All characters are owned by George Macdonald except whatever OC's that I manage to come up with, purely fan made and inspired after reading all the great PatG fanfics
When Irenie had been growing up, the King had been worried that she would not have many friends all cooped up at the farm castle so he arranged a royal gathering of courtiers, Royal men and women who had little princesses and princes of their own.
Despite her humble upbringing, Irenie enjoyed these parties and they taught her practical lessons when dealing with other nobility.
For instance, when
Over the years more faces had joined their group, but she rarely talked with them, instead she had a group of close knit friends whom she could always talk to. However, on rare occasions when she found her ideals too 'common' for her friends, Irenie would often wished she had not spoken at all.
As it was, one of the younger girls Irenie was quite friendly with had gotten married that day.
For many daughters of the highest dukes, counts and kings marriage was not something to be happy about, in fact it was regular that one did not marry for love, but rather for wealth or land or arrangement. In any case it provided much on discussion for the girls while all the older adults and parents of the girls would sit and sip on wine in the other room.
"My husband is almost double my age and we live so far away I hardly ever see my family." Celia, the recently married princess, moaned as she slumped against the wall, "and my husband is so competitive, he always tries to out do me at every little thing, it's really quite infuriating."
Irenie smiled gently, "perhaps he is only trying to impress you?"
The girls nodded in agreement and one after the other began to talk of their own marriages, or in some cases, betrothals.
"I haven't married yet but father keeps insisting that I marry one of his friends but they all seem too old for me, mother doesn't care much either way but she does want me to be happy, if I'm lucky I'll marry a handsome young duke- if I'm lucky." Félicité began, her smile brightening underneath her mask of disapproval.
Marie giggled out loudly, "perhaps you mean Duke Baldawin."
There was an uproar of giggling and chatter as they all seemed to become giddy over the prospect of the handsome young duke whom all of them knew.
"I'm not married yet, but my betrothed is twelve," giggled another, though admittedly she was young as well, "he's always so shy, he's practically like a younger brother, I just tell him what to do most of the time."
"My husband is forty-six," Odette spoke up with her tone of superiority.
The most well known and most beautiful girl at court answered disinterestedly as the other girls stared at her in surprise,
"Oh- Odette you must be so bored with such an old man!" exclaimed one of the girls in the gathering as the rest giggled.
"Oh no, not really, usually he just leaves me alone to do as I please, I am the Duchess after all." She waved a hand away as all of them, save for Irenie, began to flood her with questions, "he has to be the most wealthy man I have ever met, perhaps even as wealthy as a King, I get everything I want because he shan't dare me anything and I am never alone because he is always sending servants to entertain me."
Irenie looked to Odette, possibly the only girl she had known since her toddler days when she was just learning to be a princess.
"But Odette, you don't love him, do you?"
The fair haired maiden turned to her companion as the other girls began to chirp at each other while Odette stood there in surprise before wistfully smiling at Irenie.
"Oh Irenie, being nobility doesn't have anything to with love, that's just in fairytales and stories. But he is fond of me… and I may one day come to love him."
Irenie, unsatisfied with the response, shuffled in her dainty heels as the others watched her, "true love is not just in fairytales."
Odette looked at her with surprise, for the timid princess had always agreed with everything she had said before, until she realized why Irenie had gone against her and she began to giggle lightly, fanning herself once more.
"Oh Irenie, you can't be serious, that miner boy you always talk about, why he's just a miner boy, and you are a princess. You'll be lucky if you marry a man only twice your age," Odette fanned her self absent-mindedly as the severity of her words crashed upon Irenie.
Irenie stared at her in shock, as if these things had never occurred to her before, "but-"
"Oh sweet naive Irenie, you are just too young to know,"
"We are of the same age Odette," Irenie contradicted her harshly, stepping forward as if to take a position of war.
"But I am far more experienced as I have actually married and out of the two of us I know how nobility is truly managed." Odette smiled coolly her beautiful eyes fluttering as she shook her head, "nobility marries nobility, to keep our blood lines pure, it is not based on love, I'm afraid Irenie, you would have to marry a prince if not a king at the very least."
