Chapter 1

I wakened with my head throbbing so frantically finding myself lying on the forest ground, remembering what had happened.

I still have my bow clutched in my hand but my arrow-loaded quiver is gone. This isn't the first time this had happened, goblins stole my arrows again.

"Every Sunday!" I whispered with anger while trying to get up,

Every Sunday, goblins knock me out from consciousness and steal my quiver loaded with arrows. I don't know why they do that, it just really disturbs me!

But some goblins are nice, I love them, they don't let my beauty turn me into an object, not like everyone in the kingdom or the travellers that arrive at our castle just to see my face.

Kind goblins also taught me how to hunt perfectly, I give them fruits and animals I have gathered and hunted from the forest in return, they won't accept it at first but they finally concurred to say yes.

What I hate about some of the goblins is they steal my arrows. I tried to fight without killing them once but there's just too many of them, so I just let them steal my arrows, perhaps they have their reason to do that. But why can't they just ask me to give them arrows?!

I sighed. I can still hunt without using a bow and an arrow, but I'm too annoyed to go hunting now, besides, it's already turning dark,

I looked at the sky and found stars already appearing, the night is one of the things that fascinates me the most, because it's s still have a shine even when it's dark.

I smiled and yawned but I got startled when I heard leaves scratch behind me, geese or bow preparing to use it as a weapon in case this is creature is dangerous. I looked behind,

"Lilly!" I exclaimed with relief, I ran to her, "...you startled me!" I continued and petted her head, she neighed and waived her horse-hair in response,

"Oh, that's fine. Now, we need to go home before father arrives, he'll chide me for sure if he knows I have gone to the forest again." I muttered and mounted on her back.

I put on the hood of my cloak and Lily ran to the castle as fast as she could before wolves, unicorns or even pegasuses sees us again, being with them is prohibited by my father. But I sometimes talk to them, they are wonderfully bizarre, and it's unbelievable that I'm still alive after talking to them.

Then Lily suddenly stopped from our tracks when we're already near the castle, "Why, Lily?" I asked, bewildered, She pointed her nose at the entrance of the palace, oh no...

"Aria! Where have you been?" father said loudly with anger and worry, my two sisters, Emerald and Serene by her side, so as Zach, our butler is also there.

Four years of hunting, and this is only the third time my father has seen me arrive from the forest.

Lily walked closer to the entrance, I got down from her mount, beads of sweat forming on my forehead, I nodded nervously to Zach gesturing for him to put Lily inside her stable near the castle.

I cleared my throat and lowered my hood, thankful that I left my bow in the forest, and replied, "I just returned some book at the library father, and also gave Mary a hand to organize books at the archive."

"Oh, my dear Aria! Don't tell nonsense,  what's the purpose of the library inside our palace if you don't use it!" he said in disbelief,

"But father-" I said but halted,

"You came from the forest again!" father blurted, "...I already told you, the forest is dangerous, why are you being so stubborn?"

"The forest isn't dangerous!" I exclaimed, And I just realized what I had said, My response signifies that I still go to the woods.

This is one of the times I had beheld father so furious, "You're truly a tenacious child, are you? You three, come with me!" he turned around making his velvet robe swish with a noise, his footsteps echoed through the palace's hall.

"Aria, what had happened to you at the woods?" said Serene with a whisper and got near me,

"Goblins knocked out me again," I said with a sigh.

"We thought father still in the kingdom of Isles, he just left this morning, he said he'll arrive in the following week. We were really surprised when his carriage arrives this dusk." Serene replied, I just looked down as we walk

"Aria, Father is right, we should not go to places where he forbids us to go to," Emerald said while shaking her head.

Woe, Emerald is honestly the "father is right" kind of sibling, She does always obeys everything our father says even it's against her judgments.

Father got inside the painting room, so we also followed him inside.

It's been a while since I have been here, everything feels different since new furniture and portraits are newly added.

"Why are we here father?" asked Serene,

But father just stared at a painting that turned out to be our mother's portrait.

"I think of your mother whenever I look at you three," father said smiling weakly, "...you Emerald, got your mothers emerald eyes, she even named you after it. You Serene got your mother's small pointed nose, it's one of the things that made me fall in love with her. And you Aria got her magnificent beauty."

This is the only time I heard my father talk about our mother, it feels good looking at his smile by the memories of our mother. I tried to bring the topic to the person who gave birth to me but he always changes the subject immediately.

Sometimes, I envy Emerald and Serene for knowing how our mother looks like in person. People in our kingdom that had known and seen my mother said that she came from a poor family but still applauded for her kindness and beauty, my father married her, making her the Queen, yet she died from giving birth to me.

The death of the queen nearly brought death to the king. So it's unusual to hear our father speaks about our mother.

"Though father, what would Me going to the forest has got to do with our mother?" I asked and my two sisters also agreed with my question.

Father gritted his teeth while his eyes darkened, "Because your mother died in that place."