Chapter 12: Sleep Disorders
''Maleficent?'' Aurora's trembling voice called as she was about to leave her to sleep in the tower room next to her own chambers.
She froze at the doorstep, but she didn't turn around to look at the Queen's questioning eyes, for she was not sure if she would be able to exit the room if her gaze met Aurora's.
''What is it, my Queen?'' She asked in a neutral tone.
She heard a warm and beautiful sound as the young woman chuckled lightly.
''Please, Maleficent, you know you don't have to bother with those kind of formalities with me...''
Maleficent smiled in the dark, still turning her back to Aurora.
''I suppose you are right,'' the dark fairy agreed. ''But still, you didn't answer my question, Aurora.''
''Oh, well...'' The Queen straightened up in her tidy bed. ''I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry for all you had to suffer because of me... because of him. I... I didn't know... If I had known, I swear I would have come sooner, but...''
''There is nothing to feel sorry for, Aurora.'' Maleficent cut her off, putting her head down even though she knew Aurora couldn't see her. ''Now, you should get some rest, Sleeping Beauty.''
The young woman smiled at the nickname but she didn't want to let Maleficent go yet.
''But... Please, wait...'' She said quietly, fearing the older woman's reaction.
The wicked fairy finally turned around to face her, but even if she could scarcely distinguish her silhouette in the darkness of the room, the Queen guessed she showed the same features furrowed in an eternal haughty grin of pure annoyance, as she always did.
''What is it again?'' She asked, arching an eyebrow.
''I... I was just wondering...'' Aurora sputtered, embarrassed. ''I left my castle, I left my husband, my aunts, everything and everyone I've ever known in my whole life, and I have nowhere to go. So, uh... Would you mind if I stayed with you, uh... I mean here, at the Forbidden Mountains for a while, until I find some place to go and—''
''Aurora.'' Maleficent's sparkling eyes locked with Aurora's purple ones. ''You can stay here as long as you please.''
The Queen bit her lip, hesitant. ''Thank you, Maleficent.''
''There is no need to thank me.'' The fairy turned away and led towards the stone staircase. ''Now sleep, Your Highness. If you need anything, all you have to do is scream my name and I will be right here.''
Aurora tried to surpress a giggle as she let herself slid down on her bed and rested her head on the soft pillow Maleficent created for her.
''Goodnight, Maleficent.'' She closed her eyes, finally soothed.
''Goodnight, Aurora.'' She heard the mesmerizing voice responding her from the stairs.
Queen Aurora didn't have to wait for the slumber to take her, and she soon fell into a deep sleep. However, it wasn't meant to be a dreamless sleep...
Maleficent lay on her bed, but she found herself unable to sleep. It seemed Queen Aurora's presence in the next room wasn't the best cure for sleep disorders. She waved a hand in the air and a thick dark leather-covered book appeared in her lap.
She opened the book on the first page: a perfect ink drawing was slowly fading into view on the white sheet. Once again, the Forbidden Mountains had become the first magic place in the world and she, the Mistress of All Evil, the most powerful fairy on earth.
She frowned. She had always thought Aurora was the only threat to her powers but yet... the Universal Book of Magical Powers was quite clear on this matter.
Maleficent froze, dropping the book on the bed sheets.
Of course. I had understood everything wrong...
The Queen had never been the threat to her magical powers, but she was. And now she had to face the truth.
Everytime Aurora had been at her side, she had become the most powerful creature on earth.
The young woman wasn't her undoing, she herself was. She went straight to her downfall by pulling Aurora away, thinking she would destroy what she spent a thousand years to built, but she didn't understand she was already destroying it herself.
She thought she was protecting herself by staying away from the princess, she thought the girl would make her grow only weaker, but she had been wrong since the very beginning. The truth was, Aurora was the one who gave her true strength. Aurora was making her stronger.
