Once upon a time, there lived a kind and good king named Theodore and his fair queen, Danica . They had everything they could ever dream of, except a child. The kingdom grew and blossomed with their love and just hand, but a shadow of doubt grew within the queen.
She knew that an heir was needed. She and her king would live forever as the faeries did. The faeries had done their best to aid the king and queen, but nothing worked. Danica knew something drastic needed to happen. If the magic of the good faeries would not work, perhaps the magic of the dark faeries could.
Little did the queen know that the Queen of Darkness herself, Leila, the darkest faerie of them all had planted the shadow of doubt in her head. Leila had a plan for the queen; one would change the course of destiny in the kingdom forever.
Danica snuck out of the palace in the dead of night to summon Leila.
The queen continued on into the woods. She traveled a ways in until she stopped at a clearing. She pulled down the hood of her cloak and let her raven hair cascade down her back. "On this dark night, I summon thee, oh dark one. Heed my words and attend to me," she said in a clear, loud voice.
Danica waited. She did not know what to expect.
"Well, well, what do we have hear." The queen turned around at the sound of the voice. Behind her stood Leila, the Queen of Darkness. Her presence sent shivers down Danica's back. Leila was as beautiful as Elena, the Queen of Light, but her beauty was a dark beauty. Leila's hair was as inky as night, with streaks of blue and purple mirroring the sky that night. Her eyes mirrored the stars and shined against her fair skin. It was an awesome and terrible beauty. Danica felt small and weak compared to her.
"I take it you were not expecting me?" Leila said. Danica continued to stare. She had not expected this. She had hoped some minor faerie may come and fulfill her wish. "No, my lady", Danica said in a small voice, "I did not expect you." Leila's mouth turned into a smirk. "No, I suppose you did not. Have no fear Queen Danica. I have heard your plea and come to help. Only I can fulfill your deepest wish. You seek to have a child, do you not?"
Danica nodded. "Good," Leila said, "very good. All I ask is one small favor in return for my generosity". Danica hesitated, "A favor, lady?" "Yes, nothing too dramatic. Do not worry. All I ask is that you allow me to be one of your child's faerie godmothers. That is all."
Not wanting to displease Leila, Danica immediately said yes, as Leila knew she would.
"Very well, tomorrow morning you will discover you are with child. Have the naming ceremony the third month after the child is born and I shall be there. Do not forget our promise, little queen. It will not bode well for you to have me for your enemy."
Danica nodded, too stunned to believe her good luck. A child. She would finally have child. "Thank you, lady," she said quickly, "thank you. Can you please tell me what my child may be?" "A girl. You and the king shall have a daughter. Now run along Queen Danica, before your king misses you."
Danica turned and walked back to the palace, too joyful to think of what she had just done.
Leila smiled as the queen disappeared. "What a fool," she said quietly. "Say goodbye to that precious child now my dear. Your sorrow is approaching." It was perfect, her plan was in motion. Soon nothing would stand in her way. Not Elena, not even a stupid little baby.
As Leila had promised, Danica gave birth to a child, a girl. She was born as the first rays of sun hit the land. Theodore looked fondly on his new daughter and smiled at his queen. The birth had not been an easy one.
It was true that Theodore had hoped that the baby would be a boy when Danica told him she was expecting. But once he held the baby for the first time, he was grateful it was a girl.
"What shall we name her, dearest?" he whispered to his wife. "Aurora", Danica said, "like the dawn." Yes, he thought. This child would bring the happiness back to their lives, like the dawn.
"I know you said you liked Rose if it was a girl, but Aurora fits," Danica said. "What about Aurora-Rose," he said. Danica smiled. It was perfect. She nodded as the nurse brought a sleeping draft to the queen.
"Here you are, my lady. Drink it all, you'll need your strength after a birth like that. I'll take her, your majesty. The wet nurse is waiting in the other room." Theodore handed the baby to the nurse.
"Sleep well my darling. I will see you when you wake." He kissed his queen and left as she slept.
The king walked down the hall to tell his ministers the joyous news. At last there was an heir to the kingdom. There was so much to be done. There would need to be a christening, the faeries would have to be invited to that. She would need to be shown to the people as well. They deserved to see their future queen. And in a few years a betrothal would be arranged, but he was getting a head of himself.
Theodore sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He paused before the mirror outside the throne room. He straightened his robes.
The ministers congratulated the king and asked after the baby and the queen. "When shall the christening be, majesty?" one of them asked. "The queen insisted on three months after the baby was born." She had been rather insistent on that. "Three months is too long, your majesty. The people and other nations have waited many years for this moment. Why not next month, if the faeries can be ready by then?" another said. Three months was a long time. Danica would not mind if the christening was next month.
Theodore agreed with the ministers and notices were soon sent out to the guests. Theodore was prepared to tell Danica the next day when her strength returned, but he and the nurse underestimated the queen's recovery. The birthing had weakened her a great deal. It was a week before the event that he finally able to tell her.
Danica paled when Theodore told her the news. "No," she whispered, "it must be three months. We have to cancel." "Dear, it is next week. Elena has already agreed and has found a godmother for Aurora." By then Danica was crying. Leila had made her promise. But how could she tell Theodore that? He would be horrified to learn that their baby had been the result of dark magic.
