Choices

Prologue

A/N:
This chapter is the prologue. I'm not in any way proud of the ending of it because it seems extremely rushed. It really does get better in the later chapters.

- Third Person's POV -

Willow Bancroft lay a fresh rose down by the gravestone, it was a habit she picked up, she'd leave the castle and go to her father's grave to leave a rose or whatever flower she found and give it to him.

Looking at the grave she could see the flowers she had put prior to this visit. They had lost their vibrant colour, of course they would, that was obvious. Willow took the dead flowers in her hands and disposed of them.

The gravestone wasn't ruined or old, engulfed by moss or anything like that. It was new and shiny. It stood out to all the others in the graveyard. They were all there for years. Her fathers had only been there for one month.

It was sad, she was only 16 and her father died. Her mother, Isla, wasn't even around when he died. She wasn't even in the castle. She didn't even bother to tell her children where she went, Willow had no idea why she left knowing her husband was ill but she probably had her reasons.

Isla came back for the funeral when she heard her husband, Ethan, had died but left shortly after. Her mother was obviously upset but still left. The was a small quarrel on where his grave would be, her mother wanted it to be inside the castle.

That may sound weird but there was a grand, poshly decorated room where the rest of Ethan's family had their gravestones there and their bodies were all cremated. Willow didn't approve of that idea at all, she knew her father hated every one of his family members minus herself, her mother and her older brother by two years, Axel.

So it was stupid to put his stone among people he hated and she knew her father loved nature and didn't want to be thought of as special or higher then anyone else so he would have wanted to be buried alongside normal people in his kingdom.

Isla strongly disapproved but seemed in a hurry to leave the kingdom. When everyone got word their Queen was constantly leaving the kingdom to someplace they weren't aware of confused them all. They couldn't question her, she was the Queen after all. So Willow did most of the duties she should have been doing but Axel did most of the work. Mind you, she didn't want to but she thought this was her mother's way of grieving. Perhaps she left when he was sick because she couldn't cope with the one person she loved being so ill and couldn't bear it and when he passed she wanted to get away, take some time of.

Of course, Willow could only guess.

"You've been here for a while." She heard a low calm voice speak from behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You said you'd be back in the castle by lunch."

Willow stood up and turned around, wiping a tear that slid down her cheek. "Lost track of time."

"Willow," Axel, her brother started, "You're incredibly smart and I'm sure you've noticed the clock on the church right in front of you." He finished, pointing towards the huge clock.

He's right, the clock is nearly impossible to miss.

Axel ran a hand through his blonde hair. He had blue eyes like her. It was extremely easy to tell they were siblings. He was also tall and an extremely sarcastic and easy-going person. At he has been for a few months.

"Fine." Willow caved in, "I was thinking about where mother is." When Axel heard her mention their mother his face lost its joking look. He was extremely mad at her when she left so soon after the funeral, they got into a colossal fight and Isla even threatened his right to the throne.