She finally understood how miserably she failed all along. All of this for nothing. She never imagined the prophecy would make sense... that way. For a thousand years, she had been making the wrong choices because she thought love was weakness and that it was necessarily the only thing that could lead her to her downfall. She never thought love could be a strength, she never realized that trying to resist it was her only mistake, for she was too proud to admit she was the only one standing on the way of her own happiness. The truth was she was too afraid to let someone in. And that obsessing fear and only that had been her undoing, not Aurora.
She sighed.
How could I have been so stupid? The truth was right before my eyes, yet I couldn't see it. No. I didn't want to face it.
She raised her head as she heard some disturbing groans coming from the opposite wall. Without thinking, she transported herself into the tower next to hers.
As she appeared right next to Aurora's bedside, she widened her eyes in horror.
The Queen was shouting and growling some unintelligible words while she seemed to fight against the bed as if she was fighting for her own life, desperately gesticulating under the sheets. Some of her beautiful long golden locks were stuck on her forehead covered with sweat. She was screaming and crying without stopping.
Maleficent bent towards the young woman and posed her cold smooth hand on the girl's forehead. Aurora's body instantly froze, but she didn't open her eyes yet.
Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she was repeating the same tortured words endlessly.
''No... Please, don't! You are the monster. NO!'' She hit the pillow with her fist but before she could perform any other movement, Maleficent grasped her wrist strongly with her free hand.
''Aurora, wake up.'' She said gently, pulling away the strays of hair from her face whose lovely features were now distorted with sorrow.
''NO! Phillip! How could you? How... I will kill you! I will kill you all! How could you... How could...'' The young woman shouted, trying to free herself from Maleficent's grip but the older woman was far stronger than her.
''Shush...'' The dark fairy pressed a thin finger upon Aurora's lips. ''This is nothing more than a nightmare. Nothing of this is real. Now please wake up, Your Highness.''
Aurora's body stiffened and her eyes fluttered open very slowly, as if afraid of discovering who would stand at her bedside. She smiled in relief and took Maleficent's hand in her own. She pressed it to her red lips, kissing it deeply, in a touching and sensual way.
A chill rolled down Maleficent's spine as she felt Aurora's warm lips brushing her cold skin, but she didn't let it show and tried her best to ignore that odd feeling.
''Oh God. You're here... You are not dead... He didn't... Oh! I thought... I thought...'' The young woman's voice broke, holding back a sob.
''It was a nightmare, Aurora,'' she told her quietly, as she finally let go of the Queen's wrist. ''I am not dead and everything is going just well. Now go back to sleep, you really need some rest.''
''NO!'' Aurora yelled as she grabbed the wicked fairy's hand when she felt it was starting to withdraw, and raised it to her chest, as if her life depended on it.
That strange behaviour caused Maleficent to gasp in shock, her eyes widened in surprise.
Suddenly, Aurora opened her mouth to speak, maybe in an attempt at apology, but she quickly shut it. She released Maleficent's hand and folded her arms upon her chest, looking away in shame.
''I... I am sorry, I... I didn't want to... I didn't mean...'' She murmured, her voice barely audible.
The Mistress of All Evil arched an eyebrow before she sat on the bed next to Aurora. The wrinkling of fabric caused the young woman to shiver as she guessed the fairy was getting closer to her, but she didn't dare to look up at Maleficent.
The older woman reached out and cupped the Queen's chin in her hand, forcing their eyes to meet.
''Stop apologizing at me, Aurora.'' Maleficent's enchanting voice whispered. ''You do not have to be afraid anymore. I am not dead. I am right here before you, and I do not intend to die before a thousand years, at the very least.''
''But... everytime I sleep, I...'' Aurora took a deep breath. ''I see him... killing you and... and... sometimes, you are right in front of me, you smile at me... you take me in your arms, you... you lean in closer, and... and... I wake up.'' She looked down, a hot tear falling down her cheek already soiled with the trail of teardrops.
The dark fairy wiped away that salty drop as she stroke her cheek gently. The young woman leant into the touch, smiling in melancholy.
''These are only dreams, Aurora.'' Maleficent said smoothly. ''But from now on, I shall be here whenever you wake up.''
