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Queen Aurora looked out over the tournament grounds with dead eyes. Her body was cold and her heart was numb, knowing that nothing that came from this silly test of fighting skills could stop the curse that was slowly draining her life.
It was an odd reason to die, if she thought about it. Cursed at her christening for crimes her father committed. Cursed by the woman she had later come to know as her closest friend and maybe– no. She – Maleficent – was evil and always had been and the curse that was simmering under her skin was a testament to that. There was nothing extraordinary or elaborate about it like in the fairy tales; it was only death, a slow death that seeped into more of her body each day, making every movement a painful struggle. None of her doctors could name a cure, nor predict how much time she had left.
She had dared to hope once, when True Love still felt more than the desperate, hopeless dream that it was. Philip had been his name, a young and handsome prince that had immediately become smitten with the new queen. He hadn't sparked any flames in her heart, but she had believed his lofty talk about the mighty power that True Love held.
When his kiss had failed, doing nothing more than smearing his saliva over her lips, she had sent him away without another word.
A cheer erupted from the crowd as yet another fighter fell. The Black Knight stood victorious as he had after every battle so far, seemingly indifferent to the crowd's enthusiasm. He was an odd character, his name unknown and his face hidden behind an elaborate mask, as black as the rest of his armor.
Father would have enjoyed this, Aurora found herself thinking, a wry smile pulling on the corner of her mouth. Of course he would have. He had reveled in power and in violence, two things Aurora was glad she hadn't inherited his affection for.
A loud cheer filled the arena again as the Black Knight struck down his last opponent.
"The Black Knight stands victorious!" exclaimed the crier, the tall warrior standing next to him. "Through his strength and valor, skill and bravery, he has won the queen's favor!"
Aurora frowned, reminded of the reason she had been dragged into this farce in the first place. After Philip had left, her advisers had begged her to try once more, to find another handsome prince that could save her from the curse with True Love's Kiss. Stuck in their rigid mindset of love and traditions, they had proposed a grand tournament for knights and princes from all over the lands to fight for the queen's favor, or more precisely: for a kiss.
To her own disgust, all she had been able to think about during that meeting had been a certain woman, lips as red as blood and eyes that glittered like gold in the darkness.
Forcing a smile she did not feel, Aurora stood and walked out onto the small platform in front of her throne, doing her best to seem unaffected by the pain that seared through her muscles. "You have fought well, Knight," she said, watching with impassive eyes as the knight stepped over to her, up the stairs and onto the platform to stop right in front of her. "Remove your mask and receive the reward that you have so valiantly fought for." The words tasted like ash in her mouth, making her stomach churn.
The knight seemed to hesitate for a moment, then dipped his head and carefully removed his mask. When he tilted his head back up to meet Aurora's eyes, Aurora gasped and stumbled backwards.
"Maleficent," she whispered, eyes wide and fearful as she took in the same face that had plagued her dreams and thoughts for years.
"Yes." Maleficent flicked her fingers and tendrils of golden magic coiled around her head, revealing her horns.
For a moment, Aurora remembered touching Maleficent strange horns for the first time, the way Aurora's fingers had almost reverently traced the smooth surface and the way Maleficent had tried to hide her smile at her look of astonishment. Simpler times, before curses and duty had torn her from the peace and stillness of the Moors.
"Why?" Aurora asked, hating the hitch in her breath. "Why are you here? Have you come to laugh at me one last time?" she spat as all the anger inside her finally rose to the surface. "To watch me as I die from your curse?"
Hurt flashed across Maleficent's eyes and she clenched her jaw, yet her tone remained calm. "I have come to right a wrong. Something I did to you many years ago and that I have regretted for a long time since."
Aurora swallowed hard and shook her head, unwilling to accept her words. "You did this to me," she hissed. "You did this when I was merely a child. You knew I had nothing to do with my father's feud!" She paused to take a shaky breath, the curse combined with her anger sapping the last of her strength. "And now, years later, now you want to set it right? With what? An apology?" she sneered.
"There is only one thing that can break this curse," Maleficent said simply, her eyes boring into Aurora's. "I was too much of a coward to admit it before you left. And now..." she paused, glancing at the guards nearby, "this was the only way to get close to you."
Aurora's eyes grew large as plates. "You think..." Her voice trailed off, staring at Maleficent with a wild expression. Then she laughed harshly, unable to accept the sheer insanity of what Maleficent was saying. "You can't be serious. It's been years."
Maleficent lifted her head, her expression hardening. "It's the one thing I'm sure of, Aurora. All I wish for is a kiss, a single kiss, and then you can do whatever you wish with me."
"I could have you imprisoned," Aurora threatened, watching Maleficent closely. "I could have you ex– exec–" Her voice broke and she cursed her weakness, unable to finish that thought even after all Maleficent had done to her.
"Yes, I will be yours to do whatever you wish with." A faint, wistful smile played on her lips. "As I always was, Beastie."
Aurora snapped her head to the side, blinking feverishly to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. Seeing so much pain in those beautiful eyes hurt more than she ever wanted to admit. After a few moments, Maleficent cupped her cheek, gently turning Aurora's head back towards her. The touch felt like fire against Aurora's skin and made her heart beat faster than it had for longer than she could remember.
"One kiss is all I ask, Aurora." Maleficent's expression softened and she gave a faint smile, hope daring to show itself in her gaze. "I did win your favor, did I not?"
Swallowing hard, Aurora took her time to gather herself. "I suppose you did," she whispered, hope and resignation warring in her heart. With a faint nod, Aurora slumped against Maleficent's touch, surrendering to the need to feel those full lips on her own one last time.
Maleficent let out a shaky breath, lifting her free hand to cup Aurora's other cheek. Moving forward until their faces was mere inches apart, she smiled and ran her thumb over Aurora's smooth skin. "I love you, Beastie." It was but a whisper but Aurora heard it clearer than anything else, completely drowning out the sound of the crowd. A moment later, Maleficent leaned down and pressed their lips together in an tender kiss. In that moment, as much as she still hated what Maleficent had done to her, Aurora couldn't deny the love she felt towards her.
When they broke apart, Aurora was only vaguely aware of the deafening cheer that filled the air around them. All she saw was Maleficent smiling beautifully down at her. Blinking, Aurora looked down on her hand in amazement, seeing that telltale green shimmer slowly fading away. "It's gone," she whispered, snapping her head up to meet Maleficent's eyes. "It's gone."
Maleficent only smiled back, her golden eyes soft and warm.
Moments passed as they stood there, staring into each other's eyes as if nothing else existed in the world. Eventually though, Aurora remembered the people around them, waiting for a conclusion to the grand spectacle that had just finished.
"Where do we go from here?" she asked, a frown marring her face.
"Whatever you wish, Beastie."
Aurora narrowed her eyes, seeing nothing but sincerity in Maleficent's expression. "Very well." She licked her lips and reached out to rest her hands on Maleficent's waist. "In that case, you shall stay here and make up for the years you took from me."
Blinking, Maleficent hesitated for a second before bowing her head in deference. "If that is what you wish."
"It is." With that, she pulled Maleficent down for another kiss, the roaring cheer from the onlookers fading away once again. "I love you too, Maleficent."