Chapter 13: The Day of Existence
"It's an honor to celebrate the creation of the World by God and the placement of Elysian at its core with you all!" The wine in my raised goblet trembled with the sound of applause.
I rose from the throne in the center of the grand hall, too vast to see its end, and walked towards the crowd. "In honor of God, who created the universe in six days..." I continued, "...we shall celebrate for six days and six nights! All the palace doors will be open to you, my dear people, during this time! I hope you have a wonderful time."
As applause turned into laughter and a mix of words, I walked towards Çağın, who was waiting for me on the wide balcony. "How did you manage to prepare to host all of Elysian in just three days?" I asked with gratitude.
His cheeks wrinkled with his smile, and lines formed on his forehead due to his raised eyebrows. "You know..." he said. "I'm perfect."
I squinted my eyes, laughing. His black satin shirt with ruffled collar and black trousers matched the night. He had braided his hair back in three braids. He had emphasized his amber eyes with kohl. "You look nice," I complimented, and he bowed his head in thanks.
After looking at my shiny silver tiara and red hair that matched my bright grey, long dress, he joked, "You finally dressed up nicely, did you steal the dress from Bilun?"
I pretended to be angry and hit his shoulder, making his face scrunch up. We stayed silent for a few seconds, looking at the moon and stars that adorned the night, and the red clouds gliding over it.
"Bilun's approval is taking too long," he said, continuing to gaze at the sky.
"It seems like he won't back down..." I whispered with frustration. My hopelessness merged with the noise echoing in the palace.
"If I had the ankh, I wouldn't back down either."
"How did we not notice, Çağın!" I turned my gaze to him.
He shrugged, continuing to look at the sky. "People are so indifferent to weakness and the weak that they become blind to everything related to them. Now, we're not much different from humans. If the ankh were with Eva, we would definitely notice."
I sighed. I wished I could share with him the other matters that confused me. Actually, there was no reason not to tell him. He could have helped me with Hesna, but I couldn't say it. Eva's words had sealed my tongue and heart beyond my control. I distrusted even those I trusted most.
"Arel will organize a duel, did you know?" he diverted me from my thoughts.
I nodded affirmatively. "The classic Day of Existence duel. The royal children will fight each other, and the people will watch."
"You will start at dawn."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise, "What? It's only the first day of celebrations. Why are we doing this so early?"
"He said it would be a long duel this time. The reward at the end must be valuable. You must do your best to win."
"I will win," I muttered with uncontrollable ambition. My voice's growl seemed to declare that the opposite was unacceptable. Çağın turned to me with furrowed brows.
"I'll take a look inside," I said, not giving him a chance to speak.
I entered the grand hall and started to weave through the crowd. The nobles were accustomed to such elegant places, but they must have never seen such a place this crowded before. I saw many nobles looking disdainfully at a few people around them. The people, unaware of being scrutinized, were admiring the gold-adorned walls, silver cutlery, and various beverages and foods with fascination. I frowned. The palace was filled with those who didn't see and those indifferent to the unseen.
When I descended to the lake's edge in the garden, I saw my sisters there, surrounded by a large crowd. Most of the people must be seeing them up close for the first time. The admiration in their eyes and the curiosity on their tongues made me smile. Hesna was crouching by the lake, trailing her hand over the water's surface. Her solitaire ring was reflecting in the water, creating ripples. Next to Hesna, Eva was looking around indifferently, while Bilun was trying to engage with the people.
I approached them, but hid among the crowd as if I were just another person. When someone nearby noticed me, I smiled and signaled for them to be quiet. A man near Bilun, intrigued by the conversation, asked, "What's it like to know everything?"
When Bilun turned to the young man, Hesna also looked over her shoulder with curiosity.
The crowd paused, expecting an interesting reply from Bilun, but she answered, "I don't know, I've never thought about it."
After a few seconds of silence, the young man asked again, "But aren't you wise?"
Bilun smiled sincerely. "I am wise because I know what I do not know."
I raised my eyebrows. Memories from my time in the World flashed in my mind. I had encountered sages who remained silent because they knew what they did not know. I had not seen them, but I had read their books and watched their movies.
