Kingdom of Paladey

The river ran backwards on the day the Queen vanished.

The King ordered both her confidante and her lady-in-waiting to be arrested, under suspicion of treason, when neither could offer a reasonable explanation for her disappearance despite accompanying her in the royal carriage immediately prior. They had insisted she had been with them up until they exited the carriage to prepare the awaiting crowd for her appearance to bid them farewell, only that she never emerged.

When Miss Lechat, her confidante, approached the door to investigate, she was greeted by an empty seat. No footprints or tracks of any kind were found in the road that could have, perhaps, provided clues to her whereabouts. According to Miss Lechat and Miss Gaethrope, it was as if she evaporated into thin air.

Eren Fergottyn, Princess of Paladey, was thrust into the role of Sovereign, as her voyage to the southern parts of the kingdom was rerouted back to the palace, when King Fergottyn was found poisoned later that same night. She sat, stewing in fury, incongruent with how peaceful she looked gently rocking side to side, swayed by the ship atop the waves.

Eren regretted her birthright. When she was ten, she decided that she had no desire to inherit the throne. She begged her parents to defy tradition and have another child but, because she had been born a female to a male, tradition dictated that no further children could be conceived. Eren’s father inherited the throne from her grandmother. Being born a male to a female, he was also an only child, but he had an uncle. His grandmother conceived his mother and a son: Uncle Sekound, Duke of the Realms.

In protest of royal law, Eren began a habit of running away. She hoped that if she could stay gone long enough, they would presume her dead and be forced to have another child, but each time she was found in a matter of days. Eren ran away so many times that her worried father assigned a detail exclusively to her, putting her abscondence to a halt.

The Queen, seeing how sad her daughter became under the strict watch of her guards, begged her husband to come to a compromise. After some time, he finally agreed and called an official Council to meet and made an agreement with Eren.

“I will allow you to travel this kingdom with no restriction,” he thundered, stroking his gray beard, “if you will agree to submit to the training of an heiress at your 21st birthday. For your safety, and to ensure the future of this kingdom, you will remain under supervision of the Hammer of Paladey, but they will not impede your exploration so long as you do not endanger your life.”

The King narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly to study his daughter as she considered his offer.

“So I get to abandon my studies?” Eren prodded.

“Postponed.” The King said flatly. “For 6 years, you will continue to complete your basic tutelage. On your 21st birthday, you will resume your royal education and cease your travels outside of official duty until completion of your training.”

Eren agreed, confirming this contract with a stamp of her ring on an official document besides her father’s, already conjuring a plan to take advantage of her newfound freedom.

---

“Does your father know that you’re here?” Uncle Sekound rasped. “Tradition forbids heirs to the throne from entering the Realms.”

“My father’s agreement permits me to travel the entire kingdom, so long as I am not endangering my life. The Realms is a part of this kingdom.” Eren smarted.

Uncle Sekound chuckled. “King Nephew will soon learn that his wit is not as sharp as he believes when he discovers he has been had by the future Queen of Paladey.” His smile faded. “I know that you didn’t come for a simple family reunion, Princess. So, tell me what it is that you seek.”

“On one of my escapes, I found a house on the Eastward border of the kingdom that I thought would be a suitable place to hide. When I heard the hoofbeats of The Hammer of Paladey approaching, I knew it wouldn’t be long before they looked for me there, so I hid. Just as the last guard was leaving, I noticed something tucked between the floorboards and I reached for it. I lost my balance and fell through the floor beneath me right at his feet. I tucked it under my cloak before anyone could see. “

Eren held out a small leather book with a strap tied around it to hold the pages together.

“I know why The Realms were forbidden and I want you to tell me what you know about The River.”

---

“We’ve arrived, Your Majesty.” A guard’s shadow filled the doorway to her quarters.

“Yes, thank you.” Eren stretched and pulled back the curtain to a small round window. The dark clouds gathered above the white castle gave an ominous contrast. Eren dressed quickly, changing out of her common attire into her royal garb. The door creaked a high-pitched protest as she snatched it open, and she startled at the thin old man standing with his fist raised, poised to knock.

“Your Highness.” He bowed, his slow, greasy voice echoing in the vestibule. The royal advisor, an inheritance for at least 3 generations, stood before Princess Fergottyn with his arm full of thin leather books. “I wanted to prepare you before you meet the Council and accept your—”

“—that won’t be necessary, Lavah.” Eren interrupted.

“But Your Majesty, you know nothing of your father’s preparations! And you should at least familiarize yourself with relevant law since you have been largely left ignorant due to your… agreement.” Offense creeped into that word. Lavah had been against the King’s compromise to postpone Eren’s royal education. “The Council may attempt to usurp the direction your father planned for this kingdom.”

“Please.” Eren held up her hand, halting the conversation “Get word to the Duke of the Realms to begin travel immediately. I would like him to be present at Council.”

“The Duke of the Realms?” He spat, incredulous. “This is why you must study kingdom history! No spare has ever entered the Palace of Paladey, let alone have been present at Council!”

“But there is no law against it, is there?” Eren rolled her eyes and started past the old man.

Lavah followed her to the deck, using one hand to block his face as the cool winds blew the new Queen’s robes towards him. “No, there is no law. Even still, your father was careful to observe all tradition! What would he think?” he pleaded, struggling to keep pace beneath the weight of the books in his frail frame.

