Maleficent's POV

As time passed I noticed a small cottage with a tiny growing human living in it as it scattered about.

A place I knew Diaval was secretly visiting for years on end.

A place in which a small beast lived, the very blood of the King I loathed and the same little beast I cursed just out of spite.

Unlike Diaval I could've cared less for the child, but what bothered me most was those three dimwitted fairies who couldn't take care of anything properly even if their very lives depended on it.

"Those three could kill anything..ha, trying to raise a human child. What a sick joke."

"Mistress, should we not help them? If they are so bad at raising things, they'd kill the child most likely...right?"

I gave him a glare.

"You think me to be ignorant of your whereabouts Raven. Your help over the years is enough, don't try and drag me into it now." I sternly spoke to him as he shied his eyes away.

"I thought she needed a bit of help. Aurora. After all she only has but a short time til her  sixteenth birthday."

"That little beast actually has a name."

"The curse, why not find a prince who'd break the princess's spell? True love's kiss has to be real right? Could be her chance to change her fate."

I look of scorn crossed my face toward him.

"There is no such a thing as true love's kiss. That's why I cursed her that way so Stefan could feel the pain I felt when he decided to give me 'true loves kiss' and brought only hurt after."

Diaval could say nothing as I continued without a filter to stop.

"He abandoned me...left me to think if he'd ever return...to find he had been elsewhere seeking power...to realize that when I put my guard down, giving him the benefit of the doubt because I loved him so...to only betray me once more. So why not curse his only daughter? That's the least I could do...because I can be so much worse."

"But you can break-"

I stopped him before he could say anything further.

"Let me get this straight for you since you haven't worked it out yet. All I want now is for him to beg and kneel before me. I couldn't care less about that little beast living in that cottage."

"You can't possibly be so cold hearted?"

"You don't know the first thing about me." With nothing more to say I left him to sit alone hidden amongst the forest as his eyes never left the view of the cottage.

I could tell he was finding fondness for that little beast as the blades of grass danced in his eyes.

The reflection of the golden hour sun which was soon to set reflected its light upon him.

Just then I couldn't see myself with someone like him.

Someone who was so bright.

Hopeful to even the impossible.

If these affections for him grow I'm afraid I can't keep them.

After all, I'm cold hearted.

Someone so opposite of the sun.

I was someone who was so opposite of Diaval.

How could we truly be together if there was ever that small possibility?

We could be no more than that of a Mistress to a Raven.

Friends at most.

Friends alone.

I'd lie to myself if I said I was even remotely ready to like another let alone love.

Right now I was no more than a shattered base hastily put together.

The smallest touch for me could most certainly destroy me if I wasn't careful enough.

So I had to be meticulous in keeping my guard up and firm from anyone who'd dare try to enter this heart of mine.

———

The cold bitter air held no kindness toward the surface of my skin.

Wind chilled me to the bone as I shivered a bit here and there.

As my heart ached thinking about Stefan.

Cold tears swelled around my eyes blurring my vision.

He abandoned me. He left me.

That's all that filled my head of Stefan.

The warmth of his touch, that memory was distorted and warped into something darker.

I could almost feel his cold and harsh touch as they wrapped around me, burning my very wings as I could do nothing but freeze in a deep slumber.

Waking to a whole world of pain I had never experienced before.

Pain I never wanted to encounter in my time of growing adulthood.

My innocence gone, my kind and gentle spirit broken into a cold stone hearted Fey.

Secretly broken.

I stood at the edge of a cliff as loose rock fell to the bottom, hitting the surface of the river as it sunk to the depths in moments.

I felt so suffocated that I unwrapped the snake skins that hid my hair away, letting it go for the wind to take.

I made a small fire to warm up again as I made a shawl from my magic to help guard myself from the howling wind.

I was now in the mouth of a small cave as I looked out into the clearing.

After a while the wind had finally settled into a calm temperament.

Clouds dispersing to show the night stars.

Seeing the sky only reminded me of how grounded I was without my wings.

"Freedom...that's all I want." I spoke words so faint that I could barely hear myself say them.

Like a wish I knew wouldn't come true.

But maybe it would.

Somehow.