Catching Fireflies

Chapter One

Ariadna had explored every inch of Almoena ten times over, and still she never got bored of watching the clouds drift across the sky or the colorful butterflies flutter around her head as she lay in the tall grasses of the wildflower fields. She loved walking along the beaches at night, allowing the foamy water to pool around her bare feet and sinking them into the wet sand. The forests, with their mystical aura, hypnotized her each time she wandered through them, discovering new caves or climbing taller trees. There wasn't a rock on the island that she didn't find mesmerizing nor an animal that did not fascinate her.

Despite all of the wonders Almoena had to offer, there was nothing she adored more than the people. She loved visiting the village and helping out in the farmlands whenever she could, but she found most of her joy when playing with the children who basked in her attention. Every visit left her with stories of their adventures and new games they'd invented. The adults treated her as one of their own, always making sure she left with a full stomach and a basket of food for her brothers. Around the Almoenians that she loved so much, Ariadna felt as normal as she always had.

Skipping through the forest that acted as a southern boundary to the back of her family's castle, Ariadna picker her way towards her favorite spot on the entire island. As far as she knew, she was the first and only to discover the cove, and she planned to keep it that was. Whenever she felt upset or needed to think, she would race to this spot and immediately feel comforted by its solidarity. With a giddy smile, she pushed aside a thick curtain of vines that hid the cove from view and shimmied into a crevice between two massive boulders. After some tricky maneuvering, Ariadna managed an easy descent into the cave.

Colorful flowers created a pathway to the inviting pool of bright blue water illuminated by the sun that peaked through cracks in the ceiling, and the waterfall's serene rush echoed against the surrounding rocks, entrancing the princess with it's song. Closing her eyes, Ariadna imagined, as she often did when visiting the cove, a man swimming in the water, piercing eyes watching her carefully. She imagined his bright smile as it stretched across his full lips, the way the muscles in his arms flexed as he swam towards her, the mischievous glint in his eyes as he wrapped a strong hand firmly around her wrist and gently tugged her into the water beside him.

With a loud, exaggerated sigh, Ariadna dropped to the dew covered grass and gazed up at the cave's ceiling. What she wouldn't give for a love like the one her parents shared. She'd seen eighteen summers come and go, and not one had she shared with a boy. She'd never even been kissed. Ariadna snorted and threw her arm over her eyes. With her brothers always crowding her and her father's watchful eye, any boy that showed even a little interest was scared away. Male attention was foreign to her, and since she'd met every boy on this island, she feared it always would be.

Ariadna's eyes fluttered open when she heard the buzzing of a dragonfly. She watched as it flew over her head, dipped low to the water's surface, and then buzzed over to a blanket of flowers before settling down to rest. Light glinted off of it's silvery wings as it jumped from one flower to another. Marveling at its simple beauty, she watched until the insect flew away, leaving her peacefully alone.

Closing her eyes once more, Ariadna drifted off into a peaceful slumber, dreaming of knights and romance. It wasn't until she heard the deep boom of her eldest brother's voice calling her name somewhere in the distance that she allowed her eyes to open, scattering her dreams. Ariadna jumped to her feet and sprinted away from the cove, hoping to keep her place a secret.

"Ariadna!" Xavier's persistent shouts forced an easy grin onto her face. As much as she adored all of her brothers, Xavier was the one she'd grown most attached to. Standing nearly a foot taller than her, Ariadna could see him from a mile away. She'd never once laid eyes on a man as bulky as he was. Xavier had spent much of his boyhood on the island of Kozata learning the ins and outs of knighthood, and at twenty-four his hard work showed. Not a single woman in the kingdom could resist his easy-on-the-eyes looks. "Dammit, woman. Ariadna!"