All characters are owned by George Macdonald except whatever OC's that I manage to come up with, purely fan made and inspired after reading all the great PatG fanfics

Irenie shook her head without a word as another gentleman had approached her and asked for a dance. Even though the events of that day had promised her at least a little excitement during the presentation of her birthday gifts, she found herself wallowing in despair soon after.

The princess sat in the thrown next to her father's, her royal seat as heir apparent, and sighed pitifully.

The King heard every noise and caught every wounded look, but he didn't speak a word to her. There was one gift he had brought with him from his journey that he hoped would put her in greater spirits, if only for his benefit.

At the other end of the grand ballroom, another lonely, miserable spirit sat in the dark corner in the back of the room as he watched the people commence their introductions, which to him were very strange.

Long after the sun had sunk into the mountains, people were still talking, still moving and now pairing off with one another.

Froglip's eyes hovered over the crowd in lethargic melancholy. He kept thinking how poor he was, how cruelly he'd been treated by fate.

His servants stood tentatively at his side and waited for a command, but he would not give one until the moment presented itself, and at that moment he had no interest in doing anything except pity himself.

With every passing minute he felt himself becoming more like the sun-people. He wasn't even all that disgusted by their faces anymore and he had only been amongst them for less than a day.

Froglip watched from his position along the wall as people weaved in and around one another, talking ceaselessly and looking fluffy and ridiculous as they walked around the great room. Goblin's didn't have such tedious customs, especially not when courting.

A strange sound from the corner erupted with whiny noises that weren't entirely unpleasant. The sounds were almost enchanting until they began to give him a bit of a headache being so close.

He recognized the phenomenon as music.

However, what was truly interesting to Froglip, was what the sun-people began to do as it began. They paired off with one another and began to dance. Froglip had been shown how to do this in the week before when his father was teaching him the customs of the sun people, but he had no concept of what dancing looked like.

First, there were two people, a couple, and they came very close together, forced to stare at one another. Then they began to move around in circles, almost ceaselessly. It would have made Froglip laugh to see goblins do this as they were fairly robust and such dainty customs would look ridiculous, but with the sun people, the dances were suitable for their fragile bodies.

It almost enchanted the goblin prince in disguise.

He found himself becoming curious and longed to know what it was like. Goblin's never spent much time together or being close in physical proximity. The way the sun-people touched one another and drew close to one another made him wonder what it would be like to be so close to someone in such a way.

Most of this was a result from his soft new body and how it seemed to crave warmth and could barely sustain it on it's own. He was constantly cold, it wasn't at all surprising that the sun-people kept close to one another or wore such needlessly complicated and thick items of clothing.

From what Froglip knew of dancing, his mother told him strictly never to dance with anyone except the princess, and only use it as a means of getting close to her to potentially charming her.

He glanced at her over his shoulder.

She looked rather unimpressed and spent her time slumped in her throne. Every time a new suitor approached the princess, she dismissed them flippantly.

Froglip had avoided her ever since the greetings had commenced. It wouldn't look good for him to be rejected like the rest of them.

He wasn't too confident that she would leave the company of her father to join in a dance with him when she had already rejected the rest so easily.

Becoming bored once more, Froglip groaned and eased deeper into his slouch against the wall. A growing disinterest formed in his mind and he no longer cared about the dance. It wasn't as if he'd actually enjoy taking part in the stupid traditions of the sun-people, the only use of knowing about them was if he was actually forced to take part.

"Sire, look," the Goblin said hesitantly gesturing ahead of him.

"What?" Froglip growled at his servant as it jumped back in fear and gestured to the ball room door.

"T-they're letting s-someone in."

Froglip squinted in the faint light of the candles that had been lit in the room. It was true, and as he craned his neck to look over the heads of the dancers he saw a person walk into the room, avoiding a few of the bodies as he walked into the crowed.

Froglip recognized him immediately. His mind had a keen memory, even as far as goblin's went, and he knew the new comer as the miner boy from the mountain.

As a goblin, froglip had come across the sun-boy a few times. The boy was known among goblins in particular as one who wasn't afraid of them and even sung to drive them away.

Froglip had experienced this once or twice when he was out during the sun people's night and it had infuriated him. The sun boy was as cocky as a rooster and took to strutting around the mountain like he owned it.

Oh how Froglip would like to get even with him.

An idea flashed into his mind and he became excited at the prospect of revenge.

"With this disguise, no one would recognize me, not even the miner," Froglip snickered to himself as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "I'm going to join in, wait for me here," Froglip dismissed his minions, his sites now set on the miner boy who was finding his way through the room.

"But master, what should we do if-"

"Don't draw attention to yourselves and await any requests I have of you." Froglip hissed before leaving them quite shocked.

Froglip's eyes were strictly focusing on the sun boy and he would deal with anyone who threatened to get in his way.

However, the ex-Prince of Goblins wasn't the only one focussed on the miner boy, and as he walked unsuspectingly into the centre of the room, the Princess sat up in her chair excitedly.