Queen Aurora's purple eyes sparkled with joy as she reached up to hold the evil fairy's hand tightly.
''Really...? Will you?'' She inquired hastily, tilting her head to the side.
''I will, if you want me to.'' Maleficent nodded, shaking Aurora's hand in her own even more sharply.
''Yes, I want to. Please.'' The young girl's begging eyes filled with hope met Maleficent's dark ones.
''Then I will.'' The older woman bowed slightly. ''Now please lay down.''
The Queen obeyed but she didn't let go of the fairy's icy hand yet. When her head finally posed on the sweet heavy pillow, she raised Maleficent's hand to her lips and kissed it softly.
''Thank you.'' She muttered.
''Sleep well, Your Highness.'' The wicked fairy replied more gently than she should, surpressing a smile as she withdrew her hand to stroke the young woman's cheek.
Aurora smiled as she closed her eyes, the thought of Maleficent's cold hand caressing her skin still lingering in her mind as she fell into a dreamless sleep.
The wicked fairy couldn't help taking the Sleeping Beauty's hand in her own and kissed it chastely, even though deep inside, she was overwhelmed by a fearsome desire which had been concealed for far too long.
The dark fairy watched Aurora as she let herself fall into a deep sleep, more beautiful than ever. She could stay the entire night looking at her perfect features standing still, peaceful and relieved, waiting for the sun to lighten them with its rays as gold as the young girl's hair.
But she knew she should better go and get some sleep herself. It had been a quite long time since she hadn't had a proper night of slumber, and it occurred to her that it was perhaps a good time for change.
Maleficent stood up carefully and exited the room, making sure the Queen was still asleep. She finally reached her chambers and lay down on her bed. She closed her eyes.
She was so tired of fighting against her darkest desires, that unbearable lust which was devoring her from the inside. She had to stay away from the Queen, as far as possible, or she would not be able to control it anymore. But for now, that seemed quite impossible, and Aurora's behaviour wasn't making it any easier...
She sighed deeply. At least, she didn't have to watch over her from the distance anymore. She was not with that foolish prince — who had now become King, much to her greatest exasperation — nor with her moron fairy aunts. Once again she had chosen to flee from the people who cared for her. She had chosen her above everyone and everything else. And now she was here, with her.
For the first time in eighteen years, I shall sleep well...
''Maleficent?'' Aurora opened her eyes and all she could see was darkness. Then she realized she could not remember where she was. She got up in a jolt, her whole body shaking. She could only remind of soft caresses on her cheek, smooth whispers in her ear, red scarlet lips shining in the dark...
Was this all a dream? A cruel nightmare, for sure.
She sat on the bed and wrapped her arms around her knees.
''Maleficent...'' She said in a breath, her voice breaking.
Suddenly, a sombre slender shape came out from the dark. A tall and elegant woman walked towards her. A scepter hit the ground with a well-known resonant noise. Red lips pursed into a smile.
The Queen looked up, almost reluctantly, as if she didn't believe her eyes.
''There is no need to shout, dear.'' Maleficent arched a teasing eyebrow at her. ''As you can see, I am right before you.''
A green thin hand reached out towards her. Aurora stared at it blankly before she finally took the outstretched hand and hold it tightly, as if afraid to let it go.
''Thank you.'' She muttered, looking down shyly.
"Now I shall lead you to the kitchens." Maleficent gave her arm for the girl to lean on. "Shall we?" She raised an eyebrow, smirking.
Aurora looked at her speechless, before she awkwardly placed her hand in the crook of the fairy's slim arm.
"Of course." She smiled slightly.
The wicked fairy escorted her until a huge and large hall situated right under the throne room, if the Queen had guessed well, in silence. Aurora tried her best not to ask the thousand questions that menaced to slip from her mouth, for she noticed Maleficent did not seem very inclined to talk at the moment. She respected her unvoiced will and kept quiet as she watched twenty, or maybe thirty little black creatures working and cooking underground, manipulating some great pots and cauldrons. She couldn't believe her eyes as she saw what was going on under her feet and which she wasn't aware at all.
