General disclaimer: I don't own Sleeping Beauty, I'm not making any money, this is all for the sake of entertainment, etc. Also, I'm obliged to mention that those below the age of consent should turn back now. Enjoy.
CRACK! The sharp sound of the metal staff on stone resonated over the great hall punctuating the fiery green entrance.
As the rest of the court gasped, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather moved to protect the infant whose Christening merited the gathering.
"Perhaps she's changed." Flora raised an eyebrow at her perpetually optimistic sister.
Fauna continued to whisper, "Perhaps she's come to bless the child, to make amen…" Fauna trailed off as a truly malevolent sneer twisted the green, angular face.
"Perhaps not."
"Well, well quite a glittering assemblage, King Stefan. Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and, how quaint, even the rabble."
Prickly on a good day, the slight raised Merryweather's hackles. "Why you…" Her furious charge was brought up short by the imperious hand thrown across her chest. Merryweather glared up at Flora.
The imposing figure continued to address the king in her unnervingly cordial tone. "I was distressed that I did not receive an invitation."
"You weren't wanted."
Yellow eyes flashed and the combative little faerie felt a shiver of fear. "No, I'm not. You made sure of that, didn't you?"
The dark-robbed figure blinked slowly and seemed to regain her composure. Stefan was once again pinned by the yellow gaze. "I had hoped it was merely due to some oversight."
Though it clearly pained him to do so, Stefan met her eyes. "No oversight."
Ruby lips pressed into a thin line, so he would not keep his word, though she'd held her end of the bargain. Lighting rent the air and the nobles screamed before the deafening thunder silenced them. Green flames rose from the floor to lick at dark robes.
The queen rushed from Stefan's side, pushing the faeries away to enfold her daughter in a protective embrace. The green jaw visibly tightened but the flames at her feet melted back into thin air.
"Well, in that event, I'd best be on my way."
"And you're not offended," the queen paused as her eyes raked over the tall, twisted horns, "your Excellency?"
Glittering yellow eyes met soft blue and found nothing but fear. "Why no, your majesty." She replied softly. The sneer twisted her features once more. "And to show I bear no ill will, I, too, shall bestow a gift on the child."
The queen's eyes grew even wider and she turned into Stefan's waiting embrace. Green flames leapt once more as the tall, spectral figure spread her arms wide. "Listen well, all of you! The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who know her. But, her heart and mind will remain her own, no enchantment shall bend her will." The staff cracked against the floor, echoing in the large, silent chamber.
The queen's brow furrowed and she looked questioningly up at the king. Stefan had a pained look that quickly morphed into anger. "Seize that creature!" The guards rushed forward, spears raised high.
Thunder rolled. "Stand back you fools!" Green flame shot high into the air until nothing of the tall sorceress remained save a hair-raising cackle.
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"Aurora?" Flora sighed, she'd just been gone hardly a moment, "Where is that child?" She muttered.
"I'm up here Mistress Flora!"
Flora raised her eyes to find her wayward charge dangling from the rafters by her legs, long, blonde hair swaying. "Good Lord, child, get down from there!"
"Okay!" Flora's heart rose in her throat as the Princess threw herself from her perch, small body spinning through the air. Aurora exhilarated in the feeling of wind rushing past her ears until a jet of magic stalled her descent and set her gently to the floor.
The gangly twelve year old gave a long-suffering sigh, she was never allowed to do anything fun. "I'm never allowed to do anything fun!"
"You are a princess, princesses do not climb things and the most definitely do not hurl themselves about!"
"I wasn't hurling myself about, I was tumbling!"
"Tumbling?"
"Like the gypsy performers, Marcus and I…well, Marcus showed me how. He snuck into the gypsy camp and one of them caught him but he said he only wanted to know how they were able to turn through the air so they showed him!" Aurora finished her tale in a single breath, blue eyes sparkling.
"Gypsies, good Heavens, the son of an Earl should know better than to cavort with that sort. And you, what have I told you about associating with young Marcus? You're betrothed to Prince Phillip…."
Aurora stifled another sigh in the face of a lecture she knew by heart. She decided it wouldn't be prudent to mention that it had been her idea to visit the gypsy encampment and her silver tongue that granted both children access to the den of the colorful wanderers.
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The Three Good Faeries looked on as Aurora practiced her poise. "What are we to do? She acts more like a boy than a princess." Flora's lament was met with saddened nods.
