By Henrik Hageland Previously Published at Vocal.Media • 3 min read
Photo by Rodolfo Sanches Carvalho on Unsplash
The land was called Valmorun. Anna was born here, specifically in the eastern part known as Sunflowervalley. There were two very different counties in the land, and the other one was called Ashvalley.
She thought back as far as she could remember, and it appeared to her as a beautiful and fertile land where she was born. She also knew her mother’s stories from before she was born. There had been wars between the two counties and unrest, but that was many years ago. Peace, according to one of her mother’s tales, had been "bought" by ensuring that there was always a Queen to unite the realm. The price was a curse that demanded the Queen’s life if inequality arose between the two counties again. According to legend, the terrifying dragon Tharnak, said to live in the volcano Mount Grimfire north of Valmorun, was the guarantor of the whole affair. Anna had always found it to be a fantastic story, but reality was something else.
Anna had enjoyed an easy and happy childhood. They had not been wealthy, quite the opposite, but they had never lacked anything.
She had several siblings, and so, at 14, she was sent out to work and learn, as her mother had said. She got a position at the estate of Lord Roderic Thorn and his wife Lady Elara. “It’s such a fine place,” her mother had said.
Anna cried her saddest tears when the time came for her to leave, with her fine new chest containing the few clothes she needed. She also brought a few other items with her: a book given to her by Paul, her best childhood friend, and a bracelet her grandmother had given her, made of magical copper. Her grandmother had said it was bought in the land to the east, Elyndor, where it had been forged from the purest material by the elves. It certainly had magical powers, though Anna did not know what they were, but it was beautiful and her most cherished possession.
Anna had been somewhat worried, especially because the estate was in Ashvalley. She had heard much about the conditions there and that it didn’t have the same warmth and sunshine as Sunflowervalley. She thought it was probably just people talking, not knowing any better.
Both counties were bordered to the south and west by the sea, called the Endless Tides. She longed to see it—the idea of standing by waters that stretched as far as the eye could see, home to fish that could be caught and eaten, so deep that ships could sail on it. Not that Anna would try sailing, for who knows what happens when you reach the edge of the horizon? She was both drawn to the thought and scared of the outcome.
Her departure from Sunflowervalley became bearable when, a few days before leaving, she met Paul, who proudly announced that he was to apprentice as a miller at the mill of Lord Roderic Thorn. Paul had been sad to tell her because he thought he wouldn’t see her again. But they both were overjoyed when Anna revealed that she would be working for the same Lord and Lady Thorn.
The first few months at the estate passed without trouble. There was much to learn, and the occasional free afternoon allowed the children of Sunflowervalley to meet.
They shared news and stories they had heard. Anna told of the many preparations for the spring festival, where Queen Althea of the land would come to the estate. Paul mentioned that he might transport a load of ground grain to the magical land of Elyndor, east of Valmorun, ruled by King Arannis. Anna was sure that her bracelet had come from that land. Paul would leave just before the spring festival and might make it back in time for the celebrations.
The two young people were excited together about this. They also dreamed of traveling to Sailsbury, a town by the great sea. There were said to be ships and foreigners from other lands.
Yes, they shared many daydreams about a life far from the servitude of the estate, and this only brought them closer together.
But now something terrible had happened—the river flowed the wrong way, and the food would not cook or prepare itself. If the Queen was truly gone, then she could not come to the estate for the spring festival. Anna was worried. Hunger already gnawed at her stomach since the food had been inedible for the day that had passed since it all began.
She tossed and turned in bed, then suddenly sat up when someone grabbed the door handle in the middle of the night. Her blood turned to ice.
The Story goes on, you can read the previous and following chapters here!
I will make the voice over very soon!
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