The Maleficio Benefice

 – Be hopeful all ye who enter. -

I know, I know, they call me Maleficent. Nobody in the human empires remembers or reminded humans, that my name is Benefice. However, you all who read this must understand that Maleficent is the name humans gave me. I went from Benefice to Maleficent, after I stood up for myself and helped the fairies stand up together against human oppression. Sadly, I must say, it is humans who surrounded me since I was little, who decided to turn on me and my fairies, humans turned into our enemy. Or did they? Maybe they just showed who they learned to be those humans. They lost all the belief in their childlike magic. I often say to my fairies: “I wish all humans would stay children with pure hearts. Like when they were two and three years old and they played with us, and they saw magic is possible. Children grow up and suddenly they become blind to the beauty of life and the magic in their life’s journey.” And yes, of course, I am talking about how humankind and their changes when they age. Humans grow up and thereafter deny the existence of magical creatures. Nobody in my lineage is as confused as humans. From an early age, I was warned not to engage with humans because they do not understand nature’s ways. The fairies always said: “Stay away Benefice, these humans are contradicted, they are ruled by fear. They need to see therapists, and some of them take substances coz they are so fearful they almost die of heart attacks. They need doctors and lawyers, pills and man written rules. Some of the humans become power hungry and others just collect things. Some of them hoard money and power. Humans do not understand nature, they will not understand our ways, they do not comprehend the fairy way of life. They grow up and they lose all magic and with the loss of the belief in magic they lose all hope. Remember what we learned in nature school, the stories the crones told us. Like in Dante’s inferno, it was written above the gates to hell, - Abandon all hope ye who enter - Yes, I knew that the fairy friends and crones where right and yet I still tried to be friendly with irrational fearful humans. I was never too familiar with humankind until I met Stephan. He was so lost and unkempt. My bad that I let my perception fool me so much that I forgot to keep boundaries.

Dear reader, of my account of the story, which I tell as Benefice. It is a story about true unconditional love and friendship. The story of a true kiss of love which will last beyond time and space. Yes, I was in love with Stephan, and I enjoyed our time together. The fun we had as children and the fun we had when we were at a teenage age. Yet, I never intended for it to last forever. Neither did I wish to be Stephan’s wife. I, Benefice, knew that this was unrealistic. However, I did not know that true friendship and kindness is unrealistic in the human mind. “Well, I was about to learn.” Stephan would always say: “Do you think we can make a difference and create great relations between the fairy world and the human world. Benefice do you think that we are strong enough?” I replied to Stephan, the same way each time: “Stephan do you think you are strong enough and will you be my friend after you are King?”

Stephan and I had plenty of discussions. About Stephan as King, ruling the human empire and keeping peaceful relations with the fairy world and encouraging the children to keep their magic. We spoke about how I would rule the fairy empire and that we create one big happy family. One big happy universe. It was always the plan for Stephan to marry a human queen. However, he promised to stay as my friend as long as he is alive. I want to reiterate that I, Benefice, never wanted Stephan to be my husband, neither did I think that would work. I knew that this was impossible. We spoke about that I can be the fairy Godmother of his firstborn child and an advisory to the Queen. Stephan told me the last time we met as friends: “I already spoke to my Queen to be. She is more than happy to establish a relationship and friendship with you, my dearest friend Benefice. She understands how we met as children, became friends and lovers. I spoke to her about us and that we for a short time were a little more than friends. I explained the development of the relationship and the promise of true love’s kiss.” Then Stephan furthermore explained: “I carefully explained to my Queen in detail that we as, children bonded. A true friendship developed despite the differences of lifestyle long before we became lovers. I reiterated that we were romantic only for a very short time and that I promised you to keep our friendship. I told the Queen and my wife to be, that I sealed that promise with the kiss of true love. She also understands that we are now like brother and sister. That we are truly just friends.” I smiled when Stephan advised me of the open conversation with his future wife, the Queen to be. I was so happy that I ignored keeping healthy boundaries.

Well, as most of you dear readers, know my story which humans call “Maleficent”, Stephan had other plans, he was swayed by human greed and power hunger. The old King’s manipulation and hate for fairies won the heart and soul of Stephan. Hm, or did it? Often when I think and contemplate, I wonder. Did I overlook something? Did I refuse to notice the subtle signs of hate? Did I confuse his smooth way of speaking, and ignored his manipulation? Ok, just read on and make up your own mind dear reader. I simply tell you the story from my point of view.

