Frenzy
Title: Of Love Not Given
Song: I Can't Make You Love Me (Cameron Mitchell cover)
Maleficent watches as Aurora kisses Phillip in an act of permanent bonding. Today, Aurora finally weds the prince. Aurora seems truly happy, and Maleficent feels delighted that her beastie has found love and contentment. The girl deserves it, after everything she's been through.
Maleficent's gaze shifts to her companion. Diaval is smiling as well, but there is a tightness in his jaws, a hardness in his eyes. He's proud and happy for Aurora too, that much Maleficent knows. But it doesn't mean that this is any less painful for him because the truth is this: he's in love with her. Diaval, the poor raven, is in love with Aurora. Maleficent doesn't pretend to understand it, because the only thing she can feel for the girl is parental love, but for some reason Diaval fell for the child. He never hinted at it, not even once, keeping his feelings to himself, but Maleficent knows. She knows, because she's spent years watching him. She's spent years looking at him and willing him to look back.
It's a futile task, Maleficent acknowledges. Diaval cares for her; that much is clear, but not in the way she wants him to. Diaval's life is tied to her out of service. Maybe even out of kinship (because they were certainly family). And maybe out of love as well- familial love. It's more than what Maleficent deserves, given that she's shackled the raven to this life, but it's not what she wants. She wants more. She wants him.
But Diaval wants someone else, and he'll always want someone else.
From here on out, they will spend a lifetime like this- a lifetime of love given to someone who's never going to give it back.
A/N: I do not ship Diavora, but I was feeling depressed and I was like, "if I'm miserable, then Mal (and everybody else) should be unhappy too!"
I promise the next one is happier.
Cheers!