Butterfly Bog prompt: Hades and Persephone
WHEN DARKNESS FELL IN LOVE WITH THE LIGHT:
PART I:
He had been watching her for what seemed forever. He saw her one day and it was as if morning had opened up and shone in his heart. She was the light, beauty and summer all rolled into one slim princess. He had watched her practice in secret with her sword, watched her sing to herself and his heart ached so hard from watching her, his chest hurt with something he could not put words to each time he saw her. He stayed in the darkness, where she could not see him. He knew his heart broke for her, but he did not know what to do. Love was not something he deserved, not something he had positive experience with—his one experience had been almost too much, it almost broke him completely. He was surprised when the feelings for this fairy maiden started to develop, but he knew it was only a dream. Darkness and Light could never be together.
He remembered the day he had used the potion that the plum fairy gave him. It had been one of the single most terrible experiences in his life. He, the Bog King, was too horrible, too disgusting for the potion to work for him. Too hideous to love. That thought, that curse, had been with him ever since. He was the darkness, a creature doomed to dwell apart from love and light. Thus, he had shut himself off, closed his borders, buried himself in his own darkness and kept his heart hard as stone so that he would never have to feel that way again.
He also remembered when he first saw her after many years of living alone with his shattered heart. One day as he walked along the dark path of his land, he had seen her flying and singing among the flowers, a spark of light almost too much, blinding him. He had stood rooted to the spot as he watched her and then, like a petal on the wind, she was gone. He returned the next day in the hope that he would see her and yes, he did, there she was.
He lost count of the days just watching her, feeling the hardness in his chest ease just slightly, a tiny infant spark of love that he did not recognize. Then one day he was on his way there, his heart beat with excitement at the thought of seeing her when he heard voices out in the flower fields. He peered into the light and he saw her, but there was another fairy there. This one was male with golden hair and shining armor. They were arguing and the blonde fairy knight grabbed her shoulder, but his ray of light broke the knight's hold. She shoved the knight back, but he smiled and put his hands up.
"Come on Buttercup, she meant nothing! It was just a little fling before we get hitched!"
His ray of light glared at the fairy knight. "Don't you dare call me buttercup! And it was not little, you cheated on me!"
The knight laughed. "It won't happen again I swear."
Bog could tell that though his ray of light tried not to cry, her eyes glittered with unshed tears and this creature had hurt her, which was something Bog King could not allow.
Bog moved quickly before he could second guess what he is about to do. He pulled the darkness with him and invaded the space, moving into the flower fields. To her credit, the ray of light did not scream, but the knight did, his voice suddenly far less masculine than a moment before. Bog yanked the shadows around him making them seem like living things as the small field was covered in shadows and darkness. Bog hit the knight with his staff, throwing him backwards onto his arse and then turned, swooped in and picked up the shocked fairy maid. He turned swiftly flying back into the Dark Forest, his ray of light caught in his long arms.
But the rescue immediately started to go side ways.
PART II:
His ray of light started beating on him and snarling like a goblin, which made keeping a hold of her a struggle.
"Put me down!"
He dived down when he saw the underground entrance to his lair. Bog swooped down, barely keeping a grip on her as she hit, bit and struggled with all her might. In moments, they were in the throne room in which he finally let go of her, but not before she slugged him across his jaw, snapping his head back painfully. He tried to back out of the way before she struck him in the face again, but she was quick, her fist connecting with his jaw and snapping his head back a second time. This time he tasted blood. Bog grunted, grabbing his jaw. He frowned, but he managed to lurch into the shadows of the throne room so that she could not see him very well. He backed up quickly into the darkness as her light filled the room. She was everything that he wasn't. The sun, light, beauty, life and boy, he thought, was his sunlight angry right now.
She snarled, breathing through her nose and then when it did not seem her kidnapper was going to do anything, she took a few breaths to calm herself before she glared at the dark corner.
"What the hell are you doing? Who are you!? What is the meaning of this?"
Bog stayed in the shadows, but his voice was a snarl,
"I took you from that fool. He upset you."
She stopped ranting at the sound of his voice. She still could not see him clearly and when he had held her on the flight over here she had been too busying trying to get free and hit him, but something about his voice made her stop short; it was accented and deep.
She stepped toward the shadows, but he withdrew deeper into them.
