April A-Z Challenge: Unicorns in Stardell

Many unicorns live in the forests of Stardell. If you are quiet and pure and free of ill intent, it is all but guaranteed that one will reveal itself to you and ask to play. Most citizens don't know much about the magical creatures that live all around them and in their homes, which is why the Royal Court has decided for the first time in almost 500 years to release this special informational post about unicorns.

• It has long been believed that all magical creatures in the kingdom hold congress with one another, and the unicorns are believed to be the magical equivalent of the Royal Court. Queen Analenna once spoke to a unicorn that disclosed that there is, in fact, a unicorn Queen and unicorn Princes and Princesses. 
• Great care should be taken to avoid angering unicorns. It is widely believed that enraged unicorns can temporarily gain control of the vengeful spirits they typically help keep out of Stardell, and make life miserable for all until amends can be made with said unicorn. 
• Thankfully, most unicorns are extremely friendly and playful. Some will even grant wishes to those who they come across in the forest, particularly on or around Midsommar, when their magic is most powerful.
• Touching a unicorn's horn is proven to bring good luck to a person and his or her family and household. Most unicorns prefer not to have their horns touched until they are ready to part with you, as this is how unicorns say goodbye amongst themselves. This is why there are many accounts of unicorns being scared away by humans trying to touch their horns - they thought you were trying to bid them farewell!
• It is currently unknown whether or not all unicorns can speak human languages. The last report of a unicorn speaking to a human in the Royal Records of Stardell is from 1886, but there have been reports from Germany and Spain that cite speaking unicorns as late as the 1950's. 
• Unicorns are thought to live about two hundred years. No one knows what the magical community does with its fallen members. 

And... That's all I can tell you. There is, of course, more information in the records, but it is classified for the protection of our magical friends and allies. Thank you for your understanding, citizens of Stardell. 

April A-Z Challenge: Queenhood

In the course of my travels around Stardell, I am often asked the same question. For some reason, the citizens of Stardell are very concerned about whether or not I am frightened of being Queen.

The short answer is no.

The long answer is this: I am a bit nervous about the day when I will inherent the throne from my mother, but there are a great many years between that day and this one, and I will no doubt have learned things in my travels that will prepare me for Queenhood in a way that none of my experiences have thus far. As any citizen of Stardell knows, the future ruler, like all individuals of a noble persuasion, must embark on a rite of passage in which they journey to far-flung kingdoms to learn of their ways and study their wisdom and knowledge with one of their elders in order to be exposed to new ideas and mature as an individual. I am confident that my journey will prepare me for Queenhood in a way that will benefit both the Royal Court and the subjects of Stardell.

However, for now we can all sleep easy under the kind and loving rule of Her Majesty the Queen of Stardell, AKA my mother.

Spring in Stardell

Spring has sprung in Stardell, and the world is at last starting to awaken from winter's snowy slumber. There are birds building nests in the trees, baby animals toddling around the peasant's farms, and even a new colt in the castle stable. Her name is Elizabeta, and she's a dapper grey with a cream-colored mane.

All around the castle, along the hills, and in the gardens of our loyal subjects, flowers are bursting into bloom. The days are getting longer and warmer and the spirit of renewal and rebirth has taken the kingdom by storm. I've never seen the town so busy and bustling in all my days as Princess!

An Exclusive Interview with the Former Queen of Stardell

Kaija: Today, I'm going to be interviewing Her Majesty the Former Queen of Stardell, AKA my MorMor.

MorMor: Hey, Kaija! What's up?

Kaija: Not much, MorMor. I just have a few questions to ask you about your reign as Queen of Stardell. Several of our subjects expressed to me that they'd love to hear from you once again.

MorMor: Well, then. Let's get started.

Kaija: Yes, let's. To start off with, can you tell me what you enjoyed most about being Queen?

MorMor: I enjoyed a great many things about my reign as Queen of Stardell. I think my favourite part of being ruler was seeing our kingdom prosper under my rule. I loved my kingdom, and my subjects loved me for it. I took great pleasure in taking care of our people and ensuring that our kingdom was in good order at all times. Stardell made a lot of alliances during my reign, and narrowly avoided quite a few wars. Peace has always been a precious commodity, but it was difficult to find in the years after the Great War. My mother's reign was long and difficult because of this, but I myself enjoyed a period on the throne free of strife, all but devoid of crime, and blessed by a surplus of food each and every harvest. Your mother has done a great job of maintaining and expanding upon the progress Stardell made during my reign, and I have no doubts that you will be at least as excellent a ruler as she.

Kaija: So, you think that the Crown Princess will make a good leader for Stardell?

MorMor: Indeed. She is a wonderful person who possesses all the attributes of a great ruler. I see great things in our kingdom's future, and I know that Princess Kaija will do what is best for our kingdom at all times. I believe that she will bring forth an even greater and lasting peace to Stardell. One day, our kingdom will be known 'round the world, and I suspect that that day is growing ever nearer as Kaija's time to reign draws closer. I think that our subjects will love you even more than they already do.

