Chapter 7: The Solitaire
When I woke up, the first thing I did was listen for the miniature. I still heard the sounds of chaos, but they weren't as loud as yesterday. And the smell of blood was gone. I took a deep breath and lay back on the bed. I joined my hands and raised them to the sky, giving thanks to the Holy Spirits. "Thanks be for the chaos you create and the chaos you quell."
I turned to my right, intending to linger in bed a bit longer. Sleeping in was probably my favorite thing on Earth. I'd wake up early and waste time turning in bed. But a heir didn’t have time to kill. Strange, I live longer than humans, yet they're the ones killing time.
When my door was knocked, I sat up. I straightened my hair with my hand and stood up. "Yes?"
The door opened, and Çağın entered. He stood in the middle of the room, smiling, "Good morning." He was dressed in white pants and a matching frock coat, with a red scarf around his neck obscuring the shirt underneath. His black boots reached above his knees. His hair was slicked back as usual, and he had kohl around his eyes.
"Good morning," I replied, my gaze drifting to the stain on the corner of his lip.
“Did you go to Earth?”
“Yes, I wanted to check if everything was alright after yesterday.”
“Good, I was going to ask you to do that. How are things?”
“Tension continues, but it's not as harsh as yesterday. Hesna's softening of the Elysian people has worked.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, though the worry inside me persisted.
“How did you know I went to Earth? Did you need me this morning?”
Laughing, I shook my head as I picked a dress from my wardrobe. “You’ve got a chocolate stain on your lip, Çağın.” I saw him wipe the corner of his lip from the corner of my eye. Not having chocolate in Elysian must be hard for him. The only things he couldn't say no to in this life were money and chocolate. Those were his weaknesses.
“What's our plan?” he asked when I had taken my green dress. I was going to wear my short dress with my long black boots. Dressing beautifully in Elysian ceremonies is to express your respect and love for the ceremony hosts. Even if the stars and dawn had not reconciled, I loved Alven and wanted to be my best at his wedding ceremony. So, I also took my diamond earrings and necklace.
“You go to Kaira and help Alven with the preparations. I'll visit the people and then join you.” The thought of going to Kaira excited me. My favorite place in Elysian was the historical amphitheater we called Kaira, and I hadn’t seen it in a long time.
“We could visit the people together?”
I shook my head in response to his offer. "You deal with Alven and Şafak." He nodded in agreement and left the room.
After getting dressed, I took my black cloak and left my room. Unlike yesterday, I walked down the corridor, now dimly lit by the sunlight. I climbed the stairs quietly with the two guards behind me.
When I came across the large door that covered a wall, I stopped. The guards went ahead to open the door. After informing Arel of my arrival, they stepped aside to let me in.
It had been a long time since I entered this dome-ceilinged room. All three walls were covered with shelves full of books, and there were many ladders inside. The colorful dust clouds floating in the air were spells waiting to be categorized.
All scholars, led by Arel, bowed to greet me. After smiling back, I walked to Arel, who stood in front of the central table. "We need to talk."
Arel glanced briefly at the other scholars, who then left the room upon his look. "Of course, my heir," he said, indicating the chair in front of the table.
I shook my head, declining the seat, and stepped closer. "Your visit honors me," he said.
Politely, I responded, "The honor is mine." Then, I got straight to the point. "How are the people?"
"They are calm, having been blessed with love. Actually, I wanted to discuss this with you. The food and Hesna have temporarily controlled them. We need to ensure continuity."
As I scanned the shelves, I murmured, "Explain what you're thinking."
"I suggest sending sophists to be among the people and providing one-on-one education for the children."
My raised eyebrows fixed on him. Was it sensible to send paid, wandering teachers to people who were already struggling? "If we announce that the palace will pay for the sophists, we'll make the people feel indebted to us. They'll feel obligated and act accordingly."
I smiled. Normally, I wouldn't prefer making my people feel indebted, but until I became the ruler, I had to. Once I took the throne, I could make amends. "Please, take care of this."
"The preparations will be complete by tomorrow, my heir," he said, bowing slightly. "Do you have any specific details you'd like to add? I heard you were a student during your time on Earth."
I sighed. "Education on Earth is quite different... If you ask a child who hasn't started school, 'What would you do if you went to space?' they'd say they'd use the stars as stairs to explore all of space. A child who's started school would say, 'I'd go to the Moon and walk by jumping.' A high school graduate would say, 'Let me first stand firm on Earth.' Dreams and ideas gradually rot within boundaries, stage by stage."
