1000+ Years

Prologue

She bolted through the dense pine forest, pine needles under her feet surrounding her every step, hiding the sound of her escaping. She felt the animals in the forest on her every move, like spies who were going to jump in at any moment to report her and bring her back to the palace. Even knowing how insane that notion sounded, the fear at the thought of getting caught had too great a power over her and she kept running.

In the darkest hours after sunset she had grabbed the satchel she prepared in secret over the course of the week, and she put her escape plan into action. The guards were yawning and could barely stay awake. She had always felt bad for them, barely adults themselves and only a year older than she, they had come to the palace to prove themselves capable for the highest honour job as The Crown Order, the official guards for his royal highness' sing, the crown price. They had the hardest job, keeping the young prince entertained. He was two years her senior, finishing his studies with his innumerable amount of tutors and scholars, preparing him for his role as crown prince. He wasn't bad, he was just always bored, and his guards got the worst of his antics.

Her mind wandered to the prince as she ran. They had grown up together and the marriage was arranged from birth. Growing up, they would play around the palace, not knowing what arranged marriage was. At the age of 15 she was told of this arrangement, giving her three years to prepare to be his princess. Now at 17, a fortnight away from her wedding ceremony, she was leaving it all behind.

She ran through the woods, the soft padding of pine needles at her each step. The whispers of the night encompassed her as she ran deeper into the woods. Back at the palace, the guards were yet to notice her disappearance. The crisp night air was making it difficult to take proper breathes, but she couldn't stop, not until she got to him.

Enveloped in her thoughts she didn't notice the ground beneath her feet became uneven. As her right foot rose on the next step, her left was suddenly caught in a protruding branch. The abrupt entanglement caught her by surprise. As she fell, she reached both hands out in front of her to steady the fall and catch her landing. But as she got closer and closer to the ground, she realized she couldn't see what was in front. Her hands never reached the ground that she was expecting to be there. Instead, she tumbled further and further into the darkness.