Chapter Seventeen

“Malorna!” Aurora said.

“That is my name, princess,” Malorna said smiling. “Missed me?”

“How did you escape the other realm?”

“I lulled all the demons to sleep and used a portal to get here,” Malorna said. “But sleeping beasts don’t sound as good as sleeping beauty, do they?”

“What do you want?” Devon asked. “Why are you here?”

“To destroy all of you, of course,” Malorna said in a bored voice. “I went back to my castle, but there was nothing there. My demon army gone. My slaves stolen. Someone has to pay for all of that... and that someone is you.”

She pointed her hand at Aurora and green sparks crackled out of her finger. Devon stood in front of Aurora, holding his shield in one hand and the sword in the other.

“Aurora is not alone.”

“She will be once I kill all of you,” Malorna said. “I might let her live. Just so she sees everything she loves burn.”

Devon readied his sword, which made Malorna cackle.

“Think you can stop me, prince?”

“I will stop you.”

“With what? Two flimsy pieces of metal?”

“You don’t know the sword I carry,” Devon replied. “And you don’t know me.”

“Men and their swords,” Malorna said, rolling her eyes. “I will show you what true power looks like.”

The witch gave a condescending smile as she raised her arms. Dark branches of cursed thorns erupted from the ground, forming a perimeter around them. Castian and the rest of the Circle rushed to help Devon and Aurora, but Malorna raised another perimeter of green flames. Now the two of them were separated from the others by a wall of flames and thorns. Their only shelter was the ancient stone throne in the centre.

Celestia and Luna were using their magic to get through the flames and thorns. The Circle members were trying to free the people from the thorns, but none of their weapons were working.

“Here, use these,” Celestia said, and golden magical knives appeared in each of the Circle members’ hands. The knives could tear through the cursed vines. They started hacking at the vines, but there were still too many people that remained trapped.

“You take care of the people of Kingshelm. Get them to safety,” Luna said. “We will try to help Aurora and Devon.”

Anya, Castian, and the rest of the Circle nodded. They continued freeing the trapped people one by one and lead them to safety.

Meanwhile, within the circle of flames and thorns, Devon was fighting bravely. Aurora looked on helplessly, as she had no weapons to fight with. Malorna cackled with glee as Devon made a swipe, but missed. The witch grabbed his sword but screamed as it glowed and burned her hand. Her fingers sparked with magic and she threw bolts of green lighting at them, but they bounced off Devon’s shield, leaving them both unharmed.

“Enough!” she said, getting furious.

Malorna elongated her neck and grew her talons. Devon and Aurora watched in horror as the witch transformed into a hideous beast before their eyes. She had turned into a monstrous dragon.

In her human form, Malorna was weaker, but stayed immortal. As a dragon, her magic was stronger, but she had one major vulnerability: She lost her immortality. She could be killed.

The witch transformed into a giant green fire-sprouting dragon, Devon thought. This is just great...

Aurora and Devon rushed for cover behind the giant throne. They made it just in time before they felt the intense heat of the dragon’s fire.

“I always wanted to see a dragon since I was a child,” Devon said. “But not one trying to kill me.”

“Me neither,” Aurora said, and Devon smiled at her.

“I am glad you are with me, Aurora,” he said.

“Me, too.”

They could see bursts of gold and silver light just beyond the wall of fire and thorns.

It must be my fairy godmothers, Aurora thought with relief.

“We should ask Luna and Celestia about what we should do,” Aurora said, and Devon nodded back.

“Luna! Celestia! How do we slay this dragon?” Devon shouted to the fairies.

“You need to pierce her heart,” they heard Celestia reply.

Devon looked at the giant dragon in front of him. It looked like it had scales made of impregnable material.

It was easier said than done; he thought.

“Can’t your fairy godmothers cast a spell or something?” Devon asked.

“It is because they are good fairies,” Aurora replied. “Their magic cannot injure or kill anyone.”

“I see. That is a bit inconvenient in this situation,” Devon said, gesturing towards the dragon. “What do we do now?”

“I guess you will have to make good on your promise,” Aurora said, smiling.

“What promise?”

“The promise you made of protecting me.”

“When did I say that?”

“After I met everyone in the Circle for the first time... that night by the tower.”

“But you said I dreamt that?”

“You didn’t.”

It was the same night Devon kissed her. Devon’s eyes opened wide in surprise. He must be thinking about the kiss, too.

“And you said that I dreamt that kiss..”

“I lied,” Aurora said.

“What about the kiss at the cottage?” Devon asked. “Was it real?”

“That happened, too,” Aurora said, blushing.

Devon looked stunned for a moment. “Am I forever cursed to be drugged or sleeping when we kiss?”

Aurora tried to hide her smile.

Devon was lost in thought, but then he grinned slowly.

“What about the third kiss?” he asked. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“What third kiss?”

“The one you will give me once I defeat the dragon.”

“Oh.. that kiss...” Aurora said. “That kiss will only be a dream, Devon, until you do.”

Devon felt like he was dreaming.

“I will fulfill my promise to you, Aurora... and if you think I am worthy of it, I will earn that kiss too.”

