Diaval POV

"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."

I thought maybe Mistress would find herself to eventually care for the child as I have.

But it appears I was wrong.

Whatever happened to her was far too penetrated in her heart...a scar that has yet to truly heal.

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

"You don't know the first thing about me."

And in the next moment she had whirled herself away into the depths of the forest.

I couldn't erase the expression I saw from her.

The way her eyes become so soft and sad.

Vulnerable to the fact that I was fully aware of her opened fragile state.

My eyes averted from her vanishing frame as I took in the scene of growing Aurora, who was no longer a child but a growing young lady.

She radiated warmth, just like sunshine.

She felt like a daughter to me, someone I wanted to protect. Someone I didn't want to see get hurt.

Even if Maleficent had no intentions of feeling the same, that wasn't going to stop me.

And if it came to me having to go against Maleficent, for Aurora...I would.

———

I tried my best to keep my distance from the Mistress so she wouldn't take notice to me following her.

She must've been in deep thought because even managing to snap a branch while following her, she didn't look back once.

My hand had almost reached out for her when she stood at the edge of a cliff.

But I had to keep composure.

As she stood there it was as if she could be engulfed by the moonlight whole at any moment.

Once she let her hair down I couldn't believe how soft it looked despite never seeing it before.

Again I had to hold compose in order to stay hidden.

I didn't want her to know I was here worrying for her.

———

After some time she finally settled down, making a fire for herself to stay warm.

Yet again, I had to hold myself back from going to her.

To help her get warm while I sat next to her, sharing what warmth I wished to give her.

But I couldn't.

I didn't want her to know I was here.

After a while the wind had finally settled as stars appeared in the sky.

And right before Mistress's eyes grew heavy, she said very faint words aloud.

Hardly even a whisper.

"Freedom...that's all I want."

I then realized just how deeply wounded she really was as tears fell just as she slept on her side on the pile of leaves she had made for herself.

As morning arose the fire had gone out.

Before I decided to leave I noticed her shivering in her sleep.

Finally, putting one foot in front of the other as my heart was practically beating out my chest, I held her in my arms with her shawl wrapped around her.

As if a magnet to warmth she wrapped her arm around my neck as she nuzzled herself into me still asleep.

My face goes into a frenzy of red as I'm trying anything I can to keep from losing my composure.

Just before the sun was completely up I was able to gently place the Mistress in her own bed as the softness of it engulfed her feminine frame.

Her rose tinted lips slightly parted as she slept as her faint warm breath escaped her.

I then took notice to just how fine and delicate her caramel hair was as it framed her face.

My curious it had caught up to me as I couldn't find myself looking away from her.

All I wanted was for her to be freed from the curse she had on herself.

That that man had placed on her.

Love wasn't all bad and I wanted the Mistress to know that someday.

———

Just before I could leave I noticed her eyes were starting to part.

I left out of there like no tomorrow before she could realize anything.