(Disclaimer: I do not own Strange Magic, nor any of its characters)

-Prologue-

It had been nearly a month since the destruction of the Dark Forest castle and the love potion incident. The Bog King and his goblins had since made a new home out of an equally large tree stump that was similar to their previous dwelling. However, it was far from complete and required a lot of renovation to make it into a fully functional and hospitable palace. As generous as Marianne was to offer him and his subjects temporary lodging within the fairy kingdom, he had politely declined her offer. While he would have greatly enjoyed being closer to her, he knew his presence and the presence of his fellow goblins would have been rather unsettling for many folks within the realm. Mainly to its current ruler.

While the fairy king was remorseful to the goblins for the unnecessary destruction of their home at the hands of Roland and his men, he was still trying to come to terms with Marianne's relationship with Bog. It was difficult to accept at times, but then he'd see the smile on her face and it would bring a sense of reassurance and comfort to him. If Bog made her happy, then so be it. At least he treated her right and never gave him a reason to doubt his love for her, unlike Roland. It was only after the love potion incident that Marianne finally told him what had happened the day of her wedding. Upon hearing how Roland had cheated on her mere hours before they were scheduled to be wed, the fairy king felt anger settle within him and was ashamed of himself for not stepping in sooner. It saddened him to think that his little girl had suffered such heartbreak on what should have been the happiest day of her life. Looking at the situation now, he was thankful that she didn't give Roland a second chance and marry him. If that had happened, she would have been trapped in a miserable relationship and would never have known what it truly meant to be loved.

Now, while it was still difficult to fully accept Bog as Marianne's suitor, the fairy king knew true love when he saw it. He saw how his daughter's eyes would light up whenever Bog was around and how she'd smile when he'd hold her hand or kiss her cheek. He also saw how much of an impact she had on the Dark Forest's ruler. Up until the whole love potion incident, the Bog King was a terrifying individual who despised anything love related and wasn't known for his hospitality or kindness towards others. But Marianne had changed him for the better. Granted, he was still gruff and a bit rash at times, but he was no longer the 'evil' goblin ruler he once portrayed himself out to be. Bog was now reasonable and even kind. But mostly, he was finally loved by someone other than his mother.

As yes, Griselda. She was overjoyed to see her son finally happy and in love with someone who loved him in return. Marianne was such a charismatic individual and brought out the best in Bog. While he was already a diligent ruler, he no longer felt the need to threaten his subjects or ban love from the Dark Forest. Griselda often looked back on that fateful day when her son declared war on love and it broke her heart to see him so miserable and angry. But then Marianne crashed into his life and changed things for the better. Oh how she adored seeing the two of them together. Their relationship reminded her of when she was younger and her husband was still alive. How she missed him. She'd often compare Bog to his father and honestly, it was hard not to: he was the spitting image of the late king in both appearance and personality. Griselda sometimes found herself wondering what might have been if her husband was still alive and what he would think of their son now. Regardless, she knew he'd be proud of him.

XXXXX

-Present-

Marianne was currently leading a small caravan of elves, fairies and supplies through the Dark Forest in hopes to reach the hollowed stump before midday. While she could simply fly ahead, that wouldn't be very fair to those without wings. Besides, she liked walking every now and then. If she felt the need to stretch her wings, she would scout ahead to make sure the path was clear of danger before returning to the caravan.

At the moment, she was flying overhead when she happened to look up and spot several large, grey clouds slowly starting to appear above the treetops. A storm was likely to happen within the next hour or so. If that was the case, she and the caravan would have to stay within the Dark Forest overnight until the storm passed and it was safe to return back to the Fairy Kingdom. Of course this notion didn't bother her, seeing as how she'd be with Bog. Marianne could hardly wait to see him. They had been so preoccupied with their royal duties in their separate realms that neither of them had seen one another in almost a week.

