[Sleeping Beauty: Drabble] "Sharp Objects" [Aurora/Phillip, G]
Title: Sharp Objects
Prompt: writerverse challenge #16 once upon a time (repurpose a fairy tale)
Word Count: 662
Rating: G
Original Fairy Tale Used: Sleeping Beauty (mostly the Disney version)
Pairings: Aurora/Phillip
Summary: As it turned out, Princess Aurora grew quite fascinated with sharp objects.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Sharp Objects
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who was cursed to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall asleep for a hundred years.
Her parents, the king and queen, had intended to send her deep into the forest, far away from danger, in the care of her three guardian fairies, but in the end, they could not bear to part with their child, and she remained in the palace. They ordered all weavers and spinners to keep their tools under lock and key when not in use, and continually admonished their daughter to stay well clear of any spindles.
As it turned out, Princess Aurora grew quite fascinated with sharp objects.
Only a spindle would activate the curse, something Aurora knew for a fact because she’d tested it thoroughly- needles, scissors, shards of glass and pottery, none of them did any more than slice into the princess’s fair skin. Her parents tried to keep her safe, but eventually they simply asked the fairies to keep on hand a supply of healing balm and grew accustomed to the sight of bandages beneath the princess’s gown.
Especially after Aurora decided her favorite sharp objects were swords.
Her father hired the best sword teacher in the surrounding kingdoms, and her mother mended the tunics she tore during her training. She grew to be an able fighter, and was soon besting all the other squires when she faced them in training. Almost every day, she would dress in plain clothing and ride off into the forest. On one such ride, Aurora had met a young man from a neighboring kingdom. His name was Phillip, and he could beat her at sword fighting almost as many times as she beat him, and he was always cheerful when he lost.
Aurora never told anyone about him.
She had come to feel recently that something was bothering her friend, but Phillip refused to talk about it. Aurora let him keep his silence, though she had her suspicions- he was a few years older than she, and went oddly quiet when she brought up the subject of the future. He was clearly a young nobleman, with the training and manners he displayed, and she was sure his parents were arranging a marriage of advantage for him.
She might have felt more sympathy if she hadn’t known the one her own parents were arranging.
On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Aurora knelt before her father to be knighted. She wore a gown at her mother’s insistence, created by her fairy godmothers, though they couldn’t seem to decide whether it should be pink or blue- she herself had no opinion. She rose, accepting the shield her parents had commissioned with the royal crest, when her mother caught her arm.
“We have one more surprise,” the queen said, and the crowd hushed. “Our daughter’s betrothed has come from our neighboring kingdom, to bestow his own birthday gift.”
Aurora’s heart sank- surely she would have more time? She had just received her knighthood- surely she would be allowed a quest before she must marry?
“I do have a gift,” said a voice, a familiar voice. “But perhaps I should have brought you a new sword.”
“Phillip?” breathed Aurora.
It was him- wearing a fine tunic, with a crown on his head and a golden box in his hands. “You never told me you were a princess.”
“You never told me you were a prince,” she countered, smiling. “And you can get me a sword for my birthday next year.”
He did, and they were married not long after.
And many years after that, when their children were almost grown, Aurora accidentally touched a sharp spindle and pricked her finger- Phillip, by her side as always, caught her before she could fall and kissed her.
She blinked up at him, then laughed. “We should have gotten that out of the way a long time ago,” she said.
THE END
Current Mood:
blah
Prompt: writerverse challenge #16 once upon a time (repurpose a fairy tale)
Word Count: 662
Rating: G
Original Fairy Tale Used: Sleeping Beauty (mostly the Disney version)
Pairings: Aurora/Phillip
Summary: As it turned out, Princess Aurora grew quite fascinated with sharp objects.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Sharp Objects
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who was cursed to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall asleep for a hundred years.
Her parents, the king and queen, had intended to send her deep into the forest, far away from danger, in the care of her three guardian fairies, but in the end, they could not bear to part with their child, and she remained in the palace. They ordered all weavers and spinners to keep their tools under lock and key when not in use, and continually admonished their daughter to stay well clear of any spindles.
As it turned out, Princess Aurora grew quite fascinated with sharp objects.
Only a spindle would activate the curse, something Aurora knew for a fact because she’d tested it thoroughly- needles, scissors, shards of glass and pottery, none of them did any more than slice into the princess’s fair skin. Her parents tried to keep her safe, but eventually they simply asked the fairies to keep on hand a supply of healing balm and grew accustomed to the sight of bandages beneath the princess’s gown.
Especially after Aurora decided her favorite sharp objects were swords.
Her father hired the best sword teacher in the surrounding kingdoms, and her mother mended the tunics she tore during her training. She grew to be an able fighter, and was soon besting all the other squires when she faced them in training. Almost every day, she would dress in plain clothing and ride off into the forest. On one such ride, Aurora had met a young man from a neighboring kingdom. His name was Phillip, and he could beat her at sword fighting almost as many times as she beat him, and he was always cheerful when he lost.
Aurora never told anyone about him.
She had come to feel recently that something was bothering her friend, but Phillip refused to talk about it. Aurora let him keep his silence, though she had her suspicions- he was a few years older than she, and went oddly quiet when she brought up the subject of the future. He was clearly a young nobleman, with the training and manners he displayed, and she was sure his parents were arranging a marriage of advantage for him.
She might have felt more sympathy if she hadn’t known the one her own parents were arranging.
On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Aurora knelt before her father to be knighted. She wore a gown at her mother’s insistence, created by her fairy godmothers, though they couldn’t seem to decide whether it should be pink or blue- she herself had no opinion. She rose, accepting the shield her parents had commissioned with the royal crest, when her mother caught her arm.
“We have one more surprise,” the queen said, and the crowd hushed. “Our daughter’s betrothed has come from our neighboring kingdom, to bestow his own birthday gift.”
Aurora’s heart sank- surely she would have more time? She had just received her knighthood- surely she would be allowed a quest before she must marry?
“I do have a gift,” said a voice, a familiar voice. “But perhaps I should have brought you a new sword.”
“Phillip?” breathed Aurora.
It was him- wearing a fine tunic, with a crown on his head and a golden box in his hands. “You never told me you were a princess.”
“You never told me you were a prince,” she countered, smiling. “And you can get me a sword for my birthday next year.”
He did, and they were married not long after.
And many years after that, when their children were almost grown, Aurora accidentally touched a sharp spindle and pricked her finger- Phillip, by her side as always, caught her before she could fall and kissed her.
She blinked up at him, then laughed. “We should have gotten that out of the way a long time ago,” she said.
THE END
Current Mood:
blah