He accepts a reconnaissance mission fromLlalorax to investigate the palace prior to the Queen’s spring balland meet some Trixies. In the mean while Llalorax rescues Mirandaand Yllandril helps her recover from her trauma. They discoveredshe was Aquitain’s partner.
Aquitain visits the Trixies and finds outthey definitely yellow scaled little people but many are malformed.He meets Bellen who shows him around and takes him to the dragonthrone.
Aquitain checks out the crown on top of thedragon throne and discovers one of the crystals is sentient. Itattacks him but he destroys it releasing the spirit of Granite, anelemental dragon that had been trapped there for ages. Whilewaiting on top of the dragon throne’s head to watch the spectacleof the spring ball, Aquitain is overwhelmed by all that hashappened begins to believe it is all a dream.
During one of the entertainment events in theball, Queen Aurora of Moonmist is caught in a trap set byDarkmantle and dies. Darkmantle proclaims his girlfriend thePrincess Gemelica should be crowned Queen but many of the otherlords are not happy about this.
Llalorax, the dead queen’s magician convincesMiranda to challenge for the throne of Moonmist. Both Miranda andGemelica are tested and found suitable. Darkmantle claims to beGemelica’s champion. Aquitain agrees to be Miranda’s champion andthey duel using conjured animal illusions.
The contest is interrupted by a fake queenlookalike possessed by a Mentarin spirit. The fake queen’sassistants use magic that shatters Aquitain’s crystal body andencases Miranda in rock. Aquitain repairs himself while the fakequeen’s attention is diverted by Yllandril. Aquitain conjures up amass illusion that panics the fake queen and her spirit supporterswho flee the ball taking Miranda’s spirit with them as a hostage.Aquitain is heartbroken, disillusioned and wants to wake up fromthe dream.
The story continues here in book 3.
Chapter 1 M’Lady Warden
The spring ball wasover. Aquitain, the new Warden of Moonmist stood in the Elendarithrone room watching the people depart. Beside him was Rat Catcher,the grey and black striped cat lying back licking her fur andYllandril, the small stone spider.
He was sad. The dreamwas over and he was patiently waiting to return to his mundaneexistence in his Grandfather’s magic shop. It was like the end of awonderful adventure story. He had countless priceless memories butthe most enduring would be the memory of Miranda, his wonderfuldruid princess.
He was mainly sadbecause he had promised to help her find her missing father and toremove the magic tattoo that was a physical barrier stopping themfrom joining. He was betrothed to her and he loved her dearly. Shewas so beautiful, so exciting, so loving, caring and trusting. Hefelt guilty as if he was deserting her and betraying their love.Perhaps he could try and come back in another dream and continue onfrom where this one had ended.
The Elendari Lords andtheir Ladies were leaving discussing the amazing events that hadoccurred. There was talk of forming a council to discuss theMentarin threat and a new Queen. Darkmantle and Llalorax hadsomething urgent to do and vanished. The Trixies were starting toclean up.
Bellen and several ofhis Trixie friends had Miranda’s body, which had been transformedto stone, on a trolley and were wheeling it down the servicecorridor within the walls of the palace to a position of eminencewithin the garden maze. Miranda’s spirit had been stolen by one ofthe Mentarin. Her body was still technically alive as it had thespirit of Slivver, Miranda’s parasitic creature companion withinit.
‘When am I going toleave this damn dream and wake up, Terren.’ asked Aquitainimpatiently.
‘Terren is dead myLord’ said the Rat Catcher through the mind link. ‘but he did giveme a message for you before he died.’
‘He said that there hasbeen a problem. You can’t leave yet. In fact it may be some timebefore you can leave. He said he was going to try and fix it. Hesuggested that you continue your heroic deeds as normal; findMiranda as she’s lost and in trouble again; help the Elendari fightthe Mentarin; fight dragons and the like.’
‘Really! Oh Granddadwill be disappointed. However, I guess he will keep trying. I thinkI will go and save Miranda. It would be fun to make her Queen ofall Moonmist. Maybe then I can be her king and remove that damntattoo. I’ll bet Terren’s not dead only trying to make me moreindependent.’
‘Yllandril, we havework to do! So let’s get on with it!’
He stood thinking aboutthe problem of Miranda’s body. He was sure that within a minute ortwo after the polymorph power wore off the body would turn toflesh. Slivver’s spirit might be able to keep it alive long enoughfor Aquitain to do something he never thought he would do.
Through his mindlinkwith Bellen which was still intact he said,
‘Hello Bellen. Is thereany way we could make a copy of Miranda’s body?’
‘Um it’s possibleMilord, we Trixies knows lots a magic powers but the Queen Aurorasays we can’t use them as it wears out the magic. I never knewthat, so we does most things without magic these days.’
‘Really!’ said Aquitain‘that explains a lot. I wondered why you didn’t use magic to helpset the tables and serve the food.’
‘The queen is gone nowand I need a copy of Miranda just as she is now. I want to put acopy of her body in the maze garden rather than the real one.’
‘Good idea Milord.’replied Bellen.
‘The lichen and mosswill grow over her very quickly and then she won’t look so pretty.What do yer want to do with this statue?’
‘I want you to keep herreal body hidden and secure here in the palace. Can you do that?’asked Aquitain.
‘To be sure! I’ll putit in the room of faces. No one goes there except me.’ repliedBellen.
‘That’s an excellentidea. Wait until I join you. Can you put it there first and then goand find out how to make a copy.’
Bellen waited forAquitain to arrive then teleported Miranda’s statue, Aquitain,Yllandril, the Rat catcher and himself
