Fairy Tales Retold
Page 9
I stepped forward, taking one last look at the king and queen. They had no idea what they had gotten themselves into. They held so much hope for the little child and all the possibilities of the future. I was about to take that all away.
It brought me no joy to do what I had to do. Someone had to protect the kingdom and that task fell on my shoulders. I was Milly, the fairy that would change everything.
I raised my magic wand high in the air, bracing myself for what was to come. I had granted thousands of wishes before, but there was something so different about this one. It felt wrong in my heart but I knew it was right in my mind.
It was time, I could not delay it a moment longer. The princess was quite exquisite, her little rosy face would ensure she grew into a beautiful young woman. A very dangerous young woman.
“Princess Aurora, before the sun sets on your sixteenth birthday, you will prick your finger on a spinning wheel. When that happens, I give you the gift of death.”
As the words escaped my mouth, a collective gasp rang out in the otherwise whisper quiet nursery. My fellow fairies were stunned into stillness, unable to move.
The king, however, could move very easily. He raised one shaking hand and pointed it directly at me. “Seize her!” He bellowed as the queen sobbed at his side.
Guards ran for me, I allowed them to capture my arms. I just needed some time to explain to them my actions and then it would be clear why I had to do what I did. For death was a gift to the fair Princess Aurora, they just didn’t realize it yet.
“You have to let me explain!”
“Silence! You have cursed my daughter to an early death. How could you do that to us, Milly?” The king stared at me, his nostrils flaring with rage.
“I had to do it-”
“Do not say another word or I will have your head rolling on the floor.”
I kept my mouth shut, I knew the king did not make empty threats and was hotheaded. He would carry out his punishment before I even got to say another word.
The king and queen turned back to the other three fairies. “Mary,” the queen started desperately. “Please save our daughter. Use your gift to help us.”
The fairy dithered as she started to formulate her gift. I couldn’t let that happen, not when there was so much at stake. “Mary, no! The princess has to die, she cannot live once she is of age.”
“Get her out of here,” the king ordered. The guards complied as they started dragging me toward the door. I couldn’t leave, not like this and not with the entire fate of the kingdom in the hands of one confused fairy.
“No, Mary. Your Majesties, let me explain. There is so much you don’t know.”
But I was too late. The last words I heard before I left were from Mary. “Dear child, on your sixteenth birthday, you will not die but fall fast asleep. You shall stay asleep only until you receive a kiss from your one true love. Then you will awaken once again and break the curse. I give you the gift of a second chance.”
The stupid fairy, always going on about true love and soul mates. She had just doomed the kingdom to meet its grisly end, along with all those who lived here. Stupid, stupid, fairy.
CHAPTER2
The king banished me from the kingdom that same day. He knew there was no way his human-made dungeons could hold a fairy so he didn’t even try to pretend. I always respected the king for that, which was why I found it so difficult causing him so much pain.
I never got a chance to tell them why I had cursed Aurora, because they did see it as a curse. I saw it as a gift, not only to the princess but to the kingdom too. Aurora could not be permitted to survive into adulthood.
Two days before the birth, I had been flying through the enchanted forest when I had encountered a wise old man. He was bent over with age, his face wore a thousand wrinkles. With his white glazed eyes intent on me, he had given me a warning.
When the princess came of age, she was to cause the downfall of the kingdom. He didn’t know what she was going to do, but he foresaw many deaths, destruction, and chaos. To spare thousands of lives, the one had to be sacrificed.
I begged the old man for an alternative, a solution that would spare the princess. But there were none. The future could only be changed by ensuring she would not come of age. There was something evil, ugly, about the princess that everyone was too enamored to see. Everyone would be too blinded by her beauty to see the real her.
For two whole days I wondered if I would be brave enough to save the kingdom. Only when I was in that room, looking down at the infant, did I know for sure. I had to be strong, the fairy I was, and take action.
In hindsight, I should have told Fern, Petal, and Mary about the old man and his warning. I should have let them in on the plan so we could stand united. However, I didn’t trust them to keep the secret. If they had told the king what I was planning, I wouldn’t have been allowed near the child. And I needed to be near her or my gift would not have worked.
It was a mess, but a necessary one. If only Mary had not used her gift to change mine. Now, the kingdom was still at risk of being plunged into darkness. My work was far from over.
I spent the next sixteen years in a constant state of distress. All I could think about was the old man and his words of warning. To make it worse, I could not find Aurora anywhere.
Since the night of her birth, she had been placed into hiding. I had not seen her or my fellow fairies since. I was certain they were hiding her, but I had no proof. I could not get back into the kingdom to explain myself, and I could not find the evil girl.
My only friends were some birds that had taken pity on me when they heard me explain my story. They volunteered to fly high over the kingdom every day, searching for Aurora. It became our life’s mission.
I lived in a cave on the outskirts of the kingdom. I had no friends except my birds and I was so lonely I could barely suffer it. I missed my old life, but at the same time, I knew what I was doing was noble. Someone had to protect the kingdom and fate had somehow decided that it should be me.
