The Crown of Despair

Prologue

The waning moon shone down upon the dirt road through the gaps of the overgrown trees. Evelyn's slippered feet crunched on the scattered leaves as she made her way down the path. A soft breeze blew in from the east stirring up the foliage and the strands of her auburn hair that had come loose from her low bun.

Evelyn had spent her evening in town at the ball thrown by one of the noble families. It was a grand event filled with dancing, drinking, and gorging oneself on the finest foods imaginable. Cheese and herb stuffed chicken, strawberry champagne, butternut cream soup, and more had her mouth-watering the second she walked in the door.

The ballroom was grand with a hand-painted ceiling, crystal chandeliers, and gold-trimmed columns, but the people themselves were even grander. The ladies glittered with jewels and wore extravagant dresses of all the colours of the rainbow. The men wore finely tailored suits and had their shoes polished to perfection, so much so they could see their own reflections.

Unfortunately, Evelyn looked dull in comparison with her dusty pink silk dress that left her shoulders bare and belled out at the waist. Her family could not afford to buy her a new dress that month, for her father's crop had died which left only enough money to buy her satin slippers. This forced her to wear a dress she had previously worn twice to previous balls. But the men didn't seem to mind one bit that she was wearing an out-of-style gown. They were solely focused on her beauty. Evelyn was extremely beautiful with her delicate features, long limbs, and milk-white skin. Men were fascinated with her, and couldn't seem to be able to take their eyes of the young lady. This lead her entire evening to be spent dancing with each man in attendance who wasn't married at least twice.

A particular blonde-haired and blue-eyed gentlemen had especially caught her eye. They had danced twice, and he had even offered to walk her home when the evening had come to a close, but she politely declined because that would have implied she was too eager for his attention. For her mother always said the best way to win a man's heart is through the cha-

A twig snapped behind her.

Evelyn halted mid-step and whipped her head around. Her eyes frantically scanned the foliage for any signs of life, but it was difficult to see what wasn't illuminated with the moon's glow. She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted nothing amiss. She slowly turned back around and continued strolling down the path.

A twig snapped again, but this time to her left.

She snapped her head to the side and called out, "Sarah is that you?"

Maybe her friend had followed her back from the ball, but it couldn't have been Sarah, for the girls parted ways a mile back.

She peered into the forest, but only saw the thick trunks of oak trees. Without daring to look away from the woods, Evelyn began making her way back home.

There's only a mile left, and then I will be safe in my bed.

A shadow moved past her line of vision and she froze. "Who's there?" Her voice shook as she frantically scanned the trees.

A low growl reverberated through the air and Evelyn only had time to slowly turn towards the sound before the creature sprang.

Evelyn screamed and dodged the large grey wolf as it shot out from the trees. Its fur was matted and its yellow eyes were wild with rage. Kitchen knife-sized teeth tore into her skirts as Evelyn began to sprint down the path. A large piece of her dress ripped as the beast clamped down its iron jaws and pulled. The pink fabric hung from its mouth like raw meat, but the wolf was dissatisfied. It locked Evelyn in its gaze and howled before it took off like a bullet.