Author's note:
This is my first story ever (well one that I haven't ditched after a day). Also thank you anon (whoever you are) for telling me that I misspelled Fae and Diaval. I am terribly sorry and once again thank you for catching my faux paus. If you find any other incorrect information about the story please tell me. Thank you again!
Disclaimer: The movie and the characters do not belong to me!
"No! Absolutely not!" The queen of both the Moors and the human kingdom glared at the balding old man sitting comfortably in a chair with a bored expression. Aurora shook her head and ground out with clenched teeth, "I will not marry a man I do not know!"
Another elderly man next to the one who suggested such an arrangement spoke up, Marcus, a feat that Aurora would have find rather impressive given the amount of fat constricting his throat if she was not so mad. He looked at the sleeve of his red robe, searching for any imaginary deficiency in the golden stitching. "My queen" he said the title as if she were a child first learning how to speak, "you are now twenty-one summers and still without a husband. We simply must have a king and a rightful heir."
As the other five equally piggish men nod, the blonde forced herself not to show the rage the man evoked in her. The only one who did not nod was the youngest advisor, Tory. His brown eyes looked at his queen in pity but did not say anything, not that Aurora would expect him to. The dirty blonde man was usually quiet but when he spoke, he spoke for the good of all the people, a trait Aurora wished the others shared. For now however, he shrank deeper into his chair, his fingers playing with the red robe that all the advisors wore.
Instead of screaming bloody murder at the scheming bastard as she wished, she conveyed her dislike in a cool and even tone, "I am the queen of this land correct?" The men nodded, confused as to why she needed such clarification. She took one deep breath before continuing, "Then as the queen I order you, my subjects, to stop interfering with my love life! If I find someone I wish to marry and have children with then so be it! But if not, then the kingdom will have to deal with being ruled by only a queen."
As expected an avalanche of complaints and petty arguments reached her ears. Aurora learned within the first year as ruler five years ago how to block such noise as she was doing now. Once again she questioned why she continued to keep the men who spend all day arguing over how to increase their profit without concern of how it would affect the commoners. It was one of the many things she despised of the group of elders. Their newest demand however may top their greediness. For them to tell, no, order, her to seek a husband caused Aurora to be glad that Maleficent was not here, for if she was the men would have ceased to exist now.
"Don't you understand my queen? It is for the good of the people."
Aurora did not know who spoke these words but she found herself swallowing a bout of sarcastic laughter. She looked at the group and sighed, she was exhausted of this debate, "My ruling has not changed and it shall not. If I marry, it will be out of love and not a simple business transaction." I respect myself too much for that. She bowed to the men, not bothering to hide the mockery within it, "Now if you please excuse me, I would like to be alone with my thoughts." Any disagreements that were surely on the tip of the council member's tongues died as their queen gave them a smile as her eyes told a story of something quite opposite. They hurried out of the council chamber like the little pigeons Maleficent once dubbed them, only Tory having the decency of bowing before leaving.
When the door finally shut, she gave out a sigh, "Why do I still put up with them?" She stretched, reaching far above her head, hoping to release the tension of sitting in a chair for hours too long. When it became obvious that the simple exercise will do nothing, Aurora sighed through her nose. Her nails began a rhythm of tapping on the spotless mahogany table as her thoughts drifted away to the one place she longed to go but could never find the time: the Moors. How long has it been? Two, no three months. Her forehead touched the cool wood; Maleficent must be worried sick about me. I hope she hasn't thought I died.
Even to her, the joke sounded cruel and she grimaced at the very real possibility that her fairy godmother might think her ill for not visiting her. Aurora went through the schedule in her head as she thought of any free time she may have. A smile graced her lips as she realized that tomorrow no meetings were scheduled and no one, namely her council members, would dare bother her after having but a taste of her dislike towards them.
Her blue eyes went to the window and she watched the sun begin to set, tomorrow Maleficent. Tomorrow I will finally get to see you and my home. She smiled once more and rested her head in her palm, thinking about how much she missed her godmother and her servant, Diaval.
The Next Morning
Aurora woke with a start and rushed out of bed in order to shower quickly. She had to stifle a few yawns due to the lack of sleep the night before. The young queen brushed her hair while humming a random tune, already excited for today. Once she made herself presentable to show her fairy godmother that her kingdom had been treating her nicely and making sure she was well fed, Aurora went to the stables to get her horse. The horse was doe brown with white spots adorning its legs and neck. Aurora named it Bambi which caused Maleficent to smile although she did not know why.
