The Kingdom of Atlantica, Book I

[iLewoArtist29 she/her]

Hi guys, I'm relatively new here, but I wanted to share my first book. I'll post a chapter a day if I can. Some background: I was inspired to write this by watching The Hobbit and I started it about a year ago, finishing in February, I think. Also, the character POV changes every chapter between three people (which confused almost all my editors at some point), so just a heads up for that. The character's POV is written at the top of the chapter, by the way.

My friend @Hyper129 has had access to this already; also, I'd like to give a shoutout to @BlueWildRye who referred me here in the first place.

So yeah, I'm giving you the prologue and first chapter here:

(Sorry about the formatting...)

Prologue - Poison 

Unknown

A bottle of poison sat on a black table, clear and unable to be tasted, smelled, or detected in any way. The table was once black marble, but now it was covered in a thick layer of dust. Who was its owner? Who was it intended for? What happened to its owner? 

The bottle cap was cork, covered in a faint green design of snakes. The wax seal was broken. Only a small measure was gone, though. The bottle itself was a beautiful design, slender and defined. Under a thick layer of grime on the table was a note. It said one simple thing:

FAREWELL, CENTRAL PLAINS. I DEPART TO A BETTER WORLD. I WISH I COULD’VE LEFT A BETTER SOLUTION. 

On top of the note was a crystal glass, shattered around its edge and full of stagnant ruby red wine. Everything pointed to the previous owner of the poison having drank it to commit suicide. Yet, there was no body, nor chair. The great hall was empty. 

What had happened?

One - The Mission

Methadriel

“What are you doing?”

The boy I had just caught sneaking into my room pivoted gracefully on his heels, but his face was set in a stern frown. “I could kill you for that, you know,” he answered, and then I realized… It was the prince. Great. 

“I– Prince Kethdir, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize–”

The prince’s face twitched and he broke into a smile. “That was hilarious.”

“I– what?”

“I love doing that sometimes. Just because I’m royal doesn’t mean I’m not someone who can be normal and have friends.”

I backed away, trying to figure out what Kethdir meant, then frowned and decided to leave and see what his reaction would be. After all, even with my disrespect, he hadn’t actually chided me, so I didn’t imagine he would be too annoyed about this.

“Right,” I muttered, leaning into the door of my room and trying to back into it slowly and inconspicuously. Just as I managed it and was about to close it behind me, though, Kethdir spoke again. 

This time he sounded hesitant. “Can I come in? I– well, my mother, really, wants me to ask you about something– and it’s not exactly something that I’m comfortable talking about in the middle of a hallway during the evening.”

Now curious, I answered, “Alright.”

Once inside, I opened the window for some fresh air and sat down on my bed while the prince paced around looking slightly uncertain and preoccupied. Then I remembered my manners and said, “Do you want to sit down, Prince Kethdir…?”

“Yes, thanks, in a second. But I must make two things clear. One– please just call me Kethdir, because being called ‘prince’ all day long gets on my nerves sometimes.” He smiled, a quick smile that faded as he moved on. “Second, you are to tell no one what I am about to tell you. No, not even your family. My mother will explain once we leave.”

“Leave? For where? And… why me?” I rubbed my forehead. Was this some kind of joke that Kethdir had decided to play on me?

“Methadriel, I’ve seen you. You, according to my servants, are the top in every class in the school.” Finally, the prince stopped pacing and looked right at me with an intense stare. “They have high words for you. I decided to see for myself, and you are as amazing as they say. There’s a reason I need you.”

“Thanks…” The idea that the prince himself had set his eyes on me was a little bit odd, but I’m not stupid; I know a compliment when I hear one. I don’t know why I was surprised. My teachers had also said the same- some even joking that I was “touched by Gandriel”, whatever that means. I mean, I remember Gandriel was a famed elf, but what did that have to do with me?

“This is why we are leaving. I have selected three more elves, a few… others, and of course, my guards, and we are going to travel to the Home of Wizards up north. As an adventure, of course, but this trip also has a diplomatic aspect. We are going to see if we can make an alliance with the Wizards to clear the Glumewood… and join forces with them in the event of a new war.” Here he smiled, slightly more bitter than before. “Which will happen. Pity we had to know this. It’s my fault.”

He did not elaborate, so I, feeling rather confused about the whole mission, tentatively risked asking, “What do you mean, thanks to you?”

“Methadriel, you would not know, for my mother did not make the announcement, but I have the gift of foresight, and I have seen that soon there will be another war.” He gave me a long look. “A great war that will even involve us elves.”

I couldn’t help letting out a small gasp, which was usually against my policy of not showing emotion if absolutely possible. It was fairly shocking to be told there would be a war, one so large it would even involve the elves. We elves are peaceful by nature, really, well, most of the time.

Abruptly, Kethdir turned and closed the space between us, sitting next to me on the edge of my bed. “I’m sorry, Methadriel. I know it’s a lot to process,” he said, lower and gentler than I thought he could ever speak. “Everyone I told was startled. There isn’t a way to break it softly.”

Refusing the sympathy and composing myself again I asked, “Who have you told already? About the war, about the mission?”

