by Des Pensable
‘Who are you?’ she asked indignantly.
‘Return to the stronghold immediately!’ yelled Miranda to her escort. ‘I will deal with this.’ and the men left without hesitation.
‘You don’t recognize me do you?’ said Miranda with a smile.
‘Let me tell you a story. When you escaped from Moonmist and captured Argenta you took what you thought was your baby with you. Later you discovered that your daughter wasn’t really your daughter at all. She was a Llanllean. You realized someone else had your daughter as a hostage but you could never find out who it was. After a while it began to drive you insane. When she began to show signs of becoming a sorceress you decided to get nasty and you would train her to be a Tempest to wreak havoc on Moonmist for stealing your true daughter.
The Lady, in her wisdom, had a different idea. She asked you to make your daughter a druid and promised to reveal where your real daughter was but your patience ran out. So you’ve become a nasty malign bitch hating everyone around. Am I correct?’
’Very perceptive dear. I suppose that you are going to say you are my missing daughter.’ replied Snowbelle sarcastically.
‘I have found your true daughter and discovered that our spirits were swapped between our bodies at birth. Our spirits have now been replaced in their true bodies by the Lord Warden. I am the spirit of the Miranda you knew and called daughter in the body I was born in. The spirit of your true daughter is now in the body it was born in. Your true daughter’s name is Gizel. Both of us have pledged ourselves to the new power in the land, Aquitain the Lord Warden of Moonmist.
‘I used to love you and call you mother but you have changed and become something horrible. I beg you to recognize your real daughter Gizel and change from your malign ways if that is possible. Join us to fight against the Mentarin for they are the real threat to this land.’
Snowbelle was shocked. She used her aura sight to see Miranda’s aura. ‘Your aura is similar but different to that of Miranda. I think that it’s all lies. I don’t know who you are yet but you will tell me everything as I enjoy watching you scream for mercy.’
‘My aura has been changed by the Dark Lord. I am now what you wanted me to be. I am now a Tempest and more powerful than you can imagine.’ Step aside Snowbelle or feel my wrath.
‘Adonis is going to help me to recapture Argenta back. I will be Queen again and I will have a worthy and courageous king at my side. I couldn’t believe it was my own daughter that let them into Argenta and killed and maimed her own people in such a callous way. It is obvious that Aquitain is behind your greed for power. I should have killed that cunning bloody bear when I had the chance.’
‘Mother it wasn’t like that. I was at Argenta but a Mentarin spirit possessed me and did all those horrid things. I had no say in it at all.’ replied Miranda.
‘So you say.’ said Snowbelle. ‘and then you paraded around at the ball wearing my armour, with my staff of authority, and claim to be the Queen of Argenta contending for the Elendari throne. Why else would Darkmantle kill the Queen but to get his daughter onto the throne? Darkmantle hasn’t changed a bit, still just as ruthless as ever. He has totally fooled you but not me.’
‘I’m going to take you back to the nymph camp where you will pay for your crimes. You will be humiliated, stripped of all your druid abilities and disowned by me. Your new brother shall inherit everything. You will regret the day a hundred times over that you were a traitor to me.’
‘Mother this isn’t you speaking. Adonis has done something to your mind. He’s not what he appears to be. He’s something horrible pretending to be nice. Aquitain saw it, that’s why he wants to kill Aquitain.’ said Miranda desperately shocked by what her mother was saying.
‘Enough. We are going back to the nymph camp. Do you wish to do it the easy way or the hard way?’ said Snowbelle.
‘No I’m not going mother! I have a job to do and I’m going to do it. So get out of the way.’ said Miranda.
‘Ha ha. So my renegade bitch of a daughter wants to fight does she? This should be amusing. It’s time you had a lesson from mummy.’
There was a sudden surge of magic and Snowbelle froze. Prendergrass appeared and said.
‘Quickly, go through the gate. I have paralysed your mother but it will wear off in a minute or two. Go and the Lady be with you.’
‘Thanks, Prendergrass.’ said Miranda and ran off into the tunnel found the gate and passed through it back to Mudrun.
