Secunda slipped away from the crowd of admirers that seemed to follow her every move. She needed secrecy for this frequent visit that she made – once, if not twice, a week. She needed to be stealthy, and so she placed a powerful hiding spell over herself. The only people who would be able to see through her spell would be her sister, Prima, and her mother, Queen Vanowen. Neither of them would be anywhere near Secunda to be able to see her, and s she knew she was safe.

When she left the palace, all those admirers – mainly made up of males – saw a simple handmaiden: pretty, but not nearly as beautiful as Secunda.

Secunda had wavy brown hair that fell down to her knees, and deep-set green eyes, the colour of jade. Her porcelain skin was smooth as glass, and her long black lashes framed her jewelled eyes, giving them an almost seductive air. Secunda was tall and lean, and she walked with the graceful gait of a gazelle, stepping swiftly between the crowds of people on the street.

She was the second daughter of the four princesses: her older sister, Prima, and her two younger sisters – Tertia, who was ten years younger than Secunda, and Quarta, the fourth and youngest. They were all very pretty, but not nearly as pretty as Secunda, who had always been the beauty of her family – nay, even of her people. It made her sisters jealous, especially Prima, who was to inherit.

Secunda slipped out of the Elven city and into the surrounding trees, heading for a clearing that she favoured for their meetings. Hunter would be there by now, and Secunda was eager, but also frightened, to give him the news that she was pregnant. What would her lover say when he found out that she carried his child in her belly? She knew it was only a matter of time before she began to show, and then her family would demand to know which of her many suitors had finally won out, and why in the world she was keeping the secret from them.

Secunda loved Hunter – as he was called by the elves – but her family would never approve of him. As a human, he was considered beneath them. Elves universally prided themselves on their beauty, skill, and love of the arts – including, when necessary, the art of war. But they saw anyone who was not of their kind as revolting monsters, who they could barely tolerate in trade. The only respect they had for Hunter was because of his skills that earned him the name: he was the best hunter they knew, elves included. He didn’t hunt with magic, but he had a keen sense of animal behaviour, which the other elves attributed to his savageness.

But Secunda loved Hunter. She loved his hands, so well-worn and rough from the hard work. She loved his dark skin, tanned from the sun, and his deep brown eyes and brown hair. She loved his booming voice that let everyone within ten miles know where he was. She loved the way he looked at her when they were together under the moonlight; the way he could make her laugh with just a few words, and the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled at her. She loved everything about him, and would do anything to stay with him.

So, Secunda made her journey to see him. But what she didn’t see was a figure, wearing a much stronger hiding spell, following her. Prima had noticed her sister’s odd behaviour, and having used a discovering spell, had figured out what the cause had been. Now, she wanted to know who the father was. So she followed Secunda.

When Prima saw her sister run into Hunter’s arms, and embrace him, her rage was unmatched. But she bided her time, heading straight home to inform Queen Vanowen of Secunda’s treachery.

AN: So I rewrote the prelude, on the advice of Enora T., as well as the fact that the prelude to this story sucked. This is much better; it gives the reader wanting more, I think. Let me know what you think. R&R, no flames please. CC is welcome, though. :D