Diaval's stare burnt a hole in Aurora, and the heat bore another one in her cheeks. She pursed her lips, wringing her hands as she watched the raven-man watch her. They were standing a few feet apart- the man having gasped loudly when after Aurora shut her room door (and bolted it) and turned around, revealing the bandage over half her face- and all was silent.

A feeling of dread washed over the princess. Why hadn't she just told him sooner? Why did she push him away? Was he upset now? An inkling of fear and nausea crawled up her stomach- what could a man like him want with a scarred girl like her? Her eyes raked over him, the sick feeling intensifying. It was true- what would a handsome man want with a marked girl? He was going to leave her- abandon her- probably for the pretty Keaira, and-

The breath left her when a warm wall collided into her. She immediately sank into the familiarity of the raven-man's human form, tucking her arms between them as his wound gently over her back and through her hair. Sighing softly, she nuzzled into his hard, yet soft, chest as his fingers absentmindedly tangled into her blonde curls. His chin rested on her head and they stood there, by the door, for many long moments.

He smelled like the outside.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly when they parted. He quietly pulled away the bandages, thankfully unflinching as he took in the ugly wound. He looked to her, silently receiving permission; a slight frown knitted his eyebrows as the pads of his fingers traced the raw skin. Aurora relished in the feel of his coarse fingers tracing across her face, but flinched away as he roamed over a tender area. Diaval retracted his hand back, as if burnt, as well, concern and anger clouding a once peaceful face. "Who did this to you?"

"Stefan," the reply came after a beat. A strained noise erupted out of the raven-man's throat and he moved to the door, apparently with a purpose. "Wait, what are you- Diaval."

The sound of his name stirred him from his angry dream. He allowed her hand to notch in his bent elbow and turn him around to face her; he was taken aback by her shocked look, unconsciously relaxing his own features before realising the anger that was probably evident in his expression.

"He deserves death." He gritted out.

"For hitting me?"

"For that and everything he has put us through and-" he broke off, fisting his hands. A muscle in his jaw twitched.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Aurora asked quietly, being the voice of reason "You certainly can't fight him physically, and your magic isn't strong enough without her."

Diaval's thoughts flashed momentarily to the one non-comatose person in the kingdom with magic.

"You're right." He said eventually, mentally noting himself to talk to Kai soon. Turning around, he saw that Aurora had broken into a large smile that lit up her face and made her eyes sparkle and the wound seem invisible. It was contagious, hence Diaval found himself grinning as well.

"You did a good job with the bandaging." He murmured later as he redressed her cheek. He smiled inwardly as she unconsciously leaned into his palm as he applied an ointment.

"It wasn't me," she admitted sheepishly, "My attempts caused some sort of infection. Whatever Keaira did, it's helped immensely from last night to today."

Diaval reminded himself to thank the other girl later.

"Good on Kai, then." He said to Aurora. He caught her smile diminishing, but was reignited a split second later. Not thinking much of it, he washed his hands before blanketing the wound gently in a fresh bandage. Moving away, he let her slide off the bed. She shot him a last smile before padding to her changing room.

She returned later, hair let loose from its small clips and accessories, and in her nightgown and robe. Crawling onto her bed, she joined him as he lounged, feet out on the mattress. Opening an arm, he felt her settle tightly against his side. She lay her arm on his torso, small hand splayed over his chest, and tangled her legs with his. Diaval embraced her with his closest arm before resting his head on hers.

Diaval almost basked in the familiarity of the moment- he didn't fully realise how much he missed Aurora's company, or at least in the company of someone he cared for.

"What's wrong?" she murmured.

"Don't do this again." He said firmly. Aurora peeked up at him, eyes sparkling blue through the tangle of curls. He realised, with a start that the brightness was made due to the sheen of tears.

"I-I'm sorry Diaval, I didn't mean to-" her voice broke and she buried her head into Diaval's side. He sat up, lifting her up as well and cradled her face in his hands.

"Hey, hey look at me." He said, wiping away the falling tears with his thumbs. She sniffed and regarded him. It never truly occurred to him how beautiful she'd grown up to be. "I'm sorry, I should have been more empathetic to what you are going through. I just wish you could have opened up to me sooner."

