Chapter 3: The Stranger
Maleficent, leant against an hazel tree, was observing the young golden-haired girl while she was bending down to pick berries, singing carelessly.
So this was where she was hiding... Right under her nose. Then so be it! She must admit the good fairies had been smart, for once. But not enough, unfortunately. Maleficent had found her. And her curse shall happen just like she had planned. The fairy couldn't hold back the cruel and satisfied smile which raised on her red lips. She had won. Her prey was standing right in front of her, and if she wished so, she could kill her at this very moment. This pure and white neck would be so easy to break...
No. Let the pleasure last, she told herself.
Nonetheless, Maleficent must recognize the fairies' gifts had proved their worth. During the thousand years she had spent on the face of this planet, she never saw such a beautiful creature. Her golden hair waving along her perfect arched back, her thin and white hands moving with grace and poise, her blue purple eyes shining with intelligence and curiosity, her lips reminding of a freshly bloomed rose, and finally, her straight shoulders, her slim waist and her perfectly curved hips...all of this was giving this pretty being the appearance of a goddess straight out from the Greek mythology.
Maleficent surprised herself getting lost in the beauty of this angel that was the princess Aurora. She huffed slightly, finally remembering this creature, as sweet as she might be, was nothing more than her victim. So young, so beautiful, so fragile... Very hard to resist, indeed.
Then the fairy focused again on the young girl's moves. Kneeling in the meadow, she was applying for choosing the most enticing fruits. Her cristal voice was singing some elusive words...
Maleficent rested one thin hand on her scepter as a green smoke invaded her. A magnificent blackbird with a ink plumage went out from the smoke and flew towards the princess.
The blackbird perched a few meters away from Aurora's little basket. The young woman turned her head towards him, not frightened by the bird's dark look, and smiled warmly.
''Oh! Hello, pretty bird. You are looking for food too? I would gladly offer you some strawberries. After all, there are enough for everyone here and my aunties ask me to pick some almost everyday. Besides, I really don't see the point of this... So I shall share my harvest with you,'' Aurora stretched out a hand full of wild strawberries towards the blackbird, who was shaking his little head in astonishment.
Maleficent, mad with anger, trapped inside this volatile's body according to her will, couldn't resist the invitation and felt obliged to peck in Aurora's hand, as the girl's smile widened.
When the bird's hunger was satisfied, the princess slowly raised a hand and stroked gently the blackbird's head. To her surprise, the bird uttered a shrill cry and flew away before he disappeared from her sight, blending into the trees. Aurora, frozen in shock, ended up by shrugging her shoulders before she got back to her task.
Ah! What a misery! What an absurdity! Be tempted by a young girl's sweet voice and let her stroke my feathers with her pure and innocent hands... Ah! What a ridiculous situation!
Maleficent, back in her fairy's shape, was pacing furiously a few meters away, hidden behind the trees which surrounded the field. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she had been stupid. She had forgotten the child's skill for enchanting animals. No, if she wanted to have the advantage over this creature, she needed to keep her fairy's form.
Maleficent transported herself behind a tree on the edge of the weadow to listen at the young woman.
''I wonder if I will met her one day...'' She was whispering for herself. ''They say if we have the same dream several times, then one day, it does come true.''
Aurora turned towards a squirrel which was nibbling in her basket. She chuckled before she shook her forefinger as if to say ''No.'' to the little animal which blinked at her and fled instantly.
''And I dreamt about her...Oh! At least a hundred times...'' She continued, her voice filled with hope.
Ah! So young, so naive... It is almost touching. Her innocence could almost be pitiful.
In an unguarded moment, she couldn't hold back a sarcastic laugh which unwillingly caught the young girl's attention.
Aurora threw an eye over her shoulder, before she stood up slowly to stare at the tree where the evil fairy had established her hiding place.
Maleficent gritted her teeth. Definitely, it was a bad day.
Bad day, bad century, she thought to herself, almost amused.
The little goddess of the woods had noticed her. Ah! May Satan pardon her! She had made two unforgivable mistakes today. The first and the last ones, she hoped.
The fairy decided to stand still against the tree trunk, waiting for the young girl to lose interest in the noise she thought she heard. But this didn't happen. Aurora took a few steps towards the big hazel tree, carefully, a smile half-worried half-curious tugging at her pretty lips.
''Who is there? I heard you. Whoever you are, come out, don't be afraid...'' She said in a strangely confident voice considering her young age and vulnerability.
Maleficent let out a mocking laugh, without even trying to hold it back this time.
Me? Afraid? Of a sixteen-year-old peasant girl with a basket of berries and an assembly of birds and squirrels? Oh please!
