Mal sighed as she got ready for class. Lately, she'd been feeling sluggish and lethargic, though she wasn't sure as to why. She wasn't using any more magic than she normally did...well she did cast the 'No Rest for the Wicked' spell a few days ago.
It was probably the only time she'd been thankful to find Maleficent's spell book still in the drawer of her bedside table, the same place she put it all those months ago when she had been searching for the antidote to the love potion she thought she'd put on Ben. She had thought she had donated it to the Museum like Evie had done with her mother's mirror.
It had honestly surprised Mal when Evie had done that but it was the first thing the Evil Queen's daughter had done after Ben's coronation. Maybe Evie had thought it would get people's minds off of her actions at the coronation? Not that it had worked of course.
"Come on boy," Mal sighed, shaking her head as she brought herself back into the present and looking over at Estelle. She was going to drop him off at James' dorm and then finally make her way over to class. Or at least she would if not for the fact that, at that moment, it felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over Mal's head.
Realistically, she knew no one had. She was alone in her dorm room and Estelle couldn't turn into a human. Unfortunately though, logic had no place in her brain at that moment.
You see, the cold was not pleasant for cold blooded creatures...such as dragons. Add in the fact that Mal was also the daughter of Hades and she was already ill-equipped to handle the cold. It only got worse after her impromptu trip into the Cove back when she was nine, the cold causing violent chills to run down her spine. They made it so she could barely move at times.
I haven't had a chill in ages, not since we got to Auradon, Mal thought as she doubled over, her eyes forcing themselves shut as shivers wracked her body, her arms prickled with goosebumps as she fought to keep herself standing. She clenched her jaw, willing herself not to let her teeth chatter. She didn't feel the heat that came from the vents in her dorm, she didn't feel the slight warmth her dress provided...all she felt was cold.
Gingerly crawling back into her bed, Mal pulled the covers up and curled into a ball as if to preserve as much warmth as possible. She had a meeting with Natalie later that day anyway, she'd need her strength to put up with whatever diatribe the blonde went on today.
She sighed softly as she curled into a tighter ball, the chills continuing to run rampant over her body. Had this been the Isle, Uma, Harry, and Jay would have been on the bed in the clubhouse with her; pressing in as tightly as they could to give her enough warmth to make it through the day. If one of them had to leave, it was only to run to her dad's restaurant to get a lukewarm drink—and it was usually Jay who was the one to go as Uma and Harry were firmly glued to her side.
Not that Jay wasn't just as glued and usually only spent about fifteen minutes away. If they made a request at her dad's restaurant and said it was for her, the staff got it done right away. They knew her as Lord Hades' errand rat but that was still enough for them to fear angering Lord Hades if they made her wait too long. Most of the time, though, her dad was working in the kitchen and would see to getting it made himself.
Tea would hit the spot right now, Mal thought as a small whimper escaped her lips. Or coffee. Hell I'd drink fire if it meant the chills would stop.
A small lick on her hand brought Mal out of her thoughts and back to the present. Estelle had hopped up onto the bed and was acting almost as her Uma—pressing his body as close to her as possible even as Mal continued to remain curled up in her ball.
"Okay, five minutes boy and then we'll tough it out. We're from the Isle, they don't make us weak there after all," Mal whispered and wrapped her arms around Estelle the way a small Auradon child might hug a plush toy. However, as the five minutes came and went, Mal found she was in no mood to leave the small pocket of warmth she'd created for herself. Nor was she eager to leave it after an hour went by either.
In fact, that was how Ben found her three hours after creating her little heat bunker. He'd been worried when he didn't see Mal at breakfast but he figured she was running a bit late. She always seemed to have a meeting to get to or class to attend. There were times when he honestly wondered if Mal was the royal and he the VK considering she seemed to beat him in terms of how many meetings they'd have in a day.
It wasn't until James called him, asking if Estelle was alright, that the worried feeling returned and it was cemented when Uma pulled him aside after her Safety on the Internet class, which happened to be right before lunch.
"Benny, have you seen Mal?" Uma asked. Ben didn't rightly know how that nickname found its way into use but he found he didn't mind it when it was used by the VKs. In all honesty, it felt like he belonged in their group. "She wasn't in class and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, I know you all here in Auradon get worried if people skip."
