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Chapter Text

In Aurora's world, fairytales were incredibly common, though the parts that were true and the parts that were false were not always easy to distinguish. But that was the thing about fairytales. They were never as simple as "Once upon a time…" and "And they all lived happily ever after…" Usually, they were far more complex and complicated, every new storyteller adding his or her own perspective onto the tale in order to keep it fresh and exciting. And that was another thing about fairytales, they could be changed so easily whether intentionally or not and soon what used to be one singular event could spiral out into thousands of different retellings until people who had heard the same tale could wind up recounting different stories. Such was the case for Aurora's godmother, Maleficent.

"I remember the story of a baby. A baby cursed to sleep and never wake up," Queen Ingrith cast a sly, cruel glance at the Dark Fairy.

"Really? Who would do such a terrible thing to an innocent child?" Ingrith's husband, King John, seemed genuinely perplexed. Somehow, he had yet to hear the true and full tale of Maleficent and Aurora.

John knew that there had been bad blood between Maleficent's family and Aurora's, but they had overcome that bad blood through their mutual love for one another, but that was it. His son, Prince Phillip, had refrained from telling him the more gruesome parts of the tale. He had refrained from telling Ingrith as well, but she had done her own digging and managed to get a much darker and fuller story. And that was the thing about fairytales. With every teller able to spin the story however they chose, one single event could be highly contested by every party who ever heard the story. And Ingrith used this fact to her benefit, continually throwing low blows at Maleficent all throughout their meal together.

After a time, Ingrith used Maleficent's temper to her advantage and said what she knew would be the straw that broke the camel's back.

"She will finally get the love of a real mother," Ingrith said smugly, looking at the human sitting beside Maleficent. "I consider Aurora my own!" But in the split second before Maleficent could finally lose it completely, Aurora snapped first. She'd remained silent throughout the entire meal, struggling to maintain the peace even if she wasn't particularly fond of Ingrith or everything she had said during the past hour, but that little remark about Maleficent not being her true mother, or not good enough, finally caused the young princess to stand up and lash out.

"She is my real mother!" the girl dared to snap, rising from the table with anger in her eyes. "You may not believe it and it may not seem like it, but Maleficent is my real mother! She's looked after me since I was a child, protecting and caring for me to the best of her ability. You are correct that she cursed me, but she has long since paid for that mistake. Her love for me proves that. Didn't you know? Didn't the fairytales say? It was she who saved me from the curse. Perhaps she was the one who put me under it, but she pulled me back out. Does that not cancel out most, if not all, of the debt she may owe to me?" the young girl demanded threateningly.

For a moment, there was only silence at the table, everyone stunned by Aurora's outburst, but for once, she did not care. There was a lot of personal insult that she could take, but when it came to Maleficent, Maleficent was off limits. Reputation may have written Maleficent off as the protective one of their duo, but that was the thing about fairytales, it was so easy to miss certain parts and leave out somewhat important details. This was one of those times. Aurora was just as protective of Maleficent as Maleficent was of her. After all, had it not been Aurora who restored Maleficent's wings to her? Had it not been Aurora who stayed to try and help Maleficent fight off Stefan? Even though it would've been safer for her to run, Aurora had stayed with Maleficent, fleeing only in order to find Maleficent's wings, but not to try to save her own life. Aurora had been just as willing to stay and die with Maleficent as Maleficent would've done for her.

Now, the mutuality of their mother-daughter bond was showing itself off again as Aurora challenged Ingrith and dared her to ever again act as if she could replace Maleficent. It was a rare day for Aurora to get so mad, so her temper was a terrifying sight to behold.

"You would not be a better mother than her, for it was not you who looked after me when I was young, nor was it you who saved me from my curse and my cruel, tyrannical father. It was her! And you are nothing compared to her!" then Aurora's face softened as she turned to look at Maleficent, whose eyes were wide with gratitude and love. Then it was time for the tables to turn again and Maleficent reached out to touch Aurora's hand, calming her down instantly. Just as Aurora had done for her throughout the entire meal, now Maleficent was doing for Aurora. And it worked just as well. The moment their hands touched, Aurora felt all of her anger fade away and she took her seat again with a dainty, delicate smile.

"Good!" she sounded dissonantly cheerful and chipper now. "Now that we have that under control, let us continue!" and the smile she gave Ingrith was laced with power and ferocity. That was thing about fairytales, they so often left out critical details, as was the case with Aurora. The stories wrote her off as a sweet, innocent little damsel in distress who was nothing but an endless ray of sunshine, warmth, innocence and purity, but that was not the whole picture. As kind, gentle and selfless as Aurora was, there was a true queen that lay in waiting underneath that young and tender exterior. She was fierce, protective, brave and upright and she would not ever hesitate to defend the ones she loved. The almost challenging look she gave to Ingrith made that all too clear. The girl was far stronger and tougher than the legends would say.