"Why would you save me? Besides, I can take care of myself."
The shadow shifted, seemingly unsure of himself now, but he whispered, "You were upset. I did not want you upset, but I did not know what else to do except to remove you from that creature."
He chuckled and then added. "Tough girl."
She took a step closer to the shadows trying to peer into the darkness at him, but again he shifted away some more.
"Creature? Oh, you mean Roland. Yeah, creature is actually a good description. My name is Marianne." She paused and tilted her head. "Why don't you step out of the darkness?"
"Please, do not come closer." He paused and then said quietly, "Marianne." He seemed to roll the name around on his tongue, his accent gave it a purr to the "r" that she found she liked hearing.
Marianne tilted her head the other way. "Why won't you come out into the light? Especially since you went to all the trouble of kidnapping me."
"I will scare you." His voice suddenly took on an odd quality, as if he were trying to hide an emotion behind it.
"I think we are beyond you scaring me. What is your name?"
"I am the Bog King."
"Bog?"
"Yes."
"Come into the light, Bog, please."
Marianne stepped back as the creature took a step forward into only a portion of the light in the room. She could not fully see him, but she saw enough. Tall, lanky even, but covered in hardness, spikes and darkness. The light caught his eyes which shone a pure beautiful blue of a summer sky under deeply furrowed and slightly confused brows. He glared down at her with a look that said it was one of the few expressions he had or the one he was most familiar with, as he held his staff protectively in front of him.
"I...ah..."
For all his imposing size and spikiness he was at a loss for words when he spoke with her. He had thought of being able to talk to her, but those had only been thoughts. Now, with her right here in front of him, he had no idea what to say or do, especially because he had actually kidnapped her.
That was when there was a shout from somewhere followed by the sound of a large wooden door creaking open. Marianne could not find the door until it was flung open and a creature came in yelling,
"BOG! BOG!"
Bog groaned and turned away from her for a moment as the small creature that had entered stopped and stared at the two of them, a wide grin quickly forming across its face
"Are you that fairy he has been watching?"
The small goblin grabbed her hands smiling. "Name's Griselda and you are just as pretty as a ray of summer! He thinks I didn't know about his sneaking off to watch you, but a mother knows these things!"
Marianne glanced toward the shadows where the Bog King remained, though he hissed, "Mother, stop. Please..."
His mother sighed and patted Marianne's arm.
"So he kidnapped you huh? Wasn't sure the boy had it in him. You married? Want to be? What do you think of my boy? About time he did something like kidnap you. Boy has been moping around here for weeks now."
Marianne sputtered a bit and then muttered, "I just met him."
His mother laughed. "Ah, well, Bog bring her up stairs and I will get the tiny thing something to eat and you two can get to know each another better."
Marianne glanced at Bog, who sighed, defeated and stepped out of the shadows. He bowed slightly, pointing the way for her with one hand while the other held his staff across his chest. She felt a smile tug at her lips. The terrifying creature of darkness that had snatched her from the light was cowed by his mother. For some reason, she found that immensely charming.
Back at the fairy court, Roland burst into the king's study, his handsome face flushed. This was a perfect opportunity for him, a way to increase his ties with the king and possibly still get what he wanted, Marianne, the crown, an army and power. Everything that someone like him deserved. Whatever that creature was that had attacked and took Marianne had done him a huge favor. A favor he would pay back by killing him and winning Marianne's hand in marriage.
It did not take Roland long to gain the king's permission to take a small army to rescue the King's daughter. Soon, he was on his way to the dark forest while his mind wandered to images of his glory and the crown.
The room that Bog's mother brought them to was small and actually rather cozy. Bog's mother grinned and pushed them both into the room. "I will have something brought in for you two, okay?"
Bog started to say something, but his mother held up a hand and glared a little. "You can't kidnap a girl and not feed her." With that, she turned and walked away leaving the two of them alone.
Bog held onto his staff with both hands as if it were a lifeline. Now that he had made the step of taking her, he had no idea what to do next. Marianne moved to sit on the edge of the table, giving him a slight smile. "I suppose I should thank you."
Bog looked over at her. "Thank me?"
She chuckled. "For kidnapping me. Roland..." she motioned with her hands "The fairy knight I was arguing with. He is...was my fiance. Anyway, he cheated on me and I might have done more than yell at him if you hadn't taken me." Bog smiled a little at that, but then frowned. "Your fiance? But he was such a dick."
