Time Master
When we stepped onto the land it felt like we were walking on clouds.
I could not feel my feet at all! It felt like I was walking on clouds, floating on marshmallow ground, more like a bouncing feeling rather than floating or flying.
"Timothy Chadwick at your service, MiLord and MiLady," a man in a tall hat and long tail coat bowed in front of us.
"Ah, the Time Master. Time waits for no one but here Time waits for us," Zaccheus smiled.
"Pleasure to meet you, Timothy," I managed a smile, curious to discover the purpose of this meeting.
He then tipped his tall hat a little in a curtsy.
"Please let the way, Time Master," Zaccheus said.
I noticed he was carrying a dark red wooden staff which was a little crooked like a spindle at the top of it. His right thumb fiddled on the top part and he chanted a few inaudible words before he knocked the ground three times with his staff.
Before I could even react, the marshmallow ground gave way and I screamed at the top of my lungs as I free fall down to the void. I closed my eyes tight because of my fear of heights.
"Open your eyes, Cassandra," Zaccheus touched the tips of my fingers and I felt jolts of electricity passing through him into my fingers.
I opened my eyes, fearing what I may see.
To my surprise we were floating and we were safe. As safe as you can be when you were floating in space that is.
"See the cluster of stars over there? That's our first home," Zaccheus pointed at a group of stars that looked like a combination of violet and white candle flames.
My fear was overtaken by a sense of awe.
We were literally in the space. The Universe. The boundless space beyond any grounds and definitely not on Earth.
"This is beautiful!!! I can't imagine how this can be so beautiful, and I am not even thinking of the height anymore because there is no gravity so there is no sense of high or low. It doesn't make sense but it made sense at the same time! Just wow," my voice trailed away as my mouth just opened up wider as a star flew by. It was not a shooting star. It was a star with Angel wings that flapped by. It really was not making any sense at all.
Upon a closer look, the star wasn't actually a star. It was a bright apparition of a butterfly-like creature. It looked very pretty and I could actually see it smiling at me.
"Welcome back, Cassandra!" I heard voices around us.
Soon, we were surrounded by creatures I could not quite place as heavenly creatures with Angel wings or cosmic Sci-fi creatures like Chewbacca from Starwars. They were excitedly flocking towards us and specifically towards me.
"Where are we now?" I whispered to Zaccheus.
"We are at a place where time stands still. These creatures left home to come here to wait for you to return. So for them it did not matter how long ago that you were gone because time does not apply here. It feels like you were only gone a moment ago. Their loyalty for you as your subjects are still as strong as ever because as far as they are concerned it was like no time had passed," he explained.
"And why are they here again?" I was getting overwhelmed by the increasing number of creatures who came in line and stood around us.
"Your Majesty, you planned for this to happen and asked them to wait for you here. That is why I had been waiting for you," Timothy interrupted and answered my question.
"Time waits for no one but me," I gave a nervous chuckle as I looked around at my loyal subjects.
"Lady of the Stars, Goddess of Light and Love, Queen Cassandra, we pledge our loyalty to you till the end of time," all the shining creatures bowed down and chanted at once.
I felt a swell of pride and a mix of other emotions I could not quite understand. Instinctively I raised my right hand and all of them rose from their kneeling position.
Their eyes looked up on me expectantly so I knew they expected a speech of sorts.
"What should I say? What happened here before this? Please give me some clue Zaccheus!" I nudged him, gentling poking his rib cage with my elbow as I spoke under my breath.
"Just take a deep breath and close your eyes. The memories will flood back, just release control or holding on so tightly on how you behave in front of them. Close your eyes now and breathe, inhale deep within and exhale fully, emptying your lungs, then repeat. Relax and just wait till the memories flood back," he said gently.
I listened to him and closed my eyes, observing my deep breathing as I inhaled and exhaled deeply. It went on for a few minutes as the crowd went silent while I did my zen meditation exercise. Time really stood still at this place. Everyone was just so patient! They have all the time in the world for this!
As if on cue, I began to see a bright piercing light in the darkness of my mind. Without warning, like a floodgate that is opened, the memories just flooded in and I started hyperventilating and screaming while I curled up in a ball, suspended in the zero gravity void. Tears starting falling freely down my cheeks, or they were rather suspended away from my cheeks due to the lack of gravity. I was sobbing uncontrollably as I ignored everyone around me. The pain I felt inside of me was too much to bear. My chest, belly and entire back hurt so badly I wanted to die.
"I am not Theeya. I am not Cassandra. I am nobody," I kept repeating those three phrases repeatedly as I clung on to my knees as I continued wailing in pain and grief.
Time stood still as I mourned my losses. Everyone waited for me to complete the process. I felt like I wanted to die as I continued hugging my knees as I allowed myself to wallow in grief and sadness. I did not faint this time.
"Why can't I faint just when I needed to? This is too much, this is too much, I can't do this," I lost control and started screaming, lashing out at Zaccheus who let me beat up his broad chest. Each punch on his chest was strong and full of the grief and sadness that I needed to vent out. Time stood still as a Queen grieved and cried.