Old Habits

Meetings

Since I accepted the engagement, Ben has been with me every moment he can get free. I'll be working at school and Ben will suddenly come in. Evie's started to make my dress as well as the bridesmaid dresses.

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When I get back to the castle after teaching, I see Ben pacing the entrance hall. "Ben?" I ask. He jumps, startled. "What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks.

"Tell you what?"
"That you're an ambassador for the Isle," he continues. "It wouldn't have been a problem, Mal."

"I didn't want to be treated differently," I reply. "Now, what's wrong?"

Ben sighs and takes my hand. "My father suggested we take a trip to the Isle. Get a feel for their current state and make sure everything's running smoothly. They brought up the fact that you were and ambassador and never told me? You know you can trust me, right?" he asks.

I nod and pull him into a hug. "I know I can trust you. It's the others. What people might think. They might believe that I'm only with you because of my position. And it's only temporary, anyway. When we met, I wasn't ambassador and in a few years, I won't be the ambassador anymore. And it's not just me."

"The other descendants are ambassadors too?" he asks.

I shake my head. "Just me and Jay. We were the troublesome twosome before we met Evie and Carlos. In fact, I didn't meet Evie until we were sixteen and Carlos was scared of me until Evie came around."

"How did you not meet?" Ben asks. "As far as we know there's only one school."

"My mother banished her and her mother from the populous because guess what?" I say. "I was the only one not invited to her birthday party." Ben grimaces. "Yeah, you think people would learn from other's mistakes right? No."

"And Carlos?" Ben continues.

I smirk, remember the party. "He was kind of the quiet nerdy kid. He's pretty good with technology, even made a machine that broke through the barrier, but just for a moment. The first time I ever really talked to him was when we were commandeering his house for a party."

Ben nods and pulls me towards him. "Come on. They're waiting upstairs."

"Who?" I ask.

"The council." Ben pulls me as we run upstairs and to where the council is waiting.

When we enter, everyone stares at me like I'm some strange alien. "What is the meaning of this, your highness?" Grumpy sneers. "You let a villain's kid join our meeting."

"Your highness?" I ask.

Ben sighs and nod. "Later," he promises. "Council, I'd like to introduce you to one of the ambassadors from the Isle. My future wife and your future queen. Everyone, this is Mal."

"Maleficent's daughter?" Doc asks. "Ben, are you sure that this is the- wisest course of action."

Ben nods. "She has proven herself many times. She's turned her life around. If you have any problem with the villain's children being here, then we can address it later. I've heard there are more pressing matters."

"The people of the Isle are growing restless. You must send in forces to keep control and order," Genie says. "Now, I'm not one for violence, but they're chaos impersonated."