Disclaimer: Maleficent, all characters, places, and related terms belong to Walt Disney Pictures and Roth Films.
Author's Note: Inspired by various trailers and interviews for the upcoming film.
Curiosities and Possibilities
Phillip had met countless girls – nobility and lowborn, flirtatious and shy. They all passed in a blur, their disappointment and offense sliding off him like water drops. Despite being twenty, his interest had never been caught. Instead, he always heeded the calling of the forest, so large and wild he still had not completed exploring it.
Never had the woods seemed so bright and alive before. But perhaps, that had to do with her…
The prince snuck a glance to the girl seated beside him. Eyes sweeping over her rosy cheeks and golden hair, he thought she was the most beautiful maiden he'd met. But that was not why he lingered; continually ignored the voice in the back of his mind warning how displeased Father would be.
Phillip was curious. About this girl whom, after startling his horse, which resulted in him tumbling into the creek, asked if he was a dwarf. And instead of being upset he had laughed. She seemed to radiate life, joy. Her sweetness and kindness was unlike anything the prince had encountered back home; for the first time he realized how lonely he was.
Somehow it was easy to talk to her, be honest and vulnerable. There were no hints of ulterior motives in the girl's responses, her eyes accepting, and words encouraging. They shared about their childhoods, their love for the forest, and their wishes for what to be when older.
And when they got into a water fight, splashing each other while shouting and laughing, Phillip wondered if this was what it was like to have a best friend. To be liked for simply who he was, rather than for what he was. He wanted desperately to know. So he stayed…listened, talked—
"I should go."
The girl's soft voice shattered the prince's musings. Eyes snapping up to assess the sky, dismay washed over Phillip. How quickly time had flown! How long they had talked!
He asked, "Now?"
"My aunts will be expecting me… Goodbye!"
Already on his feet, the prince took her hands in his and helped her stand. "Will I see you again?" He did not want this to be the end. He longed to discover more about her. See that warm, bright smile again. Satisfy his curiosity.
The girl's smile faded as she looked up at him, her expression turning puzzled. "Maybe someday," she said slowly, uncertainly.
Someday: as close as today and as far off as never. Phillip's stomach dropped. No! He wanted – needed – to see her again.
"Tomorrow?"
She shook her head and stared down at their clasped hands. He followed her gaze. For a moment he marveled at how perfectly her hands fit in his. Just like how well they had gotten along today.
His voice was low, an unfamiliar note in it, "When?"
Head still lowered, the girl squeezed his hands. "This evening," the words burst out of her, fast and excited, "at the cottage in the glen." Her eyes flickered upward for an instant – a flash of summer blue – then the girl jerked her hands free and quickly disappeared into the forest, leaving the prince staring after her.
This evening… Hope rose in Phillip. Perhaps she did think of him as a friend. Maybe she was curious about them like he was.
THE END