I counted down the days until the princess’s sixteenth birthday. When it was only one day away, I gathered my courage and travelled to the palace. I needed to warn the king and queen, if nothing else.
I did not expect to be welcomed with open arms. However, I thought they might have calmed down enough to at least hear me out. My words were important, they had to hear them eventually.
The palace guards blocked my entrance. In my panic, I started yelling. “You have to listen to me. This kingdom is doomed if Aurora is permitted to live.”
“Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage?” The guard asked me as he held a sword to my throat. The blade glinted against my skin, threatening to cut me at any moment. That was the kind of welcome I had expected.
“They need to know the truth.”
“They already do. Now get out of here before I am forced to kill you.” He sneered at me, his rotten teeth gnashing together. My birds smelt better than he did.
I caught a glimpse of the king as he crossed the courtyard inside. “Your Majesty! Please, let me explain. Aurora is evil, you cannot let her live! Please, tomorrow is her birthday.”
For a moment, just a mere moment, we locked eyes. The king had grown weary and aged in the sixteen years since I had seen him. He was battle scared, his heart heavy. It would only get worse after the following day.
He shook his head, it was such a small movement that I barely saw it. He continued walking as if he had not heard or seen me. He would regret that, for I was only trying to do the right thing.
I was unceremoniously dumped outside the kingdom by the guard. “Don’t come back or I will personally make sure you spend the rest of your filthy life in the dungeon.”
I stood up and wiped away the mud from my dress. I watched him leave, knowing he would regret his threat the moment the old man’s wise words came true. Aurora was going to be the ruin of the kingdom and it looked like all I could do was stand back and watch.
“Milly, Milly,” the bird squawked as it settled on my shoulder. “I have found her. I have found the fair Princess Aurora.”
Or perhaps there was a lot more I could do than stand back and watch. It was time to save the kingdom and everyone in it.
CHAPTER 3
I followed the crow from the kingdom limits into the forest. He led me through the thick trees, his black feathers flapping on his elegant wings. We travelled for many miles, never slowing our pace. I was determined to see the princess with my own eyes and would let nothing get in the way.
The crow landed on a pile of boulders. “Down there, look.” He pointed his wing to behind the rocks. I peered over carefully, ensuring I wouldn’t be seen by that whom I was seeking.
I saw her. She was lovely, as beautiful as Fern had gifted her to be. Her long golden hair shined under the sun’s light, her delicate frame pranced through the trees like she was made out of wispy clouds, and her voice tinkled like a perfectly tuned bell.
Aurora was enchanting, to say it simply. The cute little baby had grown into a beautiful young woman. But, more importantly, my sixteen year long search was finally over.
“Are you sure it is her?” The bird asked.
There was no doubt in my mind. “Her fairy mark, it is still on her ankle. Only those gifted by a fairy bears them and she has four.” The little marks, barely more than a speck from this distance, were each shaped like a heart. Together, the four resembled a four leaf clover. Unless you knew what you were looking at, you would never have known what they were.
I watched for some time as Aurora gathered flowers and berries from the forest. She was talking nonsense to some animals as they pretended to listen. She was probably trying to recruit them for her evil plans.
The birds, rabbits, mice, and squirrels scuttled around her as she moved. They hung on her every word, their doe eyes looking at her like she was their wonderful leader. A pang of jealously ran through me at the way she had so many friends. Even if they were only forest animals.
As she passed another tree, she stumbled across some clothes. They were men’s, a cape and some boots. How strange for them to be lying about in the forest. My curiosity was certainly sparked, as was hers.
Aurora’s animals helped her pick them up. She danced about with the cape, pretending it was a real person. I wanted to roll my eyes, it seemed far too fanciful a thing to do. Especially when she was about the take over the kingdom.
She was singing something about a dream, once upon a dream or something like that. Her voice was so quiet I could barely hear it.
She and I both heard the footsteps of a horse at the same time. Our heads shot around in the same direction as she stopped mid-dance.
I stood, ready and poised to make my attack at any moment. I could not let the princess out of my sight and I could not let anyone else have her. No-one understood the importance of keeping her from the kingdom like I did.
The grey horse galloped into the clearing and stopped immediately the moment it spotted Aurora. Sitting astride the steed was a handsome man, probably no older than Aurora herself.
He quickly climbed down from his horse. “Madam, I am sorry to interrupt you. Your dance was so lovely, I had to see it up close.”
Aurora blushed with a rosy glow to her cheeks as she bowed to him. “Sir, I am sorry to have interrupted your ride. I shall be leaving now.”
“No, don’t go.”
She stopped in her stride and turned to face him once again. “Why not?”
“I wish to talk to you, get to know you better. Please stay.” He bowed to her deeply. It was almost sickening to watch. He was only going to be pulled into her horrible plans for the kingdom.
