Hurricane

Chapter 10: Paranoia

It was an incredibly fine day, Diaval mused. The weather is fantastic, and with good company, nothing can go wrong. Aurora, Phillip and himself went down to the river to wash off after a mud fight of epic proportions. Aurora and Phillip were relentless even in the water- these two are going to drown him if they don't stop! Then again, he could just transform into a fish. Still, he did not fancy having to do so!

Maleficent did not participate in the mud fight, opting to watch in the shadows. It has been a blissful day, but it seems there is something bothering his mistress, which rendered her unable to enjoy Aurora's visit to the Moors like usual. After Aurora and Phillip set out for the castle again, he decides to breach the subject.

"You seem tense, Maleficent. Is something bothering you?"

Maleficent turns her eyes to him and carefully chooses her words. "I have been thinking, Diaval."

"Ah, thinking, always thinking. What thoughts disturb your peace of mind?"

Her brows furrow. "I… I am wary, Diaval. Everything has been peaceful lately that I cannot help but wonder if it is simply calm before the storm, so to speak. I wonder if there are matters in the human kingdom the beastie hasn't shared with me. I do not want to be lax, especially at such a crucial time in Aurora's reign."

"Then I should do reconnaissance and gather as much information in the human realm. I will go, mistress." Diaval proceeds to kneel in front of Maleficent. Maleficent reaches out to lay a hand on his shoulder.

"I am no longer your mistress and you are no longer obligated to do my bidding. If this is something you do not wish to do, I will find other means to do it."

Diaval smirks. "Or you could just say, 'I need you, Diaval'" His smirk only grows wider when Maleficent glares at him. "Jests aside, if you need me to do this, I will do it. I did not stay in the Moors to be just another inhabitant. I stayed with the intention of doing everything that is in my power to assure this place's safety."

"Then go, Diaval. Be safe and return as soon as you can."

He stares into Maleficent's eyes a little longer before transforming into a raven and flying away.

Diaval returns to the Moors 6 days after he set out to do surveillance.

"What took you so long? What news have you gathered?" Maleficent asks as soon as he shifts back to human form.

"I wanted to be thorough enough to make sure all the information I relay to you is accurate. I have stayed in a few places longer than I would normally do to listen in on local gossip and rumors. Your fears seem to be unfounded. The people have grown not only to love Aurora but to respect her as well, especially in the wake of the string of good decisions she has been making recently. The people are all in agreement that the queen has compassion for them and will do her best to make sure her subjects are treated fairly and well. With regards to their attitude towards the Moors and you, any ill will seem to have been dispelled. There are a few, most of them older men who remember the reign of King Henry and his hatred of the fae, who continue to sow seeds of doubt in the people, but the people are not buying into it. I am under the impression that a huge part of the kingdom wants to establish good relations with the fae, mostly because of the magic and mystery that this place holds. At any rate, they are not going to rush here with spears and swords, if that is what you fear."

Maleficent takes her time to digest his words. The anxiety in her face does not lessen in the slightest. Her only answer to his report is a command to eat up and rest. Diaval, too tired from his travels to argue, simply does what he is told.

When Diaval wakes in the morning, he finds Maleficent already up and alert. She has a tree branch in her hand and she has drawn a rough layout of the Moors in a patch of turned soil. He walks over to where she is.

"It's still quite early. What are you doing that is so important it cannot wait until later?" Diaval queries, taking in Maleficent's stiff posture and the fierceness of her eyes.

"I am trying to determine whether there are points in the Moors that need extra security. In the event that the humans try to wage war again, I need to be sure that we leave no weaknesses free for them to exploit." She replies offhandedly, not looking up from her makeshift map. She doesn't see Diaval's look of surprise and indignation.

"Maleficent, did you not listen at all to my report yesterday? There is no need for all of this! The humans have lost all inclination to start a war with us." Diaval extends a hand to grasp Maleficent's forearm. She levels her gaze with his.

"According to your report, there are still people who are going around stirring up dissension against us, correct?"

"Yes, but they are few enough as to be considered insignificant! Their efforts certainly seem to be fruitless." Diaval places his hands on her upper arms to turn her towards him. He utters, "They are not a threat to us, Maleficent. Not anymore."

Maleficent shakes off his hold on her and agitatedly paces. "You cannot know that, Diaval! Humans are unpredictable. They may claim to do one thing but proceed to act in an opposite manner. There is no way to know what is in the hearts of men. And they are duplicitous, Diaval! They can betray you without losing a wink of sleep over it. They are not above playing tricks on the innocent and unsuspecting. I will not let myself put this place in peril because of my own carelessness. I must take it upon me to protect my home and my people. Do you understand that?"

If he were a lesser creature, he would have wilted under the intensity of her stare and the edge of anger in her voice. However, he was Diaval- the one Maleficent trusts to put her in the right track when she loses her way. So he will.

