From out of the obscurity of the dark, morning's first rays of sunlight reveal Princess Leonor overlooking her Kingdom, standing atop her castle's walls. The same as every day.

Though her Kingdom, El Reino de Nuestra Señora Reina de Los Angeles, is vast and wide, the castle of the royal family is visible from everywhere in her realm. And every morning her white skin reflects the sun's light onto her people. Sparkling like a brilliant diamond from afar.

They loathe it.

Leonor prays for her people every morning and on some quiet mornings it is said that they can even hear her praying.

"O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."

They loathe her all the more for it.

She crosses herself with the sign of the cross to finish.

"In Nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen."

Everytime she prays she feels like she is praying on behalf of all her people. It fills her with joy.

"Today is a most wonderful day, the sun is bright, the fluffy white clouds look pretty against the light blue sky, and best of all today is Halloween. One of my favorite holidays!" Leonor thinks to herself.

She smiles.

"For the festival tonight I want to surprise my family with a pumpkin pie. They think I cannot cook but I have been secretly practicing. They'll see. I can't wait to see their faces when my pie wins the contest. They will be most pleased with me. I'll receive their full praise."

Leonor makes her way down into the village center with her horse drawn carriage where a Halloween market is open. She always stops the carriage on the outskirts of town so she can walk amongst her people and greet them.

"Driver, this is quite far enough thank you." Leonor says.

"Have a good time young Princess. I'll be waiting for you right here when you're ready. Are you sure you won't need an escort?" The driver asks.

"No, that will be quite fine but I appreciate the concern. Thank you kindly." Leonor returns.

This particular village is her favorite to visit as it most exemplifies her favorite architectural style, the spooktacular looking, Halloween Gothic. It is a style of architecture that combines Gothic architecture, Catholic macabre, and the strange, crooked, and otherwise whimsical madness of Halloween. Spooktacular indeed.

And on this day the town looks even prettier with its jack-o-lantern decorations littered about, orange, black, and purple streamers overhead, large crucifixes planted about the streets, and the comforting smell of pies, hot from the oven, lofting in the air.

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"How beautiful, but I can't wait to see how this looks at night." Leonor thinks with a smile on her face.

Even here at ground level she shines brightly, distinguished against her people. You would recognize her nobility even if you didn't know who she was. She walked with elegance, her posture graceful, her voice soft, her dress modest, her golden blonde hair beautiful, blue eyes like sapphires, her skin white as freshly fallen snow, and her mind always chaste.

She is the model of feminity. Naturally, she catches the ire of the wicked. Her own people.

"Look at her dress, why doesn't she show some skin? She must thinks she's better than us."

The hem on Leonor's dress falls down to her ankles, the sleeves to her wrists, and the neckline to her neck. She always dresses in imitation of the modesty of Our Lady the Virgin Mary.

"Look at her stupid smile. She's only smiling because she doesn't have anything to worry about. She's never worked a day in her life"

The life of a princess is anything but worry-free and whereas others can end their work shift and take vacations, Princess Leonor has never had a day off.

"Stupid rich girl, it's a shame her father died it should have been her. At least he left us alone instead of trying to flaunt his wealth everyday down here."

The royal family has always used the money it collects for the general welfare responsibly. Leonor personally uses very little of it. And though the King passed away about a year ago, Leonor misses him every day and does not understand how they wish for something so cruel of her.

What the people don't know is that Leonor can hear their dreadful discourse. Everytime she visits one of her towns. The people spew the same criticism.

She pretends not to hear them but their venom pains her heart. Sometimes at night she prefers to sleep in the castle's abandoned dungeon so no that one can hear her cry.

"Why can't anyone ever be nice to me." She thinks to herself.

Overlooking their reproach, Leonor walks around the market perusing the seasonal baked goods and treats and purchasing miscellaneous Halloween decorations. Her basket now full she decides to head back to the castle and prepare for the festival later.

As she walks back to the carriage she hears a horrible wail coming from a dark alley between two buildings. She stops to listen closer and the wailing continues.

"Today is Halloween. The day where the barrior between the world of the living and the world of the undead is allegedly weakest. Could a monster have broken through? Some sort of banshee?" Leonor thinks.

The wailing does not cease.

"It's best to leave scary things like this alone."

She begins to walk away when a small pumpkin from her basket falls out and disappears into the darkness of the alley.

"Oh gosh. I need that pumpkin." Leonor says.

Leonor's heart begins to race. She debates whether to chase after that pumpkin or not.

"On one hand I could leave and spare myself a possible encounter with a monster but on the other hand, Mr. Pumpkin would hate me forever if I left him behind. He would like it even less on account of my cowardice."

She carefully approaches the alley.

"I'm brave, I'm strong, nothing can scare me."

The wailing ceases.

"Hehe see, the noise... must have been the wind. There's no monsters here. Of course not, don't be ridiculous."

Leonor enters the alley. There is a noticeable drop in temperature. Her skin gets goosebumps. Her breath becomes visible. She shuffles further in.

She begins to rapidly pray, "Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux, Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux, Vade Retro Satana, Numquam Suade Mihi Vana, Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas!"

The pumpkin had rolled next to a stack of wooden boxes.

Leonor reaches down for the pumpkin.

"Come here Mr. Pumpkin. We're going home."

She grabs the pumpkin and a frigid ghostly hand juts out from behind the boxes, grasping Leonor's hand at the same time.