Hi guys! I absolutely wanted you to have a new chapter to read for christmas so I went crazy and didn't wait for beta-reading xD Please do tell me if there are any mistakes :)
Diaval was flying toward the border, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun on his feathers. Spring had finally taken over winter and the last of the snow had melted away, leaving behind a myriad of lush grass and flowers. In the Moors, mating season was just as lively as it was in the human kingdom, even despite the darkness hovering above the fairy land. The trees seemed to gleam with life, proudly sporting their new set of leaves, and magical creatures could be seen flying happily in every corner. The only one who didn't seem to enjoy the atmosphere was his mistress. Seeing birds and fairies flying wildly all day when she was stuck on the ground must be hard on her. She's been gloomier than usual, more distant, and the raven hated having to watch her sink into loneliness and depression without being able to do anything to help. He knew she needed the comfort his human form could offer, but for some reason, she never came to him. As a matter of fact, ever since that night when her magic was low, it looked very much like she was avoiding any kind of interaction with his human self, and he couldn't begin to understand why. Could she have heard him when he said he loved her? He had no idea how she would react to that piece of information, and that made him all the more nervous about it.
In any case, he was thankful she still spent some time with him when he was a raven, else he would have gotten awfully lonely. The problem was, he was starting to miss his human form a bit. Not that he grew a liking to those long limbs and featherless body, but being human made him feel closer to his mistress, and he liked seeing the world from her perspective. Furthermore, he missed holding her in his arms, the touch of their hands, and their sweet moments of cuddling. He had a feeling she was missing it too, but he knew better than to mention it to her. With a bit of luck, she would soon realise it on her own, and things would go back to the way they were.
The raven finally entered the human lands, and it took him only a few minutes to reach his destination. He cawed indignantly upon landing on a sticky substance on the windowsill of the tavern. It seemed the members of The Rightful King had a thing to meet in the dirtiest places possible. Thankfully, the window was open so he wouldn't have to go inside - no doubt it was even filthier. Diaval froze as he recognised the gruff voices of the men he's been spying on for some months. They were talking about his Mistress. He scooted closer and hid between relatively clean pots and mugs left out to dry in the sun. They were saying she was too powerful to get to her directly, especially if she stayed in the Moors. The raven blanched as one man suggested that they would hire a specialist in hunting down magical creatures. He didn't even knew that existed. He'll have to warn his mistress about it. Luckily, the others ended up scolding their companion, saying that they couldn't trust a stranger. After a while of bickering during which Diaval thought he was actually going to fall asleep, another man brought up an idea that made him particularly uneasy.
"Enough of this! We need a plan! I heard she has a raven doing her bidding. I say we work on capturing it. That will lure the she-elf out of her blasted magic land, and then we'll have a better chance of taking her down," the man - that seemed to be the leader of the group - said on a commanding tone.
His chest tightened in fear when the others seemed to agree and started debating on how to catch him and what kind of atrocities they could do to him without killing him. At some point - when the idea of plucking his feathers one by one until none was left was evoked - the raven thought he was going to get sick. And the fair folk had the gall to call his mistress evil!
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind sent a pot crashing to the ground. Diaval barely had time to duck out of view before someone gathered the rest of the utensils and closed the window. Damn, now he had to find another spot. But the moment he took flight to see if he couldn't sneak back inside by the rafters, the wind picked up and angry clouds darkened the sky. The raven had seen enough of the world to know for sure this sudden change of weather wasn't natural. One glance in the direction of the Moors confirmed his suspicions. The clouds were in fact converging above the magical land, and flashes of green lightning had started to appear in their mists. Only one being had the power to conjure such a storm, thought the raven in alarm as he rushed towards the Moors.
Any other bird would have struggled against the strong wind, but Diaval was an accomplished flyer and knew how to use it to his advantage. He soared the sky, drifting that way and that, letting the air currents carry him home at tremendous speed.
