Chapter 22/A Bargain Done
The goblin king growls in annoyance as he slouches further upon his bone throne, glaring with unveiled irritation at the fairy king laughing riotously among the other drunken fairies gathered along one long table. Why, oh, why did his parents instill in him the proper manners!? Why couldn't he be as disregarding to the rules of etiquette as fairies and humans believed goblins to be?!
But no. He had to play the proper host to his odious guests as is fitting for visiting royalty and waste even more time! At least this was the last day it was required. Not that it mattered. He's still wasted the past twenty-two months trying to get a singular task done. Four months waiting for a reply to his message, seven months of suffering through party after party when he visited the fairy's kingdom to demand an answer, two months of negotiating before getting that lazy king to agree to attend to the matter personally if he refused to allow his subject to be punished by another king, five months of suffering through another round of fairy parties because of some inane reason or another, and then when they finally get back to his kingdom, winter sets in, and he's forced to tolerate his intolerable guests until the snows within the forest melt.
He growls in goblin to his waiting subjects for a little more patience. They only needed to wait until the sun set and then they could deal with the matter. He is anxious to discover how the child and his mother fared, but they couldn't risk the chaos the fairy king could cause if the humans were awake during their retrieval of the errant fairy. After all, who knows the bedlam that deranged fairy has wrecked upon the human kingdom bordering his domain since he foolishly requested her services, and he didn't need to make matters worse for the young queen by allowing the ridiculous king to join his subject's folly.
A small tinge of familiar magic upon his senses alerts him to the portal being opened and he straightens his posture in preparation. Honestly, he figured Stuff would have run out of patience months ago and would've been waiting here when he returned from his journey. No doubt Thang had managed to keep her calm enough to not break the seal earlier, but he's still surprised she's lasted this long to not complain.
"SIRE!" Stuff yells, running full speed into the throne room. "Bog and Queen Marianne are in danger!"
"What?!" the goblin king questions.
"Plum stole Bog's magic, cursed the queen with it, sent the entire kingdom into near ruin, Griselda nearly died, and now there's an army marching to the castle to kill the queen, and Bog's gone to rescue her because the forest approved their union, and she's pregnant!" Stuff quickly explains before falling to sit on the floor, panting.
The silence reigning through the throne room should have been a blessing after so many months of endless noise, but it isn't. His greatest upset should be Stuff disregarding his orders to never say the child's or the woman's name within the fae domain, but it isn't.
Turning to yell at the dumbfounded fairy king staring drunkenly at his subject, the goblin king gasps instead when a torrential flood of magic fills his being.
Marianne blinks in confusion at her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was being in Bog's arms and finally telling him that she loved him, so how did she wind up standing in front of the goblin's castle? Even stranger is the full moon shining overhead.
Gasping in fear as the rest of her memories return, Marianne's hands fly to her stomach to the wound Roland inflicted, before gasping again when her hands touch fabric. Looking further at herself only brings more confusion. She's human again, dressed in the finery she was in the day Plum cursed her.
"Sire!" Thang calls, disrupting her thoughts.
Turning around, Marianne watches as Thang in his true form walks through the foliage into the glade, being shocked further when her father follows closely behind him. The short shaded brown hair adorning his head and chin are not lined with gray as they were when she last saw his human self twenty-two months ago. He looks far younger as well.
"Why do you bring a human here?" the goblin king growls, shimmering into view in front of the stream.
"He asked to speak to you, Sire," Thang explains.
"Please, Your Majesty," her father pleads. "It's about my wife."
"Queen Erica is dead, and no magic can reverse that," the goblin king informs before grinning sharply at Donald's shocked look. "Yes, I know who you are, human. Removing the finery granted you upon your marriage into the royal family can't hide your identity from me."
"Trying to deceive you was not my intention," Donald denies. "I merely find no pleasure in wearing those useless trinkets. How is it that you know the queen is dead, though? She only died but an hour ago and no one has been informed of it yet."
"How I know is of no concern of yours," the goblin king warns.
"So, those rumors are true. The royal family did make a deal with a goblin to gain the throne and were cursed for it," Donald mutters.
"Cease your meddling and return home," the goblin king orders.
"Wait! Please!" Donald pleads. "My daughter is innocent of whatever her ancestors have done! Isn't there a way to remove the curse?"
"Don't waste my time, human. A bargain made is a bargain done and only the one who's contracted to the bargain can remove it. If the young queen wishes to be free from the bargain her ancestor made, then she's the one who must fulfill her end of the bargain. Simple as that," the goblin king states, turning to leave before crying out in pain after the sound of a punch rings through the air.
