The Rose and the Raven
This new body comes with a mark over the place where he can feel his heart pounding in his naked breast. It looks like a swirl of black feathers in the shape of a rose.
His Mistress pauses in her inspection, face wrinkling. "You have a soulmark?"
"That's not all that's new," Diaval snaps, boggling at the thing hanging between his overgrown legs.
Maleficent looks sky-wards and they speak no more of marks.
~x~
"What's this?" Aurora tugs down the collar of her dress to reveal the odd mark that has formed on her skin - streaks of gold spiral in a circle, similar to her drawings of the sun.
She has to repeat the question three times before her aunts take any notice.
"Oh Aurora, you have a soulmark!" Flittle coos.
"Isn't she a little young to have a soulmark?" Thistlewit muses.
"Nonsense. Soulmarks develop at a very young age. Besides, she is seven… rather old for a human."
"I'm nine."
"That's more than half her lifespan."
"What?!"
"Knotgrass! You shouldn't say such things!"
Her aunts dissolve into bickering once again and Aurora sighs, slipping outside to play.
~x~
"Diaval, do you know what a soulmark is?"
Her friend squawks and ruffles his feathers, which Aurora takes to mean he is as clueless as her.
"I guess it's just another one of those changes my aunts are always fretting about."
She sighs, tearing up clumps of grass, then grins, jumping to her feet. "Want to play hide and seek?"
Diaval squawks his agreement and they race across the field, Aurora breathless with laughter, her pretty bird beside her, and all thoughts of soulmarks forgotten.
~x~
Diaval is a man. Diaval is a man. Diaval is a man!
Aurora has never met a man before. She has heard about them, even seen a few when she wanders farther than she is allowed and watches them toiling in the fields.
The way her aunts talk, men must be the embodiment of evil, but Diaval is the furthest thing from evil. He is good and kind and her best friend. But maybe that is because Diaval is also a raven?
He is a very pretty man. But then he is a very pretty bird. It is strange, this new version of an old friend. Not a bad strange, just… confusing…
Her cheeks burn and her heart is pounding. Did she eat the wrong berries again? She seems to be having a reaction…
She hopes it's not another one of those changes. That would be awful.
~x~
"Will you be back this way?"
"Nothing could stop me."
Phillip is a man, not a raven-man, but a man-man.
He is charming and his smile makes her insides go all gooey. He is also very handsome. Aurora is beginning to suspect that might be a man thing.
It would be nice if Phillip came back. She would like to have another friend.
~x~
A curse.
A fight.
A father.
A spindle.
A sleep.
True Love's Kiss.
A battle.
A dragon.
A death.
A lot of convoluted conversations (enough to make a girl want to sleep for a hundred years).
A truce.
The Queen of the Moors.
~x~
The Moors are burning, the forest blisters and crumples into ash, smoke billows, choking her lungs, all around she hears the ring of iron and a hundred voices screaming
"Aurora!"
Something seizes her
She starts awake, gasping for air.
"Aurora?!"
She blinks, lashes damp with tears, eyes adjusting to the dark.
Diaval is before her, human and clutching her close. He searches her face, voice thick with concern.
"Are you well? You cried out."
She takes in the scene, realising she is in her bedroom within her palace and nothing is on fire.
"I was… I was caught in a nightmare. The Moors were burning around me and I… I couldn't do anything."
"It's alright." He pulls her into his arms, resting his head on hers. "You're safe."
She burrows into him, pressing her tear-streaked face into his chest, and wrapping her arms around his waist. It has been two years since the sleeping curse was broken, since her father died trying to kill her godmother, since she gave up her birthright for her home in the Moors.
No longer is she a peasant girl, frolicking in the fields with her pretty bird. She has responsibilities, a kingdom to rule, people to protect. She is coping as best she can with her godmother's guidance but sometimes the pressure is too much.
"Nothing bad is going to happen, Aurora," Diaval assures, running his hand through her hair. "I won't let it."
