What Comes Next?

Chapter 28: Never in a Million Years

Ben's PoV:
        Dread, remorse, guilt... Those were just a few of the things I was feeling as I stood in the Master Suite of my castle. But, it wasn't just my castle, it was also Mal's. And this was also our room. Although it didn't feel right calling it such until I had her back here with me. The real her... God, I felt like a terrible husband...
      I knew this day was a possibility, but I didn't think it would come to this, which was why I was filled with dread. Today Jay, Carlos, and Evie were going back to the Isle, again, to search Hell Hall. They were taking an official search warrant signed by myself in case Mother Gothel gave any issues. This all made me feel like I should be there, for goodness sake I signed the damn warrant. But, others had thought that would cause issues and that I needed to be here, in Auradon, to keep the peace and help with any other issues that could arise. But, I knew there wouldn't be anything. Other than this, Auradon was a peaceful kingdom... Nothing bad ever happened, or so I had thought...
      I felt impending remorse for the thought of what could happen to my beautiful and spirited wife along with my unborn child if anything were to happen. And I meant if anything were to go wrong. But, at the same time I knew I couldn't let myself think that way. I had to put all of my trust in the three best friends of my Queen. They had come so far, farther than I could have ever imagined when I first brought them here. Not to mention the multiple times they had already saved Auradon and myself.
     But, still I worried. From the middle of the room I walked to the large window as I ran my hands through my hair, which overlooked all of the kingdom as well as the Isle. Mal was out there somewhere and I felt awful for not going out to find her myself. But, as much as I had wanted to, Evie had made the excellent point that if I disappeared Harley would grow suspicious. That was the last thing I needed right now...

     "Just hold on a bit longer my dear..." I whispered to no one as I touched the glass gently, though I wanted to pound on it until it shattered. And I really did need her to hold on. It's been so many months since I lost my dragon and our little one.
      It was now late November, normally my family would've held a grand Thanksgiving dinner here at the palace. This year, I held up in my room while Harley played pretend and hosted whatever she wanted to call it with whomever, downstairs. I wouldn't know, I didn't attend, nor did any of my family. From what I can tell or had heard, a few of Mals' friends had attended, simply to keep up appearances.
      However, if my calculations were correct, my wife was extremely close to giving birth. And, I had hoped that Mal and I would be exchanging gifts for the child with one another, but... My internal thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps in the hallway, and not just any footsteps. They were loud and somehow irritating, which could only be Harley. Well shittttttt.

Harley's PoV:
       I moved as a force of nature down the grand hallways. Steady as all being in my heels, the clicks aligning with my pounding heart. I probably looked like Maxine Hatter, the way I was waving my arms around. Not that I cared, I was too focused on all the thoughts running through my mind. Although it was almost unbearable at this point... There were just too many thoughts at this point... Everything was coming apart. I was trying to keep the charade going, I really was, but I was beginning to lose control of everything.
      Ben was acting weird, the rest of the idiots were being seen less and less, which of course concerned me. Ben, I could control without a problem, Ben was easy... but Evie, Jay, Carlos and the other delinquents were harder to control, since they outnumbered me. Why should I really have to worry about them with everything else I had to worry about? Maybe because they were also a key part of all of this... which really pissed me off. To top it all off, it was getting close to the timeframe when Mal was supposed to be giving birth, which meant I was going to have to make the final move here soon.
        I should have just killed Mal when I first kidnapped her. I really should have. It was more than a simple mistake that I overlooked. It would have made more sense, made my life easier and meant that I wouldn't have had to keep up this facade. Or maybe I would have, but it would have been easier because I wouldn't have had to worry about anyone finding the real Mal. But, I hadn't killed her, and so here I am, going absolutely insane. Before I knew where I was, I was face to face with the large closed doors which lead to the bedroom I currently shared with Ben. Stopping suddenly, I took a deep breath and composed myself enough to the point where I could seem kind of normal. I didn't bother knocking as this was "technically" my bedroom as well. Opening one of the grand doors I walked in, my heels sinking into the plush carpet.

