A Flickering Flame (A Descendants Story)

Chapter 22

I got worried as I saw us coming up to the castle.

After a long drive I did not want to go to talk to anyone, especially Ben's parents.

I looked next to me to see Ben still asleep, after 10 hours of driving.

"Ben" I whispered, shaking him slightly.

His eyes opened slightly, smiling as he saw me.

"Can I have five more minutes?" he asked as the limo stopped.

"No, because we're here" I said as he sat up.

He looked out the window and then back at me.

He eyed the staff in my hand.

"You have to be careful" he warned "The guards might attack"

"Well, I'll be going back to-"

"You're not going anywhere Mal" Ben said, holding my hand which doesn't have the staff in it "We do this together nod okay?"

"I'm not sure this is a good idea Ben" I said as he opened the door.

He pulled me out the car gently, the guards noticing who I was straight away.

"King Ben, move out the way so we can get this-"

"Mal is here with me on GOOD TERMS" Ben said, narrowing his eyes.

"But Belle said-"

"Do not believe what the former royal said, she has turned abasing the the queen to be when she did nothing wrong" Ben said "Now, let me and my fiancée through to see Fairy Godmother"

The guards bowed, but I knew they were suspicious.

I noticed one run off but I didn't take a note of it as Ben and I walked into the castle. 

We walked silently through the castle, my boots echoing in the empty halls.

"We're almost at our office, we can start there with a-"

"Ben, get away from her!"

Suddenly guards with Belle and Adam leading them came towards us.

Ben held my hand harder.

"I am safe mother" Ben reported "Ease your guard"

"Do not listen to him! He is spelled by her!" Belle demanded, making me narrow my eyes.

"I would never do that to Ben" I said.

"I mean, you did that in the past" Ben teased, making me nudge him.

"Not helping me at the moment" I hissed.

The guards pulled Ben away from me, almost making him trip.

"Don't!" I exclaimed "He's weak! He's need to be in bed with food!"

"Why would we listen to you?" Adam asked "Not with that staff in your hand we would"

I looked at the staff, which was dull at the moment.

"I-I'm not sure that's a good idea" I stuttered "If I don't have this, it could be a worse situation then now"

"Would you want people to trust you?" Belle asked too sweetly.

"Mal, don't do it, you know what would happen" Ben warned as I looked to the ground.

"What I am doing is what is best for Auradon, I am no threat to anyone as long as this staff stays by my side" I said sternly, looking back at them "As soon as this staff goes from my hand it's bye-bye Auradon and hello to a world you created because you gave permission to curse Hades and myself"

They stayed silent, there eyes fixated on me.

"Mal and I have duties to do so if you excuse us" Ben said, pulling his way out of the guards grip "And I hope you understand as guards you serve me, not the former royals. They have been blinded by rage of the changing world. If you are to go by their word, make sure it is from me otherwise there will be consequences"

The guards bowed.

"We are sorry my king, we will follow your word" one of the guards said, making the former royals mad.

"Come on Mal, let's go" Ben said, pulling me to our office door.

We quickly turned and locked the door behind us, sighing.

"Ben?!? MAL?!?!"

We both turned to see Evie sitting at Ben's desk with papers upon papers on it, wide eyed at us. 

"Hi Evie" Ben said as Evie stood up.

Evie went towards me, who narrowed my eyes as she flinched.

"Evie, she's in control, she always has been, you know that" Ben said.

"That staff..." Evie started.

"I know its hard to look at, trust me, I know" I said "I have become the thing I didn't want to become and my younger self dreamed of"

"Mal..." I heard Ben say as I lowered my head.

"But I'm in control for now" I said, looking back at Evie "And we know a cure to get this mess sorted for my father and myself"

"Really?" Evie asked, excited "What is it?"

"Fairy Godmother" I said, meeting her shocked eyes "With a spell book in her possession"

"B-But how?" Evie asked "She should have known this whole time...right?"

I hesitated.

"We hope not" Ben said "Or she would suffer the consequences"

Ben suddenly fell onto me, luckily catching him.

"Now you need to sleep and eat food before we do anything else okay?" I asked, summoning a bed with a table full of food.

Ben widen his eyes.

"T-That's a lot of food" Ben exclaimed.

"That is the food you should have had in the last two weeks" I said "And as soon as you sit on that bed you'll be cursed to sleep"

Evie paled.

"L-Like your mother's curse?" she asked, making me nod.

"Except his true love is here to break him out the spell" I said, turning to him, smirking "So I can determine how long you can stay in a deep sleep"

"I mean, I get to kiss you again so I don't mind" Ben said, making me roll my eyes.

"Just eat and sleep" I said "I'll wake you up tomorrow"