Hush, Hush, Around We Go
Despite Eldûra's long and storied history, when it comes to historical figures, people can't help but think about the dreaded Sorcerer Queen. They can't help but remember her three hundred years of terror, how she seemed to be frozen in time and never seemed to age. How there seemed to be no hope… until a mysterious and unknown man came and put her down.
No one knew who the man was, but so grateful were the people of Talnor that they immediately begged the man to become the new ruler. Some balked at this rapid desire for a ruler after what they had just gone through—especially without knowing anything about him.
Thankfully, they had nothing to worry about. In the 300 years since he defeated her, King Rymhûl has been nothing but a kind and fair ruler.
Since the Sorcerer Queen’s defeat, a rhyme has popped up, often sung by children as they play a game similar to “Ring Around the Rosie”.
One of the variations of the rhyme goes something like this:
Another variation of this song goes like this:
The song depicts the night of the Sorcerer Queen’s defeat. The man who would become the king and his allies found several brave children and used back channels to arrange for a concert to be hosted for the queen. And while the Sorcerer Queen was distracted by the concert—which involved dancing and singing—the king snuck up behind her and killed her. The song is said to have been coined by one of the children as a way to recount what happened and to help not forget. It has been passed down since then, to the point that most don’t really remember the meaning behind its lyrics. The curators of the Athenaeum will be quick to correct this lack of knowledge.
Hush, hush, around we go,
She shall reap what she didst sow,
Dance, dear, dance, she loves a show,
But never, ever, let her know.
Hush, hush, around we go.
Another variation of this song goes like this:
Around, around we go,
Dance, dance, she loves a show,
Make her watch, she cannot know,
For the king this final blow,
Around, around we go.
The song depicts the night of the Sorcerer Queen’s defeat. The man who would become the king and his allies found several brave children and used back channels to arrange for a concert to be hosted for the queen. And while the Sorcerer Queen was distracted by the concert—which involved dancing and singing—the king snuck up behind her and killed her. The song is said to have been coined by one of the children as a way to recount what happened and to help not forget. It has been passed down since then, to the point that most don’t really remember the meaning behind its lyrics. The curators of the Athenaeum will be quick to correct this lack of knowledge.
Date of Setting
300 years before present
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Theming this to be similar to Ring around the Rosie is a brilliant choice, cause the history of that one is equal parts folklore and creepy as hell, which it feels like is the point here as well. The song being coined by a child is a nice story and touch, however it now leads me to asking and needing to know....were children who brought the Sorcerer Queen down? Like how involved were children in that event, or were they, as they are in most such contexts, bystanders stuck having to be be caught in the mess with no real way to do anything, because adults were making all the decisions. Either way, this is a wonderful little piece, and has definite earworm qualities, so well written :)
Thank you for this comment <3 When it comes down to it, the children had to do it. But the children could see the hope in the plan, and at this point, they were quite sick of the Sorcerer Queen and the unanswered injustices. The kids that were too scared to do it, were allowed to go, though those who were determined enough and brave enough had to stay. They were bystanders, but willing ones. Yes, adults were making all the decisions, but the kids who were brave enough were eager to play their part. To dance and distract that horrid queen so an adult could kill her filled them with a sense of power over an adult that made their life miserable—which is something, unfortunately, wasn't offered to them before. The defeat of the Sorcerer Queen was a team effort :D