Irenie spotted Curdie and a smile immediately came to her face at the miner boy's arrival. He looked incredibly handsome in a fashionable exquisite suit and everyone's eyes were drawn to him.

She felt her heart flutter in excitement and she got up from her chair suddenly.

"Are you going to join in the festivities, Irene?" The king asked from his seat as he watched his daughter stand up.

Irenie hesitated and nodded, taking a few steps to arrive on the main floor, but her feet failed to take her any further.

Dread and fear rocked her to her core. What would Curdie say after their last meeting? Would he still treat her coldly like the last time they saw one another or would they finally be able to talk with one another?

And if they did talk honestly, would he feel the same as her? Or would it be just as she feared?

Indecision kept her in the same spot until her private captain of the guard came to her side.

"It looks like a fine celebration." He said while gesturing to the dancers and their elegant shapes weaving in and out of one another. "I'm surprised you haven't wanted to join in."

She looked up at him in shock and then embarrassment.

"I do want to dance..."

"But you don't like none of the partners who've asked you?" Sedaris finished for her.

Irenie closed her eyes and hung her head as she nodded.

"Oh my lady, you just gotta go ask the one you want. Don't be afraid." He smiled comfortingly and nodded.

Irenie pursed her lips and held her breath.

"I am not as sure that he wants to dance with me, Sedaris." Irenie said eventually, "I was very crass with him the last time we met and I don't think he's forgiven me."

Sedaris, perhaps surprised that Irenie had said anything at all, nodded his head in agreement and strikes his short, pointed beard.

"Well- there's always one for sure way to get him interested in dancing if his pride is too stubborn."

Irenie looked up at the guard with a pleading look in her eyes. "Is there?"

"Nothing brings out a man's passion like another taking his place," Sedaris whispered to Irenie who listened carefully. "You might want to try making the lad jealous."

Irenie stared at the guard in confusion before she retreated into herself.

Had she really just considered the idea? Using a suitor to make Curdie jealous?

"Oh- I couldn't possibly." Irenie shook her head and tried to smile. "Thank you for the advice all the same."

She quickly ran into the crowd of dancers, hardly noticed as she tried to slip herself delicately through the wall of moving bodies.

They took no notice of her as she tried to make her way to the centre of the floor, right wear Curdie had stopped.

At that moment, the next-Goblin Prince Froglip had closed in on his prey with a plan to drag him out forcefully by the collar of his jacket and beat him senseless.

It wasn't the most well thought out plan the Goblin Prince had ever devised and that was saying something.

He snaked like a shadow through the unsuspecting mob, headed towards the miner boy.

At the moment he was within an arms length of the sun-boy, he felt the heel of a shoe crunch into his big toe.

Although the pain was only a fraction of the amount a goblin would have felt, Froglip flinched back and let out a gurgled whine from his clenched jaws.

"Watch who you're stepping on, sun-sc-" Froglip growled, but was immediately bashed in the crook of his neck by an elbow from the opposite direction.

Froglip suddenly felt himself being assaulted from all directions, his toes already swelling and squishing up against his tight boots.

He cursed his sweaty soft, injury prone form and refocused on his initial target, the sun boy.

However, the miner was nowhere to be seen and Froglip looked around himself in confusion.

All he could see was red as he tried to refrain from killing any of the twirling, swirling figures around him, too absorbed in their own movements to take notice of him.

He thought he spotted the sun-boy just ahead of him, separated by only a few steps, and rushed forward.

His steps were strangely agile and graceful in the slow moving body.

As he almost succeeded in reaching what he thought was the sun boy, he collided into a soft fleshy body like his own with an equal amount of force, but it was not the miner's.

He was so stunned by the impact, Froglip stood there motionless. He seemed to have reached the middle of the floor, the eye of the storm, without even meaning too.

"Owe-" moaned the body he had crashed into, the sun-person's arms grabbing onto him for stability.

He peeled himself back and looked down to see none other than the last person he would expect to see on the dance floor.

"Oh! Prince Fredrick!" The princess gasped, startled by his sudden presence. His chest was forced to press up against hers as the dancers moved around them in a closely packed formation, almost ignorant of their presence.

Froglip's eyes widened and he felt his face grow hot with some sort of reaction erupting under his skin.

He touched his face and it grew hotter. He could only guess it had occur because of the sudden embarrassing situation he had been forced into.

As she stared at him her face flushed pink across her cheeks and he could only guess that's what his own face looked like. He couldn't help but smirk a little at this. Even if the princess was a disgusting, soft sun-creature, the pink skin suited her.

"It's a bit of a predicament we've found ourselves in," the princess tried to joke.

Out of false curtesy Froglip mimicked the laugh and relaxed back onto his heels. "I didn't expect to see you on the dance floor."

Irenie blushed in embarrassment as she surveyed the prince in front of her. She was still wearing his gift, and coming this close to him reminded her how undeniably and blatantly handsome he was.

"I thought I saw someone I was looking for around here," she replied, hoping he would not ask who she was looking for. "And yourself? I would have thought a prince would be dancing the night away."

