Chapter 12: The Council Meeting

Prince Ben invites four Villian kids to Auradon from the Isle of the Lost. As the VKs settle into Auradon, Mal can't help but feel like Auradon isn't the place for her. Can Evie, Jay, Carlos, Ben, their new friends and Ben's parents help Mal believe that Auradon can be her new home?

Mal POV

Life is bliss now that I'm not alone or a murderer. Me and Ben have been dating for 5 weeks and it's amazing. Evie is dating Dopeys son, Doug. I'm walking to class with Evie, Jay and Carlos and Audrey. "So, Mal goes to me "that's mine! Give it back!", tackles me to the floor, steps on my back and takes the apple back!" Jay is telling them a story of when we were partners in crime when we 8. "But then I took from her and then we ended splitting it half then her Mother and Cole saw us and dragged her back to her Mothers castle by her hair." I laugh nervously whenever anyone mentions Cole. Audrey hugs me, sensing a potential breakdown coming on. Luckily Ben is coming to us and I run at him and jump in his arms. "Hey," He stumbles but catches himself. "Hey, how was the council meeting?" I ask him. Ben frowns. "Really, really bad." No doubt it's me. "Let me guess: the Council don't approve of me because I'm a villain kid?" Ben puts me down and takes my shoulders. "It is not about you. It's about Maleficent." Mom?! What the hell? With my eyes glowing, I growl "What has she done now?" Before Ben replies, our phones buzz.

Belle: The Council wants to see Mal along with Me, Adam and Ben now. X

The Council wants to see me now? I sway, Ben wraps an arm around my waist, steadying me. "Does this gave something to do with my Mom?" I ask, almost hyperventilating. He tightens his grip on my shoulders. "I'm sure that it has got nothing to do with your Mother, Princess." I blush when he calls me 'princess' it's his nickname for me. I take a deep breath. "Okay, okay, lets go before Belle sends a search party to look for us." I say seriously. Ben takes his hands off my shoulders and turns around and bends down in front of me. "Climb on." He says, looking over his shoulder. I shrug and hop on, locking my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. "Ben, Mal! Where are you going?" Carlos shouts. Audrey answers for us. But how she knows, I'll never know. "Belle said that The Council wanted to meet with Mal, Belle, Adam and Ben now. Go, Grammie is there." Ah, so that's how she must know about it. Ben nods and takes off running to the limo where it sits outside the school. We waste no time getting in and arriving at Castle Beast. We're met with a distraught Belle and angry Adam. "Belle!" I call, running up the steps to hug her and Adam. "Are you okay? Ben said that it's got something to do with my Mother?" I say, without taking a breath. Belle pulls away. "Breathe, Mal. All will be explained in time but right now The Council wants to you, Ben, Me and Adam so come on." Ben appears next to me after talking with Adam. Ben holds out his hand and we walk behind Belle and Adam who are holding hands to. "Ben, what will happen?" I whisper. Ben shrugs. "I don't know but like my Dad said: you weren't alone two weeks ago and you're not alone now." That releases some of the nervousness that was building up in my stomach. Belle and Adam stop outside a closed door and even here I can hear the shouting and words that people are saying. About me. "She's obviously helped her Mother. That evil fairy doesn't belong in Auradon let alone the Isle. I say we kill her like we should've done her Mother. Maybe if we did, Maleficent would never become pregnant and had that evil fairy that Ben loves so damn much." I start hyperventilating again. Ben notices immediately and he and Belle sit me down on the floor, on Adams lap. "Mal, match my breathing okay?" Ben says, breathing. I do the same, calming down. I lean my head on Adams broad chest. He starts stroking my hair. "Shhh, it's okay. You don't need to go in there if you don't want to. I'm sure the Council will understand." I need to go in there. "I want to go in there." I say, struggling to get to my feet. Belle helps me up and we walk into the room. At the table are a lot of hero's. I only know a few of them: Aurora, Snow White, Aladdin and Rodger, Anita. Queen Leah, Prince Phillip, Cinderella, Prince Charming and Fairy Godmother. Queen Leah stands up when she sees me walking with Ben, Belle and Adam. "Why is this evil fairy here?!" She screeches. I flinch at her voice, it reminds me of Mom. Ben, Belle and Adam lead me to some empty chairs, I'm between Ben and Belle. Adam is next to Ben. "Well?" Queen Leah barks when no one answers. "Why is that evil fairy in a Council meeting? She's nothing! She shouldn't even be on the Isle of the Lost, let alone Auradon and she sure a hell shouldn't be dating the future king of our kingdom!" I whimper quietly that only Belle, Adam and Ben can hear it. I have to shut her up. "Queen Leah, I was told that the Council wanted to meet me, King Adam, Queen Belle and Prince Ben, at your request, so I came so I could show everyone that no matter what you or anyone else says, I'm dating Prince Ben and there's nothing you or anyone else can do about it. And while I may be the daughter of Maleficent, Mistress of all Evil, some special friends and family in Auradon have shown me that I'm not evil. And I've been told repeatedly that I do belong in Auradon, not on the Isle of the Lost and the more I hear it, the more I believe it." I say, raising from my seat. Queen Leah rolls her eyes. "What 'friends and family?' You have no one who cares about you." I gasp, my insecurities are coming back. "That is enough, Queen Leah." Adam says, also raising from his seat and putting a hand on my shoulder, which doesn't go unnoticed by the Council, especially Queen Leah. "King Adam, why are you putting your hand on that filthy Isle of the Lost trash who helped her Mother escape?!" What?! She escaped?! I turn to Ben and Belle. "SHE WHAT?!" I shout, causing everyone to flinch. "Oh don't play dumb, Maleficent Jr, you know that you're Mother escaped from the Isle of the Lost. You helped her escaped!" I growl at the Queen, who laughs wickedly. I want to slap her but Adam keeps me still. "If you're implying that I helped my Mother escape from the Isle of the Lost, then you're mistaken. I'm more afraid of my Mother more than any of you in here." I hiss. I can't believe this. I go walk away when Queen Leah stops me. "Has your boyfriend and his parents told your brother?" I freeze. What is she talking about now? Does she know that I killed him? "My brother is dead." I simply say. Queen Leah softens her gaze. "You didn't kill Cole, Honey." How does she know his name? I can feel tears welling up in my eyes, I turn my head, to avoid crying in front of everyone. "What do you mean?" I whisper. Queen Leah tries to say something but Belle steps in. "Queen Leah," Belle narrows her eyes. "Don't." Don't what? What aren't they telling? And why? "Queen Leah, please tell me." Queen Leah nods. "Your brother, Cole, didn't die when you accidentally flipped him off that cliff last year, he made it look like he did but in fact he swam underneath the barrier that's around the Isle of the Lost and came to Auradon and is living here. Sweetie, Cole is alive." What is going on? "Come again?" I say. I can't comprehend what she's said. "Mal, Cole is alive, in Auradon and wants to meet you." I can't hold back the tears now. I go to Belle, which is probably not the best idea to do considering that she, Ben and Adam knew about it and didn't tell me. "He's alive. He's alive and Mother has escaped from the Isle. They're coming back to hurt me again." I hear gasps. "We should go now." Queen Leah says. "Yes, I think that is a good idea." Adam says. Queen Leah and Aurora linger behind. "Mal, if you ever want to see Cole, you're more than welcome to see him." Aurora says, patting my back while Queen Leah gives me a sympathetic smile. After they're gone. I unleash my anger. I turn to my boyfriend and his parents. "YOU KNEW????" I scream at them. Ben nods. "Yeah, Mal we did for four weeks." That long? Why didn't they tell me? "We didn't tell you because we were afraid that you'd have nightmares about him abusing you." Adam reasons. "Oh yeah now my Mother's escaped Isle and is probably going kill me for loving Ben." I go to my knees and cry into my hands. "Why can't my life normal?" It's a rhetorical question. Ben, Belle and Adam hug me. "I can't let my Mother hurt Auradon or anyone in Auradon. I'm going after her.