Marianne snorted out a laugh, which made Bog smile a bit embarrassed by his outburst, but Marianne shrugged. "Yep, he is a dick."
They were awkwardly quiet for a few moments, each one stealing glances at the other.
Roland and his army cut through the dark forest. They were not attempting to be stealthy. Roland had a nasty sneer on his face as his scouts returned, explaining to him they had found a way to the castle in the heart of the forest.
PART III:
It was day five of Marianne's captivity and Bog had given her the run of the place. He never said she was forbidden to leave, though she grew to understand that not knowing your way through the dark forest could be deadly. She had thought about asking to leave, but for some reason she never did. She was fascinated by this goblin kingdom, but most especially by Bog.
She woke that morning refreshed and dressed in a simple goblin made tunic and her boots. She decided to go in search of Bog when he did not show up for breakfast.
She smelled the smoke of his pipe before she found him and followed it to his study. Everything in his castle was dark, lit by deep orange lanterns that hung from the ceiling or seemed to grow like mushrooms from the wall. At first, it was strange and just a little spooky, but now in just a short time, she found the atmosphere of the dark castle to be comforting. Bog and she had talked a great deal in these last few days. She found him interesting, intelligent, sweet and charming (despite the kidnapping.) Bog was willing to listen to everything she had to say. He never made her feel foolish and the previous day he had even sparred with her, showing her ways to improve her stance, her hold on the weapon, complimenting her on how good she already was for training on her own in secret. When he smiled at her ,there was no mockery in it. He never talked about himself unless she asked him something. He didn't treat her as a princess, but as someone he respected and cared for. Marianne found her heart—that had started to harden after Rolands betrayal—was thawing in Bog's presence.
Marianne saw him sitting in a large chair formed from bark and some sort of large leafed plant. He had his eyes partly closed as the smoke rose lazily from the pipe, giving the room a spicy smell that she found she liked. A book rested on his lap and he appeared to be completely relaxed. She didn't say anything to him at first, just watched him unguarded. The lines of his face had eased and dropped some of the years from his countenance. Her smile softened as she studied his profile while he was unaware of her. She could see the scars on his face that he still would not talk about with her and the way his lips formed around the pipe's mouth piece. Bog still tended to keep to the darkness and shadows whenever possible. If not, he would advert his gaze from her, those lovely blue eyes of his always a little guarded with doubt or worry. She bit her bottom lip as she watched him, when after a few more moments Bog shifted a bit and that was when he noticed her. He pulled out the pipe and smiled that sweet and slightly shy smile. "Marianne!"
She beamed at him. "Hi. I was, well remember you promised to take me on a flight?"
Bog grinned. "I did, didn't I?" He extinguished his pipe, cracked his neck and took hold of his staff. Marianne felt a strange, yet pleasant warmth run through her when he moved and cracked his neck. "Alright, tough girl. Let's go." Bog had started calling her 'tough girl' regularly after her first attack on his face with her fists and she blushed finding his nickname for her sweet.
Bog lifted off went they reached the outside of the fortress, the dim light filtering through into the darkness of his kingdom caught his wings making them shimmer for a moment. She blushed as a thrill moved through her, but then she was following right behind him. The light had a blue quality as he took her deeper into the woods, diving low over moon glow flowers and feathered ferns that glistened with droplets of dew in the early morning. He moved slowly, not because she could not keep up, but so he could point things out to her, like a tangle of mushrooms that glowed with soft amber light, growing up and around an old tree or the flight of dragonflies as they danced and skidded over watery surfaces.
At one point he reached back and without a sign of being self-conscious as he had been in the previous days, he took her hand and led her through a thorny wall of vines to discover a field of glowing blue flowers that looked like pieces of the night sky blooming in the darkened light. At one point, they stopped at a small stream flowing from the mouth of a cave. He took her inside the cave in which glowed eerie moss, but as he took her further inside she saw that the glow was not so much eerie as it was enchanting, the fungi inside creating a soft, romantic aura.
Bog smiled warmly at her as he watched her reactions. She turned slowly around in the cave to see that the glowing fungi was enhanced by small crystals in the rock that pick up the light and made it twinkle. "Oh, Bog! It is so beautiful!"
