Malediction

Chapter One

It was freezing. Odette shivered, wrapping her arms tighter around in her body in a futile effort to keep the cold at bay. The night breeze danced over her exposed flesh, causing goose-bumps to crawl up her arms, and Odette instantly regretted not wearing her mother's old coat. As it was, her simple muslin dress was too thin for this kind of weather, and her more-than-worn leather boots had become more measly straps of leather than suitable footwear.

Despite the shiver inducing chill, Odette refused to move. He had said he would meet her there, by their favourite spot. He was late, but Odette knew he'd probably got side-tracked and was trying to get to get to her as quickly as he could. She wasn't worried. He would come – he always did.

So she waited there, shifting from one foot to the other, her teeth chattering obnoxiously loud in the silence. White clouds of air billowed from her lips in the cold, and after scouting out the field and determining he wasn't there, she turned her attention to the little pond behind her.

It was frozen over with a thin layer of ice. She knew if she were to stand on it, the entire structure would shatter, and she would fall into the icy pool. The pond itself was surrounded by tall grasses and weeds, all encased with a thick layer of frost that glistened ethereally. Even the grass of the field now harboured an icy dew that had the entire scene sparkling magically in the moonlight that overcast.

Odette was so entranced; so captivated by the simplistic beauty the outdoor scene possessed, she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until familiar warm hands wrapped around her waist from behind, hoisting her up into the air with ease, startling a breathless laugh from her lips.

"Adam!"

His deep chuckle reached her ears, and Odette couldn't stop the smile that light up her face; she hadn't seen him in over a week, and even the sound of his laugh was enough to make the pains and misfortunes of the past week disappear.

"Hello, Odette." He murmured in her ear, brushing a strand of dark hair out of the way while supporting her entire weight with a strong arm wrapped securely around her waist.

Odette shook her head, fighting against his hold. Whilst she enjoyed being held by him – enjoyed his touch— she didn't particularly enjoy being manhandled. Understanding this, Adam wisely put her down, but didn't relinquish his hold on her waist.

Now safely back on solid ground, Odette spun on her heel and twisted in his arms to look up into the face she'd been dreaming of for years now. The face she had remembered by heart – every freckle, every imperfection, every frown and laugh line.

Her Adam.

Her Prince.

And he was her Prince. He was heir to the throne, and technically Odette shouldn't even be talking to him unless it was to ask if he wanted his bath drawn. But she couldn't help herself – she just couldn't. They had been friends as children – and they had only grown closer as they aged. He was her first love, and she desperately hoped the last. He was everything she wanted in a husband; smart, handsome, kind. He was perfect. And he said he loved her; he had said he wanted to marry her one day. He didn't care what his father thought, for he loved her, and that was all that mattered to him.

So why do you have to meet in the dead of night in the middle of nowhere to be together? The more cynical part of her mind whispered harshly, dowsing the happy mood Odette had been in since Adam's arrival. The moment was broken now, as she yet again remembered how he had refused to meet her anywhere but here – out of sight. A mile away from the castle, and far away from where she herself lived.