Prologue

Rowan Elderwood stood before his father, King Oberon, in the grand throne room of the Seelie Court. The air was thick with tension, and Rowan could feel the weight of his father's gaze upon him, appraising and critical.

"Rowan," the king began, his voice a deep, resonant baritone that echoed through the cavernous space. "I have a task for you, one that will prove your worth as a prince of this realm."

Rowan's heart leapt at the words, a flicker of excitement and apprehension washing over him. He had always longed for his father's approval, for some sign that he was more than just a disappointment, a failure in the eyes of the great King Oberon.

"Of course, Father," he said, his voice steady and strong despite the nerves that fluttered in his stomach. "I am ready and willing to serve, to do whatever you ask of me."

The king's lips curved in a smile, but there was no warmth in the gesture, no hint of affection or pride. "Good," he said, his voice cold and calculating. "I need you to gather a rare and powerful artifact hidden deep within the heart of the Willowbrook forest. It is a gem of great beauty and power, one that will help to secure our reign over this realm for generations to come."

Rowan frowned, a flicker of unease washing over him at his father's words. He had heard whispers of the dark magic that lurked within the Willowbrook forest, of the ancient and terrible curses that guarded its secrets. But he pushed those thoughts aside, determined to prove himself worthy of his father's trust.

"I will not fail you, Father," he said, his chin lifted and his eyes blazing with determination. "I will find this gem and bring it back to you, no matter what challenges may lie ahead."

The king's smile widened, but there was something cold and calculating in his gaze, a glimmer of malice that made Rowan's skin crawl. "See that you do, my son," he said, his voice a low, menacing purr. "For the consequences of failure would be… most unpleasant."

Rowan swallowed hard, a shiver of fear running down his spine at the unspoken threat in his father's words. But he refused to let his doubts show, refused to give any hint of the uncertainty that gnawed at his heart.

"I understand, Father," he said, his voice calm and even. "I will not let you down."

And with that, Rowan turned and strode from the throne room, his steps quick and purposeful as he made his way towards the stables, towards the horse that would carry him to his destiny.

As he rode through the lush, verdant forests of the Seelie Court, Rowan's mind raced with thoughts of the task that lay ahead. He had always been a dutiful son, a loyal servant to his father and his realm. But something about this mission felt different, felt wrong in a way that he couldn't quite put into words.

"Stop being so paranoid," he muttered to himself, shaking his head to clear away the nagging doubts that whispered in his mind. "Father knows what he's doing. He wouldn't send you on a fool's errand, not when the fate of the kingdom is at stake."

But even as he spoke the words, Rowan couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of his stomach, the sense that he was walking into a trap of his own making.

As he approached the borders of the Willowbrook forest, Rowan felt a strange sensation wash over him, a tingling, electric hum that seemed to vibrate through his very bones. The air was thick and heavy, charged with an ancient, primal energy that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"What is this place?" he whispered, his eyes wide and wary as he scanned the dense, twisting trees that loomed before him. "It feels… alive, somehow. Like it's watching me, waiting for me to make a move."

But Rowan was not one to be easily deterred, not when he had a mission to complete and a father to impress. With a deep, steadying breath, he dismounted from his horse, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he took his first steps into the shadowy depths of the forest.

As he walked, Rowan couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, that unseen eyes were tracking his every move. The trees seemed to whisper and sigh, their branches creaking and groaning like ancient, arthritic bones. And the shadows… the shadows seemed to dance and flicker with a life of their own, twisting and writhing like serpents in the gloom.

"Get a grip, Rowan," he muttered, his voice tight with tension as he pushed deeper into the forest. "It's just your imagination playing tricks on you. There's nothing to be afraid of."

But even as he spoke the words, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold, a low, menacing growl that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

Rowan froze, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword as he scanned the shadows, searching for the source of the sound. But there was nothing, only the endless, oppressive gloom of the forest pressing in on him from all sides.

"Who's there?" he called out, his voice ringing with false bravado. "Show yourself, coward!"

But there was no response, only the echo of his own words fading into the silence.

With a shudder, Rowan pressed on, his steps growing more cautious and wary as he delved deeper into the heart of the forest. He knew that he had to find the gem, had to complete the task that his father had set before him. But with every passing moment, he could feel the weight of the forest's dark magic pressing down on him, suffocating him like a heavy, woolen cloak.

