“Aurora,” he said, taking her hands and lowering his head so only she could hear him. “Am I glad to see you.”
Smiling up at him, Aurora squeezed his hands. “I can’t believe you grew up here,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s just like any home…with fifty-seven bedrooms,” he said, laughing. His laughter settled her nerves. True, his home was bigger than her entire kingdom, but that didn’t change who he was. And at least he could laugh at the absurdity of it all. Aurora felt her love for Phillip deepen.
Holding her hand reassuringly, Phillip straightened up and turned so that he and Aurora were facing his parents — together. King John, taking that as his cue, stepped forward. Immediately, the king pulled her into a huge hug. “Aurora,” he said, his voice warm. “It is truly an honor. Welcome to Ulstead.”
Aurora couldn’t help smiling back at Phillip’s father. He was a smaller, rounder version of his son with an almost childish sweetness to him. “The pleasure is mine, Your Majesty,” she said.
Pulling free, she turned as the queen stepped forward. She felt a flash of nerves as she took in the beautiful older woman. In the light from the candles on the wall, Queen Ingrith’s cheekbones were sharp and her eyes cold. Her dress, silver with hundreds of gems, sparkled and made Aurora once again feel plain. But then the woman smiled and held out her hand. “Such a beautiful girl,” she said, her voice soft. “I can see how you stole Phillip’s heart.”
As Aurora moved to take her hand, the queen sneezed. Aurora stepped back, startled.
“The flowers in your hair,” Queen Ingrith said, covering her nose. “I’m allergic.”
“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty,” Aurora quickly said, lifting a hand self-consciously to her head. She had forgotten that Phillip had mentioned his mother was, as he’d put it, allergic to everything. But before she could say anything else, she heard footfalls.
“Presenting,” Gerda said loudly, “Maleficent.”
A moment later, Maleficent entered the room. Her powerful wings dragged on the floor behind her as she strode forward. Her face was unreadable. Diaval followed, his own face an open book as he anxiously took in the surroundings.
“Hello, Maleficent,” Phillip said, moving forward. “It is wonderful to see you again.” Aurora looked at him, silently thanking him. She knew that this moment was tense for him, too. But he was, as always, handling it like a gentleman. Gesturing to his parents, he went on. “This is my father, King John of Ulstead. And my mother, Queen Ingrith.”
“Welcome to our home,” King John said warmly.
Maleficent didn’t move. Aurora held her breath as she watched her godmother lock eyes with Queen Ingrith. There was a long beat during which Aurora was sure something terrible would happen. And then, to her surprise, Maleficent bowed her head ever so slightly. “How kind of you to invite me this evening,” she said. Aurora nearly fainted in relief and mouthed a small thank-you to Diaval. She knew he was responsible for that.
Unaware of any tension, King John smiled broadly. “I trust you had no trouble finding the castle.”
Maleficent caught Diaval’s eyes. Aurora knew exactly what it meant. Clearly, Diaval’s guidance had only gotten them through the first hello, not the small talk. Turning back to the king, Maleficent raised an eyebrow. “Why?” she asked. “Would I?”
Diaval jumped in, trying to save the moment. “No trouble at all.”
“This is Diaval,” Aurora said, introducing her friend, since no one else had. She didn’t bother to mention that he was actually a raven in human form. She figured that was something they could address later.
Queen Ingrith nodded. “Thank you for coming,” she said. “Please, make yourself at home.”
Just then, the sound of a bell rang out and a servant announced that dinner was served. Breathing a sigh of relief, Aurora followed the king and queen as they made their way down the hall. Maleficent had survived the introductions. Now they just had to eat dinner. How hard could that be?
Candles lit an immense table in the middle of an equally massive dining room. In the corner, a group of musicians quietly played as servants hurried about, loading the table with food and drink. Despite the dozens of candles and heavy drapes that lined the windows, the room felt oddly cold. Aurora got the impression it was too big to ever be warm.
Aurora followed Gerda to her spot and took a seat next to Diaval. The engineer gently pushed her in, then stepped back and moved to stand beside Percival. Aurora nodded at the soldier, whom she had only met on occasion but had heard plenty about from Phillip. The young man looked anxious, his face drawing into a frown as he returned her nod.
Across from her, Phillip and his parents were ushered into their seats as well. While she felt uncomfortable with the formality, the royal family looked completely at ease. They probably eat like this every night, Aurora thought before she turned to watch Maleficent approach the table. The chair meant for her was ornate, complete with a high back and heavy armrests. Aurora realized there was no way Maleficent would be able to sit in it with her wings. Luckily, Diaval had come to the same conclusion and, jumping to his feet, found a stool to replace the chair. Nodding to him, Maleficent sat, folding her huge black wings behind her. The tops of her wings towered behind her, making it appear as if she were sitting on a black throne even taller than those of King John and Queen Ingrith.
As Maleficent settled herself, a huge cat, Arabella, lumbered over. Eyeing Diaval, she climbed onto her own chair and began to groom herself.
A moment later, the servants set gold dishes in front of the guests. Aurora looked down, impressed. She had known this was an important dinner, but she hadn’t expected such fine treatment. Then again, given what she had seen of the castle thus far, perhaps this was just regular royal treatment. Lifting her goblet, also made of gold, to her lips, Aurora sipped as she took in the rest of the table. Everything was opulent, from the golden plates and candlesticks to the multiple pieces of silverware. The servants then ushered out an impossible amount of food, all covered with metallic domes. But while the table was full, Aurora noticed it lacked any flowers or natural decoration. Whenever she held a dinner in the Moors, her table was full of flowers.
Satisfied that everyone was ready, Ingrith slowly removed the lid of the first dish. On it was a whole game hen. Aurora swallowed nervously as she looked to Maleficent for her reaction.
“Roasted bird,” the Dark Fey said. “Delicious.”
Beside her, a servant put a game hen in front of Diaval. The man stared at in horror, and Aurora felt a wave of sympathy. There was no way Diaval would eat a bird. He was a bird. But to Maleficent’s credit, she was trying. Aurora watched her godmother reach for her fork. But as soon as Maleficent’s fingers touched the utensil, she gasped and dropped it back to the table.
“Maleficent?” Queen Ingrith asked. “Is there a problem?”
“Iron,” Maleficent said simply.
Aurora shifted in her seat. “Majesty, as you are sensitive to nature, she is averse to iron,” she explained as gently as possible.
“I had no idea! Take it away at once!” Queen Ingrith said to a hovering servant. While she appeared apologetic, there was something unsympathetic in her voice. Then she looked back at Maleficent. “I’m allergic to all forms of nature,” she explained. “Even a ray of sunshine can harm my skin.”
King John took a huge bite of his own bird, swallowed, and then laughed. “Have you ever met someone who prefers the darkness?” he asked, trying to make a joke. “Is awake all hours of the night?”
“Yes,” Maleficent said flatly. “Bats.”