Maleficent - Diaval Fanfic - Chapter 9; Blood and Tears:
"What did you see tonight?" Maleficent asked when Diaval returned from a trip to the castle.
The two were sitting together by the table in their barrier house, discussing Diaval's last visit to the castle the night before.
"Well, it is hard to explain, my mistress"
"Do the best you can", she said stearnly.
"I was flying to the castle..."
He was interrupted, "Yes, I know, I sent you there", she said sarcastically.
"Right, Right. And from a window I saw the king and queen doing something odd. He had his queen pinned up against the wall and he was over her, like this." He postioned himself against the wall in the same manner he saw the king.
"Then he started to move like this", he undulated his body against the wall. "This motion appeared pleasurable to the queen as she..." He stopped as turned around.
"My mistress?" he noticed that Maleficent's face appeared to change from being stern to anger.
"Continue, Diaval", her voice deepened to a scowl.
"Oh, yes, so the queen was emitting all sorts of sounds that I cannot really describe, but she appeared to call out, 'Ohh, Ohh, Ohh.' "
Diaval could see the anger growing in his mistress. Her eyes stared out from across the table and she started to breath very heavy.
"Are you OK?", Diaval sounded concerned.
"Continue Diaval", she growled him.
Diaval was hesitant he could tell that Maleficent was becoming very angered by something.
Diaval continued, "He was rubbing his hands up and down her body. Then he grabbed her shoulders and all at once King Stefan let out a yell on his own and it seemed as if he pressed his waist into her body really hard. She yelled out really loud and then it was over."
His mistress was now curling up her lips showing her teeth. Her breathing was very audible and her nostrils flared. Then she began to clench and unclench her fists.
Diaval knew this look before, and he started to get a bit scared.
"A ..A ..Are you angry with me, my mistress?" He stuttered
"No, you did well", she complimented him, but her voice still sounded angry. "Stay here, I must leave and get some air. DO NOT follow me. Am I CLEAR on this?!"
"Absolutely, my mistress." He then added, "But may I go to the watering hole for a bath?"
"That you may."
She grabbed her staff and stormed out of the house. For the longest time, he stayed put, wondering why she all of a sudden turned angry right in front of him, but she seemed to be otherwise fine. Perhaps she just was taking a walk to let off some steam. Then he gathered up a towel, a change of clothes and some soap and walked towards the watering hole.
Robin, came flying as fast as his little wings could carry him. He was looking desperately for Diaval. A sigh of relief came to Robin has he found Diaval at the watering hole resting after his bath.
"Diaval! Diaval!" Robin shouted. The poor faerie was nearly out of breath from flying so hard.
"Robin, what's the matter?" Diaval could hear the weariness in Robin's voice. Robin was normally happy and jovial and very rarely had a care in the world. But today, his voice was anything but happy, he was frightened.
"Something is wrong with Maleficent. You must come quick!", Robin urged pulling at Diaval's shirt sleeve.
"What is wrong, is she hurt", Diaval's voice replied in a worried manner.
"No, I don't think so. She is just acting very strangely". Robin replied, "But I think she WILL hurt herself if she continues acting the way she is."
"Hurt herself? I hope this isn't one of your practical jokes, Robin." However, Diaval already knew this wasn't the case as Robin had a very frightened tone to his voice.
"No, No. I promise and you know a faerie doesn't break a promise".
"Yes, that I know all too well".
"Ok, Robin, let's go. There is no time to waste, you can fill me in in the way".
"Good! Good! Follow me." Robin urged as he took wing and began to dart off in a south east direction.
"Robin! I am in my human form and cannot keep pace on foot with you flying".
"Oh, right, right. Sorry!" Robin flew back to Diaval and crouched down on his left shoulder.
"Go that way towards the south bridge." Robing directed.
"Tell me everything"
"Ok. I was flying...oh, of course I was flying as I have wings".
"Robin", Diaval interrupted, "Just tell me what I need to know."
"Yes, Yes, I'm sorry. I am just in a tizzy to what I saw and I tried my best to get to you and..."
"Robin! Your babbling", Diaval interrupted.
"Sorry! I am just worried for Maleficent"
"Yes, I am too, but I need you to have a clear head and let me know what is going on."
"After the bridge turn left and go through the east forest", Robin directed.
Diaval gave Robin a blank look, his breathing became heaver as he wasn't used to running for any length of time. "There isn't much past the east forest except for the remnants of an abandoned village. What the heck is Maleficent doing there?"
"That's the thing" Robin said, "I saw Maleficent walking towards the village while I was out for a flight in the East Forest and I thought too that it was odd for her to be out that far east. But since she IS the Queen of the Moors, I didn't pay too much attention to why she was this far out. Yet, I followed her to that old cottage that is just outside the abandoned village and she went inside."
"That IS odd." Diaval agreed. His breathing labored as he tried to run faster jumping over fallen trees and logs in the woods. He remembered seeing the village in his own flights around the east village, but he really didn't know on foot how to get to the village.
"Turn here". Robin directed. "I perched myself by one of the windows and slowly looked in. Heck I even thought I might play a 'surprise' joke on her like I always do. But as you know, Maleficent hasn't been in the joking mood these years. In fact I really don't talk to her as much any more...ever since she lost her wings.
