Author's Note:
Disclaimer:
Babes, there are 50+ of you following this silly little story. You all make me so happy. Diavora? More like DiaFOREVAH.
To the reviewer about The Little Mermaid: I love you to the moon and back.
And I miscounted earlier - sorry! This is looking like it will be a little longer than five chapters. I don't know, honestly. I'm just pulling all of this out of my ass. All of the cliffhangers and angst will resolve fairly quickly within this short story, so don't worry too much if I throw you a curveball.
Theorise and draw parallels and hypothesise and Einstein away - I love it when you talk plot line to me ;)
"Of course," he says simply. "You're my best friend."
Gods and Monsters
iv.
[-]
"Auntie Knotgrass? Do you know how to whistle?"
When her aunt confirms that yes, she does indeed know how to whistle, Aurora begs her aunt to teach her. Once she has mastered the art of puckering her lips and carrying a tune, Aurora goes out to her meadow every day and whistles the melody fragments her pretty bird had sung to her all those days ago.
He still doesn't return.
x
Phillip stops by on a sunny summer morning. "It's my birthday tomorrow," he announces to her as if they hadn't spent the last few months not talking to each other. Aurora reminds herself that it was all his fault that their friendship fell to pieces, but then she remembers that she mustn't hold grudges or harbour resentment towards others.
"Yeah," she says, not understanding what he wants her to do with this information.
He smiles brightly. Aurora notices that he looks different. It's a good different. But she finds herself studying him and looking at this familiar stranger for the traces of her friend who promised to slay dragons for her.
"I'm having a celebration," - his eyes twinkle and Aurora remembers how the stars looked dim in comparison - "because it's not every day that you turn ten," - and then Aurora thinks of how cold she is on the nights when there are no stars outside - "and I would really like it if you were there."
She blinks. She thinks she hears an invitation in his words but his other pompous words and arrogant tone cloak what he is trying to say. "Huh?"
"I want you to come celebrate my birthday with me at the jousting tournament tomorrow." Phillip pauses and then remembers his manners. "Please," he says to soften his demand.
The tournaments are such a grown-up thing and Aurora's eyes widen excitedly that he chose her to attend it with him. "Really, Phillip? You mean it?"
"Of course," he says simply. "You're my best friend."
And just like that, their friendship had been repaired.
x
"Absolutely not," her aunts said when Aurora told them about Phillip's invitation. "You're not allowed to set one foot near that castle."
Lately, her aunts have been telling her she can't do pretty much anything that involves the world beyond their little cottage in the woods.
"Why not?" she challenges them. Aurora has never dared to be so bold before, and it takes the four of them by surprise.
"Because we said so," Aunt Thistletwit says firmly.
"End of discussion," Aunt Flittle adds and leaves the room with a dramatic exit.
"Really, dearie, it's for your own good," is Aunt Knotgrass' response.
Aurora frowns but does not argue. Her thoughts, however, are not placated by her aunts' breezy remarks; instead, she's even more frustrated and curious about their decision to keep her locked away in the woods. Because isn't that what they are doing? Hiding her away so that no one could find her?
She wonders what it is they could possibly be so afraid of.
[-]