The Impostor

The Princess and The Monster

''You— I...I killed you!'' Prince Phillip sputtered, holding back another groan of pain as the thorns circled around his neck, preventing him from breathing correctly.

Maleficent stepped towards him and knelt right before him, her dark empty gaze piercing the prince's brown one with hatred and cruelty. She smirked mirthlessly.

''My, my! Look at that poor, naive prince, thinking he could kill a dragon with a simple blade straight in the heart! Did you really think a sword spiked into a miserable tattered piece of fabric would do a sufficient evidence to spread the news of the glorious death of the Mistress of All Evil in the entire kingdom?'' The wicked fairy inquired quietly, her voice deadly slow, as she approached her staff to the prince's face, enlightening it with a scary green gleam.

The prince didn't answer, for he knew there was no point of doing so. Maleficent was not the one inclined to discussion anyway.

''Of course you didn't know. And do you know why?'' She asked, red lips widening into a mocking smiling.

The young man could do nothing more than shake his head.

''Because you are too stupid to think about anything. Just as you are too vain to see the Princess Aurora doesn't like you. Just as you are too proud to admit she will never be yours.'' She tilted her head backwards as she let out a maniac laugh.

Phillip struggled to try and free himself from the brambles' grip, but he soon gave up as he understood the more he tried to fight, the more the grasp tightened.

''She is my betrothed, she will be mine...'' He said between gritted teeth as he averted the fairy's twinkling eyes.

Maleficent chuckled darkly.

''You are so pathetic I could almost feel sorry for you. if I had a conscience, that is,'' she replied in a neutral tone.

The fairy slowly stood up and aimed her scepter's top at Phillip's throat. ''But unfortunately for you, I don't. That is precisely the reason why I don't care about what might happen to your worthless life.''

''If you kill me, Aurora will never forgive you...'' He tried to defend himself miserably.

Maleficent laughed, and her amusement seemed almost sincere to Phillip who allowed himself to cling to any small hint of hope he had left.

''Do you really think the princess will show you mercy and spare your life when she will learn you almost raped her while she was asleep and defenseless?'' She snapped, her voice as sharp as a knife.

''Princess Aurora is a nice girl, she will understand...'' The prince muttered, as if to convince himself.

Maleficent's face suddenly distorted into a frightening wince of pure despise. She pursed her red blood lips as a threatening glow escaped from her staff's ball.

''Imbecile. You truly have no brain, have you? Aurora does not love you and she never will.''

''But she has to! We are to be married, she will be my wife, and therefore she will be mine!'' He shouted angrily.

''Oh dear. Are you deaf, or just utterly and desperately foolish? The princess will never be yours, for I will take care of this personally,'' the fairy answered dryly.

For a few seconds, the prince remained quiet, trying to figure out what that odd statement could possibly mean. When something as dreadful as obvious came to his mind, he first didn't dare to believe it. But then, he finally understood. There was no other explanation.

''No... I can't believe it! You...you love her. Oh my God! But...that's...insane, outrageous, unnatural! You crazy witch! She will never love you! She can't love you! You will never give her what she wants! She's a princess, and you're a mon— AAH!'' Phillip screamed, trying to break free from his dark chains of thorns, but was soon stopped by a long sharp spine which dug deeply into his neck's flesh, causing a trail of blood to flow down his throat. He moaned in pain.