Author's Note: Two chapters in one night! I don't own Maleficent. I hope you enjoy.
Maira woke to hear the bell that sounded for dinner. Looking around, the shadows had increased around her room, and there was a small plate of soup with soft vegetables in it. Her Aunt must have left it for her while she was sleeping. Stretching, Maira grabbed the two bottles and hurried towards the kitchens. All the food would have been done, and the cooks and servers had moved it to the preparation room to serve it all to the King and his court. As such the kitchen was empty. Her timing was working out well. Maira grabbed a basket and began loading it with bread and cheeses and cold meats. She made sure to sprinkle the poppy oil onto the cheese and meats, and up ended the rest into the jug of wine, shaking it up. When she smelled the contents, she added more wine and shook again until there was no smell of poppy and just wine and the food. She leaned on the table and took a few deep breaths before setting it on her arm and headed for the corridor that led to the dungeon.
The guard at the top of the stairs eyed her suspiciously.
"What are you doing here?" He prompted, eyes going to the basket where some meat and bread was poking out.
"I'm sorry, I figured Roth would be hungry and I brought some wine and meats and cheeses for him. Would you like some?" Maira offered innocently and held out the basket, lifting the cloth that covered most of it. The guard looked around and quickly grabbed some of the bread and cheese and took a large swig from the offered jug of wine. Smiling his gratitude, he opened the door for her and Maira felt better about her drugged foods. Obviously he would have said something if he tasted the poppy in the wine, but since he didn't, she headed down the steps to where Roth should be sitting. Since it was dinner time, any other guards would be grabbing their dinner and then would relieve Roth and the door guard.
When she got to the hallway with Diaval's cell, she noticed Roth wasn't there, and Daival's cell door was open. This made her frown until she saw the firelight from the torture room and heard a faint laugh from that direction. She gripped the basket and walked towards the room, stopping in the doorway as her stomach twisted at the sight before her. Roth was standing in front of a large wooden X, which had Diaval strapped to it by his wrists, ankles and neck. Diaval was glaring at Roth through his black hair that was clinging to his face from sweat and blood, a large gash over his right eye was seeping down the side of his cheek. His shirt was gone, and Maira could see scars on his shoulders, chest and sides. It made the scars on his face look that much deeper. Diaval's black eyes flicked to Maira and then back, trying no to let the man know she was there, but Roth had already glanced back to see Maira fidgeting with the basket.
"Ah, Maira! Back already?" Roth walked towards her and put an arm over her shoulder to lead her to the same bench she had been at the previous night. With Roth moved, Maira could see the bloody streaks on Diaval's side, and Roth flipped the knotted flail up onto his shoulder to hold it there.
"What are you doing down here little sweetheart?" Roth purred but laughed after he said it. Maira gave him a tight thin smile and held up the basket.
I brought you something to eat and some more wine. I figured you would be hungry, and I saw how upset King Stefan looked. I hope he dind't take it out on you?" She pretended to be concerned as Roth took the basket and moved to sit and go through the contents.
"He is more angry at this demon then me. But it makes the whole thing easier to handle with such a cute little thing being concerned." Roth replied as he started drinking the wine. "Ahhh, that hits the spot." He looked up and saw her staring at Diaval, who had his head down breathing heavily.
"You don't like this do you?" Roth spoke after a moment. Maira shrugged and kept her eyes on Diaval.
"I didn't approve of the beating last night, but now that I know more about this "thing" I don't much care what you do to it." She acted disgusted. "I'm a bit appalled that I spent my time to mend his wounds last night. At least being whipped like this, I can see the dsgusting marks of him now." She smiled at Roth and looked back to see Diaval staring at her. He looked afraid. She could almost see the hurt and betrayal in his eyes at her words, and she tried to keep her face disgusted, taking a step back. She hoped he knew this was part of her plan, because she had told him she would try to help him tonight. Roth laughed and ate some of the meat between some bread and removed the flail from his shoulder.
"So, you don't think him human anymore?" He asked quietly. Maira shook her head.
"Not that thing. It's hideous to look at and I hope you beat it to death." She grabbed the flail from Roth, who seemed surprised at her quick movements. His own starting to feel sluggish.
"Roth..." she purred and moved closer to him. "Can I hit him a few times?" She batted her eyelashes, and it looked to Diaval and Roth, that she was trying to flirt with the drugged jailor. Her eyes were on Roths, watching the pupils dialate, and his eyelids drooping a bit. He shook his head slighty and drank some more wine to try and clear his head a bit.
