The River's Secret

The river ran backward on the day the queen vanished

It started as a little swirl, subtle and unnoticed by most. The fishermen, however, felt it first. Their nets, once heavy and filled with catch, suddenly lost their weight. Fish swam against its flow, thrown off course by the abrupt change in the current. Grass along the riverbank converged awkwardly, pulled against its natural form, and moored bobbed in an odd, purposeful movement.

Luco, a young fisherman raised by the river in the Kingdom of Altron, was the first to observe it. He stood by its banks with his feet dunked in the pale mud as his boat bobbed oddly like the others. His father had taught him to decipher the river’s unpredictable temper, its ominous calm before the storm, the too-bubbly energy of its rain-soaked banks. But this was odd- highly unusual.

“Luco!” A voice broke his reverie. His sister, Mera, approached him, her hands full of animal feed. “Why are you bent like that?”She eyed him curiously.

In his excitement, the storm currently blowing over Altron nearly slipped Luco’s mind. Queen Elisa had simply disappeared from her chambers in the dead of night, and not a single guard had noticed when she left. They saw her go to bed, so they knew she was there in the morning; by then, though, there was no sign of her. Some were already murmuring of some form of kidnapping—others of death. The pessimists believed she had fallen victim to some magical curse; the villagers claimed it to be related to the waters of the river.

“I don’t know. But something’s wrong.” Luco shook his head.

And then came the vision.

They were dancing forms frolicking in the water at first. The dancing sprites then came together. Then, he saw her. Queen Elisa. She stood at the river’s edge with her bejewelled crown shimmering, telling of her status as Altron’s queen. But her face was gaunt and pale. Her gown touched the surface of the water as she trod on it. Luco’s heart thumped wildly. He could still hear her muffled voice in the distance.

Then, she moved further into the azure waters.

Luco drew back, pulling his hand from the water as the queen disappeared. His heart continued to thump, and thump, and he fell backwards into the mud. The queen had… drowned? Herself? Why on Altron would she do that?

The river’s backward flow was purposeful. Luco sensed it was trying to tell him something, trying to show him what really happened. No one was holding Queen Elisa for some ransom; she wasn’t in exile. Somehow, the river connected with her.

Only he understood.

Luca recoiled from the vision, his head spinning. Why had the queen disappeared into the depths of the river? Why had she taken such a dangerous step?

The backward flow of the river was not an accident. There was a message. And Luco had been selected by the Universe to interpret it.

The Queen's Secret

Luco was unable to keep his silence the following morning. He pushed his way to the palace, navigating through crowded streets. Luco had no time to spend as the gate guards regarded him suspiciously.

Nearly collapsing as he reached the palace doors, he cried, “This concerns the queen.” “I might know where she is.”

The guards looked at one another. Looking up and down at him, one of them said, “How would you know where the queen is?”

Luco stopped. How was he going to explain his visions to them? Weakly, he said, “I...trust me, please.”

He was shocked when, desperate to find the queen, they opened the palace door for him. The aristocracy was engaged in heated debate as they paused before the palace’s great chambers. Lord Ranhart, the queen’s counsellor, stood in the middle of the room, his anxious expression visible on his face.

Luco stepped closer to him, his voice trembling. "The queen is still in the kingdom. She is still alive. The river has contained her."

Lord Ranhart gave him a hard look. ‘What are you even saying, young man?"

Luco’s voice was a taut bowstring. “The river has been flowing backwards since she vanished. It’s trying to tell us about her. She didn’t drown, but just fell into the water. We can bring her back with the help of the land's ancient magic.”

The other nobles observed him in silence. Lord Ranhart gazed at Luco for a long while before he finally spoke. “ If what you are suggesting is true, there is real danger. No one has accessed the river’s magic for centuries. It’s taboo.”

“I’ve seen her, though. “ Luco persisted. “The river told me.She isn’t gone-simply concealed. We can bring her back.”

Lord Ranhart clearly had doubts, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes."If what you say is true, we do not have much time. The river’s backward flow shows the it has taken control of the queen. We must get to her before it is too late."

A Choice

Luco returned to the river, accompanied by Lord Ranhart and a few guards. Lord Ranhart, himself an ancient grandmaster of magic, brought with him a missive containing a spell to channel the river’s waters.

They chanted the ancient words. After a few tense moments, the waters receded, and shifted. The river moved downwards, slowly at first, then at an increasing pace.

And at the riverbank stood Queen Elisa, resplendent, her crown an gown in their usual ornate glory. But she seemed different.

“Thank you.” She looked at Luco as she spoke. Her words had an unnatural, ripply resonance, almost as if she was gurgling. Lord Ranhart and Luco exchanged tense glances.

“I will always be here for Altron, and its people. But it’s because of them I must return to the river. I will tell you why in the future.” She gazed at Luco for a long moment. “You are now its guardian, Luco, It has chosen you.”

Luco swallowed hard,“ What must I do?”

“I will always be with you. But I can only protect you from the waters. I will need your help.” “She nodded at Luco. “All of you,” She glanced at Lord Ranhart.”Work together for our kingdom." She turned to Luco. "As the river's guardian, you are now a member of the nobility. You are Lord Luco."

“I must go now,“ Queen Elisa turned her back and walked into the river’s waters again. She looked back at Luco with gratitude and trust.

As she descended, the skies took on a reassuring orange hue. The river flowed naturally, affirming the kingdom’s safety and prosperity, at least for now.