Sleeping Beauty
A Fairy Tale twisted by Aspen Starwood
Once upon a time, in a fairytale-like kingdom, King William and Queen Whisper
gave birth to a wondrous baby girl named Princess Payton. To celebrate the
birth, the king and queen decided to throw a lavish party. They invited all
their family, friends and all the fairies in the land. Now in this land there
were 13 fairies altogether, however, the king and queen only sent 12
invitations. They had forgotten about the 13th fairy and that was definitely a
no-no (almost as bad as a 70's pale-blue leisure suit with navy stripes and a
pink frilly shirt).
Everyone that was invited attended the party. And what a shindig it was!
Silver plates piled high with delicious and exotic foods. Only the best ale
served, and the entertainment was top-notch (even Wayne Newton came). There were
jugglers, dancers, singers, a theatrical troupe, and a storyteller.(pig
jugglers, dwarf bowling, yodeling, One man theatrical show) When everyone had
finished their meal (some quicker than others...) and all the other gifts had
been presented (still haven't figure out how they got that pony in that little
gold box) , the twelve fairies stepped forth to present their gifts...twelve
magical wishes.
The first fairy, Rayven, stepped up to the cradle and waved her magic wand above
the babe, granting the wee princess great beauty. The second fairy, Belle, with
a giggle, granted the princess happiness throughout her days. The temptress
fairy Breanna granted her kindness to E/everyone, while the spirited fairy
Katrina granted her bravery to do all the things she longed to do. Dami, the
Spanish fairy, granted her cleverness to arm her in battles of wit. The prim
and proper fairy, Scarlet, bestowed upon the princess truthfulness, while the
songbird fairy, Cricket, bestowed her with a sweet voice of song. The sultry
fairy, lava, affectionately called "kitten" by Sir Kyle, the Noble Knight of the
Chamberpots (the how and when he makes her purr is the source of some debate),
bestowed the princess with light dancing feet so she may enjoy music as it was
meant to be enjoyed. From Nel, the fairy that picks Lord Gray's pants for the
day, the princess received the gift of a "wicked sense of humor". (When
questioned as to why she chose that gift, the pixie-fairy replied, "Well, a gal
has to have SOME fun!" as she pranced about in a cat suit while she teased Lord
Gray about starting a mud fight.) The wee fairy, ceanna bestowed Princess
Payton with passion that will sustain all her convictions, while the wee fairy,
dawn, bestowed the princess with the stamina to insure those convictions are
upheld.
As Aspen, the twelfth, and most demure, fairy, approached the baby cradle, the
thirteenth fairy, Gorta (No, I don't know if she is related to Gort, so don't
ask please), burst though the large oak doors with a loud "boom" of magic.
Standing in the door way, her striking beauty was only marred by the fact that
her blonde hair stuck out all over and small puffs of smoke seeped out of her
nostrils, describing her as furious at not being invited to the party just
didn't paint the image vividly enough. Casting a cold, hard stare at all the
guests, then coming to rest on the king and queen, she spat in a Yoda-like
voice, "Having a party are we?...Not inviting Gorta, did we?...Gorta
knows...Gorta sees....A present Gorta has, too." Pointing her wand toward the
baby's crib and stating, "Princess grows up...yes...is all that is expected to
be, she will...prick her finger when 16 she turns...on a spinning wheel's
spindle...yes...Gorta wishes...Gorta sees...Princess does...". With a bright
flash and an evil cackle, the thirteenth fairy is gone, her wish granted.
King William and Queen Whisper are beside themselves with grief to know that
their daughter will die at a young age. Just when they thought they had no hope
left, the twelfth fairy reminded them that she had yet to grant her wish.
"While I posses great powers all my own, I cannot break wicked Gorta's curse,
but...I can change it. She will not die as Gorta predicted, but will fall into
a deep sleep until awakened by a kiss from a Prince pure in body, if not in
spirit." The king and queen feverishly thanked the fairy, but she only replied
with a snort as she rolled her eyes, "Don't thank me...it may be a millennium or
two before a prince like that comes along."
The years passed, and as with all children and pet, Princess Payton grew up.
She was kind, beautiful, and clever. She was all the fairies wished her to be;
a joy to both her parents. Now on the day of her sixteenth birthday, Princess
Payton decided to do what all sixteen year old maidens do...no...she didn't go
looking for a rogue...she went exploring in the castle. While exploring the
castle she came across a room in an outer tower that she didn't know was there.
As she entered the room she saw an old woman sitting by a spinning wheel. "What
are you doing?", the princess asked the old woman.