‘Well, we meet again Snowbelle. I won’t thank you for the Black Rot it wasn’t pleasant at all. You’re wrong about Miranda. She’s the innocent party in this game that we’re playing. You’ll leave her alone if you’re wise as I’m not sure what the Lord Warden would do if she were to come to any harm. His power and authority have grown immense. You’d best be on your guard. Bye.’ and he left before the paralysis wore off.
Snowbelle was annoyed with herself. She should have been more careful. She should have closed the gate and she should have been aware that Darkmantle’s minions would be watching over her daughter. Of course she didn’t believe anything they said. They just didn’t know Adonis like she did. He was so wonderful.
When the power word that had paralysed her wore off, she went into the tunnel and passed through the gate. ‘I can guess what you’ll be getting up to so perhaps I can beat you to it.’ she thought with a smile.
Chapter 30 The Lady Smiled
Garret smiled for the first time in days and breathed in the rich jungle air. He was back in Mudrun again. It was early morning just before sunrise. Lord Darkmantle and six of the Lord’s most trusted guards accompanied him. He ordered his guards to set up a camp and wait for him to return.
‘May I have the teleport ring now, your Lordship. We will be in Templewood in no time.’
‘Is that where this Archwizard Featherdown lives?’ asked Darkmantle. ’I thought he lived in a place called Twin Towers.’
‘Er … he moves at will between both places, your Lordship. If we teleport to my place we will be able to find out where he is at the moment.’ replied Garret.
‘Okay.’ said Darkmantle, ‘Take us there.’ and passed him a teleport ring.
Garret would soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief. He had his memory back. While Miranda was out playing with her strange little girl, Aquitain had unbelievably asked him to mindlink, had briefly put him into an hypnotic trance and when he awoke he knew everything that had transpired up until Allen Amber had blocked his memory the night they stole the rod. He couldn’t believe that Aquitain hadn’t bothered to read his memory and find out anything about him or about that night but then again he did have many things on his mind and the rod did turn up so he guessed that it didn’t matter that much.
Lord Darkmantle, Gizel, Tigerlilly and Garret all teleported right into Garret’s Magic shop which was closed. The cat teleported separately. They heard some noise in the workshop and went in there to find his brother Wolfram sitting by a workbench sipping a cup of hot beverage. He rose, smiled and came over to hug Garret.
‘It’s wonderful to see you back safely. How did it all go and who is this?’ he asked.
‘I have an incredible story to tell but first let me introduce Lord Darkmantle of the Elendari, Gizel and Tigerlilly and her cat. He needs to meet with the High Wizard as soon as possible. He has some news of a possible threat to Mudrun.’ replied Garret.
‘That may be difficult at the moment. It’s almost impossible to get to see him. It seems we are at war and everyone is being trained to fight or make weapons. I’ve been drafted to help. I haven’t slept for three days as they urgently want lots of magic items fixed, recharged and made. I’m glad you’re back and I hope that you’re ready for some work. Perhaps I can send a message to him via a guard as I was told if I needed any magical materials to send a request to the druid headquarters.’
‘Who are we at war with?’ asked Garret quite surprised.
‘About a week ago the Panmagican Alliance attacked Mu
drun. There was a big battle between the druids and the Panmagicans which we seem to have won but they also attacked and captured Twin Towers. A wizard Captain of the Mudrun Defence Force called Aquitain seems to have almost single handedly saved most of the villagers from Twin Towers according to the stories that I’ve heard.’
‘That’s strange.’ thought Lord Darkmantle. ‘He would have been with us at the time. I wonder how he did it? Hmmm.’
‘Why don’t we just go to the druid headquarters?’ asked Lord Darkmantle.
‘That may not be a good idea as the guards are on edge. The Yith have also arrived on Mudrun presumably to counter the presence of the Panmagicans. The town has been harassed a couple of times by Yithmardu and some guards killed.’ replied Wolfram.
‘What are they?’ asked Garret.
‘Apparently some type of Yith shape changer similar to our druids.’ replied Wolfram. ‘They can change into horrible creatures from the Yith worlds. Anyone the guards see that they don’t know or looks a little different is immediately arrested.’
