Maleficent

by Disney Book Group

  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….

  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.

  “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, Phill
ip 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.”

  Ingrith’s eyes narrowed at the jab. “I trust you’ll be comfortable using your hands?” Her tone was light, but Ingrith clearly meant to insult Maleficent with the remark. The Dark Fey was, after all, not exactly human.

  Aurora glanced at Phillip. Their eyes met, and she silently pleaded with him to do something. Reading the look easily, Phillip tried to change the subject. “Such a warm spell of weather,” he said.

  “It certainly is!” Aurora said, her voice sounding overly eager even to her own ears.

  King John seemed oblivious to it all. He clinked his fork against his goblet. Because the glass was made of solid gold, it made more of a thud than a clink. But the noise got everyone’s attention. “We’d like to offer a small gift to Phillip and Aurora—to celebrate their glorious future together.” At his signal, a servant wheeled in a huge ornate solid-gold baby cradle and placed it in the middle of the room. “Ingrith chose it herself.”

  Aurora and Maleficent stared at the cradle for a long moment, each one of them thinking the same thing: it wasn’t right for a baby. Cradles were meant to be comforting and cozy. What kind of baby could be soothed in something like that?

  “It’s…lovely,” Aurora finally said, finding her voice and her manners first.

  Ingrith looked pleased. “I simply can’t wait to have a little one running through the castle again,” she said.

  Aurora tried not to look surprised. While Phillip had never said a bad word about his mother, he had never said anything overly warm, either. On more than one occasion, he had implied that he was far closer to his father because his mother had been distant. Aurora had a hard time imagining Ingrith chasing after a young Phillip. In fact, she couldn’t imagine it at all. But the statement was also upsetting. She and Phillip had never spoken of children. After all, they had only just gotten engaged. Plus she assumed any child would be raised in the Moors; that was her home.

  It seemed Maleficent agreed. Dragging her eyes from the golden cradle, she turned her cold stare to Ingrith. “This castle?” she said.

  Ingrith nodded. “Of course,” she answered, her tone as icy as Maleficent’s stare. “This will be their home.”

  Maleficent looked at Aurora. She raised a perfectly arched brow as if to say, Oh, really?

  But before Aurora could respond, King John bumbled on. “We hear Aurora has a castle of her own,” he said.

  “Yes, I’m curious,” Ingrith added. “How did Aurora become queen of the Moors?”

  Maleficent picked up the most harmless-looking item on her plate—a lone stalk of asparagus—and bit into it, the snap echoing in the overly large room. “I named her queen,” she answered simply.

  “Her castle is quite stunning,” Phillip said, looking at his parents. “You must see it.” Aurora wanted to hug him. He was trying so hard to keep the conversation light.

  But Ingrith was after something, and she wouldn’t be deterred. “But in fact,” she went on, “she has another castle, does she not?”

  “Mother,” Phillip warned.

  Ingrith brushed him off. “There’s one on the Moors—and one left behind by her father. King…Stefan, was it?”

  At the mention of the man’s name, both Aurora and Maleficent bristled. Taking a deep breath, Aurora tried to calm her racing heart. She wasn’t sure why Phillip’s mother felt the need to bring up the past, but she was not going to let it ruin the present. Taking the high road, she nodded and said, “That castle was never my home. It was given to the people.”

  “So you’re also a true princess,” Ingrith said, pressing on, “even though Stefan died—or was he killed? Remind me, did he die or was he killed?”

  Any warmth that had crept into the room over the earlier part of the dinner evaporated. Seeing Aurora’s rosy cheeks lose some of their color, Maleficent frowned. “Both,” she snapped.

  The room grew silent. Ingrith’s eyes were locked on Maleficent, while Maleficent’s were glued to her goddaughter. Aurora, meanwhile, just looked at her lap, willing her tears not to fall. She hated thinking of that night years ago. She had been given so much—Maleficent’s love, the Moors, Phillip—but the cost had been high. On a night that was supposed to be about the future, she was miserable thinking about the past.

  “Because I remember the story of a baby,” Ingrith continued. “A baby cursed to sleep and never wake up.” As she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Maleficent. It was clear the queen knew there was more to the story. But how much more did she know?

  Oblivious, King John put a hand to his heart. “Now, who would do such a thing to an innocent child?” he asked, sounding truly horrified. Aurora would have smiled had she not been so upset. He really had no idea what was going on.

  But Maleficent did. “There are many who prey on the innocent,” she said, “as I’m sure your kind would agree.”

  “My kind?” Ingrith said. “You mean humans?”

  Aurora had had enough. Looking up, she tried to put a stop to the conversation once and for all. “Shall we listen to the music?” she suggested. At the same time, Phillip raised
a hand, signaling for another round of drinks.

  But there was nothing they could do. The conversation would not be stopped.

  “We have faeries missing from the Moors,” Maleficent said, “stolen by human poachers.”

  “This is the first I’ve heard of it,” King John said, looking truly surprised.

  Maleficent lifted her pale, thin shoulders in the faintest of shrugs.

  In a flash, Ingrith latched on to the Dark Fey’s gesture. Ingrith had been hoping for something like this to happen. There was glee in her eyes and excitement in her voice when she spoke. “It sounds as if you’re accusing His Majesty,” she said, feigning concern.

  “Someone gave the order,” Maleficent retorted.

  Instantly, Ingrith was on her feet, pointing at Maleficent. “How dare you accuse the king!”

  The table erupted in voices. As Phillip rushed to Maleficent’s defense, the king wondered aloud why anyone would bother to steal a faerie. Ingrith, meanwhile, continued with her accusations. The only two who did not speak were Aurora and Maleficent, but the looks they exchanged spoke volumes.

  Percival stepped forward and cleared his throat, earning the attention of the diners. Aurora turned. She knew him only from the stories Phillip had told her. But she did not like what she sensed. Her suspicions were confirmed when he finally spoke. “Your Majesty,” he said, addressing King John, “I must report two peasants were found dead just outside the Moors. They had been missing for several days.”

  “I see,” King John said, though it was unclear if he did.

  But Ingrith jumped at the news. “Yes, we all see,” she said. “The borders are open, but humans are not welcome! Isn’t that right?”

  Aurora had listened for long enough. She had tried to brush off the conversation about her father. She had tried to pretend the cradle was not a thinly veiled power play. But she could not sit by while Ingrith made bold and erroneous statements about her kingdom. “May I ask what you are implying, Majesty?” she said, keeping her voice even.