Denmark's Sun

Chapter 1

The spiky-haired man sighed as he stepped off the boat and onto the soil of Elleore, an island that would soon no longer be a part of his country. The war was ending, but it had taken a huge blow to his economy, not to mention his lands.

Iceland had broken away and became fully independent not too long ago, and Greenland and Faroe were both still under the allies control. Another sigh came out as his mind went over the events. None of the three had actually lived with him in a while, so he usually only saw them a few times a year, but he would miss them all the same.

He paused atop a hill overlooking the island. It was triangle-shaped, with small green hills. He decided to explore the forest, and then take a look at the lake before heading back to his boat.

With his economy suffering, his government had happily accepted the chance to sell the little island to a group of schoolteachers for the use of a summer camp. It would have been beneath his notice, until the teachers decided to make it an independent 'nation.'

Denmark was unsure of what this would mean for him, whether or not this 'nation' would be considered to still be a part of Denmark, or whether it would break off. He seriously doubted an actual personification would be formed to represent this place-after all, it wouldn't have a true government or an actual economy.

Coming to the lake, he decided to simply sit on a rock and rest for a few minutes before heading back. After all, the war had taken a lot out of him, and the lake was more towards the center. It was twilight, and the sun's dying rays were reflected in the lake.

When he heard the Island was to be turned into private property, he had asked for permission to explore the island before it closed off completely. It wasn't a huge loss-the island had no buildings and was not even a square mile, but he felt a slight loss anyhow.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by some sounds coming from the opposite side of the lake. He quickly dodged out of sight behind a tree, keeping the far bank in site. He'd circled the island before landing. No one else was allowed on it, besides the gulls he'd seen flying around. His eyes narrowed. If they were poachers, they'd be reported.

His hand went to the side, grasping for something that wasn't there before clenching into a fist. He wished he still had his axe, but like all his other weapons, it had been confiscated and taken by Germany. If he was forced into a fight, he could still easily win with his fists though.

He blinked and stiffened in surprise when he heard a soft giggle. The giggle soon erupted into a loud laugh that sounded familiar, but couldn't be matched with anyone he knew. The bushes on the far side rustled, and a young girl stepped out, followed by a small group of swans.

Mathias froze in disbelief. He knew from her clothes, and the jolt that went through his chest, that this was a new nation. She had on the customary white gown all nations were found in, with a crimson bow around her neck. She also had on roman-style sandals, but her face really caught his attention.

She had shoulder-length, strawberry blonde hair that was extremely messy, with spiky bangs. She had deep blue eyes, and a huge smile, as well as large cheeks. In other words, she was a small version of himself at that age, with a slightly different shade and length of hair.

Turning his head away from the scene, Mathias pondered over this new development. If someone had asked him this morning what the chances of a personification forming on this little island, he would have said zero to none. It had no standing citizens, government, or anything that made a nation a nation! Yet he was certain the girl on the other side was the personification of Elleore.

He wondered if he should approach her. On one hand, she was technically a nation that would soon be independent from him. On the other, she was a mini version of himself-not to mention, she was physically about three years old. It was late august, and as far as he knew, she was made for the use of a summer camp. If he left without her, how long would she be alone?

Taking a deep breath, he came out from behind the tree, and began to walk towards her.