Marianne laughs as the goblin king clutches his jaw gingerly, while Thang gapes at the scene before him. Yep. She was her father's daughter.
"Don't turn your back on me!" Donald cries, throwing another punch, only to have the fist grabbed within a clawed grasp. "There has to be another way! You can't do this to Marianne! SHE'S ONLY TEN YEARS OLD!"
The goblin king loses his snarl at that and tilts his head. Marianne watches as he straightens his posture and lets go of the captive hand.
"Only ten, you say?" the goblin king asks.
"Yes. She started her eleventh year three days ago," Donald answers before chuckling. "She was born at sunset and gifted with eyes of amber that crackle like the setting sun and a fiery temperament to match."
"How curious. Born on the same day, one with the rising of the sun and the other with its set," the goblin king mutters softly.
"Please," Donald begs. "Isn't there some way to remove the curse? Take my life instead if that will allow my daughter to live her life without fear."
"That's not the way it works," the goblin king sighs, waving his clawed hand to silence the protest. "I understand your pain, human, but some things cannot be protected from, and the consequence of a fae's bargain is one of them."
"What of another bargain?" Donald suggests.
"Another bargain? Yes. Yes, that could work. Another bargain to fulfill the old one," the goblin king murmurs, turning his attention to the glade's edge and tilting his head once more. "Mind you, the young queen will still need to fulfill her end of the bargain previously made, but this will guarantee it will be done."
"Great!" Donald cheers before sighing in relief.
"You haven't heard the terms yet, human," the goblin king chides. "Should the young queen fail to fulfill her task before her thirty-fourth year, as all her predecessors have failed, then I will force the bargain's end, and she, her sister, and any offspring they bare, will cross into the fae domain to serve in my court."
"What?!" Donald growls.
"This is a mercy that I am granting. Should they stay in this domain once the bargain is fulfilled, they would be killed by the subjects of this kingdom," the goblin king warns. "However, should the young queen succeed, then I will grant her, her sister, and any offspring they bare protection from danger in this domain, allowing them their freedom. As you are their father, stand in their stead to make this new bargain."
"What is it that you gain from this?" Donald questions.
"I, too, am a father. Like you, I would do whatever I could to spare my son from pain," the goblin king murmurs. "A long time ago, a goblin king once made a bargain, but the bargain was never fulfilled, not for each succeeding generation, and I intend to end it with me. I'm offering your daughters life in exchange for the end of a bargain that's lasted for generations. Do we have a deal?"
Marianne watches as her father agrees to the bargain before the scene changes as if never there. She is still in the glade, but there is no moon this time, and faint sunlight leak through the upper tree limbs. Rapid footsteps accompanying rustling bushes grab her attention and she turns in the direction they're coming from. Within moments, a young man runs into the glade, stopping to catch his breath when he stumbles to the ground.
For a moment, she almost thinks it's Bog, but as he raises his head to look around, it's clear that it isn't. Bog doesn't have red hair, nor does he have amber eyes. He's similar to her husband, though, enough to know he's related to Griselda.
"Why do you trespass here, young king?" a male goblin questions, shimmering into view in front of the stream.
"I'm…I'm not king," the young man denies, rising unsteadily to his feet.
"Not yet, perhaps, but soon you will be. In three days hence, you'll come of age to be crowned, Prince Griswald," the goblin counters.
"The crown will never sit upon my head. It has already been decided that Eric shall rule when he becomes of age," Prince Griswald informs.
"Decided by whom?! It is you who are to be king, not the son of Lucas!" the goblin growls.
"My people believe Eric to be the better choice. But it is alright!" Prince Griswald reassures hastily at the loud growl, waving his hands in a placating fashion. "Truly! Lucas has done so much for our people, for me especially, and I bear no ill to Eric."
"But?" the goblin leads when the prince pauses.
"I fear the same cannot be said of him," Prince Griswald sighs. "We grew up together, Lucas as much my father as his, but as the days grew closer to my nineteenth year, I've become fearful of my safety. Accidents have happened since Lucas' death that could have caused me great harm had I not escaped the danger by mere seconds. Last night was another such incident and I fled to this forest for refuge."
"Shall I deal with the matter, young king? As the goblin king, it is within my power to give you back your birthright," the goblin king mentions.
"Oh, please, no, Your Majesty. In truth, I do not begrudge Eric for being the people's desire and I have told him numerous times that I will not challenge him for the crown," Prince Griswald admits.
"But he does not believe you," the goblin king states knowingly. "Surely there must be something I can do for you. After all, you have found your way here for a reason."
"I merely wish to live in safety, without fearing for my life or for the life of my future children," Prince Griswald comments.