Irenie just stared at her in horror, her eyes wide and her hands clenched and shaking.
She remembered the first time she had ever mentioned Curdie to the other young princesses, when she was still eight and only a couple of months after she had met the miner boy.
They had all been so jealous, as if he were a knight in shining armour they had all read about in their stories, but it had not been their jealousy which caused Irenie to find love in her miner boy, it was Curdie, his kindness, his courage, his goodness that made her love him
"Well my father does not care whom I wish to marry," Irenie laughed out with a fake confidence, "he loves me very deeply and would never force me to marry someone I didn't know or even like."
Odette, quite spited by this remark collapsed her fan in one hand and turned away from the gathering of gentle-women and waved for a servant carrying wine glasses, "well then that would make you very lucky Irenie, for I have never heard of a King ever letting his daughter marry beneath her."
Irenie blushed furiously as the other girls had resorted to talking quietly amongst themselves, Irenie stared at them, knowing that they would talk of her. Flushed and unhappy, Irenie dismissed herself from the group quickly and stormed out onto the balcony.
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon but somehow seemed to reduce her to a state even sadder than when she had been with the others.
She sighed and braced herself across the balustrade, looking out over the open valley.
It had taken Lootie and he rather chamber maids almost an hour to do her powder and makeup, she wouldn't ruin such a good effort by crying all over it.
Irenie couldn't see the mountain from this angle, but at this time looking over the low valley made herself better than looking up at the mountain would have. The mountain only reminded her of mines and then the mines would remind her of Curdie and she really couldn't stand to imagine him so far away from her for so long.
But perhaps he had wanted to be away from her for a long time, because she smothered him with her presence and her gifts. Whenever her chamber maid enquired at the miraculously large amount of gifts that she gave the mining boy she would reply that it was still for some debt she owed him for bringing her back home when she very well knew it was because she cared for him deeply rather than feeling indebted to him.
Perhaps raining gifts and lavishing him with attention was what had driven him away, Curdie was not a man to accepted gifts as he was more accustom to working for himself rather than taking charity.
"But it wasn't charity," Irenie exclaimed to herself, closing her eyes and shaking her head, refusing to tear up, "I only wanted him to know how much I loved him, I know how much his family struggled, I just wanted to help him."
And it was all for naught anyway as he clearly did not reciprocate her feelings, or truly tried not to show it.
'A princess cannot marry a miner boy,' Irenie thought to herself, remembering what her friends had told her so frequently.
"If I could make you a prince, Curdie, I would give up everything I have," she sighed gently, still gazing out over the open green valley.
She had already said these words to herself, so frequently in fact that she had gone over them at least one hundred times per thought.
But the ending never seemed to change. She was always left a bit hopeful, still resisting against all doubt that somehow her life could turn out just the way she always thought it would.
But that delirious naivety seemed to be out of her reach this time, and she was left heart broken, that her best and closest friend would be leaving her for months and that the other royals who claimed to have her best interests at heart would degrade the idea of her affections for the miner boy.
It was just so unfair.
She wished her father would come home soon.
Irenie pushed herself off the balustrade and out the doors. Her companions had vacated the ballroom, most likely taking refuge in one of the many drawing rooms. Still, she missed their company, if only to soothe the wounds made by reality.
Irenie sighed outwardly once more before vacating the ballroom in search of her friends.
The princess rounded the corner quite quickly. "Oh!" Irenie cried out as she felt something very petite crash into her legs and stumble backwards onto the floor.
She staggered backwards and stared at the individual for a long time before actually realizing she had knocked into one of the little servants carrying wine trays.
"I-I'm- sorry princess," cried the little child as he stumbled to get up off the floor, and deep red liquid covering most of the front of him.
Irenie had a chance to look down at her own front to behold a large red stain as well, dripping all the way down to her toes.
"Please, please don't send me to the dungeon!" The little boy cried again and Irenie, almost perplexed by the outburst, fell to her knees, smiling softly.
