1 Introduction

The night Anastasia was born her mother died. Now, most wouldn't find this odd but the princess was born different, she had hair as black as coal skin as white as snow and eyes like silver rimed rubies with tinges of violet and her ears were delicate arches, pointed to be exact. The King believed her to be cursed tossed her into the forest not wanting such a creature in his lands, "let the beast have her," he said.

When the Queen learned of this, she had a servant sneak the child back into the Palace. The Queen always wanted a child but could not carry any to term and having herself just gone into labor and once more lost her child, she took the consorts child as her own. Before marrying the King, the Queen had studied under a grand tutor who taught her the art of changing one's appearance. Using this art, the Queen hid the Princess odd features but she could only cast the illusion for ten years. She didn't think this a problem as she could easily recast it once the ten years were up. But who could predict what happened next?

When Anastasia was eight a sickness overtook the Queen causing her to go mad and throw herself off a cliff. Leaving Anastasia all alone. The following year the King Promoted his Head Concubine to Queen Consort placing, Anastasia in her care the King set out to conquer a foreign land never to return. The Queen Consort usurped the throne making poor Anastasia's life a living nightmare. She would torment Anastasia to no end for the Princess resemble the late Queen more than any would care to admit.

Queen Elena was as vain as they came, she wanted to be the fairest in the land and she ensured the princess could not outdo her. She cursed her so that any who looked at her would die a gruesome death. What the Evil Queen did not realize, was that which lived within the Princess's skin. What would be known to all on her eighteenth birthday? Even though on the surface, the Princess appeared perfectly ordinary with her big brown eyes and round ears, something lurked deep within waiting to be unleashed.

Queen Elena orchestrated to have Anastasia killed on multiple occasions, but her plans always failed thinking it must be due to her curse, she instructed the Princess to always wear a veil. The Princess obeyed, eager to let her stepmother believe the curse was true, she wore a veil of deepest crimson.