From her vantage point, Marianne could see the large hollowed tree stump the goblins were using as their new settlement while they continued to improve and add on to it. While it was quite large in size and provided shelter from the elements, it wouldn't provide as much protection from the winter frost and snow without underground shelters and fortified outer walls. Hence why they had to get the castle fully completed before the last harvest of the year. Of course, Marianne and her sister, Dawn, had asked their father to allow the goblins to take shelter within the fairy kingdom if the castle wasn't ready by the first frost. He agreed, thankfully, so there was at least a backup plan if they somehow didn't finish construction by then.

As selfish as it was, Marianne was sort of hoping she'd get to spend the winter hibernating alongside Bog...assuming he hibernated. Did he hibernate? She'd have to remember to ask him sometime. She herself sometimes slept through winter, but occasionally she would awaken early and be forced to remain inside the underground hibernation tunnels with the elves (who stayed awake and active all winter to look after those who slept, seeing as how they didn't need to partake in hibernation). Not that she minded, in fact it was quite fun to be awake during winter, even if she was stuck underground until the spring thaw. She would partake in elf winter celebrations that most fairies never experience because many of her kind would rather sleep for three to four months than go a day without flying under the open sky.

With a smile, Marianne swooped back down to the caravan (which had stopped for a quick rest) and landed alongside Dawn, "Well, we should reach the castle within an hour by foot, assuming the road stays clear and there's no obstacles in the way."

The younger sibling glanced over at her sister and gave a knowing smirk, "Aww, are you anxious to see your Boggy Woggy?"

She felt her cheeks heat up as a blush appeared across her face, "You know I am." Marianne couldn't help the smile that crossed her dark lips as she thought about the Bog King. She missed him so much these last few days. "At least you and Sunny can see each other anytime you want."

Dawn gave her older sister a sympathetic look, "True. I'm sorry, Marianne. I can't imagine being away from Sunny that long." She fondly looked over towards said elf, who was helping Pear adjust the cargo on Lizzy's back while the party had stopped for a quick rest. "But at least you'll be together soon. I know he'll be happy to see you again."

"Yea," she sighed and fluttered her wings. Once upon a time she used to act this way when she thought of Roland, but looking back, she realized how foolish she was for falling for someone like him. What did she see in him again? Was it just his looks? She couldn't say for sure, but she knew he was nothing like Bog, nor was Bog anything like him. And that's what initially attracted her to the goblin ruler: he wasn't power-hungry, shallow, arrogant and selfishly full of himself. He was respectful, caring, honest, trustworthy, and vulnerable (but not in a bad or weak sort of way).

While he originally claimed to be 'too hideous to love', Marianne actually found his unique appearance to be quite attractive. She loved how smooth his chitin was around his collar, chest and waist. While his body looked as though it was covered in tree bark, it was rather exotic to the touch. His wings resembled those of a dragonfly and captured light from the morning sun, making them shimmer, while his eyes were as bright and blue as the noonday sky. 'Steady, Marianne,' she thought to herself. If she kept thinking this way, she wouldn't be able to contain herself for much longer. But great spirits above she missed him so.

"Marianne? Are you alright?" Dawn asked as she waved a hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention.

"Huh? What?"

"I said, 'Are you ready to continue on our way?' and you didn't answer me."

"I'm sorry, Dawn. I guess my mind is elsewhere right now."

"Obviously," she giggled as she rejoined Sunny atop of Lizzy's head while Pear sat against the supplies on her back. They (along with the rest of the caravan) resumed their trek through the Dark Forest and kept a close watch on the sky overhead. The clouds were slowly darkening and becoming more dense, signaling an impending storm.

Sunny took a look at the sky and frowned, "Aw man, I hope we don't get rained on. The last thing we need is to get stuck in the mud."

Dawn gently placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, "Don't worry Sunny Hunny, we'll be safe once we reach the castle. I'm sure Bog wouldn't mind if we stayed overnight, seeing as how Marianne is with us."

"Yea, that's true," he chuckled, causing Marianne to roll her eyes in a playful manner. But it was true: Bog wouldn't object to them waiting out the storm in his domain, especially if it meant he could be with her.

