The Princess Who Slept

Fables have been passed down through generations of story telling. Each teller makes slight modifications either from need due to fuzzy memory or to improve the tale. At some point someone thinks “perhaps we should write this down, so it doesn’t get lost” and that fable becomes recorded in history on paper. Some think the story ends there, but long as there are creative minds working and story tellers weaving their tales the story shall continue. What makes these stories so very interesting is that the one we truly love and cherish are so often very different from the beginnings tales that might have originally been told with a completely different point. Stories that were originally true tales grow with each telling and soon are true fables. This story is one of those. It once was a true history of a young girl and her misfortunes but it has been changed over the centuries until it resembles now the sweet happily ever after that you all are so familiar with. This is the story of Rose, the princess who slept.

Rose was born many centuries ago in a small but happy kingdom outside of what is now known as Austria. Her mother, the Queen, was late in her life and had given up on having any children. Thus she kept several beautiful flower gardens. In them grew beautiful lilies of every style and colour, brightly speckled pansies, snap dragons taller then some of the trees. She had vines wisteria and rows of tulips. Every flower you could possibly imagine in every shade you could possibly imagine was in her gardens. Except that is to her disappointment roses. The Queen had several stunning rose bushes whose leaves were various shades of alluring greens but not a single one of them ever bloomed. Despite this her gardens won all kinds of awards and prizes which she was most happy about. She though of her life as content, and happy if not perfect.

The King was a soft, gentle man, who was thankful to have peace in his kingdom and a loving dutiful wife. When he and his wife were young he loved to chase and tease her through the back gardens watching her long caramel hair flow behind her. He loved her so very much and as he saw how distressed she became when despite their tries she could not conceive a child he made sure she knew he loved her. He never once tried to pressure her or make her feel guilty for not bearing him an heir. His nephew could always take over the kingdom. This was and idea he was rather comfortable with because despite other kingdoms he and his brother and thus his nephew were very close. Just as his wife had her gardens to placate her and fill the spot in her heart for children the King had horses, wonderful, fast racing horses. And as with the Queen he found his life content.

So it was very much to both of their delighted surprise when the Queen found herself pregnant. Neither had been trying particularly hard at all. Maybe, just maybe that is exactly what was needed. Life has a way of giving you what you want not when you want it but when you need it. It had done so for the King and Queen, and they were happy.

Nine months later after what was rough due to the Queen’s age but a fairly easy pregnancy a baby girl was born. She had her father’s intense blue eyes and her mother caramel soft curls. Her parents were not vain ruler like many of those in the kingdoms surrounding them. They would have loved her no matter what she had looked like beautiful or ugly. It did please them ever so very much that she was a beautiful baby whom they hoped would grow into a beautiful girl.

Something else amazing happened on the day of the Princess’s birth all of the Queen’s rose bushes developed buds and in a few days were covered in blossoms. This is how Princess Rose came about her name, for the blossom that would only bloom upon her birth.

Everyone was invited to the party that was being held for the beautiful new princess. Mages, wizards, and seers all came to look into the future or gift Rose with attributes that would be befitting a princess. Beauty, a melodic voice, sweet nature, and a strong will these were just a few of the things that were given. Seers saw happiness and joy in her childhood, true love and good tidings. Almost all the seers had beheld the princes and looked into her future, all but Mazadigal. He was the most powerful Seer in the entire kingdom and could see far into the future when carriages moved without horses and other things that confounded the rest of the kingdom.

As he stood to tell what he saw everyone held their breath knowing this to be the greatest thing. “I look into the life that shall become our Princess, and see she shall become a glorious and well loved Queen.” Then his face became shadowed “I fear though that I see a great challenge to come to her upon her seventeenth year. She shall knock upon deaths door with a finger prick to something sharp a knife, scissors or needle point. It is not clear what the item is, and banning these will not do any justice for the universe will put an object there to fulfill this destiny. The Princess shall not perish; instead she shall sleep until true love’s kiss awakens her. The years of slumber are dependent on the princess herself."