A scarecrow was saying, "That's the problem. I don't have a brain, only straw."
Little Dorothy asked the scarecrow, "How can you talk if you don't have a brain?"
"I don't know," the scarecrow replied, adding, "But some people talk a lot even though they are brainless, don't they?"*
*The Wizard of Oz – L. Frank Baum: A quote from the movie.
I smiled. It was wonderful that people who lived knowledge and justice in the World, even after their deaths, continued to impart their wisdom. Some rare individuals were as perfect as Elysian!
While some appreciated Bilun's intent and were filled with admiration, others grumbled for not getting the kind of fascinating answer they expected.
The most noticeable reaction came from Eva. She sneered as if she was looking down on Bilun for not seeing the ankh on her finger, or perhaps she continued
to disdain her despite knowing she wielded unshakable power. If I knew Eva, it was the latter.
Emboldened by the conversation with Bilun, a few people cautiously approached Eva. When she noticed people wanting to talk to her, she looked at them with disdain and sneered. The steps halted. A few people looked at each other, unsure of what to do next, while Eva turned her back indifferently and started walking towards the palace.
I slightly bowed my head and shook it. She had done it on purpose. The feelings of those who wanted to talk to her would ferment over time, turning into hatred and malice.
"Why are you so full of hatred?" The unexpected question made me lift my head in surprise to find the speaker. The woman with short, red hair, wearing brown velvet loose trousers and a light-colored tunic reaching her knees, had an assertive look in her eyes despite her hesitant voice.
Eva slowly turned around, raising her eyebrows, her gaze instantly finding the red-haired woman. The garden fell suddenly silent, the noise from the palace filling the void. All eyes were on Eva.
With a daring smile and a gentle breeze caressing our skin, Eva said, "I'm not full of hatred..." She didn't hesitate to make the red-haired woman feel she had asked a question worth answering. "I am hatred itself."
She uttered these words with such a tone that we felt our blood tremble in our veins. We swallowed hard, and after Eva teleported away, we looked at the void she left behind. For the first time, I realized her words were genuinely sincere. She had declared her sincerity by saying, "I am hatred itself."
Hesna's movement and her departure from the crowd broke our paralysis. I started to follow her, but a voice calling from behind stopped me. "My lord!"
I looked over my shoulder. I recognized the man with ivory clothes and steppes-colored slanting eyes immediately. I turned to face him, saying, "Oh, hello!" with a smile. He smiled back and bowed his head in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, what was your name?" I asked immediately, not waiting for him to speak.
He lifted his head. "Evren."
"Did you use your magic rights, Evren?" My curious tone made the man I had encountered before during the emotional sowing smile even wider. His cheeks folded into a dimple as his lips curled.
"Not yet." He replied.
"Hmm..." I murmured. "Are you waiting for the right time, or has your hatred passed?"
"Actually, I'm trying to perfect my plan to achieve what I have in mind." His unexpected answer surprised me. Wishing for eternal happiness, wealth, or nobility didn't require crafting a plan.
"Plan?" I asked. "Would you like to tell me about it?"
He smiled. "I wouldn't want to bother you." He sowed the seeds of distance between us. I could sense he was a reserved and cautious man.
"People won't bother me if they don't engage with me, how else will I perform my duties?"
He shook his head instinctively. "Your father used to say the same at the beginning, but during the war, he banned the people from entering the palace and hid behind these massive walls." His voice lacked anger or resentment, but there were traces of contempt.
"Look, I can't judge my father without knowing the conditions, but I can say I'm not like him." I stated clearly.
"I don't trust you in this matter yet."
I swallowed hard. I was angry, but I tried to hide it with a smile. "Alright..." I said before biting my lower lip. "When you trust me, you can come to me.
Despite all the efforts I've made for you, you still don't trust me, do you?
"Thank you, my lord."
You still don't trust me despite the privilege I've given you, do you?
"Excuse me, I need to rest for a bit."
Ungrateful people.
***
The day had just dawned. The pink, blue sky was reflecting in the sea in front of us, waiting. The noise from the crowd behind us echoed within me. A headache was circulating in my head, limiting all my physical capabilities.