Bog blushed and looked down at the cave floor. "This is one of my favorite places. The cave goes deeper." He pointed with his staff and then held out his hand to Marianne.
She took his hand, feeling the warmth of his rough palm in hers as they walked deeper into the cave. Formations started to emerge and bigger crystals grew from the cave walls, the glow of the mushrooms, tiny creatures and magic light lit the air with tiny floating orbs no bigger than dust drifted around the two of them.
Marianne smiled in wonderment, looking toward Bog. The dancing fey light caught his eyes and it was then that she really noticed how blue his eyes were. Without any conscious thought of the action, she stepped closer to him. Bog did not move, as if he were afraid that if he did, it would break the spell as she stepped right in front of him. They looked at one another. Marianne reached up and brushed her fingertips along his cheek. "Why do you always stay in the darkness, Bog?"
Bog swallowed nervously as her touch sent heated waves over his skin. "Marianne..." He tried to pull away from her touch, but not really putting any real force behind it. "I am hideous. I took you from light and brought you into darkness for my own selfish reasons. You do not deserve this and I should not condemn you. You should not dwell in darkness, Marianne. That is all that lives here." Bog sighed, turning away from her.
Marianne reached out to take one of his hands in her smaller, yet firm grip. "You tried to save me for my own sake, Bog, not for yours. And you are not hideous." He turned to look at her, his eyes full of shame and sorrow. They stared at one another, but she was the one who pulled him gently, making him move closer to her. She stood on her tip toes and kissed him. It was a soft kiss, barely a press of the lips, but as he put his other arm around her, his staff against her back, he didn't need to pull her closer as the kiss became slowly deeper. Her tongue brushed his lips, asking him to open to her. He did so hesitantly, afraid, but she slipped her tongue into his mouth against his teeth, capturing his tongue with her own. He groaned, the sound both filled with lonesomeness and longing, his knees going weak. He had loved her for so long and now here she was, kissing him.
Marianne gave in to her feelings. She leaned into him as she ran her hands along his chest and up over his shoulders. Bog dropped his staff then, letting it clatter to the ground as he wrapped both arms around her, as if afraid she would vanish if he let go.
PART IV:
It had begun to rain by the time Roland and his army found the Bog King's lair. The fortress itself looked like a creature crouched in the bog and darkness of the forest. Roland frowned for a moment, wondering if this was going to be as easy as he hoped it would be.
It was two days later, since the kiss in the cave. The weather had turned wet in the Dark Forest, rain soaked everything, though Marianne did not mind at all. She and Bog were in his throne room, a playing board made of wood between them, the figures upon it carved from of some sort of grey and black stone with which she was not familiar, playing a chess match. Bog sat on his throne and she sat across the players table in a chair the guards had brought her. Bog had the elbow of one arm resting on his knee as he ran his long fingers along his jaw, his claws occasionally making a deep clicking noise as he sat deep in thought over his next move. Marianne grinned, watching him concentrate. Since the kiss, they had kissed a great deal more. Bog had relaxed with her, less likely to slip into shadows when he became uncomfortable and they had talked long into the night the last two evenings. Bog glanced up and smiled at her. "What are you thinking about?"
Marianne startled a bit and laughed. "About how badly you are going to lose to me again."
Bog wrinkled his nose at her, but there was dancing amusement in his eyes, "Maybe tough girl, maybe not."
He moved one of his pieces and she snorted; it was a very good move. "Lucky."
Bog lifted his brows. "Lucky?"
Marianne giggled. "Yes, lucky."
Bog's eyes twinkled more. "Do you want to come over here and say that?" His accent became thicker and Marianne stood slowly. There was a subtle shift in the atmosphere between them as she moved around the table. She pushed it out her way and put her arms on either side of his throne, causing him to lean back. Bog looked a bit scared and unsure, yanked his hands back from accidentally touching her.
This kiss was going to be completely different from all the other kisses before. Marianne leaned in, her mouth slightly open, her lips just moistened by the tip of her tongue. Bog found himself staring at her mouth, his eyes slowly moved up to her eyes as she leaned in and kissed him.
