A/N: Hello Readers, I have been working on this story for a few days. The idea came to me and I'm really having fun writing it so far. I just spat up 4 chapters right away, it takes a chapter or two to actually get into the good stuff but I felt like my OC needed a really good back story. Please read, subscribe and review. Also, I'm quite novice with all this fanfiction stuff so all comments will be greatly appreciated. No critic is too mean, I'm an adult, I can handle it. :) Have a good day.

All rights belong to J.K. Rowling

Orla Prince, Chapter 1

I gripped the leather reins tight between my fingers as I nudged my horse on into a jog beneath me. The October air was crisp and I was regretting leaving my gloves at home. All was silent but the howling of the wind and the crunching of the dewy grass under Chip's hooves. I could see my destination just over the hill and the closer I got, the tighter my chest became. A big Cedar tree stood tall with a delicate, knee high fence in a large square around it's base. I dismounted Chip still holding a bouquet of lilies in my free hand. The flowers had lost a few pettles on the ride over but they were still beautiful. I tied up my reins, stepped over the fence and placed the bouquet to rest on the headstone beneath the tree. I could hardly believe it had been 10 years since my mother had passed, she was my everything. My mother was a fiery Irish woman who came to Canada on vacation when she was 20, she met my father, a reliable rancher who inherited his fathers farm. They fell madly in love and she never looked back. My mother was a very private person and never told my father or I much about her past. It was 8 pm on a Friday night when she died, she was feeding her rabbits after supper one night and never came back into the house, my father went searching that night and found her laying in the grass dead. It couldn't have been an animal because she didn't have a single scratch on her and the biopsy couldn't find any signs of heart attack, it was just as if one day she was just ready to die so she layed her head down and went peacefully.
I traced her name on her headstone with my finger and exhaled a breath a didn't realize I was keeping.
It never did get easier coming here, I used to ride over here every week, then it became once a month, now I only come once a year on the date of her death. My dad doesn't come at all anymore, as time goes on it actually gets harder for him. My father has been different since my mother died, he has become more protective and works a lot more. I know he's only scared but he pulled me out of school when I was 11 to home school me so i'd have more time to help him on the ranch, that devastated me. I don't really have many friends anymore and the ones I do have, I rarely see. The thing that has kept me going all these years is my dream of travelling to Ireland so I can learn more about my mom. I have been saving up money working long hours at the local diner so I'd be able to travel. Finally this year is my chance, I have the money saved and an itinerary planned.

I pulled a notebook out of my jacket pocket and started flipping through the pages. I must have had at least 30 pages filled with travel plans and ancestry information.
"Well mum, this is it. Time to learn what you're really about." I sat with my back to the cedar's trunk.
"Is it that time of year again?" I jumped at the sound of the voice behind me.
"Johnny!" I gasped and close my book shut. "What are you doing here?"

Johnny was our neighbor's son. He was a year older than me and often times would help my father with the cattle or fixing fences, we didn't have much money so in return we would cook him dinner. Over the years he became a good friend of mine and his over-involved mother Mary would try to convince me to marry him. Johnny was a nice person but I was never attracted to him, I knew he loved me though. I tried to date him when I was 17 but it was just too weird. Unlike my own mother, Mary was a talker and told everyone each other's secrets...Even her own sons. Her husband Bill was my fathers best friend, he was a veterinarian. Bill gave Chip to me on my 14th birthday. Chip was a horse that was sent to him by a rescue society. He was starved and badly abused. I helped Bill bring him back to health and fell in love with the big chestnut gelding. My father only had a few ranch horses so Bill adopted Chip for me. That was the happiest I had been since before my mother's death. Johnny, Bill and Mary were like family to my father and I.

"I saw you ride by, what's that you got there?" Johnny jumped off his horse and joined me under the tree.
"It's nothing." I blushed pushing my notebook further into my jacket.
"Still dreaming of Ireland?" Johnny smiled.
"Yeah, I want to know more about her." I smiled gently at my mothers grave.
"She could make stuff happen, that's what my mom said." Johnny looked at the grave with an eerie stare.
"What do you mean?" I looked at the nervous man next to me.
"May I ride with you home?" Johnny changed the subject.
"Uh, yeah. Sure." I stood up brushing the grass from my jeans before hopping back onto Chip.
"When do you plan on going to Ireland?" Johnny hopped on his mare, Gracie.
"This year." I lead the way up to the ranch, Johnny following close behind.
"Do you think Keith will let you go?"
"He doesn't have a choice, I'm an adult." I wanted to cut the conversation so I nudged Chip into a smooth lope.
Johnny also picked up the speed. I could Gracie's black mane floating in the wind beside me as she began to gain on Chip. I turned to look at the smirking idiot beside me as he passed us at a gallop. The competitive streak within me took over and clucked Chip into a fast gallop racing Johnny and Gracie back to our farm.

"You know Clio, they are having a two-step at the saloon tonight. Do you want to go with me?" Johnny asked out of breath once we got back to the farm.
"Sorry Johnny, I promised my dad I'd help him fix the coop tonight." I said while walking Chip back to his stall in the barn.
"Oh, yeah. No worries." Johnny took off Gracie's saddle and tied her to the hitch just outside the barn.
"So, what does the old man have you doing today?" I changed the subject.
"Winters coming, he needs help bringing the cows in from the field." Johnny looked disappointed.
"Right, I guess I'll see you for lunch then." I winked and then went up to the house leaving Johnny to wait for my dad.