"Not much we can do with that green witch's "gift." Groused an unhappy Merryweather.
Fauna's brow furrowed, "Well it isn't as if Maleficent made her this way, she only made sure Aurora had free will. Really, it doesn't seem like a such a bad gift, I mean, her spell protects the child."
"Protects her? Hah!" Merryweather huffed.
"Fauna, we can hardly be expected to advise the child if her mind is closed to us." Flora fairly dripped condescension. "Look at that mess with her mother, who knows what would have become of her if we hadn't stepped in."
Fauna sighed, it was difficult to argue that particular point, she was startled from her musing by Flora. "Aurora! You're supposed to be balancing that book on your head, not reading it."
"All you want me to do is walk circles around this room, I've done that already. I don't understand why I have to do this anyway, I already know how to walk."
"Now you must learn to glide as befits royalty." Flora snatched the book and placed it back on Aurora's head. "Come now child, you don't want to disappoint your mother and father, do you?" The princess sighed and did her best to traverse the floor without toppling the book. The faeries watched their charge move gracefully about the room.
"There, you see, she's doing fine." Fauna beamed.
"She's fine when we're watching her. Aurora just doesn't want to be a princess." Merryweather received a stern look from Flora at her pronouncement.
"Don't you see, Fauna, if it weren't for Maleficent's curse, we could make her want to be a princess, then she would apply herself to her studies instead of running amok all the time and everyone would be happy."
Fauna smiled at Flora's words but privately wondered if being under a spell counted as being happy.
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Grunts, snorts, and battle cries accompanied the thunderous return of her army. Maleficent rose smoothly from her throne and held out a fine-boned hand for the raven. "Shall we see what they're so happy about, my pet?" The sleek, black head tipped to the side, seemingly in understanding.
The goblin army had been an inspired notion, the perfect way to irritate Stefan without disrupting her studies. A slow smile spread across her face, this was the their first raid into the kingdom. The Goblins fell silent as the tall figure appeared at the parapet above the parade ground. Maleficent was momentarily struck dumb by the sight before her. Goblins pulled wagons and sledges heaped with charred timber, straw, and the bodies of villagers and livestock.
The horned woman stared for a long moment, then turned to the raven and sighed. "WITLESS FOOLS!" Maleficent's rage sent cold fear into the heart of every goblin. "Why have you littered my castle with this…debris?"
Visibly trembling, the burly goblin general stepped forward. "You said to take the village your majesty."
"Take the village." The green woman's jaw hardened and her eye fell closed as she struggled to remain clam. "I said 'take the village' as in conquer it, kill the people, loot the place. I DID NOT tell you to bring corpses and smoking rubble into the castle!" Receiving naught but confused stares, her tenuous hold on her temper snapped. "IDIOTS! IMBECILES!" Lightning flew from her staff as the tall spectre vented her rage and loneliness on the hapless goblins.
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Aurora plucked absently at her harp, though not nearly as dull as other "lady like" preoccupations, music practice failed to hold the fourteen year old's attention. The princess perked up when a girl entered the solarium lugging two pails of steaming water. Aurora jumped up from her seat. "Would you like some help?" The girl noticed the princess and her eyes widened.
"No miss!" She moved back toward the door. "I'll just come back later." Aurora blocked the door. "Don't go, I'm just playing the harp."
"Oh I wouldn't want to disturb the young miss."
"Please," Aurora lifted sparkling blue eyes. "I'm exceedingly bored, stay and talk with me, please don't leave me all alone with that harp." The girl found herself lost in the beseeching countenance. "I suppose, well, just a moment." Aurora beamed.
The girl, Meghan, was a scullery maid and all too happy to shirk her duties to play with the princess. The girls stole away from the castle together whenever they could, they whiled away the hot summer days playing in the fields getting into mischief in the village around the castle.
Aurora flopped backwards into the loft, bouncing gently on the pile of hay. Megan leaned over on a skinny elbow and gazed down at the princess. "I have a secret." Her brown eyes shined with excitement. "I kissed Raul."
"What was it like?"
Meghan smirked, "Wet."
Aurora gave a decidedly unladylike snort and rolled atop her friend. "Really Meg, what was it like?" Meghan looked up and found herself caught in a sea of blue. Her eyes dropped to the lips that had only recently become full and inviting. Licking her own dry lips, Meghan whispered, "Let me show you."
