read the book three times, yet I never got over how wonderfully written it truly was. An epic love story filled with scenes of a
sexual nature, ones of which I had only heard about.
I never experienced first-hand any kind of love. Locked away from that part of the world, my father had decided I was to be
betrothed to the Kingdom of Awyen’s prince or a duke; I couldn’t remember which one. I wasn’t too sure of the details. I
dreaded when that day arrived, when I would be shipped off and possibly never see my older brother or younger sister again. It
pained me deeply, the idea of being away from them and so far across the world.
Being the first-born daughter, I didn’t have the option to marry for love. I was a chess piece on the board of power. The
move my father made was strategically for the good of the kingdom, he would say for I was Princess Ornella, daughter of King
Sirius and Queen Elora of the Crystal Fae. I was no heir to the throne unless my brother Norok died, and my younger sister
Talia relied on me to help protect the family, and that was by marrying respectfully.
As I laid down on my cloak, my feet dangled over the edge of the rocks, dipping in and out of the water. I felt my eyes
starting to grow heavy, and I knew if I fell asleep here by the time I woke, it would be dark and I didn’t ideally want to be lost
in here when the sun went down. Even I wasn’t that brave.
Looking towards the sun that hung halfway in the sky, I knew it was time to pack up my things and head home. Still, I would
take my time getting back and sneak in through the kitchens, knowing none of the maids would tell my mother and father when I
appeared. I would just dress for supper and be on my best behaviour, as if nothing had happened.
Taking slow and steady steps back through the pathway, this time missing the mud, I made it to the woodland’s edge. Instead
of crossing the edge, I was hesitant to step out and back to reality. The castle guards did their formation as usual before supper
and were wandering the grounds in groups of two and three. Most often than not, they never really noticed me; other than
bowing out of respect, they would go on their way.
As I finally stepped out, I could feel a set of eyes behind me. Something was watching me from the shadows, and a part of
me wanted to turn around and find the face the eyes belonged to. If there was such a thing. The other part of me wanted to run
away in fear. Instead, I stood still and slowly turned around to face back into the woods.
Nothing.
“Come now Ornella, it’s just your mind playing tricks.”
I thought as I continued to stare, wondering if I could catch a glimpse of something or if it was all in my head. When nothing
jumped out to snatch me and take me away, I felt a small sigh escape my lips. How exciting it would have been to be taken far
away from this place and the demanding responsibilities I had been born into.
I didn’t regret being a princess as I was able to do some good, bring some joy to the people and I always made sure to be
active during any celebrations the people had. I would attend many festivals, market days and well, anything that got me out of