Author's Note: OH MY GOODNESS I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY POSTING THIS! I got the idea for this story basically right after seeing Epic in theaters, and now after like four freaking months, I'M FINALLY POSTING IT OMG!

Just so you know, I'll be posting chapters weekly, every saturday. Sometimes I may post more than one chapter a saturday, depending on length and whatnot.

This is a super long fan fiction just so you know, but luckily I've already finished the whole thing, so there won't be any waiting for weeks on end for the next chapter.

One last thing. I don't want to be one of those people that desperately grovels for reviews, but I'll be honest, just one review can make my entire day. So if you liked my story or have a comment tell me! And hey, fi there's something you didn't like or thing I could improve on, tell me about it to!

All right I believe we're all set. Enjoy the story! ^_^

~ Much-More-Than-A-Prince

Chapter 1:

Prologue Pt. 1

Focus

Focus

Focus

The man gripped the reins of his bird tighter as they approached the twisted thicket of branches and leaves that they were soaring towards. A small smirk appeared upon his lips as he counted down, waiting, waiting, waiting...

"Now!" He yelled, and suddenly jerked the reins, causing the bird to take a sheer barrel roll and begin maneuvering through the tangle, weaving in and out of the branches. The adrenaline rushing through him just made it that much sweeter. That rush of danger and excitement stirred together in a whirlwind of energy was just what he needed on a morning like this one.

Some people in the kingdom found riding birds dangerous and pointless, considering everyone in Willhollow had a perfectly good pair wings on their backs anyways. What need would fairies have for any other means of transportation? Of course that was also like comparing walking to flying. It was just easier.

As he finally emerged from the jungle maze, he appeared in an open meadow, with a humongous willow tree in the center, lit by the early-rising sun: his home. He smiled. Willhollow never looked more beautiful than at this time of year, smack-dab in the middle of October when the forest was every color of autumn. Fall always was his favorite season.

"Tarren!" He heard a small voice cry out, and saw a little girl about twelve soaring by him on a small cart tugged by a little, grey robin. She had the same blonde hair and silver eyes that he had, but on her face she wore their mother's features, and same bright smile. This smile always seemed to make the world light up, but it also made him sad.

"Jenni! How are you this fine morning?" He said with a smile. She grinned wider, and flew closer to his bird. She then handed him a bouquet of flowers from her basket, tied together by one of her blue ribbons and laughed. "Happy Birthday brother!"

Tarren grinned as he took the flowers from his little sister. They were the white and yellow ones that she grew outside her window back at the castle. She always took genuine care of nature, and everything else for that matter. The people of Willhollow always took note of her kindness, as he was now.

"Oh Jenni, you shouldn't have! Theses are lovely, thank you"

She gave her older brother a wide smile, before suddenly taking off for the castle. "I'll race you!"

"Oh you are on kid!" The prince cried back as his bird took off after the girl. She got to the landing dock of the tallest tree in the center of the meadow only two seconds before he did (Tarren having decided to let the little girl enjoy a victory), but she saw it as landslide win.

"I win, I win! You're getting slower Tarren!" The twelve year old said, and then let out a squeal as her brother lifted her up and spun her around.

"Aww man, and on my birthday too? Must just be my luck." Tarren said sarcastically. Jenni giggled.

Suddenly, the two heard the sound of the gate doors opening, and a young man with jet-black hair and dark blue eyes walked through, sword strapped to his hip. Tarren smiled.

"Well, look who's up early. I'm surprised you woke up before ten on a day like today." The man said. The prince smirked and set his sister down. "It's good to see you Jason."

Jason bowed "Happy birthday your highness, and good morning to you Princess Jennora." Jenni smiled and waved.

"Jenni, why don't you go get some breakfast while I talk to Jason?" Tarren suggested, chuckling under his breath at the girl's usual bubbliness.

She jumped up. "Alright. See you later Tarren!" then she took off through the doors and into the palace. Jason turned back to the prince. "So you lost to the kid? It's looks like you're losing your touch just a bit."

