Once Wes and Willow were out of the market, they found themselves near the edge of a cliff. The wind picked up speed, and Willow wrapped her arms around her body.A man dressed in long black robes, a leather belt around his waist, and black boots with a thick maroon scarf draped around his neck and shoulders appeared to be waiting for them nearby. His hair was black, with gray patches on either side above the ears.“I am Byron, and I will be guiding you to the priest. Please follow me.”As they walked and climbed, the forest grew denser, and when they finally arrived at the location, Willow's mouth dropped. Wes was equally enthralled.A waterfall that was surrounded by the environment's lush greenery appeared. They were enveloped by the sounds of nature, including owls, crickets, chirping birds, and rustling leaves."You must go through the waterfall," Byron said before taking his leave."How... we're going to get all wet..." Willow whispered but continued to follow Wes.They stepped

Following the ceremony, Willow departed to change. Wes took a seat in one of the chairs that were set up next to the aisle.The priest came to sit beside the prince before he spoke."I have never interfered, never bothered to warn the people who came before you because who was I to stop them from a hopeful journey that would perish in misery?"Wes looked at him, eyebrows raised. He said nothing and waited for him to continue."I pity the human you dragged into this. A human has no place in this world, let alone the path you are about to take her on."Wes looked back in the direction of the tent."She is tough. Besides, she is here by free will."The priest did not comment further and stood up to leave.Willow emerged from the tent wearing her usual attire. Wes noticed her and stood up, turning to face the mage who was standing on the right side of the aisle."We would like to return now.""Oh," Byron exclaimed, "I'm afraid that isn't possible, your highness. I had to notify the queen

The lodge's visitors had retired to their rooms late at night. The night was quiet except for the owls' hoots and the bats flying overhead. Esmeray sat behind the counter, bored and ready to fall asleep. She was covering a shift for her friend and made a mental note never to do it again. When self-pinching failed to keep her awake, she washed her face in cold water. She took a book on basic spells and began reading before getting back behind the counter. Although she was forbidden from using magic outside of her lessons, she needed to do something to keep herself from dozing off and no one was around to witness it. She took a piece of paper in her hand and focused on it while reading the spell from the book. A short while later, blue flames engulfed the paper. Just as she had started the fire, Esmeray extinguished it. She then used magic to light the fireplace, but she realized that anyone who happened to be nearby would be able to see the magical flames, so she extinguished it imme

 She heard the sound of the door opening. "Willow?" "Luke?" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" A perplexed Luke stood holding the door open before he stepped out. "What am I doing here? Ha ha... I live here. What are you doing here?" "I...I am looking for somebody." "Well, you clearly have the wrong house. Unless you were looking for me," he winked. "Sorry, but I'm taken." "Taken by delusion, no doubt," she scoffed and murmured under her breath. "Look around. There's no other house here. I'm sure this is the right place." "What's with all the noise?" Wes walked sluggishly to the door while pushing his hair back. "See, I was right!" She squealed.       Willow sat on the sofa in the huge living room which was a contrast to what the house looked like from the outside. The house was surprisingly clean, and though it didn't look like something out of an inter

Wes fell asleep in the comfort of his bed. In his dream, he was back in the place where he was born and raised. He entered the palace garden, which was different from the way it looked now, and stopped when he saw a woman playing with what appeared to be a young child, no older than three years old. He could tell that it was his mother, and the child was a younger version of him. Around a large tree, the kid chased his mother as she ran and laughed. Wes grinned as he watched them with delight. It was only momentary, though, as the sound of laughter quickly vanished. The boy could no longer see the woman because she had gotten away from him. The kid frantically searched for his mother near the tree and in the garden before leaving the palace grounds and stepping into the forest, jumping over stones and streams of water. Wes followed the kid and saw him run before stopping at the woman's lifeless body. The boy sobbed. There was a man comforting the child, a hooded figu