"It's alright boy, I am not injured, how are you?" Irenie picked the lad up and they stood together, though the servant boy by this point was much more confused than the princess.
"Quite fine your highness," spoke the boy in a soft voice.
"You may call me Irenie, I am just glad I we will not have to find a doctor, if you're quite sure you are uninjured."
"Ye-yes Irenie," the boy gave a somewhat grin, as he let go of her hands, "but your dress, it's-it's ruined."
"It's only a dress," she laughed again and patted the lad on the shoulder before she went down the hall once more, "if you want a replacement for your own clothes just go to Lootie and tell her I gave you permission to find a new set of clothing."
The young boy gave an excited nod before scampering off down the opposite hall.
Irenie shook her head and laughed to herself, even a bit glad she had run into the little servant boy.
"It does look as though I'll be needing a new dress though," Irenie smirked softly to herself lifting up the golden fabric with the blotchy red stain on top.
Meanwhile, in the Goblin Kingdom, Froglip grinned brightly as he swept down the halls, admiring his wonderfully sharp claws and devilish grin as he caught his reflection in the surface of a gem.
All around him people were watching him in either fear, love or jealousy, just as they always did.
Today had been an exceedingly lovely day for the prince. Fawned over by the innumerable masses, striking fear into goblins thrice his size and being the most powerful and most handsome Goblin in the entire kingdom every day was more pleasure than any goblin could take. And he was use to it.
Froglip chuckled to himself as he smiled to himself at the thought of his most latest toy. A cute little goblin only a few years younger than himself and her every wish to see that he was pleased with her.
He smiled and laughed to himself at the very idea of the innocent little creature shaking and shivering in his bed or when she ran back and forth to see to his ever need while he watched.
The Goblin Prince, fully involved in only his thoughts, did not noticed what was ahead of him as he crashed into something tiny and stubbed his toe on it before it fell down.
As Froglip looked around him in confusion, the little goblin messenger scuttled backwards on the ground, now horribly startled as he realized who it was he had run into.
"P-Prince Froglip-" the child stuttered almost inarticulately, almost trying to scrunch up into a ball on the floor while the Goblin Prince glowered down at him.
"Yes," he snarled loudly, attracting attention, "you vile dirt mite."
"P-please your highness, I d-didn't mean it as a-a-an offence-" he cried again.
"Well you did cause offence!" Froglip growled angrily again, his eyes wide and unforgiving.
The child began to weep meekly under the burn of the Prince's glare and drew some of the eyes from other goblins who would stop and stare at the spectacle, rather than going on about with their own business.
Now there was an audience to this disgrace, if Froglip didn't break both his toes or at the very least shackle him in the dungeon then the rest of the goblins would think he had gone soft.
Then they'd all think they could do whatever they wanted, he would lose that fear in their eyes, that respect.
He'd be just like the lot of them.
Froglip watched the terrible wretch shake and shiver on the ground. He could clobber both his feet underneath one of his, put the boy out of work for weeks. If he was supporting a family it would be even worse and the pathetic scum would likely be punished for such uselessness.
Froglip glanced around him, the eyes peering at him with their usual interest, wondering what horrible act he would commit this time.
Froglip then glanced at the little whelp still cowering at his feet before rolling his eyes lucidly and grabbing it by the collar of the burlap tunic.
"Guards," Froglip roared loudly as two stray goblin men with spears came to his side, "take this disgusting clod to the dungeons…. and hold him there for three days."
A gasp went out from the group and the child began to moan and cry when the guards took him from Froglip and began to drag him away, but Froglip didn't pay much attention.
"Let that be a lesson," he glared ruefully at all of them, old and young, small and large. "Trod on Prince Froglip's toes and you will be flogged until dusk!"
One of the guards looked over his shoulder before whispering in the Prince's ear, "Ah' thought yeh said, yer highness, we were just fixen' him up in a cell."
Froglip whipped his head around quickly to glare down the guard with his twitching yellow eyes, so filled with rage that it looked like he was about to take it out on the guard.
