one

In the shadows lurks a protective guard they are called the kings shadows. I know them as the Assassins Guild, I first met one when the King and Queen were greeting the crowd. It was Bashanne, a holiday celebrating the trading of the kingdom; our King was King Phillip and his wife Queen Charlotte of course they had their two sons and daughter Princes John and Louis , the youngest the Princess Ellen.

I was only a fisherman's daughter and at the time I was only twelve, I was there with my mother and my siblings; my father was closing up the stall but said we could all go ahead and enjoy the festivities. I was the seventh child of nine children; my mother was there watching us along with our aunt and uncle. I was so overwhelmed by all the food, decorations and of course the royalty. I was always jealous of them because they had everything and did not even have to work.
Mom says royals have many responsibilities, but all I saw was a happy family with three spoiled children; "Mom can I go get some sweets?" My mother was too busy with my younger brothers to hear me, so I went off with what money I saved up through the year and bought a pastry that was frosted a sweet rarity being a present but the baker usually docked the price for my eldest brother Raymond was his apprentice.
"Raymond !" I yelled to get his attention to he was making pies "Stella, where is mom and pop?" I smiled "Dad is closing up and mom is trying to get Owen and Warren to stop fighting". Raymond sighed and handed me the pastries "Here you go and i will cover it , tell mom and pop I love them how's there rest of them"?


I sighed there was nine siblings Raymond was twenty-four , Judith Twenty- three, Edith and Margaret the twins twenty, Matilda eighteen,Calvin seventeen, me twelve my brother Owen seven, and finally Warren six. I had to think "Judith visits and we saw Gabriel who's teething she says that Henry is still working as a scribe , Edith and Louis are expecting the baby in the next month or so, Margaret and Jacob are doing good so is Beatrice they say she still won't eat carrots, Matilda is marrying Daniel in two months , Calvin is courting the butcher's daughter Viviane, I'm fine , Owen is starting fights more often with Warren who likes playing in the mud to much". Raymond nods "Tell mom me and Flora and the kids are alright and we will try to visit sometime." I nodded and went on my way .
I went to the tree the over looked the market to eat my pastry, "I bet the Princess get these everyday ". I was picking at it "I bet she has a thousand dresses and none of them hand me down, I bet she talked all high pitched all nasal too".


I heard a laugh "Whose there". I looked around and shrugged it must of been the wind. I went back to eating leaning against the tree, I had finished my first one but luckily my.brother snuck two in the bag for me. I smiled as I ate; that's when I heard a woman "You know the Princess is not that bad". I looked around "Uh hello?" The voice talked "She is never truly happy". I frowned "Oh yeah how do you know". The all the sudden a woman with short black hair dropped in front of me, she was five foot five and word a black cloak with grey on the inside.
She had her mouth covered but the rest of her clothes were the colors of fall she works a red tunic and beige pants with black boots and she had two daggers at her hips "I have my ways".

I was in shock "What never seen a shadow before?" I gasped "Youre a kings shadow?" The woman had emerald green eyes that seemed to pierce straight through me "No, I thought they were a myth". The woman laughed "No my dear we are real and, you should not talk foul of your future queen". I frowned "I am sorry". The woman stood there "You are lucky a more stricter shadow, did not hear you or you would have that pastry smacked out of your mouth".
I was upset "Am I in trouble?" The woman sighed "No, I understand you are a child nothing more, every child has stupid rants". I frowned "Thank you ". I smiled little and looked at the woman "In want a pastry?" The woman last looked at me "No thank you, I packed for my stake out already". I ate my second one and gave her the one left in the bag "Well here, if you change your mind".

The woman removed her mouth cove to show a pair of full lips "Thank you young one I will enjoy it later". She took a bite and put the rest away "By the way should you not be getting back to your mother?" I smiled "How do you know I came with my mom?" The woman's smiled "Well I am a shadow, You are Stella Henrietta Dane Seventh child to a Abraham Robert Dane and a Priscilla Isabel Dane Maiden name Priscilla Isabel Fields".
I gasped "Wow". The woman smiled "Now run along young one ". I smiled "Wait what is your name ?" The woman smiled and put on her mouth cover "Esmeralda". I smiled and went to walk back and when I turned around about two feet away she was already gone.