A CROWN OF DIAMONDS AND DEATH

1. Flower Crowns and Fireflies

TWO YEARS LATER
☽ ☽ ☽ ☽

The white rabbit slipped through a small hole in the stone wall.

"No, you can't get away. I want you to be my friend!" The young redhead pouted as she fell onto her knees. The hole is so narrow. And even though she's only five, Rebel knew she would never fit.

Sighing, Rebel stood back on her feet.

She gave up on chasing the rabbit and turned back home to the cottage. It's not that bad, she supposed. Although, her aunt, Selene, will surely be mad at her for dirtying her dress.

But if she was lucky, her aunt finished making dinner by now.

Or uncle Henrik might be back from his venture into town. Then he could read her a story or sing her a song while he played his guitar. And Selene won't even ask about the state of her dress till after dinner.

But her eyes caught sight of some ivy on the other side of the yard. A dim glow flew in from the other side.

Strange.

Deciding to investigate, Rebel pushed back the ivy. And it revealed a hidden forest glen.

"Wow," the young redhead muttered, her eyes going wide with wonder.

Birds chirped in their nests in the giant redwoods. A gentle gust of wind rustled through the leaves of the trees, causing them to sway. A mother doe and her two fawns leaned down to drink from a spring in the middle of the forest.

All of the nature around her is breathtaking. Why didn't her aunt or uncle show her this magical place sooner? Were they ever going to tell her about it?

Her questions dissipated when her eyes landed on a fuzzy cottontail, peeking out from a mossy log. And with that, Rebel instantly knew she was in the right place.

"Aha!" She chased after the rabbit, swearing not to let it escape from her this time. She's running so fast that the flower crown she made earlier slipped from its place atop her head. A few of her red locks fell in front of her face from all the motion.

But she won't give up on the chase this time. She vowed not to. She took a few seconds to push her hair out of her face and secure her flower crown back into place before resuming the hunt.

The rabbit was fast. Its tiny body allowed it to run around the forest with grace. Hoping to lose the young girl on its tail, the white rabbit decided to head deeper into the woods.

Rebel swore even though she hadn't been in the forest before, she knew its pathways like the back of her hand. She was able to follow the rabbit's route and even pick up details on her chase.

The scent of lavender and mint danced in the air and greeted her nose as she passed by. A squirrel scrambled by her feet, carrying an acorn in its mouth. She heard the squeals of a group of fox pups in the distance, most likely from playing with each other.

Her senses welcomed the forest. Since she has stepped into the woodlands, they have heightened. It's like an instinctual part of her. Almost like her knowledge of the forest is in her bloodstream, and she was born with it.

Rebel can almost taste her victory, mere inches away from the rabbit. So, she takes off, launching herself into the air.

She felt like she was flying as she moved through the air. And with a thud, the chase came to an end, and the rabbit was in her arms.

"I got you, little guy." Rebel whispered against the rabbit's fur. Panicked, he thrashed in her arms, fighting to get his freedom back.

In hindsight, Rebel realized it wasn't the wisest thing to brag about her victory to the rabbit she had caught. . . Oops!