Sacrifice

1.

1.

It was a cold, snowy night. Snowflakes fell from the heavens as frozen tears, blanketing nature in a thick winter coat. The silence was serene, the moon shimmering peacefully and the stars an amiable companion. My breaths fanned out in chilly haze, whilst my heart was pounding fast in my ribcage.

My beaten and battered boots trudged through the ankle deep snow as I made my way uphill. My breaths were laboured as my hiking stick punctured the way up the hills. I could see the tops of the tress hiding my secret rendezvous. It was only a few more hills, I thought pathetically encouraging as my fingers became increasingly frozen.

Finally, at the top of the last hill I slid down on my backside, guiding myself with the positioning of my hips. Reaching the bottom, I dusted myself off and broke free from the shrubbery to enter my magical winter wonderland. In the summer it was vibrant and colourful meadow enclosed within a circle of trees, but in the winter it stood frozen and picturesque as an artist's painting would. Standing in the middle of the meadow was a lone figure leaning casually against the bark of a tree. His hands fiddled aimlessly with a worn leather-bound book I longed to see true.

"Sebastian," I whispered to break him from his thoughts.

"Ariel, you made it," he said slightly surprised as he embraced me in a hug. I retuned the warm hug, despite the uncomfortable tingling of betrayal.

"Have you heard news of His Majesty?" I asked bluntly, my heart quivering in my throat.

He gave me a deep, melancholy look before glancing briefly at his notebook. "I'm afraid not my lady. I have scoured the realms looking for His Majesty, but alas he seems to have cloaked himself well."

"No traces?" I asked futilely, knowing hope was an unbecoming trait in this dire situation.

He shook his head dejectedly.

"He can't just be lost!" I exclaimed exasperatedly, my arms flinging out in annoyance. How can a Prince just disappear as if he'd flown off to space? There is no limit to Seb's skill in tracing people, and yet the Prince evades him like a common criminal. I should've known it would not be so easy.

"You know what could help," Sebastian started, but one glare from me silenced him very quickly. It was a risky and dangerous approach he suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"I can't give myself up for him," I whispered. I knew what my sacrifice could do, and yet I couldn't do that to save him. No wonder he chose to run away, I would have performed the same had our roles been reversed.

"It could save him my lady."

"I know."

A silence stretched out with words that need not speaking; we both knew what had to be done to save His Majesty but neither were willing to flee from the shadows that had been our homes for years.

The search for his Majesty must continue.

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Thank you so, so much for reading the prologue. I hope you might have liked it. It means so much to me that you read it, and I would be over the moon if you might vote and comment your first impressions.

Thank you my lovelies :) xx