Disclaimer: I do not, despite how I wish, own Twilight or any of it's wonderful characters.

Summary:

I'm a princess. Aren't I supposed to have a fairytale ending?

The princess "ran away" 6 years ago. The country mourned her loss. No one knew what happened to her. They only knew she was gone.

Bella is a girl who remembers nothing of her past, only the last six years. Though she gets flickers of a life that couldn't possibly be hers. She lives like a peasant just trying to survive in the cold streets of Wales. She is found by a girl who becomes like a sister and helps her survive, but only as much as she can. And since she is of higher status her meetings with Bella are short and secret.

One night when while roaming the streets she meets a boy. When they meet she immediately falls in love. They meet by night and their romance begins, but when he is later revealed as the Prince of Wales and is destined to marry the Princess of England, who has just mysteriously been found, what will happen to their love? What will happen when after she finds the truth about her past she is taken away, but not by the ones that love her, but by ones who came to finish what they started six years ago?

By Moonlight

Prologue

Wales—1836

She fell, fell, and fell until she met the icy water below. Not a sound escaped her lips. Her lids were closed as she continued to be dragged downstream by the undetectable current.

The gems inlayed on her dress sparkled in the moonlight. The white silk spread out beneath and around her. Her wet dark curls clung to her pale face as she drifted. Her cheeks were pinched from the frosty temperature of the waters. Anyone who saw her swore she was an angel, fallen and met with a horrible fate.

The current pushed her onto a bank. She remained motionless. Her dress glittering as the moon reflected its light.

Happy Birthday, Bella.

The words burned themselves into my mind. As soon as I began to take a breath, the ice water removed itself from my lungs. I coughed and choked until all of it was finally gone.

I pushed my hands against the pebbly soil as I heard a clatter rushing towards my direction. I looked up to find a small girl rushing along the cobblestone street.

I continued to get up. As soon as I was standing my body threatened to collapse. I staggered to a near boulder and sat down. I was in a complete daze. Where was I? Who was I? Another thought crept into my mind.

I looked into the water and noticed in the reflection a beautiful girl. She had dark curly hair, a pale face, and red rosy cheeks. She was trembling; cold—just like I was.

A figure joined her. She was a small girl; extremely petite, but undeniably beautiful. Her beauty wasn't even marred by the concern etched on her face. "Are you alright?"

I turned to her. "Where am I?"

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "You're in Wales. Are you alright?" she repeated.

I stayed silent. Was I alright? I honestly wasn't sure. I focused on the girl. She was small, but her face looked to be about 11. I looked back at my reflection. We looked similar—at least in age.

The words pushed themselves to the front of my mind. Happy Birthday, Bella. "I think today is my birthday." I turned back to her. "What's today?"

"September 13," while she answered a warm breeze contradicted the liquid still flowing in front of me. It hugged me like a blanket before leaving. When it left I began to realize just how cold I really was. The numbness of being frozen was fading and I began to feel the never ending stream of water rolling off of my body. I shivered.

"Are you cold?" she asked. "What a silly question. Of course you're cold; you're all wet."

She removed the cloak she was wearing and draped it over my shoulders. It felt warm and smooth.

"My name is Alice Brandon. What's your name?"

I paused for a moment and then gave her the only name I knew. "Bella . . . my name is Bella."

So I was going to end it here, but then I got to thinking what happens next, so I kept going.

"Do you know your surname?"

I thought hard. Trying so hard to remember anything before this night, any little thing that could give me even the tiniest hint of who I was. "No. I . . . I don't know."

I absolutely loathed this feeling. This feeling of ignorance and loneliness. I didn't know anyone—not even myself! Or remember them anyways.

"I don't remember anything before I woke up."

"Nothing?" she questioned. "Nothing at all?"

I shook my head.

"Come with me."

Alice took my hand and led me away. I didn't object because she was the only person I knew at this point. She led me through the streets. It wasn't until we were moving that I noticed a pinch in my side. I disregarded it when she suddenly stopped in front of a trellis covered in the loveliest smelling flowers.

I picked one and brought it to my nose and inhaled the heavenly scent. "What is this flower called?"

She smiled at me. "It's freesia." She plucked the flower from my hand and placed it behind my hair. "It suits you."

"Thank you."

"Can you climb well?" she asked suddenly.