The kiss was soft and sweet and the first of many. The girls had a vague notion that the increasingly steamy make-out sessions were crossing the line from exploration into taboo, but both were loathe to call a halt to the pleasurable endeavors.
"Aurora!" Meghan yelped as the princess nipped at her neck from behind. "I must get this floor clean and you should be working on that embroidery." Meghan groaned as a pink tongue soothed the bite. "Fauna's going to come back and you won't have a single stitch more than when she left."
Aurora ran her hands slowly up and down the maid's sides. Putting her lips close to Meghan's ear she whispered, "I'll just tell her I made a mistake and had to pull my stitches." She punctuated this declaration by running the tip of her tongue around the shell of the maid's ear. Meghan groaned then spun to face the princess and begin an oral expedition of her own.
This was the sight that greeted an unsuspecting Fauna. The matronly faerie could not contain her shock. "Princess Aurora!" The young lovers sprang apart, clothes rumpled, expressions guilty. Fauna found her footing, "You! I don't want to see you in the castle ever again and if I hear even a whisper of this, you will regret it." Meghan nodded jerkily and ran from the room without sparing the princess a glance.
"It's not her fault, Mistress Fauna. She shouldn't have to leave the castle just because we…"
"AURORA!"
The princess took a step back from her the normally gentle faerie. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" Fauna followed the young royal. "Aurora, what you were doing is wrong. It would be bad enough with a boy, but with another girl, Aurora, you'll go to Hell!" Blue eyes opened wide in fear. "We won't tell anyone, it would be terrible if anyone found out," Fauna's eyes bored into Aurora, "You will forget about that girl, you won't tell Flora or Merryweather, certainly not your parents and you will NEVER shame your family like this again!"
The blonde head hung and sad blue eyes filled with tears.
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Queen Marlene brushed a hand over her daughter's silky blonde locks. "I'm so proud of you Aurora, soon you'll be sixteen, then we'll plan your wedding to Prince Phillip." The princess gave a weak smile and continued to study the floor. Marlene dipped her head trying to catch her daughter's eye. "Aren't you excited?"
Aurora blinked and realized that her mother's inquiry demanded a more enthusiastic response. The princess managed a smile slightly larger than the first. "Of course Mother, I'm sure it will be lovely." Her face seemed unable to bear the weight of a smile and her countenance slid back to indifference.
The Queen's brow furrowed, it had been so long since her daughter had truly smiled. What had happened to her bright-eyed child? Her behavior had thankfully become more decorous in the past couple of years, but her disposition had wilted into apathy. "Aurora?"
The princess heard the serious tone in the queen's voice. "Yes, Mother?" She searched the queen's worried face. "Mother, what's wrong?"
The queen sighed, "Nothing Aurora."
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The Three Good Faeries spun webs of magic around a mannequin. The queen watched as the sparkling shimmers coalesced into a beautiful gown. "You ladies do wonderful work." The faeries looked up from their task to greet the queen.
"You look worried your majesty." Merryweather observed. The queen smiled down at the plump faerie. "I'm afraid I am a bit troubled."
Flora and Fauna gathered close. "What is troubling you, your majesty?" asked Flora.
"It's Aurora. She has changed so much."
Flora beamed, "Yes, your majesty, she is much improved these past two years, she has turned into a wonderful young lady."
The queen frowned, "That's true, but she doesn't seem to be happy, she was such a cheerful child, I must confess that I'm concerned about her."
Now Flora frowned, she was pleased to have finally instilled as sense of duty in the princess. "She will be happy your majesty, just as soon as she's married to Prince Phillip. It must be a trial for her to have waited so long."
Marlene gave a weak smile. "Of course you're right, Flora. If anyone knows my daughter, it's you three." The graceful woman took her leave.
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"Aurora." The princess looked up from her book, startled by Fauna's stealthy entry into the library.
"I've practiced my poise, played the harp, and I finished my embroidery, I thought…" the princess trailed off uncertainly. "Well, I thought I might read a bit before dinner?" Fauna smiled.
"I'm not here to chide you about your lessons, child, I simply wanted to ask how you after your wellbeing."
"My wellbeing?"
"Are you well, child? The Queen is worried about you. Flora thinks you're melancholy because you're tired of waiting to marry Prince Phillip." Aurora made as if to speak, then closed her mouth again. "What is it, child? If it's the wedding, you needn't worry, we've got things well in hand."
