Note: A part of this chapter has been rewritten.
First, I would like to acknowledge DancingKitKat for reviewing every chapter, I appreciate that you appreciate this fanfiction.
And to the Guest, I will have more Diaval coming up, in fact, I'm even planning on this father-daughter type scene where Diaval is helping Aurora to be a proper princess before showing her off to Mal.
Thank you to everyone who followed/reviewed/favorited and I even thank you for reading it. I can't tell you how much each of those things encourages me to continue on with the story!
Alright, so I introduce to you, chapter 4
Until She's Crowned
Chapter 4- Little Things
Mallory set down her cup of tea. Jafar, who paid her a willing visit stirred his own cup. She couldn't bear to even glance at the old man. Marriage, he proposed was the reason for this very private meeting. She wanted to chide him, how would their relationship benefit Moreise?
But he looked hardly at her. He was ignoring her stares. How she coldly gazed at his direction. But she tried to be defiant. To let him look at her, and see that she's perfect. She's still sane. "Fine." Mallory searched for further words.
Jafar almost snarled at her. He was tied with the same glare. The councilman raised his cup of tea, making her wait, to continue the conversation. "Fine?" He repeated like a question. He stopped, and lowered the porcelain teacup from his lip.
The Queen couldn't respond back. She couldn't break down into a scramble of words for a better explanation. Not when she knew how blunt her answer was.
"If you do believe it's fine." He said, looked away. He was hiding a callous grin, from that angle Mallory could make out a lifted tug for a smile. "I may want to ask why?"
"Why?"
"Your unfortunate absence of children."
Mallory blinked in confusion. Children? No children did she want in the picture. So why was that aspect so heavily involved with her?
"Your Majesty, if I'm allowed to say, but your job as Queen is to bear heirs."
But then she looked into his tone. Determined to break her down. But she wouldn't. Not when Moreise stood behind her. He tried a honeyed accent to his next choice of words. Trying too sweetly, as Mallory glanced back to him. Her cup of tea still steamed, hot. Children? He was in no place to…"Pardon me?" The Queen held her head high, never thinking once to satisfy him any of those details.
He indeed was satisfied, his face said it all. He had received a reaction. A quaint one, but she was definitely disfigured by his words. He couldn't care for her, Mallory understood. They toyed with her, tried throwing her around like a rag doll hung by a chain. How did Leila manage?
Mallory of course fought back. She wouldn't be a dog that would be tied down. She wouldn't waste her time on tears, or wither away. Leila managed. But she didn't survive. Existed, never truly living.
"Your Majesty," Jafar, that devilish man began, almost mocking her name, title. "It may not be in my place to say," Nothing ever is. "But don't you want children?" Aurora was enough to deal with. "All women must provide their families with children."
She rolled her eyes, yes. She wouldn't have children. No, that wasn't in her fate. She couldn't care for his rhetorical remark, not unlike his next line. All women must provide. That one made her blood boil. She wasn't like most women now. Her face torn. "What?" She felt flabbergasted. Something silly, an emotion so strange, she never felt out of place or confused like that before. But just what?
His smile was now seemingly permanent, unchangeable, as he continued to explain his cause. "Three years of marriage." Hell, he meant. "It's expected of now that you would've been expecting."
Her eyes screamed rage, as this ember of green fire was sparked in her eyes. Flames scattered like ashes, but her body breathed more lengthily, as her mind tried processing everything. "So?"
"Three years, I repeat. I want to blame those miscarriages women ought to have from time to time, but I assume you're too graceful to step into those mistakes."
Her lips pursed. Too graceful. Miscarriages. Nothing close. Nothing was what it was. No tension, no action. Nothing coming from both sides. Three years. Three years of this miserable marriage she was trapped in, with a man who wouldn't look at her, too embarrassed of his mistakes, she who would turn away at every corner where he would stroll by.
"You haven't even…"
"Haven't even what?" Mallory dared with a raised eyebrow, her fingernails tried digging into her skin. But she wouldn't bleed.
