*
Gertrude had missed the incident between Queen Clivia and his mother. He was going to follow Octavius when he left but was held back by Queen Emmaline, being in the middle of introducing Toddy when the ruckus had erupted. The rest of the trolls went through the receiving line and entered the ballroom, its sights and sounds overwhelming at first. An orchestra with all types of stringed instruments played a swaying waltz. There was something resembling a harp fixed within a box with many keys. Gertrude hoped that before the evening was over he would have a chance to try and play this strange instrument. He carried his flute along just in case the music got dull.
Beautiful crystal chandeliers sparkled with lit candles while beautiful ribbons hung from their metalwork. Walls were draped with banners and flags and upon the wall at the far end of the room hung a beautiful life-sized oil portrait of the royal family. Walking into the grand room, everyone could feel the excitement. They soon found themselves lost in the festivities.
At the back of the ballroom, Gertrude and Toddy found Norman going around and greeting the many guests. They walked over towards her just as Prince Edwin approached her from behind.
“Happy birthday, Norman! The sight of you tonight would take nature’s breath away.” He took her hand and raised it high and twirled her like a ballerina. “You are absolutely beautiful…”
Norman giggled. “Thank you. And you look especially handsome this evening.” She caught sight of Gertrude and Toddy. “Edwin, I would like you to meet one of my dearest friends, Gertrude of Tinker Hollow and his date, Toddy of the Green Fern.”
Edwin smiled and hesitated for a split second before accepting Toddy’s hand and kissing it. He then grasped Gertrude’s hand and gave it a firm, strong shake. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I have admired the craftsmanship on Queen Emmaline’s crown. You have a rare talent to recreate nature’s beauty so deftly.”
“Thank you, Your Highness, for the kindness of your word.” Gertrude smiled.
Norman could tell that Gertrude was sizing the prince up. “Gertrude also fashioned the necklace that I am wearing tonight.” She touched the glittering necklace softly and smiled towards Gertrude.
“Ah yes, I can see the quality and care that he gives each piece that he creates. Princess, would you please do me the honor of this dance? If you would please excuse us, Sir Gertrude and Lady Toddy...” With that, Edwin grasped Norman’s arm and whisked her away to the dance floor.
Gertrude took Toddy’s arm and followed them. “This is my favorite waltz. It is called the ‘Waltz of the Flowers’.” He put his right arm around Toddy’s waist and took his left hand and put it in her right hand. Around the dance floor they whirled.
“Gertrude, I did not know that you knew how to dance! Who taught you?” Toddy smiled and bent her head back slightly. “I love dancing. I pretend that I am flying and that my feet are skipping across the clouds.”
Gertrude was enjoying the moment, too. There was an odd feeling rushing through his body, a strange kind of heat. He was watching Toddy’s face and laughing at her expression. “I am glad you are enjoying yourself. My mother taught me how to dance when I was a hopper. She would have me stand on her feet and I would have to keep my feet on hers. She made it like a game - one I thoroughly enjoyed. She always told me that a lady never enjoyed having her feet used for targets.” Gertrude chuckled.
Toddy smiled at Gertrude. “Thank you for inviting me tonight, Gertrude. I shall carry the extraordinary memory of this evening with me until the day I die.” Gertrude nodded in agreement. “To tell you the truth, Toddy, I was shocked when we received the invitation to the ball. My friendship with Norman is one thing, but to be here in the palace among all of these humans is not normal in our world.”
Toddy was quiet for a moment, perhaps to contemplate what Gertrude had just said. “Your father had envisioned a world where both human and troll lived in peace with each other, side by side, in their daily lives. I think it is through our generation that we will start to see the possibilities rather than the impossibilities.”
