The Exile (Descendants)

Uma

I never expected Aurodon to be so... bright.

I navigate the school with great difficulty. The place is huge. Thankfully, it's void of people. They're all out for the Cotillion. There is one person who hasn't left - Ben. That would be the biggest fuck you to Mal - showing up with her  King on my arm. 

To be perfectly honest, Ben annoys me. He's too hopeful, too idealistic. While that may be appealing to most people, it isn't to me. A sixteen-year-old shouldn't have been made king. I am not, by any means, underestimating his leadership qualities based on his age, I'm just stating from what I've seen. 

As the Captain of a pirate crew, I know a few things about leadership. I know the first thing we should look out for is our People's well-being. Ben has mostly succeeded in that field. However, he's too trusting. He believes that people can change so much that he almost threw away his life for it. That's not something anyone should do, especially a king. His trusting nature can and will be exploited if he isn't careful.

Earlier, I managed to sneak a love-spell cookie into Ben's daily snacks. I was tempted to raid the entire tray but I let it go. I'm not sure my stomach could adjust to that much food anyway. 

I watch with bated breath as Ben picks up the cookie - not looking up from the paperwork - and takes a bite. I smile, slipping in through the window. 

"Hi Ben," I say with as much seductiveness as I can muster. 

He looks up, startled. "Uma, what-" He pauses, forgetting what he was about to say. "Have you always looked so beautiful?" It worked! It actually worked!

"I thought about what you said," I tell him. "I want to be a part of the solution." I give him a shy smile before continuing. "With you."

"I was thinking the same thing!" He springs up. "Come with me tonight! As my date!" Everything goes according to plan.  I already stole a dress from Evie's room. It's perfect for me. Or it would be if I didn't feel so uncomfortable. 

"Yes!" I exclaim.

"Yes?" I bob my head up and down vigorously. His grin is explosive. And fake. Seeing his grin makes me compare it to Amber's bright smile. When she smiled at me that day before everything went wrong, it felt like it did when I first entered Aurodon - Like the sun was shining after seventeen long, dark years. I need to get this girl out of my damn head, but every time I try she returns with a vengeance. It was like that even before we kissed. Now, it's worse.

"This is great!" Ben says. "Let's go! We have a boat to catch." He takes my hand and pulls me along. 

The boat is huge. 

The fluorescent lights are almost blinding, and I have to squint to adjust to them. Ben hands me something — a ring. "I want you to wear it." He tells me, waiting for me to slip it on. He seems ecstatic when I do.

"King Benjamin!" I hear the announcement. Ben gives me a small smile, tugging me along. We stop just before a door. 

"Wait for me, okay?" I nod. After a few seconds, the door opens again. I stride forward confidently, taking Ben's extended hand and letting him lead me down the stairs. 

"Hi," He kisses the ring on my finger. The expression on Mal's face is worth everything.

"I'm sorry," Ben explains. "It all happened so fast. Something happened to me when I was on the Isle with Uma," He meets my eyes. "A connection." No, it didn't. Despite everything, I know a connection. What I had with Amber, that was a connection. Whatever is happening with Ben, it's fake, the product of a love spell.

"What are you saying?" Mal asks, looking between the two of us, sounding like she's on the verge of tears. I should feel happy, but I don't. All I see is Amber's disappointed face in my mind.