Hello! This is a companion to my other Maleval story Dreams are seldom what they seem. This happens right at the middle of the other story, so you don't need to read them in order, or read the other story anyways to understand where this is going, so... yeah. Once again, English is not my first language so forgive any grammar error that must have slipped under my radar. Enjoy!
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Those couple of hours had been hectic, to say the least. At first they had to get out of the castle as unscathed as possible; which, mind you, was no easy task after what had transpired there. Even after the king's death, Stephan's madness was lurking at every corner of the castle. Every iron barb, armor and weapon could still manage to end her right then and there; every soldier could still try to defeat her. Especially when the energy burst wore off and she felt how strained she really was; her wings twitching after the effort of using them without proper care or practice. She had almost limped back at the castle, trying to balance the weight on her back after so many years of being lighter; only to find her companion surrounded by guards still pointing at him with weapons. Being somewhat bonded by her magic, she could almost feel his exhaustion of fighting in such closed range and enduring the attacks his natural form could not.
It HAD been hectic, but with help from Aurora and the news of the King's death, the guards let them through. Maleficent had turned Diaval back to being a raven, and holding him asleep in her arms she had bid Aurora a brief farewell at the gates. She didn't want to leave her, but reason told her it was for the best; who knew if their presence would stir more problems on the castle… and the same was true if Aurora left with them. So the Faerie promised the princess that she would be back as soon as possible, since they needed to rest after the impromptu battle at the throne room. The little beastie had been scared of staying at the castle and not helping her godparents to a proper rest, and had quite the argument with the horned Faerie; until her aunties made an appearance and promised to really keep her safe this time. Of course, Maleficent threw a hard stare their way so they had doubled their promises with squeaky voices.
It was at the gate that Maleficent found Prince Phillip's horse, and after debating with herself for a second, she decided she could not bear walking back to the Moors on her state and mounted the white stallion. Being an obedient creature and feeling her natural powers, the horse let her ride on him, and started briskly cantering at a good pace back towards the direction they had come from.
It was finally at that moment when Maleficent started to check on the sleeping bird in her arms. She had quickly mended the most serious wounds back at the castle, after casting a simple sleeping spell on him so he would not feel any pain; but looking at the state his so called "beautiful self" was, she quickly reached for him, stroking his ruffled bloody feathers while a very small golden light left her fingers. She was really tired, but for him she could endure any pain if it meant he would be back to how he had been prior to all the commotion. He saved her. Diaval saved her life, and that meant so many things she had not thought of as of yet. So she focused back to the bird on her arms and let the troubling thoughts leave her mind if only for a moment.
She had walked willingly into a trap, inside the mouth of the wolf, if you will; and he had willingly followed her… even after she had dismissed him, he still followed. She would smile at such notion, if it hadn't resulted in him being wounded after she had transformed him into a bigger target.
Feeling guilt at the thought and a numbing pain in her chest, she managed to slowly heal him. Every cut, graze and blood swell was fixed with the touch of her fingers; until the only tremor that left Diaval's body was his natural breathing pattern. Handling his body in a more comfortable pose, his head resting over the crook of her elbow and wings safely tucked around his body; Maleficent raised her eyes to get her bearings on where were they. They were closer to the Moors than the castle but when her eyes posed on her wall of thorns, she realized that until removing it with her powers, they would not pass. She had exhausted her already iron-dwindled magic on mending her companion's wounds, so she decided they would have to rest somewhere else. The cabin at the edge of the forest would do nicely, so she took the reins of the white stallion and nudged him on the right direction.
When they reached the place they had kept vigilance on for years, the sun had already peeked over the land, and the air felt warmer on her care-needing wings. Even so, the Faerie knew she would need to rest for a few days before she could even think of flying again. Fortunately, Diaval would be recovered enough to handle their need for food; Maleficent doubted she could trust the 3 Pixies to have any edibles on their cabin.
Taking care of not hurting her precious burden, she dismounted with effort. Patting the horse on his neck in gratitude, she left him to graze and turned to the entrance of the cabin. Keeping her balance, she managed to get to the door and opened it. Everything seemed exactly the way it had been the last time she went in; except perhaps for the 2 day old cake on the ground. Those idiots, she thought.
Looking around the place, the once again winged Faerie found a basket with all sorts of fabrics over the table. It seemed like someone had hurriedly packed and decided to leave it half way done. With utmost care, she managed to place the shape-shifter inside of it, minding the position of his neck and the placing of the fabrics so he would not suffocate. When she removed her hands off him, it felt like cold water spread from the tip of her fingers all the way to her shoulders. She craved the protection and warmth his soft feathers provided all the way to the cabin; but she didn't want to make matters worse for her if he decided to leave.
