Aurora Abroad Read online

  Aurora Abroad

  Aron Lewes

  Published by Aron Lewes, 2018.

  While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

  AURORA ABROAD

  First edition. July 26, 2018.

  Copyright © 2018 Aron Lewes.

  ISBN: 978-1386462934

  Written by Aron Lewes.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One | I

  II

  III

  IV

  Chapter Two | I

  II

  III

  IV

  Chapter Three | I

  II

  III

  IV

  V

  Chapter Four | I

  II

  III

  IV

  V

  Chapter Five | I

  II

  III

  III

  IV

  Chapter Six | I

  II

  III

  IV

  Chapter Seven | I

  II

  III

  IV

  Chapter Eight | I

  II

  III

  Chapter Nine | I

  II

  III

  IV

  Chapter Ten | I

  II

  III

  IV

  Chapter One

  I

  AS PRINCE CHARMAINE gazed at his reflection in the mirror, he found it hard to concentrate on anything but himself. The old ladies were blathering about something or another, but all he wanted to do was stare at the handsome visage that stared back at him.

  “It‘s hard to think of her as a princess,” one of the old ladies said. “She’s very-down-to-earth, maybe even a bit of a tomboy. She likes to play with bugs, and she practices archery.”

  Charmaine yawned. He watched his reflection in the mirror as it yawned, momentarily awed by the sight of his perfect white teeth. He ran the tip of his finger along his blonde eyebrow, watching himself trace the impeccable arch. “But is she pretty?”

  Another old woman spoke, failing to acknowledge his question. “She’s yet to find out about her lineage... that is to say, she doesn’t know she’s a princess, nor does she know the circumstances of her birth or the terrible curse that was put upon her. We wanted to protect her, so we thought it best not to tell her.”

  “But is she pretty?”

  The last woman spoke. “She’s such a sweet girl. When we took her from the castle and raised her as our own, we didn’t know what to expect, but...” She raised a handkerchief, dabbing the corner of her eye before any tears could escape. “I think I speak for all of us when I say we love her as our own.”

  “That’s nice, but is she pretty?”

  Meg, Molly and Mary exchanged uneasy glances. When they encouraged Prince Charmaine to inquire about his future bride, they had hoped his questions would be a little less superficial.

  Meg threw up her meaty hands in defeat. “Yes, of course she’s pretty! I challenge you to find a prettier girl in the entire kingdom of Avalon.”

  “Well, that’s nice to know.” Before he lowered the mirror, Charmaine winked at himself. “Although, I have to admit, the women in my kingdom are much prettier than the women in Avalon. I daresay she has little competition in these environs.”

  Molly shook her head. “She’s more than a match for any girl in your kingdom! I stake my eyes on it!”

  “Thank you for the encouragement, Mary.”

  “Molly.”

  “Molly,” Charmaine corrected himself. It was impossible to tell them apart. They were all old, plump, short, squat, white-haired women with feet that looked like potatoes, and they were hardly worthy of his prolonged interest. “So, tell me about this curse.”

  The three women exchanged glances again, silently deciding who would be up to the task of telling the story. After a few seconds of deliberation, Meg said, “It was a terrible curse placed on her by the King of Avalon’s younger sister... a witch of immeasurable talent.”

  “And immeasurable wickedness,” Molly added.

  Meg continued, “The three of us have some talent in magic ourselves, and we were summoned to the castle to bestow enchanted blessings on baby Aurora. Ahh, it feels like yesterday, does it not?” As Meg ruminated, the other women nodded in agreement. “As soon as the third and final blessing was placed upon her... that witch showed up.”

  Mary raised the handkerchief to her nose and snorted. “It was horrible. So very horrible!”

  “And it was on that day that the witch put a curse on our Aurora, a curse that would take effect on her eighteenth birthday.”

