Pitch Slam Entry 7: HESPERIA, YA Fantasy

Genre: YA Fantasy
Title: Hesperia

Word Count: 100,000

Pitch: The court calls the King’s death a verdict of the gods. Princess Hesperia knows that's a lie. She commits a capital crime to secure an investigation, but the truth reveals betrayals from loved ones.

First 250: 

Silent as a tadpole, quick as a minnow, light as a dragonfly.

I recited the words in my head as I waded into the imperial pond. They were wisps from a childhood memory, faded from the years that had come to pass since Father last rocked me on his knee and taught me the tricks to evading the maids. But that mattered little. Today was the blood trial, a day of sharpened sickles, crimson sand, and gurgled screams.

A day to run.

I doubted my presence in the royal spectator box was ever missed, but Mother clearly thought otherwise. This time, she’d sent her fastest maids to catch me and herd me back to the arena. Like all who qualified for the honor of tending to the queen, their persistence was commendable. It was their fourth loop around the gardens, yet their voices remained strong.

“Princess Hesperia!”

My feet quickened at the sound of my name. Jellyweeds and blue silt grasped at the hems of my royal robes as I ventured deeper. The water soon rose past my waist. When the fanreeds grew thick around the southern bank of pond, I arranged the glossy leaves around me.

The maids came to a stop on the bridge. They lingered, shadows trickling over the stones and onto the water.

“Sweet Hesperia, don’t be difficult,” called one as the others searched, checking underneath the bridge and the nearby shrubs of nectar flowers.



2 comments:

  1. Instant classic! Please send pages to kyra@aplusbworks.com. Can't wait to read more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'd like to make a Dark Horse Hit request for HESPERIA. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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