"Even if it means to no longer live in the luxury you are accustomed to?" the goblin king asks, getting a nod. "Very well. A bargain I will make with you. If you will stay content in the simplicity of an unassuming peasant, then I will ensure that you and any offspring you sire will never go hungry and will never need to fear for your life from Eric or any offspring he sires. If you accept, then from this moment on, no one will be able to recognize you, and everyone will assume you had died."
"What is it that you gain from such a bargain, Your Majesty?" Prince Griswald questions before hastily explaining. "I mean no disrespect to you! I merely wish to ensure your kindness isn't taken advantage of."
"Calm yourself, little one, I understand your intentions. But what I gain is not for you to know," the goblin king states. "What I can tell you, though, is that this bargain will ensure that a curse will one day be broken."
As the scene changes once more after the bargain is agreed, leaving her in the dark of night with only the stars shining overhead, Marianne wraps her arms around herself in a poor hug. The moment when the goblin king told Prince Griswald to remove the finery he wore engraved itself within her heart and brings tears to her eyes. He had not cared for the jewels or the clothing, only pleading to keep the simple pendant Lucas had gifted him. Her ancestor had done more than just stole the crown from the last member of the previous royal family, he had stolen it from his brother and then tried to have him killed. Seeing the truth for herself was more heart-wrenching than Griselda's tale.
How heartless were her predecessors? The horrors her mother and grandfather committed sickened her enough when she reviewed their edicts with Boris, but how great were the crimes of those before them?
The appearance of the same goblin king from the last vision, though seeming to be years younger, disrupts Marianne's thoughts and she turns her attention to where he's looking. In moments, a scruffy-looking foot soldier stumbles into view, muttering to himself that this was a ridiculous idea, he was acting a fool, and the chances of him finding the goblin's tree was less than having a snowfall in summer.
Marianne laughs hard when the man startles greatly after the goblin king coughs to alert his presence and falls into one of the bushes behind him. No wonder he was so unkempt! A state that is worsened when his cap remains in the clutches of the foliage once he escapes his prison, his disarrayed blonde hair reminding her of many incidents when she rescued Dawn from her blankets as a child.
"Are you the goblin king?" the soldier asks, smoothing down his hair with little success.
"I am," the goblin king confirms. "Why do you trespass in the forest, especially in these chaotic times? You could've been mistaken for a marauder and killed immediately."
"Oh! That would have been bad," the soldier mutters. "I guess that means you know about the marauders then."
"Indeed, human. And before you ask, I also know that your king is dead," the goblin king growls when the soldier opens his mouth. "Now what is it that you traveled all this way for?"
"With King Griffith dead, Prince Griswald is left alone, the people are disheartened, the army is in disarray, and there is none among the royal court who has taken charge of the kingdom. You are our only hope, Your Majesty!" the soldier announces before bowing.
"What?" the goblin king mutters in confusion.
"You are a king. You know how a kingdom should behave. So, please, come to the castle and help His Royal Highness by setting order to his kingdom and teaching him as he grows older," the soldier pleads.
"Are you mad!? I am a fae! Not a human!" the goblin king protests.
"But you're a king and it's a king we need!" the soldier counters.
"Absolutely delirious, that's what you are!" the goblin king groans, covering his face with a clawed hand. "What makes you think that I, not only a goblin but a king from a different kingdom, would travel to another monarch's domain to set right to their affairs for their own good and not my own? Surely, even you could understand the danger of such a request you're making! Nothing is to stop me should I decide to seize control of the monarch-less kingdom."
"But you won't," the soldier states confidently. "You've already proven that by your protesting. There's also that the fae of the Dark Forest have always looked out for those dwelling in the kingdom bordering your domain, proven by your word that you've been killing any marauder entering the forest but leaving any of the people from this kingdom alone. You already give aid without reward, surely, it's not too much to ask for you to grant mercy on my prince and raise him in the upbringing befitting royalty. I fear no one else cares."
"You care, or you would not be here! Perform the task yourself!" the goblin king argues.
Now realizing who the soldier is, Marianne laughs once more when Lucas' eyes widen dramatically at the order, and he steps back quickly only to wind up falling into the bush once more. Of all the stories she's heard of her ancestor, nothing said anything of how inelegant he was. Every claim her mother ever said about her uncouth behavior being resulted from her father's wild blood is disproved when Lucas manages to get stuck upside down and mutters sordid curses. He even manages to accidentally punch the goblin king when he goes to help get him free!
