Atlantis Palace, Day O

Responsibility is difficult for everyone. Why should I be lucky enough to be an exception to the rule? Responsibility meant taking on the weight of whatever must be taken on, ready or not. Was I ready? I didn't think I'd ever know. At least not with the certainty that I knew my heart was pounding in my chest, as if it would leap out and dive into the ocean outside my window.

I smoothed my dress: a glistening blue fabric that resembled the scales of a fish. As I stood, I struggled to repress the fear that coursed through me.

I'm not ready.

No, I needed to be. I'd been preparing. My parents raised me for this, and it was time. They'd be proud of me. I could make them proud. I needed to. I couldn't bear to disappoint them.

"Are you ready, my lady?" asked Lyolla, a young maid with golden skin and curly black hair. She straightened the gold seashell necklace that rested on my slightly exposed chest.

"I'm not sure," I admitted, finding that my voice carried a strange squeak, like a strangled gull.

"You'll do wonderfully, your majesty," she assured. Her teal eyes sparkled, identical to mine, as well as anyone whose family had spent generations in Atlantis. "Remember the speech you've prepared?"

"I've had it memorized for days." I chuckled as if to ward off the nerves creeping along my neck. Just because I knew the words I'd so lovingly written didn't mean I wouldn't freeze up and forget.

"You'll be perfect," said a new voice, deep and warm.

I turned with a rush of relief upon hearing Cyprian, his blue palace guard's uniform sparkling in the fading light. He'd been my friend since childhood.

Mother had even considered him to be my betrothed, but Father disapproved because Cyprian Marsoine wasn't of noble birth. It might have caused some awkwardness between us had it not become a facet of our relationship. We thought back to it with laughs from time to time, but little more. It was nothing but a fleeting comment Mother had made when she saw how close we were.

"Cyp," I murmured, walking towards him and placing my hand on his shoulder. I was thankful he'd visited me at all, but this was Cyprian. He wouldn't turn his back on me no matter what. "What if I make a mistake? My parents passed away just a year ago... I didn't have enough time to prepare..." The year since their deaths had been a day in my eyes. One blink, and my world was ripped a part. Another blink, and it was up to me to stitch it together. Even if I had another life time, I wouldn't be prepared.

"Circe." Cyprian was one of the only people to call me by my given name rather than your highness. "When Atlantis needed a princess, you were there. Now it needs a queen, and you'll be there just the same."

My lips curved into an easy smile as I met Cyprian's warm gaze. His dark eyes smoldered with pride—pride for me. Cyp was one of the only people in Atlantis with dark eyes. He wasn't from our small island. As a child, his father, a traveling merchant, brought Cyprian and several other sons to the city, making a large sale of rare fruits that didn't grow anywhere near Atlantis.

I could still remember sharing the small red berries with my mother. Cherries, they'd been called. They were a sweet, juicy memory from childhood I clung to. It was also the memory in which Cyprian stumbled into my life.

After being paid a grand sum of money for the cherries, Cyprian's father and brothers had left. Either by accident or intentionally, Cyp had been left behind.

Although I knew Cyprian sometimes questioned why he'd been abandoned, he grew up happy, taken into the palace guard as a child. His story spread through the community, and it became a joint effort to care for the little boy. Cyp was easy to spot: his brown eyes and pale skin made him exotic.

It was odd how easily he could make me feel better, my head suddenly cleared of the voices that had plagued me for the last month or so.

It was mostly gibberish, but voices nonetheless. Whose they were, I couldn't fathom, but I'd never mention it to Cyp, or Lyolla, or anyone. It was likely the stress of such an abrupt coronation.

"You'll be at the coronation, won't you Cyp?" I asked, eyeing the sword slung over Cyprian's shoulder. At the sight of the weapon, gilded handle concealed by a tightly wound rope cord, I knew the answer. Cyp took his blade with him anytime he left the palace, especially if he was leaving Atlantis and visiting the mainland. He always insisted he needed to be prepared. Still, I hoped I might be wrong. Having Cyprian at the coronation might ease my nerves a touch. I yearned for his comforting, familiar presence.

"I wish I could," he sighed. "I received a summons to the mainland."

"From who?" I frowned, my hand still on his shoulder. I hadn't heard a word of any summons. Most requests, especially to remove a guard from the palace, needed to pass through me. "Are you sure you can't get someone else? Or do you just want to leave because of..." He'd made me promise not to bring that up. It was the one thing we couldn't talk about.

"No! Damn, Circe, I asked you not to talk about that." His face grew dark, but he recovered quickly. I couldn't blame him for his minuscule outburst. "As for the sender, It wasn't clear," Cyp admitted. "The message only said that I was needed in Europe, and should seek out a man known as Matthew Matto."

I huffed to myself. Of course I wouldn't have heard of the summons. Not if Cyprian had any say in the matter. As of late, he'd taken it upon himself to intercept and complete at least half of the duties that would otherwise have fallen onto my plate. He was under the impression that I was overworking myself, and should focus on preparing my speech for the coronation, rather than spend hours sorting through the trivial messages that passed through the palace.