"Just get him and your sorry flee-bitten hides out of my presence before I take the whip to your back," the goblin Prince snarled ferociously as the guard flinched back and continued to haul the child off to the dungeons caves.
The once Froglip turned his terrible gaze on the rest of the crowd, without warning from him they all dissipated quite quickly.
Now, boiling with rage rather than ruminating in the pleasant thoughts of his life, Froglip stomped down to the throne room where he would once again be forced to listen to an endless line of complaints made to him by the people.
He stepped up to the throne, and slumped into the stone seat from which his father and mother ruled.
The goblin henchmen to his mother and father shuffled in quietly, not quite making it past the door though, as they would wait for an invitation to address the Goblin Prince.
As he was soon to be king Froglip had to suffer the complaints that the goblin people put to him, in and out they went with their meagre lives while he was forced to listen to them and then, if he was in a truly good mood, dismiss them without sending them to the dungeons.
Unfortunately for Froglip, though he was in a horrid mood that evening he had to meet with the councillors of the goblin people and as it was their rank was too high for him to simply dismiss them to the dungeons.
They stood huddled in the door way while Froglip glanced disinterestedly in their direction and then stared back at the sharp fingernail he plucked at.
"You may speak with me," Froglip muttered in a board tone.
All day he been bothered by the complaints of the peasants, for they apparently had no conscious idea of how important his time was.
The two highest members of the council of goblins approached the throne bowing and
"Good evening your highness," the councillors tentatively approached the throne on which Froglip sat, as if not to anger the prince by moving too quickly, "we would wish to discuss your marital status as you will be king soon, the Goblin council though it would be wise you-"
"Excuse me," The goblin prince interrupted with irritation ringing in his voice, "as prince of the kingdom I have plenty of merit."
The councillor's looked at each other questionably, as the head goblin began once more, "oh- not merit, your highness, but rather marital. We mean to address you with the prospects of marriage, after all a King must have a Queen."
Though the councillor's did not take notice, the goblin prince froze for a short moment, a chill going over his body before he sat back in his chair and snorted at the head goblin.
"Why must I marry at all, the position of queen is quite useless as it is I who makes all the decisions."
"Your highness, queens are used to extend the royal bloodline," the councillor went slowly, he did not wish to mock the prince by producing information that the prince did not understand but it seemed as if the goblin prince had very little understanding of what being king meant. "You will need a queen to produce heirs and I'm afraid to bring this upon you at such a young age-" Froglip growled deeply, suddenly a fire coming into his eyes as he began to pay more attention to the councillor, much to the councillor's fear, "b-but as you are to be king soon you must find a b-bride, within the next t-two months at the very le-"
"Pardon councillor," leered the goblin prince as he lowered his neck to gaze upon the goblin councillor who seemed to freeze with terror at the very presence of the royal, "but it sounds to my ears that you are giving my a command."
The councillor's eyes widened as his partner recognized the hostility in the prince's voice and stepped to his side to perhaps divert his attention.
"Your royal highness, we would never raise ourselves so much above our positions to give you an order."
"Good-" spat the goblin prince, ignoring the flinch from the councillors as they tried to avoid his spit. "As long as you both know your places it should be blatantly obvious that I have no intention of wedding any goblin yet, perhaps when I find one good enough for me I will allow such a thing to happen but as of yet there is no goblin in this kingdom who is worthy of me."
The councillors backed away, defeated in their purpose but the second hand goblin raised his head once more to look upon the prince who tensed as he sat upon the throne.
"With your permission highness, I would wish you to think on it, if only-"
Prince Froglip grinned his nasty grin and laughed maliciously, "oh, I shall, no doubt of that councillor, and in the meantime you may pose the question to the queen, I'm sure she would be very interested in your 'idea'."
The councillor gulped visibly, as it was well known that the goblin queen was fierce on any matter that concerned her darling child.
"I-I shall put it to her this evening your highness," and stepped down quickly from the throne, leaving Froglip to grin wickedly to himself while the councillors were shown out.
With heavy hearts the two Goblin men left their ruler to once more bask in his own glory and fled to the deepest levels of the goblin kingdom, even lower than the dungeons to a place where the council of goblins met.
