Once Upon a Princess

For four years, Princess Aurora of Rhone - Rose, to her friends - has searched the world for a way to break the curse placed on her by Magdalina, the wicked ruler of the fairies at war with her kingdom. Under the curse, Rose is doomed to die on her 18th birthday after pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. And time is running out. On the eve of her 17th birthday, Rose makes the journey home with her friends - Theo, a priest with a penchant for revenge; Mary, a young and talented fairy; and Ethan and Sophia, siblings with a troubled past - as pressure from her father King Stefanos leaves her with two equally unsatisfying options: Abdicate the throne, or get married.

In order to defeat the sorceress Magdalina and free herself from her curse, Rose, the Princess of Rhone, has set out to find dragon's blood. As she travels toward the Romani territory, where the Serpent's Garden resides, she is accompanied by her faithful group of friends, including their newest member, Prince Philip of Einish. But when the group ends up shipwrecked on the small island of Maltia, they find themselves trapped without supplies and a way off the island. With time, money, and new enemies working against them, Rose remains determined despite her despair to rise to each challenge. But can she face the growing fear - and longing - inside herself? Sweet, suspenseful, and full of surprises, Beauty's Quest is the second book in the Once upon a Princess series from C. S. Johnson.

Rose, the princess of Rhone, doomed to fall into a sleeping death on her 18th birthday, has only ever wanted two things in all her life: to be free of her curse and to never fall in love. After securing the dragon's blood from the Serpent's Garden, Rose is confident she has all she needs to free herself from Magdalina's curse. But when Magdalina comes to offer Rose a new deal - one that would free her from her curse, while also eliminating future threats - Rose is forced to confront the truth of her feelings for Theo. As Theo's past and new troubles interrupt their journey back to Rhone, Rose knows she must make a devastating choice. Will she let herself fall in love? Or will she break her own heart instead?

"I don't want to talk about it, Mary." She measured her words out carefully, keeping her tone light. "I told you, he had to go and take care of something for his grandfather. It was important." "It was more than that." "It doesn't matter." "Obviously, it does, or you wouldn't be acting like this." Mary came up beside her. "He told you that he loved you, didn't he?" The blush on her cheeks burned hotter. "Please stop, Mary," she said. "Isn't it bad enough that he said it?" "But Rose, you love him, too." Mary arched her brow at Rose's silence. "Don't you?" "Of course I do," Rose snapped. "But he doesn't deserve to be stuck with me and my curse. That's why it's better that he left." "Oh, Rose." Mary came up and leaned against her, stroking her hair in a mothering manner. "I'm so sorry." "Don't be." With only weeks away from her eighteenth birthday and the fulfillment of her curse, Rose, the Princess of Rhone, faces more obstacles than ever. The kingdom, anxious over her fate, is destabilizing under her father's rule; her mother is imprisoned, and her uncle is holding a silent coup against the crown. With Theo's absence, she is unable to do more than brood over her fate as she attempts to solve the problems around her. When Theo returns with surprising information, Rose knows the time has come to risk everything. Along with her friends, she prepares to face Magdalina, the wicked ruler of the fairies, and fight the battle of her life - the battle for her freedom, her kingdom, and her heart.

Beauty's Curse Beauty's Quest Beauty's Kiss Beauty's Gift A curse haunts the Kingdom of Rhone and the young Princess Aurora. Magdalina, the wicked ruler of the fairies at war with Rhone, decreed the princess upon turning eighteen would die from pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. Aurora, or Rose to her friends, has never known a moment apart from this prophecy. Now as her eighteenth birthday approaches, Rose defiantly sets out to find a way to break the curse, yet with the help of her friends-Theo, a priest on a quest for his own revenge; Mary, a young and talented fairy; Ethan and Sophia, siblings with a troubled past; and Prince Philip, an attractive newcomer. In this last venture, Rose will risk everything to fight the battle of her life, the battle for her freedom, her kingdom, and her heart.