The Sleeping Princess

Hilde was having a conversation with Maleficent as we walked towards the ruined castle. It was mostly one-sided and had odd gaps as she had to pause while the bracelets' punishments momentarily locked her down. I might have gone a bit ham there, but I didn't want to take any chances. So any negative emotions triggered an emotionless state, and any thought of harm momentary paralysis. Hilde could be very persuasive though, and knew Maleficent better than anyone else so I trusted her and left them to it.

Kat was about, though I couldn't see her. Her pleased giggles at a prank gone well could be heard on occasion. She had other orders from me, but knew to wait until our new guest was asleep to start whispering in her ear. With luck Maleficent wouldn't have a clue where her new submissive kink came from or why she was focused on me as her Dom.

The big ass, pissed off, raven was circling about too. I'd let the other know to leave him alone though, Maleficent would be trouble enough without killing her pet.

Ruby and Cass were keeping watch while Rapunzel walked next to me. Everyone was dressed again, as with the fight over I'd taken the time to pull our gear out of my storage. I was getting a lot of mileage out of that, should really put an extra-dimensional house on my want-to-buy list.

.

The castle was a wreck, and half buried in giant spiky vines. Dust and rubble were everywhere, but a faint path led into the depths. "You visit Aurora often?" I asked my prisoner. I couldn't think who else might be coming here.

"Once a year, on the anniversary of her nap." She coldly replied. I'm not sure how much of Hilde's spiel she believed but she was no longer fading out anymore. I wondered how much resistance she'd have left after Phillip actually showed up.

I looked up at the tall woman, she actually topped me by a few inches and that wasn't counting her horns. "Checking on her, or renewing the spell?"

She looked conflicted, like she didn't want to answer but saw no harm. "Making sure she was okay if you must know. She is an innocent caught up in the quarrel between her parents and I."

I wondered if that was a Fae thing, even though she wasn't listed as a faerie. I wondered about that too. As we made our way up a crumbling stairway I decided to ask. "Are you Fae or Dragon? My sources have you listed as Dragon but by the tale you should be Fae." If she answered me it would be almost as informative as her answer if she did, and I did really want to know.

She was quiet for a while, so we continued up in silence. Only Hilde was also with us as the rest had remained below on guard, and she trusted to my handling of the dangerous woman now she'd spoken her piece.

"I was Fae." she finally said as we reached the top floor. I turned to give her my attention. "When the coward took my wings I gave that up in exchange for power, I became what I am now and I have no regrets. Yes I am a Dragon, and you shall..." The jade fire that had started to burn in her eyes guttered out as her face went blank. Guess she wasn't quite over being rebellious, or thought she could overpower just the two of us. Well she'd learn.

I turned back, leaving Hilde to handle the stiff woman, and looked to the room's other occupant. Aurora was lying in a small bed next to an ancient spindle, the source of her curse.

Walking closer, I got a better look at the slumbering blonde. Tall, thin, still wearing a fancy gown, and covered in dust. She looked more dead than merely asleep. According to her profile she wasn't much, only a tier one with no skills beyond the Social tag. And while she wasn't bad looking by any means, Ella had her beat by a mile. Most of that was attitude though, so maybe I was being biased. Still, she was the final step in my quest.

I had Hilde use a very mild blast from her staff to clear the dust then clamped a diamond-studded bracelet on her arm and lugged the sleeping Princess over my shoulder. "If it helps." I told Maleficent. "She will never see her parents again." Maybe Snow and Ella could train her as a maid.

Just before we exited the castle she stopped me. "It does help, also that I will be there to see she's taken care of."

"When you aren't busy working for me I will leave her in your charge. You have my word." I told the grey-skinned woman. She could be Maleficent's maid, had to be better than an eternal coma.

The others had already cleared a section of the courtyard and set up our campsite. It was going to be a long week until the Prince showed up. I lay Aurora down on some furs and pulled out my device. I could have just used my bracelet but honestly I liked the interface of the pseudo phone better.

Seventy-two hours for Aurora, no shock there that the sleeping beauty wasn't resisting. Already down to one hundred and fifty hours for Maleficent, and that was a shock. I expected her to resist more but Hilde seemed to be getting to her some at least. Tonight Kat would get to play and we'd see what it said in the morning.

Still, however long it took we'd be here a full week. Philip had two strong magical items that I wanted. And who knows, we might even bag some actual Fae. I'd have three more iron bands by then, just in case.