Hey guys, just a cheeky one shot for you! This is something that I imagined would happen shortly after Ben's coronation; I hope you like it, much love RSD xoxoxoxoxoxo.
As Ben led me into Auradon Castle two days after his coronation I was scared; Ben told me that his parents wanted to get to know me better which I was fine with. What scared me was when Ben text me and told me that his mother has asked to see me; and ever since then I was worried.
"Everything will be fine" Ben reassured me as he started to lead me down a corridor.
"I told you that she wants to get to know you" he repeated for the fifth time since picking me up from my dorm.
"I know but that but it doesn't stop me being nervous" I repeated back to him.
"Ben I'm meeting your mother, this is a very big deal" I sighed. I didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing that Belle had asked to speak to me. It might be completely innocent but I still couldn't stop worrying.
"Don't these things tend to happen more later on into a relationship?" I asked as my voice went up a few pitches in panic.
"Kinda" Ben admitted nervously.
"But I'm sure everything will be fine" he said as he squeezed my hand as he led me into his mother's study.
"I hope so" I replied.
"Oh Ben and Mal there you both are" Queen Belle said happily as she stood up and watched as both me and Ben walked towards her.
"Thank you for coming to see me Mal" she directed towards me.
"You're welcome" I said as I let go of Ben's hand and I curtsied to the elder queen.
"Thank you for asking to see me Queen Belle" I added after I stood up straight.
"You're welcome" she replied politely.
"Ben honey" she said looking at Ben.
"Yes mother" he replied as he started to smile at her as he reached over for my hand and interlocked his fingers with mine.
"Would you mind leaving for a little bit? I need to speak to Mal" she advised.
"Oh" Ben said as his face dropped.
"Erm" he said nervously.
"Right" he said slowly as he dropped my hand.
"I guess I'll see you both later on" he said sadly.
"Yes" his mother confirmed.
"Thank you Ben" she added. Me and Ben threw each other a startled look before he quickly turned and left the room; closing the door behind him. The fact that I was now alone in a room with Ben's mother was making me panic; this didn't look very good at all! Why would Queen Belle want to speak to me on my own? Even by the look on Ben's face before he left didn't look good!
"Please sit down Mal" Queen Belle instructed as she sat back down on her couch.
"Thank you" I said and I sat down on the couch opposite to her.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" She asked as she signalled to the family of Beast blue and yellow bone china tea set that was in front of her.
"Erm" I said nervously.
"Yes please" I quickly added.
"How do you like it?" She asked. I pulled one brow up in confusion; I had never had tea so I didn't know how I liked it. I took a deep breath and decided to answer the question the best way I could.
"Erm if I am honest-" I started.
"I haven't really had tea before" I admitted and I felt my cheeks start to heat up with my admission.
"So however you would recommend please" I finished politely hoping that this would satisfy the elder queen sitting in front of me.
"Do you have a sweet tooth?" She enquired.
"Pardon?" I asked as I remembered that I had to keep my manners.
"Do you like sweet things?" She questioned which a small smile. The thought of trying not to embarrass myself in front of Ben's mother was getting too much - I wanted her to like me not think I was a stupid dolt!
"Erm-" I started nervously again.
"I know I like strawberries, Ben gave me them on our first date" I said quickly but I quickly started to mentally kick myself; as I looked at Queen Belle's face I could tell that that wasn't the answer that she wanted.
"I see" she noted.
"Well I will put one sugar in your tea" she said and I watched as she did this.
"See how you like that for now" she said as she offered me a cup and saucer.
"Thank you" I replied politely as placed the cup down in front of me as I started to shake with nerves.
"You're welcome" Queen Belle replied before she took a sip of her tea and placing the tea cup and saucer down neatly.
"Try not to be so nervous" she advised with a large comforting smile.
"It's hard not to" I admitted.
"But I'll try" I added.
"Good" she said before we both plummeted into staring at each other for a few seconds.
"Now to business" Queen Belle said breaking the silence.
"Ok" I replied.
"I know this might sound harsh Mal and please know that it isn't my intention. It's just I want to speak to you about something" Queen Belle stated.
"Right?" I said slowly as I pulled one brow up in confusion. Where on earth was this going to go?
"What are your intentions on my son?" She bluntly asked. My body froze in shock - my intentions on Ben?
"Erm-" I started.
"I don't know what you mean Queen Belle" I said nervously as I started to fidget with the rings on my right hand.