I nodded, a stark melancholy pressing my shoulders into a slump. Although I knew nothing of a Matthew Matto, I knew better than to talk Cyprian out of leaving. As much as Cyp might have liked to be here for me, he loathed mysteries. A summons from an unknown man would certainly earn his attention. I could see from the unfocused darting of his eyes that he was already trying to riddle out who this man might be. He wouldn't settle down until he learned who this Matthew really was.

"I'll miss you." I sighed, watching his lips curl into his familiar arrogant smirk.

"Of course you will. But I'll be back in time to celebrate with the new queen."

Laughing a laugh only Cyprian could bring out of me, I shoved his chest. "Get out of here, then. Don't want to be late."

"Of course not, your highness." He grinned, bowing jokingly before turning away. He disappeared down the coral etched corridors.

As soon as Cyprian was gone, the voices returned in full force, a jumble of words and phrases I couldn't understand. They were always stronger when they first began. I rubbed my temples in an effort to clear my head. I'd learned better than trying to make sense of the voices. It only frustrated me.

I could never decipher more than a nonsensical word here and there. -Crazy... Touch... Our own way... Red of... This Hand... Trapped...-

It was maddening. At first I'd believed the gods were speaking to me, giving me advice, but if they were, I couldn't comprehend it.

Perhaps they're warning me not to take the crown...

I shook the idea from my head. That was nonsense. After all, Mother had always said that the sea gods had picked me to represent them. I didn't really understand what she meant, but I knew I wanted to make her proud. Ruling Atlantis was how I could succeed.

"It's time," Lyolla informed, not granting me any more time to dwell on fears or voices.

I straightened my back and walked into the same corridor Cyprian had moments ago. He'd be boarding a vessel to carry him to the mainland already.

The Atlantis marina was the pride of my community. Some of the citizens, including Cyp, practically worshipped the ships, while others almost considered the vessels members of their family. I counted the numerous ships as I passed. A ruler's duty was never paused, and I needed to ensure all vessels were being used for their designated purpose. No ships could be loitering at sea unnecessarily. Thankfully, everything seemed to be in order.

We couldn't afford anything going amiss today, with the entire kingdom off work—excluding Cyp and his small team—especially concerning the marina. It was the life source of Atlantis. Despite our small size, our navy could match any in Europe, but we rarely associated with the mainland. Atlantis was primarily a closed economy, only trading with foreigners from time to time. For most necessities, our village worked together, so we were never short on supplies. Fish and seaweed were the largest agricultural products. I raised my chin with pride as I thought of our merry community.

Atlantis wasn't far from land, but there were vast abysses surrounding the small island that seemed to go on infinitely. I'd always yearned to discover what laid at the bottom, but it was impossible. Only the sea gods who had supposedly blessed me would ever know.

I paused at a large floor length window that overlooked the ocean, letting the salty smell fill my nose, and the rush of the waves churning, frothing and crashing against the rocks fill my ears. I'd always loved the sea. Everyone who lived in Atlantis did, because we depended on it for the survival of our island, but I doubted anyone marveled at it as much as me. One breath of sea air typically calmed me as quickly as Cyprian's presence ever had.

As always, I was aware of the tug of longing in my stomach, urging me to abandon the ceremony and plunge into the cool water, letting the current take me wherever it pleased.

The tranquility the ocean usually offered was colored with discontent, a brewing sensation I couldn't place, but could feel building in the back of my mind. Before I could become even further paranoid and question my sanity even more so, I turned away from the anxious sea and followed Lyolla into the Main Hall of the palace.

Steeling myself, I stepped into the room filled with practically everyone on the island. Fishermen, artisans, scientists, seaweed farmers and people from a number of other professions lined the teal and gold walls. My people. Everyone except Cyprian, the one person I wanted there more than any other.

Every eye seemed to be glued to me, but I couldn't bring myself to look at anyone. Instead, I focused on the walls, decorated with pearls, coral and sea shells. Ornate etchings of golden fish lined the room, complementing the turquoise color and welcoming anyone into its walls. An elaborate pearl chandelier hung from the arched ceiling. The twinkling luminescent jellyfish suspended in clear jars along the walls cast a merry light around the room.

When my trembling legs finally carried me to the coral encrusted podium, I was forced to look into the audience.

What I found wasn't judgmental glares, mentally screaming that I could never live up to my parents. Instead, my gaze was met only with support. Everyone looked at me with such hope and pride that I couldn't help but smile back.  This was why I had once dreamed of being queen. This is why Father had adored ruling so greatly. The people. The people who would stand behind me through everything. I couldn't describe the love I felt for  them, pouring from my chest like a waterfall. These were my people, and I would do anything for them.

I turned to the elderly priest who stood beside me expectantly, ready for the pearl crown to don my head. He too looked at me with pride as he began murmuring blessings in an ancient Atlantian dialect, now spoken only in temple or important ceremonies. The old man was dressed in blue and white, the colors of Atlantis. He could have blended into the wall as well as an octopus matching the color of its environment.

