"I'm telling you the truth! I saw the goblin that your crown prince described as a troublemaker attack Prince Vincent and carry him off," the Breezy Meadow fairy insists.
"Marianne, Bog, please stop laughing," Dagda sighs, rubbing his forehead. "This is serious, so would either of you care to explain why you find Jason's testimony hilarious instead of being alarmed by Dark Forest goblins attacking a village in the Light Field?"
"For starters, goblins didn't attack here. He's the only one who saw these supposed goblins and his testimony is false," Marianne remarks.
"Of course I saw the goblins because I was dancing with your princess when they attacked and she kept me from protecting my prince," Jason defends. "Sir Thadius, it's obvious that the Light Field cannot be trusted. They've been stalling us instead of looking for Prince Vincent. I demand that we gather everyone to search for our beloved prince without them."
"Everyone is already gathered as Princess Marianne ordered when she sent a guard to fetch us," Sir Thadius mentions, raising his eyebrow at Jason's panicked look. "You say his testimony is false but on what evidence do you have other than him being the only one to actually see the goblins?"
"There is only one goblin that matches the description I gave him and it's not only impossible for that goblin to do what they're accused of but my description of that goblin was what they used to look like before I was born," Bog remarks. "My mother wears a dress and a braided necklace along with her white stone circlet nowadays. As that's not enough proof because clothes can be changed, the true evidence is that I described the full length of her horns, which are now broken."
Dagda covers his mouth in an attempt to stop the laughter wanting to bubble out. Now he understood what the two found hilarious. As determined as the old queen is, Griselda couldn't do something like this.
It was a clever way to figure out the truth. Unfortunately, it left more unpleasant possibilities available.
"Now that that is out of the way, maybe you should count the number of Breezy Meadow subjects that are present, Sir Thadius," Marianne suggests, cracking her knuckles. "And I'll find out where they've taken Dawn, Sunny, and Vincent from this lying, traitorous, son-of-a..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I had nothing to do with this," Jason insists, backing away at the murderous look Marianne is giving him. "Sir Thadius, you must stop her!"
"Why would I do that? I already gave a headcount before we left the palace and other than you and Prince Vincent, there is still fourteen unaccounted for," Sir Thadius informs, drawing his sword. "Only three were given permission to accompany His Highness to this festival and not only are you the only one to greet us but that leaves fourteen still unaccounted for. If they don't slit you from navel to nose then I will! Where is my nephew, you gutless little worm?"