"It must be three months!" she cried. "Danica, please calm down. You are still unwell. Nurse, come quickly," Theodore called as he tried to calm Danica. The nurse came in with another potion and handed it to the queen. "Danica, you are still unwell, this will make you feel better," he said as he poured the potion down her throat. Danica struggled but fell asleep within minutes.
"I do not understand, Elena. Should I have heeded Danica's words and waited three months?" Theodore asked the Queen of the Faeries.
Elena looked at the king. She pushed a lock of blond hair behind her ear. "Fear not, Theodore. It was the pregnancy that made her so insistent. Pregnancy changes a woman. Queen Danica simply had a difficult time. With rest, she will be better." Theodore sighed. Elena was right, all would be well. She always seemed to have that effect on people. He looked at the queen. Her beauty could not be denied. Her blond hair seemed to emit light. Her blue eyes emitted warmth and comfort, like a fine summer's day. All would be well.
All did not go well. The ceremony started off as planned. Elena blessed Aurora. The other faeries gave the blessing of grace and beauty and kindness. Last was her faerie godmother, Leonora. The young faerie bit her thumb nervously as her sisters blessed the baby. This was her first time at a blessing and as a faerie godmother. Elena looked at her. It was her turn.
Leonora pushed back her curtain of brown hair. Here goes nothing. She thought. She needed to get this right. Magic was a tricky thing. Not only did you have to speak your spell or blessing outside, but you had to think it as well. That was Nora's problem. Her mind wandered. She needed to concentrate.
She stepped towards the crib and prepared to say her blessing when the doors flew open.
"Where is she?" a voice hissed from the door. It was Leila. "Where is the little brat?" Leila said as she walked through the door. The crowd stepped out of the queen's way as she walked towards the throne.
"Oh no," Danica whispered. "Do not worry Danica. Leila has no power here." Elena consoled the pale queen. "Oh really sister?" Leila said as she stepped on the throne dais. "I have more power here than you know." She smiled at the queen. Danica slid down the throne. She had feared this the moment Theodore had told her when the christening was.
"We had a deal, Danica," Leila whispered as she leaned in towards her. "No." Theodore thundered. "You have no power here. Return to the dark cave you came from Leila." "You mean you don't know?" "Know what?" Leila smiled. "Why, that little Danica came to me to ask for a child."
Theodore turned towards Danica, "is this true?" Danica whimpered, still staring at Leila.
"Yes, and in return for my 'gift', all she had to do was invite me to this little event. But your precious queen could not even manage that." She turned towards the crib where Leonora was holding Aurora-Rose. With a flick of her hand, Aurora vanished and reappeared in her hands. Leonora gasped.
"Quiet. Really Elena, the poor thing could not even resist my magic. Your little ones are slipping." Lelia laughed. "So this is the babe. How precious," Leila cradled Aurora.
"Just give her back, Leila. We can come to another agreement. Just give us Aurora." Theodore pleaded. "I am not interested in keeping your princess. I simply want to bestow my blessing. I can assure you it is one you will never forget."
"Listen well, all of you," Leila spoke. "My 'gift' is this: you shall have eighteen years with the princes. On her eighteenth birthday, she will prick her finger and die. Your precious kingdom will die with her. That is my blessing. Catch," Leila cackled as she tossed the baby toward the king as she vanished.
Theodore caught the baby and cradled her as she began to cry. "We must talk," he said without looking at Elena. "We will meet you in the tower," she said.
The tower as one of the only places in the kingdom that was safe from prying eyes and ears. Danica and Theodore took baby Aurora up to the tower to meet with Elena and Leonora.
"What have you done," he whispered to Danica as soon as the door was closed. Danica simply crumbled to the floor into a fit of tears.
Theodore stared at Danica and turned towards Elena. "Is there a way to stop this?" "I cannot do anything." Theodore's head dropped and Danica looked up from the florr. "But Leonora can." "What," the young faerie whispered. "You have not given your blessing. Leila's magic is too strong for you to overcome, but you can weaken the curse." Elena looked at Leonora and placed her hands her shoulders. "You can do this, sister. I have in faith in you."
Leonora looked past Elena at the king and queen. Danica was looking at Aurora-Rose while Theodore had his arms wrapped around them both.
"I will try," she said as she approached the baby. She gently placed a hand on the child's forehead.
"Aurora, you shall not die on your eighteenth birthday. Instead, when you prick your finger, you shall fall asleep until true love's kiss awakens you. The kingdom will fall asleep as well. This is my blessing for you."
"What good is falling asleep," Danica whispered. "She could sleep forever." "It is better than death," Elena answered. "The only thing that can stop a curse is love, true love, my lady. Love's first kiss is the best chance Aurora has." Leonora nodded in agreement.
"We must keep this change a secret," Elena went on. "If Leila suspects a change, she may return to harm the child. In the meantime, we have eighteen years to prepare for this."
They all agreed. Only Aurora would know what happened when the time was right. She deserved to know the consequences of this day.
