two princesses

Two kingdoms, both small, stood apart each other from a large lake that separated them. You’d think that these two would work together with each other, but this was sadly not the case. The two kingdoms fought each other quite often, due to tension that was caused by the two princesses.

Princess Emily ruled the kingdom on the left. She was a brown-haired girl who was the age of 26. A lot of people in the kingdom liked her, even some in the right kingdom did as well, but had to keep it a secret due to the tensions.

The right kingdom was ruled by princess Payton, who was a light-brown haired girl who was only 19 years old. Payton and Emily had many problems with each other. Princess Emily came under attack by Payton, who accused her of tricking her people and lying to them about how she got her way into power via sleeping around, when really that went towards princess Emily by Payton’s sources.

Once that was out, the two kingdoms were off to the races, and not in a good way. While cannons and swords weren’t involved, brawls were a common thing to happen in the two kingdoms, with even some spilling out into the lake.

Then one faithful day, a small boy got killed when he drowned in the lake, during a battle. His mother, who was a witch, placed a curse on the castles, that turned the princess that ruled them, to turn into demons, who would cause havoc on the towns people, every full moon.

And indeed, it did. Many had died, as the demons rushed into the homes of the towns people and killed them off one by one. Then one day, the towns people found a way to break the curse, or at least cause the princesses to turn into demons, and kill all their subjects.

Princess Jennifer, the princess and mother to princess Emily, had started sleep walking. Guards had been told to watch her in case she gets hurt. On the night of the full moon, the princess was out of the castle. The guards never realized this until they heard screams from across the lake.

From that point on, guards were instructed to take the princesses away from the castle and watch over them for the night, until sunrise when the curse ended.

“Yep…I’m positive…there’s going to be a full moon tonight.”

The bold statement was made by an old man with a white beard, and white hair. His clothes were quite dirty and torn up, and he sat on a tree stump. Two guards were before him, both being from the two kingdoms across the lake.

“You positive…”

The old man nodded.

“I’ve never been wrong, but trust me, some days I wish I was…especially on a day like today. My legs are just really cramped.”

The guards sighed and thanked the man. He was an old man who was known to predict the weather, weather it was droughts or rains, or things that happen in the sky like mediator showers, or of course, full moons.

The two guards walked back towards their kingdoms. The guard from Emily’s kingdom had brown hair, and wore glasses. He was about 16 years old.

The guard on the left was 20 years old with sandy blond hair.

“You’re lucky that you’re protecting Emily…” the guard with sandy blond hair said.

“Yeah…”

“Yeah…” the guard said. The two looked at each other and stopped walking.

“Names Joey, and you are…”

“Harold.”

The two shook hands.

“Well, Harold, like I said, you should be lucky that you’re protecting Emily. I would get killed for saying this, but I’m tired of Princess Payton.”

“Let me guess, it’s because of the accusations against my princess?”
Joey nodded.

“I’m so fucking tired of it too. My dad told me stories of how things were peaceful, how our two kingdoms would work together to help each other out. Now because my princess had to open her god damn mouth about some shit that he made up one day, we’re always fighting…”

“Yeah…”

“Which…is why I’m hoping, you can do me a favor…” the guard said, putting his hand on Harold’s shoulder.

“And what would that be…”

“I need you to watch Princess Payton tonight…”

“You’re kidding, right?”
Joey shook his head.

“Trust me…I am so sick of princess Payton. She’s so bossy and rude, and if you say one thing about how she’s wrong about Emily being this evil being, it’s to the dungeon. I’m sick of it…”

“I don’t know…you sure about this?”

“I don’t care. I’m going to get in trouble anyway if I have to watch that bitch. I swear I’ll take her head off!”

Joey walked off towards Emily’s kingdom…leaving Harold standing there, wondering what to do.

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“Are the guards well aware and prepared for what’s going on?” Princess Emily said, sitting at her throne.

“I have made the arrangement and have told them about it.” Emily’s mom said.

“Good…” she said, sitting back in her throne. The last thing she needed was to turn into a demon and start attacking her subjects.

“Oh, here comes one of the guards now…”

Joey walked into the room, looking as though he was quite lost. The castle seemed to be much nicer than the one princess Payton had.

“There you are…”

Joey jumped a bit.

“I take it you’re going to be the one escorting me out of the castle tonight?” Emily asked. Joey nodded.

