Fairy Tales Retold

by Jamie Campbell

  Aurora was welcomed with much fanfare over her triumphant return. The people of the kingdom practically fell over themselves in accommodating her. I could only shake my head at their naiveté. They wouldn’t be so happy if they knew what I did.

  No-one was happier to see the princess than her parents. The king and queen enveloped her with hugs and kisses. They attempted to make up for the sixteen years of her life they had missed. My guilt at keeping them apart was starting to creep in, but I had to believe I was acting in the best interest of the kingdom. Still, my heart wasn’t made of stone like they wanted to believe.

  The celebrations came to a head with a feast. The king put on a regal spread of food, wine, and entertainment for his daughter. He had invited another king and queen to join them. I wasn’t entirely sure why, but I suspected they probably had a son who needed a wife. That’s normally why royal families socialized. Aurora was of age now, ready to be married and unite two kingdoms.

  Aurora sat with her parents, the fairies mingling with the other guests. She didn’t look happy. In fact, she was probably the saddest I had seen her since glimpsing her for the first time the day before.

  I moved along the corridor, desperate to hear what they were discussing. If nothing but to satisfy my own curiosity, I had to know.

  “You will like my son, Princess,” the visiting king said. So I was right after all, they were trying to play matchmaker. Seriously, could nobody see through her act to view the evil child inside?

  “My heart has already been stolen by another,” Aurora sighed. Either she was lying, or she was talking about the man in the forest. I couldn’t be sure which.

  “But he is a prince, you will love him. I can assure you, he will be a very good match for you.”

  Her father tried to salvage the conversation that was quickly going south. “Princess Aurora would be glad to have your son’s hand in marriage. I can assure you, the match will happen.”

  “But, I can’t. I am in love already.”

  “You will do as you are told, my dear.”

  She looked on the verge of tears. I almost felt sorry for her. She had appeared so happy in the forest yesterday. But, as I knew all too well, a lot could happen in the span of just one day.

  Aurora huffed away from the table the moment it was polite, taking the stairs faster than a princess should. I shadowed her in the secret corridors, all the way up to the highest point in the palace. I had no idea what she was doing, hiding from her future was my best guess.

  She wept openly once she was alone. Considering it might have been my only chance to take action before she was found, I needed to do something. And I needed to do it quickly.

  I stepped out of the secret door, surprising Aurora as her head snapped up to look at me. Her cheeks were tearstained, her eyes puffy and red. She didn’t even try to hide evidence of her sobbing.

  “Who are you? What are you doing here?” She asked me, never averting her eyes once.

  “I am Milly, a fairy. I have known you since the day you were born,” I replied, as calmly as I could. I didn’t want to startle her and cause guards to come running. It was my only chance to do what I had waited to do for so long.

  The dusty spinning wheels behind her suddenly caught my attention. The day I had given the princess my gift, all the spinning wheels in the kingdom had been confiscated. Apparently they weren’t all burned like I had suspected, but a few had been stored at the top of the palace. My plan was coming together nicely. Almost like it was supposed to be.

  “If you have known me since I was born, how come I do not know you?” Her eyes were as big as saucers as she stared at me. Her intense gaze was disconcerting. I had to stay focused on my plan or I would be beguiled like everyone else.

  “Because the other fairies tried to hide you from me. You see, Aurora, you are not an ordinary princess. You are quite special.”

  “Special, how?”

  “You were spoken of in a prophecy.”

  She shook her sad little head. “I did not even know I was a princess until last night. Now they are trying to make me marry someone I do not know. And you say I am in a prophecy? I am so confused.”

  Suddenly, the door to the room burst open. Fern, Petal, Mary, the king and the queen all barged in. One look at us and they started shouting for Aurora to get away from me. I stood still, rolling my eyes until they got it all out of their system.

  “She is wicked,” Petal said. “Get away from her immediately. She only wants to harm you, my dear child.”

  “How dare you! How did you get in here?” The king demanded. I wasn’t going to waste my breath by answering, he never listened to a word I said anyway. For the past sixteen years my voice had fallen on deaf ears and wasn’t likely to change anytime soon.

  Aurora stood by the wall, her face a picture of confusion as she looked at us all. It was almost difficult to believe she could be the same girl as the wise old man had spoken of. Almost – I knew evil wore many faces.

  Before she could decide who to trust, Aurora slipped. Her hands shot out to break her fall as she landed on the spinning wheel. She pricked her finger in one accidental movement and it dripped with blood. Before the red liquid could reach the floor, she fell over and beat it to the ground.

  Everyone raced to Aurora’s side, cradling her on the floor as she fell fast asleep. Mary’s gift had kicked in, saving her from the death of my gift. If only I had gone last, my work would have been done now. Aurora would be dead and the kingdom would be saved.

  “Princess, no!” Fern and Petal cried out in unison.

  The queen raced for Aurora and cradled her in her arms. She wept for the second time for the loss of her daughter. It was heartbreaking to watch, it wasn’t like it was the queen’s fault she had given birth to the person who would cause the downfall of the kingdom. Nobody would wish that on anyone.

