“It ended, and I thought perhaps I had died, because surely this was what it felt like to be dead. This was what it felt like to no longer exist. But I heard the odd sisters’ voices in the darkness. I heard them calling to me, calling me back from my pain, calling me back from the nothingness.
“‘Maleficent, open your eyes.’ It was Martha’s voice. ‘Maleficent, look, it’s your daughter.’
“Lying on the floor at my feet, in the center of the circle, wrapped in a deep purple blanket, was my daughter. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes upon, but I had no love for her. I knew I was supposed to love her. I remember wanting to love her before the spell. But I didn’t. The only feeling I had was the desire to protect her. But I didn’t love my own daughter. I felt empty and alone in a sea of darkness.
“‘What will you name her? Do you know?’ Lucinda asked as I picked up my daughter for the first time and looked into her beautiful eyes.
“‘Her name is Aurora, for she is my shining light in the darkness.’”
Aurora felt like she was going mad. The sisters’ laughter reverberated through her chamber, causing the images in the mirrors to tremble. It was like being trapped in a small room filled with too many people, all talking at her at once. It was a loud cacophony of voices, punctuated by the odd sisters’ hysterical laughter.
In one of the mirrors, she could see her cousin Tulip talking with a giant tree. He was so large that he towered over the highest pinnacle of her castle. In another she saw herself walking down a long passageway, surrounded by an eerie green light. There was something wrong with her eyes. She looked enchanted, almost like she was asleep. She was being directed toward a spinning wheel. Aurora watched as she touched the spindle and fell to the ground. The sound of a madwoman’s laughter filled the air. In yet another mirror, Aurora saw her beloved prince being ambushed by a group of boar-like creatures. The foul beasts were armed with long pointed spears. They had terrible tusks and looked like they came from the very bowels of Hades itself. In a fourth mirror, Aurora saw Maleficent as a young woman, crying. Someone named the Fairy Godmother was telling her it was her destiny to be evil. The younger Maleficent didn’t seem evil to Aurora. She appeared smart, loving, and ambitious, but not evil. In another mirror, Aurora saw younger versions of the three good fairies putting a raven in a cage, while in another still, she saw the fairies fighting over the color of a dress they had made for her. Elsewhere, she saw Maleficent speaking to an old woman with silver hair, begging for the woman’s help with a spell so that Aurora would never wake.
The images wouldn’t stop. They just kept flashing before her eyes, sometimes too fast for her to understand what was happening. The voices were all speaking at once in a deafening clamor. Aurora saw a young man in a sky-blue velvet jacket with ribbons pacing back and forth in a garden, practicing the words “I love you, Tulip, will you marry me?” over and over. All the scenes were running over each other and creating the most unbearable noise.
“Stop!” Aurora finally yelled. For a moment, everything went still. Then, just as suddenly, the mirrors turned black. The mirrored chamber was eerily quiet. Almost too quiet after all the noise.
“Show me my christening,” she said, and watched as the scene appeared in a mirror.
Maleficent was standing in her mother and father’s court. She looked hauntingly beautiful in her long black-and-purple robes. Her horns and head were covered in a tight black cowl, creating a menacing effect. This fairy seemed like a completely different person from the teenage Maleficent Aurora had seen in the other mirror. She embodied the spirit of evil.
As the Dark Fairy addressed the court, acknowledging everyone assembled, Aurora could tell Maleficent was angry and hurt. Even though she was stoic and spoke in a pleasant voice, her words were bitter and dripping with despair.
“I really felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation,” she said.
It was made clear to the Dark Fairy that it wasn’t a mistake that she hadn’t been invited. “You weren’t wanted!” Merryweather shouted, trying to charge at the Dark Fairy with her wand drawn. Her friends Flora and Fauna struggled to keep her back.
“Not wanted…ahh, oh dear, what an awkward situation. I had hoped it was merely due to some oversight,” the Dark Fairy said, stroking her raven Diablo with a sly smile. “Well, in that event, I’d best be on my way.”
