The Rock has Been Beaten

They walk into the palace, walking slowly and surely over the newly polished floor. The package in their arms is precious and must be protected at all costs. They bow before the monarch, who stands, and walks down the steps to them.

“Is this it? What we have been hoping for?” the Sovereign whispers.

“Yes, your royalness.”

The Sovereign nods and turns towards the nearest door. Their cape swishes behind them and Oakley knows the Sovereign is hiding a smile from the guards. The Sovereign leads them to the solar room, dismissing the guards at the door.

The guards simply nod, standing outside the closed doors.

The Sovereign has Oakley sit. They go to the door and say, “Help,” perfectly monotone, simply to test if the guards are listening. When the doors don’t open, the monarch sits down beside Oakley.

“You have the teapot of ceaselessness?”

“Yes, Sovereign.”

“I appreciate your care, but we need not attend to titles now.”

Oakley nods. “Open it then, Malik.”

Malik unties the string wrapping the package, their hands shaking. They tear off the paper and tug off the lid. Once off, Malik can only stare at the object inside. After several moments, they pick it up and admire it from all angles. They are so pleased that they lean over and kiss Oakley.

“This is what our kingdom needs to finally be free from The Mountain.”

“No longer will our people be separated by gender.”

“The Great Tea River will separate us from The Mountain and then we will rejoice.”

Oakley takes the teapot from Malik. “First we must have a distraction.”

Malik nods. “We must announce our courtship to the people.”

The people are overjoyed when they hear the news and the kingdom becomes a flurry of activity in the days following. The first thing Malik does is get Oakley anything they desire, including clothes more decadent than their own. Malik has never seen Oakley happier, but they suspect it has nothing to do with the clothes. On the third day of celebration, Oakley suggests they create the river. They say that the people wouldn’t notice if The Mountain sent a flood, and that The Mountain wouldn’t notice if half the kingdom came to see it. Malik suggests that they say they are praising The Mountain if it does notice. 

They both give up their usual style of clothing to be able to sneak out of the palace unnoticed. There are a few guards that would stop them if they knew what they were going to do. Malik deems the clothes river-creating worthy and they leave by the back door of the kitchen. Oakley suggest a servant be dressed in Malik’s clothes and sit on the throne so that the guards wouldn’t come with them. Malik has been to The Mountain many times, usually to ask it to stop flooding the kingdom, or to ask for lenience. They know the exact place to stop so that The Mountain is not disturbed.

Oakley has been close to the Sovereign for many years and has overhead countless people tell them that the separation is hurting them. Oakley knows that no one disputes the chosen genders, but the separation of genders. People of different genders are separated by walls and are not allowed to speak to one another. The Mountain banishes those that disobey. Oakley has questioned themselves why The Mountain would treat everyone this way it if loved them like it says it does. But no one has ever questioned Malik. Everyone knows The Mountain is all powerful and cannot be stopped.

At least it couldn’t be until now. Now they have the teapot of ceaselessness. No one had ever possessed it before. Malik told Oakley about it several times. They didn’t know how they had found it. They would ask later. But now Malik’s kingdom would return to a time when The Mountain could do no more than speak to everyone. The walls would be broken down and the banished would be able to return. 

Oakley trudged ahead, holding Malik’s hand tightly in the cold.

“The Mountain suspects nothing,” Malik said, looking up at it.

“We should still hurry,” Oakley shivers. “The servant will be recognized eventually.”

Malik takes out the teapot. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

“Release this land to those that care for it,” they chant together. “Take the power from the unworthy and give it to the masses. No more will The Mountain bend the people to its whims.”

Hot tea gushes out of the teapot, causing Oakley to pull their hand back, cradling it in their arms. Malik curses the pot for hurting their beloved, but upon examining it finds no injury.

“Are you okay?”

“I believe so.”

Malik cradles their hand anyways and looks up when Oakley points with their other hand.

“It’s working,” Malik smiles. “It’s working.”

Within seconds, a river is raging between them and The Mountain. They go back to the palace and make another announcement.

“We have exciting news!” Malik shouts. 

The crowds are silent.

“We are free from The Mountain! The walls will be taken down and the banished may return.”

A cry of joy is heard from the people.

“There will be a week of rejoicing! Be happy and go where you like.”

For many days people come to the palace intending to thank Malik for their new freedom and having to thank Oakley too. Some come with gifts, Malik insisting that most of them go to Oakley.

For many days The Mountain is silent. On the last day of celebration, it begins to rumble and quake. The celebration stops and the kingdom is silent. After the celebration it begins spewing lava and ash, but the river made by the ceaseless teapot protects them. The kingdom is still silent. It is silent until Malik and Oakley speak before the people saying they have nothing to fear. 

The people spend their days together, intermingling and learning new things from groups they haven’t been allowed to speak to their entire lives. The people are happy, and Malik and Oakley know this. They can’t help smiling every time their eyes meet. They watch their kingdom prosper and each think of the other as the best monarch the kingdom has ever had.