Note: Enough people wanted to see my other oneshot turned into a full blown story so here you go.
"I'm not entirely certain about this."
"Trust me, Godmother."
"It is the gaggle of vultures in the next room I do not trust, and they are all vultures."
"You just say that because you don't like humans."
"I don't like most humans."
With not just horns but wings now Maleficent stuck out in the castle hall like—well like a faerie. She didn't like the walls, there were too many of them and all too tight together. The ironwork on the hallway torches glared at her no matter how far away she stayed. There was far too much human in this place and not even Aurora could make her feel comfortable.
"If you don't at least try to talk to them Godmother it won't work," she insisted, "you said I was queen now—"
"I said only if you wish to be."
"And I do wish to be," she said. She huffed and shook her head and Maleficent was reminded suddenly of a very exasperated six-year-old Aurora ready to throw a fit over dropping a biscuit on the kitchen floor.
"Please, Godmother," she said, taking Maleficent's wrists in hand, "I know you're nervous and I'd be too—I am. But it's one thing to just live hiding away in the Moors, it's another to be able to call the kingdoms friends and not have to worry about anymore fighting."
Oh no, there would always be fighting. Aurora was very sweet but also very naïve. Peace treaties like the one she wanted could not last more than a few generations until someone who had never known peace with a heart of greed appeared. Then it would begin all over again.
Besides, what Aurora really wanted was to be able to move freely between the Moors and her own kingdom. Maleficent knew the prince was partially to blame for that. Aurora's plan to live forever in the Moors with Maleficent and the faeries had gone up in smoke after he came along. She could not blame Aurora for wanting a normal life with a normal man but she was coldly reminded of Stefan's own choice of the human world over her own.
"What exactly is it you require of me beastie?" she sighed.
"They've already agreed to let me succeed my father," she said. That bit had taken some convincing. "We just have to make them see the truth when it comes to you and the faeries. Which…means you'll have to…speak to them." She was quick to stand when Maleficent opened her mouth "Just for a little, Godmother, please. And then you won't ever have to do it again. I'm queen I'll make it so."
Maleficent closed her eyes for quite a few long seconds before she opened them again. She felt Diaval's beak nudge her from her from his perch on her shoulder. So he was siding with Aurora too then, typical. Of course all the things Maleficent endured for the sake of the tiny little baby she'd cursed in the throne room were far and beyond this, a few moments of speaking to a room full of people.
It wasn't life threatening but perhaps that's why it was so hard. She was risking embarrassment and mental torture and all while Aurora watched.
"Very well," she said.
Aurora smiled and bounced up let a stream of thank you's and I'll make it up to you's out of her mouth before she took a breath and flattened out her dress.
Maleficent gave her shoulder a twitch and Diaval hopped off. She waved her fingers and watched him sprout into a man in whiff of smoke. He gave his head a shake and straightened out his jacket.
"I don't think going in there with a raven perched on my shoulder is going to help my case, they might mistake you for a—what is it the humans call it? A familiar? " she said.
"Oh sure, just wave your hand and magically turn him into a human, that's better," he said, shaking out his hair. He never did hide his distaste for his human form.
"Which is exactly why I did it here where no one can see, one day you'll learn to appreciate the gifts I-"
"Enough you two," Aurora cut in, "Honestly."
She turned, took a breath, and opened the chamber doors and Maleficent watched with apprehension as they closed behind her.
Aurora hadn't expected the councilors to sit so high up. They towered a desks high above her and it didn't seem right. She wasn't on trial for anything but that's the emotional response they wanted from her. Maleficent warned of these things, she called them "games" though they were nothing like the ones she played as a child. Maleficent said they would be cruel games, they'd try to twist her words and make her think thoughts that weren't her own.
"Your Highness," they greeted, "Or rather, Your Majesty as it is to soon be official."
Aurora curtseyed and bowed her head but didn't know how to address them. Most queens actually grew up as princesses. She had no schooling in politics or diplomacy or etiquette like other princesses.
What would Maleficent do?
Her Godmother wouldn't even acknowledge them. She'd make eye contact to let them know she recognized their presence but that would be the extent of it. She'd do all the talking to, probably find three different ways to insult them without them even realizing it. No, perhaps it was best not to do as Maleficent would. Not here.
"Good afternoon, sirs," she said with her most stable voice.
"We understand Your Majesty is here to bring before us the matter of the Moors," one said, he seemed to be doing the most talking.
"Yes," she said. "I was hoping we could reach an agreement. A peace agreement my God—the faerie queen is here."
She steadied her breath after the near slip. If she let slip the nature of her relationship to Maleficent then they'd suspect a bias. She was just the Queen of the Moors, not her godmother, not her friend, not her protector. Was this what playing the games here was? Lying?
"Have you anything to say Majesty before we call her in?" said the same one.
"Just that…No one likes their home invaded. The faeries and all the other magical creatures there never tried to take our land. They just want to be left alone. But I suppose she'll tell you that herself," she said.
