So, sorry I haven't updated... In a year. SORRY! I pretty much ran out of ideas and forgot about it but thankfully I've gotten back to writing. So here's the next chapter. :D
Over the next few weeks I made an great effort to get out and integrate with the other goblins. I visited Rosaleen first, seeing as out of anyone, I had to admit I liked her best. Karn greeted me at the door, looking warn and slightly annoyed. He raised a dark eyebrow at the sight of me, moving his dark hair from his face. I glanced at my feet, suddenly nervous. "I... Blackeyes said Rosaleen was on bed rest. I came to...to-"
"Visit?" Karn asked, perking up a bit. I glanced at him, raising my own eyebrow. I guess Rosaleen really had been running her husband up the wall like Blackeyes had said. He gave a smile, moving back from the door and opening it wider for me to step into the apartment. The place wasn't anything like Anu's chambers. Books were scattered everywhere and the stone walls were painted a bright blue and green. Little paper cranes hung from a small tree plant on the table. In the very far corner of the open room that appeared to be the living room, several toys littered the area. "She's back in our bedroom." Karn said, nodding his head toward door on the far left side of the room. I nodded and muttered a thank you before walking toward the door and knocking lightly.
"What?" Rosaleen called, sounding extremely annoyed and agitated on the other side. I heard Karn sigh behind me and I felt a small smile tug on my lips.
"Rosaleen, it's Melanie."
There was a pause before the door was whipped open and Rosaleen's excited face greeted me. She threw her arms around me, holding me as close as she could with her belly. I blinked, overwhelmed at the sudden contact, patting her on the back lightly. "It's so good to see you! God," She sighed, pulling back and shaking her head and looking irritated, "you have no idea-"
"Rosaleen!" Karn burst out suddenly and I jumped, finding the silver goblin just behind me. His wife glared at him just as fiercely and I suddenly felt like I should be anywhere but here.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Rosaleen snapped, waving her hand at her husband before tugging me into the room.
"You get up again and I swear I'll chain you to the bed." Karn said, following us to the doorway. Rosaleen glared at him before seating herself back on the large bed dramatically. I stood between them silently, but I couldn't help but think Karn was right. Rosaleen was by no means a delicate, tiny women like Luna or Anu but she did look as though she was close to bursting.
Karn glared at her one last time before closing the door as he went back to the living room, muttering something that sounded extremely close to crazy women. Rosaleen rolled her eyes and shook her head before giving me a wide smile. "I wasn't sure if you'd come. I'm happy you did though." She said, patting the bed as she crossed her legs and leaned back against the headboard. I took a tentative step toward the bed and sat down, watching as Rosaleen sifted back and forth excitedly. "I never can get comfortable now," she sighed, punching at the pillow before putting it behind her back.
"When are you due?" I asked, staring at her stomach. Goblin pregnancy was so much different from human one's. At least with humans, you had a basic understanding of what your child would look like. Two eyes, two ears, a nose, a mouth and ten fingers and toes. You didn't have to worry about it coming out a funny color or with some kind of animal parts. I couldn't help but wonder if Rosaleen would really be able to stand it if her child looked like those ugly little things running around these caves. Karn was human looking, even handsome even with his odd hands and silver skin. So maybe her child did have a chance of coming out semi-normal.
"Any day. Goblin babies aren't really a strictly a nine months thing like humans. And since Karn's got a lot of elf blood, it's been a little bit longer than nine months." She said, running her hand over her mound of a stomach lovingly. "I can't wait. I think Karn can't either, mainly because I'm driving him insane." She laughed and I smiled with her. Rosaleen was definitely the easiest person to be around. It was hard to believe that she had been through so much abuse. She seemed to love so easily, even these weird, deformed creatures. I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. Maybe if it was easy like that for me, staying here wouldn't be nearly as bad.
"I'm sure he's just making sure you're okay." I offered, giving her another smile. "He really seems to love you."
"Of course he does." Rosaleen said simply, giving me a bright smile. I smiled back and I saw something in her eyes change. She pursed her lips, tilting her head to the side and studying me. "What happened? You're different."
I sighed, glancing down at my hands. I knew this would come. Rosaleen was always so damn observant. And the truth was, I didn't even know what to say. I couldn't tell her what she wanted to hear... that I was happy, ready to marry Blackeyes, have his ugly little goblin baby and live happily every after. I knew it would never be like that for me. I would never get Rosaleen's happiness. But I had accepted it.