‘Dam. Perhaps the note is the best idea.’ said Garret. ‘I’ll write one and we’ll wait upstairs. Is Jaz here?’
‘No she’s visiting friends at the moment.’ replied Wolfram.
A message was sent and they waited about two hours then heard a knock at the front door. Wolfram opened it to see a Newman wizard with a large black construct standing five paces behind him.
‘You sent a note saying that you had information about Aquitain and a threat to Mudrun?’
‘Err … yes my Lord. Who are you?’
‘I am an advisor to the High Wizard.’ said Sol Theolaur and Wolfram felt himself lifted a hand span off the floor and floated into the shop backwards followed by the wizard. The construct shrunk to a size that would fit through the door and followed the wizard.
‘Garret. We have a visitor from the High Wizard. Could you please come down here and bring your friends.’ shouted Wolfram.
Garret hurried down the stairs followed by Lord Darkmantle but stopped dead when they saw the construct and Wolfram floating above the floor.
Sol Theolaur’s eye turned golden as he examined their auras then gently lowered Wolfram to the floor.
‘I am Aquitain’s grandfather. I believe you have some information about him and other matters that you would like to tell me.’
Lord Darkmantle stepped forward.
‘I am Lord Wyvern Darkmantle, your grandson Aquitain is betrothed to my daughter Miranda.’
Both men stood staring at each other suspiciously for a few seconds and Sol noticed another separate bright spirit aura hiding behind Darkmantle. It was a most unusual aura not unlike Aquitain’s. He recalled an image of Aquitain’s spirit aura and compared the two.
‘Is that you Aquitain?’ he said using mindspeak.
To his surprise Tigerlilly stepped out from behind Darkmantle.
‘No I am Princess Tigerlilly. Aquitain is my daddy. You better not be a bad man because my daddy doesn’t like them.’
Sol was startled. ‘Who is the man you are with?’ he asked.
‘This is my grandfather Wyvern silly. He already told you that!’
‘And who is this lovely Lady.’ asked Granddad referring to Gizel.
‘This is my other daughter, Gizel, the Lord Warden Aquitain’s second chosen.’ replied Darkmantle with a smile at Granddad’s surprise.
‘It’s lovely to meet you my dear.’ Granddad replied.
‘May I mind link with you, Lord Darkmantle?’ he asked.
‘As you wish.’ replied Darkmantle.
Sol created the link and said ‘Is my grandson really a father?’
Darkmantle smiled and relaxed. ‘Yes it would seem so. However, it is the most unusual story you will ever hear. Let’s sit and I will tell you what has happened.
‘I want to walk around.’ she said.
“Okay’ said Darkmantle and she walked straight over to Goth and said ‘Pick me up!’ and Goth bent over and gently picked her up and she sat down in his open hand and waved at them all.
‘By all the Powers!’ said Sol totally surprised.
‘Yes she has got a mind of her own.’ said Darkmantle with a smile and he began telling Sol all that he knew that had happened.
***
Miranda exited the gateway. There was a large pile of ash and some bone remnants where the dead wyvern had been. Someone had burnt the carcass. She pondered for a few moments as to where her father might have gone. Probably to Twin Towers she thought as he would have wanted to talk to the High Wizard Featherdown.
She remembered that she had come here weeks ago Mudrun time at the request of the Wolf people to investigate the disappearance of their young warriors and decided that she should go and see them. She changed to her sea eagle form and stretched her wings. It was so wonderful to be home.
She landed near the shaman’s hut and changed to a wolf form and howled then changed again to her old Miranda form as the shaman wouldn’t recognize her in her new body form. The shaman rushed out of his hut to meet her.
‘You are alive. You are well. Thank the spirits my Lady.’
‘Yes. I am alive and I have been away in another world for some time. Can you please tell what has happened since I have been gone?’
‘There is terrible news my Lady. The druids are at war with people called Panmagicans and the Yith. They have asked us to choose sides and we are unsure my Lady. We have asked the spirits but they have not yet replied.’ said the shaman.
