I watched as the sun slowly rose from the hills, the light hitting me almost instantly. I watched as the darkness faded away, revealing the pale skin, the chesnut hair, the frail hands, and the black dress. I sighed, watching as the shadow slowly dissapeared.
I don't feel bad for what I did.
I needed to leave.
I needed to be gone.
I don't belong there.
I'm Princess Acacia. Well, Acacia. I am the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II. I'm going to tell you what happened back there. But, let me tell you the story first.
1000 years ago, the time of my ancestors, a princess stood in the court yard of the palace. Her white dress wrapped around her body as she stood in the shadows, the moon her only source of light. The guards eventually found her, quickly calling the man. He appeared. A smile on his face when he saw the beautiful face of the princess.
"You idiotic girl! Running away from the man you are wed to." His voice was like a snakes.
"You are not my husband and I will never love you..." She hissed back.
The guards grabbed her by the arms and held her tight, as she struggled to break free. The mans hand caressed her face. Unaware of what she was about to do, her arm broke free from the guards grasp, slapping the man across the face. He seemed taken a back by her actions.
"You fool! Don't you know what I can do to you?!" His voice was cold and unforgiving.
"If you like hiding in the shadows so much, maybe you should just become a shadow!" It was too fast, before the girl faded away, into nothing but a shadow.
"No!" Her voice whispered, almost impossible to hear.
"I curse you and the princess of every other generation to be a shadow. Each full moon, you will become a shadow, and you will not turn back until morning."
That is all I know of the story.
Unfortunately, I'm also a shadow princess. I turn into a shadow every full moon, and I stay that way until sunrise, when the light hits me.
I walked to the only place I trusted.
The Tower of London.
The guard, Lennox, stood guard as always.
I quickly slipped past him into a dark chamber. An old, wooden guillotine stood in the middle of the room. I walked past it running my hands along the blade, before leaning my back against the cement wall.
"Oh, Acacia... why would you do this?" I heard my grandmothers voice in my head. I blocked it out, watching as the sun danced along the dark walls.
A shadow appeared.
That's impossible.
I have no shadow.
I'm my shadow.
Don't fear me Acacia...
A chilling voice whispered. It didn't scare me, but I stayed quiet, listening for more.
I am Princess Charlotte. I have been here for over 200 years, waiting for you.
"What have I done?" I could hear the shaking in my voice, but it wasn't fear.
Acacia, you have done nothing. It is what you need to do.
I stayed silent, waiting for it to continue.
As you know, you are a shadow princess. As well as me and the other 4 princesses that lurk in the shadows of this tower.
"Yes."
Acacia, you have till midnight on January 13th. That was my birthday.
"To do what?"
You never heard the rest of the story... shadow princesses turn into shadows each full moon. But, on their eighteenth birthday, they stay that way... forever...
I couldn't breath. That's in one month. I only have a month.
"What?"
Acacia, you need to break the curse. If you can break the curse by midnight on January 13th, you will be saved. You will never become a shadow again. You will be able to cross over to the afterlife... Unlike us...
"Why are you telling me this?"
Because Acacia, we don't want you to suffer. Shadow princesses must stay together... we want to save you...
I nodded.
"What do I have to do?"
I need you to follow my steps.
I nodded again, gulping. But before she could say something else a bright light shone on me, causing her to disappear.
"What are you doing in here?!" Shit. Lennox. I didn't even respond before I took off running, through the court yard, trying to get to the street.
But before I could leave the property, I heard her voice once more.
Meet me here... at midnight.
