Am I a Princess?

Aurora's gaze froze.

"Us? Can we really defeat the Black Witch with just the two of us? There should be many warriors in the kingdom braver than me, as well as many magicians as outstanding as you, Teacher, right?"

She had heard the legends of Black Witch Maleficent before. Most of those tales dwelled on Maleficent's terror, describing a Witch so terrifying she was almost impossible to oppose.

Even now, lacking anything to compare herself to, Aurora still had no clear understanding of her own strength. Instinctively, she doubted herself.

Rhine smiled. "Aurora, perhaps you don't know this yet, but you are already the greatest warrior in the kingdom. And I am, in fact, the kingdom's finest magician."

Back when he had faced Maleficent, Rhine's magical ability had only been roughly equal to that of Violet Fairy, the finest among the Witches. But during the years Aurora had grown up, after fulfilling the wishes of countless people throughout the kingdom, Rhine had now traveled much farther down the path of magic.

Rhine paused before adding, "Of course, Maleficent is a legendary Witch capable of covering the entire kingdom in magic. As you are now, you are still far from capable of defeating the dragon she became.

"But your talent is exceptional. On the journey ahead, you will grow by an unimaginable amount!"

Light appeared in Aurora's eyes, and she nodded excitedly.

At that instant, Rhine felt a Power of Wishes more scorching than the sun, unlike anything he had ever felt before.

It came from Aurora's wish.

"Alright, Teacher. Please take me out of the kingdom. I want to become a true hero, find the Black Witch, defeat her, and then return to this country!"

Seeing that the time was right, Rhine added the explanation he had not mentioned earlier.

"By the way, I made a prophecy. Maleficent's curse cannot be escaped even by fleeing the kingdom. Unfortunately, even if I said so, people might not believe it.

"So it is not a bad thing that the king concealed the truth about the curse. If the people learned of its existence, the kingdom would fall into enormous panic and chaos."

Aurora suddenly understood and realized that her earlier conclusion had been too hasty and impulsive.

Violet Fairy smiled. "It seems you will soon take Aurora out of the kingdom, search for news of Black Witch Maleficent, and train Aurora into a hero capable of fighting Maleficent during the journey. I wish you both success!"

This had been everyone's plan from the beginning, so Violet Fairy was not surprised.

It seemed everything had now been settled. Within a few days, they could set off on their journey abroad.

Just as the Witches thought everything had been discussed, Aurora suddenly spoke.

"Wait, Teacher, we cannot leave so quickly! Before leaving the kingdom, I still have one last thing to do.

"That soldier said Engeland is preparing to reveal the truth of the curse to our people. The kingdom will soon be thrown into chaos.

"Then Engeland's army—or rather, those bandits—will be able to march straight in and plunder our wealth, our treasures, and our cattle and sheep.

"Since Teacher said I am the kingdom's greatest warrior, then I should lead the army and drive away the invaders before setting out!"

Lead the army? How did she intend to become its commander? How would she make soldiers obey her orders? To all appearances, she was only a ten-year-old girl. Who would let her don armor? Or had she already guessed... Rhine's thoughts raced.

"Teacher! Aunt Violet, Grandma Rosa, everyone. I have a very, very important question. Please, you must answer me honestly. I'm begging you!"

Aurora's expression abruptly turned solemn. She politely bowed to Rhine and the Witches.

"Oh, what question does little Aurora have? Go ahead and ask." Grandma Rosa wore a kindly smile.

Aurora swallowed, lifted her chin, and asked solemnly, each word clear and deliberate.

"May I ask... am I the kingdom's princess?

"Am I the princess from the rumors, the one who was supposed to be imprisoned deep within the palace? And you, my teacher... are you the Kingdom Sage from the kingdom's legends, the Great Magician Rhine, who served as the king's adviser for half a year before mysteriously disappearing?"

Silence.

Deathly silence.

"Yes. Yes."

Rhine nodded gently, his expression unchanged.

It was something Aurora would have to be told sooner or later.

Aurora seemed greatly relieved. She let out a long breath, a comforted smile appearing on her face. "That's wonderful. Otherwise, I would have thought I was a magical weapon you created for battle.

"No wonder I was born with such astonishing talent. No wonder I shared the same name as the princess said to be imprisoned in the legends—though people with the same name are everywhere in the kingdom these days."

When had she discovered her identity?

Rhine had wanted to ask that, but felt there was no need.

There had been too many signs.

Sooner or later, clever Aurora would have figured it out.

"I heard people in taverns talk about it. I heard the children I played ball with talk about it. The king's daughter was trapped in the Bronze Palace deep within the palace grounds, unable to ever step outside.

"I often wondered how lonely she must have been, trapped there alone, unable to see the world outside.

