The original Princess and the Goblin story is owned by George MacDonald, and the movie by Entertainment Film Distributions and Budapest Film. Any unrecognized characters are mine.

Before the chapter starts, I'd like to thank StygianJackal from DeviantART for helping me figure out why goblins hate music and singing. I unfortunately can't find the status update of our conversation (DeviantART apparently decided it wasn't important to look back on old ones -_-) but I had a few notes on it jotted down.

The following morning, the mountain was revealed in the light of the day. It was just as it had been described in the past; huge and resembling a pile of of shards of glass. A small ledge could be seen, as well as a tiny black dot of an entrance. It looked intimidating, and it wasn't hard to believe that it contained something that was to be fought, whether it was a clan of goblins or a pack of wolves.

Irene and Froglip stared at it as they walked towards it. Though it wasn't growing in size very fast, they knew they were getting closer and closer to it, and thus their final goal; the shared objective that had started them on this long journey. "So... what will you do after this is finished?" he asked curiously.

"Return home, I suppose."

"Obviously, but what else?"

"Return home, get married, and rule my kingdom," she shrugged.

"Married?"

"Yes, I'm betrothed." She raised her right hand up as they paused in their walk.

He took her hand in both of his and looked closely at the ring on her third finger. It was made of silver and resembled two clasping hands. He remembered seeing it in the dungeon, but had paid no mind to it. "I didn't know you were betrothed," he said. His voice sounded strange, as though he was disappointed. It surprised even himself.

"It was a recent engagement," she explained in a small voice. He didn't let her hand go, but she didn't pull it away. "The night your parents were killed, it was when we were holding my betrothal ceremony. That was what you barged in on."

"What's he like, your betrothed?"

"Boastful and over-dramatic," she rolled her eyes. "The first day we met, he bragged about how he would protect me against goblins. But when you showed up, he screamed like a frightened little girl." She giggled at the memory. It was hypocritical, admittedly, since she had first reacted to goblins in a very similar fashion. But she was so used to grown men being so brave, it was amusing to see nonetheless.

"Well, good to know I'm still frightening to some Sun-People," Froglip remarked proudly, finally letting her hand go.

"I don't know if he was so much frightened of you as he was disgusted. But regardless, you did make quite the impression. And he was also so cruel to Curdie, calling him 'peasant', and disregarding that we were friends. He seemed so affronted that we were friends, in fact. He said once we were married, I wouldn't need to be friends with peasants," she spat angrily.

Froglip remained quiet as she ranted. While he didn't like the Sun-Boy at all, he knew better than to tell Irene she shouldn't be friends with him. In fact, he wagered that had he forbid her to be friends with him, she would find a way to do so under his nose. And he at least had better reasoning to dislike him than him being lower in class than himself.

He was disliking this Sun-Man more and more as Irene told him about him. He sounded like a sorry excuse for a Sun-Person. And if she was betrothed to him, he must be royalty. When he asked, she explained he was the king of a neighboring country, his previous wife had died before giving birth to an heir, and their union would join the two kingdoms.

But it was more than him being a cowardly, controlling Sun-Person that seemed to irritate Froglip. In fact, he realized that he hated this Sun-Man simply for being betrothed to Irene. It almost seemed like he was jealous. Jealous? Why would you be jealous of a Sun-Man? And especially for being betrothed to her?

"Do you think my people will be happy with my return?"

Silently thanking her for the change in subject, he answered, "That's... honestly hard for me to answer. On the one hand, they probably would be ecstatic to see you come home. You're their princess, after all."

"But?"

"But... but seeing as I'm a goblin, and you're a Sun-Person, not to mention our history, especially yours and mine, they might also be angry with you." At her confused and hurt expression, he elaborated, "Irene, you left in the middle of the night with me. Did you even leave a note saying what you were doing?"

"My handmaiden knows."

"And do you think they'll believe her? You told me that she was soft-spoken and frightened around you. And your betrothed is a stranger, and a king. Do you think she will stand to telling them what happened?"

"Are you suggesting she would lie or betray me?"

"Not at all. I'm saying they probably won't believe her, since she's not only a stranger to them, but a very shy one at that. Not to mention they didn't believe goblins were real."

"And they certainly didn't believe that Dirtclaw was real," she muttered under her breath. "They wouldn't even hear of it."

