Sharilyn

REBELRY- YA Science Fiction, American Royals meets Divergent Opening chapter - introduces main character, setting, tone, inciting incident CHAPTER 1 Summoned “. . . though we have toiled and emerged from the War victorious, now our labor truly begins. Today we grant our oppressors an amnesty they have not earned. We shall not exact vengeance, but they will learn to follow and serve. With wisdom, mercy, and compassion, we will build a magnificent world and show our oppressors that we can create paradise on Earth. And so, let it be shouted in every street, the Age of Man is no more. For I proclaim to you, the Age of Woman has begun!” Excerpt from General Roxana Darieos’ address to the Women’s Coalition Army New York City ruins, 22 August 2124 Dust from the pages of the twenty-second century chronicles tickled my nose. Its thick cover, warped by time, felt rough to my fingertips. As I soaked up our founding mother’s words, just knowing I was breaking rules made me giddy. Not that I went out of my way to read censored books, but my history tutor never shared these firsthand accounts of the Magnificent Revolution, and it could help me with my Grad Exam. As I read, I stretched myself long on the sofa like a cat, one foot landing up on the sofa’s back and the other resting on the seat cushion. Midnight pressed chilly on our French door that led to the east wing patio, but here in the library it was toasty. The fireplace radiated warmth with a sweet cedar scent. The fire crackled, and its sparks reflected in the bay window’s dark glass. Being cozy and safe inside with my nose buried in a book, while outside the air grew frigid, was a special sort of wonderful. And this book—whoa. I reread the passage and gasped. But this part couldn’t be true. Was this why the book was censored? “Ryver?” I called out. “Is it true that some women stood against the Revolution?” Across the room, the desk-high titanium hub spooled into active mode. Blue lights ticked up its sides, and the luminescent nectoliquid fountained from its crystal basin, swishing into a floating azure sphere. The sphere vibrated when the Ryver spoke in her deep motherly voice. “What a curious question, Miss Xandra.” “That’s weird, right?” “There is no historical record of any female opposition before, during or after the Magnificent Revolution. It did not happen.” “Then why would it be written here?” “Written where? Are you reading one of the censored books from your grandmother’s collection?” “Umm, I’m not sure?” I lied. “It’s not like Gamma’s books have big red stamps across their covers to indicate which ones I’m not supposed to read.” “I will have to send a note to the Governor.” I lifted my head and pleaded over the sofa’s arm. “Please, don’t. Do you really want to distract Mother when she’s at the Summit? Anyway, it’s for my studies. The Grad Exam is only three months away. It’ll be here before I know it, and history’s a huge chunk of it.” “Checking now on your latest performance chart.” Oh, Mother God. I dropped my head on the sofa’s cushion and buried my eyes under a pillow to escape. Its tassels made my nose itch. Sometimes I wished we had a basic Ryver hub that only spit out info, instead of a criterion hub with its Wisdom and Nurture built-ins. “As I suspected,” the Ryver said, “among sixteen-year-old girls you are rated at the ninety-eighth percentile in history studies.” Which meant I still had two percent to go. I pressed the pillow around my ears, trying to shut out the Ryver’s lecture. “If you’re concerned about your Graduation Examination, might I suggest that instead of focusing on your strongest subject, you may wish to shift your focus to your weakest—oratory. Most of the girls in your level have already completed the public speaking requirement.” The mere suggestion sent a chill through me. I shoved the pillow under my head. “I have three whole months until the exam. Plenty of time.” I tucked my nose back into the book. “If you’re experiencing anxiety about the speech . . .” The room went silent. I lowered the book to my belly. Weird. The Ryver never stopped in mid-sentence. BEHH-BEHH-BEEEEEE blared throughout the chamber. I jerked up. The emergency alert. My book hit the floor with a thunk as I rushed to the bay window and yanked the drapes closed, then hid behind a wing chair. In the case of imminent danger, it was protocol for the security team to flood our estate lawns with light, but it was still dark outside. “Ryver, what’s