There they discussed what had happened to the plan they had forged, that the Prince refused to marry, that he very well might never marry and therefore unattached from anyone.
If Froglip was king without a queen the only person likely to tell him anything would be the queen goblin and of course, even if the innocent goblins were to suffer greatly under Froglip's rule she would never so much as speak a word against him.
This worried them greatly, for a wife could significantly diminish the prince's intolerable cruelty and perhaps make him kinder, but this was all for not if he never took one.
It was not just Froglip's cruel ways that the goblin councillors feared, but his ignorance, as well.
The goblin prince was not like Gazlowe, perhaps he took after him a bit though it should be mentioned that he was much more like his supposed deceased uncle, Korumn. Nonetheless, while Gazlowe and Korumn were at the very least clever goblins as well as strong leaders, the prince seemed to be so far from being ready to rule.
He was simply too young, and everyone knew this.
Even the Queen, who saw no evil in her son, her son who looked so much like his deceased uncle, noticed the difference in his behaviour though she would never say anything. However as the Goblin councillors thought upon their circumstance and the dire need to make sure either the prince was a proper ruler and ready to assume the throne, or not at all, they began to think about the Queen and her increasing role in the thick plot.
It was clear she thought the world of the goblin prince, yet she was not immune to pressure. 'Perhaps,' the councillors told each other, 'she would even favour marrying Froglip to a goblin woman of noble birth in order to cement bonds among the the most elite of the goblins.'
And this is what pushed the goblin councillors to see the queen even earlier than they had intended. 'If Froglip could be married to a daughter of one of the councillor's they would be able to exercise more control of the young prince, perhaps even endeavour to create a better kingdom where Queen Mefeero had not hand in every matter.'
It was decided then, if they could only get the queen to agree to some betrothal between the Prince and one of their daughters then they could control the prince and if they controlled the prince then they controlled his child, they could control the heir and thus the future. And if all that were indeed possible then they could see to it that the future was a bright one, all that needed to be dealt with now was the Queen as it was she who held all the cards in this.
As they drew nearer to the royal chamber in which the queen and king resided in, the goblin men took in all their courage and went forward.
However, unknown to the two goblin councillor's who had visited Prince Froglip earlier, the king and queen of the goblins were discussing a very similar matter.
"It simply isn't right," Gazlowe sat down upon his throne in his bedroom while the Queen went around the room, rampant and destructive as always. "I simply can't stand it, Gazlowe, they would marry my son, the only heir to the throne to some girl off the streets without so much as a thought on it."
"My dear Queen," Gazlowe consoled her tenderly when he smirked at his wife, "you fret too much, Froglip, albeit not the oldest prince to become King is still learning, he will be ready in time."
"Oh Gazlowe, you always keep me calm, I just loath those monstrous beasts for trying marry my son off, without even consulting me first."
"Mefeero," Gazlowe sighed again softly, "we do not even know if the council has decided on anything and still I have the final word and would never do anything to upset you."
Gazlowe brought his hands to rest on Mefeero's tense shoulders and sat her down on a smoothed out bolder of opal.
Harelip, who had been listening silently in the corner, unbeknownst to the king and queen, stood up quite quickly but silently and went unnoticed until Mefeero turned up her head to glare at him.
"Might I make a suggestion," he gracefully stepped in front of them while Mefeero shuck her head, a rueful smile on her face.
"And what would you know of royal matters, Harelip?"
"Plenty," Harelip smiled boldly despite Mefeero's condescending tone, "and I think, if you wished to keep ties to the powerful Goblin families you would marry Froglip to one of the daughters of those families."
"Why you insolent mongrel!" Mefeero shrieked standing up hysterically though Harelip refused to give an inch as she began her verbal assault, "you would dare to suggest to me that any girl from any of the families is apt to marry the Prince.
"I never said any girl," Harelip aid icily, his motions quick and furtive, though still bold, he seemed colder now, but not quite angry. "How about one of the Goblin council, a daughter from them."