He smiled wistfully. "This... is done to raise a generation that obeys without thinking, my heir. Such a dirty game was played in Elysian once too."
"You're right," I agreed. "They're raising an army that obeys without thought. I'd like to discuss this with you at length, but I have to go now."
He saluted me with a bow. "Whenever you wish, my heir."
I nodded, "See you in Kaira," and murmured, "Paraiso kolasi." Seconds later, I was in the streets of Elysian. The sun was rising on the right while the moon was setting on the left. A few stars still lingered in the reddish sky. Single-story wooden houses stretched along both sides of the stone road.
Behind the houses on the right was Avar Forest, Elysian's only magical forest. It was so vast that you could always find a path leading to Avar from anywhere you were. The wind weaving through the red, yellow, green, and brown trees carried magic to the street.
Behind the houses on the left was a wide meadow. In the very center of the meadow stood a majestic tree we called Ravi, with rags tied to it. Tying a rag to this tree meant sending a dream to Earth. We sowed emotions in the field and tied our dreams to Ravi.
I walked down the empty street. The people hadn't woken up yet. Or maybe they had, but after the silence from the miniature
the day before, they wanted to savor it and stayed inside. I reached the main square where all the streets converged. In the very center of the round square stood the statue of the holy spirits. The early risers among the people had already started setting up their stalls around the statue.
I threw my cloak over my shoulder and covered my head with its hood. A group of children sitting on the ground was watching in awe as little humans enlarged themselves. The little humans laughed at the children's giggles, making funny faces as they grew and shrank. Their play was interrupted when a bald man in an ecru dress that ended at his wrists yelled, "You worthless human scraps, stop clowning around and carry these apples!" The little humans returned to their size and ran to the man's side, causing the children to whine.
I stopped observing and moved towards the man who had just yelled. Before I reached him, he grabbed the blue overall-wearing little human on the wooden cart and said, "Do you know how the nobles who gave us these apples treat us?" Then he lifted the little human into the air and threw him to the ground saying, "Like this!" I stopped my approach. Everyone stopped their work and turned our way. The little humans packing the apples panicked, causing a few apples to fall to the ground. The bald man then turned to them and yelled, "Everything bad that happens to us is because of you humans, at least do your job properly!"
The veins on the man's forehead were prominent, his face red. It was clear he had been hurt where he went to get the apples. The scent of anger was in his words, and his eyes sparkled with broken pride. The miniature's sound increased. I swallowed. I knew there was a hierarchy among the people, a reflection of which I had seen on Earth during my time there. But I hadn't expected this much; I hadn't expected to see a society where even the oppressed oppress others! Everyone had become the master of those they could overpower.
The surroundings returned to their work as if nothing had happened. No one cared, except for the children who were crying in fear; everyone had even forgotten what they saw. The little men must have been used to this situation, for they silently collected the scattered apples with their small hands. Perhaps these humans, notorious for their evil on Earth, were submitting because they knew they were being punished. True, they had been brought to Elysian as servants after their death as a punishment, but enduring this treatment was not their punishment!
I bent down to pick up an apple at my feet. Before kneeling beside the little man in blue overalls, I lowered the hood of my cloak. The gaze turned our way again; they had just realized the heir was among them.
I extended the apple to the little man with a smile. He looked at my face for a moment, then smiled back and took the apple. After getting up from beside him, I stood in front of the bald man. He stopped rubbing his hands and let them hang by his sides. He stepped back, avoiding eye contact. He was nervous. When I placed my hand on his shoulder, he flinched. I tilted my head to the right to make eye contact with him and tried to alleviate his fear with a smile. I couldn't judge anyone here for their feelings and actions; it would interfere with the workings of this universe. I could only provide them with the necessary environment to act as I wished. I wanted my people to smile. As the man gazed at my curving lips in astonishment, I spoke, "Would you like to tell someone who can help about how the nobles treated you?"
***
When I teleported to Kaira, the ceremony had already begun. Women wrapped in lace and men in carefully chosen dresses had embarked on an elegant dance. Each time their slender heels hit the ground, the spirit of the ancient theater played the music with even greater lust. When the couples separated with a step back, the music paused for a few seconds. They looked at each other for a long time, then bowed to their partners simultaneously. The music surged again, and everyone continued their dance, holding hands with their same-sex partner this time.