In a croaking voice, the woman replied, "Spinning on wheel, I am. To do, you
would like?"
"Oh, please," replied the princess, as she sat beside the wheel and watched the
woman work. "I don't remember this room before. Have you always worked here?
Is it difficult to master?" The old woman continued spinning, the only answer
the princess received was lips firmly sealed shut. "What does this do?" The
princess questioned as she reached out to touch the spindle, the sharp point
pricking her finger.
As the princess slipped into a deep sleep, the old woman said, "Many questions
you had...an answer you found...". In a flash, Gorta stood in place of the old
woman and looked down on the sleeping princess. She cackled an evil laugh and
then vanished. At that same moment, the king and the queen, the servants, the
cats and the dogs all fell asleep as well. The fires stopped burning and the
roast stopped sizzling. Everything slept. Then a hedge of wild roses (pink,
lavender, bright red, deep red, white, and a couple of polkadotted ones too -
Hey, It is a FAIRY tale, after all!) grew up around the castle. It grew and it
grew until the castle was hidden.
Hundreds of years passed...oh wait...did I say hundreds? I meant fifty years
passed before a prince came riding by and saw the top of the tower rising up
above the hedge of roses. "Strange...I don't remember seeing a tower there
before." Turning in his saddle, the prince spotted a peasant working a field
and he rode over to make inquires. "Hello, my good man. Do you know what is
behind that hedge of roses?"
Now the peasant looking up, was dutifully impressed with the gentleman before
him and gave a slight bow. "It is said that there is a castle up there,
milord." He paused as he tried to figure out why this man looked so familiar.
"May I inquire as to whom I'm speaking to milord?"
"Oh, forgive my manners. I am Prince Tristram of the Rogue's Court," the prince
replied.
The eyes of the peasant opened wide. "Not, THE Prince Tristram? The Celebrity
Prince? Oh..." he fell to his knees bowed again. "Forgive me, your highness. I
did not recognize you."
"No, no, no," the prince tried to correct the man, but gave up with a sigh,
knowing as in times past it would do no good. "It is all right. I forgive you.
Please, go back to your work. I will explore the hedge to see if there is a way
in." With that, the prince left the man to his work and approached the hedge of
roses.
He dismounted from his valiant steed and contemplated his next move. His horse
gave a snort and pawed impatiently at the ground. "It's all right, Fluffy," the
prince whispered to his steed. "I'm just going to see if I can find a way in.
I'll make sure I'm back in time so you won't miss your evening grooming." With
that, Prince Tristram (formally known as Prince Smooches, or Trissy to the
village ladies) lifted his rusty...I mean...trusty sword (he affectionately
calls "Poker") to cut a path through the hedges. As the blade touched a branch,
a path opened up in front of him. A bit curious, Prince Tristram followed the
path through the hedge. He entered the castle, walked from room to room,
finding all within asleep.
Something pulled Prince Tristram to one of the far towers, and he climbed the
stairs. At the top he found a small room. When he entered he saw the sleeping
Princess Payton. Her beauty captivated him and he did something very out of
character...he kissed her. As their lips met, the spell was broken and the
princess opened her eyes and smiled.
"Are you my prince charming? What is your name, my good prince?"
Prince Tristram smiled as he helped her rise, "My name is Prince Tristram,
princess."
The princess gasped. "Not THE Prince Tristram, the Celebrity Prince?"
A look of sadness took hold of the prince. "Nay, princess. That was my
grandfather. I am Prince Tristram...The CELIBATE Prince."
"Oh...OH!!!" Princess Payton's spirits sank. "But I always thought that my
prince charming would wake me with true love's first kiss. At least that is
what my mother told me the fairy Aspen granted me on the day of my birth. I
would be awaken by a prince pure in body if not in spirit with a kiss."
"Aspen!" The prince shook his had. "I might have known she would have
something to do with this. I am pure in body, all right, but definitely not in
spirit. At my tenth birthday party I tried looking up her skirt and my "gift"
that year was a desire for a chaste life. I've been cursed ever since."
Noises from downstairs caught their attention. "I believe your parents are
awakening now, princess." He offered her his arm. "May I escort you down the
stair to meet them?" Nodding an agreement, the princess followed the prince
down the stairs.
Now I'm sure your wondering what ever became of the Sleeping Beauty. Well,
rumor has it that she succumbed to the charms of a rogue named James and is now
a little old lady living in a shoe. And what, you ask, became of The Celibate
Prince? No one can say for sure.