Her hands moved from the throne to cup either side of his face as she kissed him and then he began returning the kiss. His hands went around her waist as she moved to straddle him. His long fingered hands moved slowly down giving her a chance to stop him. His hands moved down over her hips and cradle her rear. Their kiss became more heated, deeper and his hands traced a line up her back between her wings as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Bog pulled her closer with a breathy moan that Marianne matched, pressing her small pert breasts against his chest. That is how they were when Stuff came running in, banging open the throne room door. "Sire, Sire! An Army approaches!"
They both turned to look at Stuff when Thang peeked out from behind her. Bog stood slowly, gently helping Marianne to her feet. "What?"
Stuff sighed. "An army of fairies, one of the scouts saw them out in the rain heading this way, BK."
Marianne hissed. "They are here for me." Bog nodded. "Aye, I knew they would come eventually." Marianne took his hand. "Well, I will just explain that it was a misunderstanding and that I want to..."She gulped at she was about to say "stay" and stared up at him. Bog blushed, his cheeks burned, but a small smile appeared on his lips.
There was a sound like the crash of something hitting the walls of the fortress and then the floor shivered under their feet. Bog turned to Marianne. "You need to get someplace safe!" She grabbed Bog's arm. "No. I stay with you." The look that the two of them exchanged was both tender and full of deep, newly forming love. The sound of fighting could be heard echoing in the halls. Bog turned to rush out, but that was when the there was the sound of someone yelling orders. Suddenly, the door to the throne room was forced open and Roland stepped in, sword flashing in the dim light.
The sneer on Roland's face twisted his handsome features into something Marianne didn't recognize. Her former fiance stalked toward her and Bog with his blade focused on the Bog King.
"You kidnapped the princess, you cockroach! And I have come to retrieve her!"
Bog twisted his staff around in front of him, crouching slightly and protectively by Marianne who snarled, "Father sent you?"
Roland grinned. The dim light managed to glint off his perfect teeth in a way that made Marianne want to knock each tooth out, painfully and individually.
Roland smirked as he walked slowly around Bog, keeping the point of his sword level with Bog's chest, "Marianne, come here—I will take you home."
Marianne grabbed Bog's arm, surprising Bog as she hissed. "I am not going anywhere with you, Roland! I am staying with Bog!"
Roland expression conveyed his complete shock, but then glared at Bog. "What spell did you put her under, you monster?!"
Bog hissed. "I would never do such a thing to Marianne!"
Roland charged with a rather sad battle cry, but Bog was quick to bring his staff up and block Roland's blade. Bog then shoved Roland back with surprising strength for such a slim frame. Roland took to the air and Bog followed, making Marianne curse. She needed a weapon.
Roland flipped his weapon up, the tip catching Bog under the chin and cutting deeply. Blood splattered below, but Bog ignored the wound. He twisted his staff gracefully despite the awkward size and weight of his weapon of choice. He used the large head to hit Roland in the side, throwing the knight off balance. As Roland flew through the air Bog lashed out with the other end of the staff, but Roland rolled away and almost landed another cut. Bog was ready, however, and parried the vicious overhand blow. Marianne had run out of the throne room. She saw one of Roland's men and she belted him across the face with her fist ,knocking the fairy backward into the wall where he slid down unconscious. She shook her hand, but then immediately grabbed up the fallen soldier's sword and moved quickly to help defend Bog.
Bog had Roland on guard as Bog twisted his staff bringing it around to block each of Roland's thrusts and lunges. Marianne burst in, sword in hand. Bog's attention was divided for a split second by her sudden armed entrance, which was enough for Roland to grab at Marianne. When Marianne slammed through the door she took in the scene of Roland and Bog engaged in fighting, but her attention was immediately drawn to Bog giving Roland the opportunity to make a grab for her. Roland yanked her out the door of the throne room.
Bog roared, "NO!" and charged after them. Roland flew awkwardly, struggling to keep a firm hold on Marianne as she fought him tooth and nail. Bog raced to catch up with them as Roland headed out into the forest.
Marianne managed to elbow Roland in the chest hard enough that the knight's hold loosened and she slipped free just as Bog came at Roland. The two of them became entangled in fighting one another, Bog mostly trying to prevent Roland from reaching Marianne. She rushed to Bog's side and Roland stopped short, staring at the two of them. "What the hell is going on? Buttercup? Don't tell me you are choosing this monster over me?"
Marianne narrowed her eyes. "Bog is no monster. Unlike you, he loves me and I love him!" Marianne suddenly startled herself as the words flew from her mouth, a bit shocked by her confession and the fact that she assumed Bog loved her in return. She turned to look at him and he blushed. "I do love you."
