Once upon a time, there lived a King and Queen who longed for a child. At last their dream came true, and a baby princess was born, whom they named Aurora. The King and Queen invited distinguished guests from all over the land to attend the baby’s christening. Among the guests were a number of powerful fairies, all of whom endowed the princess with gifts and virtues like candor, force, and song. Just before the Lilac Fairy could bestow her gift, the sky outside grew dark, the lights in the great hall dimmed, and the doors to the ballroom burst open. Carabosse, a wicked fairy, swept into the ballroom, furious that she had not been been invited to the princess’s christening. In a fit of rage and jealousy she cast a spell on the Princess: on her 16th birthday she would prick her finger upon the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall down dead in an instant. Unmoved by the King’s and Queen’s pleas for forgiveness and mercy, Carabosse refused to undo her curse, and she rushed out of the castle, laughing triumphantly.
The Lilac Fairy reassured the King and Queen: she could not undo the curse, but she could soften it. Aurora would not die, but would instead fall into a deep sleep, from which true love’s kiss would awaken her. Though reassured, the King and Queen ordered that every spinning wheel in the kingdom be destroyed, hoping to prevent the curse from coming true.
Sixteen years later, there was a magnificent celebration for Aurora’s birthday. The courtiers all wore their finest robes and jewels, and the kingdom’s young people came together in a joyous dance. When the Princess arrived, dressed in a pale rose-pink gown, the whole court admired her beauty and joyful spirit. Four suitors from neighboring kingdoms arrived to woo the Princess, and she danced with each in turn, receiving a single white rose from each cavalier. Aurora was radiant and happy, and her parents began to believe that the fairy’s curse would not come to pass.
During a lull in the festivities, a gentle old woman approached the Princess and offered her a birthday gift. Aurora accepted it graciously, and turned to ask her parents what the curious object was. The King and Queen gasped in horror as the spindle fell from her hands, and a single drop of blood bloomed on the Princess’s finger. Aurora’s suitors tried to capture the old woman, but she cast off her cloak with a triumphant cackle, revealing herself as Carabosse, the wicked fairy, and disappeared in a blinding flash of light. The court was in uproar: the King and Queen wept, the four suitors set out in pursuit of Carabosse, the Princess herself lay as though dead.
The Lilac Fairy appeared suddenly in the midst of the crowd, and twilight fell like a veil over the assembly. As pages carried the Princess to her room in the castle’s highest tower, an enchanted stillness took hold of the court. Guards rested their heads against their spears, noblemen and ladies slept where they stood, and the King and Queen sank in slumber upon their thrones. Horses in the mews slept in their stalls, cooks and maids and footmen nodded at their posts, and even the cats and dogs and chickens fell silently asleep. The Lilac Fairy extended her counter-charm to the entire court: for as long as their Princess slept, her enchantment would protect them as well.
As the years passed, the trees around the castle grew taller and denser, and roses climbed and snaked their way up the castle walls. One hundred years went by, and a wall of vines and thorns concealed the castle from all who passed through the forest.
After a century passed, a young Prince was out hunting with his courtiers on a cool Autumn day. They stopped at a clearing in the woods, where several noblemen and ladies joined them to celebrate the harvest. Though the Prince talked and laughed with his friends, he was preoccupied, and when the party prepared to move on, he stayed back, wanting some moments alone.
The forest was still and silent when, to the Prince’s astonishment, the Lilac Fairy appeared suddenly before him. She told him not to be afraid, and she led him to a clearing, where she placed him in an enchanted sleep and sent him a dream of Princess Aurora.
The Prince fell in love with Aurora at first sight, and he vowed to the Lilac Fairy that he would be the one to break the curse. The vision vanished, the Prince awoke, and the Lilac Fairy led him on an arduous journey, deeper and deeper into the woods. The trees grew taller and darker, the light disappeared, rolling mists hid the path from view, and thorns and brambles tore at the Prince’s clothes. Spiders and creeping animals scurried in the dark, and the Prince would have lost his way without the Lilac Fairy by his side.
When they arrived at the palace, all was unnaturally still. No wind disturbed the leaves and vines, no horses stamped in the stables, and no guard challenged their approach. The Lilac Fairy conjured an opening in the wall of thorns and guided the Prince into the castle, past the sleeping court, and up to the Princess’s room. When the Prince arrived at the top of the tower he was delighted to recognize Aurora as the woman he’d met in his dream. He kissed her gently, and she awoke. She recognized him too, for the Lilac Fairy had brought them together in their dreams. The Prince and Princess descended the stairs together, as the castle and court awakened around them. They celebrated their wedding without delay, and fairies, fairytale princes and princesses, and the entire court celebrated with them in a lavish, beautiful ceremony.
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Bra: Dessous in Pointe Shoe by Claudette (c/o). Available in sizes 28-38 A-G.
Brief: Paloma in Pointe Shoe by Claudette (c/o). Available in Cayenne in sizes XS-XL.
Kimono: Livia by LaLilouche. Available in sizes S-XXL, plus custom sizing.
Stockings: Sheer Seamed Stockings via Kiss Me Deadly (sold out). Similar: Cervin Seduction Bi-Colore Seamed Stockings via Stockingirl. Available in sizes S-XXXL.
Necklace: Available at LOFT.
Flowers: Mimosa Floral Design Studio
Photos: Lydia Hudgens