Another night of insomnia was not an option, because she went sleepless , or mostly sleepless, for most of the moon already. It always happened at the same time of the year, anniversary to when her wings were stolen. The air always felt stifling, the night always looked grim, and even the scent of the leaves felt wrong. Her nest between the rowan tree branches was uncomfortable, and her mind was restless.

"It should not have happened that way. It was not fair."

That it was not fair, she knew – as even Stefan knew. But being aware of the unfairness of what happened to her would not bring her wings back, would it? It didn't bring them back in the last fifteen years, why would it now?

Maleficent rolled over in her nest one more time, as if it would grant her some rest. Looking up at the sky, she tried to figure out shapes in the clouds to distract herself and hopefully find some sleep. The full moon grazed its light between the clouds and helped her to construct forms where there was only water vapor. Sometimes she felt her life was just like this, to try to build reality out of mist. This thought made the fae want to cry.

"No!" She muttered to herself.

The Moors where more than mist, and they trusted her to protect them and to guide them, even being aware of her 'disability'. She was respected, even feared. She was powerful, she was strong.

But the feeling of being strong and powerful only made her feel closer to Stefan, because that was what he sought all his life: to be feared rather than respected; to be envied rather than be admired.

"I'm not like him…"

The fae looked deep inside herself to be sure she was not the evil thing most humans believed her to be. No, if she were like him, she would not bear to be close to Aurora, that gentle soul who was more powerful than Stefan's hate.

She also would not be able to be close to Diaval, that gentle raven who was… so close to her...

Her mind began to wander on her feathered servant. So many years of… so many things...

It was a recurrent thought, what Diaval really was to her. A simple servant wouldn't be as insolent as that raven was, no way. But she secretly liked it, the way he defied her, even aware his defiance could lead to horrendous punishments, according to her whims. She bit her lower lip, thinking of how making him shiver out of fear of her punishments made her shiver out of… what word would suit that feeling? She didn't know.

It had been several years since the raven messed things up enough to enrage her and make him deserve any kind of punishment. The last time had been because he didn't understand some non-birdish protocols. Actually, now that she tried to recall it, most times had been because he didn't understand non-birdish protocols.

Maleficent clenched her eyes shut, aware of how many times shad had been mean to her faithful servant.

All he tried to do was to serve her, even unaware of how to do it. Even if his human body was strange to his real nature. Albeit his human body was so similar to her fae body she often forgot Diaval was something else, entirely.

Entirely.

She could never thing about him as someone similar to her, no.

When she morphed him into a shape she could communicate easier than to a bird, she made him into a human because it was… less complicated than to turn him into a fae like her. It had nothing to do with her past, with Stefan being a human. No, no way. It was just because… if she were able to morph wings so easily she would spell wings for herself, so, no way she would spell wings for a being that already had wings of his own, would she? It would not make sense.

Sense or not, Maleficent was unable to sleep, and the clouds and her musings were not helping. Why, why did the clouds take the shape of wings, of… raven wings?

She closed her eyes and recollected the shape of raven's wings, the feel of soft black feathers under her fingers when she caressed her servant… Oh, goodness, no, none would caress a servant, Diaval was more like a… pet. That's right, when she caressed her pet. Her fidel and caring pet.

Such a caring pet that he perched on her shoulder and rubbed his head to her neck when she was distressed, or when her downcast eyes dripped small beads of salty water. She refused to acknowledge tears. No, tears were for the weak, and Maleficent left her weak self behind the morning she awoke to a wingless life. Next day she hired extra wings, beautiful black feathered wings, and she would be weak never more.

Her wings… She had to acknowledge, Diaval was more than her wings. He was her eyes too, delving into Stefan's doings, and…

She didn't want to think about Stefan. At least ONCE in the season she wanted to forget Stefan existed.

But how?

"Think of good things, think of good things…"

Maleficent tried to chant to herself what the water-fairy Salomeh taught her to relax her mind and find some peace, but repeating she had to think of good things as a mantra wasn't actually to think of good things. Instead of relaxing it was just boring.

