Cold Hearted

Making An Alliance (Part One)

Third Person

Mal slowly paced back and forth in Ben's office, for the two had been nearly completely silent with each other since the initial blowup about the Isle back at the cottage. Mal wasn't even fuming anymore, she was just pissed off and disappointed with Ben when it came to his actions and his lack of actions at that. Not coming to her aid when all the blame was being thrown on her was very bittersweet for her for sure.

So she simply waited and waited for Ben to speak first, hoping she wasn't going to have to force a response out of him in the end. He sat at his desk, nervously drumming his pen against his notebook full of ideas and plans he tried so desperately to cook up, but the young King was genuinely fried. He just wanted some load off, but he didn't want the others at his level to think he was weak and couldn't handle such responsibility either, so he bottled in how stressed he was, the decision to close the barrier for good simply seemed like an easy route, and Ben just wanted something to be easy for once.

But this was the one thing he truly couldn't cut corners on, and Mal knew that.

Too many lives were at risk, too many futures were at stake. So as Ben internally spiraled into a pit of anxiety and confusion, Mal looked over to him and slowly stopped pacing. Coming to a halt she sighed as she looked over at her fiancé, the one she knew in her heart she knew so well. They'd hit a rough patch, things were stressful, but this was one out of many challenges they would have to face together once they truly step into their lives as King and Queen, even husband and wife, and if Mal had to, she would suck it up and instigate the important conversation,

"Benny, we need to talk"

Mal gently spoke, making Ben peer up at Mal from the depths of his spiral. His eyes were sunken and tired, feeling rather guilty about his decision despite making it thinking it was the easy way out,

"I know... I know we do"

He simply spoke with a sigh, so Mal sucked it up and walked over to Ben's desk, sitting on the other side of it as she simply looked down at him with a slightly annoyed gaze. She was annoyed, but she was also just desperate for Ben to actually open up to her about what was going on as he was never the best at doing that,

"Why did you basically throw me under the bus back at the cottage? Ben, you're going to be my husband, you have to have my back! I felt like I was thrown to the wolves without even being at fault and you were just standing there watching me get mauled alive! You know I'll stand by you, but I need you to stand by me because right now I'm really not feeling that!"

Mal passionately spoke, waving her hands about as she let it all out. Ben took a strained deep breath before blowing up a bit at the sudden increase of pressure Mal put on him,

"I didn't know what to do or say okay?! I don't know about any of this! I'm sorry the decision I made upset you but-"

"Upset me? Benjamin Florian, you know damn well that's not the issue here!"

Mal promptly cut him off with a yell of frustration, her eyebrows heavily furrowed as she spoke with a growl Ben had never even heard. He sucked back and leaned back in his chair a bit, feeling rather intimidated by his powerful fiancée. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes now, centering her internal frustration before beginning to speak. She had so much to say and Ben didn't seem to get it, so she decided she would say it loud and clear in hope of getting him to listen and understand,

"Ben... this isn't about upsetting me, this isn't about upsetting anyone. This is about thousands of people's lives, if you close down that barrier for good, the carriers that deliver any sort of resources or supplies will be completely cut off. That island... will turn into an Isle of death. From starvation, thirst, eating rotten food, killing each other, sickness, you name it it's gonna happen, and people are going to die in large quantities. Those people are at our mercy Ben... they need us and our help to survive, why couldn't you have said literally anything else besides closing the barrier for good? If we do that we'll be agreeing to the mass murder of thousands of innocent people, there are so many better things to do Ben! Besides... I know you care, the VK program was all your idea, what's happened to all that passion?"