"Sure." He laughed, but the sound came out broken. "Just don't hit him in the face." Maira smiled and walked closer to Diaval, a glance back at Roth, who was watching, and then looking at the table, and then her again blinking. Maira waited a few moments and saw he wasn't going to pass out just yet, and then turned to look at Diaval. She was trying to put on a show, and she couldn't clue in Diaval, but the reaction she saw made her bite her lip, her eyes softening. Diaval was pulling against the restraints to try and give himself more room to move for when she would whip him. He looked scared, his eyes pleading with her, and he even spoke softly.
"Please, don't do this..." He tried to put every bit of his betrayal and pain into that plea, and she whipped back with the flail and hit the wooden X too far to the side to even hit him. It thumped on the wood, never touching him, and Diaval flinched blinking before he widened his eyes at her. He must have realized that she wasn't going to beat him, because she saw hope in his eyes again. Maira glanced back and saw Roth passed out on the table, and she dropped the knotted leather flail as if it were a hot poker.
"The dinner guard is coming back down soon." She whispered as she started undoing the straps on his wrists. Diaval let out a deep sigh of relief and was shaking as he got his neck undone once a hand was free.
"I thought you weren't going to help me. I thought..." He started, but Maira interrupted him with a shocked look that seemed to bore right through him.
"I said I would help you, why would I change my mind about that? I'm sorry if it was too convincing, but we have to hurry." She got the last ankle restraint off and he stepped down, swaying, before grabbing the wooden X with a hiss. Maira saw he was weak and grabbed his shirt from a bench, a glance to check on Roth, who was still asleep, and she handed it to him, helping him get it on over the bloody welts.
"We have to move quickly. I know a way out down here and I have things to take care of your wounds once we are out. Can you make it? Because I can't carry you." She whispered. Diaval nodded and winced once he moved after getting his shirt back on.
"I might need to lean on you, but I will make it work." He said as she took his left arm and put it over her shoulder. She then started moving as quick as she could with him using her to remain stable.
Maira led him nack down the hall towards his cell, and at the steps, she went a different direction from where he had been. There was another flight of steps going down, and she helped him get down them fairly quickly. He was struggling, and she could feel he was burning up every time he leaned on her. Diaval's face was so pale she could see him gritting his teeth, even in the dim light from down there. She moved down a hallway with more cells, and through to another room that didn't have any torture equipment, but had chains and shackles lining the walls. Maira rested him against a wall as she started removing the hinges from a particular grate. Diaval watched her, covering a cough with his arm and blinking back the desire to collapse. He thought he would be alright, but the movement after what he'd been through today was too much. He shook his head and was almost ready to fall over when Maira lifted the grate and reached out for him.
"Come on!" She hissed, and took his hand moving his arm over her shoulder again. They started walking through ankle deep water that was slimy and smelled stale and like waste. Diaval's head was swimming as he staggered and almost fell down. Maira paused to put a hand on his cheek and turned him to look at her. It was dark, the light at the end of the tunnel barely allowing them to see shapes, but she saw his black eyes on pale skin, and felt the sweat on his face.
"Please Diaval. I need you to fight to stay conscious. I promise you are getting out of here and going back to you Mistress, but I need you to stay awake and mobile. Please!" He nodded feverishly and seemed to reach down for strength from somewhere within. Then they worked their way yo the end of the water line. It got brighter as they got closer to it, and he could see that the sun was setting behind the castle, putting the area on the other side into dark shade. Maira gave the grate a kick, having removed the pins earlier that day and dragged him outside. Diaval collapsed onto the ground with a groan, as Maira quickly put the grate back up and slid the pins back. She dug around in a bush and brought out a small bundle, removing a cloth an using it to wipe as Diaval's face. He had his eyes closed and was breathing ragged again, but he let her, and she took out a small glass vial.
"Drink this. It will give you some energy to keep going. I am taking you to my family farm and we are going to borrow one of my father's horses. That should make this easier, but once they notice you are gone they wll send search parties after us." She tipped the contents into his mouth and Diaval almost choked on it, coughing and blinking violantly. When he had gotten it down, he blinked and looked at the bottle, and then her.
"What is that stuff?" He asked incredulously as he felt a surge of adrenaline, which enabled him to stand, although he rocked a bit.
"It works is all you should care about. Come on." She took his arm again and they hurried towards the wooded area near the castle. Maira knew it was going to take about an hour to get to her family's home, and by then it would be dark. She wanted all the time she could to get ahead of the guards before they came searching on horseback. As they moved quickly, Diaval was occasionally losing his eyes and whispering to himself. Maira couldn't catch exactly what he was saying, but it almost sounded like a prayer. Realizing how that was a good idea, she said one herself and kept going, hoping they would make it to the Moors without incident.