Pre-Chapter Notes:
This tale is more of a collection of smaller tales, with each chapter focusing on a particular mother and the issues they face, as well as the love and support they receive from (and give to) their men. It is NOT chronological… these stories jump around in the timeline quite a bit.
We'll see Karina, trying to give Randel a romantic night, a night where he can forget all of the responsibilities he has taken on for her sake. We'll see Aurelet, struggling with a feeling that she trapped Toby into marriage and fatherhood much too soon. We'll see Erynne's struggle with postpartum depression and her sense of failure, as well as Karen's reminiscence on her turbulent early years with Sarah. We'll watch as Helayne demonstrates that sometimes a husband needs a nurturing hand, just as her children do. We'll watch Madeline wrestle with her sense of inadequacy at being the human mother of a future Goblin King. We'll see what happens when Helena's labor starts early, and she has to depend on Tremane to get her through it. We'll see Lily struggle with her desire to have more children, even when she knows it isn't possible, and we'll see how Sarah tries to stay strong in the face of Karina's open defiance.
So come along for some little vignettes about love, marriage and motherhood in the Goblin Kingdom.
Karina - A Night to Remember
Karina sat at the small writing desk in the corner of her chamber, her quill scratching across the parchment as she penned a quick note to the Bleeding Goblin Tavern. She had reserved a table weeks ago, but now she wanted to make sure everything was perfect for tonight. This wasn't just an ordinary evening… it was her chance to thank Randel, in her own way, for everything he had done to build this life with her.
Randel had never been the kind of man who would settle down, preferring the thrill of battle and freedom to the responsibilities of hearth and home. Even more daunting was his utter fear when it came to having a family. Yet, somehow, for her… for their children… he had put all of that aside.
Karina smiled as she thought of him. He was a devoted husband, an incredible father, and the love of her life. But she knew how much he had overcome to be here. There were moments, fleeting but unmistakable, when she caught a glimmer of that fear in his eyes. He never complained, never voiced regret, but Karina could feel that fear, nonetheless. And that was why tonight mattered so much.
She wanted to remind him how much he meant to her. Not just as a partner, but as the man who had given her the greatest gift of all: a family.
The plan was simple but meaningful. After a romantic dinner of his favorite roasted beef, she'd take him to the Bleeding Goblin Tavern, where they could laugh, sing, and forget the demands of their daily lives for a while. It had always been one of their favorite spots, the kind of place where Randel could relax and let loose. She had even reserved a table by the stage, hoping to coax him into a duet… a rare but treasured occurrence when Randel's deep baritone blended with her soft soprano.
She sealed the note with a flourish, handing it to their messenger Plimm who scurried off toward the tavern. Then she sent another note, this one to her mother, Sarah, asking if she could watch the children for the night. Karina chuckled softly as she imagined her mother's delighted response. Sarah and Jareth never turned down an opportunity to spend time with their grandchildren.
As the plans came together, Karina felt a warm glow of satisfaction. This evening would be perfect, a chance for Randel to feel appreciated and cherished. She imagined his smile as they sang together, his laugh as they toasted to the life they had built.
Standing by the window, Karina sighed contentedly. For all the chaos and noise of their daily lives, this was the kind of night that made it all worthwhile. A night just for them, to remind Randel that he was still the hero of her story.
Little did she know, her perfectly crafted plan was about to go disastrously wrong.
Karina hummed softly to herself as she strolled through the bustling marketplace, her basket swinging at her side. The aroma of freshly baked bread and sizzling meats mingled with the crisp noon air, and the chatter of Ughlánas, Othánas, and other townsfolk filled the streets. She had a list in her mind… the roast for the dinner, the spices for seasoning, and perhaps a small bouquet of wildflowers to brighten their table.
Her thoughts kept drifting to the evening ahead. She hadn't received a reply from the Bleeding Goblin Tavern after sending her note, but she wasn't worried. It was a popular spot, and the owner, Cradwick, was always busy juggling bookings. Still, she figured it wouldn't hurt to stop by and confirm the reservation on her way to the butcher's stall.
The tavern came into view, its crooked wooden sign swinging gently in the breeze. The Bleeding Goblin was an odd name for such a warm and lively place, but it was beloved by all for its raucous atmosphere and legendary karaoke nights. Karina smiled to herself as she imagined Randel's face when she told him she'd reserved their favorite table by the stage.
Pushing open the heavy oak door, she stepped inside… and immediately noticed the strange silence. The usual clinking of mugs and hum of laughter was replaced by the sound of water dripping ominously in the background. A distinctively terrible miasma permeated the atmosphere of the tavern, one that drove Karina to cover her nose and mouth. The lone Ughlánas bartender was scrubbing the counter with an air of frustration, while Cradwick himself was pacing near the far wall, gesturing wildly at a gaping hole in the floor.
