My Most Faithful Servant

[Maleficent]

January 6th, y1

The desert much more tolerable at night, Maleficent found. She still hadn't grown accustomed to the change in atmosphere since relocating from her castle in Europe to this wide desert. However, it had been a necessary change. After Jafar's assassination Maleficent realized that the capital of her operations was far too vulnerable. It also would have been a logistical nightmare to try and move the base of operations to her home. No, it was more prudent for her, and her alone, to relocate to Agrabah.

She did NOT look forward to the end of winter and the subsequent warmer months...

The sultana of the Blackblood legion sighed and settled back on the large, throne-like regal chair in one of her many chambers. She turned to Diablo, and reached out a slim hand to stroke along his head, "It has been a long day, my pet."

"I'd like to speak to Crow, if you would fetch him please," she smiled at Diablo, her eyes glinting at a little joke between the two of them, "Go on now."

She had a lot of work ahead of her, a lot of planning, and Crow was the only one who's loyalty she could truly trust. The only person who she could truly rely on. Her overseers were still new to her rule and she couldn't be completely sure of their loyalties, and so didn't want to arrange her more important plans with them. However, Nasira had potential... Maleficent already had plans on how to secure her loyalties.

[Crow]

Diablo leaned into Her Excellency's touch, quietly and pleasantly accepting of the attention.  She was right, of course: the day had been long, and the silent evening was welcome.

"I'd like to speak to Crow, if you would fetch him please."

  The black bird perked up in time to see the spark of amusement in Maleficent's eye, and its head dipped, eyes narrowing in what could only be described as the corvid smiling.  Diablo's body lowered into something of a bow, wings opening wide, and without a moment's pause it lifted from its perch.  The bird circled once over Maleficent's head and flew out the window, into the crisp night air.

  It didn't take long, of course.  Crow wouldn't dream of keeping Maleficent waiting.

  The door was pushed ajar with the slightest amount of force, the silence disturbed for only a moment.  Crow slipped inside the chamber, pressing the door closed behind him with equal softness, and approached Her Excellency's throne.  Under more public circumstances, he would merely bow, perhaps give a tip of his hat, but otherwise wouldn't waste time that could be spent on more important duties.  Here, however, he allowed himself a little more flourish.  He dipped low in one fluid motion, coming to rest on the polished floor as he knelt before the sultana.  With the bow of his head it was clear: Blackbloods or no, this is where Crow's loyalties lied.

  "You summoned for me, Mistress?"

[Maleficent]

"Arise my dear," Maleficent gestured upward with her hand idly, then in the same motion, gestured to a seat at the table, "Sit with me, Crow."

Maleficent sighed as she reached up and began to remove her cowl from her head, letting her hair fall loose from it's confines in a dark waterfall around her features. She brushed some back idly with her fingers. Maleficent was almost never this relaxed, almost casual, around others. Crow was the exception. He was the exception for a lot of things...

"You've had nearly a week to observe the legion since my initial address," Maleficent said, "What are your initial impressions? No matter how vague."

She trusted his eyes, and his sense. He was able to see things in ways she could not. How the masses behaved when seemingly unobserved. Were they lazy? Were they favorable to the legion? Was there dissent? Who seemed capable. Who seemed incompetent. No one could ever know just how much Maleficent relied on Crow. He was the reason for her seeming omniscience, and was her greatest asset.

"I need an over view before we discuss on how to proceed in our internal affairs," Maleficent's lips twisted into a wry smile, "And then we'll need to discuss the information you've gathered from our enemies. I hope you are well rested, my dear. We have a long night ahead of us."

[Crow]

Crow gave a respectful nod, and rose to his feet. At Her behest, he took to the seat across from her, folding his hands neatly in his lap.

"There's no need to concern yourself, Mistress." There was a notable lightness in his tone; he wore a smile beneath his mask. "I'm always at your service."

The vizier crossed his legs, adopting a contemplative posture as he recalled his observations of the past week. It was true, there was little to report on so soon, but it was less about finding a scandal and more about learning the small details.

"There is a tension. A kind of uncertainty hangs in the air." Crow lifted a hand to the beak of his mask, much in the same way one would rub their chin in thought. "The Legion hosts many powerful figures, from the maniacally chaotic to the dangerously intelligent, and all are varying degrees of competent."

He gave a brief pause to his thoughts, and continued.  "The bulk of them are in a phase of... testing the waters, I think. Trust is a commodity not easily afforded here. So aside from previously established connections, it's become a waiting game."

[Maleficent]

"Hmm... I've suspected as much. It's good to have the confirmation," Maleficent idly combed her fingers through her hair, then frowned when she found a snag. She stood up and stalked further back in the room towards a vanity mirror and several drawers, "My grasp on this legion is tenuous. One can only rule by fear for so long. It could easily fracture, sending warriors to the other armies with me as their common enemy."

"We need to do something about this. Find a common unifying bond. Reasons that service under me would be the most prudent choice. Ideally... the only choice," Maleficent undid her voluminous robes, revealing a sleek dress beneath. She hung her robes on a hook besides the vanity mirror and then sat before it, "What are your thoughts on the matter, my dear?"

The dark faerie gathered the long curtain of her dark hair over her shoulder. She often kept her hair tightly bound and hidden way. She kept it pinned beneath her cowl and braided tightly under neath her collar and robes. This gave her occasional headaches from the tension, and so today she had chosen to leave her hair free and unbound on this day. The slight tangles and curls were just an unavoidable side effect.

[Crow]

The vizier knew he held a special privilege, to see Maleficent in such a relaxed state. And there could be no denial that Her Excellency was easy on the eyes. Suffice to say, when Maleficent began to tend to her reflection in the mirror, Crow didn't bother to look away. "I agree," he replied, nodding along to Maleficent's words. "Fortunately, we may already have a solution."