He lifted his head and looked to her, so she could look into the eyes of a liar. "Tell me, your Majesty. Have you or have you not consummated your marriage yet?"
At that, the Queen instantly regretted challenging him. Her face flushed a deep red, and she turned her head, hoping for a cool wind to take away that heat, and to make him stop. She couldn't allow for him too, to violate her with cruel vulgar words and stares that shook her off guard.
He knew, she realized. Mallory instantly felt disgusted, just another layer of the annoyance and anger. Stefan. What has he told Jafar? What has he told all those comrades he shared a drink with? Exposed, she felt. Naked again, with that cold air and scarring feeling.
"No." She finished her words quickly. "Nor should there need to."
She wanted to stray from the topic, she wanted to run, despite how stupid her attempts would look. She would be an idiot to try. Her hands immediately searched for her cane, a stable weapon, she supposed. Enough to fend for her.
"My dear Queen, it's for the good of the kingdom!" Jafar cried. Touch me. She wanted to dare him, to see how far he'll go, she wouldn't regret hitting him.
"Good for the kingdom!" Mallory mocked. Ha! "Are you mad?"
"I was just about to ask the same from you." He remarked, his eyes tied to her clutched cane, her finger shaking, holding the wooden stick she relied on.
"Look your Majesty," he started with belittling eyes, tired. She wondered what his game was. But he was in the same level as her now. He was tired, it was obvious. "A woman can't rule without her husband. These three years, you've worked, and you've worked with your iron fist." And so rightfully she did.
"But you've left your husband behind. We shouldn't let that power get into your head now. Stefan, he's your king. He's who you belong to. And you've failed at giving him children, much more boring him.
I'll see to it, you do bring him a child. You need to inspire him." He left those words hanging in her thoughts. Inspire him? She could scoff, but immediately, she was turned away in fear.
She had to leave. Children. Aurora. Aurora, Aurora, Aurora. If she could've had accepted any call, she had to put her thoughts away, looking at the skies that would've spread outward to New York.
•
Much later, Mallory watched Aurora. From behind those trees, she felt like she's raised a child, a safe distance away. Feet away, Aurora, a small five year old then, was racing down, her small frail chubby arms reaching out to a butterfly. Diaval cautiously followed behind her.
She could've replaced Diaval with Stefan. Whisk away the girl from this happy tale she's been living, and truly raise her. No more demands from Jafar or anyone. No fear would she live in, and she could be happy. Read Aurora to sleep with those stories of fairies and Princesses, ones that end happily.
She had to stop doing that. There was no happily ever after. Aurora would be terrible under Stefan's watch. Much more behind those tall stone walls. Mallory would be trapped. Reaching for New York, anywhere really. What's done is done. She couldn't bring Aurora back yet. Stefan's spawn. Leila's baby. And she just wasn't Leila.
The Queen shook away those thoughts. Aurora was crying tearfully, Mallory saw that she had fallen, a scraped knee, and Diaval cradled her tiny body. Those three glorified nannies had gone off in their arguments again. Diaval looked to her, pulling her from behind her place in the shadows.
She saw how the hurt in Diaval as Aurora whimpered. She rolled her eyes. How to deal with crying children. She looked into the sky, and saw that thing she's been chasing, a brilliant blue butterfly with beautiful wings.
"Look!" Mallory pointed out, as bored as she was. Aurora looked up, and that contagious smile she kept grew back, blooming like a rose that once withered. She picked herself back up again, never mind how the mud was splattered across her summer dress, or how the grass stained her knee, and her golden hair as unruly as it could be. She ran along.
"Well." Diaval started with the same grin that caught her here, against her word, Diaval kept seeing Aurora, and inexplicably dragged his Mistress along for the ride.
"Oh go. Make sure she doesn't cry again." She ripped that smile from his face, but that mischievous and wild gleam didn't stray from his black eyes.
Mallory wished Diaval had dragged her. The Mayor of New York would be waiting. The Virginian governor would join him. And she didn't want to be reminded of Aurora, to look into her blue eyes and see Leila. She wished she hadn't known, that Diaval followed her word. But as Aurora ran along a meadow, racing Diaval, her lips were curved into a small smile, Aurora with her happy air, spreading.
