Descendants: Rise of the Greeks

The Council

Mal awoke to golden sunlight streaming in through the window. She rolled over, finding only cold sheets next to her. Not surprised, she rose up and searched the room with dreary eyes. After the blurriness cleared, she was able to make out Ben sitting at his writing desk, hurriedly scribbling out signatures on parchment. It looked as though he had finished about fifty, but still had several hundred to go.

Silently, Mal slid out of bed, and walked over towards been. Despite the scorching summer they had had, Mal crossed her arms over her nightgown as she felt a cool draft moving through the room. As she reached the back of his chair, Mal unfolded her arms and slid them around Ben's neck.

"Hey, you're finally up." he said, as he looked back at her and smiled. She loved that he always had time for a warm smile, even when he was swamped with things to be done as he always was. Running a kingdom was a very busy life.

"Yeah, I was knocked out after last night. That was the longest ball of my life." She responded to him, smiling back.

He looked away, and resumed signing papers. "Yes, well, it wasn't without its amusements. Do you remember Dopey and Snow's dance? I don't believe its ever been so hard to not laugh."

"Yes, he stood on Grumpy shoulders, and Grumpy was not happy about it."

"Well of course he was happy about it," Ben responded, "Happy was serving champagne at the time." Mal smiled at Ben's joke, and kissed the top of his head. She fingered the wedding band on her finger.

"It is so unfortunate that Evie and Doug weren't able to make it. Carlos, Jay, and I had so been looking forward to seeing her." Mal said, the sadness creeping into her voice.

"Ever since I granted Evie's wish and gave her the lands that once belonged to her mother, her and Doug have been very busy with restoring it to its former glory." Ben replied, still frantically signing papers.

"Snow White was not happy that you gave Evie those lands."

"Snow White lived with the prince and hadn't even visited the castle for years. I knew that Evie and Doug would restore the kingdom and castle, and I knew I could trust them to run it for me. Plus you weren't there; you should've seen the look on Evie's face when I told her she could have the land and castle."

"You're right, I wasn't there. But she's been sending me letters every week for the past six months, ever since she got there." Mal paused as she thought about her friend, "She's happy, but she misses."

"We miss her too, but we all have our duties and we've all grown up. We don't keep our friends forever, so we cherish them while we can." Ben put his quill down and stood up.

"When did you get so wise?" Mal asked.

"It all started four years ago, when I decided to bring four delinquents from the Isle to Auradon. It ushered in a new era, and I have grown much since then. So have you."' Mal nodded, remembering what she, Evie, Carlos, and Jay had been like before Auradon. Ben picked up all of the papers he had signed, and grabbed Mal by the waist. "I am going to go give these papers to the High Advisor and discuss some matters of business with them." He looked down at the time piece on his wrist and said, "In approximately three hours, we have a meeting with the Royal Council. Your ladies in waiting already have a bath drawn, and your gown picked out. Breakfast is in the outer chamber." He lifted Mal's chin, and planted a kiss on her lips. He smiled, and said, "I'll see you then, my dear."

Ben grabbed his crown, placed it on his head, and hurried out the door. Mal walked dreamily in his footsteps, not really paying much attention. She was too busy thinking about how happy she was. By the time she got to the doorway, Ben was long gone. As she entered the outer chamber, Mal was greeted by a magnificent feast. Servants were bustling around, bringing food for her enjoyment. She took a seat at the end of the table, in a highly ornate wooden chair. In front were platters of sausage links and ham. A plethora of biscuits and toast were there for sustenance, as wells as jars of jelly and gravy boats. A multitude of fruits and vegetables were all around the table, and, in the center, a cornucopia filled with strawberries. Gazing upon all this, Mal couldn't help but say to herself, "It really is good to be queen."