After the Kiss

Sleeping Beauty-Chapter Seven (Last Chapter)

“Yes, do not worry. She won't ruin the wedding.”

“Good. I'm ready then.”

“Wonderful.”

Phillip stood waiting by the alter, near the very front. His brother was beside him as his best man, to hand him the rings when Briar arrived.

At last, she came through the door. Phillip thought that she looked like an angel, truly like a queen in her white gown. People were standing up as the music swelled, and Briar blushed and looked down. When she raised her head again, she was smiling gently at Phillip. He felt overwhelming love for her.

After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the alter and her hand was placed into Phillip's. The priest began the vows and the couple didn't let go of each others hands the entire time.

“And now, Princess Briar Rose, do you take Prince Phillip to be your husband and companion throughout life?”

“I do,” Briar replied, and Phillip slipped the ring onto her hand.

“And Prince Phillip, do you take Princess Briar Rose to be your wife and companion throughout life?”

“I do,” Phillip said, and it was Briar's turn to put the gold ring on his finger.

“I now pronounce you husband and wi-”

“You forgot the part where you ask if anyone objects!” Miranda shouted, surprising everyone as she stood up and pointed a finger at Briar. “You, you get everything! A wonderful home, beautiful gowns, and the prince. What do I get? Banishment! And I didn't even do anything wrong, now did I? I'm only guilty for loving him!”

“Miranda, it's not your place here! We banished you, so leave!” Briar yelled back.

“No, not until I get what I came for. I will only leave if Phillip comes with me!” Miranda cried.

“I will never,” Phillip said.

“Then if I cannot have you, no one can,” Miranda said sadly and blue fire crackled at her fingertips.

“Briar, get back!” Phillip shouted as the strange magic shot forward, hitting him full on the chest. People were screaming, and Miranda collapsed on the ground, evidently horrified at what she had done.

“Phillip! PHILLIP!” Briar screamed and rushed forward to where he was lying on the ground, unmoving. “Are you all right? Answer me! Phillip, wake up!”

But he didn't wake up, no matter how much Briar cried and shook him. A smoking bloody hole was in the middle of his chest, and Briar tried in vain to stop the bleeding. The end of her pretty white dress was stained red, and even the tips of her hair got soaked as she bent over him.

“You! You did this!” she cried, pointing at Miranda. No one was moving, but Miranda was wailing along with Briar. She rushed at the fairy, pushing her against the ground and hitting her with her fists. The guards, nor anyone else in the court didn't do anything to stop her, they merely watched. The court physician was bent over Phillip, but nothing he was doing seemed to be making a difference.

“I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!” Miranda cried, but Briar kept hitting her. “I didn't mean to, I was just so-so angry that he didn't love me back! No one ever does!”

“So you killed him?!”

“I didn't mean to!”

“You said, 'if I can't have him then no one can! What did you mean by that if you didn't want to kill him?” Briar screamed, pulling on the fairy's hair. Miranda cried out as her hair was ripped away, but she didn't do anything to defend herself. “You killed Phillip! YOU KILLED HIM!”

“That's enough!” the king said at once, standing up. “Guards, take the killer down to the dungeons. She'll be hung at noon tomorrow. Briar, please, get a hold of yourself.”

Guards came and pulled Briar away, kicking and screaming. They dragged Miranda out and down to the dungeons, where she was thrown into a cell and the key put safely away. She would die tomorrow.

“There is nothing I can do,” the court physician said. “I am sorry, but he is dead.”

“NO!” Briar screamed and raced forward, kissing him desperately.

Silence fell over the court as she pulled away, stroking his face.

But he didn't wake up.

And he never would.

THE END

Author's Note:

Well.... that's that. Book One of After the Kiss has been completed, and I like how it turned out. The next book will be Cinderella, and I'm really excited about that, because I have really, really good plans for that!! I'm going to try and upload this story more often, and write more, because I've decided that I'm going to have a bunch of princesses: Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and a couple others! So stay tuned! The first chapter of Cinderella will be up later today!