Sleeping Beauty (Faerie Tale Collection) (2 page)

The king smiled and patted him on the back. “I’m not discussing spiders or girls here. I’m talking about something much more terrifying in your eyes. In fact, I know you would change color at this moment if I were to speak of it, so lifeless and cold would you become.”

Darién pulled away laughing and began to head back toward the castle. “There is nothing you could say that would frighten me. Nothing.” He glanced back and waited for his friend to catch up to him. “Though, I am very curious what you believe you have got against me. Indeed this may be the most intriguing thing I’ve come upon all morning.”

“Should I tell you then?” asked the king as he stepped in stride with the prince.

“Oh, most definitely; you look too sure of yourself, I must take that smirk off your face. So out with it, man—do your best! I dare you to find something that would startle me.”

Michael’s grin grew. Truly, Darién was too easy to bait sometimes. He may be the better swordsman, but his own pride got too much in the way of rational thinking. Hesitating only a moment or two, he went ahead and satisfied his young friend. It was time the man realized he was not invincible—at least not when it came to things of a bone-chilling nature. “Ghosts, Darién. You have and will always be decidedly against the visitations of anything of the spiritual, ghouly, phantom, or specter realm—the realm of the dead.”

The king watched Darién’s face pale as his feet stalled, before continuing, “And no matter how old you or I become, that night of our first haunting will forever ring through my memories. And you, boy, would be a fool to deny such aversions.” His voice grew low and sinister just to guarantee the prince squirmed. “To deny it only warrants their return even more…”

CHAPTER TWO

EZRALON STOOD AND SHOOK out his snowy white mane, allowing the soft folds of his hair to settle gently against his neck and back. His horn shone for a moment as he stretched his aching limbs, it glistened of purest silver before diminishing to its normal brilliant white. The sleeping girl at his side stirred, and then curled upon a shimmery blanket against the soft leaves of the forest floor below him.

He looked down and watched the rise and fall of her shoulders marveling at the long tendrils of chestnut curls that wound their way down her back. She was quite simply the most beautiful human woman he had ever known to exist. It was her biggest downfall, that loveliness of hers, which is why he had to keep her protected; why he was determined to hide her away from the world until she had someone who could do the job better than he.

The unicorn sighed and walked a few steps away from the sleeping girl to drink the water from the river. It was perhaps unethical to do what he was doing, keeping her here alone and sheltered in a state of endless sleep, instead of allowing her to live her life, no matter how detrimental it would prove to be, but he simply could not risk losing her. Not now, not to the evil that waits and lurks within the wings to have a moment to pounce upon her. This enchanted queen was too valuable to those who desired her wealth, beauty, and power; and too priceless to those who knew she was their only hope of saving the kingdom.

No, he most likely was not in the right, but Queen Aleyna was needed greater than any mortal woman had ever been needed and so he secured her in this perfected slumbering world, trapped between a ghostly dream and sleeping reality, so she would not awake until it was time. Thus he and all those who needed her most would not lose her to the dark abyss awaiting.

Ezralon walked back from the water and checked the ground surrounding her to make sure Aleyna’s area was warm and dry, he concentrated a moment on the air to ensure its safety qualities and to make sure it kept her in the same state she had been for several years now.

The enchantment he had placed over the queen was to keep her going about her days at the castle in bliss and contentment, as an apparition of herself—almost like a ghost—waking, doing, being all those things she had always done, but to keep her mind so preoccupied with flawlessness and service and goodness, that she never stopped to fully realize she wasn’t progressing. She did not wonder about a family of her own, or aging, or any little cares that might set her down a path into remembering who she really was. Instead, she was trapped within a state of perfection until Ezralon thought it expedient to let her truly live again.

The people she communed with every day were just imaginings—they were fraction-like existences of what she conjured up in her mind. Most of them were already dead—many had been killed during the Great War that took her brothers and her parents. Those that had survived had moved on, away from the desolation and terror of the evil awaiting to claim her throne. Though as they passed away from this life, they found themselves back to Queen Aleyna’s land, stuck there as a sort of floating spirit. They were trapped until she herself either died or fought the great battle awaiting her and freed them all.

