Chapter One
“But I’m telling you the truth! A war is coming!” Viola tried to convince the light skinned teenager in front of her. Being seven never gave Viola the best chance of convincing people she was serious. But at her home it didn’t matter. Home she was a Princess. Princess Viola Rose of Symphony and she lived in a glorious castle called Castle Symphonia.
However right now she was far from there. A spell the great wizard’s son performed had sent her to Hip-Hop Nation, a completely different part of Lyric World. Music blared from houses; people sang random phrases in street. Some even looked just half dressed in clothes that had either shrunk in the wash or were made purposely too small to cover their bodies. In Symphony females wore dresses at all times that either started from under their chins or the base of their necks straight to their feet. In Hip-Hop Nation she had no idea what these females were wearing and the few in dresses were old women and the cloth of bottom quality.
The men, while she could tell in some cases wore mainly banned material in her country. Denim was thought obscene but it was plentiful has pants and what she considered long shorts. The shirts were nothing like home and came in crazy colours and it worried her the gender identity crisis where some of the men wore more jewelry than the women. She didn’t know what else to think besides the place being vulgar and insane.
“You expect me to believe your mom wants to start a war with the world? Lyric World has so many countries, cities, islands…how… I aint buying it V,” Colette dismissed her yet again. Her attitude showed how incredulous Viola’s words seemed. War with Lyric World started by one country was an automatic loss. No one place had that much man power, technological marvels or magic or special abilities. Plus magic was limited to the territory it was born. Once beyond its borders, it couldn’t work.
Lyric World was a planet of music, beauty, pain and violence. All made up a world where lyrics was the soul and music its vessel. Once it was called Musicana and most of the music played was of a classical nature and everything was ruled by a royal upper class.
But rumblings and secret gatherings gave rise to new music, lyrics and melodies of a more wild, rebellious and even softer nature. People rose up, music expanded and the world became a law unto itself. Over the centuries things calmed enough for each musical genre to get their piece of paradise. From large land masses to tiny islands, everyone found a home. Some genres had to fight to keep or expand their area but at least there was a balance keeping music’s many chambered heart alive. Its beat present in every instrument played and any sounds remixed through scratching and other methods.
Hip-Hop Nation and Symphony were different as night and day. One had many expressions allowed to flow freely by a don who only cared about his bottom line and his people not being taken for fools. The other ran by the royal family and a group of trusted advisors. In recent years however the queen had taken over since nearly all her husbands met tragic ends. With the exception of the advisors who still had the power to delay or overrule some of her decisions, she was unopposed. Before the King and advisors were the all mighty super power. Queen Samantha Rose ruled with a loving smile but hard hand. Cross her and pay the price.
Viola sighed. Things were going worse than she had expected. First she had made Duncan cast a spell to send her to Lettie in Hip-Hop Nation. The spell only worked half-way, she got to the place but Lettie was nowhere to be found and she landed in an alley with her pet fairy Lily. Her coat was soiled with garbage was left behind and Lily – now almost powerless – hid in her book bag and tinkled about their spot being smelly.
Second she’d followed her exiled Aunt Amelia’s notes only to find out through asking that Lettie had died almost a decade ago. But she had a daughter Colette who worked on the Hip Strip. Turned out that strip was full of bars and brothels – Hip Hop Nation called them Play Houses. Ignoring strange looks Viola found out where Colette worked and entered a play house called Ride My Pistol. She was greeted by a vigilant bouncer but a man in a yellow suit and purple shirt and tie stopped him. Introducing himself as Paulie Deal, he asked her who she was looking for. She told him and offered her ring like she’d seen a woman offer cash to a male on the corner looking for someone named Coke.
He accepted with a shocked look on her face and turned the ring covered in diamonds. “Real silver?” he asked and she nodded. Paulie called a female in a tiny shirt that barely covered her busty chest and shorts that favoured underwear. Calling her Daisy he instructed her to take ‘Creamy Sugar’ to Chocolate Wonder. A confused Viola was told that was a nickname and Daisy led her by the hand up a winding staircase. The loud voiced female snapped at anyone in her way. Viola shushed Lily when the fairy started tinkling again. Eventually they stepped off unto a floor which had a series of locked doors.
Daisy knocked on one and told a dark skinned man who answered in a robe that Paulie wanted C.W. out to meet someone. Saying a string of words that Viola didn’t recognize but had Daisy in a fit, the man quickly apologized and told them to wait in C.W.’s dressing room.
“Tell her to come to her apartment. The kid aint waiting in no dressing room and no, don’t tell her a kid’s waiting. She'll get all huffy and I swear John #12, C.W. don't show...I'll find your wife."
Viola watched the encounter mystified by a female’s display of power that reminded her of her mother threatening a defiant lady of the court. A less fancy version but the temper was evenly matched. Daisy then escorted her down several floors then ushered her through a blue quadruple latched door had her sit on a sofa made of black leather. Viola thought leather was just for belts, harnesses and shoes.
“Now sit quietly tourist, I know where you’re really from,” Daisy’s voice suddenly sharp, “hurt Colette and I’ll cut you!” she spat and slammed the door. Viola sunk in her seat in fright. She didn’t know how Daisy could do that with a finger but she’d always been told blacks from places like Hip Hop Nation and Rap World practiced dark magic. Even Lily whimpered from inside the bag.
Colette came several minutes later with a male in a black suit and grey hat. But he looked different. He seemed more interested in looking smart, not loud and flashy. In Viola’s country he’d actually have style. Colette was the lightest person she’d seen since she’s gotten here; definitely not white but light brown enough to come close. The man seemed to have a different ‘swag’ if she remembered the term right and was a few shades darker. Daisy who’d left was dark black causing her light brown eyes to be highly pronounced.
“Why is there a Symph in my apartment?” Colette had demanded. “I’m gonna kill Paulie, the buzzard!” she said as the man laughed and headed out of sight. “What do you want? Your people bamboozled my mother into servitude then flung her out when she got screwed by some noblemen.”
There came the third thing. Telling Colette that Viola’s mother – Queen of Symphony- planned to go to war to take over Lyric World. According to what Viola heard the attack was hardly even three months away and that was two weeks ago. She pressed Colette with the urgency that everyone had to know and that her mother would back down if she lost the element of surprise.
Colette had laughed at her then. Stating that ‘white girl gone crazy’ and how her mother going to Symphony along with several girls under the guise of learning manners and better living was now the second biggest joke she’d ever heard.
She went on to tell Viola about her mother’s life in Symphony. How after it was discovered Lettie was not sent on charity but sold, she and the other girls were separated and sold. Lettie went on to the Royal Household in Castle Symphonia. At age fourteen she was made to scrub floors, clean out dungeons and prison guards’ quarters. Higher level local servants cleaned rooms royalty cohabited in.
But all wasn’t awful; Lettie had made friends with one of the royal children two years her junior. A sweet blonde girl named Amelia Rose, third in line for the next ruler of Symphony. Amelia was in no rush though. Symphony was ruled by men, her position would simply mean that she’d marry and her husband would take over after accepting the Rose name over his own.
Lettie and Amelia grew to be close as sisters. Amelia had a twin but she was forceful and headstrong. Amelia could be headstrong when she needed but mostly she was shy.
Then one day Lettie was attacked and raped by a group of nobels. She told Amelia who promised to help her. Instead guard came and dragged her to the woods.
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That's all for now. But I promise this novel only gets more intriguing from there.
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