Descendants: To Kill A Dragon

Chapter Twenty-Three

A/N: As hinted in the last chapter, this part was insanely, stupidly fun to write. Please bear with Mal's stream of consciousness rambling until we arrive at Auradon. For anyone who cares, I picture the Prince of Denmark's March as the music Mal and her army enters to. 

Morrigan was an Irish goddess strongly associated with fairies and magic, and many think she was used as the basis for Morgan LeFay in Arthurian lore. Because of her affinity for ravens and witchcraft, I've woven her into the narrative as the first ancestor of Maleficent.

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"I've a gift for you." Ben spoke gently, as they crossed the golden bridge into the promised land, and Mal was reminded of a statement from Carlos, just a few days ago.

"Apparently, the Norse gods have to travel over a rainbow bridge to get to Asgard," Carlos had explained, and Evie bit her lip, while Jay burst into laughter, and noted: "That's the gayest thing I've ever heard, man."

"What is it?" Mal asked politely, schooling her face to show a little shyness, and the passion that Ben was expecting from her. He pulled a crown from a hidden compartment in the back of the car, and showed it to Mal, so she could get a closer look.

"A queen needs a crown. They'll take you seriously in the court if you have the right symbols of power." Ben explained, and Mal could have laughed out loud at that, even as she admired the dwarven craftsmanship of the diadem she held in her lap with trembling fingers. There was no such thing as symbols of power, except for power itself. How the hell did a crown make her more powerful, or deserving of respect and admiration? The people of Auradon were pathetic, she was certain.

The crown was rose gold, with purple garnets and amythests tastefully woven into the design, which looked somewhat like a cross between curling vines, and the horns of her mother's people. It looked just like her Isle crown - the one Evie had designed, and Carlos and Jay had forged with the dark iron they'd been able to get their hands on - but infinitely more expensive and precious, because of how it was made. It was her horns, the truest sign of her birthright outside of wings, and Ben had given them to her, when she was certain he only saw her as a bad girl who needed to be shown the light.

He'd given her a crown that she loved, and which suited her perfectly.

"Thank you." Mal whispered, and Ben placed the crown on her head with a smile. She thought Jay might have scoffed from the seat beside her, and it reminded her that Ben was still the enemy. No matter how kind and thoughtful he might be.

"We're getting close, Mal." Jane added quietly, and the purple-haired faerie nodded, getting used to the weight of the crown on her head. She pulled out her mother's spellbook, and turned to one of the bookmarked pages, before casting a glamour spell. Her hair curled a bit in a typical Auradon style and faded into a chestnut brown. Her eyes dimmed from their electric green into a dull blue. She affixed a second notice-me-not glamour to herself, so that people who looked at her would see beauty, but would ultimately see her as average. Indistinguishable from any other Auradon princess, and for now, that was what she wanted. She cast a similar spell on Jane and Jay, which kept anyone who didn't really know them from looking too hard. Theoretically, Fairy Godmother might recognize Jane, but Mal didn't think she'd cause a ruckus if she did.

"Are we all ready?" Mal asked, checking her reflection in the car window as she resisted the urge to gag. So preppy. Ugh.

"Hang on." Jay replied, and pulled out his walkie-talkie, which was tuned to the frequency Carlos had selected for their lieutenants. "Calling all units. Come in all units?"