Truth Or Fiction

Chapter Twenty One

Hades shook his head as he grabbed his scroll. He didn't know why he had to be here and partake in this mad exercise but it let him spend more time with Mal so it couldn't be all bad!

The months continued to fly by and before Mal knew it, it was September.

"The best month of the year!" Hadie said with a grin.

"Even though that means school starts," Alexandria said, sighing slightly. "I'll be so happy once I can start Auradon Prep with Kitty and Lucy. I'm stuck in Auradon Royal Middle."

"You've got different schools?" Jay asked.

"Yeah," Emir nodded. "There's Auradon Nursery, Auradon Royal Prep, Auradon Royal Middle and of course Auradon Prep."

"We have two. Serpent Academy and Dragon Hall," Mal said.

She couldn't believe how much things had changed throughout the year. She still stayed at Maleficent's once a week if only to keep up appearances.

"I never picked the same day," Mal said, absently picking at her nails. "Maleficent never noticed if I stayed or went somewhere. Besides, the lack of a pattern prevented someone from springing a trap."

"...I think Athena would really like her," Demeter muttered to Poseidon, who nodded. Hey, he might not get along with Athena all that much but even he could see that. Also not for the first time, he had to wonder why Triton's wife had to have the same first name as his niece.

Considering it was the goblins who usually checked on her, though, a pillow stuffed under her threadbare blanket tended to fool them and she could sneak out without getting caught.

"I'd say they're dumber than dirt but I think that's insulting to dirt," Phillip Jr. said.

"Doesn't change the fact it's true though," Phillip Sr. stated.

"...didn't they capture you?" Aladdin asked.

"Moving on!"

Staying at her dad's, though, was so much better. Pain and Panic didn't pinch and scratch her to wake her up in the morning but came with a respectful 'my lady' that never failed to elicit a growl from Mal.

"Easy dragon girl," Uma chuckled.

Though whether that was because Mal wasn't a morning person or because of the title, they would never know.

"And they never will," Mal said with a smirk.

"It's both," Jay mouthed to the group.

Today, though, was a different day. Today was her official first day of school—since she was six, she was old enough to go now.

Belle couldn't help the sad smile that pulled at her lips as she thought about Ben's first day of school. He had grown up too fast for her liking, there were times she wished he could go back to being the little boy who carried his plush dragon everywhere. Before he insisted he was a 'big boy' who didn't need it.

"Ben honey? Where's Flamey?" Belle asked one night when Ben was seven. The blue and gold dragon was always present at bedtime.

"I don't need him maman," Ben said as he scooted down into the bed.

Belle sat down on the edge of the bed and looked over at him. "Oh really? But you love Flamey."

"...big boys don't have stuffed dragons," Ben said and Belle's heart broke as she heard how small his voice was. Beast was on a conference call that ran late otherwise he would have been in there too.