Author's Note: I can't explain it, but for some reason the pairing of Phillip and Aurora has always been my favorite Disney pairing ever since I was a little boy, and it has not changed then – I really think they just are perfect for each other.

Three days after the events of the first movie...

Princess Aurora yawned as she sat up on her bed and stretched herself in her pink nightgown. She couldn't believe it was two days since she had been first told she was a princess – the daughter of King Stefan & Queen Leah. Aurora smiled to herself as she thought of the past two days before, where she spent time getting to know her new parents. Despite spending the first 16 years of her childhood away from them, Aurora had bonded with them surprisingly fast, especially with her mother Queen Leah.

Today, she remembered, she was going around with Prince Phillip. Her heart leapt with excitement & joy at the thought of spending the day with her bethrothed. She hurriedly changed out of her nightgown into her typical pink princess dress. Later on, she met Phillip outside the stables. Her true love was already standing next to a white horse.

"Hello, dear." He said, smiling brightly at her. "This is Samson. He's been my steed for many years since I learnt how to ride."

Samson neighed at Aurora cheerfully. The princess giggled and petted the horse's muzzle. "Nice to meet you too, Samson."

She then turned to Phillip. "Phillip, do I have a horse of my own?" He nodded.

"You can choose your own horse. Come, I'll bring you to the stables."

As they reached the stables, Aurora carefully examined all the other horses who looked at her expectantly, but none seemed to fit her. They just did not seem to click with her, as Phillip had told her. Apparently that was how he had chosen Samson.

Just then, a beautiful palomino horse came over. Her mane appeared to have been braided like a girl's. On seeing Samson, she neighed happily. The white stallion suddenly blushed a bright red, trotting behind his master Phillip.

"Samson? What's going – Oh. Come on, boy, you know you like Mirette." Phillip laughed at his usually aloof horse's behavior. Samson looked sheepish, before neighing back at Mirette shyly.

The palomino mare turned her head to Aurora, who was staring at her. "Wow, you're gorgeous!" Aurora exclaimed joyously, reaching out her hand to the mare, and Mirette relished the feeling of the princess petting her. The palomino mare smiled (remember this is Disney Animation) and nudged the princess playfully.

"Do you want me to be your rider?" Mirette neighed happily, pawing the ground with her hooves, and Aurora grinned. "Alright then. Phillip, I've chosen my horse."

"Great choice, dearest! Samson here will be pleased." Phillip said, wryly smiling at his horse who was blushing even more at this point. Aurora burst out laughing at him as well. Her laughter, more melodious than any songbird, caught Phillip's breath away yet again, ever since he had first heard it in the forest.

The Prince & Princess then mounted their horses and rode out into the forest. As they trotted along, Phillip reminisced how his beloved had reacted when she had awoken from her sleep...

Phillip knelt down next to the bed located in the highest room of the tallest tower, his breath caught in his throat as he stared at the sleeping princess. She was as lovely, if not even lovelier, than when he had first laid eyes on her. And, he had seen many beautiful women in his life. When he was a little boy, there was no woman more beautiful, more lovely, more kind & benevolent that his late mother. She had been the standard for the young prince, when it came to choosing the girl he wanted to marry.

When he first met Aurora, and got to know her a little more through dancing with her, he could tell intuitively that her already divine beauty was much, much more than skin deep. She radiated the same kindness, grace & positivity that his mother had infused his childhood days with – her inner beauty shown brighter than the noonday sun, and also enhanced her outer beauty as well. It was indeed true love.

He bent down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Her lips were so immensely, indescribably soft. He drew back slowly, holding his breath tightly as he waited in anticipation to see if it would work. Slowly the color returned to the princess's pale face. Her eyes moved, before fluttering open like a butterfly's wings, and she laid her eyes on him. He let out the breath he had been holding in, his features sagging in relief as she smiled at him.

"It's you." She whispered, fondness and adoration in her voice.

"It's me." He agreed. "We finally meet again, though now it is definitely not in dreams."

She sat up slowly, yawning cutely as she stretched herself. Suddenly, she stopped, and her hands began trembling.

"What's wrong?" Phillip asked, deeply concerned as he looked into her eyes.

"I-i-I'm forbidden from seeing you again." Aurora's voice broke as tears slid out of her eyes. "My aunts told me I was bethrothed to some prince, that I couldn't see you again."

"Ah," Phillip said, chuckling, and Aurora looked at him, astonished at his lack of disappointment. "I didn't introduce myself, did I?"

He straightened. "My name is Prince Phillip."

Aurora's jaws fell open. "P-prince Phillip? You...you're my bethrothed?"

"Yes, I am." Aurora's face turned to one of amazement and wonder, then to one of purest, greatest elation.

"Oh, how wonderful! I can't believe it! I could never have dreamed of anything like this!" She exclaimed.

Phillip took her hands in his and gazed into her eyes once more. "What was your name, before you knew you were a princess?"

"My aunts called me Briar Rose."