“And you’re not offended, Your Excellency?” asked Queen Leah.
“Why, no, Your Majesty. And to show I bear no ill will, I, too, shall bestow a gift on the child. Listen well, all of you,” the terrible fairy commanded as she slammed the end of her staff against the stone floor. “The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty, beloved by all who know her. But before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die!”
The odd sisters’ laughter echoed through the chamber again. They were laughing so loudly the mirrors in the chamber were threatening to break. “Why do you think the Dark Fairy cared whether or not she was invited to a stupid christening? Why would she have ventured out into the world, something she loathed doing? Something she tried to avoid at all costs? What could possibly compel her to do so?”
Aurora shook her head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Our dear sweet girl. It makes all the sense in the world if you know where to look. There are so many invested in your well-being. Even the Dark Fairy holds you in what’s left of her heart. She thinks she lost everything the day you were born, but that isn’t true. If she didn’t still have some part of her old self within her, she wouldn’t want to protect you.”
“She tried to kill me!” the princess cried.
“She tried to kill you for your own protection! It’s degenerative, our dear sweet Rose. Don’t you see? We took almost everything that day, but she held on to what was left. She held on to that tiny shining light within her heart,” the sisters said with sad smiles as they looked down at the confused princess.
“Please stop talking nonsense!” Aurora shouted. “That doesn’t make sense!”
“Oh, it will, my darling. It will. We will explain and show you the truth of your curse, on one condition. First show us our sister!”
Tulip and Popinjay were waiting in the garden. Everything had been arranged to welcome the Fairy Godmother and the three good fairies. Violet brought them a lovely pot of tea accompanied by little finger sandwiches, scones, and tiny tea cakes in pastel colors. Tulip was happy it was a bright clear day. She could see all the way to the cliffs, where the wild, overgrown vines seemed to be lying in wait for Maleficent to come out of the safety of Morningstar Castle. “It’s so eerie, isn’t it? I wonder why those vines didn’t follow her into the castle.”
Popinjay thought perhaps he knew. “Oberon, did you have something to do with that?”
Oberon’s sonorous laugh echoed in their chests. “You’re a clever one, Popinjay. I did indeed!”
“I wonder why Nanny didn’t think to do anything about the vines herself. Or Circe,” Tulip thought aloud.
“They have many other things to occupy them, little one,” Oberon said. “And I am happy to help.”
Tulip was just starting to let everything that had happened over the last several days sink in. She hadn’t actually had a moment to just sit down and think for what felt like many ages.
“Don’t fret, little one. You are handling all of this very well. And you have a good partner in Popinjay here. He may not speak much, but I can see he loves you more than anything in this world,” Oberon said, smiling.
Tulip turned a deep shade of scarlet and changed the subject. “There are so many things I don’t know about Nanny. It never occurred to me she had such an exciting life before she came to live with me.”
Oberon laughed. “Children often don’t think of their parents as real people with their own lives. They see them in a very narrow scope. But your nanny, she is a remarkable fairy and witch. And
I know she isn’t your real mother, but I imagine she treated you like a cherished daughter.”
Tulip nodded. “She did, and still does. I love her very much.”
Oberon thought it made sense that Nanny had found herself there. After he had decided to take his slumber, she’d searched every kingdom, trying to find him. He’d loved and appreciated her efforts, but he had lived many lifetimes and he had been tired. It had been time for him to rest. It stood to reason that Nanny would look for Oberon at the place of his origin. And when she had lost her memory, it made sense that she would be drawn to Tulip’s family—and to Tulip. “Everything happens for a reason, little one. Nanny might have forgotten who she was for a time, but her heart, her soul, and her reason for living remained. She was drawn to you, just as I was.”
Tulip didn’t know what to say. “Do you think Nanny is okay?”
Oberon had no fear for Nanny’s well-being. “Your nanny is a very powerful witch. Maleficent knows this. And she needs your nanny’s help.”
