Hey guys, welcome back to our Learning to Love series. I hope you enjoy where I am going with this story. If I am being honest this series was actually meant to be one long story; but I decided to make it a series as there is so many parts to it. Let's jump into the next part of our journey together, much love RSD xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo.
*Mal's POV*
I was currently on my way to see Ben; I hadn't seen him all week due to his ever-growing work commitments recently. It had been a couple of weeks since the kingdom had found out about me and Ben and there had been a mixed feelings about it; most people were glad that we had got back together but there was still a small amount of people that still believed that Ben should be with a Princess. However Ben had dismissed this; he told everyone very happily that he had his purple haired Princess back and I couldn't wait to see where life was going to take us both. I was just about to walk into his office but I stopped myself from walking into the doorway when I heard a very familiar voice.
"Ben come on really; you need to think about this" the voice said.
"I don't need to Audrey" Ben dismissed which made me freeze in shock. Why on Auradon was Audrey in Ben's office right now? I know that I should move but I was frozen in shock; and something was telling me that I wasn't about to like overhearing this particular conversation.
"I love Mal" I heard Ben urge.
"You thought that before and look what happened; she broke your heart" Audrey snapped and my heart sank. Now it was obvious why Audrey was now talking to Ben - she was here to try and get Ben to break up with me.
"Yes" Ben confirmed and I had to suppress a sob as my throat started to constrict.
"Then why give her another chance?" Audrey snapped.
"Because I love her Audrey" Ben said and I let a weak smile spread across my face. I didn't doubt Ben fighting for me; but what scared me is the comments that Audrey was about to say to get Ben to see her point of view.
"I don't even know why you are here" Ben sighed.
"Because me and you were together before you dropped me again for her!" she snapped and my face dropped in shock. Ben was dating Audrey again before he started dating me again? I didn't know what I really thought about this; I could now see why Audrey was annoyed with Ben. But now this started another train of thought in my mind - why hadn't Ben told me about this?
"Audrey-" Ben started.
"No Ben" she stated cutting him off.
"If you really want to continue with the facade that you have with Mal then you are more than welcome to her; but you will not get a third chance with me" she warned him and I could tell by the tone of her voice she was hoping that Ben would start to beg and plead with her. But I knew Ben wouldn't go back to her - I didn't even know why Ben had started dating her again if I was being honest. The first time they were together at Auradon Prep all she did was boss him around.
"Let me make this very clear to you Audrey; I don't need a third chance. I love Mal" Ben stated and a grin spread across my face.
"We only had a couple of dates; that is nothing compared to what I have with Mal" he pressed.
"Ben she is street trash!" Audrey spat and I felt my stomach start to burn as I pushed the lump down in my throat that was trying to become a permanent fixture.
"Don't you dare call her that; Mal is not street trash!" Ben shouted and I jumped in shock. I sighed; I knew that people were still going to think little of me. And given my history with Audrey's family I should have known that she thought that I wasn't even good enough for her to stand in never mind be with our King.
"Ben she can't give you what I can" Audrey urged which made me sigh again.
"Which is what Audrey?" Ben asked darkly.
"Because all I get from you is a lot of earache!" he snapped.
"I don't know why I even started this with you again" he sighed.
"Because you know you need me!" Audrey pressed.
"Ha!" Ben laughed sarcastically and I couldn't believe how harsh Ben was being with Audrey which told me that this wasn't the first conversation they had had about this.
"I don't know what is so funny about that; you need a Princess by your side" she stressed.
"I need Mal by my side; I love her Audrey" Ben stated bluntly.
"But does she love you?" she asked harshly and I gasped as the room fell into silence.
"Yes" Ben finally answered.
"How can you know that?" she stressed.
"Because my heart tells me so" Ben fired back. Part of me wanted to jump into the room and stop this conversation but I was currently crippled in panic by the comments that was being said.
"You really think you are Prince Charming?" Audrey scoffed.
"No; I think I am the King of Auradon and you need to address me as such" Ben warned her which made me fill with pride due to my perfect Beast.
"Ben you can't string me along like this!" Audrey stated.
"Yes; and I am very sorry for that" Ben sighed.
"But you need to move on; we haven't dated for three, nearly four months" he reminded her.
"Yes and that was plenty of time for her to get her claws back into you!" she snapped.
"You always see Mal as a monster-" Ben started.
"Yes!" she shouted cutting him off.
"Because of where she comes from! Who she is!" Audrey stated which made me groan.
"Watch your words Audrey" Ben growled.
"She is my girlfriend" he reminded her.
"Ha!" she laughed back sarcastically.
"It won't last; the council won't allow it" she sang.
"Won't allow what?" Ben asked in confusion.
"You and her!" Audrey snapped once more.
"You need to marry a Princess; someone who has been brought up for such a life" she tried to remind him. Yes I didn't have the upbringing she had; but I had everything that Ben wanted and needed. He needed someone strong who could be by his side and help him through the stress and strains of his job. I wanted to be the person that he would come to when he had a problem; and I didn't really see Audrey or any girl in this kingdom doing what I could do for him.
"That doesn't mean that it needs to be you" Ben answered back and I could tell by the bored tone of his voice that he was getting very bored of this conversation.
"Yes it does!" she pressed.
"Audrey this is getting us nowhere" Ben dismissed.
"I think you should go" he advised.
"No!" she exclaimed.
"We need to talk about this" she quickly added.
"Why?" Ben sighed.
"It isn't going to change anything; Mal is my girlfriend. And this is how it is going to stay!" he snapped and I felt my stomach flutter. I made a mental note to make it up to Ben when we were on our own; he deserved to be held and supported through this as it sounded like he was having a hard time keeping Audrey at bay.
"Until she decides that she doesn't love you" she said darkly.
"But you can't really blame her, can you?" she sighed.
"And what is that supposed mean?" Ben snapped.
"Well I have heard things" she advised and I knew exactly who had been telling her things - Queen Leah!
"Like what?" Ben questioned and I knew that he probably would be pursing his lips together.
"Well you know about her and her mother" she answered back dismissively.
"That is it!" Ben snapped.
"You need to go! Now!" Ben shouted.
"No Ben; she is just like her mother" she argued back and I could tell that she was also getting sick of this conversation as Ben wasn't listening to her.
"No she isn't; you don't know her" Ben answered.
"And you think you do?" she laughed.
"That is actually laughable" she added sweetly.
"Audrey go!" Ben shouted.
"Please; this is really crossing a line!" he advised and I felt like I had heard enough and I wanted to get out of this situation and quick. Everything that she had said had really hurt me. And if you combined that with the fact that Ben had hid the fact that he and Audrey were dating before we started dating again was also knocking me off guard. Yes it probably really wasn't any of my business but if it didn't mean anything to Ben like he was making it sound like then why did he not tell me?
"Yes it Ben" I advised meekly and I stepped into the doorway and I watched as both of their faces dropped in panic and shock.
"Mal!" Ben exclaimed.
"How much of that did you hear?" he asked.
"Enough" I shrugged and I quickly turned and ran down the corridor. I heard Ben call down the corridor after me but I ignored him and continued to run out of Auradon Castle quickly before Ben could stop me. Yes I knew that I needed to speak to Ben; but right now I just needed to be on my own to digest everything that I had just heard. Yes I knew that me and Audrey were never going to be on good terms - but this didn't mean that what she said didn't hurt. Because it did - very much.