Once there, he was glad to note that most of the magical creatures were already safely sheltered. He spotted Lily waving at him from inside one of the tree hollows that served as a shelter for pixies and was about to caw in response when a yell rang out from above and he saw a tiny pixie being helplessly blown away. Without a second thought, he rushed upward and swiftly caught her waist in his talons. Upon closer look, he realised she was in fact the smallest fairy he's ever seen. Probably one of the young, he thought, mindful of his hold on her dainty frame. The raven was about to drift lower to get the little one to safety, when he was hit in the face by red sparks and almost let her go. Despite the wind and the sparks flying around him, he managed to hover in place long enough to locate the origin of the attack. Three pixies were yelling at him to let go, spouting nonsense about fairies and raven food. Next to them, Lily was doing her best to divert most of the sparks while shouting at them to stop. How could those three be too daft to understand he was only trying to help? He dodged easily a few more projectiles on his way down, and gently dropped his charge into Lily's arms, before landing on the edge of the tree hollow.
The raven glared defiantly at his retreating attackers - now they weren't so brave as to attack him, were they?
"P-Please, don't eat us," one of them squealed, terrified.
He couldn't remember their names, but he didn't like those three, and he knew the feeling was mutual.
"Don't mind them," Lily said softly, causing the raven to turn to her. "Thank you Diaval."
The raven nodded and took flight again. He didn't have any more time to waste on those three nitwits. He had to find his mistress.
Unfortunately, the fairy didn't want to be found today, and had pulled into the darkest part of the forest, in a place where the fair folk rarely ventured. She desperately needed to be alone. The sight of the other fairies buzzing and soaring happily around her all day was one she could not stand anymore, especially when she was just coming to terms with the fact that she would never fly again. The full impact of her loss had never been as evident as it was these days, with the inviting blue sky and the warm breeze brushing over her skin. Before that, it had been easy to take refuge in denial. She's been injured, sick, and then winter was not the best season for flying, so staying on the ground wasn't as agonizingly disturbing as it was now.
The wind picked up, making her hair flapping wildly behind her. She reluctantly looked up and sighed wistfully at the sight of the powerful storm unfolding above the Moors. She missed the sky. So much that it made her want to scream in despair and tear down that world where she didn't seem to belong anymore. The dark fairy had bottled up her feelings for far too long now, and her magic was lashing out on its own in order to keep her from losing her mind. She couldn't remember a time when she lost control that way, but again, grief and pain had never threatened to swallow her whole like today. Nevertheless, she did her best to take a hold on her magic, if only to prevent it from inflicting too much damage on the Moors and its inhabitants. Some of the fair folk would certainly complain about her ruining the fine day at some point, but she couldn't bring herself to care. None of them could understand what she was going through.
A treacherous tear rolled down her cheek and she cursed herself for being so weepy. So much for becoming as cold and unfeeling as ice, she thought numbly.
Suddenly, her head snapped upwards at the sound of a concerned caw, and she turned the other way, hastily hiding her tears. Diaval, she realised with irritation at the wave of relief that went through her. No matter how much she had tried to distance herself from him and push her feelings away during the last few months, it didn't look like anything was working. Her body seemed stubborn to relax whenever he was close, and this longing to be in his arms never seemed to go away. But she had to persist, didn't she? The night of the Flying Stars, she could clearly remember how her uncensored thoughts had made it clear that she was actually starting to fall for the damn bird. By the skies, she had almost kissed him! At the time, that prospect had terrified her enough to gradually avoid his human form as much as possible, hoping that would lessen her feelings without drawing too much attention, but it didn't change anything. On the contrary, that left her a bit more frustrated every day. The best way to soothe her pain was within reach - she only had to give her servant a look and he would be holding her the very next second - but she couldn't allow herself this relief. Not when it made what was left of her heart flutter anew with affections for him.
The dark fairy took a minute to compose herself and looked up at him with her usual icy stare.
"I do not need you now, Diaval. You are dismissed."
But the impertinent creature instead flew to a branch in front of her. He cawed softly, his attitude meek and hesitant. He saw the tears. He wants to help, a part of her kept repeating, but she was now used to ignoring the voice.
"Leave me alone before I turn you into something unpleasant," she rumbled dangerously, even though her hand was itching to grant him his human form.
Diaval could have snorted at the threat. No matter what she changed him into, if she thought he was going to just leave her here all alone to cry, she didn't know him very much. He couldn't stand seeing her so upset, especially when he knew he could soothe her pain in a heartbeat, if only she would allow it. He wasn't sure if it was her pride getting in the way or something else. In any case, whether she was willing to admit it or not, she needed him right now, and he would do whatever he could to help.
