The Prince's Wish

Chapter One

ONE

"No, no, you're doing it all wrong!" My overly protective mother had shouted at me.

She was teaching me to drive. It was about time, too. I'd been nagging and nagging for her to teach me, but being the protective mum that she was, she refused every time. But now she had no excuse. I was turning sixteen in three weeks, which meant I could finally get my learner's permit and there was no way she was letting me out on the roads with no experience.

"Maybe if you'd tried teaching me earlier, this wouldn't be quite so hard!" I retorted, angrily.

"Oh? How so?"

"For the past four years, all you've been cramming into my head is stupid dessert recipes. Which, by the way, I am never going to use. How do you expect me to learn anything new?"

So maybe the desserts my mother made were absolutely delicious, but that did not mean I was going to turn into the "perfect-wife-and-mother-figure" that she was.

Marriage and motherhood had never been part of my agenda for life. All I wanted to do was have a successful job and a relaxed lifestyle. It sounded good to me. No boys, no sharing, nothing but myself and my wants.

"Adara!" She yelled from the passenger seat. "Watch the road! For Pete's sake, you are the worst driver in the world."

"Learnt from the best," I snorted back.

Ignoring my snide remark, she pointed her finger to the road. I had a bad habit of getting distracted by small things. My mum knew that, too. Perhaps that was why she was so reluctant when it came to teaching me to drive.

On the other hand, my dad had no objections. It was just our homely saying "what-mum-says-goes" that stopped him ever letting me get out on the road earlier. And they weren't even actual roads, just back streets that led nowhere. I really didn't see the danger, and neither did Dad.

There is more to our similarities than just disagreeing with Mum. I inherited his light blonde hair, grey coloured eyes and doughy cheeks, but most of all I had his stubborn, snarky attitude. Mum had it, too - but only with some things. Like teaching me to drive, for example.

"Adara!" Mum yelled again. "What are you doing?!"

I hadn't noticed the slight drizzle that wet the road. The car started to veer, and before I knew it, we were hydroplaning. I couldn't control the steering wheel, and trying only made it worse.

Deafened by Mum's screams and blinded by her arms furiously trying to take a hold of the wheel, I attempted to see out of the side window. We were going to crash into the car at the end of the road. Either that, or the car would roll and we'd die.

Luckily, we avoided the latter and we'd survived.

Mum's face was red and her hair was a mess. "Oh my goodness, Adara! Look what you've done!" she shrieked, stepping out of our crumpled car and staring at the even more crumpled car I'd crashed in to.

"Is anyone inside?" I asked, trying to stay calm as Mum inspected the other vehicle.

"I don't think so, but - "

"Hey!" Came a sturdy voice from behind us. "What on Earth?"

I turned around and wanted to melt. Not only was the person before me tall, broad-shouldered and annoyingly cliche in being perfectly toned, his hair was dark brown and eyes a deep blue. I was surprised to see that he looked my age but that I'd never seen him around school.

"I'm so sorry," I mumbled, stepping closer to his body of perfection, "you see, I'm just learning, and the road is wet, and I just lost control, I'm really sorry," I added, looking over at his dilapidated mess of metal.

"It is fine," he replied. His voice was deep and smooth. "Is everybody okay?"

I glanced over at my mother, who was standing over our car looking shocked, she was fine.

"Yeah," I said, turning back to him, "luckily. Although I don't think she's very pleased with me."

His lips curved in the corner of his mouth and he gave a small laugh. He offered his hand.

"I'm Danyl," he said.

I took his hand. It was warm and very soft. Was he perfect, or was it just me? 

"I'm Adara," I replied.

I held his grasp longer than I should have. My hand was comfortable inside of his. I let go and tried to hide my smile. I knew I must have looked like a complete fool. I directed my focus back to my mother, who was frantically pacing around while on the phone to who I assumed was my father.

"I'll call you a taxi," he said all of a sudden, "I can get myself home."

"Are you kidding me?" I gasped. "I crashed into your car and completely destroyed it, I should be the one calling you a taxi."

"And you're paying for the damage, missy!" My mum yelled, placing the phone to her chest.

"I already had that in mind, thank you!" I sneered.

"It is not necessary," he stated, "I'll have someone tow the cars. If you're kind enough to give me your address, I'll have yours taken straight to you."

Not being well-prepared for a chance meeting with Prince Charming, I'd not packed a pen or paper.

"Here," he uttered, pulling a small notebook and pen from his jacket, "write it in here."

"Do you carry around that notebook hoping to gain the addresses of random teenage girls?" I mocked.

He chuckled. "You are hardly a random teenage girl. You destroyed my car."

"Again, I'm really sorry about that," I insisted, scribbling my name and address onto his notebook.

"It is no problem," he replied, "I'll see you again soon, Adara."

A strange sensation turned throughout my stomach. I really hoped he meant what he said. Because I sure wanted to see him again soon.