“Okay, I will stay,” Aurora replied shyly. He held out his hand for her to take. She slid hers in carefully. They started a dance around the forest floor, their feet as graceful as a swan.
The man spun Aurora around and around in circles to the sound of her laughter. Their dance could easily have been done in the royal palace and they would not have seemed out of place. Both of them moved with the elegance of a thousand stars and moons.
When the music they could only hear in their heads ceased, they came to a stop. It took a few moments for them to both regain their breath as they looked into one another’s eyes. It almost felt wrong watching them, like I was intruding on a private moment. They may only have just met, but it appeared their souls already knew each other. Probably for many thousands of years.
They started to speak with each other in soft tones but I couldn’t watch anymore. I could not interfere with their private meeting. I sat down behind the rocks and closed my eyes for a moment.
I needed to work out my plan. It was less than one day until she came of age and the wise old man’s words still echoed in my thoughts. She had to be stopped and it was all down to me to do it.
I waited there all afternoon while they talked about dreams and wishes and other nonsense. I was patient right up until the man finally mounted his horse and watched as Aurora left his company. I stood and followed her, determined not to let her get away again.
She pranced through the forest like she didn’t have a care in the world. If I didn’t know what a cold heart she had, I would have thought she was a girl newly in love. But I knew better, I knew the real Aurora. She couldn’t fool me.
Before too long, Aurora led me straight to a little cottage hidden amongst the trees and rocks of the forest. As she went inside, I found a window to peer through. I stayed low, making sure to keep out of sight.
My fellow fairies were hurrying about in a frenzy inside. They were making a dress, arguing over what color it should be. Fern was making a cake, presumably a birthday cake for Aurora. They were each making a terrible mess as they threw an impromptu party for the princess. It seemed to delight her anyway.
I missed the fairies. They had barely changed in appearance since I last saw them so many years ago. I truly wished our circumstances had been different so we didn’t need to hide from each other.
We had grown up together, for two hundred years we had been the best of friends. I regretted not telling them about the wise old man, but I still understood the reasons why I had not. Someone had to make the terrible decision that I had, I would not have wanted to burden them with it.
After giving Aurora her cake and presenting her with the dress, the fairies sat her down to have a discussion. It looked serious, my ears had to strain to hear what they had to say.
“You are a princess, Briar Rose,” Petal said gently. Briar Rose? I guessed that was what they were calling her to protect her true identity. It was a pretty name, almost as nice as Princess Aurora.
“I don’t understand,” she replied, shaking her perfect little head and making her golden mane shimmer in the fading light.
“You were cursed by a wicked fairy when you were born,” Fern explained – lying her butt off. “We had to hide you or her curse would come true. But tomorrow you will be sixteen, and providing nothing happens before sundown, the curse won’t come true.”
“A curse? A wicked fairy? This all sounds so horrible,” Aurora said, still trying to take it all in. Perhaps I should have stopped her earlier, done the explaining myself. At least she would have the real facts then.
“It’s the truth,” Mary insisted. “And tomorrow we will take you to the palace so you can claim your position on the royal throne. There will be a big celebration for your return.”
“A party? For me?” Aurora asked.
“Just for you,” Petal said. “Everyone is going to be so happy to see you. The kingdom will rejoice in happiness and love for your return.”
They s
at and ate the cake between them. I hoped it tasted better than it looked because it was a mishmash of colors and probably flavors too.
As they discussed the palace and Aurora’s parents, she asked a million questions. Her excitement at returning home grew and grew until she was almost jumping out of her skin.
I wasn’t nearly as excited. All I could think of was that I could not let her reclaim her position on the royal throne. She had to die before sundown tomorrow. It would only be over my dead body that Aurora could take control over the kingdom.
CHAPTER 4
I had continued my vigil all night so they would not escape from me again. In the few times I had napped, the crow had taken over the silent watching. Sleeping on the forest floor was not ideal, but it was barely any different from my own cave.
When the fairies took Aurora on the trek to the palace, my heart hammered in my chest. It was time for me to take action. Soon, sixteen years of waiting and worrying would come to an end. Once I had disposed of Aurora, the kingdom would be safe once again and I could rest easy. Everyone would understand why I had to do it once they heard me out.
I considered making my attack along the way, ambush them in the enchanted forest while there were no guards around. However, Fern, Petal, and Mary each had their wands with them. My single wand would be no match for their combined power. I would lose my opportunity to stop Aurora and I could not risk that. I had to be patient and bide my time until she was alone. I knew I would get my opportunity, I just had to wait for it to appear before me.
I continued to keep my distance while they made their way to the royal palace. I didn’t bother trying to get in the front gate, I knew they wouldn’t allow me to enter. Instead, I found the back door, the one so old it was almost forgotten. Little did they know what a good memory I had. And little did they know how foolish it was to keep it unlocked.
I crept into the palace and stalked through all the secret passageways I could find. There were dozens of the tunnels built into the place, all there to help keep the royal family safe. Which is exactly what I was using them for.