Ben frowned. "No I haven't seen her. I haven't seen her all day in fact. She wasn't at breakfast and normally she's dragging me down to the cafeteria for food."
"Check the dorm," Uma suggested as she bit her lip slightly in concern. "I'd go but I've got Remedial Goodness 101 after lunch. Fairy Godmother said if we skip, we'd get expelled. I think she was joking but Gil's insistent that she wouldn't lie to us."
Truthfully, Uma was in no hurry to get herself sent back to the Isle, even if it meant she'd be able to be with Celia again. Not with whatever was going on with Mal and her Aunt Steph still on the Isle. She didn't want to bother Hadie with this. He was only eleven and Mal would kill her if she dimmed the little storm cloud's innocence.
Uma understood of course. She'd do the same thing if someone did anything to remove Celia's innocence anymore than the Isle already had.
Though, if Blueberry was any indication, it seemed like Boreadon was just as good at removing someone's innocence as the Isle was. The blue haired girl had been more withdrawn than Uma ever remembered seeing her back when Uma had first arrived in Auradon. Thankfully, she seemed to bounce back a little which made Uma happy a little.
She and Mal were the only ones who got to tear down the Princess, thank you!
"Uma?" Ben asked, his voice gentle but loud enough to pull Uma out of her thoughts. "Do...do you think Mal's okay?"
"I'm sure Mal's fine," Uma nodded, even if she didn't believe it herself. But she had no way to verify it: Jay and DeVil had R.O.A.R practice, and Harry had to be with her in Remedial Goodness 101, same with Gil and Hadie. Not to mention there was no way she was going to ask Blueberry to check on Mal. Plus Ben was really the only one who could skip class to check on Mal. After all, who was going to lecture the King?
He'd knocked on the door to Mal's dorm and never got a response. Normally he would have never done this, especially considering it was a dorm room, but he needed to make sure Mal was alright.
"Mal?" Ben said softly, opening the door and knocking on the doorframe just in case Mal was in the bathroom or something. Yet again, he received no response from his girlfriend and he had to admit, he was really getting worried now. No response, Estelle wasn't with James and Uma hadn't seen Mal? Did...did something happen to Mal?
Ben sighed softly as he crossed the threshold of Mal's dorm, frowning slightly as he felt the chill of the air conditioning blow over his face. It was an unseasonably warm day but it wasn't so warm to warrant the air conditioning. It was barely sixty five degrees outside!
"Mal?" Ben called as he approached her bed; the giant ball of blankets the only indication that something was out of the ordinary. The pit in his stomach that had appeared in his worry seemed to dissipate a little as the pile of blankets groaned softly in response, indicating that Mal was the one under them. He couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips as Estelle poked his center head up and gave him a small doggy grin.
"Not funny," Mal murmured, and Ben couldn't help but smile slightly at her attempt to still sound tough despite how soft her voice had gotten. "Cold. I think Elsa's a liar, how can the cold not bother her?"
"Hey, hey," Ben said gently as he shed his suit jacket and draped it over the pile of blankets in an attempt to give her some more warmth. "It's okay. I got you. You feeling okay?"
Without thinking, he slipped his shoes off and climbed onto the bed, spooning Mal and holding her close to try to give her some of his warmth. He softly rubbed where he thought her arm was—it was honestly hard to tell due to the mass of blankets.
"Did you steal some blankets from Evie and Uma?" Ben asked, a small bit of amusement coloring his voice. He didn't think her bed had this many blankets if he was honest.
"They weren't using them," Mal muttered as she seemed to curl into his warm embrace, "and I think it was more Estelle's doing. I didn't want to leave this heat bunker I built."
"I'll talk to Fairy Godmother about why the AC was turned on," he promised her as he went back to rubbing her arm and her back. "It was supposed to be warmer than normal today but not so much that it warranted the air conditioning. I'm so sorry Mal, I didn't realize you didn't handle the cold well."
"I can turn into a dragon Ben," Mal muttered, her voice still soft as she turned over so that she was facing him. "Dragons, I'm sure you know since you've read every book known to man on the subject, are cold blooded creatures as they are lizards. Meaning..."
