Walking on Thin Ice

Chapter 1 + A/N

Author's Note

Hey there 😄
This is my first ever fanfic, well in Wattpad to be exact. (I have no idea whether it's considered a fanfic if it's not involving any fandoms huehue)

I apologise for the spelling errors and grammar mistakes in advance, English isn't my first language (though I ain't exactly fluent in my first language either ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

Just to inform you, this story is a slow build. I know, it'll be a bit boring but please bear with me. 🙇🏻 I'll try to make each chapter at least 1000 words.

'Author, you're crazy.'
Yeah, I know.

I know not many people will read the Author's Note so thank you for your time and happy reading. 🙆

Chapter 1

By the seaside of a village, in a small shack made of stone and wood, lived a small family of three. Two, if you exclude the cat.

A lady by the name of Katrina Hatheway had inhabited the shack which she called home at the early age of 22. A couple years later, she got married to a handsome gentleman named Leon Alderstein, who was loved by many.

They lived a comfortable life, not too rich but not too poor either. Katrina worked as a highly respected teacher at her makeshift classroom she had set up beside her house, teaching young village children with her collection of books that were given to her by her late mother. Leon worked as a fisherman, leaving the house as early as 5 o'clock in the morning and returning to shore an hour after the sun sets.

They were gifted with a beautiful baby girl when Katrina was 25 years old. She had the prettiest green eyes that anyone would die for, and silky soft light brown hair that turns red whenever the Sun hits it. She was a cheerful child, always keen on helping her mother around the house. She was given the name Alana, prior to her mother's late grandmother.

Yes, Katrina really did adore her family.

Unfortunately, her husband had been taken away from her by one thundery evening when Alana was only 9. It was unexpected, to say the least. It had just been a bright and sunny day in the afternoon, before a single rain cloud became a few lightning strikes.

Due to that, Alana had since been afraid of thunder and lighting strikes. Whenever it happens, she would crawl into her mother's arms as she whispered soothing words or embrace her cat when her mother was at the village, tutoring children whose parents had requested for her to tutor them privately.

Now, Alana was currently 17 years old. She had grown up into a beautiful young lady, admired by many of the boys from the inner village.

In just two days, the Reaping was going to be held at the Town Hall.

What is the Reaping, you ask?

The Reaping is a gathering of teenagers that are of legal age to be wedded (17 years old to 21 years old). Attendance is compulsory, and there will be guards roaming around to find for those who try to escape.

The Reaping is held whenever a Prince from the Kingdom is of age, which is 18 years old. The said Prince will choose a person of their choice in a crowd of people, and bring them back to the castle. The chosen one is to live at the castle for the rest of their lives, but are allowed to visit their hometown only when permissible by their Prince. But if he fails to chose a person, another Reaping will be held two months after.

She knew her mother would try to hide her from the guards who roam around. It was quite selfish of her, she was aware of that, but if she were to leave her, it will only be years until they could finally meet.

And just to her luck, this year will be the year Prince Nikolas turns 18.

Not to say that he's not a nice person, but he's not a nice person. His icy blue eyes could probably kill his enemies or at least throw actual knifes at them. His resting face was so scary that a servant had resigned because he couldn't take it anymore. It's a wonder how a person like that could have his own personal fan club.

Sighing, Alana closed her journal and scratched the back of her cat's ears affectionately. To think that the day would come by so quickly...

Of course, as a child, she had dreamed of a Prince Charming coming to her on his trusty steed ever since she had heard about the Reaping. Which child with a huge imagination didn't, honestly?

Although a small part of her thought that it would be nice to be chosen. But she knew she couldn't leave her mother just yet. Who was going to tend to their little self-made garden when her mother was out in the village?

"Alana!" Her mother's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Getting up from her spot beneath the Apricot tree, her brown hair danced with the wind as she turned to look at her mother.

"Yes, mum?" She replied, walking over to the house with her journal in hand and her cat in tow.

"Do you mind going to the market for me, darling?" Katrina stood at the door of their home, a soft smile gracing her features as she watched her daughter.

"But of course, mother." She nodded and accepted the list that was handed to her, along with a small purse.

Placing her journal on the counter near the doorway, she gave Katrina a quick kiss on her cheek and bid her goodbye.

The market was a mere few minutes away. The brunette hummed a soft melody as she walked across a small bridge, enjoying the serene sky.

"Mummy, Lana's here!" A little girl said  from one of the stalls when Alana stepped into the entrance of the market.

"What can I get you, dear?" The little girl's mother said, smiling as Alana walked to their stall, which was selling vegetables.

"I'd like the usual, please." Alana said, returning a smile to both the lady and little girl.

"Of course." The lady went to get the items ready as the little girl beamed up at Alana.

"Lana, are you excited for the Reaping?" She asked.

"Not really. It's quite frightening, to be honest."

"What if you were the chosen one?" The little girl bounced on the tips of her toes, not quite tall enough to look over the display boxes on the table.

"I doubt that will happen, Lisa." Alana giggled at the girl's efforts. "Besides, there are many girls in this village. Who knows, maybe he's into males."

"But you're so pretty, Lana." Lisa mused.

Before she could prompt the older female with anymore questions, the lady appeared next to Lisa with a couple of bags in her hand.

"Here you go. That will be $15."

After paying the amount and taking the bags, she thanked the lady and her daughter and carried on buying the groceries.

A half hour later, she was just left with a couple more items on the list. Just as she was heading to the next stall, she noticed a noisy crowd had formed around the entrance of the market.

Out of curiosity, she went over to them, wondering what the fuss is all about.

That is, until she saw a pair of piercing blue eyes looking in her direction.

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