Sleeping Beauty's Daughters (11 page)

17

Of a Dreamer’s Destination

I
had a dream.

In my dream, I heard a terrible noise and the crackle and hiss of flames. I felt cold water and salt spray, and then I was back in the
Cateline
, speeding across the sea. But it couldn’t be the
Cateline
, for I knew the little boat had been destroyed in the whirlpool. I lay with my head in my sister’s lap, feeling her familiar touch on my brow.

I heard Luna ask, “Will she wake?” She asked it over and over, her tone insistent and desperate. Emmeline’s reply was always the same: “I believe she will, darling.”

I felt the sun on my face, and then it was gone. This happened three times. Once there was an extraordinary splash and a wave that nearly capsized us. Luna’s voice came faintly to me: “A whale!” she cried. “Oh, look at its eye!” I struggled to open my own eyes to see the marvel, but I could not.

Time passed in my dream, and the boat scraped on sand. Waves broke on a shore, and gulls called overhead. There were people all around, their voices rising and falling. At first they cried out in fear, but Symon spoke to them. He told them who we were; he convinced them that we were not pirates or brigands. I heard a family offer us their home, the father’s voice gruff, the mother’s soft and gentle, and I felt myself lifted and carried. They placed me on a scratchy mattress in a warm room. There was a delicious smell of stewed meat, and my mouth watered.

“Why does she sleep so soundly?” a little girl asked, but her mother hushed her.

“She is enchanted,” I heard Luna reply.

“Will she ever wake?” another girl inquired.

“Of course she will,” Luna said.

“Why do you wear boys’ clothes?” one of them asked next.

“Child, don’t be rude!” the same woman exclaimed.

“No, it’s all right,” Luna assured her. “I wear them because I am a sailor, and you can’t sail in skirts.”

“And is that why your hair is short?” asked the girl.

“My hair is short because I like it that way,” Luna told her. I wanted to smile, for Luna sounded so much like herself. But I could not make my muscles move, even my lips.

“Mama!” said the girl. “I am going to cut off all my hair and wear boys’ clothes, just like Princess Luna!”

“You most certainly are not,” the mother said sternly. She sent the children out to play, and I thought,
How I wish that I could see these people!
But I knew that they would die long before I woke.

There were no voices for a time, though I could hear and smell things I had never truly noticed before. The breeze shushed through the window of the room, bringing the scent of wisteria with it. The fire crackled and smoked on the hearth. And then I heard my father whisper.

“Where is your sister?”

“She is asleep, over there,” Luna said. “But she will wake! She will wake, Papa.”

And next came Mama, murmuring, “Aurora, dearest.” Her voice caught on a sob. Her skirts rustled as she moved to where I lay, and I breathed in the spice-and-rose scent she always wore. I felt her gentle hand on my forehead, smoothing back my hair.

“My sweet child,” she said softly.

Then Leander spoke. I couldn’t hear what he said, but Mama cried out, “Oh, Brother, can it be you?” I struggled to break through to wakefulness, for I longed to see Mama and Leander reunited.

“Sleep, darling,” Mama said to me then, her voice soothing. “Everything will be well. Sleep now.”

And with that, something . . . changed. All at once Sleep, which had until now been a force that terrified and repelled me, softened and altered. Invisible arms reached out and cradled me. They were like my parents’ arms, strong and protective. I sank into them gratefully and gave myself up to oblivion at last. I could see nothing, hear nothing. All was calm and quiet and dark.

18

Of a Welcome Wakefulness

I
opened my eyes to daylight. I was lying down; I could feel a soft mattress beneath me, a coverlet atop me. When I focused my gaze upward, I saw that the ceiling above was undecorated, painted a soft blue, so I knew I was not in Emmeline’s house. Then I remembered that her house—and the whole island—had dissolved under Manon’s power. I remembered everything, and tears came to my eyes.

I turned my head and saw the window of my bedchamber at home. I was home. Castle Armelle still stood, even after a hundred years! I struggled to raise myself a bit, feeling very weak and shaky. Not much had changed, it seemed. My chair and love seat, my dressing table, the flowered rug on the floor beside my bed, all still remained. Even the bed hangings looked as fresh as when I had last awakened here, a century before. I was glad that everything had been kept the same.

The chamber door opened, and I braced myself. A servant I had never met would come in, or a relative three generations or more removed from my beloved family. I squeezed my eyes closed, willing myself to endure whatever anguish the visitor would bring.

“Oh, Sister, you’re awake!” a familiar-sounding voice cried. My eyes flew open, and I saw Luna standing over me. She leaped onto the bed and hugged and kissed me, again and again, as I lay stunned and motionless.

This could not be Luna, I reasoned. It must be Luna’s great-granddaughter. Or great-great-granddaughter. I was amazed at how much she looked like my sister, though I thought that her nose might be a little longer, her tawny eyes a little lighter in color. Even her short curls were similar. Perhaps, I thought, Luna’s ridiculous haircut had spawned a new style that had persisted through the ages.