Such thought brought a myriad of feelings she had tried to keep at bay. Feeling more tired than she recognized, she tried to sit on the only chair that was not lying sideways on the floor. She almost sat on her wings until she remembered they were part of her again and opened them a bit at her sides. A deep sigh left her parted lips; emotions swirling through her as Maleficent finally internalized what had transpired at the castle.
The king was dead. Stephan was dead, and not by her hand. When she had him cornered at the tower she had wanted to destroy him, to watch the terror on his eyes as he realized she had what he had taken from her for almost 20 years. She had felt the need to take matters on her own hands, to hear his strangled voice as she took his life. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw no trace of the Stephan she had met. Not even the King she had managed to force on his knees and beg for her not to curse his daughter. She didn't know this broken and pathetic, madman. She didn't know this pitiful being. So her hate receded, and her features started to soften at the realization. She had won. The beastie was alive and well, her most trustworthy companion would be back on his feet again after she had sorted to his wounds, and she had her wings back. She won the war. She won everything Stephan didn't have and would never have again. So she let him go; and in true Stephan fashion, he attacked her from the back. Had he been so blinded by madness that he forgot she had wings now? A shudder ran down her back when she pictured his broken body on the ground. As much as she had hated him, a small part of her pitied him and his fate; but nothing could change it now. She had her wings back, and she would sort the beastie's situation with the Kingdom, there was no doubt about it. But it was the raven on the basket that concerned her now.
He saved her life on the castle. He had repaid her in equal manner as she had 17 years ago, so she had the obligation of releasing him from his servitude; even if that so called servitude was more than that. Through the years of being together, of taking care of the beastie and patrolling the Moors; they were real friends. They had connected on a deeper level she ever thought she would after Stephan's deception; they fit in a way that she was very comfortable with, even if she was aware of his feelings for her. Or what he thought he felt for her; either way, he had never forced her to feel anything more than what she showed, and she was grateful for it. A small smile formed on her lips, and she couldn't help to pose her gaze on the sleeping raven. He would wake soon and she would have to sort her thoughts on the matter of releasing him.
It was not that she feared he would abandon her, for she knew they were friends. It was the thought of waking up and not seeing him perched on the branch next to her, with his head under his wing. It was the thought of hearing the batting of wings and knowing it was any other winged creature but him coming to her call. It was the thought of patrolling without him, of feeding without him that hurt her. It was the fact that he wouldn't be by her side after 17 years of being together, of seeing each other every day. Even when he was away doing her bidding on the human kingdom, the magic bond they shared reminded her that she was not alone on her war against Stephan. He reminded her that even in her worst moment of pain and betrayal, she had saved an innocent creature without spilling human blood. Diaval reminded her that she wasn't as wicked as she made herself to be, and that it was alright to be that way.
She needed him more than she ever gave him credit for. But, after so many years it wouldn't be fair to not let him take a chance on the world, to imprint in another like him and have a family of his own; a family by blood and not what she forced on him by taking care of Aurora, a family not born of duty, but of natural attraction and sentiment. He would be truly free and live by his own accords, and that gave her strength to do what she needed to do.
So she thought on what to say and what to offer him if he decided to leave and take his life on his own talons, and so… another hour passed until the raven in question arose of his slumber.
When he opened his beady eyes, the first thing he noticed was the long ebony beak before him, and the unnatural way his neck was resting on something soft. Getting his head back to a more natural position, he looked around trying to remember where he was and why wasn't him perched on his usual branch, next to his Mistress. When he thought of the horned Faerie, a memory stirred in him like a bolt of lightning; she had been helpless at the castle, they had her cornered and all of a sudden, her wings got back to her. And she helped him out of his bindings again, with a fire that pushed the soldiers away; but it was the memory of her breaking free of the castle with the King in tow that worried him. He had almost collapsed and wasn't sure if the glimpse of her before him was real; the way she seemed to limp, the way her voice cried his name before the exhaustion and pain took him over and then he only saw darkness. Upon remembering all of this, he cried her name in a shrieking caw, eyes looking for her and wings at the ready to search for her until he took his last breath if needed. There would be no need for it though; he turned left and saw her tired but honest smile on red lips. The light of dawn casting warm light over her form through a slanted window; a window he recognized now because they had both peered over it so many times he couldn't think of a number. He was relieved at her presence, his muscles loosing after realizing she seemed to be fine. Angling his head her way, he cawed softly at her, waiting for her to transform him or explain what happened. Instead she raised one of her neatly folded hands on the table and reached for him. The feeling of her lithe fingers stroking his feathers once again was answer enough for him to relax and close his eyes at the contact.