“My sister, you, my friend Lucas, Elagrid, a centaur and friend of my mother, Lauriel, you may not know her, and… well, you know Frechis.” He got off my bed momentarily, turning away, not wanting to look at me. Somehow, he knew.

“Frechis?” By now I had had my emotion back under control, but hearing the name of Frechis was enough to blast it off again. I knew Frechis. She was renowned all around for her skills with healing… and her reputation of more trouble than she was worth. Trouble enough to get others involved. Like a certain elf girl. You know, me. Oh, she was clever, but she had the lure of a spider. So much that even I was pulled in until she let me take the fall for a large prank. That had been a severe punishment. 

“Yes. I know she is a troublemaker, and she has picked rivalries with nearly every elf in the kingdom (myself included),” continued Kethdir, “but I think she can be helpful, and this may be a turning point for her.” He hesitated, then added, “We each have unique skills. My sister Frediel is renowned for magic and defense. Lucas is skilled with the bow. Lauriel is skilled with the sword, Elagrid is wise, I have my foresight, and you are, well, good at everything from diplomacy to fighting to music.”

I turned sideways to look at Kethdir.  “Music? How would that help us at all?”

“Well, some enchantments can only be broken by the voice, you must know that by now,” he mumbled, looking vaguely embarrassed. “I want to bring someone who can sing, and stuff.”

I glossed over that and decided to continue. “How long would we be gone?”

“I don’t know.” Kethdir recovered his poise, sat down again, and pulled out a map, a splendid painted version which looked as if it was an art project. “If we ride the deer of the forest to the edge here–” he pointed, “we could be there,” he tapped the page, “and back within a week. Or… a bit more, depending on other factors.”

“Mortality rate?” I asked, casually. For the record, the south isn’t even a safe place out of the forest. Oh, it’s certainly safer than the north, but there are men, and beasts, and robbers of every kind. I mean, maybe that was a little mischievous of me to just straight out make him nervous, but that’s who I am.

Kethdir looked up sharply. “What?”

“What is the mortality rate?” I repeated patiently.

“I don’t know. It’s possible someone will die,” he said, finally getting what I was asking, “if we’re clearing the Glumewood, and I sincerely hope not, but… it’s possible.”

“Am I going to come back alive from this?” Just after I asked, I realized what a foolish question that would be. Annoyed, I laid back on my bed and closed my eyes. “Stupid question,” I mumbled. “Never mind.”

“I cannot guarantee your safety, especially if we are to clear out the Glumewood.”

“Right.” A pause, then, against better judgement and lacking the time to think about it, I said, “I’m in, I think. When do we leave?”

Kethdir cracked a real grin. “Next week. I’ve arranged for you to have special training, as well as the rest of our group.”

“Excellent!”

There was an awkward pause. Then, Kethdir reached out a hand and said, “Welcome aboard.”

We clasped hands quickly, then he handed me a document from out of the pack on his shoulders. 

“Sign here if you’re sure,” he said. “We meet again tomorrow. Don’t tell anyone. I’ll leave a message; just say you are going to class. I give you permission to lie, by the way.”

“Alright.”

He turned to go. “Kethdir,” I started.

“Yes?”

“Is there somewhere you were supposed to be right now?”

“Yes, actually. I was supposed to be in Runes class, but, well, I don’t really love it, so I sneaked out. My mother did say I needed to tell you. She didn’t say when to– or, more importantly, when not to.”

And with a farewell wave and a swish of his gold blond hair, Kethdir was gone, leaving me to wonder what in the Central Plains I had just gotten myself into. After all, a mission with the prince himself was quite nerve-wracking, even if he claimed that he needed me and that others would be with us.

The evening passed in a blur, but later that night, when I went back to my room, I realized that Kethdir had left his map and the document I was supposed to sign. Groaning because of the late hour, I signed the document, after skimming the parchment full of phrases like “no responsibility for…” and “mortality rate” and “safety not guaranteed” and “will be with the company of Prince Kethdir, who is the first in line for the throne of the Elven Fortress of….” 

I got bored of that real quick, so I let my eyes drift to the bottom where there was a line that said, “Sign here” in the same script.

Below it was a note in different writing: 

The document is rather foolish, I know. The protocol is that I have to ask you to read it, but I still think it’s stupid. I dare say that you will not have read it through, but I do not know you that well yet. I will see you soon, Methadriel.

Kethdir Elan, Prince of the Elven Fortress, son of Elandra Willow

Oh. That was a surprise. I’d still have to go and give the map back soon. But something made me tear off the piece of parchment with Kethdir’s handwriting on it, and tuck it inside my desk, under a stack of folders. I probably would never see it again, but I decided to keep it anyway. 

Everyone knew the way to the quarters of the queen and her family. I just followed the spiraling staircase upwards from my hallway, entered an open-air corridor, walked up a flight of stairs and across a wide balcony, turned left, went up another flight of stairs and through a great hall, down one more corridor full of bedrooms and up one more staircase. Nothing difficult at all, right? Well, not in the fortress. It was much larger than that.

There, two guards were posted. I showed them the map, having already hidden the document in my robes, and told them the truth. The prince had left it in my room. Miraculously, they let me through. One even winked at me and told me, good luck. Good luck for what, exactly? Annoyed, I continued. 

