Maleficent sighed as she glanced down at Aurora who was still sitting near her silently, her hand never stopping as it carded through the golden locks.
The child needed to understand the difference between abuse and just a tongue lashing because, after their brief conversation, Aurora seemed to think what Stefan had done was normal. Just a scolding and nothing more.
Sure, lectures could result in hurt feelings and tears but never should such a thing leave the child afraid of loud noises or the reactions of others. Least of all being cast aside.
"You need to go to bed." She said after a while, knowing that her goddaughter needed rest and was half dozing.
"Can't I stay here like before?"
Maleficent wanted to say no, to tell her she was too old to need such a thing but she didn't have the heart. Besides, who knew if Aurora had ever been allowed to seek comfort in someone? Her aunts loved her, certainly but they also were a few eggs short of a dozen and probably hadn't thought to comfort the girl over 'silliness' of storms or nightmares.
"Oh alright, but you better sleep or we won't go camping. Not when you're half dead." She threatened, earning a sleepy smile from Aurora who sat up then.
"You don't mean that."
Maleficent didn't but she just arched a brow.
"Wanna tempt me?"
She challenged, before letting herself soften and shoo the girl under the covers.
"Just go to sleep."
She knew something was going on when Aurora bit her lip.
"Can you tell me more about my mom? Maybe about when I and you first met?"
Maleficent sighed then and nodded.
"Alright."
Maleficent retold the story in an emotionless voice, talking of Leila and not glazing over the fact that Leila's health was fading. However, she also put an emphasis on how Aurora, as a toddler, had managed to crawl right into her lap and had insisted on staying there the whole time the makeshift meeting had taken place in spite of Leila trying to get her to leave Maleficent—who had been in a wheelchair—alone.
She focused on Leila's amusement and patience, on how gentle and soft-spoken she was.
Once Aurora was asleep, Maleficent allowed herself to sigh and lean over, kissing the girl gingerly on the forehead before fixing the blankets around her.
"Goodnight, beastie."
Maleficent herself stayed up for a while that night, her mind tracing over the past. Leila had admitted to falling out of love with Stefan that day in the cafe, had admitted he lost his temper with Aurora.
The same toddler who had taken to sitting on her lap, playing with her necklace.
The same toddler who had grown into a sweet but somewhat willful girl who flinched at loud noises and absorbed any little bit of affection that she could.
Leila, why exactly did you leave her in my care? She wondered as she dimmed the lights in the room. Did you know more than you let on?