"Yes, I know", Diaval recalled.
"Robin, I have to catch my breath for a moment", Diaval slowed his running down to a jog as he still wanted keep pace to get to his mistress as soon as he could. "Dang this human body, if only I was in my original raven form I could fly and be with her already."
"Do you want me to scout ahead to check on her?"
"No, No...Let's stay together. I don't know the east woods on foot too well and the last thing I need right now is for us to get separated and I cannot find my way to the cottage. Continue with what you saw", Diaval urged.
"Alright, so I was looking through the largest windows on the front and I didn't see her inside. But then I flew around to one of the windows and I saw Maleficent sitting on a bed with her head hung low and her hands over her eyes. She was crying...and hard too!"
"Crying hard?" Diaval questioned as he stopped completely and stared at Robin. As he never knew Maleficent to cry, but he had seen her a couple of times near tears when she looked to birds taking flight to the sky. One time, he put on a flight show for Maleficent and while she watched at first, she then hung her head low. Seeing this, he too perch on a nearby tree branch, but her back was towards him. In a bit of a shaken voice she said, "That'll be all for today, Diaval, you may go". She continued to stare downward, but Diaval complied and flew off.
"Robin, I hope you didn't drag me out all this way just because you saw Maleficent crying in some cottage." Diaval pretended to be a bit cross with Robin, but he too was curious as to why Maleficent was crying. So with his breath somewhat returning, he was off to a brisk pace again.
"No, No Diaval, it DOES get worse." "Turn this way...we are not too far off now". Robin directed again. I saw her start to slam her fists down on the bed and she was becoming more and more angry. She started yelling out and screaming tearing at the sheets with her fingernails. She was pulling at her clothes so hard I could hear the fabric start to tear. She started to mutter something that I couldn't clearly make out. But then she abruptly got up and started to slam her her fists against the wall. She began to dig her fingernails into the walls and the paint peeled out from under them as she dragged them across the wall. As she was doing this she was sobbing really hard.
Then she turned her face partly to the window and that was when I noticed that the tears running down her face were red".
"WHAT?!" Diaval once again stopped in his tracks. "Do you mean she's bleeding from her eyes?"
"Yes!"
"I don't understand. What could be wrong with her?", Diaval said in a worried tone.
"Well, my friend, with some faeries, if they cry hard enough, the blood vessels in their tear ducts can rupture and blood mixes in with the tears." Robin explained. "It usually happens with those faeries that don't cry often and it is usually characteristic of female faeries. But once they DO sob intensely, it can happen".
"Is this a major concern?", Diaval asked
"No, not usually, but there was talk of at least one instance where a faerie did cry so long that she bled out and died! ...But that is just a rumor."
Sensing more urgency to the situation, Diaval began to run again. "Please, continue Robin".
"Then she started to take the chairs and tables in the room and started to toss them around."
Diaval once again stopped and responded in disbelief. "Tossed around furniture? Are you this is Maleficent we are talking about here?".
"Yes, Diaval, Do you know of another dark haired, curved horned, wingless faerie here on the Moors?" He said sarcastically. "Now, PLEASE run! Run, we are almost there." Robin's voice quivered and then he continued with what he saw. "Well, at this point she stopped crying, and she had this horrible look of anger in her face. Her face was all scrunched up and then she picked up one of the chairs and she kept pulling on the legs with all her might. She was making groaning and grunting sounds. If I didn't know any better, it would seem like she was trying to 'kill' the chair with her bare hands. Then I could hear the wood groaning and splintering and eventually she snapped the chair legs off. She looked up at the window and I gasped at the thought of her seeing me watching her, but thankfully she didn't. But she tossed the chair leg through the window smashing it. At this point I knew there was something wrong with her and was thinking the worst in that she might hurt herself. Thus I proceeded to find you. That is all I know".
Diaval looked at Robin with a shocked look on his face. He knew of Maleficent's temper but he never knew her to get THIS angry to the point of rage. Worse, apparently it was causing her severe distress. Yes, sometimes she was cross, even with him, but she always was very eloquent and poised for the most part. Yes, he has seen her anger show through on occasion, but what Robin was explaining was certainly a first. Given the look on his face and the tone of his voice, Diaval was uncertain as what to expect. But he knew there WAS something wrong with his mistress and he wanted to come to her need more than ever. This want was more than a want, but a need. Over the years Diaval had become closer to Maleficent and some of the deeds he had done for her were out of caring for her rather than a simple order. Many times he even done things for her without her even asking. But he wasn't sure if the feelings were reciprocated as Maleficent usually spoke to him in a monotonous cool manner. She suppressed her emotions as much as she could. She didn't want anyone to see what she was thinking or what was in her heart.
"Turn here, we should be able to see the cottage now", Robin said.
As they neared the cottage, they could hear something being smashed inside. Robin jumped off Diaval's shoulder and took to wing and dove into a nearby bush. "Uuuuh, I am going stay in this bush here". Robin was wringing his hands together a very worried manner.
"What..you are not coming?"
"No" Robin swallowed very hard. "I'm worried for Maleficent, but also very scared. I am not going any further. Honestly, Diaval, I think she's flipped her lid!
"Well, thanks then", Diaval replied sarcastically "I guess I'll do this alone then".
