Chapter 12/Week Twenty/Nine Months Left
Bog groans when Stuff stubbornly crosses her arms with an unyielding expression on her glamoured face. After dealing with the gobliness for over a year, he knew that she could be as stubborn and unrelenting as his mother, especially once she made her decision about something.
No wonder his father called his mother one fit to outrival any high-ranking gobliness.
"Stuff, you can't move into the castle," Bog repeats firmly. "Explaining why I'm given such leeway when I'm a prisoner is easy but explaining why you insist on accompanying me when I've already been there without you for twenty weeks now will be impossible. Unless you care to explain the real reason to them."
"As if I would put your life in more danger," Stuff scoffs. "Nobody needs an explanation, anyway. It's nothing a little goblin magic can't fix."
"I will not allow you to put any more spells on my subjects when they've suffered enough," Marianne warns.
Watching Stuff resist the urge to grovel in submission at the growled tone nearly brings a chuckle out of Bog, but he manages to keep silent. Barely. Now knowing that Marianne is wearing a former goblin king's ring, though Thang and Stuff didn't know which king it belonged to, it was a bit hard for him to know for sure if his father's servants kept submitting to the power emanating from it or to Marianne's own formidableness, but this is one of the times he knows it's because the proud gobliness respected the human queen.
"I know you're worried about Bog and I understand your concerns," Marianne continues more softly. "As I promised to you before, I will make sure Bog always returns inside before sundown, so you need not be too fearful of his continued presence in my home without you there to protect him."
"But it's soon to be winter! The sun sets much sooner than in the summer and you can easily be taken by surprise. Bog cannot be outside when the sun has set," Stuff states firmly. "One mishap is all it will take to alert every fae within this kingdom about his existence and once the snows come, Thang and I will not be able to respond quickly enough to protect him."
"Would it set your mind at ease if I include weapons training in your master's required education for Bog?" Marianne questions.
"It could help," Thang murmurs before Stuff responds. "Weapons and fighting are some of the things I've taught him the best I could but I'm not really enough of a match against him to help him improve more. Plus, I've only been teaching him goblin fighting, so learning human fighting as well could only benefit him."
"You already know how to fight?" Marianne asks, raising an eyebrow at Bog.
"Uh...yeah, a bit," Bog answers softly, keeping his eyes on the remaining tea within his cup.
"Don't be modest," Stuff huffs. "He can even beat me and that's no easy feat. While he's not quite practiced enough to beat the both of us in a fight against him together, Bog is stronger than Thang and I. But. He'd be no match against a fae who's out to kill him. Any fae who discovers his existence, especially with the portal being closed, won't bother obeying the rules of combat for a fair fight if it means that they could get away with the murder of such a high-ranking goblin's son. That's why I have to stay at the castle as well once the frosts come."
Not even bothering to hide his exasperation at the stubborn gobliness, Bog steps away from the table to untie Chipper's rope. It was getting time to head back to the castle. Trying to argue with Stuff was as useless as his failed attempts at calling his magic.
"What would it take to convince you that Bog is safe at the castle?" Marianne questions.
"Bog is never safe," Stuff grumbles.
"He's been safe for the past four months," Marianne points out.
"Stuff, you know Bog is right about it being too suspicious for you to move into the castle," Griselda interjects, stopping Stuff's retort. "There will be too many questions that can't be answered. And that's not just concerning the humans of this kingdom. Don't you think the fae would become curious enough to find out why a high-ranking member of the goblin king's court suddenly decided to take residence in the human's castle?"
"She's got a point, Stuff," Thang mentions, cringing at the responding glare. "How about a test then? If Bog can prove by the first snows that he's skilled enough to defend himself against the both of us together, then that would mean he'd be at least able to protect himself against a hostile fae long enough for us to respond."
"And when he loses, I move in and use a bit of goblin magic to make sure no one questions it," Stuff comments.
"Thank you for your confidence, Stuff," Bog deadpans.
"You don't think Bog could win? Did you not just say that Bog is stronger than you and Thang?" Marianne counters.
"He's stronger than us in a one-on-one fight but he has trouble fighting multiple opponents. It's not something that's easily taught and neither Thang nor I can really teach something like that," Stuff mentions.
"Our master is the one who's supposed to continue his training once he became of age but with whatever is happening on the other side of the portal, that obviously hasn't happened. Stuff and I have...well, we've trained him as much as we are able to," Thang explains.
"While I would not presume to say that he is a better teacher, Sir Tigler could certainly help Bog gain better mastery over facing multiple opponents. He's trained many soldiers in the kingdom throughout his years of service from the time of my grandfather's reign," Marianne mentions. "So, do we have an agreement then? Bog has to best the two of you together in a fight and when he wins, there will be no more arguing about certain goblins taking residence in my home."
"If he wins," Stuff corrects, holding out her glamoured hand to Marianne.
Bog snickers at Stuff's look of shock when instead of shaking her hand as is the human custom, Marianne lightly hits the back of the offered hand with the back of her own hand. He ignores the gobliness' annoyed glare directed at him and subsequent complaint about teaching goblin customs to a human to hug his mother.
"I'll see you in a few weeks, Mom," Bog murmurs.
"Be safe. Stuff isn't worrying over nothing," Griselda warns.
"I know. We've already decided to stay out of the forest once the snows come, so the next time I visit might be the last until spring," Bog mentions.
