The Vanished Queen

The Vanish Queen

The river ran backward on the day the queen vanished. one in the kingdom of Eldoria had seen such a thing before. The mighty Gildor River, lifeblood of the land, always surged forward, racing down from the frost-capped mountains and weaving its way through forests of evergreen. But on this day, as dawn broke over the horizon, its waters turned dark and sluggish, retreating against its own current as if pulled by an unseen force.

In the village of Vithane, old seer Amara gazed into the shifting waters with a shiver in her bones. She clutched the pendant around her neck, a smooth stone gifted to her by the queen herself many years ago. "It’s a sign," she murmured, eyes wide with fear. "The balance is broken."

The news spread like wildfire. By midday, the castle gates were thronged with subjects demanding answers. Where was their beloved Queen Seraphina, the one who had brought peace to the warring tribes and unity to the fractured lands? Rumors swirled—had she been taken by the dark fae from the northern wilds, or had she simply abandoned her throne?

Inside the castle, the council was in chaos. Lord Alder, the king’s advisor, pounded a fist against the grand oak table. "This cannot be a coincidence. The queen’s disappearance and the river’s reversal are connected. It’s as if the world itself mourns her loss."

The only person not in a frenzy was Prince Caelan, the queen’s youngest son. He sat alone in the shadowed corner of the room, fingers tapping thoughtfully against the armrest of his chair. "Mother wouldn’t leave us without a sign," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "We need to look beyond the obvious."

Caelan had always been different from his brothers—less interested in politics and more attuned to the ancient magics that still lingered in the hidden places of the realm. He remembered the stories his mother used to tell him, of a secret bond between the monarch and the land itself. "When the heart of Eldoria falters, so too does the pulse of its rivers," she had once said.

He left the council chamber without another word, unnoticed by the lords and ladies too busy bickering among themselves. Caelan made his way through the labyrinthine corridors of the castle, his destination clear in his mind. He needed to find the Grove of Echoes.

The Grove lay hidden within the Enchanted Forest, a place where only those with true purpose could tread safely. As he stepped into the forest, the air thickened with magic, and the sunlight filtering through the canopy turned golden, casting an ethereal glow. Caelan could feel the pulse of the land beneath his feet, a rhythm that once matched the river’s current but now felt broken, irregular.

He followed the sound of whispering leaves until he reached the ancient clearing. The Grove of Echoes was silent, save for the faint hum of wind weaving through the branches. At its center stood a single tree, older than the kingdom itself, its bark silver and shimmering like moonlight on water.

Caelan placed a hand on the tree’s trunk and closed his eyes. "Show me," he whispered.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a rush of memories flooded his mind—images of the queen in her chamber, her golden hair glowing like the sunrise, her eyes filled with sorrow. She stood before a mirror, speaking in a language Caelan didn’t recognize, and then she was gone. The mirror cracked, and darkness seeped into the room, curling like smoke.

The vision shattered, leaving Caelan gasping for breath. He knew now where he had to go: the Hall of Reflections, an ancient part of the castle long abandoned and shrouded in mystery.

When he arrived, the air was cold and still, the kind of silence that makes the hairs on your neck stand up. He stepped into the hall, and his breath misted in the dim light. The walls were lined with mirrors of every shape and size, their surfaces clouded with dust and age. But one mirror stood out, its surface clear and shimmering like the surface of a pond.

Caelan approached it cautiously. "Mother?" he called softly, his voice echoing back to him.

The mirror rippled, and the queen’s face appeared. She looked ethereal, as if made of light and shadow. "Caelan," she said, her voice a distant echo.

"Where are you?" he demanded. "What happened?"

"I don’t have much time," she replied, her form flickering. "I was betrayed by someone close. They used forbidden magic, a spell bound to the river itself. I’m trapped between worlds, caught in the reflection of the river’s soul."

"How can I bring you back?" Caelan asked, desperation tightening his voice.

"The river must flow forward again," she said. "The balance must be restored. You must find the heartstone, hidden in the depths of the river, and place it back in the Shrine of Tides."

Caelan nodded, though fear coiled in his stomach. The Shrine of Tides was a place spoken of only in whispers, said to be guarded by the ancient spirits of the water. But he would do it. He had to.

With a final glance at his mother’s fading reflection, he turned and sprinted out of the hall.

The journey to the river’s depths was perilous. The waters were wild and unforgiving, fighting against him with every stroke. But Caelan was determined. He dove deeper, feeling the pressure building, until he spotted a faint blue glow. The heartstone was there, lodged between jagged rocks, pulsing weakly like the beat of a dying heart.

He wrenched it free and kicked toward the surface, lungs burning. When he emerged, the sky had darkened, and a storm was brewing. He raced to the Shrine of Tides, an ancient stone structure half-submerged in the river’s edge.

With trembling hands, he placed the heartstone into its cradle. The storm ceased, and a great silence fell over the land. Then, the river surged forward once more, roaring with newfound life.

A soft light enveloped Caelan, and when it faded, Queen Seraphina stood before him, whole and radiant. She smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. "You’ve saved us all," she whispered.

Caelan fell to his knees, overwhelmed. "I couldn’t let you go, Mother."

The queen knelt beside him, pulling him into an embrace. "The river runs true once more," she said softly. "And so does our bond, my brave son. The heart of Eldoria beats again."