Tarren rolled my eyes. "Oh come on you know I was just humoring her."

Jason smirked and replied sarcastically. "Of course your highness. So how does it feel being twenty?"

"Not much different from turning nineteen, or eighteen, or any other birthday really, and will you stop with the formalities? We're best friends Jason, you can drop the highnesses."

"Friends or not, you'll still be king soon, so the formalities are necessary." Jason replied, almost humorously.

Tarren sighed, thinking about being king. It was an idea that had been forced upon him at a very young age. It was spoken of often since the death of his father, after Jennora was born. Tarren hadn't had the most close-knit relationship with his father, so it hadn't been as great a blow as it should've been.

Then his mother, the closest person to him in the world, grew fatefully ill and passed away as well. The people realized that their kingdom would soon be placed on the young shoulders of the fourteen year old Prince Tarren.

The loss of his mother had taken quite a toll on the boy. He had actually left that morning early to visit her grave about quarter mile from the meadow of Willhollow. Even after six years he still felt the sting of that first day he found out she was gone...

"Prince Tarren." He suddenly heard the loud voice from the gates, and turned to see one of the head servants approaching him.

"Yes Isabelle?" The prince replied.

"We must see you in the throne room immediately. There are several important matters concerning the party tonight that must be attended to." Tarren internally cringed, being reminded of his birthday celebration that evening. "Of course, I'll be right there."

Isabelle bowed her head a retreated to the palace. The prince turned back to his friend, who had been adjusting his sword strap.

"Jason, can you take care of the birds? I need to attend to this."

"Of course sire. Are you still up for racing later today?"

"Not if you ever call me sire again." He said with a hint of joking irritation in his voice. Jason laughed. "I'll see you later Tarren." Then began taking the birds into their stables. Tarren shook his head at his friend, and then quickly headed inside.

The palace was especially polished today. The halls bustled with business as fairies prepared for the ball celebrating the Prince's twentieth birthday that evening. Tarren was dreading it. He detested parties of any kind, but especially one that was all about him. He was preparing himself for a long night.

He found the worst of it all in the throne room. There were ribbons of silk and flower petals decorating every wall and pillar. Tables and chairs were set up everywhere with spider-web lace tablecloths and the entire room glittered. Tarren groaned. Yes, this was going to be a very long night...

The servants who were planning the party caught sight of the prince, and brightened up. "Good day your highness! We have several things concerning tonight that we need to consult you about, first of which being..."

(Later)

"Ugh," Tarren groaned as he donned his blue coat, embroidered in gold thread. It was completely fit for a king, but he didn't feel much like one. Not like the powerful king his father ha been. Nor could he exhibit the kindness and compassion his mother had possessed. How could they have expected him to fill their shoes at such an early age? How had that ever been fair?

He sighed, feeling insensitive. It wasn't as though they had planned to leave him the way they did. It had simply been the cruel hand of fate.

"Knock, Knock," he suddenly heard someone say from the other side of his room, where they were now entering through the large double doors. It was Captain Oren, leader of Willhollow's army. He had been a close companion to Tarren when his parents were gone, and Tarren considered him a father figure, as well as a close friend.

"Oh, hello Captain. What brings you here?" The Prince asked, as he looked back into the mirror, hoping tonight went by a quickly as possible.

"Well, your highness...there is an important matter at hand that has not been brought up these past years, at the request of your mother but-"

Tarren froze. His mother? What matter had not been addressed concerning her?

"What? What is it?"

"Well erm you see..."

"Oren, tell me! What's wrong?" Tarren begged, desperate to know what had occurred.

"Well... your mother, before she died... She wrote you a letter, and requested that we not give it to you until your twentieth birthday. She ordered that no one see the contents of the letter besides you. No one knows what's inside, but she made it extremely clear that it was of great importance."

Tarren blinked, trying to absorb this. A secret letter from his mother? Kept from him all this time? Why?

"I want to see it immediately. Do you do have it with you?"

The captain handed him the envelope. It was a plain, cream-colored letter, worn by time. It looked pretty full. Tarren took it from him immediately and removed the papers inside.

