Sleeping Beauty

Chapter 3

Would just like to say thank you to all the reads an comments so far they have all been amazing and really appreciated.  Especially like to thank those that have voted and helped put Sleeping beauty in the top hundred for historical fiction, absolutely made my day.

Thank you all in advance for reading :)

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The next day he put his plan into action, he wandered around the castles hallways looking for something to distract him.  With no books to read or any other form of entertainment, he had become desperate, he was even considering going to the armoury and begin training just to take his mind off her.  As he paced down one of the corridors, trying to make up his mind as to what he should do he came across his older brother who had a grin of satisfaction spread across his face and a purposeful walk.  It was obvious that Elijah was going to meet someone of importance as he was dressed in some of his finer clothing but Phillip was unsure as to whom.

“Morning brother.”  Elijah bellowed as he embraced his brother in a hug, taking Phillip much by surprise.

“Good morning, to what do I owe this cheerful and warm embrace?”  He asked with utter confusion.

“I have been summoned to meet my future bride; hopefully it will go much smoother than our first encounter.”

“You are meeting with Maria?”  He replied astounded.

“Yes it seems that she has fallen victim to my charm and looks, not that it surprises me it was bound to happen.”

Phillips heart felt crushed under the burden of this new realisation.  Had Maria decided to go ahead with the marriage?  It seemed absurd after the way she had spoken of Elijah only the night before but Phillip could not see why such a thing would not happen as it had happened so often before.   It was true that Elijah was the most sort after Prince and it would not surprise him that Maria would fall victim to his outwardly captivating qualities as well but it had seemed so unlikely.

 “Forgive me brother but I have a meeting to attend.”  Elijah bid him good day and made his way down the corridor and out of sight.  Phillip was left dumb struck, unable to make a coherent or eloquent thought, words had escaped him and his mind drew a blank whenever he pressed for it to come up with anything of use.  Instead he stumbled through the corridors, not knowing where he was going or even where he had come from.  He just continued to walk, the further away from his brother, the further away from his thoughts.

Before he knew it he had entered into the main hall where he had first met the Princess and it only served as a reminder of what he could not have.  As he walked around the room something caught his attention from out of the corner of his eye.  He turned to look out of a small gap in the doorway, although he could only see a fraction of the courtyard outside, he saw the fluttering of a silky powder blue cloak floating across the cobbled floor.  He edged his way closer to the gap so that he could find out what mysterious object had caught his attention.  Even when he was closer to the door he could only see the edge of the drawbridge and what looked like that back leg of a horse.

There was yet another fluttering of blue material which then swept over the top of what he assumed was the rest of the horse.  Seconds later the horse whinnied and then sped off at a triumphant gallop.  Out of nothing else but curiosity the Prince made his way out of the castle doors and into the courtyard where he called for a stable boy to bring his horse.  Moments later the boy returned with his trusty steed and soon he was on his way, trying to catch up with this mysterious person.