"My faithful protector." She smiles against him, fingers skimming over the ridges of his chest.
"I'll always be there for you. I promise."
She doesn't say anything, letting the silence settle around them - his heartbeat, a steady rhythm in her ear. He is warm and safe and she drifts to sleep, still tangled up in him.
She always sleeps better with Diaval beside her.
~x~
Phillip is kind and thoughtful and very supportive, even after the kidnapping and the shock of finding out she is a long lost princess turned queen. He quickly becomes one of her closest friends - maybe more if what her not-aunts titter about is true.
(Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit are forever fawning over his perfect charm and dashing good looks).
She doesn't know much about romance but she enjoys spending time with him. When he asks if he can court her she agrees and when he later asks to kiss her she can think of no reason to refuse.
It is a nice kiss. Phillip must be a very good kisser.
They keep things chaste but every interaction gives her butterflies and Aurora decides this must be what falling in love feels like.
"It's like a faerie tale," Thistlewit sighs, dreamily.
"You must be so happy," Flittle insists.
"Of course she is," Knotgrass retorts. "They're perfect for each other."
Aurora smiles and nods along, having learnt long ago it is better to keep quiet and let her aunts talk.
A hand slips around her wrist and she turns to see a human Diaval, concealed in the shadows of the trees. He presses a finger to his lips and nods in the direction he came, eyes twinkling.
Aurora's grin widens. She needs no further incentive. They sneak from the scene. The three faeries prattle on, not noticing her departure.
The rose and the raven run through the Moors, chasing each other around the trees, her chest bursting with sunlight. Diaval is her oldest and dearest friend and she adores their games. It is the only time she can be her plain old self, instead of queen.
When they collapse beside a tree she crawls to his side, braiding daisies and buttercups into his hair.
"Trying to make me pretty," he jokes.
"You are pretty," she wiggles her nose at him. "My pretty bird."
His smile remains but she doesn't like the shadows which waver at the edges.
"Not as pretty as your prince."
She pushes forward, arms bracketing his thighs, her face a few inches from his, "You are beautiful, Diaval."
His expression flickers, eyes softening, aglow with something she cannot name.
"Thank you," he says, after a beat, glancing down before his eyes flit back to hers, a sly smile curling at the corners of his lips. "Although… I'm no Sleeping Beauty."
She groans. "I'm going to be remembered throughout history for taking a nap."
"At least you looked good doing it."
She laughs.
"Do you love the prince?"
The question is so unexpected, she answers with the truth, "I don't know."
Diaval knows her well enough to sense there is more and waits patiently as she collects her thoughts.
"I mean… maybe… sometimes I'm sure I do… but other times… I don't know… Phillip is lovely… I just… I don't know what I feel…"
She grimaces, feeling as if she is betraying Phillip by admitting her doubts.
"What about you?" She diverts, wrapping her arms around her knees. "What is love like for a raven?"
He shuffles back against the tree, making himself more comfortable. "Ravens… we mate for life. When we find that special someone with whom we want to… want to build a family… they become our world… to be beside them always… our sun rises… and sets with them."
Aurora's breath catches in her throat. "That's… that's very romantic."
He shakes his head, accidentally dislodging some of the flowers. "Watching the humans… I never understood how they could be so fickle with their affections, flitting from one partner to the next. If I chose someone and was lucky enough to be chosen in return, you can bet I'm going to devote my whole self to them. There will never be another."
Her chest heaves, tongue tripping over itself. "Do you think… do you think you will get that? A mate, I mean, a family…?"
She doesn't understand why her stomach clenches at the words. She wants Diaval to be happy, he deserves to be happy.
His eyes glint and he gives her a wry smile. "I already have all the family I need."
He takes her hand and kisses it, just like when he first introduced himself as a man. And just like then her heart cartwheels in her chest and she finds those dark eyes are too much to bear.
Breaking his gaze, she settles into a familiar position, using his chest as her pillow.
