Paparazzi Nightmare

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It has been a week since Ben's coronation, a week since their first kiss on the palace balcony was captured by the paparazzi. Many newspapers and magazines such as Auradon Weekly and The Knight in Shining Auradon had captured their first moment as an official couple. Mal had been staying in the castle with Ben and his parents for a couple days to help Ben with some paperwork that followed his first proclamation. School had started back up again and Ben had warned Mal about all the nosey people in Auradon and Auradon prep that wanted to know more about their relationship.

Mal had only had a run-in with paparazzi once, they kept flying questions at her How long have you been seeing each other? How long before a royal engagement? Do you wish to go back to the isle? Would you still be with King Ben if he didn't have a title? Mal would open her mouth but words would never leave, luckily she had Ben by her side. He would cover her hand with his and give her hand a reassuring squeeze that would cause butterflies to run through her stomach and into her heart. No one made her feel safe like Ben did, no one made her feel weak at the knees like Ben did, no one made her into a better person like Ben did. Ben would run through the questions in a flash by giving shortly worded answers which seemed to please the press. Mal never showed weakness, it was something that she learnt from the Isle, but during her short confrontation, all she was showing was weakness.

Whilst sitting on the engraved stone bench in Belle's rose garden Mal started thinking about school and Ben's words, she became entranced into a daze. Her facial expression would change every ten seconds from happy to sad to worried to confused to hurt to weakness. Ben watched her through his office window and watched her expressions change without a known cause to him. Ben rushed out of his room and passed his parents along the way, this gave them a confused look on their faces. Ben opened the gate to his mother's rose garden and sat next to Mal. She took no notice of Ben sitting next to her and this worried Ben. He gently placed his hand on hers and began to stroke the top of her hand with his thumb. After a couple seconds, Mal jumped as she turned to see Ben next to her "Ben, when did you get here? I.... what?" Ben let out a slight chuckle "you've been daydreaming for the past couple of minutes Mal. Are you okay?" Mal nodded in response "I'm just worried about what people will say when we get back to school that's all" she bowed her head in shame, in shame of being weak. Ben lifted her head and looked straight into her eyes "Mal, everyone is going to have an opinion on us whether we like it or not, but all you need to focus on is how much I love you and how it's not going to change" they both shared a smile while they both focused on each other's eyes. You could see the passion and desire in each of their eyes, a deep passion and desire that caused them both to lean in and share a deep loving kiss, one that could be the start of many in the future. They both broke apart for a little thing called air. "school starts soon and I should go before Evie sends a search party out for me" "Till we meet again my love" Ben drops his head to kiss Mal's hand and she teleports away back to Auradon Prep. Ben slowly trudges back to his office but what they were both unaware of was Belle and Adam watching from the Library window staring at the two in complete awe.

(Auradon Prep)

Mal reached into her locker and pulled out her Remedial Goodness textbook, it was the last class they had before they could finally have a proper timetable. Mal stood by the lockers pondering which class she should take to fill up the slots that she has for Remedial Goodness when Evie, Carlos, and Jay came rushing over to her. "Oh My Godmother, Mal it's our last class" Evie squealed in excitement "Hey Mal how's lover boy?" Jay teased, Carlos just waved at Mal. Mal gave off a grunt and stormed off the Remedial Goodness with the others trailing behind her like lost puppies.

[TimeSkip]

All four Auradonians cheered as they left their last Remedial Goodness class. It felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. The first thing Jay and Carlos did was run down to the Tourney Track as fast as lightning while Mal and Evie went to their lockers. They chucked their Remedial Goodness textbooks into their lockers. Evie pulled out her Fashion and Textiles Textbook ready for her second period while Mal pulled out her black shoulder bag ready for Free Period. The girls waved each other off and headed their separate ways.

Mal left through the school gates and connected her earphones to her iPod as she went for a walk into the town. As Mal entered the small town on the west side of Auradon, she was greeted by amazing smells that made her giddy with delight. Mal could smell the sweetness of the bread rolls from their local Baker, she could smell the salt coming from the pretzel stands and all the sweet chocolatey treats that made her stomach do flips as she thought about them. What Mal didn't expect was the gathering of people that had turned their heads and made their way to Mal.

Every step back Mal made, the townspeople and the Paparazzi made two forward. Mal's forehead was sweating, her palms aching, her breathing became fast-paced almost as if she was having an anxiety attack. People kept throwing questions at her from left, right, and centre.

"Do you and King Ben have plans to Wed?" a small man in green asked. Mal nodded her head No in response to his question. Mal turned her head to the left to find another question being thrown at her.

"Does the former King and Queen accept you as much as his highness does?" asked a rather bulky woman. "I...I Wou..Would like to t...think So" Mal stuttered.

"Is there going to be a royal baby soon?" a larger Man asked. Mal opened her mouth but no words left. That's when she turned her head to the right to have another question flung at her.

"How does it feel to be the King's Consort?" Mal kept backing up, her breathing getting worse, she couldn't control it anymore. Tears started to form in her eyes but she tried her hardest to conceal them. Mal kept backing up to get away from the paparazzi, every step back she took, the paparazzi took three this time. She kept reversing until she was engulfed by strong arms. "We find none of these questions to be relevant to today's events in any way, thank you for your time but it's best if you could leave now" a voice boomed from behind Mal. The paparazzi slowly dispersed and when they all left, Mal broke down into the strong arms that held her safe.

They were Ben's words and Ben's arms that kept her safe.

Mal broke down right there in the middle of the street, having a mini panic attack. Ben's strong arms kept her standing as her knees buckled from under her. Some of the townspeople were staring and the last of the Paparazzi were taking pictures so Ben picked Mal up, bridal style, and carried her to a secluded bench in the town.

"Mal, you need to calm down okay or you're going to pass out. Mal can you do that for me?" Mal's head slowly nodded. Over the next minute or so, her breathing slowed back to a regular pace which seemed to calm Ben down as well as Mal. "Ben, I couldn't do it.....they were asking some weird stuff....I'm sorry" Mal sputtered out. Ben tightened his grip around her shoulders and started to stroke her hair. It was Ben's way of telling Mal that it was okay and what she did wasn't bad.

They sat on the bench for a couple of minutes, Ben looked down to see Mal sleeping in his lap. He stopped stroking her hair and pulled out his phone to make three phone calls.

One to his parents to let them know what happened and to ask them to send a limo out so he can bring Mal back to the castle.

One to Fairy Godmother to excuse himself and Mal from the rest of their lessons today due to Mal's mini panic attack and because he didn't want to risk another one.

One to the group chat he has with Evie, Jay, Carlos, Lonnie, Jane, and Doug to let them know what happened and where they were before they panic and send a search party out for Mal.

Ben just sat there on the little wooden bench with Mal in his arms fast asleep, waiting for his limo.

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