Karina blinked in confusion. "Cradwick?" she called out, stepping further inside.
The Elf turned, his narrow face lighting up with recognition before quickly twisting into an apologetic grimace. "Lady Karina! Oh, I was just about to send a messenger to find you. I'm so sorry, but we'll have to cancel your reservation for tonight."
"Cancel?" Karina echoed, her heart sinking. "Why? What happened?"
Cradwick sighed and pointed to the hole in the floor, from which a faint gurgling sound could be heard. "Emergency plumbing issue. Apparently, a tree root broke through one of the pipes and now the whole system's backed up. We had to shut down completely until it's fixed."
Karina's shoulders slumped as the news sank in. "Oh no… but I reserved that table weeks ago. Tonight was supposed to be special."
Cradwick wrung his hands, looking genuinely distressed. "I know, I know, and I'm truly sorry. If there was any way to keep the tavern open, I would. But trust me, you wouldn't want to be here with the smell coming from those pipes."
Karina forced a smile, though disappointment gnawed at her. "I understand. Thank you for letting me know."
She left the tavern with a heavy heart, her earlier excitement dimmed. What was she going to do now? She had wanted the evening to be perfect, and this was supposed to be a key part of her plan. As she wandered back into the marketplace, the smell of freshly baked bread reminded her of her next task, and an idea began to form.
Maybe I don't need the tavern, she thought, adjusting the basket on her arm. I can still make a romantic dinner at home. I'll make it myself. Just the two of us. It'll be even more personal this way.
Determined not to let the setback ruin her plans, Karina headed for the butcher's stall with renewed purpose. Her evening might require some adjustments, but she wasn't giving up. Randel deserved the effort, no matter what.
Back home, Karina bustled around the kitchen, determined to make the best of her new plan. After giving the cook the night off, she had set the table in the cozy dining nook, draping it with a crisp linen cloth and arranging a small bouquet of wildflowers at its center. A pair of candles completed the tableaux, and would cast a soft, romantic glow.
"It'll be perfect," she murmured to herself as she tied an apron around her waist and began preparing the meal.
She had chosen the roast as the centerpiece, one of Randel's favorites, seasoned with rosemary and garlic. She carefully rubbed the spices onto the meat before placing it in the large, stone oven. The bread dough she had kneaded earlier sat on the counter, ready to rise, and she had a pot of root vegetables simmering in wine on the cookstove.
At first, everything seemed to go smoothly. Karina hummed as she stirred, checked the roast, and arranged the dishes she had already prepared. But slowly, disaster began to unfold.
The first sign of trouble came with the bread. After waiting far too long for it to rise, Karina peeked under the towel covering the dough and groaned. It had barely risen at all, leaving a lumpy, deflated mass that looked more like a pile of wet rocks than anything remotely edible.
As Karina moved the deflated dough to the side of the counter, muttering under her breath about "bread fit for trolls," she accidentally knocked over a jar of flour. The fine white powder puffed into the air, settling over her hair, face, and clothes.
"Great," she grumbled, brushing flour off her apron and shaking her head like a disgruntled chicken. "I'll look like a ghost when Randel gets home." She took a deep breath, steadying herself and refusing to give in to the frustration.
"No problem," she muttered, trying to convince herself. "We'll just focus on the roast."
But when she opened the oven to check on the meat, a cloud of black smoke billowed out, stinging her eyes and filling the room with a choking, acrid scent. She reached in with the mitts to grab the roasting pan, but one of the mitts slipped off her hand, landing directly in the fire.
"Oh, for Danu's sake!" Karina yelped, frantically grabbing the tongs to pull the flaming mitt out of the oven. She stomped on it to put out the flames, only to realize too late that her other shoe had come untied, and the laces were now smoldering.
Hopping on one foot and muttering words that would make even her mother blush, Karina managed to put out the smoldering laces and rescue the roasting pan. But when she finally looked at the roast, her heart sank further.
The once-beautiful piece of meat now resembled a lump of coal. Blackened, shriveled, and unrecognizable, it let off a faint, acrid smell that she tried desperately to fan away. She poked at it with a fork, but the utensil bounced off the surface with a clink.
"Wonderful," she said sarcastically, tossing the fork onto the counter. "Instead of roasting the meat, I've cremated it."
As she placed the ruined roast on the counter, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned just in time to see the pot of root vegetables bubbling furiously. The lid rattled as the boiling liquid overflowed, hissing as it hit the hot surface of the cookstove.
"Oh, come on!" Karina groaned, rushing to pull the pot off the heat. She started to set it down, only to watch as it tipped over, spilling most of the vegetables across the cookstove in the process. As she watched the carrots and potatoes slowly roll onto the floor, she slumped against the counter, completely defeated.
The kitchen was a disaster: smoke still hung in the air, the bread was useless, and the roast looked like it belonged in a blacksmith's forge rather than on a dinner table.
