The Throne

Chapter One: The New World

My mother used to tell me the story of the creation of the New World. She'd brush back my wavy brown hair from its usual dancer's bun to simple brown waves, looking at our nearly identical reflections in the mirror.

She would carry me into my room and tuck me into bed. My grey-hued eyes, already heavy with sleep, would look at her in absolute adoration and fight to stay open. My mother and I shared a special bond, unlike many other mother-daughter pairs. She was my hero, my very best friend.

"Mama, can you tell me the story again?" My small hand reached up to cover a yawn, and even though I was obviously exhausted, my mother complied.

"Of course, my love."

She'd brush a strand of hair behind her ears, sending a whiff of her scent my way. I still dream about her scent to this day, the sweet smell of honey and lilies. She'd smile to herself and begin, her voice like a lullaby to my ears.

"Long ago, the Earth and its people were divided. Each and every person lived in fear - in fear of change, of difference, of diversity, of the uncertainty that their lives offered them." She paused as a slight frown caused her brow to furrow. "There was constant violence, war, and fighting. The people weren't united - most only cared about their own person and their own needs. They killed each other off, destroyed cities and the world. Due to mankind's actions, the world as they knew it was over.

"Out of the ashes of the Old World, a group of eight arose in an attempt to fix their planet. They thrived, and their efforts were not in vain. Nevertheless, the remaining population was puzzled as to why this particular group of eight thrived as they did, while countless groups and people had failed for centuries and centuries.

"After little speculation, the people realized something; for the first time in history, the leaders of the world were all women. Of course, the remaining men in the world were furious. After being practically on top of the world for so long, they simply couldn't stand the idea of a woman, a woman (!) being in charge. So they rebelled.

"Nevertheless, the rebellion was squashed almost immediately. The reason for this, of course, was that the group of leaders used brains instead of brawn. Rather than fighting back, they used strategy and cunning to end the rebellion.

"Upon seeing this display of wisdom, the public immediately put their trust into the group. As a symbol of their strength, unity, and diversity, the group started going by 'The Chroma," meaning the rainbow or its colors.

"The Chroma decided that the world needed to be united, and decided that rather than having countries, every piece of land was part of one big continent, dubbed 'Chromaticity' or the 'New World.' It was decided that there would be seven Ambassadors - one for each old continent - and a Leader, who would be in charge of all Chromaticity. Thus, the members of the Chroma engaged in a series of logic battles to determine who would be placed in which continent, each of which took a color of the rainbow," she paused, looking at her sleepy daughter in amusement.

"Mama, what did the continents used to be named?" I would ask, this time too tired to stifle an emerging yawn.

"Well, Red used to be called Asia, Orange was Africa, Yellow was Antarctica, Green was South America, Blue was Europe, Purple was Australia, and Pink was North America," she would respond, ticking off each continent on her fingers as she recited them.

"And what was Gold called, mama?" I would ask, referring to the secret island where royalty lives.

"Gold was a simple island that had no name. For that exact reason, it was the perfect location for the Queen to reside, for safety measures," she said, stroking my hair once more.

"And the rules, mama?" I would say, drifting off to sleep.

"There were only three rules; one, every century or so, every eligible young woman will engage in a logic battle. The winner will become the next Leader.

"Two, a queen must ensure that Chromaticity stays intact, and that every one of the seven continents remains united under the residing Leader.

"Lastly, a Leader may never fall in love. In doing so, she will give up her throne... and her life."