Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I don’t know who is reading this. What time period is it from where you read this? I do not know the galaxy, the star, the season, nor time of day. All that I know, is that my name is Selentaluna, and I am twenty three years old, or so I think I am. 

I don’t know if where I live is like your home. I live in a region called Clorocks.  Maybe you might know how far away it rests from your home. When I was in school we had learned that Clorocks lies in the ‘Seventh Dimension’. There are many places in the universe where there lies permanent ‘land masses’, as so scientists, and geologists call them. Where me and my people live, and all the things we know to breathe and walk live in a concrete sector of Clorocks. Do you know what that is like? Our grand king Plutonomis always warns us of the danger of leaving the ‘boundary’ of the concrete. The majority of Clorocks itself isn’t stable, if you were to leave the boundary line you might be climbing a mountain one minute, then flying through the sky with fishes. You might have thought you were shot into outer space, then turn around your walking through a cave. Rolling hills might turn to mountains, an overflowing volcano could turn into a waterfall. Those who dared to leave, were never seen again...

Our way of life would be impossible without the Sovereign of the Night, and the Pharaoh of the Light. They are only two of the many councils that are servant to our absolute monarch King Plutonomis, and his Courts. Our province has suffered greatly, and at other times flourished greatly under certain monarchs and their constitutions. Of the lands of Clorocks that is stable, the monarch has absolute power. Not only to our peoples’ way of life, but to lightness and darkness, to weather and time. The capacities of our breeding too, he personally oversees all marriage, and arranges not all, but very many himself. Loves between our species ( we are categorized as  descendants of the First Dimension; “humans”) and other humanoids that resemble us such as centaurs, satyrs, manticores, ( there are many more ) is strictly forbidden under Plutonomis’s rule. Many hundreds of years ago the species were allowed intermarriage, and breeding was permitted, but over the course of many rulers, and many hundreds of years leading to the succession of Plutonomis his council deemed it would undermine the genetics of ‘us humans’ the rightfully dominant species. Those who break this rule suffer a most painful death, or a torture so great that so as the Courts said once ‘that this perpetrator shall so forever live with this subspecies but shall risk no breeding.’

When I was a little girl I can remember my grandmother telling me the great romance of her generation, though I cannot recall the name I remember it narrating the story of a mortal girl who fell in love with a great, powerful, romantic centaur. How that story would make us girls flush and giggle in our daydreams! However, that story is barred now by law. All such stories are illegal now. Every copy of such a book that tells of inner species romance was forcibly taken from every home and burned. One copy may still exist in the Monarch’s royal, historical archives, but if that is so, it hasn’t seen light for an entire generation.

King Plutonomis is greatly hated. He is a middle aged man. I have seen him only a few times during screen-telecasts when he speaks, and on ceremonial occasions. He is average My mother told me that in the peak of his youth he was the envy of all eligible men. But as he aged, and became more, and more stingy with his power our people have come to despise the ground with which he walks. The public talks, and condemns his as an evil man for all his restrictions. I have heard him say once that all his laws are ‘necessary and proper’, which okay, is fine with me, but he will never give any validations as to why. 

As handsome as said as he once was, Plutonomis never married. Which calls for a greater speculation on his behalf. Many people have started rumors that he has had an explicit affair with a water nymph. If that were so, that would be his condemnation. But all the allegations were proven to be only rumors. When asked why he has never married he sputters off something in a bizarre, ancient language belonging to the First Dimension, I think the language is called english... I don’t know. I remember, a pressman roughly translated it for us: 

“ A wife of mine, 

who holds charm above all.

A wreath of chastity,

to crown her maiden head.

Compassion,

the breath of her life.

Giving,

the knowledge of values,

love and trust.

Kindness,

of such knows no earthly bounds.”

Then Plutonomis said in our own language. “ Where does such a soul exists that breathes so?” Thereafter everyone stood in awe. Our sovereign then solemnly bowed and departed. A week or so later, he appeared saying come height springtide he was going to choose his wife. He did not quite know, ( and he stated this ) if she completely fit the criteria for a woman fitting to be his queen. Yet he knew her family history, watched over her as she was reared and he was much in love.

The public immediately began to whisper, ‘she must be an utter scoundrel.’ ‘ A fiend of a ruler would only make a scarlet-woman his bride.’

I never understood why everyone was so revolting to Plutonomis, and hated him. I’ll be the first to say, no, I don’t agree with all the things he has done, and all the restrictions he’s placed on us, but if I notice correctly he has never charged, speculated or condemned anyone who voices their opinion. It’s only if they take action does he then condemn them. ( You know, he always seems penitent ). My mother chides me, and tells me that I only say that because I’m so used to our ‘dictator’.

His words though, as he described his ideal wife. They didn’t seem the least bit crude, or malignant. I thought it was rather nice, what he said. Mother told me thats what he wants girls like me to think. 

My parents are worried, all parents are scared beyond understanding. The entire province, in fact, is in a violent uproar. Many parents that have eligible daughters are going as far as calling for king Plutonomis’s death. Nothing had been said by our monarch himself, but many are speculating that his chosen mate will be quite younger then himself, perhaps eighteen to thirty years of age. Maybe younger, who knows.

I’ve heard talk; neighbors, fellow boarders in my school that if Plutonomis selects ‘their’ daughter they will vow to assassinate him, in the most violent, brutal way. My parents thought about poison. When I see Plutonomis on screen-telecasts he seems so patient, kind and benevolent. Gallant almost, I daydream sometimes, and I say should be proud to have a father like him. My mother overheard me say that once and struck me. She said my father would have forced me to wash my mouth with soap had he heard me say that. If my father were alive how much better was he then how everyone describes our king?

Author's Note

I dedicate this book to Ravena. (: