Marianne blew her bangs out of her face and set her pose to strike a practised swing with her sword. She had rehearsed this back in the castle, so executing the actual movement came easily to her limbs.
"Ha!" She exclaimed when the blade did exactly what she wanted. Bog parried it with his staff.
"Not bad," the Goblin King conceded with a nod, "but watch for attacks from every direction." And with a swift movement he disarmed the princess.
"Oh, damn!" she cursed, out of breath.
They had been at it for a while now and Marianne was exhausted. She looked up at the skylight and jumped when the sunlight was barely visible through the glass.
"I have to go, now!" she screamed and leaned down to retrieve her sword. "Tomorrow at the same time?" she asked as she usually did. It was absurd to do that, she always came and he was always glad that she did.
Their little routine of daily training was a comfortable one and sometimes Bog found himself looking forward to his limited time with the fairy. If someone said to him a year ago that he would be close friends with the Fairy princess he would have killed them for suggesting such an absurd thing; but Marianne was so attuned with him that sometimes it was scary. They liked the same things and respected each other's personal space, because they knew what it was like to be constantly forced to socialize with people you didn't want to.
She was a safe haven. He could be himself with her. It was his moment of relaxing.
"Yeah," he finally answered with a slight nod. She answered with one of her own and took flight, disappearing through the cave that lead to the entrance of the Palace.
Like she had been hidden behind something (she probably had been), his mother stepped into the throne room with a big smile on her lips.
"Is that wedding bells that I hear?" she said. Bog sighed dramatically.
"I have told you a thousand times, mother . We are not like that!"
"Hm-mm," she hummed not really buying it. "Whatever, boy. But please don't take too long to marry her. I want to get to see my grandchildren!"
Bog shuddered.
As if! Marianne was just a friend and even if the last days had been wonderful, they didn't truly know each other. And she was a fairy and he was… well, this thing . Weird even for a goblin, a strange thing his existence was. In the remote case that he would develop something akin to love (as disgusting as it was) for the princess, she would never return his feelings. It was fact.
Maybe that's why he was so comfortable with her. If the possibility was taken from the table from the start he was more open to the idea of bonding with the fairy, to get to know her and spend time together. Who knows? Maybe their friendship would be beneficial to his kingdom in the future.
But love ? Nah, it wasn't for them.
Better stay as friends than lose sleep over an impossible and unrealistic thing.