"Have I ever told you that you are the bravest raven I've known?" He let a brief caw escape his throat at the realization that he was the only raven she knew. "I speak nothing but the truth; you were very brave back at the castle." At those words, she could see the way he almost shrugged. She wasn't sure if the action was caused by his vainness or if he deemed his deed as not worthy of praise. Sighting deeply, she let her hand rest back over the other and armed herself with a confidence she wasn't sure she possessed at the moment, and started the conversation she knew they needed to have.
"Diaval, I know you might be anxious to talk about what happened and surely there are many questions on your mind. However, I do not have energy enough to turn you back into a man and I actually need to talk to you without interruptions, so please listen to me well." When he heard her say please, his head backed slightly in confusion. He couldn't remember a time where she had asked him to do something with a plea, so he knew it was an important matter the one she wanted to share with him. So the raven lowered himself in the comfortable basket, and nodded her way, ready to listen.
"The king is dead. He foolishly tried to kill me by throwing me off the castle tower with him; needlessly to say, he fell to his death. I accept the fact that I did want him dead by my hand and then backed away; but I swear to you, I did not cause his death." It was hard to hear his mistress trying to convince him she didn't do it; but Diaval knew, by just looking into her almost pleading eyes that it was the truth, she didn't kill the wretched human; that vile being that caused his mistress so much pain before.
"The beastie is doing fine; she is at the castle with the 3 idiots looking after her. I will go back to her when I am rested." Diaval almost wanted to bolt right then and there back to the castle. Their hatchling couldn't be trusted in the incapable hands of the pixies but he was sure the Faerie must had her reasons for it.
"Now you. Not only did you save my life, but you protected the beastie from those guards. I could not express how much gratitude I have for you, but hopefully, what I am about to say will. Diaval, I free you of your servitude to me."
He couldn't move after those words, even at the feeling of so many questions trying to claw their way through his throat, he couldn't move an inch. His world was upside down, and she must have noticed it in his form because her solemn expression changed the tiniest of ways when her gaze softened.
"I am not casting you away or telling you that you were only a servant all these years. You are my friend, and I want you to choose what you want from now on. If you want to leave or to stay; if you want to remain a bird or if you want to live a human life, I can grant you that. If you want to change forms at will, I will gift you that. Whatever you want, if it is in my power I will give it to you. And if it is not something I can easily perform, I will find a way to do it. Because you deserve it and you have every right to it. So please, Diaval, think about it for a while. As soon as I can turn you back into a man and you are ready to tell me, I will listen to you. But for now, I need to lie down."
The sudden confession broke his train of thought and he finally realized that she wasn't just sitting at the table, her elbows were shaking trying to prop her on it. He finally noticed the way her wings were drooping at either side of her, twitching every few seconds. And then he realized that he wasn't in pain; she had healed him completely disregarding herself and her own wounds. He could see where the iron had burned her clothes; her visible skin still red in some places, an indication that she wasn't regenerating her health normally. His mistress had put him over her own needs, and that would somewhat please him if it hadn't meant that she was truly weakened now.
With an anxious hop, he got out of the basket and made his way to her. He could see the exhaustion in her face now; the way her eye lids wanted to close on their own and how her breath seemed uneven. She shook her head slightly and with a push and a grunt, she managed to stand from the chair. Luckily for her, the pixies did sleep on the first floor of the cabin, so she only needed to walk a few paces. Diaval saw her wobble slightly when she got to the messy bed, worried that she would fall anytime. He had stretched his wings in order to get to her side in one swoop of them, but Maleficent stopped him on his tracks right as she managed to lay there on her belly.
"Do not worry for me, Diaval. I will be fine as soon as I rest. However, I have to ask you a favor. If you could find anything for us to eat, I would appreciate it. I believe the window at the beastie's room was open." And before he could nod, she was out of consciousness.
When she awoke, she felt the pain of her back and for half a second Maleficent thought I had all been a dream, except when a very soft caw caught her attention to her immediate right. Opening her eyes with caution, she saw a small pile of berries and other tiny fruits and nuts over the crate next to the bed; right beside them, a raven was looking at her through clever eyes. Remembering where she was and why she was there, her features relaxed. The light of what seemed to be the sun setting, casting shadows through the cabin.
"Thank you, Diaval." The bird didn't react for a moment, until finally he decided to puff his chest in what seemed to be a proud gesture. Wanting to lay there some more, she struggled with the notion that it was time to hear his answer. Very slowly, she managed to sit on the bed with her legs crossed under her; wings stretched with care at her sides so as to not hurt them. The faerie couldn't help but notice how the bird has seemed ready to help her in any way needed, and for some reason her heart thumped louder at the notion. Knowing she had regained some of her powers through her resting, she was ready to confront his decision, so she extended her arm to take some of the food he had brought and re-started the prior conversation.