"I know, Diaval, I just don't know what got over me." She glanced away "I really thought he was our answer- that we could change him somehow and he would break the curse and we could all live happily ever after. I am so stupid."

"You aren't stupid." He scolded, leaning in "You are beautiful, kind, clever and you see the good in everyone and that is a gift I could kill for. You are perfect the way you are."

Aurora watched him with an unreadable emotion shining in her eyes. She turned in his grasp and lightly kissed the pad of his thumb. He smiled back at her and he leaned forward, pecking her forehead.

They lay back on the bed. Diaval felt tiredness wash over him, and didn't want to resist his drooping eyelids.

"Who could it be, then?"

"Hmmm?"

"Who will break the curse? Who is truly in love with Maleficent? And who does she truly love? I mean, the only male she's ever really been around with, other than Stefan, is you, right? And there's no way you're her true love, right?"

Diaval didn't answer, suddenly feeling incredibly uncertain though he himself was unsure why.

"Yes, of course." He answered lightly "Sleep now, my Princess. You're tired, I'm tired, and I need my own beauty sleep."

Aurora giggled against him, before snuggling closer to his side. For a few more hours- even after the princess had fallen asleep, and her soft snores were the only noises in the room- Diaval lay awake, fingers tangles in her locks, mulling over her words, getting more and more irritated with himself every time his thoughts shifted to a certain brunette, and then the blonde next to him, and then his sleeping Mistress.

Diaval had never been so confused in his life: that was the last coherent thought the raven-man had before sleep washed over him as well.

.oOo.

"Have you thought about waking up?"

Maleficent looked up slowly, an arched eyebrow delicately raised, at her self-proclaimed goddaughter.

"Is this some sort of philosophical question? You know I'm not one for those." Maleficent chuckled, watching as Aurora sat with a swish of fabric. Her blonde her glinted in the pale moonlight, and she turned to face the fairy, child-like curiosity on her maturing face.

"You can't possibly not know…" Aurora trailed off, biting her lip.

"Not know what?"

"Ah, I understand. You don't want to face your reality because this fantasy is too good to resist."

"What fantasy?" Maleficent asked, tensing.

"Please, Godmother, you and I both know that this is all just an incredibly vivid dream." Aurora stated in a condescending manner that was more like Maleficent than the princess.

"It would be so much better if you woke- myself and Diaval would be happy once more. We could go home- all three of us- back to the Moors. We could find a way to get your wings back-"

"Stop, enough." Maleficent croaked, standing up "I have my wings. Right here." She said, stroking the feathers in an attempt to remind herself that they were there. Yet, there was a small inkling of doubt that began to diffuse it's way into her mind- a black stain spreading and engulfing.

"You could wake up to me."

Maleficent gasped. Everything went silent. Not just in Maleficent's head- the surroundings fell quiet: no more croaks from the river trolls; no more giggling from the nymphs; no rhythmic flutter from the pixie wings.

The familiar accent rang continuously through her ears. The fairy wanted to turn, but didn't want to even more. She took to staring ahead, barely noticing that somehow Aurora had vanished. A rogue tear streamed down her face and she swiped it away angrily, her nails leaving red marks on her pallor.

Pride winning over self-restraint, Maleficent turned, looking up into the once familiar smiling eyes of Stefan.

"Come home to me Maleficent." He murmured, his voice coating over her name in the unique way he only managed to utter. It took so much for Maleficent to hold her ground. She remained still when he stepped forward. "Please. I can make things right. We can be-" he reached out to touch her.

Just before his fingers brushed her skin, she jerked away, her body suddenly alive as she stumbled back a few steps.

Stefan jerked his hand away, colour draining from his face. It couldn't be, he thought, she couldn't be-

Cautiously, he leaned closer, hand ready at the hilt of his iron sword. A few long moments passed with the erratic sound of his heart beat thrumming through his ears. With a final sigh of relief, Stefan withdrew, blaming his hallucinations on stress- that daughter of his was no help in this bond. He needed George's lands. He'd find a way to remove Aurora from her room. Somehow.

