A year had passed since the fateful day when Aurora had pricked her finger and fell into a slumber. When she had the chance to ask Flora of the incident, the fairy had told the princess that she had been under a curse since she was but a newborn.

"You had been condemned to death," said Flora with a clear look of sorrow on her face. "You were to die on your sixteenth birthday upon pricking your finger upon the spindle of a spinning wheel. We could not remove this dreadful curse, but Merryweather had alleviated the outcome. Death would not claim you, but slumber. In order for this curse to be broken, the kiss of true love was required."

Oh, how it felt like only yesterday; To be awoken from her curse by the kiss - the kiss of true love, by Prince Philip.

No, Aurora would not deny her surprise when she had discovered that her Philip was a prince, and she was taken aback when she had heard of the trials he had faced to reach her. It was an amazing tale! Escaping from the castle of the dreaded fairy, Maleficent, and facing the sorceress, who had transformed herself into a fire-breathing dragon, in an epic battle.

It had been a year since those events transpired. She was glad to have finally had the chance to meet her parents, Queen Leah and King Stefan, but was met with disappointment, as their reunion was short-lived. A new castle had been prepared, and Aurora would soon leave her parents to spend her days at her new home with Philip.

However, it was not to say that she would never see her parents again. Every month, Aurora would arrange for a visit with King Stefan and Queen Leah. Three to four days with her parents, before she would make the journey back to the castle where she and Philip now lived.

She loved spending time with the king and queen, but she also enjoyed venturing off into the forest every once in a while to visit the cottage that had been her home for sixteen years. Yes, Aurora was happy with her life, but she missed those simpler days when she lived at the cottage. That was her home, and she felt that no castle could ever replace it.

Aurora would take her time to dust and clean the cottage when needed. But alas, she knew that the cottage would not last for eternity. It would become old and worn down. Over time, there would probably be no cottage left to find. and the thought brought a feeling of sorrow to Aurora. She would have preferred to see the cottage in occupation, but no one lived there, and she was uncertain if anyone ever would.

Aurora was happy with Philip. She was happy to know her parents, but she was also saddened. Most of the time, she had masked this sadness, but deep down, there was a conflict between being Aurora and Brier Rose.

Brier Rose was an adventurous young woman, as well as being a bit of a hopeless romantic. She knew the forest around the cottage as if it were the back of her hand, and she loved socializing with the various animals. For sixteen years, they had been the only friends she ever had - aside from aunt Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. She never did stop referring to them as her aunts.

But then, the day came when her aunts told Brier Rose that she was a princess. Rose had never wanted to be a princess. She was happy living the life of a normal woman, and was stricken with grief at the news. Not only would she be leaving her home, but she feared that she would never see that man(who was, in actuality, Philip) ever again.

Looking back, she could honestly say that her life had been like a fairy tale come true. Aurora wanted to be known as Brier Rose, but said nothing about it to anyone in fear that she would break the heart of either Philip, her parents, or even Flora, Fauna and Merryweather for that matter. If she could, she would give up her royal title. However, she knew she had been given an important duty. For the sake of her kingdom, she would not back down.

The morning air was cool and fresh. The sound of the birds chirping could be heard as the rays of the sun shone down through the leaves of the trees.

As Aurora rode through on her horse, she could not help but smile as the songs of the birds reached her ears. One year, and their song had not changed.

I wonder, Aurora hummed, I wonder, I wonder why each little bird has someone, to sing to, sweet things to.

Aurora sighed quietly to herself, amazed by how quickly time passed.

"It all felt like only yesterday," she had mused to herself, smiling at the memory. She had once told herself that, If you dream a thing more than once, its sure to come true, and it did. Philip had found her, and he had brought his love song to her.

As she rode through the forest, her thoughts were interrupted when her horse started showing signs of hesitance.

"What's wrong?" Aurora asked, surveying her surroundings to see if there were any creatures nearby that could have possibly spooked her steed. "There aren't any wolves nearby, are there?" For the most part, she saw no wolves in the area - Or bears, for that matter. However, that was not to say that her eyes had not noticed a particular figure lying in the grass; A woman, by the looks of it.

Aurora's instincts urged her to dismount and approach the lying figure, but as she drew near, she soon realized why her horse was so distressed; As she drew closer toward the naked figure, her pace slowed to a complete stop when she took notice that the woman's skin was of a pale shade of green. A brief glance at the woman's face, and Aurora knew who she had found.

Her gut twisted into knots, and Aurora was overcome by the sudden desire to turn and mount onto her horse and ride away as quickly as possible. But something else had come to mind.

No, she did not flee, as much as she wanted to. Perhaps she was a fool, but her emotions were mixed; Not only did she show fear, but she also felt pity. Oh, she was quite aware of who she had found. As much as she wanted to flee, Aurora felt that she could not abandon this woman, no matter how evil she may be.

"But, how could she be here?" Cautiously, Aurora approached the green-skinned woman and knelt beside her. "She lives. But how? I thought she had been killed," Aurora thought to herself.

With a deep breath, Aurora made what could be said to be the most foolish decision she would ever make in her life: Taking off her hooded cloak, Aurora wrapped the weakened sorceress in the cloth and helped the fairy to the horse. However, the creature showed distress when Aurora brought the fairy forward.

"Mirette," Aurora started. "I can't leave her here like this. Please, just help me bring her to the cottage. It will be fine."

With a snort, the horse bowed its head. Once she knew that the horse was now willing to cooperate, Aurora helped the fairy up onto the horse and took hold of the reins, leading them both to the cottage.

But, would helping the Mistress of all Evil herself be a decision she would come to regret?