Part 5 of Come Home, Clary!

The ball was in full swing as Clary arrived. As Hamel watched, Clary entered the ballroom and went to talk to two people, a burly man and a cloaked woman. Their conversation was brief, before the man the the woman walked out, leaving Clary alone. On impulse, Hamel decided to follow them

Now that he had sent Saiza and Drum to take care of Flute, Clary sought out Queen Horn. He found her where he thought she would be, sitting upon her throne watching the festivities. "horn sama, would you care to get some fresh air with me?' he asked politely, trying to disguise the violent hatred that he felt for her.

"Oh course, Clary. I wanted to talk to you in private," Queen Horn said with a smile. He offered her his hand and she accepted it, allowing him to escort her to the balcony.

Outside, Clary was delighted to see that there was no one else there. Once again reaching for the knife, he watched as Queen Horn leaned against the safety rail.

"Clary, I fear that you have been acting rather strangely since you returned," Queen Horn said in a worried voice.

"Oh?" Clary said in a cold voice.

Gradually, Flute regained her senses and found herself tied up in one of the guest bedrooms. She tried to scream, but a cloth had been stuffed into her mouth to prevent her from shouting anything. For the moment, all she could do was try to loosen her ropes.

"Well, well, look what we have here," Drum said as he and Saiza entered the room. Realizing who they were, Flute struggled harder, and once again tried uselessly to scream.

"That won't help," Saiza said icily. "In a matter of minutes, your mother will be dead. And you will serve the shorted reign as queen in history!"

"Do tell," Hamel said as he raced into the room after them, toting his cello-like violin. Before either of the villains could reply, Hame distracted them by playing a harmless song. While the villains were panicking, Flute cast a spell upon them that would teleport them back to Hamelin. They quickly diappeared, leaving Hamel and Flute alone.

"Sorry, Flute," Hamel said with a smile. Without bothering to untie her, he raced out to try to rescue Queen Horn.

Quietly, Clary approached Queen Horn, the knife raised, ready to strike. His eyes were once again blood red as he anticipated the future bloodshed. However, before he had the chance to stab her, she pivoted on her heels and cast a strong healing spell upon him. The effects of the illness quickly melted away, and his eyes once again returned to their normal color. "H-Horn sama?" Clary said, blinking his eyes as if trying to clear them. "What happened?"

"Shh, you were under a spell. I shall tell you about it later. But for now, shall we dance?" Queen Horn said, smiling in relief.

"Queen Horn!" Hamel shouted as he raced onto the balcony. Without pausing, he attacked Clary, striking him over the head with his cello-like violin.

"What was that for?" Clary demanded as he brushed the wood chips from Hamel's now broken violin out of his hair. Without waitin for an answer, he took Queen Horn's hand and lead her back into the ballroom, leaving the confused Hamel on the balcony.

Bass watched as Queen Horn danced with the now shy-Clary. Very well, so his plans for the death of Queen Horn were ruined, and his generals had ben once again humiliated, and they had suffered yet another defeat. But ultimately, Bass had won a victory too. As he began to laugh his usual evil villian laugh, Clary's eyes flashed red, before quickly returning to their original color.

The End...?