"Princess Circe Moselle," he announced in the croaking whisper that came with his advanced age upon finishing the prayer. "It is time for you to follow in the footsteps of your late parents, and their parents before them, taking your rightful place as Queen of Atlantis, and all the responsibilities that come with it. Do you vow to put your kingdom before yourself, and be ever loyal to your subjects?"

The pledge reminded me of a wedding vow. In a way, they were one and the same.

"I do," I answered, my voice hoarse and weak. The constant clamoring of dialogue behind my skull had finally ceased. Perhaps it truly had been the gods urging me to be the ruler Atlantis needed. Perhaps I was finally making my parents proud.

"Then it is my privilege and honor to declare you, Circe Moselle, Queen of Atlantis." Before the priest could lower the teal, pearl crown worn by my mother and her mother before her onto my head, a cry of shock rang out in the crowd. People were staring out the windows in horror, shoving to get a better view.

"What's happening?" I asked, eyes wide with panic. The sensation in my head had grown to a throb, pounding at my mind and causing my vision to blur.  I dizzily made my way to the crowd, nearly tripping on my gown. "Let me through."

The sea of people parted at my command, allowing me a clear view to the ocean. My stomach clenched with terror.

The sea churned vengefully, sinking any ships in our harbor. No, sinking wasn't the right word. The waves demolished the once grand vessels, smashing them against the cruel rocks until only driftwood remained. The black water rose and fell, destroying anything in its way as if the sea god's cruel whims propelled it to wipe away any traces of my island.

"It's okay! Please stay calm." My voice was lost to the shouting crowds and crashing waters, but still I yelled. "We've had storms before. The palace is prepared for flooding, and we can rebuild the ships. Everyone indoors is safe and--"

Cyprian!

The thought of Cyprian's ship bobbing helplessly on the waves like a piece of driftwood made my stomach churn as violently as the ocean outside.

There was no hope Cyprian had reached the mainland in time... But he was with Captain Lucille. They were two of the strongest sailors in Atlantis. Together surely they could withstand even the harshest waters.

I strained my eyes, desperate to see Cyp's ship through the frothing waters, but I could only see the peaks of the mainland shore. Only the vast expanse of unforgiving ocean sprawled between.

Cyprian's ship was gone. 

My vision blurred again, although I couldn't distinguish if it was from tears or dizziness anymore. The rushing water roared in my ears, louder than the voices ever had. I couldn't fathom life without Cyprian's cocky smirk or mischievous dark eyes. He'd been the one person to make me laugh in the months after my parents died, when I'd locked myself in my room, not letting anyone in. Cyp kept me sane. He kept me happy. I needed him. But he was... gone?

Just as grief overwhelmed me, a shout brought my attention back to the window.

The murderous ocean seemed to have grown bored with preying upon the harbor, instead turning its attention to the kingdom, mercilessly battering the cliffs of the island. We built on the highest points of the island. Water never reached our structures! But waves battered the windows, smacking the glass and demanding to be let in. No longer could I see the shops and houses lining the streets outside the castle. No doubt they were already swallowed. If the gods had any mercy, they'd used it to ensure all the people were gathered in the highest point on the island.

"Everyone, to the Observation Tower! We need to get higher!" I screamed and screamed, but no one heard, my loyal citizens dissolved into chaos. There was no plan, no defenses. We lived in total trust that our ocean would never betray us, and in our five centuries of life on Atlantis, it never had.

I dashed about the hall, yelling until my voice gave out. I pulled people's clothing, shaking shoulders, anything to make them listen, but very few paid me any mind, ruled not by their queen, but by panic. If not for the vow I'd made my parents, I too would have descended into thoughtless fear.

But finally the water receded. As it retreated, it drew away the madness that had infected my people. some of my subjects giving off sighs of relief. Some cheered with joy, claiming that the gods had blessed the palace.

One fisherman patted me on the back. "Couldn't attack the palace with Queen Circe here!"

I shoved him away, not caring if it was rude. The pain in my head hadn't receded. Not truly. It wasn't gone, it was building.

The noise grew to a roar, drowning out the chatter and yells of my people.

"I'm sorry, Mother," I murmured as  I saw what I'd feared but known would come. A black wall of water rushed directly towards the palace, the heart of the kingdom where every one of my subjects now dwelt. "I let you down." The gods rejected me. They had warned me not to take the crown but I defied them. Now, they'd take revenge on my kingdom.

Some of my people remained blissfully ignorant, celebrating the kingdom and me. They refused to look out the windows since the waters had receded, as if their minds rejected the thought of destruction. As if by believing we were saved, we would be. Others embraced their family, crying and whispering goodbyes to each other.

Others looked at me, and I saw no longer warmth, but accusation. I had vowed to defend our island. I had vowed to protect my subjects. I had failed them by ignoring the gods that had always protected us.

As I braced myself for the invincible wall of ocean that would undoubtedly wipe away my kingdom and everyone in it, one voice exploded in my mind, along with a sharp stab of white hot pain that sent me stumbling backward.

For the first time I understood the words with perfect clarity. It was the last thing I heard before the inevitable end.

-THE BEGINNING IS NIGH.-