Aurora blushed. Devon leapt from behind the throne to face the dragon. The dragon blasted fire at him, but his shield protected him from the flames and heat. He charged head on, keeping his shield in front of him for cover. He was close enough to the dragon now he could feel its breath.

Devon kept striking at the beast’s chest, but nothing happened. Each wound healed instantly. How could he kill the dragon if he couldn’t even find its heart?

One of Devon's strikes caused the dragon to roar in pain. Aurora couldn't bear to hear the sound of someone suffering. Her thoughts were a whirlwind; She didn’t want to kill Malorna, just stop her.

Despite everything the witch had done to Aurora, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her. She remembered what Malorna said: “They ostracized me for my powers. Those humans wanted to lock me up and weaken me. They wanted to banish me forever, never to be heard from again.. so I did the only thing I could, I grew so powerful that they now all cower before me!”

Malorna went through pain and suffering because of who she was. What happened to her was wrong, but did her pain make it right for her to hurt others?

As Celestia and Luna made their way through the wall of fire and thorns, Malorna was getting more desperate. People started crying louder as the cursed vines snaked its way to their throats and started choking them. The Circle had freed most people in the arena, but Malorna's thorny vines still trapped many others.

People will die if we don't stop Malorna right now, Aurora thought desperately. Even if she was torn about what to do, she had to decide quickly: either it was Malorna’s death, or if she did nothing to stop the witch, the death of other innocent people.

Aurora had to save all the innocent people. She saw Devon striking the dragon’s chest, but it was making no difference. The dragon blasted fire at Devon, who put up his shield just in time.

Aurora had to help him. Surely something Malorna told her would offer a clue?

She suddenly remembered Malorna said that she swallowed her heart.

What if she meant it literally?

Aurora scanned the beast’s neck, and that is when she saw it. There was a slight bump at the centre of the neck, pulsating like a heart.

“Devon, her throat!” Aurora yelled. “There is a bump there, that is where her heart is!”

Devon noticed the spot immediately and nodded to Aurora. The bump was smaller than the size of a fist. The problem was the giant green dragon towered over him.

How could he reach that high to pierce the dragon’s throat?

Devon held his sword like a spear, pulled his arm back, and hurled it towards the dragon. There was a deafening roar as the sword pierced through Malorna’s heart.

Devon couldn’t believe his luck. His sword met its mark on the first try!

The dragon slumped forward and crashed onto the ground below; the ground shaking at the impact.

The giant beast was no longer moving. The wicked witch was finally dead. The wall of thorns and fire crumbled to dust.

Devon sighed in relief. It was finally over; he thought. They were free.

He came smiling towards Aurora. His back was against the dragon, so he didn’t see the beast rise for a final strike. The dragon ripped the sword lodged in its throat, dropping it with a clunk to the ground.

“Devon!” Aurora cried, but it was too late.

The giant beast opened its mouth to send out a fiery breath. Aurora ran and stood in front of Devon, trying to shield him from the flames. She thought the fire would incinerate her to death, but just then the ground shook and a pit opened in front of the dragon. A giant gray clawed hand grabbed the dragon and dragged it into the pit below. They heard a roar as the beast hit the burning lava.

Aurora heard a thunderous voice echo in the arena. “We have repaid our debt, Princess Aurora.”

It was Hellgor’s voice. The demon had transformed back to its original size. He was the one who dragged Malorna into the lava pit, making the dragon seem like a puppet in its hand.

They finally defeated Malorna.

“Hellgor wasn’t kidding about his size!” Anya said.

“No, he wasn’t,” Aurora said, laughing.

“How are you two?” Castian asked.

“Better than ever,” Devon said, smiling.

“Not yet,” Aurora said and Devon looked at her puzzled.

Aurora caught him by surprise when she tiptoed up and pulled him down for a kiss.

Everyone from the Circle hooted and cheered as the couple kissed. Devon was still dazed when Aurora pulled away. She was blushing hard.

The rest of the Circle had gathered beside them. Xavier and Morgan smiled to each other, while Castian held Anya circled in his arms. Celestia and Luna looked at their god daughter with pride. The king came forward to embrace his son, and Aurora felt her heart swell with happiness seeing how happy Devon was.

Xander was standing in a far corner with Cedric. He looked at the happy couples and sighed.

“Looks like everyone has found their love, even my twin brother,” he said to Cedric. “Everyone, except us.”

“Well... that is your fault, isn’t it?” Cedric replied.

“My fault?” Xander asked, confused. “How?”

“You haven’t asked me out.”

“You want to go for lunch?” Xander asked.

“Make it lunch and dinner both, and I will agree,” Cedric said, winking.

Cedric’s words momentarily stunned Xander.

“I remembered now why I can't date.”

“Why?” Cedric asked.

“Dating is scary, complicated,” Xander replied. “Dating also requires money and I am flat broke.”

Cedric laughed. “Come now, your frugalness. You don’t need to spend a dime for our date, but we will still use your money.”

“How will that work?” Xander asked, perplexed.

“Remember the money you lost on your bet?”

