“Ah, Aurora, unfortunately, you believe me to be far kinder than I am. If it’s any comfort, I fear your godmother is quite right. I doubt it would be possible for her to keep her promise not to interfere, and I don’t mean to ask her to try.”

Maleficent smiled at his assumption that that was the only bit she thought unlikely. But he went on, oblivious.

“I think you will be a most obliging queen with your godmother’s life always in the balance,” Count Alain said. “Almost as obliging as she was, letting herself be chained up for your sake.”

“Quite a strategy, to leverage love against itself,” said Lord Ortolan.

True love.

That was the cruel turn of phrase Maleficent had come up with as Stefan begged for her to remove the curse on Aurora. It was the thing she’d thought of as impossible.

But now, even as it bound her and Aurora, it still felt like a miracle that there was such a thing.

True love.

Love between people who took care of each other.

She’d been wrong to try to convince Aurora to protect her heart to the exclusion of all else. There was nothing wrong with Aurora’s willfulness or her sweet nature. There was nothing wrong with Aurora’s trying to see the best in people. There was nothing wrong with her generous heart. Those were all the things Maleficent had always loved about her. And if Maleficent had to spend her whole life locked in darkness and iron knowing that Aurora was free, it would have been worth it.

But she would not spend her life in darkness and iron knowing that Aurora was also in chains.

Chapter 31

Lord Ortolan approached Count Alain and Aurora. “Come now, you’ve held the girl like that long enough. Her arms must be in agony. And there’s no danger. The faerie is locked up, and there’s nowhere for our little queen to go. Be chivalrous to your bride.”

Alain eased his grip, and Aurora pulled away from him. Stumbling, she fell to her knees, humiliated and hurting.

“I am going to perform the ceremony marrying you and Count Alain before we leave the cave. I hope you understand that this is a formality,” Lord Ortolan said. “It doesn’t matter if you consent or not, but it would be better for all of us if we observe the proprieties.”

Aurora wanted to spit in his face, but she knew that she had to wait for the right opportunity to get away from them.

Count Alain smiled at her. “You are very angry with me now, but I think we will grow used to each other. I am not so much of a monster when you get to know me.”

She knew him well enough, she thought. She certainly knew he was a monster.