"Please be careful."
Diaval approached the cottage very carefully. Most of the windows were smashed and there were wooden bits and pieces littered about outside. The pieces were remains of tables, chairs, vases, glasses, cups and plates.
After the one crash that scared Robin, everything became quiet. Diaval thought it was safe to continue on. He approached the side window that was next to the front door very carefully. He peered into the window carefully. The inside of the house looked like something explosive was detonated in there. There were pieces of furniture all over the place, smashed cabinets with doors hanging off their hinges lined the walls. There kneeling on the floor with her body bent over and her head in her hands was his mistress, Maleficent. Robin was true to his word that she was crying.
Diaval didn't know what to make of the scene, but one thing was certain was that Maleficent was hurt, her hands and arms were all cut up and she was bleeding. She proceeded to look up towards the ceiling, her face had a look of anguish on it and it appeared that blood flowed from her eyes as tears just as Robin explained. Her robes were stained red. Her hair was a complete mess, all tangled. She then let out a guttural yell and she began to shout through her tears.
"It should be me! Not her...ME! I wanted to be with one with you! Look what you have done to me you bastard! You should have killed me and not left me like this!" Maleficent cried out. Her voice sounded very gravely and rough.
She then got up, Diaval saw her forearms were all cut up and her sleeves were all torn. Blood was dripping from her fingernails as she turned around with her back towards him and stormed off into the other room. The door to the back room was partially off it's hinges. She grabbed the door and flung it the rest of the way off it's hinges. This action surprised Diaval to the point where he jumped and his heart was in his throat. He hoped his sudden reaction didn't get him noticed.
He slowly peered back in the window to see Maleficent throw herself on the bed and he could hear her sobbing heavily. Her body was shaking through her sobs.
Diaval didn't understand what he was hearing or seeing, but one thing is for certain, she seemed extremely angry and he didn't know how to approach the situation. In the past approaching Maleficent while she was angry was always a bad thing to do. But clearly she was bleeding and he feared that he needed to find out what was wrong with her, he feared she would bleed to death. But the thing was, why wasn't she healing herself? He didn't understand as he seen her do it many times before. Why not now? Perhaps she couldn't use her magic. Maybe that is what was wrong. Well, he HAD to find out. Part of being his mistress' servant was to make sure she is safe from harm. If there was a time she needed help it was now. So Diaval gathered up his strength and proceeded to put his hand on front door. It was already partly open, he pushed it ever so slightly as to not make a sound. The door squeaked a bit as he looked in. He clenched his eyes closed, but apparently she didn't hear it over her own tears. He pushed a bit further until finally the door was open just far enough for him to slip inside. The main room of the house looked even worse than from the window. Some of the floor boards were torn up and nothing was recognizable from the furniture. Everything was a splintered mess of broken wood, smashed pottery and glass. The walls were gouged with jagged traces of 5 semi-uniform scratches most likely from her sharp fingernails digging into them. Then a thought came to him. He said to himself, "I think she did this all with her bare hands, but it can't be, moreover, why? It would have taken a couple men of at least twice his own strength to do the damage he was witnessing. Even though Maleficent was the same height as he (not counting her horns). She is a much smaller in build than he, she just had to have used her magic. But then again, she is all cut up and not healing herself. I just don't understand".
He could see her lying on the bed in the other room, sheets stained with blood. Her hand was hanging over the side, dripping blood on to the floor.
His heart was beating heavy as he too was scared and didn't know what to expect. What if Robin was right and for some reason Maleficent had gone mad. But why? But since it was his duty to look after and protect his mistress in time of need, he had to move forward. He swallowed hard a few times and then walked into the room further.
"My Mistress? Are you ok?", he stupidly asked. "I came at once when Robin said that you were..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Maleficent shot up in one smooth move from the bed and she stood in the door frame. Now Diaval finally got a good look of her current state. Her eyes, red from her tears, stared him down deeply, her head was hanging low, her mouth partly open. Several red tear tracks ran down from both her eyes. At that moment a single red tear ran from her right eye and down the side of her nose. Blood tracks ran each side of her chin and proceeded down her neck. Her disheveled locks were hanging half down the front left side of her body and the other half down her back as she normally kept it. The entire upper part of her gown was all stained with blood, with red spots littering the lower portion of her gown. The sleeves of her gown were torn all the way up to her shoulders. Blood was running down her bare forearms and dripping from her fingertips.
"YOU!" she exclaimed in a deep gravely voice, horse from all her screaming and yelling earlier.
The displeasure and anger in her voice was clear and apparent. At this point Diaval knew he made a mistake in being in the same room with her at that moment.
He said, voice shaking, "I am sorry, my mistress, I see I have disturbed you"
He was reminded of another time in which he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and his mistress was displeased with him finding her, but that seemed to be nothing in comparison to the look on her face now. That look told him to do one thing and that was to run away. He started for the door but immediately tripped on one of the broken floorboards, but he only stumbled a bit. Regaining his footing his hand fumbled for the doorknob. But she was on him fast. From the corner of his left eye, a bloodied fist whizzed past his shoulder and slammed into the door closing it tight. But in shocking disbelief at what he was seeing, he saw her fist continue on almost in slow motion splintering the wood and going right through the door panel. He turned to his right side only to be blocked another bloodied fist whizzing past his face, this time slightly catching his shoulder and like before he could hear the splintering wood as her fist went through the door panel on the other side of him. Even though he was scared, he was completely astounded by her strength. Was it magic? Was she really that strong? But one thing was for certain, he feared those strong arms and hands were going to tear him apart next.
