Chapter Six
I forgot to mention at the end of the last chapter that it was the conclusion of Part One. The parts of this story can be read independent of the others, though of course I'd love it if you read all of them together!
It took until a week after Aurora's coronation for a message to arrive from the human kingdom informing her of her duty to be crowned there as her father's successor.
Maleficent was not entirely sure why, but she found the delay disconcerting. Not that she wished any harm upon the Moors or their new Queen, but knowing the humans must surely be aware that she was involved in the death of their king, she felt it odd that no attempt had been made to draw Aurora away from her sooner. After informing the messenger that she would have Aurora send her reply with Diaval in due course, Maleficent returned to her rowan to find the young queen deep in thought, twirling the parchment idly between her fingers.
'They wish for me to take up residence by the end of the week', Aurora spoke as she heard Maleficent approaching.
'Human kingdoms do not do well without a ruler Beastie. The sooner they have you on the throne, the less likely things are to fall apart'.
Aurora found that she couldn't agree whole-heartedly with her godmother's statement, for what she had witnessed in her brief time with the humans indicated that these very abstract things were already happening. Passing through the gates on her way to the castle, Aurora had witnessed widespread poverty and a pervading sense of depression among the people. It looked nothing like the fairy-tale villages she had read of as a child. Recalling the moment now, she could remember hearing stirrings of dissent among the citizens; it seemed her father was not the most revered of monarchs.
'But what if I end up like my father? The people hated him, I witnessed it myself'.
'Aurora, you are nothing like your father'.
'How are you so certain? Perhaps having a crown on my head will change me'. Aurora's voice was steadily rising, as if she were goading Maleficent into telling her how she and her father were so different.
The fairy sighed. She was still uncertain as to whether or not she should tell Aurora about her father's true nature, and consequently reveal more about herself in the process. It seemed to Maleficent however that the longer she dragged out telling the girl the truth, the more questions she would eventually have to answer.
'What I have to tell you does not come easily Aurora. I'm afraid that it may make you think less of me', Maleficent began, her voice quiet but purposeful.
'Godmother, I don't think that would be possible'.
Maleficent smiled sadly at Aurora's sweetness. We shall see if you still feel the same once you know the truth.
'I knew your father – Stefan – when he was a child. He had ventured into the Moors with the intention of stealing from the Pool of Jewels.' Maleficent kept her eyes trained on Aurora's face, assessing her reaction. At the moment, it seemed as if the girl were deep within her own mind. She went on.
'After I saved him from being trampled by dear Balthazar, we began a friendship. I showed him the splendour of the Moors, much as I have done for you. Despite the differences in our appearances' – at that Maleficent gestured to her horns and her wings, earning a smile from the young queen – 'he was kind to me. I grew up without a family of my own, and so having someone of my own age to connect with was a wonderful thing for me'.
'Eventually, I grew to love him and he me'. Maleficent noticed Aurora's expression change to one of surprise at her words. 'On my sixteenth birthday, he kissed me, professed his love for me and told me we would always be together'.
'What happened?' Aurora immediately regretted speaking, but her godmother showed no sign of annoyance and instead continued with her story.
'He became greedy and hungry for power. His desire to take the throne was far stronger than any affection he felt for me'. For the first time since she began recalling her tale, Maleficent took a moment to collect her thoughts and steel herself for what she knew was coming.
'Aurora, before I go on, you must understand how power corrupts'. It is time. 'It is able to affect the evil of this world and those you perceive as good equally. It makes people do terrible things, for once they get a taste of power, it becomes all-consuming'.
Aurora nodded in reply. She found herself wishing for her godmother to get to the point of her story and internally chastised herself for even thinking of it. There is a reason she is telling you this.
'Stefan thirsted for the throne so deeply that I became an unwilling pawn in his scheme. I had not seen him in years; he began his ascent within the castle and I focused my energy on protecting the Moors'. Maleficent's voice was dropping with the weight of her words and Aurora found the night suddenly quiet around them, as if the lands wished to listen to their guardian's tale.
'He came to me, on a night much like this one, cool and clear.' The fairy could feel tears beginning to sting at the edges of her eyes and willed them to stay at bay. 'He told me that the king meant to kill me so that he may take the Moors. After all those years, I still trusted him so deeply…' Maleficent trailed off and turned her back to Aurora to swipe at the tears that were beginning to stream down her cheeks.
'What did he do to you Godmother?' Aurora had never seen her godmother like this before and her heart ached for the pain she knew the fairy must be feeling.
Acting as though she hadn't heard the girl's question, Maleficent collected herself once again and continued. 'We went to the stream and spoke for hours of the human world beyond the border stones and his life within the castle. He was still just as ambitious as ever, though something about him had changed. I could not place my finger on what exactly that was until after'.
The fairy stilled a moment and the girl held her breath. After what?
