A Tale In A Far Away Land
The Decadence of Hundred Year Curses
There have been many tales read in nighttime hours to bring children to bed. Tales of Princes, Barmaids, fairies, and Pirates. Of great balls, and wicked masquerades of true love kisses, and wishes. Has there been a greater tale than that of Sleeping Beauty? For me, the tale of Sleeping Beauty hidden behind the walls of thorn bushes the Prince racing to save her, and the sorceress turning into a great hulking dragon to stand in his way. This tale has been told and retold in many ways. Sometimes it’s been a hundred years since anyone has entered this fortress determined to save the lady fair. In these modern times, the story has been rewritten from a romance to a tale of love between mother and daughter. The sweet Aurora being awakened by Maleficent herself. Of all the different versions the one that has stayed with me the most was one told first by my mother, and one I have retold to many nieces during New year’s celebrations.
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Once in a faraway land, there were tales of a wall of Thorns and a Princess lost to time. A prince from a Kingdom oceans away traveling in search of adventure and heroic quests came upon this wall of bramble and thorn. He finds out from surrounding villagers the old tale of the Sleeping Princess and her snoozing Kingdom that has been resting for over a hundred years. Only to be saved by a Prince worthy. After many days resting on this story, he decides to venture forth and attacks the bramble, cutting a path through, on his horse.
As he heads into the Castle he comes upon a fierce dragon its hide as black as night, his breath the decay of death. Dragon and Prince fight furiously until the Prince prevails in striking it down.
The Prince then makes his way through a town of sleeping bakers and people of the market and castle sleeping standing up, or on horses or vegetables alike. The Prince leaps off his horse and enters the castle walking past guards sleeping at their posts into the great hall where a frozen banquet sat, with food that glistened with silky cobwebs, the courtiers sleeping on the tables and themselves, the King and Queen themselves leaning on each other.
He makes his way up the winding staircase to the highest tower of the castle, where the princess sleeps in silk, her rosy red lips waiting for a prince who may never come. Her golden hair draped around her, a single red rose held in her hands. The Prince overtaken by her beauty kisses her deeply. When he leans back her eyes, the sky at dawn opens and she smiles softly at her one true love.
Together they depart the castle, below her kingdom slowly awakens. The princess appearing in front of the King, who embraces her weeping at her beauty, then he turns to the Prince and welcomes him into the Kingdom as Queen and Princess sobs as they embrace.
…..
As a little girl, I’ve always loved this story of a curse being lifted by a strong Knight whose valor and bravery are rewarded by marrying the Princess and becoming the King himself. As an adult, it just seems like a bit of breaking and entering, waking up a sleeping dragon only to kill it.
As an adult, I’ve loved Maleficent’s story, of her being the one actually taking care of Aurora, of seeing the cruelty of King Stefan. In Mistress of Evil, the Queen talked about how she had retold the tale of sleeping beauty in a way that made the story a fearful legend of the evil witch and the Princess she cursed. Many of the fairy tales that we all loved when we are children are all mystical legends of things that may or may not have happened in a time long since passed. Bedtime stories, in the olden days, were to put children to bed with good dreams, or in some cases with terrifying Nannies, fear.
We all have a story or maybe even three that have stuck with us even as an adult, that is the mark of a true story, a beautifully wicked one. Of curses, and magical Quests. Happy endings and sorrowful ones. These stories shape who we become as adults, and what we hold most dear.
About the Creator
InkGalaxies~
I'm a published writer with two novels currently out there in the world, and four others posted on Wattpad. I've always loved the written word, both in the blogosphere and in fiction.
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