Kaija: Thank you, MorMor. You are very kind. I just have one last question for you. If you enjoyed your rule so much, why did you hand the position to mother?

MorMor: My time as Queen had drawn to its conclusion. Your mother returned from her travels of the world bursting with fresh new ideas about how to make Stardell better, stronger, and more prosperous. I knew that the wisdom she'd acquired on her journeys would make her a better ruler than I could hope to be at that point, so I did what was best for our Kingdom and handed over the throne. I don't doubt that your mother will do the same once you return from your rites of passage armed with a brand new world of knowledge.

Kaija: You two have certainly left me with big shoes to fill. Stardell has never been as great a kingdom as it was under your reigns. Our subjects still adore you, and you know how they fawn over Mother. In any case, I'd better get these papers off to the presses. Your admirers have been looking forward to this interview all week. I'd like to thank you on their behalf for agreeing to answer a few questions.

MorMor: Anytime, darling.

Easter in Stardell

Easter, like all holidays in Stardell, is a Big Deal. In our kingdom, Easter is a celebration of the arrival of the equinox and the changing of the seasons. We celebrate longer days, shorter nights, baby animals, warmer weather, and fresh buds, blooms, and blossoms with dancing and a feast that stands to the envy of the Gods themselves.

In Stardell, a small percentage of our young animals are chosen to be ritually slaughtered in celebration of the holiday. All of the villagers gather in the town square to give small blessings and gifts to the soon-to-be-deceased lambs and calves. The animals are then killed as humanely as possible, and rationed out to the villagers. Each of our loyal subjects also gets a chick as a gift from the Royal Court, but these aren't eaten until the Autumn Solstice celebrations and provide a constant source of companionship and eggs to the townspeople until then.

After the town square has been painted red with the bounty of our lands, the Queen and I head down to the pastures to console the friends and family of the recently deceased animals. We present them with the villager's gifts and pass along their blessings before returning to the castle to help MorMor greet foreign emissaries, ambassadors, and leaders who have come to dine with us. Once they have all arrived and are deemed suitably entertained by our gardens, libraries, verandas, dancers, jesters, singers, and story-tellers, we three ascend to our chambers, where our handmaidens assist us in powering and perfuming ourselves in addition to choosing one of three new outfits the castle seamstresses had prepared for us earlier in the week.

The castle dogs are also carefully and lovingly draped in the best fabrics gold can purchase. The castle cat still stubbornly refuses to get dressed.

Eventually, and much to my relief, as I'm not allowed to sample the goods before supper, the feast is ready! The first course consists, as always, of exotic imported fruits from far-flung lands. The main meal is, of course, the veal and the lamb, both of which have been seasoned to perfection by the castle chefs, along with a hearty array of steamed, fried, and roasted vegetables. Once everyone has had their fill, it's time for dessert. Our table positively groans under the sheer number of pies, cakes, cookies, biscuits, brownies and puddings that our devoted staff so lovingly bake each and every year. By the time it's all over, I'm stuffed!

To give our guests (and ourselves) time to digest before dancing the night away, our musicians play soft, soothing music that encourages a wide variety of conversations and debates over our empty plates. It is, all in all, a very peaceful affair, thanks to our diplomatic Queen, who takes great care to seat friend next to friend with enemies far, far away.

Eventually, the soft and sweet music turns to something a little livelier. Ever since I came of age, that's been my cue to start the evening off by inviting a beautiful foreign princess to dance with me. After the first dance has been had and throughly enjoyed, our other guests slowly begin to take the floor with their chosen partners. At the end of the evening, you can be sure that great food and great fun was had by all.

Things to Do in Stardell Kingdom

If you're ever in my hometown, you are royally invited to stop by the castle for a spot of fika or a splash of tea. From there, I will order one of my handsomest squires to show you about the kingdom. Here's a sampling of what you can expect if you're visiting Stardell.

• Stardell is quite famous for its extraordinarily friendly forest creatures. We haven't had a gremlin infestation since 1457, and the fairies and gnomes are very easily persuaded to come out of their dwellings with a bit of honey or sugar. Even our unicorns have been known to show themselves to foreigners. 
• Please, feel free to take a tour of the palace grounds. Our gardeners work very hard to keep them pristine all year long and they are the pride and joy of my MorMor, whose magical green thumb has earned her the title of gardener extraordinaire in addition to former Queen. 
• Your squire escort would be happy to take you on a tour of the Royal Library. Stardell is famed for many hundreds of kilometres for its literary and artistic collections. 
• If you are planning on visiting the village sprawling out from the base of the castle grounds, you simply must visit the museum that my MorMor so graciously funded during the latter part of her rule as a parting gift to our loyal subjects. To this day, Her Majesty the Queen is the head of the museum board, a position that will undoubtedly be passed on to me when it is my turn to reign. 
• I am particularly fond of a villager named Aleyn who runs a bakery in town. She makes the best sticky buns this side of Paradise. Just look around for a little shoppe by the name of Baker's Delight.