Marianne sighs as she finishes rinsing out Puck's fur before rising out of the washing basin with the sleepy child. Just when she thought things were finally settling down, something more had to be added to her already long list of things to deal with.
"Still thinking about what Dagda said?" Bog questions.
"Hard not to," Marianne answers, drying herself and Puck. "How would you react if you found out something like this?"
"A lot worse," he admits with a chuckle.
"I just don't know what to think," she murmurs. "Dawn and I know so little about Mom. She never talked about her life before she came to the Light Field. She never talked about when she was growing up or about any family. All we know is that she arrived in the Light Field with a group of travelers a few weeks before Lammas and stayed behind when the travelers left because she and Dad started courting. She never even...are you okay, Bog?"
"Fine, fine!" Bog coughs, setting himself right before leaving the washing basin.
"Were you falling asleep?" Marianne asks, trying and failing to stop her giggles.
"No!" he answers petulantly, scrunching his nose and turning away from her to hide his blush. "I slipped."
Marianne bites her lip to muffle her laughter at his childish behavior. She knows him better than that. He was definitely falling asleep and doesn't want to admit it.
Silly male. It's nothing for him to be ashamed about and it would be surprising if he could keep awake for much longer.
"As you were saying," Bog leads.
"We can talk tomorrow. It's been a very long day," she tries, wrapping the blue spider silk dressing gown around her form.
"And you'll be awake most the night if you don't talk it out," he counters.
"Doubt it. Despite that nap, I'm tired enough to sleep until mid-day," Marianne remarks.
"Not surprising considering what your father revealed," Bog murmurs, hugging her from behind.
"You're still damp," she chides softly, leaning back into his embrace with a content smile.
"I'll dry," he chuckles. "Now, I didn't nearly get into a fight with Dagda just to let you worry and I'm not letting you go until you're feeling better."
Marianne laughs slightly at the reminder. Her father's suggestion of them talking alone had gotten instant protests from both Bog and Griselda. No amount of arguing worked and the elder king was forced to agree to include the goblin royals in the private conversation. Something that Marianne was grateful for once the reason for secrecy was known.
Another sigh escapes her lips as her mind replays her father's concern and her shock. A few hours later and she still can hardly believe that it's true. It seems impossible but she has no reason to doubt her father or Plum.
"It's a lot to take in. You heard what Dad said, I'm dangerous," Marianne mutters.
"You've always been dangerous, my feisty fairy female," Bog remarks fondly.
"Be serious!" she growls in frustration, leaving his embrace.
"I am being serious. This doesn't change anything," he comments.
"What if it happens again? What if something worse happens?" Marianne frets. "If even Plum is afraid of me, then how's everyone else going to react when they find out?"
"That's not what your father said. He said that Plum is just being cautious since she doesn't want to tempt temptation," Bog corrects before smirking. "I, for one, can understand her reasoning. You are very delicious and so very intoxicating, such an irresistible delicacy."
It's a wonder how she can still manage to blush after nine months of being married to him. Only Puck's sleepy yawn before curling tighter against her keeps her from giving in to the heat swimming in her husband's blue eyes. She mentally shushes the pang of desire flooding through her and turns to leave.
"Behave," Marianne chides.
The dark chuckling following her out of the winter burrow's washing chambers make it clear that her reaction to his lingering and roving gaze didn't go unnoticed. She's starting to think that the more Bog finds out about how dangerous and chaotic she is, the more he desires her.
"Probably," she chuckles under breath.
He wasn't concerned at all when her father revealed that the amber light was caused by her and that she was the one who transformed them and blocked the mountain fae's magic, only worrying about Plum's concern for her overusing her new magic and exhausting herself. Even Griselda had taken the news calmly and only fussed to make sure that she was okay.
"Besides, your father also said that he'll talk to Plum about training you in the magic you inherited from your mother, so there's nothing for you to worry about," Bog continues once he catches up to her.
"But I didn't even realize that I was using magic until Dad said that was me, so what if...oh, maybe I just need some sleep!" Marianne sighs.
"Good idea. It has been a very busy day and things will be easier to deal with in the morning," he murmurs. "We still got busy days ahead of us but we'll get through them together."