"See?!" Lucas comments, gesturing wildly once he's righted. "I'm thoroughly unsuited for such an important task. The only reason I'm conscripted is because of the dire situation the army is in. Otherwise, I would not even be permitted to be in yelling distance of a weapon, as my superiors repeatedly inform me."
"But you have a caring heart, and that is enough," the goblin king counters. "I cannot do as you request. If I were to go to the human castle to interfere without permission from the royal family, it would cause other fae, those not under my authority, to believe they have the right to do the same, and your kingdom will be in a worse situation than it already is."
"Then you can't help?" Lucas questions despondently.
"I can offer further assistance than I already have, but I can't perform the task myself. I will help you do as you desired me to do," the goblin king answers.
"HOW?! I'm a total mess!" Lucas wails.
"Of that, I have no doubt," the goblin king chuckles while removing the polished intricately-carved wooden band around the fourth finger of his right hand and lifting it for Lucas to see. "If you agree, then this will sit upon your hand as a…token of our bargain. With it, my magic will give you absolute favor from those within this kingdom and any who speak against you will sway under its power. It will have no effect on those of the royal blood, though, but I should think even you can handle an infant. I will teach you what you need to know to protect your fellow countrymen, to set in order the kingdom, and more importantly, guide your young king. When the young king is crowned at the beginning of his nineteenth year, as I know your laws decree, then our bargain will be done, and the ring will return to its rightful place."
"You'll help?! That's great!" Lucas cheers, reaching for the ring but tilting his head in confusion when the goblin king holds it back.
"This is not done without danger. There is always a danger when a human is given control of fae magic, especially with magic as great as mine," the goblin king warns. "With such power, you will be tempted to keep the crown for yourself. See that you do not fall prey to that temptation! If the crown does not return to the true royal, this bargain of help will become a curse. I warn you to hold fast to your caring heart, for your soul, and the soul of any offspring you sire, depends on it."
Looking down to her left hand, Marianne gasps when she notices her bare fourth finger, a sight she hasn't seen since her mother's death nearly ten years ago. She must be dead. That is why she's seeing all this. Fulfilling her bargain must have killed her immediately.
She quickly moves her hands to her middle once more and can't stifle the anguished cry at feeling movement within her enlarged stomach. She had hoped that her life would be spared long enough to allow her child to be born. Stuff had reassured her four weeks ago that no goblin of the Dark Forest would take the life of an innocent during a bargain, it was against their laws, and her child would be spared. She and Bog had even talked about the possibility of her needing to fulfill her bargain when she informed him of her being pregnant and he confirmed the laws of a bargain. Her injury must have been too great to heal to allow her child life.
At least she had secured Bog's future before her death. Her father and Dawn will ensure he'll be crowned as the king he is, but how she wished she could have seen it for herself.
"Calm yourself, daughter," Lucas calls, his form aging several years as he turns to look at her. "Neither you nor your child is dead, just seeing visions of the past."
"My son reached you in time to heal your wounds and your child lives," the goblin king confirms, his form aging before her as well. "The forest chose that the best way for you to know what you've done is to show you."
"What I've done?" Marianne repeats in confusion, wiping away her tears with a shaky hand. "What have I done, Great Fathers?"
"You cared," Lucas answers before explaining. "Despite my best efforts, Eric grew up proud. He loved the power being royalty gave him, his heart consumed with the flattery of others, and when the ring past to him at my sudden death, he coveted the crown even more when no one had the power to resist him. The depths of his depravity were only lessened by His Majesty's efforts in protecting Prince Griswald."
"But even I could not stop him. He refused to listen when I warned him of the curse the ring carried if he failed to return the crown to its rightful place," the goblin king continues. "I tried to reason with his son when the bargain passed to his keeping, but he turned the people against the fae of the Dark Forest with those ridiculous laws. Each time the bargain passed to another's keeping, each son or daughter that succeeded me attempted to reason with the son or daughter of Lucas, but each time was in vain."
"The present goblin king had not spoken to me about there being a bargain," Marianne mentions.
"I do not know why he hasn't, but in truth, you didn't need to know of it to fulfill it. Without even knowing of the bargain your father Lucas made, you fulfilled the terms willingly," the goblin king states.
"Bog," Marianne breathes.
"Yes. You called him your king, did you not?" Lucas reminds. "You returned the crown to its rightful place, witnessed by dozens who heard your words, by those who knew your desire to crown him as king and not king consort."
She really shouldn't be surprised spirits would know about the meeting she had with her royal court several hours ago, having been too excited at Boris' findings to wait until Bog's return to her to announce her intentions to marry him to her subjects. For the first time since her coronation, she had laughed without restraint within the castle walls at their shocked expression, laughing harder as they stumbled over each other's words to offer their joyous congratulations along with many playful complaints of her unfairness for teasing them for so long.
