CHAPTER 2
A week later, Maleficent flew high in the air, noticing a familiar figure roaming around the forest clearing.
She smiled and accelerated, then gently dropped down behind Stefan. He turned, startled by her sudden appearance.
“Well, well. Look who came back,” she said.
“I thought it was worth the risk.”
Maleficent blushed as a small deer emerged from a stand of trees.
“If I had my bow, I’d make you a fine dinner,” Stefan said, gesturing toward the animal.
Choosing to ignore the remark, Maleficent walked over to the deer. It was a beautiful creature. She held out her hand in a greeting and kneeled before it. The deer nuzzled against her palm.
“Magic,” Stefan breathed, watching them.
“No. Just kindness,” Maleficent said, correcting him. She kept her gaze on the deer.
Stefan headed behind her, prompting the deer to walk away. Rising, Maleficent turned to face him.
“When we met, you said, ‘You’re her.’ What did you mean?” she asked.
“People have seen you. Flying. The girl from the Moors that looks just like us ... except for your wings.” He stared at them, clearly wanting to take a closer look. Maleficent held out a wing toward him.
“You sure?” he asked.
She nodded, and he gently touched the wing. “They’re beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Maleficent said, looking over her shoulder. “They are special, aren’t they?”
Next Stefan looked up at Maleficent’s horns. “Are they sharp?” he asked.
The faerie felt her face turn red, and she bowed her head, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
“They’re majestic,” Stefan continued. “That’s the word. They are far and away the most majestic horns that I have ever seen.”
Maleficent was overcome with emotion. Without thinking, she hugged him. His body stiffened; it was clear he hadn’t been expecting this reaction. But soon she felt him smile.
“We can choose to be friends,” Maleficent said. “Why can’t the others?”
“Maybe they can. Maybe we can show them.”
So Maleficent and Stefan bonded over a hope for peace, something that made Maleficent feel closer to her parents than ever. Stefan came to the edge of the Moors, the place that became their secret spot. They talked about their lives, their future. Then, on Maleficent’s sixteenth birthday, they kissed—a kiss so pure, so honest, so real that it was True Love’s Kiss.
But as the years marched on, Stefan spent less time visiting the Moors and Maleficent. He was busy making good on his promise to live in the castle, albeit as a servant. He seemed less concerned with building harmony between the humans and faeries, and more concerned with his life at the castle—a life he seemed to want to keep private. No matter what questions Maleficent asked out of genuine interest, Stefan avoided answering them.
One day, Maleficent soared in the sky, spotting Stefan nearby on a cliff. It had been weeks since she’d last seen him.
“Stefan,” she called down to him.
“Hello,” he replied.
“Hello,” Maleficent repeated. She suddenly felt awkward around him.
“Where have you been?” Stefan asked.
Maleficent narrowed her eyes. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” she responded. “You’re always disappearing these days.” She lowered herself to him for a kiss. They leaned close together. And for a fleeting moment, it all felt right again.
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第 2 章
一周后,瑪琳菲森在高空飛翔時(shí),發(fā)現(xiàn)有個(gè)熟悉的身影在森林的那片空地上閑逛。
她笑著加速地飛過去,然后輕輕地落在了斯戴芬的身后。他一轉(zhuǎn)身,她的突然出現(xiàn)讓他嚇了一跳。
“哈,哈,看看是誰回來了。”她說。
“我想這個(gè)冒險(xiǎn)是值得的。”
瑪琳菲森臉上泛起了紅暈,這時(shí)樹叢后面出現(xiàn)了一只小鹿。
斯戴芬指著小鹿說道:“如果我?guī)е?,就能為你做一頓豐盛的大餐。”
瑪琳菲森對此不置可否,朝小鹿走去。這是只漂亮的小家伙。她伸出手打了招呼,在它面前跪了下來。小鹿用鼻尖蹭著她的手掌。
“魔力。”斯戴芬看著這一幕低聲說道。
瑪琳菲森糾正他:“不,這只是示好。”她繼續(xù)看著小鹿。
她身后的斯戴芬向她走去,小鹿便走開了。瑪琳菲森站起身來,轉(zhuǎn)向他。
她問:“當(dāng)我們見面的時(shí)候,你說‘你是她’,是什么意思?”
“人們看見過你。你在飛。摩爾森林里的女孩看起來和我們差不多……只不過你有翅膀。”他凝視著那雙翅膀,顯然想近距離看一看?,斄辗粕统斐隽艘恢?。
“你確定?”他問。
她點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭。他輕輕撫摸著它:“它們可真好看。”
“謝謝。”瑪琳菲森往肩后看去。“它們很特別,不是嗎?”
然后,斯戴芬抬頭看向瑪琳菲森的犄角,問道:“它們鋒利嗎?”
精靈感到自己的臉變紅了,她低下頭,突然覺得有些難為情。
斯戴芬繼續(xù)說:“它們看起來很高貴,就是這個(gè)詞。它們是我見過的最最高貴的犄角。”
瑪琳菲森十分感動(dòng),毫不猶豫地?fù)肀Я怂K纳碜咏┳×?,顯然沒有預(yù)料到她會(huì)這樣做。但很快她看到他笑了。
瑪琳菲森說:“我們可以成為朋友,為什么其他人不能?”
“說不定他們也可以。也許我們可以做給他們看。”
就這樣,瑪琳菲森和斯戴芬為了和平的希望而在一起了,這讓瑪琳菲森覺得和自己的父母前所未有地接近。斯戴芬來到摩爾森林的邊緣,這是他們倆秘密私會(huì)的地方。他們暢聊著彼此的生活和未來。之后,在瑪琳菲森十六歲生日那天,他們親吻了—那個(gè)吻是如此純潔,如此誠摯,如此真實(shí),那是一個(gè)真愛之吻。
隨著時(shí)間一年年過去,斯戴芬來摩爾森林看瑪琳菲森的時(shí)間越來越少,他正忙著兌現(xiàn)那個(gè)住在城堡里的承諾,盡管現(xiàn)在他依舊只是個(gè)傭人。他對人類和精靈族之間的和平越來越不放在心上,反之,他對自己在城堡中的生活事務(wù)越來越上心—對此他還守口如瓶。不管瑪琳菲森是多么真心地想了解,他都避而不答。
一天,瑪琳菲森在空中翱翔,看見斯戴芬站在懸崖邊上。她已經(jīng)有好幾個(gè)星期沒見到他了。
她朝下叫他:“斯戴芬。”
“你好。”他答道。
“你好。”瑪琳菲森重復(fù)著。她突然覺得在他身邊有些尷尬。
他問:“你去哪兒了?”
瑪琳菲森瞇起眼睛:“我一直在找你。”
“真的嗎?”
“是的,”她回應(yīng)道,“你近來總是看不見人影。”她俯身親吻他。他們緊緊地靠在了一起。幾乎是一瞬間,他們又恢復(fù)如常了。