The next morning, Maleficent rose even earlier than usual to send Diaval back to his roost. She carefully maneuvered his newly-raven body to the tree limb he had perched on the night before and set him down.
'No nightmares,' she thought with a smile. 'I slept completely through the night for once.' For the first time since she could remember, Maleficent hadn't awoken in a cold sweat, blinded by panic and heaving gasps that would cause Diaval to open one dark raven eye questioningly. Even though lying so close to him had made her flustered, she had to admit that he was quite warm.
But Diaval still slept peacefully, his black wings tucked by his sides. Maleficent eyed his wings with just a hint of jealousy, then shook her head and leaped from her nest.
The sun was already up and softening the ground, leaving no trace of how cold Maleficent had been the previous evening. 'Diaval's arm was quite warm,' she mused. 'I wonder if it's a bird trait.'
To clear her head of such stray thoughts, she began searching for foods to make a suitable breakfast with. She piled up berries and black nuts in her hand, the other free to send healing magic through the broken tree limbs she found as she scavenged. With a pang, she realized she'd been neglecting her duties as Queen of the Moors as she'd taken advantage of the warm summer days with Aurora and Diaval.
A loud cawing filled the air, and Maleficent looked up to see Diaval circling lazily above her head. He must have just woken up, for his dark eyes were lowered slightly. "Go find the Beastie and wake her up," she told him. Had he been able to turn into a human, Maleficent felt as though he might have to respond, but the raven instead adjusted his wing angle and began to fly easily towards the cottage in which Aurora resided with her incompetent aunties.
A short while later, as Maleficent was arranging the various fruits, leaves, and nuts in portions, Diaval returned alone. Her eyes narrowed, and she flicked her fingers even as she warned, "I hope Beastie is just being slow today. I'd hate to hear that my servant failed me."
Diaval stumbled as he landed, not being quite near enough to the ground when he was transformed back into a human. "I didn't get to see her, but it sounded like her aunties are piling work on Aurora to prepare for the move back to the castle. She's taken some clothes down to the stream to wash."
Maleficent rolled her eyes. "Of course. Those lazy idiots would probably drown themselves trying to do anything."
"Most likely," Diaval agreed. Then his gaze dropped to the berries. "Mistress, are you actually..."
Maleficent arched one eyebrow. "No, I don't believe that statement is one you should continue," she said icily.
The raven-man's scarred face split into a smirk. "I can't believe it! Queen Maleficent, guardian of the Moors, renowned and feared by all the world over... Cooking breakfast like some sort of common peasant! Can berries even be cooked?"
"I'm sure a dog would appreciate this meal more than you would, Diaval," she threatened, trying to hide the little thrill that had flared up inside her when he had said her name by narrowing her eyes.
"Mm, I don't believe so. After all, dogs are carnivores. I'd say it's such a light meal, it's food for the birds, but I wouldn't even touch that!" He let out a laugh at his own wit.
"But rabbits love berries," Maleficent responded coolly.
Diaval froze. "Breakfast looks delicious, Mistress. Do you require any assistance?" His tone immediately adopted stiff formality.
"You sure have a smart mouth for a raven. No, thank you." Maleficent gave a triumphant smirk and returned to her cooking. "Now, if I can make them dry, they'll last longer," she muttered to herself. She created a flicker of golden flame and held it about a foot away from the berries.
Her attention moved over to Diaval, who sat beside her and leaned his elbow, chin in hand, on the rock Maleficent was cooking on. "What are you d-"
His words were cut off by a scream from his own mouth as Maleficent's flame blazed, toasting the fruits to cinders and scorching off a good deal of his eyebrows.
"Oops," she said with quite the opposite expression.
"My beautiful self! What have you done?" Diaval shouted, gingerly touching what remained of his eyebrows and hair. "I can't believe this! It's one thing to be a human, but an ugly human?"
"You've been one all your life," Maleficent replied with a straight face. Inwardly, she was cracking up at his vain predicament. "I, for one, think fire improves your looks."
"Of course you would, Mistress! I look good in anything! But this?" He turned his onyx gaze to her, eyes filled with vain horror. "I look like those toys Aurora had when she was five and cut their hair off with scissors!" Diaval was now standing as he loudly spoke, towering well above Maleficent.
"Ah. Speaking of the Beastie, we should make sure she doesn't hit her head and drown in the stream." Maleficent seized one of his wildly gesturing hands and pulled herself up. "Although I suppose there isn't much of a breakfast left." But it was so worth it to see the look on his face.