"Furthermore, you resisted the power the ring gave you since it became yours and did not abuse your subject's will whenever they refused you, even before the fairy's curse negated its effects," the goblin king mentions before explaining at her confusion. "The curse you bore had more consequences than you knew. With the fairy using that particular child's magic to perform such a spell, it had corrupted the magic given by every goblin king who was bound to the bargain throughout the generations, causing you to experience the hatred your subjects have always felt for your predecessors but could never act upon. It was only because of the respect you earned from them, not the forced respect given by the bargain, that kept you and your sister safe these past twenty-two months. You have done very well, Favored of the Forest."
Marianne blinks at the odd title, blinking further when her eyes open to see her position against a human man's chest with the forest's dimly lit branches overhead their quickly moving forms and the sound of hoofbeats pounding the ground beneath them. She tenses immediately and raises a hand to push herself away.
"Calm yourself, little one, it is only I," the goblin king murmurs, steel blue eyes flicking down to her momentarily before turning back to the path ahead. "I found you grievously injured in front of my castle in this domain after you fulfilled our bargain."
"It was the only way," Marianne sighs.
"I know, and you had acted wisely. Forgive my intrusion, but I had looked into your memories while I healed your wound, for it seemed the best choice to get the answers I require of what happened since the day I foolishly sent a fairy into your kingdom," the goblin king explains.
"All my memories?" Marianne questions tentatively, feeling her cheeks heat.
"Do not fret so," the goblin king chuckles softly. "I had not intruded into your private moments, only to the matters of the kingdom. I must apologize greatly for the chaos I have allowed to happen. It wasn't my intention, but I fear…fairies have no restraint."
Following the goblin king's glare to the rider just behind him on another horse after his growled comment, Marianne easily notices the inebriation of the glamoured fae, the steed looking annoyed at bearing the weight of its charge when the reins are pulled harshly and clumsily. Chitter from the horse beneath her draws her attention forward and she stares in astonishment at seeing the forest shift from their path, branches and bushes bending away before returning to its place once they've passed. When Bog said the forest was a sentient being, she had thought the limit was its intelligence, not that the plants could move.
Wait.
The plants can move!
"You trapped me on purpose seven months ago, you cheeky forest!" Marianne accuses softly, startling when the goblin king laughs loudly.
"Yes, the forest does like to play with those it delights in, and you are Favored of the Forest," the goblin king comments.
"What does that even mean?" Marianne asks. "Your Great Father called me that as well."
"My Great Father?" the goblin king repeats.
"I had a vision of the bargain you made with my father and of the bargain your Great Father made with Prince Griswald and with Lucas, and our Great Fathers talked to me just before I awoke," Marianne informs.
"So that's what the forest was doing! I thought it was only helping to heal you, not being a snitch," the goblin king huffs before crying out in pain when a branch shifts back too soon and smacks him in the face. "Well, you are!"
Thankful for the practice of keeping her emotions concealed, Marianne manages to not show her mirth as the glamoured goblin king sullenly rubs the side of his face with the hand not keeping her against him. He really was an expressive person. It was something she had noticed when she had made her bargain with him nearly two years ago, and it was something she had cherished at the time.
He had been more sulking back then as well after she had foolishly punched him for his insult and had brushed away her attempt to apologize by countering that she wasn't the least bit regretful. But he hadn't been angry, only gentle as he made sure she was fit to ride home, before escorting her as far as the castle walls. His gentlemanly mannerism had made her feel less heartbroken by the time she left his presence and had emboldened her to be the queen that was worthy of such attention.
"For reasons that only the Dark Forest itself knows, it has favored you since you were very young, allowing you to do as you please within its boundaries without allowing anyone to hinder you. And as you grew older, the respect you showed it was equally returned. No creature within the Dark Forest is allowed to bring harm to you, not even the most high-ranking fae," the goblin king murmurs, disrupting her thoughts. "It's not a title to be taken lightly, and not many humans have earned the title of being favored by the forest, even as far back to when you creatures first came to this land. The first human to gain it was a young king who had made an open bargain on behalf of his people that they would protect the Dark Forest from any attack upon it, in exchange for protective help for the kingdom by the fae within."
The goblin king pauses suddenly and tilts his head, before glaring darkly at the path in front of them, his chest vibrating with growling. Before she can question, Marianne finally makes out the faint sound of discordant yelling and metal against metal over the sound of the horses' rapid hoofbeats. She silently curses no longer having the goblin hearing she had begun to enjoy. At this distance, she couldn't decipher anything that was happening.
