CROWNED BY THE CURRENTS

The river ran backwards on the day the Queen vanished. But she wasn’t really gone.

Queen Roniya lie on a bed of salted sea grass as the growing tide waters pooled around her. She must’ve fallen asleep. The journey had been taxing, arduous and even a mortal Queen needed her rest.

Queen Roniya slipped silently under the rough straw of the water-weeds as dragonflies bobbed by unbothered. She was far from home, the farthest she had ever been and yet she felt so free.

The morning mist hung heavy atop the cool, slow-moving waves. The good Queen ventured deeper, until her skirt sunk her like an anchor into the sticky mud and only the tops of her glowing eyes peeked out from behind her cloaked hood.

No one would think to search the river for a Queen.

She was thankful for that. She was thankful the myths were proving to be true.

She’d been counting on the change in currents to get her safely out of the Kingdom. Maybe the Kings-men would think she was dead. That’s what all the stories said—only the Queen changes the flow of the river. Until she is restored to the throne the crops will wither, the town will fall apart, the castle and all the King’s men will be decimated. No water will grace the good city. They need her to resurface, to come back.

It was a tall tale, a fable, a history she would rather not repeat but she was desperate. It had been, after-all, nearly two-hundred years since the last Queen self-abdicated and Queen Roniya was ready to take a stand.

There was nothing she could do, at least not now. She’d made her choice—and to her, death would be better than marrying him. She had been a Queen for years without needing a man, and now, the laws would have her marry—not for love, but for war.

**

Queen Roniya was conflicted.

She left her friends and family, her town to suffer and possibly die. She was sure amidst all their worry—they were cursing her good name. But this time it wasn’t her fault—surely, they would come to understand. She kept having to remind herself of this. She’d made the best decision, now she would let fate do the rest. Would the King kill her remaining family, her advisors?

No one had known of her plans to leave, she’d made sure if this. Besides, she couldn’t worry about that now. All she had to do was get to the mountains—to the highest peak—where the Witches of Light lived. The Oracle Queen would help her. She was counting on this.

“Maybe I should’ve sent an owl first?”

Queen Roniya mused aloud as she thought back to how awkward this encounter was going to be. She had after-all commanded armies—and not just any—the best in all the lands of the Elilan Empire. This included the Kingdoms of: Dridgebore, Theton, Illomar, Siris, Creasha, Pretorus, and Ciwolan.

Hundreds of thousands of men and women—and she was scared of a few witches—or what they might say. Maybe she was wrong. She’d come too far to doubt herself now.

Though this would surely mean death—a more permanent one than that which she suffered right now. Separation of oneself and identity—there were far worse outcomes.

**

The waters moved the good Queen miles upstream.

The climb through the waist deep water was proving to be far more difficult than she expected as she neared the top of the river peak. She could see the brightly shining orbs of the Witches lair through the trees.

Five glowing globes of fire—each light inextinguishable—all moonlit winter shades of jaded silver. One for each Witch of the Oracle.

Queen Roniya held her breath as she stepped over the dirt and into the marble and stone lip. The heights of the caves soared well over a thousand feet above. She was in the mouth of god himself. She’d never seen such earthly beauty before.

Just inside were wading pools of similar mercurial waters—like the orbs glowing above.

Thick waterfalls of stained-glass arched high into the sky—the colors of heavenly snow, frosted abalone and pearlescent opal—run from the top of the caves into the wading pools, collecting fortunes and memories.

**

“Queen Roniya, we’ve been waiting for you…” a woman’s sharp, deep voice echoed throughout the cavernous caves.

“It was you who sent the waters running backwards. But like time... you can’t get them back…” another set of voices echoed in unison, reverberating off the wading pools.

“The cards have spoken,” the sharp, deep voice continued.

“Step into the water to hear your fate…”

Chills set through Queen Roniya as the voices ran up her spine. Tarot cards bubbled up to the surface showing her images of the Seven Cups, the River Queen, the Tree of Roots, and the Fools Guide.

She slowly stepped into icy waters. The pools were much bigger than she first expected as the gradual entry proved to be much deeper within a few steps.

The silver, mercurial liquid rippled off her skin. She was unsure how far to go but the voices grew louder and clearer the further she went.

“But alas my-dear, it’s far too late. You’ve been replaced... or so it would seem.”

The hissing echo of the Oracle Witches stung like venom as Queen Roniya dared to breath. She flailed about trying to catch one of the exploding tarot cards that bubbled up from an unknown geyser at her feet.

The cards cut into her skin like a thousand sharp little teeth. They were fish, schools of fish moving and swimming in unison. Each with a destiny of their own as they whipped around her body for a chance to be seen, be caught, be read by one of the mighty Oracles.

Standing on the tips of her toes she fought to hold steady but it was too much for her to handle.

“Don’t fight my dear, just let go. The waters will guide you…”

The last thing Queen Roniya heard as the Oracle spoke—were the dark and weary echo of defeat— “the King…King Silas has made his decision. Your absence proved no obstacle. The King and all his good men crowned another in your wake—Princess Elianor, your sister, has taken to the throne as Queen in Waiting…”

Queen Roniya felt the blood rush from her body as she clung to something sharp in her hand. The magnetic water not allowing her to move as she grasped tightly to whatever it was trying to break free. The card warm, and flat beat against her hand like it had a heart.

The Oracle Witches thrashed about in a frenzy.

“Wait, Wait, Wait. We have an interruption in the reading…” the chaotic echo of the lesser Queen Oracles circled above Queen Roniya as she floated up to the surface.

“She holds in her right hand the card of Triumph. The four rivers, the cloned King of Excess in his scepter. We have to set her free, to return her to the river…”

The blood-curdling screams from the Oracle Witches pierced Queen Roniya’s ears as the oxygen finally ran out and her body went limp.

“She will bring life to the parched soil, and ruin to the men who crossed her. She who wears a battle dress in the garden of death will prosper and cast light into the shade of dawn.”

It was the last thing the good Queen heard before she awoke on the banks of the river. The same river she started at. The waters still flowing opposite their usual ways.

The Oracles words echoed madly in her ears as she wondered if it had all been a dream.

Floating just at her feet was the Seven Cups Oracle card.