Gertrude was silent, whether it was to enjoy the moment or to ponder what Toddy had just expressed. “It is odd that you bring up the possibilities. I shall tell you one of my feelings that I keep within and have not shared with another. I feel like I am in a room where a door has slammed shut in my life. I am in a dark room where no one else has made a footprint. I am alone. I hear the voices of friends and family encouraging me onward. They seem to know my inner strength better than I. Kern has opened two windows for me, but he has only put light to one window. He tells me in whispers that the dark window represents my past. He has told me that the past can never become the present no matter how much one longs for some of its joys. So I have chosen the lit window, with the possibilities, knowing that Kern has given me the strength to go forward, and the knowledge that should I falter or I am in need that he will be there to guide me. It was difficult for me to accept the position of Grand Troll, but I did it. That was my first excursion through the window. Kern has a hand in our destiny, but it is up to us to follow the path he has set before us.” Gertrude sighed as if a burden had lifted from his shoulders. He looked at Toddy and realized that she was crying. “What is wrong, Toddy? I am sorry for making you cry.”
“Thank you for sharing yourself with me, Gertrude. You are far wiser than your years. Everyone should embrace the possibilities of life.” Toddy stopped dancing and retrieved a lace handkerchief from her bodice and wiped her eyes. Toddy stared beyond Gertrude toward the other side of the room.
“What is wrong, Toddy?” Gertrude turned to see what had caught Toddy’s eye. He looked but saw nothing unusual. He leaned over toward Toddy. “What do you see that troubles you?”
“I just saw that tall human over by the blue dragon banner give something to the guard. Is that not unusual, Gertrude?” Another waltz started and the pair found themselves dancing once again to make it possible for them to exit the dance floor near the man.
“I will go over and find out who this gentleman is. Perhaps I can figure out what he is up to.” Gertrude left Toddy’s side and walked through the crowd. He found his mother and Jasper engaged with Queen Julianna of Encumbra in a very animated conversation. He did not stop to enter the conversation and excused himself as he passed. Gertrude caught sight of the tall human that Toddy had seen a few moments before and walked up to him.
Octavius must have seen Gertrude walking swiftly through the crowd and met him just as he approached the human. “Gertrude, I have wanted to talk to you, but our paths have not met till now. Oh, excuse me, Gertrude, how rude of me. Gertrude, this is Lord Mellem Q. Richland of Glennmorley. Qew, this is my friend, Gertrude of Tinker Hollow, Grand Troll of Awll.”
Lord Mellem smiled. “Ah yes. Sir Gertrude, it is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard about you often.” Lord Mellem reached out to shake Gertrude’s extended hand.
The handshake felt weak and insincere. Gertrude noticed Qew wipe his hands clean with a hanky he was holding. He eyed Qew cautiously. There was something about this lord that he did not like.
“Gertrude, Qew is my childhood friend. We have known each other for many years. Unfortunately, we find less and less time to spend with each other as the years pass.” Octavius placed a hand on Qew’s shoulder. “I saw you walking in this direction. Is there something bothering you?”
Gertrude looked at Octavius and realized that he would have to choose his words very carefully so as not to question the king’s friendship with this person. “I noticed that he had been admiring the wall hanging of the dragon. I wondered if perhaps he was the artist.”
Qew laughed heartily. “My dear sir, you flatter me. No, this banner once hung in our household when I was a youngster. My father gave it to King Norman as a reminder of their friendship. When it was in our house, I use to admire it. To me, the dragon means strength and bravery. The crest of our family is a dragon. Do you have a crest, Sir Gertrude? Perhaps a rabbit?”
Gertrude sensed a hint of condescending sarcasm in Qew’s voice. “No, it is not a rabbit. Although they are smart and swift they do not match the power of an eagle. Sometime I must sit down with you over a glass of wine and tell you the tale of the eagle that slays the dragon.” Gertrude watched the veins in Qew’s neck bulge.
“That must be some tale, Gertrude! I would like to join you.” Octavius laughed.
“If you will please excuse me, I must find something to drink as my throat is getting parched. Once again, it was nice to meet you, Sir Gertrude. I will talk to you later, Octavius.” With that, Lord Mellem walked toward the other side of the ballroom where there was some punch.
