Chapter 2: A Wicked Fairy's Curse
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swung open the castle doors will little to no struggle and the lights in the castle's grand chandelier went out. Everyone stopped in horror to see what was going on. Then, a tall white figure appeared in front of, the queen, the duchess, and the fairies. It was none other than White Diamond, a feared fairy who was known for both her powerful magic and her intense displeasure towards humans, whom she saw as inferior to fairies.
"What is she doing here?" a shaking Peridot asked before being hushed by Garnet.
"Well, this is quite a strange array of guests, if I do say so myself," laughed White Diamond as she observed the entire courtroom. "We have the monarchy, the royalty, the gentry and, even those of a lower regard than me."
The five fairies looked at White Diamond with a scowl, taking quite the displeasure with her comments. "I find it surprising that Rose Quartz sends five common fairies on her behalf, and yet I am not consulted in the slightest," the tall fairy continued. "I do hope I am not interfering with the celebrations."
Amethyst, who had enough of White Diamond's comments, finally spoke out, with a loud cry of "You weren't wanted!" much to the alarm of her cohorts. White Diamond, shocked by the outburst, took one stern look at the lavender fairy, before turning her attention toward the queen.
"Oh dear, I do hope that this was merely an oversight," she sighed, as she made her way to the castle door, feeling quite insulted.
"Wait!" cried a familiar voice. It was the queen, who had begun to feel sympathetic for White Diamond and guilty from how neither she nor her partner considered inviting her, even though she knew it would've been a cautious idea. "We're truly sorry we didn't consider you; I hope you're not too offended, Your Excellency," she pleaded. White Diamond, who had been taken aback by the queen's sudden statement, saw this as the ideal opportunity for her to pay the kingdom back, by presenting them with a curse, one that would bring about a horrible outcome for the princess.
"Why no, Your Majesty," she said with a malicious smile. "And to show that I bear no ill will to you or your kingdom, I too shall bless the child with a gift."
The fairies were apprehensive, knowing of the powerful magic that White Diamond possessed.
"Listen well, all of you!" announced White Diamond, tapping her staff on the floor as a sea of dull white dust surrounded the castle hall. "The princess shall indeed grow into a beautiful and graceful young girl, beloved by all those who know her."
She then looked directly towards the queen, with everyone watching in pure suspense as White Diamond's smile disappeared and her eyebrows lowered in a frown.
"But alas, tragedy and tears shall follow, as, before the setting of the sun on her sixteenth birthday, the princess shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel," the wicked fairy continued as she showcased a projection of the aforementioned object. Then, much to the dread of everyone present, she concluded her curse with a profane cry of, "And die!"
The guests could only gasp in horror as the projection changed to that of Lapis, lying on a deathbed surrounded by candles and mourning subjects, symbolising her unfortunate fate. Dismayed by the wicked fairy's gift, Blue Diamond rushed towards her daughter's cradle and held the sleeping princess in her arms to protect her from any more harm.
"How dare you present the princess with such a terrible gift!" boomed Yellow Diamond as she ordered the queen's guards to apprehend the wicked fairy. But before they could do anything, White Diamond used her magic to create a barrier around herself.
"Fine, I'll go," she scoffed. "But you had better make the most of these next few years because soon, the princess shall be no more."
With that chilling revelation, White Diamond disappeared in a burst of light, leaving only an echo of her laugh behind.
The entire court was left in a state of grief, knowing that the princess was now destined to die on her sixteenth birthday. Both Yellow Diamond and the fairies gathered around the queen and her baby, the former of whom was in tears. "Oh, my poor child, what a horrible fate that awaits you," she sobbed.
Just then, a shimmering pink light appeared. It was Rose Quartz, who caught wind of White Diamond's actions and decided to visit the castle to comfort the sorrowful court. "I am dreadfully sorry about what has happened to the princess, so I have come to aid you in this time of despair," she said sadly.
"Is it possible for any of your subjects to remove this dreadful curse?" asked Yellow Diamond.
"Oh no, Your Grace," Pearl interjected. "White Diamond's magic is too powerful for any one of us to remove."
However, the fairies all turned to their queen, whose power may have a chance of withstanding White Diamond's. Rose knew what they were thinking and gave them a small smile as she took out her wand.
"Although I am unable to undo this curse," she proclaimed to Blue Diamond. "I can most certainly soften its blow."
The queen, the duchess, the fairies, and the entire court watched as Rose began to work her magic.
"Dear Princess, although you are bound to White Diamond's wicked trick, a ray of hope awaits you," she spoke soothingly. "For when you prick your finger on the spindle, you shall instead fall into an enchanted sleep."
As the fairy queen spoke, an abundance of pink fairy dust swirled around the room, showcasing a vision of Lapis sleeping in a bed surrounded by beautiful flowers. "And from this slumber, you shall be awoken by a kiss from your true love," she concluded as the vision ended.
The court breathed a sigh of relief, as the queen gently placed her daughter back into her cradle, knowing now that she was safe. "Oh, thank you, Rose Quartz," she wept happily. "How can we ever repay you?"
"There is no need," Rose replied. "The safety of your newborn child is all that matters to me."
And with that, the fairy queen disappeared in a sparkle of pink light.
That evening, Blue Diamond, who was still fearful for her daughter's life, declared that every spinning wheel in the kingdom was to be burned immediately. Meanwhile, the five fairies were discussing what to do to keep the princess safe. Pearl, in particular, was incredibly concerned.
"It's obvious that somebody needs to keep an eye on Lapis at all times to ensure that nothing happens to her," she lectured to the others.
"Come on Pearl," Amethyst argued as she eyed the bonfire of spinning wheels taking place on the castle grounds. "You're seeing what they're doing out there, no spinning wheels equals no curse."
"Don't be so sure, we all know that White Diamond will come up with something to bring harm to the princess," Bismuth informed.
Just then Rose Quartz reappeared much to the fairies' surprise. She had used her time back at the Rose Kingdom to come up with a plan for Lapis' future. "Now, you should all be fully aware of the lengths that White Diamond will go through to fulfil her curse," she informed. "Therefore I am entrusting all five of you to be Lapis' guardians until she turns eighteen."
The fairies were both thrilled and nervous about this decision. On the one hand, they thought it could be a lot of fun to look after a princess, but at the same time, none of them knew how to take care of a human before, due to limited interactions between the two kingdoms. Regardless, the fairies knew that the princess' safety was important, so they chose to take on the task that Rose had assigned them. They went to consult with the queen and duchess about the idea, to which both of them agreed to the decision. With the princess now under the fairies' constant protection and the knowledge that every spinning wheel was burned, Blue Diamond could now take solace in the fact that her daughter was safe. Or so she thought.
Little did anyone in the kingdom know, that there was one spinning wheel that had not been burned. It stood untouched within the room of one of the castle towers, one that had not been entered for years due to speculations of being haunted. White Diamond, who had been observing the kingdom's efforts to squander her curse from a distance, teleported to the tower room and cast a spell on the wheel. She made it so that anyone who touched the spinning wheel's spindle would fall victim to her curse.
"Try as you may, Your Majesty," the wicked fairy smirked as she watched the bonfire continue. "But no matter how much you try to protect your daughter, she will fulfil her destiny."
With the seeds of her plan now set in stone, White Diamond teleported away, to wait for the fated day to occur.