"I don't know. Why?" I got this nervous feeling in my stomach. At the mention of "climbing" my stomach began to feel uneasy.

"I snuck out to get away and I used the trellis conveniently located beneath my window."

I didn't comment, but instead looked up to the window that seemed to loom farther and farther away as I continued to look at it.

She went first and gracefully made her way up and stealthily avoided crippling any of the flowers. I began my way up feeling scared. The wire hurt my hands, but I kept going. I looked farther up to see how much farther I had to go and noticed Alice already in her bedroom looking down at me through her window. She had a grin plastered on her face, clearly amused with my lack of climbing skills. Something told me that I never had a need to climb anyway.

Suddenly my foot slipped. I let out a shriek. I clung to the wrought iron and once I steadied myself I began to climb as fast as I possibly could. Alice was whispering at me to hurry up. I quickly made it without any more slips.

Once I got inside she told me to get under the bed and stay quiet. She didn't need to tell me twice because I already heard the hurried footsteps.

The door burst open. "Miss Alice! Are you alright!" came a woman's voice.

"Yes, yes," she said. "I was merely frightened because I thought I saw a mouse. Ghastly little things, aren't they?"

"Where did you see it?"

"It ran out the window."

"Are sure it didn't run under the bed?" she asked. I heard her feet moving towards me.

"No, no," Alice said a little too quickly. "It ran out the window. I'm sure of it. I saw it. Thank you Frannie."

"Oh alright then, as long as you are fine."

I heard her retreating steps and then a door closing. I waited until the steps were dull thuds before I got out from beneath it.

"That was a close one."

I nodded in agreement taking in the sight of her room. It was quite large and luxurious. A large four-poster canopy bed lay on one wall with a fluffy light red quilt on top and a mountain of pillows. The walls were covered in tapestries and the room filled with glamorous couches and chaises. The opposite wall held an ornate fireplace that was burning.

I was drawn to the warm glow. Alice came up beside me and said, "I think you need a nice warm bath."

I nodded my head in agreement. I hid underneath her bed again while she got Frannie to fill a tub with a hot bath for me, which she thought was for Alice. Once she left I went into the bathroom and began to remove my cloak and wet dress. Alice helped me undo my corset and then finally when everything was off I submerged myself in the warm liquid.

The water hugged my body and made my toes and fingers tingle. I massaged my scalp with the rich strawberry shampoo Alice left for me and when I was nice, warm, and clean I got out. I put on the large soft robe and picked up my belongings. Something fell out and landed with a heavy thud on the floor. I picked it up and examined it. It was a cloth pouch with a crest on it. I didn't recognize it, but something told me that I should.

I took it with me and made my back to Alice's room. When I reached it I showed it to her.

"What is this symbol?"

Her eyes grew wide when she saw the crest on the bag. "It's the royal crest." She looked at me as if she were seeing me for the first time again.

"Where did you get this?"

"It fell out of my corset."

She seemed deep in thought for a moment. "That dress . . ." She seemed to be talking to herself. "The royal party tonight . . ." She fell silent for a moment. I could practically see how hard she was thinking. "Were you going to the party tonight?"

Her question didn't exactly catch me off guard, but I couldn't give her an answer because I didn't know. "I don't know."

"Because your dress—I mean obviously you're not exactly poor. But I guess that doesn't matter now." Out of nowhere she giggled. "I just realized something; you have the same birthday as the princess. It was her party tonight. I wasn't allowed to go because my parents thought that I was too young . . ."

All this information was meaningful to me. For what reason? I do not know. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Alice gasp.

She was looking into my pouch and then shook it out onto her bed. About fifteen gold coins fell out. "I guess I was right about one thing . . ." she mumbled to herself.

She looked at me and then something seemed to register, but she brushed it off. "I think I need to get you another dress. The one you were wearing is a bit too much for everyday . . ."

Once she got me a suitable dress and a cloak I left. Once again I travelled down the trellis, crushing a few freesias along the way. She waved to me once and I began to make my way around. I was only going to use my money during the winter nights to pay room at a tavern.

During the nights Alice would sneak out and meet me and we would talk. I would learn all sorts of things from her. I remember the day after I woke up she told me how the princess of England had gone missing . . .

So this is my newest story. Tell me what you think.