Preface

He was my night, my key to my coveted world. He wanted the opposite I did, to live in a world of enternal light. As I crept down the silent steps, watching the world freeze for a while, I felt a chill tap my bare arm, as if to whisper, follow me. I held my breath, the world around me becoming icy, the night chills. The kind of icy only night could give you. The only kind of icy, he could give, me. So I did what the chill said, and I stepped outside, letting the last of the Sun's rays hit my arm, and walked to the dividing line. And everything froze.

Moonburned

Chapter One- Floating in Dreams

Birds have it lucky. Honestly, any animal besides the human race have it lucky. Humans are trapped, caged, boxed in by people with no respect for the feelings of others. And it really sucks when those humans with no respect for other human life are your parents. Especially when you want to be the exact opposite of your race; it tends to complicate things a little.

Well, while I'm ranting, I'll explain just who this little voice talking to you in the back of your head is. No, I am not your conscience. I'm Isabella Maria Polish, daughter of Winthrop and Elizabeth Polish, princess of the Northern Land of Light, best friend to my tabby cat, Orange Crème, Creamy for short and to Alice Marian Rutherford, and lover of the night. It's a long title. Most of it I made up to save time explaining all those stupid little details.

I live in the time of Earth where the Sun and Moon nearly collided. They've stayed on either side of the planet long, long, before I was born seventeen years before. The world divided into too different sides; the Light and the Night. The two became monarchies. My parents, bloodline to the first royals of the Northern Land of Light, thus, making me princess, engaged to marry the egotistic maniac of a jerk Ignatius Philips. He's the prince of the South half of the Land of Light. And he's just as dire as the rest of the royals. I'm the only person I've ever met that misses and wants the night. Apparently, according to my mom, it's just simply to "cold" for the Lights. Mom…she's…interesting…

She let the power to her head after marrying dad, the King of the Northern Land of Light. Now all my parents do are tell others what to do, and send guards out to watch the boundary line.

"Mom; it's too hot!" I shouted from across the vast hallway to my mom's sewing room.

"Well, go talk to God! I can't change this weather, I'm only the queen." I rolled my eyes, another "Oh dear, I guess I can't do anything, I'm only the queen of a quarter of the entire world," remarks.

"Don't think I'll forget to!" I sighed and started pacing my room. It looked like someone took dynamite; set fire to it, and it exploded the color pink. You think I'm joking? Ha, no, I wish I were joking. It's sickening, it's like Pepto-Bismol was dumped from the sky and stained my entire room. It's .ING.

I abruptly stopped and faced my ceiling to floor mirror. I stared at myself, as the Sun started to make its way to the horizon for night to officially begin. The sun never sets here. It goes half way to the horizon and stops, an eternal sunset until it rises for morning. It's like a giant cycle, every day, same with the Eternal Night Country. There's one thing about us that's the same. If only my parents would listen to reason…

By the time I pulled myself out of my thoughts the Sun was half-way dipped in the sky, officially starting night. Thank goodness. I thought wry to myself.

"Sweetie, daddy's home and we're going to bed in about 10 minutes. You should go and get changed for bed. You're meeting with Ignatius tomorrow and you need your beauty sleep," I heard mom call from her personal changing room.

"Gee, thanks. I didn't know I needed sleep to be pretty." I could practically hear mom roll her eyes as I walked into my bathroom.

My pajamas were seated crisply on the wicker basket in the corner near the crystal bowl/sink. They were soft and flannel, the perfect combination. I slipped my purple and soft pajamas on and started to brush my teeth. I smiled evilly at myself in the mirror. Hotness, I'm so hot. Ha, yeah right.

After finishing my evening rituals I slowly walked back into my room and collapsed onto my bed, and cracked open A Midsummer's Night Dream by Shakespeare. Though he was an ancient writer from long before I was born, I still found his writing riveting.

Every so often I glanced at the clock, waiting in anticipation for just the right moment to sneak downstairs to watch the moon and stars from the glass windows. They had a clear view of the Night Country. After what felt like hours of grueling wait, the clock finally struck 11:09. Both of my parents would be in bed, so I knew I would be okay.

As silently as possible I threw the covers off my body and crept out of my room into the sunset flooded downstairs. The sky was an array of oranges and red, pinks and blues, all leading into the velvet sky of the Eternal Night Country.

As though by control, my legs automatically moved the opposite way to the window pane. Suddenly my mind was wrapped around the stars that glistened and glowed like lights in the sky. My eyes scanned the sky, moving from left to right, until they reached the luminescent moon far off in the distant. A full moon. Perfect. My delicate, pale fingertips touched the glass of windows, as though if I kept them there long enough, I could reach through everything and grab hold of the moon, as if to hold it and tuck it safe away in my pocket to keep with me forever.

My eyes dropped to the house facing opposite us, on the other side of the boundary line, a window pane the same as us faced me. My eyes were slowly adjusting to the lack of light and a figure appeared. A boy. He seemed about 17 too, and lost in a trance, but…but with the sun. I couldn't make out all of his features, but I knew he looked…familiar.