XXXXX

Nearly an hour passed before the large, hollowed tree stump came into view. They could see goblins starting to make their way inside as they rushed to beat the impending storm. Some that were in the area offered to help the elves and fairies by clearing away some debris that had recently blocked the path and by carrying some of the supplies in order to lighten the load off their wagons, making them roll along faster than they previously were. Once everyone was inside the castle, the sky erupted a loud crash of thunder before large droplets of rain started to fall from the clouds. Seeing as how everyone was safely inside, Marianne immediately took off to find Bog.

The king was inside what appeared to be a large study room. He was glancing over some designs for the castle's underground tunnel system when out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar butterfly fairy enter the room and approach. "Marianne," his eyes lit up and a smile appeared along his face as he was suddenly embraced by the enchanting princess. He held her close and passionately kissed her as she wrapped her arms around him and fluttered her wings in excitement.

"Oh Bog, I missed you so much. I'm sorry I was unable to get away sooner, but I just had to see you again."

"Ye needn't be sorry, my dear. I know you have duties to attend to as do I here in my realm. I've been busy working on designs for the castle interior and assisting my goblins with construction. Believe me, it's been torture not being near you for almost an entire week."

"Aw Bog, you really missed me that much?" She smiled up at him, to which he gently caressed her cheek.

"Aye, that I did, my bonny lass," he was about to kiss her again when they were suddenly interrupted by a loud clash of thunder, causing Marianne to jump slightly and tremble. While she was indeed a tough girl, she didn't care for thunderstorms. Being a fairy, she was naturally fearful of them because of the danger they posed to her kind: what with the harsh winds that would violently thrash them about if they happened to be airborne, the heavy rain that would impede their flight, grounding them or possibly drowning them if they weren't careful, and the overly loud thunder clashes that would deafen their sensitive ears.

Bog sensed her discomfort and held her close, keeping one hand on her back while the other gently ran through the dark tresses of her hair. "There, there, my tough girl. Nothing's gonna harm you while I'm here." And he meant it.

Marianne looked up at him with those warm amber brown eyes of hers and smiled at his sincerity, "Oh Bog, what did I do to deserve someone as wonderful and understanding as you?"

"I can ask the same of you, my dearest Marianne. How a hideous creature like me ended up with such a magnificent beauty like yourself is far beyond my comprehension."

"You're not hideous," she reached up and caressed his cheek. "You're uniquely perfect in my eyes and I love you just the way you are."

"And I love you as you are, my enchanting fairy princess," he gently took a hold of the hand that was caressing his cheek, to which he placed a gentle kiss upon her knuckles.

"Hmm, my handsome Bog King," she smiled and stood on her toes so she could kiss his lips.

"Oh, you two are just the cutest couple," Griselda stated as she poked her head into the room.

"Mother! How long were ye standing there?!" Bog asked in a surprised, yet slightly annoyed tone.

She waved it off, "Relax you thorax, I spoke up as soon as I saw you. I know what it's like to want some privacy with your other half. Anyways, I just wanted to let you both know that dinner is ready. And don't worry, there's plenty for all of our guests too."

"Well...thank you, Mother. Marianne and I will be down shortly."

"Alright, but in the meantime I want you both to behave. While I want grandchildren, I can wait until after you're married."

"Mother!"

She just smiled and waddled off, to which Marianne emitted a soft chuckle, "Oh Bog, you know she means well."

He sighed, "I know, but sometimes she can be a little overbearing."

"Well, I know what that's like. My father is a bit on the overbearing and overprotective side, but I understand his reasoning." A slight laugh escaped her lips, "I suppose I can also be a little overbearing when it comes to my sister. Of course, you already know that."

He chuckled, "Indeed I do. You punched my face and broke my skylight, remember?"

She gently caressed his cheek, "I do...and I'm still sorry for hurting you. I was angry and saw you as a threat back then."

"I can understand your reasoning for acting the way you did, and as I mentioned before, I've already forgiven you. Though if I'm going to be honest, when you struck me, I was immediately attracted to your fiestyness."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Aye. You left quite the impression on me that night, my tough girl."

