Prologue

"Sigh..." 

That was all he could do...now. All alone, life was so colourless. Even the sparkling waterfalls in the royal garden were nothing more than dull. The warm sunlight and soft breeze were like mockers, laughing at his condition. The giant trees, all lined up in a sea of emerald green, did not seem to give him a protecting shade, they sent shivers, cold and lone, down his spine. It was as if this was not spring, the season of life, of colours, this was a deadly fall night. Everything cold and lifeless. Even if cherry blossom trees sent down pink showers to console him, he felt like they were falling down, falling apart, just as his spirit was. 

He looked down to the bell shaped glass jar in his hand. Was this his death bell? Death. He almost smiled at the word. It was the most he could want now...But he couldn't.  

But he had made up his mind. He wont live like this, not anymore. He was frustrated. 

And there was nothing that could make up for his frustration right now... Not even poetry... He walked up to his favourite tree. A beautiful green ash tree. Ash tree, it signified as the enchanter, the protector, of youth, of innocence...it was green, the colour of hope. But even this mighty old advisor could not help him now... But there was this one last thing the prince wanted to do. 

He took out the small golden flower from his buttonhole. A beautiful rose, which now seemed to be withering. Yes, the metallic end was pointed enough.  

With the sun now glooming down the mountains, the prince carved out a quatrain, depicting his mood, his need, for help, for the Evelyn, the life giver, the Angel... 

The prince finally patted the tree and walked to the large Oakwood swing at the centre of the royal gardens. The picked up the glass case. 

"Ah! Periwinkle!" He sighed at the crystal plant inside the case. Periwinkles. Innocence. That is what they look like. Happiness sprouting in every petal. No harm done. But little did he know that "peri" was derived from a fallen angel, as the Persian tales told. But this was it, where his soul was trapped. And he couldn't help it. No one could. And the ones who tried, were embraced by death. The royal family. The members of the court. All his subjects. Cursed down to death. And he was all alone. 

It was a curse. He was cursed...Just because he was the prince. A royal member. The sorceress had promised vengeance from the royal family, does not matter whoever it was. The father, son or grandson... 

No more. He would not take it anymore. He was the prince. Prince Dominique Jared Antonio. He smiled bitterly at his name and the puns; Dominique, a gift, Jared, the leader, and Antonio, the one who deserved praise... But he was far more than gifted, he was cursed... he had done nothing to deserve anything, and it was not his fault. How could he lead the people, when there were none, anymore? He was 'trapped'. That's what Zared meant. Was it just a coincidence that he was named Jared? T 

he dancing fae told he had the looks of an angel, the knights told he had the bravery of a leo, the courtiers said he had the wit of a fox... then why him? How could he not get out of the mess his life was? 

He held out the crystal plant under the twilight sky. No more. With a sly smile and hope of twinkle in his eyes, even though his face was pulled down in tiredness and frustration, he held it up. 

"Farewell." 

With full force, the prince smashed the plant to the ground. As soon as the plant touched the ground, it broke into a thousand pieces, everything but one small piece...

It was working! He felt it. He wasn't trapped anymore! He could die peacefully... 

But then he saw the silvery smoke rise from his body. This was not it. Something was not correct. 

"No!" 

It was too late...

All left now was a small crystal periwinkle, glistening under the moonlight, beside the cold body of the untouched prince.