Copyright Ⓒ 2019 by B. R. Bailey All Rights Reserved
"What?" Gasping, Briar rose struggled to breathe against the binds that were draining her magic.
Her Godmothers were deathly pale.
"You can't!" Lucinda shouted. "You agreed that Princess Emerald of Golden Hair would not be crowned today! There is too much at risk!"
Briar Rose felt the whole world freeze as she looked up, a blindingly bright light emerging from the end of the throne room ballroom which directly connected to the Throne room.
A young woman emerged in a solid gold dress, the train was easily one hundred feet long as it went clear across the entry room. Her golden hair was held back with ornate combs, trailing over the train of her flowing dress which was attended by no less than a dozen handmaidens, each making sure that the material did not wrinkle and that her long hair never directly touched the ground.
Everything she wore, from head to toe, was Gold Thread.
Her blond hair and green eyes were much darker than Briar Roses own. A heart-shaped face that looked kind was betrayed by the cold sweep of her gaze, disdain evident in her frown.
Her whole demeanor was haughtier than any Briar Rose had ever encountered.
Princess Emerald. That was Princess Emerald? If that was the Princess, who was Briar Rose?
She couldn't turn her eyes away as the shimmering woman walked down the long aisle, almost everyone bowing as she passed, keeping their heads down.
"Mother, Father," a hard voice called out, surprising chilly for someone as young as the woman was. "Why is the sacrifice still here?"
Spots dancing across her vision as she struggled to breathe, Briar Rose forced her eyes away from the ostentatiously dressed and named Princess of Alagil, searching her Godmothers hard faces.
They knew how to lie detecting worked. They were the ones who taught her how to do it after all. Not once had they ever called her Princess. Nor had the High King and High Queen.
If she wasn't the Princess, why had they raised her? Why was she here, in Skyfort, at the coronation?
"We agreed to give the girl a chance," Lucinda shouted, her face livid. "She deserved a chance to break the Curse!"
"And break it she will!" High King Henric ordered. "We agreed to let her live if she could prove useful. We have found her use."
"No!" Dolphina cried in horror. "I will not allow a child to be punished because of who her parents are! We altered the Curse so that it could be lifted! It was not right for the Dragon Galadriel to Curse Princess Emerald on that basis and it certainly isn't right for you to do the same!"
"We helped show mercy when no one else did!" Niall screamed. "None of the other Curse Breakers could alter the spindle!
It would have been easier to separate the others and leave the Curse to you three but we didn't do that because we knew Princess Emerald, at the time, was innocent! We expanded on who she was to help her become a great Queen!"
Murmurs filled the hall, an angry buzz-building by the second.
"We are the rulers. Everyone is under our command, whether we are awake or asleep." High Queen Victoria declared, silencing the crowd with a single raised hand.
"Galadriel caused this Curse and it is her blood that shall remove it. If she had not interfered, we could have made a treaty with the Dragons decades ago!"
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Cursed: The Legend of Sleeping Beauty
幻想Long ago, the Kingdom of Alagil was cursed by a Dragon for their greed and lust for power, the Royal Family having seized the entirety of Gold Thread she made for the public, keeping it for themselves. The Dragon gave the Royals sixteen years to bet...
