The Chronicles of Reneval

Chapter 1 - A Land of Hope

A princess. A story with no "Once upon a time". A story of hope for a girl. A girl who chose. Herself over her subjects. A portal over her kingdom. Yet somehow she ended up with both. It was so long ago, even she can't remember it well, but her father, the king of England at the time wanted her to marry the prince of another kingdom. He would tell her everyday, and she would brush it off. Until the day he threatened her.

She left. She had to! She refused to marry. Especially not someone she didn't know. So she ran. Through the forest, twigs getting caught in her midnight black hair with pitch black streaks, almost like a shadow in the night sky. The guards surely were chasing her. Exhaustion creeped along her legs, and she collapsed to the floor, letting out a sob.

A strong hand gripped hers, making her jump. Looking up she saw a man with brown hair the color of tree bark, and green eyes that sparkled like mystical seas. She would've asked what the hell he was doing if a swirling black mass didn't appear in front of her. It swirled like some sort of abyss.

"Lets go in," a voice beside her said. She turned.

"What is it?" The princess asked. In response to this, the man shrugged. So the walked into the abyss, the darkness surrounding them. The princess was covered in light the color of the Mediterranean sea. The man holding her hand beside her surrounded in the pine green of mountainous forests. "I'm Gwen."

"My name is Quen," the man laughed.

"I need a new start anyways. Could you call me Lio?" It was the name of a girl from a book she always read. Of a Greek demi-god and her quests with Apollo, the god of the sun, and her lover.

Nodding, Quen brought a hand to the ground where they stood, and grass spread for miles. Gaping, Lio brought her hand upwards, and a beautiful yellow sun appeared. They continued creating hand in hand for hours on end until their Land of hope was completed. A whole world.

***

Quen and Lio sat in a meadow, a blanket of stars and a moon created by Lio above them. They had made different constellations in the stars. A skull, an eye, a dragon, a pegasus, a feather, a bear, a tankard, a dagger, an amulet, a staff, and a flute.

"It needs a name," Lio decided. "We can't call it earth."

"Reneval. Sounds mystic, and like it could be a drug!" Quen suggested. Lio snorted.

Tossing her small crown of crystal and gold flowers, she said, "It's decided then. No more earth. Long live Reneval. May King Quen rule for the rest of his days."

"We built this world together, we'll rule it together. This is Reneval. Nothing is holding you back anymore."