and beat him, that here he could be strong.
Jay had grown into his own man. He had come a long way from the deceptive boy who longed for his father's approval and spent days stealing and tricking so he would not be locked outside to fend for himself. His muscles were no longer constantly tensed and ready to jump into action at any moment. He had found a place where he could use his skills for enjoyment, where he could rely on others to depend on him when the situation wasn’t life threatening; and black and burnt edges accommodated others to fit with him more gently.
And Evie. The fairest of them all. A girl who was berated and shamed and starved under the critical eye of her mother. No longer did she spend hours in front of her mirror in disgust at her own reflection, layering on make-up. Time and support from her friends had led to her truly blossoming, believing that she was not only beautiful, but also that she was so much more than that, that she was perfect. And those delicate reflective edges were smoothed down to show the beauty inside and out.
Mal knew she had come a long way as well from that love starved angry kid that thought she would always be a disappointment. She was more than just her mother’s partial shadow, she was someone who would step up and do the right thing, even if it required personal sacrifice. She embraced both the darkness inside of herself and the good that she had only recently learned she could be, and used them both to slowly heal over the sides of herself that not even her family could once touch. The parts too sharp and wicked for her to share with them.
With all their growth from the delinquent teenagers they had been what seemed liked so long ago, Mal was the first to realize that the four of them no longer complimented each other as they once did. She had been so used to those three looming presences backing up her claims with pure muscle and a quick wit that she was ashamed of herself for not noticing sooner when she realized things between them were different now. When someone said something that made her grind her teeth, Jay no longer felt the need to step forward, fist clenched and ready to beat them in submission. When something seemed too far-fetched or dangerous to get done, no longer did she only have to glance sideways to know that Carlos was already doing quick calculations in his head because he knew exactly what she needed. When someone was becoming an annoyance or inconvenience, no longer could she expect a sly Evie to stride forward, casually weaving her manipulations to corner them right where Mal wanted.
Things were different now. And if the four of them weren’t intertwined anymore, then everything she was fighting for would only be a hollow victory.
-
With school currently on break after the year ended, Auradon Prep had been empty when Audrey had her brief brush with evil. Evie had been able to get a small house for herself with the rising success of her fashion line, Mal had been extended an invitation to Beast Castle while she navigated life as a Lady in a relationship with the king, and Jay and Carlos were staying together in a small cottage that Ben had lent them while Carlos waited to start his final year at school and Jay decided what he wanted to do with his future.
The people from the Isle of the Lost had been split mostly into three groups. The pre-teens and children were staying in houses surrounding Evie’s place. The teenagers and those in their early twenties were staying at Auradon prep. While the adults, the ones who had been imprisoned for the more minor crimes like thievery or had turned themselves in after the barrier was down, had been placed in the city as things were waiting to be settled. There was some overlap of course, with the few parents who had actually cared for their children not willing to be separated, or the younger children who wished to remain with older siblings.
Mal had found herself staying more and more at the school, her days spent traveling between the city and visiting the children, helping any way she could to make sure that everyone was as comfortable as possible. Surprisingly, Uma had been a huge help with keeping the rowdiest of the people their age in line, those who had suffered the most.
She had been able to witness the reemergence of Freddie and CJ, who had both disappeared while she had been getting caught up in pretending to be a true court lady before she had run back to The Isle . She saw Freddie seem to just appear out of the shadows at Evie’s house where Celia was staying with Dr.Facilier. She had looked tired, but much healthier than when she had first managed to smuggle herself out of The Isle. Dr.Facilier was truly the exception to the rules of terrible villain parents, because while he cared nothing for those that he tricked into making deals with him, he clearly loved his daughters as much as someone with a heart of darkness could. And with the family reunited, Mal could feel the guilt she had carried ever since she realized that Freddie was missing finally ease.
CJ had been even more surprising. Harriet Hook, who had looked out for her brother the best she could, even when she didn’t like the way Uma and her crew did things, had been the one to reach out to Harry. Harry Hook who had let himself fall into his craze while on The Isle, was pulling himself back together with the help of Uma and Gil. There had been no hesitation on his part; letting Harriet fully be a part of his life again and it had been during this reunion that CJ, who had always been more mischievous than truly wicked, had dropped back in on them, literally as she had been dangling from a rope. And away from the cruelty of The Isle, away from the harshness of their father, the three siblings embraced; and if tears dripped onto one another and apologies were whispered, well no one was watching them to see it .