He could barely turn around with his neck right between her forearms. Doing so his shoulders rubbed against the door and her body. Since she was the same height as he, their faces were level and her eyes were a mere 8 inches from his. Their noses almost touching. Her head was tipped a bit downward and her yellow/green eyes stared straight in his ebony eyes. The look she gave him went right through him. She didn't blink even once. At this moment he knew he was going to to die. But she just stood there staring at him with her arms right through the door. Her breathing was very heavy with anger. He could see blood was dripping from her elbows.
In a voice very deep gravely voice she said, "What am I going to do with you?"
Even in her current state with blood tracks running down from her eyes and her arms tracked with blood around his neck, she still looked very attractive to him. Since he knew he was going to die, he didn't know why, but wanted to touch her just once more. He reached his arms up and cupped his hands on her upper arms. Her arms were not large, but they were nicely toned and certainly felt good in his hands. As he ran his hands slowly up to her shoulders. He closed his eyes and said, "Please, my mistress, make my death quick, please do not let me suffer".
She raised her head slightly and she finally began to blink. But she still breathed heavy and stood there looking deep into his eyes.
Finally with her voice returning to it's normal cool tone, she said, "Don't be daft. I am not going to kill you, but I am very angry that you just barged in on me like this, especially when I told you not to follow me." "There will be punishment. But for now, I don't know what to do."
Breathing a sigh of relief and from the sound in her voice, it didn't sound like she went crazy as Robin thought. But something angered her to the point where she lost all control of her emotions.
"Yes, my mistress, I understand and thank you for allowing me to live."
"I guess you think your Maleficent has gone mad, huh?" She asked.
"With all respect, my mistress, the thought had crossed my mind."
"No, I'm OK. I just was a bit angry."
"A bit angry?", he looked past her at the condition of the room they were in.
A little smirk appeared on her face and she bowed her head down and her forehead touched his. He started to rub her arms and her smirk turned into a small smile. He was very surprised that she was letting him touch her. But soon the good moment was gone. At that point, her knees began to buckle and her breathing became labored.
"My mistress, you have lost quite a bit of blood. Have you lost your magic? We need to get you help".
"No. No. I am fine. I still have my magic, but you are right, I do need healing now", her voice was much calmer now. She finally withdrew her arms from the door. Diaval ran his hands down her arms in a caressing manner as she lowered hers, as his hands ran down her forearms he could feel pieces of glass stuck within her arms.
Apparently this little gesture with her arms, she liked, as it calmed her down. She also cracked a small smile just after Diaval removed his hands from her arms.
She turned towards the bedroom and she staggered a bit and then her knees began to give out again.
"Diaval, please help me to the bedroom."
"Absolutely, my mistress". Diaval bent down and took her right arm and place it around his neck. He couldn't help but notice that on her hand, a couple of her fingers dangled peculiarly. She apparently broke them slamming her fist through the door. All the while he was thinking, "What has caused her to go into a fit of a rage that she practically destroyed the house AND nearly herself in the process. At this time he dared not ask and just wanted to see her all healed up.
"Ok, up now", he said.
Once up he put his arm around her waist and they proceeded into the bedroom.
She sat on the bed and looked up at him. "Thank you. Alone now, my pet. I'll be OK."
"Yes, my mistress", Diaval said as he started for the door. He was thinking that she is awfully polite now considering the fit of rage she was in moments ago.
"Oh, Diaval?", her voice almost was singing now.
"Yes?" "When I am done, I will need to get cleaned up. Please get some water, soap, and a change of clothes from back home. There are some blankets already here. Unfortunately it looks like we might be spending the night here."
"Yes, my mistress"
"Be a good birdy, and please just prop the door back up on the frame", she asked.
Wow! She WAS being very polite. Diaval, promptly picked up the door blade that Maleficent threw halfway across the room earlier and placed it back into the door opening. He carefully made his way through the living room space trying to avoid the broken floorboards.
He examined the holes in the door. The look on his face was both in astonishment and admiration. "Whew! That's one strong woman."
After exiting the house, Diaval felt a thump on his side. Robin flew straight into him.
"Whoa! Put on the brakes there little buddy", Diaval said.
"GREAT! He said...you are still alive!" His voice sounded very ecstatic. Robin noticed the blood stains on Diaval's shoulders from where Maleficent had her arms. "What happened to your shoulders".
"Not me. Maleficent had her arms on my shoulders and her forearms were cut up very badly when she broke the glass and she was bleeding on me".
"Soooo, she was hugging you around your neck while she was hurt?"
"No No, Robin. See those holes in the door? She made those with her fists. She had me pinned to the door with her arms resting on my shoulders."
"Oh! So why did she punch right through the door?
