Day by Day

Chapter 2: Motherly Worries

Today was the day that Ben and Mal would announce to the entire kingdom that they were having a baby. After they had gotten married, questions about having an heir had become very frequent.

Ben was very fond of the idea of having a child. He was just the perfect father type. He was fun-loving and cared about everyone; however, he did have a stern side and could be tough if the situation called for it.

Mal, on the other hand, wasn't too fond of the idea in the same way Ben was. It wasn't that she didn't want kids, but more of how society would react and treat said child.

Their first child would be the heir to the whole kingdom. That's a lot to put on a little baby. To make matters worse, in Mal's eyes, the kid would take over the country when they turned sixteen. Even though Ben handled being coronated at sixteen, fairly, okay, Mal was afraid their future kid would be stressed. For Mal, being sixteen was not fun at all. She was stressed and insecure like any other teenage girl. Mal didn't want to put all that onto her child.

Other than worries for what their child would go through in the future, Mal had other things she worried about that dealt with her personally than the baby.

To Mal's disappointment, Ben had another council meeting that morning. Mal really wanted to talk to Ben about what had been going through her mind lately. She could've asked Audrey, since she was already a mother and had another little on the way, but Mal didn't want to bother her since Audrey's baby would be making its grand entrance any day now.

To make matters worse, the morning sickness wasn't making Mal feel any better. Mal had been sick like this for the past month, but today felt worse. As Mal cleaned her mouth and flushed the toilet, she heard a knock on the door.

"Mal? It's Belle. Are you in there?" Belle asked.

"J-Just a second," Mal replied. Mal went to the sink, washed her hands, and gargled some water to get the gross taste out of her mouth. Once she was done, she came out of the bathroom.

"Mal, are you alright?" Belle asked. "You look really pale."

"Well, I mean, I just threw up my guts so..." Mal said sarcastically.

"Are you nervous for today?" Belle asked.

"Am I that obvious?"

Belle chuckled. "It's alright," Belle said. "I know what it feels like. To wonder how a kingdom is going to react to a new heir."

"Yeah," Mal mumbled.

"What's wrong?"

Mal sat on the bed. "It's just...I don't know."

"Well, now I know something is bothering you," Belle said as she sat next to Mal. "Now, spill."

"This kid, they...their whole life is already planned out in front of them," Mal said. "I mean, I get that they will have to take over once they are sixteen, but sixteen years will go by fast. What if they're not ready when they're sixteen? What if they don't wanna be a king or queen? What if they want to do something else? Why should they be forced to be something they're not?"

Belle put her hand on Mal's shoulder. "I had the same fears with Ben," Belle said.

"Really?"

Belle nodded. "When Adam and I got married and formed Auradon, I was only twenty-four years old. A child was probably the last thing on my mind. I, of course, wanted one, but I didn't want to put all this pressure on them. However, once I turned twenty-eight, I found out I was pregnant with Ben. I was scared. Ben was the very first heir Auradon had seen. I remember Adam discussing with the court about the coronation age. When they decided on sixteen, I felt sick to my stomach, and it wasn't because I was carrying a human being; I was almost halfway along, so I had already passed the morning sickness." Mal chuckled a little. "The point is, I had the same fears about the child being forced into a world that might not be for them. The most important thing to do is to make sure you are always there for them. It may be hard on them, but with help and support, they'll be just fine."

"Thanks Belle," Mal said.

"I've been telling this to you even before you and Ben were engaged," Belle said, "call me mom." Mal smirked, but Belle could tell something else was bothering her. "What else is up?"

Mal didn't really know how to sugar-coat this topic, so she just went ahead and said it. "What if I'm not a good mom?"

"Oh Mal," Belle said in shock, "what ever would make you think you're not gonna be an amazing mom to this child?"

"It's just...my mother wasn't a mother at all," Mal explained. "She never loved me the way a mother should've. To this day, I still have no idea if it was all an act to make me tough or if she truly didn't love me. Either way, I didn't have a good role model growing up. I don't want to be like her. I don't want my baby to grow up the same way I did."

Belle cupped Mal's face in her hands. "Mal, listen to me," she began. "I promise you that you are not your mother nor will you ever be like her. You are going to be a fine mother to your son or daughter. Plus, you have your friends and family who will help you out."

Mal smiled. "Thank you...mom. I really needed to hear that."

Suddenly, Ben knocked on the door. "You ready?" Ben asked.

Mal took a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be," she replied.

"Remember, you have a ton of people who love you. You are not alone in this," Belle whispered into Mal's ear. Mal gave her mother-in-law a smile before joining Ben.

When they were facing the kingdom, Mal still felt nervous as heck, but she felt a little relieved at the same time. She was happy to finally have it out in the open instead of hiding it. However, now she had to deal with whatever interviewers, paparazzi, reporters, and press that would have a whole ton of questions for her.

Once Ben announced that an heir was on the way, the entire kingdom rejoiced. They were ensured more protection and a ruler for their future. The kingdom's happiness made her smile from ear to ear. "See," Ben said, "they love it."

"Yeah," Mal said with a smile. "I can't wait till our little boy or girl is here,"she said.

"Me either," Ben said, hugging his wife.

Mal still had a ton of worries of what their child's future would be like, and what her future look like with the child in her life, but she knew that she had loved ones all around her that would be willing to help out anyway they can.