Maleficent laughed again. In addition to being outrageaously naive, the princess was also dangerously cheeky. And she was going to pay for her insolence...
Maleficent stretched her scepter to the left, letting out an arm from behind the trunk, and she hit the ground with the edge of her staff in a harsh move, creating a tremor which made the earth tremble and caused Aurora to lose her balance.
''Stay where you are. I am not afraid of you, on the contrary. But you should be afraid, princess...'' Maleficent claimed in a frightening voice.
The princess, struggling to get up, was glaring at the scepter which just appeared next to the hazel tree, her eyes wide opened in incomprehension.
''I— Who are you? And why did you just call me princess?'' Aurora questioned her, frowning, trying to distinguish more precisely the shape hiding behind the tree.
''Who I am is no matter. However, what matters is that you shouldn't speak to strangers, alone in the middle of the woods. Strangers can be dangerous, princess...'' Maleficent threatened her in an icy tone, bringing back her staff in front of her.
Aurora seemed to think for a while, before she raised her head to look at the tree where the voice came from.
''You are probably right. But I have the feeling you are not a stranger to me... We have already met, didn't we?'' The young girl asked, moving forwards.
The wicked fairy remained silent for a second, frozen in astonishment.
What could this possibly mean?
Finally, she had a deep and cynic laugh.
''You must be mistaken, princess. I can assure you we have never met before,'' she replied coldly.
''Oh.'' Aurora put her head down, her purple eyes suddenly darkened by a gleam of deception. ''Still, I am sure I already saw you somewhere. Your voice, it's— Yes, I know that voice. And that laugh...I already heard that laugh... It's a little awkward, but... Yes. You look like this...this woman...the woman of my dreams... Yes, that is you!'' She exclaimed in a happy voice, raising her head towards Maleficent.
Maleficent, incredulous, was standing still behind the hazel tree trunk, trying to understand what the young girl was suggesting.
Oh! So, the princess Aurora had dreamt about her... Interesting. It looked like she had just found another sleeping curse's mystery she hadn't solved yet. Maybe this spell was really much more complicated than it seemed to be, after all...
''I warn you one last time, princess. You shouldn't speak to strangers in the woods, and even less to tell them they are haunting your dreams...or you might regret it!'' Maleficent yelled, stretching her arms skywards, before she vanished into a wonderful blaze of green flames.
Nonetheless, before she perfectly disappeared, Aurora's voice was still resonating in her head, like a cry for help that she must listen and never forget.
''No, wait! Please! Promise me you will come back...'' She begged her, tears in her eyes, reaching out towards the green smoke which had consumed the woman of her dreams.
A devilish laugh resounded in the depths of the forest.
Of course I will come back, princess...
The next morning, Rose woke up with a strange feeling. She felt that something had changed. When she opened her eyes, she remembered. Yes, she had met someone. A woman. An enchanting voice she was not ready to forget... The voice of her dreams.
The young girl rushed out of her bed, got dressed and walked down the stairs leading to the kitchen.
''Rose!'' Her aunt Flora cried, widening her eyes in surprise. ''You're awake!''
''Oh! Rose, we had just planned to wake you up! You must go to the forest to...'' Aunt Fauna began in an anxious voice, fearing the young girl's reaction to her request.
''Of course!'' Rose cut her off, taking her basket quickly in one hand and catching her shawl with the other. ''What do I have to bring you back this time?'' She asked, smiling.
''Uh...hazels. Yes, we need hazels,'' Merryweather said hesitantly.
''Perfect! Consider it done!'' The girl replied cheerfully as she crossed the doorstep and turned around to wave a hand at her aunties. ''See you later!''
''Yes, see you later...'' Merryweather answered quietly, amazed.
''That is strange... She always complains when we ask her to go to the forest,'' Flora added, thoughtful.
''She probably fancy walking into the woods this morning!'' Flora reassured them. ''Now come on, ladies! Let's go to work! We must go look for this book if we want to create the perfect dress for our little princess before the end of the week!''
And the three fairies left the house as well.
Maleficent was in the woods, hidden under the shade of a heavy grove, waiting for the princess' silhouette to enter the forest. Like she predicted, the young girl didn't delay in making her appearance.
Aurora, lost in thoughts, was walking slowly, barefoot, singing, as usual. But she seemed to walk for a specific purpose, her delicate steps were firm and her purple eyes very attentive, as if she was looking for something special, something mysterious that even the fairy couldn't quite fathom...
Maleficent was following her from a great distance, always hiding behind thick tree trunks, so she could observe her without risking to be seen. She was looking carefully at this curious young girl who was getting deeper and deeper into the forest, determined, when she noticed she could easily hear the melody she was humming. These notes were unknown to her. The wicked fairy got closer in order to try to understand the lyrics, which were unknown as well...
