THE ENCHANTED DEFORA By Livelihood Partridge

1-VIVIENNE

Darkness has swept over me now that I'm considered a bad omen . Likely I was born with that curse or why would people so badly want to be away from me . Living in Vajnar for a few days might seem like fun until you actually start to see what it is , people here don't have the heart to be kind or nice except Camille who has been my absolutely favourite person from when I was 9 years old . She has told me stories of the Great Defora including all the magic and curses there are . She has swooned over how good the food is there . She once told me that they are apples with frozen syrup on them which tastes heavenly . But now maybe I have started to understand that it all might be just some made up story of hers to keep me away from the grey of Vajnar-

" You can't always keep your heart locked away because of fate . " Camille interrupted my thoughts.  She has the voice which people have after crying badly because of their child's sorrow . She has been quite beautiful always . I have seen men asking for her number wherever we went out . " So what do you think I should do then mom ? " I asked Camille , my voice sounded rather filled with remorse of my dead lover . " You can always live your live with happiness if you can move on from your remorse " she adviced . " You are saying I should live happily like nothing ever happened ? " I asked with a rise of somewhat anger . She said " No honey that's not what I meant- " i interrupted her " Mom how can I be happy when people look at me like I'm something that might cause harm to their families , they keep their children out of my shadow afraid my curse would latch onto their kids making them deadly ! "

She looked down on her lap " I have a solution but you need to hold onto it " I sighed heavily tired from my life , i whispered " ok mom right now I'm even ready to walk through a jungle and become a meal to the lion without smiling " she smiled almost reluctantly " i have sent your photo to the Defora Empire for marriage with Prince Leo Pheonix Maverick " I might have been too indulge in my thoughts to properly think but I certainly didn't like the idea of it i tried to speak but before I could even utter a word she said " I know honey you are in no state for a marriage that also with a prince but it's for your future I'm not trying to make you move on , have your time as much as you want the prince is ready to wait for you " I gasped and said " he chose me this quickly" i knew my mouth was still open but she said " remember i told u stories about how some girls give their name and then the king will consult with the their immortal princely priest and through their connection with god he will tell which girl will bring most fortune and love to the Defora kingdom and surroundings that's how you were chosen . Now I have packed your bags for the time and gowns so when you meet him you will have to perform a number of rituals and traditions but I know my little princess can impress anyone " she said and gently placed her palm on my cheeks . I was newly known to the information that the princely priest chose me as their kingdom's princess and now I got to know that I will go alone that also tomorrow. I took her hand from my cheek into my hands applying a little pressure and said " mom i'm going alone ? " She laughed and said " well you can't take me anywhere you want now you are an adult and you can do it ". That's when she left the room and suddenly my subconscious mind realised that this was the last time I'm going to be in Vajnar and next morning I'll be off to somewhere which was my dream place when I was 9 years old .

The whole night I couldn't sleep maybe it was the sudden realisation that had bought me to the harsh reality of leaving my mom , Camille all alone in this house and leaving for the Defora . It was hard to realise at first but not as hard to realise that my lover was dead . I was shifting in my bed uncomfortably when I remembered that there are many magic and curses that are believed to be true in the Defora Empire , like they say that if you eat your favourite fruit there you will taste your soulmates taste . My favourite fruit is cherry and normally it is sometimes sweet or sour but for me it is always sweet almost unimaginably sweet and another one of the magics that I know is that if you whole-heartedly pray there for something it will most probably come true .