With Stanley's help, Llort was able to get Deanna some human food that would last her awhile while she recovered from her injuries. Stanley visited her every day, and King Llort popped in once in awhile to say hi and to check on the teenager. Once Deanna felt she was in no danger, she became more relaxed around everyone who saw her.

A few days after Deanna had arrived, she was well enough to walk around, and Llort offered to take her on a tour of the kingdom, which she accepted.

The Kingdom of the Trolls was dark and a bit dreary, and all of the buildings and walkways were made out of stone. However, flowers grew all around, and plenty of greenery wrapped around all the towers. The trolls made an effort to make their home not so gloomy.

"Do you like it?" Llort asked the girl. "I think the changes are really nice."

"Changes?"

"Oh, yes. The kingdom used to be nothing but stone and swamp. Nothing was allowed to grow here."

"Why?"

Llort paused. "The old ruler, Queen Gnorga, hated everything that was beautiful or good. She was poison and made trolls believe they had to be bad."

"What happened to her?" Deanna asked.

"Do you want to see? It's not gruesome or anything, I promise."

"Okay," she said, skeptically, following him to a large garden. The garden was filled with beautiful, fragrant flowers and green trees. "It's so pretty," Deanna sighed in awe.

"It is, isn't it?" King Llort agreed, looking around. Then, he pointed to a rather large and unusual rosebush. "You see that rosebush?"

She nodded.

"That's Gnorga."

Deanna's eyes widened. "How?"

"Magic. Good magic makes things grow, even bad things."

Deanna uneasily stood behind Llort. He chuckled. "Don't worry; she can't do anything. She's stuck in the ground. I'll show you the rest of the kingdom."

They left the garden and met up with random citizens, who didn't seem to mind Deanna being there, especially since she was walking around with the king. Deanna mentioned, keeping her voice low, "I thought trolls were...dangerous."

"Oh, they can be, but we're trying to move away from the stereotypes," Llort told her. "I want to help change what being a troll means. I mean, what good does it do anyone to be forced into a little box? It's so much better to be free and to make your own choices, don't you think?"

Deanna nodded, thinking this was the most insightful thing she had heard him say. He seemed to be quite wise at times despite his cluelessness.

"Can I tell you something?" Deanna asked when they got back to the castle.

"Of course."

"This is the safest I've felt in a long time," she admitted to him. "I...I was never safe at home."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Llort asked, treading carefully.

"If you promise it won't backfire on me."

"I promise."

Deanna internally struggled for a bit, debating whether to talk about it. Finally, she told him. "My parents hit me a lot. They told me to leave the night I came here." She shook, sniffling.

"Oh...Oh, Deanna..." Llort's eyes saddened. "Is that why you didn't want to tell me where you came from?"

Deanna nodded, then clenched her fists. "I won't go back! You can't make me!"

"Sweetie, I'd never send you back to those monsters," the king told her.

Deanna looked up at him, surprised.

"We'll find you a good home, and you'll never have to see them again. How does that sound?"

Deanna burst out crying from relief. "Thank you! I owe you a lot!"

"You don't owe me anything. I just want you to be safe and happy." He then asked, "Now, can I tell you something?"

"Yeah." Deanna wiped her eyes.

"I know how you feel. I used to be abused, too."

"You were?"

Llort nodded. "Gnorga was my wife, and she was...rough with me. I was afraid of her and had to do everything she said, or...it'd end really badly for me." He shuddered.

Deanna suddenly hugged him. "I'm so sorry. That wasn't right. You didn't deserve that."

Shocked, Llort hugged her back. "You didn't deserve it, either. Luckily, that's all behind both of us."

Llort hugged her perhaps a little too long, but he wanted the teenager to know that she was safe. The only thing left to do now was to find her a good home.