Midnight should have been peaceful, but tonight the palace was alive with panic. Servants rushed through the halls, eyes wide, staring at the sky. 

"Are the sorcerers attacking?" the commander bellowed, his twitching mustache betraying his fear. 

No one answered.

Above, the moon had swelled many times its size, glowing an ominous, electric blue. It illuminated the kingdom like a bad omen. 

The awful scream of the commander woke me up from my deep sleep. The blue moonlight has creeped through my curtains. As I made my way to the balcony of my bedroom and gazed into the fountain waters below, the reflection staring back was unfamiliar—a tall figure of a young man with broad shoulders, dressed in a frilly, ill-fitting ladies' nightgown. My hands instinctively reached for my long locks to brush them behind my ears, but they were not there. Instead, I have short and unkempt brown hair tousling in the wind. I couldn't help but smile widely at my new image.

Never have I ever felt so real, as if the magical glow of the moon is flowing through my veins and has granted me powers I never knew I had.

After getting myself a new set of clothes, I sprinted down the spiral staircase and headed straight for the armory, a place I never dared to explore earlier on. The door guards, too stumped by the moon, barely blinked when I approached.

"Is he the warrior who came to save us from the Blue Moon curse?" one of the door guards muttered to the others. I am not, but I played along, stepping into the armory with a confidence I'd never felt before. I was deeply fascinated by the shine of countless blades that greeted me! 

I tested weapon after weapon, my calloused hands instinctively gripping them. The weight of the swords felt like feathers, the steel armor fit me perfectly. I borrowed an enticing-looking sword and made my way out, my newfound buddy that will defend me in my upcoming adventures.

Outside the armory, a white horse stood waiting. Without hesitation, I leaped onto the saddle and rode out, leaving the palace gates behind.

I want to leave the palace far behind. I want to meet fellow wanderers I can call my brothers. I want to lie down in a patch of grass, watch the sunrise and feel its warmth. I don't want a fixed place that I call home. Will I meet monsters, or evil sorcerers? Who knows?

I have traveled so far away from the kingdom. Hours felt like mere seconds of pure bliss. I feel loved, accepted and embraced by the blue glow of the moon, as if the universe has finally recognised me. 

The stars blurred above, the earth melted beneath me, and for the first time, I am truly alive.

The glow of the blue moon has started to die. Soon, it will be dawn.

I feel a weird ache in my chest and a wave of lightheadedness. I looked around me and saw the beautiful grass plains I desired, but they looked surreal and almost distorted. It is as if my world is spinning.

I think I'm feeling sick. There is no one here to help me. 

I made a turn and rode my horse back to the palace. 

When I made a safe return, I was greeted by the roars and cheers of people across the kingdom. 

"It is him! He is the warrior that saved us from the blue moon!" They threw their hands up to the sky in joy and relief as they mistook me for their hero. Turns out, the door guards at the armory have spread the word that a warrior has gone out to rescue the kingdom. They were all waiting for me!

As I dismounted my horse, I almost tripped over from feeling so giddy and lethargic.

The blue moon is gone.

The king arrived and grinned at me proudly. He held my hand tightly and exclaimed, "Thank you for saving our kingdom from The Curse Of The Blue Moon! I would like to express my gratitude by offering my beautiful daughter, the princess's hand in marriage! Will you accept this marriage?"

The princess...

I locked eyes with the king, yearning for him to recognize me, to see his child behind this foreign face. But his gaze stayed cold, distant, as if I were nothing more than the stranger who saved his kingdom. The word slipped out before I could stop it, 'Father-?'

He could not hear me. My voice is too weak and faint. I briefly shook my head and signaled that I needed to take a break alone. 

The last thing I remembered was collapsing in the palace gardens and falling into deep sleep, with no one around to help me.

***

I woke up in the same room that I woke up in on the night of the Blue Moon. The servants have been patiently waiting for me to regain consciousness.

I briefly heard them talking about how they found me sleeping in the palace gardens. They were also talking about The Blue Moon, convinced that the blue moon was a bad omen only because it was unusual. None of them spoke of its beauty.

"Oh my goodness, our princess! You're finally awake! We all have been worried sick," one of them said.

Princess?

I looked around to see the sword I was holding on to last night had been placed on my nightstand. I must have been holding on to it when I collapsed.

My hands instinctively reached for my long locks to brush them behind my ears. My long locks are back.

"We have good news for you, you are getting married! The king has found the strongest and most charming young man for you!" The other servant exclaimed. All the servants huddled together and squealed in delight. 

I am getting married?

I peered into the mirror and saw my reflection - a petite and fair young lady with empty eyes, adorned from head to toe in the finest pearls. I know that this is the real me, but I don't even recognise my own image! My own reflection is distorted, my flesh feels weird against my bones. I curled up in a ball, hiding the disbelief on my face and the agonizing pain within me. The joyous chanting of the servants sounded like a song sung out of tune. I feel suffocated.

Months have passed, and the warrior is long gone, his portraits lining the kingdom walls. 

I am back to my regular life, the life that everyone dreams of. Ballrooms, jewels and so much love. However, everyone's adoration for me feels like it was meant for someone else.

In a way, I became braver after the night of The Blue Moon. I used to be very obedient and never dared to step into the armory, fearing that my interest in weapons would tarnish my image as the princess. Nowadays, visiting the armory has turned into part of my daily routine. Once in a blue moon, I would catch a glimpse of him—the young man with brown hair for a split second, staring back at me from the reflection of the countless blades. The next moment when I look into the mirror, I see the soulless vessel of a young girl again.

Often, the servants would catch me looking at my own reflection gloomily. They would ask if it is because I am feeling upset at the warrior - "my soon-to-be husband" for leaving me.

"Yes," I replied. I try to look for him in the mirror.

***

One day, I decided to pay the magical fountain a visit, the sword in my hand, as an offering to the angels high above.

Kneeling by the waters, I whispered my wish. 

"May the blue moon be eternal."