‘By the Powers, that is terrible news.’ replied Miranda somewhat shocked.
‘Do you know how this war started?’
‘It seems that the Panmagicans attacked the druids at a druid conclave and there was a great battle which the druids won. There was also another battle at the place you call Twin Towers and the druids lost. There is a large Panmagican army there now.’
‘By the Lady! I almost went there!’ she thought.
‘Do you know anything about Templewood or Turtlehaven?’ she asked.
‘No my Lady I am sorry. I do not.’ replied the shaman.
‘Have you seen any strangers in the last few hours?’ she asked.
‘No.’ he replied.
‘I hope they didn’t go to Twin Towers.’ she thought.
‘Thank you, Toki, I must go now.’ And she removed a teleport ring from a leather pouch on her leg and teleported to the entrance of the Crin hive.
She stood there for a minute then said aloud.
‘Your majesty, this is Princess Miranda, may I have an audience?’
She was suddenly asleep and several minutes later awoke to find herself in front of Queen Beatrix with her hands tied behind her back.
‘You have been accused of murdering Crin friends and being disloyal to both your mother’s world and the Crin. You have four hours to consider the charges, Jobmaster Xentos will assist your defence if you wish.’ stated the Queen and she was led off to a small chamber guarded by two warriors who stood watching her.
Several minutes later Xentos entered.
‘Good day, Princess Miranda. Your mother is here and has made serious accusations against you. She claims you led an attack against Argenta causing it to be captured by Elendari and Yith. There are witnesses that claim to have seen you murder several Crin defending Argenta. Your mother claims to have seen you wearing her armour and claiming to be the new Queen of Argenta at a ball held by the Queen of Moonmist.’
‘These are serious accusations. They carry either the death sentence or life banishment from the Crin kingdom.’
Miranda gasped. ‘By the Lady – I’m trapped. I’m guilty as charged.’ she thought.
‘I personally cannot believe these charges and I am sure there is a logical explanation.’ said Xentos. ‘Take a little while to consider these false charges and then we will discuss how to dispute them Princess.’
Miranda dropped to a sitting position, she wrapped her arms around her legs, closed her eyes and began rocking
forwards and backwards, her mind had frozen.
Ten minutes later, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
‘Some friends are here to see you Princess.’ she distantly heard Xentos say.
She opened her eyes to see Quab and little Rory. She jumped up and cuddled into Quab.
‘Quab I’m guilty. They’re right. I did do what they say I did.’
‘I don’t believe you.’ said Quab.
‘I know you and I know Aquitain. Very strange things happen around the both of you. There is an explanation and we will find it. Now sit down and tell me everything to do with these charges.’
Miranda sat and told him what happened to her since she last saw Quab. Rory listened in with wide eyes. Nothing seemed to amaze Quab, he had changed, anything that Aquitain and Miranda did was now possible in his mind. When Miranda told him about being possessed by a malign spirit who took her body to Argenta and showed her strangling a little girl with her own hands, he accepted it.
‘As I thought.’ he said.
‘You are not guilty of leading an attack on your mother’s world or killing any Crin. It was the malign spirit controlling you.’
When she told him about getting a spare set of her mother’s armour from Llalorax and why she had pretended to be the Queen of Argenta, he again said.
‘Well done! You were exceptionally brave.’
When he heard about Tigerlilly, he just whispered the word ‘Amazing!’
When he had heard about her trials in the Felynx body and how Aquitain had found her and restored her body, tears rolled down his cheek.
‘That is so beautiful. I feel so honoured to have you and Aquitain as friends.’
‘You and the spirit bear sure be doing strange things.’ said Rory.
‘Okay, since Aquitain is gatekeeper which is akin to King of Astaria you are no longer Princess Miranda, you are the king’s chosen to be Queen Miranda of Astaria. Act accordingly. Queen Beatrice cannot find you guilty of anything. She cannot even put you on trial. Even the Druid’s Council of Mudrun does not have that right as you have committed no crimes on this world and I might add that the Crin are subject to Druid Council laws.’
