Author's notes: I'm deeply sorry about leaving this story in limbo for so long. I just got the sense that readers have lost interest in it. Thank Anilex Hyuga-Uzumaki for his recent review, as I may not have continued without some encouragement. Please note that reviews are just about the only reward we get for writing these stories, so please give just a simple acknowledgement to any author who's work you like. Criticisms and praise are always appreciated. I've not started the next chapter yet, but I've got a plan in mind for this story. However I intend to revise the original plot to a certain degree, so I'll let you know when the revised events impact the plot.
Thanks to all who read, and even more to those who review.
The Gift
Although Nadia had no royal blood running through her veins, she was practically a princess in all but title. This wasn't a coincidence, as Nadia had Aurora's features. Likewise she was a child without a family, just as Leila was a mother without her child.
Five years after the death of King Henry, a small army of thieves and slavers began raiding outlying villages belonging neither to Caldoria nor the Moors. One such settlement was extended an offer to surrender what little they had in exchange for their lives. Whether by accident or intent, a fire broke out. Fed by a raging wind, it erupted into a wall of blazing death that relentlessly consumed the village. Over two hundred people, fearful of the invaders, remained sheltered in their homes even as the wall of death consumed them. Nadia was only one of a handful of survivors.
Almost as unfortunate as the massacre itself came in the aftermath, as King Stefan used for propaganda purposes. He sought to blame Maleficent and gain support for another war against the Moors. Knowing that the real criminals would never come forward with the truth, Stefan bribed survivors of similar massacres, preying on their desperation in exchange for false testimony.
Nadia was only seven at the time, and her refusal to lie had earned the notice of Queen Leila, whom took the young girl into her service as a hand maiden. While the queen's initial intent may have been selfless, her affection for the young girl began filling a great the void in Leila's heart where Aurora was supposed to be. Unfortunately it was a fantasy that couldn't be maintained as Nadia grew older.
Although they had arrived at Brampton, no one knew the exact location of the Blue Boar Inn, where Aurora hopefully was already awaiting them. Rather than rummaging about the town blindly, Angus suggested leaving the party behind while he went about searching for the inn himself. While the risk of anyone being able to identify the queen may have been small, he also didn't want her enduring another hour in the carriage if he could avoid it. Besides in a town of only a few hundred people, the easiest solution may have simply been to ask the locals for directions.
Leila certainly didn't object to the proposal. Although there was no reason to expect trouble here, the journey was physically taxing and she was desperate to escape the confines of the wagon. For a woman of only 36 years of age, she had already begun to show signs of advanced age. Years of living in Stefan's shadow have eroded her flesh and soul from grief, and the queen's ailing body was fragile.
With the sun now high in the sky, Nadia helped Leila out of the wagon and they settled upon a patch of open grass near the river bank along the outskirts of the village. One of the coach drivers provided for the horses while the other rested. Anders prepared to start a fire while he set up ingredients for another cocktail of medicine.
Nadia seemed particularly sensitive about the queen's declining health, considering that Leila practically raised her since she was seven. In the years following Maleficent's curse upon Aurora, Leila tried desperately to give Stefan additional children. Unfortunately after enduring two miscarriages, Leila had become sterile. And knowing that Stefan would never accept an adopted daughter for an heir... Leila secretly took Nadia and tried to raise her as if she were her own daughter.
Having spent most of the night watching over the queen, Nadia was eager for a nap. However in their haste to leave the castle, she forgot to pack any additional blankets. Leila had the only one, and she needed its warmth more than anyone. Rummaging through the wagon's compartments in the hope of finding something to wrap herself in, she came across a hidden compartment under one of the seats. Within she found a satchel which belonged to Leila. Twisting her head around to confirm that she was indeed alone, Nadia stared at the plain leather pouch ponderously.
As a handmaiden Nadia knew enough not to allow curiosity to get the better of her, but the queen seemed particularly protective of this bag. Eagerly she undid the fastener and pulled the pocket wide open. With only a narrow beam of sunlight gleaming through the door, it was too dark to see what was inside.
Twisting her head around again, Nadia nervously reached into the satchel and knew it could only have been a crown... Aurora's crown. Slowly and respectably Nadia withdrew it from its hiding place and held it up to the light to appreciate its features. Rotating the ornamental headdress to admire the glistening of sunlight through the jewels, Nadia felt a surge of emotion run through her. After all these years, finally Aurora and Leila were about to be reunited!
Unfortunately this moment was cut short when she heard the sound of footsteps just outside the door. By instinct, Nadia stashed the precious ornament back into its bag and closed the compartment without making any noise. Knocking lightly upon the wagon door, the coach driver was careful not to disturb anyone's privacy. "My Lady?"
Having narrowly escaped being seen, she tried to retain some measure of composure. "Yes, I'm here."
