The Crown Dreams Us as Storm
The story
Far from the orchards, the valley's small victory slips into a much larger story. This song is a dark vision of Vaelra, the Raven Crown: born of moonlight, cradled by the stars, her heart no longer beating. Kings fall, gods retreat, the stars turn to ash, and she walks through the halls of the fallen while ravens watch with blood-red eyes. Is it a nightmare, a prophecy, or a frightened people's myth? The song does not say, and it is not a reliable account of who she is. But it holds up a mirror. The Crown's enemies dream of her as the end of the world, while the Crown, in turn, may come to dream of an ungovernable people as a storm it cannot hold.
The ravens here first appear in the final chorus of "Paths Visible in Rain": let ravens come and stake their claim.
Lyrics
Born of moonlight in a world so bleak Her cradle was the stars, her heart no longer beat The innocent are broken, the fallen in her wake She takes the throne and makes it hers to take
Her power grows, her shadows near Her whispers spoken, filled with fear The fall of kings, their lives undone Upon the throne, the end has begun
With the ravens' wing, they ride into the night The war she calls will bring eternal blight The gods retreat, their heroes fall By the moon and sun, they lose it all
She walks through the halls of the fallen Where light once shone, now darkness calls The stars are ash, the skies turn black She won't miss a single attack
The world is scorched, the gods are slain No one knows what she's to gain The fallen will quake, the gods will kneel But none can stop this burning fear Her wings now rage as the flames arise The ravens watch with blood-red eyes She takes the crown, her heart turns cold The price she pays, a story untold She'll carve the earth, she'll own the skies The world is hers, her throne will rise
The wings unfold, the legions march in line The ravens twist their feathers, marking their design The fall of all, the kingdom's blackened soul The sun is gone, the horizon takes its toll
She walks through the halls of the fallen Where light once shone, now darkness calls The stars are ash, the skies turn black She won't miss a single attack Her wings now rage as the flames arise The ravens watch with blood-red eyes She takes the crown, her heart turns cold The price she pays, a story untold She'll carve the earth, she'll own the skies The world is hers, her throne will rise
The ravens fly as the blood begins to flow The world will fade as the heavy shadows grow With ravens' wings, the silence is filled The end is near, her fate is fulfilled
She humbles before the royals and the men The gods will tremble, their fate is in her hand From chaos, she builds, a world of her own The fallen hear, she's the one they've known
Her wings unfold, the legions march in line The ravens twist their feathers, marking their design The fall of all, the kingdom's blackened soul The sun is gone, the horizon takes its toll
She walks through the halls of the fallen Where light once shone, now darkness calls The stars are ash, the skies turn black She won't miss a single attack Her wings now rage as the flames arise The ravens watch with blood-red eyes She takes the crown, her heart turns cold The price she pays, a story untold