".... and for many years to come, Rose lived on, asleep, untouched by the ravages of time. She lay silently in her glass coffin for a hundred years, an innocent beauty, stricken by another’s fate. Lay, that is, until one day a prince woke her with his kiss. But that, my children, is another story."

"Oh, Mother, please tell us. It’s still early. What happened to Rose when she woke? Please, Mother?"

"All right children, but then you must sleep. This is the story of:

"With the touch of the Prince’s lips against her cheek, Rose’s eyelids fluttered open. She half expected to see the little men who had imprisoned her in this tomb. Instead, only inches from her own, was the face of a monster. She screamed and, with all of her might, pushed it away from her. She climbed out of the coffin and fled across the room. As her eyes focused, she could see that it wasn’t actually a beast, but a disfigured man. This must be the work of the Devil, she thought, and crossed herself. His body was covered with burns, and was sickeningly twisted. She looked upon him only for a second, then had to turn her eyes in disgust.

‘You, Monster. You dare show your face in the presence of a lady?’

‘I am not a monster, princess, but a man. Do you not look beyond the skin, my Lady?’

‘I am no more princess than you are beautiful. I am but a humble servant of Queen Vivianne. I must inquire, how is my Lady’s health? Please, find someone to lead me to her. She must know what has happened.’

‘I am sorry, but Lady Vivianne has been dead for sixty years. Her age was nearly seventy.’ Have I slept for a hundred years? Oh, how can this be?

‘Can the only prince to find me be you, Monster?’

‘As I said, I am no monster, but a prince. My name is Aaron. I am sorry you feel so strongly about my appearance. Perhaps one day you shall grow used to it, but I cannot wait that long.’ He turned from her, in pain.

‘Wait. My Lord, I need to know one thing. Did Vivianne’s step-daughter succeed her?’

‘The ruler, after Lady Vivianne, was her daughter. She was old, nearly fifty, but the only heir.’

‘That daughter must have been her step-daughter; Vivianne was barren. That child was evil. She was the cause of my imprisonment. This coffin was made for her, and she was the one meant to eat the poisoned apple. She tried to destroy Vivianne, and in the end she must have succeeded.’

‘I cannot imagine that, even in her youth, she could have competed with your beauty, delicate Rose.’ She flew into a rage.

‘What know you of beauty, you vile creation? Leave me now so that I must look upon you no longer.’

‘Again, my Lady, I am sorry that you can not see past my broken body. Perhaps with time you will learn.’ He held her face for a moment with his kind hands. His touch was surprisingly tender. ‘’Tis a pity, for you truly are the most beautiful of creations that my poor eyes have ever beheld.’ With that he left her, alone again in the tomb where she could not die."

"Is that the end, Mother?"

"No, my dears, it is only the beginning. Listen well, and do not interrupt."

"So Rose again was trapped, but she could no longer sleep ‘til her prince came. The curse of the apple had been lifted by Aaron, but the curse of the Cave remained. She passed her time remembering her rescuer, and cursing herself for telling him to leave her. As the years passed, she realized that he was not the abomination he had first seemed. In truth, she began to miss him, but it was to late. She often cried herself to sleep. She began thinking of her life at the palace. She missed Vivianne sorely. She supposed that the child had finally driven her to the grave, though she was a child no more. She would be dead now, at least twenty years in the grave, and Rose was glad. Indeed, the princess had been a harsh mistress. Rose felt tears threaten her eyes. She found herself thinking aloud. ‘I should have been Vivianne’s daughter. That evil child should have been the one trapped in here for centuries. Even then, she’d have had prince upon prince racing each other to have the privilege of waking her. I have had only one, and I sent him away. I should have seen Aaron for who he really was. Well, it is too late now. Would he forgive me, if I saw him again?’ She began to cry, and soon she slept.

She awoke again to lips brushing her own. She opened her eyes, expecting Aaron, but it was not he. In his place was a handsome young man. She would, according to the curse, be married to him, and she must be civil. She breathed slowly, to calm herself, and began to speak.

‘Thank you, my savior. I am Princess Rose. What year is this?’

‘My Lady, you have been asleep for one hundred and eight years, according to the plaque on the door. The name on the door, however, was...’ Rose cut him off.

‘My sister, good sir. A last moment change of plans forced me to take her place’

‘Then, princess Rose, please, come with me to my kingdom.’

‘Of course, my liege.’

"Mother, what happened next? Did she go with the prince?"

"You’ll find out if you listen quietly."

"’Twas the eve of the wedding, and the princess paced the room. The prince, Laren, walked into her room.

‘Dearest, what is the matter? Are you nervous?’

‘Laren, dearest, you know I love you, right?. I don’t want to hurt you, but I have come to a decision. I’m sorry, but I just cannot marry you.’

‘Why? If you love me, what is more important?’

‘I cannot marry you because I love another. When you found me, I had already been awake for nearly eight years. There was a prince who came before you. He was horribly scarred and disfigured, and I was unduly cruel to him. I ordered him to leave me, and I was alone. I had time to realize how wrong I was, and I wanted nothing more than for Aaron to return. He never did, though. You see now why I cannot marry you. I need to find him, to marry him. Never doubt, though, that I love you. I am truly sorry to do this to you.,

‘Rose, I forgive you. I will help you find Aaron, if he still lives, for he is my brother, and it is because of him that I found you. I have known that he is a better man than I, and I am truly glad that you love him. The search will begin tomorrow, my love.’

So the search began, and Laren’s troops searched high and low. They found him in a village at the edge of the earth. He was deathly ill, and they sent for Rose immediately. She arrived at his side four days later. He was worse, near death, but he heard her voice, and opened his eyes.

‘Oh, Aaron, don’t leave me now.’ She flung herself at him, and covered his face with kisses. ‘You cannot die. I’ve only just found you.’ His body was frail, emaciated, and she cradled him in her arms. ‘You taught me so much. You can’t leave me.’ He spoke to her, in a halting, painful voice.

‘My beautiful Rose, how I’ve missed you. When I left you, I fled to this village. I sent a message to my brother when I fell ill, so he could find you. I only wish I’d sent it sooner. Perhaps then we’d have had some time together. You no longer hate my appearance?’

‘No, my love, To me you are only beautiful. I was a child then, and though I’ve not aged, I’ve grown. It’s too late now, though.’

‘No. It is never too late for you. I have no more time, but I will be happy knowing that you love me. Rose, don’t ruin the rest of your life because of me. Marry my brother. You love each other, I can see it in your eyes. Just never forget me. As long as you remember me, I will be there. I promise.’ She laid him back on the bed, and there he took his last breath.

Rose and Laren were married, and their first child was named Aaron. Rose never forgot her true love, though, and his spirit was with her always." Rose looked at her two children, fast asleep in the bed. The story had tired them out. She kissed them each on the cheek, her son Aaron, and her daughter Kayla. They were so sweet, so young. Her husband came to the door.

"Dearest, it’s late. Come and sleep." She smiled towards the hazy shape watching from the corner, then followed Laren to their room. Goodnight, Aaron, my love.