"The only thing I understand is that you have generalized an entire kind just because of one person's act, Maleficent." Outwardly, he is calm and unwavering. Inside, he is terrified of her reaction. He was right to be. Maleficent stops in her tracks, stupendously appalled by his accusation.

"You dare, Diaval? You dare?" She walks briskly to stand in front of him and speaks in a dangerous tone. "It doesn't matter who you are or what you are to me." She pokes a finger to his chest to emphasize her words. "I will not let you accuse me of being irrational and drag up the past as if to throw it in my face!" For a moment, she looks hurt but her face immediately morphs to one of taunting. "Do not speak of matters you know nothing about, Diaval. While you were still spending your life idling about as a mere raven, I have fought battles brutal enough to scare you and chase you away."

He cannot remember ever getting mad at Maleficent before. Diaval has been frustrated with her lots of times in the past, but he cannot recall a time when he felt this angry at the faery in front of him. This conversation is turning extremely nasty but there is nothing he can do about it except to make it worse.

"Do not ever insinuate that I am a coward, Maleficent." The rage in his voice startles Maleficent enough to make her step back from Diaval. He continues, "I will not allow you to belittle the sacrifices I've made for you. I left my life and my kin behind for you! I let myself be dragged here, there, everywhere for you. I willingly walked into a death trap for you. It does not matter how many more battles we fight- I will not flinch nor waver if I'm doing it for you. So no, I am not the coward here. If anything, it's you! You're the one who lets fear overrule your life. You cannot accept the fact that humans are capable of change. You cannot accept that they are not all as awful as Stephan was, because you know that it will make you question if his betrayal was in any way your fault. You convince yourself that all humans are bent on waging war against you even when they haven't even given this a thought! You've become obsessively mistrustful because it's easier than the alternative, which is to let your guard down and expose yourself to people. You may have fought battles in the past that you think would scare me, but I am currently living a life that would scare you!" Diaval was breathless when he finished, completely losing steam. He then noticed a sheen of moisture in Maleficent's eyes. Oh no. He's made her cry. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Maleficent turns her back to him, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Maleficent…" Diaval lays a hand gently on her shoulder. "Maleficent, I'm so sorry." She chuckles humorlessly, still with her back to him.

"Is there anything you've said that you didn't mean? I think not. You may be sorry about the way you've made your accusations, but you're not sorry about the words themselves. And you shouldn't be. They're all true, anyway. I am a coward."

Diaval moves so that he is in front of her again. He implores, "No, you're not a coward. You're the bravest faery I know! You were the one who willingly walked into what could have been your death just to save the girl who was the daughter of your worst enemy, just because you love her. You fought countless battles to protect your home because you were the only one who could do it. You may have done a lot of things in the past, but you've made right in the end- by your own choice. You chose what was right, and you repeatedly do so because you're brave enough to." He takes both of her hands in his. "But you've got to learn to sustain this bravery. You've got to stop being so mistrustful of every good moment in your life. You've got to stop looking over your shoulder for fear that someone might stab you in the back. I'm not asking you to not be afraid. Bravery is not the absence of fear. It is simply overcoming fear. You can do that. I know you can. So please, do."

"I do not know if I can handle letting another person infiltrate this place- infiltrate my security and let them besmirch the Moors with their greed", Maleficent whispers in a broken voice.

"I promise you, I will not let anyone do that either. I will not let anyone hurt you anymore. But there is no threat to this place. Maybe it will come one day, but not now. I assure you, we'll make sure this place is guarded for that event. However, there is no need for this matter to overcast your days with sadness. There is much to enjoy about life without us being hindered by worry! And I'm sure if we're ever threatened, we've got the royal army on our side. We've got humans on our side, Maleficent. It's going to be all right, even if it is only for now." He tries for a smile but it only serves to make Maleficent even more despondent.

"You are far wiser than what I've previously assumed." She grips his hands. "I'm sorry for what I've said to you. I didn't mean to belittle what you've done. I apologize for making you feel that I do not appreciate you, because I do. I am grateful, most especially, that you are here to steer me back in the right direction."

"And I am grateful that I am the only one you allow to do that." Diaval wraps his arms around her in an effort to push away the last vestiges of her pain. He feels her lithe arms mimic the gesture.

Diaval knows this isn't the end of this matter, but he will do whatever it takes to help her heal.

END

A/N: This goes out to Agent ERA, who gave the prompt "Paranoia". Angstier (and longer!) than any I've written so far, but I hope you guys like it all the same.

I've not seen some of my regular reviewers recently. Holler at me if you're still reading! Your encouragements are what keep me going.

I might add two more chapters to extend this collection to 15, but that's as far as I can go. I hope you guys will stick with me to the end!

Cheers!