The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty
The Sleeping Beauty is the fifth book in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series by acclaimed fantasy writer Mercedes Lackey. It was published in 2010 by Luna Harlequin.

Plot Synopsis
"Heavy is the head--and the eyelids--of the princess who wears the crown...

In Rosamund's realm, happiness hinges on a few simple beliefs:

For every princess there's a prince.

The king has ultimate power.

Stepmothers should never be trusted.

And bad things come to those who break with Tradition....

''But when Rosa is pursued by a murderous huntsman and then captured by dwarves, her beliefs go up in smoke. Determined to escape and save her kingdom from imminent invasion, she agrees to become the guinea pig in one of her stepmother's risky incantations--thus falling into a deep, deep sleep.''

''When awakened by a touchy-feely stranger, Rosa must choose between Tradition and her future...between a host of eligible princes and a handsome, fair-haired outsider. And learn the difference between being a princess and ruling as a queen.''

''The moral of the story? Sometimes a princess has to create her own happy endings...."''

Inspirations and Influences
The book draws heavily from the story of Sleeping Beauty.

Connections to Other Books in the Series
The Fairy Godmother - Elena is the one who obtains the Dragon's Blood for Rosamund to drink when Lily begins to prepare her to learn magic. At the close of the book, she is the one who reaches out to a dragon clan to take up residence in Eltaria.

One Good Knight - Gina is the provider of the Dragon's Blood at the request of Godmother Elena.

Creatures, Characters, and Other Oddities
Items

Dragon's Blood