The first test of Stephan was adversity, by being my friend and he failed. A continuous and growing friendship between a fairy and a human is unusual. When the old King gave Stephan the power of the crown, Stephan showed his true character. Little did I know who Stephan truly was, but I would learn. Nobody, in the human kingdom, assumed that he would fail as man, king and husband. Well, to fail these two aspects would not have been the worst. But, failing as a father, all for power, that was what nobody understood, fairies and human alike were shocked about the development of Stephan’s character. His poor wife, the queen, contacted me daily via messenger. She and I made a promise to each other to fight the battle with Stephan’s unkindness and win. You see, dear reader, in the times we are talking about here, women had officially very little to no power. We had to manipulate to get things done and to be heard, by ruling men.

Dear reader, I am Benefice, that is my true name and humans began calling me Maleficent or the evil fairy Queen. My name Benefice died and it now to most people reading fairy tales a dead name. They told the story of thorny dark bushes and dark castles and the disappearance of light. In truth this was all different. I grew huge rose bushes with large thorns around my empire. The kind that humans could not just cut down to enter. Nothing changed about the light and nature. It was a firm barrier between my nature empire and the magical nature creatures and the human world. However, I am glad that I was asked by a human to write this story from my point of view. Here, I can tell what took place and you dear reader can make up your own mind.

You see, I am neither from the Lilith tribe or from the tribe of Eve. I am somewhere in the middle myself. I LOVE TO LOVE. And of course, when I am attacked, I fight back. I lead my people in a peaceful way not into battle. We fairies have ways and to avoid fighting humans. Nobody in their right mind would let someone attack without responding. Especially we fairies. We responded with magic. The fairies flew tirelessly by day and night and spread fairy dust all over the human kingdom. Some humans were responsive, and some were not. In the end it is all ok and if it is not ok it is not the end. Well, obviously, it is not the end because here you are reading my story the way it was. I do not tell a vision on television. I tell you my story written in my own handwriting. A kind human then typed it for me, so it can be sent out to the entire universe.

I am I, and You are You, I am not here to live up to your expectations, and you are not here to live up to my expectations. The day we meet in the middle of life is beautiful. It was also stated that every perpetrator was victimized but not every victim would become a perpetrator. So here is where I say: “First of all I am magical, secondly, I am reasonable, and thirdly I am peace loving. I was forced by humans who want to destroy what they do not understand to defend myself and my magical family. I wanted to be nice. I learned that I, Benefice, should have followed my ancestor’s advice that we fairies cannot be familiar with humankind. We can be friendly but as the quote goes, “familiarity breeds contempt.”

Princess Aurora never had anything to fear. I had to think hard and long and make plans to save her beautiful soul from human influences. I was contemplating and thinking if the princess would be like her father. The Queen brought her to me on a secret path. Both, mother and child came daily to my castle. I taught Aurora to be kind, nice and tolerant but always keep firm boundaries. The Queen supported all my efforts and at the same time never questioned King Stephan and anything he said or did. However, she overwrote the King’s power and came to me to receive help for her daughter and advise on how to move forward. The Queen asked: “Maleficent what can I do? He drives me completely crazy. I just do not understand why he hates you so much. Like it is not enough that he robbed you of your wings, that he lies about you, to everybody telling the story of you wanting him to be your husband. I know that you never intended to marry him. I know that you love him, and it was more like a teenage love turning into a friendship. You hoped for true love which is true friendship. You hoped for unconditional love and understanding.” 

I really liked the Queen she was a beautiful and kind woman. So, I told her: “I understand your dilemma, Queen, you are not able to react or take any actions upon the King’s insanity. You, as his Queen, must stand by his side. Division is dangerous for the human empire. I suggest that you do nothing. I will do whatever I can to help you take your female power and turn it into something beneficial for all of us. Let the public make me the villain and I know that in the long run it all will turn around. This too shall pass.”

Here my dear reader I leave it up to your imagination to build out the rest of my life story. Imagination is extremely powerful and will suffice and thrive. Good always wins over evil. Just remember as you go on thinking about this that the opening sentence of this story narration is

 – Be hopeful all ye who enter. -

Be hopeful, happy and free. Be joyful and sing our fairly song it will set you free.

"If you like fairies and nature

And getting caught in the rain

If you're not into gossip

If you have soul and a brain

If you like spelling late at midnight

In the woods by the cave

Then I'm the friends that you've looked for

Write to me, we escape.

-Rupert Holmes- edited by Benefice in nature school. I wish your imagination to take you to an open field of possibility where you can paint your own development of my life story. "So long dear readers sending much love your way," -Benefice-