After conferring with the other half of the group in the mirror, the magical army assembled and prepared to head southward. It took far more time than Aurora would have liked, but she knew that patience was key. Rushing things would lead to disaster.

At last they were assembled and ready to go. The elves and fairies, together at last, stood in all their shining glory.

Led by Ithel and Zoltan, the elves stood in perfect straight lines in their resplendent armor. If nothing else, their shining helmets would blind the enemy. Silently, the agile creatures awaited orders while staring ever forward. They were the picture of military prowess. Their golden skin against their steel armor made them looked like a shining sea of metal.

On the other side of the spectrum were the fairies. They had no discernible lines or ranks as they waited for instructions. The plump creatures were grouped by their season chatting pleasantly with one another. A few were even flying, and the gentle whirring of the wings created a slight breeze.

The fairies wore no armor as they would not be fighting directly, and their gauzy clothing made them look like large flowers popping out of the grassy field.

Aurora regarded the scene with pleasure and hope. She stood next to Utku, petting him as the final preparations were being made. Zoltan and Bolemir approached the woman with a slight bow.

"You have achieved something that no one in recent memory has done, Your Majesty," Bolemir praised the Empress. "You have made the fairies and elves allies once more."

"We drew up quite a good contract," Zoltan held our his hand and shook the fairy's forearm.

"I thought you were already allies?" Aurora tilted her head. Utku whinnied, laughing at her.

"We were more like business acquaintances, especially after how they treated you ten years ago," Bolemir said seriously. "But I hope in the future, the elves and the fairies can be friends."

"Here here!" The king agreed. If the men had had glasses, they would have toasted. Instead they patted one another on the back.

"The last time the fairies and elves were united like this was in our war against humanity." Bolemir observed as he looked out at the field.

With a thin smile, Zoltan nodded. "Though this time we will be on humanity's side in the battle. It will be a nice change of pace."

The Empress tickled Utku under his velvety chin. "I hope this war will end more favorably than the last. Isn't that why the Fates put up the wall and divided the land of magic?"

The two males looked at one another with sadness in their eyes. "It divided everyone, not just the land," Bolemir responded. "Before our time it is said that all magical creatures used to walk alongside the humans, even the Fates. When the war happened, magic and non magic forces fought until everyone was on the brink of destruction if they had continued. After setting up a safe place for both Gifted and the Common, more and more of the Fates retreated into the Mystic Spires giving up their mission to protect and help humanity..."

"Not Hanna..." Aurora objected.

The fairy nodded with a warm smile. "Hanna and a few others have been doing their best to fulfill their work. And it seems their efforts were not in vain. You have begun to heal broken relationships and mend what was seemed beyond repair."

"For that we all owe you a great debt," Zoltan added. "I do not hope you will call on me to repay it in the way the elves use to do..."

Aurora smiled. She was glad to have been such a good influence on Prince Ithel, and that the elves' practice of forced servitude was abolished. "No, Your Majesty. I would never think of it."

"And you have a few more allies to join us?" the elven king asked, intrigued.

Not wanting to give too much away and ruin her chances, Aurora shrugged. "We shall find out when we get outside the barrier to the lake. Are we ready?"

"Nearly. Just waiting for out final recruits." Bolemir released the wings hidden in his back. "I will make one last sweep of the fairies to confirm that we are ready to go." He inclined his head and flitted off.

Aurora's brow furrowed. "Where are Brinn, Ithel, Gandr and Zan?" The Empress had spotted Alvar among the elven troops, but everyone else was missing.

"They are all together bidding farewell to my wife." Zoltan was with a hint of melancholy. "I thought it best that I give them all the time they need."

The Empress touched the king's arm gently, her face filled with concern. "Did you not want to say goodbye as well?"

The king's eyes clouded with grief. "We gave our final words already. I promised to protect our children, nephew, Bukuri and the Guardian with my life. I owe Lanassa that much. She could have left me, you know. But she has chosen to stay and be my queen. I will strive to the worthy of that."

