by Sarah Earlene Shere, ©2023
(Sep. 29, 2023) — [See previous installments of this series here, here and here.]
Philip gave Daniel a choked reply, “She’s gone.”
Just then, they heard a soft voice, “Philip?”
The heroes turned to see a radiant form of the once sleeping princess standing before them, in front of a golden staircase that led into the sky. Philip cried out, “Rosetta,” as he leapt to his feet, rushed to the beauty, embraced and kissed her.
The princess smiled up into his face. “My prince! I knew you would come. The fairies awakened my father when it was too late for the spell to be broken. Upon hearing that my mortal breath was gone, he begged the fairies to let them all pass with me into eternity. But I could not go without you; so I waited.”
Daniel interrupted, “What’s happening? Philip, you’re a prince? How do you know the princess?”
Philip smiled as he stepped over to the lad and bent down to look in his face with a smile. “I am a prince, of a Kingdom that is not of this world. I feel I have always known Rosetta. Thank you, Danny. You gave me hope to fight for my beloved, and it is because of you that Execrable is vanquished. You will notice that the Shield of Virtue and the Sword of Truth have disappeared. But they are not gone. They are there, in your heart. Never lose them! You will need them, again, someday.”
After watching Philip and Rosetta climb the golden staircase, and disappear with it, Daniel made his way home. While still on the path, his mother ran to meet him. “Daniel! Where have you been these last few days? I was worried. Your father had to hunt for the goats you abandoned. And your great-grandfather died the day you left. Poor Great-grandfather Philip.”
“Philip? Was that his name? You never told me!”
“It didn’t seem to matter. Just like the fact that he wasn’t actually your great-grandfather. He was just an old man your grandfather had pity on when the villagers laughed him out of town, due to his crazy stories about having once known the sleeping princess and being determined to break the curse. Poor old man died whispering the name, ‘Rosetta’. It’s a shame you didn’t get to tell him goodbye. I know how fond you were of each other.”
Daniel smiled. “Oh, I got to tell him goodbye.”