V- Aurora's Coronation

As I was commanded, I left by dusk. Before it, I instructed the guardians to be aware with things that could enter the Moors underground, and if anything tried to enter or leave, to kill immediately. I did not want to leave the Moors, for I knew that she would dance through the ballroom with Prince Phillip while I was going to be a spectator of that. I took my original form and flew to the castle, and from there I could see Prince Phillip carriage approaching the castle as well. What was so special about him? Just because he was a prince it didn't mean he was better than me.

I flew to the highest tower, where I knew I was going to find Maleficent and Aurora, and took human form again. That was Aurora's room; I could tell that by the perfume on the air before seeing the furniture. Maleficent was there, wearing a long light brown dress with golden details on the neck, and her hair was falling free on her back. She was behind a folding screen doing something when she looked at me:

"You should not be here" she said.

"Who is there godmother?" asked Aurora, behind the folding screen.

"I left by the dusk, as you commanded, what are you complaining about?" I questioned impatiently.

"I am not talking about punctuality, I am talking about place. You shouldn't be here, in her room, she is not fully dressed!" she answered back.

"Well, I do not have the intention of entering there to see anyone" Or do I?

"Is it you, pretty bird? Is it him, godmother?" asked Aurora trying to spy over the folding screen.

"Yes, that is me, Aurora" I answered. Aurora slowly showed up, walking to the center of the room. She was wearing a dark pink dress, embroidered with white gems all over the corset. Her hair was braided in a side fish-tail braid, and some small flowered accessories on her braid.

"What do you think?" she asked "How do I look?"

I was speechless. Aurora as a vision, a mirage, she could not be real. How could she have all the beauty, elegance, and grace around her? I took a deep breath (after analyzing her, from hair to toe, three or four times) and finally I said:

"You are perfect" and her lips opened in a large sweet smile.

Maleficent kept a disapproval look at me, and hurried herself to break that connection as fast as possible:

"Well, let's hurry up. Aurora cannot get late to her coronation" she said. Aurora left the room waving goodbye. "Diaval, I took the liberty to choose a suit for you, something new and appropriated for a 'grand celebration' like this. It is in the next room, would you follow me, please?"

As soon as we took the first steps out of the room she stared her sermon "Diaval, what part of do not fall for her did you not understand? She will be dancing with Phillip tonight, and I do not want any scene in my goddaughter's celebration"

"I will not ruin her 'party', do not worry about it" I said.

"Diaval, do you love her?" she asked looking at me "Are you really in love?"

I watched her eyes turning magical, and I knew that probably she would kill me if I told her the truth, but I would not lie:

"Completely" I answered without any fear.

"But I told you…"

"Too late for that" I answered her entering the room I was supposed to and leaving her by the door.

"I do not want you to get hurt" she said.

"You cannot choose my paths for me, nor command my heart neither. I will not apologize for being in love, Maleficent. That is how I feel and no power on earth will change it. Not even you" I concluded. She kept looking at me, with an expression I could not understand, maybe sadness, and pointing her finger she pronounced:

"The black suit. Hurry up, do not get late" and closing the door, she left. The suit was all black, with golden buttons. Very sophisticated and proper to a raven.

When I entered the ballroom, I felt a little social phobic. The room was crowded with all those different kind of humans: royalty, gentry, nobility; all of them eating, dancing and having fun. Aurora was sitting on the throne with a bored expression when she saw me and immediately her lips opened in a smile. When I approached her, I revered her and she rolled her eyes up "You really do not have to do this, Diaval"

"Oh, no, he has" commented Maleficent. Prince Phillip approached us, and without any reverence started talking:

"Your majesty, Princess Aurora, it is an honor to see you again!" he said kissing her hand "I must confess that you look absolutely pretty tonight, your majesty…"

"Thank you Prince Phillip. I believe you have never met my godmother, Maleficent, nor Diaval, have you?" she introduced us. Somehow I believed I could read a disapproval expression on Maleficent's face, like she had not liked the Prince she was complimenting before.

"Oh, no, I met your godmother once…" he said giving strange looks at her wings "He is a new person for me…" he said looking at me and his 'baby face' made me want to punch him several times.

"You have met him as well, he is the raven" said Maleficent. He snickered and said:

"Oh, yes, the raven-bird!" he laughed loud.

"Is there any reason for such mockery?" questioned Aurora impatiently.

"I am sorry, your grace, but I could not avoid laughing when I saw him behaving like a human and…"

"I hope you realize how inappropriate it was" Aurora said coldly "I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from someone who is to be a governor in the future in front of my eyes like this. This man next to me is my waltz pair, and I will not accept that you try to humiliate him in my lands"

"What?" asked Maleficent and I at the same time.

"You heard me, you two. Diaval will dance with me after my coronation. I cannot give my hand to waltz with someone who has this kind of attitude!"

"But, your grace, he is a raven…" he said in disgust "A night creature! He is not an appropriated pair, I have been trained to waltz as a prince should be…"

"Yes, but I can make her fly" I finally pronounced "I doubt really hard that she will prefer the company of such a low spirited person as you when I am able to make her touch the sky and the stars" Aurora smiled at me and gave me her hand.

"I beg your forgiveness, Princess Aurora. It was not my intention to offend anyone who is loved by you" he said looking really disappointed.

"You are forgiven, Prince Phillip" she said and he left. Bells started to sound, and that was the signal that she was to be crowned. A little man brought her a golden crown, and gently put it on her head. All the guests applauded her, and more bells where heard. Then she turned at me "Shall we?"

"As my queen commands" I joked. I did not look at Maleficent, because I did not care what she was thinking, but she was disapproving that, for sure. As Aurora and I were walking to the center of the salon, she whispered:

"I never felt more nervous in my life" her hands were cold and tremulous "what if I do anything wrong? What if I step on your feet?"

"You will not" I said turning to her and putting my hand on her waist

"How can you know?" she asked back. I approached my mouth to her ear and whispered:

"Because you are the best partner I've ever had"

"And also the only one" she laughed.

"And forevermore, the only one" I left the words scape to watch her cheeks going from rosy to red, and that was such a vision. The music started and I had no problems to start waltzing with her, as I had in the first time. It was easier to conduce her all over the salon, as there were only the two of us there, and no one else in the Universe.