"Well, have you thought about what I said earlier?" Looking at him, Maleficent saw him nod; focusing back on the fruit, she said; "And what is that which you have decided?" With a flicker of her fingers, he changed forms again; hopping off the crate with excellent timing, Diaval the man stood before her. He seemed a bit nervous for some reason; like he wasn't sure he wanted to talk after all. Stilling her nerves, she raised an eyebrow in question. Deciding he wasn't comfortable looking down at her, he sat on the floor next to the bed, mimicking her way of sitting.
She could see the words struggling to get out, but what felt like a whole minute passed and he didn't say anything.
"If you are not sure of your answer yet, I can wait as long as you need." At her words, he shook his head in a weird way.
"It's not that … It's just difficult to say it." Maleficent felt the way he had omitted the Mistress in his wording, and part of her felt like he was ready to leave her behind for a better life. Another part of her reminded her not to rush to conclusions. She stole a look at him and saw the way his fingers shook; his neck seemed to have tensed as well.
"I have served you for 17 years or so…" She was ready for it, even if she felt like her heart had dropped to her belly. He was definitely leaving her. "And I'm glad you consider me, just a bird, to be worthy of your friendship". She averted her eyes, trying to focus on something other than him. She didn't know it would be that hard to lose him, even if he was still there in front of her. "You have already gifted me with such precious things; I don't think anything else would give me such joy."
"…What?" What on earth did he mean by such words? Her confusion must have frightened him somehow, because he seemed tenser than before.
"I mean…. I can't go back to being a bird after all I… after all we have lived. And I'm very sure I don't want to live as a man in some disgusting town filled with all sorts of dogs and evil farmers. What I mean to say, is that I want to look out for Aurora as much as you do; I want to make sure she will be fine. I want to look out for the Moors too; it has become my home, my place." His words found their way to her heart, and she felt more at ease; even if he would be with her all the time, he would be at the Moors and that was enough for her.
"I do want to ask you to grant me two things, if that is alright, Mist…." He caught himself, but the faerie noticed him almost calling her Mistress. "And what is that?"
"First, I want to be able to change forms at will" At her surprised expression, he quickly tried to fix his wording. "Not to all of them! I would be pleased if I could go between this form and my beautiful self. It is easier to communicate this way after all". Understanding his need for agency, she agreed with a nod of her head.
"Done, I will do this for you but you will have to wait for my powers to regain their whole potential. I will also promise that I will never change your form after I have given you the power to." Maleficent saw him nod in a very bird-like way and started to think of ways to grant his wish. But when she looked back into his eyes, he seemed even more nervous than before. "What is this other thing you want, Diaval?" He was fidgeting now, playing absentmindedly with a thread of his sleeve, his leg twitching slightly.
"I… have grown to regard you as my…" Sudden dread filled her at the thought of him demanding something of her, but it was soon dwindled when he finished his sentence."…Very dear friend. When I was away from you, I really missed you; and that was when I knew you were waiting for me to bring you news of the human Kingdom. Believe it or not, I don't think I would be at ease not knowing about you. It would feel like I'm not who I am now, but who I was before meeting you. Like this 17 years have been a very long dream. So please…" His raspy voice almost broke at that word. "Would you allow me to stay with you? Like we have always had? I won't call you Mistress if you don't want, and…. I would like it to tell you when I feel you are wrong about something without fearing you'll change me. But anything else, can we remain that way?"
Maleficent felt the warmth in his words, and a warm feeling that crept through all her being. She didn't deserve his companionship, and she most definitely didn't deserve his loyalty. A smile made its way from her lips, and eased his worried state. Extending her arm towards him, she did something she hadn't done to him in that form. She petted his head; her palm feeling the stray feathers embedded in his dark hair.
"Done; my friend." He closed his eyes and sighed happily at her words. All nervousness vanishing from his features
"Thank you, Maleficent". At hearing her name on his lips for the first time, her heart started thumping faster; but there was no fear behind it. Diaval needed her as much as she needed him; nothing more, nothing less.
If not by magic, by time; wounds that can't be seen will mend.
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Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it :) If you want to know what happens later, you can read Dreams are seldom what they seem. I've thought of making this a sort of series, for I have at least one more story planned out so... i don't know... Also, pardon my over usage of the word mend D:
Reviews are very welcomed; constructive criticism too. Yayz!