For hundreds of years, Five Kingdoms of planet Nephalia had been fighting over territory. In order to gain and not lose any land, a kingdom not only needs a strong leader, but a strong army as well. Unfortunately, Only one kingdom has been blessed by these: The Kingdom of Rith. The Kingdom of Rith consists of the Human Race who could use magic. Not only were they blessed with a strong leader, they were also blessed by a strong army! They had proven themselves unstoppable by claiming almost all the lands as their territory. The other four kingdoms were driven into a corner with little or no territory whatsoever and now, the only possible way to continue living is to give up their freedom and to be under the rulership of the Kingdom of Rith.
The Kingdom of Liad, The Kingdom of Neph, and the Kingdom of Mara all surrendered even though they knew that surrendering has the possibility of being slaves under the Kingdom of Rith.
However, even though the four kingdoms had no other choice, one kingdom did not dare surrender under Rith's rulership: The Kingdom of Axor, which was also called the Lesser Humanity's Kingdom, due to being magic-less. Although they had been fighting a losing war, they knew that they need to keep on fighting no matter what.
And now, back to the present.
The Kingdom of Axor has reached the turn for the worse. After losing all the battles since ancient times, the Kingdom shrunk into what the enemies call, Axor City. With their army constantly getting terminated by the Kingdom of Rith, the population drastically decreased as well. With no army, no territory, and a shortage of supplies due to constant looting of the Kingdom of Rith, Axor City has lost it's morale.
They could only hope for someone to come and save them...
before the Kingdom of Axor, now called Axor City, gets erased from the face of Nephalia...
Eliora May, a lifetime citizen of Maplemaw, is something many women are not.
Literate. An activist. But these become hard to complete as all is stripped away from her with the coming of unexpected news.
Marriage and war between the faeires and elves of Ilkaphene. A land of magic, where flowers and fungi grow as tall as their castles. Where forest creatures live in harmony. A land of peace.
A land where a fairy married an elf. A fairy princess marrying an elf princess at that.
Eliora begins to hear rumors of the war. How it was destroying an ethereal land. And, worst of all, how women were being silenced to prevent more "corruption".
As the war and its standards begin to seep into Elvangmort, changing Eliora's home into one of constrictions, hushed whispers, and worst of all, a hatred toward women, she knows that she must do something to save her freedom and the freedoms of those around her.
***
This is my submission for ONC 2025!
Main prompt:
33. In a time when same-sex marriage was still a stigma, two kings defy convention and marry each other-igniting a conflict that threatens to spark a world war
Secondary prompts:
43. During a wartime book ban, a young woman discovers love letters hidden in the margins of a historical book. As she reads, she unravels a mystery about her family and finds love of her own.
96. The road you've traveled almost every day of your life begins to change-transforming it into a dark, terrifying place right before your eyes.
109. In secret, a group of women forms a book club during the ban on reading. As they sneak around town exchanging books, they form unexpected friendships, navigate their love lives, and uncover hidden strengths and passions.
Story playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qRA9ENIMuYf6UuYmtXlkd?si=6yrjpvyWSwWC9nz-URZq3g
TW: Abuse, homophobia, violence, death
The beautiful cover and banner was created by @sulkytae!