Everyone was aghast at what Mazadigal saw in the life of the princess, but knew what he spoke of must be the truth, for he has never been wrong before. The Queen began to sob and the King was furious. He knew who not to be furious at just that there must be someone in which he can direct his anger. Instead he called forth his council and began to make preparations for the event. He had a tower erected taller than any other tower in the kingdom or any surrounding one for that matter. All that was in the tower was a single bedroom upon the top for the princess to sleep her eventual slumber. The Queen had the most beautiful garden or roses placed all around the bottom of the tower. Throughout the year the vines climbed the tower to create became known as the Tower of Roses.

Rose did indeed grow to be a beautiful young girl, who it would grow to be a beautiful woman. She was kind and friendly to the servants and many pets she loved to have nearby. At times she could be strong headed and iron willed when things weren’t going her way. Yes she was spoiled as you should expect of a young princess and she had he fair share of tantrums. These were always well balanced with a generous spirit and gracious heart. Overall everyone loved Rose.

Rose did not know of what Mazadigal had foreseen in her future. Everyone thought it would be better this way. Her parents had hired the great seer to council the princess so that she would be well prepared for her challenge. This was very hard to do without telling Rose what the challenge would be. Her questions about the rose tower became more frequent and demanding as she aged. All she ever found out was that it was preparations for her future. The day would come soon enough that she would need it and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

It was the eve of her seventeenth birth celebration while the Princess rolled her hair up for sleeping to insure that she would have beautiful curls and the Queen finished her dress for the following day’s celebration that her mother spoke nervously of the vision that was seen. Rose listened patiently to it all and everything that was done afterward in preparation. When the tale was done she began to sob and cry at what was going to happen. The Queen got up to comfort her daughter but instead had Rose’s beautiful porcelain hair receiver fly past her head. Rose stood up with tears still in her eyes and asked her mother to leave her until the morning. Once she was alone she lay down and slept a restless sleep.

The morning was upon all soon and everyone was on their toes waiting, the celebration was only half of what it could have been due to everyone’s worry and nerves. The day continued without incident, and the sun set without a single prick of the finger. The next day was just as uneventful as the prior day, as was the one that followed it, continuing so for a week, then a month, then three months. Everyone was shocked that Mazadigal’s vision was wrong, and the King sent forth for the great seer.

“Mazadigal, you are the greatest seer in my land and any of the land boarding us and those that boarder them and so on and so forth. How is it that you have given us a false vision?” spoke the King.

“Your Royal Majesty upon high, I, myself am bewildered by this event. I do think caution is to be taken still though as in my vision I know it’s only upon Princess Rose’s Seventeenth year that she will succumb to her slumber, not which day of that year.”

And so it happened that seven months after the princess’s birthday while doing some needlework. To keep her hands busy while sitting with her parents listening to their people speak their needs. While bring the needle down through the fabric she misjudged where her hand below was and the sharp point sunk slowly into the tip of her finger. She was so stunned because she had been so careful since her birthday she just watched as a small patch of blood spread out from that point in her linen. The Queen saw too the patch of blood like a rose blossoming on the fabric and let out a startled gasp. Rose’s head was already beginning to nod next to her. The Princesses hand let go of the hoop of fabric the circle rolling down the short steps and landing in front of the farmer that had been speaking. Everyone’s eyes first glued to the circle of fabric lying on the dirty boot of the man, then to the now sleeping princess.

The whole kingdom mourned while the sleeping princess was carried to the tower built with this day in mind. And people spoke of the tale of what the seer saw and the events that happened. The word spread. Soon the news reached princes near and far and they all ventured to save the sleeping beauty.

While all this was happening the Princess slept, and dreamt. She had dreams of the people crying for her and wished she could console them. She had dreams of the King and Queen distraught and wished to hug them but she just slept on. As the princes started to arrive she dreamt of them too. Dreams of the one too fat, the one too tall, the one too pretty, the one too vain, and the one too plain. The princess was being finicky and did not know the cost of these dreams, for as she rejected each of these men in her sleep a denser and thicker vine grew blocking the entrance. Soon the princes stopped coming. And time went by. The princess through her dreams saw what happened around her.