“Good…we’ll be leaving at sundown. Till then I’m probably going to take a nap, make sure to wake me up before then.”

Joey nodded. Emily got confinable in her throne, grabbing a small pillow and putting it behind her, closing her eyes and resting them. Joey sat down in the seat, resting himself.

“I’ll stay awake…I’m sure of it…” he said to himself. His words didn’t match his actions however, as soon, his eyes started to slowly close, and stay closed…while his mind went numb, and everything went black.

One thing that Harold noticed was that there really wasn’t much of anything different with the kingdom on the other side of the pond. It was pretty much the same as Emily’s kingdom. There was the same kind of people that walked the streets, the same kind of stores from blacksmiths to merchants, the castle even looked quite the same.

“It’s almost like I’m in my own kingdom…” Harold said to himself under his breath. He headed up to the castle.

Harold got nervous when he saw guards standing at the entrance of the door. At least a good 4 where all standing in front of the entrance over the draw bridge, which had its good amount of alligators in it. Even from a far Harold could see the creatures walking around and swimming in the water.

He thought he was going to get caught, but to his surprise they let him in with no hassle or even questioning.

Once inside, he walked around the castle, which looked quite different from the one in the kingdom he belonged to. The castle looked duller, not quite as shiny as the one in Emily’s kingdom. There wasn’t really anything that stood out or shinned.

No paintings could be seen on the walls, which were a very dull grey color. Rats could be seen walking around the corridor has though they were welcome guest. Knowing stories of what diseases these rats caused, Harold made sure to keep away from them.

“Excuse me…”

Harold turned around to see a brown-haired girl in a blue dress, with a hair crown on her head and blue slippers on.

“I take it you’re the one who’s going to be escorting me out of the castle tonight?”

Harold nodded.

Princess Payton came closer to Harold, which made him nervous. Even more so when she narrowed her eyes.

“Joey, right?”

Harold wanted to lie, but even if it wasn’t his princess, he didn’t want to flat out lie, so he told half of one.

“No, I’m Harold. Joey couldn’t make it due to a sudden sickness he got.”

“Strange, he seemed pretty healthy this morning when I sent him out to talk to the old weather predictor near the bay, then again I’m sure he probably decided to skip out or something. I’m pretty sure he’s on Emily’s side.”

Harold said nothing as Princess Payton made her way back to her throne, watching out for the rats and shoeing them away.

“You know, god forbid I try to expose that little rat for what she really is…”
Harold still didn’t say anything.

“Well, you have something to say about the incident between me and Emily?”

“No…” Harold said.

Princess Payton sighed and sat back in her throne.

“Well, as long as you’re not one of those guards who thinks I’m crazy. I mean look at this place, pretty dull, isn’t it?” Payton said, putting her hand out and around the area.

“We were going to redecorate it and make it look all better, but of course the funds for it mysteriously disappeared the day we were going to do it. Strange how that same day princess Emily has a whole new interior over in her kingdom…”

Harold though back, and looking back at it now, the timing did seem quite strange. The kingdom was suffering from a drought at the moment, and was bleeding money, yet somehow, they had enough to improve the interior of the castle? Something just didn’t seem right about that.

“Well, come on, I want to get out of here early…”

“How come?”

“Just in case…” Princess Payton said. “Better safe than sorry…”

Harold nodded and started to escort the princess out of the castle.

“Just be careful, I don’t want too many people to see us…”

“Paranoid that someone is going to assassinate you…”

Payton nodded…

“Sadly, even my “loyal” subjects are starting to turn on me, all because they can’t open their eyes and recognize what that princess over at the pond is doing…” she said in an aggressive manner.

Harold stayed quiet and continued to escort the princess.

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As night started to fall, not many knew of what was coming. Joey was still asleep, and as was Princess Emily. The guards who were supposed to check on them, decided to go watch the sunset that was happening. After all, they were stressed out and needed to see the sight of the sun waving goodbye over the horizon before they throw themselves in the dungeon as they have a nervous breakdown from the stress levels taking over their bodies.

Nobody checked on the two, so when the sun finally said goodbye over the horizon, all hell started to break lose. The princess started making moaning noises, which started to awake Joey. When he looked around, he started to panic.

“Shit!” he said out loud.

It was too little to late however, as Emily started to slowly transform from a young lady, to a dark, shadow figure, that stood at least 8 feet tall. Market with claws, and eyes that were pure crimson, the figure stood up from the thrown, and started to walk towards Joey.