Then, they bond would be signed and sealed, and he'd get the lands- all of it. Earlier than those stupid foreigners would know, but who cared about them?

He spared a fleeting glance down the length of Maleficent's body, his lip curling in disgust at how something so ugly could be so beautiful. He turned his head and strode out.

There was no way the fairy had jerked when he touched her- none at all. She deserved to be where she was, now and forever.

"No, no we can't-"

"Why, Maleficent, I thought you lo-"

"I do- I did- I," her hands reached behind her, feeling comfort in her feathers. "You- we can't. Leave- leave now."

"Maleficent-"

"Leave!" she screamed, her wings taking her away from the ground. For a few moments, she merely watched as her feet left the soil and climbed a feet or so, before looking up and just pushing to the stars.

For once, she didn't care that the force she exerted was enough to flatten the grounds and trees in a half-league radius- she just wanted to be alone.

Yet as she floated gently, staring back at the glaring light of the full moon, she knew she was missing something, though she wasn't sure what.

.oOo.

Kai pushed past a shirtless Phillip, to tense to even notice his lack of clothing, and strode into his room. With a wave of her hand, he door slid out of his grasp and slammed shut and bolted.

"What in hell?"

"Usually I'd just keep it all in and hold a grudge against you for ages before finally loosing my temper, but enough is honestly enough. You told your father about us."

If Phillip was going to say something, he didn't, because he shut his mouth.

"I-"

"And then you also told him we didn't mean anything."

"That was clearly a lie to keep him from inquiring further."

"Then it clearly wasn't good enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing- nothing at all." She turned around, finally noticing his lack of a shirt. Phillip used it to his advantage. Stepping forward, he gripped her upperarms lightly in his large hands and bent to her level. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against hers, smirking as he felt her give in and response. Releasing his grip, his fingers played with the knot in her hair, trying to undo the tail it was in. Her hands ran up and down the planes of his back before finding home around his neck.

"Come on," he murmured, in between kisses "let's go to bed."

Abruptly, Keaira pulled away, wiping her mouth with the back of her hands, eyes wide and dark.

"No, no, no." she murmured, stepping away. She looked up at Phillip, eyes shining with a thin film of tears. Worried, Phillip stepped forward only to find her jerk away as if he were venomous. "I'm done Phillip. I'm sorry- it's for the best of both us." She straightened her shoulders. "No more distractions. We're done." She murmured the last bit, almost to herself, before turning around.

Phillip grabbed her by the crook of her elbow and turned her around, suddenly angrier than anything. "You're just letting us go, like that." He hissed, snapping his fingers for effect. "After everything we went through to even- and you're just wasting it?"

"I'm not wasting anything." She sighed "What we had has run its course and now you are to marry the princess, and I am too…we need to move on."

"Where is this coming from?" Phillip all but yelled.

"From the fact that you are going to marry this princess and for us to remain together is for me to be nothing but your mistress; which will end badly politically. Also, I would never degrade myself to that level. Ever. So I am ripping of the bandage now, because that is far less painful in the long run than just inching it away. We're done, Phillip." She wrenched her hand away "The sooner we both accept it the better."

.oOo.

The night air bit her exposed skin in short, sharp nips. Kai let out a breath that fogged in front of her as she regarded the great expanse she'd have to cross to get to the thick barrier on the other side. There was a shorter, less tiring route than walking or running across the border was, but as she looked overhead and behind her, the familiar nagging of someone watching her took hold. She knew better than to haste and risk suspicion or being caught; though, there was a part of her (a part that resented her decisions with the prince) that muttered who cares? She shoved away that little sub-conscious and stared ahead.

The small woman tightened her hold on her quiver and clutched her bow tighter before sprinting off into the welcoming darkness.

Ooooh so what was going on there, I wonder?

Thank you again for all the great reviews and follows and favourites. Sorry for not shouting out, these past couple times. I'm doing my best to get round to them :/

I wonder if we can get up to 90 reviews this time. Hmmm- challenge accepted?

See you next time!

-Ash :)