Chapter Text
Scribbling his signature on the last line of the twenty-page act, Ben’s head wasn’t where it was supposed to be. This act was one of the only things in his life that was falling into place. Heroes and sidekicks were finally getting a law that spelled out compensation for their decades of work. It wasn’t enough, but it was a start. It would at least keep the council in his favor for the next session when they reconvened in October.
The real thing distracting his brain however, was his wedding. A little more than a year had passed since last summer and they were perfectly on track for August 13th. The problem? There were four weeks until the date and he wanted to back out.
“Signed and sealed,” he remarked, clipping the stack of papers together and stuffing them into the already bulging leather folder.
“Perfect,” Doug said, looking up with a smile. He set his computer on the coffee table and went to grab the folder from the long chestnut desk. He made a mental note to run it down to Cogsworth for processing before he met up with Evie in the foyer. “Any plans for tonight?”
Ben looked up at Doug, proceeding to lower his head. Fiddling the pen between his fingers, he looked back at Doug who had started to walk away.
“No, not really. What would you do if I said that I wanted to call off the wedding?” Ben admitted, his mouth feeling strange as the words tumbled out. He watched Doug nod his head, seemingly not registering what he had just said.
Slowly, Doug’s face fell and his brows furrowed. He turned back around to look straight at Ben. “W—what?”
Overcome with disbelief, Doug sat down and shut the top of the computer. He stuffed it into his leather crossbody bag and set the folder on top of it. The air between them stilled and Ben audibly gulped. He drew in a breath, hesitant to break the silence.
“You know how dad wanted to retire, so I needed to become king? Well, his pressure got to me.”
Doug nodded, well aware of the sudden proclamation Beast had made on Ben’s 15th birthday. He would never forget how only a year later, at the same time the VKs arrived, his best friend had the country placed into his hands
“There was a catch. Dad doesn’t want me to rule alone, so I need to get hitched before I turn 21. I initially said no. Stood my ground. But I’m such a coward,” he groaned. “The problem is that Mal is miserable here and I feel like we shouldn’t go through with it. At the end of the day, I just want time. That’s it. Time.”
Doug’s face twisted, and Ben was sure his friend was confused.
“And why didn’t you say this before now?
“Nevermind that. I need a solution.”
“I'm not sure I’m any help with your dad. But Mal’s miserable? Evie said she’s… well she’s adjusting?”
“She hates the press, she hates protocol, she hates being in a separate wing from me, and she hates the staff’s constant inquiries. But now she has to accept that this is all there is left for her. Sometimes I don’t even feel like I actually know her, you know? Marriage at this scale is such a binding decision and I’m not sure we know what we’re doing.”
Ben glanced at Doug, aware of his friend’s churning thoughts. He watched him swing his bag over his shoulder.
“Oh, and also, I just found out that she spelled me in order to get the wand at my coronation. I mean she chose good and I don’t doubt that but—but I think we’ve been expecting a bit too much of her.”
“This whole ‘royalty’ thing is new to her. But honestly, Auradon for all of the VKs is still new. And about her confession, she might be trying to start off this new chapter with transparency. Mal may have waited this long because she still felt guilty?” Doug proposed, giving her the benefit of the doubt.
Evie had confessed the plot last summer during a movie night and he was aware that she still felt some degree of shame. So it may not be too far off the truth for Mal to feel such too. Especially since she was the one who directly spelled Ben and nearly carried out the plan.
Doug’s words didn’t seem to help as Ben’s face still fell and he stared at his monogrammed notepad.
“Yeah.”
“You could still get a bit of time if you want. Move her to your wing. Scale back “protocol” since we’re both aware that it’s rubbish anyway. Hire a press secretary. You could ask Deborah to clear your schedule. You could talk to Mal about your concerns and maybe take a pre-wedding vacation,” he listed out before Ben interrupted.
“Well traditionally, we can’t share a wing until—“
“You practically shared a room every other night during our senior year, which if I recall, was against the rules,” Doug countered with a raised brow. Ben spluttered, attempting to deny the claim, but his friend was right.
Refraining from answering Doug, he attacked his last suggestion. “Maybe I could just retreat for a bit. I’ve been trying to help her get accustomed to all of this, but she hasn’t been receptive. I’m positive that she just wants to run away from it all.”
