The Enchantress Returns
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To Hannah,
for being the bravest, strongest, and
most honest person I know, and for showing
that it’s impossible to be “cursed” when
one has a heart as courageous as yours.
Also, for giving me my first black eye—you were
four, I was nine. It still hurts. Bubba loves you.
“THE WORLD WILL NOT BE DESTROYED BY THOSE WHO DO EVIL, BUT BY THOSE WHO WATCH THEM WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING.”
—ALBERT EINSTEIN
The East was in a period of great celebration. Daily parades marched through the village streets, every home and shop was decorated in colorful banners and wreaths, and handfuls of flower petals were thrown and floated through the air. Each citizen smiled, proud of what they had recently accomplished.
It had taken over a decade for the Sleeping Kingdom to fully recover from the horrific sleeping curse of the past, but at last, it had restored itself to the prosperous nation it had been before. The people of the East charged into the future, reclaiming their home as the Eastern Kingdom.
A week’s worth of celebrations concluded in the great hall of Queen Sleeping Beauty’s castle. It was so crowded the entire kingdom seemed to be there; many had to stand or sit on windowsills. The queen herself; her husband, King Chase; and their royal advisor sat at a high table overlooking the festivities.
A small performance was taking place in the center of the hall. Thespians reenacted Sleeping Beauty’s christening, portraying the fairies who had blessed her and the evil Enchantress who had cursed her to die after pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. Luckily, another fairy reformed the curse, so when the princess eventually pricked her finger, she and the entire kingdom simply went to sleep. They slept for a hundred years and the performers took great delight in re-creating the moment King Chase kissed her and awoke them all.
“I think it’s time we dispose of our little gifts from the queen,” a woman shouted from the back of the hall. She stood up on a table and cheerfully gestured to her wrist.
Everyone in the kingdom wore flexible bands around their wrists made from tree sap. In the years prior, Queen Sleeping Beauty had instructed them to snap their wrists with them whenever they felt unnecessary fatigue. The bands helped the citizens stay awake, fighting off the lingering effects of the curse.
Fortunately, the bands weren’t needed anymore. Everyone in the great hall ripped them off their wrists and threw them happily in the air.
“Your Majesty, won’t you tell us again where you learned a trick like that?” a man asked the queen about the bands.
“You’ll think strangely of me when I tell you,” Sleeping Beauty said. “It was from a child. He and his sister were visiting the castle a year ago. He said he had used a band to keep himself awake in school and suggested the kingdom try it.”
“Remarkable!” the man said and laughed with her.
“Fascinating, isn’t it? I believe the most extraordinary ideas come from children,” the queen said. “If only we all could be so perceptive, we would find the simplest solutions to the greatest problems are right under our noses.”
Sleeping Beauty lightly tapped the side of her glass with a spoon. She stood and addressed the eager people.
“My friends,” Sleeping Beauty said, raising her glass. “Today marks a very special day in our history and an even better day for our future. As of this morning, our kingdom’s trading deals, crop production, and overall consciousness have not only been restored but
improved
since the sleeping curse was cast upon this land!”
Her people cheered so loudly the castle shook with joy. Sleeping Beauty looked to her side and shared a warm smile with her husband.
“We should not forget the horrible curse of the past, but when we look back upon the dark time, let us remember how we triumphed over it,” Sleeping Beauty continued. Small tears formed in her eyes. “Let it be a warning to all who try to interfere with our prosperity: The Eastern Kingdom is here to stay and stands united against any force of evil that gets in our way!”
The approving roar was so loud it actually knocked a man off the windowsill he sat on.
“I have never been prouder to be among you than tonight! Here’s to you!” the jubilant queen said, and the room joined her in sipping from their glasses.
“All hail Queen Beauty!” a man in the middle of the hall shouted.
“All hail the queen!” the rest cheered with him. “All hail the queen! All hail the queen!”
Sleeping Beauty waved at them graciously and took a seat. The festivities continued into the night, but just before midnight the queen was overcome by a strange sensation—a feeling she hadn’t felt in years.
“Well, isn’t that bizarre?” Sleeping Beauty said to herself, looking off into the distance with a smirk.
“Is there something wrong, my love?” King Chase asked.
Sleeping Beauty stood and headed toward the staircase behind them.
“You’ll have to excuse me, dear,” the queen said to her husband. “I’m rather
sleepy
.”
She was just as surprised to say it as he was to hear it, because Sleeping Beauty hadn’t slept in years. The queen had made a promise to her people that she wouldn’t rest until the kingdom was properly restored; now, looking around at all the joyous faces in the hall, both the king and the queen knew that the promise had been fulfilled.
“Good night, my love, sleep well,” King Chase said and kissed her hand.
In her chambers, the queen changed into her favorite nightgown and slipped into her bed for the first time in over a
decade. She felt as if she were being reunited with old friends. She had forgotten the feeling of the cool sheets against her legs and arms, the softness of her pillow, and the sinking sensation as she settled into the mattress.
The sounds of celebration could be heard in the queen’s chambers, but she didn’t mind: They were actually soothing to her. Sleeping Beauty took a deep breath and fell into a very deep sleep—almost as deep as the one during the one hundred years’ curse, except she knew she could awaken anytime she wished.
When King Chase joined her later, he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his wife peacefully sleeping. He hadn’t seen her look this way since the day he saw her for the first time.
In the great hall, the celebration finally concluded. The lamps and fireplaces were extinguished throughout the castle. The servants finished cleaning up and were dismissed to their quarters.
All was finally quiet in the castle. But a few hours before dawn, the silence was broken.