"Only now do I know it was a lie. She was never imprisoned at all."

Aurora continued speaking to herself, her words filled with endless emotion.

The golden-haired girl raised her slender yet remarkably strong hands, then looked at Rhine and the Witches. "Teacher, Witch grandmothers and aunts, my gifts came from your blessings, didn't they? Thank you.

"Now that Aurora has grown up, can you tell me what exactly happened when I was born?

"Why was there a legend that the princess had been imprisoned in the Bronze Palace? And what blessings was I given?"

Rhine sat down, and he and the Witches took turns recounting the thrilling night from ten years ago.

It was an interesting story.

It had a grand banquet, fine food and wine, Witches and magicians, an unstoppable dragon breathing blazing fire, a dreadful curse, and sacred blessings. It had a beginning beautiful enough to be poetry, a turn from light into darkness, and an unexpected ending.

What fascinated Aurora most in the story was the prophet's prediction—the prophet back then was her current teacher, and that prophecy was the future she had not chosen.

Aurora quietly listened to the entire story.

She was completely absorbed.

"So that was how it was. I was the source of the kingdom's dreadful curse.

"Everyone saw the scenes in the mirror and the misfortune of the future. So in the end, you did not choose the blessing you had originally planned—to turn death into sleep—but instead chose the other path we have now."

Aurora fell into thought.

When Grandma Rosa saw the golden-haired girl's thoughtful expression, affection surged uncontrollably from the depths of her heart.

Yes, under those circumstances, the Kingdom Sage had chosen an unusual path that astonished everyone, yet it had indeed seemed to be the best choice. The king, the Queen, and Witches like them had all supported that decision, raising the princess step by step into a warrior capable of slaying a dragon.

But all of it had merely been the adults'—Rhine could be counted as an adult here, for the time being—wishful arrangement. What did Princess Aurora herself think? She was a living person, too.

Aurora, when she had still been only a baby, had not known what she bore upon her shoulders. But Aurora now knew everything.

She had carried a mission from birth, undergone years of relentless training, and until this day, shouldered responsibilities far beyond her age.

Would the Princess willingly accept the choice everyone had made for her back then?...

Aurora's birthday banquet ended.

The Witches left one after another.

Aurora had already proven to them that she had become a hero capable of standing on her own, and no longer needed their care.

The house suddenly felt much emptier, and the living room was deserted.

The Little Princess rested her chin in her hands and gazed at the stars. Then she suddenly remembered something, turned sharply toward Rhine, and asked:

"So what happened afterward?

"Teacher, your prophecy back then only went as far as fifty years after I fell asleep, when the kingdom was covered in Thorns, right?

"So what was the future beyond that? In the end, was the curse lifted?"

The night was so quiet that even birdsong from far away could be heard clearly.

After a long time, Rhine nodded gently and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry. Back then, I could not ask for your opinion and made that choice for you on my own.

"Since that is so, I believe it is necessary for you to know your future—even if it cannot be entirely precise."

Aurora's eyes immediately lit up.

Rhine spoke slowly. "The river of fate has too many forks and possibilities. Though I cannot accurately foresee the distant future, I can still see some tributaries of fate. Most of their endings are not perfect, but the curse is indeed lifted.

"Aurora, since you are interested in the path that was not chosen, I can show you the best, most perfect, most flawless ending among them.

"This is a right you should have!"

Rhine took out another Silver Mirror. It was the same one he had used to show the future ten years ago.

Aurora stared fixedly at the smooth mirror surface, almost holding her breath.

This was a path that had not been chosen.

Ripples spread across the mirror in widening circles, and images appeared within the Silver Mirror once again.

It was the desolate land of the kingdom after Aurora had been pricked by the Spinning Wheel and the curse had taken effect, covered in Thorns and Tribulus.

Ten years later, the image from the prophecy began to play again.

Lines of text appeared around the image as captions.

"Concerning this kingdom, a legend spread: the legend of a beautiful sleeping princess. From then on, many princes came seeking adventure. They hacked through Thorns, trying to enter the royal palace, but none succeeded."

One prince after another appeared in the image, hacking through Thorns with all their strength as they tried to break through the wall of hedges and enter the royal palace sealed beneath layer upon layer of vegetation.

The Tribulus closed in as if they had come alive, while the bushes shifted position and tripped the princes.

The Thorns, Tribulus, and bushes seemed to transform into countless magical hands, gripping them tightly and preventing them from breaking free.

The princes struggled and wailed, before ultimately dying in agony.

More ripples spread through the Silver Mirror. The image briefly sank into darkness, and new caption text appeared.

"Many, many years passed. On this day, exactly one hundred years had passed, and another prince set foot upon this cursed land."