Mefeero, though agitated by the idea that her hated half-son was giving her a good idea, rolled her eyes back and nodded her head, pressing a thumb to her temple.
"And which councillor do you think has a daughter worthy to marry Froglip?"
Harelip waited for a moment while Mefeero almost seemed eager to listen, perhaps too eager.
"Berzker's daughter…" he answered slowly, avoiding their eyes.
"Nuna?" Gazlowe asked incredulously, eyeing his son for a long while before Harelip continued.
"Nuna is a good Goblin of high breading," Harelip retorted sharply, "even a blind goblin can see that."
"But they- why it's hardly-"
"Why not Nuna?" Gazlowe offered lightly, his voice trailing off as Harelip and Mefeero glared across the room at each other, "Harelip is very wise there, Froglip has had a fondness for the girl when they were younger and she does come from a noble family."
"How would any of you know what my Froglip thought?" Mefeero snarled angrily, turning now on Gazlowe.
"He told me," Harelip answered truthfully, "you may not agree with me your highness, but Nuna and Froglip do have a history, it is a wise match considering all the other girls you rather not let into the family."
Mefeero spluttered at first, but once she though on it for a moment she realized that it did make sense and granted Harelip this recognition.
"That is not actually a horrid idea, even if it was from you Harelip," snarled the queen almost elegantly and she flicked her head to look away from Harelip.
"You do me a great honour, your highness," Harelip smiled coldly, his eyes hard and unrelenting, but Mefeero only continued.
"But Berzker has two daughters, Fyzsal is just as good a match as Nuna, if not better as they have not had relations yet."
Harelip froze and tried to hide his dislike of this idea but Mefeero saw Harelip become rigid at this thought and smiled to herself.
"Fyzsal and Nuna are great candidates actually, I should like to put them both to a test to see which one is truly worthy of Froglip, and then, if he should see interest in either one of them, he ay decide which girl he should like to marry."
Harelip grew even more tense despite the fact he knew Mefeero could see he was being afflicted by her words. Though she did not know the weakness, she did perceived that Harelip indeed had a weakness which was for some reason apart of Froglip's marriage to either of the girls.
At that moment the bead curtain separating the room from the hall way was split and two goblin councillors stepped inside.
Harelip furrowed his brow before swiftly exiting the royal chamber, the only one noticing his departure being the King who gave him a sorrowful, half-hearted look.
Harelip didn't like being seen by anyone, he tolerated his father looking at him and the rest of his immediate family but he rather not go showing off his face to the rest of the kingdom.
It would only cast a bad shadow upon his father and the last thing Harelip wanted to do was that.
He slipped past the guards as if he were a shadow, practically a shadow himself, Harelip went around the whole goblin kingdom like this, sometimes people saw him, most times when that happened they just tried to pretend it was their own mind playing tricks.
When he was young he had been picked on for being the ugliest goblin ever seen, but as he got taller and more muscular they began to be frighten by him. Those who had tormented him in youth now screamed in fear when he approached, men and women, clutching each other and trembling in his presence.
At first it felt like a victory, now the tormented had become the tormentor. But sadly even Harelip's little victories came back to haunt him, instead of somehow making things better, their fear made it worse, it made an outcast of him and frightened people away.
Harelip gave out a heavy sigh as he approached the cave door to his room.
Before he entered Harelip grabbed the hood of his cape and pulled it over his head tightly, obscuring any part of his face that might have been visible otherwise.
Harelip, with little effort, removed the bolder that blocked the way and stepped inside, and turned around once more to close it behind him.
"Hello," a beautiful and sweet voice called out to him, "you're back late."
Harelip laughed lightly to himself though he laboured to disguise his voice from his guest.
"I am sorry, I did not think you would have noticed my absence," Harelip replied happily, in good spirits to see that she had missed him, even if it was a bit selfish.
"I did," Nuna replied tartly through the entrance but as soon as Harelip stepped inside the room the smile on her face brightened up the entire room.
"It shall never happen again."
"Good," Nuna smiled swinging her legs over the bed and touching her toes to the floor, beside her sat an open book of his drawings.