"Young queen, I must ask that you allow me to deal with that faithless cad this time without interference," the goblin king growls. "He cannot be permitted to continue his ways and face no punishment for his crimes. No matter how you desire to be a fair and just ruler, giving him even the slightest leniency is only creating more harm than good."
"I know," Marianne admits with a sigh. "I should have let you deal with him for the crime he committed against you and the forest. Then none of this would have happened."
"I lay no blame on you. Your decision to restrain me during my rage at his crass behavior was correct. Otherwise, you may not have discovered all the truth you have," the goblin king points out. "But mercy cannot continue to be offered to one such as him. His assault on you, on your subjects, and on the Dark Forest itself is the last I will tolerate."
"If Roland does not appear before my court at Princess Theresa's trial, then the truth may always be called into question when the unjust ruling Queen Erica made against her is repealed. However, I will not attempt to stop you if you desire to carry out his judgment of execution now," Marianne mentions.
"We shall discuss the matter concerning him and those that freely followed him at a later time. Now is the time to rectify the folly the fairy king's wayward subject performed against your kingdom," the goblin king comments. "Then I can finally get those useless creatures out of my kingdom before I start a war that would regretfully put me in charge of them after I win. A just ruler must have patience to rule fairly, but even I have my limit."
The aggravated huffing from the horse behind them causes Marianne to suspect the steed was agreeing with such a statement. Especially when it's forced to reveal its true form of that of a giant squirrel to catch its rider with its tail after he leans too far to one side and nearly falls from the saddle. The giant squirrel is quick to return its glamour before running to catch up, but even she can hear its irritated chitter.
"How drunk is he?" Marianne mutters.
"After dealing with that buffoon of a king for eighteen months, I've come to doubt he ever gets sober," the goblin king answers quietly before smirking deviously. "I have a request of you, little one, and do not refuse me. Should the fairy king ask for a drink, as he inevitably will, ignore the hospitality due to a visiting fae, and refuse to offer it. When he tries to protest, present him a list detailing the price of his subject's folly, and he'll be obligated to pay the cost of any damage suffered by you and your subjects from the day Sugar Plum arrived in your kingdom, since he had sent her for hired services that she did not fulfill before meddling in your affairs. That should sober him up."
Catching sight of a nearby landmark keeps her from responding, and Marianne strains to see through the forest ahead. They'll reach the castle walls in only a few minutes more. But each minute feels like an eternity. There was no telling what happened after she was struck down by Roland or how much time has passed. Were the others no longer cursed as well? Or had only she been returned to normal?
And what of Bog? She could trust those that lived within the castle grounds would accept the peasant-born man, as they already have proven hours ago, but those that willingly followed Roland in his treachery have already been swayed enough to agree to the murder of their own queen. Her husband was strong, but he wasn't invincible.
"Sire!" Thang calls happily.
The cursed castle residents turn at the glamoured goblin's call before quickly scattering out of the way as the two horses run through the forest gate. Marianne quickly looks around and nearly screams as Roland's blade swings toward Bog's unguarded back as he deals with three opponents. Bog easily dodges the attack, but before he can deal his own strike, thick vines easily grab each of the traitors still within the royal garden and bring them to their knees.
Shimmering blue eyes quickly find her own, and Marianne breathes a sigh of relief at his relatively uninjured state as her name silently escapes Bog's lips. Imp squeals happily from upon his shoulders, jolting Bog from his shock, and spurring him to move toward her as the glamoured goblin king dismounts with her carried in his arms.
"Marianne," Bog murmurs lovingly before glaring at the goblin king and holding out his arms. "She is mine! Give her to me!"
"Such disrespect. You dare speak to your king that way, foolish child?" Plum sneers.
"What those of my kingdom do is of no concern of yours!" the goblin king warns harshly before softening as he turns his attention to Bog. "Calm yourself, child. I know she is yours, and I will return her soon, but for now, she must stay close to me."
"What of her bargain she fulfilled? What of when her life is required of her?" Bog questions.
Marianne can't stop her wince at the reminder. With everything else happening, she had momentarily forgotten she had forfeited her life. Even though the goblin king had spared her life now, he will still take it from her as soon as her child is weaned, as she had agreed when she had made her bargain. Her father's whine reminds her of their audience, and she turns her gaze to the group gathered around Donald's cursed figure. Their fear is obvious, but her gift reveals their worry is for her, not for themselves.
"It was I who made the bargain with your bride, but it was not her life I required of her, only that I would own her life to do with as I will," the goblin king states before explaining at her gasp. "I told you, young queen, the forest will not permit anyone to bring harm to you, not even I. The forest knew of my intent and had agreed, for I had intended to use our bargain to fulfill the old bargain by giving you to my son as a bride."
