Lila clasped her hands together, reading the residual magic from Pixla. Her heart sank. “Mirya…I cannot detect Kyrlen within her. He’s gone.”
The elf sobbed uncontrollably. “Can…can he be…”
Sadly, Lila shook her head. “There’s nothing to restore. It’s like…he never existed.”
Mirya cried in her arms for a long time, not wanting to see the tiny pixie shrug her shoulders and flutter out the open window. Carlottan tried to approach her, for comfort or other reasons, and was met with a steely gaze from Lila.
“Sleep,” she whispered coldly, causing the treacherous elf to fall into deep slumber.
Mirya knew what needed to be done. She called an assembly of Kyrlen’s royal hierarchy, and relayed the story of what had happened to Kyrlen, both as a result of Carlottan’s curse, and her failed attempt to undo it. She spoke honestly and directly, ready to accept whatever punishment they saw fit to dole out.
The assembly debated the matter for two hours, before finally deciding on a course of action. They cleared Mirya of punishment for what she’d done, and had Carlottan locked away in the castle dungeon for her crimes.
Mirya was as surprised as anyone when they offered her the title of Queen. For the sake of the Elven race, she accepted, and was crowned before her supportive people that afternoon. She named Lila her advisor, and began her rule.
Her heart weighed heavy with her pain, and she cried herself to sleep that night. Lila watched her from afar, perched in gargoyle form on a spire overlooking her window. If a gargoyle couldn’t shed tears, no one ever told Lila.
During the night, as Queen Mirya slumbered…
Sun Jul 14 06:13:20 2002