Sleeping Beauty (Faerie Tale Collection) Read Online Free Page A

soil her gown—let alone any of the harder tasks within the kitchen walls. As if she cared one wit about her silly gowns! Life was more important than clothing anyhow, and though she could not remember a good deal of her real family, she did love this woman as much as she did her own mother. She only wished Margie would allow her to help more, and take some of the burden off of her stubborn shoulders. The queen sighed quietly and decided perhaps now was a good time to change the subject. “Who shall we send the tarts and jams to today?”
    Margie glanced up from the simmering pot and wiped her brow. “I was thinking there were about ten or twelve families who could use a bit of pick-me-up. Dr. Jenson was telling me about his patients just yesterday and I thought it’d be a good way to lift their spirits and give them an added treat. Is there anyone you would particularly like to visit today?”
    Aleyna shrugged as she began rolling out the second batch of tarts, the first resting nicely on the pan, waiting for a spoonful of jam to be placed in the center of each square before folding and baking in the brick oven. “Perhaps the stable boys could enjoy a few extra sweets this morning. And the under gardener’s wife could probably use some more jam, we haven’t taken any to her for a while.”
    “What we need is to find a good decent prince or king to give this to.”
    “Excuse me?” Aleyna laughed. “Did you just say something about a prince or king?”
    Margie expelled a huge breath and stood up rubbing her lower back as she did so. “Yes, my queen. Yes. We need some royalty around here or none of us will ever be able to get the true rest we require.”
    She took up at her friend’s sharp tone and tilted her head to the side. “I do not understand your meaning. What has a prince or king got to do with anything?”
    Waving her hands and fetching the thick towels, she said, “Never you mind I said any such thing. Just an old woman’s mutterings.” She moved to the pot and began to lift it.
    “Wait! Don’t you dare try and haul that up again.” Aleyna pulled the woman away and called for a footman to come and fetch the pot for them both.
    Once it was set on the counter and the footman had been sent on his way and Margie began to fill the jars with the delicious-smelling piping hot strawberry substance, Aleyna tried to broach the subject again. “What did you mean about finding royalty to give us true rest?”
    She shook her head. “I said never you mind about that. It was pure nonsense.”
    The queen glanced over, her eyes narrowing in confusion. “What are you hiding from me? What will you not say? And how in the world would a man be able change anything? Does something need to be changed?”

CHAPTER FOUR
    EZRALON STARTLED AT THE glowing pulse that swept over the dome protecting the girl. What just happened? He stood up and placed his horn against the transparent shield to read what had created the odd pulsation. After a moment of connecting, he was able to clear his mind. It would seem something had shifted in the queen’s conscience, something to make her question what she knew.
    What would have created such a shift? And why now of all times? His horn glowed brightly as he felt an overwhelming sense of peace settle warmly over him. Whatever had happened, it would seem it was meant to be. Pulling his horn away, he looked down at the sleeping girl. Could she be ready to face her past? Change would begin soon now, and prepared or not, it seemed as though they had no choice. She would have to be.
    ***
    Darién’s horse came over the crest of the hill first, quickly followed by the other three. They pulled up at the top of the small knoll and stared at the horror before them. The valley below was bleak and neglected. The trees were dark and barren of any life and the fields full of tangled weeds and balding ground. High above a fire-ravaged village there rose a tall castle, once a fortress of strength and