Diaval was silent for a moment. "Mistress! Wait! Could you at least make my hair regrow?" Diaval pleaded after his brief silence, chasing clumsily after the faerie who had already strode away.
"Only if it'll stop your pointless jabbering," Maleficent snapped, but she did flick her fingers and release a hint of golden dust begin her.
"Thank you, Mistress. Now that my dashingly handsome good looks are back, I'll be able to greet Aurora much more cheerfully." He gave a trademark smirk, lightly brushing his new hair back into place.
Maleficent's eyes narrowed slightly as she trudged through the moors. Could she be... jealous? Of Beastie? No, that would never happen. "Oh, I didn't realize you were so... romantically inclined," she finally said neutrally.
Diaval choked as her insinuation finally reached him. "N-no! Never! She's practically my daughter! I just know she'd insult me if I showed up half bald!"
"Mm," Maleficent responded. "That's good, for if you were to break her heart, I'm afraid I'd have to break your wings. And what good would you be to me then?"
During their banter, they happened upon the stream. "Oh, speak of the devil. Hush now." Diaval let out a squawk, rather like his raven croak, as Maleficent grabbed him by the hand again and dragged him behind a patch of trees.
"I told you to hush," she whispered crossly, glaring at him.
"My apologies, Mistress. You surprised me." A faint redness was dusted on his pale cheeks, and Maleficent glanced down at their clasped hands and hurriedly dropped his.
She turned back to watch her Beastie. The blond girl played in the water for a while before finally turning to her tasks. Maleficent slid down the tree trunk and sat, Diaval following suit. Satisfied that Aurora would be safe for now, she closed her eyes and leaned back against the trunk.
She was awoken by a sudden tensing of Diaval next to her. Her eyes flickered open, and she followed his intent gaze. A well-dressed boy stood in front of a chubby horse, talking in the most awkward manner to her Beastie, who blushed and spoke choppily back.
When the boy turned back and hopped on his horse, Aurora stared after his retreating figure for far too long. Then she blushed visibly even from the distance, stooped to gather the cleaned linens, and hurried away.
When Maleficent turned back, Diaval stared at her with hope in his eyes. "That boy is the answer! True love's kiss!" Just noticing how much the raven-man cared for Aurora- no matter how platonic he claimed it was- made Maleficent bitter.
"Have you not worked it out yet?" she hissed spitefully. "I cursed her that way because there is no such thing."
Diaval frowned, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. Maleficent flinched just barely under his steady gaze, and his eyes narrowed farther. 'Damn raven, always so perceptive!' she cursed silently. But the man was, for once, wise, and kept his mouth shut.
"If you're quite done staring at me, let's go. I think I'm all done with cooking for today, and I'm starving. You can go ahead and collect for lunch. I believe a suitable meal would include fish and berries. I'll expect you, so don't take long," she ordered frostily, façade fully in place. Before Diaval could complain about the chore, she gave a flick of her fingers, and the man was returned to his raven state once more.
He voiced his frustration by taking a dive at her horns, but she easily warded him off with a burst of green-gold magic. The raven finally gave up and soared into the treetops, out of her sight.
"Hmm. What to do..." Maleficent's gaze landed on some of the washed clothes that Aurora had left behind in her bedazzled state. "I suppose I could help the little Beastie. She's likely forgotten about these, anyway." With more magic, she lifted the pile of linens and began to walk to the cottage in which Aurora had resided for nearly sixteen years.
Her imposing figure hidden behind a cluster of trees, she guided the clothes to lie as if dropped unnoticed near the door. Then the faerie slipped away, back through her sturdy thorn barricade and back into the Moors.
Lunch proved better than expected- who would have guessed how good fish could taste when roasted over a fire? Though the heat was sweltering, the berries Diaval had collected were much more satisfying than the burnt little cinders Maleficent had made that morning. Diaval obligingly chatted about his raven family, avoiding the tense discussion they had shared earlier. She only had to listen and nod at key points, for nearly two decades with the man had taught her what minimal attention he needed to keep talking. In fact, her attention was wavering from her food to the sleek material of his tunic, the few stray feathers that joined his overlong hair, the knots of scar tissue that sliced over his visible body. She imagined the different sensations that would run over her fingertips if she reached out-
"Well, mistress?" Diaval had stopped and was staring curiously at her.
He repeated, "Would you care for me to see if Aurora can come here?" Clearly she hadn't been paying enough attention.
