After a week of searching, Kate reached her destination after being helped by a kind gnome who showed her the way when he found her heading in the opposite direction. She peered into the fog, trying to keep her eyes focused on the dark castle that seemed to vanish every so often. "Hmmm,' she muttered to her horse. "Doesn't seem like we'd be able to storm the castle, eh, bucko? Nope, no time for brave last stands an' all that stuff, no, ye simply can't do such things when yer rescuing yer hubby, no sir, you can't!" And she sighed, seeing that it would be a long, hard task.
That night, Kate crept into the castle through an open window she had found. She kept her eyes and ears open, ready to fight anything in her way. As she slipped past an open doorway, noises urged her to look inside. The scene that confronted her was horrifying. A large, crudely made table was set in the middle of the room, with the barbaric females crowded around it, sitting on tipsy chairs. Kate shook her head in disgust. The ogresses were wearing short skirts made of large leaves strung together with rawhide strips, and stained, dirty t-shirts that had sleeves missing, tatty feathers glued on to make them to make them look even more terrible, and rude signs written on them with neon ink. Several of them had mice or rats scampering around their chairs, and more than a few of them had fleas buzzing around their heads. But the thing that nearly broke Kate's heart was the sight of Corin. He was sitting dejectedly next to the leader, his bonnet hanging to one side, his apron torn and dirty, and many of the ribbons that Kate had been so tickled by had been stained or were missing. Kate sniffed, wiping away a tear that threatened to fall. Then she started to pay attention to what was happening.
"How d' you like yer new home, eh?" "Missin' yer lady, are yeh?" One of the ogresses taunted. "Well, no matter 'bout tha', yer gonna be 'avin' a new lady now!" The ogresses guffawed loudly as one of them, presumably the 'bride', pretended to blush and giggle (a hideous sight that send shivers down Kate's spine). Corin averted his eyes from the terrible sight, looking pale and frightened. Suddenly the face of the ogress next to him (the bride-to-be) hardened. "Wha', yeh tryin' ter say tha' ye don't like me?" Her voice became harsh. "Well, ye'll 'ave ter live wid dat, wontcher? Git used to it, laddie." Her face twisted into a sneer as she said, "An' there's no better time'n now, innit?" She leaned over and locked her arms around him in a filthy embrace. As Corin squirmed in the hairy arms, the female suddenly let go, causing Corin to fall over backwards, revealing his pink polka-dotted bloomers. He struggled to sit up, covering his bloomers with his apron, tears on his cheeks. The ogresses quickly tired of tormenting Corin. Corin, realizing this, tried to escape, and hurried out of the hall, not seeing Kate. The ogresses didn't' give chase or attempt to stop him, merely shouting out random insults and jeering. "Don't ferget the weddin'!" "Sweet dreams, laddie! Think abou' yer weddin' night termorrer!" Cackling manically, their attention soon drifted on to other things. Heaving a sob and trying not to wail in despair, Corin fled to the (relative) peace and quiet of his dungeon.