Descendants 1: A New Story

Part 9: Coronation

Only a couple of hours remained before the coronation. Henry walked nervously up to Mal's door, hoping he wasn't too late. He reached up to knock but stopped, noticing his tie was crooked. He fumbled with it, getting more frustrated by the second.

"Stupid clip-on," he muttered, pulling it off and reattaching it straight. He took a deep, steadying breath and knocked.

"Who is it?" Mal's voice called from inside.

"It's Henry," he said, leaning his forehead against the door. "Can I come in? It's important." There was a pause, and then the door clicked open. Henry walked in to see Mal standing in front of her mirror, adjusting the beautiful purple dress she would wear to the ceremony. He took a moment to compose himself. "Wow," he said, his voice quiet. "You... you actually clean up pretty nice."

Mal met his eyes in the mirror, a look of genuine surprise on her face. "Thanks... I think," she replied, turning back to observe her reflection.

"Look," Henry started, walking further into the room. "About yesterday... I'm sorry. For what I said. I was out of line."

Mal turned to face him, her expression hardening slightly. "We have a promise to keep, Henry."

"A promise to who, Mal?" he asked, his voice full of a sadness she hadn't heard before. "To the woman who called me a failure every day of my life? I'm done trying to earn her approval. I can't do it anymore." He looked around the cheerful room. "Here... people actually see something in me. Ben, Evie... even that kid I was helping with his homework. For the first time, I don't feel like I'm just Maleficent's disappointing son. I feel like... just Henry. And I like that feeling. I don't want to give it up."

Mal listened to every word, and though she'd never admit it, a part of her understood. She saw the real hope in his eyes, but she couldn't let it sway her. She had to finish this. "I'm glad you're happy here, Henry," she said, her voice soft but firm. "I really am. But I can't. I have to do this."

Henry's shoulders slumped in defeat. He knew he had lost. He nodded and walked to the door, opening it before stopping to look back at her one last time. "You know, the love spell is fake," he said. "But the guy you were with at the lake? He's real. And I think he's starting to see the real you." He gave her a small, sad smile. "And for what it's worth... even when you're being a royal pain... I love you, Mal."

He slipped out and closed the door behind him, leaving her alone in the silent room. Mal stared at the closed door, the beautiful dress suddenly feeling heavy on her shoulders.
"I love you too," she whispered to the empty room.

———

Ben's coronation was the grandest event Auradon had seen in years. A cloudless blue sky smiled down on a line of limousines making their way to the cathedral entrance. The steps were lined with a royal-blue carpet, and blue-and-gold flags snapped in the breeze.

"At last!" Snow White said into her microphone, reporting live from a platform near the entrance. "Here we are, broadcasting from the coronation where Prince Benjamin will soon be crowned king! I'm Snow White, bringing you up-to-the-second coverage of who's the fairest of them all!"

Meanwhile, on the Isle of the Lost, Maleficent and the other villains were huddled around a crackling television. "'I'm Snow White,'" the Evil Queen sneered at the screen. "Who is she kidding? She's definitely had work done."

The camera showed the inside of the massive cathedral, filled with guests. It passed over Fairy Godmother, who uncovered a tall bell jar to reveal her magic wand, sparkling under the lights. "And there's the wand!" Snow White announced.

"I want that wand!" Maleficent growled at the TV.

"Do you? Hadn't heard," Cruella said sarcastically.