The approaching rumbling of thunder made Maleficent look up at the sky, fresh tears gathering in her eyes. How come she could still feel them? How come she could swear she only had to throw herself from a cliff and let the air currents lift her up to be able to fly again? She breathed shakily at the sight of the dark sky and the howling of the wind, remembering how on such stormy days she used to disappear well above the clouds in order to bathe in the sun for hours while everyone was soaking wet below. She would always marvel at the power contained into those clouds, and watching the turmoil and darkness inside them from the calm and sunny sky above never failed to give her the chills. It was like being on top of the world, watching the greatness of nature unfold before her very eyes. On days like this, she'd felt like she was capable of anything.
Today, however, the only thing she could do was to take shelter before the heavy rain drenched her to the bone. Maleficent forced back the lump in her throat and resumed her walk. After a couple of steps, she noticed Diaval was following her quietly, flying from tree to tree, and a weary sigh left her. Couldn't he understand she didn't want him to see her like that? She walked a bit faster in the hope to get some distance between them, but the damn creature kept up with her easily. Of all the birds she could have chosen from, she had to get stuck with the most stubborn one, she thought angrily. Was leaving her in peace too much to ask? Couldn't he fly away to find himself some shelter from the storm like a proper bird?
As more tears fell from her eyes, the sound of his anxious caw infuriated her to the point of changing him into a dog in mid-air. How dare he disobey her so blatantly? How dare he meddled in her life? He was nothing but a servant, and if he couldn't even be just that, she would find another one to take his place, she tried to convince herself. For all her thrashing at him, she couldn't help a grimace at his pained whine when he crashed to the ground, and fastened her pace. She had to be left alone. She couldn't bear to show the extent of her grief to anyone. The fairy barely managed to muffle a sob when she heard him trotting after her, as if his intrusion was somehow pushing the flow of her emotions to get out. She wanted to turn around and yell at him like she never yelled before, but she couldn't trust her voice anymore. Not to mention tears were now flowing uncontrollably down her cheeks. In a desperate attempt to get away from him, she started running. The thickness of the forest and the clouds so unnaturally dark above had plunged her surroundings into darkness, but she didn't care. The tears were already blurring her vision, making her stumble every now and then. She didn't know exactly where she was, but she knew there was a cliff after the forest. Maybe he would leave her alone if she…
But at this instant, she felt a jolt of her magic reaching out to him and she was stopped by a hand catching her arm.
"Mistress," Diaval called pleadingly.
On the moment, Maleficent wasn't sure what had just happened, but upon looking in front of her, she realised the cliff was only a few steps away. Her magic had acted on its own and did what it had to do in order to keep her alive. Any creature possessing magic could be subjected to this kind of survival response if their life was endangered.
The dark fairy took a deep breath and slowly turned to her servant without even trying to hide her tears. She didn't have the strength anymore. She stood before him, as proud and erect as she could manage, and the moment their eyes met, it was like time stopped around them. A flash of lightning danced across their faces, followed closely by a crack of thunder that nearly shook the earth, but none of them seemed to notice. The fairy's stern features softened at his concerned eyes and mournful expression. He looked like he shared her pain. Suddenly, she didn't feel so lonely anymore.
Diaval exhaled shakily when he discovered her puffy eyes and wet cheeks. It was even worse than what he'd imagined. Tears were rolling down her face and her thin frame was trembling with anguish. The raven turned man never saw her so distressed. He looked her over for any sign of injury, but there was none. She missed her wings, he realised bitterly, and his heart instantly ached for her.
All his human instincts were telling him to take her into his arms so he could numb her pain, but he didn't dare make the first move. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away when she needed him the most. He took a careful step forward, watching her face closely, and relaxed when she seemed unbothered by his proximity.
Very slowly, as to give her infinite time to pull away, he reached for her face. The raven turned man honestly didn't know what madness drove him to do that - no doubt it was part of human behaviour to be naturally prone to getting into trouble. Luckily, his mistress didn't seem to mind too much. If anything, she narrowed her eyes and stiffened a bit, but eventually allowed him to brush his thumb over her cheek. Diaval felt his pulse racing as he gently wiped away her tears with as much delicacy as his calloused hands permitted him, revelling in the intimacy of the moment. He could feel the sharp delicateness of her cheekbone and the ethereal beauty of her features under his fingers. By the skies, he loathed the man that dared hurting such a perfect being.
Maleficent relaxed under her servant's touch. His hands were just as gentle and caring as she remembered. She closed her eyes and leaned unconsciously into his touch, relishing in the wonderful feeling that spread from her chest. She'd missed this so much...
