Whispers of the Reversed Tide: The Queen's Vanishing Echo

Chapter 1

'The river ran backwards on the day the Queen vanished.'

Rivers responded to the condition of the princesses heart. In the kingdom of Dezoven, for its structural foundation, there lies the trunk of a tree. In the centre a carved door, let the people gather outside to look upon the glass windows which glowed — green were the clouds. A different world from the one outside of it.

The tree will not wobble, judder or quake by ordinary matters of life, on top a globe rested, brass bended into circles around the glass, and in between, shapes of a triangle. Shrubs forming where they wanted on top of it, in the centre under the glass was the Dezoven palace, held up by a green shrub like cloud, decorating the base that held the palace — leaves joined in harmony with each other.

Were the people in consonance with the princess? Did they have within them, invidiousness for her royalty and how different her world was from theirs, when her clouds glow green and theirs only white?

Will they answer to the princesses cry and look upon their hands for the phosphorescent mark, inked in their palm and a second on their necks? The mark on the neck was a sign that they would be hung if they did not all attend the watch of the palace, but so much could be missed by a tired mind.

The princess’s father had done a very cruel thing, he was set to divorce his wife Your Majesty the Queen, Clara, to marry Precious; the answer to his conscience. You see, Marian’s father felt that, since Clara was the wife of his deceased brother, their marriage was incestuous and so was invalid.

‘Why do you wish to make me a bastard Papa?’

‘I don’t assume you know that the kings decision is his own, and should never be questioned, must I share all reasonings with a child?’

‘A child, Pa? I came from you and mumsy… will you say I fell from the sky?’

The king did not move, he did not blink and his posture did not dip below the line of weakness. Marian knew he wished for her to leave, and her dress brushed the tiled floor, reflecting her image - she felt as though she was the mud under her fathers shoe that was being cleaned by the diligent working maid. Though at least she was stuck to it, waiting patiently for her father to claim her.

It was raining hard outside the holding of the palace, but even though the rain fell on top, it did not leave a droplet of rain to remember, the glass remained polished and untouched. The rain was not just for the commoner, whose leaves grew greener and shinier when water in the soil is absorbed by the roots — traveling through the stems to grace the leaves —it was also for the kingdom of Dezoven, so that the shrubs could dance and the people could smile.

There was no reason to smile, there’s the problem of the river running backwards and so what of Marian’s mother, Your Majesty the Queen? You’ve heard the story and held her father’s words on your tongues mind, be it for you that the king marries another?

*

Wait!

Look!

Listen!

The green is getting dull, the moon has become two and the water in Dezoven started to slowly fill the globe, never to worry the princess thought — perhaps she’s right —the water will only rise but very slowly.

My people will look to their hands, they will grab hold of their necks —they will come and drink from my river, they won’t be distracted by the river beyond these glass they will come —they will come and drink of me. They won’t be hardened by their love of gossip, they won’t look too deeply into the river.

Though the river running backwards is not something you would not look upon, it held within it the gossip about the princess, will she ever trust her father again? How is her health after the great scare her father laid on top her head? How did she leave the room, was she crying or frowning?

A/N another nervous entry, I am shaking in my boots. So I have no more to say, maybe a little more… I hope I entertained you all, that’s the most important thing. This was very hard to write, I had to go out to gain some inspiration. Then attacked it… gently. Thank you so much for reading.