It was the perfect spot. A barren hill didn't seem like much to regular people, but apparently, it was perfect for a dragon. Lily watched Mal begin the mating ritual. She shifted into dragon form, revealing that she had covered her belly in her most priceless jewels and gems so that she glittered like a gem herself. Wealth, one aspect of deciding on a mate. There was really no point for the extra stuff, Lily thought, but her mothers wanted to do it the right way so she simply stood and watched, fascinated by dragon culture. The next aspect was agility. Skill at flying of course was a must. Maleficent took to the skies. She spun and dove and climbed from great heights to low ones and back again, displaying her aerial prowess for all to witness.

"She's amazing." Liam commented.

"She is." Lily agreed, glancing at Aurora on her other side, who was watching with fear mostly. Every time Mal would dive, she would flinch. "You are such a princess."

"Technically, so are you." She shot back.

Lily smirked, ignoring their other two guests who had opted to stay. One seemed interested in the ritual and the other was probably wishing a certain someone would die. She didn't dwell on it. Her brunette mother was at the top of the hill, watching the show that was just for her.

Mal moved on to the next aspect. Power. Under normal circumstances she would demonstrate this by fighting other rivals, but since there were none here, she did the next best thing...She landed neatly and proceeded to rip a nearby tree right out of the ground. She crushed it, breaking it in half with a thunderous crack. More trees fell under her reign of destruction. She marked the earth with flames and breathed fire into the air, scarring her own land and causing small tremors. other Her mother made some kind of gesture and Mal shifted back down. Both women wore only a black bathing suit. It was the closest they could get without them being naked. The black mark on their foreheads was a small manifestation of Mal's family crest, an ancient design that was always passed from mother to daughter, one Lily would one day bear when she chose her mate.

Lily picked up the weapons at her feet and she and Liam handed two swords to Mal and a sword and a dagger to her opponent. "Don't kill each other, please."

"She just has to try not to die." Mal smirked.

"How will you know who wins?" She asked.

"Technically, we both win, but she just needs to put up a good fight, prove her skill. If she defeats me then...I definitely made the right choice. I want her to defeat me. She just has to work for it."

Lily nodded and returned to her place next to Liam and Aurora. Liam called for the fight to begin. It was the most amazing and brutal thing she had ever witnessed. Maleficent held nothing back and neither did her opponent, who ended up stabbing the blonde within the first 30 seconds. That was how she knew that they were going all out.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For the first in a very long time, Maleficent felt at peace. That evening, her mate defeated her in combat, shocking everyone watching. Everyone except her. When the battle was over, and their wounds had been healed, they retired to this hidden den for the first mating. The first of many. She looked down at the naked woman at her side, tracing the small scars along her back. Regina always disliked her scars. She thought they took away from her beauty, marred the perfectly smooth canvas of her body. But the Evil Queen always loved them, so did Mal. Testaments to the many dangers she had overcome.

"Mmm, again?" Came the sleepy question.

"Not yet. Rest. I didn't mean to wake you." She said softly. She smiled when her new mate crawled into her arms, burying her face in her neck. She winced slightly from where the bite had yet to heal. In the next month or so, the Evil Queen would take on a dragon form of her own and she would obtain the powers that came with being a great beast. "You fought well today."

"Thank you. You did too. You nearly cut off my hand."

"I'm sorry but I got a little upset when I had a sword rammed into my stomach." She chuckled, purring at the content sigh leaving the queen wrapped in her embrace. This precious woman, this gift. "I'm sorry I was conflicted. It'll never happen again."

The Evil Queen raised her head and looked into her eyes. "Don't be. I understand and I don't care. You're mine now."

"I am." Mal kissed her forehead and the Queen cuddled into her again.

"Will I be able to get pregnant?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Magic."

This hidden house she magically constructed against a cliff would be their home for the next month and they would mate over 100 times. Within the next 9 or 10 months after it, the Evil Queen would welcome a child into the world. Their child. This one would not be taken from them as Lily had. This one would grow up spoiled and strong and would not be afraid of the darkness. This one would know who they are, they would grow up a dragon and their name would not be stolen. She took a deep breath to quiet her thoughts. But that was too far off to be thinking about. She didn't want to plan too far ahead. They had to make it through the mating, the Evil Queen had to carry their child those months without anything bad happening…

"Stop thinking." The Evil Queen snapped, suddenly pushing her onto her back, making them both slightly sink into the soft bed. "I'm ready for our next round."

"Yes, ma'am." Mal smiled.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Read and Review!