Diaval continued to explain the events that happened thereafter as the two slowly started back to Maleficent's and Diaval's home. Diaval finished by saying, "I have to go back to the Rowan Tree and get some supplies to help Maleficent get cleaned up. I need you to lead me back to the bridge and then back here. It will be dark soon and I don't want to be out in the woods at night. Maleficent needs me tonight and I want to get back to her has soon as possible.
"Sure thing, Diaval."
Soon he was back at home gathering the necessary supplies that Maleficent requested. He put everything into a backpack that Maleficent made for him so he could easily carry items without tying up his hands. He met up with Robin at the bridge and once again, Diaval broke into a jog to pick up the pace. The sun was starting to set and Diaval wanted to make it the cabin before it became dark.
"Robin, we need to find a source of water. Would you know if that abandoned town has a working well?"
"Yes, certainly. I sometimes would fly in it for a quick drink, it's water is good and clean.
"Good Good". Diaval packed two large water bladders in to the nap sack
After they got to the abandoned town, Diaval filled two large water bladders with water from the well. "This should be enough", he said "I hope it will be enough as this is all I can carry." He trudged back to the house in the woods. Every step was in labor as Diaval was not used to carrying so much weight. He began to sweat. It was almost dark and once they reached the woods, Robin had to light the way for them using his magic. He gave off a red glow.
Soon they reached the cottage and Diaval was completely out of breath.
"Thank you very much, Robin, you have been a big help today."
"You're welcome Diaval. I am off now as I am getting sleepy." Robin said, "Have a good night and don't do anything I wouldn't do. Or for that matter, don't do anything I WOULD do. Hubba Hubba."
Robin was always hinting that Maleficent and Diaval should 'hook up' and become mates. Diaval always thought this would be impossible considering that Maleficent doesn't believe in true love.
"Oh, Diaval?"
"Yes"
"Please, do let me know what happened tomorrow, I so want to know what caused Maleficent to act so strangely.".
"I think it was anger, Robin. She just was so intensely angry, but why I don't know. Perhaps if she is feeling better tomorrow morning I will ask her. I certainly will let you know as soon as we are back home".
"Goodnight then, Diaval"
"Goodnight Robin"
Robin turned to fly off but then quickly turned around and said, "Oh, another thing, IF something DOES happen between you and Maleficent...please DO tell me too!" He made a smooching sound with his lips.
"Robin! Enough! Nothing's going to happen. I am just her servant, nothing more".
"That's what they all say, heh heh heh heh", he laughed as he flew off."
Without Robin to light the night around them it was becoming very difficult to see out. Diaval made his way to the front door. As he did so, he once again looked at the holes in the door and was still impressed by what Maleficent had done with the door. He went inside. The cottage was very dark inside and Diaval barely could make out the broken floorboards. The door banged against the wall as Diaval placed the water bladders on the floor.
"Diaval...is that you?" Diaval heard Maleficent call from the back bedroom.
"It is, my mistress. I have returned with everything you asked for and some water."
"Very good. Good birdy. Please come in here. I would like to get cleaned up and get out of these clothes". Her voice was still very soft and pleasant as it was when he left.
"My mistress, can I trouble you with with some light it is getting difficult to see in here and the place is royally trashed."
A ball of light flew out from the bedroom and attached it self to the roof of the main room. The ball filled the room with light. Much to his amazement, all of the broken floorboards and broken glass was cleared from the room. It also appeared that the door to back bedroom was back on it's hinges and was partly open.
"I cleaned up while you were gone so you wouldn't get hurt on the mess I made earlier".
"Thank you, my mistress, that was very kind of you."
"Oh, hush now and come in."
Diaval brought the bladders into the bedroom and took off his backpack. The light ball followed him in.
Maleficent was lying on the bed with her back leaning against the wall behind the bed. The headboard was torn off the bed and part of it was laying in the corner. The bed sheets and mattress had large holes cut into it as if done by knives. Both had many blood stains on them. Diaval looked at her closely to see her current condition. All her wounds on her arms were healed and she was flexing her fingers and it appeared her fingers were also fixed. But she was still covered from head to toe in blood stains, more on her upper body than lower. Her breathing seemed a bit labored and from the look on her face, she appeared exhausted.
"Did you bring the candles?" she asked.
"Yes, I did"
"Please light them as I don't want to keep maintaining the light ball. I am in a weakened state and my magic is very low as it is. I need some rest. We are going to stay here tonight"
"I understand, my mistress" He replied as he lit the candles. With a wave of her hand, Maleficent doused the light ball. Diaval placed the candles on a bureau in the room which appeared to be the only remaining piece of furniture, left somewhat intact. Good thing too as he needed a place to set up the water basins. He set up two basins one for soap water and another for rinsing down. He placed some towels next to the basins along with Maleficent's favorite hair brush. He hung a fresh gown over the broken part of the headboard and he turned to his mistress and said, "All ready for your bath". He then promptly walked towards the door to give her some privacy.
"Diaval, I am feeling faint and I will need assistance in bathing", she spoke slowly in a weary sounding voice.
"Yes, of course, my mistress." his face lit up a bit. He wondered if this would be a treat like combing her hair.
He brought a sponge, towel and basin over to the bed and sat by her right side.
"Please do my face first. As I must look like some deranged demon to you"
"No, my mistress, you look fine to me."
She smiled a bit. "Oh shoosh!"
