SLEEPING BEAUTY| 18+

Chapter five- A Dream

Aurora laid on her bed reading her book. She had been trying her hardest to distract herself these past couple of days for she hadn't heard or seen Philip in four days. She knew not to expect him everyday and four days wasn't necessarily a long time, but it felt like it. She sat there and wondered what he was doing.

Had he forgotten about her?

Did he intend to come back ever?

Was he alright?

She thought it silly to have such thoughts over a person she only met a handful of times but she couldn't help it. What could he possibly be doing that he had totally forgotten about her?

‣

Philip stared across the table staring at his father. Philips stare was burning a whole into his father's eyes as his step-mother sat beside him eating peacefully. Suddenly his step-mother picks up her cloth from her lap and slams it into the table.

"So this is what its going to be then?" She says looking from Philip to his father and back again. Philip stayed silent.

"Well if my son wasn't fooling around causing ruckus and chasing after women, we wouldn't be caught with the elephant in the room now would we?" Philips father says shoving a piece of lamb he t in his mouth. "Philip knows what was coming. He cannot act like he didn't know. He is 22 years old, if he is going to be king, he will need to be wed. He knew he was betrothed to another and still chose to disobey the rule."

Philip lifts up his eyes and if looks could kill his father would be dead. "I will be King with or without a bride, and I'll be damned if I have a marry a girl of your choosing." He yells.

Philips step-mother gently puts her hand on top of his and he tried not to flinch."We understand dear, that you are not interested in marriage right now, however your father and I would feel much more comfortable if you were to marry someone before you became King."

Philip takes a deep breath, trying to withhold the rage back. He didn't particularly like his step-mother, nor did he enjoy her company but she never really bothered him, so he genuinely had nothing against her. He felt an indifference towards his father for marrying after his mother died, but he didn't blame his step-mother for that. Truthfully, Philip felt bad for her. He knew what his father was like, and he could only pity her for being married to such a bastard.

"I will marry, but no one of your choosing. It will be my choice and that is final. I'm done with father's bullshit. He doesn't care about marriage, he cares about control. You have more control than anyone in this kingdom yet you always steal any bit of freedom from me. Im done being your lap dog. And I will marry, but it will be on my own terms!"

"Enough! Now Philip, you know thats not how it works, this betrothal has been set singe you were a baby and I will not go back on our word. " His father starts getting up out of his chair. Philip was seething and imagining how quickly he could beat him to a pulp. Philip sat gripping the edge of the table, trying not to loose control.

"Dont talk about ruling my life when you cant even rule your kingdom! You have done nothing about the conflict with East Asia! I have had to do it all and I am not even King yet! It is bullshit that you are more worried about my marriage than this war."

Philip storms out of the room and the last thing you hear is his chair scraping against the floor. He finds his way to the sparring ground, ready to let out the anger. The amount of paper work, arguing, and meetings Philip had to attend to left him 3 days without seeing Aurora. His body was drawn to her and he didn't understand how or why. He craved her laugh, the touch of her soft skin under his, and the bright smile she would give him.