Joey made a mad dash for the door, but black liquid had glued the door shut. Joey started pounding on the door franticly, he didn’t want to die.

“Come on, come on!” he shouted at the doors, banging on them. He turned around to see the creature starring down at him.

Tears ran down Joey’s face, he trembled and hit the ground on his knees, pleading at the creature.

“Please…please have mercy…”

The creature looked at him for a while. Nothing but the sound of his own whimpering filled Joey’s ears. The creature finally spoke, in a voice that was that of Princess Emily’s mixed in with a deep voice that sounded unhuman.

“Well…since you have released me due to your incompetence, I suppose that’s the least I could do…”

The creature’s arm went right into Joey’s chest, not making a dent or even busting it open. It grabbed Joey’s heart out, leaving him there stunned, with still no mark on his chest. Joey fell, the same expression he had from the creature pulling out his heart, was still on his face.

With the sound of crunching, the creature opened up its own chest, and placed the heart inside. Once inside, the creature closed it up.

“Ahh…how the hearts of those always seem to fill me up with energy.” The creature started to look around. To its surprise, nobody was coming in, nobody was panicking. No guards were rushing in trying to kill it, and no towns people outside were screaming and trying to hide. The creature had gone undetected.

“Well…since nobody has been made aware about my appearance, let me see if I can join up with my other…or if not turned into a creature like me…go for the kill of a princess that these two damned villages will never forget…”

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Begin outside with the princess wasn’t that bad for Harold. The only downside to this job was that he had to pull an all nightery, something that he had yet to do, let alone was good at doing. The princess on the other hand, didn’t want to sleep.

“Honestly, I kind of don’t want to go to bed.” Princess Payton said, laying on her back looking up at the stars above her.

“It’s just so dang beautiful outside, all the stars dancing in the sky, the sounds of all the night creatures…it’s just so peaceful…so wonderful to listen to.”

“Yeah…” Harold said, looking down at the ground.

“Almost makes me forget of all the trouble with that other bitch across the lake…”

Harold still didn’t say anything. He was thinking about telling Payton the truth, but just then, he felt the ground shake below him. He looked up to see a large dark figure walking towards him and Payton.

“oh shit…”

“What?” Princess Payton said, sitting up right.

“Emily turned into the creature…”

Harold quickly army crawled over to Payton, occasionally looking back. The creature stopped, looking up at the moon. It started to spread its arms out, letting the moon hit its body. Payton and Harold quickly started to run away from the creature, who from behind spotted them. Harold could feel the eyes of the demon right on him, and started to run faster.

“Ahh…there they are…” the creature said to himself. He then started running after the two. The giant footsteps of the creature could be felt by both Payton and Harold. Payton started tearing up, fearing that this would be her last day on earth, let alone as a princess.

The creature disappeared for a second, turning into a shadow before appearing right before the two. Harold and Payton fell back.

“Well…well, hello princess.”

“What the hell do you want?” Payton said, tears coming out of her eyes even faster and harder.

“Funny you ask…but I think before I start this year’s usual rampage, I have someone to accompany me. It just hasn’t been as fun ever since you two bitches stopped staying in your proper place.”
Harold didn’t know what to do. He wanted to hit the creature with his sword, but he felt it
wouldn’t do jack, against the giant creature.

“Now come princess, let’s not make things bloody and brutal, let’s just get you back to the castle where you belong, and turn you into a nice…big monster…just like me…”

Princess Payton put her head right into Harold’s chest, holding him tightly. Harold felt bad. He wanted to do something, wanted to fight the creature with his bare, swing his sword and take his wounds like a man, but he wasn’t…he was a coward.

He tried backing up, backing away from the creature, but in one swift movement, the creature pushed him down with one hand, and took the princess with his other hand.

“Come now princess, let’s put you back in the castle where you rightfully belong…” the creature said. Harold tried to get up, but it was hard for him to do. His vision was blurry and he wouldn’t see straight.

“Princess…” he said, reaching his hand out to Payton, who was screaming at the top of her lungs, hoping that someone would hear her.

Harold looked around, hoping to get his vision back, and fast too. As he was looking around, he noticed the old man from earlier, looking on at the site that had just played out before him, with a blank expression on his face.

Harold slowly got up and started to head towards the man.

