King Oberon had received word of his wife's sudden passing while hunting. He took his captains horse, which was much faster than his own, and ride as fast as he could. He knew it wouldn't change anything. He would get there and his love, his light, his life would still be gone. He would never see Titania's copper hair blowing in the wind. He would never see her amber eyes glimmer in the sun. He would never hear her laugh again.

Oberon soon outpaced his guards, his horse whinnied with the strain, but he had to get to his family. The messengers told him that his daughters had found her. His eldest, Marianne, had even stayed with Titania with as she died. He saw the castle growing on the horizon, the sun was setting behind it, making the silhouetted walls blacker than the white brick with which his ancestors made their home.

The horse master would not meet his eye. Many of the servants had tear streaked faces, though they normally scurried out of his way. He paused as he saw the colored glare of the stained glass. Almost ten and four years ago they were married in the Grand Chapel, beneath the same stained glass. An elderly healer approached him carefully and spoke softly.

"My lord, I….. I grieve with you."

He looked at the healer, the old woman had delivered Titania, as well as their children. Titania had always spoke well of her.

"I have to attend to my family." He turned and entered the castle.

As he neared the room where his wife's body lay, he saw his two daughters outside her room with their nursemaid. Marianne held Dawn against her. The blonde child was sobbing so hard, her body pulsed and vibrated with the movement and sound. The eldest was comforting her sister. Her hands were slowly stroking Dawn's hair and her voice was comforting and soothing. She saw her father approaching and stared at him, and the king was stopped by her eyes.

Marianne's muddy eyes were normally like the the rocks bordering the ocean, but now they had aged and hardened resembling the dark trees of the Shadowlands. His daughter was no longer a child. She whispered to Dawn and the little girl raised her head. Her silvery blue eyes were filled with tears and bordered by red were wide and the corners had drooped. The corners of her mouth were turned down and her lips were trembling.

"Da!" She cried as she left her sister's arms and ran for her father.

He knelt down and her arms hugged his neck, he picked her up and walked toward Marianne, all the while Dawn quietly sobbed into his ear.

"The thunder and the lightning scarred me and Marianne was asleep, so I went to get ma. I found her on the ground and I got Marianne. She told me to get the healers, and when I got back they said she was-" She choked on the last word. Oberon set her down next to Marianne and looked at them both.

"I'm sorry that you had to see your mother like that, and I'm sorry you did not get more time with her." His voice broke, his eyes were becoming misty. He looked away and bit his lip before continuing

"What happened was not your fault, she had been sick for a long time, and your mother- Titania- she loved you very much, she would not want you to be sad. You need to remember the good things about her, and you two need to stay together."

He stood up and motioned for the nursemaid, who was already picking up Dawn.

"Nurse Lillia will take you to your room, I need to make arrangements for your mother."

Marianne got up and wiped a tear from his face that had unknowingly escaped from his eye. She took the nursemaids free hand and he watched them as they left.


Queen Griselda was worried sick. She had paced everywhere her feet could go, somehow ending up in the kitchen, nervously eating food the cook gave her. It had been almost a full day and still no one had seen her son. None of the horses were missing, so he couldn't have left for a long journey. The poor boy didn't have any friends he could be with. With that thought Griselda stopped.

What if he's found a girl?

For the first time that day she smiled.

Oh wouldn't that be wonderful? The mother in her thought. My sweet boy, falling in love, and being happy with someone for the rest of his life.

If she is of noble birth. The queen in her thought. A left-handed marriage might anger our trade partners and he might have to marry to keep those partners.

Don't you have a heart? The mother in her retorted.

A guard clattered into the kitchen. Queen Griselda quickly wiped pastry crumbs off her lips and faced them and asked

"Any news?"

She ignored the servants cringing at her grating voice, and awaited the guard's answer

"Yes, my lady, he's in the stable." He replied nervously.

Griselda's brow furrowed.

"Why didn't you bring him in? Is he all right?" She asked.

"Well, he is fine, it's just that- we found him in the bog."

