Disclaimer:I don't own the Septimus Heap series.

AN: I absolutely adore Septimus Heap. So...on with my not-so-good effort(?)...

Chapter 1: At Midnight

Marcia Overstrand, ExtraOrdinary Wizard, woke up from a bad dream, sweating profusely. A nightmare again, where she was chased by wolverines and drooling Wendron witches. She groaned and turned around to get down from her bed with its purple beddings.

"Alther!" she gasped as she saw the silvery, transparent figure sprawled on her bed. "What are you doing here?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Marcia. I've come with some important news."

"Can't it wait until morning?" Marcia said crossly. She sat up on her bed and shook her dark, curly hair, glaring at Alther with her bright, green eyes. Alther Mella was the former ExtraOrdinary Wizard of the palace, killed by an assassin who was also after the Queen. The Queen was killed, the young princess taken care of by a family of Ordinary wizards, and she, the ExtraOrdinary Apprentice, took over Alther's position.

"I'm afraid it can't, Marcia. Anyway, you do look older tonight. Much, much older."

Marcia was furious. "Thank you very much, Alther. I think I could use a compliment or two from you, especially when you come sneaking into my room in the middle of the night," she snapped.

It was Alther's turn to be furious. " I was not sneaking into your room! I must inform you that, as a ghost, I am forced to pass through these cold stone walls. And again, passing through is not such a comfortable experience, I must add. You would know that when you enter ghosthood, Marcia."

"Thankfully, I am not yet a ghost, and hopefully, it would be a long time before I become one." Marcia retorted. "Now, would you get straight to the point?"

"Fine." Alther was silent for a while. Marcia could hear the worry in his voice when he spoke again.

"We all know that the Princess Jenna is nearing her seventeenth birthday. Because of that, the ghosts of the former queens have gathered and informed me that on that very day, Princess Jenna will be crowned as the queen. Therefore—"

At that moment, Marcia fell off her bed and hit the floor hard. "Rats!" she shrieked.

Alarmed, Alther said, "Where?!" He was not fond of rats at all.

Marcia sat up, glaring. "I didn't mean real rats!"

"Oh." Alther looked relieved. "Well, whatever is the matter?"

"What the matter is, Alther, you have just informed me now! Jenna's birthday is in seven weeks! And are you sure that The Time Is Right by then?"

"Of course! And as I was saying, that is the day of her coronation as Queen. But…the Queens have said something else." Alther seemed to take a deep breath. "Before the day, Princess Jenna must first find her consort—"

"Her what?"

Alther looked tired. "Her consort, Marcia. The husband of the queen. They are saying she must first be married before being crowned."

"Jenna, married? But—"

"No buts, Marcia," Alther said to the confused Marcia. The situation was under his control. "Therefore, you must immediately do the Gathering of the Queens—"

Marcia was now completely bewildered. Everything seemed to be spinning around her. Assembling her now-scattered thoughts, she said, "Alther, tomorrow is also the Gathering for Septimus's last year as my apprentice. Surely you haven't forgotten?"

"Of course I haven't. Taking that into consideration, you will have to assemble the Gathering of the Queens the day after tomorrow."

Marcia sighed. "And what is supposed to happen there?"

"Each of the queens will draw a stone from the Wisping Pot. This is the pot of the queens, where they could make decisions with its help. The name of the man who appears many times will be the ultimate one Jenna must marry."

"You mean, Jenna must marry—whoever he is—against her will?" Marcia heard her voice quivering.

"Exactly. Now, if you must excuse me, I have another important business to attend to. Marcia, there is no time to waste." With that, Alther rose from the bed, looked at Marcia with worried eyes, then flew out the open window, disappearing into the darkness.

Marcia sighed, stood up and made her way to the open window. Closing it, she saw her reflection, weary from lack of sleep and from the recent news. There is no time to waste, she thought, remembering Alther's words. She must get started at once. As she turned away from the window, she sighed again. She definitely looked much, much older.