Once her steed was saddled, the two rode off, leaving the world of men to go to a place far more fantastic and dangerous in its inhuman beauty: the Moors. Aurora laughed and urged Bambi to go faster when she spotted the gigantic rock columns that served as a boundary line from her home to her kingdom.
As Bambi neared her destination Aurora looked at the ground, seeing the new growing grass slowly erasing the evidence of there ever being a huge wall of thorns that guarded the Moors. The queen smiled to herself, pleased that there was no reason for them to stand anymore. Even though years have passed since the war between the two races, the grass was slow to grow as the fire scorched the soil and ruined most of it. Once Bambi stopped and paced nervously right in front of the stone columns, Aurora gracefully slid down. Looking at her horse, she patted his nose while whispering, "Don't fuss now. You know that I will come back to the kingdom if only to see you." She gave the horse a gentle push, "Now go back to your home Bambi, I'll be fine in my own."
Bambi gave her hand a huff of breath through his nostrils before turning around and running back to the kingdom. She was pleased when he did, knowing that the chamber members will have an uproar when she will have to go back on foot until she met the kind farmer who gave her free rides. She had insisted on paying the man, or at least lowering his taxes but each time he said that it was his pleasure to service such a noble queen.
Looking back at her home, Aurora smiled, "I'm back!" Not surprisingly, no one answered her call but that did not deter the blonde. With a purposeful stride, she entered the Moors and called out once again. This time, all sorts of strange and exotic creatures answered. The mice-men waved up at their queen while the mushroom people bowed and took off their fungus hats. The toad creatures ran out of the river with mud in their hands, obviously asking Aurora to play. The queen shook her head and quickly said, "I will tonight though" when her friends looked disappointed. They perked up and wobbled back to their home, scheming at how to surprise their queen with a giant blob of mud later on.
Aurora walked deeper into her home, the destination in mind making her feet pit-patting against the ground with a lightness that revealed her happiness. Not long after, her favorite place in the world came into sight: Maleficent's tree. The leaning oak caused a smile to appear on the queen's face as her fingers lightly stroked the old trunk down as if to memorize each bump and groove. Looking up, she saw the perch was empty but this did not deter her spirit, Maleficent would know that she was here and would come for her soon, she always did.
The blonde sat down, leaning against the trunk as she watched the clouds drift lazily through the green leaves. She tried to picture any animal that lived in the Moors within the clouds and she continued to amuse herself this way until she heard the distant sound of wings beating the air. She did not acknowledge the sound, however she grinned as she concentrated on her cloud creatures.
"Well, well. What do we have here? A human in my Moors?" A soft tsk reached Aurora's ears but she still did not acknowledge her fairy godmother. She heard a sigh as if Maleficent saw something that disappointed her, "And a rude one at that." Aurora's eyes finally left her clouds to focus on the Protector of the Moors. Maleficent continued to frown at her but her soft green eyes held the rare humor that Aurora loved to see, "Finally the little Beastie decides to grace me with her presence." Some of the humor died as sadness took its place only for a moment, but that moment told Aurora the pain she caused the older woman, "Why have you been away for so long? Did you grow tired of the Fae folk?"
Aurora's eyes widened at the question, "Never godmother!" She got up from her sitting position as if that action itself could disprove her friend's conclusion, "I could never become tired with anything or anyone in the Moors, especially you Maleficent." The other woman looked slightly relieved at the answer but she still did not smile. The blonde took the few steps to reach the brunette and wrapped her arms around her, "I couldn't have visited you for so long because the kingdom still needed so much work." Her heart soared in relief when the older woman finally relaxed and wrapped her arms around the blonde, even her wings twitched as if they wanted to follow the arms' example.
The younger woman turned her head so she could nuzzle into the crook of Maleficent's neck as she would when she first became queen and had terrible nightmares that only her godmother's presence could cure. She muttered, "King Stephen" she still refused to refer to him as her father after learning the full extent of his treatment to her guardian, "left a kingdom that was and I fear still is corrupt with the ones in power only wanting to deepen their pockets with riches as the rest starve."
Maleficent simply shook her head and tightened her grip on her little beastie, "Many men have greed in their hearts. You must understand that you cannot change one's heart no matter how hard you try." She tilted her head down so she could see the curly mess that was Aurora's hair. Absentmindedly she breathed deeply to get more of its scent; she never realized how soft it looked before. Shaking her head once more to rid herself of the unnecessary thoughts she said, "Although by trying, you are showing your people that you truly care for them and are a great queen."