It had been on a day that Mal found herself back at the castle briefly, packing up some more of the enormous closet she hadn’t even realized she now had, that she ran into Ben for the first time in days. They had exchanged conversation on the phone, and Ben didn’t blame her for being so busy as he himself was running ragged as the Royal Council decided what would be done with the people they held in the dungeons. But Mal, guilt settling in her stomach, knew that she was purposely avoiding both the castle and Ben.
“Mal, hi! I was hoping to run into you. Are you going to be coming back home?”
Home.
Mal of The Isle who had never had a true home. Who grew up in a trashed castle from where her mother sneered at the downtrodden, the stone floors stained more than once with her own blood. Who had wandered into the Forbidden Fortress of Maleficent and had found nothing but leftover hatred and pain, and had walked out with the beginnings of a fragile family born from loneliness. Who had carved out a safe space for her friends, hidden away among the rest of the garbage, with savage violence and vicious threats. Who had been pushed into clean safe Auradon and had been giving a room with her best friend where she had eventually found comfort in the pastels as long as Evie was there too. Who hated the extravagance of a castle that had entirely too much of everything while her people had fought and died for scraps.
“I’m just picking up some clothing to take back to Auradon Prep, a lot of the girls really appreciate being able to change out of their rags.”
The guilt grew as she saw his face fall in both sadness and shame. She didn’t say it to hurt his feelings, she had only been thinking of the too thin teenagers who were still wearing the remains of their Isle clothing.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about clothing since they all had access to shelter now. I’ll look into getting some things sent for the guys as well, and things for the people in the city and the children.”
“Thank you, Ben. I’m sure Evie is doing her best with the young ones, and Carlos and Jay have been providing as much of their own things as they can, but I really would appreciate anything at all being sent to the city. They’re the ones that I haven’t been able to do much about yet.”
She looked as Ben sighed and rubbed at his forehead as he walked to the edge of her bed and sat down. His tired eyes caught hers and he gave her a small smile and patted the space next to him. There was only a small moment of hesitation before she sat down as well, their legs pressing against each other.
“Mal, can you please be honest with me? I haven't seen you in days, are you avoiding me?”
“We’ve both had our hands full with everything since the barrier went down. Things are just not moving as fast as they could be with the council.”
“You’re going to be the Queen of Auradon soon, are you sure you don’t want to be with me at the council meetings? Not only would it be good practice, but it will really be more meaningful for someone from The Isle to be the one explaining what needs to be d one. Not to mention that we’re having some trouble sorting through the prisoners.”
He was right and being so nice about it, not willing to push her. But the thought of stuffing herself into a dress and sitting down over tea with the people who had imprisoned them there and begging for understanding and help, made her sick to her stomach. They were the ones who had benefited from throwing everyone they found inconvenient inside that bubble and forgetting about it for this long; and she would have to explain why the children cried at night, or why the teenagers attacked anyone who got too close, or that the adult in the city were just too scared of being sent back and didn’t actually mean their threats. She would be looked as the future queen, expected to propose action that would benefit everyone in the kingdoms. And as much as she had accepted being good (to a degree of course,) she couldn’t bring herself to care about helping out the pampered children of the kingdoms when all she wanted was to fight for any piece of happiness she could elk out for her people.
“Ben, I can’t. It was bad enough having to sit through them when we were just dating, but now I’ll actually have to sit there and convince them to just give us what we need.”
They both caught the use of us but Ben was kind enough to pretend to overlook it as he grabbed her smaller hands in his.
“Mal. Do you love me?”
Something cold and wary gripped her heart. On The Isle, there was no room for love. There was only survival and usefulness. Parents did not love their children, they controlled them. Children did not love their friends or even have friends, they had allies that they worked with to achieve their own goals. Leaders only had followers who they utilized for their skills to guard their territory in exchange for personal protection. Mal didn’t love Evie with her perfect smile and gentle hands that carefully bandaged her injuries, she only admired how she spun manipulation to their benefit. Mal didn’t love Jay’s protective streak that never left her back exposed to attack, she only appreciated his loyalty and strength. Mal didn’t love Carlos’ shy mumbles when presenting his latest invention, she only approved of his useful intelligence.
But she did love them.
Even when she couldn’t say it, she showed it then and she shows it now. She always made sure Jay went back to the Junk Shop with something even on days where he didn’t have enough time to steal for himself. She went to every tourney game and shouted her support when he did anything even though she had no idea what was going on. She sat next to a quivering Carlos after he crawled to the warehouse covered in fresh bruises and blood, close enough for him to feel her warmth but not enough to touch. She made a point to exclaim proudly at every new achievement he showed them and snarled at any of the students who gave him looks of pity when he flinched. She made sure that Evie always had some food in her stomach, even if it meant that Mal would not be able to eat that day. She held Evie close in the middle of the night when one or both of them woke up whimpering from nightmares.