The instruments in the air suddenly vanished; their notes dispersed throughout all of Elysian. The sound of music rose with every figure of the dancing couples.
I smiled at the echoing heel sounds on Kaira's stone pavement. Unintentionally, my body started moving to the rhythm. Everything was in sync: the scent of the forest surrounding Kaira, the howling of the wind, the chirping of birds, the laughter escaping lips...
Continuing to sway, I closed my eyes and murmured, "Paraiso kolasi," intending to teleport next to Alven. When I opened my eyes, I was met with Alven, Hesna, Bilun, Şafak, Eva, and Çağın standing in a room with stone walls.
Hesna, standing in front of Çağın leaning against the wall, said with a charming smile, "Welcome." She was glowing in her long, white tulle dress and pearl accessories. After nodding in greeting to her, I turned to Alven.
His white silk dress ended at his ankles. It had a ruffled neckline and elastic sleeves. With a sincere smile, I said, "You look beautiful."
He shook his head with feigned sadness. "Still not as good as you!"
I laughed and turned to Şafak. Her white strapless corset top was complemented by a short white skirt. She had wrapped a vine with white flowers from her right wrist to her neck. She did the same for her left leg, with the flower vine starting from her ankle and winding up under her skirt. A daisy crown rested on her pink hair. "You look amazing!" I said genuinely.
She smiled and tilted her head to her right shoulder, saying, "Thank you."
Eva had chosen her usual black costume. Bilun wore a blue lace dress with silver accessories, tossing her blond hair behind her shoulder. "I thought you'd invite the people too," she said.
I laughed mockingly at her attempt to needle me during her friend's(?) ceremony. "Actually, I went to invite them. It seems they don't like the nobles much." My gaze lingered on Şafak for a moment. "Don't take it personally, you're on Bilun's side of the nobility. The people don't like the nobles on Eva's side." I pursed my lips. "Actually, I can't tell the difference between you two..."
Çağın cleared his throat and approached me, interrupting my words. "Ladies..." he said in a noble tone, raising his eyebrows and looking at Bilun and me.
Eva stamped her foot with fake anger. "But why are you interrupting!?" Then she hissed and laughed.
"I agree with Çağın." Hesna, slipping between us with excitement, shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, it's time to start the ceremony!"
Bilun, putting her squabble with me aside for now, touched Şafak's bare shoulder. "Let's begin." After Alven and Şafak nodded their heads, they headed for the stairs to take the stage.
When Bilun, Eva, and Hesna teleported away, Çağın blinked,
looking at the space they had just occupied. Then, with a hopeful smile, he turned to me. Raising his eyebrows, he extended his hand, making me laugh. Between laughs, I asked, "You wanted to go with Hesna, didn't you?"
"Of course!" he said enthusiastically. "She literally sends peace to everyone around her."
I nodded in agreement. "You're stuck with me now."
"It ends up like this at the end of the day anyway..." The sadness in his voice made my eyes widen and my lips part. I slapped the back of his head. "Drop these human habits!" He grumbled, "Besides, you know I was joking."
As I took his hand, we headed for the stairs. "After the pure sadness I just heard, I'm not so sure you were joking," I teased. He didn't respond as we emerged into the crowd.
Alven and Şafak stood side by side in the center of the crowd, with Hesna in front of them and Bilun about five steps behind. They had already started the ceremony in the circle we formed.
While watching Hesna bless them with love, I spoke to Çağın on my right. "It's not the people who refuse to accept my heirship because I was raised on Earth, Çağın."
Even without looking at him, I felt him furrow his brows and turn to me. "Nobles refuse to accept me using that as an excuse, and the people have no choice but to follow them because they have no other option."
I slightly turned my head towards him as he continued to look at me silently. I understood from his neutral expression that he knew this. I frowned. "You told me on the day of my father's ceremony that the people wouldn't accept a heir raised on Earth. Why?"
He slightly tilted his head and smiled pleasantly. His cheerful smile was supported by raised eyebrows and wrinkled forehead. He seemed pleased by my questioning. "If I had said the nobles didn't want you, you would have mingled with the nobles."
My facial expression immediately softened, my eyebrows lifted. He had directed me towards the people to know them better. I smiled. After looking at my curling lips for a few seconds, he winked and turned forward. I don't know if I would have dealt with the nobles if he had said the nobles didn't accept me, but I wouldn't have gone to sow emotions or observe the people at the market. I truly care about my people, but I can't prevent my priority from being the throne. After all, the throne is my responsibility.