"Unless the goblin king decides to open the portal before then," Marianne adds, holding out her arm for Imp to jump up to her shoulder.
"If His Majesty hasn't opened the portal by the first snow, then it'll stay closed until after spring returns. We goblins don't exactly do well in the cold. It doesn't send us to sleep or anything like that, but it does hinder us a lot as it does to humans, so we prefer not wandering too far from home," Thang explains.
Suffering one more admonishment to be careful from each of his caretakers, Bog mounts Chipper and guides the giant squirrel to head deeper into the forest, following the well-worn path made by his paws. It's not long before he feels hands on his shoulders, and he tips his head back to look up at Marianne flying over him.
"The winter isn't going to be a problem for you, is it?" Marianne asks.
"Not at all. Thang and Stuff are only worried about other fae who thrive during winter, not about the cold bothering me. In fact, goblins, and half-goblins like me, have higher body temperatures than full-blooded humans," Bog reassures.
"That's interesting to know, but that's not what I meant," Marianne comments. "I'm well aware you've never been away from your home before the past four months, and once the snows come, it might very well be five months before you can see your mother, Thang, and Stuff again with how harsh the winter snows can sometimes be. We rarely get any visitors to the castle in the winter, even before Plum cast that curse."
"I'll be fine," Bog assures. "Besides, how would you fix the matter if I wasn't able to handle the separation? I am your prisoner for another nine months, after all. Mother has to stay at the house until my father returns and Thang has to stay with her for her protection, so you can't invite them into the castle."
"But I can let you go free from this unjust punishment," Marianne mentions softly.
"And risk more rebellion from those treacherous subjects of yours? I won't let you. I will stay at the castle for the entire thirteen months that I agreed to," Bog states firmly.
Hearing Marianne's soft sigh, Bog tugs on her hand as she removes it from his shoulder and guides her to sit behind him. The added passenger sitting sideways doesn't disturb their mount's stride, but the half-goblin's eyes widen in surprise when the cursed queen carefully leans against his back to gently lay her head on his shoulder and loosely wraps her arms around his waist. Despite the few times she had carried him over the flower field since they discovered the secluded place three weeks ago, this was the most contact Marianne had initiated with him. She always seemed to hesitate before giving even the smallest touch.
She never hesitated at his touch, though.
"I should free you of this imprisonment now, should have done so from nearly the beginning, but I cannot bear to let you go, no matter the ruin it will bring to us both should you remain at the castle," Marianne murmurs.
"This isn't about winter, is it, Marianne? Is this connected to why you were late joining me at Mother's today?" Bog questions, getting a nod.
"It appears that the talk within the castle has finally spread to the villages, and I've had to deal with a great many inquiries today concerning our...relationship," Marianne explains. "In nine months, whether I'm free from Plum's curse or not, you will return to your life as you were before your mother sought an audience with me, and I shall be bereaved of your companionship that I've grown very accustomed to. You, on the other hand, will be faced with...speculations and assumptions from the other subjects of this kingdom for the rest of your life. To free you now would be far better for your reputation."
"With all due respect, my queen, you're talking nonsense," Bog quips, using one hand to trap her hands against his stomach before she can pull away. "I'm quite sure that by now you've heard most of the rumors concerning me before I arrived at the castle, so I don't really have much of a reputable reputation to save. Furthermore, I've already stated that I will not renege on my word about staying at the castle for the entire thirteen months I agreed to, and even should you decide to free me, I will not leave. I will even pick one of those horrible flowers if I have to."
"You're crazy," Marianne teases fondly.
"Then I shall gladly be the court jester, if you'll permit me, all that I may...that I may stay with you. Marianne, I...I love you," Bog admits, wincing at her gasp and hastily continuing. "I expect nothing from you for such a confession. Permit me to be so bold for a moment longer, I merely ask that I may continue to be your friend long after our bargain is fulfilled."
"Bog, I...I...," Marianne starts before choking on a gasp.
Bog swiftly pulls on Chipper's reigns to halt the great beast when Marianne pushes her face into his shoulder and panic courses through him when he feels his tunic being soaked with hot tears. This was not at all what he expected at the admission of his deeper feelings for the young queen. A gentle denial, maybe, a shy acceptance, possibly, or even a stern rebuke, likely, but not tears!
At least she's not screaming.
She isn't pushing him away, either. That gives him some comfort, despite the crushing grip around his waist.
"Bog, I...I can't!" Marianne whispers harshly after a few minutes.
"I know. I know that. You're the queen and I'm just a mere...," Bog murmurs.
"No! It's not that! It's not that at all!" Marianne denies, fiercely shaking her head against his shoulder.
"It's not?!" Bog repeats, his voice a mixture of surprise and hope. "It...I mean the bargain or the royal curse can't be it...is it?"
"I cannot doom you to such a fate, Bog. I can't! You're too noble, too good, too honorable to subject to such a wretched future. Please, I beg you, forget your lo...affections for me! It would only cause you great harm to keep them," Marianne pleads.
"Marianne, I don't understand what's distressing you. Please tell me what's so wrong about loving you," Bog murmurs, turning to look at her, her misty amber eyes breaking his heart as she leans back slightly.
"Because I fear that I am very selfish," Marianne admits.
It's his only warning before rough lips capture his in a gentle kiss. This is definitely not what he expected. Not that he's complaining.