King Ben awoke the next morning with a goddess by his bedside, watching her with half open eyes for more than an hour, before she started to stir.
When she finally awoke, her first stop was the bathroom, where she continued to puke her guts out.
Ben winced, running after her and helping to hold her hair as she vomited. When she was done, Max ran in, once again full of energy, as if on cue, and body slammed himself onto his father.
Evie giggled, picking him up after brushing her teeth, though Ben took him from her arms after Max kissed Evie on the cheek like he did most mornings. Evie raised an eyebrow. She knew Ben was concerned and didn't think she was strong enough to hold Max for so long and thought it was rather adorable.
The little family spent the entire day together, just lounging in the garden gazebos. Evie snacked on fruits and watched as Ben chased Max around the garden. Once, they brought her a bouquet of flowers they had plucked, prompting a series of complains from the old gardener, something they laughed about.
At the end of the day, they spent the night in the master bedroom, with little Max sandwiched in the middle and Evie felt truly at bliss.
She thought of Mal, and how she was betraying her best friend. Now Ben was going to bring up a divorce with her. Mal still loved Ben and Evie knew she loved Max too, she just couldn't handle all the stress and her way of coping with it was to disappear for a while.
Evie's heart broke for Mal but somehow she couldn't give up what she had now with Ben and Max. She couldn't bear to and loved them too much, and figured that she could be selfish once in a while after obeying every one of Mal's orders since they first met.
And that was the way it stayed for the next couple of months.
//Scene Change//
Mal arrived at the Auradon International Airport and hopped into a domestic flight, catching a plane from Aenmark to the capital of Auradon, where her family resided, with a myriad of mixed emotions.
First, she had huge news. She didn't know if Ben would rejoice or frown. Then, there was facing everyone else again after another of her sudden disappearances, which was always tough.
Of course, she was excited to see everyone, especially her son, but she knew she had to endure the disapproving looks that Belle, Adam, the servants and her friends would throw her.
She knew she had been away for too long, but she didn't feel welcome back in Auradon. Hanging with Harry and Uma in Ariel's Lagoon gave her a feeling of nostalgia, before her friends all got hitched and had babies and were tied down to so many responsibilities.
So much had changed, and she hated it. Carlos and Jane had gotten engaged and were talking about having children, settling down and they had even opened a veterinarian in Auradon. Jay and Lonnie had gotten married and had to move back to AnZhou to rule. They had a son around Max's age and a newborn daughter.
Mal didn't know why she refused to stay in Auradon. She loved Ben and Max, plus Evie was living in the castle now too, so why did she keep running away? She didn't know either. She wish she did.
She hated remaining in the castle with a bunch of paperwork she had to complete as Queen. Yes, she knew, she was being irresponsible and giving Ben an even bigger headache, but ever since Max was born, the overwhelming pressure to be the perfect Queen, perfect Mom and perfect Wife had become too much.
The first time, she left to visit AnZhou with Jay and Lonnie, staying there for two months. Consequently, she would visit the other Domains, living with the royal families who welcomed her with more than open arms at first, but as Max grew older, her friends began advising her to return and remain in Auradon to raise him, but she didn't want to be tethered down.
This time, she stayed with Uma and Harry, who had two children as old as Max- a girl named Harper and a son who they named Hayden. They said nothing. She enjoyed the non judgemental attitude they had and didn't plan to return to Auradon until now. It was Max's second birthday.
She was embarrassed that she forgot about it and was so grateful that Evie had sent her a birthday card.
Mal rolled her eyes and smiled at Evie's gesture. Her best friend knew her so well and despite her disapproval that Mal was always away from Ben and Max, she knew not to nag too much.
When Mal landed in Auradon with a disguise, never bothering to use the Royal Jet, she headed straight for Evie's house via cab, before realising that her best friend, usually her first stop when she arrived from one of her trips, was in the castle. So that's where she went next.