The Empress nodded gently. She was glad to see how far he had come from the elf she met ten years ago. Even the king from a few months ago was not the same as the one who stood beside her. If Zoltan could change after all these years, surely there was hope for everyone.

----------------------

Trumpets and fanfare met the troops as they exited the Ice Barrier through the elven gate. They could have gone over the frozen wall, but the gate required far less work and planning.

The small garrison of soldiers that would be left behind to guard the land of magic saluted and cheered those who were heading off to battle. It gave those leaving the courage to go onward. Most of them had never left the safety of the barrier before.

As they approached the lake, Aurora directed the elves and fairies to continue their progess around the lake. "I have business to attend to before we leave," she said cryptically. Only Brinn, Zan, Ithel and Gandr stayed behind.

Reyan had tried, but was convinced that he needed to help get the other fairies into shape as the plump creatures were used to portalling about and not exercising. With the pride of his people at stake, the old fairy was ordering others about until he was out of earshot of the Empress.

When the last of the troops had moved on, Aurora dismounted Utku and walked slowly into the great lake, wetting her shoes and the hem of her dress. The water was warm, and the shiny stones of the shore glistened brightly in the sunlight. If not for the urgent matters at hand, it would have been nice for a swim.

"I know you are here!" Aurora called. "I did not mean to make you wait so long."

Out of the water, two figures emerged. One was a watery visage of a woman who was nearly inseparable from the lake below and the other looked like a smiling seal.

"Wai and Phoca!" the Empress was overjoyed. "I am so glad you both could join me."

"Happy to be here, Your Majesty," Phoca answered as she approached the Empress. They exchanged a slightly wet hug. Wai's greeting was similar, but her hug was very wet indeed.

With the others watching from the shore, Aurora and the other two ladies discussed how best to use the Selkies and the Nymphs. Wai had visited Phoca on the Empress's behalf, and the beautiful Selkie did not need to think twice. She was in! Unlike the planning with the elves and fairies, which had taken many hours and weeks of work, the talks between the females was less than an hour. Even with Phoca translating for Wai, things went very smoothly.

"That about sums it up I think." Aurora sighed as their work was completed.

"Why do you sound sad?" Phoca asked with concern. Her whiskers twitched as she tilted her seal-like head completely sideways.

"It is nothing," the Empress responded with a shrug. "Only, I had hoped there would be one more ally to join us."

"If you want me to join you, you will have to come deep and get away from that nymph. She has threatened to drown me on more than one occasion which is as impossible as it is annoying." Darya called from further out in the lake.

Wai gurgled some angry retort at the mermaid before turning apologetically to the Empress.

Aurora could see the tension between them. She tried to comfort the watery woman, "I will handle it, Wai. Would you tell your cousins the wood nymphs our plans?"

The nymph reluctantly complied after a few more choice words with the mermaid in the ancient tongue. Phoca watched vigilantly from the shallow water at Aurora plunged deeper to meet the representative of the merfolk.

"I am glad you came." Aurora tried to sound pleasant.

Darya gave her an enchanting smile. "I love your hair, you look almost like a mermaid with all those streaks of vibrant color. It's a shame you are just a human."

"Thank you," the Empress was unsure what else to say. "I believe my husband spoke to you about forming an alliance."

"He promised me all the fear I could handle," Darya corrected her. "And I have been very patient, but I am eager to collect."

Aurora realized this would not be a normal agreement. The merfolk were uninterested in diplomatic negotiations. They merely wanted to feed, and she had what they wanted.

"Can you get to the ocean? If so, there is every manner of pirate who you can entrance to your heart's delight."

"We can, but we have been hunted there before," Darya complained.

"If you can rid us of our pirate problem--and only the pirates--I will work with you to make the ocean safe for mermaids to travel."

Darya laughed, her voice holding an enchanting melody. "Quite a proposal!" She closed her eyes and seemed to be communicating with her clan. Her lips formed into a mischievous smile. "You and your husband make a good team. He proposes the deals, and you close them. We have an agreement."