"This whole time I've been thinking I'd be able to leave... somehow." I whispered softly, staring at my hands as I picked at my thumb nervously. I felt Rosaleen watching me, her eyes caring. "I guess I finally realized I won't. I won't ever leave. I'll have to marry Blackeyes and I'll have to have his baby." I felt my chest tighten at the thought and I dug my nail into my skin painfully. "That's how it's going to be, so I might as well live with it."
There was a long pause before Rosaleen let out a long sigh. I glanced up at her, watching as she stared at me with so much pity. Part of me wanted to tell her I didn't want that, didn't want to see that look, but I bit my tongue because I knew how much she really cared. "I know I don't really understand." She mumbled, staring down at her belly. "I've always been glad to be here with Karn. I've always loved these people because they were so much more kind to me than humanity had been. I'm so happy that Karn brought me here and that we're married and going to have this baby." Rosaleen gave me another sad look, shrugging. "I've never been able to understand what Anu or Luna went through... what you're going through. But," She leaned forward, reaching forward to lay her hand over mine, "the Goblins are good people. I swear to you, Melanie."
I glanced down at her hand over mine, warm and human and covered in ordinary freckles. I felt pain well up in my chest, threatening to overwhelm me. "I've always just wanted a normal life." I whispered, tears pricking my eyes. "Normal parents who loved me and did things with me. A mother who loved me instead of a nanny." I sniffed, wiping the tears away quickly. "It doesn't matter anymore, Rosaleen. This is just how it is. Just how my life is. I never get what I want."
Rosaleen opened her mouth to say something but I couldn't hear anymore. I stood, plastering a smile to my face. Her hand slipped from mine, leaving it cold and I felt suddenly empty. "I'll see you again soon, Rosaleen." I said, nodding to her before turning toward the door.
"Melanie-"
"I'll come again, I promise." I muttered hurriedly, quickly exiting and shutting the door behind me quickly. Karn's head whipped up, raising a dark eyebrow as I waved hurriedly and moved out of the room. After slamming the door behind me, I walked swiftly through the corridors turning or heading down a different one whenever I saw one of the strange deformed creatures moving around the hallways. Before long I was in a small, unknown area. The lights were dimmer and the hallways were getting far smaller. After a long while I found a small, lonely room full of different rocks or statues. I moved to the corner, seating myself there and pulling my knees under my chin. I felt my chest constrict and I tried to hold in the tears. I shouldn't cry. I had already accepted that I was here and I was never getting away. Not only that, but I was sick of crying. It was of no use.
I knew I should go back, apologize to Rosaleen and show her I was okay. It wasn't right to worry her when she was already stressed enough with the baby coming and being put on bed rest. I also knew I shouldn't have run off like that either. I was sure I would have no idea how to get back and it would only worry Blackeyes, who was already worried enough for his dying father. It seemed that I was as much a problem here as I was up above.
A single tear slid down my cheek when a sudden light filled the tiny storage room. I jumped, quickly wiping the tear away and trying to hide myself in the corner best I could. But to my surprise it was only Blackeyes, looking worried and slightly frustrated as he waved his hand, sending the small ball of light to hang in the corner of the room. "Little elf, what have you done now?" He asked, coming to squat in front of me.
"I'm sorry." I whispered immediately, staring down at his black shirt instead of his face. That tender look he always wore when he looked at me still unnerved me. "I didn't mean to worry you. I just wanted some alone time."
He smiled gently at me, those dark eyes twinkling as he ran a finger down my cheek to brush away the second tear that had escaped. "You couldn't go to your room, Melanie? You scared Mungle quite a bit when you dazed him like that. He was sure I was going to have his head."
I glanced at him, momentarily distracted from my pain. "Dazed him? I didn't even know I had a guard." I stated, shaking my head. Blackeyes chuckled, tucking my hair behind my ear. His cold hands, what I always imagined a corpse felt like, left goose bumps over my skin.
"Of course I did. To make sure you didn't get lost just like this. But you put your little magic on him and ran right away." He smiled, taking my hand gently and pulling me up with him. I watched him carefully for a moment, but he didn't show any sign of joking.
"I can't do magic." I insisted, glaring at him. Part of me knew that he was most likely just trying to distract me, but I was too stubborn to let this go. "I'm human."
