Daughter of The Dark Fairy

Ch. 2

That night at dinner, Mal and Ben invited Evie, Carlos, and Jay to the palace. Even though they didn't go around proclaiming they were friends, they still acted like it. Especially Evie and Mal. Everyone was happily talking about what it had been like while Mal and Ben were gone. Evie told Mal that Audrey had been extremely mad since she wasn't the one to end up as Queen. Then Carlos asked where Beast and Belle were. That silenced both Ben and Mal for different reasons. Mal wouldn't admit it to her friends or even Ben, but she didn't trust Beast and was a little bit afraid of what he could do. Ben just didn't like the subject of his father ever since he had so rudely told Mal that he didn't like her and she needed to leave.

"What? Is the subject illegal?" Carlos asked. He had no idea what he had said the make the awkward silence fill the room.

"Not yet." Ben mumbled. That confused the three even more. They hadn't learned what had gone down between Beast and Mal.

"Sorry I brought it up then." Carlos apologized. They moved on and soon it was late at night.

"Well, we'll see you soon I guess." Ben said as they departed.

"Yep. Oh! Mal, I need to talk to you sometime. Maybe, tomorrow?" Evie asked. Mal nodded.

"Just come to the palace." she answered. They all waved goodbye then Mal and Ben went inside and up to their room. Mal got into her nightgown and walked into the bedroom to find Ben with his head bent over a pile of papers. Petitions no doubt. She quietly walked over and draped her arms around his shoulders. "Whatcha working on?" she asked.

"Paperwork, petitions, and other kingdom stuff." he answered. She rested her chin on the top of his head and closed her eyes.

"You need to sleep. Work on that in the morning." she told him. He knew there was no arguing with Mal so he finished up the paper he was working on then changed into his pajamas. Mal was reading a book while laying on top of the bed covers when Ben came out.

"I didn't know you like to read." he stated, crawling under the covers beside her. She shrugged.

"My mother never let me but then your mother introduced me to the concept." she answered.

"Mom does love to read." Ben chuckled. "Go to sleep, Mal." he said sweetly. It was almost midnight and he would have to wake up in six more hours to start kingdom work. She put the book on the nightstand then Ben reached to turn off the light. Once he had, Mal pulled the covers over her and instantly fell asleep. Ben pulled her closer to him then fell asleep as well.