Oh, the Mayor could wait. She had to protect Aurora after all, watch, make sure she stays alive. For Leila. Besides, she wanted to see the outcomes of this. But for now, she would have to stick to the shadows.
Aurora drank her strawberry smoothie from her bottle. Her fruit salad sat staring at her, making her more tempted to eat it all up.
The teen was waiting for her friends, Belle French and Mulan Fa, to make their way to their table. The one that could see the sun hidden behind clouds due to the cold winter air; where it's beauty lay hidden, unknown by others, until it came time where it revealed its bright rule over darkness.
She actually liked the sun. Specifically when it was rising. When it was dawn.
The blonde heard her best friend, Mulan, take a seat next to her, as well as she sat down her huge tray of apples on the cool table.
Aurora blinked a few times. Never has she seen so many slices of the same fruit all shoved into a crammed plastic box. "Why so many apples?" She wandered out loud in curiosity.
Mulan groaned, and a loose lock of black hair fell on her pale face, ruining the perfect bun she wore. "You know they said 'curiosity killed the cat', right?"
She shrugged. "What is there to kill me? Besides, you know I'm naturally curious." It was true. When she questioned something, the first thing she would do is find the answer. One of these days, the truth will hurt though. But it didn't matter to her now. She just wanted to know why her friend was to be eating so many apples.
Mulan shook her head slowly, and started munching on the fruit, savoring the sweet taste before swallowing. "If you have to know so badly, I'm supposed to be eating them for balance."
"And who told you that?"
Her friend rolled her eyes, another one of the red skinned treats entering the hole called her mouth. "My grandma. She wants me to be more...feminine."
Aurora tried to hold back a laugh. "So do they feed you misogyny you until you act like a girl?" That's it, she couldn't hold it back. Her voice choked out a giggle at the thought of sexist fruits.
Mulan rolled her eyes, while Belle finally joined them, her lunch tray carried by both hands, while her book was tucked between her elbow and torso. Oh, the struggle was for real. Aurora could practically see her friend's arm was trembling violently, as her book-Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet-was sliding away from the strong grasp, threatening to fall.
Aurora was quick to help the brunette in need, by taking the book away. Her blue eyes were fixed on the cover. It was fairly simple, a cream color with a single rose below the title, and Shakespeare's name was larger than anything else. Ever since she took up photography for a newspaper, middle school and high school, she would always notice these tiny details. Especially when she would skim through the newspaper looking for her own pictures, her mind wanting to check that it was true. That she was published, at least for the school.
And when she would skim through the newspaper, she would stop and notice. Alice always included a picture that wasn't related to what she wrote. The anonymous adviser would always sign their name off in messy cursive tiny letters. She, herself would stick to the same pastel pallet that made you think of cotton candy.
And then, she saw the rose on the cover of Romeo and Juliet. A pretty wilting rose. And she had felt the cover long enough to know that bit wasn't a book, but a script.
She sat the heavy pamphlet down next to her rightful owner. "I thought you already read it. Twice!" Aurora said dryly. Why was this bothering her so much.
Belle shrugged, taking a bite out of the school's famous Walt's Chicken Alfredo. "I wanted to look it over before the school put it on as a play."
That's why. "Oh." She didn't know why, but she always had to be in these type of things. She always turned to acting, because that was the only way you could put on a good show for everybody. To mask what you believe in so strongly. Acting had helped herself believe that there wasn't a shadow following her around her whole life. It was just her young mind confusing imaginary with reality.
"Are you directing?" Mulan piped, already have eaten a third of her tray.
The brunette shook her head in response, as her fork played with the pasta noodles. "No. I'm more of a reader and writer." She smirked before continuing. "Besides, you know how Ms. Carroll is about getting everything her way."
