The scene at the village is total chaos with elves running away from the festival grounds in a panic. The stage is covered with ripped flower decorations and damaged instruments. Several prone bodies lay on the ground, though Bog can see that they're unharmed. The most alarming is the guards that are supposed to be guarding Dawn all tied up in barrels and no little blonde fairy princess in sight. He couldn't even see Sunny among those present.
"What happened?" Marianne asks.
"We were attacked by goblins," a Breezy Meadow male fairy answers, getting up from the ground. "They stole our prince."
"Impossible!" Bog denies.
"As if you would admit to your crime, beast," the Breezy Meadow male fairy sneers.
The urge to hit the fool is extremely hard to resist but Bog manages to restrain himself. Hence, why it comes as a complete shock when his royal scepter disappears from his hand and sends the pompous fairy flying involuntarily into the side of the stage.
Did he really need another reason to love his mate? She's so...
Words fail him to describe the greatness of her as Marianne slams her boot on the Breezy Meadow subject's chest to keep him from getting up and holds the sharp end of his royal scepter against the male's throat. The undisguised terror blaring in the fairy's green eyes as Marianne snaps her wings out and stares down at her opponent with all her regal bearing makes Bog sigh with adoration. He has no doubt that she even could put fear in a fachan's heart.
"I don't know what's going on but this is the second time you Breezy Meadow subjects been involved in an incident with my people. Either you start speaking the truth or I'll get the answers out of you my own way," Marianne threatens.
"He's...uh...he's telling the truth, Your Highness," one of Dawn's guards mutter as Bog cuts the roping binding them.
"Say that again, Dahlia," Marianne growls.
"Goblins did attack and they did steal Prince Vincent," Dahlia answers hesitantly.
"You saw my subjects here? Did you recognize any of them?" Bog questions.
"You beasts all look ali...," the Breezy Meadow fairy starts before yelping as Marianne stomps on him.
"That question wasn't for you. Keep your mouth shut unless you have something valuable to say," Marianne warns. "Did you recognize any of them, Dahlia, Zeph?"
"No, Your Highnesses," Zeph admits, nodding his thanks to Bog once his bonds are cut. "Everything went so fast. The lights went crazy, smoke started pouring from the stage, and then Dahlia and I were hit from behind. We actually didn't see anyone except for shapes and shadows."
"You saw no one but you actually have the audacity to accuse the goblins!" Marianne growls. "I take it that you don't have an answer for where Dawn is either, do you?"
"I saw the goblins and the princess went with them willingly," the Breezy Meadow fairy answers. "Hit me all you want but you're the one that's going to be explaining why your kingdom helped the goblins abduct our prince!"
Bog quickly grabs his royal scepter from Marianne's hands as she raises it to hit the fool with it again. He really has to question that male's survival instinct. It's obviously not working.
"Since you saw my subjects but can't identify any of them then tell me if you saw this troublemaking goblin among them. A very bossy one about this tall, long red hair, horns about this big, has amber eyes much like Marianne, three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot, pale skin with no armor or scales, and only wears a circlet of white stones around their head," Bog describes.
"Yeah, he was the one in charge and gave all the orders before dragging the prince off," the Breezy Meadow fairy states confidently.
Bog gives no notice to the strange looks that he and Marianne are getting as they're forced to lean on each other because of their laughter.