“So why don’t you temporarily run away together?” Doug pushed, glancing at his watch for the time. He was cutting it close, Evie likely already in the foyer. Quickly sending her his location and an approximate arrival time, he turned off his watch and gave his undivided attention to Ben.
The young king set his pen down and leaned back in his armchair. With his arms crossed, he eyed the photo collage on his desk that featured Mal, a couple of family ones on the edge and a friend group one from graduation in the center.
“Mal went with Evie to try cakes. She told me she picked the precession music and the drapery with Jane and Fairy Godmother and she helped Mrs. Potts and Chip plan the menu. As my work and her wedding planning have increased, we seem to be growing apart. For some reason it doesn’t feel like our wedding. Just another cotillion.”
Doug didn’t say anything immediately, but hummed in acknowledgment.
“Were you set on making those decisions with her? Like trying cakes and what not?”
“I mean not really. I just would have liked to spend that time together. I don’t know. It just feels weird, you know? To have had no input in what everyone keeps telling me—is supposed to be one of the biggest moments of my life.”
“Well, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you suggested a different cake flavor. Communication is key. And a vacation alone is definitely not a good look. While your dad is not likely to budge on the 21 thing, could you postpone it for another year? Just to focus on yourselves and the relationship? I mean you’ve technically got 2 more years.”
Ben leaned up in his chair to the desk and sifted through the stacks of files in front of him. He pulled out the thick guest list, elaborate layout and placement map, as well as the 120-page spreadsheet of expenses.
“Postponing this wedding is impossible. Would you like to send almost 900 Auradonians, the press, and all of the dignitaries from the nineteen regions and around the world new invitations? Switch the caterer’s and florist's schedules, move back Main Street Bakery’s order? The cathedral is already set up, security planned, and the live time slot on ANN is expected to draw in 56 million views in Auradon alone.”
Ben groaned and threw the file back down with a slap on the table.
“Alrighty then, why don’t you start working on your relationship dynamics? You’ve turned down every suggestion I’ve made and I’m out of ideas. Why not start by talking to both Mal and a relationship professional?” Doug asked, standing up.
Ben didn’t reply, instead leaning forward against his desk. As Doug started for the door, Ben reached for his phone. He opened it to check his schedule. Clearing the rest of the day to talk to Mal might just be the next best course of action.
“But seriously, if you’re having doubts, that’s a pretty big deal. My suggestions all still stand, but of course I’m not a couples counselor. So… you both should really see one. Oh, and just to make sure, you don’t think it’s just the ‘honeymoon phase’ ending?”
Ben shook his head, proceeding to dial a number. Doug assumed it was Deborah as he got closer to the door and heard the telephone ringing outside the office. She picked up and Ben asked her to clear his schedule. Doug heard the hesitancy in her voice as she went through each meeting and canceled them.
Sending a wave and some luck to Ben, he left the room and shut the door. Deborah turned to look at him and she tried to reciprocate his smile, but her face had concern written all over it.
Heading toward the door out of the main office, Doug contemplated whether he should tell Evie. But it was likely that she’d ask Mal about it and Ben would surely get a load of that. Nervously laughing, Doug felt a wave of concern wash over him. Carrying the King’s secrets was something he technically signed up for as a personal assistant when the Magical Institute of Technology’s academic term ended.
Though this secret in particular weighed him down.
“Today’s top headlines,” the radio blared, causing Doug to stop in his tracks.
“Council members passed the Heroes Act, 40 votes across the board. Sidekicks and Heroes rejoice. In the countdown to the event of the century, King Ben and Lady Mal’s wedding is being dubbed ‘a modern fairytale, sealed with true love.’ Not everyone can have something as special and blissful as that,” the woman said with fondness in her voice.
“All is well for King Ben and Lady Mal. We can’t wait until their big love-filled day!”
Doug shook his head. He still couldn’t believe what Ben had just told him. There was no way they could solve this in four weeks. Feeling defeated already, he opened the door and left the main office. His thoughts were churning as he made his way down the hall. Distracted as he turned the corner, someone else apparently had been too.
Running into them caused the clipped papers to fall out of the folder and to the ground. As his eyes darted to the documents, he caught a glimpse of… blue?