'He had brought some wine with him and I drank eagerly from the flask he offered'. Maleficent brought her fingers to her lips and for a moment she swore she could taste the sweetness of the liquor upon them. 'I began to feel drowsy, but unaccustomed as I am to the ways of human alcohol, I simply assumed it had gotten the better of me. I don't remember anything else of that night'.
Aurora's heart was racing. Maleficent had not yet said as much, but she was certain that her father had done something terrible to her. She reached out to the fairy, much like when she had first been told of her stolen wings, only this time Maleficent didn't pull away.
'I awoke the next morning, groggy and in a pain unlike anything else I have ever felt'.
No, no, no, no, no. 'It was him wasn't it? He took them from you'. Aurora's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke and she focused her gaze upon the ground, certain that she would see nothing but hatred in the fairy's eyes.
'Yes'. It was all Maleficent could manage to say. He stole my wings and my humanity. 'Dear Aurora, I'm afraid this is where you may begin to think less of me'.
Me, think less of you? 'How could you even think that after what my father did to you?' Aurora's voice was rising of its own volition and Maleficent gripped her hand tighter to calm her.
'Because it was what he did to me that lead to what I did to you'. At that, Aurora's eyes shot straight to her godmother's and all she could see in them was years of despair. 'I didn't curse you out of some folly Aurora. Remember what I told you about power? It corrupted me as it corrupted your father'.
Maleficent held up a finger to stop Aurora from replying. 'When Diaval told me that Stefan had taken my wings to help secure his place as king, I went in to a rage. I oppressed the creatures of the Moors and bent them to my will, when they should have no ruler but themselves. The land remained a dark place for years'. Until you came. 'I cursed you in revenge for what he did to me. I was determined that he should lose a part of himself also, he was destined to live his life watching you grow, only to have you stolen from him on your sixteenth birthday with no possibility of you being returned'.
'Then how am I here with you now?' Aurora had her suspicions about how she had been awoken, but all things considered now, she felt that it was irrelevant to dwell on it too deeply.
'It was true love's kiss of all things', Maleficent replied, a small but true smile playing on her lips for the first time that evening. Aurora returned the smile, glad to see that her godmother's mood had lifted. At least one of my inklings has been proven true.
'Once I came to see that you were so unlike your father, I tried to revoke the curse, but my own magic proved too strong. I feared that all hope might be lost, that is until I saw you with the boy in the wood'.
'Phillip?' Aurora's cheeks flushed at the memory of the prince. 'He's my true love?' I will admit that I am fond of him, but love? I'm not even sure that I know what that is.
'He didn't wake you Aurora.' The girl met Maleficent's eyes again at her words, her mind whirring. If not Phillip, then who-?
'It's you. You're my true love?' Aurora had to admit that the notion seemed absurd, but judging from what she knew of the fairy's magic, it was not something to be taken lightly.
Maleficent nodded. 'So it would seem Beastie. I became quite fond of you, and after all, I think I turned out to be rather a better mother to you than those pixies Stefan entrusted with your care'.
Aurora felt her heart sting at Maleficent's referring to herself as her mother, though for a lack of understanding as to why, she passed it off as sadness for not having known her own mother.
'You honestly thought I would hate you after you told me this?' I hate no one but my father – no, he is only Stefan to me now. Diaval was more like a father to me than he ever was.
'That was my natural inclination, yes. If not for stealing your life from you, then at least for keeping the truth from you'. Why is she taking this so well?
'Godmother, you saved me. If not for what you did, I would be in that castle at this very moment, living with a man who would readily harm another for his own gains.'
'Beastie, he only became what he was because of me-'.
'No, he didn't', Aurora interjected. 'You said yourself he was consumed by greed and power, if anything, your actions only hastened his, not added to them'. You will not blame yourself for what he did to you, nor for what happened to me.
Maleficent was stunned. She did not know what she had expected from this night, but Aurora's reaction certainly wasn't one of them. Aurora stood and made her way to the edge of the rowan's largest branch and beckoned for Maleficent to follow. The fairy did as she was bid and wondered briefly if this is what it felt like for Aurora when she was under the sleeping spell, of being pulled along by an unseen force.
The young queen gazed out over her forest kingdom, ablaze with the finery of night. 'You gave me my life Maleficent'. Aurora reached for the fairy's hand and held it tightly within her own. 'I would not be here if not for you'.
Maleficent looked down at the girl, relishing the warmth of her hand in her own. 'Am I no longer your Godmother Beastie?'
'I am not sure what you are to me. You are mother, godmother, guardian and friend all in one. I think it's less confusing if I just call you by your real name from now on'. Aurora smiled widely. 'But, I'd still like you to call me your Beastie'.
Maleficent laughed, her worries and fears fading in to the night. 'As you wish, Queen Aurora.
I think I wrote at the end of the last chapter than updates will be coming more slowly now. By slowly, I don't mean they're stopping, so just keep an eye out! Thanks again to all of you out there, I'm really enjoying writing this, and I hope you're enjoying reading it just as much.