Tamlin's Daughter

Chapter 1

-Odette's POV-

I stared out of my window, happy eighteenth birthday to me.

I sighed as I stood, stretching out my stiff body as I walked around my small room. I sat on the bed and twisted the ash wood cuffs around my wrists, I have never been allowed to take them off, and even if I could I doubted my father would let me live after.

"Odette, Happy birthday!" Clara smiled as she brought me my one meal of the day.

She was the only one who knew of my existence, other than my father.

"Eighteen years old and I still haven't seen beyond this small room." I sighed, flopping back on my bed.

"I want to get you out Odette, but you know what would happen," she said softly.

"I know Clara, you are good to me, but I can still dream." I said, smiling slightly.

"Is he going to leave me alone today?" I asked her, a little hopeful.

"I hope so, here, I'll open the window a little for you." She said, pulling the key out from around her neck.

She unlocked the window and pushed it open slightly, the wind rushed past my face, and I sighed, it was such an amazing feeling.

"I want to escape Clara," I whispered.

"I want you to escape too," she whispered back before leaving to carry on with her chores.

I smiled down at the food; Clara had put a little cake on the tray today. I sat on the window ledge as I ate, staring out over the bright green hills.

I had lost track of how many times I had drawn the view out of my window. Living in eternal spring had its downsides, one being that this room was always stuffy, the second being the view didn't ever change so I could only draw the same things.

Once I had eaten, I got my sketch book out and began to draw from my imagination. I liked drawing different animals from memory, Clara taught me about all of the animals found in Prythian.

I was completely lost in my own world, drawing often did that to me.

"Odette!" I jumped out of my skin as my name was yelled.

I quickly shoved the sketch book under my bed and closed the window. My father wouldn't like it if he saw the window open.

The door burst open, and I snapped my head to him. Without a word he grabbed my arm and dragged me out of my room.

This had never happened before. I was honestly terrified what was going on. He beat me every day, but he kept that to my room so none of the other servants saw.

"There is a High Lords meeting in two days, and you are coming with me." He told me.

I did nothing, a High Lord's meeting, that was a big deal.

"You listen to me very closely Odette, I am going to take the cuffs off your wrists, and you are going to shape shift into a mouse, or a rat, or a spider, something small that will go unnoticed." He told me.

How was I supposed to shape shift?

"I can't shape shift." I told him quietly.

"Yes, you can, why do you think I kept you in ash wood, now you will do as I say." He growled at me, snapping the cuffs off my wrists.

I felt the wind wrap around me as the magic in the air called to me, begging me to change forms, to show them what I could do.

With the song of the wind in my ear I shifted into a small bird. I flapped my wings and lifted my small body off the ground. I couldn't contain my joy as I flew around the room before hovering in the air in front of my father.

"Not quite what I had in mind, but it will do, now you will stay in your room, learning how to fly, until I call for you." He told me and Clara appeared.

I flew up and landed in her shoulder, I heard her giggle and I tweeted in delight.

"I should have guessed you would shift into a bird first," she laughed.

I was shocked, she knew, how?

"I'm going to tell you a secret Odette, when you go to the High Lords meeting you must stay away from the Night Court, no matter what happens you can't go near them." She told me and I flew to my bed, tilting my head to the side in question.

"The Night Court holds resentment towards your father, he hates them just as much, but I would not like to see the outcome of them finding out their long-time enemy has a daughter." She said softly.

I tweeted a thank you and she chuckled before leaving.