The Mad Queen

Chapter Seven

When the Gods first created our world, they gave their creations a few gifts. One was a Golden canon. It was designed to be used by those who ruled the country as a way of spreading important information. No one knew how to use it, however. The human lands kept the beautiful, godly gift. Even though they had no idea how it worked, a gift from the gods was not to be discarded.

It wasn't until Visara united the lands that the Canon was used. For she knew how to work it. Visara linked it to the Dulavelle bloodline so that it would relay the most important information about the Dulavelle rulers all over Vivelle.

When the Canon went off, it was heard across every part of the country. The deep boom would be heard in every town, village and city in every land. Not only would they hear the sound, but it would also light up the sky, depending on what message it needed to get across.

One, plain explosion from the canon meant a Councilmember was dead.

Two explosions would mean the birth of a Dulavelle. The First explosion would just be sound. A way of drawing the attention ready for the next. The Second would be another explosion, followed by the sky lighting up in a variety of colours. Each Dulavelle born had different colours. When Visara's first child was born, the sky lit up in shades of bright reds and oranges. When her second child was born, the sky went deep purple.

Three explosions meant that a Dulavelle had died. Again, the first sound that sounded across the country was to draw the attention of those in Vivelle. To get them to look to the skies.

The second explosion would light up the sky in one of four colours. The Sky went green if their death was from natural causes or an accident. If the sky went blue, it meant that a Dulavelle child had taken their own life. Orange skies meant that a Dulavelle had been executed. If the sky went completely red, then a Dulavelle had been murdered.

The Third explosion would light up the skies in the colours of that shone upon the birth of the dead Dulavelle.

This told all of Vivelle which royal had died and how. Furthermore, the Canon worked all by itself. It launched by its own accord as soon as a first breath is taken or ten minutes after the heart stops beating. It cannot be manipulated or launched manually.

The Canon spread the truth to every person in Vivelle before any lies and manipulations could be woven.

~The History of The Gods.

I walk through the corridors. My breathing is heavy and my hands shake as everything that has just happened hits me. I can't go back to my sisters yet. I need to think about what I am going to do next. The room Kristoff had taken me to was thankfully in the abandoned part of the castle. Abandoned because it used to be the Mad Queens wing. All who live here think that if you enter the wing, her madness will bounce into you. That and the fact that my father, like all kings before him, closed it off completely and banned anyone from going in.

I decide to go to the library. Every time I enter the room, it takes my breath away. The huge enormity of it with books lined from floor to ceiling along the walls. Then there is the great domed roof which has been painted in scenes depicted in the History of the First War of Vivelle. The room itself is a maze of bookshelves and desks. It is also heavily shadowed as it is only lit by small lamps around the room, the windows not letting in any light because it is the middle of the night. I walk through to find a small corner. It is surrounded by shelves of books and very little light. I sink against the wall and close my eyes, the attack running over and over in my mind. What am I going to do? How can I protect my sisters from this?