“Who . . . ?” was all I could manage, my long-unused voice coming out in a rasp.

“Don’t try to speak, Aurora!” the girl exclaimed, bouncing wildly on my bed. “I cannot believe it worked! We didn’t know for sure—though Emmeline promised us—but it was hard to have faith in her, you know. She’s really not very reliable with her magic. But she did this right. Oh, I must tell Mama and Papa!” She jumped off the bed and headed for the door.

“Wait,” I croaked. “How . . . ?”

The girl turned back. “That’s right,” she said in a voice full of wonder. “I forgot that you didn’t know.”

“Know . . . what?”

“That Emmeline amended the curse. That you have not slept for a hundred years, but only for two months.”

I stared at her, disbelieving.

“She changed it, Aurora, just as she did for Mama. From one hundred years to the end of your twelfth year.”

I was speechless, and as I gazed at the girl she was transformed before my eyes. Why, of course that was Luna’s own upturned nose, her warm smile! This was not Luna’s great-great-granddaughter, but my own sweet sister. And with that realization, I burst into tears.

Luna became frantic. “Oh no, no, please don’t cry! Oh, Sister, I’m sorry, it’s all too much. . . . Let me get Mama and Papa.”

I nodded, weeping, and she ran off, calling for our parents. They could not have been far away, for they came into my room almost at once. At the sight of their dear faces, worn with worry and care, I cried even harder.

Mama rushed to me and took me in her arms, and I remembered the feeling of Sleep’s embrace as I surrendered. I had thought then that I would never see Mama again—yet here she was, only two months older! Then Papa hugged me, whispering, “Hello, Daughter!” He stood and blew his nose in a snow-white handkerchief and handed another one to me, and I wiped my eyes.

Mama sat beside me on the bed and stroked my brow. “We have been attending to you each day, Aurora, brushing your hair so it did not tangle and making sure you were comfortable in every way. It was all that we could do. . . . Oh, dearest, the waiting has been agony!”

“Poor Mama,” I murmured, patting her hand. “You must have taken very good care of me. I feel well enough—rested, at last! But I think I am very weak.”

“You’ve been lying down for two months,” Luna pointed out. “But once you are up, I’m sure you’ll get your strength back quickly. I’ll help.”

I smiled at her. There was a knock at the door, and Luna ran to open it. In came Emmeline, her face beaming, and behind her was Prince Leander.

“I am awake, Godmother,” I said happily.

“So I see, darling. Good for you!” she exclaimed. “Oh, I am so very glad it worked!”

Mama gasped. “Emmeline, you promised it would work!”

Emmeline reddened. “I was fairly certain,” she said, looking at the floor.

Mama stood, putting a delicate hand to her throat. “Fairly? If I had known it might fail . . .”

“But it did not fail,” Prince Leander cut in easily. “All is well, Sister.”

I looked at the prince—my uncle!—as he hugged Mama to him. They were together at last, after a hundred years and more. Mama looked happier than I could ever remember her, her cheeks flushed with pink.

Then I recalled what had happened on the island. Leander’s face was no longer perfect; a few lines marred the smoothness of his skin. “Are you . . . ,” I began, but I could think of no way to ask gracefully what I wanted to know. Luckily, Luna had no qualms.

“Uncle Leander is a human now,” she told me, perching beside me again. “Do you remember that? He chose to be one—it was very noble.”

“Very romantic,” I said, and Emmeline smiled.

“Yes, both romantic and noble,” she agreed. “Leander insists that he will remain young in spirit, even as his body ages. And I will give up my vanity and age with him, as much as I can.” She reached for Leander’s hand and squeezed it. I was close enough to see the sadness in her eyes, though, and my heart ached for her. How dreadful it would be for her to have to watch her beloved die, while she lived on and on!

But Emmeline could not stay unhappy for long. Her face grew merry again, and she said, “But he will always be the handsomest man in the world, even when he is old and gray. And he will never be nearly as old as I!”

At this, Leander laughed. It was a completely human laugh, joyous and sorrowful at the same time.

“But where is Master Julien? Surely he is not in the dungeon, is he? And Symon—is he here?” I inquired in what I hoped was a nonchalant voice.

“Our tutor is busy doing what he does best—teaching,” Luna said.

“Oh, has he found another position?” I asked.

Luna grinned at me. “No indeed,” she said gleefully. “He’s teaching Symon geography. And cartography. And astronomy, and mathematics as well. It’s quite a fascinating course of learning. I’ve been studying with them.”

“But why?”

“Symon wants to give up fishing for exploring, and Papa promised to be his patron,” Luna explained. “First, though, Symon must learn to sail a ship big enough for an expedition. A batteau could not make such a journey.” She dropped her voice to a whisper and said, into my ear, “I plan to go with him. It will take me years to convince Mama and Papa, but I’ll do it. I’ll see the world!”

