Ivory & Death | ONC 2021

1. Could Be Queen

Sol was always smart, agile, could easily get in and out of places she was never supposed to and yet always managed to.

The woman walked along the large hallway, it was the space that divided the east and west wings of the castle she roamed. The black attire that graced her body did not alarm anyone she passed, the maids and butlers each stopping with a smile to bow to her. Sol was quite respect at the palace of the King, even more so than the King himself, who was in fact feared rather than respected.

"You're Majesty." The head butler bowed 90 degrees, causing Sol to stop for a moment.

"Ryde, how are you tonight?" Sol asked as the elder man stood to his full height.

"It's a beautiful night, the day after the full moon," The slight show of age lines around Ryde's eyes did nothing to disguise that he was once a very handsome man, stocky and 6'4, Sol had no doubt women flocked towards the human. "I am rather busy, but I am happy to be of service."

"Oh do not let me keep you from your duty's." Sol pushed the hood of her cape back that had blown in her face from the wind coming in from the window to her right, her way out. "The night after the full moon is always a busy one."

Ryde smiled at his, who was soon to be, Queen, knowing the King did not deserve such a kind woman, and yet his status as a human could do nothing about it. When Sol had come to the palace almost 2 years ago, Ryde had taken care of her, as a father would a young child, especially when the young and spoiled King was in one of his moods. He watched as Sol moved closer towards the open window, her eyes watching the moon as it continued to move higher before her attention moved to the box next to her.

It was a very old relic; the wooden box was covered in ancient markings that no ordinary person would be able to read. The wood itself was ancient, Sol could feel the power seeping off of it as her hands hovered around it. She did not know what it was, nor did Ryde, as a human he was forbidden to gaze upon the contents of the old box, but Sol knew how important it was to the King.

"Do you believe the stories, Ryde?" Sol's voice carried down the empty hall, meeting only the old butlers ears. "That a dragon would really fly through the night sky again?"

"There are no more dragons, Your Majesty." Ryde reminded the young woman.

"Of course there isn't." Sol turned to catch Ryde's eyes; an almost mischievous smile danced on her lips. "Well, I best be off. I'd like to go for a little night walk before bed."

"Your Majesty." Ryde bowed 90 degrees again before turning, moving down the hall towards his King's wing, jumping as something slammed and he turned back to see the hall completely empty. "Your Majesty?"

But she was gone.

Sol couched down low, her dark hood of the cape she wore over her head, walking fast along the outside of the wall, stuffing the box into the hidden backpack she wore. Every movement on the ground only caused her to pause for a moment, before moving again, already knowing it was only humans who patrolled the palace tonight. Sol stopped, looking at the large wall in front of her before standing, gripping the wall, and pulling herself up.

On top of the roof, Sol ran across the uneven surface finally getting to the end of the roof, only to run faster and faster. Jumping off the roof, Sol waited until she was closer to the ground to summon her power, the blast of energy from her hands allowed her to land on the ground rather than to fall. Blending into the trees in her black attire, Sol continued to run full pace through the unprotected forest, only to be meet with another large wall.

Keeping her pace, another blast of energy lifted her off the ground, only to help her catapult over the wall and land on top of it, getting a view of the large kingdom before her. Sol knew she was supposed to rule over the Were Kingdom, a Kingdom that stretched over so many different Kingdoms, but she would never be happy on that throne. The King, nothing more than a spoiled child with an inferiority complex, had asked for her hand 2 years ago, and Sol had done everything she could to keep him at bay and yet worm her way into the Kingdom.