Chapter 7 |Queen of the Cursed Land

The story continues from Chapter 6 – Want To Be or Not to Be written by Katie Nathan.

The throne room blurred out of focus as she drew closer and closer. What is going on? What is this place? If I’m dead, then so are these people? What even is the point of crowning someone as Queen for one day? Her mind was spinning out of control and she couldn’t take it anymore. She needed to get out of this place and at once. But it is not easy to even device an exit plan without having no clue where to exit from! Priya decided then, that the wisest thing was to maintain the image and go with the flow and figure out as much as possible before her time is up in this godforsaken planet, land , century? Priya sighed aloud at the uncertainty clouding her mind and didn’t notice what was ahead of her.

She looked up when everyone ushering around her slowed down. There in all the magnificent glory was the throne. Made of glass and reflecting light coming in from all the windows in the throne room, it was sight to marvel at! A gasp escaped her lips against her protest and Nach snickered. She pulled her gown up and ascended to the throne and looked at the crown waiting for her in a plush velvet cushion. She couldn’t believe in the turn of events that made her land here, but if this was all a dream, it was one hell of a night.

Music started floating around her and rising up to a higher note, more enthusiastic and with purpose. The ceremony began and she was crowned the Queen and she later learned that apparently she is now the Queen of Irea. That name struck a chord somewhere in her mind, but she couldn’t place it right away. The day wore on and so many faeries and elves asked her for a dance. She tasted the best wine she’d ever had and drunk herself silly and chatted away to everyone who came to wish her. Many even gifted her presents to congratulate her on her coronation. She zoned out for sometime and decided to just enjoy and relish this deceiving royalty and not search answers.

Priya’s eyelids were so heavy and took monumental effort to crack open. It was 5:42 PM. She was in her bed, in the same dress she was crowned in. She hurriedly felt around her head and was a little relieved despite herself to find the crown beside her pillow. She breathed a sigh of relief and rolled over already cursing this dress with multiple layers of lace. That’s when her eyes landed on the pile of gifts that she received, meticulously arranged in one corner of her room. She walked over to the pile and began unwrapping the gifts. Empty Leather Journal, Candles – lots of them , a tiny jar of glitter power (?) later and more mirrors which reflected nothing later,she came across a black leather pouch. She doesn’t remember whom she got it from. She could just vaguely map this gift to a tall man with a hat, and she hadn’t even bothered to ask his name or take a closer look at his face.

She loosened the thread of the leather pouch and peeked in, only to be greeted by shiny hazel eyes. She dropped it and rushed to the other end of the room shrieking very unladylike. Definitely not Queenly, she assessed a moment later. She hid behind the post of her bed and waited. Then the frog came out, and jumped on her dressing stool and then on top her jewellery case. It faced her and croaked out “You will not solve this mystery without some answers. But the curse on this land prevents everyone from telling you the truth. So answer my riddles and then ask me the right questions; I promise to answer with the truth.”

Handing over the baton to Krupa Kadir here. 

This post is a part of the “Tagged” contest organized by writer Kaarthika and the Chennai Bloggers Club.  The book, “Tagged” by Kaarthika is releasing on May 29 in Amazon.