Oh, no. Griselda thought. The old bog outside the forest was supposedly where the first settlers made their camps. During a storm, many of their livestock stampeded into the bog. Tragically, the bog was deceptively deep, and most of the animals died . The settlers didn't think anything of it until a few weeks later when they realized all the carcasses made the water, and all who bathed in it, stink like a rotting animal. What could he have been there for?

"Alright then, take me to him." She said.

"Are you sure, my lady? Even the horses avoid him." The guard tried to convince her.

" Are you aware of who in this room is your queen?" She replied sharply.

The guard fearfully nodded his head, realizing his mistake.

"Then you shall do as she says." And with that, they left kitchen, leaving a snickering chef and cackling scullery maids behind them.

It was only a short walk from the kitchen to the stables, but a smelly one, too. He must have been in the bog for hours for it to smell that bad. Griselda saw that a large wooden barrel was being brought out, but the servants appeared to be arguing about who was to bring it to him. She motioned to the guard with her and he picked it up and carried it into the stables. After t aking a breath and resisting the urge to hold it in , Griselda followed.

The guard was already leaving by the time she saw her son. He was still damp, with moss clinging to his pale skin and what looked like a lilly-pad in his dark hair. She was glad that someone had the thought to give him a blanket though it did him little good, he was so tall the edge of the blanket didn't reach his knees. He looked in good health, so Griselda could not imagine what he was thinking.

"Bhaltair !" She shouted at him, startling him. He raised his hands defensively and backed up a few paces.

"Mum, please, I can explain." He began, but before he could speak further, his mother had wrapped her arms around his mid section.

"You had me so worried." She said lovingly, releasing her son and swatting his arm and exclaiming "What on earth could have kept you so long!"

He sheepishly looked down and shuffled his feet.

"Well, sometimes I go to the bog to be... alone. No one really goes there... because of the smell, which isn't that... bad, if you're not in it. So I was out in... a boat when I heard an animal barking. I saw a dog stuck in the water, so I... jumped in and grabbed it, and when I went to get us back in the boat, it had... drifted away. We weren't exactly... close to shore, so by the time we made it back, it had... well , been awhile. That's when the guards found us."

His story was filled with stops and starts and was still somehow spoken very quickly. Griselda crossed her arms.

"Bahltair , do you understand that you are the only living heir to the Shadowlands?" She asked sternly.

"Yes, mum." Bhaltair replied cautiously.

"And do you know what kind of chaos would ensue if you died without having another heir?" She asked, her voice getting louder.

"Mum, yes, but-" He replied, trying to interrupt .

"But what? Do you think you're invincible? You can't just go out without any guards, and you certainly cant go diving into every pound, lake, mire, or bog to save a dog!" She shouted .

"Mum! I'm sorry that I worried you, I really am, but with all the diplomacy training, and the history lessons, and every noble sending me word of their eligible daughters, and everybody's expectations of me , I just needed a place where none of it mattered." He sat down on a nearby stool and rested his head in his hands. Griselda sighed stood in front of him, lifting his chin, then hugged him

"I'm sorry I shouted, I just get so worried about you." She said, squeezing him tightly.

"I know." He said, squeezing her in return.

When they stopped hugging, Griselda held his face in her hands

"Bhaltair, if we cut down on you lessons, will you promise me not to go near that bog again?" She asked seriously.

"Yes, mum, I promise." He answered, crossing his heart.

"Well, with all that free time on your hands, maybe we can focus on finding the future queen?" She asked while mischievously smiling.

Bhaltair did not find this nearly as amusing. He groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Mum, will you ever stop with that. I'd rather be king of the bog then get married." He replied.

"King of the bog? Oh, don't be so dramatic. The day will come when you find the right girl and change your mind. But I guess until then, you can be the king of whatever you like. " Griselda began to leave.

"Now wash up. You're expected at supper." She said over her shoulder, passing the large wooden barrel.

Bhaltair looked at the barrel.

"But I'll freeze to death!" He exclaimed.

Griselda turned.

"Consider that your punishment for making me worry." She smirked and added "Bog King."