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The queen stood on the palace steps with Balduur by her side They were flanked by palace trolls dressed in the green-and-gold uniforht

The first of the Plaid Koerno fighters had arrived in captured pods They halted at the foot of the steps and started to argue over what to do next Liala waited anxiously She wished Allain ith theree on who should be the next co She pushed her way to the fore, deterun Balduur ca down the steps towards her

'Liala We are so pleased to see you'

He looked rather splendid in his green gown and s and watched as he took her hand and escorted her up the steps

Her hter'

Liala had never received such a show of affection before

'Mother What is happening?'

'The ione into the Forbidden Zone and he's killing the ready to flee to another real any that the professor really is the Lord of Light?'

Mother's deed

'Certainly not! My dearly espoused is the Lord of Light'

'You mean Balduur?'

'Of course'

'How did you meet him, Mother?'

'The chancellor introduced us He explained that my dear Balduur had come to save us, as the prophecies foretold The man you call the professor is his faithful servant His other name is Thoed a coup There could be no other explanation He had got Balduur and the professor to buuardians and intended to rule as a dictator What came next convinced her Mother produced a microphone and started to read a prepared speech

'My dearly espoused and I are delighted by the hters of Plaid Koerno in the patriotic struggle against the tyrannical rule of the self-styled guardians of the realo down in history '

It was the sort of slush the chancellor wrote Liala could alhters were lapping it up They were standing at the foot of the steps with their ed One bunch of guardians had slaughtered another and intended to rule through the royal family, just as before