The Tetrad of Divarsia

Prologue

Prince Fasilides of Etheria was the backbone of his community. He was tall, strong and handsome, and had short black densely curled hair and beard. His skin was a dark, chocolate shade, and his voice was a booming, kind sound that would put even the most tense of people at ease. He would always help the subjects of Etheria, whether it was using his riches to feed the poor, or physically visiting the city and participating in manual work, such as building libraries or schools.

He was the son of two unbelievably rich yet selfish monarchs, who owned many islands which surrounded their vast country. The largest by far of these islands was Divarsia, a sweeping mass of land that had almost every kind of climate available: dense forest, bleak desert, towering mountains and crystal waters.

The island itself was almost in the shape of the side profile of a lion's head, the mouth wide open and roaring, forming some kind of bay on the east coast of the island, where many people swam, fished and sailed. The southern sandy desert shone like golden fur. The lush forest to the west  formed the lion's mane and the mountains of the north resembled the ear, towering massively above the rest of the island up in one corner.

The king and queen gifted the uninhabited island to Prince Fasilides as a 21st birthday present. Fasilides took over Divarsia and built a huge civilisation, a pristine palace became the lion's eye, and the island had a loosely populated city that sprawled over the centre of the island. He spent a large quantity of his riches on building this city, as well as often volunteering to help build it, along with the immigrants from other islands as well as Etheria.

Word travelled of Fasilides' kindness, and many countries and kingdoms began to trade with Divarsia. The most prominent kingdom of that time was Flåmberg, a wintry kingdom from the north. The reigning monarch of this country, King Frederik, an old widower with greying ginger hair and a muttonchop moustache, offered Fasilides the hand in marriage of his only child, Princess Marta.

Princess Marta was small, pale and bright. She had a round face, with freckles that contrasted with her pale skin. She had dirty blonde hair which she often wore in a wrap-around braid. She had eyes the colour of sapphires, and when she smiled it seemed as if all was right with the world, and the sun seemed to shine from her gleaming visage.

However, Prince Fasilides was not satisfied by simple appearance. He gently denied King Frederick's offer, and instead offered to court Princess Marta, and see if he could win her heart, rather than have it handed to him. The two began to court, and between them the pair would often have the most original ideas for dates, including a trip to the regal library, a candlelit boat ride in the bay, an expedition in the Divarsian forest and even a night at theatre, where they watched an concert that Fasilides had written specifically for Marta!

Fasilides was amazed by Marta's personality. Although she looked every bit a fairy princess, she had the filthiest sense of humour of anyone Fasilides had ever met. She was brave, witty and amazingly intelligent, and with a thirst for knowledge she could speak five languages, work out amazingly complex mathematics problems in her head and play almost any instrument she picked up. The two eventually fell in love and got married, and the new Princess Marta moved into the Divarsian palace with Fasilides.

Nevertheless, all good things must come to an end, and disaster struck when King Fasilides' parents were killed. Unbeknownst to him, his selfish, greedy parents had increased the taxes for the subjects in Etheria, whilst constantly living in their own bliss, neither knowing nor caring of the country's plight. The subjects of Etheria had revolted, executed the king and queen and burned down the palace. This had made Fasilides the king of Divarsia, by inheriting his parents' kingdom.

King Fasilides hired Ahiga, a young but wise Native American Divarsian, who lived on the border between the mountains and the forest. His wise words became the basis for his occupation. Ahiga became the royal advisor, and his advice persuaded the king to cut off Etheria completely, and simply rule Divarsia. From that moment on, the Republic of Etheria has prospered and had many great relations with Divarsia, Flåmberg and other surrounding islands, including Etheria, which became a peaceful democracy.

Meanwhile, King Fasilides and Queen Marta had even better news; they were expecting a baby! The young princess was born, and the kingdom rejoiced. The small bundle of joy was named Nicole, and she was loved as much as any child could be loved. Ahiga organised the baby's introduction ceremony, and the kingdom seemed perfect.