"I hope you don't take offence to what I am about to say" she said nervously.
"I'll try not to" I replied.
"But we all know you VK's had a plan when you came here" she prompted me.
"Oh" I said as my eyes widened as I now knew what she wanted to know. She wanted to speak to me to make sure that she knew I wasn't going to hurt Ben; which was now ludicrous as because of Ben I had changed and decided to be good.
"I see" I noted.
"You want to know if I intend to hurt him or whether I am still plotting something" I stated.
"I didn't really want to ask-" she asked nervously which made me pull one brow up in confusion. She was nervous to ask me but she did anyway? I couldn't really blame her - her son was currently dating Maleficent's daughter after all.
"No it's ok" I said trying to reassuring her.
"Your son is currently dating a VK" I added.
"You're being cautious" I said with a smile.
"I wouldn't expect anything different" I continued.
"I think the best and right thing for me to do is to be completely honest with you" I finished before picking my teacup and saucer up and taking a drink. I now had managed to calm myself down a little bit as I now knew what Queen Belle wanted to speak to me about; my current concern was now making sure I didn't put my foot in it.
"Please" she said as she watched me return my tea cup back to the table.
"Ok" I said as I made a mental note to try tea in with more sugar in next time - if there was a next time that is.
"I hope I explain this right" I started nervously.
"I know you know about the cookie" I said as I looked down to the ground.
"Correct" Queen Belle confirmed.
"I was led to believe by Ben that you did that as you had a crush on him and he was with Audrey" she advised.
"Erm-" I started as I looked up at her.
"Right" I said slowly as I pursed my lips together. I watched as Queen Belle started to look confused; it's better to just be honest with her I told myself. It won't do any good to lie to her.
"It was kinda like that" I admitted.
"Would you please explain further?" She asked.
"Ok" I said.
"It's a long story" I advised.
"We have plenty of time" she said politely with a smile.
"Ok" I repeated.
"When my mother found out that I was to come here with my friends she made a plan. You see since you and King Beast sent the villains there twenty years ago they have been trying to find ways to escape the Isle" I started to explain as I looked to the floor.
"I see" she noted.
"What was her plan?" She wondered.
"She wanted the fairy godmothers wand; she seemed to think that if she had it and her sceptre she would be able to bend both good and evil to her will. She explained that it was imperative that I did followed her plan; to get revenge on you all. When I came here I intended to follow her plan-" I advised but stopped myself.
"I just didn't expect-" I started.
"Expect what?" She asked.
"Ben" I said as I tore my eyes from the floor. I noticed a change in Queen Belle's eyes; but it didn't worry me. In fact it reassured me as her eyes now looked warm and reassuring at the sound of her son's name.
"When I first met him I felt something different and I couldn't figure it out" I admitted as I remembered arriving in Auradon and meeting Ben.
"If I am being completely honest I still don't understand it" I stated.
"Ben is right I did give him the cookie to get him away from Audrey but the main reason at the time was because I needed to be close to the wand at his coronation. However-" I said stopping myself to quickly glance away from her before I looked back.
"I spent time with Ben and he genuinely wanted to spend time with me, he wanted to get to know me. He didn't want to hurt me, shout at me or call me names; he's not like anyone else I have ever known. As long as I have been here I think he is the only one that hasn't shown me any prejudice" I explained lovingly. I got so much into it I didn't realise what I had said until it was too late.
"Sorry I didn't mean-" I quickly said as my hands rose to cover my mouth in panic.
"No it's ok" she replied trying to reassure me.
"I know what you mean" she added and I watched as she pursed her lips together.
"Please continue" she prompted which made me drop my hands from my mouth and nod. For some reason it was really easy to speak to Queen Belle and this was when I made a mental note that this is probably where Ben got it from. He very easily got information out of me that no one else could - I actually found it quite scary.
"The night before Ben's coronation I made him an anti-love potion and I gave it to him on the way to his coronation. He ate it straight away and I thought the game was up. At the time I thought-" I started to explain but stopped as I started to relive it in my mind.
"I thought that he was still under the love spell, and due to my mother's threats I knew that I had to follow her plan. The backlash isn't worth thinking about" I said as I winced as I started to think about the things that my mother told me that she would do to me if I failed.