"Thank you..." I murmured while watching the ceremony. Trying to attain the throne while making sure I didn't forget my people was the last thing I wanted, and Çağın was the one preventing that. He didn't respond.
As Hesna loudly said, "Paradisum infernum!" dedicating love and loyalty to our couple, I focused on them. White sparrows born from the tulle of Hesna's dress flew around Alven and Şafak before soaring into Kaira's sky. Hesna touched two diamonds melded into her cheekbones. The diamonds detached from her skin, rose into the air, and stood in front of Şafak and Alven, both of whom raised their hands and extended their ring fingers. Hesna drew two circles in the air. The diamonds attached themselves to these circles. The resulting rings slid onto the index finger of Alven and the ring finger of Şafak, settling over the vena amoris. Love and loyalty flowed through this vein directly to their hearts.
Kaira's spirit gifted this sacred moment with music. After the guests congratulated the couple and showed their respects to Hesna, they continued dancing. I crossed my arms under my chest and watched the dance when Çağın leaned to my ear and asked, "Do you want to dance with me?" Chuckling, I turned to him as he extended his hand and added, "Okay, fine."
Taking his hand, we joined the dancing couples. After swaying silently to the rhythm for a while, I said in a mischievous voice, "Çağın..."
He raised his eyebrows and looked at me, smiling. "When are we holding your ceremony?"
He rolled his eyes. I could feel his reluctance, but noble families were obligated to leave an heir to ensure the continuity of their duty. Çağın, being the only one able to travel between Earth and Elysian, needed to hurry and leave an heir to ensure the mission's continuation.
"Have you finished everything else that you're worrying about this now, my heir?" he grumbled, making me laugh.
"Actually, my business was with the nobles today anyway."
"What are you planning to do?" He suddenly became serious. My attitude towards the nobles was important. They had their own power, though not as much as the palace folk, and my manner would determine how they wielded that power.
Looking over my right shoulder at the table prepared by the little men, I said, "I'll talk to them at dinner."
Turning back to him and meeting his eyes, he slightly nodded. "Whatever happens, try not to antagonize them," he advised. We agreed on this matter. Because when I was on Earth, Elysian was filled with creatures that opposed those not behind them, just like humans... Had we become like humans, or had humans become like this with what they took from us?
The music paused for a few seconds. This was our cue to switch partners. Like the other couples, Çağın and I separated and saluted each other. When I stepped aside, Çağın began dancing with Hesna.
I sat on one of Kaira's stone steps and continued to watch the dance. Alven and Şafak were accepting the good wishes of the nobles who approached them. Bilun was talking to Arel. I couldn't hear them, but their serious expressions suggested they were discussing yesterday's disaster. While looking around for Eva, I felt movement beside me.
Turning over my left shoulder, I saw Eva sitting a step higher than me. She was looking directly at the dancers. When I turned to face her, I rolled my eyes at her choice not to sit next to me. Loud enough for her to hear, I asked, "Have you thought about how you'll dethrone me?"
Contrary to her usual demeanor, she said calmly, "I won't do anything." I turned to look over my left shoulder at her, raising my eyebrows. Her gaze was now on me. "Ah, actually, I will do something..." she continued. "I'll take the throne while you're fighting with those you trust."
Her implication became clear as she shifted her gaze from me to Hesna. The purple-haired Hesna was laughing and looking at Çağın, gliding through the music like a swan with her graceful movements. Çağın, holding Hesna's waist, listened attentively to whatever she was saying.
Watching them, I laughed. I looked at her with mocking eyes and said, "So, you'll turn us against each other and easily take the throne, right?"
Eva shrugged nonchalantly. "I won't turn you against each other. You'll devour each other." After hissing
with laughter, she continued, "You used to be smarter, little sister... Didn't the ring on Hesna's finger catch your attention at all?"
I frowned and reflexively turned back to Hesna. A solitaire diamond sparkled on the ring finger of the hand she had placed on Çağın's shoulder. I had seen it when I went to get her approval but hadn't dwelled on it since Hesna liked to wear accessories.
"Yes, Hesna has the air of someone who would wear a solitaire on her own, but..." She pursed her lips, cutting off her speech. After a moment of scrutinizing me, she stood up, looking down at me from above, and said, "Never mind... Let me not sow discord among you now." She passed by me, slithering away like a snake.