Like mother, like daughter! The human queen mused as she watched Aurora snarl and spit at her, Maleficent watching smugly from her seat.

And all around the table, everyone else looked similarly shocked. Diaval's eyes were wide with surprise, awe and admiration. Phillip looked much the same and he fell in love with Aurora a little bit more after seeing such a bold and blatant display. John looked a bit uncomfortable, but still very admiring and touched by the lengths to which this sweet little girl would go to defend her mother. And Maleficent herself looked very smug, the last of her own anger vanishing as well now that she had gotten to see such a blatant, powerful and firsthand display of just how much Aurora loved her and just how much Aurora would be willing to do to make that fact undeniably clear. She smirked at Ingrith and made a big show about holding Aurora's hand, also silently daring the human queen to ever try to replace her again. Maleficent and Aurora had never looked quite so similar before. Now it was all too clear that Aurora was Maleficent's daughter, not just because of her passionate speech, but because of how mad she looked at the prospect of having anyone other than Maleficent as a mother. They were definitely mother and daughter, no doubt at all.

Ingrith, meanwhile, was left stunned and humiliated. She was able to keep a flat expression, but underneath, there was anger and shame. She would be willing to admit that Aurora and Maleficent had won this round, but she was not going to give up just yet. One day, she would get Maleficent to reveal her true colors a monster and then, the world would thank her. Maybe tonight's dinner had not gone in the way she had expected, but if Aurora really was going to try to be with Phillip, there would be plenty more times for Ingrith to do everything in her power to tear it all apart. All she needed was time, but time was most assuredly on her side…

What she failed to notice, though, was that through the rest of the tense, but silent, meal, Aurora and Maleficent remained together. Even though they were eventually forced to let go of one another's hands, they were in silent agreement to do everything in their power to stick together. Their unity would be more important now than ever before, especially now that they knew Ingrith was trying to bring them to ruin. Their bond was going to be put to the ultimate test, but now that they knew what they were in for, they could start preparing. They wanted to make it absolutely clear that this petty human queen was no match for them. If there was one thing the fairytales could agree on, it was that Maleficent and Aurora were a mother-daughter duo for the ages and nothing would ever tear them apart.

Chapter Text

"Your majesty, a strange man has come calling for you. Should we let him in?" one of Aurora's bodyguards at Ulstead gestured for her to look out the nearest window. After peering through the glass, Aurora saw a familiar figure waiting at the castle door.

"Oh! Yes!" she cried, face lighting up into a smile brighter than the sun shining overhead. "That's Diaval! One of my nearest and dearest friends! He's my oldest companion, even before my mother! Oh, please, yes! Do let him in!" she clapped excitedly before turning back to her guard, gesturing for him to take her downstairs and to the door. For just a second, though, he did not move. Instead, he only gave Aurora a curious and slightly wary look. But almost as soon as it had come, that distrustful and disapproving look vanished and, without another hesitation, the guard nodded to Aurora and led her downstairs to the castle door.

This reunion between Diaval and Aurora had been a long time coming. Maleficent was not able to join, needing to look after the Moors while Aurora remained in Ulstead to help Phillip clean up the mess his evil mother had left behind, but Diaval had been granted some time to come visit the new queen of three kingdoms (her home kingdom, this one and the Moors) and spend some time with her.

"Aurora," he greeted, bowing to her before taking her hand to kiss it. She giggled in response. This playful little ritual of theirs never got old. Diaval might've been but a common raven, but he was full of flare and he liked nothing more than to present himself in the best manner possible.

The guard, meanwhile, continued to watch with a close eye. Even though he knew exactly who Diaval was, he still did not trust the raven-man completely. Instead, along with being wary about having another magical creature walking the halls of Ulstead castle, he just didn't really know what to think about a man who was really nothing more than a common bird. As such, the guard found Diaval's closeness and friendliness with Aurora to be a bit… unsightly and strange. He was only a bird! How could he truly be friends with a queen of three realms? But the guard wisely held his tongue. At least for the time being…

But a few days after Diaval's arrival, over dinner on the fourth night, the guard finally spoke up.

"I must ask," he said suddenly. "Does his lordship eat any sort of meat at all?" dinner for that night had been nothing but plants.

"Oh! Uhhh, yes, I do, but mostly only the… uhhh… smaller creatures," Diaval pinched his fingers together. "You know, mice and such. But I mostly prefer fruit or grains."

"Hmmm," the guard showed the first signs of open disapproval.