  “Get out of here, now!” The king ordered me. There was no point in hanging around. I would stay close and wait for the moment they left the princess alone. Then I would slip in and ensure my gift was seen through to the end. Being asleep was not good enough for my liking. Not when the kingdom and all its people were at stake.

  Fern, Petal, and Mary followed me out. We stood in the secret corridor, glaring at each other. If Mary had trusted me sixteen years ago, it would all be over by now.

  “Why, oh why, are you so horrid, Milly?” Fern asked, a kind of wailing whine escaping her mouth. To say she was upset would have been an understatement.

  “I am not horrid, if you would only listen to me, I can explain everything. Then you will be sorry for stopping me,” I said haughtily. I was just as upset as they were but I could not let it show. I had to be strong so they would take me seriously.

  Petal tapped her foot on the floor. “Well, tell us then. I can’t wait to hear this.” They each crossed their arms over their chests, they couldn’t have looked more impatient if they tried.

  I took a deep breath, happy I could finally share the truth with them. “Just before Aurora’s birth, a wise old man foretold that she would cause the downfall of the kingdom. Thousands would die and everything would be lost. If I didn’t see the princess dead, then everyone was still at risk.”

  I waited for understanding, perhaps even apologies from the other fairies. Apparently I would have been waiting for a very long time.

  They burst into laughter. My face reddened with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. “Do not laugh at me, I am telling the truth!”

  “The princess is as sweet as can be, she could never hurt anyone,” Mary said through giggles. “You are sadly mistaken, Milly, just like you always are.”

  “And now we have to clean up your mess, just like we always do,” Fern added. Their laughter died down as they remembered the seriousness of the situation.

  “What shall we do with the sleeping princess?” Petal asked. “The only thing that can wake her is a kiss from her one true love.”

  I had an upper hand there. They did not know
about the man Aurora had met in the forest. But I did. I knew the face of her one true love and I would be able to find him. I could stop him from kissing her, I could stop him ever seeing her again. A new plan was forming in my mind.

  “We must put the entire kingdom to sleep,” Fern said. “Then nobody will have to grieve for her and time will stand still. When she awakens, we can awaken everyone else and it will be like nothing ever happened.” It sounded absurd to me, but they wouldn’t listen to my objections, no doubt.

  I slipped out while they were finalizing their plans. They were going to fly around the entire kingdom and cast a sleeping spell. Everyone would fall into a deep sleep where they stood, slumping to the ground to rest indefinitely. The kingdom would come to a complete standstill and time would cease to exist. And they thought my plan was horrible.

  CHAPTER5

  I hurried to the fairies’ cottage in the woods, knowing the man from the forest would be seeking Aurora there. He would be unable to keep away, not with the way he was looking at her the previous day. I would capture him to ensure he could never kiss the sleeping beauty. He would never see her again.

  I didn’t have to wait long. His grey horse trotted up to the door and he dismounted. Knocking politely on the door, I answered it, flashing my most welcoming smile.

  “Hello, Sir.”

  “Madam.” He bowed deeply. He was even more handsome up close. “I am seeking a girl, one more beautiful than the sun and sweeter than any forest berry.”

  “You have come to the right place,” I replied. I grabbed his wrist and flashed my wand. In a moment quicker than the blink of an eye, we were in my house. It was merely a cave with rooms carved out over time, but it was my home nonetheless.

  “Let go of me.” The man struggled in my grasp but I had fairy magic to bind him. I locked him in one of the rooms, it would be his prison for many years to come. Perhaps even forever.

  “You should keep your mouth closed,” I warned him. “You are not going anywhere. And I need to sleep. It has been a terribly long day.”

  I left him some food and water before retreating to my own room. I needed some rest or I would not have the strength to be able to return to the kingdom and finish what I had started.

  I fell asleep imagining the faces of all the citizens. They would be at peace for now, unaware of what danger they are in. But not for much longer, the kingdom would soon be safe once again.

  When I opened my eyes the next morning, I knew something was not right. There were noises, sounds that should not exist within my home. And they weren’t all coming from the man that was my hostage.

  I jumped out of bed, fear coursing through my blood. I made it to the central cavern just in time to see the man escaping, along with Fern, Petal, and Mary. My fellow fairies were going to be the death of me.

  “Stop! You cannot take him,” I called out, trying to be as loud and assertive as possible. Fairies didn’t like being yelled at, they briefly cowered to my words.

  “He must kiss the princess,” Petal replied defiantly. “He is her one true love.”

  My wand was poised and ready to strike, but I could not use it against them. My heart would not let me. “How did you even know to come here for him? You did not know of his encounter with Aurora.”

  “He is Prince Philip,” Fern said. “His father reported him missing and we knew only one person was wicked enough to take him.”

  I hated the fact they still thought I was wicked. “But you don’t know he is Aurora’s one true love.”

  “We do now,” Mary said pointedly. “Before you just confirmed it, we only had a hunch. Thank you very much, Milly.”

  One flick of my wand, that was all it would take to knock them to the ground. I reconsidered my moral stance on the topic.

  All of a sudden, the prince lunged for me. The fairies had provided him with weapons. In the few moments it took for him to reach me, I recognized his shield with the royal crest, and the sword known to all as the Sword of Truth. I ducked at the last moment to avoid being slashed.

