Night settled.

Both Diaval and his Mistress took up a small temporary nest-like place to sleep, made for them by a few Fey of the tundra.

It was almost like a welcoming gift for them both.

Like always, they had separate places to sleep.

As for Conall, he had been heavily treated with herbal treatments and was now recovering.

Once they were settled all Maleficent could do was toss and turn.

She couldn't sleep even if she wanted to.

She just wasn't tired.

"Can't sleep?" Diaval asked, unsure if he should have said anything at all, considering she might not have been in the best of moods.

But he wished to settle her uneasiness. Even if small talk was all he could really ever offer her.

He could sense his Mistress was strung up about something...he could feel she was very hesitant to share her troubles with him.

He didn't want to pry...so he waited.

Hoping she'd open up, even a little.

All Maleficent did was take a heavy sigh as she turned her gaze away from him.

"She mocks me of my pain and rage." She was quiet about her words.

Diaval understood why.

"That's because she wants a war." He spoke gently, cautious not to stir any type of anger in her.

"Tell me. Did you notice anything strange about her?"

Maleficent did wish to know...more specifically... she wanted to be wrong in thinking Diaval had some how forgotten about her.

But she thought and thought...

She was foolish to degrade Diaval's loyalty as such.

How could he ever forget her when he loved Maleficent...even if she had no clue about it.

She was as clueless as a turkey and maybe just as stubborn...maybe a mule, Diaval thought.

Knowing not to share his humor with her, Diaval kept quiet about these particular thoughts of his.

If she knew he was thinking of her in such a humorous manner...she would have turned him into those things no doubt.

For Maleficent... she was too busy buried in her own thoughts to notice the small smile on his face.

For her, she wanted to know the truth, even if she knew her accusations were completely false.

She knew Diaval would never leave her, it would only be by rare mistake if that.

She counted on him too much to think less.

Diaval was now without a smile, knowing his Mistress was serious about her question toward him.

"Well...at first I didn't find anything unusual or wrong. But once you left...and no one could find you...I was very worried for you Mistress. But I'm glad to see you're doing well now."

Some part of her calmed after hearing his words.

And she was kind of glad she had covered her bullet wound before Diaval could see it.

She never liked the idea of Diaval looking upon her frailty...seeing her weak side.

It was somehow a fear of her's.

Even she didn't know why.

He was a raven who cared deeply for her...she knew that.

But what she didn't know was that his loyalty and affections for her were not merely as a servant alone.

It was more than that. And to Diaval, if he were to have ever seen her hurt...he'd do anything to see to it that she was better.

"Thank you Diaval. I'm glad to see you're doing well yourself."

Maleficent was hesitating on speaking more. She wished to free herself of all this chaos that laid heavy on her mind.

She wasn't one for talking as she often bottled up so much for so long...it was now becoming unbearable for her. But it was also a deep hole of a habit to climb out of.

But who better to speak to than the one and only Diaval, who's known her through her darkest times and has still managed to stay by her side.

Diaval realized her struggle and, again, patiently awaited her continuation.

"All she has done is turn others against me. Even Aurora. I wouldn't lie if I said I wanted to turn her into a goat and leave her for not. But she has taken something from me and I'm afraid it's something I cannot get back. But if, who she has taken from me...is truly happy there...I'm afraid I can't stop her."

Diaval knew in whom his Mistress was referring to and carried on, listening to Maleficent as she spoke her troubles to him.

It was something he secretly wished she'd do one day. Not that the topic was something he wished to celebrate about.

He knew Maleficnet was losing Aurora but he knew it was more of her worry than the truth.

He knew Aurora would never truly turn her back on her mother figure.

And once getting a chance to speak, he piped in.

"No, she deceived Aurora. Yes, she loves Prince Philip, but she loves you just as much if not more. She needs you. So we mustn't let her fall deeper into the hands of that deceitful Queen."

"Yes, we must...."

He was right but Conall thought otherwise.

And was something that also pondered in her mind with the rest of her troubles.

Though she did believe there could be a chance to finally have peace with the humans, such an idea could not happen, not yet.

Maybe...after this war was over there could finally be a change for both sides.

Maybe having peace between the two worlds meant waging war.

She looked at Diaval. Having nothing to say anymore.

"What is it Mistress?"

"I'm just tired is all."

She was tired of all this pain, of all this grief she bore for someone she was loosing.

Her sweet, dear Aurora. Her little beastie.

She didn't want to let her go. Not when they were apart...she wanted to make things right, Aurora needed to know that Maleficent wasn't who that Queen was making her out to be.

Maleficent couldn't have another person turn their back on her again. She might not be able to handle it.

And as if her face features gave all that she had thought away, Diaval drew close to her.

To her surprise he embraced her.

Few tears ran down her pale face.

She did not speak a word as he held onto her.

And for awhile they stood there in silence.

Maleficent, herself, was just as surprised as Diaval was.

But he couldn't help it.

He could feel just how saddened she was, how much unhappiness she was concealing for the fear of losing her only daughter.

The fear of being hurt again.

"I don't want to lose her."

She felt so exhausted from losing those dear to her heart.

It was so unbearable.

"We'll get her back. One way or another Maleficent. I promise we will. And I'll do everything in my power to help see it through."

They softly parted, looking into one another's eyes.

He wiped her tears from her face.

For the first time in a long time...she felt a feeling, pulling and tugging at her.

Astonishingly enough, she had an idea of what it could have been.

She pulled back, knowing they were getting too comfortable with one another's company.

She knew this would only end in shambles just like everything else in her life had.

She did not wish for them to become too close with one another.

She was not going to get close to this raven-man, he was merely her servant...nothing more.

Diaval felt offended by her distancing but respected her wishes.

"You need your sleep, the war is soon to be upon us." His voice was the softest it's ever been in his Mistress's ears.

"Diaval."

"Yes?"

"Goodnight."

It was dark...only she could still see her servant's face as he laid silently in his bird-like bed.

She looked at him with a face she'd only ever showed for one who was no longer alive.

She felt her heart warm.

And ignored it.

She tried to shake these ridiculous thoughts and foolish feelings of her's off.

One thing was for sure...

She could not believe such a cold-hearted Fey like her could have felt such things in the first place with him.

Was she finally losing it? She hoped better because she needed her mind right now.

War was at hand and Maleficent needed to be prepared.

She needed to focus on saving Aurora not on her fluttering heart.

And what she didn't know...was that she was falling for the raven.

And if she were to find the truth within herself she would most likely burn it, reject it, and deny the fact of it...

She was scared to love. To be loved.