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"Where are we?"

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GRAVIS GRINNED AT my question, an activity I realized I would soon have to get used to but for now, made me cringe a little,

"Well now, that's a whole other story," he hummed, adjusting his folded arms slightly, "but you're in luck princess," he chuckled which made my eyebrows furrow at another rare first, "its Story time."

I must have looked confused at this statement, because confusion was the only thing I was feeling at this moment, tugging at the sleeves of my dress momentarily. I watched as he moved toward the door and I realized it was time to leave Mama behind. Approaching the glass, my fingers trailed over its cold surface, staring at her peaceful face, a sadness overtaking me.

"You can visit her whenever you want," his tone came out soft and reassuring.

I nodded noticing the plain blue walls of the room she was in. I should bring her white roses on my next visit, they were her favorite as they were mine, and always made her feel better. She would like that.

Reluctantly stepping back from the glass, I breathed out nervously assuring myself she would be okay, before turning toward Gravis. He patted my back as I walked through the doors, "she's safe,' he reassured, locking the door behind him, the keys safely back at his side.

No one would dare snatch them off his scary frame that was for sure.

He soon paced beside me as we walked down the direction we had come from.

"Talanda," he began and I noticed he didn't use my title but I brushed it aside, never really had liked it anyway. It always reminded me I would be Queen one day and that was the one thing I would like to postpone as long as I could.

"I must tell you that there are things that have been kept away from you, but only because it was for the best, for your safety" he began as we came to a stop in front of two doors, they both opened and I realized this was an elevator, watching him push the top button after we stepped in and the doors closed.

I wasn't surprised at that statement, but I kept my eyes on him. He glanced at me and I looked away, nervously tugging at my sleeves, a habit I usually did whenever I felt a little uneasy or nervous, staring fully ahead at the golden double doors before me as we moved upward.

I knew I was in the dark about a lot of things that went on in the palace and through the kingdom but Dad was slowly letting me in some stuff as I grew, seeing as this year I was going to be allowed to sit by him on the summit until all this happened.

I nodded in understanding and I heard him grunt, glancing up at him as he slowly shook his head.

"These things do not pertain to your kingdom. At least not the one you know of," I looked at him confused as the doors opened. I watched him walk a few steps ahead of me and I followed after him, still wondering where we were going.

Managing to catch up to him pacing beside him, I maintained his proposed silence until we reached large varnished oak, double doors. There was a pad against the wall beside it and he quickly typed in the password. My eyes widened as the door opened, my bare feet stepping into the luscious soft red carpet of the largest office I had ever seen. Its walls were painted red, and a large giant desk at the back, a few filing cabinets, and another door that probably led to a bathroom.

Gravis walked in after me, a smile still wedged onto his face.

He grabbed a remote from the desk and pressed a button. I was expecting to see some sort of tv but the large red curtains that covered almost the whole side of the front swung open, a glass red windowpane revealing itself beneath, making me realize that this office was shaped in some sort of oval.

"Welcome to the Kings Jewel princess," he introduced as I made my way beside him, my eyes widening at the sight before me.

We were way up high that was for sure, but what was below us made me realize this was not home.

Barotse [bah-rot-say] was a landlocked country, hence we had no ocean or sea.

Our palace was built right in the heart of Inyama [in-yah-mah], the capital.

From up here, however, I could see everything. The circle-shaped building that surrounded us. I counted a total of five towers including the one we were in at the moment, this one being the tallest, jutting out equally spaced around the circled building.

I could see the building had a large arch directly opposite our tall tower, where people were currently walking through, leaving and entering the courtyard below us already buzzing with uniformed individuals.

Past the ark was a stone pathway leading to two equally large buildings adjacent to each other. These two buildings were large straight buildings leaving another large court between them. I looked further and spotted the green vegetation growing behind the buildings reminding me of the luscious gardens I left behind at home

A small hidden smile spread toward my lips at the thought of home.

I then spotted a few random buildings, my eyes widening at the sight of what seemed like a vast forest, hills, and mountains jutting out proudly as far as the eye could see, the outline of the ocean surrounding the island on both sides.

I attempted to raise my hands to sign but they dropped to my side still awestruck at the sight beneath me. When I finally gained the courage I asked,

'What- where are we?"

Gravis didn't follow my hands this time, his eyes trained on my face, a now normalized grin still on his face as if he already knew what I was asking.

"You, princess," he began taking a deep breath in, slightly turning toward the sight, "are on Kingsland."

Kingsland. The name echoed through me.

Blinking for a few seconds, I studied him seriously, expecting some sort of punch line but his features remained stiff. I clenched my jaw studying him, feeling like I couldn't understand the word that had been so casually uttered or why things were suddenly changing so fast in general. I couldn't believe my ears, so many questions came hurtling through my mind at this moment.

Kingsland?!

How could I be on Kingsland?!

I wasn't a convert and this definitely can't be right! I mean where were the facilities that drugged converts and whipped and lashed them till, they learned to control their powers?

I mean I wasn't exactly sure that was what they did, but come on, half the world thought so! How could converts come back tamed with no knowledge of where Kingsland was if it was as beautiful as this?

That was why the rogue converts didn't want to go to Kingsland, it was rumored to be an organization that captured and tortured converts until they learned to 'behave', so how could this piece of paradise be Kingsland?

"You are standing at the very top of the King's Crown," he continued, trailing his finger around the outline of the circled building a little way beneath us, "we call this office in particular, the Jewel, all around us is the Crown."

I wanted to ask so many questions but I first decided to listen to his explanation, knowing he would have to look at me to even see if I was asking a question, which he wasn't, as he pointed further out.

"The two straight buildings opposite each other after the crown are King's Sceptres," he folded his arms, taking a relaxed stance, his muscles bulging from his shirt, "the buildings after those are known as the Dom, or rather, The Kingdom"

I marveled at each word, taking in the information, actually impressed at the clever wordplay that Kingsland had, "beyond our vicinity to the left is the Fareborn forest, you may only go there with supervision but the grounds are available to all."

I noted he was speaking like I would be spending a very good amount of time here.

Giving him a small nod, I eyed the forest.

"You see the divide to the right, just after the Crest courts and grounds by the ocean?" he asked. Nodding yet again, I couldn't help but notice his sharp eyes on me.

"It's forbidden. That is left to the rhymes and is dangerous for humans and converts alike. Keep off the restricted area, no matter how inviting it may look," he warned. I gulped softly knowing his eyes were firmly on me. I took this opportunity to ask a question.

"But why am I here?"

He stared at me for a moment as if deciding if he should say something before speaking up, "follow me," he hummed walking towards the door. I glanced at the view one more time knowing I wouldn't be back here for some time, before following him out the door.

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