Blackeyes smiled, one that was clearly put on his ugly face just to placate me. "Of course you are." He said, running his thumb over my knuckles. He dropped it after a moment and placed it on the small of my back to guide me through the tunnels. I felt the cold of his palm through my shirt and I felt a shake run through my spine. He glanced at me curiously before waving his hand and the light he had produced zoomed in front of us and bounced lightly ahead of us. I glared at the offending ball, shaking my head.
"I can't do something like that." I insisted, pointing a finger at the small, glowing orb.
"You could, if you let me teach you." Blackeyes said simply, nodding his head as a couple small goblins grumbled to him in their language. "But by my guess, you'd be far better at healing or fighting. I can't decide what you'd be better at quite yet." He grinned at me, analyzing me for just a moment as though I was going to give him some great sign of what the answer was. But it would never happen. I definitely wasn't going to be doing any magic for him. I just folded my arms and huffed, which only seemed to amuse Blackeyes more.
"I think you should know, little elf, that Goblin's never lie. So when I tell you these things, its completely true." He stated, sounding just a bit smug. Now it was my turn to laugh. The snort of laughter I gave seemed to make Blackeyes curious and even more amused.
"Not to go all 'House' on you, but everybody lies." I stated, giving him my own smug smile and shaking my head. The hallway we were in was a bit more crowded with odd shapes and figures of various goblins and I felt my skin crawl. I pressed a bit closer to Blackeyes as an odd reptilian type goblin smiled at me, its tongue darting out with a soft hiss. I shivered, going back to focusing on Blackeyes more normal looks.
"No, humans like to lie. They love it." Blackeyes stated, finally coming to the familiar door of his study. The ape like guard nodded at him as he opened the door and followed after me. I seated myself across from his desk, folding my arms. "Goblins recognize that there is no need for something like lying. It really only causes problems."
I pursed my lips, rolling my eyes. "I'm sure."
"Have I ever lied to you, Melanie? I've only ever told you the truth. I told you we'd be married and we will be. I told you'd we'd have a child and we will. I told you I'd let you go up to see the stars and I did." He counted off, seating himself behind his desk to watch me. I frowned, shrugging stubbornly.
"That's only a few things." I mumbled, shaking my head. "The point is, I can't do magic and I never will be able to. So just shut up about it."
Blackeyes laughed, giving a nod as he stood and walked to the several hundred books lining his shelves. He grabbed a newer looking one, bringing it and laying it before me. It's cover was leather with golden letters scrawled across the middle, written in what I was sure was Goblin. It was clearly important and worth something. "I've been meaning to talk to you about this." He said, gently opening the book to reveal several blank, crisp pages. "It's the next book for the Kings Wives Chronicles. Ever since Marak Sixfingers wife Kate, the Goblin King's Wife has been asked to keep a Chronicle of her time in the Goblin Kingdom. You're not a wife just yet, but I ask that you start recording to get into the habit of it."
He shoved the book closer to me, nodding at it gently. I didn't touch it though. Instead I felt a sudden overwhelming feeling of resentment toward the book. Another thing to remind me what I was here for. "The Kings keep Chronicles as well. They are very important. I ask you tell the complete truth in it. Whether that's ranting about how much you hate me or about my charming good looks." He gave me a wink and a grin, revealing his pointed teeth. "I won't read it unless you give me permission. So don't feel like you need to sugar coat it. I can tell you there are some very long chapters in some of the books about how much they hate their King." He nodded toward the other books lining the wall that came before mine. "You can read them if you like. They may help you. My mother still has her own. She'll be adding to it until my father passes and you are the official Goblin Kings Wife."
I sighed, gently taking the beautiful book and holding it close. "Thanks." I mumbled, running my fingers over the golden engravings. "You have to keep one too?" I asked curiously.
He nodded, rifling through one of the drawers before grabbing a book of his own. It looked almost exactly the same as mine except for one word differing on the front. "I've started it, since I already have you here."
"You write about me?" I asked, a small flutter rising in my stomach at the new bit of information. He nodded, giving me a small smile. "What about?"
Blackeyes chuckled and I swore I saw his pale cheeks turn a bit darker. He kept his composure though, which made me wonder if I was imagining things in the low lighting. "Just the changes I see. And my own personal thoughts."
"Thoughts about me?"