Gertrude looked at Octavius. “Your friend, Lord Mellem, does not like me. I do not mean to insult you, Octavius, but he seems so distant and aloof, so different from you. What do you find about him that makes you like him?”
“It is odd that you ask me that question, Gertrude. I was contemplating just the other day what was holding our friendship together. The last time I saw him, he was in a hurry and hardly spoke to me, such as just a while ago. He has become distant over the past four or five years. I can only surmise the reason for his coolness. Perhaps he has too many things on his mind. He always had high aspirations of seeing new lands and conquering them. Maybe he realizes that the dream will not come true.” Octavius sat down on a nearby chair. “Gertrude, why did you really come over to Qew, I mean Lord Mellem?”
Gertrude was surprised by Octavius’ question. “Toddy saw Lord Mellem give something to one of your guards, and it appeared as if he were talking to him.”
“Which guard was it, Gertrude?” Octavius rose to his feet.
Gertrude looked over to where the guard had been standing and was surprised to see a different guard in his place. “He was standing over there, but that is not the same guard.” Gertrude quickly scanned the perimeter of the ballroom. “The guard leaves over there.” Gertrude pointed him out to Octavius.
Octavius turned and walked over to the remaining guard. “Warren, who was the soldier you just relieved?”
I do not know who he was, Your Highness. He came up to me a short while ago and told me that Commander Andre wanted to see me. I could not find the commander so I came back to my post.” The guard stood at attention and looked at Octavius with apprehension. “I hope that I did nothing wrong, Sire…”
“No, Warren you always do your service to me with honor.” Octavius rested a hand on the young soldier’s shoulder. “Gertrude, I am going to find Andre and have him come here. I think there is something amiss. I hope it is nothing, but I would rather err on the side of caution than not.”
“I think that I will keep an eye on Lord Mellem. Did he come with his wife tonight, Octavius?”
Octavius looked stunned by Gertrude’s question. “He is not married. He lost his wife in a riding accident just last year. She supposedly was on her way here when the horse she was riding got spooked by something. The horse threw her and she hit her head on a rock and died. Emmaline and I found it very hard to believe as she was a very accomplished rider. Why do you ask such an odd question, Gertrude?”
“He seems to be taken by this one lady in a blue gown, and she seems to be quite taken by him.” He pointed out Mellem and his female friend.
“Oh! That is Lady Vivian of Cole. She is Queen Angelia’s sister. I would not have invited her if it hadn’t been a request of Queen Angelia, herself. I find Vivian to be a very evil-minded, calculating individual. Really, I have never seen such a difference in siblings. Queen Angelia is a warm, caring individual. It really is quite a remarkable difference.” Octavius shook his head.
“I wish I could be a fly and be listening in on their conversation. I am sorry, Octavius, but I do not trust your friend, Mellem.” Gertrude picked a tart off of a passing tray.
“Mellem has changed a lot over the years, without doubt. However, I must give him the benefit of that doubt. Gertrude, I shall go find Andre. Keep watch to see if anything else that seems strange happens.” Octavius turned and walked towards the large entry into the ballroom.
Gertrude saw his mother and Toddy was standing next to her. He could not see Jasper. Perhaps he was getting some food from the table. He walked up to them to find Toddy crying. “What is wrong, Toddy? Are you feeling well?”
Winifred looked at Gertrude and gestured in the direction of Lord Mellem and Lady Vivian. “The beast in the blue dress made Toddy cry. She called her…”
“She called me a ‘wart-covered bullfrog’, and pushed me aside like I was dirt before a broom. Why are some of these humans so nasty tonight?” Toddy tried to choke back another onslaught of tears. “I told her she was a very rude person, and the man went to grab me but thought better of it.”
“I am sorry that you had a run-in with Lady Vivian and Lord Mellem. They are a well-suited pair.” A look of dismay crossed Gertrude’s face. He quickly changed his expression to a smile. “Come Toddy; let’s dance.” He took Toddy’s arm and headed to the dance floor.
