Diaval and Maleficent had just returned from their flights together after Aurora's coronation. They landed on her tree and as she sat down on her favorite branch, she turned him into a man. He sat down beside her and watched her intently. She gazed at horizon, watching the sun as it's beginning to set. Her face was unreadable, although he could have sworn he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes. This puzzles him.

"Wasn't she supposed to feel happy? Now that she has her wings back," he thought to himself.

Yet being the thoughtful companion that he was, he decided to hold his tongue and waited for her to start the conversation. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally spoke.

"Diaval…"

"Yes, Mistress?"

"Thank you for saving my life in that castle… " she whispered softly.

"There is nothing to be thanked for, Mistress. It was your power that saved both of us. I was just lending a helping hand, or a helping body in that matter," he said lightly as he threw his boyish grin at her.

She returned his grin with a small smile before looking out at the horizon once more.

"That maybe… But nevertheless, you saved my life. You are no longer indebted to me," she said without looking at him.

"Mistress? What do you mean?"

She steadied herself before finding the courage to look at him and said," You are free to go now. You are no longer my servant."

He felt as if he had been drenched with cold water. He had thought about this possibility ever since she got her wings back, but he never expected it to happen so quickly. He had hoped that she would never mention this.

Seeing his silence, she continued," You have served me well, Diaval. For that, I shall grant you the ability to change your shape at will."

She waved her hand, a swirl of gold encompass his body. He shuddered as he felt a cold sensation seeping under his skin. But it's not the most important thing in his mind right now.

Looking back at her, he said hoarsely," But where will I go, Mistress?"

She could feel her heart broke into a million pieces as she saw those sad eyes. Her mind traveled to a time when she first saved him, turned him into a man. How he declared that he was her servant, how he had been her companion ever since.

He was always there when she felt like giving up, he rarely said anything but his presence alone gave her strength, reminded her to continue moving on. His boyish grins, his attempts to make jokes, his witty remarks… He had become so much more than her servant, even though she had never told him about it.

"Anywhere your heart desires. You can do anything you want, live with your own kind, find a mate, raise a family. All those things that I have kept you from doing."

"My heart desires nothing more than to stay with you. You have been my world for the last 18 years and I don't intend to change it…"

"You are mistaken. I have imprisoned you all this time. Detained you against your wish. You deserved so much better than this, Diaval."

His temper rises as he listens to her words and he suddenly found the courage to tell her what he felt.

"Do not tell me that I am mistaken, Mistress. I know my heart and my desires. True, I did all you asked because I was indebted to you. But all those years of staying beside you, sleeping in the grounds under your tree, keeping watch for you at night, holding you when you had your nightmares. I did it all because I want to. I could not bear the thought of leaving you, even just for a night, when I know you needed me at your side."

He took her silence as a sign to continue. "That day when I pledge my wings to you, I have unknowingly pledge something else to you as well. My heart… I didn't realize it back then, but not I do."

She looked down at her hands, unable to say anything. She had hoped that he would stay. He had always been a loyal servant to her, a trusted companion, a friend, even though she would have never admitted it to him, and perhaps something more.

Deep down in her heart, she wanted him for herself. She wanted him to be at her side, always. But to do that would mean she has to open her heart once more and suddenly of the memories of Stefan's betrayal came rushing back.

"I can never love you. You deserved someone whole, Diaval. Someone who can love you back as much as you do."

"I desire no one else, Mistress. My heart is your and there is nothing I can do to change it. And I don't want to change it," he said softly.

"My heart is broken, Diaval. It can never be mend. I do not believe in true love anymore, at least not for me," she said coldly as she turned her back on him.

"But I do, for I have seen it with my own eyes. Let me stay beside you. I may not be able to change the past. I may never be able to fix it. But I can be there for you. I would never force you to return my feelings. I am content just to be at your side."

After a while she turned to face him and whispered softly, keeping her eyes on the ground," I am not an easy person to be with. Know that you are allowed to leave anytime should you desire it."

He placed his finger under her chin and lift it up as he smiled brightly," I would never even dreamed of it. Thank you, Mistress."

"Maleficent," she corrected him.

"After 18 years, I think I know what I'm signing up for. I''ll try my best but I have to admit, old habits die hard," he said with a smirk on his face.

She replied him with a smile and said," It is late. You should get some rest."

He smiled again at her and nodded. She was about to lie down when she saw him climbing down the tree and settling himself near the roots.

"It is cold tonight, you should not sleep on the ground," she said to him as she lifted him with a swirl of her hand and rested him on a branch just across hers.

He had to admit he was very surprised, yet excited at the same time. It might not be a confession of any kind but it is a small step to the right direction. He closed his eyes as he drifted off to a blissful sleep.

"Goodnight, my mistress.."