The Unlikely Queen

The first war was the bloodiest war with body counts unsurpassed by any war before or after. There were only four factions then. They were great and robust filled with the masters of many species. There was the Faction of Land who controlled the scaled and furry beasts, the Faction of Sky who controlled all who had wings, the Faction of Sea who ordered the ocean and the Faction of Stream who stood fast in control of the rivers, lakes and bayous that speckled the land.The first war depleted the factions. It took so many; it wiped entire species from the planet. Those who were left tried to rebuild and fortify but they'd lost not only spirit animals and soldiers. They'd lost some of their rulers, too. Who would lead the factions, now? Would the Faction of Sky be ruled by the Crow who carried the dead and horded their baubles? Would it be the Hawk or the Eagle or would the Order of Dove take the throne and work with the other factions to restore peace to the planet? After all, the Doves were the leaders of the sky before the first war. The Great Mother placed them in control due to their penchant for peace. Each faction felt that it was there turn to rule. Why would any be unworthy? They'd all sacrificed in the first war! They'd lost so much. Didn't they deserve to be rewarded with the crown?The infighting wasn't exclusive to the Faction of the Sky. All of the four factions, it seemed, were experiencing the same fate. This lack of compromise led to the second war. It wasn't a war of faction against faction. It was a war between brothers that lasted until the Great Mother came down and demanded that the factions divide. She placed only a sprinkling of factions of land, sky, and stream on each continent using the factions of sea to keep the borders secure.This division gave us the Faction of Crow who kept to the mountain. They needed a place to store their treasures. The Faction of the Dove stayed close to the river banks where the sun gently caressed the lush land ensuring a plentiful harvest. The Faction of Coyote, who were cunning and wise watchers in the woods. The Faction of Frog who traveled from brook to bayou making sure the water was pure, and the Faction of Shark who tirelessly guarded the ocean keeping the other Factions in their place. Ava was born to the King and Queen of the Sky who were brutally murdered in the second war. Raised by the newly crowned King and Queen of Doves, she had no idea that upheaval within a land faction would change her life forever.Promised to the Prince of Coyote, Ava sets out to wed her betrothed but her journey is halted when her party is taken for ransom by the Faction of Crow. The dark and handsome Crow King toys with her trying to tempt her but she remains strong, resisting his advances only to be rejected and abused by the Coyote Prince.Ava returns home to a cold reception from her disappointed parents and finds herself longing to be with the King of Crow. When she follows her heart, her eyes are opened to the sinister motives of her royal family and all of the factions prepare for the impending third war.Ava, Princess of Doves it not what she seems. In time she will discover her true power and purpose but will she survive long enough to take her place as the Queen of the Sky?