by Tali
Disclaimer: I don’t own the shows or characters from Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules The Legendary Journeys. I wouldn’t want to take the blame for all the bad stuff that has happened, that means EVE. I also don’t own the story Sleeping Beauty, so if Disney or anyone with rights to it comes along, please don’t sue.
Authors Note: Everyone ready for a politically incorrect story? Helpless girl gets saved by hunky Prince. Oh no, I just gave away the story.
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Queen Cyrene and King Atrius had been trying for a baby for years and finally the Queen announced she was going to give birth to a baby girl in a couple of months. I don’t know how they knew it was a girl, the local oracle probably told them that. They called in the royal decorator Salmoneus, to prepare a baby shower for when their little beauty was born. It was decided she was to be betrothed to Prince Ares, son of King Zeus and Queen Hera of Olympus.
The months went by and finally it came time for the little princess to be born. She had the clearest baby blue eyes anyone had ever seen, and hair as black as ebony (I know that’s what they say in Snow White, but put up with me). What a beauty she was. Unlike most babies that look just like babies when they are born, the princess looked like a little girl. The King and Queen were delighted, she was everything they had hoped and more. They named her Xena.
Salmoneus planned the big party and invited everyone in the kingdom, well everyone but the blonde, village burning, psychopathic, Goddess/Evil Witch Callisto. He didn’t think it was such a hot idea. During the party Xena and Ares were to be in a official ceremony to announce they were betrothed. The fact that Ares was only three and Xena just a new born baby made it hard, especially when Ares just wanted to go play with his best friend Prince Joxer instead of hang around with some dumb baby.
Just as they had finished Callisto appeared in a shower of flames. She looked rather unhappy that she hadn’t been invited. Her eyes lit up and she broke into a evil smile as she spotted the baby lying in the royal crib.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? A little Princess. You didn’t invite me, so you must punished.” She held out her hand and a fire ball appeared in it, she was about to throw it at Xena when she got a better idea.
“On her sixteenth birthday she will cut her finger on a chakram and die.” She laughed, then disappeared like she had come.
Cyrene broke down in sobs. Then the three good fairy’s stepped forward.
“Like that doesn’t have to happen to the little princess babe.” The first fairy informed them, her name was Aphrodite.
“We can’t stop it from happening, but instead of death, she will just sleep, but will only awake with a kiss from her true love.” The second fairy, Gabrielle informed them.
“Please, do that.” Cyrene pleaded.
“First Aphrodite and I must give her other gifts the Ephiny can perform the spell.”
The pink clad Fairy stepped forward an laid her perfectly manicured fingers on the babies hands. She then made a glitter dust appeared and that fell all over the little princess who in turn sneezed.
“I Aphrodite, first of the good fairy’s give the gift of everlasting beauty, not that you need it kid, you already got that one. You will grow and be beautiful, inside and out.”
“I Gabrielle, second of the good fairy’s give you the gift of being able to get yourself out of any situation. You must understand Queen Cyrene, in know way are we giving these thing to her, only enhancing what she has. Little Xena already has beauty and brains.”
“I Ephiny, third of the good fairy’s give you the gift of sleep. When you cut your finger, you shall not die little one.”
Although the fairy’s gave Xena these gift the King and Queen still worried, and from there they made the hardest decision of their lives. Hercules, the loyal castle guard looked on as Cyrene and Atrius gave their precious daughter to the fairy’s.
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Sixteen years passed and Xena, who was known as Diana knew nothing of her parents or family. She had asked once, the fairy’s had told her it was complicated and she never asked again. The Princess had grown to be a divine looking woman, probably the most beautiful in the world. She still had her baby blue eyes, and ebony hair, which was very long. The time for Xena to go back to the castle was coming to soon for the fairy’s. They had six months until Xena turned sixteen and she had to marry Ares.
Diana was out walking when she came across a horse tied to a tree. This made her curious, as people never went out into the woods as far as she was. Too far from the villages. The only people she had ever talked to had been the fairy’s, and people in her dreams. Although she didn’t know the fairy’s were fairy’s.
Prince Ares had been out riding thinking about how he had to get married in six months, he hadn’t even met the dam woman. He had tied his horse up and sat by a small lake. It was there he met Diana, and fell in love with her. Each week they would meet in that spot by the lake. He didn’t tell her he was a prince. Neither told their families, as it would be disastrous. Diana knew he was betrothed but on the day of her sixteenth birthday they were going to run away together.
But Aphrodite caught Xena packing. She knew what had been happening, she could tell, Xena had that ‘I’m in love’ look. As much as Dite wanted her to be happy, she had a duty. A duty to return the Princess that night, to be wed in the morning with Prince Ares.
“What are you doing Xena?”
“Just packing away some old cloths.” She lied.
