Once Upon A Tale (Published Amazon)

Prologue

Once upon a time in a land neither near nor far, lived a young Prince who liked nothing more than to escape the palace walls and make his own adventures. During one of these said adventures, the young Prince happen to come upon a beautiful maiden. He watched as she skipped along the paths collecting beautiful flowers that only wilted in her presence. Her long golden hair blew in the wind making her even more alluring. The Prince stepped out from behind the bushes for he wanted to meet this beauty who had taken his breath and find out her name. When she turned her blue eyes twinkled and her pretty pink lips lifted into a smiled so dazzling the Prince knew instantly that he was smitten.

"Oh beautiful one, why are you out here in the woods without an escort?" He asked her. The maiden's cheeks grew pink with his compliment.

"I am only here to pick flowers for my cottage good sir." She answered quietly. Her voice was like a beautiful song on the breeze and the young Prince sighed.

"What is your name oh beautiful one?" Her long dark eyelashes fluttered as she looked down at the growth beneath her feet. Never had she been spoken to by such a handsome young man before.

"My name is Clara, sir. May I ask what your name is?" The young Prince thought for a moment for he could not tell her his true name. She did not know who he was so he decided right then that he wanted to keep it that way. So Prince Patrick gave his baby brothers name.

"My name is Edward." He told her feeling sad that she would not know his true name.

The Prince and the maiden decided to meet every day at this same spot where they became very close picking flowers as they walked closely and talked of their desires and dreams.

At one of these meetings, the Prince told Clara he would no longer be able to come see her anymore for he was being sent away for a while by his parents. The maiden was very upset as was he, but she understood family obligations.

"I promise you when I return I shall come find you." He told her and he had kissed her on the lips and disappeared into the forest. Clara stood for a long time, her hand to her mouth where the Prince had kissed her. Then she smiled and twirled around in a circle until she fell onto the soft grass giggling.

The maiden didn't go out into the forest after that. Winter had come so she waited until the snow had left the ground and the flowers had once again begun to bloom. Three more seasons passed and her love still did not return. Clara had spent everyday at the spot where they had met to no avail. She had decided she was no longer going to wait for him. She was nearing the age of find a suitor and her mother had been hinting at her meeting a nice young man. She had not told her mother about Edward, he had been her little secret and if he never returned, then only she need know about the feelings they once shared.

"Clara." Her mother had said over tea. "It is time you meet a suitor. I will not be here to look after you forever my darling." Clara's mother had stayed a true beauty and Clara wondered how it was possible her mother seemed to become more beautiful each year. Her mother however, had a secret, not even her daughter knew. For she was a powerful enchantress. Clara was yet to come into her powers as she had thankfully not fallen in love. Her mother considered the enchantress powers a curse for they were only activated when an enchantress experienced a broken heart. Clara's mother was so intent on finding the right suitor for her daughter so she never need know the sorrow of heartbreak and the curse would never come upon her. If the right husband was found, her daughter would live a normal life with none of her mothers burdens. It was a family curse bore down the line of heartbroken enchantresses.

"Why even Prince Patrick is due to wed." Her mother exclaimed. "How wonderful. I hear he is a rather handsome young man." Clara was only half listening to her mother. She had been thinking about Edward and wondering if he would ever be returning.

The next day Clara took her basket and headed into the forest. It had been quite some time since she had seen Edward. As she rounded a clump of bushes, there stood a tall man with dark hair. It was like he had stepped out of a dream.

"Edward!" She exclaimed. He turned just in time to catch Clara in his arms. She had grown even more beautful and his first instinct was to kiss her lips. Something he had been dreaming of doing everyday since he had left. She giggled and the sound of her voice was like beautiful bells.

"Clara my beauty, you look more radiant than I remember." The Prince stepped back remembering himself. He had come to tell her the truth. That he was the Prince and was to wed a Princess his parents had introduced him to. But he couldn't tell her. To loose that smile from her lovely face would be a crime in itself, so he told her of his travels. He had so little time left with her, by the months end he would be wed, and there would be no more escaping from the castle, she would know his true self and hate him for it. He watched her face carefully, memorising it for all time. Her beauty was more than he could handle and he realised his love for her had not wanned a single bit. Without thinking he took Clara in his arms and they lay together.

The Grand wedding day was upon them and Clara dressed for the Royal occasion. She had told her mother only a week earlier about Edward and the love they shared for one another. Her mother had asked her to bring him home so as she could meet him, but she had not seen her love all week and wanted to tell him the happy news. She was with child. Clara dreamed of the life she would now have with Edward, the family they would raise together.

Clara and her mother walked the distance to the castle with the rest of the villages. Clara searched the faces of the crowd for her love, but alas she did not see him. Maybe he lived closer to the castle than she and was already there she thought.

They stood amongst the crowd as she watched from a distance, Prince Patrick marry the Princess Rosalind. After the marrage had taken place, the Prince and his new wife walked out onto the balcony for all to see. Clara looked up and gasped. Then she screamed.

"No!" Her voice carried throughout the castle and everyone around her turned to see who had cried out. Realising instantly that Clara's Edward had infact been Prince Patrick, Clara's mother took hold of her daughter and tried to remove her. But Clara forced her way out into the open looking up at her love, her Prince and he looked down at her, with saddened eyes.

"Clara." He whispered. Clara fell to her knees and began to cry. Her mother stood behind her, knowing what was about to happen. A sudden flash of light and a rumbling began, then Clara rose strong to her feet as if the air had done it for her and looked up at the man who had broken her heart. In a loud clear voice that did not sound like her own she said:

"Listen well. From this day forth, no heir from the Matriacal bloodline will ever come to pass. This curse will last till the end of time. Unless. The true heir and first born returns to claim her birth right."

With that, Clara lifted her arm into the air and the beautiful pink ruby necklace that hung around Princess Roslyn's neck flew down into Clara's out stretched hand. Patrick looked at Clara confused. Clara placed her hand over her blossoming belly and looked up at him. He gasped with understanding and Clara, followed by her mother disappeared into the crowd never to be seen again.

Just a short note:

This is a work in progress. It is unedited. The chapters I have written may change order as more of the book is written. The chapters are a little short, I usually flush them out when I complete the book. This is my first attempt at writing urban fantasy, so bear with me.
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Thanks Kim