"Well, then, Aurora... Rose. Our parents bethrothed us to each other ever since I was a little boy, and ever since you were but a babe. But I want to marry you not out of obligation, but because you love me as I love you. If you do not love me, rest assured that I will not force you at all to marry me. So, Briar Rose, do you love me?"

She bowed her head for a little while, deep in thought, as Phillip anxiously awaited her answer.

Did she love him? She had only known him for a few hours in the forest...but she couldn't deny the unspeakable connection she felt to him when they had danced. It wasn't just that he was as tall and handsome as the prince she had always dreamed about...she too, sensed intuitively from their dance that he was indeed the perfect one for her, that he was indeed the one whose soul and her soul would unite in perfect & absolute harmony. Yes, she did love him, with all of her heart and soul.

"Yes. I do love you." Those words, with absolute sincerity permeating every syllable, filled Phillip's heart with joy immeasurable. After the three fairies changed Phillip into his formal attire with a flick of their wands, the couple walked hand in hand down the stairs to meet their royal parents.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aurora was increasingly amused at Samson's obvious attempt to remain aloof to Mirette's affections, even though he clearly reciprocated them. She bent down and whispered something into Mirette's ear, who nodded and trotted up to Samson until their bodies were only a few inches apart. Samson, alarmed at the proximity, tried to trot off, but not before, Mirette pressed her muzzle to his face's side in a horse's kiss.

Samson's face turned as red as a rose, causing Phillip & Aurora to burst into laughter and for Mirette to snicker amusedly, a light blush also forming on her equine cheeks. Soon, Samson's stunned expression turned into a goofy, horse-smile, before suddenly he shot off in a rapid burst of speed.

"Woah! Samson, slow down!" Phillip yelled, taken aback, but Samson was so pumped up with adrenaline at being kissed by Mirette that he only ran faster. That is, until he heard a loud SPLASH.

Samson trotted up sheepishly to the stream where his master had fallen into... again. He gave an apologetic whinny as Phillip gave him an exasperated look. "Why does this look familiar?" He sighed.

Aurora soon arrived with Mirette on the scene, looking extremely worried. "Phillip! Are you alright?" She asked, her eyes wide with concern as she alighted from her horse's back and helped Phillip from the stream. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault..." She said, her voice breaking.

"I'm alright, dearest, don't worry," Phillip said, brushing her cheeks tenderly with his hand. Again, he was reminded by how kind & tender she was and why he loved her so much. "This isn't the first time this has happened to me."

"Really?" She asked in surprise.

"Yep, the first time was when I first heard you singing in the forest. Samson here didn't want to go, but I convinced him after promising an extra bucket of oats and a few carrots. Unfortunately... he was so excited that he failed to notice a log that caused me to fall into the stream." He said, looking at his horse, who looked even more sheepish than usual.

Aurora giggled. "Well, he did help in our first meeting though." She looked around in the clearing around her. "Ah, I can't believe it was only 4 days ago that I still thought I was a peasant girl."

"Yes," said Phillip, coming up next to her. She took his hand in hers as she looked up at him lovingly, and he did the same for her. "It was here we first danced. I wasn't a Prince, you weren't a Princess, it was just... us."

Aurora frowned. "You... don't like being a Prince?"

Phillip's eyes widened before shaking his head. " No, no, that's not what I meant. As in, I was fine with being a Prince, but commoners always bowed or curtsied when they saw me, and I couldn't really hold normal conversations with them as people, because of my royal status. It's why I ride out in the woods with Samson in this attire," he gestured to his red hat, and his simple black shirt with the brown tunic over it. "So that I can escape from the hustle-bustle of the castle, and so that no one will think I'm a prince."

Aurora nodded in understanding before resting her head on his shoulder. "You'll always be my Prince, regardless of your legal status."

Phillip kissed the top of her head before resting his head over hers as well. "And you'll always be my Aurora, my light."

Suddenly, he drew away. Before Aurora could ask what he was doing, he had gotten down on one knee and in his hand he held a small, velvet box. He opened it to reveal a glittering diamond ring.

"Aurora, I love you with all of my heart & soul. I know our parents wanted us to marry since we were children, but I want to marry you because I love you and I will never love another like you. Will you marry me?"

Aurora gaped at him. A sob escaped her throat as she covered her mouth, tears forming in her eyes. Phillip looked at her intently – they were so focused on each other that neither noticed that all the forest animals; the owl, the songbirds, the squirrels and the deer and the two horses had gathered to watch.

"Aurora?" Phillip asked, tentatively.

"Yes." Aurora whispered, tears of joy sliding down her cheeks. "Yes, with all my heart!"

The forest animals cheered, and both Samson & Mirette whinnied happily as Phillip hugged Aurora and spun her around joyfully in the air. She laughed and embraced him as well, before their lips met in a passionate kiss.

They had such a blessed relationship – they had fallen in love, not as prince & princess, but as a boy in the forest, and a girl from the glen. He had slain a dragon for her, and she had waited in the tower for him, pining for him rather than relishing her new life as a princess. This was the purest type of love, that could withstand the trials and tribulations of royal life and only blossom and grow stronger and deeper with time, never diminishing, never ebbing.