  Molly continued the story, “The King of Avalon, fearful that his sister’s enmity wouldn’t end there, decided it would be best to send Aurora away from the kingdom until her safety could be assured. It was a difficult decision for the king, to be sure, but we have raised her ever since.”

  Charmaine thoughtfully tapped his chin. “And this curse entails what, exactly?”

  Mary’s head fell, and she bellowed into the handkerchief.

  “The curse was, quite simply, that she would not live to see her nineteenth birthday.”

  Everyone was quiet for several seconds, with only the sound of the mantle’s ticking clock to assuage the silence.

  “Aurora’s eighteenth birthday fast approaches, and we can only guess at what tactics Medea might employ to follow through with her curse. Her curse is a promise of death... and the three of us are determined to break it.”

  Charmaine shrugged. “Didn’t you say she’s a witch of immeasurable power? If she says Aurora’s going to die, she’s probably going to die. There’s no use trying to fix a problem like that.”

  Mary flicked her handkerchief in Charmaine’s direction, as if to show her distaste for his bleak viewpoint. “What a terrible thing to say! We have hope! We’ve taken every precaution to keep her from harm. I, for instance, have warned her to stay away from spindles and apples.”

  A superior smirk passed over Charmaine’s lips. “Spindles and... and apples?”

  Molly spoke up again, filling in the blanks that were left by Mary‘s lack of eloquence. “If you knew anything about Medea, you wouldn’t be the least bit confused by what Mary is trying to say. One of Medea’s oldest tricks involves trickery and poison... poison that would ultimately result in Aurora’s death. That’s why I’ve summoned you here, Your Highness. Should it come down to it, I think you could be the one to save Aurora.”

  Charmaine’s eyes widened, his interest finally piqued. He could picture himself astride a white horse, the shining light of hope for some damsel in distress.

  “If Medea uses her old tricks, only one thing could save Aurora,” Molly continued, “and that is... a kiss from her true love.”

  “Well, that’s a problem. I haven’t even met the girl.”

  “That’s why I wanted you to come, Prince Charmaine. If Aurora falls for you before Medea makes her move, we might be able to avert a calamity. You are the only one who can do this, Your Highness. After all, you’ve been betrothed to her since the day she was born.”

  Charmaine shifted uneasily in his chair. “Ah... see... that’s a problem as well.”

  “A problem? What do you mean?”

  “Wellllll....” Charmaine hesitated. “How should I put it? Well, ahhhh... I’m just wondering what’s in it for me. Aside from momentary glory, that is.”

  Molly’s jaw fell open. Mary clenched her handkerchief. Meg eyed the rolling pin on the kitchen counter and resisted the temptati
on to clobber him with it.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind doing the kissing. But honestly, what’s in it for me? It sounds like you’re a bit short on time, and I understand that, but I haven’t had a chance to sow my wild oats. I can’t have my fiancé falling for me before I’m ready to settle down.”

  “Well, Prince Charmaine,” responded sensible Molly, “no one’s forcing you to marry her right away. At any rate, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. She hasn’t fallen for you yet, has she?”

  Charmaine heard a challenge in her words. “But how could she not fall for me? I’ve yet to find a woman who could resist me. Point me in her direction, and I will demonstrate my charm!”

  “I believe she went for a walk in the forest, Your High—”

  Before Molly could finish her sentence, Prince Charmaine was out the door.

  “Well... he certainly seems enthusiastic, doesn’t he?”

  Meg cracked her knuckles, and she half-wished she had taken a crack at him. “Enthusiastic? Are you kidding me?”

  Not surprisingly, Mary had tears wavering in the corners of her eyes. “I can’t believe we’re entrusting our Aurora’s fate to that... that...”

  “Pompous idiot,” Meg finished for her. “If she falls for that clown, I’ll be flabbermagasted.”

  “Flabbergasted,” Molly corrected her.

  Meg rolled her eyes at her sister. “Well, it’s not gonna happen. She’s not going to fall for that clown. Our girl’s got way more sense than that.” She reached down and patted the pocket on the front of her apron, where she kept her own beacon of hope. “And it’s a good thing I’ve got something else up my sleeve.”

