The Kingdom of All Kingdoms, Zoya & The Sea “Episode 13”

The Kingdom of All Kingdoms
The Kingdom of All Kingdoms

Have you ever owned a sea?

Before Zoya moved to the “Upper-World” she was travelling around the “Under-World”, discovering it, looking for something to learn.

That journey led her to a sea which was too salty that not a living soul can live inside it. That sea was always calm during the day, very mid waves would touch the shores and withdraw right away, its water was too thick and felt like oil, and as soon as the sunset starts, the waves grew bigger and bigger, till they grew mad at night.

She spent the whole day sitting on the shore, looking at the sea, and how “citizens” bathed in it, she noticed how they didn’t actually swim but just floated oddly in it. And heard and saw many kids crying and complaining that the water burned their skin and made it itchy. Later when the sunset approached the skies, the waves became bigger and wider, they made noises and hit the shores with more aggression. She still sat and watched people getting out of it with their hands on their teary eyes, as the waves didn’t bother there were “citizens” bathing and relaxing, and splashed salty water into their eyes. These “citizens” tried to reach the shore with their eyes closed hoping for someone to bring normal water to wash their faces with, they’d stumble and fall many times before they arrived to a safe point. Zoya enjoyed the scene, but wasn’t sure she wanted to be a victim of this weird sea.

The night approached sooner than she expected it, and the place was suddenly dark and people vanished behind the darkness, everything was quiet except for the waves that were racing to hit the rocks on the shore. Zoya felt herself all alone and isolated. But she didn’t feel scared, because she had her horse standing right next to her. She stood up, patting the horse’s forehead asking him how did he find this place, and of course the horse doesn’t talk but she could read his mind as good as he could. He told her that he liked it there, and that he was glad “citizens” wee all gone, and that they both now can try and get into that water. “But it’s dark, doesn’t that scare you?” Zoya asked. “No, darkness doesn’t scare a horse like me, let’s go!” he encouraged her, “But dear, we don’t see how big the waves are, we don’t see the stones inside the water, I don’t wanna stumble and fall in such salty water, we can’t waste the water that we have to wash.” But the horse started marching towards the water and big waves started crashing against his forelegs, and bigger waves came to hit his chest, he stepped back, “Zoya! This wants to kill me!”, “Yeah sure! I told you, let’s wait for the morning, then we can bath like everyone else did.”

But the horse was curious to know what would happen if Zoya went into the water, and so he insisted that she tries, “Come on Zoya, let’s see what happens if you go alone.”, “Same as happened to you!”, “No way, I feel something else is going to happen.”, “Yeah, maybe it will kill me, that would be something different.”, “No, no! It won’t kill you! come on, just try, if you felt uncomfortable then leave, just like I did”

Zoya got up and walked carefully towards the sea, she could hear the waves coming and going, and she could sense the power in them. Funny how the breeze coming from the sea was warm. The moment she stepped one foot into that water, the water turned still, she wasn’t sure if her foot was inside the water because it was warm too. She stepped in and walked into the water, while the horse walked and waited at the edge of the shore. No more waves, Zoya then touched the water with her hands and felt it heavy like oil, she rubbed it on her arms before she decided to let go and sit and try to float like everyone did earlier that day. She felt the water carrying her gently, very gently, she felt herself weightless. She tried to stand in the water, and it worked as if she was standing on some ground but there was nothing but water surrounding her, she called out for her horse to join her, but as soon as the horse stepped a foot in, the waves started crashing on his legs, Zoya then went back to her horse, climbed him to lead him, and as they  walked in together the water behaved, everything was quiet. Zoya Jumped of his back, stood in the water and they both walked together deeper into the sea. The horse then thought “I was right!” and Zoya smiled at his thought, not quite sure what to think.

Zoya felt so comfortable and thought this sea won’t hurt her no matter what, there is a reason why she came, and she knew she would discover it soon. They bathed and enjoyed, later washed and slept till the morning splashed some gold on the surface of the sea.

And again “citizens” came, swam and bathed, sat down and enjoyed the morning sun, everything was just right. The time passed quickly, till the sunset time arrived, and the waves grew bigger and harsher, attacking “citizens” and making them feel uncomfortable. One could hear the cry of children and the anger of men. Zoya then stood up walked into the sea, the waves didn’t stop then, but every time a waves was going to hit her it suddenly died just right in front of her body, Zoya then went deeper, stood in the water facing the waves, but every wave died just there. Zoya was frustrated, because there is nothing fun about that. She screamed then: Let me have some fun!! The waves then came back, very big, but very gentle, carrying Zoya over them, she felt her body going up on a waves then down after the wave was gone. She spent enough time playing with the waves, and not a single salty drop of water rested on her face or got into her eyes. She then turned around to ask her horse to join when she saw a big crowd of “citizens” watching her in silence. She felt somehow uncomfortable. And so she decided to go back to her horse, where she felt safer.

As she was walking outside the water, she herself was surprised that she didn’t stumble nor fell, and as soon as she reached the shore, a woman came to her and asked her “Do you own the sea?”, Zoya then didn’t know what how to reply. And another man came wondering “Does the sea belong to you?” She again didn’t know what to say, but she turned around looking at the sea, she smiled to the sea, and as soon as she did, water came out of it flying in the air like fountains on its surface in shapes of circles and squares and crossed lines.  Everyone then understood that The Crazy Salty Sea belonged to this girl who’s a stranger to everyone around.

When Queen Zoya settled down in the “Upper-World” She asked King David to bring her her Crazy Salty Sea, saying: Nothing made me feel any happier than the Sea.