Sleeping Beauty (Faerie Tale Collection) Read Online Free

he announced to their excited whoop, “But just so we are perfectly clear, things will be done on my terms. You will all join me and witness this stupidity first hand.” He paused a moment and then added, “I want us all to ask around and collect as much information as we can about this legend—try to find out anything we may have missed, or did not realize before. And once we get there and you boys realize how much more superior I am and know for a fact I was right all along, then I want to hear nothing about this again.”
    The king rubbed his hands together. “Perfect. When do we go?”
    The prince let out an exasperated sigh. “Tomorrow week. Let’s get this torture over as soon as possible. Can you be ready to ride in eight days?”
    Lord Hadden nodded. “There are a few things I need to sort out with my staff, but I think it is certainly doable.”
    “Good. George is in, how about you two?”
    The king and Lord Taltson looked at each other and smiled. Everything was going exactly as they had predicted and planned.
    “Sounds ideal,” Humphrey answered.
    Darién glared slightly. Something was not quite right with this trio, he was positive they had a hidden agenda up their sleeves, but he would be hanged if he was going to say he was backing out now. “Fine then, meet here at daybreak tomorrow week and let the adventure begin.”
    ***
    Queen Aleyna giggled and tossed a bit of flour at Margie, the cook. “There! Now you look like you have been working all day.”
    Margie gasped. “Your majesty! My queen! You cannot be in here playing about in the flour. It will not do.” She grinned as she brushed the powder off her apron.
    “And why is that? Why must I be like all the other queens? Why can’t I be a normal person like you?”
    “Because you are royalty, Your Majesty.” She reached over and pulled the rolling pin out of Aleyna’s hand.
    “I don’t want to be. I want to live and laugh and run and be free—like you.” The young queen walked over to the hook upon the wall and fetched an apron. “Please let me help prepare something. Why must we have this battle every single day? Will you never see me as an equal?”
    “Never.” She sighed and handed over the rolling pin. “You are my queen, and I cannot tell you what to do, though I will attempt to make you see propriety at some point in your life. Your mother would certainly have had an apoplexy had she seen the way you would one day rule and run about the castle as you do.” She pointed over to the rising dough sitting in a large wooden bowl. “You may work on the tarts.”
    “Thank you!” Aleyna smiled and began to busy herself with preparing the counter for rolling with flour. “One day I would love to be a cook like you.”
    “Like me?” Margie shook her head and walked over to the fireplace to stir the strawberry jam that had begun to simmer in the large pot. “Listen here, Your Majesty, I know you’re very young—too young to be a queen—but you are way too old to be getting these flits of fancy in your head all the time. My dear, I know your love for cooking—and it is a great shame I gave in and introduced you to the skill all those years ago—but, my wee little one, you can’t just be wishing away your rightful throne on doing menial work.”
    The queen laughed and pinched off a section of dough to roll out. “But it is not tedious to me. It is fun and challenging and exciting. It is a talent I possess and something that brings me great joy. Cannot a queen have a law decreed that she is allowed to bake and reign?” She glanced over at the old woman as Margie knelt at the fire to relieve the pain in her back while she stirred. “And you need the help.”
    Margie muttered something under her breath.
    “Tis true!” Aleyna rolled the dough until it was nice and thin and began to slice it with a sharp knife. She wished she could do more to help the dear woman, but Margie would never allow her near the fireplace—it could