“Lovely,” Diaval said when Maleficent remained silent.
Aurora smiled at her old friend and then moved to stand in front of Maleficent. She was holding something. “I have something for you,” she said. Lifting her hands, Aurora revealed a long black scarf. The fabric was plain, but rich and heavy, the same fabric as Maleficent’s dress. “It’s…for your horns.” She paused, smiling nervously. “I just thought it might make Phillip’s family feel more comfortable.”
That stung.
Maleficent inhaled sharply. It was a natural reflex, honed by those years, long before, when she had thought her horns a source of shame. It had been a while since she had felt the need to hide who she was from others. The thought made her feel sick and angry at the same time. Her expression must have made her thoughts clear, because Aurora immediately looked contrite.
“And you as well,” she said. “But maybe it’s a bad idea….”
Diaval’s reminder of how much Aurora loved Phillip echoed back to Maleficent, and she saw, in a flash, the cradle in the cottage. Aurora had only ever asked for Maleficent’s love. It had taken Maleficent years to realize how much the girl meant to her and years more to grow comfortable with that love. If Aurora had taught her anything, it was that kindness could be found in the smallest of gestures. Slowly, she reached out and took the fabric from Aurora.
“Thank you,” the girl said, relieved.
Maleficent nodded. “Come on, then,” she said. “Let’s get this over with.”
She turned and strode out of the clearing and into the heart of the Moors. She heard Aurora and Diaval follow her. While they walked, the sun sank beneath the horizon. Above them, firefly faeries took to the air, lighting a path for the trio as they made their way toward the border. The group was silent, each lost in their own thoughts of the evening ahead. As she walked, Maleficent wrapped the scarf around her horns. By the time they reached the river that separated the Moors from Ulstead, the horns were hidden from view. At a glance, Maleficent almost appeared human. But her glowing green eyes and giant black wings kept the transformation from being complete.
Reaching the river that connected the two kingdoms, Maleficent hesitated. This was the farthest she had been from the Moors in a long, long time. Looking out over the water, she saw the lights of the village come on one by one. From where she stood, they almost looked like the firefly faeries that twinkled above them. But Maleficent knew better. She knew that for every light that came on, there was a human. And where there were humans, there was distrust — and iron.
Taking a deep breath, Maleficent pressed on. With a wave of her hand, a bridge made of flowers and vines appeared. She stepped forward, the others following. While every inch of Maleficent wanted to turn back or take to the skies and fly away, she knew she could not. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Aurora, whose face was aglow with the anticipation of seeing Phillip.
No, Maleficent had to do this.
It took only a few moments to reach the village that sat at the foot of Castle Ulstead. As they walked onto the main street, they heard shutters slamming. A few villagers lingered on the street, holding torches in front of them menacingly. But aside from them, the village appeared to be mostly deserted.
“Such a warm welcome,” Maleficent said, raising an eyebrow as she looked around.
“In fairness, you waged war on the last human kingdom you visited,” Diaval pointed out.
Maleficent shrugged. She couldn’t argue with that. Continuing, they passed a group of young boys and girls. They were staring at the trio, mouths open and eyes wide. Flashing them a smile — complete with fangs — Maleficent bit back a laugh as they squealed and ran away. It was just too easy. Human children were such easily frightened creatures.
Finally, the trio arrived at the main gate. As they passed through a soaring archway, Maleficent took note of the soldiers who stood at attention. For a kingdom at peace, they certainly seemed prepared for war. Shooting them a look, Maleficent strode forward. But she was forced to a halt when Castle Ulstead came into full view.
The castle was massive. The tips of its tallest towers soared high into the sky, and everything around it was oversized as well. As they moved inside, huge topiaries lining the entryway depicted a menagerie of wild and tame animals. Wolves stood cowering beneath the hooves of horses; elephants reared up beside barking dogs. Maleficent couldn’t help thinking it was grotesque. Baring a fang, she moved on. There were nearly a dozen suits of armor, each one exaggerated in size. No actual human could ever have worn them; they stood only as symbols. And hanging from the ceiling was a chandelier that dripped with jewels and the wax from a thousand candles.
As they proceeded down the entry hall, Maleficent shuddered. Beside the iron shields and weapons that lined the walls, huge paintings were hung, depicting scenes of man against nature. A king on a hunt, his hounds chasing a frightened deer. Another king and his dozens of soldiers killing a huge bear. Farther on, a gigantic tapestry spanned nearly twenty feet, depicting Saint George violently slaying a dragon.
“Would you ever consider changing me into a bear?” Diaval asked, dragging Maleficent’s attention from the art. His voice, while soft, still echoed under the high ceilings. “I think I’d make a rather impressive bear. Have you ever seen their claws?”
Maleficent shot him a look. “Why are you talking about bears?” she asked, annoyed. Then she saw that his face had paled and he looked as shaken as she felt. She grinned slightly as she realized she knew the answer. “You’re trying to distract me.”
“I thought it would help,” Diaval said with a shrug.
For a moment, Maleficent contemplated Diaval as a bear. Tempting, but no. She shook her head. “Not at all,” she finally said. “Not at all.”
Diaval was still laughing as they reached the doors to the main hall. But his laughter died as the massive doors pulled open. Standing on the other side were Phillip and his parents.
“Presenting…Queen Aurora of the Moors!” Gerda announced.
Maleficent glanced out the corner of her eye at Aurora. She loved the girl. But the cost seemed high. Were her horns just another price she would have to pay to make Aurora happy and appease the human king and queen? Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head. It really would be so much better if this were a nightmare and she could simply open her eyes and wake up.
But there was no turning back now. The king and queen were not the village children. They would not be scared off by a sneer. She was going to have to put on a show and hope that the whole night played out quickly. Unless she managed to feel “sick.” She looked at Diaval. Why hadn’t she thought of that sooner? Taking a breath, she looked ahead. She would have to remember that for the next time she was forced to make nice with Phillip’s parents. That is, if there was a next time….
Chapter Six
AURORA’S HEART WAS POUNDING. IN ALL HER YEARS WITH PHILLIP, SHE HAD NEVER MET HIS PARENTS OR BEEN TO HIS CASTLE. SHE HAD NEVER THOUGHT IT STRANGE…UNTIL NOW. Standing in the doorway, she felt small and provincial. Everything about the Ulstead palace, king, and queen screamed “opulence” and “elegance.” She ran a hand nervously down her dress and wondered briefly if she should have worn something else.
But then Phillip stepped forward, a huge smile on his face, and all of Aurora’s doubts melted away. It didn’t matter where he lived; he loved her. That was all that mattered.