PROLOGUE
At one time the land was known as Territory of Noella Provence to honor the first fairy queen who moved from the region of Sovorotskina to the village later known as Votovia. As time passed, the Noella Provence separated into different villages. The elders still called it Noella Provence but the younger ones did not, though they were taught the history of the land.
The villages each had their own wizard king and fairy queen who ruled their individual regions.
Sovorotskina – Land of Goodness & Light – ruled by Wizard King Gateskin and Fairy Queen Solinara
Votovia – Land of Magic & Mystery – ruled by Wizard King Cavelan and Fairy Queen Savina
Merona – Land of Peace & Harmony – ruled by Healers (old wise men)
Merlina – Land of Myths & Legends – ruled by Wizard King Zuri and Fairy Queen Zuleima
Amora – Land of Faith & Love – ruled by King Noderan (not a wizard)
Parotovina – Land of Evil & Darkness – ruled by Wizard King Kaposkaran and Fairy Queen Beregina
The strongest wizard of all was Gateskin. He ruled Sovorotskina with a firm but kind hand and aided the other villages when needed. He and the ruler of Votovia, King Cavelan, protected the regions from the evil wizard King Kaposkaran who continued to reap terror upon his own citizens if they did not do his evil deeds. This king also consistently threatened to harm the other villages.
To the north of the land lay the Unknown Territory. It did not have another name but it was feared by the villagers. They did not venture over the border. Some who did in the past never returned.
The villagers did not talk about this territory but kept clear of its borders. They did not want to explore, for they were fearful of what was unknown. They did not feel a need to venture from their own land where they were content.
To the south lay the Sea of Shakelle which was a dark and stormy sea that crushed many ships that tried to ride its course. They did not need to travel to the ocean for food since they had plenty from the waterways that coursed through their villages.
If one day they depleted this supply of fish they may have to look to the Sea of Shakelle for food. The power of the wizards was what kept the villagers secure in their lives and free from worry.
This is where the story begins – one hundred years ago in the village known as Sovorotskina.
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO
CHAPTER 1
The land was fertile and green as the sun was rising on this warm, beautiful morning to send its golden rays down onto the Land of Sovorotskina, also known as the Land of Goodness and Light.
People were out in the fields tending to their gardens unaware of what was soon to transpire. They were the Sovorotskinans, people who lived in peace and harmony with faith and love as their companions. They had been bringing up their families in this way for hundreds of years. They were farmers, butchers, bakers, and wood and stone carvers. They traveled to and from the marketplace to sell and/or trade their produce, animals, baked goods and carvings.
If only they had known soon enough, they could have taken refuge and protected their children from the Evil Ones. Life had been tranquil until then.
The sky had suddenly grown dark as the sound of thunder reverberated over the hills and plains of their land. The Evil Ones had come in swarms of black capes flying across the sky through the village and sweeping everything aside in their wake. Villagers ran helter skelter picking up whatever tools they could use to try to protect themselves and their families. But to no avail, the Evil Ones were too powerful and the tools were ineffective in harming them. Children were snatched out of their parents’ arms and taken out of their homes as their parents tried in vain to protect them from the Evil Ones who whisked the children away never to be seen again.
After the Evil Ones were gone all was quiet except for the sound of wailing and weeping from those families who had lost their children. It seemed that the Evil Ones had taken all of the children except for one, Noella. She had been sleeping in her crib during this tragic time.
Noella's parents had run into their cottage to try to protect their baby but upon reaching her crib found it empty. They became frantic and began to run from room to room trying to find her. But how would a baby move from her crib?
Thinking that the Evil Ones had taken their daughter, they held each other and were weeping over losing her when they heard Noella’s little voice coming from her cradle.
They ran over to Noella's crib to find her smiling at them. They reached down, picked her up and hugged her protectively to their chests, weeping and laughing at the same time. They felt relieved and happy to have found her safe and unharmed. They could not explain what had transpired and why she had not been in her bed when they had looked earlier. They did not ponder on this matter but were happy just to have her safe and sound.
Noella’s parents never mentioned what had transpired with their daughter to the other villagers for they would not have believed it either. King Josoforan could be a kind and benevolent ruler but not when it came to those who used magic. They knew their king did not condone magic in his kingdom and might have taken Noella away from them when she was older for fear of Noella being capable of evil magic. The King sent all those subjects who exhibited any magical powers to his dungeon. He feared what he did not understand. He thought that anyone who had powers was somehow connected to the Evil Ones.
The King had experienced a great loss when he was just a little boy due to the magical powers of an evil wizard. This wizard had come into his home and had killed the King’s parents with evil magic when his parents would not give the wizard a medallion. This medallion that belonged to the wizard’s ancestors was supposedly buried on this property. The wizard had been told that these peasant farmers knew where the medallion was located and that they were protecting it from being taken by the Evil Ones. The medallion was said to have magical powers of its own and would make its owner very powerful indeed. The wizard finally gave up searching for the medallion but promised that one day he would return to search more widely.
King Josoforan, from that time on, did not trust anyone with powers for fear of them being one of the Evil Ones. He vowed on his parents’ grave he would always protect the village one day when he became the ruler. For many years he had tried in vain to find the medallion so he could destroy it. There would be others who would come to try to do this too but in vain.
Noella’s parents vowed to always protect her from the King and kept her close to them well into their old age. Noella’s magical powers were more evident as she grew older and at the age of five, she could disappear at will whenever she wanted to play hide and seek from her parents. In her teens she could make objects disappear or she could blend in with her surroundings.
Noella’s parents had told her of the dangers of using magic. They told her that when they were no longer around to protect her that she should go to the southwestern regions of the land later known as the Village of Votovia where she would be accepted with her powers and be safe from harm. After her parents died, Noella went to live in Votovia, noted for its powerful subjects who used magic only for the common good.
Noella released all the people from the dungeon that the King had imprisoned and took them with her to her new village. Noella had gone into the dungeon after she blended in with her surroundings. She distracted the guards and stole the keys. Once inside the dungeon she opened the cages and guided the prisoners out of their prison under a protective covering so that the guards wouldn’t see them. Her fellow citizens were grateful to her and served her until their dying days.
Noella grew to be very powerful and became the Queen Fairy of the Land of Votovia after marrying the powerful King Wizard Sonovan. Together they ruled Votovia in peace and harmony for many years. Their offspring continued to rule after their deaths.
