Sofia Abbas

This is (I think) the first full-length book I ever planned out and started writing. I didn’t get very far, but it’s still fun to read back! I believe this one was inspired by Albania (hence the very creative kingdom name ‘Albona’), and was written while I was reading John Flanagan’s Ranger Apprentice series. As always, I fixed a few spelling errors but tried to keep everything else the same no matter how cringey it is. I hope you enjoy it!

Prologue

In the Beginning, two lands rose out of Nothing- the Spirit Land, and Earth. The Spirit Land was a lively place- there was a happy kingdom there, governed by the King of All, Albon. His daughter, Perëndeshë, was the heart and soul of the Spirit Land. She mastered all of the five Elements — Water, Earth, Fire, Air, and Spirit — but Spirit was her favorite. Perëndeshë loved to explore, spreading her happiness and good fortune everywhere she went. 

One day, Perëndeshë found a glass tunnel that had never been opened before. Through the tunnel, the beautiful lands were visible. Although the Spirit Land was even more beautiful, this new Land was full of color and sound. The Spirit Land was made of shades of grey, and everything was always soft and quiet. Using her gift with the Elements, Perëndeshë opened the tunnel and ventured through, alone. The tunnel closed behind her, but she was not afraid because she had Spirit to keep her company. After many hours, she made it to the end of the tunnel. Not knowing what she would find, Perëndeshë wrapped all five elements around her and stepped foot onto…Earth. 

This new land was even more beautiful than she had imagined, but it felt very lonely. To fix this, Perëndeshë created five beings- one for each Element. Each being was very powerful and beautiful, but they were fragile. They only lasted for a short time, and they did not have endless energy like Perëndeshë. However, even though they were not as hardy as she, Perëndeshë loved and nurtured them like they were her own children. Over many years, Perëndeshë made more beings, less powerful ones, and the little family grew and expanded into a kingdom like the one in the Spirit Land. Perëndeshë named it Albona after her father, for she missed him very much. The people of Albona were kind and gifted, but the most gifted of all were the direct descendants of the Old Ones, the first five beings created. These Bekim’s, as they were called, were blessed with power and beauty and grace, but they also had much sorrow and loss in their life. Albona prospered for many years, but Good never comes without Evil following close behind. 

In the years that Earth lay without life, strange creatures had begun to populate the most barren places in the Land. They were ruled over by a Kuqe Mbret, or Red King. As Albona started to prosper and expand, the Kuqe Mbret saw a danger to his people. He wanted to be king of the whole Earth, and he vowed to destroy any being that stood in his way. So, he gathered his forces and went to attack Albona.

There was a long and bloody war, and both sides seemed almost evenly matched. Albona had the Elements on their side, but the Kuqe Mbret was very powerful and cunning. Albona used their love of one another and of Perëndeshë to defeat the people of the Kuqe Mbret. However, Albona suffered many losses as well, and the Kuqe Mbret was not completely defeated yet. He slunk back to his Lands, and plotted revenge against the people of Albona, and, most importantly, Perëndeshë. 

Perëndeshë was very saddened by the results of the war. Many of her people had been killed, and only a few of the Bekim survived. She knew now that it was time for her to return to her home in the Spirit Lands. Sadly, she said farewell to her children and went back through the glass tunnel. Mist prevented the people of Albona from seeing their mother, but she could watch them clearly.  From her home, she kept watch over her people, coming down to Earth only once every few millennia to make sure that their life was progressing smoothly. 

Every visit down to Earth, Perëndeshë would shower her blessings upon the people of Albona. The ones that she approved of she gave gifts- an affinity to an Element, Prophecy, the ability to talk to animals or another special talent. Even more rarely, she would sometimes pick one maiden to be an Earthly Beauty- her eyes and ears on Earth, master of all elements and the only being other than Perëndeshë herself able to access the Glass Tunnel. In this way, Perëndeshë kept watch over the people of Albona, helping them prosper and protecting them from dangers.

And far away, the Kuqe Mbret lay, gathering his people and resources, biding time away, waiting for a chance to attack. 

Chapter 1

Honestly, even after wracking my brains for hours, I couldn’t think of a way that my day could possibly get worse. I mean, come on. I was looking out at the people of Arsissas enjoying the first sunny day we had had in weeks, while I was being forced to sit in the drafty castle and study the place my step-father was sure I belonged- Hell. I was equally sure that being within a 50-meter radius of him was exactly that, but, of course, if I had said anything like that, I would’ve been flogged for hours, noble or not. 

I was being taught about the atrocities of Hell by Padron Hyka, my religious “tutor”. I say that in quotes because it’s not like he actually teaches me anything. His lectures generally go along the lines of “God is great, Satan is horrible, you should kill anyone who dares to actually have fun with their life,” only he says it with a whole ton of flowery words to make it sound nice. He speaks vehemently, occasionally slamming his hands down on the table, a gesture I appreciate because it keeps me from falling asleep during our lessons, a feat which would almost certainly bring the wrath of my step-dad upon me. And bringing the wrath of my step-dad upon yourself is not a great idea unless you enjoy spending the rest of your life, well, dead. I can’t say it’s a future I would look forward to myself, but hey, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, right? 