And sometimes she could say it. A whispered declaration into Carlos’ hair after he threw himself into her arms without warning because he had missed her while she was away for a few days. A mumbled statement into Jay’s muscular chest when he pulled her in to show his appreciation when she cancelled a date with Ben to see his sword fighting competition. A public fact said in front of everyone because Evie’s heart was beautiful and she needed to tell her that, even if it wasn’t the right moment, Mal loved her. And the shy I love you too’s given to Ben when he said it to her, eyes bright with happiness.
“Of course I love you.”
Those same eyes that usually looked at her with devotion, flashed with something Mal knew all too well. Disappointment.
“Do you actually want to marry me? Become Queen of Auradon and settle down in this castle for the rest of your life?”
He knew. He knew and wanted her to look him in the eye and tell him that no, she hadn’t ever wanted to marry him.
“Ben...”
“Mal please. I love you, and I know that you care about me too; we’ve been through too much together to not have this bond. Our relationship started built on a lie, don’t let it continue forward on a different lie.”
She pulled her hand s away from his and instead hugged herself, vision blurring from stupid emotional tears that her mother would have beat her for a year ago. It was time to be honest with him, it was the least she could do.
“No. I don’t want to marry you. I don’t want to be Queen of Auradon. I don’t want to rule your kingdom, or sit on your royal council trying to appease everyone, or go to meaningless parades just to look pretty, or host grand balls for every little occasion. I don’t want to manage a castle full of servants and objects worth more than everything on The Isle put together, or pretend to care about gossip from other kingdoms when it doesn’t affect me in the slightest. I don’t want to wear your mother’s crown on my head and become some pretty and shallow eye candy for the rest of my life.”
The silence between them was thick and Mal felt like she was choking on it. She pretended she didn’t see his shoulders slump and how he covered his face with his hands.
“Why did you say yes?”
“I didn’t think I had a choice. Not in front of everyone, not after everything you’ve done for us.”
His head snapped up and watery eyes locked onto her own. Horror and anguish on his face.
“I didn’t do everything for you to feel like you’re obligated to be with me! I thought you were happy...”
“I thought so too. But Ben look at me. Sitting in th is lavish room dressed in scuffed leather. Look at me, offered a kingdom on a silver platter and all I can think about is how many children will need warm clothing for when it starts to get cold. I’m not a lady of the Auradon Court, and I regret pretending I was.”
“I think you look beautiful Mal. The court needs someone who has actually experienced the hardship of The Isle of the Lost to motivate them to change the way things are done. You can be anything you want to be, I will always support you.”
She let out a choked sob, even as she broke his heart, he was trying so hard to be good to her. But even still, he didn’t understand her.
“Ben you’re going to be a great king, you’ve already done so much good. But I can’t be the kind of queen your mother is.” He opened his mouth to disagree but she quickly continued. “Belle is great in her own way, she ruled Auradon for two decades just fine, but I don’t want to rule Auradon .”
Left unsaid was that she did want to rule. Just not their way. And she wasn’t evil enough to take it and change it by force. Not anymore.
They sat in silence for a long time, only interrupted by their sniffles. Minutes. An hour.
“What does this mean for us?”
Mal gathered herself. Took the opportunity he let her have to put up a barrier to hide her emotions and steel her resolution. Slowly she stood and carefully removed his ring from her finger. She could feel his gaze on her as she put it down on the dresser.
“I’ll stay at the school for now while I find a more permanent place. I do love you Ben, and I will always appreciate everything you’ve done for us. But I can’t love you the way you deserve from a lifelong partner.”
She went to the door before pausing and going back to her bedside table, picking up the terrarium with some effort and heading out.
The last thing Ben heard before he was left alone to his grief was a small resigned murm u r .
“Come mother, you don’t belong here either.”
-
She had been staying in her and Evie’s old room out of sentimentality, with Evie’s side of the room now occupied by a smug Uma. So it was no surprise that as she and her mother had a staring contest through the glass of the terrarium, because of course her mother was still a petty woman even as a lizard, Uma came bursting in with a wide smile and slightly crazed eyes.
Uma had become someone that Mal had come to heavily rely on; while Mal was running herself to the ground trying to make sure everyone was cared for, the pirates had taken up the duty of keeping the peace, surprisingly with less violence than she had expected. They still snarled at each frequently, but it was becoming more tolerable to think of each other as something approaching friends. But every night that she came to crash in the room and saw Uma already there, Mal felt a heaviness in her heart as she realized that she saw more of Uma than she did her family these days.
