Sleeping Beauty's Daughters

by Diane Zahler

  “But I’m so tired,” I moaned. “Please let me rest my head on the table for a moment. Just a little nap . . .”

  Luna stamped her foot in frustration. “Have you forgotten Mama’s story? Your nap will last a hundred years! I’ll be in my grave when you wake”—I shuddered to hear it—“and my children will be as well. Stand up, Aurora, now!”

  She supported me as I struggled to my feet, wobbling unsteadily. Master Julien stepped forward, and Luna confronted him ferociously.

  “Get out of the way, you monster. My father will have your head for this!”

  Master Julien protested, “Princess Luna, I swear I have no idea what has happened. Please believe me. If something is wrong with your sister, you must let me help you. I beg you!”

  Luna gave my arm an extra pinch and focused her attention on the tutor. “Where did you get the quill pen?” she demanded.

  Baffled, he replied, “I always carry a pen with me. Your father said you did not use them, but I brought one for myself.” Then he thought for a moment. “No, wait,” he said. “I remember now. This pen I purchased in Vittray, on my journey here. I needed a new one—the point on mine was worn down.”

  “In . . . Vittray? From which shop?” I asked, the words emerging shakily. Vittray was the town nearest our palace, a bustling harbor and the seat of Papa’s government. He met with his councilors there and conducted the business of ruling his kingdom in a grand chamber on the town square. I didn’t know what shops the town had, for Luna and I had never been permitted to visit. But I had heard from Papa and from the servants that there were businesses of all sorts, selling and buying, sewing and cobbling, baking and brewing.

  “I did not buy it in a shop,” Master Julien recalled. “It was market day, and there was a stand in the square selling quills and inkpots and parchment. I believe there were stacks of books behind the counter as well.” His answer seemed genuine.

  “And who was the merchant?” Luna pressed him.

  His brow furrowed as he tried to remember. “It was a woman,” he said. “I could not tell how old she was. She wore the hood on her cloak up, and her face was in shadow. She sold me the quill and the ink at a good price. I had thought the feather especially fine. I’d never seen one like it before and could not resist. But . . .” He stopped uncertainly.

  I looked at Luna, and my lips quivered. “It was Manon, I’m sure of it,” I said in a near whisper.

  Luna turned back to Master Julien. “That old lady was a fairy, an evil fiend. She tricked you, you foolish man! Unless it is you yourself who is the wicked one, and all this is just a lie.”

  “It is no falsehood,” he replied firmly. “I am not a fairy but a human, a prince, and a teacher. That is all I am.” The simple words, and the way he said them, sounded like the truth.

  “My sister has been cursed,” Luna told him. “If she falls asleep, she will sleep for a century. We must keep her awake.”

  Our tutor’s eyes widened in disbelief, but then his face began to fade from my sight as my lids lowered. I yawned. I had never in my life felt so tired. Luna pinched me again, and I blinked.

  “I will be black and blue from head to foot,” I complained woozily.

  “We must get her walking!” Luna cried in desperation. She pulled me forward, and I stumbled after her as she forced me to walk the length of the room. Master Julien hurried after us.

  “Who put the curse on her, and when?” he demanded.

  “Our relative, a fairy named Manon, cursed her just after her birth,” Luna answered, dragging me around the table. “I’m sure she sold you the quill. She placed the same curse on our mother.”

  He gaped at her. “What are you saying? Do you mean that your mother slept for a hundred years?”

  Luna nodded, yanking me upward as I tried to sink into a chair.

  “Wait.” Master Julien stopped by the window to ponder. “There was a story I once heard about a princess enchanted in that way. It was an old tale, and I did not believe it . . . but could that possibly have been your mother?”

  “Possibly,” Luna said shortly. “The original curse was death, but it was reduced by another fairy, our great-great-great-godmother Emmeline.”

  I could feel myself slumping against Luna, and she poked me hard. The pain roused me, but it was Luna who let out a sudden gasp.

  “That’s it!” she cried. “We must find Emmeline and beg her to help us!”

  “But . . . ,” I began. My thought floated away, but I managed to retrieve it. “But we don’t know where she is.”