Ms. Ursula Carroll was the drama teacher, as well as choir. Though she had a powerful voice, she also had mastered the art of manipulation, often tricking students into trouble for her own entertainment. And of course, there was her daughter, Vanessa Carroll. Oh, she was even worse than her daughter. And unfortunately, she had to see both for sixth period.
•
Three classes later, Aurora finally found herself in Ms. Carroll's class. As usual, she started class with critically judging everyone in silence (except her daughter. Oh no, she usually complimented her, and made it quite verbal as well). Following the usual routine, she then took quick class attendance, not needing to look back at them to do so. It was like she was some sort of witch, because they swore the woman had eyes everywhere. So Ms. Carroll, self involved fabulous woman who put herself atop anything.
After that, Ms. Carroll would then do many other continuous steps before starting class, which included singing, giving useless tips to the girls about men under her breath, and fixing her pale blonde hair. After minutes, class had officially begun.
"Class" She would start.
"Yes Ms. Ursula." They would respond. You see, Ms. Carroll was the type of woman who didn't believe much in formalities, and tried so hard to hang on to their long lost youth.
"Well, alright." The obese woman said, pulling out her reading glasses. "As you may or may have not heard, our class will be putting on the ever so beloved, Romeo and Juliet as our mid with play." Chatter from the girls and some groaning from the guys immediately filled the room.
The noise soon stopped once the teacher threatened the students, her voice drowning out everyone. You know, just the standard threat a teacher makes about ripping your soul from you and crush it if you don't shut up. "Well, before I was rudely interrupted, I mentioned Romeo and Juliet. Now, I know since this is theatre, we need the best of actors to play the female" her glance quickly went towards Vanessa "and male leads. And there is also several other characters. But after that, we are left with the worthless, so those of you who don't have any chance whatsoever" she dramatically placed her hand over her forehead, as if she was about to comically faint. "don't even bother wasting my time with your audition. Just...please work backstage." She was pleading now. Desperate, dramatic, Aurora looked to her in a nauseous admiration.
After that, she passed around scripts, and mentioned possible things you could do if acting wasn't your real edge.
Aurora took quick notice that it was exactly the same as the Belle's copy.
Well, she didn't really want to act. Not in front of so many people especially. Though Juliet did pipe her interest, and just imagining having her first kiss in stage with whoever Romeo would be...she just couldn't. Backstage was where she belonged. But just maybe.
•
Aurora rode her bike home after school.
It was an adorable light pink vintage bicycle she had received for her 15th birthday. It even had a basket in the front.
She liked riding her bike. It was one of those times when she was outside, but not walking. No, her feet were off the ground, the only thing keeping her attached to earth being the bike itself. And she was moving freely too. Ever since she mastered riding one, Aurora had learned how to think on one without crashing.
And that's when the thoughts that were locked away in some storage box in her brain would magically reappear, as if they never left her mind.
Riding also helped her notice things she never had noticed before. Just last week, while biking in front of Belle's, she had noticed their book inspired bird feeder, and sure enough, two blue birds were in there, singing sweet melodies to each other.
Now, what she noticed was the snow filling on the ground, piling up on themselves, and each multiplied, making it nearly impossible to ride.
Frustrated, the blonde hopped off her bike, pulling the pink colored vehicle with her.
Living towards the city was maddening. Though she was awfully close to the city, it wasn't quite that they stumbled through obnoxious taxi cabs or sky high glass buildings meant for offices. They lived in one of the many counties that resided against the big apple.
A sleek black limo drove through the snow, all so suddenly, that Aurora jerked her bike away, in result, it dropped to the ground.
The tires deep print, that it almost cleaned all of the soft ice from the ground.
She looked back at the car, only being able to make out an all too much familiar figure.
Well this was edited and somewhat drafted over. I tried. Beginning is mostly rewritten, however the plot is still the same, just for it to be a bit more "realistic" and humane, and Jafar is still a creeper. I also fixed slight imperfections or revised, so I'm really happy with it now (08/30/2016)
Thank you for all those lovely reviews! I appreciate and smile at everyone who has supported me so far, I swear I read everything, and always have all of your comments in mind whenever I'm writing. But just thank you.