Irenie saw Prince Fredrick curl his nostril and cleared his throat.
"I seemed to have lost my partner." He mused to himself for a second before staring down at Irenie with interest. "But as we're both here I wonder if you might consider becoming my new partner?"

Irenie was a bit shocked by this, but couldn't deny it would save her the further embarrassment of leaving the dance floor looking discouraged.

"Irenie-" a voice called from her left.

The princess looked up to see Curdie in a well tailored suit he may have gotten from the king, walking through crowd effortlessly.

"Curdie," Irenie couldn't help but melt in his presence, no matter how anxious she was to meet him again. "I'm so glad you came."

Curdie smiled softly as he completely ignored Fredrick and took her hand in his. "I'm glad I made it."

He backed away, finally taking notice of the fuming Prince who stood in front of Irenie.

"I must beg your pardon, I'm an old friend of Irenie's," Curdie apologized as he extended his hand for Fredrick to shake, but the Prince didn't move one muscle.

"Prince Fredrick," the Prince replied stiffly before bowing. A smile crinkled in his eyes as returned to position, "what kingdom are you from, may I ask?"

"I-uh, I'm not a royal." Curdie answered, taken by surprise.

Irenie bit her lip as a conversation began between Fredrick and Curdie, but she wasn't paying attention.

She looked from Fredrick to Curdie and Sedaris' advice came echoing back into her head. Would it be cruel to use Fredrick in such a careless manner?

He might be grateful to be shown any attention at all... Perhaps it wouldn't be poor of her too make Curdie a little jealous of she was showing a different man attention.

Prince Fredrick was now very calm, even lethargic with his responses and Irenie couldn't help but notice how Curdie was beginning to act around him.

Curdie had gone from his normal relaxed demeanour to a defensive, tight-shouldered one.

"That's very interesting," he mumbled under his breath. "Irenie..." Curdie trailed off, trying to ignore the prince as he seemed to enjoy Curdie's discomfort. "It's been long, perhaps... We could talk somewhere more private?"

Irenie frowned a little, she hadn't been looking forward to a serious talk, but it was even more worrisome because she didn't know what to expect from him.

However, if she did pretend to be at least a little enthusiastic about Fredrick, she might inspire Curdie to dote on her at least a little.

"Actually... I promised a dance to Prince Fredrick," Irenie lied, her heart racing. "I'm sorry, Curdie."

She slipped her arm underneath the Prince's and sighed before checking over her shoulder.

"Perhaps we'll see each other during the feast."

Curdie nodded his head without a word, but she could tell that he wasn't in favour of the idea. Whether or not that meant he was jealous, Irenie wasn't sure, but at least she could read a little bit into his emotions.

Prince Fredrick on the other hand, seemed absolutely delighted.

They slipped in and out of the crowd easily enough, and before Irenie knew what was happening, she was standing before her father, with an actual prince upon her arm.

"Irenie..." The King spike her name in astonishment.

Sedaris stood at his right hand and gave a disapproving frown, "and the late comer."

Irenie curtsied slowly, "I was wondering if I could have one last dance before we retreat to the hall?"

She was so sweet and so charming, and her father was absolutely overjoyed to see she had taken an interest in anyone, he ordered for another dance right away.

Irenie grew anxious as the ones who had been dancing seconds before, now parted across the ballroom floor to allow Prince Fredrick and her to cross unopposed.

They were at the centre of the floor when the music began. She was so nervous at that point her hands were shaking manically.

Irenie regretted ever having left Curdie, especially when she had been trying to make him jealous.

She hoped that he wasn't hurt by how rashly she had acted.

"Focus on me," Prince Fredrick whispered, breaking her thought process.

"Pardon?"

"That's what happens during a dance- you look at your partner?" Prince Fredrick said in a calm, neutral tone, perhaps questioning why she didn't seem to be 'all there'.

Irenie nodded slowly before she curtsied, her eyes now never straying from the prince as he bowed to her and came forward to meet her in the dance.

They touched hands and began to circle one another, locking eyes as the rest of the onlookers began to take part. Prince Fredrick took a second to lean into Irenie, his brown eyes with flecks of gold staring down at her intently.

"See," he whispered to her, "not so bad, am I?"

Irenie looked at him in shock and smiled for the second time that day.

Perhaps he wasn't.

So, thanks to CiritheLioness, I didn't know how to progress from where I had left off, but you inspired me to start again, I'm glad you enjoyed the video ^-^

Alright, so it's going to be a little complicate in terms of understanding who's perspective it's from, however everything in this story is third person but I switch between a couple of perspectives. I don't like putting POV IRENIE/FROGLIP because I feel it looks really bad so basically the only way to tell the difference right now is how each character thinks. Irenie thinks of froglip as Prince Fredrick, while froglip will think of himself as Froglip and refer to people as sun-people like most of the goblins do in the movie.

There were no lyrics to go with this song, but because it's a very elegant and pretty piece of waltzing music, I used 'Cheek of the Night' from Romeo and Juliet for inspiration.