Aurora sniffed once and snuggled into the hug more, trying to rid herself of the predicament her council members sent upon her. Sensing her tensing, Maleficent raised an eyebrow, "What else is troubling you darling one. You can tell me."
The queen huffed and squirmed once before huffing again once she realized that she was acting like a child and not the queen of the Moors and the human kingdom. Still, she avoided telling her friend about the council meeting by asking, "Where's Diaval? Is he flying somewhere?"
Maleficent leaned back out of the embrace to look at Aurora and to show her that she knows there is something more than the missing raven, "Yes, he is looking for a dog to bother." She heard the blonde giggle and smiled to herself. She looked at the sky as if he would somehow appear flying towards the two, "I suppose he will be back as soon as he hears you are here. He missed you quite a bit you know."
Aurora nodded once and jest slyly, "I'm sure that nobody else missed my presence."
In response Maleficent scoffed and glared at her beastie, "As a matter-of-fact he is. I had to console him every time he went off searching for you and came back crestfallen. He is quite smitten with you." A rare but not unfamiliar emotion welled up in Maleficent's chest and she was shocked to find that it was jealously that bit into her heart. She forced the feeling down as her eyes softened, "Now tell me Aurora, what is it that truly troubles you?"
The blonde sighed, when Maleficent used her name instead of beastie or darling one or any other pet name, it meant that she would have the answer she seeked. Aurora left the embrace and sat back down with her back leaning against her godmother's tree. When Maleficent did not make a move to approach her she patted the spot next to her.
Only when Maleficent sat down and made herself comfortable with her wings slightly spread so her back may also touch the bark and Aurora leaned against her shoulder, did the blonde begin her tale. "Maleficent" she struggled to get the words out even though she had been anticipating this conversation for a whole day and night, "I fear the kingdom is asking too much of me."
The strongest of the fairies looked down at her and wrapped a reassuring arm around Aurora's shoulders, "What is it that commoners are asking of you? Have you not done enough?"
Realizing what the older woman meant, Aurora shook her head, "No, it isn't like that! I make fair taxes and I try to make everyone happy with their lot." She hesitated long enough to make her godmother raise an elegant eyebrow and her lips to purse in mock annoyance of having to wait for her to get her thoughts in order. The blonde knew however that she would have waited her entire life if that was the time required for her to get her words right. Aurora tried once again, "It is rather a personal thing they ask of me Maleficent. Th-they want me to marry."
The eyebrow rose higher, "Is that not what you humans do? Do you not marry and have little beasties of your own?" Even as the words left her mouth her eyes began to glow softly green as if she met someone she did not like. The protector quickly tried to squash the surprising emotion of anger and listened patiently to her beastie. How much she tried to however, the thought of Aurora marrying another stuck within her mind. She pictured a man gently taking hold of the blonde's hand in a small clearing while a man the humans called a priest spout meaningless words and the two kissing almost innocently as they are pronounced man and wife. Her grip on Aurora's shoulders tightened only the slightest bit as she bit back an animalistic growl. The thought of her Aurora with another angered the fairy. She cannot marry a man! She simply cannot! She belongs to me and only m- the train of thoughts ended as she realized what she was thinking. Shaking her head to get rid of the storm, she looked at Aurora with renewed interest and made note to ponder upon her reaction later.
Again Aurora shook her head, becoming both frustrated with herself for not getting straight to the point and for Maleficent for not understanding what has not been said. She looked at the brunette's face as tears pricked her eyes, "That's the problem Maleficent! They want me to marry someone whom I do not love!" Feeling the rage from the moment the council members told her of their plan sprang back to her heart she cried, "They treat me as if I am some sort of business deal! As if I have no right to marry the one I love!" She leapt up to her feet and began to pace as she continued her rant, "They have absolutely no right to- to- order me to marry!" She swept her gaze at Maleficent as she whispered in a voice so soft the godmother almost did not hear, "Do they?"
The anger Maleficent felt died away as quickly as it came once she heard the question. Rising from her spot, the brunette took hold of Aurora and kissed her forehead gently, "Shush now beastie. I am here." The blonde shook with unshed tears as she clung to her protector. The brunette gently grabbed hold of Aurora's chin and forced her to look at her, "Listen to me and know what I am about to say might upset you but also help ease your burden. Humans are not as bright as the Fae Folk and are greedier than us. What love means to them is different than what it means to us." Her voice grew soft and her eyes distant as if reliving a memory, "Love to them is something trivial and is treated as such. To the humans, a being can be in love one moment and out of love the next." She stared into Aurora's eyes, "What they ask of you is not uncommon in the human world for they believe love can be bought at the highest bidder."