  II

  A SHAFT OF LIGHT FILTERED through the trees, spotlighting a clearing in the forest. It was here, at her usual spot, that Aurora decided to take a moment’s rest. She sat on the stump of a fallen tree, laid her basket at her feet, and closed her eyes. It was easy to have daydreams here. The quiet shuffling of leaves, the gentle babbling of a brook, the frenzied twittering of birds—it could ease any tension.

  Not that Aurora had any reason to be tense. She knew nothing about curses or crowns. She was a simple girl in a gingham dress who dreamt not of princes and castles, but rather of what a delicious pie she could make with the berries she collected. Aurora lifted the lid of her basket and pulled out a strawberry, and her tongue tingled in anticipation of flavors to come.

  “Ah, what beauty is this!?”

  Aurora jumped at the sound of the voice, and she nearly choked on the fruit as she bit into it. She spun around, facing the man who addressed her.

  “What is this thing of beauty?” the man repeated, clutching a hand over his heart as he spoke.

  “What is... this?” Aurora raised the half-eaten strawberry.

  “Not that, you silly creature! I‘m talking about you. You are the thing of beauty of which I speak!”

  “Thing?” she repeated the word with a wrinkled nose. “Do you have to keep calling me that?”

  The man knelt beside her. For a moment, she considered leaping from the stump to put distance between them, but she held her ground. She was never one to be easily intimidated. “Then give me your name, fair maiden.”

  “Umm...”

  “Why do you hesitate? Please!” He cocked his head toward her. “Whisper it into my longing ear.”

  She didn’t whisper, but she decided to give him some satisfaction. “Um, Aurora.”

  “Aurora, ahhhhh, what a beautiful name! It brings to mind a palette of shimmering lights. Like a rainbow, your face paints my heart with all the world’s colors. I feel the reds of passion stirring within my chest!”

  “Um... okay.” Aurora tried to inch away from him. “That sounds painful.”

  “Oh, but it is. This instant, unrequited love that hammers at my breast... it aches to be freed, to be returned. I cannot explain it, but the moment I saw you, it was as if a million poems rushed through my head and they clamor to be recited. No ode can do justice to your unearthly beauty, angelic Aurora.”

  As she listened to him yammer away, Aurora’s eyes were nearly popping from their sockets. She surveyed her surroundings in search of a means to escape, but she couldn’t think of a way to excuse herself politely. “That’s, uh... interesting.”

  “Your eyes are like sparkling stars, and your lips are surely sweeter than the fruit that passed between them. The angles of your face are perfection. Your hair is like spun gold wrapped in a harvest fire. I would give anything to indulge myself in the merest touch of your luminous ivory skin.” Without warning, he seized her hand and pressed his lips against it. “Ah, petal-soft. Just as I would have imagined!”

  “And, uh...” Gently, she tugged her hand away from him. “What’s your name?”

  “My name is Charmaine, my angel. Prince Charmaine.”

  Prince Charmaine? A prince? Aurora started to laugh at the absurdity of his claim, but her laughter was stifled by the seriousness of his countenance. “You’re... a prince?”

  “Yes, dearest Aurora, I am. But please don’t assume you should bow to me. I would sooner bow to you, oh sweet goddess!”

  Aurora rose from the stump and quickly grabbed her basket. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Y-Your Highness, but I really should be going. I have a pie to make, and my aunts are waiting for me, so—”

  Before she could walk away, Charmaine seized her by the wrist. “Please, don’t go! I would sooner die than to be unable to bask in the glory of your boundless beauty!”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Serious about... what?”

  “That you’re a prince. That you’re in awe of my, uh, boundless beauty and all that nonsense. No one says stuff like that.”

