Maleficent's POV

There was but little time left until the day of that Beastie's birthday.

That also meant confronting Stefan as well.

If anything I knew he was never happy with me, making him beg to cursing his daughter he took no care in getting to know.

Funny how I fell in love with a mere human man who couldn't be a proper man to love let alone trying to be a father to a child and a husband to his wife.

Maybe he loved the late Queen truly, but to me...his heart was always empty.

When a man's heart is filled with greed and gold...there's no room for love.

Not unless he's willing to give that up.

But I knew he never would...even when I gave him another chance...he betrayed me.

As thoughts filled my head I took a slight lean to a try as to calm down.

I needed to stop thinking about him before that's all I thought about.

"Fairy Godmother!" A voice stole my thoughts away as a golden haired girl appeared before me...all sunshine and roses.

Her bright smile was like that of a sun and too bright for someone as dull as me.

She deserved better than this.

She deserved freedom from her curse I laid on her out of selfishness.

I truly never meant to hurt her...only the man who called himself King.

I gave her a look of concern and confusion.

"Godmother?" I about wanted to chuckle from irony.

"Yes! Diaval-"

"Diaval?" In fact, speaking of I was curious to know where that raven man went.

Seconds later Diaval walked from the shadows of a tree.

"Good afternoon Mistress."

"You led her here to me?" I asked him but automatically Aurora about gave me a dejected look from what I said.

"Do you not like me? Is it that you hate me?" She was looking so sorrowful that it caught me off guard.

So off guard I almost blurted out something afraid she'd cry if I didn't.

"I don't hate you Beastie. Just surprised is all. Never expected you to come looking for me."

"Well I'm glad!" Her eyes brightened once more as she hugged me.

Diaval looked as shocked as I looked and felt.

I then gave a grimaced look at him as I released golden magic from my hand to put her to sleep.

"Diaval." I warned.

"She wanted to see you Mistress."

"What for?"

"For company."

"She has you why does she want me?"

"She thinks you're her Godmother." When he said that I wanted to snap.

"I'm nothing like that! Not after what I-Just forget it. I'll take care of this."

"Don't put her in her bed and let her seem as though this was a dream. She needs you Mistress. Please."

This was the first for him...to ask me like this.

"Fine." I then took her to a small fluorescent pool of water where the Wallerbogs resided.

"Awaken." I spoke softly as she awoke.

"What-where am I?"

"This is where the more playful fairies live, wanna have a guess on what they're called?"

When she looked around and found one her eyes grew big.

"So cute!" She then looked at me too afraid to guess and get their name wrong.

I gave her a small smile of reassurance.

"Go ahead, guess."

"Waterbogs?"

"Close, Wallerbogs. But do be cautious they like to throw-"

And if on cue on of them threw mud at her as she laughed a laugh worthy of a smile.

Diaval appeared to be having fun as well as he enjoyed the atmosphere of smiles and laughter.

As messy as Wallerbogs were they knew how to brighten any mood.

And as the night worn on I eventually got mud thrown at me with Diaval laughing.

I turned to him and gave him a good fill of mud that may have even gotten in his mouth causing me to laugh a bit.

After the small fun between us all I had bid her a farewell for the night with Diaval at my side.

"So, she's not so bad is she Mistress?"

I looked at him and then back to the path leading to my feathered nest.

"We'll talk more tomorrow. Good night Diaval."

"Good night Mistress."

———

I had been enjoying Aurora's company so much that I hadn't realized the time passing so quickly and that her birthday was today.

A terrible day.

I had to tell her the truth which would most likely cause her to hate me.

But I had to because it was only fair that I did.

And as she sat smiling at me with those big hopeful blue eyes my heart just couldn't cope with the fact that I'd be the one to shatter those very hopes of hers.

To shatter what little of a relationship I was growing with her with in the past few days.

"Aurora." I spoke solemnly with her gaze changing to a concerned one as she kept her eyes on me.

"What is it Godmother?"

"It's time I tell you of who I truly am. You'd want to hear what I have to say."

She gave me all her attention as she turned fully my way.

"I am not good. I put a curse on a little girl out of spite of the King."

A fear dropped in her eyes as tears rolled down.

"That evil fairy the others were speaking of? Was it you all along?"

Betrayal was what she felt and I can plainly see it plastered on her face.

I hated myself for it.

"That baby was you Aurora...and I can never apologize enough for-" I tried reaching out to her but she would not have my company.

"You lied to me! Get away from me!"

"Wait!" I couldn't stop her so I had to try and find that Prince she had stumbled upon just the other day and fast before it was too late.

———

A little while later and Diaval had informed me that Aurora on her very own had gone to the King, her father on the day of her birthday.

Turning Diaval into a horse and finally finding the Prince, I hurried as fast as I could.

I'm on my way Aurora just a little more.

But the sun was fading too fast.

By the time I had reached the outer gates the sun already had set and now I was to be trapped by the King himself.

So as much as I wanted to see her I had to be very very careful.

And once I entered the castle Diaval followed soundlessly beside me with the Prince floating about.

Once I located Auror's room I settled the Prince down so he could knock on the door, the three little fairies answered and whisked him in without a second thought.

When Diaval and I sneak past and hide in the darkest parts of the room I see that the Prince's kiss doesn't work.

"See I told you. True love's kiss doesn't exist."

"Mistress." I hear how Diaval was in lack of words.

And I said nothing more either.

Once the fairies pushed the Prince out in search for another I took the chance to reveal myself in the light and walked to the side of Aurora's bed where she slept in a deathlike sleep.

"I'm so sorry Beastie. You have stole what was left of my heart...and what I've done is unforgivable. And I promise I'll protect you for as long as I live." I then kissed her on the forehead before attempting to leave before a felt a tug at my sleeve.

"Fairy Godmother?"

She then hugged me and I cried a few tears in her warm and delicate embrace.

In that moment I realized after seeing her eyes open that I truly loved her as my own.

"I'm happy to see you." She spoke to me as my heart filled with warmth.

"And I as well. We must go before your father notices I'm here."

"You mean to fight him?"

"For you, I'd prefer just to leave. I don't won't any harm to come to you anymore."

"Then we'll go." When she spoke those words we were off in the next moment with Diaval trailing behind.

Just as we were close to escaping I pushed Aurora to the side before she could get caught with me in the iron made net.

It seared my very flesh in the instant of its touch. 

The heat and iron around me made me dizzy enough to fall to my knees.

And then he appeared.

King Stefan.