The young man once again didn’t say anything. Not for a moment. He just stood there, transfixed and seemingly unable to think of his own name. Finally, he shook his head and blinked, as if coming to from a long sleep. “Phillip,” he said. “It’s Phillip.”
Aurora smiled. “Hello, Phillip.”
“What’s yours?” Phillip asked, mesmerized.
“Aurora.”
“Hello, Aurora,” he said softly.
As around them the birds chirped and the wind blew gently, the pair stood there, gazing into each other’s eyes. For them, it was as though time were standing still. For Maleficent, it was as though time were speeding up. She could clearly see what was to happen. This Phillip would woo her Aurora. Take her away and never be able to protect her from the curse. And Aurora would go, unaware of the danger she faced. With a sigh, Maleficent waited to see if she was right.
“Well, thank you for your help,” Phillip said, finally breaking the silence. “I’d best be off, then.” He whistled loudly and his white horse trotted over. Phillip pulled himself into the saddle and reluctantly turned to go.
“Will you be back?” Aurora called out.
Smiling, Phillip looked over his shoulder. “Nothing could stop me.”
Letting out a happy laugh, Aurora said, “Then I’ll see you soon. Good-bye, Phillip.” She waved as he rode off, looking back over his shoulder as if to make sure she was still there.
Long after Phillip had disappeared over the horizon, Aurora stood there, until, humming a happy little tune, she left the glen. In the woods nearby, Maleficent fretted. Diaval, who had been sitting on her shoulder the whole time, began to pick incessantly at her with his beak. Reaching up, she grabbed his bird feet. “Stop doing that!” she hissed. When he began to squirm, Maleficent waved a hand, transforming him into his human form.
“That boy is the answer!” Diaval said the instant he could speak.
Maleficent shook her head. “No, Diaval,” she said sadly.
“Yes!” he countered. “True Love’s Kiss, remember? It will break the spell!”
“True Love’s Kiss?” Maleficent repeated. Was he serious? Did he really not get it? This was why she had wanted to keep Aurora in the Moors in the first place. Because there were fools who might actually believe there was a way to stop the inevitable. But there wasn’t. There could never be. She knew the truth all too well, as she had lived it herself. Filled with renewed bitterness, she went on. “Have you not worked it out yet? I cursed her that way because there is no such thing.”
Diaval didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, softly, he said, “That may be the way you feel. But what about Aurora? That boy could be her only chance. It’s her fate, not yours! Haven’t you done enough?”
The words cut deep. What Diaval said was true. She had already done enough, too much. She had put Aurora in this position, yet…it made her furious that Diaval had to point it out. He knew nothing! What right did he have to make her feel worse than she already did? Her temper flaring, she lifted her hand, ready to transform him. But Diaval spoke, surprising her.
“Go ahead!” he cried. “Turn me into whatever you want. A bird, a worm. I don’t care anymore.” Not waiting to see what she would do, Diaval turned and walked away.
Behind him, Maleficent watched him go, her emotions churning. She hated him for talking to her like that. Hated him for making her feel guilty. Yet if she hated him so much, why was she so upset to see him go? Maleficent sighed. Why had everything gotten so complicated?
MALEFICENT WAS ABOUT TO FIND OUT THAT THINGS HAD INDEED GOTTEN MUCH, MUCH MORE COMPLICATED. In the little cottage in the clearing, Aurora awoke on the day before her birthday in the best of moods. She had met the most handsome man, was going to live in the Moors, and, best yet, would get to spend more time with her faerie godmother. The only thing that gave her pause was that she needed to tell her aunts she was leaving. That part dampened her mood slightly. After all, the three of them had raised her when her parents had died, and while they could be a little odd, she loved each one of them. Sighing, she got out of bed. It was time.