"But you know something? I've fooled them. I have met someone!"
"Who? Who? Who?""Oh, a prince. Well, he's tall and handsome. And - and so romantic. Oh, we walk together, and talk together, and just before we say goodbye, he takes me in his arms, and then, I wake up. Yes, it's only in my dreams. But they say if you dream a thing more than once, it's sure to come true. And I've seen him so many times..."
from Walt Disney's animated feature Sleeping Beauty
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Princess Aurora - most likely the princess with the most monikers. More commonly referred to as Sleeping Beauty, and known as Briar Rose in her peasant form. Her tale is the first that we've seen that includes a prince that actually does something, and has a name, too! Though this is a nice change of pace, her happily ever after will be hard for us to come by.
When Aurora is first born, she is immediatly betrothed to a young Prince Phillip, of another kingdom, for King Stephen, Aurora's father, always wanted their kingdoms to be united.
For the first sixteen years after that point, Aurora goes by Briar Rose, and lives with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather (in human form) so that Maleficent wouldn't be able to get her hands on the young princess, whom she wants dead. On her sixteenth birthday, the three "aunts" send Rose out to pick some berries so they have the opportunity to make her a cake and a dress made for a princess.
In the Disney way, Aurora begins to sing with her animal friends the tune of "I Wonder," in which she wonders aloud (obviously) about why each little bird has that special someone. Her marvelous singing lures Prince Phillip to her, slowly but surely. By the time she has started singing "Once Upon a Dream," Prince Phillip has arrived without her knowledge.
As she's dancing with her animal friends, Prince Phillip cuts in and harmonizes with her unexpectedly. Which is when you get this hilarious expression that actually shows she is surprised and somewhat frightened:
Aurora cuts off her singing suddenly because of her surprise. Though she's not supposed to talk to strangers, they've "met before" so she soon gets over her shock and begins waltzing with the young prince. Soon after their dance, she tells him that she'll meet him again tonight at her house.
Upon arriving home, she is greeted by a magnificent cake and dress as her sixteenth birthday surprise - but trouble is nearing, for Flora, Fauna and Merryweather used magic to make her gifts, attracting the eye of the evil Maleficent's pet.
Then Aurora gets the shocker of the fourteenth century - she is, in fact, a princess, due to arrive home later that evening. Little does she know that she is actually betrothed to the mysterious stranger.
While the fathers of Aurora and Phillip are celebrating, Phillip decides to burst their bubble, saying he met a "peasant girl," saying he wants to marry her, infuriating his father. After some word games, he tricks his father and runs off "to marry the girl [he loves]."
After arriving at the castle, Princess Aurora is left alone by Flora, Fauna and Merryweather after bursting into tears about not being able to see her mysterious stranger again. In a matter of minutes, she is hypnotized, pricking her finger on the spinning wheel, sending her into the deep sleep, only to be broken by love's first kiss. In order to prevent the kings from realizing that the princess is asleep, the three fairies decide to make everyone in and around the castle fall asleep, too.
Apparently Phillip's father sleep-talks, for after Flora hears him explain that Prince Phillip met the girl he loves "once upon a dream," she is able to put two-and-two together to realize the "peasant girl" is, in fact, Aurora.
Phillip arrives at the cottage, only to be captured by Maleficent. Later, she gives Phillip the 4-1-1, telling what has happened to what she plans to do. But after Maleficent is gone, the three fairies come to his rescue, arming him with weapons to fight for his true love. After an intense escape sequence, Maleficent puts thorns all around King Stephen's castle.
Now, here is where we truly see Phillip's determination for saving Aurora and winning his love, so to speak. No matter what Maleficent has for him, including "all the powers of Hell," he manages to fight his way through successfully.
Finally, Aurora gets her first love's kiss, breaking the spell and awaking the castle. Then, Phillip and Aurora come down the steps together, and dance into their happily ever after. Literally, they dance into the clouds.
To conclude, Aurora is the first princess whose prince: a.) has a name, and; b.) actually does something. Though this is a case of love at first sight, their is a little more background to her story than the previous princesses.
Now, here's what I just realized. At the beginning of the movie, Aurora is just born. When we see Phillip, he is at least five years old, if not six or seven. Aurora is sixteen later in the movie, putting Phillip at an age at least 21, if not older. Though age is just a number, that's still a little off to me. But hey, it's the fourteenth century.
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