An Eye for an Eye (and the whole world goes blind)

The story of Sleeping Beauty is, perhaps, one of the most common bed time stories for young girls all over the world alike. Of course, which girl wouldn’t want to be roused from her sleep by a romantic feathery peck on the lips, then opening her eyes to see a handsome man smiling, his eyes willed with love? However, little do people know, that there is another part to the story, which I will be now revealing to all my readers. Cruel as it might be, but reality, albeit its harshness, is always better than a life of constant denials and lies. It all seemed so perfect for Princess Jessica as she stared lovingly into Prince Aiden’s chocolate-brown eyes. A tingle of electricity shot up her body as she let out a shaky chuckle during the ring exchange. To her, the sparks in his eyes were like stars lighting up the night sky and oh, how she wished she could be the only person these stars will shine brightly for! It was so surreal, so beautiful, that she wondered if she was still dreaming in her deep, deep slumber. She had finally found her prince charming, who was, despite being younger than her by almost a hundred years, willing to accept her as his beautiful wife. “We were meant to be, Jessie,” he whispered huskily in her ear, “I’ve battled and overcame all the obstacles that surrounded your castle, and braved through all difficulties along the way. I followed my heart -- and it has led me here.” Jessica smiled widely into his chest as she was pulled into his embrace. It was her fairy-tale ending and she was more than happy to accept her new identity as HIS princess. Alas, good things never last long. Despite being able to overcome all odds along the way to Jessica’s castle just to follow his heart, Aiden’s heart was eventually won over by Princess Ellen, the beautiful princess from the neighbouring country. They met each other when Aiden went to her country to settle diplomatic affairs, and he fell in love all over again, but with someone else this time. Jessica and Ellen were both equally beautiful -- Jessica like an elegant glass of wine, Ellen like a spring flower blossoming after the rain. Ellen, being younger, was livelier and more enthusiastic about life. Her megawatt smiles attracted Aiden’s heart like opposing poles of a magnet and sent him into ecstasy. Eventually, Aiden found himself tucking Jessica to the back of his mind, as he waltzed in the summer breeze with Ellen in his arms. The news came to Jessica three months letter. There was no explanation, just a brief letter of apology and a set of divorce documents. Jessica felt her heart sinking into the solitude of a dark and deep December, the bleak winds making her blood turn cold. He was her only love, her flame of hope, her spiritual union since a century ago. Never had she expected love to be that fragile. A hundred years back, no man would have ever done what Aiden did. She locked herself in the balcony of the castle, the wind kissing her tear-streaked face before a fresh round of tears came again. Love, the supposedly “best thing” in the world. Yet, it brought about the bitter taste of betrayal, the stinging feeling of heartbreak, and finally, the acidity of sheer hate. Just when Jessica was about to label Aiden a jerk and resign herself to fate, a witch dressed in a tattered black cloak appeared in front of her. “W-Who are you? How did you get in here?” Jessica asked, her lips quivering in fear. Her door was bolted, for goodness sake! The witch gave a wistful smile and replied, “You are who I was in the past. And I shall be who you will be in future.” With that, the witch handed Jessica a new black cloak and said, “Do what you should do. Love shouldn't be the only factor in life. Sometimes, a little hate is inevitable. Necessary. Perhaps, these two emotions can even exist in perfect harmony. Isn’t that what you’ve been feeling, darling?” Jessica stared at the cloak in her hands. Then, glancing up at the witch’s encouraging smile, she took a deep breath and draped the cloak around herself, shaking slightly. With that, the trees began to grow all around her castle again, but this time round, her castle became completely hidden amidst the thick forest. Many years passed, and Jessica’s existence became a hazy memory to most people, even Aiden. He was living a happy life with Ellen and their new-born daughter. Desiring blessings for their little princess, the couple invited all the fairies in the region to a huge feast to seek their well wishes. At the end of the feast, the youngest fairy stepped forward and said, “The princess shall be the most beautiful woman in the world.” The second said, “She shall have a temper as sweet as an angel.” The third said, “She shall be graceful in all she says or does.” The fourth said, “She shall sing like a nightingale.” The fifth said, “She shall dance like a flower in the wind.” The sixth said, “She shall play such music that was never heard before on earth.” Finally, an old witch wearing a tattered black coat appeared from behind the curtains and said spitefully, “On the princess’ seventeenth birthday, she will prick her finger with a spindle, and she-shall-die!” There was a deafening silence in the grand dining hall, and many people started to weep for the princess’ misfortune. The witch spun around, making a magnificent exit, with tears glistening in her eyes as she gazed down at the scar on her finger -- where a spindle had pricked her more than a century ago, sending her into deep sleep for a hundred years.