Before Tulip could ask Oberon a question that had been plaguing her mind, Hudson arrived in the garden to announce their visitors. He cleared his throat as their guests walked in. “Announcing the ambassador of the Fairylands and former custodian of the princess Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother, who is accompanied by the three good fairies, Merryweather, Fauna, and Flora, the custodians of the princess Aurora.”
The fairies looked like they were in very good spirits. “Thank you for receiving us, Princess Tulip,” they said in unison.
The Fairy Godmother was dressed in a blue-and-periwinkle hooded cloak, which was decorated with a big pink bow at her throat. Her hair was completely white, not silver like Nanny’s. Though Tulip didn’t think Nanny resembled the Fairy Godmother, she could see the two were related; they had the same powdery soft skin and grandmotherly quality about them. The three good fairies followed closely behind the eldest fairy. Merryweather was in a long blue gown; Fauna was in green; and Flora was in a red-and-gold gown. All three of them were wearing witches’ hats with sashes that kept them securely on their heads. Tulip found that amusing. “Welcome to my court. I’m sorry my mother and father are not here to greet you.”
Merryweather looked stricken, and Tulip realized her mistake. “Oh! I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean…”
Fauna flew over to Tulip. “Oh, no, my dear. We just feel simply awful that your parents got caught up in all of this! You have nothing to apologize for. We are the ones who are here to beg your forgiveness.”
Tulip was confused. “I thought you were here to discuss the odd sisters.” She hadn’t intended for her words to come out so matter-of-factly, but they just tumbled out of her mouth. She quickly changed the subject. “Oh, please forgive me, let me introduce you to Prince Popinjay. He is visiting from our neighboring court across the Cyclopean Mountains.”
Flora smiled. “Oh, yes, we know all about Prince Popinjay. We’ve been keeping an eye on you, Tulip, since your…ah…encounter with the Beast Prince.”
Tulip flinched at the idea of fairies—albeit good fairies—keeping tabs on her. “I promise you, I am quite well, Flora. I appreciate your concern, but I’m not in need of a good fairy. I have Nanny and Circe for that.”
The good fairies’ eyes widened. “Circe? We didn’t know! Is she here?”
Tulip wondered if the fairies still disliked Circe.
Flora smiled. “We love the work she’s done with Belle, and with you, and we are considering asking her if she would like to be an honorary wish-granting fairy.”
Tulip was having a hard time connecting these fairies with the fairies from the story Nanny had shared with them. “You’re not concerned that she’s related to the odd sisters?”
“No, my dear, not one bit. Not since we’ve sent them to the realm of dreams,” Merryweather said.
Tulip was happy Circe was not there for that conversation. “I’m surprised you would admit your part in the odd sisters’ plight so freely, especially here in this house. Circe is a great friend to this family, and she is very distressed at her sisters’ state.”
Fauna smiled. “Well, dear, we didn’t put the odd sisters to sleep exactly. We just took advantage of the situation. They were already exhausted by the ordeal with Ursula, and we just thought it would be better if they stayed asleep for a while rather than waking when they regained their powers.”
Tulip shook her head. “Better for whom?”
“Well, better for Circe, of course. Better for everyone, really,” Merryweather answered.
“Merryweather, I see you are stepping out of your providence again!” Oberon’s stern voice bellowed from overhead.
“Oberon?” The Fairy Godmother took flight immediately. “Oberon, it’s you! I’m so happy to see you!” She motioned to the three fairies. “Girls, girls! Fly up here at once and meet Oberon!”
The good fairies were beyond excited. “We are so honored to meet you, King Oberon!”
The giant Tree Lord smiled at them. “Yes, yes, little ones, I am happy to meet you, as well! Calm down. Calm down. There are many matters to discuss, many problems for us to solve, but everything should be done in the proper order. First, we have to discuss the matter of the odd sisters. Why have you put them into the realm of dreams? That’s not allowed without my permission.”