He reclined back in his seat, making himself more comfortable, and continued. "You recall the knight-- ah, pardon-- the ghazi Tabs, I'm sure." Crow lifted a gloved hand to gesture at his head, making a vague cubical shape. "Fascinating thing with the television head." He swallowed the bemused chuckle in favor of business.

"At any rate, it seems Mr. Inquirer has arranged to appear before the Overseers in two days' time. He wishes to appeal to them for the position of the Legion's... spokesman, if you will." Here Crow gave a pause. He had intended on at least 'attending' said meeting anyway, but wanted to hear what Maleficent would order of him directly on the matter.

[Maleficent]

"Ah, yes. I do recall. A most delightful and curious creature to say the least," Maleficent pulled open a drawer and removed an ornate hair brush made of dark ebony wood and silver inlay. She paused when Crow mentioned the appeal. She turned to face the masked man, "Oh my, now that is intriguing. A spokesman, you say?"



Maleficent tapped her pointed chin with the brush for a moment in contemplation before returning back to face the mirror, "Why that is fortunate! Go on and see what he has to say Crow. You have my permission and authority to appoint him as propagandist if you think he is capable of the job. I trust your judgement, my dear."



Maleficent gathered up her hair and began brushing through it, starting at the end and working her way up slowly, carefully undoing the knots and tangles, "Well then, what are your thoughts on our Overseers? I approve of... most of them, but I can not be sure of their loyalties yet. I'd like to secure these as firmly as possible. Look into them for me, will you dear? Find any sort of leverage you can find on them?"



Maleficent paused and then a slow laughed rolled from her, slim shoulders shaking, "I believe I already know where to start with Nasira..."

[Crow]

"Go on and see what he has to say."

  Attending in person? Crow's brow arched beneath his beak. It wasn't often Maleficent had him show his face in public. Er, so to speak. But it mattered little; Crow had been given his instruction and he would follow it to the letter.

  "By your order, Mistress." He replied, giving an acknowledging bow of his head.

  On to the next order of business, then. Crow smoothed out his vest and adjusted the hems of his gloves. Something he did out of habit, really, rather than any real need to tidy himself. His gaze drifted upward, pensive as he considered the figures that formed the Legion's Overseers.


  "I must admit that I have my... concerns." His fingers laced together, head leaning slightly as he began. "Some of our Overseers were once quite comfortable as rulers in their own right." His thoughts of course were on Scar and Turbo, having once held the lofty title of King, if only for a time.


  "Others have obvious loyalties elsewhere." Dr. Facilier. Nasira. Be it obligation to blood or beings of a darker nature, it wasn't hard to imagine either having their own agendas. There was also Mortaray, whom Crow could at least see had some kind of connection to the good witch doctor. He didn't know yet just how strong that connection was, but it never hurt to be careful. These thoughts aside, this of course left...


  "To put it frankly, the only one whose loyalty I'm completely certain of is Judge Frollo. And he's still out of the country at present." 

His musings paused, however, at Maleficent's idle remark in regards to Nasira, and he chuckled as well.  "Should I be jealous, Mistress?"

[Maleficent]

"Hm, I see," those accustomed to power were not one to give it up easily. Where as those who are ambitious can be quelled, those who remember their previous achievements are more determined to get them back, "Well, as I said, learn what you can about them. Find any form of leverage you can manage. Riches. Territory. Loved ones. Blackmail. Power. Every being has it's weaknesses."

The firelight of the lamps glimmered off the silver of the brush as Maleficent drew it along the dark midnight of her hair. She had reached close to midpoint, the curls and tangles smoothed away with each stroke, "For example, I know the good doctor Facilier is in service to some powerful beings. While I do not fancy the idea of challenging those beings, we could make it easier for Facilier to acquire the resources needed for his commitments to these beings... He would need us, to serve them... so to speak."

"To put it frankly, the only one whose loyalty I'm completely certain of is Judge Frollo"

"Ahh yes!" Maleficent laughed airily, her hands clasping the brush in between them in a little clap, "The dear deluded Judge. What a find that man was. So passionate and loyal. The only one who could ever hope to even come close to you," Maleficent paused and then looked over her shoulder at Crow, giving him what was almost a warm smile, "But only ever so slightly, my dear."

When the topic switched from Frollo to Nasira, Maleficent couldn't help but laugh even harder. She set aside the brush fully now, and turned in the seat to fully face him, "Nasira is indeed quite charming, but she isn't as true as you, my dear. And while Frollo may be my left hand, he can never replace you as my right."

Maleficent reached out her hand to Crow, beckoning him to her.

[Crow]

  It was stroking his ego, and they both knew it, but all the same Crow found himself sitting up just a little straighter when Her Excellency assured him of how irreplaceable he was. There was nothing wrong in enjoying the praise, even in jest, and Crow would've been lying if he said he didn't pride himself in being Maleficent's favorite.


  "As you will it, Mistress. I'll begin as soon as possible." It was his full intention to begin once this private meeting was over, but to reply with any iteration of 'I'll get started as soon as we're done here' would have been insulting. Moreover, she could have further orders for him that might take precedence.


  Maleficent's hand lifted towards him, and Crow obediently rose from his seat. He approached Her, quiet and composed, until he was standing at Maleficent's side by the vanity. Crow bowed, lifting the sultana's hand with his own, and with his free hand he reached for the mask on his face, and pushed it upward. There was always a brief, habitual moment of hesitation when he removed his guise. The less he could give to others, the better. But there was no one Crow trusted more wholly than Maleficent, and thankfully she already knew his face. With his mask out of the way, he brought Maleficent's hand to his lips and kissed it delicately.


  "Thank you... Mistress." He murmured softly, and returned the mask to where it belonged.