The Sleeping Princess

1- The Wish

Princess Ginevra, or Ginny as she soon became known, grew up to be a sweet, intelligent, courageous, and inquisitive girl, with a nature as fiery as her red hair. Albus and Minerva traveled most of their time, only visiting the royal family a few days each year, but the princess had easily won their hearts.

Finally, almost sixteen years after Voldemort had cursed the princess, Albus had returned to the castle and spoke with the king. "The princess's birthday is fast approaching."

"Don't you think I don't know?" the king sighed miserably. "But we are so close… if we could only make it through the next few days…"

"Does she know about what Voldemort has done?" Albus asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Of course not," Arthur grimaced. "Like she needs that hanging over her head before she turns of age. We made it this far… I had all the spinning wheels destroyed… my daughter isn't out of the guards sights for a moment… if we can only make it through this last birthday then we are free from this worry… at least that's what me and Molly are hoping for."

"Yes, she'll be ready to marry soon?" Albus asked with his eyebrows raised.

Finally, the king chuckled. "Molly's been looking for suitable suitors for her. So far, she's not impressed by any of them. She's planning a massive party but she's worried about the curse as well. I think that she hopes that if we can find her true love here and she does fall asleep, he will kiss her and the spell will be broken right away…"

"But that will not work," Albus sighed. And at last, he told him the truth… that should the princess fall asleep, then the whole kingdom will as well. The king stared at him as he then explained, "And as for the matter of all these suitors…" Albus sighed, "Your highness… I'm afraid that it is only something that the princess will be able to decide. It has to be a kiss from the one who is destined to walk by her side—someone who will give her his heart just as she gives him hers. No one else will do…"

"I know…" the king said, gripping his thinning hair. "What should we do?"

"I set a plan up in the spell I cast," he answered at once. "The moment that your daughter falls in love, the spell I cast will wear of slightly… just enough so that one of the princes will awaken before the others and bring his sister's love here to her."

"Which one?" he demanded at once.

"I cannot say," he sighed. "Only that it will be the one most able to pull this off."

"Most likely that will be Bill," he said thinking it over. "But how can my daughter fall in love if she's asleep?"

"While she may sleep, her dreams will be the key," he answered vaguely.

"But what does that mean?" Arthur asked desperate.

"I can't give you the details of the spell," he answered sadly. "But should the princess fall asleep, she will be in a sleep so strong that it will seem like she is dead. She will be pale as death, no breath will come, and her heart will stop beating. But she will still be alive."

When the king looked horrified he went on, "Only when the moment that she chooses her soul mate will her heart beat again. The second that it does, one of your sons will awaken and venture out to find him and bring him to her. The kiss that he gives her will awaken her and everyone else in the kingdom."

After that, the two of them sat there in stunned silence for a long time.

"Father?" said a familiar voice. Both of them turned to see the princess peering through the doorway. The king beamed at the sight of his daughter. As it was predicted, Ginny's hair was so red that it embarrassed even a rose… her skin was like cream and her eyes shone in the light like twinkling stars.