Aurora shook her head, "Then I wish I were never born a human." She bowed her head so it may lay in the curve where her protector's neck meets her shoulder. "This is so unfair."
Maleficent nodded, "That it is." The two continued to hold one another for what seemed like hours but was really a few minutes. Finally the godmother asked, "When must you return to your kingdom?"
"Not tonight and I don't want to leave tomorrow." After a moment she added, "I'm not ready."
The brunette nodded once in understanding, secret joy filled her heart at the prospect of having her beastie by her side longer, "Then you shall stay here with me and tonight we shall throw a grand celebration for the long anticipated return of our queen."
Aurora found herself giggling, Maleficent always knew how to cheer her up in the gloomiest of days, "That sounds lovely. Thank you." She looked up and noticed that her friend's eyes were glowing slightly brighter than usual. Knowing that meant Maleficent was displeased, she asked shyly, "Is there something a matter?"
Maleficent shook herself and her wings ruffled before relaxing. The corners of her lips twitched in a half-hearted smile, "Nothing beastie." She sighed, "I simply don't like it when others make you uncomfortable."
Aurora nodded but showed she was not convinced by pouting once. She looked up at the tree and then back at Maleficent, "Can you help me get to bed. I'm tired."
Maleficent looked and saw the sun still warming the earth, "Now? It just turned noon."
The blonde looked at the sun as well and shrugged, "I know but I believe after everything that has happened I deserve rest. Don't you agree?" She smiled, "And by napping it is certain that I will have enough energy for tonight's celebration."
The brunette waited for a moment staring at her beastie with mild disapproval before opening her wings and taking hold of Aurora. She flapped her wings once and then twice to get the two off the ground and another propelled the two to the tree. Aurora let go of Maleficent and sat into the tree's perch before the older folded her wings and sat on the limb near the perch. She waited for her beastie to lie down and get comfortable. Before she made any move to follow the blonde she stared at the woman, she looked so beautiful. Many times Aurora had playfully complained that she would never grow to be as lovely as her fairy godmother, but at that moment the brunette would have disagreed with every statement with more enthusiasm than she ever had before. She looked so peaceful, staring up at her with those expressful blue eyes. Her yellow mane of hair spread over the sling that served as Maleficent's bed looked like a halo. Now with red tinged eyes, Maleficent swept her gaze from Aurora's face to her body, god how she had matured. Her chest had grown to a size any woman would have wished for and her lips were full and slightly parted as she relaxed further in the bed. Her eyes went back up to rest upon her neck. Oh how Maleficent wanted to kiss that flesh before biting down on it, marking Aurora as hers and hers alone as she made love to -.
"Maleficent are you okay? You've been staring at me for a minute without moving."
Aurora snapped the brunette out of her trance. She shook her head quickly, What is wrong with me? I shouldn't think about Beastie like this! Maleficent swallowed a lump that had somehow grown in her throat before answering, "Nothing. I've simply been thinking how lovely you would look in a wedding dress."
The queen frowned and muttered, "It is far too soon for such jokes." She patted the space next to her, "Now come here so we can keep each other warm."
Chuckling, Maleficent went into the sling and made herself comfortable. She had Aurora sit up so she may open her wings a bit so that her back may touch the bedding. Aurora laid back down upon Maleficent's right wing and worried at her lower lip while trying to not put too much pressure on the feathered limb. She chuckled once more, "It is okay Beastie. You do not weigh too much to cause me discomfort."
The blonde did not seem convinced and squirmed once. She allowed her hand to gently caress the fairy's feathers. She noticed Maleficent shiver and immediately withdrew her hand, "Sorry, they must be cold." A curt nod was her only response. She looked at her fairy godmother, "Why are your eyes red? I mean they aren't completely red like blood but there are specks of it in your green."
Maleficent lifted a hand to brush her fingertips right under her right eye, "Strange. They have never held this color however." She pondered out loud, "They glow green when I am angry and gain specks of brown when I am exhausted." She frowned, "They have not however turned red."
Aurora shrugged, "I'm sure it is not anything serious." She yawned and stretched before relaxing into the bed of soft feathers, "Goodnight."
The fairy nodded and murmured, "Goodnight Beastie." A soft snore met her ears. She chuckled and watched Aurora as she slept soundly. Before she could stop herself, she reached out and tucked an errant blonde strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Her fingers fluttered over her skin a tad too long before she rushed her hand back to her body. Her heart raced and she rested her head, staring at the canopy of leaves as the swished gently with the wind, "What is wrong with me?"
Tell me what you think please!