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"Your smiling" he said to Maleficent, and she was too.
It was a full, genuine smile. the kind of smile you can't teach, you could only feel. It made her face light up in a way he had seen only a few times before, and almost always directed at Aurora, or Beastie as she still preferred to call her.
he had seen one, or two directed at him. It always made him happy, but it never lasted long.
"You look beautiful when you smile"
Had he said that our loud? He hadn't meant too.
She smiled larger still. She was showing all of her canine teeth, but somehow she looked more innocent then he had ever seen her. Suddenly it appeared again, that sadness that came after a genuine smile. Like a pain radiating out of her past.
She looked away, focusing on Aurora's wedding. Taking it all in. He did the same
-----
There had never been before, (nor, did Diaval think there would ever be again) a party quite like the one that was thrown that night. The kingdom had a new ally, the Prince had a new Queen, and so many others were simply happy to be alive.
It was true that Maleficent's spell had corrected most of the damage, and that those who were lost would be mourned. But not this night. This night was in celebration of the lasting peace that had been bought.
There was dancing among the humans, the Dark Faye flew through the air, and brought to life all kinds of trees and flowers. Meanwhile the beings of the Moore were bright and colorful without even trying, some flying, others scampering but all filled with joy for their new leaders.
Aurora and Phillip danced and swung each other around, laughing and kissing all the while. Eventually as the night progressed they disappeared, but the party continued without them.
Diaval, on the other hand, wasn't enjoying any of it. He had been separated from Maleficent at some point earlier in the evening and hadn't been able to find her since.
"damn wings aren't near as helpful as they used to be" he mumbled to himself after turning around a very annoyed looking Dark Faye. "used to be able to find you pretty easily, now we are back to square one I see."
Finally completely done he closed his eyes and concentrated on her magic. He had been transformed by her so many times over the years that he had absorbed some of her magic she had told him. Not enough to transform into larger things without her. (She had actually laughed at his attempt to turn back into a dragon without help) but enough to switch into a Raven once or twice without permission.
She claimed it was accidental that he could shift so easily. But secretly he though she might have hidden some magic away on purpose so he could have more freedom.
Something in his gut caused him to turn towards a building behind him. It was a low building, which was odd. But as white as stone could be, and coved from base to ceiling in flowers.
He went up to the door quietly and opened it.
-----
Maleficent stood inside, with her back to the door looking up at the ceiling. It was crafted of glass and she seemed to be admiring the stars.
"mistress" Diaval said softly "are you all right?"
"yes, or course" a cracked voice replied.
It was all the invitation he needed. He slowly approached the center of the room, glancing from her imposing form to the sky above.
He enjoyed the stars just as much as she did. They often went out at night, taking trips to fly out among the clouds, hoping to see the stars more clearly. It had become one of his favorite times. She had seemed so care free on those precious evening. With the wind under her wings, soaring and flying among the stars. The memory's made him smile.
"it's quite the assemblage" she said. It took him a moment to realize she meant the party outside, not the stars above.
"well, it is a wedding" he said quietly
"and a beautiful one at that" she murmured sounding almost whist full.
"Our little Aurora makes a beautiful bride." he added risking a side long glance at her. "and your colorful friends make quite the group."
"Indeed... They do"
" Dark Faye I heard someone call them"
"They are my people Diaval, I can't say as I know them well, but they are mine... I haven't had that before."
"I think the beings of the Moore might take some offense to that" he said with a smirk.
She almost smiled too.
"self-righteous fairies, and dimwitted trolls" she said with unmistakable fondness. "but" she said sobering. "these people are like me, they understand nature, they have the same anger and power and their wings..." she trailed off
Diaval understood, maybe better then anyone else, how much Maleficent loved her wings. And how much they had always meant to her. She had saved him just to be her wings after all. To have others like her... He was overcome with the image of her flying at night, soaring among the clouds, but not with him, with one of her people. the image made him happy for her, but deeply saddened for other reasons.
"You will finally have people who can keep up with you" he said with false cheer. "maybe you won't even need me anymore."
She turned to face him. Seeming perplexed.
"Are you trying to get out of my service?" she questioned.
"NO! I just thought..." he started
"Because, if that is what you want, I have told you that your life debt to me had been paid in full before"
"Not at all!” Though she had indeed told him that after crowning Aurora. “I just figured that, since you have your own people now, that... Well..." he stammered.
"What? Spit it out Diaval"
"That you wouldn't want me anymore." he said quickly studying his shoes now. "seeing as your new friends all have wings of their own that is. You wouldn't have to keep me around for company. That you wouldn't want me."
The silence that swept over the room was heavy.
"Much as you are good at it, I don't keep you around just for company Diaval. I keep you because you mean something to me... Because you have been a loyal and caring friend; even when I was terrible to you. Your my conscious. I keep you..."she said pulling his eyes up to meet hers. "because, I care about you"
When their eyes meet Maleficent was smiling again. He couldn't help it.
"You really ARE beautiful..." was as far as he got before she kissed him.
-----
What they had after that night, might not have been a fairy tale.
But they began every night flying among the stars, and awoke every day to the sunrise together. They lived their lives enjoying each other, and what they had...
It was true.