After Clare and Marak were fully dressed, they started walking down one of the hallways towards the dining room for some breakfast. Thankfully before they left, Clare managed to find some glittering flats deep within the closet. Her feet were somewhat sore from the previous night, but now that she was wearing flats, her feet started to feel better.

"Its kind of strange for a woman to not be accustomed to walking in heels this day isn't it?" Marak teased as he adjusted one of his shoulders.

"Oh quiet you." Glared Clare. "Let's see you walk in some and maybe I'll agree with you for once." She said with a growl.

"Touchy! Touchy!" the goblin king chuckled. "I hope you wont be in that mood the whole day Miss Clare."

"Why? Is there a reason?" Asked Clare. "And don't call me Miss Clare!" she snapped.

"Well, should I tell you? Or should I keep it a surprise?" Marak smiled at Clare. "I really enjoy surprises, don't you Miss Clare?"

"Not surprises done by you." Said Clare.

"Well that's a shame." Marak smiled as his golden eyes looked at her. Clare knew that smile. The smile pretty much said: "I know something you don't know." For some weird reason that irritated her. The two eventually came to a very large door; two armored goblins were guarding the sides quietly. Marak stretched his hand to the doorknob, and then turned to Clare.

"The reason Miss Clare," Marak spoke as he turned the doorknob. "I have a visitor who I'm sure you've been worried about."

Clare looked at him for a moment. Who was Marak talking about? Who was she worrying about? After thinking for a moment, the image of Howard popped into her mind. "Howard?!" Clare asked with excitement. "He's here? Oh, open the door Marak!"

Marak smiled, and opened the door. Clare dashed inside.

Looking around, she noticed a short person across the room wearing a forest green vest, a long sleeved white shirt and black slacks.

"Howard?" asked Clare happily.

The person, hearing her voice, turned around and smiled at Clare. "Good morning Miss Clare." Spoke Greg. "Did you sleep well?" he asked with a soft smile.

Clare blinked, she had been tricked again. "MARAK!!!!!!" she shouted with fire in her eyes.

Marak wasn't listening, but laughing loudly as usual. If he wasn't leaning on the door, he would have surely fallen down. Hugging his side with one arm while the other leaned on the door, the goblin king eventually stopped laughing.

"What is so funny your highness?" asked a confused Greg. "Do I look strange today?" the elf boy said as he took a look at his clothes.

Clare turned her attention back to Greg, and shook her head. "Don't worry about it Greg." Said Clare grumbling with rage. As she walked past Greg to one of the dining room chairs, she suddenly felt her heart become warm. It felt calm, happy and cheery; like her heart knew something about Greg that she didn't. Clare stopped in her tracks and looked at Greg with her blue eyes. What was going on? She wondered. Shortly however, Greg noticed her looking at him.

"Whats wrong Miss Clare?" he asked with a worried look.

Clare quickly realized what she was doing and shook her head quickly. "Oh,no. Nothings wrong, I'm just spacing out I guess." She smiled and turned to her chair.

"Let me help you into your chair." Greg offered kindly. "I assume it's hard to get into anything with you wearing such a large dress." He spoke as he pulled back the chair.

"Thanks." Replied Clare. Greg was so polite, for being much younger than her; he was very polite for his age!

As Greg helped Clare into her chair, across the room Marak was staring at the two with soft eyes. A slight smile escaped on his face, as he slowly made his way over.

When Marak was near, Clare glared. "You should seriously take lessons from Greg here Marak." Said Clare. "I bet you that you could learn a thing or two from him."

"Why are you so angry? It was just a harmless joke, Miss Clare." The goblin king grinned widely.

"You know I've been worried about Howard ever since we left…Hollow Lake." Clare said suddenly feeling lumps in her throat. "And yet...you just continue to torment me with tricks!" she said as bowls of soup were being set on the table by some small winged goblins. They looked like stumpy, round gremlins that had ratty bat wings. The goblins Clare knew could look worse than this.

"Well, to hopefully make you feel better Miss Clare, Howard will be coming today." Marak smiled as he politely sipped some soup from a silver spoon.

Clare looked at him with doubt. "I don't believe you." She pouted.

"Like I said Miss Clare, goblins never lie." He said waving his spoon in the air.

