The two dozen witches tasked with "lighting up the sky" were all students of the academy of magic that had been personally selected for the task by one of the two matriarchs, based on the skills they demonstrated to them during their visit to one of Ciara's potion making classes. Not only would those bright young witches and warlocks get to sit with the royal / imperial family during the wedding feast, while the other students had to settle for being seated at random with various envoys from small kingdoms, the got to receive a command form the Great Dragon Ker. As he was the one that originally gave the gift of magic to their ancestors, they felt like it was a huge honor. If they knew that Sky Dancer got to talk at length with him just because she was a good little pilot, the other students would turn green with envy.