Once in the house, I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat in front of my laptop. Maybe Johnny is right, what if my dad doesn't let me go on vacation? I decided to go with my impulses and I started browsing the airlines. What if I was to already book my flight? Then he couldn't keep me from going. I clicked my mouse on a flight that left from Vancouver to Dublin in 3 days time. It was expensive because it was so last minute but I had a feeling that if I didn't take the risk now, I'd never end up going. I entered my credit card information and 2 minutes later pressed enter. It was official, I was going to Ireland.

...
7 pm.

"Why aren't you going into town tonight with Johnny?" My father asked as I handed him chicken wire.
"I didn't feel like dancing, I thought it would be nice if I stayed behind to help with the coop." I pulled my wavy blonde hair into a ponytail.
"Thanks kiddo. Can you pass over the pliers?" My dad concentrated on the job.
"Hey dad, what would you think if I said I wanted to go to Ireland?" I asked nervously.
"Well Clio, It's expensive to travel." My father didn't look up from the coop.
"What if I have already saved enough money to go?" I hinted.
"That's great dear, but winters coming. There is too much to do around the farm." My father wiped his forehead with his sleeve and looked me in the eyes. While my father has icy blue eyes, I inherited my mothers dark brown eyes.
"What if I said I already booked my flight." I fought to keep his gaze.
"Cliodhna, you didn't." My father grew angry.
"I did." I crossed my arms.
"You will not go."
"Yes dad, I will. I have wanted to go for so long. I'm an adult and i deserve to be treated like one."
"An adult doesn't just book a flight and ignore the work that needs to be done."
"Dad, please. I just want to know more about mom. I have been asking you things about her over the years and she seems like some big secret to you. I can't even remember the last time you said her name." tears started to fall down my cheeks.
"Stop it. You're acting like a child." My father threw his pliers to the house and stormed towards the house.
"I'm going to Ireland." I sniffled. The night was cold so I made my way to the barn.

I brushed Chip in soothing strokes. I felt so frustrated with my father, it seemed like he didn't want to let me into my mothers life. I know I was being impulsive but I was sick and tired of the endless work and little reward. I deserved to go on Vacation and I just wanted my fathers support, I knew he was busy but I just had to know. I picked up my cell-phone and called the only person I knew I could talk to.
"Hello?" The man on the other end picked up.
"Johnny, can you pick me up?" I tried to hide the fact that i had been crying.
"Yeah. Of course, did you change your mind about the dance?" Johnny asked.
"No. I just want to drive for a bit." I took a deep breath.
"I'll be there in 5." Johnny hung up the phone and I just sat on a bale of hay and waited.

I heard Johnny's Chevy pull into our gravel drive so I locked up the barn and ran to the passenger side. My hair was a mess and I had dirt caked on my face but none of that seemed to matter. My father and I never fought so when we did it was so much more upsetting. I hoped into Johnny's car and he drove away from my farm and house.

"What's wrong?" Johnny glanced at me.
"I had a fight with my dad." I leaned my head against the window.
"What about? Did you try bringing up Orla again?" Johnny knew more about me then anyone.
"Well sorta, but not really about mum. Ireland." I huffed.
"I told you he wouldn't be okay with you going." Johnny's voice softened.
"It gets worst." I swallowed.
"Oh Clio, you did something stupid again, didn't you?" Johnny half joked.
"No. Well kind of. I bought a plane ticket." I bit my lip.
"Seriously?" Johnny made a face. "When for?"
"Tuesday." I hardly made my voice audible.
"TUESDAY!" Johnny slammed on the breaks and veered his tuck to the side of the road and stopped to look at me.
"I need your help Johnny." I felt the tears coming back.
"How the hell are you going to make it to Vancouver by Tuesday?" Johnny shook his head.
"Its a 5 hour drive. I can do that in a night." I rolled my eyes.
"What do you need help with, you seemed to have everything figured out." Johnny looked mad.
"I need you to help my father around the farm." I felt bad asking for help.
"How long for? I'm busy too Clio, I have my fathers ranch to run too." Johnny reached over and grabbed my hand.
"I don't know." I looked away from him.
"I'll do it on one condition." Johnny moved closer.
"What?" I looked at him with an icy stare.
"Marry me." Johnny rubbed small circles in my hand looking deeply into my eyes.
"Johnny.." I started.
"No Clio, you don't get to reject me again. I have been in love with you since we were teenagers. I have helped you out so much. You need me and I want you. You can go to Ireland and see what you need to see and I will support you 100 percent and hold down the fort while you're gone. When you realize that everything you ever needed is right here on the farm and you come home, I will be waiting ready to call you my wife." Johnny spoke in a dangerously determined voice.
"We are so young." I tried to dodge the topic, I wasn't in love with Johnny.
"What do you expect to find in Ireland?" Johnny looked away. "I can give you everything."
"I need to know more about my mother. She was the most special person in my life for 10 years and I was never lucky enough to really get to know her. What if I have grandparents in Ireland ready to show me photo albums of her as a child or graduating from high school. She left me nothing when she died, she had nothing. If I didn't know her I'd think she was a myth." I let myself cry in front of Johnny. This day every year was by far the toughest.
"Just let me help you Clio, marry me." Johnny whispered into my hair.
"Alright, when I come home. I'll marry you." I gave in. I knew that Johnny was probably right. In a small town like this it was impossible to find love.
"I'll pick you up Monday and drive you into the city." Johnny offered kissing my head.
"Thank-you Johnny." It was official, I would marry the boy next door.