A Princess and A Zombie (A Z-O-M-B-I-E-S and Descendants AU)

Ch. 30

She had been awoken early the next day.

Mal and Evie had bombarded her, trying to catch up for lost time.

They had filled her on everything that had happened in the tome she was gone, and she filled them in on what was going on in her life in Seabrook.

It was long before Carlos and Jay joined them, much to Aurelia's dismay.

She loved Carlos, he was her best friend.

Jay however, he could jump off a cliff and she wouldn't bat an eye.

Evie and Mal, mostly Evie continued interrogating her about her life in Seabrook.

Then she slipped up…

Aurelia could feel the weight of her friend's eyes on her as she strolled through the lush garden, her attempt to remain indifferent slowly crumbling under their relentless teasing. The sun shone brightly above, casting a warm, golden glow on the vibrant flowers that surrounded them. However, Aurelia's mind was elsewhere, tangled in a web of emotions she wasn't ready to admit- at least not to them.

"Come on, Lia," Evie pleaded, her voice teasing. She had always been perceptive, able to read Aurelia like an open book. But this time, Aurelia was determined to keep her feelings locked away, hidden behind a facade of indifference.

"There's nothing to talk about," she replied, rolling her eyes in an attempt to seem nonchalant. But her friends were not so easily fooled, their gazes sharp and knowing.

"If there's nothing to talk about, why are you so red?" Mal teased, bumping Aurelia's shoulder playfully.

Aurelia couldn't help but blush even more, her heart racing at the mention of him. "That hug you two had in Zombie Town sure looked like something…" Jay muttered, arms crossed over his chest and scowl on his face.

Aurelia rolled her eyes, trying to brush off his comment. "He's just a friend," she insisted, though her voice lacked conviction.

"Jay was just a friend once too," Carlos pointed out, his words earning him a glare from both Jay and Aurelia.

"Ugh, what's the matter with me? You'd think a girl would learn."

Aurelia stopped in her tracks, her eyes staring ahead at a statue of two figures standing together in an embrace.

Auradon's King and Queen, her brother, Ben, and Mal. She glanced at her sister-in-law briefly, before turning away.

"If there's a prize for rotten judgment, I guess I've already won that," she declared, her gaze briefly meeting Jay's before she turned away.

"No man is worth the aggravation," she continued, her voice firmer now. She plucked a white rose from one of the beds, admiring it for a moment before tossing it over her shoulder. "That's ancient history; Been there, done that."

Evie, Mal, and Carlos exchanged knowing glances, grins spreading across their faces. They knew Aurelia too well, and they could see right through her facade.

Unbeknownst to the group, hidden behind one of the vast shrubs lining the garden was a video blogger, "Are you getting this?" She whisper shouted.

"Who’d you think you're kiddin'?" Evie asked, her hand resting gently on Aurelia's shoulder.

"He's the earth and heaven to ya," Mal added, her hand joining Evie's.

"Try to keep it hidden," Carlos teased, popping in front of Aurelia with a playful grin.

"Honey, we can see right through ya," they all sang in unison.