Smiling pleasantly as she pushed the door open, he offered his hand to guide her down to the ground. "Your baggage is in the back, unless you needed something else?" He spoke with a fairly hoarse Scottish accent.
She shook her head. "I'm fine. You two should get some rest. I can tend to the queen."
"There's no rest for us until they've been fed and watered." He smiled and gestured to the horses. "Otherwise they'll be cranky and give us hell."
Nadia nodded politely and made her way around to the back compartment, which was also where he needed to go. After grabbing a feed bag, he paused a moment... careful of how he posed his question. "My lady, I understand the need for secrecy. But the truth is that we're growing a wee bit concerned of this endeavor."
"The Queen's gravely ill, but she's acting with a sound mind." Nadia declared with the utmost confidence. "We'll continue her until her task is done."
"It's not our job to question the queen. We'll take her wherever she commands." He smirked, trying to repress a laugh. "We'd do it naked if she wanted." Seeing Nadia wasn't amused, he continued more seriously this time. "It's pretty obvious she's going behind the King's back... I'm not sure how he'll react."
Nadia sighed and shook her head. "He wouldn't even go to see Leila last night. He probably wouldn't have even noticed if she just died in bed, but he'll certainly react when he learns she's gone."
"Well I can understand why she would choose to leave, but how'd he know we weren't kidnapping her or something?"
It was then that Nadia found what she had been searching for: a hairbrush that was gifted to her shortly after the massacre of her village. While the brush itself was well crafted and very beautiful, it was prized for having been carved from the splinter of a tree taken from the Moors. After Maleficent erected her wall of thorns, any trinkets such as that were rare and highly valued. And while it may not have appeared special, the true worth of that brush was easily that of gold.
Nadia apparently lost in deep thought, he gently spoke up. "My Lady?"
"Hmm?" She perked up her head, seemingly confused. Then she remembered that his concern was already addressed. "Yes. Leila left a message behind. She made it clear that anyone involved in this expedition were merely following her orders. And that if she should die..."
"It won't come to that." The driver interrupted. "If she wishes to escape the King's tyranny, we're with her to the end."
As the driver slapped Nadia on the back and turned his attention back to the horses, she turned hers back to the queen. Leila had since moved from her original spot, likely to escape the smoke of the fire Anders had built... clearly he didn't spend much time in the wilderness. Still bitterly cold, Nadia preferred to sit near Leila than with Anders.
Finding the queen curled up with her back against a tree, Nadia couldn't tell whether she were asleep... or worse. She naturally extended her hand towards Leila's shoulder, but then held herself back. If Leila had the means to move out of the smoke only a few moments earlier, then obviously she wasn't dead now. And if she were asleep, then the last thing she would have wanted was to disturb what precious little rest she was getting. However just as Nadia was about to sit down herself, Leila's eyes flew open.
Without the slightest indication that she were ill or even asleep, Leila smiled at the young woman before her. "Nope. Not dead yet."
Nadia could hardly believe her ears. "Leila? How can you jest at a time like this?"
Straitening herself up against the tree behind her, the sickly queen pulled away the blanket so that the two of them could share in its warmth. Nadia didn't hesitate to accept the offer, as she could barely even feel her fingers. "I'm sorry for dragging you along, I don't suppose I've much need of a handmaiden out here."
Savoring the warmth for a moment, Nadia leaned her head against Leila's neck. "You didn't, I wanted to come along. I also hoped I might've been able to..." Sighing, she took Leila's hand into hers and set the brush into her open palm. "I wanted Aurora to have this."
Feeling the shape of the handle, Leila knew exactly what it was. "Your hairbrush?"
"Yes. I know it was originally intended for Aurora, and I'd like her to have it now."
Leila shook her head and placed the brush back into Nadia's hands. "It may have been once, but I remember how much it meant to a certain little girl I took into my service. Aurora probably wouldn't have treasured it as much as you did."
"Actually I think that she'll treasure it more than almost anything else." Pulling the brush out from under the blanket, the handmaiden held it out for display. "Back in my village, they used to tell stories of trinkets that the Moors used to share with my people. I'm sure that this brush is a soul shard."
"What's that?"
"A soul shard... it retains a faint... essence of a memory or experience."
"It can do that?" Leila asked, her curiosity peaking.
Nadia knew that she couldn't really describe the nature of the brush, as all soul shards had their own unique properties. And this particular talisman wasn't even something Nadia completely understood... she didn't wish to overstate its value. "It's not like being able to relive something exactly, more like that it... resonates a person's emotions."
Clearly seeing that Leila didn't understand, Nadia tried to explain it another way. "For instance if I tried to remember some of the outings that we used to take, if I were to start brushing my hair... I could almost feel exactly what you did when you used to stroke my hair."
"And if I were to do the same?"