I had spent the night trying to solve Eva's puzzle about Hesna, thinking about how to obtain the ankh from Bilun, sleepless. I felt if I couldn't uncover what Bilun was planning and what secret Hesna had with Avar, I would lose not only the throne but also my sanity!
Feeling a pressure on my shoulders made me jump. Çağın tightened his grip on my shoulders, asking, "Are you ready, champion?" When I automatically nodded my head, he said, "Then I'm off?" pointing to the crowd with his chin.
"Okay." After my response, he blended into the audience.
I looked to my right at Bilun. His white silk dress clung to his entire body, and the lace undershirt that reached up to his neck covered his hands too. The ankh on his finger was shining through the lace. The power I sought, all the strength, was in that ring.
On my left, Hesna wore the same style of dress but in lilac. The shining ring on her finger was a solitaire. The doubt inside me felt that all secrets were in that ring.
Eva, approaching us in the same model dress but in black, and mine in light green, made her way between Bilun and me. After Arel announced the start of the duel, the crowd instantly quieted down. Everyone listened intently to how the duel would proceed:
"Unlike previous years, this year's duel will not be completed in one day. We are giving you time until the Day of Existence celebrations are over..."
Six days, five nights...
"...the first riddle will show you the way, the second riddle will dictate our path. Let the answers guide you, and you will understand what we want you to bring at the end of the road."
I swallowed hard. It felt like we weren't heading into a duel for fun but were being sent on a mission. Indeed, we were being sent on a mission. Arel's addition, "This duel was requested by our late king. May his soul rest in peace," confirmed it.
All four of us hesitated for a few seconds and looked at each other. None of us had any idea about this. Eva's stepping forward to withdraw with a "I'm out," raised my eyebrows.
"May we know the reason?" Arel asked, maintaining his politeness in his voice.
Eva laughed mockingly and shrugged. "It's more fun to watch the fight..."
No one questioned Eva's reason, and as she walked away from us, Arel accepted her withdrawal. Then Hesna stepped forward too. "I'm also withdrawing," she said with a pleasant smile.
Arel accepted Hesna's withdrawal without even asking why, and I understood their intentions. They wanted me to face Bilun, who didn't approve of me, in a one-on-one power showdown. I bit my lower lip. Çağın mentioning the importance of the duel must have been for this reason.
I glanced over my shoulder at Bilun, meeting his expressionless face. I wasn't sure if he knew in advance, but I
didn't, and finding out now irritated me.
I took a deep breath to compose myself. I had a responsibility, and I was going to shoulder it as I should. Neither Bilun nor anyone else could stop me. He might have the ankh, but I was strong enough to deserve the heirship.
Arel, not wanting to prolong the discussion, rose from the crowd and floated down in front of us. His sleeveless dress had shoulder pads, and the silver clasp gathering his long beard reflected the sunlight. After making a soft landing, he read the riddle with his commanding voice that could bring Elysian to order:
"I carry the rotten bodies of destined fates.
Oh, my God!
I've become a graveyard.
Oh, my God!
Nothing turned out as we dreamed.
Oh, my God!
Stop me
Oh, my God!
Stop me.
Oh, my God!
Let me be a rotten body too.
Oh, my God!
Stop me.
Oh, my God!
Stop me."
He repeated the riddle for emphasis and then shouted, "Go and find the second riddle!"
Before the echo of his shout faded, both of us were launched into the air. We sped towards the middle of the sea so fast that the wind cut my skin. Without preparing for the sudden plunge into the water, my body burned as I hit the water hard. I could breathe underwater, so I allowed myself to sink deeper as I descended, not panicking.
After a few seconds, my body adapted to the sudden pain, and I began to breathe comfortably. I swam gracefully towards the colorful corals.
I looked around for Bilun, knowing he must have set off to solve the riddle. I had to solve the riddle myself and find out Bilun's condition, but I didn't want to do any of it. The moment I lay on the bed, despite the healing water that had seeped into my skin after hours of swimming, I felt the exhaustion in all my muscles. As soon as I closed my eyes, sleep enveloped me.
