“You should do something about Simon first,” Phillip said. “I don’t think he ought to be flying. Perhaps he can return with the guard.”

“Very well. Into a boy.” Maleficent gestured with a negligent wave of her hand, and in a wash of shimmering gold, Simon was human again.

He fell off the horse’s back, stumbling as he moved into a standing position. The poor boy was clearly getting used to not being on all fours. He looked around, then saw Aurora and bowed hastily.

“The missing lad!” Smiling John said. “So he was under a faerie curse.”

With so much attention on him, Simon sputtered a little. “No, sir,” he said. “Or at least, I was, but only for this past little while. The elf lady and Prince Phillip freed me from a cell where I’ve been locked for days and days. She thought I’d be safer traveling in a pocket and turned me into a mouse, which I’m sorry to say I didn’t like above half.” He paused with a look at Maleficent. “Not that I don’t appreciate it, though, for you’ve done me nothing but a good turn.”

Smiling John’s gaze went to the cage and the centipede inside, then to Maleficent. “I don’t suppose that you’ll turn him back.”

“Of course she will,” Aurora said over whatever Maleficent was about to say. “Centipedes can’t stand trial.”

“Can’t they?” Maleficent asked with a mischievous quirk of her mouth. “Are you sure?”

Aurora gave her a stern look.

“As soon as we’re back in the palace, then?” Maleficent said.

Aurora’s expression did not falter.

“Very well!” With an exasperated wave of her hand, the centipede grew larger and larger until its arms and legs broke through the cage and it returned to the shape of Count Alain. He looked ridiculous.

“John,” Alain shouted, trying to shuck off the remains of the cage. It was remarkably hard to remove from his head. “You can’t believe all this nonsense! She put a curse on me. You have to see that she’s the one you should be putting in chains!”

Smiling John shook his head and spoke to Maleficent. “You may have had the right of it. If you’d left him as he was, we wouldn’t have to hear his mouth all the way back to the palace.”

With that, he headed off to his troops, steering Simon toward one of the mounted soldiers.

Diaval, in his winged-horse form, knelt down so that Phillip could more easily get onto his back. Phillip did, gingerly, and Aurora got up behind him.

Then, with a great sweep of his wings, Diaval pushed off the ground and they were flying. Higher and higher they climbed. Moments later, Maleficent was beside them, a wide smile on her face and a rare light in her eyes.