        "Hello my handsome king, I hope all is well with you on this fine afternoon." God, I hated being like this. Playing nice and acting like I loved him, it made me sick. What made me even more sick was the thought of how, in another reality, it could have been me who was his wife and the one who actually did love him!
       And, the way I sounded, god I sounded like a girl. I wanted to vomit. I couldn't wait to be done with this act and be who I truly was, the daughter of the most powerful villain in the history of Auradon and the Lord of the Underworld.

       "Everything is perfectly fine my dear. I hope everything is going well with the baby?" And there it was, the coldness in his voice, the attempt at avoiding conversation, his sole priority being the child that my sister was carrying. My mind began to tell me that he knew, that he knew that I was an imposter, but that was silly. That was impossible, especially for this dimwit.

        "Everything is absolutely wonderful my dear." I ran my hand over my magically made baby bump. He nodded at me. "How was your appointment with Doc and the Fairy Godmother?" Ben asked me in a charming voice. I swallowed, as I had not seen Fairy Godmother this morning. Was I supposed to? Had it slipped my mind with everything else going on?
       "It was all magically wonderful. Everything is great. All is well. And the baby is very healthy." I smiled. "Did they say if it was a boy or girl?" He sat at his desk and looked up to me, raising an eyebrow. I turned around to the window. Shouldn't they already know that? Again I swallowed, hard. "It's a... boy." I muttered out, lying through my teeth because I had no actual clue. I only had a fifty percent chance of being wrong. Was he fucking testing me or some shit?
His eyes narrowed at me as I spun the lie. "That's wonderful dear. A handsome prince to add to our little family. I'm sure my mother would love to have had a little girl to spoil, but I know she'll love having another boy in the family." He waited to see what kind of reaction I would give. In reality, I couldn't care less what Belle thought or wanted, but I had to react somehow, someway.

         "Yes, a handsome prince. A perfect way to start our little family. Ben I am offly tired. If you don't mind I'm going to lie down for a bit." I could see disdain in his eyes, even a hint of an eyeroll. I needed to escape this conversation and fast, otherwise I was liable to say something I would regret. Things were already tense as hell, and I knew the more tense things got, the more agitated I would get and that would lead to me saying stuff I shouldn't.

        "Go ahead dear, you need your rest. I'll be doing some work in the office." He was incredibly dismissive as he took his leave. He left the suite, leaving me alone with my thoughts. My paranoia was in full swing now. Things were starting to unravel, I could feel it in my soul. My intuition told me things were falling apart. I was really left with only one choice now. I needed to get Mal out of the way, permanently. The longer she lived, the more likely she would be discovered and then I truly was screwed. So, I had to do the thing that I should have done when this whole plan started. I needed to kill my sister, make my escape and then come roaring back with a vengeance. It was the only surefire way that I would live through this and achieve what I wanted. I just needed to get back over to the Isle and finish off my sister once and for all.

Ben's PoV:
      I had nearly blown everything. I had nearly revealed to Harley that I knew it wasn't her. But, I didn't, I kept the charade going, a charade I hopefully wouldn't have to keep for much longer. Harley was fraying at the edges, that much was clear to see. Her well woven facade was falling to pieces and she knew it. Once I knew Mal was safe, I would have Harley arrested. And then, I would decide what fate awaited her. Death, exile, forgiveness, what would that fate be? I couldn't answer that question just yet. If I knew Mal, she could council leniency. Harley was evil, but she was family after all. If we all could forgive Hades, could we forgive Harley?
         I was once again getting ahead of myself. I was pondering the answers to questions that I shouldn't be thinking of yet. All that mattered right now was Mal getting home safe. I missed my wife terribly and I was powerless to save her. Right now my hopes, the hopes of the kingdom and her friends rested on the shoulders of Jay, Carlos and Evie. And with any luck, hope, would see Mal returned to all of us safe and sound....