"My pretty bird," she murmurs.
She can hear the smile in his voice as he toys with her curls. "My Aurora."
They stay like that, bathed in the rose and crimson of the setting sun, and Aurora is unable to imagine a life where Diaval isn't by her side. If he ever does find a mate, she hopes he still spares a moment for her.
~x~
"I've loved you since the moment I met you and every day since."
~x~
Phillip proposes.
She says yes. Of course.
Their kingdoms are to be united! This will be wonderful for her people! Peace with the humans!
And she is to be a bride! It is exactly like a faerie tale and Aurora is so giddy her feet won't touch the ground…
...and when Phillip kisses her it is with a passion that makes the world around them disappear - so she doesn't hear the beat of wings as Diaval hurries to inform Maleficent.
~x~
"Maleficent has cursed the king!"
~x~
Aurora feels wretched, unable to shake the flash of betrayal in Maleficent's eyes when she chose Ulstead over her godmother.
She can't believe Maleficent meant to curse the King. She must have lost control and now she has fled, believing Aurora has deserted her. She is a horrible goddaughter
She has never been more relieved to see Diaval, staggering into his arms.
"What have I done, Diaval? What am I going to do?"
His arms secure themselves around her and she presses her face into his shoulder. He smells like the forest, the familiar scent instantly soothing.
"It'll be alright. Maleficent will come back and everything will be righted."
"But what if she doesn't?"
"I suppose I could cope with being a man for the rest of my life. Although it takes so long to get anywhere."
She snorts, twisting her neck so she can see his face. "Be serious."
"Hmmm," he taps his finger against her cheek. "Unless I sprout a pair of horns I don't think serious will suit me."
She giggles despite herself and the tangle of thorns inside her wither.
"We'll find her," he assures in a softer tone, hand lingering on her cheek.
"I have to get back to Ulstead, to Phillip."
He stills and his hand drops to her shoulder, gently breaking their embrace. "Right, of course."
"I'm sure you're welcome too," she adds, reluctant to release him.
He smiles but in the shadows of the night it lacks its usual vibrance. "I best stay here, in case Maleficent returns. Plus the Moor Folk will be worried."
Guilt gnaws at her as she realises she is abandoning her kingdom.
Diaval reads the conflict in her face. "Hey, it's alright. We can manage a few days without you."
"I should be with my people."
"You're going to be queen of two kingdoms now. We'll have to get used to you not always being around."
He doesn't mean it unkindly but it still stings. She has already made a mess of things with Maleficent, she doesn't want to neglect the Moors too. But can she be a good queen to the fae if she is busy ruling by Phillip's side?
She never considered what it meant to be Phillip's queen when she agreed to marry him, only how good it would be to unite their kingdoms. Now, so much has happened. Her life should be coming together, not falling apart.
Diaval squeezes her hand. "It'll be alright, Rora, I promise. We've dealt with curses before. The three of us can handle anything."
But it is not the three of them. Maleficent is missing and Aurora is set to marry Phillip.
Still, she takes comfort in his words, squaring her shoulders. She is Aurora of the Moors and she can brave anything.
"Thank you, Diaval. I'm so glad I have you."
Moonlight glitters in his dark eyes. "Always, Aurora, you'll always have me."
~x~
Queen Ingrith is kind, ensuring Aurora feels welcome in the palace while educating her on her duties as the future Queen of Ulstead.
There is so much more to this royalty business than she realised; so many rules and customs to memorise, the names and correct addresses for the various noble houses, how to perform a proper curtsy, which fork to use when dining. Not to mention proper attire - Aurora can barely breathe in her new corset and the shoes pinch.
Her head is spinning from the overload of information and she is distracted by Maleficent's continued absence. However kind Queen Ingrith is, she cannot ease Aurora's conscience. She wishes she knew where her godmother could be.
"Aurora, are you listening?"
She jerks to attention, knocking the table and causing the teacups to rattle.