Suddenly he was looking my way. At me. He even gave a wave. I couldn't think of what to do, my mind was incoherent. I remembered I was supposed to wave back, since from what I could see, he was very attractive. As in, hot.

I waved my hand slightly, moving my fingers in unison, up and down once. I saw a beautiful smile cross his face. So by automatic response, I smiled back. He started to turn around, as if to leave, but before he fully faced away from me, he turned back and waved, and suddenly I felt like jumping for joy. I held back my strange joy and waved back, remembering I had to be quiet.

We both walked away from our windows and I walked back upstairs in a trance. I was walking to my bed, that much I was aware of, but my mind was off, far, far from where I was physically. It was a strange sensation, whatever it was. But before I knew it, I was sleeping and floating in dreams of him.

Chapter Two- I AM VENICE

After returning to my pink exploded room, I settled into my bed and reminisced on my "lovely" day with Jacob. The majority of our riveting conversations about Jacob, or The Igloo as he wishes to be called, he's an idiot, but they mostly went like this:

Jacob: I recently won best in my class. And I own the only Speed X 100 in the Southern Land of Light.

Me (Nodding my head, faking a smile): That's great! I-

Jacob: I was voted most handsome in my class.

Me (Holding back a scoff): Sure, that's…great!

Jacob: Not that my friends are ugly, but I am superior, clearly.

Me (Fighting an eye roll): Clearly.

Charmer, isn't he? I think he should change his name to Prince Charming. Ha! Yeah right, he's about as charming as a centipede.

The sun was reaching the horizon and I felt a thrill pulse through my veins like a drug. And I knew what it was from, or should I say, who it was from. Him. This unknown creature that was a mystery to me, yet he felt so known, I decided, for the time being, that his name would be Harold.

"Isabella; darling we're going to bed, so shoo into the bathroom and change, Alice is coming over tomorrow and at five we are leaving to," she paused, and tried so it seemed, to force words out, "Meet with the Northern Eternal Night royal family, so we need to be on our best behavior."

I rolled my eyes, the tension was always thick and hung heavily in the room when we have very six month dinner with the Northern Night family. I know they have a son about my age, but he never came to the dinners. I saw him once, but when we were both really young, we were supposed to dance with each other at the yearly ball. It was just a little dance, and he kissed my cheek. Edward, I think his name is. He seemed nice enough.

I always wondered what the big deal was. Why my parents couldn't just get along, but no! They could never try and listen to "actual reason"! That would be unheard of! My parents…how sad.

I made my way into my disgusting room and settled comfortably onto my bed. The Earth was covered in ghastly clouds that only showed signs of a deadly thunder and lightning storm. I felt a surge of excitement. Maybe for a split second I'll get to see just who "Harold" is…

As though by command, I heard rain splat against the roof and rain buckets. Suddenly I saw a bright flash of white blinding light flood my room, illuminating me for only a second. Three seconds later I felt the house quiver in fear of the thunder's roll. I felt it was the peak moment to sneak downstairs to watch the rain pour.

I stopped myself short. What if I walked outside? What if I stepped out to meet this boy, this boy that attracted me like no other; I decided to slip into my flip flops and sneak outside after I saw him.

My body crept silently downstairs and I went to the sacred window. Sure enough, like coffee in the morning, he was there. With my shoes on my small feet, I waved to him and opened the door to the rainy outside. I felt the rain drench me, caress my pale face and clothed body. My hair grew soaked, but I was smiling, because for once, I felt…happy.

I looked over at him, his strong body sauntering over to me.

"Isn't it a little rainy to be outside, love?" British. Well, I do love those Brits.

"Yes, maybe, who are you?"

"I am Edward, Edward Mason, Prince of the Northern Eternal Night Country. And you are you, this fine, red headed beauty standing before me?"Edward. This is Edward. Not possible.

"I'm, uh, Verona. Verona Welsh."

"No you're not. Sorry Isabella, or should I saw dear Princess," he smiled a cocky smile and I blushed a deep red.

"Don't be embarrassed, you're secret is safe with me," he started to walk circles around me with his hands behind his back, "Unless you don't trust me."

"I trust you, I'm not prejudice like my parents."

"Good, shall we sit on this wet ground? Tell me about yourself love."

I sat down in unison with him as he spoke.

"Well, you already know who I am; but I have one question for you," I paused, giving him a chance to say yes or not.

"Please go on dear," his hand made a swift moment to my hair; he started to twirl it around his finger as I spoke.

"I was wondering…well, two things actually. One, why were you staring at the sun last night; and the other, why, to be frank, did you kiss me when we were little when we danced at the ball?"

"To answer you first question, you must understand the back story, I have always loved the sun, the warmth of the rays as they fill me with sunshine. The concept of the Sun invited me. But as you can see, I am not of that royalty. So, like any abnormal person like myself, I sneak downstairs at night to gaze in awe at the beauty that lie before me."

"The Sun is beautiful?" I asked quizzically.

"No, I was actually referring to this beauty sitting next to me."