Chapter Text
The sun-dappled path through Auridon Prep's gardens was usually one of Audrey's favorite places to walk, but today her mind was too preoccupied to enjoy the scenery. And it was nice scenery too. She’d even managed to get her betrothed to take a walk with her for once. As she strolled alongside Ben, she couldn't help but voice her growing concerns.
"Ben, don't you think Mal's been using a bit too much magic lately?" Audrey asked, trying to keep her tone casual.
Ben glanced at her, his brow furrowing slightly. "What do you mean?"
Audrey hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "Well, there was that incident in Remedial Goodness 101 where she turned Chad's hair blue..."
"That was just a harmless prank," Ben chuckled.
It might’ve been harmless, but it was still magic. Although Chad had been more amused than angry about his new hair color. She’d thought he might go and ask Mal to redo the prank when it wore off. Ultimately, he decided against it.
"And then she conjured those butterflies in Biology class," Audrey continued, undeterred. An action that Audrey found more than a little beautiful. Seeing Mal surrounded by butterflies had not helped her crush on the other girl die.
"The teacher asked for a demonstration of metamorphosis," Ben shrugged. "Mal was just being creative."
Audrey bit her lip, frustration building. "But Ben, magic isn't supposed to be used so... casually here. What if-"
Her words were cut short as Ben's face lit up. "Oh, there's Mal now!" he exclaimed, waving enthusiastically at the purple-haired girl across the courtyard.
Audrey watched as Mal approached, a smile spreading across Ben's face. In an instant, she let go of Ben’s arm and stepped back. She really hoped he figured out his feelings toward Mal soon. At this point she’d rather not play disapproving girlfriend anymore, it was becoming a bit too hard when Ben wouldn’t even find time to keep appearances.
"Hi Mal," Audrey said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes lingered on the way Mal’s hair brushed over her purple jacket.
"Hey guys," Mal replied, her eyes fixed on Ben. "Ready for our study session, Ben?"
Audrey felt her heart sink as she watched Ben's eyes light up at Mal's arrival. She opened her mouth to remind him of their plans, but he was already speaking.
"Of course! I was just about to head that way," Ben said eagerly.
Audrey cleared her throat. "Ben, weren't we supposed to..." she trailed off as Ben turned to her, a look of confusion on his face.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, realization dawning. "The dress fitting. I'm so sorry, Audrey. I completely forgot."
Before Audrey could respond, her phone buzzed. She glanced down to see a message from the royal tailor canceling the appointment due to an emergency. She looked up, torn between disappointment and opportunity.
"It's... it's fine," Audrey said, making a split-second decision. "The fitting was just canceled. Actually, would it be alright if I joined your study session? There's something I wanted to discuss with Mal."
Ben looked surprised but nodded. "Sure, if that's okay with you, Mal?"
Mal shrugged, her expression unreadable. "The more, the merrier, I guess."
As they walked to the library, Audrey's mind raced. This was her chance to address the magic issue directly with Mal, without seeming like she was tattling to Ben. They settled at a quiet table in the back of the library. As Ben pulled out his textbooks, Mal reached into her bag.
"I brought some snacks," she said, producing a container of colorful, delicious-looking cookies.
Chocolate chip cookies. Audrey stared at them for a brief moment with the knowledge that her grandmother would strangle her if she even tried to eat one. But if she didn’t then it’d be like insulting Mal. She’d rather face political suicide than risk upsetting Ben.
"Wow, these look amazing," Ben said, reaching for one until his phone buzzed. He pouted and turned his attention to the screen of his phone.
Audrey hesitated, eyeing the treats warily. "Did you... make these with magic, Mal?"
Mal raised an eyebrow. "No, I baked them the old-fashioned way. Why?"
Audrey took a deep breath. She really hoped Mal didn’t hate her for this. "Actually, that's something I wanted to talk to you about. I've noticed you've been using quite a bit of magic around school lately..."
When Mal raised an eyebrow, Audrey hesitated. There was every possibility that Mal would snap at her for mentioning that. The scenario of having a pretty girl glaring at her wasn’t something that Audrey wanted.
She paused, gathering her thoughts. "I think it's important you understand that in central Auridon, especially here at school, there are some... sensitivities around casual magic use."
Ben looked up from his textbook, his brow furrowed. "Audrey?"