He nodded as she looked like she was putting the pieces together. "And that Sun-Boy friend of yours? Why, I would be surprised if they didn't kick him out the moment he breathed any words about us. Even if some of your guards are friendly with him."

"How are you so knowledgeable about this? And why are you even bothering to tell me? You could have very easily left me in the dark."

"Logic, I suppose," he shrugged. "And this should be something you're thinking about, since you're so close to becoming queen. And as to why... well..." He brushed his hair back and glanced off to the side. To her surprise, Irene could see his cheeks darkening. "I guess... I guess during this trip, you've become something of a... friend, I suppose?"

Friend. Hearing that he, a goblin who had previously hated Sun-People, taking any opportunity he could to vocalize so, considered a Sun-Woman a friend made her heart go in two directions. It mostly made her feel happy and warm, especially since she considered him a friend as well. And she was glad that her sentiments were returned. Despite their many ups and downs on the journey, she felt that they had both bonded strongly.

But on the other hand, it also made her feel a little sad. But why? Is it because... could it be possible I want... more than just friendship? No, that can't be it. It must be because I know this will end soon, and we may never see each other again. "What will you do when you go home?" she asked him.

"I... I'm not really sure. Glump told me that I was able to go home, since my ten years were up. But... well, since I'll have killed Dirtclaw, they're liable to accept me. Especially if I bring the body."

"Or his skin," she suggested. "How much would it appeal to goblins for their prince to be wearing the skin of their enemy, using him as warmth, protection, intimidation, and a status?"

He was silent for a few seconds before grinning widely, "I knew there was a reason I liked you!" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and ruffled her hair.

"Froglip, no! Stop it!" she giggled, pushing him away and combing her hair down. Another thought came up, one that had been stuck in the back of her mind ever since first learning about goblins. "Why do you hate singing?"

"I'm gonna tell you a little secret," he whispered, laying an arm on her shoulders again. Instead of messing her hair though, he pulled her closer so he could whisper into her ear, as if there were others listening. "It's not that goblins hate singing, it hurts us."

"Hurts you?"

"When we hear singing, our ears hurt, and we feel... how do I describe it? It makes us feel like we need to get away from it."

"So, you're afraid of it?"

"Not necessarily, but I suppose that's one way to describe it. I wouldn't advice saying that around other goblins, though."

"Is music the same?"

"Pretty much the same. Maybe not really quite as much, actually. Though some goblins, including young and old ones, can be more affected. We don't make it a point to listen to Sun-People music for experimentation."

"What about dancing?"

"We can dance," he scoffed with a slight smile. "Just because we can't have music doesn't mean we can't dance. Mostly it's during celebrations though, and in comparison to Sun-People dancing, we just jump and twist around. Often around a fire or statue, or something like that. It's a lot of fun though, admittedly."

"Do couples dance though?"

"Aren't you just full of questions today? But what do you mean?"

"Sun-People couples dance together often. During weddings, for example, or balls." An idea popped up in her mind. Part of her was astonished that she would think about something like that, but the bigger part squashed that surprise down. Their journey was ending soon, and even though they still had the walk home, she wanted to enjoy herself for as long as she could. "Would you like me to teach you?"

"To Sun-People dance? I... I don't want you to step on my feet," he said warily, glancing down at their feet.

She immediately nudged her shoes off, wiggling her toes in the grass and mud. The rain from the previous night made the ground cool, and she sighed at the warm sunlight falling on her bare feet. "Would this be better?"

"I suppose," he shrugged. "All right, what do I have to do?"

"First, we bow," she said, spreading her arms slightly and curtsying. Cocking one ear up curiously, he bowed at the waist. "Put your right hand on my back under my arm, and hold my other hand."

He stepped closer to her and did as she said, albeit awkwardly. She placed her free hand on his upper arm. He could feel his heart race faster as she nudged his legs until he was standing straight in front of her. But he had a feeling it wasn't because she had perfect opportunity to crush one of his feet. "Watch my feet, and move the opposite of mine. For example, I step backwards with my left, you step forward with your right. And for now, follow my lead."

