Fairytale Visit
Sleeping Beauty
This chapter is dedicated to somewhat-strange xx and BreezyFan. Thank you for the suggestions and I always try to do requests, hope you enjoy! I mixed your requests into one so yeah, enjoy! :D
Thank you to everyone who reviewed, once again I would do review replies, but you know! THANK YOU! :D Any requests, maybe for another story or this one - which I might end now, but yeah!
Mal once again scanned the room and pleading faces of the little children gathered in front of him. Eventually his eyes landed on Brea, who was sat in the front row, very close to Mal, hugging her bunny tightly and looking up at him with large, puppy-dog eyes. Mal could feel his walls crumbling beneath her adorable gaze, and wondered if he really had gone soft...
"Fine, fine." He sighed in defeat.
All the children cheered and Natara laughed lightly. Mal smirked at her and rolled his eyes playfully before stretching.
"Um... story, story. Let's think here... Oh, I know one."
Once upon a time there were a King and Queen in a distant land, they had long prayed for a child for many years but had no luck. This had brought great sadness upon the kingdom, and the King feared that he would never have an heir to take over his kingdom. One day, while the Queen was bathing in the spring and thinking about a beautiful baby girl, a frog crept out from the bushes and said to her,
"Your highness, your wish shall be fulfilled. Before the year has passed, you will give birth to a beautiful baby girl."
Without another word, the frog hopped back where it came, leaving the Queen in utter shock. The Queen was overjoyed and ran to her husband to tell him the news. True to the frogs word, before a year had passed the Queen did indeed give birth to a radiant baby girl, and they had named her Blaise.
"Ooh, now I'm excited to see where this is going." Natara said sarcastically.
"Heh, well Blaise seems to be the only person I hadn't included yet."
"You should have made her an evil stepsister."
Mal chuckled, shaking his head.
"Nat, seriously, you need to get over this dominant-woman issue."
"What did you say?" Natara growled.
"Nothing!" Mal answered quickly, maybe a little too quickly. "... Um... Anyway,"
The King could not contain the pride and joy he felt within him and prepared an enormous, great feast in honour of his daughter. He invited all his friends, family and neighbours. The King even invited the three good fairies in hope that they may bestow a gift upon their daughter to celebrate her birth. He did not invite the fourth fairy, as she was rumoured to be wicked and cruel and they had feared what she may do. Some refused to call her a fairy at all, instead called her a witch.
The entire kingdom had gathered outside the castle and paraded through the streets in celebration on the child's long awaited birth. One-by-one, the guests arrived in the castle ball room, which had been decorated for the occasion, and took their seats. Last to arrive were the three good fairies, which had looked upon Blaise and smiled. Each one of them had promised to bestow a single gift upon her as their present to the King and Queen. The first fairy, Angela, walked up to the cradle and with a flick of her magic wand, said,
"For you, dear Blaise, I bestow the gift of beauty."
And she walked away, and then the second fairy, Anita, stepped up and with a similar gesture to Maria, said,
"I grant you the gift of virtue, little one."
Just then, as the third fairy, Maria, was about to grant her wish to Blaise, the large wooden doors burst open and in stormed the wicked witch, rage apparent on her face. A few screams of the guests could be heard, as they were obviously startled. Scowling at the King and Queen, an evil grin formed across her lips. She glided over to the baby Blaise and looked down at her, forcing her way past the three good fairies.
"You're not welcomed here, witch!" The King roared and called his guards, but simply slamming her staff on the ground, the guards disappeared into thin air with a poof of smoke.
"Dear King, I must have missed my invitation. I am also here to bestow a gift upon your beautiful daughter. And please, call me by my name at least."
"Please, Sandra-
Natara broke into a fit of laughter which cut Mal off in the middle of his sentence. The kids all glared at her, while Mal raised an eyebrow.
"S-Sorry... It's just... Sandra, Maria and my Mom? Seriously?"
"Why not?" Mal said calmly. "It's just a story after all, where I can make anything happen to that little bi-"
"Mal!"
"Oops. I mean witch."
"Phew. Remember you audience Malachi."
"Sorry..."
Mal ran his hand through his tousled hair and flashed Natara his most charming smile, gaining a slight grin in return. She sighed and rolled her eyes humorously and stifled her laughter, gesturing for Mal to continue.