  “No one has ever paid you a compliment?!” With a gasp, Charmaine cast his eyes toward the sky. “What tragedy! The world’s most beautiful maiden has never been paid a compliment worthy of her faultless visage! I must continue to shower you with exultant praise in hopes that I might one day make up for this crime against nature!”

  Aurora sighed. “I think you’re missing the point.”

  “Then enlighten me, o’ thing of beauty, o’ warden of my heart!”

  Aurora sat down on the stump again, and in doing so, she freed her arm from his grasp. He knelt beside her and cocked his head, as if he was ready to hang on her every word. “Well, um... I just.... I just don’t think you’re being yourself,” she tried to explain. “No one spouts off poetry stuff like that. There are other ways to impress a girl.”

  One of Charmaine’s blonde eyebrows curled toward his forehead. “Such as...? Wait!” He lifted a hand and held a finger to her lips. “You want me to sing to you, is that it? Ooooooh, beeeeoootiful Aurooooora! Enslave my heart and save your love for—”

  “No, please!” She jerked her head away from his silencing finger before he could embarrass himself any further. “Please don’t sing!”

  “You don’t like my voice?”

  “No, it’s fine.”

  “You don’t like my song?”

  “It’s, um... it’s nice.”

  “Then what seems to be the problem? I thought women liked to be serenaded.”

  “Um... sure. But not by complete strangers.”

  “Really?” Charmaine’s bottom lip protruded. “A chance encounter in the woods, love at first sight... that doesn’t do it for you?”

  “It’s all very flattering, but it’s a little strange.”

  “Strange.” The entire tone of his voice seemed to change as he pondered her criticism of his technique. “Well, what could I have done better?”

  “Nothing. It was fine.”

  “Then why aren’t you swooning? Don’t you think I’m handsome?”

  “Well... yes.” She couldn’t lie. He was as classically handsome as a man could come, with flowing blonde hair, sharp nose, and a strong, square jaw. She could imagine a lot of young women falling head over heels for him. He just picked the wrong girl.

  “The h
andsomest man you’ve ever seen?”

  “Ummmmmm...”

  “Is that a no?”

  Aurora hopped up from the stump again. “I really should get going, Charmaine. It’s after five o’clock, and I haven’t even started on my pie.”

  “I understand. But when can I see you again, my precious pet? Do you come here often?”

  “Occasionally,” she answered curtly. “Well, goodbye! It’s been nice chatting with you.”

  Aurora turned on her heel and hurried off as quickly as her legs could carry her. And as she fled, he called after her, “The pleasure was all mine! I shall think of you in my dreams! I will come here every day in hopes of catching even the briefest glimpse of your awe-inspiring loveliness. I would move mountains to get to you! I would...”

  When she was gone, Charmaine lowered himself to the stump and rolled his eyes.

  “Ridiculous girl, who does she think she is? She’s not even that pretty... pales in comparison to me... hardly worth my time.”

  Charmaine crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled curses to himself.

  This was going to be more difficult than he realized.

  III

  “OH, IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL, Mary!” Aurora held the green velvet dress against her body and ran a hand along the carefully stitched bodice. “Did you make this yourself?”

  Despite the feeling of dread that loomed over Aurora’s birthday party, Mary looked quite pleased with herself. “Oh, yes! I did!”

  “It’s so pretty.” Aurora had tears in her eyes as she stroked the soft material. “I’ve never worn something so pretty. It must’ve taken you forever to make this!”

  “Well... yes!” Mary wasn’t going to lie; everyone chuckled at her straightforward response.

  “I’m going to go try it on.”

  As Aurora headed to her bedroom, Molly held out an arm to stop her, nearly clotheslining her in the process. “Not yet, birthday girl! I haven’t given you my gift yet!”

  “Oh... right! I’m sorry, Molly. Go ahead.”

  From the pocket of her apron, Molly pulled out a small box. Her smile broadened as she held it out to Aurora, who opened the box as soon as it was handed to her. Inside the box was a carved wooden bird.