Marianne was about to respond when another loud crash of thunder erupted overhead, causing her to jump and cover her ears as she began to tremble once more. She was suddenly pulled closer to Bog as he wrapped his strong, loving arms around her smaller frame. His hand rested on her back between her wings while the other gently stroked her soft, brown hair. With a sigh, Marianne lovingly hugged her Bog King while she rested her head on his chitin-plated chest and listened to the steady beating of his heart.

A gentle smile formed on the goblin's face as he looked down at his beautiful fairy princess, "It's alright my bonny lass. I'm here. I'll always be here for you." He tilted her chin up so she was now looking up at him, "Why don't we head downstairs and join the others for dinner? You must be famished from your long trek through the Dark Forest."

It was at that moment Marianne's stomach emitted a growling sound, making both her and Bog chuckle. "I suppose you're right. I could stand to eat something. Besides, we wouldn't want your mother to come back and assume we're busy making her some grandchildren."

He smirked and playfully rolled his eyes, "No, that wouldn't do at all." They then headed out of the study and made their way towards the dining area.

As they walked, Bog couldn't help but think about the future. He hoped to marry Marianne one day (once the castle was complete and the relationship between their kingdoms was steady) and make her his queen. The jovial remark his mother had made about grandchildren got him to thinking about what it would be like if he and Marianne became parents. They hadn't talked about it seeing as how they had only been a couple for a month now and were not at that stage of their relationship. Nor were they sexually active yet, but were fond of their alone time together. If there was one thing Bog wouldn't do, it would be to take advantage of Marianne. He loved her too much and he would never want to put her in a situation in which she felt uncomfortable.

Unbeknownst to Bog, Marianne was thinking the same thing. She loved him dearly and wanted to be intimate with him, but she would never put him on the spot and make him uncomfortable. She wanted their 'first time' to be special and preferably after they were married, which she wasn't in a rush, seeing as how they were still new to their relationship and wanted to take things at a reasonable pace.

XXXXX

Upon entering the dining area, Marianne and Bog took their seats, with him sitting at the head of the table and her sitting on his right while Griselda sat on his left. Dawn sat next to her sister while Sunny sat on her right. Elves, fairies and goblins all sat together at the same table and quietly conversed with one another while dinner was being served. There were stuffed morel mushrooms, dandelion salad, and blackberry cobbler for dessert.

As they ate, a loud crash of thunder caused all the elves and fairies to jump in their seats. While the goblins weren't overly fond of storms either, they were more protected from the elements. The large trees within the forest provided quite a bit of shelter from the rain and strong winds, unlike the open meadows of the fairy kingdom.

Griselda shuddered in her seat, "Goodness this storm is getting nasty. We'll go make up some beds for all of you." She glanced over at a pair of goblins closest to her, "Stuff, Thang, come help me make beds for our guests."

"Would you like some help?" Both Marianne and Dawn asked in unison.

"Oh aren't you girls the sweetest. I appreciate the offer, but as the host, it's my responsibility to take care of our guests, including the two of you. But thank you for offering."

"You're welcome," they replied and watched as she waddled off with Stuff and Thang following suit.

Both Marianne and Dawn had to admit that ever since the potion incident their whole opinion of goblins had completely changed for the better. At one point they once thought of goblins as hideous creatures with no manners and who go about eating or attacking anyone foolish enough to cross the border and enter the Dark Forest. But that simply wasn't the case. While goblins weren't exactly the picture of beauty and grace, their appearance was well suited for the environment they lived in. Unlike the Fairy Kingdom, the Dark Forest had more dangers lurking within its depths and shadows, which called for better camouflage that would allow one to safely traverse through the forest and blend in with the surrounding trees, rocks and fungi.

XXXXX

Once it was time to turn in for the night, Griselda led Marianne and Dawn to the room where they would be staying. "I hope the room will be suitable for your stay. It's the only guest room that's fully furnished at the moment."

Upon stepping inside the room, Marianne and Dawn took note of the surroundings: there was a large bed made of moss sitting against the back wall, a medium sized wardrobe to the right and a small vanity desk and chair to the left. A set of soft green crystal lights hung overhead, giving off a soothing glow. Marianne recognized them as some of the crystals Bog showed her on their evening flight the night they met. She turned to face the goblin woman with a soft smile, "It's perfect, Griselda. Thank you for letting us all stay the night."

