A Fantasy Story (Chapter 1) *For Contest*

A girl stood staring out of the window at the city that she had once called home, that millions had. She was obviously just verging on woman-hood but this girl, usually outspoken and confident, was, at this moment, silent staring with eyes filled with sorrow. 1

What she gazed at through the dusty pane of glass was a ruin of mangled metal and dusty concrete with slight rises in the mass of wreckage where record breaking sky-scrapers had once stood, tall and proud of their place in the world. Patches of black were where whole parks full of trees had been, brimming with life and happiness. But, worst of all, it was the glinting of armour in the distance that signified the thousands of lives that had fought for the city, and lost.2

“Sky,” A voice called from behind, making the girl turn at the sound of her name, “We’ve got to go.” The voice belonged to an older looking boy. He was tall, with dark brown hair, almost black, and bright piercing blue eyes.3

Sky smiled weakly at him. He knew that it was hard for her, leaving the place she had lived for all her life, leaving the place that her Father had devoted his life to and ultimately given it up for. He strode forward, attempting but failing to put forward a false sense of security, and embraced her tightly.4

“Don’t they want to see you as well, Jason?” Sky mumbled into the boy’s dusty linen shirt.5

“It doesn’t look like it, but I can go with you if you want”6

“No, its okay” Sky sighed, moving away from Jason and quickly running her fingers through her knotty hair, trying to make herself somewhat presentable.7

Another man popped his head around the door, this one in a formal and well-pressed security uniform. “Miss, you’re wanted in the main deck”8

Sky nodded and followed the man out of the door leaving Jason by himself. “So, you got any idea what they want?” She asked the man, brashly.9

“I wouldn’t know, Miss.” The guard replied unconvincingly, it was a known fact that secrets weren’t kept very well within the court.10

They were approaching the enormous and intricately designed double doors now. They served Sky only as another reminded of her Father, who had commissioned them and designed the pattern himself. Once full of hidden meaning that he had spent long hours explaining and discussing with her they now seemed worthless.11

Successfully, fighting back tears Sky waited as the doors were opened from the other side by more uniformed guards and her full regal title was announced to the audience, made up of the six highest ministers of the kingdom.12

The middle chair, designed with the same intricate pattern as the doors, was empty, another reminder of the political, emotional and social turmoil that the past year had been.13

“Skylar, it’s nice to see you.” boomed the deep voice of the ancient man sitting to the immediate right of the vacant chair.14

Sky smiled, the first genuine smile in what felt like a year but was, realistically, a few days. This man had been at her Father’s right hand from the beginning; a mentor, an advisor but most importantly, a friend. At Sky’s birth he had been named as her godfather and was the closest thing she had ever had to a grandparent, aunt or uncle.15

“Likewise, Uncle−sorry, Minister Leo. Also, sorry to be rude but, I kind of have places to be. So can we hurry this up a bit?”16

“Skylar, I hope you don’t mind me asking” Chimed in one of the other ministers, this one was younger and evidently new to the position as Sky didn’t recognise him, “but where on Earth do you have to be? Haven’t you looked out of a window? This building is the only one left, there’s nowhere to go.”17

Just as Sky was about to reply Minister Leo interrupted reminding the group assembled that they were not here to talk about travel arrangements. “Rather,” he continued “we are here to discuss the future of the kingdom that it seems has happened to fall into this girl’s hands. We are here to consider the ramifications of whatever decision Sky chooses to take. ”18

“Master Leo? I didn’t realise I had a choice, surely my Father would have wanted me on the throne to follow him!”19

“It is not your Father’s decision to make. His live, as sad as it is to accept it, is over, he has done his time. Now it is your turn to live your life the way you want it to be lived. On the throne, or off. It as simple as that.”20

Sky closed her eyes, her head was already aching and she wished she had brought Jason with her. “Hurry up, girl!” one of the other Ministers growled. Looking up Sky ran her eyes along the table realising that Leo was the only one she recognised. All the familiar faces that had, for the most part, been part of her everyday life for as long as she could remember were gone, replaced with harsher, younger and uglier ones.