Heat floods her face. "I'm… I'm so sorry."
Ingrith smiles, indulgently. "No harm done. Although, there is something I have been meaning to discuss, now that I have your attention."
Aurora wants to shrink in her seat, but it is impossible to do so in this dress, and besides, it would be undignified.
"Has Phillip spoken to you about his soulmark?"
She blinks, startled. "His… his what?"
"That's a no then," the Queen sighs and takes a sip of tea.
Aurora has not thought of soulmarks in years. They are commonplace in the Moors, no more consequential than a scattering of freckles. She never considered whether Phillip had one.
Ingrith notes her confusion. "You do know about soulmarks, don't you, dear?"
"All faeries have them."
"Ah, of course," Ingrith lowers her cup. "Soulmarks are much rarer among humans but there are those special cases - my son being one."
Without meaning to, Aurora presses a hand to her heart, soulmark hidden beneath her gown. Ingrith tracks the movement, eyes narrowing a fraction.
"I take it… you too have a mark?"
Aurora drops her hand and nods, feeling strangely vulnerable. She hasn't spoken to anyone about her mark since she first discovered it as a child. She is not even sure Maleficent knows of its existence.
"And are you aware of the significance of a matched pair?"
Aurora ponders this. She knows of faeries with matching soulmarks. Knotgrass, Thistlewit, and Flittle all share the same gilded mark, though a trio is rarer than a pair.
"I understand matching soulmarks exist between individuals who share a strong bond."
Ingrith dips her head in acknowledgement. "That is true enough. Soulmarks are believed to mark those individuals destined to share a close and meaningful bond. To put it in more romantic terms, matching marks are seen as a sign of true love."
True love, the words mean more to her than most. True love saved her life.
Suddenly, she wonders about her godmother's mark. She must have one, all faeries do, yet Maleficent has never mentioned it. Perhaps she matches Aurora? But Ingrith said Phillip has a mark…
She leans forward, forgoing her attempts to mimic the Queen's perfect posture. "You think Phillip and I are soulmates?"
The possibility has her insides fluttering but Aurora can't unpick all the different sensations.
Ingrith pauses, face revealing nothing. "While soulmarks remain a mystery, all recorded cases of matching soulmarks indicate they appear in the same place for both individuals."
Another pause and Aurora tries not to fidget.
Finally, those regal features morph into something close to sympathy. Aurora's heart stops.
"Phillip's mark is on his right forearm."
~x~
"Tell me what's troubling you."
~x~
Phillip is kind. Phillip is understanding. Phillip is more than she could wish. Truly, she doesn't deserve him.
"What else troubles you? I can tell there is something more."
She extracts herself from his embrace, struggling to get the words to rise in her throat.
"The Queen… I mean… Ingrith… I mean… your mother…"
"Yes, my mother." There is a note of humour in his voice but his brow furrows, eyes darting across her face. "What has she said?"
Aurora flushes under his attention and ducks her head, focus unintentionally locking onto his right forearm.
"She told me… she told me… about your… your soulmark."
"Ahh," the air rushes from his lungs.
She winces. "I'm sorry, it's personal…"
"Aurora…" his hand curls beneath her chin, tilting her head so her eyes meet his. "It's alright, you're my fiancée, we can be personal."
He serves a wry smile, tugging at the laces on his sleeve.
Aurora realises his intentions. "Oh no, you don't need to-"
His gaze is soft, cast in silver moonlight. "I want to."
His sleeve rolls to his elbow and Aurora gasps at what she sees. The mark is half a feathered wing, curved so the tip spears his pulse like an obsidian dagger.
Her fingertips brush over the mark before she can think better. "It's beautiful."
Phillip is quiet and she glances up to see his smile is still there.
"It is." His arm slips out of her grasp. "But it's not yours, is it?"
His gaze flits to her own forearm and she rubs it, self-conscious. Then, because he has bared his soul to her, she does the same.
