When You Wish Upon A Curse

3 - What Could Have Been

3 – What Could Have Been

                I didn’t understand.

                Why…why wasn’t he here?

                It had been exactly 279 years. I had been waiting for exactly 279 years since the day of my supposed wedding.

                He was supposed to be here.

                But he wasn’t.

                He said he came from a foreign land, a month’s time by sail. He said he came for the Delphinium decadal ball held here, in my palace.

                He was right here when I talked to him. Right here.

                But the room was empty.

                I exited the chamber out to the corridors and wandered around. There was nothing out of the normal in sight – just the servant girls and the sickening velvet draped walls in the never ending halls. In fact, there wasn’t a hint of a ball at all.

                I willed myself outside to the stables and there I emerged. I overheard a conversation between two stable boys.

                “…I wish I can go there. I really, really wanna go there.”

                “I know, same ‘ere. Lucky lad, that prince, eh? I heard his bride was so fair the flowers bloom in her presence.” The red headed one said.

                “I fancy myself with her. And the ball was said to be the ball of the century.” The other boy said while stroking the body of the horse. I came closer and the horse neighed and jumped on its two rear feet as the front ones flailed and kicked and wrestled thin air.

                “Woah, easy boy, easy…stop faffing.” The horse calmed down, then continued to munch on the hay. “It’s like there’s a ghost or something.”

                Spot on, stable boy.

                “Back to what I was saying, I think any decent bloke would vie to take that Prince Phillip’s place. I know I would.”

I almost staggered back. Phillip?

“Not me, lad, I’m happy right here with ya. Why would I go…”

I couldn’t stand it anymore. I willed myself back to the chamber and I was there. I had no idea the ball was held in Phillip’s land – I spent most of my days wandering around my demolished room, the point being the news took me by surprise.

I had to tell Phillip to come here. I had to tell him where his real true love was. I had to have him wake me. But applaud me because I couldn’t go outside the palace grounds. That wretched witch. She hated me. That was the only explanation. She was the only one who knew about the curse, the only one who was able to do this. She restricted me from going anywhere. She restricted me from being awaken.

I had to meet her somehow. I had to.

“Looking for me, Aurora?”

I jumped.

How did she get in here?

You gave me a fright!

She didn’t age a day since the last time I saw her. Or maybe she had reached her aging capacity. She looked a hundred already, anyway. Didn’t grow more teeth either.