The guards were my least favorite part of the night for that reason and a few more. There was always a pair at every corridor, sometimes demanding politely (or not so politely) to know your business. But I understood why– there were still elves out there who would skulk around where they shouldn’t. Or worse. But still.

The guards were there for a reason, and I needed to accept that.

Turning around a corner that ended at an ornate, blue door, that, according to the guards, was the Prince’s, I knocked once, gently.

“Yes, come on in,” responded Kethdir, his voice heavy.

I hesitated, took a deep breath and opened the door.

Wow. The bedroom was amazing, but it ended in an open balcony, which was all I had eyes for: the most beautiful view I had ever seen in the Elven Fortress, a waterfall inside a garden. The last beams of the summer sun caught the fine spray, turning it bloodred and I immediately knew I wanted to paint it. Lush green vines hung around the cliff where it ran off, covered with pale pink and blue flowers, and all around the circle of the pond it fell into was a tile walkway and garden beds full of colourful flowers. There were two stone benches, one on each side of the waterfall and the clear pool of water rippled before disappearing in another, tiny waterfall down to the next level. 

“Oh, Methadriel. What is it?” It took me a moment to find the source of the voice, which was down on the stairs leading to the garden. I could just see Kethdir’s head at the top of the stairs, on which he appeared to be painting. Evidently, I thought with a suppressed chuckle, he had the same idea as me. 

“Painting?” I replied, avoiding the question.

“It is a beautiful view, even if I see it every day and night,” he said. “Come on in. Do you want to paint, too? I have plenty of paper…”

Thrown by the sudden offer, I lost it again. “Um, sure, thanks.” 

Kethdir ducked out of sight again, evidently moving the painting supplies. By the time I remembered to move, the sun had gone down a little bit more, painting the sky in slightly darker tones. I didn’t usually freeze like this, and even though Kethdir had become less of a royal to me, he was still a royal in every sense.

Which made me blurt out, “Kethdir, the reason I came is because you left your map and the document in my room. I can’t stay for much longer.” It all came out of me in a rush, but at least the words were dignified. 

His face fell, just for a few seconds, but it was enough. I had dealt with disappointment in boys, and trust me, that is not something you want to deal with. I didn’t want him to get all sulky and not talk to me later on the mission, so I went on. “But I have enough time to paint. There is always time for art.” I guess, I added silently.

I was rewarded with a glowing smile, and my suspicions strengthened that the Prince himself had set his eyes on me. Which meant being very careful around him. Which was going to be as hard as… Well, you get the idea.

“That’s nice of you,” responded the prince. After a slight pause, he looked away, and I followed his gaze back towards the view, where the sun had now set and we could see the slightest shadow of the stars. 

While I was looking, I could feel Kethdir’s eyes on me again, but this time was more subtle. I sat down on the step next to him and picked up the paper next to the painting he had already finished. It was thick, textured paper, creamy white and free of blemish, so unlike the parchment of before.

I risked one glance at the painting Kethdir had painted. It was a splendid rendition in warm tones that captured what my mother calls “the Golden Time” perfectly. Then I picked up the paint set casually, fondled a fine, fawn hair brush, and began painting. 

I started with the water, pool and flowers. By the time I was finished with that, I noticed I was alone on the step. Then, starting, I looked around- just in time to hear a small clink and see a lantern cast shadows in the room behind me. Two clinks later, there was a lantern at my side and another one lighting up the other side of the room. Two more after that, and Kethdir was at my side again. 

Just after that, I finished the sky on my painting and was adding in a few details when I realized, with a jolt, the time!

“Kethdir, this was amazing, but I really need to go. It’s very late now.” I looked backwards toward the door, handed him the map and the document and stood up. Once at the door, I turned back and waved before shutting the door behind me. 

For the record, it really was late. But I was able to keep it cool and get back to my room, lying to my mother when she came with a cup of tea and telling her I was just taking a turn to the bathrooms way down the hall. 

It was the next morning when I realized that I had never taken my painting.

[BlueWildRye he/him]

This is really good! Did you design the bow symbol yourself?

Spoiler

I have no artistic ability.

 

[Hyper129 He/Him]

For a second I was like "oh shoot did they (not sure if you want people to know ur gender on here) post the entire book?"

[iLewoArtist29 she/her]

4 hours ago, BlueWildRye said:

This is really good! Did you design the bow symbol yourself?

  Reveal hidden contents

I have no artistic ability.

 

Unfortunately, no. I wish I could say I had, but I just uploaded it.

33 minutes ago, Hyper129 said:

For a second I was like "oh shoot did they (not sure if you want people to know ur gender on here) post the entire book?"

Right. Because we love posting 125 page long books on here. Also, I'm she/her so that's fine.

[Hyper129 He/Him]

Oh okay (there weren't any pronouns before)

[iLewoArtist29 she/her]

4 hours ago, Hyper129 said:

Oh okay (there weren't any pronouns before)

Yeah, forgot to add them. Also, I'm not going to post a chapter a day; it'll probably be per week but since I'm super forgetful, it'll probably be erratic...