''I think you already know Hector,'' Maleficent gestured towards a small strange animal who was coming to greet them. ''He will give you what you need. When your hunger will be satisfied, you are free to wander everywhere you want around this fortress. Everywhere except the room on the lowest level, at the end of the long dark hallway. Do you understand?'' She abruptly turned towards the young woman, and as she leant in, dark eyes locked with Aurora's, a threatening gleam twinkling inside them.
Aurora struggled to swallow and managed to raise a small smile.
''I understand,'' she nodded.
''Very well, then.'' The wicked fairy straightened back, knocking the ground with her staff in a harsh gesture. She disappeared into a blast of green flames.
The Queen sighed. After all this time, some things seemed to remain unchanged...
"Your Majesty!" Hector growled while his distorted pig face was cut in half by what looked like a smile. "So, uh... what do you wanna eat?"
Aurora giggled and rolled her eyes, unsuccessful at hiding her amusement.
"Please, Hector." She waved her hand. "Call me Aurora."
Maleficent's minion stared at her for a while before he sputtered.
"Uh, oh... Yep, yep! As you wish, Your Majesty, yep! As you wish!"
Aurora frowned, crossing her arms on her chest impatiently.
"Uh, I mean... Aurora! As you wish, Aurora. So what do you wanna eat, Aurora?" He coughed.
"I don't know," she shrugged her shoulders and gave him a warm smile. "Maybe you could just lead me through the kitchens so I will see for myself?"
"Uh, yep! Of course, Your Highness— Aurora! AURORA! Yes, yes! Come." He motioned for her to follow him.
As she followed his steps, Aurora chuckled and sighed in exasperation.
I understand how Maleficent learned to be so patient...
The Queen ate what she could find in the minions' pots, that is to say vegetables stew, some cheese and some blackberry jam. She listened to Hector as he explained her what happened during these two dreadful years, and the more he talked, the more she regretted not to have found the truth and come to Maleficent sooner.
Indeed, the only presence which shared the dark fairy's life, and as a consequence, the only beings she had at her disposal to let go of all her despair and fury, were her minions. And for two years, they underwent the worst things imaginable because of her. Because of her absence.
Maleficent had been cruel, ruthless, heartless, insane, angry and the only ones who witnessed that great demonstration of chaos and pain were also the ones who unfairly payed for it.
Aurora gritted her teeth, holding back her tears as she remembered all of that was her fault, Phillip's fault... Maleficent suffered, so she inflicted the unbearable emptiness that tore her apart to her faithful servants. She shut everyone out, until she had no one left at her side. Diablo was gone, the princess she seemed to care for was not here, so what did she have had left? Nothing. Nothing but hatred and misery.
Queen Aurora looked up at Hector who was now occupied showing her the different rooms hidden behind the scary black iron doors she had been so afraid of during her first visit. Now she knew those doors were nothing more than common barriers separating the great hall from some kind of offices, research rooms, and magic laboratories. She found herself quite foolish for having felt such a fear because of those unknown places which actually showed no danger at all.
The goons' chief looked back at her as he let her in one last office filled with shelves and desks supporting odd appealing books and sheets whose mystery and beauty could easily be compared to their owner's, even if the owner was definitely far more...
What am I thinking? Oh, dear God! Yes, I must have lost my mind...
She shook her head, returning her attention to her cheerful guide. Suddenly, something she didn't notice in the darkness of the castle's corridors finally appeared to her very clearly.
"Hector, what is this?" She asked, frowning in concern as she leant closer towards Maleficent's slave. She reached out to touch his face... a deep crimson red scar was crossing the animal's cheek.
Hector quickly stepped back, letting out a groan of displeasure.
''Uh! Nothing, Your Majesty — Princess Aurora — Uh, Aurora. Nothing!''
''No, this is not nothing! You are injured, you need to be cured... There must be some minions who know how to heal in that damned fortress...'' Aurora spat, suddenly losing her regal patience.