She was nervous. She missed Ben, Max and Evie so much, but knew that Ben would be upset at her for the first few hours. It was typical and she couldn't blame him.
She wondered if Max still remembered her. Her darling baby boy, a child she never wished to have but had grown to love.
Then, there was Belle and Adam. They really liked her at the beginning of their marriage, but after observing how Mal was handling the stress of being a Queen, they began to disapprove and gave her dirty looks whenever she visited. Thank god they were now visiting in Arendelle and wouldn't be back till Max's actual birthday party.
Evie had planned everything, of course, so it was big. Everything was exuberant and magnificent, with the entire ballroom decorated and a large banquet to be delivered. There was something for Max, of course, who wouldn't enjoy the Royal shenanigans and would be having a separate party with friends his age and food that he actually liked.
Mal was glad Evie had thought of everything, from a formal event to please the higher class citizens of Auradon who would fly from all over the domains to attend, and a smaller party just for the little Prince himself, who was, of course, the most important guest of all.
Speaking of Evie, Mal began to look for her the minute she entered the castle, but somehow, she was no where to be found.
//Scene Change//
"What? Look at this one." Evie exclaimed from her position in the couch, flipping through tabloids she had the servants bring her that gossiped about false reports on why Mal and Ben's relationship was currently broken, currently lying on the couch in the castle's private family room, her head on Ben's lap and one hand on her small belly. Max played quietly with his train set in front of them, on the carpet.
Needless to say, Evie was mortified and a little offended about what the magazines had to say, but Ben just gave her a chastising look and chuckled, saying that was the exact reason why the Royals never read such blogs. It did nothing but stir up trouble.
The last one caught Evie's eye, dated only a couple of days ago, with a large picture of Ben, herself and Max leaving a shopping mall and multiple smaller pictures from Ben's Auragram. All of them had Evie in it.
"Oh god." She groaned, pushing the magazine into Ben's line of sight. He turned away from The News on the television to read it.
"I feel bad." Evie muttered to Ben, sitting up on the couch, facing him. "I love you, Ben. I do, but Mal is like a sister to me and it kills me to know that i'll be breaking her heart."
When he was done reading it, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll get the article down, Ev. I'm sorry im pulling you into such a mess."
Evie put her head on his shoulder, shaking her head. "I'm such a bad friend. It's my fault." She would be lying if she said this was the first time she felt guilty about the affair. She didn't know how Mal could befriend her after she got together with Ben, but just kept pushing it to the abyss of her mind, trying to ignore her thoughts.
A shuffling at the door interrupted them, however. It was somebody attempting to get past the guards stationed at the doors of the private family room.
Fearing for their safety, Evie ran to the other side of the room, scooping Max into her arms and backing up into the wall. Ben grabbed a rifle that was on display in the room, about to leave the room to talk to the guards and find out who it was.
When he opened the door, he realised it was just Mal.
She was allowed in, cursing at the guard who was new and didn't know what she looked like. To most of the servants, Evie was and had always been the lady of the house, instructing them on dinner menus and party planning. Plus, they answered to her now, as per Ben's instructions.
Mal didn't know that, however.
"Mal, i didn't know you were coming back so soon!" Ben exclaimed, chuckling nervously and putting the weapon aside, running a hand through his hair, then placing them in his pockets. His fingers were now accustomed to interlock with Evie's whenever she was beside him, but, of course, Mal couldn't see that. Not now.
"Yea, i wouldn't miss my baby boy's birthday, now would i?" Mal smiled nervously and awkwardly. Evie could see Ben about to mutter something in retaliation but decided against it.
"E!" Mal smiled as she jumped into Evie's arms, turning to the girl. Evie's conscience tugged on her heartstrings even more.
Then, Mal moved on to Max who was in Evie's arms, leaning his head on her shoulder, but he inched away, seemingly afraid and unable to recognise her.