"Good things…"

A good thing in her life had been her wings, but to think of her own wings only brought her pain, and it was not the goal. But wings it was, a nice thing to think about. Especially when the clouds took the shape of raven wings, inciting her to think of Diaval. Diaval was not Stefan, and to think of someone who was not Stefan was good. Moreover, Diaval had beautiful black wings. Beautiful, soft and…

"Hmm…"

She whispered to herself. Soft caressing feathers under her fingers, that would be a nice thing to have right now. That would surely keep her mind away from bad thoughts. Where could Diaval be? Nah, sleeping somewhere, for sure, ravens were not night birds anyway.

Maleficent bent one knee, trying to find a more comfortable position, and her night gown slipped down to her thighs, exposing her white skin. At first she thought of having it back to cover her legs, but at least it had her fresher in the stifling air, and she decided to let it there. None would be awake that late of the night, anyway, to tell her what she should or not expose. Not that she would listen to anyone but her own volition, of course.

The pixies would be scandalized, and the thought made her laugh. Aurora would probably laugh, the innocent imp. Diaval would…

What would Diaval think of her bare legs, she wondered, biting her lower lip. The insolent raven sure would have a witty remark or two. Most probably half a dozen. She laughed to herself. Goodness, Diaval sure made her laugh a lot, even if most times the laughter was concealed and only happened inside her mind. She could use a good laugh right now, but her pet wasn't there, so what to do?

But she could think of him. She could picture his scandalized face if he ever saw her bare legs. Or, thinking better, maybe not. He had not the same qualms humans had, and a body was simply the beautiful self of a being, not something to be ashamed of. Most probably, he would be curious and take a good look.

Hmm, how far would his curiosity lead him, the fae wondered. Would he touch her? Would he rub his feathers against her skin if he were in raven form?

The thought of those black feathers rubbing against her inner thighs made her shiver, and Maleficent traced her own skin with the tip of a finger just to add feel to the idealization. It felt good, and if she closed her eyes she could imagine it was his beak instead of her fingernail grazing from knee to hip and round her thigh to reach her other leg. How would it feel to have him right there, nested between her legs?

"Oh…"

Her fingers grazed her core, finding it already wet from her imagination. No way she would stop now, not before giving herself a little pleasure, not before making her desire mount to a lone climax and lend her release to sleep at last. She rubbed her clit with one finger while the other hand worked on her nipples, evoking heavy breathing and soft moans escaping her lips. Maleficent was almost falling over the edge, imagining what her favourite pet would be doing to her if he were there, and how good it would feel.

"Diaval…"

What the fae didn't count on was that her raven slept very close to her nest, else angering her for being late when called. Actually, he was just a few branches away from her all the time, and flew to her at once when his name was uttered.

Landing softly at her feet, Diaval found himself dumbstruck. Was his mistress ill? Hurt? She moaned as if in pain, and rubbed between her legs as if something itched badly, and he was sure it was not something he had seen before. He took some careful steps closer to her, intrigued. There was no blood, so his mistress was not hurt, he concluded. Her eyes were shut and her brow frowned, she moaned as if she were in pain, but he could see no cause for it. Her hand moved and moved, faster and faster, and the place where she was rubbing herself was rosy and dripping what looked like a translucent honey, albeit it didn't smell like any honey he knew. Was that the cause of her distress?

Unaware of her feathered audience, Maleficent allowed her mind to wander deeper in the fantasy of having her pretty bird taking her to the heights of pleasure, and the next step, obviously, was to dream of him in a form that would bring her even more pleasure. After all, why to be content with the caresses of a bird when she could count on the fulfilment a man could give her? She wet her lips and muttered in her fantasy.

"Into man…"

The surprise of being morphed into his human form in that exact moment was only surpassed by his mistress' shock at realizing Diaval as a man dropped between her legs.

"What…?"

"Miss…"

"Diaval, what are you doing here?" She cut him short, recoiling and hurrying to cover her legs with the skirt of the night gown.

"You called me, mistress, I came!" His big charcoal eyes were wide as saucers, evidently afraid of being punished when all he did was to comply with what she demanded. "I deemed my mistress was hurt, so I came closer to be of help, my mistress knows I'm always helpful and do anything my mistress demands and please don't turn me into a dog or a mealy worm or other kind of disgusting creature!"

