BRIAR'S POV: OUTFIT- pinterest.co.uk/phoebenock2/date-b/

I walked through the halls of the castle to my father's office, freezing as I walked in and found my parents kissing. I coughed loudly into my hand causing them to break away and look at me.

"Briar, this is just a little adult fun!" Dad covered up terribly, as though I was a three-year-old who didn't understand.

"Honey, I hope you are still up for today, you know you still have to practice." Mom reminded as she walked up to me and smiled.

I laughed. "Mom, Dad, I know I don't have to practice because I am already a good queen, I overheard mom talking about my queen practice." She looked down guiltily. "I know I never really hang out with you but I really liked the fact that you think I am ready, thanks, mom. I will make you proud." I pulled her into a hug.

"Honey at least stay for a while. I mean, I know you came out all this way for your lessons but now that the truth is out you can spend time with your mother, make it a mother-daughter day." Dad suggested.

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BEN'S POV:

I had spoken to Chad and Briar about my plans for our double date and they both agreed, now I just had to convince Mal. I noticed her walking through the gardens and caught up to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Hey Mal." I greeted excitedly, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I've been thinking about what Briar said the other day, about having a break, and thought it was a really good idea. So I've been talking to them about a double date, what do you think?" I asked hopefully.

"Sounds fun!" Mal agreed with a smile, hiding something behind her back quickly.

I paid no attention to whatever she was hiding and internally cheered as we walked to where we were supposed to be meeting Chad and Briar only to find them on a bench making out. I cringed as we walked up to them.

"Hey, that's enough of that." They pulled away awkwardly as Briar rolled her eyes. "Ready to go on that special double date?" I asked.

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We sat together at a picnic I set up with Chad's help, the four of us around a table eating food that Briar had prepared. "would you like a hot hors d'oeuvre?" Mal asked, leaning over the table to feed it to me.

"Yes, I would." I smiled as I bit into it, a piece falling off and dropping onto my shirt as Briar laughed at me.

"You've always been a messy eater." She joked as she took a slice of pie and placed it on her plate, Mal and Chad laughed as I playfully glared at her. "Anyway, on a serious note, do you like it?" She asked us as she ate a bit of pie carefully so she didn't do the same as I did and stain her dress.

Mal and Chad nodded in agreement, shoving food into their mouths. "I more than like it." I grinned as I took a piece of the pie from her plate. "I double like it." She slapped my shoulder and rolled her eyes as we laughed. "But this is all the food Mrs. Potts made for our parents, how did you remember?" I asked her as I wiped my hands on a napkin.

"I may have asked for her help." She admitted.

"I KNEW IT!" I exclaimed with a laugh. "You could never have done all this alone." I teased.

She mocked offence as she placed a hand over her heart. "I'm hurt."

I gave her arm a light punch as we burst out laughing. "You know I love you really, sissy." I grinned as she rolled her eyes, her laughter dying down. I faced Mal again as she moved her arm and revealed a book from under a napkin. "What's this?" I asked as I grabbed it from in front of her, she tried to get it off of me but I laughed and held it away. I froze when I saw what it actually was, her mother's spellbook.

"I actually threw that in there super last minute, in case it rained or-" she tried to cover up, Briar and Chad watched us as I frowned.

"Speed reading spell." I read as she opened and closed her mouth, not being able to form words. "Blonde hair spell." I felt close to tears as I read on, I felt a surge of anger and slammed the book closed. "And I was giving you props for fitting in so well, for doing your best," I exclaimed as Briar stood, trying to defuse the tension.

"Take back this moment that has passed, return it- reverse it." Mal recited as I stood to form my chair, slamming the book down on the table

"ARE YOU TRYING TO SPELL ME RIGHT NOW?!" I yelled as Chad stepped between us.

"IT HAS BEEN SO HARD!" She yelled back, only fueling my anger.

"YEAH, SOME THINGS ARE HARD! DO YOU THINK LEARNING TO BE KING HAS BEEN EASY ON ME? OR WHAT ABOUT BRIAR? YOU DON'T SEE HER USING SPELLS EVEN THOUGH SHE COULD IF SHE WANTED TO!" I pointed to my sister who glared at me, clearly not happy for being brought into the argument. "I thought we were doing this together?" My voice cracked from the pain I felt as she stood.

"We are Ben, we're doing this together." She answered, tears building in her eyes as well.

"But we're not." I pushed in my chair. "We're not, you've been keeping secrets and lying to me." She gasped, trying to speak but I didn't let her. "I thought we were done with that, this isn't the Isle of the Lost, Mal."

She glared at me. "Yeah, believe me, I know that." She snapped.

"Then why are you doing this?" I asked.

"Because I'm not one of those pretty pink princesses Ben. I'm not one of those lady's from the court." A tear fell down her cheek as I felt my heart crack. "I'm a big fake, okay, I'm fake, this is fake." She gestured to her dress and her hair.

I sighed and tried to grab onto her only to be pushed away. "Mal," I said softly.

"No Ben." She walked away leaving me feeling dejected and lost.

"Well, that was something," Briar said with a sigh as she pushed in her chair and started to clear the table. "A lot of good food gone to waste."

"Briar, I'm sorry." I frowned and began to help her.

She suddenly stopped and threw down the empty plate she held onto the table. "Babe-" Chad tried to calm her before she said anything but she ignored him.

"No, Chad, I have to say this." She turned to me with a glare. "You have done it this time." I frowned and looked at my feet as though I was being scolded by my mother. "And bringing me into it was not cool. She is the love of your life and you just yelled at her because she was struggling. Can't you see she's trying to be perfect for you?"

"I don't want her to be perfect though, I fell in love with her for who she was."

"SO GO TELL HER THAT THEN!" She exclaimed. "Go tell her you love her and stop her from doing something stupid okay? I have to go. Bye Chad." Briar finished, giving Chad a kiss on his cheek before giving me one last glare and storming away.