Eternally Yours

Prologue

The Cottage really shouldn't havepiqued your interest so much. Why would it? You weren't one forabandoned buildings so why did this one mean so much to you? You hadfirst seen The Cottage three years ago when you just happened to bewandering around the woods outside the outskirts of your city.

You were now twenty five, you were aquarter of a century old. And your biological clock had suddenlystarted ticking; very, very loudly. Nearly deafening. You were nearlythirty. The truth behind that a woman could give birth into herforties and fifties just fine not withstanding, you didn't want towait that long. You wanted a family; a loving spouse, at least onechild-you'd love to have more but at least one-and them to grow upand find someone to love as well and have children, to have grandkids.

You wanted to see yourself as an oldlady-with wrinkles and snow white hair, knitting in a rocking chairand a spouse next to you just as old and gray. Though they'd bereading the newspaper there would still be an ancient hand reachedout to rest on your lap, keeping you both connected. Grand-kidspitter pattering along the house.

You had never worried about datingbefore; not at fourteen when hormones started to emerge, not atsixteen when people tended to start dating, not at eighteen when youwere an adult and could now marry if you found the one, twenty one,twenty two, twenty three-no. But now...

Now you felt more alone then anythingelse. You wanted...you wanted love. You were no fool; a love like afairy tale or a romantic novel were meant for books. But you wantedthe companionship, the safety and love for them.

Sighing you walked closer. You would gointo The Cottage and check it out. You didn't want the What If tohaunt you as you got into your thirties and forties. The Cottagewasn't really a cottage; it looked more like one of those old fashionmills; like with a water wheel and everything. There was still astream but not enough to turn the wheel anymore. Walking foreword youslipped into the door easily. You were surprised how easily itopened.

None of the windows were busted in,there was no graffiti decorating it, nothing. It looked almost likeit was from another time. However as you closed the door behind youand taking a deep breath as if you were bracing yourself forsomething. However when you turned around you gasped.

This building should be able to holdnothing bigger then the average high school cafeteria-at most. Butthe hall you were looking at now looked like the hall of a medievalcastle. It went down at least fifteen feet with deep dark red woodedfloors covered down the whole way with a purple with gold accentsrug, you have no idea what it was made out of but it was a richvibrant color.

The walls were made of stone, some werelight and some dark, it all looked mosaic, as if it were making adrawing but you were too close to tell what it was. You could see thesecond floor along either side of the walls. At the end of the hallwas a large grand staircase which split off to go either left orright. There were beautiful paintings and sculptures all along. Someof landscapes of a beautiful beach side, some of people, even animalsin motion so much you thought the fox would jump out of the painting.

However you only noticed all of this asyou saw a young girl, sixteen...eighteen at most. However that didn'tthrow you off. What you did was her appearance. She had light purpleskin and white hair pulled back in a simple bun and her eyes were atfirst look seemed red but when you looked more you saw they werebrown. She wore layers, a white floor length long sleeved dress, agray elbow length gray dress that went to her knees and a navy apron.

Her gentle smile, as she got a goodlook at you widened to a grin. "Oh Princess Consort Name!" Shegasped out dropping the broom, the one you had failed to notice, fellfrom her hands and she dropped down to her knees, her hands on theground and her head touching them.

She stayed that way, not moving aninch. If you hadn't seen her standing and heard her voice just aminute ago you'd expect her to be a statue.