  I clutched at my wand, firing it at him to trap the prince in a protective bubble. He was bound by fairy magic, unable to move. “Do not hurt me,” I ordered him. “I am only trying to save the kingdom.”

  “So am I. The princess is the future of the kingdom, she must be awoken,” he said valiantly. Poor, naïve child that he was.

  “She is the downfall of the kingdom. If you wake her up, she will destroy every living soul. The wise man predicted it so it shall be done.”

  “She will do no such thing,” he insisted. I gave him points for being loyal, at least. “My Aurora is pure and true. She could do no harm to anyone.”

  His words cut through me just as his sword might have. For Prince Philip was holding the sword of truth. And that meant he could not tell a lie.

  My world spun around me. Could it really be true? That I had been so wrong about Aurora for the past sixteen years? I thought back to the chance encounter I had had with the wise old man. He was so clear, and so sincere in his words. How could I have gotten it so wrong? How could he?

  All I had done. All the terrible things. I had cursed the princess with death, she was saved only by Mary who gifted her after me. What horrible thing would I have done if I had been the last to gift her? I would not be able to live with myself. I could barely live with myself now.

  I stumbled against the wall, I needed to clutch at it to hold myself up. I was breaking down in front of them, my heart pounding with the consequences of my actions. I did not deserve the king’s mercy.

  Everything bad that was happening within the kingdom was now because of me. All due to my misguided belief that Aurora was the evil one. As it turned out, I was the one wicked enough to do the damage. I was a wicked fairy, it was true.

  There was only one thing I could do. I had to save Aurora and it must be done immediately. “We must go, we might not be too late.”

  Fern stood in front of me. “You are not coming to rescue the princess.”

  “I must. I have to make amends.”

  The three of them exchanged glances, the prince still in his bubble. I looked at them forlornly, trying to convey how sorry I was with my expression. Surely they had to understand why I must do this. I could not leave Aurora to perish when it was my fault she was in that situation.

  They talked amongst themselves in whispers, so quietly I could not hear what they were saying. I crossed my fingers, holding my breath until they were finished.

  “Fine, you can come,” Fern said. “But you must do as we say or we will use our wands.”

  “And you must give us your wand,” Petal added. I duly complied and handed over my only protection. I was now completely powerless against my fellow fairies.

  They freed Prince Philip from his bubble prison and we left the cave that I called my home. It was time to save the princess.

  CHAPTER6

  It was eerily silent and still in the kingdom. With all the citizens fast asleep where they lay, there wasn’t a murmur or whisper to be heard.

  We headed directly for the palace and the sleeping beauty known as Aurora. The fairies had placed her in the great hall, surrounding her with flowers and laying her out as if she had just fallen asleep only moments ago.

  She looked peaceful as she slept, so innocent. I still could only wonder how I had thought her to be so evil for so many years. My belief had lain with the wise old man, where I should have believed in her. I would never allow myself to be forgiven for what I had done.

  Prince Philip hurried toward Aurora. He grasped her hand, muttering and declaring his love for her. They looked as star-crossed as they had in the forest. It had been love at first sight, a beautiful, pure love.

  “You must kiss her,” Mary prompted. “Only a kiss from her one true love will awaken her and break the curse.” She shot me a pointed look at the mention of the curse. Apparently I would be apologizing for the rest of my life. It was what I deserved.

  “What about
if I am not her one true love?” The prince asked, never taking his eyes off the princess.

  “Oh, but you are.”

  He waited a few more moments as he tenderly stroked her face. I wished he would just get it over and done with. I needed to know Aurora would be okay and the suspense was killing me.

  Finally, Prince Philip leaned down and his lips found hers. They kissed, a soft, gentle kiss that would have made the princess blush had she been awake.

  We watched and waited, my heart in my throat. Not a sound could be heard as we all held our breaths. The moments that passed felt like days, dragging out seemingly into eternity.

  Aurora’s eyelids fluttered. I thought at first I may have been seeing things. But then it happened again. Her eyes flew open as she looked up into her true love’s face.

  “She’s awake!” Fern gasped. As the words escaped her lips, all the sleeping bodies in the room started to stir. The king, the queen, the guards, and no doubt the entire kingdom was waking up to the news that their princess was alive.

  I felt tears stinging my eyes. I had not succeeded in harming the sleeping beauty and I had never been so happy to fail at anything in my life before. She was as sweet and pure as freshly made honey, she could never cause the downfall of the kingdom. The wise old man had been wrong. Just as I had been to believe him.

  “My love, you are awake,” Prince Philip said, kind of stating the obvious.

  “My handsome sir, you have found me. But how?” She asked. He helped her to sit up as she took in all those around her.

  “The fairies brought me to you.”

  The king hurried over to join his daughter. “Aurora, you are okay! And you have met Prince Philip.”

  Aurora’s eyes darted between the two men. “Prince Philip? This is the man you requested I marry?”

  “The very one.”

  Prince Philip looked at her lovingly, it made my heart swell to see them so tender together. Perhaps Mary was right, true love really did exist. “And I shall very much like to marry you, my love. If you will let me?”