Fortwealth Palace, Great North.

It was an unexpected night, the moon shone brightly through the dark sky. The weather was foul, the sky a murky grey. Rain lashed down on the windows in warning, but the weather didn't matter. For today was a joyous occasion. People from far and wide gathered at Fortwealth Palace, rumours going around about the child. The royal families child. The new princess. Gifts were given and blessings were said. The child was an angel, a gift sent from heaven. That's what the people thought anyway. She was a rarity. That night was full of food, celebrations, and wishes. But it didn't last. All good things must come to an end.

While the Kingdom was full of cheers, eyes from outside the palace were watching...And waiting. Eyes of fury and rage. Eyes that sought revenge.

In the distance, an old woman with a black hood appeared. She looked at the palace with curious eyes. But that look soon faded and turned into something else. It wasn't a look of joy, her eyes were full of anger and revenge. She walked away and disappeared though the darkness.

Meanwhile, the party had finished and the people had gone. After bidding everyone goodnight, The queen walked to her room with her baby. She carried her child and swung her arms slowly to the left and right, lulling the child to sleep.

It didn't take long. A few minutes later, the baby was fast asleep, so the queen put her in her small, delicate crib and kissed her forehead.

Suddenly, a ear piercing scream echoed from outside the palace. The queen left the child and rushed outside frantically. She threw open the heavy door and peered outside. The rain was pouring down harder than ever and a storm had started brewing so she stepped out onto the porch to get a better look. She called out loudly and her voice rang out for miles.

"Hello? Is anybody there?"

There was no reply. As she tried to find out where the scream had come from, she looked up at the huge window in the middle of the castle. Her eyes widened in shock at what she saw and she ran back to her room, her dress trailing in the mud behind her. She was too late. The door to the bedroom was wide open. She saw the crib and rummaged through the many blankets, but it was no us. The baby was gone...and the window was wide open.

In desperation, she looked through the opened window, but she couldn't see anything because the storm was still raging, its grey thunderclouds filling the sky. She was about to leave the room when a huge lightning strike came and lit the sky with its bright glow. In that moment, she saw the baby being carried by a strange woman in a black hood. The lightning faded and the woman disappeared...The queens child along with her. She collapsed onto the ground and let her tears stream down her face. She let them flow for hours until finally, she calmed down slightly. She returned to her bedroom and spent her night crying there instead.

Right after the tragedy that night, the castle was closed and heavily guarded every single day. No one could go in without an ID, and no one could leave without the queens permission. And every single day, the same thing was on her mind.

Who was that strange woman? And what did she want with her child?

Special thanks to majesticwolf333 for editing the story 😉.