"Together," she agrees with a hum before turning her head to glare at her husband. "Don't think I've forgotten what you had planned on doing before my hidden magic manifested. You will never, EVER, think of doing something like that again! I don't care if it's noble. You will not sacrifice yourself like that."
"If it means to protect you and our people, I will," Bog states firmly. "Just like you yourself thought to do on both Samhain and Imbolc, as well as during Beltane to protect Tab and today when you stayed with the others instead of fleeing to the palace. Would you scold me for following my heart as well?"
"No," Marianne admits begrudgingly. "It's just...well, we thought that those of the Dark Forest were dead and all I could think was that I was going to lose you too. I was so scared."
"So was I," he murmurs, moving aside the curtain to their bedchambers to allow her through. "Everything seemed so hopeless and maybe that's why the magic came to you. Maybe it needed a reason to manifest."
Marianne gives her agreement as she opens the traveling trunk her father brought with him and pulls out a nightgown. She's grateful Dawn thought to inform the seamstress of the present state of her wardrobe, that being at the bottom of a ravine under a pile of rubble. She hadn't even thought anything of it herself until her father presented the traveling trunk before he returned home.
There's a bit of trouble trying to get the clinging Puck to let go long enough for her to dress but the young male settles down when Marianne gives a soft rebuke and hands him to Bog. His sulking doesn't last long under the weight of his sleepiness and he curls up with Goodfellow against the carapaced chest instead.
"What's on the schedule for tomorrow?" Marianne questions.
"For you, nothing. You're going to rest for the next few days just as Dagda ordered and no arguments," Bog informs.
"Plum might be right about magical exhaustion because I don't even feel like arguing at the moment," she comments, crawling underneath the moss blankets and laying with her back against him. "What about the meeting with the Placid Swamp?"
"That's still three days away," he reminds. "Hopefully by then this heat will lessen and the mushrooms will be able to return to their scouting positions."
"Maybe the imps could help with the scouting, to fill in when the mushrooms are forced to return to the caves whenever it's too hot or too cold for them," Marianne suggests. "If an adult is anywhere near as fast and silent as Puck is when he's playing then they would make great scouts for both the kingdoms."
"We'll ask Hermia in the morning and see what she thinks. It does sound like a very good idea, though," Bog murmurs.
Marianne hums contently as Bog curls around her and hugs her tighter against him after placing Puck in front of her. Such a perfect ending to a chaotic day. Despite what is still messed up, everything important is safe. Her people, her family, her husband, and her children are all okay. They're even going to be adding more denizens to the kingdom.
She can't help the soft giggle at thinking about Lysandra and her father's comment about the young female's determination at Puck being her mate. Probably not a good idea to tell Puck that Dawn had said the same thing to Sunny when Plum first brought the young elf to the palace. After all, look how that turned out.
Marianne smiles wider as she feels both her husband, her son, and her unborn infant shift. Strange how everything turned out. Nine months ago, she and Bog were married and their kingdoms buried old hatreds. Six months ago, they found out that she was pregnant and also confessed their love for each other. Three months ago, Puck came into their life and Dawn realized her love for Sunny. Today was so hectic that it's hard for her to see what came out of today other than finding out that their son isn't the only imp around, which she really needs to talk to Plum about since there's no way she didn't know about that.
Well, at least no one was kidnapped this time, so they're making progress.
"Maybe we should cancel all festival plans for Samhain this year. Just to be on the safe side," Marianne muses out loud.
"What could happen?" Bog mumbles groggily.
She feels no remorse at her husband's pained yelp as she slams her elbow into his torso. He just had to jinx them.
Tea Blend.
In Bog's defense, he's more asleep than awake.
You know the creepiest part of writing this and Wild Heart? My Border Terrier/Foxhound's eyeshine is blue, gold, green, or red depending on how his head is turned to the light and he patrols the house in the middle of the night. Imagine a darkened room where I have all lights turned off except my laptop because I just want to write a little bit more before going to bed and I look up to see eyeshine in the nightlight-lit hallway and adrenaline kicks in before I remind myself that it's just my ten-year-old dog (who I became the owner of ten Halloweens ago).