The first thing he found was a drawing of a woman. The picture was faded and torn, and drawing itself was smudged and old, but he could still make out the person clearly.

She had lovely ruby-red hair, cascading down in a waterfall of waves and little woven braids, and had striking green eyes. She wore a beautiful dress that had a cream, long-sleeved, off-shoulder bodice, stitched up the front with a crisscrossed ribbon, and a long, flowing skirt of pink and white petals. She was smiling and in her hand she held a single red lily.

She was absolutely beautiful...

Who was she?

"Oren, do you know who this is?" Tarren said, handing him the drawing. He squinted at the picture, and shook his head. "I haven't the slightest idea your highness. She's obviously not one of us for she has no wings."

Tarren looked at the picture again, and then pulled out what was left in the envelope. It was a letter, written in his mother's hand. The boy gasped, and began reading it.

Tarren my Son,

My dear eldest child, I regret to inform you that our time together shall soon reach its bitter end. By the time you read this, I will by gone, but I feel it appropriate to state these things anyways. I have discovered that the illness I possess cannot be cured. I am dying Tarren.

Now you are too young to understand exactly what this will mean besides the loss of your dear mother, but it shall have much greater consequences. Without the queen, there will be no one to continue the flow of life in our kingdom. If a queen is not found by the time you turn twenty one, Willhollow will die. This cannot be just any queen however. You must find the Lady of Destiny, and you must find her before it is too late for our dear Willhollow.

The Lady of Destiny. Mother had told Tarren several stories about her as a child. She was supposedly a woman that would come to save Willhollow one day when it needed her most. It was just a bedtime story though! Why was she telling him this now? He read on

I have mentioned the Lady of Destiny numerous times, but I never told you everything. This was because you were simply too young to comprehend it. By the time you receive this letter, on your twentieth birthday, you were be old enough and wise enough to understand.

The Lady of Destiny is a prophecy told many centuries ago, by the high priest when Willhollow had reached it's peak of power. Legends before had spoken of the reincarnation of our first Queen Jennora, who would return one day.

Later, the high priest of Willhollow had a vision of the Lady of Destiny coming to join with the Prince of the land, and rescue the kingdom from utter destruction. During this vision, he created the only known image of the Lady of Destiny. That is the picture you have now, in the letter. No one knows it is still in existence besides me, and now you.

His eye widening, Tarren looked back at the picture of the beautiful girl. This was the Lady of Destiny? He had always imagined her older. She looked at least a year younger than him.

Now that I am dying, and leaving the kingdom in your hands, I know that this girl will need to be found when you become King, or our beloved home will die. However, when reading through my old books, I found a detailed record of the prophecy, and realized that now was the time for the legend to play out.

You must find the Lady of Destiny, and marry her within the year. Then the great ceremony of healing will take place, and she shall use her powers to clense the land before the hidden plague takes hold. You must do this to save WillHollow.

It wasn't until he let out a ragged gasp that Tarren realized he had been holding his breath. Oren was starring at the prince with worried eyes, but Tarren couldn't pay attention to him. How had this happened? Willhollow dying?! Him having to save it by marrying a complete stranger!?

He glanced back at the picture and smirked. Well, a very pretty complete stranger... But why would his mother wait until now to tell him?! They only had a year left! Tarren read on, and his question was answered immediately.

I know you must think it strange that I would wait until now to tell you, with so little time left, but none of us had any choice. After reading through the record of the prophecy, it said that the Lady could only be found within the year of the deadline.

I know it seems unfair and ridiculous but it is still lore, and I cannot change it, nor did I find it fair to plague you with it's threat before your time. Now, you must go and save our kingdom. It is my dying wish son, my plea to you.

I know how much I am asking of you. I am asking you to forget the idea of love, and throw your lot in with a woman you do not know, but I do believe it was prophesied for a reason. It is your destiny to marry this woman, and save our home. Please Tarren... for you parents, for your sister, for our beloved WillHollow.

Bring her back, and save us all

I love you,

Queen Rheina