The raven brought her back to present time by taking another step forward. He was now standing so close she could feel his warmth. He tilted his head in that infuriatingly adorable way of his and looked at her expectantly. Unfortunately, it didn't do anything to help her condition. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't stop the tears, and it was getting harder and harder to refrain her sobs. Despite her disgust at the idea, weeping away her sorrow now seemed like the only way to get over it, and his presence would help greatly, Maleficent realised, his tender gaze slowly melting away all her doubts. Not matter how alarming her feelings for him had become, she couldn't face the agony of being wingless without his support. Not when spending time with him had proved to be the only relief in her miserable life. She wouldn't let Stephan's treachery take that away from her like everything else, the fairy vowed fiercely. She would just have to find another way to deal with her feelings.
Without a second thought, Maleficent closed the thin space between them and buried herself into his chest. He held her tightly as she wept without restraint against him. She couldn't remember a time when she cried like that, the sobs shaking her so much it was almost painful. She felt like she could have drowned in the agony of her grief if it wasn't for Diaval's strong arms around her. The dark fairy was barely aware of the rain that had started to fall heavily around them and the raven-man tugging her under a tree for protection.
After a while, her shuddering slowly subdued and she could feel his grip loosening up a bit, as if to let her pull back if she wanted to, but the fairy was way too drained to move a muscle. She wasn't even sure she would be able to stand without Diaval's body against hers.
The raven turned man had no idea what he could say to make her feel better, so he kept his mouth shut the whole time and stroked her back in slow motion, letting his hands convey his utter devotion and admiration for her. He wished he could do more... Without thinking, he brought his lips to her temple for an instant and snuggled back against her.
Maleficent frowned when his lips brushed her skin. He hadn't quite kissed her, but it had looked very much like it. It happened so fast she wasn't even sure how she felt about it, so she chose to overlook his behaviour for now and finally let herself relax into his arms. He was warm and safe and so soothing. By the skies, she'd missed this so much…
By the time her tears had dried, the fairy was exhausted, but strangely at peace. Crying had helped her release all the negative feelings she had bottled up for so long. It was like waking out of a long, dark dream to a sun-filled day. As if to mirror her state of mind, the rain had stopped, and a shy sun was poking out of the clouds.
"You smell funny," she mumbled, wrinkling her nose against his shirt.
He chuckled heartily at that, too glad to see she had recovered enough to be in a teasing mood.
"I smell like a dog. Thank you very much," the raven-man shot back sarcastically.
Diaval honestly couldn't care less about the dog incident - at the time, he'd been so worried about her that he'd scarcely noticed what form he was in, anyway - but taunting her and falling back into their old bickering had just been too tempting. He had missed the way they could argue endlessly over the most trivial things. She was smart and witty, and he was charmingly mischievous, so of course, their verbal sparring was always highly entertaining.
He was expecting one of her clever remarks in return, but instead she leaned back to meet his eyes.
"I warned you, Diaval. You disobeyed me," she reminded him sternly, raising a challenging eyebrow.
To tell the truth, Maleficent didn't mind his disobedience that much, and her scolding was more a way to shake off the guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach. She could still hear him yelp in pain when his dog form heavily collided with the floor. And even that didn't discourage him to try and help her. Such a good pet... He's been willing to endure her worst in order to bring her some semblance of comfort. No one ever did that for her. Not even the boy she once loved.
"I did and I would again. Because I care for you," he said slowly, earnestly, and the dark fairy was stunned by the intensity of his gaze.
"Forgive me, Mistress," he added after a moment, stepping away from her and lowering his eyes as if he suddenly realised he'd been holding her without permission all this time.
Maybe it was the way Diaval was doting on her that made her feel giddy, or maybe crying herself to exhaustion had worn out her walls a bit, but she somehow got bold enough to brush the back of her fingers from his jaw down to his chin, prompting him to look up.
"Thank you for being there," she whispered, her features softening.
He smiled at her fondly and bowed his head in reverence. "Anything you need, Mistress."
The corners of her lips curved up a bit, recognizing the pledge he had made to her almost a year ago. Was it only a year? He had become such an important part of her life that it felt like they had known each other for decades. She certainly couldn't imagine a day going by without his companionship anymore.
I hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for your reviews and Merry Christmas to all! ;)