The Old Land of Avalendor

[Soleil]

"Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt"
They change the sky, not their soul, who run across the sea.

. A v a l e n d o r . was once a prosperous kingdom, ruled by both a king and queen who loved their people and treated all fairly, with kindness, acceptance and honor. Their kingdom was strong and known to be a land of peace and opportunity. King Elliot and Queen Serenity ruled with their hearts and did everything in their power to keep Avalendor safe and strong.
The citizens of Avalendor loved their sovereigns and were extremely loyal to them, always willing to fight and protect for their kingdom, but never having to. Avalendor was at peace for many years. King Elliot had vowed to keep it that way after taking over the kingdom from his father, who had always seemed to bring Avalendor into wars that were believed to be causeless. But what Elliot did not know, was that his father had untold reasons for all that he did. He would soon learn that something lurked in the shadows of Avalendor, hidden for many years. His father had striven to protect these secrets, afraid of what could happen if they ever got out. 

. W h e n . Elliot discovered these secrets himself, he suddenly understood all that his father had done and all of the wars that were fought. Something needed to be done, and fast, before it was too late. He understood why his father snuck around, trying to do everything in secret, without telling his people the reasons for his work. It would be too risky for everyone to know. Elliot had begun to fall into the same footsteps as his father, he had spoken with the Order of Saelis about possibly taking Avalendor out because he wished for their kingdom to be an independent nation. The Order disapproved of this and threatened war upon Avalendor if he tried it. 

. S o . Elliot spent the rest of his days planning for a way out. Serenity, oblivious to what her husband was up to, had given birth to a daughter, Alexandria. She worried, sensing that something just was not right. She, herself had started coming up with her own plans should anything happen that would force her away from her beloved daughter. She had spoken with trusted friends, asking them to protect Alexandria and take her from Avalendor the moment that anything happened. They agreed with heavy hearts, concerned by the queen's worry. 

. T h e . citizens never suspected what would happen next to their sovereigns and to Avalendor. Late one night, a rather large raiding party ambushed the silent kingdom. Houses were burned down, many innocent lives were slain, and the king and queen of Avalendor were murdered and dismembered to mark the brutality of those who had ruined the once peaceful land. Several, however were lucky enough to flee from the devastation that had begun to unfold before them. Among them were Arthur and Katharine who had taken princess Alexandria and their own son, Orin with them, running for their lives, as far from Avalendor as they could. 

. K i n g . Ashton, the man that was known to be in charge of taking over Avalendor, stood up and began to weave the kingdom with his own hands. Hands that were filled with such greed and hunger for power. The citizens of Avalendor grew to hate their new ruler, and several left the kingdom in search of a better place, one that would at least come close to what Avalendor once was. The only loyal to Ashton were those who had followed him and were victorious of taking down the old kingdom. But Ashton's rule did not last long. After five years, the kingdom dwindled down to nothing. His people left or died and the lands had fallen, left in destitute. It did not take long after before the kingdom was left abandoned. 

. T h e . grounds of Avalendor remained in solitude for fifteen years and were haunted by the many lives that had fallen. The Order of Saelis kept a close watch on the lands, however. They knew that the princess had escaped and the land was rightfully hers. Avalendor could not be rightfully ruled again unless she would return to claim it, or someone was appointed to the land. Lord Aramis, the ruler of the Order, had perhaps been too lazy to restore the lands himself. And so they waited. 

---

"Donna nobis pacem"  

Grant us peace. 

. F o r . many years, the princess of Avalendor lived as a commoner with her adoptive family. They raised her as one of their own, offering her nothing but love and safety. They changed her name, calling her Aurora, to keep her identity hidden from any that might be searching for her. She learned the ways of her father, as a healer, and the ways of her mother, as a delicate proper lady. She lived with happiness and her days were carefree and peaceful. She knew nothing of true parents and of Avalendor--Katharine and Arthur meant to keep her identity a secret until they felt she was old enough to return and take up the land again. 



. B u t . they would never be able to tell her. When a group of soldiers came to their village, seeking a princess, Katharine and Arthur knew what they wanted. They sent Orin and Alexandria away, giving their son a box to give to his sister when he felt she was ready to return to Avalendor. They gave him the responsibility of taking care of her and making sure she got back to the kingdom and knew the truth. The two set off on their own, living together, knowing well enough they would never see their parents again. Orin was worried for his sister, unsure of when he should tell her the truth of her past. Though the secret continued to linger on for longer than it should of. Alexandria had been taken from him and kept for years before he would be able to find her again.



. A l e x a n d r i a . was overwhelmed, scared, and shocked when she learned of her truth. How could she learn to rule a kingdom on her own? Orin had assured her that she could do it, that she had to. They were all counting on her. He left her with the box, which contained letters and notes from her true parents, along with the royal necklace and rings of Queen Serenity and King Elliot, along with all of the records of her birth. She was the heir of Avalendor, the only left of the Eveleigh line. She had a whole new journey ahead of her, one she would need to make on her own. 



. F i n a l l y ., a new light had stepped onto the frozen, abandoned soil of Avalendor. Alexandria found the kingdom broken and nearly impossible to pick up from the damage it had suffered. Out of the ashes were the citizens who, through time, had returned to Avalendor and worked on getting a head start on restoring the lands. They saw the box she held within her hands and knew that their darkness would soon become brightened. 



. F o r . the first few months, Alexandria dedicated her time to rebuilding Avalendor. She had recovered old documents that were hidden away in Elliot's office, and learned about what the kingdom once was. She vowed to Avalendor and to those that were beginning to settle in the lands, that she would bring back all her father had worked for, and restore the peace that once held true in Avalendor. The citizens trusted in her, believing that she could and would bring Avalendor back and save the fallen kingdom. They saw the old king and queen in her heart and knew they led her in all of her actions. They also saw that their new queen, Alexandria, ruled and believed with all of her heart, being stubborn, strong and willing to build Avalendor to what it once was. 



. B u t . what Alexandria did not know, was how many secrets actually were hiding within the walls of the castle and behind the gates that enclosed the Kingdom. Something troubling awaited in the shadows of Avalendor and in the Order of Saelis who constantly seemed to disapprove of all that she did and seemed more than forceful to get a king in Avalendor under her own will. Alexandria knew that there was trouble lingering about, and nightmares had begun to take over her dreams.