Junior Descendants

26

Chapter 26

"Set, hut!" called the lead guard to the other soldiers.

They marched in unison towards the sea. Mal watched them as they did so. She was on the Grand Terrace, leaning on the railing and watching the guards. She sighed; Audrey was crazy. Maleficent would send those guards flying across Auradon. The great Mistress of Evil was too powerful to beat. Like Chad had said earlier, it was hopeless.

Mal sighed again but then was scared of someone calling her name. She turned around, frightened that it was her mother, but it was just the Queen's best friend. "E, you scared me," she said.

"Sorry," Evie apologized.

"What's up?"

"Audrey wants everyone downstairs."

Mal crossed her arms. "Since when did Audrey control us?"

"I don't know," Evie replied with a shrug. "She just wants everyone downstairs. Please don't argue."

"Okay, okay. I'm going." The Queen glanced at the guards. "E?"

"Yes?" her blue-haired friend answered. 

"I'm... I'm scared."

"You? Scared?" Evie asked with a shocked tone. "But you're Mal, daughter of Maleficent! You're the bravest person I know."

"No." The Queen shook her head. "I'm not. I'm not brave. I'm scared, E."

Evie pulled Mal into a hug. As she brushed her hair, Evie told the Queen, "I'm scared too, M. I've always been scared. The villains might beat us. And if they do..." Evie closed her eyes.

Mal took her friend's hands. "Even if the villains win, we'll always be best friends, villains or no villains."

Evie nodded. "Okay. Now, let's get downstairs before Audrey has our heads."

The two shared a chuckle and then headed down the stairs. As they did so, the two women talked about their past lives and everything that had happened to them. "Remember when Uma grew tentacles?" Mal asked.

The blue-haired girl nodded. "Yeah. But then you turned into a dragon! BTW, you look fabulous with wings."

"Thank you," the Queen replied, placing a hand on her heart.

The two turned into the living room where all of their friends were. The smile on Mal's face dropped the second she saw that the boys were dressed like soldiers. She slowly walked to them, her eyes focused on Ben. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Ben turned to his wife and smiled. "Mal, hey--"

"What are you doing?" she repeated, her tone stronger this time.

The King glanced at Jay and Carlos, who shrugged; They'd never seen Mal act like this.

"M," Evie began, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

Mal stopped walking for a second, looked at Evie's hand, and then kept moving. Evil Queen's daughter's hand fell, causing her to step forward. She stopped as Lonnie took her hand. Mal stopped in front of Ben and then looked up at him. He took her hands and smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

"Ben, what are you doing?" the Queen asked.

Belle's son looked at the other men. "We... We were going out to help the guards block the gate to Auradon. Don't worry, we've been taking fencing lessons for years. It'll be just like when we fought Uma and her pirate crew."

"Except this time it's the evilest people in the world. Ben, what were you thinking?"

Ben sighed. "As King, it is my duty to keep our people safe--"