He grabbed a small sponge and put a little soap on it. His hands started to shake as he drew nearer to her face.
"I think it is best if you close your eyes, otherwise the soap might get in them and sting", he said.
She nodded in agreement and then closed her eyes.
He started right at the top where her hairline stopped and her forehead started. He came down the sides of her face, and then very carefully started to circle her eyes.
Maleficent arched her neck back and her horns hit the wall behind her with a thud.
"Oh! Guess I can't tilt my head that far back."
"Here my mistress, put this under your back and lay down"
Diaval balled up the backpack he brought with him and used it to prop up his mistress' neck.
"Yes, that is better", she said.
Diaval then contined cleaning the blood tracks that ran down her eyes being extra careful and gentle as he didn't want any soap to get in her eyes.
He saw her eyelids were stained red as well, but the sponge was much too large of an area to enter such a delicate spot. So he dipped his fingers in the soap water and then gently rubbed his fingers across her eye lids.
"Hmmmmmm, she let out a smal moan."
At first he was about to pull away, but she didn't say anything else.
He could feel her eyes underneath moving under her eyelids. It was a very unusual feeling, but yet also felt good. He did linger a bit long, but she still didnt' say anything. But he did notice her breathing get a bit deeper. She then raised her eyebrows almost as if for him to get better access around her eyes.
Then he took his finger dipped it in the soapy water and rubbed across her other eye. He could feel her eye move again. Her breathing became heavier still. He leaned over and took a dry towel and carefully dried around her eyes.
"You can open you eyes now, my mistress, I am done with them", he said.
"Thank you, my pet, but I prefer to keep them closed. Continue", she replied.
He then took the sponge back up and started to clean around her cheeks and nose. He carefully traced around her ruby lips when she all of a sudden giggled.
"That tickles," she said with a smile on her face. Her eyes stayed closed.
"Sorry, my mistress", he apologized. "But it looks like now you are the ticklish one."
Maleficent kept her eyes closed though the whole thing. "Oh, my word! The way he cleaned my eyelids, that felt so wonderful. I should make him stop, but I don't want him to stop. Ok, Ok, Mal...live in the moment but don't get too carried away.
Maleficent could feel Diaval had returned to using the sponge and was cleaning under her chin. She arched her neck back. She could feel a tingle as the sponge slowly ran down the sides of her neck. She could feel her face start to tense up a little and she hoped Diaval wouldn't noticed. But when he did the front part of her neck and the sponge reached the divot where her collarbones met, she felt a tingle of pleasure run through her and her body noticably twitched.
"Are you OK, my mistress?" he asked. "Did I hit something by accident?"
"No, you are fine." her voice almost sang out. "Continue."
Diaval continued on the other side of her neck. He couldn't help but study the even undulations under her skin that formed her wind pipe. There were slight indentations on either side. Diaval's eyes followed her windpipe down until it disappeared into her chest. There was an indentation right where her windpipe met with her collarbones. She swalled hard and this area moved up and down. He rubbed the sponge in this area gently. Maleficent arched her neck back as far as it could go, the back of her horns started to dig into the sheets. She swallowed a couple more times very hard.
"That is as far as I can go here, my mistress." He said.
"You can do my arms next, they are a total mess."
"Yes, my mistress."
Diaval dipped the sponge in the soapy water. He took his mistress' hand in his and she held it. He started with her right forearm first. The blood was starting to cake up on her arms. He slowly but gently started to rub her arms down.
Maleficent closed her eyes. She had a little smile on her face. Every now and then she would open them and look at Diaval. He rotated her wrist around to the underside of her forearms and rubbed the sponge gently up and down. He repeated sponging her forearm until it was clean.
He noticed that she now had a scar on her arm in the area where he noticed a piece of glass was lodged in her arm before. It wasn't a bad scar, but it looked to be something that was permanent. But he wasn't sure.
He moved higher up to her upper arm rubbing the soap sponge up her outer arm. He noticed that her breathing started to get heaver. While her arm was cleaning up, he couldn't help but take a good look at the shape and contours of her arm. Her arms were very dainty but did have nice definition. Her fingers were very long and thin and her hands in general seemed very delicate. He found it hard to believe that these dainty fingers and hands could form a fist with such power that she could splinter wood. He admired at how such power and such beauty were combined in the woman laying before him.
Her wrists were also very dainty. His eyes followed from there to her forearms which tapered up to her elbow. Thin and uniform from her wrist at first, but then half way up quickly tapering out. She had a few good sized veins running up and down her forearm. He had the thought of running his finger up and down the largest of them just to find out what it felt like under his finger, but he quickly shook the thought off.
Where the inside of her elbow was, there was an indentation before curving slightly up the lower part of her bicep. Her forearms slightly rounded her elbow. As he rubbed up the sponge to her upper arm, he could feel the shape of her muscles underneath. Every now and then her arm would twitch as he rubbed over a sensitive area and he could see the muscles moving under her skin. He sponged up the inside of her arm and again he felt another twitch. She began to breath even deeper.
