"...Mother?" (A Descendants × Hadeficent story)

Ch. 2 - Leader(s) of the Isle

"The Isle...it needs a leader. And I am willing to be one for all of you."

With whatever sounds the run-down broadcast systems could make, it was spreading this message of campaign. Which, if Maleficent could say so herself, was awfully annoying. "Do we?" She muttered, stuffing her ears unsuccessfully with her long nails that hardly helped at all, and Hades merely spread open a tattered newspaper, the only kind that Auradon would give them, "We don't. Firstly, she's doing this to claim power. Secondly, she is challenging someone...Mal?"

"Me. I know it's me." Maleficent groaned, rolling over on the partially moth-eaten sofa, "Because who doesn't know of me? Everyone is scared of me for god-knows-what reason." "Yes, exactly. God-knows-what reasons." Hades attempted a joke, but before Maleficent could lecture him, there was an uproar outside the window, and Maleficent pulled her purple curtains open at once, "What?"

"Jewels! Free jewels!" The crowd roared, scrambling after them, but even as Hades squinted, Maleficent threw the curtain back down, blocking everything outside the window from view, "Bluffs. Those are but plastic. How cheap." "Nothing like those jewels of the Moors...the jewel pool was a fascinating sight." Maleficent added with a sad sigh, "Pity." "Why don't you go? Surely you aren't just going to sit around and wait for her to wear the crown." Hades tugged her onto his lap, the newspaper abandoned over the armrest of the sofa as she landed on his lap, and Hades leaned in slowly, his breath warm on her cheeks as she leaned into him as well, "Hmm, Mal?"

And all she did was remain her silence, before she answered him quietly:

"Of course I'm not."

...

"Back off, Maleficent. This is my territory."

Grimhilde had taken to proclaiming herself as Queen, but not all agreed, and yet not all of those dared voice it out. And, much to Maleficent's disgust, the former Queen's approach to the election was to first begin claiming territory. And coincidentally, just as Maleficent stepped out of the dusty Bargain Castle, Grimhilde had decided to step up first, and begin the claiming of territorial spaces.

Perhaps she had thought that if she made an example of Maleficent, no one would dare oppose, but that was if she could handle Maleficent in the first place.

Pity, however.

She overestimated her abilities.

"This has been mine from the start. What rights do you have to it?" Maleficent asked rather nonchalantly, her hair bound up into her crown, which wrapped it against her horns (her atora), "Do say." "Ah, no. It has the best view of the town, and its balcony...the best for commandeering the Isle." Grimhilde smiled, not quite in a friendly manner, "Since I am, you know, the only candidate running for the head of the Isle, I believe that this castle...belongs to me." "Like hell it does." Maleficent snorted, "The Isle runs on a first come first serve basis, Grimhilde. Too bad you weren't evil enough to be placed here first, huh?"

"You-!" Grimhilde was at a loss of words, barely managing to save back some of her face by exclaiming, "How dare you speak to your future leader like that!" "You are no leader to me." Maleficent merely stated, as her sharp eyes bore into Grimhilde's eyes, "You are no leader to me, as King Henry was no King to me. I will be ruled by no other than myself, Grimhilde."

Raising her head, Maleficent realised that all around them, activities had stopped, and each and every citizen of the Isle watched the duo in fear and worry. "If it has come to this stage, then I must say, Grimhilde..." Maleficent pulled her blood red lips into a smirk.

"Dare you fight with me for the position?"

...