PROLOGUE
- THE ONE SURPRISE -
- - -
"Iryn, you have got to stop running!"
There were two children; a girl and a boy, hiking through the woods. The sun was about to set, and the girl who was leading the other boy behind her couldn't resist feeling the excitement raising in her guts when she was successful of bringing him along on this journey into the woods.
"What? Did I just hear someone giving up?" asked the girl.
"Yes! I mean... No!" the boy dressed in all red and silver, also with a pair of fancy boots, shouted in frustration. He was definitely not in a suitable outfit for a hiking trip. But he had to chase after his friend who was so persistent to drag him out from the palace to this place - middle of nowhere. "Iryn, we aren't supposed to be here. What if Harold finds us? We're supposed to be at the ball."
"The ball doesn't start until the prince arrives, we have plenty of time," said Iryn confidently. Her yellow dress was already covered in mud from the damp floor of the forest.
"I am the prince! And I'm late for my ball!" explained the boy trying to cross over a tree branch.
Iryn stopped on her tracks to look back. She quickly came back to her friend's aid and took his hands to help him climb over the branch. "Oh, Dee, the ball can wait. It's the full moon, and there's this very beautiful place in the forest which you have to see!"
Prince Dimitri groaned when his legs landed on a spot of mud. He turned around to see that the castle had become a whole lot smaller from his view. He sighed, feeling extremely defeated. "Fine," he said, "but we've got to hurry, we need to return to the palace before the bell rings."
Iryn gave the boy a smile. "Thanks, Dee."
The boy who was already satisfied with the smile given by her, gave up all his future protests and followed her deeper into the woods.
After walking pass a few more bushes and trees. They've finally arrived to their destination.
"Here we are!" announced the petite girl feeling accomplished for such a small errand. She quickly hugged the prince when he arrived trailing behind her.
She was looking rather tired, but more or less, she managed to say, "Happy Birthday Dimitri!"
The sparkling water that was reflecting the light of the moon streamed down the river by their side. The baby blue flowers literally lit up the place making it look like it was all Iryn's doing to make the place look so presentable.
"Did you do all this?" asked Dimitri feeling overwhelmed by the beautiful sight. "You must have did something, didn't you?"
Iryn laughed and blushed a little. "Well, I did plant the baby breaths. But that's not the only thing."
She hastily waved her hands around the place and suddenly fireflies flew from the trees surrounding them in circles. "Let me introduce you to my friends! They're called Woodpixies."
"Aren't they fireflies?" asked Dimitri.
"They look like fireflies, but they are more beautiful when you see them under the moon," said Iryn as the Woodpixies flew around her and illuminated into tiny forms of human with pure white skin and sharp long ears. One of them rested on the prince's crown making him look even more charming than he already was.
"I've always wanted to show you this part of the forest, but you've never got the time," said Iryn softly.
"Now aren't you glad that you pulled me all the way out here tonight?" chuckled the young boy looking straight into Iryn's eyes.
He stared into her eyes for a long while and noticed how beautiful those shimmering green lights within her irises were. Iryn smiled at his instant grin which appeared upon his lips when he looked into her eyes. Then, seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt became hours, they didn't know how much time had passed until they heard the castle's bell rang from a distance.
"Merlin's beard! We're late!" cried Dimitri grabbing hold of Iryn's hand, and pulling her out from that woods. "Let's go!"
"Bye!" Iryn quickly bowed a curtsy to her Woodpixies before running off to the direction of the bell with Dimitri.
The sparkling lights of the Woodpixies dimmed behind the trees as they disappear.