Ben POV

"I can't let my Mother hurt Auradon or anyone in Auradon. I'm going after her." Mal says, her tears are slowing down. The hell she is! I look at my parents. They wear the same expression I do. "No, Mal, you are not going after her. She's caused you enough pain already. You are not going after her, even if me and Dad have to sit on you. I'm not letting you go after her." I snap, hugging her. "But, Ben, I just found out that my brother is alive and my Mom has escaped the Isle and she's probably going to hunt him and recruit him back to hurt me again and I can't live through that torture again. I just can't." She sobs into me. She acts so tough but she's really scared. "My poor princess." I whisper.

Adam POV

Mal is not going after Maleficent. I can't believe that Queen Leah knew about Cole. How did she know? And how did Maleficent get off the Isle? There's a magic barrier dome thingy around it so no villains can escape but Maleficent did and it seems now so has Mals brother. This is just great. What are the people going to think? "But, Ben, I just found out that my brother is alive and my Mother escaped the Isle and is probably go to hunt him and recruit him back to torture me again and I can't live through that torture again. I just can't." Mal sobs into the crook of Bens shoulder. "My poor princess." Ben whispers. Belle and I give the kids some space. We stay at the back of the council room. Belle wraps me in a hug, I know she's upset and not telling me. "Why did Queen Leah tell Mal what we were going to tell her after the meeting?" Belle whispers so the kids won't hear it but I doubt they would've heard it anyway. "Maybe she thought that we weren't going to tell her. Were we even going to tell her? And how does she and Aurora know? It's not like we told anyone about it. The only people who knew were me, you and Ben and now it seemed like Leah and Aurora knew too." Belle looks at me. "What are we going to do about all this: Maleficent escaping? Mal wanting to go after her? Cole being alive all this time and in Auradon? He doesn't know that Mal beat herself up over his 'death' and she got drilled into her head that she was a 'murderer' oh my god, what we do?" To be honest: I have no idea.