eyes turned down.
"I'm Quinn, Nickie's friend. Would you mind if he sat in on your lesson?" Quinn knew this was completely unheard of, nobility mingling with commoners, so it wasn't a surprise when the teacher was rendered mute. Quinn took that opportunity to lift the lid of the basket and pulled out the sticky cakes.
"We brought treats to share." And just like that, she broke the spell of fear with Cook's cakes.
Hours later, Archer and Thaddeus arrived into town concerned for Quinn and Nickie but stopped short at the sight before them. Quinn was sitting on the dirt road surrounded by children: two little girls on her lap, Nickie pressed up against her on one side and another little boy on the other. Whatever she was saying had gained the rapt interest of not only the children but the parents that had formed a circle around her. In unspoken agreement Archer and Thaddeus dismounted and quietly approached, being careful to stay unseen so as to not break up the impromptu gathering. They stopped and listened when they were close enough to hear.
"The evil witch cursed the young babe and vowed on her fifteenth year she would prick her finger and fall down dead but a wise woman, wishing to bestow a gift on the child, changed the prophecy; the princess will not die but fall into a deep sleep."
"In the years that followed, the King and Queen protected their daughter who grew up happy and safe. So many years had passed that the curse was nearly forgotten. On the day of her fifteenth birthday, the King threw a party to celebrate. The evil witch didn't forget though and she disguised herself as an old lady and entered the castle as a guest. She lured the young princess to a spinning wheel where she pricked her finger and fell into a deep sleep." Quinn paused and Archer was surprised to find that he was like everyone else, hanging on her every word, waiting to know what happened. So when his son spoke the words he himself almost voiced, he couldn't help but smile.
"What, what happens?" Nickie all but screamed.
"Well, the evil witch wins and the princess stays asleep forever," Quinn teased.
The disappointment was palpable; even Archer found himself stunned by the story's ending.
"Bloody bad ending," Thaddeus concurred from next to him and Archer grinned to himself.
The uproar that her ending caused had Quinn shouting over the raised voices.
"You don't like that ending?"
"NO!" came the yell in unison from children and adults alike.
"Are you sure? Because the princess was very tired."
"No!"
Quinn feigned defeat with a hearty sigh. "All right. A hundred years passed when a young prince came to the Kingdom. He had heard tales of the princess and her Kingdom that was under a curse and was curious to see if the tales were true. The castle walls were covered in roses so thick he almost could not gain entrance. He passed through the courtyard where dogs, horses, guards and guests were all lying upon the ground in a deep sleep. He entered the great hall, up the stone steps, and down the hall until he reached the room of the princess."
"He pushed the doors open to find her lying peacefully upon her bed. He reached her and looked down at her lovely face before pressing a light kiss upon her ruby-red lips. He pulled back just as her eyes started to flutter open and then..." Quinn paused leaving everyone in suspense before she added softly, "...they lived happily-ever-after."
The applause was almost deafening. Perhaps she shouldn't be sharing stories that hadn't yet been written but who didn't like a good fairy tale? Quinn looked on proudly as the children whispered in awe over the story she shared.
After that, it hadn't taken long for the people of the village to drop their attitude of indifference and talk with her. It seemed as if they were eager to have a new and attentive listener with whom to share stories. Suddenly, the jubilation stopped and Quinn looked up to see Archer approaching.
"Please don't stop on my account. I was
"I'm Quinn, Nickie's friend. Would you mind if he sat in on your lesson?" Quinn knew this was completely unheard of, nobility mingling with commoners, so it wasn't a surprise when the teacher was rendered mute. Quinn took that opportunity to lift the lid of the basket and pulled out the sticky cakes.
"We brought treats to share." And just like that, she broke the spell of fear with Cook's cakes.
Hours later, Archer and Thaddeus arrived into town concerned for Quinn and Nickie but stopped short at the sight before them. Quinn was sitting on the dirt road surrounded by children: two little girls on her lap, Nickie pressed up against her on one side and another little boy on the other. Whatever she was saying had gained the rapt interest of not only the children but the parents that had formed a circle around her. In unspoken agreement Archer and Thaddeus dismounted and quietly approached, being careful to stay unseen so as to not break up the impromptu gathering. They stopped and listened when they were close enough to hear.
"The evil witch cursed the young babe and vowed on her fifteenth year she would prick her finger and fall down dead but a wise woman, wishing to bestow a gift on the child, changed the prophecy; the princess will not die but fall into a deep sleep."
"In the years that followed, the King and Queen protected their daughter who grew up happy and safe. So many years had passed that the curse was nearly forgotten. On the day of her fifteenth birthday, the King threw a party to celebrate. The evil witch didn't forget though and she disguised herself as an old lady and entered the castle as a guest. She lured the young princess to a spinning wheel where she pricked her finger and fell into a deep sleep." Quinn paused and Archer was surprised to find that he was like everyone else, hanging on her every word, waiting to know what happened. So when his son spoke the words he himself almost voiced, he couldn't help but smile.
"What, what happens?" Nickie all but screamed.
"Well, the evil witch wins and the princess stays asleep forever," Quinn teased.
The disappointment was palpable; even Archer found himself stunned by the story's ending.
"Bloody bad ending," Thaddeus concurred from next to him and Archer grinned to himself.
The uproar that her ending caused had Quinn shouting over the raised voices.
"You don't like that ending?"
"NO!" came the yell in unison from children and adults alike.
"Are you sure? Because the princess was very tired."
"No!"
Quinn feigned defeat with a hearty sigh. "All right. A hundred years passed when a young prince came to the Kingdom. He had heard tales of the princess and her Kingdom that was under a curse and was curious to see if the tales were true. The castle walls were covered in roses so thick he almost could not gain entrance. He passed through the courtyard where dogs, horses, guards and guests were all lying upon the ground in a deep sleep. He entered the great hall, up the stone steps, and down the hall until he reached the room of the princess."
"He pushed the doors open to find her lying peacefully upon her bed. He reached her and looked down at her lovely face before pressing a light kiss upon her ruby-red lips. He pulled back just as her eyes started to flutter open and then..." Quinn paused leaving everyone in suspense before she added softly, "...they lived happily-ever-after."
The applause was almost deafening. Perhaps she shouldn't be sharing stories that hadn't yet been written but who didn't like a good fairy tale? Quinn looked on proudly as the children whispered in awe over the story she shared.
After that, it hadn't taken long for the people of the village to drop their attitude of indifference and talk with her. It seemed as if they were eager to have a new and attentive listener with whom to share stories. Suddenly, the jubilation stopped and Quinn looked up to see Archer approaching.
"Please don't stop on my account. I was
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