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Audrey would have liked to stay with her godmothers and take a longer break. She always swore to herself that she wouldn’t watch television or hear any news from the royalty tour. Part of her mind told her it was unfair, and another part just wanted to cry. Audrey had known Ben all her life. They had always been together and from the beginning, she had felt that they were destined.
Obviously, Audrey had been wrong.
She remembered how she constantly blushed when looking at Ben. Since she was a little girl. Ben had always made her feel like the world could be a perfect dance. Just the two of them. And nothing more.
But he was to be king of Auradon. And as such, if Audrey wanted to be his life partner, she should prepare to be a queen who thought of Auradon. And when Ben asked her to be his girlfriend, she thought she has to be the best. Audrey now realized her mistake. She had desperately fought to be the perfect princess, the perfect girlfriend, and the perfect student, who at some point had isolated herself from who made her happy.
So, when she made the mistake of watching one of the recent press conferences where Mal and Ben were appearing, she felt uncomfortable.
That wasn't Mal.
That wasn’t the girl for whom Ben ended their relationship.
That was a perfect princess of Auradon. Without any feature of the island or of what Ben seemed to be so fascinated by.
Audrey would have liked to stay with her godmothers and take a longer break. But the problem with loving someone was that you still cared even when you were no longer a couple. So, she came back to Auradon Prep. And Audrey couldn't believe what she was about to do. But before changing her mind, she headed for Mal's bedroom.
“You shouldn't keep using your magic.” Evie's voice carried down the hall.
Audrey stopped.
“You don't understand. What everyone wants from me is a perfect princess. They expect me to be like Audrey... And I can't be like her. I'm already tired of hearing all those kings and queens mention how Audrey didn't ruin her dress or know the protocols of their kingdom or... Everything!”
Audrey closed the distance. Mal sounded so exhausted and sad. Angry in an anxious way.
“I feel like if I make a mistake… they will send me back. Us. Audrey would surely be happy.”
“Not really.” Audrey entered the room “And don't look at me like that, Mal. If you don't want me to hear your conversation, you should close the door and not speak so loud.”
“You came back...” Evie got up from her desk and looked at her not really knowing what to say, “Are you-?”
“Annoyed that the rebellious girl is trying to be the perfect lady? Yes.” Audrey crossed her arms and looked at Mal. “And I thought it was crazy when my godmothers kept changing the color of my mother's dress. May I know why you decided to be blonde?”
“Why do you care?” Mal reacted defensively and looked around “What are you doing here?”
But Audrey didn't answer. She didn't owe Mal an explanation. And she didn't have time to tell them that she and Ben were friends no matter what. Audrey didn't have the guts to say out loud that she was doing that for Ben.
“Are you using magic?” Audrey watched as the girl reached her hand toward her spellbook “Are you going to cast a spell on me too?”
“Are you going to tell Ben?” Mal asked.
She sounded scared. Defensive and haughty but scared.
“He doesn’t know it?” Audrey moved into the bedroom and peered into Mal's closet “Oh… I could swear I have a dress just like this. And that same jacket...” She looked at the other girl over her shoulder “Were you inspired by my style? That’s cute. But also your best option.”
Mal's eyes sparkled like emeralds in the light.
“Ben doesn't know...”
Audrey stared at her. She felt like her grandmother when she caught her lying. Audrey stared at Mal, waiting.
“Usually he doesn't know.” Mal dropped her shoulders. “Magic is complicated.”
“That is why you mustn’t use it.”
“You can't use it...”
“Excuse you?” Audrey looked around. “Many of us can use magic. But we don't. Things become extremely easy when you use magic.”
“It’s different when you have the possibility to don’t it. We never could.” Evie crossed her arms and looked out the window “And you always had everything. You didn't need magic to improve your lives.”
Audrey lowered her gaze. That was true. It had always been an option. A social norm. And that is because Auradon was perfect. And that is why someone didn't need to solve it one way or another with magic. But the island was different.
“Does Ben usually not know that you use magic on him?” Audrey ventured, keeping the expressions on her face indifferent and her voice the same as before.
“He doesn’t know it.” Mal clarified, staring at her “He doesn’t need to know.”
There was a threat there.
But Audrey was used to dealing with domineering people. Mal wasn’t half as terrifying as her grandmother. She took a step forward and bowed her face. Searching in Mal’s eyes.
“Did you have him under a spell this whole time?”
Audrey wanted to know what she had been suspecting. From the moment Ben had changed drastically, declaring his love for Mal so unexpectedly, Audrey had suspected something.
“It was necessary!” Mal said.
Audrey glanced at Evie, who did seem more aware of what all this entailed. But the other girl looked away.
“It’s not always the same spell.” Mal clarified.
Audrey denied in disbelief.
“He loves you.” She had to say it, though it hurt “And this-?”
“How do you know he does it? How do you know it's not because of the magic I used on him? Or because of what I’m now?” Mal shortened the distance between them “How do you know?”
“...because he has never looked at me the way he looks at you.” Audrey took a step back.
“That just means it may be because I spell him.”
“From the beginning. The way he looked at you from the beginning.” Audrey clarified “The way he looked at you… Ben was drawn to what you represented. Because… Oh…” She laughed and leaned against the door “Because like in every story, Mal, you weren't like the other girls. And the prince fell in love with you for that. Beautiful and different.”
The realization hit her. In her quest to be the right person, Audrey had failed the most basic. In being herself. So long Audrey had struggled to control her temper and respond to the public opinion that she had become like any other princess. She alone had turned away from her fairy tale.
“Are you going to tell him the truth?” Mal stared at her, her eyes twinkling.
Audrey considered her options. A small smile formed on her lips.
“Do you think that's how you are going to get him back?” Mal asked, without malicious intent. Just an honest question.
“I love him.” Audrey reminded her, lifting her chin “That he doesn't feel the same, doesn't mean anything.”
“So, you will.” Evie looked at her doubtfully “What will become of us?”
“Ben will never send you back to the island if you don't want to.” Audrey noticed how they relaxed “I hope you don't continue your relationship with Ben because of this.”
“...no...” Mal lowered her gaze “You wouldn't understand. Besides, if you tell him the truth... “
“...surely he will forgive you.” Audrey shrugged “Ben and I were best friends. And… that's the noble boy I fell in love with. He may not love me, but he still needs me.”
“I will never understand the people of Auradon.” Mal confessed intrigued “What do you get with all this?”
“For the sake of the island and Auradon, I hope you will come to understand that soon.” Audrey looked at the spellbook one last time and left the room.
Audrey would have liked to stay with her godmothers and take a longer break. But it was time to get back into the narrative.
“Audrey?” Ben's voice from across the hall made her heart race “I'm so glad to see you!”
She closed the distance between them and took courage.
“I'm going to tell you something worse than a lie.” Audrey explained, “Because I'm going to tell you the truth.”