‘What about the Llanlleans, have they heard about whathappened at the ball?’
‘Yes they were scrying the Queen’s ball. Strangely they areunsure about what they witnessed at the ball also. Many think thatthey saw only illusions.’
‘Thanks Yllandril keep trying,’ replied Aquitain as hereturned his thoughts to the present situation. A little laterBellen advised him that all was ready for the evening’s performancein two hours’ time.
Chapter 3 The Remaking ofGlammer
The night followingthe ball was declared a night of remembrance for Miranda the Queenof Argenta. The dead Queen Aurora was having a more elaborateremembrance ceremony in a week’s time. Aquitain had invitedDarkmantle, the Elendari Lords, Somanller and other Llanlleans, theTrixies and anyone interested to attend what was to be a veryspecial function at midnight in the centre of the garden maze.
The exoticfour-poster lover’s bed used by the Queen had been removed leavinga clear area about 20 paces square. The stone statue of Mirandastood in the centre and around the periphery of the clearing stoodtwenty Llanllean royal guards in dress uniform interspersed betweenlanterns that lit up the area.
The guestsbegan turning up an hour before midnight. Darkmantle, several ofhis friends, and a couple of his guards that had known her camealong. Prendergrass, Darkmantle’s house wizard placed a wreath offlowers at the base of her statue. A handful of other Elendariincluding Princess Gemelica and two of her bodyguards showed up outof curiosity.
Every Trixiewithin the palace and for a league around was there. More than ahundred sat in a circle facing her statue outside a circular zonedoff area. Somanller and about twenty Llanlleans, who had metMiranda only a day earlier and liked her, had teleported in and saton the grass in their Newman forms, as a group.
They had placeda crown of flowers shaped in the form of a dragonfly on the statueshead, which had caused a murmur amongst the Trixies who seemed tothink it a good idea and were annoyed that they didn’t think ofit.
About a half anhour before midnight nine musicians in a single line trooped intothe area, and sat in a group facing the statue and readied theirinstruments. There were three Elendari, three Trixies and threeLlanlleans. This caused a real surprise as no one could rememberwhen Elendari, Trixies and Llanlleans had ever played musictogether before.
A quarter of anhour before midnight, Bellen together with a group of Trixiescarried a light wooden box as big as a Trixie and placed it on theground near the statue and then placed the little green crystalfigure of the Warden of Moonmist upon it. Many wondered what theWarden was thinking and whether it could feel real emotions.
Five minutesbefore the ceremony was to begin, Llalorax in a glowing golden magerobe teleported next to the wooden box, with a cat in one arm andYllandril on his shoulder. He placed the stone spider next to thecrystal Warden and the cat at the base of the box then in amagically enhanced voice he said.
‘During the proceedings would you please keep absolutely quietand do not move. You are about to witness something that no one haswitnessed for an age. The Warden of Moonmist will honour QueenMiranda of Argenta with some special music.’
Llalorax with asevere look on his face began chanting and four crystal stakes, oneat each corner of the area lit up a blue colour. Everyone presentfelt the tingle of strong magic.
‘Do not be alarmed. I have surrounded the area with a ward sothat the ceremony will not be disturbed. Now everyone please bequiet.’
The crowdbecame so absolutely quiet that it seemed they had forgotten tobreathe. The Dance of the Elementals was legendary and nonerealized they were about to witness it. Apprehension and excitementwas written all over their eager faces.
‘We are ready Lord Warden,’ said Llalorax. ‘You maystart.’
The littlecrystal Warden turned towards the nervous musicians who immediatelyreadied their instruments. They had been given instructions to playsome popular dance music and none knew that they were to play theDance of the Elements. This music was considered music of the godsand unplayable by mortals. They were told only that the music maysound different once they started playing and this had them bothexcited and worried.
Aquitain hadshape changed to look like a Trixie and sat in the front row of theTrixie area. He had created a mind link with each of the musiciansand was going to play the music directly to their minds. They wouldtry to follow with their instruments. In actual fact they wouldonly need to make noise as Aquitain was going to use his ability tocontrol sound to reshape it into the music that he hadmemorized.
Everyone wastense with anticipation as the whole area took on a golden glow.The cat pulled a string opening a small panel in the side of thebox and out flew a hundred glowing mothra. The guards dimmed thelanterns and the little green crystal conductor began waving hisarms. The musicians began playing and immediately the soundtransformed itself to the most wonderful music ever heard by thosepresent.
The mothraformed into a circular procession flying around the statue movingin harmony with the music and pulsing their glowing little colouredbodies. The musicians became lost in rapture. The crowd wasriveted, their faces glowing in ecstatic enchantment. The volumeand tempo of the music increased and the mothra flew faster andfaster until their glowing bodies became blurring streaks oflight.
Suddenly thestone statue glowed the intense purple colour of strong magic andthe circular procession of mothra contracted into a smaller andsmaller circle until it became a spherical blob of throbbingcolour. There was an intense flash of purple light, temporarilyblinding all present, the music faded, there was darkness for asecond or two and Aquitain dashed over to the statue and using ateleport ring supplied by Llalorax teleported the statue to themask room then shape changed. When their vision returned the areawas illuminated in golden light and the statue of Miranda hadturned from stone to flesh.
Queen Mirandastood there in all her