The Fairy Godmother seemed to be thinking it over. “I didn’t know you had returned until just now, Great One.”
“True, true. You were never as observant as your sister. But you have other talents, which you have displayed remarkably with your charge, Cinderella,” Oberon said.
The Fairy Godmother beamed at his praise. “Thank you, Great One.”
“But, my dear, my ambassador, I must ask you again why you have taken it upon yourself to banish the odd sisters.”
The Fairy Godmother shook her head. “Not banished! Never banished! They are living a beautiful life, my king. They are happier than they have ever been, slumbering in a world of their own design. Tucked away safely where they can no longer hurt anyone.”
“Who gave you the right to do that?” Oberon insisted.
The Fairy Godmother thought for a moment. “Why, well, I suppose I did. They have been doing the most terrible things, Great One. They nearly killed Snow White, and drove her mother mad!”
Merryweather chimed in. “Then they almost killed Belle with a foul spell they put on the wolves in the Beast’s lands, not to mention how they conspired to kill Ariel and her father, King Triton! And the Fairy Godmother can tell you firsthand the part they played in Cinderella’s story!”
“Yes, yes, I know all of this. And something must be done,” Oberon agreed. “But my concern is with you, my dearest Fairy Godmother. Why do you feel it’s your job to protect all of these girls? To interfere, even with Tulip here. You’ve been watching her even though she has been with your sister all this time.”
“I didn’t know Tulip was her charge. I stopped feeling my sister in the world after she helped me repair the Fairylands. I had no idea it was because she had lost her memory. But once my sister started to remember who she was, I started to feel her in the world once again.” The Fairy Godmother stopped for a moment, considering what she was going to say next. “Excuse me, my lord, but when did it become a crime to protect young princesses from harm?”
Oberon thought there was logic in her question. Technically, she was correct. It was a wish-granting fairy’s right to look after those in need. And then it became clear to him what bothered him most.
“It’s not, my dear. It’s not. But let me ask you one thing. Why didn’t you find it in your heart to help Maleficent when she was just a tiny little thing, left alone in the crow tree?”
The Fairy Godmother’s face dropped. “You’ve been speaking to my sister.”
Oberon laughed his loud, thunderous laugh, though this time it didn’t seem he was happy, but instead disappointed. “No, my dear, I saw everything while I slept. I saw all. You left an abandoned child alo
ne to fend for herself. You did everything you could to keep her from flourishing.”
The Fairy Godmother’s face was stricken with grief. “It’s true. Everything you’ve said is true. And I feel just horrible about it.”
The three good fairies joined in. It was like they were singing a cacophonous song of apology. “Oh, we’re sorry, too! We really are! We’ve been trying to do good work in the kingdoms to make up for our part in Maleficent’s descent into darkness!”
Oberon considered their words and found truth in them. “I see you are all trying to make up for what happened with Maleficent.” He turned to the Fairy Godmother. “And you especially seem to understand it was your words that day that brought about the prophecy.”
The Fairy Godmother looked down, ashamed and filled with grief. “I do.”
“Then perhaps there is hope for the sleeping princess after all. Perhaps in the admission of your mistakes, Maleficent will see her way to redemption.”
The Fairy Godmother shook her head. “Oh, no, not Maleficent. I don’t think so. You know she cursed the princess Aurora to prick her finger on a spindle and die! She would be dead now if it weren’t for the good fairies’ changing the curse to a sleeping curse! And now she intends to kill Prince Phillip to keep him from breaking it!”
Oberon laughed. “Countless stories like this have been told over the years, and how do they end? Always in misery for the wicked queen or witch, always with death. And always she was wronged in some way, by something or some person who set her on this path. It breaks my heart to have to stand against Maleficent, even more so now that you’ve confirmed it was you who caused this. My only hope is that Maleficent will find a way to redeem herself. My only hope is that she spares the prince and wakes the sleeping princess. But I fear that will not happen.”
Mistress of All Evil Page 13