Chapter 1
ORNELLA
Ihad walked these woods since my name day, although dark and gloomy from the outside, the secrets that hid within them
were beyond any imagination. This was where I came to escape, to leave behind the hustle and bustle of the court. The
court I longed to run away from. Here, I could pretend to be someone else. Someone who I always longed to be. The voice
inside me that wished desperately to be free, to show the world who I truly was.
But I was afraid, terrified of not being accepted, shunned, and hidden away from the world. Mother made it perfectly clear
that I was to uphold the family name. To strike fear into those who would try to usurp us, but I continued to follow my father’s
gentle path of ruling and showing myself to others with kindness, forgiveness – Mercy.
As my leather ankle boots stuck in the mud a little off the woodland path, I just about managed to pull my foot out to get
myself free, while my maroon-coloured skirt became more covered in mud as I slipped a little, almost falling over completely.
Thankfully, I managed to balance myself and continued on my walk.
The light drizzle of rain danced against the tree leaves as birds sang softly in the wind. This place was beautiful,
whimsical. Just like something from a fairy tale. But still, dark shadows loomed around me as I continued on my walk. The
walk had no destination other than the waterfall I had recently found while exploring.
It was still a few miles away, and I wanted nothing more than to dip my toes into its cool, crystal-clear waters and read my
book. A book I had found deep within my household's library, hidden away behind a number of other books. As if someone had
purposely tucked it away, hoping no one would find it.
The sun shined beautifully through the tree lines, glittering its light against the lush greenery and moss-covered trees. This
was my haven, my safe space. No one really ventured inside this world, for fear of dark creatures that would snatch you up.
As I pushed aside some overhanging tree branches from a beautiful willow, they clung to the side of a rock formation as it
dipped its trail of leaves into the water. The roar of the waterfall overtook every other sound. We’d had a lot of rain recently,
so the water levels had risen.
Finding an empty spot, I dropped my satchel down and took out the small leather flask I’d filled before leaving with some
fresh water along with the bunch of grapes and a fresh apple I swiped from the kitchen.
Life was peaceful here. I’d moved so far into the forest that I doubted anyone would be able to find me, unless they were
very good at tracking. Peace and quiet was what my soul craved. And although I knew that once I got home after dark, I would
be scolded for not attending my studies and for disappearing again, I did not care.
As the hours tolled by, I flicked through the pages of the mystery book. It was a romantic story about a stable boy and a
nobleman’s daughter as they hid their love from her family. Until finally, they ran away to get married in secret. I’d already