"I knew that if I somehow even managed to get the wand to my mother the first thing she would do would be imprison you all. I didn't want to hurt Ben any further; I thought it was cruel to keep him under the love spell. However he shocked me-" I continued as I started into space.
"After eating my anti-love potion Ben told me that he knew that I had spelled him and that he wasn't faking it. He said my spell washed off him in the Enchanted Lake during our first date and that he did in fact love me. It made me so happy; I've never had someone who genuinely loved me before" I admitted as I nervously looked back at Queen Belle.
"Oh Mal" she said sadly.
"Something I haven't told Ben-" I continued as I didn't want either of us to fixate on what I had said.
"Is that the moment I knew that I didn't want to lose him was the moment that I made that anti love spell. It upset me so much to think that I had to give him up; I felt this warm feeling in my chest and-" I said but stopped as I started to feel my eyes water at the memory of thinking I had to give Ben up. This was very hard for me; as I had never felt it before and I never wanted to feel it again. Ben meant a lot to me already even though we hadn't know each other that long; but for some reason it felt right and I didn't want anything to change.
"Sorry I got carried a bit away" I said nervously.
"No thank you for being honest with me" she pressed.
"Queen Belle you want to know my intentions for Ben-" I started.
"I don't understand love properly" I admitted.
"But what I do know is that all I want is for Ben to be happy. I wasn't lying at his coronation he does make me happy and I can only hope that I make him just as happy in return" I explained.
"I believe you do make him happy" she replied happily.
"I have noticed a change in him; a good change" she added with a smile.
"I will admit I was nervous when he introduced you to me at family day" she admitted.
"I could tell" I chucked. I now felt as ease with Queen Belle; it looked like she was happy with my answers so I hope I did me and Ben proud.
"Belle I really don't want to hurt your son" I said sincerely.
"I do really like him" I admitted as I felt my cheeks started to heat up.
"I promise I'll try not to hurt him" I promised.
"And that is all I can hope for" she replied.
"Thank you for being honest with me" she added.
"Thank you for giving me a chance" I answered.
"I know some people in Audraon don't believe I deserve one" I said sadly.
"You do" Queen Belle pressed.
"Ben is right" she said proudly.
"You do deserve a chance" she said as she nodded.
"He's a great king" I said proudly.
"This kingdom is very lucky to have him" I added.
"I agree" Queen Belle said.
"Are you going to tell Ben what I said?" I asked. I knew there was a chance that she might but I wanted to tell him - in my own time.
"No" she confirmed.
"I think that is something you should do" she clarified.
"Thank you" I said with a smile.
"You're welcome" she answered.
"I will tell Adam though" she informed me.
"Ok" I said as I digested this information.
"I just want you both to like me" I stated.
"Like me for me; not worry about what you might have heard from my past" I pressed.
"Well how about this?" Queen Belle stated as she slowly stood up.
"We start a new from now" she added with a large smile.
"Agreed" I replied with a large smile as I stood up as well.
"How do you do Mal" she added and I watched as she stuck her right hand in my direction.
"I'm Ben's mother, Belle" she said as she watched me look at her hand. I pulled one brow up in confusion for a couple of seconds before I realised that she wanted me to shake her hand.
"How do you do Queen Belle" I said as I quickly slid my hand into hers and shook her hand.
"Please call me Belle" she insisted.
"Well when we are home like this, however at public events we will need to stick to formality even though I don't really like it" she added.
"Ok" I replied. I watched as Belle opened her mouth to say something but was stopped by a knock on the door.
"Come in" she said as we dropped our hands from each other. I watched as Queen Belle quickly sat down so I copied her; we both saw the door open before we heard a voice.
"Can I come in yet?" the voice asked.
"Yes Ben" Belle confirmed and we watched as Ben came into view. His eyes went quickly to me and he smiled at me; I couldn't help but smile at him - my perfect boyfriend.
"Is everything ok?" He asked us as he sat down next to me and took my right hand in his left.
"I believe so, don't you Mal?" Belle asked me with a smile.
"Yes I do Belle" I confirmed happily. I watched as Ben's eyes widened slightly to the change of his mother's name then a large grin spread across his face. Surely this must have looked like a good sign to him.
"Yes I do" I repeated as I squeezed Ben's hand. Ben grinned at me before he dropped my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist and he pulled me to him; I noticed that Belle was smiling at us both and I smiled back at her. Yes meeting Belle was scary and a very big deal but I think I handled it really well; and this was the main thing.