Chapter 2

The Queen of Greenland

There is a man-made pathway of white pebbles that seems to start in the middle of nowhere. There is a grassy field and all of the sudden it is interrupted with an ivory white strip that stretches over the hills southwest. Those who most frequently use it came from a small village several miles away. They walk the familiar path through the spindly woods until they reached the Sapphian River. Here they usually have to stop and rest if they are carrying a heavy load. They follow the river south until they come upon the strange pathway.

As you walk along the pathway, the trees appear more frequently. After a time, you can no longer see the river, but sometimes, if there is a lull in the constant chirping of birds, you can hear it.

Now - very slowly, the white pebbles start taking on a shade of green. No more brightly colored red and yellow birds flying from tree to tree, only beautifully colored dark green ones. Once and a while, a Libber dashes out from a bush, run across the pathway, and hide in another bush.

Libbers are quick and sneaky creatures. Their eyes are very large and curious and dart from here to there. If they had the desire to, they could hypnotize you with those large black eyes. They have large bushy tales and bear-like ears and noses. If they are particularly happy, they will sit on their hind legs, much like a squirrel with their front paws rubbing together, with a hilarious grin on their face. Many people believe the Libbers to be insane or at least a little out of their minds. When they do speak, it's usually gibberish and nonsensical strings of words.

The Libbers that live in the land of the mysterious pathway have a different type of fur than those in the rest of the world. Rather than a dark shade of brown with yellow specks, their coats are a lovely leafy shade of green that appear smooth and wonderful to stroke.

If you were walking down this pathway, you would have noticed that everything is green, which is natural, for the pathway leads to no other place than Greenland.

Greenland is a wonderfully pleasant place; quite the opposite of Fairyland. It is very lush and full of flowers, birds, animals, and fruit trees, all green- more shades of green than a human can imagine. There are much deeper and intricate shades of green so that each species of flower, each piece of fruit, has its own color. Some shades have yellow or brown specks in them, others have an undertone of blue or purple or even black. Many of the greens shimmer when the sun strikes them. In the mornings, when the sun comes up in the East, the fields and forests of Greenland sparkle with a golden light.

Greenland is also known for is its bounty of precious stones. In the colder parts of Greenland there are miles of boulders with hundreds of jewels and stones naturally embedded in them. Emerald and gold nuggets are the most plentiful, but also are the rarer and more powerful stones such as the Eurethes and fireballs that are golden yellow and produce intense heat when used properly.

And even rarer still are the Amureen pebbles, which are more commonly known as love rocks. Anyone who is in possession of one of these pebbles has the power to overcome any chosen being with a strong sense of love and devotion towards the holder of the stone. The stones are only used when absolutely necessary. Permission of the King and Queen of Greenland is required to obtain just one of these powerful pebbles, because any number of evils can be committed through false love.

There are stories told of the fairies stealing these stones and using them to their own advantage. The most commonly known one is that of a fairy king and his assistant entangling four lovers in a confusing affair, along with an ass, and an ancient fairy queen.

In Greenland, storytelling has always been a popular pass time. The people of the villages finish their supper and the elders sit in a comfortable chair. The young ones gather around, warm themselves by the fire, and then listen to the tales that the elders tell. Sometimes the stories are true, but often they are fiction and are created with a moral to teach the young children how to behave. Many stories contain fairies - warning the children of how evil they are.

Some of the stories may be in a verse form with rhyming lines to entertain their audience. Some stories are sung. Many have been passed down from generation to generation.

Each year, the King and Queen of Greenland send several members of their court to listen to storytellers in each village. The chosen ones then tell their stories for the King and Queen themselves and one out of the many will be selected and rewarded for their talent in storytelling.

Many people say that the Kilken Ocean is the most beautiful part of Greenland although it is more blue than green. It is deep and clear and thousands of fish live within its depths. When the sun is at just the right height in the sky and shines golden on the surface, the sky above looks Caribbean blue, and the sea beneath the golden caps is emerald-green. At night, the stars are uncountable. Millions of points of light scatter across the sky and are reflected in the waters below.

And at night, the stars are a wonder to look at. We can hardly imagine the uncountable number of stars there are there, with all the pollution in our skies and the city lights trying to outshine them. Millions of points of light scattered across a huge purple sea, almost as if it were reflecting the one below. Seeing so many stars can make a man feel very small, but still significant, because he knows that he is privileged enough to have seen such a sight, when many have not.

The economic center of the country is Greenwich, which is located on the shores of this ocean, and most of its trading is done through voyaging. It is not surprising therefore that so many villagers chose to become sailors and spend most of their lives on the beautiful, vast, blue waters that stretches for hundreds of miles. The fastest and best-armed ships of the world are tied in the Greenwich Harbor. Many of the young people who go out looking for adventures find it merely by walking along the harbor and seeing all the boats, imagining what they are carrying, where they are going, and all they may encounter on the way.

Some of the very imaginative ones become storytellers.

Others become sailors.

And others still become pirates.

When thinking of pirates, most people think of a picture of death, destruction, gold, and many many bottles of rum. However, pirates are not a huge threat on that particular coast; in fact, they are surprisingly peaceful. Only the wanderers are bound to be dangerous.

Most of these islands within the Kilken Ocean are just the type of places that pirates love. They are filled with places for drinking and eating and good company. They are also very violent places, which govern themselves as best they can. In other words, whoever punches harder gets the pretty girl.

