Old Habits

Queen of the Isle

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❶Mal❶~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Mal!" Jay calls. "Someone's here to talk to you."

He opens the door, allowing Belle and Adam in. They seem surprised when they look at me. "What happened?" she runs over as I sit up and looks at my head and some of the cuts.

"I fell and got a bit roughed up. I was sick for a few days but that's gone," I reply. "What did you need to talk about?"

Jay closes the door and pulls over some chairs for Belle, Adam and himself. "One of the letters you receive on a regular basis was marked urgent. We thought it was from the school so we opened it. It titles you as "Queen of the Isle"."

I bow my head and nod. "That's me. I didn't want anyone to know. Didn't want to be treated differently or sent back because of my status."

"So it's true then?" Adam asks. I can see his face turning red. "You lied to us about who you were?"

"Hey!" Jay says, standing up beside me. "She didn't do anything wrong. It's only temporary; until the future rulers are old enough." Adam and Belle are taken aback slightly. "The people chose us to be the rulers as a sign of hope."

"Us?" Belle asks. "The four of you are the rulers?"

"Just Jay and I," I correct. "My mother ruled before us through fear. We're rulers for a few more years, then I plan to pass the title."

"Who?" Adam asks.

I shake my head. "I won't tell you. Their identity must remain secret for protective purposes. Nothing you do will make me tell you."

"What did you plan to do?" Adam asks. "You'd be the Queen of Auradon if you married Ben. What would you do with the power?"

"Try and better life for everyone. That includes the islanders," I reply.

Adam still looks skeptical. "You had no plan? No purpose to be with my son?"

"Plan no, purpose yes," I answer. "It's called love. It's very common here if you haven't noticed."

Belle lets out snort at my reply. "Well, we can see your intentions are pure. We're sorry about or skepticism but-"

"I get it. Ben wouldn't have had a clear perception on this topic."

"So, now that we know you aren't really sick, when are you planning to return to the castle? Ben misses you," Belle asks.

"I didn't want Ben to worry. He'd wait on me hand and foot if I'm there," I argue.

"She has coordination issues and gets dizzy after a while," Jay says. "She's can be up for about five to ten minutes but then she'll stumble a bit and lose her balance."

"We can have one of the palace maids help you if you need it. And it would put Ben's mind at ease."

"I'll be fine," I reply. "If I get my spell book, there's one I can cast that can get rid of the worst of the symptoms. It's in my room at the castle. "

"So you'll come back?" Adam asks.

I smile nodding. "But first, have you told Ben about the letter?"

"No, we were hoping to give you a chance to explain, as you have," Belle says. "Jay told us you had hoped to keep it a secret."

"Yeah, I mean, it's temporary anyway so why tell anyone. If it does come up that you'd need to talk to the "Queen" can we just say Jay and I are ambassadors or something."

Belle and Adam look at each other before nodding. "Sure. But you should tell him at some point. He needs to know."

"I'm just not ready for that yet. But maybe. Someday," I answer.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand up slowly. I pull a pair of sweatpants and one of Ben's giant sweatshirts on over my clothes and walk back over. Just as I reach the bed, my head starts to pound and my vision blurs. "Hey, you need to take it easy, Mal," Jay reprimands. "You haven't cast the spell yet." I nod and Jay helps me to the bed. "I can follow you two; drive her over."

"Alright. We'll have them prepare her room," Belle says. They walk downstairs as Jay picks up my small bag. He gathers me into his arms and brings me downstairs into Carlos's car. After a quick drive, we've reached the castle and Jay helps me out of the car.

As Belle promised, my room is ready and my spell book is laying out of the bed. I scan through the book and find the spell. "An accident's chance to pain and hurt, turn back the trip and revert," I chant. My powers sparkle around me and my headache goes away. I stand up again and look at myself in the mirror. "All better," I comment, "Or- mostly anyway."

"You should still rest and take it easy," Jay insists.

"I will. Thanks for taking care of me and helping me sort things out."

"What are friends for?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After a quick nap, Belle and Adam send someone to get me for dinner. I descend the stairs slowly, rubbing my eyes and making my way to the dining hall. When I get there, Ben, Belle and Adam are waiting. I smile when I see him and he returns it, standing up. I run and wrap my arms around his neck, my chin resting just atop his shoulder. "Yes," I whisper in his ear.

He pulls me away and look at me. I smile as wide as I can and his grows ten-fold. After a quick kiss, He digs into his pocket and pulls out the ring. "I never put it away."

He slides it onto my finger and I adjust it slightly. After kissing for just a little to long for Adam's standard's, we pull apart and sit down beside each other. "Welcome to the family, Mal," Belle says.

I smile shyly and nod. "When did you get back?"

"Earlier today, I've been feeling a bit better so the other's let me go," Ben chuckles a little at that and takes my hand.

"What matters is you're back. I really missed you."

"I missed you, too." He smiles and gives me a quick kiss. He keeps it up all through dinner.

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