  “Perhaps Mama has some idea,” Luna said.

  “Mama said . . . she said her parents looked for Emmeline. They never found her,” I reminded her. “She may not even be alive—it all happened more than a hundred years ago!”

  “Fairies are immortal, or nearly so,” Master Julien said with certainty. “You must ask the king and queen where to find her.”

  That idea woke me a bit, and I looked at Luna with alarm. She knew what I was thinking.

  “We cannot tell them what has happened,” Luna said. “Mama will be overcome. This has been her greatest fear, her most terrible nightmare, since Aurora was born.”

  “But we must tell them!” Master Julien said. “Surely they will know what to do.”

  “No,” I protested, my tongue thick in my mouth. “Please, don’t force us to tell them. They’ve spent their whole lives trying to make sure we were safe. If they were to find out . . .” My voice trailed off.

  “And they will blame you,” Luna added rashly. “Papa will have you arrested. He will put you in the deepest dungeon. He will behead you!”

  “Luna, stop,” I said faintly. Master Julien paced the room, lost in thought, and Luna followed him, tugging me along behind. My feet kept tangling with each other, but Luna made sure I didn’t fall.

  Finally the tutor said, “Then you will have to find a way to ask your parents about your godmother as if it were an ordinary conversation. Surely they would not think it strange if you were curious about her.”

  Luna squeezed my hand tightly and said confidently, “I think they would not. It’s worth trying. But can you keep my sister awake until I return?”

  “We will keep walking,” Master Julien said.

  “No more pinching!” I begged, and he smiled at me, though his face was anxious.

  “I promise, Princess. Here, take my arm and walk with me. And hurry!” he directed Luna as she transferred my grip to his arm.

  “I shall,” Luna said, dashing away.

  Master Julien and I walked as we waited for her to return—miles, I was sure, around and around the room. My legs felt as if they had weights on them, and my feet dragged on the floor.

  “Princess,” he said, pulling me upright as I tripped on a rug, “how have you managed with this curse hanging over you all your life?”

  My thoughts moved like molasses inside my head. I had to reflect long before I replied. “I . . . I didn’t know about it until just the other day. And we grew up . . . we grew up protected. But we didn’t know why. It was just the way we lived. We saw nothing strange in it. There were no sharp objects. . . .” Then I forgot what I was saying.

  “Ah,” Master Julien said. “No knives to cut your meat. No lances for the guards at your gate. No pens—” He broke off.

  “No pens,” I agreed. “But that . . . that was not your fault.”

  I couldn’t tell how long it was before Luna burst back into the classroom, red-faced and panting. It felt like years had passed, ages of trying to stay awake.

  “Mama is almost sure that Emmeline is still alive!” she exclaimed. “But no one knows exactly where she lives. Years ago, there were rumors that she had hidden herself on an island. I had to stop asking, though—Mama got very pale and I was afraid she would faint again. That’s all I learned.”

  “That is rather vague,” Master Julien pointed out. “An island in a lake, or the sea? Or in a river, like the Lady of Shalott?”

  “The L
ady of who?” Luna snapped. “Look around you! Surely it’s an island in the sea.”

  “Luna, you are very ill-mannered,” I murmured. “You should remember the Lady of Shalott. She lived in a tower on an island and loved Sir Lancelot, and she was cursed . . . like me.” I tried again to sit, but Master Julien pulled me forward.

  “Oh, Aurora!” Luna cried frantically. “Master Julien, how shall we keep her awake?”

  The tutor stopped walking when he heard the tremor in her voice. “I’ve had an idea,” he said. “Do not despair, Princesses. There is an herb I have read of in my studies that is said to cause sleeplessness. I do not know how long it can be safely used, but it may help while we try to think of something. In the book I read, it was called devil’s shrub.”

  I shook my head. I had never heard of it.

  “It is a woody shrub that grows near cliffs. It has dark blue berries. Some may call it touch-me-not.”

  “Ah,” I said. “I know that plant. When Mama is tired and listless, Cook will sometimes brew tea from the roots for her. I believe there is some in the kitchen.”

