I don't own Sleeping Beauty, I just love the story.

Prince Phillip

All he wanted to do, was ride was father's horses. His nanny of sorts, kept him in the area of their huge property that he was allowed in. But Prince Phillip didn't want to stay with his nanny. He wanted to spend some time with his father. He felt the need for some man time- when everything else faded away, and his father picked him up onto that horse, all was good in the world. They would laugh, and talk, and things wouldn't be all about politics, and King-stuff. When he did hear that his father was home, he dragged his nanny into the castle. He needed his dad's attention. But she was slow, and they didn't get into the castle for several minutes.

Once they were inside, Phillip went looking for his dad. The castle was large, and really he wasn't supposed to be around it by himself, but it was urgent that he found his father. And then he did, and Phillip groaned. He could hear the conversation from down the hall, and it would keep his parents for hours.

"They are having a baby!" he could hear his father say.

"They're what? How perfect if it's a girl!" his mother said

"Yeah, if it's a girl we're all set, our kingdoms will unite! And best of all, we have the boy, and he will be more influential then their daughter. It's all perfect. They just have to have a girl!"

"Wow everything really does seem to be working out; they will love this idea, our kingdoms united! That is what we have always talked about happening too! And having a little bit of an upper-hand won't hurt either!"

His parents kept talking, as Phillip walked away dejectedly. They wouldn't pay attention to him for hours. He had an idea what they were talking about, but he vowed in his heart not to ever be like his parents.

Phillip was 8, and had a pretty good life, though sometimes he didn't think so. His parents didn't have much time for him, always putting politics above family time. He hoped that he would never do that to his family. The people that his parents were talking about were their friends, Phillip concluded. They ruled over the land to the east of Phillip's parents. They had always been good friends, and Phillip was always told that hopefully he would marry their daughter, if they had one. But they had some trouble having a baby. For years and years they had tried to have their own children, and now it was happening. Phillip didn't really understand it all, or didn't really even try to understand it all, but the idea of marriage seemed far off into the future, and not something that was on his mind in the least.

Well, it had happened, the baby had been born. The party to announce the birth and sex was in a few days, but being close friends, Phillip's parents already knew. It was a girl. A yucky old girl is ruining all of my fun Phillip thought. He knew that he would have to be at that party, and he dreaded it. But the day of the party arrived that his nanny grabbed Phillip and threw him in the bathtub. Scrubbed the little boy clean, and dressed him for the event. He sat in the cold stone room next to his parents. This was going to be a long one too was all he could think about. Everyone got up and cheered when the King and Queen walked into the room with the baby. "We have had a baby girl!" the King yelled joyously. Phillip groaned, I am missing riding horses for this?

As was the tradition, they then all got up and took turns bringing presents to the newborn. When it was Phillip that walked by, his father took a moment and whispered to him "Say hello to your future wife, Phillip!"

My future wife? Sure he had known that he was intended to marry her, the thought still didn't set well with him. It didn't even mean anything to him, not at his age. But his parents seemed think that it was very important, and all about politics. Phillip hated that word. That word took his parents away from him.

The event finally ended, and Phillip wanted to run, run anywhere as long as he could run! When they climbed into their ride home, his father said to him; "Phillip, would you like to ride my horse with me this afternoon?" This raised his spirits greatly, and his heart started soaring. With a huge smile he agreed, and for the rest of the afternoon, his dad was his; with no talk of wives or marriage.