"It depends much on who or what you're trying to remember." Nadia didn't really know for sure. She then took the brush to her hair and started stroking to try and describe the sensation. "I can almost feel your sense of loss whenever you had to be reminded that I wasn't Aurora. You often felt ashamed thinking of the three of us like your family much more so than..." Realizing that she may have said too much, Nadia felt an extreme sense of guilt... as though she had exposed deep feelings that would have been better left undisturbed. "I'm sorry. If I got something wrong..."
Leila shushed Nadia and pulled her in as though she were her own daughter. "It's okay. It's just that if I'd known what it was... I'd probably have been a little more careful."
"Well that's actually the reason I wanted Aurora to have it now. You've handled the brush many times yourself... I want her to have something of you... so that she would know that you weren't just shutting her out of your lives... that you loved her with all your heart." As Nadia said those words, she knew it was the right thing to do. Up until that point she'd always been reluctant about keeping the soul shard to herself, but she'd now found the perfect person to give it to.
Leila often didn't display emotion, especially when any other mother might have shed tears of joy; but a gentle kiss upon Nadia's forehead was more than enough. "Thank you." Taking the brush graciously and tucking it into her cloak's pocket, Leila felt this was the right time to offer something back in return. "This is something that I can never truly repay. The truth is I feel guilty about asking whether you'd be willing to grant an old woman another request."
Judging by Leila's tone, Nadia instinctively raised her head in unpleasant anticipation. "Of course. Anything."
Leila vividly remembered a time almost exactly like this with her own father. After being mortally wounded, King Henry had gathered many noblemen into his chamber to decree what was to be done after his death. Now she found herself in the exact same place, but going in with a much greater confidence than her father. "Don't be too quick to accept. You're old enough now that you can decide for yourself whether you wish to remain in the Royal Family's service, or to make a life for yourself once this is over."
"Leila?"
"Do you remember when I proposed to Stefan about adopting you into the family?"
Nadia nodded. "He absolutely refused. He made it clear he'd never allow it."
Leila took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Regardless of what he wanted, I've continued grooming you with the hope that when Aurora took the crown... that you'd serve as her primary advisor."
An uncomfortably long moment of silence endured. This was the first that Nadia ever heard of such plans... why did she wait until now to mention it?
Leila continued. "I'd like you to stay with Aurora once I'm gone. You would have almost two years to teach her everything she would need in order to rule... two years away from Stefan's influence."
"Everything I know?" Realizing that this matter had become far too personal, Nadia courteously withdrew herself from Leila's blanket and stood herself up properly. "Your Majesty, I'm truly flattered that you think so highly of me. But I'm afraid you seriously misjudge me... I can read and write... I'm not versed in history or philosophy... I wouldn't know where to start."
Leila gestured Nadia to sit back down, if only so that she didn't have to raise her voice. While she didn't show it, her health grew progressively worse. "Nadia, please. Aurora cannot become like her father. I tried to raise you as best I could, and I'm proud of the fine young lady you've become. It's for that reason I want you to be her foil. History, diplomacy, philosophy... these things come with time. Morality, ethics, integrity... these values are so often overlooked."
Nadia reluctantly lifted her eyes and focused upon the village, never once contemplating the responsibility of ruling over just a few dozen people... how was she supposed to influence Caldoria's upcoming queen? For while she may have been close to a great queen and witnessed the tyranny of King Stephan for nearly a decade, why did Leila want her of all people advising her daughter?
"What about Angus?" She asked.
Leila reluctantly shook her head. "He is a friend and I wouldn't hesitate to entrust anyone's life into his hands. However his devotion to any single person is exactly the reason I don't want him anywhere near Aurora."
Nadia didn't know what to say in response to Leila's wishes for Angus. She knew that her relationship to her bodyguard was much closer than 'just a friend.' She had witnessed many instances of Stefan neglecting or actively abusing his wife, and Angus was always there to support her. And whatever sins they may or may not have committed in private... Nadia held nothing but the highest respect for Angus. For even as the two committed adultery, it seemed only ever done out of necessity and never from lust.
Before she could answer, Nadia heard a distinct set of hooves clip clopping off in the distance. Although she couldn't see anything yet, she knew it had to be Angus. Having found the inn, he no doubt would have mounted his rider's horse, and made his way back as quickly as possible. A bit over eager to break off the conversation, she went to meet him by the road. "It's him! It won't be much longer now!"
Unfortunately as Nadia rallied everyone to meet him, she was completely unaware of Angus' recent discovery... one enough to plunge a dying mother's last great hope into the darkest recesses of a nightmare.
Author's notes: Here's where continuity starts to become an issue. In this revised plot line, Aurora and Maleficent first meet when she's about ten years old. Maleficent actually doesn't know it's Aurora until much later, by which time she's already living amongst the Moors. The cottage where Aurora was once hiding has long since been raided and abandoned, so this shouldn't be too much of a cliffhanger. Oh and I am actually aiming for this to become a Malora romance... although Aurora will have a serious Phillip relationship over two years before the curse claims her.