“While you were locked in here staring at your pet mother, a carriage came in with a bunch of mismatched clothing. Most of it was used b ut still leagues better than any of the crap we had on The Isle, even had a bunch of warm covers.”
Mal looked away from the lizard, swearing it gave her a smug gleam, she eyed the other girl who carried a couple of said covers and dumped them onto the other bed. It had been three days since Mal had left Beast Castle , and Ben. There had been no official proclamation made, but the word had already spread on the split between the King and his now ex-fiancée. Some of the people from The Isle had looked at her with distrust at first, thinking that this would mean they would be exiled back behind the barrier; but so far, the only action had been a subtle distancing from the royals as whole.
Carlos and Jay had taken it upon themselves to move back into their old room, which had been occupied by Harry and Gil and there had been a brawl between the four of them that ended in bruises, satisfied smirks, and the four of them rooming together. They had both subtly asked Mal if she wanted Ben to be roughed up and the dark gleam in their eyes had touched Mal, because even if they were growing away from each other, they would always have each other's backs even if the perceived opponent was the king that had been their friend since the day they had arrived in Auradon.
After reassuring them, and Evie who had shown up at the school as soon as she heard, that she had been the one to end things, they hadn’t pried. Jay was even contemplating staying to help her settle the people from The Isle for a bit, which she didn’t give an opinion on as she selfishly wanted to have him close but also wanted him to be happy even if it meant leaving for a while. She knew they were all curious as to why she had ended her relationship with Ben after everything, and she had all intentions of telling them of her desire, but she wanted to hold on to that darkness just a little longer. They would offer her comfort and understanding, they would support her no matter what, and as much as she wanted that, she was also scared of showing them that maybe she hadn’t changed as much as they thought.
Uma gave her a once over, taking note of the files that Mal had spread on her bed, pictures of some of the orphaned children attached.
“What’s that?”
Mal looked down at the picture on top, a young boy with sad dark eyes.
“I’m trying to organize where their families were originally from, most don’t know but some have an idea, and seeing if they would like to go back. I’m going to do the ones staying here next and then the people in the city, hopefully by then I’ll have a solid idea as to how to approach the royals to convince them to let them find homes in their kingdoms.”
Uma made a face at the word hopefully before heading back to the door.
“Sure, whatever. But I don’t think,” and here she ignored Mal’s malicious snort, “that most of them will let themselves be split up. From what I’ve seen when I’ve gone over there, they’ve latched on to each other.”
Mal huffed in agreement as there was a knock on the door before it was pulled open by a harried Evie. Mal hadn’t even known that Evie was at the school or she would have been with her instead of brooding alone. Evie blinked at Uma, a shadow crossing her face before ignoring her altogether and looking at Mal, brown eyes filled with concern.
“Mal, Audrey is here. With her parents and Fairy Godmother.” Mal’s mind went blank, and so did her face because Evie was quick to step forward and anxiously reach for her. “They want to speak with you in Fairy Godmother’s office.”
Mal’s throat felt dry, she couldn’t form words, choosing instead to blindly take Evie’s hand, fingers quickly intertwining, and letting her pull her up and lead her out after a momentary pause. Uma was left alone before she also left with an amused snort. They reached the office quickly, the tense silence forming a barrier between each other as neither knew what to say. Mal’s grip tightening when Evie made to pull away, her expression pleading.
Stay with me.
And , with a nervous swallow, Evie nodded and opened the door.
Mal’s eyes were instantly drawn to the woman that sat at Audrey’s side, the woman who her mother had cursed to eternal sleep. Audrey took more after her father with only subtle hints of Aurora, because the woman was breathtaking even with the marks of age around her eyes. And Mal knew her face well, despite always making an effort to avoid it the few times they had been in the same place. She had looked at it for hours when she had found the careful ly hand drawn picture tucked into the spell book that Maleficent had given her right before leaving for Auradon .
Mal knew that she it wasn’t hate she felt when looking at the woman, Evie leading her to a seat across from the family and next to Fairy Godmother. It was envy. Because those careful creases and blurred spots meant that her mother had felt love once in her life, and it hadn’t been for her daughter.
Audrey cleared her throat awkwardly before looking up at the two new arrivals, her voice the soft careful tone she had been using since after Hades had saved her. “Mal, Evie, these are my parents. King Phillip and Queen Aurora. Mom, dad, this is Mal and Evie, from The Isle of the Lost.”
They were all already sitting down, so they skipped over any formalities that were usually observed when meeting with royalty, much to Mal’s relief, and only stiff head bows were exchanged. After a minute of tension and eyeing each other, Fairy Godmother took control of the conversation by looking right at Mal, her usual cheer replaced with lines of stress.