Nuna noticed the book that drew his attention and blushed shyly, "I was just having a look at them since you were away," she folded the book once more and held it out to him.
Harelip took it gently but smiled, "you may ask for anything and I will do my best to see that it's done."
Nuna grinned again but instead grabbed his arm, sat him next to her on the bed, bright and cheery as she seemed to be of late.
"I was wondering, if it wasn't too much trouble… could I… perhaps have the drawing of the thorn-flowers."
Harelip stared at her in bewilderment before he took the book and flipped to the one she had described, "you mean the roses?"
"Yes," Nuna breathed out excitedly, her eyes lighting up as she saw them, "they're so pretty, I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life."
Harelip hesitated for a second, still bemused by the idea that his simple creation had some how brought light to this beautiful creature's face.
Nuna blushed furiously when she did not hear him reply, "I'm sorry, that is very greedy of me to go demanding things from you when you have already been so kind-"
"No- no that's fine, I just… couldn't imagine anyone taking an interest in them, besides myself," he laughed, almost elated by the sentiment which she had shown him.
Nuna smiled again and turned her head away while another large blush went over her cheeks.
"How are you feeling?" Harelip asked surveying the bandages still wrapped around her shoulder and one on her leg.
"I'm much better after the last eight days," Nuna smiled cheerfully, her hands seeming to test the leg as she hastened to stand on her feet and show her progress, she would jump onto her feet if it should make him smile. "A bit sore," she winced, "but I can stand now."
Harelip smiled gently under the darkness of the hood and patted her on the shoulder, "that's enough now, it would be best not to over do it."
Nuna smiled and blushed shyly, "thank you."
Harelip nodded in the brisk, indifferent way he was custom to, got up from the bed quickly and headed to the door.
"Wait," Nuna called out, startled by her hosts sudden departure, "you are leaving so soon?"
She looked at him with wide open eyes, so imploring that he almost didn't have heart to leave but he looked away and pushed the bolder to the entrance aside.
"I must, please forgive me," he spoke apologetically, pulling the hood over his face a little further, "goodnight."
"Goodnight," Nuna whispered back as she watched him leave.
Harelip hastened down the tunnels, which were empty as all the goblins were going to sleep, however, to the place he now journeyed the day was just beginning.
Harelip couldn't hold back the smile starting on his face whenever he headed for the land of the surface dwellers.
As he poked his head out of a small tunnel leading out from the mountain, Harelip caught the first beams of light.
Taking in a fresh breath of crisp air, Harelip jumped up from his hiding spot and headed quickly down the mountainside to a village which was situated very close to the bottom of it.
He pulled back the hood from his face, and slowed his pace down to a walk as he got closer to the boundaries of the town.
Amongst the sun people Harelip's ears gave him away and perhaps in the wrong light his skin was a bit green, but besides that he was one of the people.
Just as regular as the rest of them. Of course, because he had grown up in the goblin kingdom it was strange to think of the sun people as regular for in goblin minds they had to be the ugliest things he had ever seen, even uglier than himself. Nevertheless it was not in Harelip's character to judge by appearances. When he was younger he had secured a cap from his father and gone to the surface world, at first the light of the sun burned his eyes, but due to his heritage it did not take very long for him to adjust to the abundance of light and soon after that he was left to explore.
In his travels of the surface world Harelip discovered the town he was now headed and after a long while he made friends with them and even came to care for them.
The sun people were much like goblins he discovered, perhaps with different customs and traditions, but very similar. It almost made him laugh.
"Hello there Harry," shouted the old baker who's shop was always the first when Harelip arrived.
It took a brief moment for Harelip to respond as he had been deep in thought, but he smiled nonetheless and waved a hello.
"Not many people out today, eh Bernard?" Harelip laughed lightly as he looked around the market alley which was usually bustling with people.
"Yes, someone spotted a goblin last night and the towns been kept sealed tighter than a drum.
Harelip, despite the severity of this new information kept a composed face, though he might had drawn his cloak tighter around his body and pulled his hood down tighter over his ears.
