Old Habits

Absolved

          ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❶Mal❶~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I wake up in my room and feel really strange. When I try to sit up, my head throbs and something tightens around me. I look to my side and see Ben lying beside me. "Ben?" I ask. When I try to reach over, I realize there's something in my arm. "What?"

I manage to get my other arm free enough to find Ben's hand. I squeeze his hand a little and he stirs a bit, opening his eyes. When he looks at me, he smiles and sits up. "Hey, Mal. How do you feel?"

"Crappy," I reply. "What are you doing back so soon?"

Ben's eyebrow's furrow. "What do you mean?"

"That feast thingy that Queen Aurora's holding," I reply. "Aren't you supposed to be there for a week?"

"Mal, that was a week ago," Ben says. "I got back from it yesterday."

Now it's my turn to be confused. "That's not possible. I just talked to you on the phone a couple hours ago."

"Mal, is that the last thing you remember?" Ben asks. I nod. Ben sighs but before he speaks, there's a knock at the door. I start to get up but he grabs my shoulders. "No, you just stay here. I'll get it." He walks over, taking something he's handed and nods. When he sits down beside me again, he's holding a tray of food.

"What's this?" I ask. I start to sit up and Ben's right there, put pillows behind me. "What's going on? You're not normally this nit-picky. And What are you hiding?"

"Mal, something happened when I was away. Apparently, you broke through the guards and let the two kids that broke in here out," Ben explains.

I shake my head before groaning, feeling a stinging pain in my head. "Ow." I reach back and find a large bump. "I don't remember any of that. Why would I do that?"

"You didn't, in a way. For the past week, your eyes have been glowing silver and gold. We think someone has been controlling you. Whatever's been happening, when I got back, you had been standing in here stare at nothing. You hadn't slept or eaten in days. Something changed yesterday. Your knees buckled and you were unconscious."

"Is that why I feel so crappy?" I ask.

He nods. "And why you have an IV in your arm. You're dehydrated. You need to rest and recover."

"Did you say silver and gold?" I ask.

Ben's eyebrows furrow. "Yeah, why? Do you know who did this?" he asks.

I sigh and sink back down. "It wasn't their fault," I start. "They probably didn't even realize what was happening or that they were doing anything."

"They?" he asks. "Who did this to you?"

I sit up and push my feet over the side of the bed. "I have to go." I slide off the bed, only to have my knees fall out from under me. "Ahh!"

"Mal!" Ben cries. He picks me up, setting me back on the bed. "You aren't supposed to be on your feet. You need to rest!"

"I need to get up," I insist. "Please, you don't understand!"

"Then make me understand," Ben says, holding me to the bed. "Please, I just want to make sure you're safe."

I sigh and reach over for my phone. "If I bring them here, you have to promise nothing is going to happen to them. Nothing!"

"If they did something to you-"

"Then they shouldn't be punished because they didn't know they were doing anything," I insist. "Please, just trust me. I need to know you're not going to punish them for what happened."

Ben sighs and looks away, considering. "Fine. Only because you seem to trust them so much and I trust you."

I smile and nods. "Thanks." I pull his collar down and give him a short kiss.

I dial Jay on my phone and hold it to my ear. "Hello?" He asks.

"Hey," I sing-song, sickeningly sweet.

"Mal," he chuckles. "Hey. Feeling better?"

I shake my head, laughing internally. "Stop trying to hide it. I know they're there."

Jay sighs. "They are. They really want to see you Mal and to meet Ben. That's why they broke into the palace."

"Yeah well now, since you didn't tell me as soon as you realized they were here, you will bring them to the castle. Now!"

Jay sighs. "Got it. But Mal, are you sure you want them there? They seem pretty terrified the other day when they were running from the castle."

"They aren't in trouble," I assure. "I've already made sure Ben isn't going to punish them." I take a dramatic pause, looking at Ben. "Now you're going to bring them here, you're going to bring them here now and you will not delay it any further. Meet us in the throne room in fifteen minutes. Got it?"

"You got it. Don't kill me. See you then!" I smile as he hangs up quickly.

Ben stares at me as I set my phone aside. "You seem a little frustrated," he mumbles, rubbing my shoulders a little.

"Just a little. Jay should have known to tell me about this as soon as he realized what was going on."

"And what would that be?" Ben asks.

"I'll tell you and your parents at the same time. Now, help me up. We're meeting them in the throne room." Ben chuckles as I wave my arms at him and he picks me up bridal style, taking me to the throne room.

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