Several minuteslater Xentos entered.
‘Good day, Princess Miranda. Your mother is here and has madeserious accusations against you. She claims you led an attackagainst Argenta causing it to be captured by Elendari and Yith.There are witnesses that claim to have seen you murder several Crindefending Argenta. Your mother claims to have seen you wearing herarmour and claiming to be the new Queen of Argenta at a ball heldby the Queen of Moonmist.’
‘These are serious accusations. They carry either the deathsentence or life banishment from the Crin kingdom.’
Miranda gasped.‘By the Lady – I’m trapped. I’m guilty as charged.’ shethought.
‘I personally cannot believe these charges and I am sure thereis a logical explanation.’ said Xentos. ‘Take a little while toconsider these false charges and then we will discuss how todispute them Princess.’
Miranda droppedto a sitting position, she wrapped her arms around her legs, closedher eyes and began rocking forwards and backwards, her mind hadfrozen.
Ten minuteslater, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
‘Some friends are here to see you Princess.’ she distantlyheard Xentos say.
She opened hereyes to see Quab and little Rory. She jumped up and cuddled intoQuab.
‘Quab I’m guilty. They’re right. I did do what they say Idid.’
‘I don’t believe you.’ said Quab.
‘I know you and I know Aquitain. Very strange things happenaround the both of you. There is an explanation and we will findit. Now sit down and tell me everything to do with thesecharges.’
Miranda sat andtold him what happened to her since she last saw Quab. Rorylistened in with wide eyes. Nothing seemed to amaze Quab, he hadchanged, anything that Aquitain and Miranda did was now possible inhis mind. When Miranda told him about being possessed by a malignspirit who took her body to Argenta and showed her strangling alittle girl with her own hands, he accepted it.
‘As I thought.’ he said.
‘You are not guilty of leading an attack on your mother’sworld or killing any Crin. It was the malign spirit controllingyou.’
When she toldhim about getting a spare set of her mother’s armour from Llaloraxand why she had pretended to be the Queen of Argenta, he againsaid.
‘Well done! You were exceptionally brave.’
When he heardabout Tigerlilly, he just whispered the word ‘Amazing!’
When he hadheard about her trials in the Felynx body and how Aquitain hadfound her and restored her body, tears rolled down his cheek.
‘That is so beautiful. I feel so honoured to have you andAquitain as friends.’
‘You and the spirit bear sure be doing strange things.’ saidRory.
‘Okay, since Aquitain is gatekeeper which is akin to King ofAstaria you are no longer Princess Miranda, you are the king’schosen to be Queen Miranda of Astaria. Act accordingly. QueenBeatrice cannot find you guilty of anything. She cannot even putyou on trial. Even the Druid’s Council of Mudrun does not have thatright as you have committed no crimes on this world and I might addthat the Crin are subject to Druid Council laws.’
Miranda’scourage returned.
‘Thank you Quab. Thank you Rori. It is so good to have friendslike you two.’ she replied with a smile.
‘It’s my pleasure, Your Highness.’ said Quab with abow.
‘I’m not having been doing anything yet but maybe I’m feelingthat I can be thinking of something.’ said Rori with a toothysmile.
Xentos returnedand said
‘We have about half an hour left before the trial Princess,have you thought of how I might be of assistance?’
‘Please address Queen Miranda as Your Highness.’ saidQuab.
‘Oh. Okay err…Your Highness.’ replied Xentos.
‘I gather you have discussed a defence with Senior Druid Quab.That should be acceptable.’ And he left.
‘I do have a surprise for you Quab and Rori’ and she shapechanged to her new body.
‘Why are you now wanting to be a different person? askedRori.
‘It’s a strange story but when I was born someone swapped myspirit into another baby’s body and it’s into mine. It turns outthat she was my half-sister. Our spirits have been swapped back totheir correct bodies. This is the body I was born in.’
Quab just stoodlost for words. ‘This is not good. It’s going to confuse everybody.I suggest that you change back to your Miranda form for thetrial.’
‘Yes, I suppose that you’re right Quab.’ and she changed backto her old Miranda form.
Rori excusedhimself and left the city. Once outside he ran off into the forestfor several hundred paces, found a clearing, collected some woodand started a fire. He emptied a small leather coloured beaddecorated pouch onto the ground then searched amongst the contentsuntil he found a packet of dried mushroom. He replaced the rest ofthe contents in the pouch and attached it to his belt and began tochant.
He crumbled themushroom in his fingers and began sprinkling it on the fire whilecontinuing to chant and breathing in the smoke.
‘Great R’ptor hear my words. I have an urgent need. Grant mean audience, your greatness!’
He repeated itover and over for several minutes until suddenly the fire flaredand he heard a voice in his mind.
‘What do you seek Shaman Rori?’
‘I must speak with the spirit bear Aquitain, your greatness,his chosen one is in danger.’
There was blurand Rori found himself standing in front of a rock wall facing acircle of glowing runes.
‘Spirit Lord Aquitain may I have a word with you. Your QueenMiranda is in danger!’
Aquitain wassitting talking with Franciscus when he heard Rory’s voice loud andclear.
‘Where did that come from?’ he asked.
‘Just outside gate one, I suspect my Lord.’ repliedAsterix.
Aquitainteleported to gate one, changed to his little person form andstepped out to find Rory standing in front of him looking wideeyed.
‘Hello Rori, what’s the problem?’ as he adjusted his eyes toexamine spirit auras. He saw the small aura of Rori and floatingbehind him the normally invisible aura of a huge powerfulspirit.
‘So at last we meet. I am R’ptor guardian spirit of the bluelittle people and you are the hero of the little people.’ said thespirit