Almost, anyway. She can't exactly drag the collar down on this dress. Instead, she presses a hand to her breast, where she can feel her heart shudder.
"It's not."
He nods, a beat, then - "It doesn't change how I feel about you. Aurora, I love you. I don't care what's on our skin. I choose you."
She sucks in a shaky breath. "I love you too."
His smile is a flame - warm, brilliant, and flickering. He steps close, catching her hand in his. "So… will you marry me?"
She snorts, butterflies flitting inside her stomach. "You already asked me that."
He grins, oh so charming, and his arm slides around her waist. "Then you know your lines."
"Yes." Aurora laughs as his lips capture hers.
The butterflies swarm but she swats them away, along with thoughts of Maleficent, the Moors, Queen Ingrith, and the rest of her fears, and loses herself in Phillip's kiss.
~x~
"We have to release them. They belong on the Moors."
"As do you, Aurora. A human who has betrayed her kind."
~x~
Ingrith cursed the king. Ingrith framed Maleficent. Ingrith used Aurora's wedding to trap the Moor Folk. Now Aurora is desperately yanking at the blockade sealing the chapel door as her friends scream from inside, exposed to the same concoction that is burning through the attacking fae.
"AURORA!"
She almost weeps.
"Diaval! You're here!"
Of course, he always is when she needs him.
~x~
Then...
"I know you."
"You do not."
"Yes, I do. You're my mother."
Then…
"I spread the story of the evil witch and the princess she cursed."
Then…
"Maleficent is dead! We will never again live in fear!"
Now…
"Hello, Beastie."
~x~
Aurora embraces her godmother, overwrought with love and relief, the nightmare finally over.
Diaval stumbles over to them, no longer a bear, and both females turn to look at the third member of their odd family unit.
"I missed you."
"Did you bump your head, then?"
"I did."
Aurora laughs and - since Maleficent won't - hugs Diaval, relishing the softness of his formalwear, the tickle of silky black hair, and the soothing scent of pine.
She doesn't want to let go, it is easier to stay wrapped up in the ones she loves than face the battlefield that surrounds them.
Maybe Diaval senses this because he gently eases her away and places his cape over her shoulders.
"Come on, time to be queen."
Aurora wraps his cloak and words around her, fortifying her resolve, and straightens with the weight of an invisible crown.
She turns to the watchers - human and fae - and takes the first steps towards peace.
~x~
Maleficent shoves her through the curtain of a willow tree while everyone is distracted.
"You have a soulmark?"
Of all the accusations Aurora expected, this is not one. She tugs Diaval's cape tighter to hide her mark, exposed by the low neckline of her nightgown.
Everyone must have seen it - Phillip must have seen it! (She is glad they already had that conversation.)
"Yes."
"It's gold."
Aurora blinks. "...yes?"
Maleficent's eyes dart from her, to the mark, to her, to the mark, and her again. "And... and you're still… going to marry the Prince?"
Aurora flinches, wrinkling her brow. Phillip agreed to postpone their marriage - there is wounded to care for, the dead to be attended, rubble to shift, and talks to be had. In the aftermath of the battle, a wedding seems unimportant, even disrespectful.
"Of course, it doesn't matter that our marks are different."
"The Prince has a soulmark!"
"I… yes… what's wrong?"
Despite everything, Aurora has never seen her godmother so… dumbfounded.
Maleficent is gaping at her but her mind is somewhere else. Concerned, Aurora wonders if this is an aftereffect of her recent revival and is careful how she treads.
"Mother?"
Maleficent shivers, blinking back to the present. "Beastie?"
Aurora nods and then she is reaching for her mother and her mother is reaching back and they wrap themselves in each other, clinging on for dear life.
"What… what is it?"
"Another time, love. Another time."
Aurora doesn't push - an odd suspicion she is not ready for whatever revelation her godmother has in store - and instead snuggles deeper into her arms.
There will be time for all things in the days to come. For now she savours her mother's embrace, the only true love she has ever needed.