At dawn Maleficent awoke to a searing pain in her back. Groaning¹, she shook her head. She felt groggy² and fuzzy, and she shook it once more, trying to make the odd feeling disappear. But as her head cleared, the pain returned twofold. Looking at where Stefan had been, she saw that he was gone. And then, reaching over her shoulders, she found that her wings were gone, too. All that remained was a long, thin cauterized³ wound where they used to be. On the ground nearby lay an iron chain, a few black feathers stuck to the links.

Shock and horror filled Maleficent as she realized what had happened. That she had been betrayed. That Stefan had taken her wings. That he had lied. Stolen her heart and her wings. As grief overtook her, she let out an anguished⁴ cry. Why? she screamed silently. Why would he do this to me? Dropping her head into her hands, she began to sob⁵. For she knew the answer. She had known it deep inside all along. Stefan loved his world, loved his kind, more than he could ever love her. He had taken her wings to prove to that wretched King Henry that he was loyal, even though it meant being disloyal to her.　

How had she been so blind? Humans had killed her parents. Humans had attacked her home time and time again. A human had ruined her chance at a happy life. She should have listened to the others. Humans were not to be trusted. She had led them here by befriending one, and now she was paying the price. She didn't deserve to live here with the others.

In that moment, a part of her died. The part that believed in joy, hope, and peace. The part of her that believed in love. That part was gone forever. Stefan had seen to that.

"I have avenged⁶ you, sire," Stefan announced over a wheezing⁷ King Henry. Stefan was happy he wasn't too late. Pulling open his sack, he revealed Maleficent's flapping wings. Henry stared up at him, amazed.

"She is vanquished⁸. You have done well, son," he murmured. "You have done what others feared to do. You will be rewarded."

Stefan beamed. He'd finally done it. He'd overcome his status as a poor orphan⁹ to become something great. "I shall do my best to be a worthy¹⁰ successor, Your Majesty¹¹."

"Successor? You?" Henry gaped¹² at him in surprise.

"As by your edict."

The king allowed himself a throaty laugh. "You? Your blood is not worthy. You are a servant, nothing more. I don't even know your name!"

The king continued to laugh heartily¹³, which became a series of coughs.

Stefan turned, unable to believe what he was hearing. He had not done the unthinkable to be turned away now. He walked swiftly to the other side of the bed and stood over the king. Enraged¹⁴, Stefan picked up a pillow and forced it over the king's head.

"I'm called Stefan."

 

清晨，玛琳菲森从背上的一阵剧痛中醒来。她呻吟着，摇了摇头。她感到头昏眼花，于是再次摇了一下头，想要抛开那种古怪的感觉。可是当她渐渐清醒，疼痛却加倍涌来。她转过头去找斯戴芬，却已不见人影。然后，她向肩后摸去，发现翅膀也无影无踪了，取而代之的是一条细长的烙伤。不远处，一条铁链横在地上，锁链间还挂着几片黑色的羽毛。

当她意识到发生了什么以后，心中充满了震惊和恐惧。斯戴芬背叛了她，偷走了她的翅膀，还对她撒了谎。斯戴芬偷走的不仅是她的翅膀，还有她的心。被悲伤淹没的她发出了一声极度痛苦的哭喊。为什么？她无声地尖叫着。为什么他要这样对我？她双手掩面，开始呜咽起来。因为她知道答案，她的内心深处自始至终都知道。斯戴芬爱着自己的世界，爱着他的人类，远超过爱她。他夺走她的双翅是为了向那个卑鄙的亨利国王证明他的忠诚，为此他甚至不惜背叛她。

为何她会这般盲目？人类杀害了他的父母，而且一次又一次地侵略她的家园。现在又有一个人毁灭了她幸福生活的希望。她本应该听大家的，人类都是不可相信的。正是因为她和其中一个人类交了朋友，才把他们引到这里来，现在她付出了代价。她不配继续和大家一起住在这里。

在那一刻，她的一部分随之死去。那个相信快乐、希望、和平的她，那个相信爱情的她，已经一去不复返了。这一切的罪魁祸首就是斯戴芬。

“我为你报仇了，陛下。”斯戴芬对奄奄一息的亨利国王说道。他庆幸自己来得不算太晚。他打开麻袋，露出玛琳菲森那双仍然扑腾不止的翅膀。亨利国王吃惊地抬起头看着他。

他喃喃地说：“她被拿下了，干得好，孩子，你做了别人都不敢做的事，我会犒劳你的。”

斯戴芬笑了，他终于做到了。他战胜了自己的身份，从一个贫穷的孤儿变成至高无上的人。“我定会尽己所能，成为一个称职的继承者，国王陛下。”

“你？继承者？”亨利国王惊讶地瞪着他。

“正如您之前昭告的那样。”

国王嘶哑地放声大笑：“你？你的血统就配不上。你只是个佣人。我甚至连你的名字都不知道！”

国王继续尽情地笑着，紧接着又是一连串的咳嗽。

斯戴芬转过头去，不敢相信他听到的一切。他完成了这件不可思议的事情可不是为了让人把功绩随随便便抹去的。他迅速走到床的另一边，俯视着国王。他愤怒地抓起一个枕头，朝国王的头上使劲盖下去。

“我叫斯戴芬。”

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