Suddenly, he heard another sound, a faint, musical chiming that seemed to dance on the edge of his hearing. It was a sound he recognized, a sound that made his heart leap with sudden, wild hope.

"The gem," he breathed, his eyes widening with excitement as he quickened his pace, following the elusive melody deeper into the shadows. "It has to be close. I can feel it."

As he rounded a bend in the path, Rowan stopped short, his breath catching in his throat at the sight that greeted him. There, in the center of a small, moonlit clearing, was a tree unlike any he had ever seen. Its bark was a shimmering, iridescent silver, its leaves a deep, rich green that seemed to glow with an inner light. And there, nestled in the crook of its branches, was a gem of such breathtaking beauty that it stole the air from his lungs.

"Finally," Rowan whispered, a grin spreading across his face as he stepped forward, his hand outstretched to claim his prize.

But as his fingers closed around the gem, he felt a sudden, searing pain rip through his body, a white-hot agony that brought him to his knees. The world around him began to blur and distort, the colors bleeding together like a kaleidoscope of madness.

And then, through the haze of pain and confusion, Rowan heard a voice, a cold, cruel laugh that made his blood run cold.

"Foolish boy," the voice said, dripping with malice and contempt. "Did you really think it would be so easy? Did you really believe that I would let you claim such power for yourself?"

Rowan's head snapped up, his eyes widening with horror as he saw his father step out from behind the tree, his face twisted into a mask of cruel, mocking triumph.

"Father?" he gasped, his voice raw and ragged with betrayal. "What… what have you done?"

King Oberon chuckled, his eyes glittering with a dark, malevolent glee. "Oh, my naive little prince," he crooned, his voice sickly sweet. "I've simply ensured that you will never be a threat to me, never be more than a pawn in my grand designs."

He raised his hand, and Rowan felt the pain intensify, his body convulsing and twisting as the dark magic of the tree began to seep into his veins.

"You see, Rowan," the king continued, his voice cold and pitiless, "I knew that you would come here, knew that your foolish sense of loyalty and duty would lead you straight into my trap. And now, thanks to your own stubborn pride, you will spend the rest of eternity trapped within this tree, a fitting punishment for a son who dared to dream of surpassing his father."

Rowan tried to scream, tried to beg for mercy, but his voice was silenced, trapped within the wooden prison that was slowly consuming him. He could feel his limbs growing heavy and stiff, his skin hardening into bark as the curse took hold.

And then, with a final, agonized gasp, Prince Rowan Elderwood was gone, his consciousness fading into the endless, dreamless sleep of the enchanted tree.

King Oberon stood over the twisted, gnarled trunk that had once been his son, a cruel smile playing across his lips. "Sleep well, my foolish boy," he whispered, his voice thick with malice. "May your dreams be filled with the knowledge of your own failure, your own pathetic inadequacy."

And with that, he turned and strode from the clearing, his laughter echoing through the shadows as he left his son to his fate.

For centuries, Rowan slumbered within the heart of the tree, his mind trapped in an endless, tortured loop of regret and despair. He dreamed of his brothers, of Aedan and his powerful magic and unshakeable courage. He dreamed of the kingdom he had failed, the people he had let down with his own stubborn pride.

But most of all, he dreamed of love, of the soulmate he had always longed for but never found. In his dreams, he saw a face, a smile that lit up the darkness like a beacon of hope. But always, just as he reached out to take his love's hand, the dream would shatter, leaving him once more alone and lost in the endless void.

And so Rowan waited, trapped within the silver tree, his heart yearning for a love he had never known and a freedom he feared would never come. The world turned and changed around him, but still he remained, a forgotten prince, a lost soul bound by the cruelest of fates.

Until one day, when a gentle hand brushed against the bark of the tree, and a voice like music whispered his name. Until the kiss of true love, given freely and without hesitation, broke the curse at last and set him free.

But that is a story for another time, a tale of love and redemption that has yet to be told. For now, Rowan sleeps on, waiting for the day when his soulmate will find him and bring him back to the world of the living.

Waiting, always waiting, for the love that will finally set him free.