"Please, Sandra, our little girl is quite blessed already. We do not need-"
"Nonsense my dear King."
Refusing to even breathe for fear of what the evil witch Sandra might do, the King sat back down on his throne and said a silent prayer. The Queen was shaking with panic and stayed completely silent as Sandra raised her staff. Her voice became husky as she spoke, and evil glint in her eyes.
"On your twentieth birthday, you will prick your finger upon a spindle and fall down: dead!"
"No!" The Queen screamed, being held back by her husband as she tried to reach her doomed baby.
The entire kingdom had fallen silent, shocked at the immoral spell that Sandra had cast.
"You'll pay for this witch!" The King roared.
With a cackle, the witch turned on her heels and stormed back out the castle doors, vanishing into the air. The Queen sobbed by Blaise's cradle, covering her eyes with her hands. The King stood beside her, hanging his head in despair. When all seemed to be lost, the good fairy Maria stepped back up to the cradle and placed her hand upon the Queen's shoulder.
"Your highness, all hope is not lost," She began in a soft voice. "My magic is not strong enough to undo this curse, but may soften it so Blaise will not die, but instead fall into a deep sleep, until true loves kiss breaks the spell."
"Thank you good fairy." The Queen mumbled, rising to her feet shakily.
Over the years, the promises of the fairies came true. The Blaise grew to be beautiful, virtuous and much more. Everyone who saw her could not help but love her. Blaise had long blonde hair that flowed down her back and had plump, rose-red lips. Her skin was lightly tanned and her bright azure eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
"Nice description." Natara muttered.
"Why, are you jealous?"
"You're pushing it Fallon."
"I was just asking" Mal said innocently, a cheeky smirk slapped on his face.
"Whatever, continue your story so we can leave." Natara huffed and faced away from Mal.
The King and Queen were determined to prevent the curse placed on Blaise by the spiteful witch and sent out a command that all the spindles in the whole kingdom should be burned. No one in the kingdom was allowed to tell Blaise of the curse that had been placed upon her for they did not want her to worry or be sad.
On the morning of her twentieth birthday, Blaise awoke early - excited to be another year older. She was up so early in the morning, that she realized everyone else still slept. Blaise roamed through the halls trying to keep her occupied until the rest of the castle awoke. She wandered about the whole place, looking at rooms and halls as she pleased and at last she came to an old tower that she had never explored before. She climbed the narrow, winding stone staircase and reached a little wooden door. A rusty key was sticking in the lock and when she turned it, the door creaked open.
In a little room sat an elderly woman with a spindle, busily spinning cloth. The old woman was so deaf that she had never heard the King's command that all spindles should be destroyed.
"Good morning, Ma'am," said Blaise, "What might you be doing?"
"I am spinning, my dear" said the old woman.
"What is the thing that whirls round so merrily?" asked Blaise and she took the spindle and tried to spin too.
But she had scarcely touched the spindle when it pricked her finger. A single drop of blood dropped onto the floor and Blaise fell down onto the cold stone floor, in a deep sleep.
The King, Queen and servants had all started their morning routines and right in the midst of them, fell asleep too. The horses fell asleep in the stable, the dogs in the yard, the doves on the roof and the flies on the wall. Even the fire in the hearth grew still and went to sleep. The kitchen maid, who sat with a chicken before her, ready to pluck its feathers, fell asleep. The cook was in the midst of scolding the kitchen boy for a mess he'd made but they both fell fast asleep. The wind died down and on the trees in front of the castle not a leaf stirred. And lastly, the once flowing fountain died down and not a single drop flowed out.
Round the castle a hedge of brier roses began to grow up. Every year it grew higher until at last nothing could be seen of the sleeping castle, it was completely shrouded in thorns and roses.
There was a legend in the land about the lovely Sleeping Beauty, as the King's daughter was nicknamed, and from time to time Princes came and tried to force their way through the hedge and into the castle. But they found it impossible for the thorns, as though they were alive, grabbed at them and would not let them through.
After many years a handsome Prince came again to the country and heard an old man tell the tale of the castle which stood behind the brier hedge and the beautiful Blaise who had slept within for a hundred years. He heard also that many Princes had tried to make it through the brier hedge but none had succeeded and many had been caught in it and died.