"Meaning you by your nature wouldn't welcome the cold," Ben finished for her. Sure it stunk that he probably wouldn't get to enjoy a snowball fight with his girlfriend when the first snow fell but if this meant he'd get to cuddle by a roaring fire with her instead, he felt that was a fair trade.
Mal sighed and poked her head out so that she was looking at him. "It's...it's not just the cold Ben."
"What do you mean?"
"When...when I was nine, I had an incident where I fell into the water in Pirate Cove," she explained, her voice still soft as chills continued to run up and down her spine. "It was in November so the water was as frigid as possible. I spent about twenty five minutes in that water and even though I'm a Godling, I still get these...these body wracking chills whenever the weather gets colder. Normally Uma, Jay and Harry are here to do what you're doing or get me something warm to drink but..."
Ben nodded, gently rubbing circles on her back and fishing out his phone out of his back pocket to text Lumiere to see about getting a cup of tea or coffee sent up for Mal.
"I didn't mean to miss class. I...I only meant to stay under the covers for five minutes but the heat was so enticing and...and the chills make it almost next to impossible for me to move sometimes," Mal said and Ben's heart broke as he heard how small her voice had gotten.
"Hey, hey," he said gently. "I got you, dragon, it's okay. You're not in trouble, Uma was the one who asked me to check on you. She was worried, that's all."
Mal grew silent and Ben honestly thought she had fallen asleep. Not that there was anything wrong with that, even though Mal was currently using his arm as a pillow making it so that he couldn't move. If he had to use his status as King to skip class in order to make sure Mal was warm, he would.
"...could you not call me 'dragon' anymore?" Mal finally asked, her voice just as small as it'd been before and Ben's heart shattered.
"Wha—why?" Ben asked, trying to keep the astonishment out of his voice. He had called her 'dragon' since she turned into one at his coronation and there never seemed to be an issue.
"I just...you can still do it when we're in private like this but in public, please, just..." Mal said with a small sigh. She hated it, the little term of endearment was one of the things that came from her relationship with Ben that she loved more than anything. But her connection to dragons connected her to Maleficent in the eyes of the Auradon public. There were still constant articles from The Gazelle making comparisons between her and the Dragon.
Hearing Ben of all people call her 'dragon' was probably music to their ears.
"Okay," Ben said softly. "If...if that's what you want, Mal."
No it's not what I want Ben. It's the last thing that I want! I want to be able to enjoy you calling me 'dragon' without fearing that someone will realize you're dating a villain and rise up against you. I want to be able to wear my jacket without anyone connecting me to the Dragon. I want...I want my mom and I don't know how to ask you if she can leave the Isle early, Mal thought as she curled even more into a ball than she had been previously.
But Mal didn't say that. Instead Mal just nodded softly and Ben bit his lip as he went back to rubbing her back and her arm. He didn't know what was going on with Mal, but she seemed to have changed from how she was when they had met all those months ago in front of his father's statue.
The worst part was Ben didn't know why Mal had made the change. She didn't need to, she was amazing as she was.
Had...had Audrey said something to her? But it's Mal. She's so self assured that she wouldn't let Audrey get under her skin. Maybe it's her shoulder? From when we visited the Isle back before my coronation and that kid...Freddy was it? Yeah him. He stabbed her with a dagger.
No, Jay, Harry, or Carlos would have told me if it was that. But it might explain why she's gone without her jacket. If the wound's been giving her trouble, it might be painful for the leather to rub against it. I wonder where her jacket is, I could see about getting a fleece lining put in. Plus that might help keep her warm in the winter months...oh what about a removable lining? That way she could wear it year round! I'll talk to Evie or maybe even Ken, the royal tailor. He might have some ideas.
A slight vibration brought Ben out of his thoughts and he realized his phone was ringing. Quickly grabbing his phone, Ben slid his arm out from under Mal's head and rolled off of Mal's bed, walking a ways away as to not wake her up as he noticed Mal had fallen asleep.
Now, one might have assumed that because of the 'No Rest for the Wicked' spell that Mal had put on herself, that Mal was faking to get out of having that conversation with Ben. Of course, one would be right but Ben had no idea about the spell his girlfriend had cast on herself and therefore had no reason to suspect a fake.