"What will happen when I become queen?"
"What do you mean dear?"
"What will I do all day?"
"Well dearie, I imagine you'll do much as your own mother does, you'll simply do it in Phillip's kingdom."
Aurora nodded, "That's what I thought. More embroidery, playing and singing then?"
"Why yes child, what else would a high-born lady spend her time at?" Fauna watched blonde brows draw together in consternation.
"Well, what about when we're married, won't I, well, what about an heir?"
Fauna's eyes widened. "Oh dear. Well, of course you'll be expected to, well, dearie you just lie back, Phillip will do the rest. Now this subject hardly befits a lady, why don't you show me your embroidery?"
"Wait!" The princess pinned the faerie with an earnest gaze. "Mistress Fauna, do you remember the summer before last?" Fauna's eyes sharpened. "Well, it's just that Phillip and I have only met a few times and I don't feel that way about him."
The faerie's eyes were solemn. Aurora, I told you never to speak about that summer and as for the prince, you'll grow to love him, believe me." Aurora seemed decidedly dissatisfied with that response and made as if to speak again. Fauna held up a hand, "Your marriage to Phillip will unite Hubert and Stefan's kingdoms, your union will bring joy throughout the land and it will make your parents so happy." Aurora searched the faerie's face, then acquiesced.
"Of course you are right Mistress, forgive me." Fauna gazed at the bowed head and wondered.
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Aurora couldn't believe how cold it was. Having never spent a night outside, the princess was ill-prepared for the change in temperature once night fell. Gathering the long, dark cloak more firmly around her, she continued into the forest further and further away from the castle
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King Stefan's jaw worked a few time before any noise escaped. "She left? Where could she possibly go? Why would she leave?"
Fauna continued, "She wasn't happy your highness."
Flora glared at her sister. "Oh fiddle faddle, Aurora wouldn't leave! It's obvious she's been spirited away by some villain."
Fauna stared at her sister in shock, Flora seemed to think that kidnapping was preferable over the princess leaving of her own volition.
"But Hubert and I are at peace, who would want to steal my daughter?"
Flora mused, "An old enemy? Maybe gypsies trying for a ransom, though I suppose they'd have left instructions for the money."
"Maleficent." Merryweather looked at everyone in turn, "She's been attacking the borders for a few seasons, you aren't at peace with her."
Flora "Good Lord, you're right! She's the only one who could have taken Aurora right from under our noses."
Stefan's eyes narrowed at the mention of the green sorceress. "Can you not use your magic to return my daughter to me?"
Fauna chimed in again, "Oh no your majesty, our powers are not that great." Flora glared at her sister again but wilted when Stefan turned to her.
"She's right your highness, we can try to scry for her, but we cannot wave our wands and bring her back."
"Then I'll get her back myself. Captain! I want your men ready to march by dusk, we're taking the whole garrison to the Forbidden Mountains."
"Sire, you are aware that the castle will be left unprotected?"
"Good God man, this is Aurora, my daughter! I want every soldier in this castle fitted with full gear, we're not coming home without her."
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Maleficent poured over huge leather-bound books and crumbling bits of parchment, pausing every so often to note things in her Grimoire.
THUD THUD THUD THUD The rhythmic sound broke her reverie. The raven screeched as it flew through the window to her hand. "Yes, my pet? What are those fools doing home so soon?" As fun as it was to harangue Stefan's borders, Maleficent had found goblins to be exceedingly stupid and occasionally regretted forming her dark army.
Instead of her unruly horde, the sorceress found a sea of men bearing Stefan's livery assembled on her parade ground. A finely-shaped eyebrow arched, the only sign that the figure at the battlement was surprised.
"Ah King Stefan, to what do I owe the pleasure of a royal visit?"
"Don't play coy with me, return her to me at once."
Red lips slithered into a smile. Maleficent rested her elbows on the parapet and propped her head in hand. "Finally lost your wife, have you Stefan?"
The tall king boiled over. "Archers!" A line of men broke ranks, one step forward, one to the side and began nocking arrows.
"Sire! Is it wise to fire on the castle without seeing to the princess' safety first?" The captain quailed under his king's intense stare.
The sharp-eared sorceress was suddenly alert, so it was Stefan's daughter that had gone missing.
"Come now, Stefan, I play chess, if I was going to take something, it would be your queen."
