Their Majesties’ Pleasure: World & Maps

Maps. History. Character details.

This post is full of story secrets and insight into the world of Their Majesties’ Pleasure, an interactive fantasy romance published by Heart’s Choice.

Let’s start with maps. I’ve always loved books with maps.

They’re helpful, so you have the lay of the land as you read the story. Plus, it feels like the story has another layer of magic baked in.

I’ve done A LOT of world building to get my facts straight and add depth, history, mythology, interesting geography, and plenty of political intrigue to Their Majesties’ Pleasure.

THE KINGDOM OF RUMIA stretches down the western coast of the great island Urestai in settlements that survive by trade and toil. Wood, stone, gems, minerals that glow and explode, natural medicines and abundant food. Rumia’s resources are increasingly taken from land that does not belong to the kingdom, but to the WILDS. Where the Darkwood thickens, a curtain of magic deters most humans. Beyond that barrier live two demigods, the immortal Fae, and all manner of Wildings, many of whom have lost patience with humans and their greed. The Kingdom’s Keep sits in the north, overlooking THREASHA, a thriving port city that sprawls around the Bay of Sanera, where anything is possible at a price. By day, Threasha’s markets offer foods, fabrics, and goods found locally or shipped in from abroad. By night, the Underground Army emerges in a network of whispers and a web of players that answer to the Rogue King. The Cabaret is at the hub of the action, home to assassins, burlesque dancers, and throngs of people the kingdom has forsaken.

Rumia’s monarchs disregard growing threats from the Wilds and the Underground, largely ignoring their subjects so long as they pay taxes and don’t make too much trouble. But as their heirs run amok, with you in the thick of things, tensions come to a head. Your choices will mean the difference between civil relations and all-out war.

SOUTHERN PALACE: The Southern Palace sits along the sea north of Zenia, with an army encampment on the other side of farmland where half of Rumia’s army lives and grows food when they’re not training.

THE BRICKS: The maze of rocks ships have to navigate to get into the smuggler’s city on the undeveloped east coast of Urestai

OTHER CITIES: Serenai, and Zenia are larger cities, not quite as large as Threasha but busy trading centers. Brenata is a small fishing village south of Threasha. Trefol Bay runs between the two centers.

RUMIA’S CREST: A craggy mountain over 3 waves, encased in the circle of the sun to signify ties to Minare.

MILITARY: Once a mighty army, Rumia has had to resort to hiring mercenaries from afar to supplement its own troops after losing much of its forces in the last war with Cordova, and from supporting Minare’s ongoing conflict with Varvash.

UNIFORMS in Rumia’s military: Keep guards wear dark green with black leather armor; city soldiers wear wine red uniforms with brown leather armor; officers have dark green uniforms with wine red leather jerkins; knights wear dark blue dress uniforms in the Keep, polished armor when on active duty.

CULTURE: A relatively new kingdom, Rumia has thriving trade agreements with Minare, Forellia, and Rzskador, using resources from the island to create most of its goods, including minerals that glow. Settlements exist throughout Rumia (farming, tradespeople, homesteaders) focused around agriculture, forestry, and mining. Spellcasters make lanterns, icemakers and coldboxes, ovens, and all manner of contraptions combining the minerals of the mountains with natural magic and formulated spells.

MINARE was once a peaceful island with close ties to Rzskador and the Island of Urestai. And then General Nathanel Ga’vaan and his brother Cameren committed treason against the emperor of Varvash, and stole half his army to conquer Minare.

Though many of Minare’s population had Fae blood, there had been no need of warriors in hundreds of years, and there weren’t enough fighters to stop the flood of soldiers from Varvash. Some Fae sailed to Urestai or Rzkador. Some retreated through portals into adjacent worlds. Some created worlds of their own through magic, and only those who know the way can go in or out. Those who could pass as human did their best to adapt to life under Ga’vaan rule.

Nathanel Ga’vaan declared himself king, supported by five lords he’d promised territory in exchange for their help conquering Minare. Cameren Ga’vaan sailed to Urestai with part of his stolen army, and took Threasha from the Fae. But the Fae returned, led by Nenaria, a fierce fighter and darling diva of the theater. In a single night, they slaughtered Cameren Ga’vaan and took revenge on every soldier in the city. In the morning, the only survivors were those who’d fled by sea.

Grieving his brother and ruthless to the core, Nathanel Ga’vaan ruled Minare with absolute power. As generations passed, revolutions came and went, always crushed soundly by whatever Ga’vaan king sat on the throne. After seven hundred years of trying to colonize Rumia, a Ga’vaan prince who was uncharacteristically moderate in his wrath chose cunning over cruelty. He sailed to Urestai, and with a silver tongue and a good deal of bribery, struck a deal with a Fae queen for the western territory of the island. Thus, Rumia was born and a new king came to power. But when he brought an army far larger than the treaty he signed specified, the Fae queen realized she’d been deceived. She and her kind retreated into the Wilds where the demigoddess Edenia erected a curtain of protection around the northeastern part of the island.

Now, Minare continues to suffer under the rule of King Stevik Ga’vaan, whose allies and people have tired of broken promises. Rumia’s king is equally heavy-handed and out of touch, and both kingdoms tremble on the edge of war. The only hope lies with their heirs, and the new allies they forge in order to save their people and ensure the future of their realms.