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CHARACTER SYNOPSES

Princess Aurora – Aurora is the heir to the throne of Australis. Cursed by Hellisent on her naming day, Aurora is taken away from the kingdom and raised by her mother in hiding. She is given the pseudonym of Briar Rose, made to wear green whenever she goes out of the cottage and educated in ways to gain the knowledge and qualities of a true princess. Despite all this, Aurora remains unaware of the curse and her true identity. By the time we meet Aurora, she has grown inquisitive and anxious to meet people in the hope of a more exciting life. She views her eighteenth birthday as the start of that new chapter; one that she can choose for herself. When she meets Prince Perrault in the woods there is an instant connection through their shared experiences of loneliness and their desire for escapism and excitement. Prince Perrault becomes theanswer to many of Aurora’s questions and desires. On being told of her true identity and that she can never see him again, she is thrown into emotional turmoil. Never wanting to disappoint her mother and her aunts (fairy godmothers), she makes the difficult decision to run away. She has reached the point where she has to take control of her own life.

Prince Perrault – Perrault is heir to the throne of Borealis. As a young child he was betrothed to marry Princess Aurora of Australis. Ever the dutiful Prince Charming he accepts this as his fate and is consequently viewed as a hero by the citizens of both Australis and Borealis. He lives up to this mantle in the knowledge that his marriage to Aurora will unite the two kingdoms into one formidable force. Having been raised as the perfect son of Borealis he becomes to feel increasingly trapped in a life that he never asked for. Perrault grows anxious to break the mould and live a life of excitement and spontaneity of his own choosing, outside the public eye. His instant connection to Aurora is heightened by this strong desire to follow his heart. Still, he understands that his actions have potentially catastrophic consequences. Prince Perrault is both a dreamer and a diplomat and personifies the torment of the head versus the heart. Still, he always remains a strong heroic force to be reckoned with. His intellect, courage and loving nature are all utilised in his battle and ultimate victory against evil.

Hellisent - On learning that her mother taught King Henry the secret of spinning silk, Hellisent has always felt that The Kingdom of Australis and its wealth should belong to her. She is an incredibly selfish and spiteful fairy who wants to enact misery and suffering on everyone. She is a power hungry egotist and will do anything to rule over Australis and be worshipped. Being a fairy she does possess magical powers. With the variety of evil that she has at her disposal she is incredibly indecisive. She created The Wheel Of Misfortune to help her choose the most appropriate spell or curse. The goodness and decisiveness within Aurora and Perrault completely contrast with Hellisent. She sees their deaths asa necessity that will lead to her coronation. But death isn’t enough control for Hellisent as she wants them to suffer and to see that she is stronger because of her self conceited attitude. Skarp and the raven spies are to her, merely a tool she uses to spread fear. She magically gives them human qualities for some form of companionship but more importantly for her to be a leader.

King Henry – Married to Queen Catherine and father to Aurora, Henry is the well-respected King of Australis. Henry had given up hope ofconceiving a child, and feared his kingdom would fall into the hands of Hellisent and so Aurora’s birth was all the more joyous for him. As a true leader, Henry prioritises his people above all else. Through his reign, Henry has endeavoured to form an alliance with The Kingdom ofBorealis. He believes that by arranging Aurora’s marriage to Prince Perrault he will be able to unite the two kingdoms and increase security and prosperity for his people. Henry reluctantly agrees to Catherine taking Aurora away but lives with the constant heartache of being separated from his family. In an attempt to protect his daughter, he bans all spinning wheels from the land. Even though this decision results in economic downfall, Henry is always thinking about the greater good. He has a strong and forthright manner but a soft and caring nature.

Queen Catherine – Married to King Henry and mother to Aurora, Catherine is the epitome of motherhood. She is caring and considerate and as a lone parent raises Aurora to be the perfect princess. Aurora’s courage and conviction can be traced back to Catherine who made the difficult decision to leave the comforts of Australis for the secluded life in a woodland cottage. She has gumption but as she worries so much aboutAurora’s safety she can at times be a little too controlling. She takes delight in watching Aurora’s development but lives with the secret agony of being separated from her love Henry. She hates lying to Aurora and is excited at the prospect of returning to Australis and more importantly to Henry.

Fairy Willow - Willow is the magical fairy of Australis. However, as a result of standing up to Hellisent, she had her wings taken from her. She has lived with the unwanted nickname of ‘The Flightless Fairy’ ever since. She has developed a witty sense of humour and always seeks tolighten the mood, often with a disregard to the consequences. Still, as one of Aurora’s Fairy Godmothers, she cares a great deal for the princess and will go to any lengths to protect her. Although she has helped educate the princess she is more of a friend than a teacher.