Jimal

When Maya first saw the green hills and purple mountains and blue rivers, she knew this was the place where she was going to stay for the rest of her life. What she didn’t know was that it wasn’t her choice.

Maya stuck her head out of her cabin as the horses pulling it cantered along, bouncing and laughing all the while. She only pulled herself back in when she realised that they were nearing the border. Ahead was a tall pink wall. This was one of the famous trademarks of Jimal. Jimal crafted their walls and buildings out of a rosy stone that was quite nearly unbreakable.

Maya waited to cross the border impatiently, smoothing out her dress and making sure her hat was on correct and twisting her curled hair around her finger. She jumped when someone knocked on her door. She opened it and was grabbed by rough hands. A scarf was tied over her mouth and a sack was thrown over her head.

She was thrown onto a seat and whatever she was sitting in began moving very fast, jolting up and down. Maya was silent through the whole ordeal, unaccustomed to ruffians and shocked to silence. She sat frozen, unable to move from the fear squeezing her heart and lungs. Though her eyes were wide in terror, she could only see darkness.

When the bouncing finally came to a stop and rough hands pulled her out of her seat, she was trembling. During the ride, she had thought of all the reasons why they would want to kidnap her and those reasons had given her more fright than anything else she had encountered so far.

Whoever had taken her marched her forward and she walked until a hand held her back. The bag on her head came off suddenly, and Maya blinked in the bright light. But as her eyes became accustomed to the light, she realised that it was artificial light rather than sunlight.

“Is the light too bright?” a man said and the light dimmed. Maya opened her eyes to see a large throne made of the same rosy material as the wall was. The throne was dressed in the the most beautiful color of blue and Maya couldn’t stop her jaw from dropping. Then she noticed the man sitting on the throne, wearing a crown decorated in beautiful azure gems.

He leaned towards her, and his sapphire robes glittered and shimmered in the light. “Welcome, young maiden,” he said and motioned for someone to untie the scarf covering her mouth. Someone did.

“I’m sorry, but who are you?” she asked. The man sat back and laughed a very real and deep laugh that echoed throughout the chamber.

“I’m the ruler of Jimal, King Tylamar,” Maya’s jaw dropped again and she took in his face again. There were smile lines trailing from the corners of his brown eyes nearly into his red beard complete with sideburns. He had an easy smile and didn’t seem like a king who would ask ruffians to kidnap people and bring them to him.

Maya curtsied and the king nodded. “Why did I have to be brought to you in this fashion?” she asked, trying to keep her eyes off of his face and failing. He sat back and tapped his beard in thought.

“This has been a practice that has been done in this kingdom since my great-grandfather reigned. Those that come from foreign lands must be brought to me and then they must stay here for the rest of their lives,” He laughed. “That’s why there’s never a waiting line to cross the border.”

Maya took a step back, hand on her mouth. “Come, come now,” the king continued. “We trade with kingdoms as we can, but spies are so frequently trying to get in to learn our secrets. And I mustn’t let that happen. It would ruin my people,” He threw his hands into the air.

King Tylamar stood and walked to Maya. She tried stepping back but a servant pushed her forward until she stood just in front of the king. The king motioned for her to turn around and she did so jerkily. He clicked his tongue against his teeth.

“Who would you rather be? A lady or a serving girl?” he asked. Maya took a half step back at his question.

“A lady?” she said, not sure what he meant. He smiled.

“Alright then. You are to live in my kingdom as a lady, as a noble,” He snapped his fingers and Maya jumped. He gestured towards a serving girl. “Fava will take you to your room.”

And that was it.

Maya became a noble and lived in the kingdom Jimal until she passed away in old age. But there were so many secrets that surrounded the kingdom, and Maya couldn’t find out all of them, though she tried. There were many secrets, though she didn't know, that revolved around her.

But that's another story for another time.