Audrey ignored him and met Mal's curious gaze. "It's because of King Adam's history with the curse. Many people here, including Ben's father, are a bit... wary of magic being used too freely. I just thought you should know, so you don't accidentally cause any issues."
Mal's expression shifted from confusion to understanding. Although her arms were crossed defensively. "I... I had no idea. Thanks for telling me, Audrey."
As Mal processed this information, Audrey felt a mix of relief and anxiety. She'd said what needed to be said, but now she wondered how this might affect the delicate balance between them all. She really hoped that this didn’t upset the other girl.
As Audrey finished explaining about the magic sensitivities, Ben's phone buzzed again. He glanced at it and stood up, looking apologetic. He’d never looked like that when he had to cancel one of their dates. Audrey tried not to think about that.
"I'm sorry, I've got to run. Some of the guys from the Tourney team need me for a quick strategy meeting," Ben said, gathering his books. "Save me one of those cookies, Mal. They look delicious."
Before either girl could respond, Ben was gone, leaving Audrey and Mal alone at the table. An awkward silence settled between them. Audrey shifted in her seat torn between looking down at her hands and trying to speak. Her eyes landed on the cookies then the slightly disappointed expression on Mal’s face.
Audrey, feeling a mix of nervousness and hunger, reached for one of the cookies.
"These really do look amazing, Mal," she said, taking a bite.
Mal's eyes widened in panic. "Wait, Audrey, don't—"
But it was too late. Audrey had already swallowed the bite of the cookie. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a wave of warmth washed over her, and she felt her cheeks flush. It was worse than when she’d gotten a fever and Chad thought she was going to die. Suddenly, Audrey found herself staring at Mal, noticing things she'd tried hard to ignore before. The way Mal's green eyes sparkled, how her purple hair fell perfectly around her face, the curve of her lips... nope.
"I... I..." Audrey stammered, her heart racing. She stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over her chair. "I have to go!"
Without another word, Audrey fled from the library, leaving behind her half-eaten cookie and all her belongings. Mal sat frozen, staring at the space where Audrey had been, with wide eyes.
"Oh no," Mal whispered to herself, realizing the full impact of what had just happened. The love spell she'd baked into the treats for Ben had instead affected Audrey. And judging by Audrey's reaction, it had hit her hard.
Mal looked at the abandoned cookie and Audrey's things, her mind racing. She needed to fix this, and fast, before things spiraled out of control.
As soon as Audrey disappeared from view, Jay emerged from behind a nearby bookshelf, his face a mixture of concern and amusement. He looked to where the princess had disappeared with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, that didn't go as planned," he said, approaching Mal's table.
Mal groaned, putting her head in her hands. "You think? This is a disaster, Jay."
Jay sat down across from her, eyeing the remaining pastries warily. "I've got to say, I'm a bit worried about Audrey's reaction. Running away from a love spell? That's... not typical."
Mal looked up, her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Jay explained, lowering his voice, "usually people under a love spell can't get enough of the person they're spelled to love. But Audrey just bolted. It's weird."
Mal considered this, a nagging feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. "You don't think... No, never mind. We need to focus on fixing this."
Jay nodded, then glanced at his watch. "Look, I've got to get to the tourney field. The game's starting soon, and if I'm not there, people will get suspicious."
"Right," Mal said, waving him off. "Go. I'll handle Audrey."
As Jay stood to leave, he paused. "Any idea where she might have gone?"
Mal's face fell.
"No," she admitted. "I have no clue where Audrey would run off to."
She didn’t actually know much about Audrey at all.
Jay gave her a sympathetic look. "Good luck. And Mal? Be careful. We don't know how this spell might affect her."
With that, Jay left, leaving Mal alone with her thoughts and a table full of spelled pastries. She began gathering Audrey's belongings, her mind racing.
Where would Audrey go? The dorms? The gardens? Some secret princess hideout Mal didn't know about? And more importantly, how was she going to fix this without revealing the truth about the love spell?
As Mal shouldered Audrey's bag and prepared to begin her search, she couldn't shake the memory of Audrey's flustered face and the intensity in her eyes before she ran. There was something there, something that made Mal wonder if the spell had simply amplified existing feelings rather than creating new ones.
Shaking her head to clear it of such thoughts, Mal set off. She had an enchanted princess to find, and time was of the essence.