“My father is dead.” Eren said flatly, stopping so abruptly that the advisor strained to keep his balance as he avoided crashing into her. “The King can be neither proud of nor disappointed in whatever decision I make for Paladey. Besides, I agreed to begin my studies at my 21st birthday which, as you recall, has yet to arrive. I do not plan to break that agreement just because the old man…” she faded, bowing her head as a moment of silence passed between them. Eren swatted a tear from her eyelash and cleared her throat. “See to it that Uncle Sekound is present at evening tea. I imagine he would also like to pay respects to his King.”

---

“I knew there was trouble when I received word that the waterfall had stopped.” Duke Sekound stroked his bald chin. “I sent the Wonders of the Realms ahead to investigate the dry lake at the top of Mount Greenes and received report that it is full and is beginning to glow.”

Eren sipped her tea and swallowed.

“Who knows?” she watched the steam dance above the cup.

“Just the Wonders of the Realms. But once the trees begin to bear their fruit, all the Realms will know. And then the decision will be out of your hands. So you must act quickly.”

Eren stood and began to pace, her arms wrapped behind her.

“How long does it take for the trees to bloom?” She asked

“You have two days to find her. I considered whether to reveal this to the King, but I instructed the Wonders to begin a search as soon as I knew about it. That was before I received word that your father met his demise.”

Eren cleared her throat, focusing out the window with her back turned towards her uncle.

“Never,” The Duke continued, “in the history of Paladey has a Sovereign taken a final breath without the ritual washing. Neither has an heir ever inherited the throne without a drink from the Fountain of Dreves. And how will you explain this to the Council? That there is no fountain because the River reversed its course?”

“Hence, your presence here with me today.” Eren replied.

Suddenly, the door to the royal parlor flew open and a small woman with purple hair and billowing, silver robes strode in, followed by a small army of the Hammer of Paladey.

“Your Highness!” one guard stammered breathlessly. “We tried to stop her! Our arrows fell at her feet, and we could not unsheathe our swords! There are fourteen guards whose feet are stuck in the mud as if in stone, and the tower guards cannot open their mouths!”

“We found her!” the woman’s heavy voice did not seem suitable for her small frame.

Uncle Sekound flashed a wide smile, opening his arms wide. “Ahh, Stormy! I had no doubt!”

The guard looked from the woman to the new Queen, to the Duke, confusion etched in his face.

“You may leave us now.” The Duke focused on the guards, clasping his hands together.

“Thank you.” Eren nodded, dismissing them.

---

“What do you mean you’re postponing the Council meeting?” Lavah asked, sounding as bewildered as he looked, with his eyes wild and his hair standing on end.

“I will return at dusk and explain the reason for the delay of the ceremony.” Replied Eren. “I must attend to an emergency. Uncle Sekound will remain at the palace until my return to ensure presence of royal blood at the Council should I be delayed, or…”

Eren didn’t finish her thought. She pulled her leg in the carriage and signaled for the maid to shut the door. Lavah watched the carriage disappear and turned towards the Palace, coming face-to-face with the Duke.

“Lavah.” The Duke said, dryly. “Many seasons have passed since I’ve had the pleasure of hearing the contempt in your voice.” He smiled, falsely.

Lavah rushed past the Duke without responding.

“Remember,” the Duke continued, “I am second in line to the throne. And after all, the Princess of Paladey—”

“—the Queen of Paladey.”

“The Queen of Paladey has not received the protection of the Fountain of Dreves and has yet to order the official cup bearer to visit the Realms to retrieve the vital waters.” And with that, Uncle Sekound walked down the path into the gardens.

Lavah considered Uncle Sekound’s words and entered the castle, resolved to assemble the Council, rather than cancel the meeting, to alert them that the Queen was fetching the waters from the Fountain of Dreves herself after the incident with her father.

---

Eren reached the flat peak of Mount Greenes, leaving a trail of footprints in the dense foliage behind her. The air was simultaneously heavy with humid fog and brisk thin atmosphere that made her suddenly breathless as her heart raced with adrenaline. She plunged her head into the glowing waters and drank deeply and a feeling a surge like electricity pumping through her veins.

“It’s a feeling like no other.” Her father stepped into view. “I remember my drink as if it were this morning.”

---

Miss Lechat and Miss Gaethrope appeared on either side of the Queen, big with expectation and clutching their arms for balance, ahead of Uncle Sekound in the gardens.

“He ran to the Council as expected.” He reported.

“Hiding this heir has been nearly as difficult as raising the first one.” The Queen replied. “Has she taken her drink? It’s imperative that she takes her drink before he arrives.”

“Your daughter is clever and quick. I would bet my life that all has gone according to plan. I worried when we didn’t find you at the rendezvous.” The Duke crossed his arms behind his back.

“Well the pangs of the beginnings of labor made things tricky when I was unable to greet the crowds for my farewell, and had to unexpectedly navigate the Realms alone. Your Wonders performed wonderfully, both convincing the Council of the King’s demise and—” The Queen grimaced. “The potion is wearing off. I can’t hold any longer.”

The Duke held his arms out, extending one to the Queen, and one to the small cottage hidden amongst the roses. “Please, take her inside. They have been waiting.”

---

“The day that you were born, your mother said you would turn this kingdom upside down. I had no clue that meant uniting the Wonders of the Realms and the Hammer of Paladey. If Uncle Sekound hadn’t convinced you to reveal to me the journal of the last King of Paladey, we may still be at odds with the Realms. We would never have the key to giving birth to a spare. We would still be under threat of overthrow by the Council. You wouldn’t have a brother.”

“A brother? How do you know?” Eren inquired.

King Fergottyn pointed towards the lake. The trees were rapidly shedding their leaves, the lake was emptying as if a cork was pulled out the middle, and the mysterious glow was gone.

“We did it.”

Eren smiled. She could pass on her birthright. “We did it.”