Roland snarled and with a cry of rage, charged Bog. The Bog King barely raised his staff up, his attention focused on Marianne. Roland's blade struck Bog in the chest, cutting deeply through his armor. It felt as if the world around them slowed down, the blade cutting into Bog, the sudden brightness of his blood spreading out across the darkened color of his chest. Bog looked down, surprised at the blade sticking out of him as Roland's smile turned wicked, his green eyes glinting with malice. Marianne screamed in pain and fury, flying at Roland. Her blade hit Roland as Bog fell off of Roland's blade. Marianne twisted, her wings a blur as she attacked Roland. She moved so fast that Roland could not match her strikes and slashes. Then, just when he began to realize he was going to lose to the princess,Marianne's pommel met his forehead, leaving a substantial mark. She kicked him hard in the stomach, sending him into a rotted tree and out of sight.
Marianne turned quickly, shouting Bog's name into the darkness of the forest. She folded her wings, diving down after him. There was a thick fog everywhere as she approached the forest floor. She continued calling his name, seeing nothing but darkness and fog. An emptiness seemed to be forming in her chest as she continued to move through the undergrowth, the fog clinging to everything. It was becoming harder to breathe, the pain in her heart overwhelming the longer she looked for him with no answer, no indication of where he could be. She bit her bottom lip as tears started to form, but she refused to let them fall. She loved Bog and she would not give up, she couldn't give up on their blossoming love. She had to find him. Just as that thought made itself clear, she stopped. There on the ground, she saw his staff. She swooped down and landed, throwing the sword she held down and picking up his staff, her eyes searching the darkness. "Bog? Oh, Bog please..."
PART V:
Holding his staff in a powerful grip against her body, she moved through the darkness, drifting, lost. The ground was wet, the moist soil making an eerie squishing noise as she walked, trying to find some indication of Bog. Part of her hoped that her not finding him right away meant he was alive, but another part of her knew he would not have left his weapon behind. After what seemed to be hours, she finally saw something. Not too far up she could see the shadow of tangled long limbs laying oddly in the twisted vines of a black tree.
She gripped the staff until her knuckles turned white. Marianne leapt into the air, making her way to the figure as her heart hammered so hard in her chest that she found it difficult to breathe. When she got there, her heart stopped—it was Bog. He was unmoving and there was a deep red stain spread across his chest. She trembled looking at him not sure what to do. If she touched him, it might confirm her worst fear. By not touching him, she could continue to think that everything was all right, but he was so still.
She could feel the tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and running down her cheeks unchecked as she held his staff against her. Finally she could stand it any longer. She had to know. She moved closer, landing on one of the vines near him and laid his staff down. She placed her hand softly against his cheek, her thumb caressing his lips. That was when she felt it, just barely, but a breath. She was sure of it. "Bog? Oh, Bog!" She leaned down to brush her lips over his to make sure she did indeed feel a breath, light against her mouth. "I love you and I am getting you out of here," Marianne whispered to him.
She was not sure where the strength came from, but she did not question it as she struggled to move Bog. At first, she was terrified of making the wound in his chest bleed more or that she would hurt him more, but she had to get him out of here.
The flight out was a constant struggle. He was so much bigger than her and surprisingly heavy as a dead weight, but she kept at it, her determination and stubbornness pushing her to save him. Finally, she broke the surface of the fog and started the long trek back to the castle. She could see the results of fighting here and there, but otherwise the army must have fled when Roland disappeared.
She collapsed at the entrance to the fortress, nearly dropping Bog as her knees hit hard enough to send a shock of pain through her body. She was surprised to realize she was still crying as she called for help. Bog's mother had taken charge in his absence and was the first to make it out to them. The goblin gasped nearly doubling over as she whispered, "My son."
But then she was shouting orders and helping Marianne to get them both back into the nearly collapsed fortress.
Once inside, Marianne refused to be separated from Bog as his mother had him rushed into an empty room. The rest of the night was a blur as a healer was brought in and Marianne was forced to drink something that tasted like tree bark and the next thing she knew she had fallen asleep.