He nodded, shoving the book away quickly. "I can't get you out of my head, dear elf," He whispered, coming around the table and grabbing my chin. I watched him, my heart suddenly speeding up and my cheeks reddening. I hoped he couldn't see it. "What else am I supposed to do?" With that he pressed a soft, cold kiss to my forehead before turning away and heading toward the door. "I will see you later, Melanie. Try not to use your magic on the guard; I don't want you getting lost again."
I heard him chuckling even after the door shut.
I began writing in the book the very night Blackeyes gave it to me and I wrote in it every night before bed. I had begun reading the other wives books as well and I was already through the first Wife to keep track of her time in the kingdom, Kate. It wasn't until I got to the second book that I had to go to Blackeyes. It seemed that the Wife of Kate's son had been an elf and had written the entire thing in elfish. Blackeyes had agreed to read the book to me in his spare time after I had adamantly denied him the job of assigning me his mother to teach me Elfish. Blackeyes still seemed extremely pleased to find me in his study day after day to read the books and even more happy when he saw me writing in my own.
"You know," Blackeyes said one evening after finishing one of the excerpts from Catpaw's Wife's book. It was about the birth of her own son, Boarhorns. "You're going to have to learn Goblin, so you might as well learn Elfish."
I huffed at him, shaking my head. "I don't see why. I'm going to be the Goblin Kings Wife. Not the Elf King's."
"How are you going to learn about anything? Our lives are intertwined so closely with the elves that I can guarantee you're going to have to." He stated, tucking the book underneath his arm. "There are at least two more Chronicles that are written in Elfish. Wouldn't you rather read them yourself?"
I shook my head, lifting my chin stubbornly. "No. You can read them to me or Luna can or Anu. I don't need to learn Eflish and I never will. I'm the Goblin Kings human Wife."
Blackeyes watched me for a long moment, an odd look on his face. I felt suddenly felt weird under his gaze and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "What?" I mumbled, daring another glance at him.
"That's the first time you've called yourself my wife." He said, an odd tone to his voice. For some reason I felt myself blushing and I brushed the hair to cover my face. I hadn't even realized I had said that. I hadn't even been thinking about it. I felt an odd sort of twist in my stomach at that thought. How had I forgotten so easily? About where I was and who I was with. And how had I gotten to the point to where I could say those words so easily? I didn't like it. It shouldn't be like this. I may have accepted that I was stuck here but I sure as hell didn't like it. And now Blackeyes was staring at me, his bitch black eyes staring down at me with... something that looked almost like love mixed with delight, was completely unnerving.
"I'm not yet." I shot back, but it didn't falter the look on his face at all. He smiled brightly, those pointed fangs shining. I immediately stood, gathering my things and tucking my hair behind my hair nervously. "I'm going to go. I... I'll see you later."
Blackeyes hand snatched mine quickly though and he pulled me back to him. I gasped, meeting his eyes and getting locked there. He was watching me through half lidded eyes and I could practically see his brain going over every option here. I knew what he wanted to do right now and I knew I wouldn't be able to stand it if he put those cold lips against mine. It was one thing for him to kiss my cheek or my forehead, but I could do this. Not after being caught so off guard just moments before. "Please," I breathed, my heart speeding up. "Please, don't."
He stared at me for a moment longer, the words finally hitting him. The spell of happiness my words had given him broke and I was surprised that the flash of pain across his odd features made me feel so horrible. "I'm sorry," I added quickly, reaching out to grab his hand and squeezing it. "I just-"
"It's fine, little elf." He whispered, squeezing my hand back. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have pushed." He let go of my hand, leaving it feeling cold. I felt a twist of pain that I had no idea I would feel for hurting him. It was because of this little twist of pain that made me say the words before I could stop it.
"Maybe someday."
Blackeyes looked back at me and I saw the corners of his mouth turn up into a small smile. I felt horrible for saying them because deep down I knew I could never do it. Never could I picture myself kissing him, holding him... sleeping with him. It had nothing to do with how he looked, but the fact that I was forced here with him. I was stuck here and no matter now nice he was to me I knew I would always resent him. "Maybe." He muttered before turning away from me, his shoulders tense and pain still in his voice.
I excited his office as fast as I could and didn't stop till I was back in my room. I fell asleep to that pained look on his face.
So I know not much happens in this, but at least I updated. You do get to see Blackeyes and her interact a bit more like friends. Got a little heated there at the end. Please review... if I still have readers. Which I would totally understand if I didn't. Lol
Thanks :D