This sounds so complicated, he griped in his head. But regardless, he followed her steps, staring down at their feet, both to watch what he was doing and to make sure she didn't step on him. As they stepped, she began turning to the right slightly. They ended up slowly spinning while dancing in a large circle. She did accidentally step on his foot once or twice, but she always apologized profusely. He found himself being surprisingly patient with her. And her removing her shoes did lessen the pain, if not only slightly.

"Once in a while, you can raise my arm up and spin me around, and back around," she added.

Pausing, he lifted their hands up, allowing her to slowly spin and stand away from him, stretching their arms. She spun herself back around, placed her hand back on his arm, and they began dancing again. His hand ended up on her waist, but she either didn't mind or notice.

As they continued to dance, he found himself getting better and better, memorizing the steps and learning the rhythm. He finally looked up from their feet and at Irene. Her eyes were sparkling in the morning light, and she had a soft smile on her pink lips. He found the corners of his mouth threatening to lift as well. He remembered the pink dress she wore during her betrothal ceremony, and found himself imagining her still wearing it, rather than the Sun-Boy's clothing. He could imagine the skirt flowing around as they spun and sidestepped, the bodice fitting to her form like a glove. Before he realized it, he had stopped and was simply staring at her. He couldn't get that image out of his mind.

Irene cocked her head at Froglip's expression when he stopped. It was a peculiar one; he didn't look bored, irritated, or sad, but he didn't exactly look happy either. In trying to find a comparison, her father's face popped into her mind. More specifically, the one he had whenever he talked about her mother, or looked at any paintings of her. Her heart skipped a beat when she remembered what he looked like: in love.

When Froglip still didn't move, she took the hand that was on her waist in her own and began stepping to the side. She stepped to the left, and to the right. Glancing down at their feet in brief confusion, he mirrored her movements like how he had done when learning to dance. When she moved to the left, he moved to the right; she to the right, and him to the left. Their arms stretched and bent at each step. But still he was silent, and his expression barely changed. Her amused giggles that had risen when doing the silly, impromptu dance faded into a concerned expression.

She was about to say something when he pulled her hands up and let go, causing her to stumble forward and grab at his shoulders. He wrapped his arm around her back and cupped the back of her head, dipping her a little. She could feel her cheeks warming, but this time, she barely felt any embarrassment. Then he straightened up quickly, let her head go, and lifted her up by her waist onto his hip, slowly spinning. She let out a soft gasp and wrapped her arm around his neck. They kept eye contact, and he finally let a smile change his face.

He finally set her back onto her feet, took her hand again, and led them back into the dance. She grinned as he took full control and still kept eye contact with her, never once looking down at their toes. "Y-you learn very quickly," she remarked, suddenly feeling short of breath. She wondered if it was completely because of the dance and from the surprise of his boldness.

"I have a good teacher," he smirked, quirking an eyebrow as he spun her out and back in. Her hand moved closer to his neck this time.

She was about to answer when her foot stepped back and into a hollow. She cried out in surprise as she began to fall back. He bent on one knee and grabbed her tighter, quickly pulling her flush against his body. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm all right," she whispered, slowly letting his hand go. She slowly moved it closer to his face, which was several inches away from her own. When he didn't flinch away, she carefully placed her fingertips on his cheek. Like the rest of his body, his skin was rougher and thicker than a Sun-Person's. But unlike his hands, the skin on his face was softer yet. She trailed her fingers up his face and to his ear, which he twitched. She snickered once, and slowly ran her fingers through his hair. It was thick and rough, feeling like dead grass.

As her hand explored his face, he moved his free hand up her side to her shoulder, up her neck, and finally cupped her cheek. Her face was as soft and warm as the rest of her body. But he didn't feel disgusted. Mirroring her actions, he let his fingertips graze her hair. It was softer than any goblin hair he had felt, from a male or a female, but it was still as thick. His thumb brushed against her cheek, and her eyes fluttered shut with a slight sigh. Her eyelids rose again, though only slightly and she gazed at him though her eyelashes. He felt his heart pause briefly, and he swallowed thickly.

She began raising her head up to his. He flinched back a tiny bit, causing her to pause. But when he didn't show any other resistance, she moved again, albeit slower. Finally, she pressed her forehead against his, closing her eyes again. He gazed down at her before shutting his eyelids as well. He held her tighter against himself, and cupped the back of her head. She wrapped her other arm around the back of his neck.

Though they didn't realize at the time, neither of them wanted the moment to end.