"I don't know why you think anything will be different this time?'' scolded Will as he led her up the stone staircase within the mage's turret. Night had fallen fully now, so pitch that they had to feel their way along the banister despite the candle each carried. ''Like I said, my master has been studying this for years. If he didn't find a solution, I doubt a pair of novices like you and I will crack it.''

The chicken stew had been surprisingly good and had restored Aurora's optimism.

''The difference is, Will, that your master didn't have me... awake... as part of his studies. I didn't sleep for a hundred years, see? It never happened. So, we can look at this from a totally fresh perspective.''

Will wanted to say that no amount of "fresh perspective" could make up for the decades of training and sorcery that his master had accomplished, but he could see that she was not easily dissuaded and would have to find out herself, the hard way.

He might doubt their chances of success, but he hoped she was right. Life had been hard on Will, but he had carved out a little niche for himself here in the palace and he did want his life back. And Aurora could make a decent queen. He could certainly think of worse people to serve.

When they reached the top of the turret, Will fumbled around lighting the oil lamps to illuminate the room which was his master's study and observatory. Their shadows flittered across a complex arrangement of alembics, the shelves of multicolored vials lining the walls, and the stoppered bottles full of worrisome substances. In one corner there was a flattened pile of straw, covered by a blanket. This served as Will's cot.

The mage was slumped forward across his desk, his velvet toque toppled from sprawled grey hair. His one hand was still resting on the open pages of a massive tome.

"Sorry, old man,'' Will murmured, hauling the book out from under the mage's arm and then patting him fondly on the head. He had wondered if his master would be as affected by the sleep as the rest of the palace was. At times, personal magic could ward off the effects of external magic, but everyone was different.

Still, the mage was as close to a father as Will had ever known, and he was a good man. This was why his natural magic flourished. Will felt sad to see him like this.

With no remaining chairs, Will and Aurora settled cross-legged on the straw bed, facing each other over the large book. The oil lamp glowed golden across their young cheeks, illuminating every curve and trough as if they were telling a ghost story at campfire.

"So where do you want to start, my lady?'' Will asked.

''What about this prophesy then?'' Aurora peered curiously over the top of the book. ''What does it say about that?''

Will grimaced slightly but did as he was told and fingered through the pages. He was certain that this project was only for vanity's sake. To discover that your whole life had been dictated by a prophesy and you never even knew? He supposed it was natural to want to know more.

''On her eighteenth birthday, the princess will prick her finger on a spindle and die,'' he read aloud, ''blah, blah, blah... etcetera, etcetera.''

''I will die – blah, blah, blah?'' Aurora winced. "What about the cure the fairy found? Let's read that bit?'' Will paged on until he got to the relevant chapter.

''The princess will not die, but will fall into a state of deep sleep for one hundred years until she is awakened by love's true kiss,'' he read.

There was an awkward silence, and Aurora scratched her head.

''You don't think that we...? You didn't kiss me did you Will?'' she demanded.

''No!'' he replied, aghast. ''No!! I mean, sorry My Lady, it's not that there is anything wrong with you, but I would never! Just. No.'' Will hoped the lighting was poor enough to hide the redness of his face.

''No,'' she agreed. ''I mean even if you didn't... we couldn't... it wouldn't make any sense. What else is there? Does the mage maybe have a wake-up spell?''

''A wake-up spell?'' said Will, recovering and flipping straight to the final page that had been open on the mage's table. ''Now why didn't I think of that?'' he rolled his eyes.