"You only have one unmarried son and you're going to permit the next king to bed a human?! You'll corrupt your bloodline with such weak blood, any offspring being as weak as this half-blooded wastrel!" the fairy king protests before being painfully knocked off his disgruntled steed.
Marianne barely keeps from joining Bog's soft laughter when his mother returns Thang's quarterstaff to him with a smug look directed at the groaning fairy king. It's even harder not to laugh when Sir Tigler compliments her on her form. Griselda truly is an absolute force to be reckoned with.
"Woman, did not Stuff tell me you nearly died?!" the goblin king sighs in exasperation.
"Did Stuff also tell you that Queen Marianne kept the bargain I made from being broken, Your Majesty?" Griselda questions. "Remind me again the dangers a goblin faces when they do not keep their end of the bargain. Sometimes painful enough to kill them, wasn't it?"
The goblin king goes absolutely still at that, even his breath pausing in his chest. For a moment the world seems to drain away from Marianne, but she doesn't resist, recognizing the magic's gentle prodding. She lets her mind drift back to the day she first met Griselda and then to what she had done in response to the peasant's request. As sight and sound return, she can hear Roland spouting nonsense to condemn her and Griselda for their bargaining with fae contrary to the kingdom's laws.
"Give it a rest, traitor," Dawn huffs. "That ridiculous law was annulled hours ago and it's been ruled to hold no one liable for a bargain previously made with fae of the goblin king's royal court."
"Of course Marianne would annul that law to protect herself. This is proof the royal family got power from the goblins and are still relying on them," Roland accuses.
"It was not Her Majesty who annulled that law, traitor, it was the members of the royal court," Sir Cornell growls. "It was our decision to remove several laws Queen Marianne and Chancellor Boris brought to our attention that were archaic and of no present value."
"But you can't deny that the royal family stole the crown from the true royal family with goblin magic," Lord Corbin counters, struggling against the vines. "Prince Roland told us the truth! He's the last son of Prince Griswald, and the rightful king!"
The clattering approaching from the path to the castle gate silences immediately as the newly-arrived group of knights join the shocked silence. Marianne looks up to the goblin king at the soft growling and grunts she can hear emanating from his chest, but he's looking intently toward the forest behind them. Looking to Bog shows the same, though his expression is one more of shock than intensity as he gazes into the darkening trees, seemingly unconcerned about what has been revealed. Hearing Dawn's worried murmuring of her name, she gives Griselda a questioning look before turning her attention to the bound Roland after getting a nod in return.
"Present proof of your claim, Roland of Glenndale," Marianne orders. "If it is as you say, announce it before the royal court and the inhabitants of this kingdom that are present."
"I can cite my lineage back to the last king, but nothing more. After your traitorous father stole the throne, Prince Griswald was left with nothing to prove his heritage," Roland growls.
"He had this," Griselda comments, pulling the simple pendant Marianne saw in her vision out from beneath her dress' neckline. "But of course, your grandfather thought it was worthless because of its simplicity. His younger brother, my father, saw the same value Great Father Griswald saw in it, the caring heart Lucas had for his young prince."
"Two challengers for the throne?! Your Majesty, Queen Marianne, what do we do?" Sir Hadrian asks worriedly.
"Why are you asking her, you dimwitted fool? I am the only descendant of Prince Griswald, not this whore or her bastard goblin son. That trinket has nothing to do with this," Roland remarks.
"On the contrary, traitor, this trinket you scorn has everything to do with this," Boris counters, eyeing the pendant closely as Griselda holds it out for him. "Within the castle archives, there lies a portrait of young Prince Griswald posing with Lucas, and around his neck, this exact same pendant hangs. There is no other like this, as it was made with Lucas' own hands."
"Furthermore, if your claim to be a descendant of Prince Griswald is true, then this means that Griselda of Glenndale and King Bog are also descendants of Prince Griswald," Sir Tigler announces. "I served before Queen Erica when Griselda of Glenndale in her sixteenth year requested an audience with her and Sir Lionel confirmed her relation to him at that time."
"My grandfather disowned that wastrel brother. Neither his whorish daughter nor her bastard son has claim to the throne. I am king!" Roland yells.
Dark chuckling echoes through the evening air and even Plum cringes from her bindings at the sound. The sharp-toothed smirk adorning the goblin king's glamoured face is one that promises pain and suffering as he gazes upon Roland.