Clare stared at him for a moment. "Really?" asked Clare with uncertainty.

"I promise." Marak smiled. "But he will only be here for dinner." the goblin king said and took another sip of soup.

Clare smiled, she was happy he was coming after all. She had so many questions to ask him; how were things going with Cynthia? Was she worried about David? Did she know about David? The list of questions went on forever in Clare's head.


The rest of the day seemed to move much slowly since Clare was impatient waiting for dinner time. Marak had constant meetings with other goblin officials, which she seemed to dislike greatly due to the constant strange looks she would get from them. One of the goblin officials Clare managed to make friends with was named something too long for her to remember, so she just called him Moss. He was apparently one of the few goblins in the city that could speak English. Moss was a goblin that resembled Marak, except his skin was the color of chocolate, his hair, scraggly and messy, was the color of well, moss. His hair went down his face, down to his legs, and seemed to be mossy all over his body. He had a particular feature that Clare found amazing, his eyes were a beautiful jade color, and was the most human thing she found about him. He was very kind, and even caught some jealous looks from Marak when she talked to him. But this was short lived. Eventually Moss left, and Clare was left to twiddle her thumbs; or was until Greg offered to take her around the castle grounds.

Clare let out a deep sigh. "Thanks Greg, I felt like I've been sitting there for hours."

Greg smiled. "It's only because you don't know the language yet Miss Clare."

"Oh don't you start now!" Clare sighed again.

Greg blinked. "Start what Miss Clare?"

"Don't call me Miss Clare like Marak does!" she pointed cheerfully at Greg. "He's a bad influence! Call me Clare!" Clare smiled.

"But you're the king's wife." Greg replied. "It would be rude of me not to address you as so!"

Clare admired his politeness, but she wanted at least someone not to call her Miss Clare besides Howard. "But remember! As being the king's wife, you should listen to what she says and obey her orders!" Clare said.

Greg looked at her and sighed. He couldn't think what to say to counter her move. "You got me. Alright, Clare." Greg said.

"That's better!" Clare smiled and scruffled his hair with her right hand.

Greg looked at her surprised with what she was doing. Clare noticed the look on his face and quickly stopped what she was doing. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she stuttered. "I don't know what came over me..." Clare looked at her hand, curious why she was so casual with Greg.

"Clare..." Greg spoke suddenly.

Looking at the elf, she gazed at him with confused blue eyes. Greg seemed worried; his face was looking off to the side; like he was unsure about something.

"What's wrong Greg?" Clare asked with concern.

Greg looked back at Clare; his green eyes seemed familiar to her. Where has she seen those eyes before?

"I…" Greg stuttered. "We..."

Before Greg could finish, something grabbed Clare around her waist.

"EEEEEEEEK!" Clare screamed with surprise. Her heart felt like it had jumped right out of her body.

Not even turning around, Clare knew who it was. Marak. The goblin king let out a loud series of laughs. Didn't Marak have better things to do than give me heart attacks? Clare thought to herself.

"If only I could have seen your face!" he managed to say in a breath.

"Why you!!!!" Clare said fuming, ready to smack the childish goblin king across the face.

"Dinner is ready." Marak said knowing that his words would calm her down.

Clare quickly dashed off towards the dining room, leaving Marak and Greg alone.

"Greg." Marak spoke with surprisingly a serious tone n his voice.

"Yes your highness?" Greg asked.

Brushing his fire red hair out of his face, Marak looked at his friend. He pondered through his thoughts, thinking of what to do next.

"What is it?" Greg asked nervously.

Letting out a sigh, Marak placed a hand on Greg's head. "I don't mind you being friends with her Greg," started the goblin king. "But don't tell her what I know you were going to say."

Greg gasped. "But...why?" he asked.

"It's not the time to reveal your secret yet." Marak said lifting his hand. "But maybe sometime soon you can." He said with a smirk.

Slowly, Greg nodded his blonde head. "Alright." He said sadly.

Marak slapped the back of Greg cheerfully. "You know, for an elf, you're pretty mature!" he chuckled.

Greg slightly blushed as the two strange friends headed off to the dining room to catch up after Clare.


Another chapter completed. I hope you guys don't mind this chapter, I'm pretty unsure about it, but I think it will do fine for the rest of the story. :)