Toddy stopped suddenly when she realized that Gertrude was taking her past Vivian and Mellem again. “Gertrude what are you doing? I do not want to go near her again!”
“Trust me, please, Toddy.” The two headed directly for Vivian, and Gertrude purposely bumped into her, making her spill a glass of wine down the front of her. “Oh, I am terribly sorry. Oh, Lord Mellem, please accept my most humble apologies for bumping into your friend.”
“You hideous green beast! Look at what you have done to my gown!” Lady Vivian sputtered. She then caught sight of Toddy. “You ugly green troll! You put this moron up to this, didn’t you?!”
Mellem grabbed Lady Vivian’s arm and whispered something in her ear. Lady Vivian looked at him incredulously and stormed off in a huff.
“Your apology is accepted, Sir Troll. Now if you will please excuse me…” Mellem turned abruptly, but not before showing his contempt through a disgusted expression.
Toddy laughed. “Gertrude you did do that on purpose. That is so unlike you. Why did you do that?”
“I had to prove something to myself. I believe Lord Mellem is here to cause some sort of trouble, however I wasn’t sure of it. His reaction just now cemented my suspicions. He is up to something. I will have to keep an eye on him.” He looked at Toddy and smiled. “Let’s go show these people how to dance!”
Toddy took his arm. “Gertrude, when I am with you, everything seems so wonderful. Even the bad things don’t seem so bad.” Before she finished her sentence, she was being whirled around the dance floor. They danced three dances until Toddy was out of breath.
Suddenly trumpets sounded. Everyone turned to the front of the room to where King Octavius, Queen Emmaline and Norman stood. The young woman was standing in between her parents.
“Ladies and gentlemen! We are here this evening to celebrate our daughter’s birthday. We are honored by your presence and hope that you will enjoy sharing this grand moment with us.” Octavius gestures toward the crowd before him.” I beseech you to let this be an evening of merriment and bliss.” Looking toward Norman, Octavius continued. “I will delay the festivities no longer. We shall formally start the celebration by having my daughter Norman choose her partner for the first dance. My wife and I have happily agreed on her choice. Norman would you please do your father and mother the honor of choosing your dance partner.”
Norman walked a few steps forward, turned and curtsied to her parents, smiling brightly as she came down the stairs and stepped onto the ballroom floor. She walked the inside perimeter of the cheering crowd. One by one, she passed all of her suitors, each one showing a look of dismay. Norman was having a good time at this and would extend a hand out partway and then pull it back, teasing the crowd. She soon had made a complete walk around the inside circle. Laughing, she started again, and kept up the teasing. Suddenly, Norman stopped and extended her arm fully in front of her chosen dance partner. The crowd hushed except for a few whispers.” I
choose you, my dear friend, to dance with. With your escort’s permission, will you dance with me?”
Gertrude could not believe that Norman had chosen him to dance with. He looked at Toddy to receive her nod. He reached out to grab Norman’s hand. There were a few audible gasps as Gertrude stepped upon the dance floor. Then as Norman entwined her arm within his, the crowd erupted into a loud, deafening cheer. “You do me great honor by choosing me as your first dance partner.”
“No, kind sir, it is I that am honored. I would trust you with my very life, my friend.” Norman smiled as she raised her right hand and the music began.
“I recognize this song.” He started singing the lyrics to Norman. Gertrude’s voice was deep and mellow, filled with heartfelt emotion.
‘Come, take my hand, my friend, for with you I feel so safe.
Please dance the ‘Friendship Waltz’ with me.
I will always be there if you should need me.
I will not hesitate when you call my name.
Life is a dance my friend, come join me in life’s embrace.
Whether you lead or follow, I shall be only a thought away.
May your life always be merry.
May the winds of change always bring you good.
I have been blessed by knowing you.
I have been double blessed by knowing you as a friend.
Life is a dance my friend, come join me in life’s embrace.
