Chapter 2, Teaser
There was a dull sound and a Councillor, dressed all in black, stepped through the open doorway.
“A good day my Queen!” and she took a bow.
Ruoma stood up slowly and leaned her back on the cold bed rest. The contact awakened her a little. She lifted her left hand in a welcoming, yet regal gesture to the Chancellor Superior.
“Your breakfast is served” and the woman placed a large silvery tray on the bed, in front of the Queen. A pearly recifomina bowl of greenish pasta, a glass of pure water and a small recifomina plate with a couple of ocean flower candies were the only items on the tray.
Ruoma checked out the food for a few seconds then waved off the Chancellor without moving her eyes off the small plate. Always in these dishes… They always cool my food down too quickly… But that’s the idea isn’t it? No appetizing foods, no appetizing… anything. She gulped down the food without tasting it and jumped out of bed to put on a tight, black, low-cut overall with a hood which was lying on the armchair next to her bed. She entered the ocean outside through her private exit corridor. She was actually in her garden now, as she was rarely allowed outside the palace force field, in the great vastness of the ocean water beyond it. Her private garden was quite large though. It would take her up to three hours to swim across it. She still felt trapped nevertheless. All for security purposes her chancellors would always tell her. The ocean trees, well-manicured by the gardening Inferiors, were not arranged in any particular pattern, for the purpose of giving the illusion of wild randomness and unpredictability. Salt and pepper, thought the Queen, as she passed by a small school of tiny golden fish, playing in some reddish algae.
She spotted one of the Security Superiors by a bush not too far, watching her discreetly and scanning the area in which the Queen was intentionally swimming. Ruoma smiled while exhaling the cooling water out through her nose and stopped behind a large rock by the bush. The Superior was on the other side. Wanna play a little Hide’n Seek? thought the Queen as she lowered herself flat with the ocean floor, covering her face with the hood. She closed her eyes and concentrated a little. She could sense the growing concern of the woman on the other side of the rock. She could sense her even more through the water vibrations. Right… where am I? I am on the other side of the Silver Forest already… quick, hurry, or you’ll lose me from your sight. What would the Chancellor Superior say then? “You lost her again?” The woman exited the bush swimming quickly towards the right side of the garden, towards a bunch of smoky trees, which resembled the skeletons of some old weapons thrown at random. Their colour was the reason for the name of the forest, a place quite frightening at first. They should be wearier of my telepathic games than the ones of Hide’n Seek she smiled internally as she swam quickly upwards towards her hidden garden exit. They shouldn’t be too worried though, not even Anad can trick them every time and they are quite safe with my games.
She was now close to the reef wall which surrounded her garden and she was carefully moving the algae aside to uncover a hole, hardly big enough for her to fit through. She snuck out to the other side, feeling a small zap as her back touched the edge of the hole slightly. She put her arm back through and pulled the algae back into place to maintain the camouflage. She already knew what was on the other side. Only rocks and caves, a bush here and there, lost in the vast watery desert, a colourless fish every now and again, hardly any movement at all. There were some happier looking places, but none matching the beauty of her personal garden. She could no longer stand its falsity however. She did find it calming at times, but never real. She stopped for a moment to soak in the greyish blue of her surroundings, after which time she continued on into the deep.
“A good day my Queen!” and she took a bow.
Ruoma stood up slowly and leaned her back on the cold bed rest. The contact awakened her a little. She lifted her left hand in a welcoming, yet regal gesture to the Chancellor Superior.
“Your breakfast is served” and the woman placed a large silvery tray on the bed, in front of the Queen. A pearly recifomina bowl of greenish pasta, a glass of pure water and a small recifomina plate with a couple of ocean flower candies were the only items on the tray.
Ruoma checked out the food for a few seconds then waved off the Chancellor without moving her eyes off the small plate. Always in these dishes… They always cool my food down too quickly… But that’s the idea isn’t it? No appetizing foods, no appetizing… anything. She gulped down the food without tasting it and jumped out of bed to put on a tight, black, low-cut overall with a hood which was lying on the armchair next to her bed. She entered the ocean outside through her private exit corridor. She was actually in her garden now, as she was rarely allowed outside the palace force field, in the great vastness of the ocean water beyond it. Her private garden was quite large though. It would take her up to three hours to swim across it. She still felt trapped nevertheless. All for security purposes her chancellors would always tell her. The ocean trees, well-manicured by the gardening Inferiors, were not arranged in any particular pattern, for the purpose of giving the illusion of wild randomness and unpredictability. Salt and pepper, thought the Queen, as she passed by a small school of tiny golden fish, playing in some reddish algae.
She spotted one of the Security Superiors by a bush not too far, watching her discreetly and scanning the area in which the Queen was intentionally swimming. Ruoma smiled while exhaling the cooling water out through her nose and stopped behind a large rock by the bush. The Superior was on the other side. Wanna play a little Hide’n Seek? thought the Queen as she lowered herself flat with the ocean floor, covering her face with the hood. She closed her eyes and concentrated a little. She could sense the growing concern of the woman on the other side of the rock. She could sense her even more through the water vibrations. Right… where am I? I am on the other side of the Silver Forest already… quick, hurry, or you’ll lose me from your sight. What would the Chancellor Superior say then? “You lost her again?” The woman exited the bush swimming quickly towards the right side of the garden, towards a bunch of smoky trees, which resembled the skeletons of some old weapons thrown at random. Their colour was the reason for the name of the forest, a place quite frightening at first. They should be wearier of my telepathic games than the ones of Hide’n Seek she smiled internally as she swam quickly upwards towards her hidden garden exit. They shouldn’t be too worried though, not even Anad can trick them every time and they are quite safe with my games.
She was now close to the reef wall which surrounded her garden and she was carefully moving the algae aside to uncover a hole, hardly big enough for her to fit through. She snuck out to the other side, feeling a small zap as her back touched the edge of the hole slightly. She put her arm back through and pulled the algae back into place to maintain the camouflage. She already knew what was on the other side. Only rocks and caves, a bush here and there, lost in the vast watery desert, a colourless fish every now and again, hardly any movement at all. There were some happier looking places, but none matching the beauty of her personal garden. She could no longer stand its falsity however. She did find it calming at times, but never real. She stopped for a moment to soak in the greyish blue of her surroundings, after which time she continued on into the deep.