Heiress of Flight: A Novella from the Unbroken Series # Wattys2017

Heart

When I become Queen, Kimberly will become my second-in-command. Unlike my grandmother, my mother never had a second daughter, so Kimberly has always been my sister.

When morning comes, Kimberly and I ride to the river with our mothers. The pollution has spread.

"You will ride to each village," my mother instructs me. "You will warn each head of the village, and we will move closer to the border of the Fiyori. You will meet me there by sundown."

I nod. My mother is like that. She gives a command, and she expects it to be followed. She does not ask questions, only expects action. 

"Look after your cousin," adds Aunt Genevieve, "and do not touch the polluted water. Neither of you."

I nod and turn Ripple to travel with the course of the river. Â Fortunately, the pollution seems to be limited to our village and Flushing village right now.

"We will start at the Marshbrush village."

We must travel fast if we will be back by sundown. Fourteen villages spread throughout the marshlands, weaving in and out between the Fairylands and the Wolflands. Changes in landscape mark our borders.

As we pass a tree at the edge of our village, we grab our spears and pick up a trot.

"There is no way we are going to be able to get to all the villages by sundown," Kimberly whispers.

"I know." It is a test; my mother expects me to solve the problem.

I send out an alarm call, mimicking the crow. Avi picks it up, then Sundance; our trip is echoed with the voices of birds, sending calls through the Marshlands. The leaders of the closest villages meet us shortly after. Â We dismount in a clearing.

"What is going on?" asks Jack, head of the Marshbrush village.

"I need you to send out patrols to as many villages as you can. Avoid the water upriver. It is polluted by the king's new war technology. "

"What? What are we going to do, then?" Jack exclaims.

"Watch your tongue and remember to whom you speak, Sir Jack, " Kimberly snaps.

"Excuse me, Princess, but this means death for us. Do you have a plan?" snaps Jack sarcastically.

Respect must be earned; it is not inherited.

Kimberly is ready to put him in his place, but I stop her. We have enough to worry about; we must not turn against one another.

"Kimber," I murmur before turning back to Jack. "You will meet us on the Fiyori border at sundown after you finish your duty. You are to come together."

I take in the other three leaders that have joined us. Dorothy of Swamptree. Eunice of Logside. Poppler of Wetland.

Popplar smiles, the youngest of the leaders at twenty. He is handsome. Reddish brown, wavy hair, hazel eyes, and deep tan skin. His father died in the king's army, and he inherited his father's position. So far, he has lived up to his father's legacy. Sometimes, the village leader position can be inherited, and sometimes it is appointed when a leader resigns or is lost. 

The highest position for a man is the one my grandfather holds; he is the Lead Advisor and head over all the other villages to tend to smaller matters and disputes. My mother left him with the position when she became Queen, and when my time comes, I will decide on my Lead Advisor. One thing for sure, I subconsciously decide I will replace Jack.

"I will see to it that we are there," Popplar promises in almost a whisper. He is soft spoken.

"Thank you, Popplar," I reply.