  “If Master Julien asks for it, Cook will be less suspicious,” Luna said. I had to agree.

  “Very well, I’ll go,” Master Julien said. “I’ll tell her I have had a poor night’s sleep and need something to revive me. When I come back, we will try to make a plan.” He hurried from the room.

  The minute he was out of sight, Luna turned to me, her face eager. “Aurora, listen. As soon as you drink the devil’s shrub, we must leave.”

  I blinked. I couldn’t imagine what she was talking about.

  “We must find Emmeline!” she said. “We will go to the beach and find a boat and sail to her island. We will track her down and make her remove the curse!”

  “Why, you are mad!” There were so many parts of her plan that were wild and unworkable that I couldn’t think where to start picking it apart.

  “Perhaps I am,” she replied. “But still, we must try. Otherwise . . .”

  I flinched. Otherwise, indeed.

  “But how shall we get to the beach?” Sleep pressed on me more heavily every minute. “And what if there is no boat there? We cannot sail a boat. And we don’t know where Emmeline’s island is. Or—”

  “Stop,” Luna commanded. “We can’t bother about all that now. We must just go. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

  Her certainty was so powerful that I was swept away by it. Somewhere in my weary mind was the knowledge that I should take care of Luna and keep her from danger, not the other way around. But I had no strength to protest. “What of Mama and Papa?” I asked helplessly.

  “We’ll leave a note,” Luna said. “Hide it, but not too well. That way, when our disappearance is discovered . . .”

  “Poor Mama. She will be frantic!” Still, even in my dazed state I could see that Luna was right. I marveled at the way she took charge, when usually she couldn’t plan even an instant ahead.

  Master Julien came back into the classroom then. He carried a teapot and a single cup on a tray.

  “Cook made me some tea, and I removed the vial of devil’s shrub when her back was turned,” he said, showing us the little glass bottle. Luna took it and passed it to me. I held on to it tightly. The dark powder looked like dirt, but it was my lifeline.

  Master Julien poured the tea, and I drank a cupful quickly, burning my tongue. I grimaced at the taste. But the change was immediate. I could feel my back straightening and the color rushing to my cheeks. The fog in my head cleared away almost completely.

  “Oh, that’s much better!” I exclaimed. Luna clapped her hands, and Master Julien looked relieved.

  “I think that I should be the one to try to find Emmeline,” our tutor said then. “I will walk to Vittray myself and make inquiries. It would not be a good idea for you to come upon the woman who sold me that pen, but I can ask after her without arousing suspicion. Then, if I find her, perhaps I can force her to tell me where Emmeline’s island is. If anyone knows, it would be Manon.”

  Luna and I exchanged a glance. “Are you certain that is the best plan?” I asked.

  “I must do something,” Master Julien said. “It is my fault this curse has come to pass—my pen that caused it. I cannot sit by and let you suffer.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. We have no real choice,” Luna said. “We’ll wait here for your return.” I marveled at her coolness.

  “Can you keep your sister awake for a few hours while I am gone?” Master Julien asked Luna.

  “Of course I can,” Luna assured him. “I’ll give her more tea. We have the vial of devil’s shrub.”

  “Then I will get my cloak and be off. I will try to be back before nightfall.” Master Julien hurried from the room.

  “Well,” Luna said, looking after him, “if he finds Manon, she will probably turn him into a fish, or a turnip. For a man of superior learning, he’s not all that smart.” Then she turned swiftly to me and asked, “Do you know the ladder that leads down to the strand a few miles north of here?”

  “Mama and Papa have forbidden us ever to use it,” I pointed out. “They say it’s unsafe—and besides, it’s outside the palace wall.”

  “Oh, it’s not so bad,” she said lightly. It was clear from her tone that she had snuck out and tried the ladder herself. For once, I thought, Luna’s misbehavior might come in handy.

  I said, “Ah well, the old rules don’t matter much anymore, do they?”

  Luna stared at me. I knew it was as unlikely a statement as she could ever imagine me making, and it pleased me a little to shock her. Then she grinned and replied, “No, they don’t. Let us break the rules and descend the perilous steps and find our great-great-great-godmother Emmeline, Sister!”