His whole body was shaking, his mistress' anger like a suffocating cloud around him. Diaval closed his eyes and dropped his head, waiting for the worst.

Next thing he heard was laughter.

Maleficent's crystal laughter.

Diaval dared to open his eyes and looked up at his mistress.

"Well, well, well, what am I to do with such an observant servant, huh?" Her eyes shone with amusement, now that her first reaction of anger subsided due to Diaval's complete lack of malice. And, actually, it was not like she had the right to be angry at him, was it? He had a point. She did call him and she did turn him into man. And she did want him to see her naked and to make love to her, didn't she? "Maybe a prize instead of a punishment, huh?"

He couldn't tell if she was being serious or only teasing him into believing he wouldn't be punished only to make the punishment feel worse, but the poor raven couldn't help but hope.

"My mistress isn't angry anymore?"

She leant down and lifted his chin with the tip of a finger.

"No, my pet. Actually, I'm pleased with you." He let out the breath he didn't realize to be holding. She let go his chin signalling him to stand up, an amused smile gracing her red lips. "Would you like to please me more, Diaval?"

"Always, my mistress."

The fae twitched her fingers and a golden light spread around the nest.

"Closed."

Several branches of the old rowan tree bent here and there, concealing her nest from any curious eyes. The earlier oversight would not be repeated. Right above their heads a patch of sky was yet visible, letting in the moonshine to lighten the place. Diaval felt a little afraid, unsure of what was to come.

"Naked."

The magic startled him, even more when he realized it wasn't directed only to him and that now he was facing the beautiful self of his mistress stripped of any covering.

"Cushions."

Extra pillows added to the comfort of Maleficent's sleeping place, fitting it to accommodate more than one person. The fae sat down on one of them, graciously, and held out her hand.

"Now, make me company, Diaval."

"Yes, my mistress." The raven knelt in front of her, unsure of what to do next. He gulped down and then dared to look up at her. "Mistress, I'm sure I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

She smiled, amused.

"Well… If my pretty bird doesn't know what to do, better I teach him, huh?" She skidded closer and carded his hair, eyes shining dangerously. Her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. "You can start by touching my body with these strong hands of yours, and putting your lips on mine."

"Mistress, this… this is a kiss, isn't it?" He asked, placing his hands on the curve of her waist. Her skin was smooth and nice to the touch, but Diaval still felt insecure.

"Yes, Diaval, this is a kiss." She was having an unexpected fun with his inexperience, and it only added to her desire. Definitely, she should have done this a long time ago. "Any problem with a kiss?"

"Mistress, please don't misunderstand me, but…" Her hands in his hair and neck were not helping to concentrate, but he had to be sure. "B-but isn't this something humans do when they… mate?"

Maleficent laughed, but a tinge of pain trespassed her laughter. The memory of Stefan's betrayal had too much to do with a kiss for it not to be so. She averted the bad memory by tracing the big scar on his chest with her fingers.

"Diaval, Diaval, my naïve bird… I guess it should be so, but humans don't care to having things right. They kiss when they want the good feeling a kiss lends. Not every kiss leads to mating."

"Oh…" She couldn't fail to notice a bit of disappointment on his face.

"But neither of us are humans."

His face lightened up at her words. It was obvious after being stated. Despite his human form, he was a raven at heart, to the last feather.

"So, if we kiss…"

"So, when we kiss… it will lead to bit more of action than to just watch the stars together, if you take my meaning."

He could feel himself blush, grateful for the cover of the night to conceal it. Her exploring hands were bringing a strange tingling sensation to his body, and it downed on him what she was doing when he landed on her nest. So that was how human-like females…

"Mistress, I never…"

"Hush…"

She silenced him with her lips, framing his face with her hands. The fae parted Diaval's lips with her tongue, and his breath hitched in surprise. That was not how he supposed it worked, but it felt good anyway. Actually, it felt so good he tried to do the same to see how it would feel to explore her warm mouth with his own tongue. He could feel her lips curl up in a smile and was happy to know it pleased her.

Daring to be a little bolder, he brought his hands to her back, holding her closer to him. She answered in kind, caressing his body and sending shivers down his spine. The feel of her breasts on his chest was oh so good, and the tingling sensation increased in between his legs.