Whether you lead or follow, I shall be only a thought away.’
Norman was overwhelmed by the lyrics. She had picked the music only by its name. That is when she had gotten the idea to pick Gertrude instead of one of her suitors. She smiled down into Gertrude’s smiling face, tears of happiness flowing from her eyes.
“My mother use to sing that song to me when I was a small hopper. She still sings it when she gets busy with her chores. She and Dory sing it together a lot.” Gertrude swept her along as the music continued. “You look like a bouquet of roses bursting forth in all of their beauty tonight, Princess.”
Norman could only smile and say, “Thank you.” The music ended, only to begin again. Norman shared, “This is where some of the fun begins. When the music stops, you are suppose to pick another partner, and I will pick another partner. Each time the music stops, you pick another partner. Ready, set, go!” The music stopped. Norman let go and rushed over and grabbed Prince Edwin’s arm.
Gertrude hesitated for a split second and hopped over to where Queen Emmaline was standing. Off they flew across the floor. Each time the music stopped, they had to rush and get another partner. Soon the dance floor was full. Laughter echoed off the walls and ceiling. The dancing and merriment went on for a couple more hours, until King Octavius stood at the front of the ballroom once again with Queen Emmaline and Norman by his side. The horns sounded and the ballroom stood silent. Octavius cleared his throat.
“Please, everyone grab a glass so I may propose a toast to my lovely daughter.” Octavius waited but a moment and raised his glass to the assembled merrymakers then to his daughter. “To my lovely daughter: as we send you into the world to travel the roads of life, may you always have sunshine upon your face, a warm wind blowing from behind. May the flowers of love, friendship and happiness spring up before you upon the path that you choose. May I also be selfish at this moment and wish you many children so that your mother and I can spoil them. To my daughter, Norman, happy birthday!” Octavius hoisted his cup higher and then swiftly emptied its contents. “This has truly been a memorable evening so far. However, it would not be a birthday without a birthday cake. The cake, please!”
Horns trumpeted once again and the rear doors of the ballroom opened. Two guards holding streaming banners festooned with hundreds of multi-colored ribbons entered followed by a wagon drawn by four other soldiers. Upon the cart - which was gaily decorated with paper flowers and more ribbons - was an enormous cake. The crowd ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’ as the wagon made its way through the ballroom. As it approached where Norman and her parents were standing, Gertrude, Toddy, Winifred, Dory and the rest of the trolls strolled onto the floor and began to sing:
“ Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday, dear Princess.
Happy Birthday to you!”
A loud, prolonged cheer followed, with everyone clapping their hands. The sound was deafening. Norman stepped down off of the platform and walked up to the massive cake. She paused for a moment to admire the artistic beauty that someone had so meticulously placed upon the confection. The whole cake was covered in pink and yellow roses. Hummingbirds seemed to be flitting from flower to flower. Norman walked around the cake to stand looking out at the crowd of smiling faces before her. “I want to thank everyone for coming to help us celebrate my birthday. I hope everyone is enjoying the evening’s festivities as much as I am. While the cake is being cut, we will dance the ‘Birthday Waltz’.”
Gertrude stepped forward carrying a small pouch. He walked up to stand beside Norman and smiled at her. “It is a troll tradition that when it is someone’s birthday, they should blow out candles that have been placed upon the cake. Before the person blows out the candles, they are to make a wish. If they blow out all of their candles, their wish shall come true.” With that, Gertrude turned around and placed twenty-two candles on the cake, and lit them.
Norman laughed. “Gertrude you are trying to make me older than I am. I am only twenty-one! You have an extra candle on the cake.”
Gertrude smiled sheepishly. “That extra candle is lit to ask for Kern’s continued blessings for a long, happy life.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” Norman bent over and gave him a kiss on his forehead.
Gertrude beckoned Octavius and Emmaline to join them. Once they were together, Gertrude brought Norman in front of the cake. “Now make a wish and blow out the candles.”