  7

  Of a Desperate Descent

  We threw the pen that had pierced my finger onto the fire in the classroom fireplace, where it burned with an unnatural, multicolored flame. Taking up a piece of chalk, I started to write the note for Mama and Papa. It was hard to find the right words. In truth, I knew that it didn’t really matter. Our parents would be utterly distraught no matter what I wrote. But I settled on this:

  Dearest Mama and Papa,

  By now you know we have gone, but please do not be afraid. We seek Emmeline, for the curse has come true in some small part. I am awake, though, and hope Emmeline can keep me so. I know you will worry, and I am sorry. All will be well.

  Your devoted daughter,

  Aurora

  As I wrote, Luna gathered materials that she thought might be useful on our journey. “We can’t go off looking like this,” she said, pointing at our elegant satin dresses. “People will know who we are—or at least wonder, and ask. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves, do we?”

  “No indeed!” I replied. “But all our dresses are silk or satin or velvet, and finely made.”

  “I shall steal some clothes from the maids,” Luna said nonchalantly.

  “Luna!” I reproached her. “We can’t steal—it would be wrong!” I felt ridiculous as soon as the words left my mouth. What a prig I was!

  Untroubled, Luna said, “I have some coins. I’ll leave them as payment. Will that do?”

  “I suppose it will.” I wondered where she had gotten the coins—but I knew that it was best not to ask.

  Luna soon returned from the maids’ quarters with her bounty, and she and I hurried to our bedchambers to change, agreeing to meet back in the classroom. I slipped on the coarse gray woolen dress she’d found for me. It was rather itchy and ill-fitting, and I looked frightful in it. It did have pockets, though, which I quite liked. None of my own dresses did, and I had always thought they would be useful for holding a pretty stone found on a walk or a sliver of tart from the kitchen. I slipped the vial of devil’s shrub into one of the dress pockets; I wanted to keep it close. Even now I could feel Sleep reaching out from the corner where I had pushed it.

  I braided my hair tightly and covered it with a kerchief, s
o its golden color wouldn’t attract attention. Though the day was warm, I put on the servant’s cloak Luna had brought me, for I knew the sea breeze could be cold at night.

  When Luna reached the classroom in her borrowed outfit, I stared at her in shock. Instead of a maid’s garb, she had taken the clothes of one of the smaller manservants. She wore breeches, a tunic, and soft boots. A little cap sat atop her short curls. Now she truly did look like a boy—a very pretty, spirited boy. It was clear that this was her intent, for she laughed at my stunned expression and twirled around.

  “I had no idea!” she crowed. “Men are so free—no heavy skirts to pull them down and catch on things, no tight bodices to squeeze the breath from their lungs! I shall dress in breeches from now on!”

  I reached out, straightened her cap, and replied, “Ah, but someday you might find those skirts and bodices useful in their own way.”

  “I doubt that,” Luna retorted cheerfully. She handed me a bundle of food she had taken from the kitchen, and then shouldered her pack, which she had stuffed with more clothing and utensils she thought we might use.

  “I can carry the pack,” I said. “I am older, after all.”

  “You carry the weight of your enchantment,” Luna replied soberly. “That is a heavier burden than mine.” Her words surprised me with their thoughtfulness—but they were true, for Sleep pressed down on me like a stone.

  I slid the slate with the note I had written under a Latin text on the table, knowing that when our absence was discovered, Mama and Papa would come to the last place we had been—the classroom—to look for us. I was sure they would search everywhere. I didn’t want them to discover the note soon enough to follow and stop us, but I did want them to find it.

  And then we set out.

  Of course it was not as simple as strolling down the drive to the road. We didn’t want to be observed, for one thing. The guards at the gate would never let us leave without our parents. And the palace grounds were surrounded by a great stone wall, far taller than any man. The wall started at the cliffs on one side of the palace, made a vast semicircle around it, and ended at the cliffs on the other side. There were acres of land within it, so its presence had never bothered me. In the past, I had never wanted to go farther than the gardens or the small forest it enclosed. Now the wall was a problem, but Luna knew what to do.