"This is thrice you have insulted a high-ranking member of my royal court within my presence. I will not tolerate a fourth time," the goblin king murmurs, his voice ringing clearly through the royal garden. "There was no dishonor on the part of the woman or the child's sire. Though the same cannot be said of you, faithless cad. Your licentious ways are well known to me, and but for your queen's intervention, I would have killed you nigh two years ago. As for your claim that you are a descendant of the rightful king of this kingdom, I stand before all present to declare it false."
"You lying son of a…," Roland starts before a vine wraps tightly around his mouth.
"You came about your sordid deeds honestly. Though your father and grandfather are indeed your blood, the son of Griswald who claimed your grandfather as his own son is not," the goblin king continues.
"What?!" Griselda yelps.
"It is indeed the truth, woman. The one your grandfather married at the first did not bare him his own children. Your father, born of the second bride, was of his blood, but all the others, born from the first bride, were not. They nor their offspring have claim to the birthright allotted to the offspring of Griswald," the goblin king announces.
"I mean no disrespect, Your Majesty, but are you for certain?" Marianne asks slowly.
"The forest showed you the bargain my Great Father made with Prince Griswald upon his departure from the castle. It, too, is a bargain that has lasted for generations, requiring each king of the Dark Forest to care for the offspring of Griswald. The magic that enforces the bargain informs me who is a son or daughter of Griswald, and therefore under my protection," the goblin king answers before turning his attention to the astonished humans, cursed and non-cursed alike. "It is true that Lucas made a bargain with the former goblin king as well, but it was not one to gain power for himself. His request was out of a caring heart for his orphaned infant king and the bargain was represented in the ring that was given to him. Child, raise your right hand for all to see."
Marianne can't withhold her gasp when Bog raises his right hand to show the polished intricately-carved wooden band around the fourth finger of his right hand. His eyes lose their glow as he stares at the ring in shock, apparently not having known of its presence. She faintly notices the carpet of primroses releasing Plum from their hold but pays no attention to her after Sir Hadrian quickly restrains her from fleeing.
"The royal ring!" Dawn gasps, flying over to grab it before yelping when she accidentally tugs hard enough to almost remove it. "How?! Marianne and I could never even come close to removing it no matter how many times we tried to!"
"The bargain of help Lucas had made turned into a curse when the kingdom, of their own free will, crowned his son instead of the true king, causing all who wore it to die the death of their father should they fail to fulfill his end of the bargain. As long as the bargain was not fulfilled, the ring could never leave the finger it adorned, only passing to a direct offspring at each wearer's death. Your queen, the daughter of Lucas, returned the crown to your king, the son of Griswald, and ended the curse the ring once represented," the goblin king continues.
"About This curse, Your Majesty," Dawn starts tentatively, perching on Marianne's held-out human hand and gesturing to her wings. "My sister fulfilled the witch's…I mean, the fairy's terms, but we're still cursed."
"Do not fret so, young one. I will ensure that your true forms be returned to all of you and the spell upon this kingdom be removed," the goblin king reassures gently, eliciting murmurings of relief from the gathered crowd. "In fact…ah, just in time!"
Tilting her head in curiosity at the statement, Marianne turns her attention to where the goblin king is gazing and gasps as the sun slips beneath the horizon. She turns terrified eyes to her husband at his dismayed groan, before being distracted by Plum's horrified screaming and the fairy king's panicked curses.
"YOU HAD ANOTHER SON?!" Plum screams, staring at the goblin king in shock.
"No, you daft fairy! HE'S MINE!" a male voice roars.
Thorned vines instantly wrap tightly around both fairies and rip them away from the humans to hang them upside down from the top of the forest gate. Marianne cranes her neck over the goblin king's shoulder and watches as a human-glamoured goblin stalks out from the forest carrying a quarterstaff almost identical to the one Bog is carrying. She easily notices the similarities between the newcomer and her husband, before turning curious eyes back to the goblin king, now also realizing the same similarities to the glamoured goblin that's holding her.
"Patience, my son, patience," the goblin king sighs.
"I've been patient long enough! This is too much!" Bog's father growls, glaring at the fairy king. "This is an act of war, you great oaf!"
"If you hit him, I'll retire and make you king right now," the goblin king warns patiently.
"You wouldn't!" Bog's father accuses, staring at his father in horror.
"Woman, the reason your husband did not arrive with me is because he was sleeping off the results of winning a drinking contest," the goblin king tattles, smirking at Griselda's resulting yell and subsequent punch. "That should keep him occupied long enough to cool his rage. Now, young queen, let's get your subjects out of this night air before someone grows ill. My subjects will help your knights restrain those who participated willingly in this madness of the faithless cad, and I will help your husband remove the curse that was forced unduly upon your kingdom."