"Is that a problem, sir?" Aurora caught onto it quick and was instantly thrown back to the dinner a few months back, only then, it had been Ingrith challenging Maleficent. But Aurora could sense the same old fight rising up again and she was determined to end it before it began. She was not going to sit passively off to the side again! Not anymore! This time, she would be much more adamant about who her true family was…

"Not at all, your majesty," the guard said with a shrug. "As you know, I ate before you. I was just wondering if you didn't want anything more filling for yourself."

"This will be just fine," Aurora replied coldly. Diaval looked down at his plate, but the moment he felt Aurora touch his hand under the table (just like she'd done with Maleficent when they had dined together here), he relaxed instantly and flashed her a grateful smile, which she returned.

For a few minutes more, dinner continued on peacefully. But then, just as Ingrith had done before him, the guard started up more "small talk" and worked his way from subtle remarks and false ignorance to low blows and outright insults.

"What is your relationship to the queen?" the guard pretended to ask out of sheer curiosity.

"Oh, uhhh, I guess you could say that I'm her-" Diaval began nervously, but Aurora, who was much angrier, answered for him.

"Father. He is my father!" and the conviction with which she spoke left Diaval speechless.

"Aurora?" he asked and her anger vanished the second she met his eyes. She nodded, but before she could speak, her impetuous guard went first.

"Father, you say?" he asked. "Well I suppose you could call him that. He did raise you after all. Just like Maleficent did," he narrowed his eyes at them both, but left no room for them to speak. "I am just surprised that you would erase Stefan from your history in such a harsh manner. He was your father, after all, and the stories said that you knew him personally. You got to see him face to face and hug him. Does it not seem a bit cruel to replace him with…" the guard didn't even finish, just trailing off as he cast a disdainful eye at Diaval. This time, though, Diaval did not look shamed. Instead, he finally looked indignant. But once again, Aurora got to the rebuttal first.

"Perhaps that is so," she said. Her voice was soft but it was so sharp and hard that even if she had been yelling, the anger could not have been more palpable. "Perhaps Stefan is my father, but in blood only. And before you speak, blood means nothing. I will tell you right now that blood means nothing. Perhaps Stefan is my birthfather who shares a bloodline with me, but that means nothing. I reject him as a father and a king. He is nothing to me. And although the stories are true, I did get a chance to meet him, it wasn't even for a minute! He took one look at me and panicked. He knew my presence within his castle would mean that Maleficent was coming and he wasted no time in locking me away, casting me aside in his thirst for vengeance. Does that sound like a father to you? A man who would choose hatred over love? A man who would rather kill an old enemy than reunite with the daughter he so claimed to love? I don't think so…"

Aurora's eyes flashed coldly, full of disgust and disdain as she thought back to the cruel tyrant who had almost brought her and her true family to ruin. But that anger faded once again as her eyes roved over to Diaval, who was part of that true family of hers. He was her father. At least as far as she was concerned. Maybe she had never called him as such, but could anyone deny that he was?

"He was the one who had been with me since I was a baby," she said, cocking her head at the stunned raven-man. She smiled as she thought back to the very first time they'd ever met, when he'd brought her milkflower to feed her with when her aunties had nearly forgotten.

"He was the one who kept watch over me for all those years with Maleficent. He was the one who laughed, played and sung with me. He was the one who came to visit and cheer me up when I was sad, or celebrate with me when I was happy. He explored with me, protected me, and he helped Maleficent save me time and time again. He helped rescue me from the spindle's curse, doing what Stefan never even tried to do. He chose me over revenge, my life over his. While Stefan ignored me in favor of his own agenda, Diaval came rushing to my aid alongside Maleficent with no concern for anyone or anything else except me. Can Stefan say the same? And as you well know, sir, he saved and protected me from you and your army when you tried to kill me and my family!"

Her voice was still impossibly soft, but her words were passionate and powerful, especially towards the end of her speech as she recounted that horrible battle between Ulstead and the Moors, wherein Maleficent had nearly died while countless others did meet their bitter ends. Luckily, Diaval had never been in too much danger, but there had been the one moment when the soldiers nearly crushed him to death only for Maleficent's magic to return to him in the nick of time. Then he used that power not to kill, or exact revenge on the soldiers who had hurt him, but he had instead used it to protect Aurora, and save the lives of the rest of his Moorland friends. And even beyond that, after the battle was over, he had cheerfully apologized to anyone he might have mangled while in bear-form.

"Tell me this, good sir," Aurora growled at her bodyguard as she finished recounting all these details to him. "Was that anything like what Stefan did? No? Then you have my answer. Stefan is not my father. I share his blood and he helped give me life, but he is not my father. Diaval is. Raven or human, he cared for me more than anyone else ever did, especially Stefan. He is everything Stefan is not, and that's exactly what makes him my father," she concluded her speech by placing her hand on Diaval's once more. The raven-man was sniffling now, wiping his eyes and whimpering a little. Aurora felt her own eyes begin to burn and she leaned over to embrace the raven-man gently.