Inside, Mal's heart broke into a billion pieces. She'd always known her frequent disappearances would be detrimental to her relationship with her young son and had chosen to ignore it. Now, she was paying the consequences. She could blame nobody, and especially not Evie, who immediately spotted the look of hurt on her face and tried to jog the memory of the young prince.
"This is mummy!" Evie gestured and Mal forced a smile, still heartbroken. Max's bottom lip visibly trembled and he started to cry, prompting Evie to take him away to comfort him in an instant, a maternal instinct that she had grown to possess.
Mal tried not to let that affect her, but it was hard and only got harder in the next few days she stayed in the castle, somewhat trying to salvage the family she once had but never embraced, now seeming to be Evie's.
On two separate occasions, she spotted Ben and Evie picnicking with Max in the garden, with Ben feeding Evie chocolate covered strawberries or chasing Max around the garden, catching butterflies or playing ball games.
Usually she would brush off her husband's gesture to her best friend as him being a gentleman, but it was hard to think so after witnessing more incidents like such.
There were many more, such as when Ben and Evie brought Max out for ice cream that day, or the previous day when they watched movies in the screening room. Max was sitting on Ben's lap and Evie leant her head on his shoulders. They looked like a perfect little family.
Mal was utterly hurt. Not only did it hurt that they didn't think to include her in these family activities, it hurt more seeing Ben and Evie so close, as if they were husband and wife. For the first time, Mal regretted allowing Evie to live in the castle with her.
But the last straw came when Mal spotted Ben leading the obstetrician that helped her with Max into Evie's bedroom chambers.
She panicked. Evie was pregnant? And didn't think to tell her? They were best friends who would once tell each other everything.
Then she thought a little further. Could Ben be the dad? They had been living in the same castle for a little more than 5 months now and it wouldn't take long for-
Without thinking, she burst into the room, eyes flashing a neon green and she tried to control her anger. It had been a little off the rocks recently. Max, who had been in the room by Ben's request to hear the new baby's heartbeat, began to wail and Evie quickly slipped off the bed, picking him up and cuddling him. It made Mal's blood boil.
Ben stood at attention in front of Mal with a firm look on his face that Mal missed so dearly- from when he had to defend her from old-fashion thinking citizens who refused to accept her or from assaults from paparazzi. Now, it belonged to the blue haired beauty in the bed.
"What's this?" Mal spoke, eyes flickering back to their normal colour but still full of rage, and once Max began to calm down, whimpering in Evie's arms, eyes still red and puffy, she sighed, trying to ignore the stinging sensation she felt tugging at her heartstrings that she was the one that made her baby boy cry.
"M, it's not what it looks like." Evie hurriedly explained. "It's Doug's baby."
"Doesn't look like it though. I didn't even notice you were pregnant before, and now that i know, you barely even look three months!" Her voice was getting louder and higher, not noticing Max sinking into Evie's arms, eyes full of fear.
Ben quietly gestured for Doctor Manning to leave, before explaining to his wife.
"It really isn't what you think, Mallory." He stood up taller, using her full name and his kingly voice. "She's 26 weeks. You just can't see it because her body may produce lesser amniotic fluid or that she's taller so the baby sits upwards instead of sideways like Max did. I read it up, i swear."
Mal did a mental calculation and Doug was indeed alive 26 weeks ago, back when Evie and Ben weren't as close. She would never cheat on Doug anyway.
Mal sighed. "Oh, i- i'm sorry."
Evie interjected before Ben could cut in, glad that the accusation was over and sorted with- for now. "Of course, i love you, Mal."
//Scene Change//
Mal and Evie spent the next few hours discussing matters about the baby, such as its gender, which she decided it to be a surprise, or if she was going to return to work, in which Evie replied that she would be designing her clothes still, just, at home.
Evie told Mal about her health as well, which had gotten better when the pregnancy progressed, though she still wasn't to do strenuous activities.
These were the last moments of their friendship Evie wanted to preserve, because she knew that everything would change soon.
Ben was already preparing what to tell Mal after Max's birthday, and that impending day was what scared Evie the most.