Moving up to her shoulders there was another slight indentation from outside of her arms as her shoulders then came out and rounded up to her collarbone. Her collarbones were very pronounced and below them there was a deep indentation where her shoulder came around and conneted to the top part of her chest. When she moved her arms up there were two little defining lines that would show up towards the front of her shoulder. Diaval again wanted to run his fingers along those small lines. As he started to clean her shoulder, he strategically placed his thumb just outside the sponge and let it run across that area. Maleficent arched her shoulders forward and her face scrunched up but she didn't open her eyes.
"Whoa!" Diaval said to himself, "That was close, almost got caught doing that".
Diaval kept looking up and down her arm as he was cleaning. He thought to himself, "She certainly has beautiful arms." He had a sudden urge to drop the sponge and just run his fingers up and down her arm and hold her by the shoulders. But he just stopped and shook it out of his system, knowing all to well the consequences of what would happen had he done that. However, he still had to clean up her other arm.
He moved to the other side of the bed and then proceeded to clean her left arm. Again he lifted her hand, but she gave his hand a gentle little squeeze back . With the thoughts running around in his head, Diaval slowed his pace and lingered while cleaning her left arm. He gently passed the indentation on her elbow very slowly and ran the sponge up the inside of her arm. She twitched a little and let out a small sigh. Her face winced a bit and Diaval noticed this.
"My mistress, are you ok? You have a funny look on your face."
"Yes, Diaval, I am fine", she said. "It's just a little pain twitch. Please continue."
He resumed cleaning up and down her arm. He then started sponging the outside of her arm. He kept watching her chest rise and fall as she was breathing very deeply. The candlelight was reflecting of her chest. Now all of a sudden her chest started to look good to him the way it rose and fell in perfect time to her breathing.
Maleficent had her eyes closed and her mind wandered. "Oh, does that feel good! First my hair and now this. It is like when he does this, it is like an art. Why is he so good? Why do I have these feelings? Oh, I so want him to bathe me more often. No! No! Stop it Mal, don't give in to these feelings.
Just. Just. Don't make a sound. Why am I breathing so heavy? I don't know, it must be the loss of blood and I am tired."
Diaval raised her arm up a bit higher and then ran the sponge right straight up her arm and into her armpit. All of a sudden a pleasurable feeling shot straight through her body.
"Uuuuuuhhhh!", she moaned, the sound a little too loud. She then quickly recoiled, pulling her arm out from Diaval's hand. Again she had that scared look on her face.
"What's wrong, my mistress?"
"Nothing! Just nothing. I must have started to dozed off ", she said with her voice quavering.
He was finished with her arms and she took a good look.
"Nicely done, my pet", she said in a soft voice. He did do a good job.
A sudden a feeling of content came over Maleficent and she looked around the damaged room.
She felt now it was the time to finally tell him. Tell him everything.
"Do you want to clean my back next?" she asked.
Diaval thought he was hearing things. Confusion came over him as he figured this would be the last place where he would ever be allowed to look upon his mistress' body, not that he was in a position to look at any part of her body for too long.
"I'm sorry, my mistress, but did I hear you wanted me to clean your back?"
"Yes, you heard right", she said very low and soft. Her voice almost had a caressing sound on his ears.
"Please turn around and don't look."
"Yes, my mistress."
Diaval positioned himself at the end of the bed and looked at the doorway. He could feel his mistress shuffling around on the bed and he could hear the movement of fabric. Then came the sound of tearing fabric.
"It's OK, Diaval, still don't look."
He heard some more tearing and felt some more moving around.
"Ok, you may look now", she said.
Diaval turned around and was nearly shocked by what he was seeing. Right in back of him his mistress was sitting looking towards the window. Her whole upper body was bare down to her waist. with the exception of a small piece of fabric that ran around her body and kept her breasts covered. Her back was exposed to him and her beautiful long raven hair ran straight down the length of her back. His eyes followed down from her neck, around her shoulders and her body tapered down getting narrower until it met up with her waist line.
He couldn't help but stare. He could feel his heart almost pounding out of his chest. She turned to look at him, putting her left arm across her front and and leaned on her other arm while turning slightly towards him.
Diaval could feel it within himself. Something was happening. There was that feeling in between his legs again. He could feel himself getting larger.
Then her voice broke the feeling that was surging through his body.
" I owe you an explanation", she said. "You have been a faithful servant and confidant to me for over 16 years. It is now time that you understand why I am the way I am. I always told you that I will explain everything to you in due time and now that time has come. Please do not interrupt me or I feel I may not have the strength to get through this."
Diaval didn't say a word. He kind of knew what she was going to say.
She pulled her hair across her right shoulder to reveal the stumps on her back. This made Diaval's heard pound even more. He was now just a couple of feet away from the pair of stumps that protruded from his mistress' back.
"I am a broken woman, Diaval", she said in a saddened voice.
"I once had a beautiful set of large raven black wings. So large they dragged on the ground behind me when I walked. They were powerful and strong. They made me feel strong. They carried me where I wanted to go. I floated on updrafts. I flew low over the water letting my fingers touch the surface. I flew fast...so fast. Faster than anything that moved."
"All of that was taken away from me. I was betrayed and mutilated, my wings stolen from me. Grounded, I feel weak, and incomplete."
Diaval's eyes widened as he couldn't believe what he was hearing he just had to interrupt.
"Stolen! But who or why on earth would somebody do this to you?"
"Please, Diaval, don't interrupt", she said with still a saddened voice. "This is hard enough for me as it is."
