"Was it really that bad when I passed out?" Marianne asks quietly after what felt like the hundredth goblin questions her health.
"It scared us all," Griselda admits. "If it wasn't for Plum's quick action to check you over and assure us you were fine, those mountain fae would have been dealing with a very angry army."
"Even King Dirk had seen his life flashing before him," Hermia murmurs. "You love your people a very great deal and it's clear that the affection is returned in equal fervor."
Marianne returns the toothy smile before gratefully accepting a plate of food from Nex. This time the concerned question is joined by an apology for the missing special pastry and she quickly reassures the distressed chef. No matter how good the honey and blackberry jam cake is, it's not something that he needs to be angry with himself for not having even if circumstances were different.
Especially with how much food the Dark Forest subjects seem to want to lavish on their rulers.
As soon as the blessings were given and the mateship ceremony ended, they had started approaching her with their concerned questions and handing her dishes filled with various items. She's almost positive that every member of every village made a contribution to replace the festival food lost in the attack. Not that Puck has any complaint as she offers him the newest selection of food before adding the plate to the crowded table in front of her.
"You are getting a bath before bed," Marianne mutters in warning, eyeing the juice stains on her son's white fur.
Puck pauses in his eating at the threat before looking himself over. Mommy is right, he is eating a little messily but that was only because he's so hungry. The last thing he had was a snack Daddy got him before those big bullies showed up. Good thing he gave Goodfellow to Mommy to hold or it'd have to get a bath too.
"I had noticed that the castle entrance to the winter burrows has been reinforced, was there any damage to the closer chambers?" Marianne questions after Elder Waylay approaches with another plate of food.
"None, Your Majesty," Elder Waylay answers. "We had each of the chambers checked as soon it was safe and everything is sound. Some things had to be returned to the shelves they had fallen off of and a few casks had burst from the tremors but other than that all the items within the closer chambers are okay as well."
"And don't worry about the castle," Griselda mentions. "Before I left with all the able fighters, I ordered those left behind to attend to it and they managed to stop it from burning any further before diverting the water away from the rubble, so whatever wasn't damaged too much should be salvageable come morning."
"We already have groups organized to start as soon as the sun rises enough to see," Elder Waylay informs before bowing and leaving.
"We got some busy days ahead of us but thank the spirits that no one was harmed," Marianne murmurs.
"I wouldn't say that no one was harmed," Griselda chuckles. "One of the Cwn Annwn couldn't even walk on its hind leg, another was limping on its front leg, and the third one couldn't walk straight. That's not counting Am Fear Liath Mor's burned hand and Black Shuck's hurting back."
"Is it wrong if I said they deserved it?" Marianne asks.
"Not at all. Even though they were only doing such so as to cause a distraction, you didn't know that they weren't going to harm anyone and fully believed the attack was real," Hermia comments, eating an offered blackberry while tugging her daughter's tail to pull her back away from Puck. "Besides, you didn't even hurt them that badly. They'll all be healed within a week. I can't say the same for King Dirk's pride, though."
"He's lucky he didn't get worse," Griselda remarks before noticing Bog approaching. "What did the guards report, Bog?"
"The Placid Swamp envoy gave them no trouble. In fact, they were trying to get back to their kingdom faster than the guards could guide them. Leechan was a bit concerned about their behavior but Gort thinks that they're only acting out of fear," Bog answers, sitting down beside Marianne.
"Little cowards!" Griselda cackles. "One good thing to come out of this whole mess is that I'm positive that we'll never have any more trouble with those Placid Swamp goblins ever again, not after what they saw you two do."
"Wait. You brought them with you to the Light Field?" Marianne questions Griselda in shock.
"Yep," Griselda answers smugly. "Mostly because I didn't trust to leave them here with so few to keep an eye on them. We got to the border just as that bright amber light blasted away the fog. They were quivering little grubs before Black Shuck even showed up thanks to all the stories the elders were gladly telling them and then they had to be carried down to the winter burrow when I had Stuff sound the alarm because they were practically frozen out of fear, but when they were told that it was you two who were fighting the group of mountain fae...well, let's just say Black Shuck smelled nicer."
"Ugh! I'm glad I never got the pleasure of meeting them," Marianne groans. "Did you find out what caused them to show up this morning?"
"Some of their patrolling guards overheard portions of yours and Bog's fight from the war game being retold and they thought that there was a civil war in the Dark Forest and that Bog had been overthrown. They were probably hoping that they'd be able to trick the new king but instead found out much worse," Griselda chuckles.
"Don't think that I'm not still mad at you for not telling me about them when you arrived at the Light Field palace, Mother, because I am and we're going to have a long talk tomorrow," Bog grumbles.
"You would have done the same thing to Marianne had they showed up before you left to go to the Light Field. Don't think of denying it!" Griselda warns as he opens his mouth and smirking as Bog looks away guiltily. "They took my mate and one son from me and I wasn't about to let them take you as well."
"It's not like we took that big a risk, Sire," Lyla soothes as Adder hands a basket of sweet rolls to Marianne. "Everyone was on the alert for a sneak attack and all non-fighters were evacuated to the winter burrows as a precaution."
"Precisely! And in a way, we wouldn't have been prepared when Black Shuck arrived if it wasn't for them," Griselda continues. "Now quit griping at your poor helpless old mother and hand me some of those delicious rolls."