"Nasty little gremlins," Harelip laughed a bit, "but I've got some gold to barter with in town, hopefully the medicine house his open now-"
The baker nodded congenially and pointed down the road to a bright red tent with dark black lettering splayed on top. "I hope that friend of yours is doing better!"
"Thank you, I shall tell them!" Harelip replied happily as he headed down the road.
There were more people than he thought, shuffling and being busy around the market, but still they were fewer than he thought.
Goblin threats were treated very seriously on this part of the mountain. Harelip had heard that those in the castle didn't even believe in them, but the villagers had a much stronger feud going on with them, especially the miners.
"Flowers, lilies, lilacs, marigolds and pansies, all for a reasonable price." Harelip heard over the bustle.
He smiled slightly when he saw the roses tucked away in the back corner.
Maybe he would go back and pick some up for Nuna.
"Ah Harry, back so soon?" Smiled the shop keep as he approached the medicine house. She was a kindly old woman with stringy white hair that hung down to her shoulders.
"Thought I'd stop by for a some of the same ointment you gave me the other week, it's working better than I hoped and I wished to purchase some more."
The woman smiled and held up a large jar of while Harelip dug into the pockets and produced what was equipped.
A nugget of gold the six of his thumb nail and twice as thick.
Harelip simply had to hold the gold up to merchant's eye and he could take as much of the medicinal herbs that he needed.
He was well known around the village for generosity and was always treated with respect. The gold came from a reserve in the King's treasury which always went untouched despite how much gold and jewels were inside. Goblins however, used a bartering system rather than currency as the sun people did and had no use for gold.
"Oh thank you very much Harry," nodded the woman appreciatively, placing the pellet of gold within the from pocket of her modest burgundy dress.
"No thanks needed," he nodded with a slight bow at his waist as he quickly turned around and made off with the jar, walking as fast as he could, but once again turning his thoughts away from his mission on the surface.
He remembered Nuna and then the arrangement he had endeavoured to set up between her and his younger brother.
He cared for Nuna, more than he would like to admit to himself, but then again he had always felt that way, even before she had come to know him as her host. In the months while Froglip had courted her, Harelip passed her by once or twice. Usually with Froglip's companions he would avoid them at all costs but on the rare chance when he had come back from long night on the surface, Harelip had was stopped suddenly.
Froglip was nowhere to be seen but suddenly thee was this beautiful goblin in the middle of the hall, looking up at the stars from hole in the mountain citadel.
She smiled.
From that moment on he was struck with something he had no mind to imagine, nor words to explain. He felt like a small insignificant creature in the presence of her majesty, it wasn't until later that he realized how sweet, how kind and how utterly selfless the goblin woman was.
In passing moments he had seen her laugh, cry, scream, both for joy and in sorrow and the had hated his brother for what he had done to her.
But there was only one way to save her from the hands of the monsters who had tortured her.
If she married Froglip then she would be sheltered from those goblin men that would claim to court her but instead abuse her.
As mush as he failed to protect himself, he wanted to do this one kind thing, still an insignificant speck in the night sky, but at least for one moment he could say he'd come close to being a part of her world.
So sorry about how late this update was, I just got too involved in my batb fanfic and I forgot about this one entirely, thanks for the reminders though they helped to get this done ^^
When I first started this I imagined that Gazlowe and Mefeero's marriage would be horrible in the sense that she would constantly be abusing him, however I realized that though she could be vengeful Mefeero was not ungrateful which is why she holds Gazlowe in such high esteem for helping her, though she does want him to step down still so her son can rule. Of course they do sleep in separate rooms, and they have never been with one another. Nevertheless there is some tenderness between them, after all it would be difficult to be cold to your spouse for twenty years.
Apart of You world from the little mermaid would be the only musical piece I had in mind and that was mostly for Irenie though I could see it for Harelip ^^
What would I give
To live where you are?
What would I pay
To stay here beside you?
What would I do to see you
Smiling at me?
Where would we walk?
Where would we run?
If we could stay all day in the sun?
Just you and me
And I could be
Part of your world