The only people who were not under the enchanted spell as spirits with her were those of her family. Dark power as great as Villeria’s made certain Aleyna would never see her family again. Ezralon did what he could to protect her, but was helpless against the rest of the monarchy. They had sealed their souls before the fair beauty was born, and therefore had already entered into the covenant to allow Villeria free access to all they possessed if they could not repay her whatever it was she wished.

No one knew Villeria had become so corrupted then, no one knew the price she would ask for repayment would be impossible to give. Not one of them, not even Ezralon, could have predicted her to turn so vile—her hatred so festered and putrid as to wish them all dead. She wanted every single thing the monarchy possessed. Everything. And she purposely ensnared them all to guarantee it would happen. When she had the family sign the oath to allow them the ability to her guardianship—her protection of all their enemies, in exchange for whatever it was she desired of them—they were desperate to have this at any cost. For what was greater than the lives of their kingdom? Their people? Nothing, if it meant they were to be saved. And so the great king and queen vowed the family would give over anything she would desire if she used her great gifts to save them all.

Villeria was smart and waited years before proclaiming what she desired most. She protected them, cared for them; saw that their lands developed richly in their favor—and then, seven years after the covenant had been made—seven years to almost the exact date—Villeria, the dark witch, cooed over the darling baby girl asleep in her cradle and determined right then and there one day she would have this child as her own.

That day came on Aleyna’s eighteenth birthday party. The witch announced loudly in her sharp voice, upon the ballroom steps, to all those surrounding the beautiful maiden—

“Your Royal Majesties, the grand court, and all here who have come to gather and adore the darling princess, I have a declaration to make.” She had paused then and allowed for the room to quiet and assemble themselves.

Aleyna was eager to hear the news and quickly came to the witch when she was beckoned for.

With Villeria’s arm around the princess she continued, “It is in front of all these witnesses that I wish to finally claim what it is I want most as payment for the kindness I have allowed this kingdom and its citizens.” She smiled and the hosts of people smiled in return, no doubt thinking of her dear heart and how much she had done for them. The witch continued, “For compensation of the great debt you have all accrued, I demand one thing, and one thing only: Princess Aleyna.”

It took a moment for the words she had spoken to settle into the minds of all those present, but once they did, a large gasp could be heard to go around the entire room.

“No!” shouted her brother, the heir elect, Prince Carlton. “No, you cannot have her.”

“Oh? Can I not?” The room grew cold as the whispery threat slivered its way into the souls of all those surrounding the area. Shock was too great; the imminence of the witch’s power could be felt across the whole castle.

There was nothing they could do, they were helpless to protect the girl if Villeria really wanted her, they would have to agree—or die trying.

“Villeria, please reconsider,” pleaded the king as he stepped away from his throne. “Is there not something else we could give you instead? Anything at all?”

“Take me,” proclaimed Prince Albert, the younger of the two brothers. “Take me instead. I am young, I am strong, I will do whatever you need.” He rushed forward and bowed himself before the witch. “Please spare my sister and allow her to live here and I will be your servant—exchange my life for hers and I promise I will devote my existence to you.”

Aleyna could not move, her shoulder was clasped so tightly by the witch to keep her securely next to her that she was completely pinned by her side. Her life had been decided for her and there was nothing she could do about it. With tears she uttered, “No, Albert, no. I will go with her—”

“Enough!” Villeria shouted. “I have declared what I require—as in our agreement, now I will claim what is rightfully mine.” She pulled on Aleyna, but she would not budge. “Come with me. You have no choice, now come. We are leaving.” Villeria tried again, yet the forgotten gift Ezralon had placed over the princess at her birth came into effect and wound its magic up and over her legs and cemented her upon the steps, not allowing a fraction of movement.

“I cannot come. I am trying to move. I cannot move,” said the princess, scared and thankful at the same time.

