Description
They said the ruins of the castle that could be seen from the village was the notorious castle of Sleeping Beauty. It was where the prince slew the dragon and saved the princess from its claws. She loved going to the ruined outer wall of the castle and imagine what it was like to be a princess that heroes fought to save. She spent many an hour in the shadow of the castle, day-dreaming of her prince saving her from her boring life as the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in the village. Nobody had anything for her to do. Her brother was being groomed to take over the family business, while she was left to be a "proper" lady. And, even with her dreams of being a princess, she had neither the grace nor the subtlety of one. Her father laughed that she was more like a boy than a young woman, while her mother lost patience with her at least three times every day, leaving her to her own devices. That was how she usually ended in the clearing under the castle. She ran from her mother, frustrated that she couldn't be like Sleeping Beauty - who she adored. She loved the story. So when a door appeared in the wall one day, she opened it and stepped over the threshold, never imagining that the Dragon still lived, while Sleeping Beauty was not composed by one woman but by all those that made the mistake to step over that threshold.
Prologue
