Moments in Time Chapter 8:

Aurora shuffled slightly in her seat. This wasn't the first time she'd been in the royal carriage, but it was the first time she'd seen her parents quite so serious.

Merlin for his part was drumming his fingers against his lap, filled with nervous tension. He didn't like this one bit, but he felt it best to come along anyway, just for good measure.

"Don't worry, Princess." Archimedes spoke up.

Aurora looked up at the educated owl. "Pardon?"

"It'll all work out in the end, I'm sure of it." He nodded.

Merlin glanced at his familiar but said nothing.

"How can you be so certain? Have you ever met this Maleficent woman?" asked Aurora.

"Oh yes." he confirmed, shuddering briefly. "She doesn't do things without a reason. She wants us to arrive safely."

Aurora looked down at herself, then clenched her fists, steeling her resolve. "Thank you, Mr. Archimedes."

The owl chuckled, "Mister Archimedes? You hear that, Merlin? She treats me with more respect than you do!" he jabbed.

"Oh come off it!" the wizard scoffed. "I'm the only reason you not only understand but also speak English, you know. Besides, I let you go out to hunt more or less at your leisure, don't I?"

"Still, that's the nicest thing anyone's called me." he dipped his body at Aurora in an approximation of a bow.

She beamed brilliantly at the owl.

King Stefan exchanged a glance with his wife.

She squeezed his hand and gave him a small nod. They'd need to give the owl a small recompense for helping to keep their daughter's spirits up.

The carriage slowly came to a stop.

"Your Majesties, Princess, Sir Merlin? We have arrived." reported the driver.

"Well then, best get this over and done with, I think." Merlin said, half to himself.

"I would be inclined to agree." Queen Leah said softly, rising first to exit the carriage, followed by her husband, daughter and then the eldest of the group.

King Stefan took a deep breath. The air up here was thin, the skies dark and clouded. Likely more of Maleficent's magic, if he were to guess.

"Forbidden Mountain." Merlin said to himself.

"Hm?" Archimedes glanced down at him.

"The name of this place. And for a very good reason."

As if on cue, a lightning flashed and thunder crashed, making Aurora flinch, instinctively seeking her mother who brought her into a comforting hug.

"It's alright, my little Aurora." she soothed, even as she felt her heart hammer in her chest. "It was just lightning."

"Aurora, I promise you, Maleficent will not harm you. Not if I have anything to say about it." the old Wizard told her.

"A-alright." she said, still uncertain about this entire endeavor.

As one, the group walked forward until they reached a great portcullis guarded by two strange creatures.

They looked almost like men, but their skins were green, their sizes short and their noses were more akin to the snouts of a pig than the nose of a person. They brandished spears and wore armor of black iron, which they pointed at them upon seeing them.

"Who goes there?" asked one of them in a voice like gravel.

King Stefan steeled himself and took a step forward. "The Royal Family and Merlin the Wizard. We have come to see your Mistress."

"Mistress?" the other one squinted.

"Maleficent!" the first one growled at him.

"Ooh!" he realized.

King Stefan pursed his lips, realizing that these two, things, were not particularly intelligent. "We need you to let us pass. We have a matter to discuss with her." he spoke up again.

One grunted at the other, who grunted back.

The second one snarled as the two got into what appeared to be a heated, but unintelligible debate.

Archimedes rolled his eyes, looking up until he spotted a familiar figure. "Wait a minute, is that, it is!" he cried out.

"Archimedes? What are you-" Merlin was interrupted by Archimedes calling out one name.

"Diablo!"

Aurora turned to him in confusion, "What is 'Diablo'?" she asked.

"Hm?" Archimedes turned to her, "Oh, it's not a 'what', it's a 'who'. And he is Maleficent's raven." He flew up to meet the raven who was perched atop a gargoyle.

"Diablo!" he called out again in his original 'language'.

The raven turned a yellow glare on his interlocutor only for it to become surprise when he saw a familiar owl flying towards him. "Archimedes? I'm surprised to see you here."

"Yes well," he landed near him. "We're trying to get inside to see Maleficent since the two idiots at the front are too busy bickering."

"'We?'" the raven asked.

"King Stefan, Queen Leah and Princess Aurora." Archimedes clarified.

"I see. I will inform her that she has guests." and with that, he was off, muttering something about 'getting better minions.'

The two goblins were now snarling at each other, butting heads ferociously, until they were interrupted by the immense black gate behind them slowly opening.

A figure all but glided out from it, making their green faces turn white.

Aurora shivered. Had it suddenly gotten colder?

Maleficent looked down at the two, expression one of disappointment and anger. "You will be dealt with at a later date." she said coldly.

The two gulped and shuffled into the fortress and out of sight.

She watched them go with her gaze before turning to her guests with a false smile. "Well, this is a most pleasant surprise. The entire royal family here to see me and," the smile faded. "Merlin."

"Maleficent." he said neutrally.

The towering woman stared down the wizard who met her gaze impassively, even as Archimedes fluttered down to perch on Merlin's shoulder, much as Diablo did on Maleficent's. The birds shared a glance of exasperation.

King Stefan held his hand in front of Aurora, ready to protect her should this become explosive.

"Excuse me."

Maleficent and Merlin looked at the source of the voice as one.

Aurora flinched back at both their attentions, but gathered her courage to stand up straight again.

"I am Princess Aurora. I would like to kindly request that you teach me how to use magic." She said with a polite bow.

A small smile graced the witch's face, "My, such a polite young lady, so very unlike your mother, wouldn't you agree, Queen Leah?" she asked, smile growing sharper as she turned to the woman.

It was all she could do to not flinch, "Yes, Your Excellency."

"Maleficent," Merlin began in a warning tone.

"Silence, Merlin. I have no interest in causing another plague. Not at the moment anyway."

"Why not?"

Maleficent stopped and slowly turned to Aurora. "Repeat that."

"Why not? Are you not the Mistress of All Evil?" she asked, resisting the urge to shrink into herself.

Maleficent stared at her before allowing herself a small chuckle, "Oh, poor, dear, sweet, naïve child. You assume that simply because I am Evil means I am incapable of restraint. I gain nothing from starting another plague at the moment. Cruelty, my dear, is a tool, same as any other. Used like a bludgeon, swung around by a clumsy oaf, it will inevitably result in the death of the wielder. But, if used as a knife, you will find cruelty can lead you to results no amount of kindness can. Besides, a plague might risk your health, and currently, I want you alive, not dead."

"How can we be so certain?" asked King Stefan.

The sides of Maleficent's lips curved upwards, exposing teeth, smile warm as a winter's grave. "Simple. If I wanted to kill anyone here, you would never have made it up the mountain to begin with."