Anyways, just as the padron finished the “God is great” part of his speech and moved onto the “Satan is horrible” part, my step-father walked in. I smiled a little to myself. Talk of the devil. Literally. As soon as my step-father walked in, the padron’s voice immediately went from a rather raspy bellow to a barely suppressed shriek of surprise. Then, he proceeded to go through the usual cough, splutter and knock-over-a-highly-breakable-object dance reserved for my step-fathers entrance. There is, however, a good reason for this bizarre display of the padron’s clumsiness, no matter how stupid it looks. My step-father, aside from being the biggest slimeball this world has ever known, is also the Lord of Arsissas, the richest province in Albona. He is the second son of the late Lord Arsissas (my father was the first), but I don’t call him my uncle, even in my own head, because that implies that he is related to me, which is something I definitely do not want people aware of. He tends to be a dangerous person to be friend or foe to. It’s better to just stay out of his way.

At any rate, the moment he walked into the door, I knew there was going to be trouble. Mostly because this was supposed to be his meal time, and I had never, in all the time I had known him (which was basically my whole life), seen him miss a meal. So, while the padron was going through his usual drop-something-valuable-cough-and-splutter dance, I carefully took a few deep breaths and turned myself into the weak and obedient, albeit all the possessed-by-the-devil stuff, girl he thought I was. 

After Padron Hyka had gone through his ritual, he excused himself hastily. My step-father invited me to sit. Noting that his facial expression had gone from you-are-a-disgusting-piece-of-devil-spawn-and-I-will-dispose-of-you-as-I-see-fit to just plain ew-why-are-you-even-on-the-same-planet-as-me? I did so stiffly, well aware that the news he was about to tell me would probably somehow result in either my death or permanent detainment in some far off place, seeing how he was so excited by it. I was, of course, right. 

Unlike his usual self, my step-father got right to the point.

“My dear girl.” I stiffened. When had he ever called me that?? He assumed an expression that made him look like there was some creature eating him from the outside, and continued; “I’m sorry to inform you that your mother passed away on Tuesday. The king will be arriving tomorrow to pay his respects. I suggest you make yourself respectable. Perhaps a new gown is in order.” He paused here to look disdainfully down at my gown -which, I must say, was totally unfair since it was actually quite beautiful and fashionable- and continued. “The prince is only a few years older than you, and would make a suitable husband for you. And I would quite like to live at court and have the king as my…son-in-law.” “Wait….Huh?” I asked, sounding exactly like the smart, perfectly-poised girl that I am. Not. He smiled frostily at me, and walked out of the room. 

For the majority of the one-sided conversation, I had been hurling the words “Your mother died” at my mind over and over, trying to get something to take notice, but now I snapped back to the present, horror filling me as I realized the implied scenario he was talking about. Our current King, although one of the nicest people in the world, was practically on his death-bed. If I married the prince, he would soon be King of Albona- a young inexperienced King, one that would be extremely easy for my step-father to control. And suddenly, my step-father is, in effect, the King of the most powerful country in the world. Jeesh, that would be an icky situation. Just imagine- we probably wouldn’t even be able to wear cute clothes! Yup, that’s me, I always have my priorities straight. 

I shuddered slightly at the image in my mind, and firmly shook it from my head. I would not let that happen, I decided, a plan forming in my head. I got up firmly, and went to go find my best friend, and maid, Adara. 

I found Adara fussing over a beautiful gold ball gown laid out on my bed. 

“Hey, Dara” I said, plopping down next to the dress. “nice dress.”

“You’re supposed to wear it tonight,” she said “ Lady Fatima ordered it for you.” 

“Lady Fatima?” I asked, greatly surprised. “I thought she hated me.” Dara smiled. 

“She does. She had this gown made for you so that you would, and I quote, ‘look like a precious jewel the prince will long to covet, just as my dear Lord Arsissas covets me.’” I shuddered.

“Gross. And eww the Holy Terror and Lady Fati!?”  Okay, she wasn’t fat at all, she was actually skinny and kinda pretty, but still. Calling her that at least made the whole situation seem laughable. Which it sooo wasn’t. I was definitely not going to let some random boy, prince or not, “covet” me. Ick. 

Dara smiled at me as if she knew exactly what was going through my head. And really, she probably did. We were more like sisters than anything else. 

“Hey, don’t worry. I heard he’s nice. And cute too,” She said, sitting down beside me. I groaned, lying back on the bed. 

“Poor guy.” And I meant it, too. I was going to have to ruin what probably would have been a perfectly nice Saturday night for him. 

“What’s his name anyways?” I asked. “All anyone will tell me is that he’s the prince.”

“Dimitri.” 

“Huh. Nice name. Almost a shame I’m gonna have to leave tonight and ditch him…” I looked sideways to see if she would react. She smiled down at me. 

“Yeah. But don’t worry. It’ll probably be worth it. And besides, I’m sure we’ll make our way to the castle at some point, and we’ll probably see him there.” 