Xander remembered. He lost a chunk of change to Cedric betting on Anya and Castian’s fight.

Xander smiled. It was the first time he smiled because he was happy, not because he was forcing himself to.

“I remember," he replied. "Cedric, I wanted to tell you something."

“Sure, Xander. You can tell me anything.”

Xander took a deep breath and build his courage. He felt his heart beat faster. Today, he would finally tell Cedric what was on his mind, and what he wanted to tell him for a long time.

“Your predicted something when we first met, Cedric... I wanted to tell you that you were right.”

“Right about what?”

“My luck changed after meeting you,” Xander replied.

Cedric stared blankly for a few minutes. Then his eyes sparked with recognition.

Xander was talking about the first words he said to him: Cheer up, Xander. You have me. Maybe your luck has finally changed for the better?

“So... did your luck change?”

“It changed for the best the very moment you came into my life, Cedric.”

Cedric was speechless for the first time.

“We will be late for our date,” Xander said, when he saw Cedric was still in shock. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. I have waited a long time for this moment, Xander. I don’t want to waste another second.”

Cedric smiled, and Xander smiled back.

—————

Back in Rivendale, Aurora’s coronation was a simple event. Her fairy godmother’s officiated her crowning, and thousands of people from around the kingdom attended to meet their new queen. They all came to see the lost princess, who saved them from the wicked witch. The people cheered when she said her vows as their monarch. Aurora promised to protect her kingdom, to show mercy to her people, and to use her powers for justice and peace.

Anya’s and Castian’s wedding was not a simple event but a multi-day celebration with fireworks and music. Castian joked that after the wedding expenses, he might have to move back to his cabin. Their wedding was a Midsummer dream, with flowers such as hydrangeas, roses, and amaryllis decorated throughout.

The wedding tent had chandeliers, and they decorated the surrounding trees with magical fairy lights. Anya was stunning in her wedding dress, which was both elegant and deadly as she hid knives underneath it. When asked why, Anya replied she was prepared for any trouble. Despite her worries, Anya's wedding day was peaceful and beautiful.

When Castian and Anya said their vows to one another, it was an emotional moment. Everyone attending the wedding had tears of joy in their eyes and in their hearts, they had well wishes for the loving couple. When it was time for the wedding bouquet toss, Anya split her bouquet into three. She then shoved each third of her bouquet unceremoniously into Xander’s, Morgan’s, and Aurora’s hands. They looked at her in surprise, and Anya said she expected to be the first one to get all of their wedding invitations.

Now that the king was well again, David reconciled with his younger brother. He apologized to both Devon and his father for his poor behavior, and vowed to be a better brother and son. The trial of kings had opened his eyes to his past mistake. He became a better prince to the people of Kingshelm and in time, his popularity grew as much as his younger brother’s. The king gave all the members of the Circle a knighthood for their bravery and heroic deeds in the arena. The Circle promised to continue to protect their ruler and the kingdom of Kingshelm as long as they lived.

—-

Aurora’s smile as he entered the room was everything to him. It had been half a day since the proposal, and Devon still felt like he was floating on air. His heart leapt with joy, seeing his ring on Aurora’s hand.

Devon gave it to her the night before, when he proposed under a perfect moonlit night. His heart stopped while he waited for her answer and only started beating again when she nodded yes. Devon quickly raised her up in his arms. They both kissed and broke into blissful laughter.

Devon took Aurora’s hand and tenderly kissed the back of it.

“From sleeping beauty to rising queen,” Devon said. “I am the lucky bastard who witnessed it all.”

“From banished prince to chosen king,” Aurora said. “I could say that I am the lucky one.”

Devon asked, his brown eyes glinting with mischief. “I know you said yes last night, Aurora, but are you sure?”

“Why do you say that?”

“I know I am not the prince you wanted.”

“Princes are overrated,” Aurora said. “And you said you were a thief.”

Devon laughed. “How do you feel about a king?”

Aurora raised her eyebrows.

“It depends,” she replied. “What can you offer as a king?”

“My eternal servitude,” Devon said. “I can offer to be the king for the queen of my heart.”

Aurora felt her heart beat faster. Devon held her hand and asked her in a low voice, “Aurora, do you remember what I told you the first time we met?”

“When I asked how you got up the tower?”

“Yes?”

“I remember, Devon.”

“You didn’t believe me when I said I climbed the tower with my bare hands. Know this, Aurora, I would use my bare hands to climb mountains for you.”

“I already said yes, Devon, you don’t have to try so hard,” Aurora said, laughing.

“I haven’t even started, Aurora,” Devon said, breaking into a smile.

“Am I to expect this all my life?”

“Yes, and much more,” Devon said with a bow. “I shall remain your most humble servant, Your Majesty.”

“You are a still shameless flirt.”

“I am shamelessly yours forever, Queen Aurora.”

Aurora smiled. She couldn’t believe how things had changed since she first met Devon, that it all had come to this moment.

She was alive.

She broke the witch’s curse that gripped her life and took her away from the living world for a hundred years.

Aurora finally felt she had woken up.

THE END

Thank you for reading Sleeping Beauty no more!