"I am sorry, my mistress, please continue", Diaval apologized.
"I also was in love once...or what I thought to be love." she corrected herself. "I met a human boy when I was just a young girl and we grew fond of each other and this fondness blossomed into a romance and then, what I thought to be love. I thought perhaps that through our love we could be together forever and unite our kingdoms. Thus fulfilling my parents dream of peace between our world and the human world, and I... well, my dream for happiness would have come true."
"But as the years went on, I could tell he had other interests besides me. He longed to live in the castle and I started to see less and less of him. His staying away was breaking my heart."
"One night after a month of not seeing me, he came to me nearly in tears saying how horrible his life was at the castle and that he wanted to live with me here for all time. He gave me a kiss I would never forget, he said it was "True Love's Kiss."
"We fell asleep in each other's arms and I drifted off with sweet dreams knowing that I finally did have my happiness." She then paused.
Diaval could see her eyes start to mist over.
"The next morning I woke up and not only was he gone, but my wings were gone. My heart was broken and my life ruined. My chance for happiness gone. That is why there is no such thing as true love."
"The human boy was Stefan."
Diaval's heart sank and he could feel tears form in his eyes.
"Somehow," she continued. "The loss of my wings and his assension to the throne are connected and that is all I know. Robin warned me about Stefan and I pushed his friendship and trust aside. I didn't listen to him and he was right about humans. They are not to be trusted."
Diaval couldn't say anything, but for some reason he reached his hand out to her and wanted to place it on her back. But he looked to her as if asking permission first.
"Go ahead...you may touch them", she said.
This was something really unexpected as he would never think that his mistress would every let him near her back, let alone offering him to touch the spot that has caused her pain for so many years.
He closed his eyes and put his hand first over the left stump. The edge was course and rough and he could feel the place where the bone was cut through. His other hand was covering his mouth. Tears started to fall from his eyes. He tried to open his mouth, but nothing came out as his hand moved over to her other stump and he could feel a similar spot where the bone was cut through. Her stumps had small raven feathers around them and in between them. The feathers were very similar to his own. He could only imagine what her wings could have looked like. He ran his hand right between them not knowing this was a sensitive spot. Her stumps moved towards each other. He recoiled in shock.
"Oooo!" Maleficent twitched. "Sorry, Diaval. I didn't mean to startle you, but that spot is a bit sensitive."
"My mistress, I am so sorry. I'm..."
Diaval suddenly felt a feeling surge from within his gut. It was a wrenching feeling. He looked again at the stumps on his mistress' back and then he looked at her saddened face looking over her shoulder at him. A single tear ran down from each of her eyes. Seeing this, the feeling in his gut became stronger.
"I think I am going to be sick, my mistress", he said. "Please, excuse me."
He shot up from the bed, opened up the bedroom door and ran out the front door and to the left behind a large bush. Then he could feel his gut squeeze hard. The last meal he had eaten raced up his esophagus and up out his mouth. The feeling was horrible. It happened two more times before the feeling finally subsided. He wiped his mouth off on a leaf.
As he headed back towards the cottage, he was trying to comprehend all the feelings and emotions that were running through him.
So that is why she was so bent on taking revenge on King Stefan. He was the one that took her wings and her heart. Now it all starts to make sense.
He walked in the front door and slowly towards the bedroom. His mistress still was sitting there with her bare back to him. But she had her head in her hands and was sobbing. She looked back up to him and continued explaining through her tears.
"When you told me about the Stefan and the queen were mating. I just kept thinking why? That was my happiness. That could have been me. Aurora could have been our daughter. But he tossed me aside...I was nothing. I started to dwell on these feelings and this built up into fury within me and I just had to release it. It was bottled up inside me for so long. I came out here and saw this cottage, it's something that man made and I just wanted to rip this place apart with my bare hands."
She started to cry harder "I HATE him! I HATE his guts. I HATE his kind!" She turned back around and held her head low, her shoulders arch forward as she sobbed between breaths.
"Please, my mistress, calm down, you are under enough stress as it is."
Diaval' could feel his heart breaking he said, "You have every right to be angry and disgusted. I understand what you are feeling. Thank you for telling me and I will keep this all with me and will not tell anyone. I will help you in anyway I can, whatever you want. Always."
"Thank you, Diaval", she said with tears in her eyes.
Tears started to well up in his eyes too. He climbed into the bed behind her and put a leg on each side of her. He stared at her back for a while looking down at the spot where her wings were. He moved in closer to her back and then place his hands on her shoulders. He began to rub them. His hands ran slowly down her arms.
Her crying started to subside a bit and she sniffed through her tears.
He placed his head on her back right between her shoulder blades at the base of her neck.
He then place his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him until her back and chest met. She reached back and held the arms that were wrapped around her waist.
After a few moments she turned around and sat on top of his legs and looked straight in his eyes with her face so soft. He had never seen such a saddened look on her face before. But he couldn't stop looking at those eyes.
"Hold me, please", she cried.
"Oh, Maleficent. I...I... Yes."
She threw her arms around his neck and he around her back. His hands holding the place on her back where her wings once were. They held each other tightly and neither wanted to let go.
"Don't let go, my pet."
"I won't. I'll be here, always."