The King of Greenland supplies the islands with whatever they need, as long as the islanders agree to not bother Greenland with their problems, or their habits. Surprisingly, it is an agreement that has worked for centuries. And as for the pirates, they live happily, pillaging, plundering, stealing, drinking, eating, and quite a lot of other things that pirates find enjoyable.

The actual village of Greenwich is very pleasant, if a bit chaotic. There are many markets, in which to buy just about anything except exported goods. The market places are always filled to overflowing with all sorts of persons; some human, some not, and booths, in which to buy just about anything you could possibly imagine. There is everything from shoelaces to pickled rind fruits.

A rind fruit is an orange-yellow plum-like fruit with a very distinct, almost bitter taste. Each fruit contains seven small, round, black seeds. If a child is lucky enough to find a rind fruit with only six seeds, or rarer still, one with eight seeds, the child makes a wish, and they say that it will be granted, provided that they have led a fruitful and honest life.

Also in the city of Greenwich there are schools to educate those children and churches of every religion. Some of the religions worship one god, others worship more than one, others worship animals, and others still believe that religion comes from within the individual's heart.

And the flowers! The green rose is one of the most beautiful and peculiar flowers ever to exist in any world. It seems to glow from within and it always sparkles in the light. It is well known that a red rose signifies love and romance but green rose represents eternal devotion, caring, and love, that was preordained by fate. They are exchanged frequently and freely when alone. But when given with a single red rose, one can be absolutely certain of the giver's intentions.

Following that now distinctively green colored path on through the village and up a grassy green hill, you come to the Castle of Greenland: Verdana. Though Verdana is not nearly as strong as the castle in Fairyland, it is much more impressive and much more beautiful. The castle is made of thousands of marble blocks, stacked in rows and curves for nearly three-quarters of a mile. There are hundreds of windows and doors, tall towers and balconies. It houses Lords and Ladies, Dukes and Duchesses- all the nobility who live in Greenland, and those who don't and are only visiting.

The King and Queen spend most of their time in the northern side, which is nearest the sea, where all the feasts are held and the speeches made and the battle proclamations delivered.

Though there are hundreds of doors throughout Verdana, the main entrance to the enormous castle is made of oak. It is at least ten feet tall and at least as many men abreast. The coat of arms is carved in the wood is that of a flag and an oar crossed against a setting sun, with a circle of pebbles surrounding the design.

It was carved by one of the good fairies that do exist, named Sarita. She was a good friend of the queen at that time. It is not commonly known why some fairies are good and most are evil. The secret lies deep in ancient fairy history. Some believe that the man who carved these fairies' hearts of stone chose the wrong type of stone for them, or simply forgot to put in one. Other's say that they are half-fairy and their parentage has a bit of angel in them.

Fairies and angels have many confrontations.

When the great door of Verdana is opened - which takes quite a bit of muscle - one enters a large rectangular room, wider than it is long. The floor is covered in a deep red and black design. Some say they are too much like the fairies' colors, but the Queen insists on having it there. She says it is a reminder of something she experienced in her youth.

And one day, King Torthus, the Lords and Ladies of the castle, and all their horses were outside of this castle waiting patiently for Queen Elezene. They were anxious to go riding that afternoon or perhaps even a foxhunt. That morning there was much clinking of reins and shouting and horses whinnying. They had all been out there since 8:00 in the morning, and it was now half past ten.

Finally, the Queen emerged in her normal every day clothes; her navy blue dress trimmed with black and gold braid, bright yellow and gold pleated sleeves, and a single pearl necklace. Her cascade of yellow-blonde hair was in braids that began as two separate braids, but after several inches of weaving, they joined into one. Her face was pale and innocent. She had only been married for a year, and the harsh realities of life had not yet sunk into her being or carved even the slightest line in her face.

The sight of her was a surprise for the assembly who were expecting her to emerge in a dark purple gown studded in jewels, riding boots, and a riding hat over a large bundle of hair.

King Torthus immediately walked over to her, taking her hands in his, to see why she was not in her riding garment.

"Go without me," was the first thing she said, firmly.

"But, my dear, why? Now I know you have been looking forward to this. Did you not spend all week visiting the stables again and again just to see Glinda, your new horse? What has happened?"

It was true. Nothing had pleased her more than to see how shiny her new horse's chestnut coat looked, and how deep her black eyes were.

"Nothing," she said to him, shaking herself out of her dreams. She then addressed the crowd surrounding her. "Honestly, I'm perfectly fine. Do not worry about me. I find it just as satisfactory to stay home as to go out. You all enjoy yourself and ride the day away."

She smiled at them sweetly but Torthus could see that the smile was not genuine.

"You are hiding something." He paused and glanced at the crowd. He pulled her closer to the door, where the people would know they wished to speak alone. "I wish to know what is wrong. Tell me or I shall have to call off the entire outing."

His voice was as stubborn as Elezene's was and his eyes were serious. Elezene looked at him for a moment and sighed. Yes, she supposed this would be the best time to tell him. She leaned forward and whispered something in his ear. Torthus's eyes became very wide and his eyebrows rose. He stepped back and looked at his wife in amazement. She smiled modestly. He grinned back at her and turned towards the onlookers.

"Friends!" he shouted, putting his hands up in the air, "I have wonderful news! The Queen is expecting a child!"