Colonial's Curse: Fantasy

"Woe unto you, I say, woe unto you. For your daughters will become brides of the same man and your sons will be carried home upon their shields. Woe unto you, for your food will turn to ashes in your mouth. Woe unto you, for no venture of yours shall ever prosper for as long as you rule the land." The warning carved in large stone letters across the marble archway of the city hall sent shivers down Alyssa's spine every time she read it. Even if there was no curse, she thought acidly, that damn forewarning hanging over everything ensured that every misfortune, every death, every sorrow was laid at the door of their colony. Even back home, it had started to spread, she heard,--


Inspiration: "Woe unto" in the thesaurus.
Story Potential: High.
Finished Length: Erm. Novel, damn it. Maybe YA length, but still--.
Notes: Something about colonies and how the ruled and rulers interact tickles my mind. Probably because I a) lived in India, a former colony, and b) read way too much about the colonial phases of Africa and India when I was a young and impressionable child (as opposed to a relatively young and relatively impressionable adult).