“How remarkable!” I said softly. It seemed that things had not stayed the same during my long sleep after all. I thought of what I had said, teasingly, to Symon about raising a fortune and calling on me when we were grown, and I smiled a little to myself.

“I want to get up,” I announced.

“Oh, dearest, should you?” Mama asked anxiously.

“Of course she should!” Luna said. She put an arm around me, and together we struggled until I could swing my legs over the side of the bed. I had a moment of dizziness sitting up, but then the room righted itself. Luna helped me into an embroidered robe and slippers, and I stood unsteadily. Then, with Luna’s support, I walked over to my love seat and sat. My limbs trembled from the effort of walking, and my stomach growled loudly.

“Why, I’m starving,” I said.

“Jacquelle!” Mama called, and the maid entered the room immediately. She had obviously been listening just outside the door. “Bring tea and toast for Princess Aurora.”

“Mama, I haven’t eaten since July!” I exclaimed. “Please, Jacquelle, bring sausages! Bring cheese crepes, and cocoa. And a dish of berries and cream.” My mouth watered just to say the words.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Jacquelle bobbed in a curtsy. “It’s very good to see you awake, Your Highness!”

“Thank you,” I said, smiling hugely. My smile stayed in place as I looked around at all my family: Mama, Papa, Emmeline, Uncle Leander, and Luna—Luna, who had tried so hard to save me.

“Do Mama and Papa know everything that happened?” I asked my sister. “Do they know how you tried to get Manon to curse you instead of me?”

“I told them,” Emmeline said. “Luna would not say a word about it when we came back. But you are the one who does not know the whole story, my dear. You do not know that it was Luna’s idea that saved you. You do not know how Manon perished.”

“Manon is gone? Gone for good? Oh, what happened?” I cried.

“I’ll tell,” Luna said. “I think I can talk about it now.”

“Yes, you tell,” I agreed, stroking her bouncy curls.

“Well,” Luna began, “at the moment Manon touched you, Emmeline spoke. ‘I amend your curse!’ she said. ‘Aurora shall not sleep for a hundred years. Instead, I say that she will sleep only until the end of the year in which the curse took hold. She will wake at the same moment she was born—on September twentieth, her thirteenth birthday!’”

“Oh,” I said in wonder. “How clever, Godmother!”

“It was not my idea,” Emmeline admitted. “I had spent my time trying to strengthen my magic, for I wanted to do away with Manon’s spell altogether. But in the end, I didn’t have the power. It was only when Luna urged me that I realized that altering the curse might work. Manon was not expecting me to do it a second time—she was entirely absorbed by her desire for revenge.”

“She underestimated you, my love,” Leander said warmly, and Emmeline smiled her beautiful smile at him.

“Manon couldn’t bear it,” Luna went on. “I was standing near her, and Symon pulled me away. It was a good thing he did! Oh, you’ve never imagined anything like it. She was so angry that she couldn’t speak. She quivered and sputtered, and her hair lifted and crackled as if it were filled with lightning. I was sure that she would turn on us and change us into some dreadful creatures, or into rocks, or simply drown us in the seawater.” Luna winced at the memory, and I took her hand.

“But instead, as we watched, she got redder and redder until she was practically purple. Then she began to swell like a bullfrog. Her face puffed up, and the buttons popped off her dress. She grew enormous, all swollen and plum-colored. I was so frightened. . . .” Her voice trailed off shakily. We waited in silence for a moment, but Luna couldn’t go on.

Emmeline took over the story. “It seemed as though she couldn’t possibly expand any further. Then all at once there was a tremendous booming explosion. It was like a thunderclap. Right before our eyes she burst into flame.”

I gasped and squeezed Luna’s hand. “I screamed,” Luna said in a low voice. “We all screamed, I think. It was the most awful thing I’d ever seen. The blaze burned so fast! It was incredibly hot. In just a minute, she was utterly consumed. It looked like she still stood before us, but it was only her shape, outlined in ashes. There was a little puff of wind, and the ashes crumbled to the surface of the sea, hissing. Manon was there, and then she was gone. There was no trace of her left at all.”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing!” I said, appalled.

“Spontaneous combustion, Master Julien called it when we told him,” Luna explained. “He’d thought it happened only in books. I’ve never even dreamed of anything so frightful.” She grimaced and closed her eyes, remembering.

“Manon had lived with her jealousy and her fury for so long that she could no longer hold it inside,” Emmeline told me. “When she knew she’d lost Leander for good, when I bested her by changing the curse a second time—her hatred grew too big to contain. It destroyed her.”

I shuddered. “I’m glad she is gone,” I said fiercely to Luna. “You were so brave, Sister!”

Luna’s eyes were filled with tears. “I haven’t been able to speak of it before,” she confessed. “I’ve had nightmares nearly every night since it happened.”

“But now the nightmare is over,” I said softly, hugging her.

She leaned into me, gulping back a sob, and whispered, “Yes, the nightmare is over at last!”