Actually, it was not only the sensation that increased. He could feel certain part of his body swell and grow harder, and hoped Maleficent wouldn't be angry because of it. It was simply impossible to control, like his breathing that was heavier and the urge to touch her whole body. It was not how ravens did it, the courting was quite different, but instincts were instincts and they were kicking in beautifully.

"Oh, Diaval…"

Maleficent had let go his mouth and was kissing his neck, biting his earlobe, and grazing her fingernails on his back in a way that mixed excitement and trepidation as to how deep in his skin they would be able to go if she gave in. The raven could feel sweat forming on his brow and hid his face in her hair, breathing in her sweet smell and guessing if he should bit her skin the way she did to him or if it was a thing only females should do. Unwilling to interrupt what they were doing to ask, he kissed her neck to verify her reaction, and was graced with a moan escaping her lips.

"Ah, such a fast learner, my pretty bird…"

The compliment brought him a smile and an increase in his swelling. Diaval could feel it pulse against Maleficent's belly, and she didn't seem to have a problem with it, so he felt more confident. His confidence dropped to the ground when she pushed him over and he fell atop the pillows behind him.

"Mistress…?"

"Shh, don't worry…" She soothed him in a whisper. "Just taking a step further, if you're ready."

"Ready?"

"Hu-huh."

He didn't know if he was ready, furthermore because he didn't know ready for what. Considering what he saw when arriving at the nest and his current state of hardness, he could almost guess, but then again, that was not how birds did it, so how was him to be sure?

Maleficent kissed him again and trailed his jaw and neck with her tongue, eliciting shy moans in response. Enjoying the teasing, she went further down, kissing and biting lightly his chest and abdomen, and then up again to lock her eyes with his. One of her hands trailed his body again, stopping to scrape his nipples and then down until finding his cock.

Diaval gasped.

"Aahh…"

"Getting vocal, huh?"

"Sorry, mistress, I…"

"Shh… You can get vocal as much as you want, Diaval. Actually, I'd love to hear you as you moan and dither for me…"

Hearing her approval was all he needed, and a groan left his lips as she stroked his dick up and down. Maleficent had asked if he wanted to please her more, but it was him who was getting pleased, more pleased than he imagined possible, with her ministrations and caressing her soft skin. Yet…

"I want to… I want to please you, mistress."

"What? Oh, but you are pleasing me, naïve birdy!" She laughed and kissed his neck.

"But I want to please you more." His breath was heavy with excitement and expectation. "Please show me how…?"

His sincerity was appealing and her rock hard heart melt. What she started out of physical need was turning tables on her and becoming an intimacy of another kind. A kind she feared.

Diaval stroked a reverent finger along her cheekbones, her jaw, her full lips. Traced the line of her eyebrows and the outline of her pointy ear. His midnight eyes pleaded for approval, to be allowed to make her happy.

"I could kiss every inch of your skin every day of my life if you allow me, my mistress." His voice trembled. "If you only allow me…"

Maleficent kissed him if only to make him stop talking whilst her mind raced. One didn't misjudge someone's character after fifteen years of daily coexistence, did one? And despite his insolence – or, perhaps, because of it – Diaval was her best friend. They could spend hours chatting nonsense or simply in a companionably silence, or bicker like and old couple. She bit his lips lightly, thinking of the long winters they spent cuddling together for warmth, and how warmer they could be from now on if she only allowed him… no, allowed herself to be happy again.

No, all she wanted was some physical release, and that was what she'll have that night, at his expense. The bitter female Stefan had turned her into would not melt so easily, it was not safe, she would get hurt again…

The fae broke the kiss suddenly and straddled her servant. That's what he was, her servant, her pet, nothing more, and to serve her he would tonight. The feel of his hard cock entering her was a mix of pleasure and fire, so many years of being alone had tightening her and now her inner walls squeezed Diaval.

The raven didn't know what to make of this, one moment she seemed happy and kissing him, the next she had her eyes closed and a sad face and then she had him in her hands and into her body and what-was-that-feeling-that-shot-through-his-whole-body-like-a-lightning-oh-my-goodness-I'm-the-happiest-raven-in-the-world!

