White King

Chapter 1- the first chapter

Hey readers! The end goal of this book is to hopefully publish it, but this is a great place to start :).

I would like to have a beta reader though so if anyone has any time on their hands, there's never any rush to get it done, but an extra set of eyes is always appreciated. Just private message me if you are interested! You would obviously get full credit, especially if any of the ideas come from you :).

- FL

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The Peace Festival was as beautiful as ever, the Red Palace grounds were clean and kept, and full of life. People from all over Hanea, from each of the 7 villages, showed up to celebrate 16 years of peace in the kingdom. The red palace was the home of the royal family, and those closest to them, and ever since the horrific attack 16 years ago, just after the princess's first birthday, that left the kingdom queenless, the king declared the kingdom of Hanea a peaceful place. Spending the kingdom's money and giving up land to other kingdoms when asked, to avoid conflict.

Now, every year the king puts on a festival to celebrate his daughter's birthday, and also the longstanding state of peace in his kingdom.

The peace festival took place on the palace grounds. A circular space, almost a kilometer wide and with paved ground, stood a ways away from the palace doors. Its centerpiece, a large square tower of wood climbing as high as 10 meters. Four roads surrounded that space creating a square around it, and expanding through almost the entire outdoor portion of the palace. Those streets along with others create a checkerboard of wide paths and squares of well-kept grass, shrubbery, and other vegetation. Those squares were mostly used as a rest spot for picnics or breaks for those who wished for such while exploring the festivities.

Every path was covered with stands that sold anything and everything ranging from fruit to jewelry and teacups to swords. During the day, the streets were crowded with people. Performers would walk up and down trying to earn a spare coin from those who enjoyed watching their talents, and others shopped and played and sang. At night, tents and other small shelters were set up and designated open squares for anyone who came from too far to return home for the night. So really, anyone from any of the other six villages.

The people at the festival who lived in the capital village, Tömeges, either went home to their houses, as the village was just outside the palace or actually worked in the palace and has living quarters there that they return to come nightfall.

The festival usually lasted 3 days and it is the third that everyone awaits. On the third day, there was a dance, and a bonfire, in the massive circular space in the center of the entire festival, that anyone and everyone is invited to. Even the royal family come out from the red palace and join in the festivities and dancing. The young and the elderly and everyone in between join in dancing from dusk until dawn.

This year's bonfire was especially important as the princess was turning 17 and at an age where she would start looking for a partner for marriage, a new king or queen to rule alongside her. This year she would only come out of the palace for the bonfire. Men and women around the entire kingdom prepared for that night in hopes of catching her attention.

The red palace stood at the northernmost part of the kingdom, at the base of a large forest-covered mountain. The palace was no more than three stories tall at its tallest point and was truly a beautiful sight to see. Its crimson red brick walls looked like flames when the sunlight shone on it. The square shape was accented with symmetrical tall towers at each corner, and two smaller ones on either side of the massive mahogany doors that gave the palace a feel of warmth. The palace almost resembled a pyramid in the sense that the tallest points were towards the centre. The outermost rooms were only one story tall containing mostly supply closets, the kitchen, and staff quarters. The next section, deeper in the palace than those rooms were two stories tall, which held rooms like offices, dining rooms on the first floor, and on the second, important bedrooms like the king and princess themselves, along with their personal help and guards. Extra rooms were set up as well for the leaders of each village for when a meeting was called and lasted longer than 1 day. In the centre of the palace was the grand ballroom, 3 stories in height, 150 meters across and with a large glass dome-like ceiling.