Chapter Text
Queen Manyholes I
Almost 4,000 years ago
Manyholes was never supposed to be queen, let alone queen this young.
Her grandmother had been 40 when she hatched, and could have easily ruled for 40 more. Possibly longer, if the ClearWings could get their food situation in check. And even if she passed it down early, the throne would go to Manyholes’ mother, who would rule until Manyholes was too old to take it, and it could just go to her children.
But that wasn’t what happened.
Queen Quartz had just… died. She had only been 52. Far too young to die like that. Even the hungriest dragons in the fortress got up and kept going, but Quartz…
Manyholes’ mother hadn’t fared much better. She’d cracked under the pressure of being queen within days of her coronation, and now the throne belonged to a dragon who was very much not qualified.
But still, Manyholes wanted to be a good queen. Since her coronation, she had been busy constantly, writing and delegating and trying really hard.
Five main acts were what Manyholes’ dragons focused on, though. Her Orders.
The first day, Manyholes had made her acceptance speech, and given out the Ration Order the next day. And then the Tree Order a week after that, and three more each following week.
Fish Order.
Orphan Order.
Flood Order.
Each one made dragons more excited for the next. Bigger parties, more talk, even some extravagant meals. Manyholes was glad everyone was happy with her, but it had just made her more nervous to announce this last one. Her last idea. Tonight.
Right now, she was pacing her cubby, terrified of the moment Manyholes would have to emerge onto her balcony and announce to her tribe that she intended for her tribe to…
What if they don’t like it? What if they think it’s impossible? Or- I mean, I know everyone wants out. But I’m not the right dragon for this, am I? I shouldn’t be queen, I shouldn’t. Oh, why did Mother think I could do this?
Manyholes knew, in her heart of hearts, she really shouldn’t worry all that much. Escape was what every trapped ClearWing wanted. They would be happy with her, why wouldn’t they be? Manyholes just… didn’t want to mess everything up.
If only Grandmother hadn’t-
“Your Majesty?”
Manyholes startled, broken out of her racing thoughts. The servant blinked at her anxiously from the entrance to the royal cubby, talons trembling. His claws shook harder as he realized he’d startled Manyholes, and her shoulders sagged guiltily.
I’m not like Grandmother. I won’t punish you for messing up.
“Sorry- yes?”
He visibly relaxed, “It’s just, everyone is gathered for the announcement. Are- are you ready?”
“Oh! Yes, of course,” Manyholes wriggled her shoulders and stood up straighter, trying to look as queenly as possible, “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
The servant nodded, bowed, and left, and Manyholes went to her small bowl of water, splashing its meager contents into her face and drying it off with her own shiny blue-green wings. Then she slid her crown onto her head, adjusting it in the reflection from the water still in the bowl.
The crown wasn’t extravagant, or even nice, like history told her the other queens had. It was the only thing ClearWings splurged on, woven of twigs, preserved leaves, and the berries that grew on their trees every now and then. Those that weren’t edible, anyway.
Manyholes rolled her shoulders back and tipped up her head, just as she had been taught, then swept out of her barebones cubby and onto the balcony.
Hundreds of eyes looked up at her. Manyholes forced her wings not to tremble as she stood taller, resting her front talons on the rickety wooden railing.
Her voice, thank the spirits, didn’t squeak when Manyholes began to speak. It carried across the fortress, echoing back at the young queen and sounding a lot more confident than the voice’s owner felt.
“Greetings, my ClearWings, and thank you all for coming. I am so glad to know that you have all been happier under my Order. Because, to be honest, announcing all of these changes has made me very anxious. But your continued support and hope has helped me heaps, and I only have one more Order to announce to you all. I have thought long and hard about this decision, and I am sure it is the right one.”
She grabbed the scroll from where it had been left next to the podium, unrolled it, and read it out loud, the words resting on every dragon gathered there, “Though the previous Orders have helped to heal the ClearWing tribe, they are not enough. There is an entire world beyond our fortress prison, and it is time we find it. The ClearWings must find a way out. Any dragon willing to help, gather any tools and meet tomorrow morning at the base of the fortress, below the cherry tree cluster. We will find a way to destroy the stone and escape. This is called, thus forth, the Escape Order.”
There was silence for a moment.
A long, agonizing moment.
And then, from somewhere in the crowd, there was a whoop and a clap of wings.
And then her tribe erupted into cheers.
The smoke that poured from their mouths and noses floated up to Manyholes and swirled around her, hiding the sights of her dragons dancing and clapping their wings and cheering.
They like it.
Of course they like it.
I hope this works.
I hope I can be the queen my tribe needs.
I hope I can make the ClearWings a great tribe.
Because we deserve it.