I'll Be Your Wings

The After

You know the story. We united the kingdoms, we killed an evil king, we raised a princess. It had been eighteen years, and I had loved every second. I loved the adventure, I loved the danger, but most of all, I loved Maleficent. I had loved her from the day that she saved me. Her power, her strength, her kindness, her beauty, I loved it all. She was perfect.

But I was just a bird. Just a bird and a servant to a powerful queen. We had become the best of friends, and I knew her moods and her emotions like I knew my own. The past few weeks had been very difficult for Maleficent; Aurora was swept off her feet by Phillip and he took her away to the southern Isles, a world away from our kingdom. They were married, and had recently a baby boy.

Maleficent wept these nights, and she came to me because I listened to her. I would hold her as we sat high up on a boulder, gazing over the Moors. One particular night, Maleficent wept very hard. She came running to me and I caught her in my arms as we sunk to the ground, a tangle of limbs and sobs and feathers.

"Diaval", she cried, between sobs, "Diaval, our beastie has grown so old. She doesn't need her fairy godmother anymore!"

"Nor her pretty bird", I said softly. Aurora was a queen and a mother now. She didn't need us anymore, for we were just a fairy tale from her childhood now. I held Maleficent closer, rocking her back and forth, back and forth, until her sobs became less and less violent and eventually faded away. Once she was calm, I stroked her long, dark hair as her head rested against my chest. I couldn't bear to see her like this much longer. Her sadness was tearing me apart.

My mind raced. I had to make her happy, I had to see her smile. And just like that, an idea appeared in my mind.

"Maleficent, I hate to see you like this. Look at me." I gently turned her face upward with my hand, so she was holing my stare. " I'll take you to our Aurora. You can be with her again, and we can stay as long as you wish."

She stiffened and stood up, walking to the edge of the boulder. She stopped and gazed at the rolling hills and shining lakes bathed in moonlight.

"I can't leave this place. I am the protector of the Moors." I rose and came behind her, close enough to smell the rose fragrance in her hair, close enough to feel the hum of power in her soul, close enough to gently kiss her cheek...

I scolded myself for such a thought. After all, I was still just a bird. I mustered up the courage to turn her head gently towards mine. My fingers rested on her cheek as I spoke.

"We could do it, you know. Go. We have no enemies, and what duties do you have that can't be accomplished by Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit? The Moors would be perfectly safe."

She held my gaze as she thought. Oh, how I wanted to kiss her.

"And Balthazar could oversee." She nodded. "This could work!" Her smile lit up the night. To my delight, I saw sheer adoration in her eyes and I thought maybe, just maybe, in that moment, she wanted to kiss me back.