I smiled, not missing the slight emphasis laid on the “we.” 

“You do know you’re my best friend, right Dara?”

“I’m your only friend, Char.”

“Very true.” I said, leaping up to prepare for the promising night ahead of us. 

Chapter 2

I walked downstairs that night feeling like a complete idiot. Although, I have to admit, the gold dress thingy totally worked. Like a lot. It accentuated my dark features and skin tone, and it totally matched my usually-freakish gold eyes. But the long train? Completely un-needed. And there was a corner coming up too. I stopped when I got to it, eyeing it calculatingly. There was no way I was going to be able to make it around without tripping at least twice.

As I was pondering my predicament, I heard quick footsteps behind me. Forgetting my ridiculous attire for a moment, I spun around to see who it was. “Shucks!” I said under my breath, trying desperately not to fall on my face. An arm snaked out of nowhere, steadying me. 

“Woah, steady girl,” a smooth deep voice said. I glanced up quickly, and then looked away abruptly. God, he was cute. And all too obviously suppressing his laughter. At me. Flustered, I said the first thing that popped into my head. 

“I am not a horse!” I winced. Gosh, how charming of me. 

“Obviously not.” He said, looking me up and down. Cheeks burning, I looked down, avoiding his deep green eyes. He wasn’t letting go of my arm, so I stepped back, promptly tripping over myself again. Only to be caught. Again.

 “Would you like me to carry your train for you?” he asked sarcastically. I rolled my eyes, and then paused. 

“Actually, do you think you could? Please? Just around the corner?” I looked at him, ready to do the pleading-gold-eyes trick my mom had taught me when I was 4, only to find him staring at me. At my chest, to be more exact. 

“Ummm…” I said, trying to melt into the wall at my back, “Excuse me?” I snapped my fingers in front of his face. He refocused, looking dazed. 

“Oh…Sorry…It’s just…what’s this?” he asked, poking at the thick chain that disappeared into the neckline of my gown. I swallowed and pulled it out. 

“It’s a good luck charm. My dad gave it to me a little while before he…” Died. I looked down, gripping the pendant- a translucent orb flecked with gold that changed color depending on the surroundings. Right now, it was the green of mystery-boys eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” He murmured. I looked up, startled by the sudden softness in his voice. It was a mistake, one look into my eyes and he stumbled away, staring at me. I leaned against the wall. My eyes aren’t that weird. 

“You…you’re Lady Charlotte.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. I lifted my chin up defiantly. 

“And?” He considered me for a while.

“Well….I heard that you were a witch.” 

“Excuse me?” He ignored me, gathering steam as he went along. 

“And you’re supposed be as ugly as an ogre, and twice as fierce, and as smelly as a pig.” Fortunately for him, he failed to notice the sizzling glare I was sending him. 

“But really,” He continued, actually walking in a circle around me, “you actually look quite meek. I bet people call you Lottie. Right?” He looked up at me expectantly, eyebrows raised. 

“No,” I said, as icily as possible. “They don’t.” I gathered up the yards of material that were pooled around me, along with what was left of my dignity, and stalked around the corner. 

“Hey, wait!”  I heard him coming up behind me and sighed inwardly. 

“What?” He looked at me smirking. 

“Wow, someone’s angry.” I glared at him. 

“Am not!” He grinned easily. 

“Aw, Lottie, don’t be mad.” I glared harder. “What did I do?” 

I made an educated decision to not answer him, and instead pivoted sharply so that my long, curly brown hair slapped his face. I dropped the folds of my dress and hurried to the Great Hall. 

When  I got to the entrance, I quickly pushed the incident to the back of my mind (something I had a ton of practice doing, seeing as I was an eternal clutz), smiled at the guards, and walked in. Of course, the whole room went absolutely silent as I walked in, then burst into applause.

“There she is!!” I heard my step-father cry. The jolly, ringing tone of his voice clued me off to the fact that I was suddenly a part of one of his infamous schemes. My step-father’s schemes had led to countless defeats of Albona’s enemies back in the day (he used to be the Commander of Arsissas’s armed forces). These victories had given him a place of utmost respect in the minds of all those who had never exchanged words with him. Swallowing hard, I painted a fake smile on my face and greeted the elderly king with a curtsy. He smiled fondly at me and then looked up 

[End of document]

The written story ends there, in the middle of the sentence (I have no idea why!), but these are my past self’s notes for what was supposed to happen afterwards:

Awk dinner, says feels sick, mystery boy walks her back to room, escapes with Dara in the middle of the night (with dark contacts)

mom had shown her this secret passage out a long time ago, told her never to use unless absolutely necessary, at the end was a package from her mom so they take it with them as they escape, don’t have time to look at it properly. The first couple days they just rest with one on watch or move constantly

a week after they escape (hidden in a tree b/c people don’t look up), they see an armed group, turns out mystery boy and the other guy are there, dara had met the other guy briefly in the halls as well, they come up disguised

 mystery boy= prince’s bff and bodyguard