1 Chapter 1

A soft melody carried on the air to him, pulling him back. Too young to think about how odd it was to hear it so deep in the forest, he followed the sound to a quaint cottage that sat in the middle of the world. It was small, smaller than his room in the palace. There were beautiful flowers blooming on the perimeter of the cottage. The brilliant rainbow flowers and the ivy tracing up the stone gave it an enchanted feeling.

A window sat to the side of the front door that he could see through. The picture was blurry, but there was someone sitting inside the house. He moved closer, trying to get a better look. The woman's back was to him, but he could make out a piano where she sat. Long golden locks fell down the person's back. She swayed with the music as her fingers danced across the keys.

Only a few steps from the window, he lost his footing and tripped, crashing to the ground with a thud. The music stopped and rushed footsteps echoed on the wooden floor of the cottage. He was too frightened to move, terrified of whoever may come out of the door. Squeezing eyes shut he waited. The door opened noiselessly, and only the crunching of leaves let him know that someone else was there.

Words were said, but he could no longer hear them as the dream world began to deteriorate. The young boy opened his eyes, trying to see and remember the last touches of his memory before it shattered. As he began to wake, he looked up at the woman, struggling to get a glimpse at her face. All he could see was-