“Mal, I don’t know how much you knew of Maleficent’s titles,” she ignored Mal’s scoff. “But while her favorite one was Mistress of All Evil, she had another, arguably more important one that she did not follow through with after the birth of Queen Aurora.”
Mal was intrigued, especially when she saw the queen tense at the mention of her name. To her surprise, it was Aurora who continued, blue eyes pointedly meeting green.
“Maleficent was ruler of The Moors, a land mostly inhabited by the fae . And while they do not use titles such as Queen, that is essentially what she was.” Mal’s heart started to race and s he s queezed Evie’s hand. “After her death and later imprisonment, I kept an eye on The Moors, but it had been mostly self-governed even before.”
“Why tell me now?” Mal asked softly, eyes never leaving Aurora. She saw the queen swallow nervously .
“We have been running around in circles at the council meetings, no one can agree on what to do with anyone from The Isle of the Lost. And Audrey has shared with us that you have been working nonstop trying to take on the burden all by yourself while we don’t accomplish anything!”
Aurora had practically shouted the last word and Phillip reached over to place his hand over hers, a soft supportive smile on his face as she took a shaky breath. Mal couldn’t help but feel like she was intruding and instead looked over at Fairy Godmother, who was already looking back at her.
“Mal, she might have never acknowledged the title, but Maleficent was the queen of the fae , and all those that settled in The Moors. And as her daughter, you have the right to claim the title.”
She couldn’t breathe, everything around her was muffled. A home for her people where they could start over, away from the judgement of Auradon and the blight of The Isle. A place where she would be queen in her own way, in a way that mattered. Could it really be so easy? They had to be lying.
“Mal.” She blinked and everything came back into focus, Evie was leaning in close, brown eyes sparkling with hope, her open expression showing encouragement. But Evie was also smart and tended to think of details that sometimes eluded Mal and she was asking if she could ask questions. With a faint nod, Mal leaned against her and pushed down her doubts for the moment. “Fairy Godmother, would the people from The Moors even accept Mal as their ruler? If they have got ten used to self-governing in the past twenty or so years, then they might think they don’t need the daughter of their previous absentee, and imprisoned queen.”
Phillip seemed to only be there in support of his wife, while Audrey had been brought in to make introductions and as a point of familiarity, but it was obvious that this has been something that Aurora and Fairy Godmother had thought about intensively before coming to Mal.
“As it is, The Moors is one of the few places that is heavily saturated with magic naturally, the others being Neverland and Wonderland. And as you know, magic, especially fae magic, has a will of its own. Maleficent was the leader of The Moors not because she inherited it, but because she was the most powerful being in that land.” Fairy Godmother paused as she flushed in slight embarrassment as she admitted that the Maleficent had been more powerful than her. “The chaotic magic latched onto her and she claimed it for herself. After her demise, none of the fae bothered to take control, more than happy to just be.”
“But while keeping an eye out, I noticed that even though the fae don’t seem to care much as they live mostly out in the wilds; the few towns that the others had built were starting to suffer due to the lack of structure. They’ve done their best, communicating with one another and asking the fae to help, but I fear it is only a matter of time before the non- fae begin to feel like they must leave for other places to survive.” Aurora had clutched back to her determination, her gaze intense. “Fairy Godmother and I believe that with the strength of your heritage, you would be able to take leadership. And with the right help, you would be able to bring prosperity to The Moors.”
Mal knew she could as well. The fae blood that she had inherited from her mother was powerful, enough so that she could take the form of a fearsome dragon. And coupled with the ever-burning divine magic she had from her father, from being a demi-god, she was more powerful than even she thought she was; she only had to finally embrace both sides of herself, like she had come to terms with being both wicked and good. But there was still doubt in her heart. Her mother had been less than an ideal ruler, King Adam had been a negligent one, and Ben was still trying to figure things out himself. With no good influences, and the only real experience being terrorizing the streets of The Isle with force, could she really trust herself to run a whole kingdom?
So she did what she always did when she was hesitant to proceed, she look to her family to provide some insight.
“This is everything you could have ever wanted, are you going to accept?” Evie whispered to her, her open expression full of belief in Mal , a hopeful smile slowly forming.
Just looking at Evie, who had always supported her even when she had been a malicious brat that took pleasure in bringing chaos, made h appiness bubble in her chest. Her own shy smile emerging . Evie didn’t doubt, and Mal knew better than to doubt Evie.
“One question before I can agree.” She looked at Aurora and her family, then to Fairy Godmother . “Does it come with a castle grand enough for a princess who deserves everything? Because my mother’s gloomy fortress is on The Isle, and I have no idea how that happened. ”