"Aaahhh…"

"Gnnhh!"

The exhilaration of Diaval's moan was matched by the anger in Maleficent's grunt, making him unclench his eyelids and stare at her constrained face.

"Mi-mistress?" He stuttered. "Did I hurt you?"

She opened her eyes to his worried ones and felt her heart melt again. How could she be so stupid as to believe she could use Diaval as a relief and ignore his feelings? The feelings of the most caring creature she ever met? The feelings… the feelings she reciprocated…?

"You did…"

A tear glistened on her cheek and Diaval panicked.

"Oh, mistress, no, what did I do, I'll never forgive myself, I…"

He tried to scramble from under the fae, to remove himself from inside her, but Maleficent put a finger on his lips to shut him up and a strong hand on his chest to keep him from moving.

"You hurt me right here…" She said, pointing to her heart. "I have a hole right here and I need you to heal it, my dear Diaval. Do you understand?"

He let out his anguished breath and gaped at her. That was unexpected.

"I… I hope I do, mistress." He touched the fae's cheek, drying her tear and cupping her face. "And I'll heal it every day if you allow me. Will you?"

"I will." She leant down and kissed him lightly, carding his hair. "Now make love to me, and make me forget all the pain from the past."

"I will." His eyes were trained on her lips, and now that the fear of having hurt her was over, his hands claimed her body once again. "Will you show me how?"

"Oh, this I will!"

Maleficent started to move on top of him, enjoying the sensation of his hard dick inside of her. The inexperienced raven took a few moments to grasp the idea and start to move too, mesmerized by the feelings his human body provided. The more he moved, the more he synched with her, and the more the feeling built inside.

She sat up on Diaval with her hands on his chest, propping her torso up and allowing her clit to rub to his groin with each movement. It felt wonderful, the friction outside and his dick inside, and Maleficent clenched her teeth to suppress a cry when release finally came.

Looking up at her ecstasized face, Diaval was sure she was the most beautiful being he ever beheld, and that he was the luckiest raven to ever fly on the Moors. She sweated under his hands, her breath hitched, and her whole body trembled with something he knew by now that wasn't pain. Her walls clenched around his dick, pulsing, and he was so happy of bringing pleasure to his mistress he could burst.

But albeit having her climax, Maleficent didn't stop to move, instead lying down again on his chest and mumbling to his ear.

"Yes, Diaval, soo good…" She quickened the pace and he felt even more excited. "So good, do it again…"

He didn't know exactly what he'd done, but the drumming of his heart told him to follow her lead. Diaval moved his hips in time to hers, breathing hard, and it was impossible to think clearly by now. She arched her back, unable to supress a cry this time, and his world exploded in a wave of pleasure that overwhelmed his senses. Golden lights shimmered in front of his eyes and he feared to be turned back into raven, but it was only his head dizzy with ecstasy.

The fae collapsed over his body and rolled over, leaving him with a feeling of cold and emptiness. Diaval turned to her side with a tentative hand touching her messed up hair.

"Did I please you, mistress?"

Her smile was pure crystal when she turned to him.

"More than you imagine, my pretty bird."

Diaval sighed, relieved.

"Are you still hurt?"

He asked softly, touching her breast on the spot her heart hid inside.

"No more. Thanks to you, Diaval, no more."

He sighed again and they fell into a comfortable silence, watching the last shine of the moon before it disappeared behind the branches. Some minutes later and the raven asked again.

"Mistress?"

"Yes, Diaval?"

"Will you turn me into raven and send me away to sleep somewhere else?"

"What…?" Maleficent sat up with a jolt, looking at wide eyed. "Is that what you wish, ungrateful bird?"

"No, no, mistress, I…" He stammered. "I asked if this is what you want to do, because it's what you always do at night when… when you don't need me anymore…"

His last phrase was but a whisper with downcast eyes, and Maleficent blamed herself for the misunderstanding.

"Oh…" She pushed him down on the pillows again and stared into his black eyes. She leaned closer and touched his lips with a soft kiss. "And who said I don't need you anymore, Diaval? Who said I don't need you by me all the time?"

A couple of butterflies revolved in his stomach and a smile graced his lips. This seemed to be a good start for… the rest of their lives.