When Marianne woke, she felt confused for a moment about where she was, what was going on. Then her thoughts quickly turned to Bog. She saw that she was lying on a cot next to him. Bog was heavily bandaged, but his breathing was strong. What really surprised her was that he was awake and watching her. His clear, blue eyes were soft as he murmured, "I am glad ye are alright."
Her breath hitched as she murmured back, "I am glad you are alright." He made a grunt in reply to that as he attempted to sit up, but then winced in pain, causing her to jump up and push him gently back down. He gave her a pained smile. "You came back." Marianne ran her fingertips over his jaw, "Of course I did."
Bog lifted his arm; it was clearly painful for him, but he cupped her face. "Did you mean what you said?"
She felt a warmth from her chest spreading up her neck and along her cheeks, but she didn't back down from this challenge. "Yes. I love you."
Bog smiled at her then, the smile was so sweet, so unsure as he whispered, "I have loved you for a long time."
"I am glad you kidnapped me," Marianne murmured, making Bog chuckle and then wince in pain.
Marianne took his hand and held it against her lips, she kissed his knuckles. "Now, you focus on healing, alright?"
Bog nodded. "I have something to look forward to, tough girl."
PART VI:
The next few days were chaotic as Marianne sent word of the recent events to her father and Roland was imprisoned by the goblins. Her father came to speak with the Bog King not long after. Bog was able to walk now, though he was still heavily bandaged and weak. After Marianne gave him back his staff, he had to use it to help him walk on his own. Bog would lean heavily on it when exhaustion hit him, though he still cut an intimidating figure despite his weakened state.
Marianne stood close to Bog, a hand gently laid on his arm when her father entered the Dark Forest, a full retinue of soldiers with him. She had never seen her father so angry, but he managed to keep his temper in check as he approached her and Bog. Her father narrowed his eyes, barely keeping his words polite as he hissed. "Bog King."
Bog bowed his head, showing more respect than her father. "Dagda."
Her father glanced at her and then back at Bog. "You took my daughter," he accused.
Bog nodded. "Aye, I did. "
Marianne stepped forward, though she took Bog's hand which startled him a little. She glanced over her shoulder at him and his fingers tightened around her tiny hand.
"Bog may have taken me, but I chose to stay with him father."
For a moment her father looked as if he might have a stroke, but he directed his attention to his daughter,
"You chose to stay with him?"
Marianne turned and looked up at Bog who looked down at her with such feeling in his eyes, so blue, so honest, there was only pure love and respect there with a glimmer of fear.
"Yes. I love him, father."
Bog's blue eyes widened as he stared at her for a long moment before he returned his gaze to her father. The two monarchs stared at each other before Bog returned his gaze to her, doing his best to pretend her father was not there, just her.
"Would you stay as my wife?"
Marianne smiled and then turned to face her father, her pose becoming every inch the queen she would become.
"To create an alliance between our two kingdoms and to make amends for both sides, I will become the Bog King's wife."
Bog gazed tenderly at her, "Perhaps we may work out a plan in which you may spend time in both kingdoms, Queen of one, Princess of another?"
Her father started to sputter, but Marianne held up her hand, "Father, this is what I want." She then looked at Bog. "This is what we both want."
EPILOGUE:
Months later Bog sat in his throne room listening to a very garbled report from two of his goblins, Thang and Stuff. Marianne was spending her allotted time in the summer lands. He glanced down at his long fingers to see the silver band etched in a light decoration of vines and primroses. He touched it with a slight smile. She would always be his light, no matter how far she roamed, she would always come back to him.
Back in the lands of summer, Marianne held a hand to her stomach and sighed happily. On her other hand her thumb played absently with the dark wedding ring on her finger. She looked out over the flower fields and her thoughts drifted as she thought longingly of her dark King waiting for her. After a few moments, she heard movement behind her. Her little sister Dawn came up beside her, her face split into a wide grin. "Have you told father yet?"
Marianne gave her sister a stern look, but the hand on her stomach did not move, only the fingers flexed for a moment.
"Of course not! I haven't even told Bog yet. I mean seriously—I just found out myself! Bog gets the news first."
Dawn laughed and grabbed her sister's arm, hugging it tightly.
"Dad is going to pass out when you come back for your next visit carrying a little fairy-goblin baby." Marianne could not keep the grin off her face, the joy that made her brown eyes sparkle as she put her finger to her lips and hissed at her sister.
"Shhhhh!"