Watty's Shortlist 2023
"I have been waiting a long time to meet you."
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When two warring kingdoms hear of a magical object that will end the conflict once and for all, two rival heirs embark on a quest to retrieve it and bring their...
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"There was once a kingdom, ruled by a loving king and queen. The queen became pregnant shortly after their marriage, but unfortunately she did not survive the childbirth. Heartbroken, the king vowed to protect his daughter, and raise her with enough love for the two of them. He named her Ila, which means earth or island, as she was what kept him rooted and steady."
"Ila?" Kaiden asked. "As in Aila without the a?"
"Hmm" Aila mused. "That's an interesting thought but it must be a coincidence. The meaning of Ila's name is part of the story. However, I also wouldn't be surprised if our parents are not so different at all, and they used this story to relate it to me."
Kaiden nodded. "What does Aila mean?"
"I don't know," Aila spoke after a short pause, frowning. "My parents must not have told me."
A silence fell, punctuated by the sounds of nature around them: of their footsteps in the soil, of Kallias' hooves trotting rhythmically in front of them, of the river rushing beside them, of the wind whistling between the trees, of the animals chattering in the branches.
Aila stopped and listened for a few minutes before continuing.
"Ila and her father were best friends. They were almost inseparable. However, one day a woman came to the palace and her father ended up falling in love again. He remarried, and Ila found herself with a new stepmother."
"Oh no," Cas shook his head. "There are enough stories about evil stepmothers."
"Wait, do you not know this one?" Aila whirled on her friend, surprise evident in her features. Her eyes widened as he shook his head. "Well there are apparently not enough evil stepmother stories then," she said in reply.
"It appears so."
"Ila's stepmother craved power. She wanted the throne to be hers, and hers alone. She dreamed of being the sole ruler, the only source of authority in the kingdom, and so she set a plan in motion. Her only obstacles were her husband, and her stepchild."
"Dramatic," Kaiden's lips twitched up.
"Indeed," Aila imitated him.
"She began to make tea regularly for the king, tea with a hint of poison within it. When the king fell grievously ill, and the royal apothecary had conducted all her tests, they had identified the poison - and the antidote."
Aila paused to create more tension.
"The antidote was the milk of a lioness. It was something so hard to obtain, so rare to find. The stepmother, now the acting sovereign, issued an order to a young Ila, to go and retrieve the milk to save her father."