going on?” I started my breathing exercises. Breathe in-two-three-four, hold-two-three-four. “A guest has arrived at the estate, Miss Xandra. Madam Qiu is bringing her to you now.” I blew out my breath in a gust, and my shoulders dropped. “Since when is a guest an emergency?” Madam Qiu was Mother’s closest aid and protected the family like a Doberman. Normally, she’d educate uninvited guests to make an appointment during office hours. Not fire off an emergency alert and usher them into the family’s private wing in the middle of the night. “Your guest is an officer with the Arbiter Corp,” the Ryver replied. My back went rigid. “What?” I said too loudly. Now the alert made sense. And with Mother away, I had to greet guests. My stomach twisted into a painful knot. “Please tell me there’s time to run up to my quarters to change.” “I’m afraid not. They will be here any minute.” A noise came out of my throat that sounded like a half-throttled whinny. I spun back to the window to use it as a mirror. My leggers had a big stain on them, my shirt was from my brother’s closet, and when did my hair tie fall out? The Arbiter Corp would not be impressed with messiness or boyswear. I combed through my long brown tangles with my fingers. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to make my nose daintier or russet eyes less dull. And where were my shoes? Skidding through the chamber in socks, I checked the study table and Ryver hub, and along the shelves lining the walls, then circled back to the sofa by the fire. Ah ha. As I reached for my loafers tucked under our tea table, a high-pitched ping signaled that someone had entered the library’s archway. I popped up, slapping a smile on my face, with a shoe on one foot and the other held behind my back. Madam Qiu entered first, eyeing my hair and shoeless foot. I shot her a helpless shrug, then cranked up my smile for our guest. A tall woman in a cobalt blue uniform with gold buttons and shiny boots strode into our library holding the most erect posture I’d ever seen. Her hair was spun into a tight twist, not a wisp out of place. The woman’s magnolia-scented perfume bit into my nose with its tart bouquet. Her male guard cast a mountainous shadow. Madam Qiu’s gentle Pacifican accent and quilted overrobe masked her steely reserves. She displayed a soft smile and offered a gracious nod of her head, as if guests stopped by every midnight. “Miss Xandra, may I present Lieutenant Noma from Cyprus.” I tightened my smile. “Oh. Whoa, hey, all that way?” Cyprus? That made no sense. “Um.” I cleared my throat and tried to mimic Qiu’s gracious nod. “How do you do?” The lieutenant scanned me from tangles to toes. Her nostrils flared a fraction. Then she pulled out a silver scroll-tube with a hard wax seal. I hesitated to touch it. Clinging to my smile, I popped on my second loafer. “Lieutenant Noma, was it? Sorry, there must be a mix-up. Mother is at the Leadership Summit. In Cyprus. Where you came from?” “You are Miss Xandra Fallow?” the lieutenant said. “Of the East Atlantic Fallows?” “Yes?” The lieutenant thrust the tube at me. I accepted it gingerly and broke the seal. A slip of paper tumbled out. Paper? But paper was reserved for the highest degree of secrecy. 10 Matrona 2496 To Miss Xandra Fallow, by order of Her Serene Luminance. You will present yourself at Palace Darieos for a private audience with the Arbitrix Iliana Darieos. A slipjet is waiting at Providence City Skygrid Center to transport you to Cyprus. You are to leave immediately. Goosebumps spread across the back of my neck. Officially, as arbiter of the Grand Council, the Arbitrix served as the builder of consensus over the domains’ queens. But everyone understood that Arbitrix Iliana ruled the world. I passed the paper to Qiu before swinging back to the officer. “What’s going on?” Lieutenant Noma’s diction was crisp. “You’ve been summoned to meet the Arbitrix.” “Thanks for spelling that out. That was helpful.” I clamped my lips shut. Whoops. I pulled my smile back on. “Do you, maybe, have any idea why?” “It is not my duty to know,” she replied. Turning from the unhelpful titan, I huddled with Qiu, “Does Mother know about this?” “The Governor has been unavailable tonight,” she whispered. “She’s missing?” My heart thumped faster. Qiu rested a warm hand on my arm. “She’s been called into several ad hoc meetings this Summit. I expect it’s more of that.” I spun back to the lieutenant. “Did something bad happen to my