“You’re in love.”
“We are going to run away. Please don’t tell?” Xena pleaded.
“I’m so sorry. I can’t let you go. All I want is to see you happy, but I have a duty.”
“Please? Just let me go. I won’t tell anyone you know.”
“You’re not going Xena, that’s the end of it.”
With that Dite left the room, locking the door behind her. She went over to the window, but as she went to open it, it disappeared into thin air. Xena sat down on her bed and just stared into space. She didn’t understand why they didn’t want her to have what she wanted, and she didn’t know how the window disappeared, and most of all why did Dite call her Xena?
Dite gathered the other fairy’s for a meeting.
“Gabrielle, Ephiny, we have a problem.”
“What?” Gabrielle asked.
“Xena’s in love. I caught her about to run away. I know we promised to return her when she turned sixteen, but maybe we should let her be with this man. She is a person.”
“We have to take her back. She is betrothed, to a Prince. A very powerful Prince. She is going back, no more about this to anyone.” Ephiny demanded.
Ares waited for Diana for three hours, she never showed up. In the end he went back to the castle and waited for his future to start with Princess Xena. He was heartbroken.
Dite, Gabrielle and Ephiny went to tell Xena of her past and what was to happen in just a few short hours. Xena was furious, how could they keep this from her. She was a Princess, she was betrothed to a Prince who happens to have a father that rules almost all of the land. Most of all, she was heartbroken.
That night Xena was taken back to the castle. She was in her room, waiting to meet her parents when a blonde woman appeared and though a shiny thing at her.
“Catch Princess.”
Xena being good at martial arts and gymnastics also had wonderful reflexes and she caught the round thing easily. But it just cut her finger a little. The last thing Xena saw before she passed out was the blonde woman laughing. The fairy’s along with Queen Cyrene and King Atrius came into the room just in time to see Xena drop to the floor and a chakram in her hand.
Word was sent to King Zeus and Queen Hera that Princess Xena had been a victim of Callisto’s wrath. Ares was informed. He decided to talk to the one person he knew he could. Hercules, the now retired guard of Xena’s castle.
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“What do you know about the Princess Herc?”
“Not much I am afraid. I was there when the fairy’s took her into the woods to live. Pretty baby, looked like a real little girl. Bright blue eyes, raven hair, always alert. Brought her back last night, Callisto had cursed her with death but the fairy’s changed it a little. I believe she will sleep until a kiss from her true love will wake her.
“Sounds complicated.”
“Yeah, poor little thing, didn’t even know she was the princess. Thought her birth name was Diana. Sheltered from everyone, being so far in the woods.”
“Diana?”
“Yes.”
Ares nearly had a heart attack. The woman he was going to give everything up for, was really the woman he was intended to marry, and she was under some witches spell.
“Ares you okay” Hercules asked.
Ares didn’t have time to waste he just ran out the door. He had to get to Xena, and fast.
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It was a trial to get to the castle, Callisto had set traps hoping Ares wouldn’t be able to overcome them to wake his love. In the end the Prince won, he made it to Xena’s bed chamber. He slowly opened the door and entered the room. There was Xena, looking as beautiful as ever laying fast asleep. Ares took a moment to just watch her, he could finally be with his love, hopefully. Ares leaned over the beautiful Princess and gently kissed her rosy lips. The next thing he knew her baby blue eyes fluttered open and he received a punch in the jaw.
“ I was in the middle of a really nice dream buddy, come back later.” Xena closed her eyes and rolled over to go back to sleep. She hadn’t even realized it had been Ares who had broken the spell.
The three fairies appeared and looked from Ares to Xena.
“Ah, what exactly is she doing?” Dite asked the Prince.
“I believe she is sleeping.”
“I can tell that!” Dite exclaimed “Why don’t you kiss her to wake her and break the spell?”
“ I did, she woke up slapped me, told me to come back later, rolled over and went back to sleep. Said she was having a nice dream.” Ares explained to Dite.
“That is so like Xena. Come on hon, wakey, wakey.”
“Go away, you wouldn’t let me run away!” Xena responded.
“Sit up open your eyes and check out the Prince you are to marry, NOW!” Dite ordered.
Xena sat up opened her eyes and nearly fainted, there was Ares, her love, her soul mate, that bastard!
“You’re a Prince, you ass! You never told me you were a Prince, dam you. Go to Tartarus!”
Ares was a little shell shocked.
“You never told me you were a Princess.” He replied weakly.
“I didn’t know.” Xena frowned. He really was cute when he was scared. “Ah what the hell, I got to marry him anyway.”
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So Xena and Ares got married and lived happily ever after. I’m not gonna tell you if they ended up getting a divorce after living together for two years, (cause that’s when the Happily ever after tends to end) Disney never does.
THE END