''This is nothing, Your Highness, I swear!'' Maleficent's servant repeated, his voice husky with discomfort.
''Is that... Did she... Did she do that to you?'' the Queen dared to ask, her voice uncertain, not sure if she truly wanted to know the answer.
Hector glared at her in terror. Then, he nodded deadly slowly.
''Yes, yes. But it wasn't Mistress' fault... It was my fault! I pushed her.''
Aurora smiled sadly. After all Maleficent had done to those poor creatures she refered as slaves, they were still loyal and protective towards their Mistress.
Queen Aurora quirked an eyebrow, urging him to continue, still not willing to disregard the matter.
The little creature growled.
''No, I can't tell you! Mistress will kill me if I do, please...'' He stammered, looking right into her eyes, waiting for an act of mercy.
''She won't kill you. I promise, I won't let her kill you,'' Aurora eased him, patting his shoulder. As she realized her words were not actually soothing enough, for Hector knew very well no one could prevent Maleficent from killing or torturing who she wished. She sighed. ''Listen to me. I know she had been cruel to all of you, and it was because of me. I didn't know... and I can't go back in time. But what I know is that I am here now, I am with her. I will never let her down. I know she will probably not understand that easily, but... I am going to talk to her. And when she will understand, I promise you she won't hurt you anymore. Do you trust me, Hector?'' She asked, outstretching a hand to him.
Hector kept staring at her, saying nothing.
''Yes,'' he answered eventually, putting his head down. He shook Aurora's hand so sharply she widened her eyes in surprise.
He swallowed with difficulty. ''One night, Mistress couldn't sleep. She was pacing the throne room, she was throwing lightning bolts everywhere, she had lost all control...'' He began.
''Do you know why she had become out of control?'' The Queen asked softly, gathering all the gentleness she possessed in those few words.
''Yeah, yeah. Mistress was watching you and... she saw you... You were in a bed with a guy and he was touching you..." He paused, looking up at the Queen in fear. "I don't know why, I swear! She screamed so loud the minions who were near her had their eardroms perforated. They died instantly... But she still couldn't stop shouting... She aimed her staff at us... She burned three, five, ten, twenty of us...''
Aurora listened to the horrors the little pig was telling her, horrors that she had caused indirectly. And knowing how the wicked fairy had reacted to that trivial detail caused dread to sink in her mind.
''I went to her and... and... I said...'' Hector choked.
Aurora bent towards him and shook his shoulders gently. ''Hector, what did you say?''
''I said... I said that maybe she should tell you she loved you and everything would be alright, but...''
The Queen stared at the brave little creature, jaw dropping in bewilderment.
''She yelled at me... I... I can't remember exactly what she said, I just remember the purple light in my face, oh! It almost blinded me, for sure! But I was used to it. I flew across the room and I hit the wall. She said something like ''Silence, you fool! You have no idea what you are talking about! You don't know anything! She doesn't love me! She can't love me.'' And she disappeared. We didn't see her for two months, we thought she had left, but... No! She came back!'' Hector offered a wide smile, exposing his broken teeth.
Aurora raised her hand to her forehead in an attempt to concentrate and think over what she just heard.
''Of course...'' She felt tears forming at the corner of her eyes, she wiped them away roughly. ''Of course I can love her!'' She hissed fiercely, holding back a sob. She couldn't say if she was truly angry or just hurt by Maleficent's behavior.
''You can?'' Hector frowned, clearly unconvinced.
''Yes, I can!'' She shouted, turning her back on him. ''And I already do,'' she added in a breath, closing her eyes.
I have definitely lost my mind...
She sighed miserably.
''So... you... you... you're going to tell Mistress... aren't you?'' The minions' leader tilted his head to the side, curious but most of all, scared.
Aurora opened her mouth, at loss of words. She looked down, suddenly not so sure of what she must do right now. She was about to speak when a well-known powerful deep voice echoed in her back, sending chills down her spine.
''And what, pray tell, ought the Queen to tell me?''