mother?” “Last I saw, Governor Kalliope was as healthy as a tiger.” I blew out a long exhale. Okay. But I’d never met such a rude officer. Why the bad attitude? The guard cleared his throat. When Lieutenant Noma looked over to signal orders to him, a Divina Matrem pendant popped out of her collar. Oh. Its beveled diamond shape that contained a revolving number four symbolized the Temple of the Divine Mother. This Noma was a Femenina, a member of my mother’s opposing political party. “You’ve ten minutes to gather presentable attire,” the lieutenant said. “The journey will take an hour. Bring whatever personnel are needed to prepare you.” Madam Qiu propelled me through the archway and across the grand foyer while firing orders into her ryvulet—a device inserted behind the jaw that connected her to the Ryver. Mother’s adorners were coming along. Qiu too. But someone had to stop this dreadful mistake. The Arbitrix didn’t want me. The one time I’d met her it didn’t end well. I looked back toward the library where my Arbiter Corp escorts waited. They should be flying out of the archway any second, the lieutenant howling that it was all cancelled because the message belonged to a different girl. Any second now. Any second. The archway remained empty. I whimpered. Oh, no. I couldn’t go to Palace Darieos. They’d expect a governor’s daughter, and especially the heir-elect, to have mastered a strong posture and commanding voice by my age. I couldn’t even walk into a room of strangers without panic—I gasped. No-no-no. The Leadership Summit was still in session. “Qiu, how many people attend the Summit?” Qiu tugged me up the staircase. “Delegates include the global assembly of queens, governors, Sapphic ministers, ambassadors, and mayors. Also, their teams, a few husbands—” “A big crowd you’re saying? Like really, really big.” I dragged my feet on the stairs. Qiu slipped a supportive squeeze into her iron grip. “You’ll be fine, Miss Xandra.” But my heart was beating way too fast. Breathe in two-three-four. Mother God, someone was going to look awfully foolish when this mistake was sorted. Please don’t let it be me.

Assignment #1: Story Statement Conquer deadly obstacle courses to stop World War IV from happening. Assignment #2: Antagonist Soloria Ayün was born into a fundamentalist sect of the Order of the Vigilant Mother. Growing up in the convent, she was taught absolute reverence for the Divine Mother and adopted their mission to guard against Mother God’s enemies. Her genius presented at an early age. She proved to be a brilliant student and gifted girl, blessed with visions of the future. She began her training as a small child. Her fervor for Mother God is genuine. Now at twenty-three, Soloria has achieved extraordinary feats and gained a worshipful following. She is an exalted young priestess of the Temple of the Divine Mother and was recently elected governor of her province, because the people love her so much. Though she may seem an enigma to Xandra Fallow (protagonist), Soloria’s need to save womankind drives her actions. But Soloria is troubled. She’s seen a stark vision of the future, a future where Xandra plays a pivotal role. She knows it is a grave sin to kill, but she also knows she must take action to stop Xandra from her destined future role. Soloria’s solution to her dilemma triggers the entire story. Assignment #3: Breakout Titles Ascendance The Rites of Ascendance Xandra Rising Assignment #4: Comps Divergent meets American Royals Ascendance combines the action and high stakes of Veronica Roth's Divergent with the lavish worldbuilding and romance of Katherine McGee's American Royals. Assignment #5: Logline In a future where women rule, a reclusive teenage girl from a powerful family, who buried her courage deep inside when her dad was killed, must conquer deadly obstacle courses to stop World War IV. Assignment #6: Inner & Secondary Conflicts Inner: Xandra Fallow was a spirited little girl. Inspired by her grandmother’s activism, when little Xandra saw injustice, she would go out of her way to try to stop it. She wouldn’t hesitate to stand up for others, even going to blows if needed. Tragically, when she was nine years old, her famous grandmother was assassinated, and her dad was also killed as collateral damage. The loss of her dad and grandmother was a terrible blow to Xandra. The world became a scary place, and the feisty, passionate girl, spoiling to fight for justice got sucked inside and buried