The Knight from the Fairytales-Chapter 11: Four Versions

Not finding any key characters, and Beihai wasn't going to dance, so as he wandered aimlessly, he ended up at the dining table. His small hand reached out and a little bread roll from the plate found its way into Beihai's possession.
Out of sheer boredom, Beihai began pondering and after a moment spoke up: "I remember this one being widely recognized by netizens as Disney's most beautiful princess."
"Oh, Sir Knight, you think my daughter will be the most beautiful princess?"
This sudden remark nearly made Beihai's heart leap out of his chest, mainly because the person speaking was none other than the King of this place.
Talking about such matters right in front of him was indeed somewhat inappropriate.
Turning quickly toward the source of the voice, Beihai immediately prepared to apologize, but unexpectedly, the King stopped him.
"No need for that, kind knight. I've long heard of your deeds, and I feel honored that you've come to attend my daughter's celebration."
"However, you are right - my daughter will undoubtedly become the most beautiful princess in the future."
The King helped the knight Beihai to his feet, not minding the previous comments at all. In fact, for the King, such words were actually blessings and compliments.
After all, she was a princess, a young girl. What else could one praise if not her beauty and character? Plus, there were many princesses in this world, and very few were unattractive.
In other words, if you went out for a stroll, practically everyone would be complimenting the princess's beauty. And with so many princesses around, simple praise about beauty alone...
The King wouldn't feel particularly moved. But if a knight of renowned reputation came and declared that his daughter was more beautiful than all the princesses in the world, that genuinely pleased him.
In his delight, the King took Beihai's hand and led him to the infant's cradle.
Beside the baby's cradle, an elegantly dressed woman was caring for the child, clearly the Queen of this kingdom.
As Beihai was being led away, he casually picked up two more apples. While approaching the crib, he also removed his sword, intending to hand it to a soldier.
But the King stopped him, "No need for that. A knight of your stature should never be separated from their weapon."
Beihai couldn't help but reflect that although he did good deeds with selfish motives, his reputation was undeniably useful.
At this moment, looking at the child, the King carefully lifted the infant from the cradle. The smile on his face, the upturned corners of his mouth - he simply couldn't suppress them.
Though he wanted to maintain royal dignity, at this moment it no longer mattered.
First, this was the child he had longed for. Second, after their prayers, a frog had hopped out and spoken.
Most importantly, because of what the frog had said: "Your wish has been heard." So this child carried immense significance.
"Kind knight, come look - isn't she adorable?"
Beihai gazed at the charming infant before him, plump and chubby. Perhaps because this world was different, children of this age already had fully grown hair.
The playful baby grabbed her father's beard, then extended her small hand as if waving hello.
Instinctively, Beihai wanted to poke the child's cheek. As his hand reached out, his finger was grasped by the infant.
Seeing that she had captured the finger, the baby suddenly burst into gleeful giggles.
"It seems she's quite fond of you."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I've heard that for this little princess, you even invited witches."
Beihai seized the opportunity to voice the question in his heart. He needed to clarify things - if conflicts arose, having advance intelligence would always be beneficial.
When this topic came up, the King pondered for a moment, then handed the infant in his arms to the Queen.
When he looked back at Beihai, he was still considering, but finally decided to answer truthfully given the knight's reputation.
"That's correct. I invited them. There are thirteen witches throughout the kingdom. I hope to use this ceremony to make these witches fond of this newborn child and bestow magical blessings upon my daughter."
Hearing this, Beihai understood clearly. In one movie version of Sleeping Beauty, there were four witches, one of whom was evil.
Of course, since Sleeping Beauty's plot mostly revolves around the "sleeping" aspect, later only three witches appear, leading people to joke that it shouldn't be called Sleeping Beauty but rather "The Witches' Adventure."
What's known is that these three witches indeed accompanied Sleeping Beauty's growth - this wasn't just fondness anymore, but truly raising her as their own daughter.
Then there's the version with eight witches. Since one had been secluded in an ancient tower for over fifty years, everyone thought it unnecessary to invite her.
As a result, she held a grudge and placed a curse.
Interestingly, in this version, the youngest witch knew about that one's character and even her schemes, anticipating the evil deeds she would commit.
So she deliberately hid behind a screen, waiting until after their blessings and curse were delivered before emerging to provide a solution.
Then there's one that isn't so pleasant - also involving a curse, but replaced with poisoned flax. A king hunting nearby stumbled in and immediately went to see Sleeping Beauty.
The key point is that after finishing his business, he pulled up his pants and left. Sleeping Beauty then gave birth to two children, and to survive, the two children could only suckle breast milk.
While nursing, they accidentally sucked on the wrong place - her finger - and sucked out the poisoned flax, causing Sleeping Beauty to awaken.
The king who had pulled up his pants and left, after sitting at home for just a few days, began thinking about Sleeping Beauty again - why settle for domestic flowers when wild ones smell sweeter?
When his Queen learned of this situation, she immediately sent people to investigate. After finding out everything, she had the two children treated like geese - dealt with, then served at the dining table for the King to eat.
With each bite the King took, the Queen would say beside him: "Heavens, heavens, you're eating your own flesh?"
This was the height of mockery. Even when the Queen confronted Sleeping Beauty, one calling the other a homewrecker, while the other claimed it wasn't her fault - it was your husband who, while I was poisoned, did...
The key point was that it was your husband who came running back to me on his own.
In the end, of course, the malicious Queen was punished, and they lived happily ever after. Some even commented that fortunate people naturally meet with good fortune - one can even marry in their dreams.
As for the version with thirteen witches, it was because there were only twelve golden plates, so the last one had no choice but to stay home.
"Your Majesty, you've invited all thirteen witches, correct?"
"Yes, Sir Knight. Is there a problem?"
Beihai had been planning to find some work here. After all, whether preventing witches from causing trouble or helping out, he could earn substantial rewards. Beihai liked maximizing benefits, so he would even allow witches to cast curses.
But since the King had invited them all, it seemed like nothing would go wrong. He would just have to wait and see.