"Of course, sweetie. I wasn't about to let you all try your luck in this storm. Besides, I know my son is happy to have you stay overnight." She smiled and added, "If you need anything, his room is right across the hall."

Dawn suppressed a giggle as Marianne felt her cheeks blush, "I'll keep that in mind. Again, thank you, Griselda."

"You're welcome, sweetie. Now you both sleep well and I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight," both Marianne and Dawn said in unison.

Once Griselda left and closed the door behind her, Dawn asked her sister, "Sooo, are you going to say goodnight to your Boggy Woggy?"

With a smile she stated, "That depends; are you going to say goodnight to Sunny?"

"I did before Griselda led us to the room," she smiled and made a shooing gesture towards the door, "Well go on. Go say goodnight. I'll be right here when you return. Of course, if you choose to spend the night with Bog, I understand."

"Dawn, we're not at that stage of our relationship yet. We want to wait until we're married before we...you know…"

"I'm not saying you should do 'that', I'm saying if you just want to sleep next to him, I'll be okay with it. Besides, you're older than me and can make your own rational decisions."

Marianne smiled and hugged her little sister, "Thank you."

"Of course. Now, go to him."

She gave a nod before opening the door and slipping out of the room, closing the door behind her and walking across the hall to Bog's room. She stared up at the large door for a moment before gently knocking on it. After a few moments, the door opened, revealing the Bog King.

"Marianne," he was suddenly embraced by the fairy princess, to which he responded by wrapping his arms around her and deepening their kiss.

After a minute, they finally came up for air, to which she smiled up at him, "...Bog...I just wanted to stop by and say goodnight."

He emitted a slight chuckle, "Well, if this is how you say goodnight, I may wish for rain every time you visit so that ye'd have to stay overnight."

Marianne couldn't help the blush that appeared across her cheeks, "I may wish for that too, despite the fact that I don't care for thunderstorms. But I suppose I could learn to tolerate them if it meant that I'd be with you."

"Well now, that's something else we can agree on," he gently caressed her cheek, to which she leaned into his touch.

"Indeed," she then kissed him again before sadly leaving his warm embrace. "Well...goodnight, my handsome Bog King."

"Sleep well, my fair princess." The two of them shared one last kiss before reluctantly parting ways for the night and retreating back into their rooms.

XXXXX

Throughout the night the storm persisted and emitted thunderous clashes that would keep almost anyone awake. While Dawn could sleep through almost anything, Marianne could barely sleep. She tossed and turned, but no matter how much she tried, she could not sleep a wink. She knew the storm wasn't solely to blame, but the fact that she was so close to Bog and yet so far away from his presence. It was maddening.

Getting up from the moss bed, Marianne quietly slipped out of the room and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway where she walked over and sat beside Bog's door. She wasn't about to wake him up, but just being closer to him eased her mind off the current storm. Her eyes soon became heavy and she fell asleep against the wall.

Meanwhile, Bog was lying in his large moss bed wide awake. He too was finding it difficult to sleep knowing his beloved Marianne was right across the hall and he couldn't be with her to comfort her during this storm. He got up, hoping a short walk around the castle would tire him out, but when he opened the door, he was surprised to see a familiar butterfly fairy sitting against the wall and peacefully sleeping.

He knelt beside her and, ever so gently, scooped her up into his arms where she tiredly opened her eyes and spoke in a quiet voice, "...Bog…"

"Aye, my bonny lass, it's me. I take it that ye couldn't sleep?"

She shook her head, "No...I wanted to be near you…"

He then stood up and carried her into his room where he quietly shut the door behind him before stepping over to his large bed. "Well, why don't you sleep in here. If you cannot sleep because you wish to be near me, then you're welcome to stay in here with me."

"...Thank you…," she tiredly caressed his cheek as he gently laid her down on the bed and kissed her forehead before he too joined her in the bed and laid himself beside her.

Both Marianne and Bog soon fell asleep side by side, holding hands with their fingers interlaced as the storm outside slowly came to an end and all was quiet within the castle and the Dark Forest.