Her parents died within 10 years of her slumber, they being old and heartbroken. Her cousin was now king of those lands until her awakening. He refused to move into the castle there and it fell into disrepair as did Rose’s tower the vines blossoming year round and were all you could see now. Soon after that his own father dies and he was the king of two lands. The people of her land grew old and told the stories to their children of Rose, the sleeping princess. They two grew old and told what they could remember of the story to their children. The story still continued to spread.

Fifty years went by since Rose had pricked her finger she still lay in her bed sleeping and dreaming bitter sweet dream of time moving on. She was still as beautiful and young as the day she closed her eyes though no one was aware of this. A young prince from a land far away was enchanted by the story and went to save this young maiden. For you see since he grew up on the story of Princess Rose he grew to love this unseen princess and was determined to succeed where other had failed.

Rose dreamt of the prince on his way but much had changed within her. She no longer wanted to wake up; everyone she knew and loved was gone. What would she do? So as she did before she rejected his rescue and the vine grew thick. Unlike the princes before him this Prince would not give up. The weeks went by and he laboured at cutting down the vine, which only grew back just as fast. Rose was fascinated at his determination and slowly the vines grew slower and thinner, until the Prince was able cut his way through the door.

Rose saw as he made his way up the stairs cloak in tatters face scratched from the thorns and she admired him. Upon reaching the top he saw her there sleeping softly and sat down on the bed next to her. The princess was now ready to be awoken she knew she could love him and live with him, but he did not kiss her. Instead her took her hand gently and told her about him, about his land, and his parents. He told her how he grew up with her story and loved her since he was very young. The Prince told her how everyone laughed and told him it was just a fairy tale when he said that he was going to rescue her. His tales included that his father had once come to rescue her he was the prince who was too fat. When these tales ran out he told her how beautiful she was, how wonderful he was going to treat her and what a great life they would have. When he finished telling her all of this he bent over slowly and kissed her upon the forehead and she stirred slightly. A soft kiss upon the cheek caused another stirring. Finally he kissed her so gently upon her lips and her eyes fluttered awake.

Her first words were his name Fredrick.

Now this is where tale ends with a happily ever after, unfortunately not. I wish I could do the same but that would be an injustice to Rose and Fredrick. Let start with the practical things, Rose’s cousin overjoyed by her arousal did keep his promise to her father and return her land to her. There was a large coronation held in the now tamed gardens of the tower. Fredrick and Rose began repairs and improvements on the castle that was left behind by her parents. The Queen did miss them dreadfully but had a hall made in their honour. She hung a painting of each of them at opposite ends of the hall which gave the appearance of them walking towards each other. After many months of tedious work they were wed in that very hall.

This is where the tale began to get darker again, for the morning after Rose and Fredrick’s first night together as husband and wife she began to change. At first the both thought that this was just the stirrings of a new babe. But the changes continued. Within a fortnight Rose’s breasts had dropped her thighs had began to gain cellulite and her bum gain weight. A looking glass revealed that she also appeared fourteen years older. You see the loss of her innocence brought all those years she spent sleeping back to her upon her and within two months she truly resembled her sixty seven years of age.

Rose was distraught she was sure that Fredrick would leave her now that she looked what she thought as a hag. But Fredrick didn’t leave her despite him being young twenty two years of age, for he thought Rose looked elegant and beautiful with her long silver hair and sweet face. She had hardly any age lines though she saw many in the looking glass or reflection ponds. Fredrick did stay by her side and they ruled for another thirty five years.

It was then that Fredrick had and accident while out hunting with his son, for Rose was still able to bear children being only ten years beyond the age her mother had her. He fell off his mount and was killed instantly. Rose was heart broken but continued to live on. Four years later she gingerly walked slowly up the stairs of the tower she once spent so many years sleeping in. At her old age it took her nearly all day to reach the top. Once there she carefully lay down on the bed that was still there a bit mildewed and covered in dust. She closed her eyes and entered her eternal sleep.