"Hello?"
"Your highness? I'm sorry to bother you, I just wanted to check and see if Estelle was okay?"
"Oh! James! I am so sorry," Ben said, trying to keep his voice down even as embarrassment colored his words. "Estelle is fine. Lady Mal just caught an unexpected bug and needed the comfort only a dog can give."
Even though he couldn't see his face, Ben knew the older student was smiling. "Please let Lady Mal know I hope she recovers. I missed seeing Estelle today but I know Lady Mal needed him more."
"I will pass along your kind wishes, James, and rest assured you'll still get paid for today."
"Your highness, I couldn't...I didn't do anything."
"You still expected to work despite our not letting you know it wasn't needed for the day and not only that, you contacted me with your concerns. You're getting your pay for this shift."
"Well then...thank you sire. You really don't have to do that but it is appreciated."
"It's my pleasure," Ben assured him. "Is there anything you need by the way? New toys for Estelle? Balls? Chew toys?"
"Some new tennis balls would be handy but those are something I can easily get myself your highness. No need to trouble yourself."
"Alright, if you're sure," Ben said even though he was already making a mental note to go online and purchase some tennis balls for Estelle. He never really got a chance to have a pet of his own, his dad's dog Sultan had died two years after Ben was born.
Sure Ben could easily go out and get a pet now that he was King but...he didn't want to do that. He was so busy now with being King, he couldn't give the attention a dog needed. Plus, Estelle and Dude would likely get jealous if Ben got a dog of his own.
"I'm positive your highness," James told him and Ben could hear a bit of amusement on the older boy's voice. "But thank you."
"Well then let me know if you do need anything James," Ben said.
"I will."
"Okay then. You have a good rest of your day," Ben said and disconnected his phone after the necessary goodbyes. He would have climbed back into bed to keep Mal warm but it wasn't two seconds after he hung up his phone that Mal's phone was ringing.
Normally Ben would never think of doing what he had done but Mal was still sleeping and he didn't want to wake her up.
"Hello?" Ben said, answering Mal's phone.
"Oh! Your highness!" A female voice exclaimed from the other end and Ben could tell that she had not expected to talk to him or for him to be the one to answer the phone. "How can I help you?"
"Well um...Natalie," Ben said, quickly checking Mal's caller ID to see who this woman was, "you're the one who called so maybe the better question is how can I help you?"
Natalie, Natalie...why did that name sound familiar? Oh right! Mal's handler, the one his council had appointed for her! Though if you asked Ben's opinion, she wasn't needed in the slightest.
"Oh, I was just calling to check on...Lady...Mal your highness," Natalie stated and Ben frowned slightly as he heard the pause on Mal's title. It was almost as if Natalie wasn't used to using it. "We have a meeting today she hasn't turned up for it."
"Lady Mal unfortunately caught an unexpected bug and won't be attending your meeting," Ben stated. "She does apologize for not letting you know though it was truly a last minute occurrence."
"Presumably a once a month last minute occurrence?" Natalie asked and Ben rolled his eyes slightly at the implication that Mal was just being dramatic because of cramps. Honestly, with the life Mal had lived before coming to Auradon, Ben would have totally understood if she wanted to be a bit dramatic once a month but she wasn't. Actually, trying to get Mal to admit she needed anything was like pulling teeth.
"Well, your highness, thank you for letting me know," Natalie stated, pulling Ben out of his thoughts.
"I'll let Lady Mal know you called," Ben promised.
"Please do so," Natalie told him and Ben couldn't help but feel a bit of uneasiness regarding her. He hung up and put Mal's phone on her dresser, making sure to plug it in so that the battery wouldn't die if Mal needed it. Crawling back over the covers, Ben smiled as Mal seemed to curl into him once more, like a moth attracted to the light.
"I love you dragon," he whispered, gently kissing the top of her head. He didn't care that she didn't hear it. All he knew was that he truly did love her and wanted to do anything and everything he could to make sure she knew that.
His eyes closed and he too drifted slowly off to sleep, never seeing Uma walk in a few hours later and smile at the sight. Nor did he see her take a quick picture of the three of them curled up together, even if all you could really see of Mal was a bit whiff of purple hair.