''I wonder...''
''I wonder...''
Oh Satan! What a magnificent voice. Unwillingly, Maleficent let herself be enchanted by this angelic voice.
''If I could, like pretty mermaids...''
''Sing desire...''
Ah! These speeches about love again...
Pathetic, thought Maleficent, suppressing a grin of disgust.
''To the woman...''
''Who haunts my...''
''My nights in ever—''
''—lasting dreams.''
And here was this myterious woman again... So the princess was still dreaming about her. Every night... Interesting.
Suddenly, Maleficent realised the young girl had lead her into the meadow where they met the day before. Without thinking, the fairy hid behind the same hazel tree than the one she used as a cover the last time they spoke.
Then, Aurora turned around and smiled.
''I know you are there,'' she said in a sweet voice. She took a few steps towards Maleficent.
''I am sorry to disturb you, Madam, but...you will have to find another hiding place, today. You see, my aunts asked me to pick some hazels so...'' She declared in a slightly teasing tone.
Maleficent let out a mirthless laugh.
As if I was going to bow to her will! Ah! This won't be. Never.
''Don't underestimate me, princess. If I want to stay where I am, then so be it. You are nobody to prevent me from doing what I want to do. For instance, if I want to leave...'' The wicked fairy paused in anticipation, smiling wryly, waiting for the girl's reaction.
''Oh no! Don't leave, please!'' Aurora begged her. ''I have no one to talk to...I need someone to...''
''Oh, really? What a pity!'' Maleficent said sarcastically. ''And what makes you believe I am the good person to talk to?''
''Well...'' The young girl sighed as she sat on a big cut tree trunk and rested her chin in her little hands. ''Since you are the only person I can talk with, then that makes you the good person...''
''You are wrong, princess,'' Maleficent spat, her voice as cold as ice.
''But...why do you keep calling me princess...?'' Aurora asked eventually, looking up at the hazel tree.
''Because you are a princess, Aurora,'' Maleficent answered emotionlessly.
''But, I... No, I am not. You must be mistaken. My name is Briar Rose, and I am no princess,'' the young girl sputtered, her voice trembling.
''Oh, I see...'' The evil fairy whispered as a callous grin spread across her face. ''It seems your dear aunts didn't tell you the whole truth. Well, who am I to judge, anyway? After all, they are the women who raised you with love and kindness since you were a child, even though they don't share the same blood as yours. In such circomstances, what weight could represent the words of a stranger you have just met in the woods?''
Maleficent was about to vanish into a cloud of green smoke, but before she could raise a single finger, Aurora's voice stopped her.
''No! Wait!'' The princess yelled desperately, getting up abruptly. ''I...I can not say why, but...I believe you. Tell me the truth. Please.''
Maleficent smiled in the dark.
The game is getting more and more exciting...
''You are the princess Aurora, daughter of King Stefan and Queen Leah. Unfortunately, an evil fairy, cruel and ruthless, cursed you when you were still a baby.''
Aurora's gaze was setting on the hazel tree where Maleficent was still hiding, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere, miles away from here...
''Cursed... But why? And how...?'' The young woman asked in a shaky voice.
''You are sentenced to an everlasting sleep,'' Maleficent snarled as her red lips parted. Then a hollow and endless laugh sounded into Aurora's mind for what seemed like eternity.
And the wicked fairy's silhouette faded away into a cloud of green flames and smoke, leaving a carpet of burned hazels behind her.
Briar Rose let herself fall onto the grass and cried. For a minute, maybe...or days. She couldn't tell.
She had been foolish to believe that talking to a stranger would bring her any good.
Maleficent, once back in her fortress, took seat on her stone throne.
That was what I call a good day, she thought, smiling widely. She had succeeded in spreading chaos in this little odd family which was composed by the princess Aurora, who was called Briar Rose – such a stupid name! – and the three good fairies who were pretending to be the dear child's aunts.
After all, maybe this strange household didn't need her to implode, but helping its destruction was far more amusing.
Maleficent had a heartless laugh. The young princess would rather listen to her, a perfect stranger she met in the woods, than her kind and sweet aunts. Aurora trusted her, whereas she didn't know anything about her. She never even cast doubt on her words, and she never wil, the fairy was sure of that.
Although Maleficent didn't ignore her skills in persuasion, this success seemed almost too easy for her, even for the talented, manipulative wicked fairy she was. Why? Why did she trust her, a frightening creature she had never seen before and who had threatened her many times yet, instead of her aunts who had protected and loved her for sixteen years?
For Maleficent, who didn't trust anyone, this remained a mystery. A mystery she promised herself to solve as early as the next day...
