Quick as the crack of a whip, they flew, Miriama and the pilot Given, upon the flaming jet beasts back, over the snowy mountains and into the kingdom of Glacia,landing in the great courtyard of the Royal palace.
The King and Queen were overjoyed to see Miriama again and the queen even ran out to greet her which was a terrible mistake because she was supposed to be,according to the lie which she had told Miriama,terribly ill.
“Mother,are you feeling better?”,asked Miriama,surprised to see her mother
so full of energy.
Suddenly Miriama’s mother remembered that she was supposed to be ill and pretended to faint, “Oh, I am sorry,my son”,she said, “I was just so overjoyed by your return that I forgot my illness. Such is the power of a mother’s love”.
Miriama,who had the strength of many men,scooped her mother into her arms and carried her back to her bed.
However,the king who was not as wise in understanding people as his wife laughed and told Miriama that his mother had never really been ill but that it had been a necessary lie.
“You mean that I travelled over mountains and through death and danger for nothing”,said Miriama,taking the precious Mandragon fruit she had meant to present to her mother and hurling in on the floor, “Why would you lie to me
in such a way?”.
Miriamas Father explained that they were trying to protect the secret that would have brought shame to the family name if it were ever uncovered. “You were becoming very attractive to the ladys at court and we could not risk any of them getting under your disguise”, he said.
It was at this point that Stellany,who had transformed herself, earlier, into a ladybird and was crawling upon Miriama’s back, flew out of her collar and metamorphosized back into her real form; that of a beautiful woman. “I know his secret, I mean her secret”, said Stellany, “And I love her!”
The king and queen were quite stunned and angered by this. “How dare you”,they both started to yell.
But Miriama said that she loved Stellany too and that they wished to be married.
The king absolutely forbade it. “A Princess dressed as a Prince is scandal enough but two women marrying is an attrocity and I shall not permit it”.
“But” said Miriama, “God,herself,permits it. I know because she spoke to me and to Stellany”.
However, the powers of evil had blocked up the king and queens ears for they would not listen to Miriamas protestations and so Miriama told them “I
have fought snow serpents and savage tribes and surmounted obstacles that few mortal men could manage and so I will not be deterred by the puny hurdles of foolish conventions and traditions – I shall marry Stellany, with or without your permission”.
“Then”,said the king,his face turning red with rage. “You shall not ever have the throne. Infact,we will banish you from this kingdom!”.
As the king spoke these words, the Mandragon fruit which Miriama had hurled against the floor split open and, suddenly, out of it rose a great and ancient tree. Not a mandragon tree but a tree with branches of sun-beams constantly shedding leaves of golden light; the tree of Life and it grew and spread its branches so quickly that it was like a bomb exploding, hurling the king,queen and Miriama to the floor and,when it had finished growing,it was taller than any of them with its shining branches pressed against the ceiling and then,with the voice of mother god,it spoke and its branches swayed and shook as if moved by a strong wind.
“I am all and I am one and thus I am the one that rules over all. I am the mother and the father of all and all are my children. I am the king and queen of all and all kings and queens are subject to me. I am the law above all other laws
because I am logic and love supreme and pure. My will is destiny and it was my will that gave Miriama to the king and queen of Glacia,it was my will that guided Miriama over all the hurdles created by evil and no,Miriama, your quest was not
meaningless for, upon your quest, you helped many people who, otherwise, might have perished and proved yourself a courageous and noble person, fit to be a Queen . It is my will,also, that brought Miriama and Stellany together, as all loving hearts throughout time have been united by me, and my will that they should marry and that their two adopted children,Leona and Enola,should inherit the throne after them and that the queendom of Glacia should become a place of great love and tolerance and liberty but strong in the defence of good”.
Now the King and Queen; Miriama and Stellany were kneeling upon the palace floor and then the two children Enola and Leona entered laughing as children do and all was quiet except for their laughter but the shining tree was vanished
“Why is everyone kneeling?”,asked Enola to Leona, “Do you think that it is some kind
of game?”.
Then Miriama took Stellany and the two children and the King and Queen all in her arms and thereafter, Gods will was fulfilled.

Comments
HOMER05 | February 15, 2011 - 21:03
I enjoyed reading this story. Well done. xx :)