"Aurora will be safe when that foul creature is dead. Take aim!" Two hundred longbows arched toward the wall top.
"Last chance, Maleficent, where is Aurora?" The horned woman smiled benignly.
"FIRE!" The shafts whistled and cut through the air where their target had been. A green will-o'-the wisp shimmered then rematerialized into the spectral witch. "I didn't take the royal whelp, but since you asked so nicely, I'll help you find her." A pillar of green fire and the signature cackle marked her exit.
The king paled. "What have I done?"
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Maleficent reappeared in the topmost northern tower of her fortress. She checked the wards she'd placed to protect her home; satisfied that Stefan's forces wouldn't be able to penetrate her defenses, she called to the raven. "Find those witless goblins, tell them about our visitors, I'm sure they'd be most distressed if they missed the King, company comes so seldom." The raven's black eyes shined, he clacked his beak once and took flight.
The sorceress took up her staff, regarding the luminous green sphere at the top. Swirling, elegant fingers brought the small orb to life. The great hall of Stefan's castle appeared, the day of Aurora's christening sixteen years before. She felt herself sink into the image and began to stretch her mind across the landscape of her own memory. She could feel her own dark power radiating from the centre of the room, the fear of everyone else. Delving deeper, she felt the irksome tingle of Flora's magic and the lesser powers of the other two faeries. Focusing on the dais she identified Stefan's anger and the familiar yet tainted aura of the queen. Finally, she felt the warm, gentle tug of new life, a truly innocent spirit.
Smiling at her success, Maleficent withdrew from her memory and blinked as reality came into focus. Her breaths came heavily, though skilled in casting, the sorceress had to expend a great deal of energy in seeing, her reticence towards introspection didn't help.
Now she stretched her senses across the plane of the present, seeking the Aurora's unique signature. Her face slowly morphed from relaxed to pained, the sorceress gave a shuddering breath and drew her senses back to the tower. Her brow furrowed in frustration. Maleficent stood rooted to the spot worrying the problem with a single-minded ferociousness. Suddenly, the green brow smoothed, senses stretched out, and with a smug twitch of the lips, the tall figure evaporated in a column of fire.
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Aurora stood absolutely still, she did not dare to breathe. The wide-eyed fawn looked back at her, ready to bolt. So arrested by the spotted creature, she did not see the doe walk from the underbrush until it stood beside it's offspring. Eased by the presence of its mother, the fawn flicked its ear then turned to nurse.
Aurora's stomach growled and rumbled in a most unladylike fashion. Both deer started at the sound, then bounded across the clearing and back into the safety of the trees. A faint blush rose to the princess' cheeks as her laughter rang out over the landscape.
After her first night in the forest, Aurora was forced to admit that she had no plan; no money, no destination, no food, merely an ardent desire to escape from her life and the marriage that loomed on the horizon.
The princess' reverie was broken by the acrid smell of smoke. Thick, black clouds of smoke billowed over the treetops to the west.
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Chaos reigned in the village. Goblins pillaged the town, setting fire to that which could not be hauled back to the Forbidden Mountains. Peasants fled in all directions, some tried to gather their families, some tried to repel the invasion and were cut down.
Aurora stood, eyes wide on the edge of the pandemonium. A little girl's screams drew her into the madness. Aurora followed the child's cries to a crumbling, burning hut. Throwing up her hood, Aurora waded into the blazing hovel and emerged with a small, soot-smeared girl on her hip.
"Are you okay?" she queried the trembling waif. The girl nodded at her and clung tighter still. Aurora looked wildly around, a goblin thundered toward her, she held the child to her with one hand and used the other to draw a dagger from inside her cloak. Running straight at the slobbering creature, Aurora tucked and rolled at the last moment, slashing wildly at the creature's legs.
The Goblin shrieked in pain but Aurora did not stop to examine her work. Just short of the forest, the princess was blindsided. "Give me back my daughter you fiend!" A strapping villager dealt her a heavy blow and relieved her of the child.
Aurora was still reeling from the attack when the air in front of her exploded into green flame. Maleficent was surprised to find the object of her search bloodied and begrimed in the midst of a raid. "The Princess Aurora I assume?"
Aurora blinked, but was unable to bring the figure before her entirely into focus. "You're on fire." She managed before she slumped to the ground at Maleficent's feet.
"Well, I see you've inherited Stefan's wit." The witch remarked dryly.
A/N: There, it'll do for a beginning.