“Don’t worry…” the man said. He slowly pulled out a small little brown book, that seemed quite dirty and wrinkled. He slowly scrolled through the pages while Harold watched with his eyes on him. He didn’t care how long the man knew this or why he didn’t tell the town sooner, he needed an answer, and he needed one now.

Finally, the old man spoke.

“In order for the beast to not be unleashed, the one guarding the princess must place his lips on hers. From there, everything else is in the princess’s hands.”

“You sure?”

The man nodded his head “yes” slowly. Harold didn’t want to argue with the man. At this point he could have told him the way to defeat the princess was to jump in a pit of tar and cover himself with feathers and he would have done it.

He quickly ran after the creature, which he could see from a far distance.

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Princess Payton’s screaming had turned into simple cries and small whimpers. Everyone in the town looked on and simply ran away when they saw that the princess was captured by the creature. As much as they wanted to do something, they knew it was too late for her, and simply ran off before
she turned into a creature as well.

“Some loyal subjects you have princess…”

The monster and princess finally made it into the castle. Once in, the monster looked around.

“I don’t know what all the fuss is about, this castle seems like my kind of castle…”

“Wait!”

Harold quickly entered the castle, stopping right before the creature, who turned and stared directly into his soul.

“Well, well, look who it is?”

“Let me speak to the princess…” Harold said bravely. The monster stood for a couple of seconds, seemingly frozen. Harold braced himself for the monster to either jump out or kill him somehow.

“I suppose…” the monster said. He put the princess down, still with a one black arm wrapped around the princess waist. The princess embraced Harold tightly.

“Get out of here Harold…”

Harold put his hands on the princess cheeks.

“You’re not going to like me for this Payton, but…”

Before the princess could ask, Harold kissed her. To his surprise, the princess held the kiss for quite some time. He thought she’d push him away, but she didn’t. Once he let go, a glow formed around Payton, but the monster seemed to not notice.

“Aw…how touching. Even with that kiss however, I’m afraid you’re not going to be getting a happy ending…”

The monster tossed Payton right into the chair. The moon light hit her, making her shine even brighter. The monster waited for her to transform…and waited…and waited some more, but nothing happened.

“What the hell…”

The monster then looked directly back at Harold, his eyes bigger than they ever where, and filled with complete rage. Harold started to run, but before he could, the monster leaped right on him.

“What did you do!” the monster shouted in Harold’s face, it’s arm wrapped around his neck like a noose. Payton quickly got up and started to shove the monster off him. As soon as her hand contacted the creature, it’s black inky flesh melt. The monster let out a scream in pain. The scream was so loud, blood started spirting out of Harold’s ears, and he could have sworn he heard the floor vibrate.

“What the hell is going on?” he shouted, confused and angry. Princess Payton put her hands right on the creature’s face, causing it to scream in pain even louder. From both wounds the creatures skin started to melt away, and Princess Emily could be seen again. The creature tried to attack, but it was simply too weak.

Finally, it collapses, the black inky skin melting away, and once again Princess Emily’s body was back. Payton rushed over to Harold and gave him a huge hug.

“Thank you for saving me…” she said, tears streaming down her face a bit. Harold smiled and patted her back.

“It’s ok Princess, it’s all over now.”

Just then, Emily started getting up. She looked around the room, confused as to where she was, and trying to remember what happened last.

“W-what?” she stammered out, trying to make sense of everything.

“Oh, hello Princesses Emily…I think you owe me something…” Payton said, putting her arm on her hip and looking at Emily with great displeasure.

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A lot had changed after that night. For one, before the village could get upset, Emily stepped down and with that, had let Princess Payton rule the kingdoms, which had become one again. It was also thanks to this, according to the old man, that the curse was finally broken.

Payton’s castle had gotten the reservations it had deserved, and thought not in a relationship with her, Harold and Payton at least became quite close to each other. The two sat on top of the castle, watching the sun set.

“I still can’t thank you enough for saving me that night…” Princess Payton said. “After all my kingdom has gone through, the last I needed was to deal with me becoming a monster and attacking my subjects, who’d probably use that as an excuse to kill me.”

“You still don’t think that do you?” Harold asked, with some concern in his voice.

“Well, not anymore…what I do think is that you and I should maybe…get married one day.”
Harold was taken back a bit by the statement, and Princess Payton could tell.

“Let me guess, too soon?”

“We’ll see Princess…we’ll see…”