Chapter 16/Week Thirty/Seven Months Left
"Yield," Marianne orders.
"In all matters but this, my queen," Bog quips, stepping forward suddenly and forcing her weapon to slide against his.
The daring maneuver frees him from his trapped position against the wall and he quickly puts distance between them without turning his back to her. It's only a slight reprieve before his opponent is back within range thanks to her wings and he's parrying her fast-hitting strikes.
When he bemoaned the lack of interest in the meager things to do within the castle during morning tea with her, sparring with her in the Great Hall wasn't what he would have thought Marianne would have suggested. He hadn't given the idea to spar with her a thought before when Sir Tigler made mention of her swordsmanship seven weeks ago, since surely such a thing would be forbidden considering her royal station. Marianne had thought differently and had been eagerly waiting for a chance to suggest it.
"Didn't we just prove that you can't escape me?" Marianne teases, her wooden sword hitting the throne when he moves behind it.
"Didn't I just prove to Thang and Stuff six weeks ago that I'm full of surprises?" Bog counters, jumping onto the seat to swing his wooden staff down at her.
Her soft laughter is music to his ears. It's a sound he's cherished since he first heard it during his fourth week at the castle and even more so since he first heard her laugh with abandon in the forest during his seventh week. He's missed it since they've been confined to the castle for the past three weeks.
"Your father's servants may have great strength together but they don't have wings," Marianne points out after easily flying out of the way of his attack.
He breathes a sigh of relief at her careful words, even as he dodges her next strike. She must've noticed their hiding audience as well. He had noticed their unwelcomed presence several moments prior but there wasn't anything either of them could do. At least, not without arousing unwanted suspicions.
It only proved that they could have no privacy within the castle walls.
"Your Majesty!" Quint calls.
Bog pauses in his next downwards strike and turns his attention to the non-cursed soldier running into the Great Hall when Marianne also halts her attack. He nearly scoffs out loud when the intruder shudders noticeably when he looks at the cursed queen before quickly averting his eyes to the floor and bowing. It was wrong to hope that Quint would do something disrespectful enough that would justify giving him another beating like the one he got seven weeks ago but Bog still hoped it anyway.
"What is your reason for interrupting my sparring with Master Bog?" Marianne questions.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but King Reinhart has amassed his army at the border of the kingdom," Quint informs, sending the Great Hall into chaos with loud outcries of fear and concern. "The scout brought a message that King Reinhart demands an audience with you."
King Reinhart?!
Turning his attention back to Marianne, Bog opens his mouth to express his own concern but closes it when she waves her hand and calls for silence. The anxious chatter slowly obeys the command but the tapestries lining the wall still shake from their audience's hidden forms.
"Bog, please retrieve my cloak and sword from my chambers. I shall attend to the matter immediately," Marianne announces.
Bog gives her a bow before running off to quickly obey the request. Even with the sounds of his boots hitting the floor echoing off the walls, he can still hear the sounds of panic begin to rise through the castle as the news of King Reinhart spreads. His own panic at the very possible threat of war is hard to calm and he rushes into Marianne's chamber to grab the requested items.
He may be a subject of the goblin kingdom because of his father's siring but it was Marianne's kingdom that held his heart, and not merely because of its queen. This was his mother's home, the kingdom where he was born, and where he has lived for nineteen years. He didn't know what was worse, knowing that he wouldn't be allowed to fight should the enemy king take the kingdom's present weakness as an invitation to invade, as King Reinhart's ancestor had done when Prince Griswald was newly orphaned, or knowing that Marianne would have to fight alongside the army herself since most of her highest-ranking knights were trapped within the castle grounds.
"But, Your Majesty!" Sir Tigler protests loudly as Bog runs back into the Great Hall.
"Be still, Sir Tigler," Marianne orders softly. "I have no intention of putting myself in danger. However, it is foolish to muster the army and trek through this snow with no knowledge of what King Reinhart truly wishes. This is the best course of action."
"Is it truly, Your Majesty, or just the naivety of one too young to understand the danger of such an action?" Sir Cornell questions from his place among the rafters.
Bog bristles at the snide tone but manages to keep from responding. He can't stop from glaring at the glowing eyes outing the cursed nobleman's position, though. Nor can he stop the slight chuckle when the glowing eyes widen in shock and scrabbling is heard when Sir Cornell momentarily loses his grip on the wooden beam. He also can't stop from grinning with faux innocence when Marianne raises her eyebrow at him as she reaches for her sword.
She couldn't fool him. She found it hilarious, and he knew it.
"I am being neither naive nor ignorant in this matter, Sir Cornell," Marianne denies with cold politeness while adjusting the sword's belt around her armored waist. "As I have already stated, I shall travel to the border alone, but I have said nothing of meeting King Reinhart alone. Sir Miles is stationed at the border along King Reinhart's kingdom and will be able to accompany me with the soldiers under his command."
"Forgive my presumption, Your Majesty," Sir Cornell mutters.
Biting his tongue to keep from voicing his thoughts about the knight's lack of sincerity, Bog dutifully holds the cloak up to drape the fabric over Marianne's shoulders. He blinks in surprise when Marianne grabs the cloak instead and folds it over her arm.
"I shall not be needing it until I reach the borders," Marianne explains.
"At least allow the scout to accompany you, Marianne," Princess Dawn pleads, the king father grunting his agreement. "The journey is treacherous, and anything can happen to someone traveling alone along the road."
"Who said I was traveling along the road?" Marianne counters, a small smirk lining her face before stretching her wings to their limit. "While you have all rightfully bemoaned the disadvantages that witch's curse has caused you, you have also been enjoying the advantages it has granted, with powers no mere human could possess. I have also adapted to this form and will easily be able to make it to the border in half the time than should I travel by horse. I shall return as soon as the matter is dealt with."
Bog quickly falls into step behind Marianne when she turns and strides out of the Great Hall, breathing a sigh of relief when he doesn't hear anyone else following. Any fear of his love for Marianne being obvious to the other castle residents was dwarfed by his fear for Marianne, but he still preferred that they don't have an audience.
"You will be careful?" Bog asks quietly, moving to walk beside her.
"Of course I will," Marianne murmurs. "However, if this matter is what I think it is, then there is nothing to worry about. No, Bog, I cannot tell you. It pertains to something that no one but myself and Boris must know about until the time comes to reveal it."
"And if this isn't about what you suppose it is? The scout did say that King Reinhart amassed his army at the border," Bog points out.
"You missed the full message while you were retrieving my things. Quint...embellished what he was to repeat," Marianne remarks, scoffing lightly. "Those accompanying King Reinhart number no more than thirty, a moderate size for sure but nowhere near to amassing his army. That number of guards is not surprising and could be expected with the bad relations between our kingdoms."
"Bad relations that King Reinhart's ancestors caused," Bog reminds.
"This kingdom is not entirely innocent in the matter. The only thing we have done differently is not sent raiders into a monarch-less kingdom, but that is more because they've never had a lapse in succession to the throne as we have," Marianne comments. "I'm not saying that our kingdoms are on the way to peaceful relations, but it is foolish to continue the volatile animosity between us just because of what our former kings and queens have done."
"And those fools have the gall to say that you're too naive to be a true queen," Bog teases quietly, quickly grabbing her left hand to place a lingering kiss on her palm before releasing her and falling into step behind her again.
He chuckles when she glares lightly at him with a charming blush on her cheeks. She'd probably call him a flirt or a tease if it wasn't for the shuffling they both could hear coming their way. Spring couldn't come fast enough.