Prologue

She ran, her heart beating in her throat. Each breath was like pins and needles. The frigid air hit her lungs, choking her on each intake of breath.

The snow underfoot crunched with each step, the creek bubbled as she followed its path. The layers of ice gave way to the quick water underneath. She looked back, the silhouette of Ekart castle grew darker, more ominous, as she ran. The only thing she could see was the long stretching creek, now covered in ice, leading into the hunting grounds.

Winters were always harsh in the Ekart Royal Dutchy, but even now she had never seen such a cruel winter. The once clear path along the creek was now covered in deep banks of snow only giving a glimpse of the once vibrant flowing waters.

The moon hung ominously in the night sky. Only shaded by grey clouds as snow silently started to fall to the earth, further hindering her movements. The snow was already past her calf, nearly tripping her with each step.

Her crimson cloak now frozen at her ankles, the hood froze its shape around her face. Against the light of the moon, her features seemed beautiful. Her eyes shined like the bluest ice, long white hair fell from her hood, further accenting her delicate features. The color of the cloak made her pale features sharp against the dim light of the moon.

It felt like hours. The bundle she held had not made a sound. She feared the cold had crept in and ceased his breathing. Stopping, she pulled the cloth away just slightly. In her arms, slept an infant only a few hours old. The tuffs of hair on top of his head were a ghostly white , his features paled by the harsh cold but still holding signs of life. Sighing, she covered him once more and pulled the infant close to her chest.

Spotting the boundary of the forest, hope welled within her chest, urging her legs to move towards it. In the distance, she could hear the barking of the king's hounds. They were close. She ran as fast as she could. Her cloak had weighed her down, collecting large clumps of snow at the hem, her limbs, long since gone numb, pushing them beyond their limits. The throbbing pain in her loins tore through her like fire. The only source of warmth was the blood that seeped there, only to freeze as it trickled down her thighs.

"Finally." She huffed out of breath as she spotted the large oak that marked the way into the woodland hunting grounds. Its size was nothing like any of the other trees. It stood arrogant and imposing despite the large hollow inside it.

The infant stirred, emitting a small cry of discomfort. The jostling of her pace had woken him. She cursed under her breath. She had hoped her son would not make much more noise, or they would be found.

She forced her legs to move as she tucked herself away inside the cover of the oaks hallow.

She had not gotten far from the castle. It still loomed over her as if mocking her attempt at escape. She curled her legs as she cradled the infant to her trying to keep him warm.

The forest had become eerily quiet, the only sound was her own heartbeat.-Suddenly a large hound launched itself into the tree, growling and biting at her feet. She stifled her screams as the dog bit into her leg and started to pull her out, in quick yanks and jolts, tearing at the skin and muscle. There would be no escape. She felt the hopelessness of it sink in. The terror ate at her. she gripped her son tightly forcing a wail of discontent from him. The hound had pulled her all the way out despite how many times she had kicked it, each blow only making it bite down harder.

The beast had fully pulled her into the snow. The pack had caught up. Circling her, as the one latched onto her leg pinned her in place. Suddenly she heard a loud ear-piercing whistle. The hounds backed off. The one that had her pinned in its jaws let go, his maw splattered with red as he struts off to a large figure holding a silver whistle between his lips.

"Didn't get very far, did you?" his voice was amused as he let the whistle drop from his lips to dangle around his neck. His face was contorted into a wide grin. The hounds behind him barking and growling amongst themselves. The woman only glared at him, her eyes piercing. This only amused him more.

"It's a shame really," he said, squatting down in front of her, his gloved hand gripping her chin painfully tight. "a beauty like you, reduced to this." He chuckled. "You could have been mine, once the King had his heir, but you had to go and do something stupid." his brow furrowed, he was angry at the loss of his new toy. "You dumb whore." The man growled as he let go of her chin and snatched the bundle from her arms. She screamed and tried in vain to reach for her child, tears freezing on her face as she wept for her son.

She felt a hard blow to her face knocking her into the snow, followed by a sickening crack, blood pooling in her mouth.

"You did this to yourself." The man spat with malice as he put the whistle to his lips with his free hand, the other cradling the now wailing child. With another piercing whistle, the hounds were on her in seconds. She screamed as they tore into her flesh. She tried to beat them off, it was no use. They overtook her, like a fox in the hunt. "Syp-!" she cried as the last of her voice was cut short in her throat.

The figure walked away from the horrific scene behind him. The world went silent, even the infant in his arms had gone hushed, the only sound to be heard was the soft jingle of the whistle around his neck.