"Any particular reason why you find yourself so invested in this particular campaign, Majesty?" another one spoke up.
So many reasons. She wanted to see Maleficent, she wanted to see Diaval, she wanted to play with her friends in the Moors. But she wanted to be queen too, she wanted to see Phillip again. She wanted both worlds at once and if she couldn't have that, she'd lose them both trying to choose.
"My father died because of this conflict, and so did my grandfather I'm told," she said. Another lie. She hoped she was good at this game.
"Very well, send in the faerie."
The doors opened without a word. The guard simply nodded to the inside of the chamber, expecting her to obey. Next to her Diaval stood. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"What? You didn't think you were going in there alone did you mistress?" he said.
Ever my wings.
She walked in without a word to him and no care for his muttering of "A thank you won't hurt you mistress." She ignored him and crossed the threshold of the room, feeling her wings drag on the tile beneath her. Her bare feet made no sound. Aurora sat off to the side watching her, looking paler than usual.
There were four councilors. One fat one, one very tall one, one bald one, and one with a large nose; otherwise, they all looked the same to her.
"Who is this?" the fat one nodded to Diaval.
"My servant. He goes where I go." And that was all that needed to be said.
"You are the faerie queen then…is it Majesty? Grace? Excellency?" he said.
"Maleficent."
They nodded.
"We want to first make it clear that the events preceding King Henry's death are not accountable here. War is war and soldiers and soldiers, you are not on trial," he said. But that confirmed she was indeed on trial.
"You are then forgiven as well for the deaths of my own in that battle," she said, "War is war." If they sensed the edge they did not acknowledge it. She could almost feel Diaval scolding the back of her head.
"You are here at the queen's request to broker a peace treaty," said the big nosed one. "We are willing, your terms depending."
Treaties and brokering, it sounded all too formal. Humans always wanted material promises, a paper, a seal, a signature.
"Leave us be," she said, "Let what you would call 'treasures' that exist in the Moors to remain there. Let us stay there undisturbed."
"And what do you want from us?"
"You have nothing of interest to me. Only that. Leave us be."
The room was quiet as they all looked at her, they were staying at her wings and horns she knew, not at her. She was not a person to them. She was a faerie to them in the most negative sense of the word. She was the price her wings and horns would fetch on a black market.
"We will deliberate further," the fat one said, "But I believe I speak for the council when I say you have our interest in this agreement. We will draw up a more formal document and call upon you again…Maleficent."
"Surely we could work it all out now sirs?" Aurora said jumping up at the mention of a second meeting. She had a look of horror on her face, perhaps a mixture of fear for Maleficent and guilt over having, apparently now, lied to her.
"Your Majesty, these things take time and generations of animosity can't be solved in a few short words, certainly the faerie would agree," the fat one said.
"Further," the tall one spoke up, "We need time to examine motives and actions of all those involved." Maleficent decided instantly she liked him the least. He looked like a rat and he sneered like a jackal.
"Not that anyone is questioning Your Excellency," the fat one said quickly.
She nodded and could practically feel Aurora relax behind her. She however, swallowed. She'd be back her again, probably more than once. And perhaps even after that paper was signed she'd be back. The humans would own her, at least a part of her after the contract was signed. And to that Maleficent shivered.
She hated this place. She hated the memories locked away in the stone and tile and metal that build each room. It reeked of Stefan, it looked like Stefan, it felt like Stefan. The men sitting in front of her were the ones who'd turned Stefan against her. So much greed was pouring from their mouths and eyes. She didn't want Aurora with them, but she had no choice, at least not right now.
So she exited the room with Diaval in tow. The pitter-patter of quick feet behind her told her Aurora had jumped from her chair and followed behind them, her joy a counterweight to Maleficent's apprehension.
"You did good, Godmother!" Aurora said, "You didn't pull their hair or make it rain on them." She wanted to though. "We'll get it sorted. I promise I'll make sure the next time you go in there is the last, this time I swear it. Then I can spend weeks in the Moors, I'll say it's all about—what was the word—diplomacy."
"Come along beastie," she said, leading Aurora back towards her bedroom in the castle.
"You're not staying here tonight?" Aurora asked when she saw Maleficent and Diaval make for the balcony.
"I have some matters to attend to back in my own home," she said. Maleficent desperately wanted to bring Aurora back to the Moors with her, to keep her out of the human's grip but if her people knew, they'd never forgive her.
And she could not stay here. It was too closed in, too much iron, and too much that reminded her of Stefan. It was the rowan tree for her.
"You'll be back tomorrow," Aurora said nervously and Maleficent smiled and kissed her forehead.
"I'm never far enough away that you cannot find my shadow."
Aurora smiled back and bid her goodnight happily. She bid farewell to Diaval as well with a curtsey. And when Maleficent was far out of earshot of any human she waved her hand and Diaval was a bird once more.
"Watch her tonight," she ordered.
Diaval obeyed without question.