Descendants: To Kill A Dragon

Chapter Eighteen

When the Auradonians looked at the magic map, during the emergency meeting, they saw people writhing in pain. Non-magical friends and relatives looked on as ragged peasants screamed their return of magic from dirty carpets and broken couches.

When they tried to use it afterwards, they saw only static.

As if someone quite magical had destroyed the enchantment from the Isle side.

Aurora went back home that night, after the council meeting, and as usual, she didn't speak to Phillip. He pointedly avoided her gaze. They went back to bed in different rooms.

But predictably, Aurora couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing with potential disasters and consequences, and so, she did what she always did when she couldn't sleep. She took a walk through the gardens. 

The palace was well guarded, but faeries often slipped in. Technically they were pixies, the little ones like the tribe on Neverland, but Aurora didn't know about distinctions of fae tribes. All she knew was that ever since she was blessed and kissed awake by her fairy godmother, the pixies tended to flock around her when she was outdoors. It was why she always went outside alone.

It wouldn't do for the only child of King Stefan, who died fighting for humans, to be seen with her people's traditional enemies. But by this time in her life, Aurora had grown used to the titters and giggles that came from behind bushes as they watched her. It reminded her of home, the little cottage where she grew up, with the three faeries who raised her. The little laughs and whistled songs were comforting to her, and it was why Aurora always came to the gardens when she couldn't sleep.

It only took a few minutes for her to realize something was wrong, and then the creeping fear set in, pooling in her stomach like a lead weight, chilling her body in a way that was nothing like the chill of the night air.

The gardens were completely silent.

• • •

"Welcome to my humble island." Mal announced graciously, wearing her ceremonial officer's uniform with Evie at her right hand side. "I was forced here by Auradon, but we've made the best of what we have."

And then, she rose from her throne, her face became less welcoming and more steely.

"I killed my mother because she was weak, and driven mad by what humans had done to her." Mal explained, and her announcement was accompanied by raucous cheers before she held up a hand for silence.

"That said, I have many good friends who are human. I will not condemn their species like they condemned ours. I won't stand for violence towards any of my court who are other than fae!" Mal looked sternly at each face assembled in the crowd, none of which she recognized. All of whom were her subjects.

"I have chosen them. They are my court. You will respect them as you respect me."

And then the assembly broke off, with a gesture from Mal, into happy laughter and chattering small talk, as the fae lined up in rows to greet Mal and pledge their loyalty to her reign. Quietly, Mal rested her head on Evie's shoulder for a moment. She was tired, and still very sore from her magical agony, and later her fiery rage. Mal was a good queen, but she was only seventeen. Barely seventeen. It was exhausting. Diaval sat behind her now, on the top of her throne in his bird form, and watched the approaching guests with careful yellow eyes. 

"Merry met, my Queen." The supplicants said, one by one as they bowed before her, and Diaval murmured that this was a fae greeting, and Mal should repeat it with a gracious nod. She did so, steeling her expression into pleased regalia, but inside, she was half-asleep.