In the darkest part of the great castle there was a room of treasures, most of them stolen. The center piece of this collection was a large glass cabinet, inside a great big pair of brown wings. In the corner by the door there was a shadow of man sitting just staring at these wings. He sat unmoving except the occasional twitch of his eyes, and it was his eyes that gave away his insanity. There was a hollow crazed look about them, no light in them, just a deep blackness. A smirk played at his thin, sick looking, lips. His cloths suggested at finery but they were unkempt and dirty. He was hunched over in the chair his arms on the arm rest, and guessing by the dust gathering, he had been sitting there a very long time, unmoving.

"Well my dear it does seem you got the better of me, cursing my daughter, with only a true love's kiss to save her. Which we both know doesn't exist, that's why you did it didn't you, just to spite me. Well it won't work, I was a fool not to kill you, and next time we meet I will have your head." With this Stephan gave a crazed manic laughter that would send shivers down most peoples spin. There was of course no one else in the room, but Stephan didn't care. To him the wings really were Maleficent, and they were all he could think about.

Stephan had thought that maybe in the past he really had loved her, if only for a moment. But how was he going to go anywhere in this world if he was being dragged down by a thing like her. No, he regretted nothing of sniping the beast's wings, even if it had cost is daughter's life. He got what he wanted, which was the crown and throne. He had done what he promised to Maleficent he would do when he first meet her. He was living in the palace.

"You had to know this was coming, though I do have to thank you. You attacking the kings was the key to my success. So if you think about it it's your fault your wings were taken, you brought it apron yourself. Then you come after my family for your mistake? Well you won't get far with this, even if I have to hunt you down myself. First I will kill you then I'll take your precious kingdom. Then again you already know that. That's why your after me, coming to get me."

There was a knock at the door, Stephan ignored it, but he did go quiet. Once again a knock sounded. This time however the person came in. It was his manservant George. "Sir it's the Queen, she asks for you. When Stephan said nothing he presses on. "Sir the surgeons say she won't last the night."

With that last comment Stephan put a finger to his lips and said "Sh, can't you see we're having a conversation." George looked at him with confusion and a little fright before he bowed his head and exited.

Stephan returned his attention to the glass case. What did he care if the Queen died? She was nothing to him. He didn't love her, she was a means to an end for Stephan. When he married her it united his and the neighboring kingdom, plus they had an extreme amount of iron resources. He didn't care if she died he was still going to get the iron and that is all that mattered.

"Have to be prepared for when you come, isn't that right dearie? You should be grateful I didn't kill you when I had the chance. Thought about it, couldn't do it. Even if I didn't love you, you were still my friend once, in childhood. Be grateful you meant even that much to me. But you don't care. You're still coming after me, and I'm still going to kill you.

Over the next several years Stephan prepared for Maleficent arrival. Though it was still many years till the curse was supposed to go into effect, there was no idea when she might get the inkling to kill the entire kingdom. He had drawn plans of defenses with his generals now all he had to do was put them into action. He put his entire kingdom to work. If you weren't digging iron out of the ground, you were building a trap or making weapons and armor. Many men died those years, of hunger, exhaustion, and sickness. Stephan didn't care, not as long as everything got done. What were a few nameless peasants to him? He was the bloody king.

Over time though Stephan became crazier and crazier. His eyes more bloodshot, his hair and cloths more unkempt. Many people said it was because of grief of the loss of his wife and daughter. It was of course not that. It was worry that drove the king mad. Worry that all of his hard work would be for nothing. That Maleficent would win, she would take his throne away from him. The one thing he truly loved, power, would be taken from him. It haunted his thoughts drove him to the edge of insanity.

"I will not let that happen, she will be first, she will be first, she will be first." He repeated those words over and over again in his head, thinking maybe if he thought it hard enough it would come to pass. He knew that the council members plotted against him, meant to over throw him. It worried him not. He could handle those sniveling cowards. He just needed to take care of her first.

She will be first.

Another chapter hope you enjoy it. I think it really gets into his mind set. And yes that is a part of the movie in it. Remember if you liked it review! Show the love, or help me improve. Next chapter probably some Maleval, so look out for that.

Happy Reading!