"Ah, yes, of course." She hastily covered up her blunder by flicking her fingers quickly. Diaval made his customary circle once above her head, then flew in the direction of Aurora's cottage.
"I really need to get in control of myself," she murmured as soon as he was out of earshot. "I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but I don't like it one bit."
'He's your servant and your friend. Not some little fantasy. So snap out of it and get back to work,' she scolded herself silently. Always silently. No one else could ever hear these treacherous thoughts.
She was too busy fuming at herself and her own stupidity to notice the advancement of two shadowy figures until one leaped out at her. It was Aurora, the girl's arms wrapping around Maleficent's waist in a hug.
"Godmother! It's so good to see you again!" The girl was unnervingly chirpy, and the familiarity of 'Godmother', the nickname she hadn't dissuaded Aurora from, made the faerie tense up for just a second before leaning down to pat Aurora's shoulders with awkward movements.
Normally, Maleficent would have changed 'Pretty Bird', as Beastie called him, back into a human, but she instead dismissed him with a tilt of her head. After all, she still had to warn the blond minx about the curse, and she didn't really want his accusing eyes. "It's good to see you, too, Beastie. Thank you, Diaval."
The raven soared over her head, and squawked once as acknowledgement before gliding away.
"So-" Maleficent began, but was interrupted.
"Godmother, I need some boy advice," the girl blurted out, then covered her mouth with both hands.
Maleficent frowned. "About what?"
"Well, I met this boy today, and he's really sweet and charming and handsome, and I already really like him. But I don't know if it's just a crush or if I love him," Aurora said in a rush of words.
"Ah." That had to be the boy she and Diaval had seen talking to Aurora for a bit by the river. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can help you."
Maleficent began to lead the way through the moors, Aurora tagging along behind. "But why not?" the petite creature whined.
"Because I've never been in love. I can't tell you about something I don't know, obviously." She shook her horned head incredulously.
"But what about Diaval? Aren't the two of you in love?"
Maleficent skidded to a stop. "W-what?" she spluttered. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, come on. I've seen the way he looks at you sometimes!" Aurora doubled back to stand with Maleficent.
Maleficent could only blink silently for a minute. Then: "What?"
Aurora winked. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"How he looks at me? With irritation? Annoyance? Resentfulness?"
"Don't be like that, Godmother. Have you really never noticed?" Aurora paused in though. "Hmm. Well, when he looks at you and he thinks I don't notice, it's like you're the only thing in the world to him. Like you're the center of his universe. His eyes get so soft, like they're melting. Then he looks away, but I can tell." Aurora beamed.
Maleficent was struck dumb. All she could say was a soft utterance, barely a whisper.
Aurora smiled up at the faerie. "You're so lucky. I wish someone loved me like Diaval loves you," she sighed.
"I think you're deluding yourself. Beastie. Diaval and I aren't..." Maleficent let her voice trail off, uncertain of even how to conclude such a sentence.
"I know that! But if you ever wanted to, he would." Aurora's eyes were filled with all the innocence and naïveté of a nearly-sixteen girl.
"Don't be ridiculous. Besides, it's not like love exists. It's all just infatuation. Some people realize that sooner than others. That's why relationships break apart," Maleficent snapped, although a tiny part whispered, 'What if?'
Aurora looked just a bit hurt at her curtness. "Then Diaval is totally and completely infatuated with you, Godmother." The girl turned up her nose and raced away, leaving behind the wingless faerie and her confused thoughts.
Finally, Maleficent followed the path Aurora had taken to a peaceful bank beside the river. Aurora had easily beaten her there, and now sat cross-legged, mindless of her dress, playing with Diaval. The raven hopped to and fro, carrying a ribbon Maleficent had seen in the girl's hair earlier, and Aurora giggled as she tried to retrieve her ribbon. The raven sauntered up so close that Aurora could almost pet the feathers of his head, then sprang away just as the girl reached for it. This was apparently an established game.
Maleficent leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree, watching silently. Finally, after many fumbles and near-misses, Aurora leaned all the way forward and snatched the ribbon from Diaval's beak. She waved it over her head victoriously and grinned at Maleficent. It looked as though she had been forgiven for her rudeness, and she was suddenly happy.
"Come over here and I'll braid your hair, Beastie," she called out. The girl ran obligingly over, the sky blue ribbon fluttering in her fingers. Diaval followed, clicking his beak as he tried to reclaim the hair ornament. Aurora leaped with a squeak into Maleficent's arms, and the faerie shielded her young charge from the greedy beak of the raven.