"Thank you," he managed to whisper as he hugged her back.

"I'm only speaking the truth," she replied. "After all, you were there for me even before Maleficent was. You were truly my first friend and protector. Although Maleficent has given me the world over, so have you, and you were there for me first," she acknowledged and Diaval felt his own smile suddenly light up like the sun, even though it was getting dark now. But that was because he was just so happy to know not just how much Aurora loved him, but how much she remembered about him. The milkflowers, the adventures, the games, the tea parties, the laughing and singing and chasing and dancing. She remembered it all!

And then she remembered his part in saving her from the spindle's curse. And his part in saving her from the war with Ulstead. She remembered it all! Every little detail! Although Diaval had never said it before, there were times when he felt a tad forgotten by Aurora, especially whenever Maleficent was around, but to hear that Aurora really did appreciate him and all that he had done for her made his heart soar higher than his wings ever could. She really did remember every little thing he'd done for her and that meant more than the entire world to him!

"But what about King Jon?" the guard just refused to let up, but once again, Aurora was ready with a reply.

"He is only my father-in-law. Oh, I do love him dearly, but we have only known each other for a few months. How can that compare to knowing someone your whole life?" she asked, smiling up at Diaval who was now smiling at her too. Then he finally took his turn to address the rude guard.

"Besides, my good man," he said. "I spoke with King Jon just earlier today while dinner was being prepared and he seems quite fond of me indeed!" the raven-man sat up straighter as he recalled his talk with Aurora's father-in-law. When the two were finally formally introduced to one another, Diaval was met with nothing but respect, admiration, adoration, gratitude and polite awe. Jon had been amazed by him, both as man and raven. He thanked Diaval for helping to bring peace to their lands before showing a very genuine interest in what it meant to be a shapeshifter. There had been no pretention or falsehood or disdain in King Jon when he had been discussing with Diaval about his shapeshifting powers.

"If you ask me," Diaval continued. "I think King Jon may like me more than you! After all, he did compliment me quite a few times on how handsome I looked in all my forms! And he commended me for my great skill in combat!" Diaval's puffed out chest kept on expanding as he continued to feed his ego retrospectively, but every word he said was true, which was part of the reason it made him feel so good. Aurora watched her father, her real father, stand up for himself and she laughed in delight. Classic, humorous Diaval, always cheering himself up.

"You may ask the king himself if you do not believe me!" the raven-man concluded, but both he and Aurora could see it in the guard's eyes that he believed Diaval. Even if he didn't want to, Diaval had spoken with too much conviction to be lying. Besides, that sounded pretty true to King Jon's, character, endlessly friendly and open to all, even Moor folk.

That was when the guard finally fell silent, unable to think of anything else to say against Diaval. It was especially hard for him now that he knew that Diaval had some friends in very, very high places. He had Maleficent and Aurora, of course, but now it sounded like he had King Jon too, and the guard wasn't going to mess with that. Instead, he only harrumphed in defeat before falling silent once more, leaving Aurora and Diaval to finish the rest of their simple meal in much lighter spirits than it had started.

"But did you really mean everything you said back there?" Diaval asked the next morning as he prepared to fly home. Even though Maleficent was all the way back in the Moors, they had found a way for Diaval to retain some of her magic no matter how far apart they were.

"Of course! Every word!" Aurora cried passionately. "You are my father. You've done far more for me than just about anyone else! I have never met another man like you. Don't you worry and don't you ever doubt! You are my father, just as much as Maleficent is my mother!" then she embraced Diaval tightly and he returned the hug just as passionately. By the time they broke apart, both of them were teary-eyed again. Diaval chuckled embarressedly and wiped his eyes. Aurora did the same. Seconds later, then, Human Diaval was gone, replaced instead by a handsome raven with a warm twinkle in his eye. He carefully plucked one of his feathers and handed it to Aurora.

"Oh, Diaval!" she gasped, taking the feather reverently. "You didn't have to…" He responded by shaking his head and gently nuzzling Aurora's hand. She smiled at him and petted his head. "Pretty bird…" she murmured, then she watched as he flew off back home towards the Moors. She continued to watch him go long after he was out of sight. Then even after she was finally forced to turn away, she carried Diaval's feather close to her chest and tucked it safely away in her room at Ulstead where she would look at it every time she felt alone. Her stay in Ulstead would not be permeant, she would be going back to visit the Moors soon, but until then, she would look at that feather and remember. She would remember her father, and everything he had done for her. She would remember and feel forever grateful for him, her father, her real father.