I walked down a snowy path that cut it's way through thick bush, and was swallowed by the towering trees. I knew I was dreaming, I felt smaller, my hands where tiny, my feet barley made and impression in the snow, and every thing seamed bigger. I guess you could call it dream knowledge but I knew I was six, and that I had left my grandparents large backyard to fallow something here in this forest. Every thing seamed surreal.

I felt that I had been walking a long way when I heard a chuckle behind me. "hello little one." said a voice.

I whipped around only to find no one there."Over here" the voice laughed to my right. I turned again, this time the I found a man in his mid twenty's with blond hair, tied back in a pony tail, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. I marveled that the man was not cold seeing as I was bundle of in multiple layers of warm clothing and was still shivering. I wanted to ask him how he could do that but when I saw his eyes in the dimming afternoon light all my thoughts left me and I was terrified. They were red, blood red, and staring in hunger at me.

"Who are you?" I whispered in my childish voice. I wasn't even sure the man could hear me.

"My name is James sweat heart. And aren't you a delicious smelling child. Your sent is quite mouth watering"

"Um Thank you?"I answered uncertainly. "what do you want?"

"Ahh. Do you really want to know?" He asked his smile wide and harsh.

"I..I.. no I want to go home." I was shaking with fear, as I turned my back and began to run away. But the man, James, some how was in-front of me again stopping me in my tracks, then he gone. I held up my hands against my face to shield my self. I felt a horrible piercing, and burning sensation, slice through my left palm.

My hole world began to shake. I felt two strong arms enclose around me and all I could see was the color of copper, no perhaps bronze. The color whispered sweetly to me "It's okay Bella. Your safe. I'll make it go away."

***

I was startled awake and sat up quickly. It had been years since I had that nightmare, and I had almost forgotten about it actually. A fire, set up a few feet from were I was sleeping, caught my attention. It was crackling, popping, and giving off amazing warmth. I moved closer. The temperature had around me dropped considerably and I found my self shaking from the cold in my jeans and light sweater shirt. Maybe that was why the dream came back.

As I moved a cloth fell from my lap. Some one, I suppose the same person who built the fire, also rapped a long dark coat around me. I shoved my arms through the sleeves, felling warmer already. The coat smelled magnificent, like sun, and spice and man. I took several deep breaths letting the smell intoxicate me.

I heard the crunch of foot steps, near the little clearing I occupied, looking up I was shocked to find a boy, no older than me, with dark hair, and jeans and a long sleeve shirt approaching towards me and holing a pile of sticks. He stared at me with a cautioned gazes as he knelt on the other end of the fire from me. He placed his pile down and began stroking the fire to see if more lumber needed to be added. Neither one of us broke the silence.

Finally the boy sighed. "You should know it is very dangerous to be in a forest all alone. Especially the forest in this county. You are fortunate that I found you, any one else would have hurt you. You must exercise more cation Princess, many people here would do you harm."

"Why? Who are you?"

"Your a princess, and royalty cause one of two extremes from people, compliance or hostility. And for you a lot of men would go for hostility."

"Why is that? Is charlie a bad king or something?"

"No Charlie is a good man, a good king. Hard to come by really."

"Then why would..."

"Charlie is not the only king in the area though."

"He's not?"

"No." the boy smiled warmly "he's not" I was shocked, even in the dim light, at how attractive his features were. Like that of a Greek god. I could not take my eyes off of him and when he move in the light, his hair would flash bronze before it would fall back into shadows.

"You still didn't tell me who you are." I accused

"No I didn't."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Nope"

"That's not fair you know who I am."

"Exactly. And what would you father do if he knew I took care of you?

"He would thank you, I'm sure."

"Really."

"I...no... I'm not sure of anything any more. Besides what does it matter I might not be princess any more."

"What do you mean." he said shifting closer, and in the light I could now see clearly his smoldering honey gold eyes.

"The doctor doesn't think Charlie can be my real dad, and Charlie believed him." A tear fell from my eyes.

"And why would the Doctor say something like that." The boy sat so close we were nearly touching.

"Because of a stupid scar I've had forever."

"Ah" he smiled and grabbed my left hand in his cold iron grasp. He inspected my scar. "A Vampire bite can change a lot of things." he sighed.

"There's no such thing as Vampires" I yelled jumping up. "This whole Country is loony."

"Is that what you think?" he asked standing up slowly next to me.

"Yes, that's what I think,that's what every one should think."

He grabbed my left hand again and stroked the scar lightly he touch leaving goosebumps in it wake. "I wish you were right." He whispered "I'm sorry..." suddenly he looked up and over my shoulder his stance turned defensive and the air was charged for a short second. But when his golden eyes returned back to mine captivating my whole attention he smiled. "I must go the wolves are coming and I would prefer to avoid a confrontation with them."

"Wha...?" that was not what I expected.

" Princess, Please don't come back to the forest again. It's dangerous. Please stay safe." He whispered in my ear, his cool breath tickling my neck. I heard a howl from some where to my left, and I automatically turned towards it. Nothing was there and when I looked for the boy he was gone as well.