The Politics Begin ...

"It feels like it all just happened," said Awena as she took a moment to collect herself.  The others that were with her in the Shadows' King's receiving room all nodded their head in agreement.  It was in fact now several hours after Hunter, The CAT, and Druzzy had disappeared through the magical portal.  At first everything was mass confusion right up to the point when Ffion, finally realizing that her father may be gone forever, fainted.  It was Dulbbe who carried her inside of the castle to the receiving room as everyone followed him.

​Gently he sat her on one of padded chairs to recover as Awena continued.  "The question is, what do we do now?"  It seemed that no one had an answer.

Finally it was the newly re-born Dragon who spoke.  "It's all my fault," he said with a tear in his eye.  "If it wasn't for me none of this would have happened."  

"Nonsense!  Now listen everyone... this was but one of two possible outcomes from the moment the Dragon tablet was found.  With what it foretold would happen long ago, I am glad for one that goodness prevailed," said Goodiegood.  "It could have gone either with a new beginning or a recipe for despair and the ending of the Realm.  We should rejoice that the Shadows' King gave us a new beginning!"

Realizing that the Goodie sister was right, the Dowager decided it was time to start that beginning.  "Goodiegood is right.  The proper time for mourning will come when we know for sure that those who entered the portal are truly gone." ​

"In the meantime, we have lots of work to do," she said as she started over to where Dulbbe was tending to the princess.  As she approached, she noticed that Ffion was getting a little of her color back and was looking at her. "Princess," began Griselda, "in your father's absence you are now the Queen of the Shadows' Realm.  I will stay for a while to assist you, but what are your commands?" she asked as she slowly curtsied before the new Queen.  Seeing this, the others in the room also bowed down (all except the Hir'aeth, the Gooblin King of course).

Both surprised and flustered, at first Ffion did not know what to say.  Seeing everyone bowing was a shock to her.  "This is an honor for my father, not me," she thought.  It is when she looked at Hir'aeth looking at her and seeing him nod his head is when she realized that she would have to make some decisions - she was  now the Queen of the Shadows' Realm!

Slowly raising from the chair, she started to speak but it came out more like a squeak.  After taking a breath and a few swallows (which also gave her another second to gather her thoughts) she began.  "I thank you all for your allegiance and your good wishes.  In the absence of the King, I will do my best to keep our Realm prospering.  My first acts are to make the Dowager Griselda one of my advisors and as my father had requested that Awena of the Sleeping Sisters be the royal tutor."

Deciding this would be the best time for him to act, the Gooblin King waited until the Princess (" I must remember she is the Queen now," thought Hir'aeth) had finished - he made his move.  "Queen Ffion.  With the absence of the Troll King, someone should take his place to guide his kingdom.  As the nearest monarch, I offer my services until his return."  

"Ah... the politics begins," muttered the Dowager.  As she was sitting near Ffion, it was only the new queen that heard her.  Being raised in a royal household, the new queen smiled to herself as she had learned quickly what to do from the many times of watching her father.

"Oh great King.  I thank you for the offer of your service, but another has already been selected to replace the Troll King.  A distant relative of Druzzy is already here in the room.  Hewy, I ask if you will be the acting Troll King until his return?" Ffion said as she looked at the startled troll.

This was something that Hewy knew he did not want to do... "I am a musician," he thought as he slowly rose to his feet deciding how to decline.  He knew that if the Gooblin King became the acting ruler of the Troll Kingdom, it would take more than a Dragon to dislodge him when it came time to select a new ruler if Druzzy did not return.  "Your majesty, I must respectfully decline as another more suited and is closer in relation to the absent King is also here."  Now this surprised everyone!  Who was he talking about?  It was the Dowager who figured it out first.

"It must be Dulbbe!" she whispered so that only the Queen would hear.  Shocked at hear this, Ffion turned to look at Dulbbe who was still bowing and looking at the floor.  "Dulbbe, is this true?" she asked.

"Yes my Queen.  It is.  I am the younger brother of King Druzzy," the troll answered, still not taking his eyes off of the floor.  "Your father knew but he told me when he made me the keeper of his accounts that it was because of my skills with numbers and not because of who I was.  That is why I told no one else.  Hewy, being a troll knew because he often would perform at the Troll King's events and would see me there with my brother."

This revelation surprised even the Gooblin King, but before he could speak again, the Queen asked her question now to Dulbbe.  "Will you be the acting Troll King until his return?"  Not wanting to let her down and only now partially realizing that as a King he might actually have a chance at winning her heart, Dulbbe finally looked up at her as he told her "Yes, I will do as you ask."

At this announcement the crowd began to stand and clap as Dulbbe walked to Hewy and shook his hand, while Hewy, being the only other troll in the group, bowed to his new sovereign.  "Ahh, the fun begins anew," smiled the Gooblin King wondering how this adversary will 'add up' (accountant humor).

It was during the clapping and applause that the new Queen noticed a feeling that she had not felt before.  It first started as a tingling at her fingers which soon was covering her whole body like the magic that flowed through her when she was at the Goodies cottage.  Soon the others in the room also saw the glow forming around her as the room became quiet.  As all eyes were looking at her, one set of eyes was watching another who was having the same issue.  "As the prophecy stated - forever joined by the sacrifice of magic will they be," smiled Goodie4U as the glow slowly disappeared around Queen Ffion and the new Moon Dragon.