At times like these, she could almost imagine that Aurora was still a young girl with many years left of her life, but the girl- no, the young woman- was fast approaching the last birthday she would likely ever see. As she yelled, "Diaval! Stop pestering the poor Beastie!" and flicked her fingers over Aurora's shoulder, she almost wanted to cry and bury her face in the girl's golden hair. Diaval stumbled in mid-flight, landing awkwardly on the ground as his limbs elongated and lost their feather coating. She pulled Aurora even closer to keep her out of harm's way as the raven-man tried to regain his balance in a new form.
Then just as suddenly, her melancholy mood was gone. "Come, sit, Beastie dear." She knelt on the ground, and Aurora obediently sat with her back to the faerie. Maleficent began to gently braid the girl's long locks, twining them into one large section she braided down the back of her dress.
Occasionally, her eyes would flicker up from her work- she'd braided Aurora's hair so many times that her fingers moved on autopilot- and would catch Diaval, leaning against a nearby tree, watching not the growing braid but her own face. When she caught his eye, his gaze would meet hers for just an instant, then drop down to Aurora.
Something about that unsettled her. Maybe Beastie was right? No, she couldn't believe that. But she did occasionally glance up and meet his eyes as she asked Aurora for the prized ribbon.
Now the girl leaped eagerly to her feet, running her fingers over the neat braid and flipping the end of the ribbon that kept it tied. She chattered excitedly about the impending move, and Maleficent couldn't bring herself to spoil the child's joy. Instead, she watched over Aurora as she played and sent her home when it grew dusk.
She walked back to her tree nest with Diaval just back of her side, the silence anything but comfortable. 'How strange,' she thought. 'I spent more than sixteen years not even caring if I spoke at all.' Maleficent was only too relieved to spot her favorite tree in the distance, her pace increasing as she tried to escape the tension. Diaval easily matched her pace, and dipped his head in a good-night salutation just before a golden glow usually changed him back to a raven when they halted in front of the tree.
"Oh!" Realization was an iron punch to the stomach, and Diaval's dark eyes widened just a bit in concern.
"Mistress?" he asked tentatively.
"Today... I was going to tell the Beastie..." Her heart sank as she realized she'd deceived the poor girl for yet another day. "I'll have to do so tomorrow, then."
Diaval was silent for just a moment. "Even if you can't save her from the curse..." he began cautiously. "... you can still find that boy from the stream. I know you don't think it will work, but... Isn't she worth a shot, Mistress?"
Maleficent hesitated, worked her jaw like she was going to respond, then merely said, "Good night, Diaval." His mouth opened in protest, but too late. With a rustle of feathers, he swooped up to his usual perch and curled up to sleep in a most haughty manner.
But Maleficent was too worked up over the idea of her Beastie falling under the curse to sleep. Sighing, she tossed and turned for quite a while. 'I fell asleep much faster and slept much better with Diaval here,' she mused. Her conscience roared counterarguments, shouting how cruel it was to use him against his will like that, how she couldn't toy with his feelings, how she couldn't mistreat the only person she trusted-
"I don't care. I'm tired," she muttered as, under the light of the risen moon, Diaval's raven form floated towards her. As soon as she had ascertained sleep in his human form, Maleficent curled against his side. His arm again automatically curved around her shoulders.
Her head still ached. Sleeping on his bony arm and the solid wood of the tree had given her a wicked headache. She watched his chest rise and fall and wondered how comfortable that would be.
Her only witness was asleep. She leaned her head against his chest and pressed closer. Already she was feeling the beginnings of sleep start to form, but she kept herself awake long enough to pray for courage for the next day.
Hello again! I'm terribly sorry for the delay in this second installment- circumstances kept me away from a computer to upload this chapter, although I was delighted to see all the positive feedback when I returned! I'm absolutely thrilled that y'all have liked the story so far, and I hope that this chapter lives up to expectations.
To ThatPyscoTrekkie: That is the most deliciously diabolical request I've ever seen! I'd be happy to take you up on that, although it may be a few days in coming. I'll definitely get to it before I leave, don't worry.
To DancingKitKat: Thank you for the advice! I'm so ashamed how OOC that line was- you're completely right, and I'm happy to report it's been changed.
I'm leaving for nearly three weeks at the beginning of July, but I'll be finalizing and posting the rest of the chapters before then. The next chapter should be up tomorrow! Please keep up the reviews- I do love feedback of any kind, and though I'm not a fan of flames, I'll happily take criticism. I'd also be happy to accept more requests- the more I write, the more I improve!