“What is this?” Villeria tried as well to budge the gel. “What trickery is this? Who placed a spell over you?”

Just then the words of Ezralon’s gift to the princess floated through the castle—loud and clear as the day he had first placed the magic upon her—

“I give you the gift of eternal love, for none shall claim you as their own unless they truly love you. I fear your beauty is too great, little one, and many will try to woo you or use you for their own gain. And so I bestow this upon you now, that it may act as a shield and protection against those who seek to cause you harm. In fact, I will add, only the most truest of hearts—of the greatest of men—shall be able to break this spell. He must be worthy of you, he must truly love you as you deserve, and he must be willing to protect you from all evil that may come your way. You will know true love, my angel, and I pray it will be soon.”

Villeria destroyed everyone in the castle that night—except Aleyna, she was shielded from all harm. The next day started a great rebellion and war, as the villagers arose in defense of their monarchy.

Ezralon collected the weeping girl during the midst of it all, and brought her here to this secluded spot near the river. She was so distraught from the horrors of witnessing her parents’ and brothers’ gruesome deaths, she could not be consoled. Having just lost everyone she loved, she had unwillingly become the new queen of the monarchy. She begged for him to take her life too, to end the guilt and torment—she refused to become queen, she hated the title that was meant to be her mother’s. Aleyna simply did not want to be anything. She did not want to exist at all. So he did as she requested, he ended her life—the only way he could, by putting her in an enchanted ghost-like sleep.

CHAPTER THREE

PRINCE DARIÉN THREW HIS head back and laughed. “You’re jesting, old man, I know you are.”

“Aye. You wish I was!” Michael crowed back at him. “No, no. You’re not getting out of this that easily. We have all discussed it and have concluded the only way for you to prove that you’re no longer terrified of ghouls is to break that enchantment.”

Darién slowly lowered his boots from off his chiseled desk and rose. Leaning over the rich gleaming mahogany surface, he rested both fists down and looked each of the three men—his so-called friends—in the eye. They had come to present this insanity—no doubt going on without him in attendance about the great fears he had of the spiritual realm. “Humphrey and George and, if you truly believed me as much a fool as the King of Alemade here,” nodding toward Michael, “then perhaps you would request such a thing. However, I know you both well. We’ve been friends for ages and I know your weaknesses on the fighting field—just as you know mine.” He leaned closer toward the trio. “Though, you discern as well as I do it would be a fool’s errand indeed to go scampering about the countryside releasing that enchantment. An enchantment no one has truly been able to prove exists!”

“She is said to be still alive.” George, Lord Hadden smiled and folded his arms over his chest, not intimidated one bit.

The prince smirked and pushed away from the desk. “Queen Aleyna would have to be as old as my mother now. There is no way anyone could survive sleeping that long. She’s as dead as a doornail.”

“And as white as a ghost.” Humphrey, Lord Taltson chuckled and nudged the king at his side. They both shared a knowing grin.

“Enough! I’m not doing it.”

Michael moved his seat back and rose. “That is fine. You do not have to do anything that will frighten you, young man.”

The other two quickly stood as well.

“Frighten me?”

Michael put his hand up in a cautionary gesture. “Now, settle down. It is fine if you do not wish to do what we propose. We never fully expected you to, did we?”

Humphrey snorted and George began to cough.

“Ha-ha. This is all so humorous, is it not?” Darién walked around the desk and began to whack George on the back. “There, there. Feel better now?”

Lord Hadden pulled away, but Humphrey continued to snort.

“Look. It is impossible. No one believes that sort of thing anyway. It is just a myth. I refuse to waste my time going around releasing haunted female apparitions from their cruel fates for your amusement and sport. My apologies, but you will have to find another sorry sop to do it for you. What you ask is completely ridiculous and out of the question.”

“Ridiculous, yes.” Michael grinned. “But not out of the question.”

George spoke up in a hideous female voice and accent. “Me thinks he doth be scared too much. Let’s leave the wee poor lamb alone.”