***

A heart ripped in twain is barely a heart at all, and yet, it hurt more than she could have possibly imagined. The wretched pain sent a burning sensation through her veins, her blood boiling. It did well to keep her warm in the rain.

She struggled through the woods, stumbling across the rough terrain and strewn twigs. With one hand, she guided branches away out of her way. The other remained on her swollen belly, the extra weight slowing her down.

Raindrops disguised her tears, but they could not silence her wailing sobs. Her lips trembled profusely, and she endeavoured to keep her eyes open. She had to get home. After all, where else could she go?

He didn't want her. She had learnt that the hard way. What he wanted was a young woman with unmatched beauty and a wondrous spirit -- she could not compete with that, it seemed. The prince fooled her with his wit and charm, and she willed herself to give him everything he desired.

But all those secret meetings, those false promises -- did they mean nothing to him? She offered her heart and soul on a platter, yet he returned malice and called her a disgusting thing. And when she reminded him of the child they had conceived, the prince declared he already had many.

His callous nature was new to her. She should have recognised how sweetly venomous his words had been before. Love blinded her as it often does. A cruel master, indeed. It drew her into a mistaken sense of security, and now she had to pay the price for her ignorance. It wasn't fair.

Her vision cleared for a moment. She batted her eyelashes, almost losing balance and flying headfirst into a pond. Her feet stumbled back, knocking her to the ground. Her body crashed against a pile of damp, autumn leaves, softening her landing.

This place was unknown to her. Never in her life had she come across a sight such as this. Its waters were the clearest she'd ever seen. The pond was untouched by the rain, not a single drop contaminated it. It was strange -- to say the least -- yet something about the pool enticed her. She clambered onto her knees, her pregnant belly sitting atop her thighs. 

Against her better judgment, she submerged her hand into the pond. She swirled it around, the water following her every movement. The young woman smiled as she gathered some in her palm, drawing it towards her lips. Her tongue lapped at the water, its taste as sweet as nectar. It ran down her throat, and a fulfilling tiredness spread from her chest. Bliss washed over her, her tears subsiding as her anxieties melted away. She closed her eyes, exhaling a long, relieved sigh.

For once, she was at peace. Her arms went limp and she let them fall by her sides, the back of her hands grazing the forest floor. Her nostrils flared, inhaling the sweet petrichor air. She wanted to feel this way forever. No pain. No burdens. Just uncorrupted ecstasy.

"What would you give...?" Her eyelids fluttered open, her head gradually tilting forward. The woman's lips parted as her bewildered gaze searched the area for signs of life. Surely no one would venture this deep into the woods, except her.

She assumed, for a moment, that her imagination was playing tricks on her. The woman couldn't blame her dreams if they wanted to seep into reality -- she would rather live a fantasy than endure misery in this one.

Then it spoke again, its gentle whisper resounding from the pond. "What would you give...?"

Her jaw went slack, and she softly stammered. "I don't know."

"Would you give your soul..." the whispery voice drawled, "... for power?" it questioned. Their words echoed in her head, worming their way into her brain. "For glory?" The young woman's interest peaked further. "For beauty?"

A nerve had been struck. Instinctively, she raised her hand and pressed it against her cheek, her fingers trailing the uneven texture of her skin. Her mother always told her she was pretty, and she used to believe it. Then he struck her down and told her she was worthless. Now she knew -- her mother was saving her from the truth.

She'd been a fool her whole life -- she would not let it happen again.

"Yes." She answered, her tone smooth as butter.

A deep chuckle rippled the water beneath her finger, causing her to recoil. The rain ceased, the clouds slowly parting above her head. A ray of golden sunlight poured through and the pondwater shimmered under its glow. It rippled and shifted downwards as a mysterious force began to drain the pool.

The gold in the water began to solidify in the water, curving and twisting into refined flourishes. It turned into a grey-silver, casting itself into an oval shape. The clear water drained into it, rippling and softly splashing against the metal. 

Eventually, it too solidified, becoming one with the silver edge. What was left of the pond had transformed into an eloquent mirror. It lay a few feet ahead of her, the ground now dry as a bone. It drew her forth, calling to her. With waning hesitance, she reached out her arm, casting a reflection. 

As she did, the young woman noticed something was different. Her nails were longer, appearing more sophisticated. There wasn't a single speck of dirt stuck in the nailbed. Her garments remained unchanged, though they appeared to look cleaner. She sniffed her collar, a floral scent bursting through her nose. Black, wavy hair fell over her shoulder. She scraped her fingers through it, never once pulling on a tangle.

She placed both hands on the ground, slowly leaning over the mirror. There, a green-eyed beauty stared back at her -- one that took a while to recognise. Her mouth curved into a surprised grin, pleasure rushing through her. The ecstasy baffled her senses, but she chose to revel in it. Her heart stayed broken, yet she could, at least, hear it beat again.

The woman twisted a lock of hair around her finger, pressing her lips together. Her smile remained fixed upon her face, though the meaning had swiftly changed.

Yes, she thought, this will do nicely.

Love blinded her once before, but no more would she be deceived. She will have men on their knees, begging for her mercy. If that meant giving up her soul, then so be it.

I wasn't going to begin the story with a prologue, but I then thought it was necessary because I really wanted to expand on Callista (very briefly, of course). We will be meeting a few of our main characters in the next chapter.

I hope you enjoyed this prologue. If you did, then I would be so grateful if you would leave a vote or a comment telling me what you thought. Your support means chapters will come out a lot quicker, and it will draw more readers because the Wattpad algorithm enjoys that.

Thank you so much for the reads so far. It really means a lot to me.

- Alice.