"But mother..." Prince Darius complained as she locked the tall and unforgiving iron gates and looped they key around her neck again.

"No, don't but mother me, mister! I've warned you about those roses before, and I won't allow you to do it again!" Aurora stated firmly.

She was exasperated and exhausted with running around after the little sticky beak. He was sometimes more trouble than he was worth.

"I, I didn't mean to ruin my clothes! Nor did I intend for the servants to get hurt..." He insisted as she grabbed his wrist and pulled him away.

But Aurora would not be swayed by her son's persistence. She held her silence and took him to the castle where she sat him down on a bench outside the door of his room and then knelt down before him.

She tilted his head towards her dutifully and looked him in the eye and in a clear voice she recited as she had for years and years,

"Your father and I don't want you to get hurt, and this curse that you have is only going to make it more difficult for you. Until we can find a way to reverse it, or stall it, you need to be safe and that's in here."

Darius thought up about three other cases of royalty-with-a-curse in which staying locked away was not a good idea.

"That didn't work with the Snow Queen." He rebutted.

Aurora stood up and sighed "Yes, but even so, something terrible almost happened to her because of her running away from her problems."

He sighed and then stood up as well, ready to enter his room once again and then feeling bad for being so persistent and disobedient he turned back,

"I'm sorry mother. I just love flowers... especially the golden ones." he admitted.

She softened a little and then clasped her hands, "I tell you what, I'll ask your Auntie Flora to grow some thornless ones for you, and I'll have them in a special patch in the courtyard. How about that?" she offered.

His violet eyes brightened and he hugged her gently.

"Now go back inside and We'll expect you at dinner in two hours." she asserted.

He nodded and then rushed into his room.

"Stella, did you hear that?" He asked the sleeping fairy whom had been supposedly keeping an eye on him. She sputtered awake and then frantically looked around, "Eh, what?" she asked awkwardly.

"I'm getting golden roses!" He whispered.

She looked at him incredulously and then rolled her eyes, "Oh you and your flowers, boy! Honestly!" she muttered.