The young Prince said, "I am not afraid. I must go and see this 'Sleeping Beauty'."
The good old man did all in his power to persuade him not to go, but the Prince would not listen, fascinated by the tale.
Now the hundred years were just ending. When the Prince approached the brier hedge it was covered with beautiful large roses. He fought his way through the raging shrubs and eventually came to an opening. Unfortunately, the wicked with Sandra appeared before him.
"Leave now or be damned!" She growled.
The prince scowled at the witch and with a single swish of his sword, chopped off her head and left her on the floor, dead.
In the courtyard, the Prince saw the horses and dogs lying asleep. On the roof sat the sleeping doves with their heads tucked under their wings. When he went into the house, the flies were asleep on the walls and the servants asleep in the halls. Near the throne lay the King and Queen, sleeping peacefully beside each other. In the kitchen the cook, the kitchen boy and the kitchen maid all slept with their heads resting on the table.
The Prince went on farther. All was so still that he could hear his own breathing and heartbeat. At last he reached the old winding tower and opened the door into the little room where the Blaise was asleep. There she lay upon her bed; looking so beautiful that he could not take his eyes off her. His heartbeat raced inside his chest and he knew then that he was in love with her. The prince bent down and gave her a single kiss upon her rosy lips. As their lips brushed, the once Sleeping Beauty opened her eyes and smiled up at him.
Throughout the castle, everyone and everything slowly woke up and looked at each other with astonished eyes, confused about what had just occurred. The prince and Blaise had made their way down to the throne room where they were met by cheers coming from the kingdom. In less than a month, the Prince and Blaise were married, and lived happily ever after.
"The End."
"Hehehe, yay! The evil witch is dead!" The children cheered and clapped.
Natara's mood seemed to have improved throughout the rest of the tale and she was sat with her legs folded on top of each other, smiling slightly. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Mal looked around and noticed the kids imitated her actions. He laughed lightly and stood up, stretching out his back.
"Alright kiddies. I think it's time Nat and I leave."
"Aww, not yet!" The kids cried.
"Why, you want another story?" Mal groaned.
"Nope!" Brea said climbing onto her feet and toddling over to Natara.
Natara bent down to her height as she whispered something in her ear that made her blush.
"Oh, Brea, um... w-we can't do that." Natara stuttered.
"Aww..."
Mal raised an eyebrow and walked over bending down next to Natara.
"What did she say?" He whispered.
"We want you to re-enact the kissing scene!" The kids called.
"Whoa. No way!"
"Pleeaassseee!" The kids begged and swarmed them.
Natara had fallen unusually silent and hid her face with her hair. Mal cleared his throat awkwardly, met by this sudden predicament. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and took a deep breath.
"Listen, kids, we really can't do that."
"Why not!" Brea whined.
"Because... Natara has a boyfriend."
"So? It's acting." A young boy commented.
"Still..."
"It's fine, we understand..." The young boy mumbled. "I mean, if you're not man enough to do it, then fine by me."
Mal glared at him and felt his blood boil slightly. He despised it when people questioned his manhood more than most things, even stuck-up rich people. Natara stood up silently and tucked her hair behind her ear, slightly regaining her previous composure. Mal shortly followed and took a deep breath.
"Look, kid."
"It's Damon."
"Whatever," Mal snarled. "It's not that I'm not 'man enough'. It's that I respect her relationship."
"It's. Acting."
"You know what, kid, fine."
Mal swiftly wrapped his arm around Natara's waist and pulled her close, hearing her gasp before it was cut off by his lips brushing hers. He brought her into a passionate kiss and held her close to him. Natara stiffened and stood wide-eyed, before relaxing and letting her eyelids slide shut. Her arms draped themselves around his neck and she deepened the kiss. The children giggled and wolf-whistled until Natara pulled away, a huge red blush apparent on her cheeks. Mal felt his cheeks burn also and released her, stepping out the door without another word.
Natara stood there for a long while, the kids watching her in silence. She couldn't process what had just happened, but felt a grin tug at the corners of her lips. Eventually, she snapped herself out of the trance she was in and turned back to the kids. She quickly walked outside, closing the door behind her and leaving in silence, only slightly waving goodbye as she went.
Only one word passed her breathless lips as she leant back against the wooden door.
"Wow..."