The Gift

Aurora was generally successful at staying away from her mother. For three years she was more ghost than girl around the palace. She completed her studies for her tutors, but as the Empress did not ask after the princess's studies, the tutors felt no need to push the girl to excel. She hid among the tapestries, under tables, and among the many plants that lined the halls. She was either tolerated or ignored by the court and castle staff whenever she was discovered, but those times were few and far between. Some forgot she existed altogether. Only Aurora's Nanny did a little to help the girl's lonely life. Nanny was always kind, and she told wonderful stories.

Occasionally, Aurora's father would visit the princess's suite of rooms, but never very often for fear he would arouse Zephyra's suspicion.  The Emperor was terrified that he wife would find out and punish their daughter, so he usually came when the powerful woman was asleep.

When Elias came, he would bring sweets, a toy or some other treat and give his daughter a few kind words. It was nice, and Aurora appreciated the gesture, but it was far from the constant parental love and support she craved. The night before Aurora's tenth birthday, Elias crept past the castle guard and Nanny into the girl's room. This would have been more difficult if the soldiers had been vigilant and Nanny less hard of hearing. As it was, he met no resistance as he approached the child's bed. The Emperor stared at the small sleeping girl for a moment and marveled at her dark hair and creamy skin. His daughter had her mother's beauty. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Zephyra could not look at her. She felt threatened.

Finally Elias woke her from her sleep with a gentle shake. "My daughter," he said gently, "I have brought you a gift for your special day. The empress has requested my presence in meetings all day tomorrow, so I will be unable to attend you. I am very sorry. Please accept this early gift." There was a sadness in her father's eyes, and Aurora could guess that Zephyra merely wanted to keep Elias from his daughter on her birthday. It was cruel, but Zephyra only cared about herself. The princess nodded and smiled.

"No need to apologize, father. I am happy you came at all." The child took the gift from her father's grasp. It was small, and Aurora could hold it easily in her hand. "What is it?" she asked, her dark eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Open it," he father answered.

Pulling back the colored paper, Aurora gasped as she removed the fine gold chain from it's wrapper. The delicate strands were so thin that they were almost impossible to separate from the whole. Each strand wove into the others creating a delicate pattern resembling a braid. "It's beautiful!" she cried. "Where did you find it?"

"I bought it on my last tour with the Empress. The man who sold it swore it was created by the Fates themselves." Elias took the chain and draped it around his daughter's neck gently. It was probably too big and fine a gift for one so young, but Elias knew deep down that she deserved this luxury.

The mention of the Fates caused the child to groan. The little girl rolled her eyes upward. "Oh Father, I'm not a child. I know the Fates aren't real."

Her father held his hands to his lips. His eyes grew wide as he gasped softly. "Don't say such things! You never know if 'they' are listening." He winked at the girl and smiled.

"Do you think the Fates are real?" Aurora wanted to know. In her heart she hoped it was so, but all her teachers were people of science and seldom gave any thought to fairy tales.

"I think we cannot control nearly as much as we would like to think," He told her seriously.

"But Her Majesty controls everything!" Aurora responded indignantly.

Elias's gaze became far off, "Dear Zephyra has no control over the thoughts of her subjects, least of all the one in front of you." Her father pointed to himself.  "Somewhere deep down she knows this and tries even harder to hold me in her grasp. I'd love her, if she would let me," he said sadly. Snapping from his reverie, the king smiled warmly at his daughter, "I suppose that leaves all my love for you, sweet girl." He gently touched the edge of the girl's nose, causing her to giggle.

"I'll take all the love you'll give!" Aurora bounced from her bed and embraced her father. She knew this moment was rare, and she would not let it go to waste. Elias returned her hug and his breath hitched knowing he would have to leave soon or risk discovery.

"I brought you one more treat," he told her with a joy that was bittersweet. He pulled away and gave her a conspiratorial nod. Aurora's eyes brimmed with excitement. Out of thin air, Elias produced two gorgeous pieces of cake. They were chocolate and covered in decadent pink icing. "I swore the cook to secrecy. Now, shall we eat?"

Aurora nodded her small head repeatedly. "Yes please!" She received the cake on a piece of parchment paper. There was no fork, so the girl was unsure how to manage the food. She watched her father curiously.

"Happy birthday, Aurora!" the emperor said as lifted the whole piece to his mouth and took a large bite. He encouraged the girl to do the same. The cake was moist and silky. The cook had done a superb job. Aurora shivered as the sweetness filled her body with a spark of sugary energy. It was like nothing she had ever tasted.

"Thank you, Father… for the cake and the gift." She touched the necklace with a sense of pride. "I love it!"

"And I love you. Don't you forget it," he told her. They ate in silence for a moment, simply enjoying each other's company. For a short while, everything seemed perfect.