deep. Now, seven years later, Xandra hardly leaves the grounds of the estate. She takes private studies with tutors at home. Crowds and public speaking frighten Xandra. But while she works at being a dutiful governor’s daughter, staying safely at home, there is a deep-down secret part of her that yearns to break free. The inner journey follows Xandra as she breaks out of her shell, embraces who she is, and comes into her own power. In the first plot point, Xandra is asked to submit to a deadly rite of passage to stop the world from plunging into war. Xandra’s mother banned the rites in their own province, and flat-out orders Xandra to say no. Xandra works hard to be dutiful, and it would be wrong to defy her mother, plus the rites are very dangerous and could kill her—but many lives are at state. While she stews about what to do, the part of her that yearns to break free, claws its way to the surface, and she agrees to submit to the rites. Secondary: At the beginning of her story, Xandra hasn’t recognized the disparity between the way women and men are treated. The character who most closely personifies this struggle is her brother Deacon, who is smart and frustrated about life, because of the limitations he experiences. While Xandra and Deacon work together to dig up information about Soloria, Xandra becomes exposed through Deacon to men’s oppression. There is a sequence of scenes spaced throughout the story that make up Xandra’s awakening to the truth. The first scene starts with Xandra making an outlandish statement (‘men should have a full vote, just like us’) to taunt a group of obnoxious women, but when her mother presses her whether she means it, Xandra admits that she didn’t, because she’d never thought about it. But now, she’s thinking about it. Ultimately the journey with Deacon opens her eyes to the plight of males, and in the end she commits to fight for ‘opportunities for all’. Assignment #7: Setting The story is set in a future society where women rule the world and men are second class citizens at best. After the Magnificent Revolution when women seized control of the world, and the subsequent Rebuilding where the world was repaired and revitalized, humanity learned to live in harmony with nature. Hunger, homelessness, and epidemics were cured. Deadly firearms and ammunitions were gathered up and shipped into the sun. Racism was healed and is now only found in history books. Earth has clean air, the climate crisis has been over for centuries, and the government provides robust family and health services, and touts freedom for all womankind. Class structures are rigid. There is a thriving middle class that generally lives in single home dwellings in green neighborhoods (suburbs lush with flora) or townhomes in city centers. The women of this class perform most of the professional and artisan jobs in society. Men of this class may perform assistant work, security forces, or may be primary caregivers. The “subz” or subsidized class are the poorest in society and highly dependent upon government assistance. They live in designated districts in cities (in Providence City, this is O’Ville). The subz tend to be overrun with males, and the bulk of manual laborers come out of subz districts. The subz are also home to organized crime and gangs. For housing, families squeeze into small flats provided by the government. The “aristos” make up the ruling and wealthy class, and Xandra is a member of this class. Aristos live in palatial estates in the country or grand homes within a city, and the Fallows are no exception. The Fallows have the second largest estate in their province, East Atlantic, which is located within the domain known as The Americas (current day North and South America). Xandra spends many chapters at varying locations within her family’s estate. This includes bedrooms, library, government offices, gym, and multiple ballrooms in their large 3-wing mansion. Also, stables, an underground aquarium maze, hangars where they keep hover vehicles, rolling hills, a wooded area with a hidden romantic glade, and the Atlantic coast. The estate is just outside the boundary of Providence City (population 1 million) and within the city Xandra visits the Temple and the downtown bay district. Other locations she visits, either virtually or in person, include a grand palace, a Temple in Argentina Grande, a convent at the top of the Andes, a jungle, a dangerous cave, a stadium located in a desert, and a war zone.