Karina wiped her soot-streaked face with her sleeve, fighting the urge to cry. She had wanted everything to be perfect, and now it was a complete mess.
At that moment, the kitchen door creaked open, and Silla, the young Ughlánas that served her as a maid, peeked in. Her big eyes widened as she took in the scene: the smoky air, the flour and vegetable-covered floor, the scorched roast, and Karina standing dejectedly in the corner.
"Karrie," Silla said hesitantly, "are you making dinner or… fighting it?"
Karina dropped her head into her hands. "Fighting, Silla. Definitely fighting."
But all was not lost. Karina swiftly sent Silla to the castle with a frantic message to Sarah. "Mom, everything's gone wrong. Please help. I've burned the roast, ruined the bread, and I think the vegetables are cursed. Can you send something over?"
Sarah's reply came quickly. "I'll have a feast sent immediately. Don't worry." Karina let out a sigh of relief.
"At least dinner is saved," she muttered to herself. "I'll deal with this mess later. Now, all I have to do is get changed before I send the kids to the castle."
She glanced at the disaster zone that used to be her kitchen, shook her head, and headed upstairs, relieved to leave the smoky battlefield of a kitchen behind.
But the universe wasn't done with her yet.
With Sarah's promised feast on its way and the kitchen chaos momentarily behind her, Karina focused on salvaging the evening in other ways. After checking on the kids and a quick shower, she pulled a brand-new gown from the wardrobe. A deep emerald green dress with a daring neckline and flowing skirt that hugged her figure in just the right places.
If the rest of the day was a disaster, I can at least look stunning for him when he comes home.
As she brushed out her hair and applied a touch of gloss to her lips, Karina's confidence began to return. "This will still be a special night," she told herself. "Dinner is on the way, and Randel loves those chocolates."
Ah, yes… the chocolates.
She smiled to herself as she thought of the small bag she had hidden in the pantry. It was a special brand from Holland, rich and decadent. Randel adored them, a rare indulgence that reminded him of his occasional jaunts Above. She had planned to present them to him after dinner, a sweet finale to the romantic evening.
Feeling more optimistic, Karina smoothed her dress, slipped into her heels, and made her way downstairs. She was halfway down the staircase when a suspicious silence met her ears. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that any parent of young children instinctively knew was bad news.
She went back up, poking her head into the nursery. Silla was getting Leianna into a fresh diaper. Zander was nowhere to be found.
"Silla, where's Zander?"
"Went down to the kitchen for a drink," was the response. "He's already dressed and ready to go see Kingy and Queenie."
As she continued on her way down the stairs, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Her stomach sank as she rounded the corner into foyer… and there he was.
Zander sat on the floor in the middle of a mess of crumpled wrappers, chocolate smeared across his face and hands. The empty bag that once held Randel's favorite chocolates was clutched in his sticky little hands like a trophy.
"Zander," Karina said, her voice a mix of disbelief and dismay. "Tell me you didn't…"
Zander looked up at her, his green eyes wide with the innocent curiosity only a child could muster. "They were yummy," he said, grinning as though he'd just solved all the world's problems.
Before Karina could react, Zander's grin faltered. He blinked a few times, and then—
"Oh no," she whispered, rushing forward just as Zander's face turned pale. She scooped him up just in time for him to get sick all over her brand-new gown.
Karina froze, her arms still wrapped around her son, as the warm, sticky mess dripped down the front of her dress. The evening she had so carefully planned unraveled completely in that single, stomach-turning moment.
And then the door opened.
Randel stepped inside, pausing mid-step as his gaze swept over the scene: Karina standing in the middle of the room, her emerald gown now ruined, holding a very guilty-looking Zander in her arms. The faint smell of smoke still wafted from the kitchen, mingling with the pungent aroma of chocolate and... other things.
For a long moment, no one said a word. Finally, Randel arched an eyebrow. "Should I ask?"
Karina sighed, the weight of the day finally catching up with her. "No," she said flatly. "You shouldn't."
Rubbing Zander's back gently, she turned to her husband with a weary smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I had a plan," she said, her voice thick with exhaustion. "It was a good plan. But everything went wrong."
Randel stepped closer, his expression soft as he reached out to touch her cheek. "Well," he said, his tone light despite the chaos around them, "at least you're consistent. Every day with you is an adventure."
Karina swallowed the tears that she could feel welling up within her. "Plans or no plans, it looks like this night is over."
Randel chuckled and took Zander while Karina climbed the stairs to their chamber. After stripping herself of the soiled gown, Karina sent a quick message to Sarah, explaining what had happened and telling her that the kids would be staying home after all.
After the chaos had finally settled, Karina sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the crumpled remains of the emerald gown she had tossed into the corner of the room. The house was quiet now, the kids tucked into bed after what felt like an endless string of mishaps. Randel was downstairs finishing the cleanup, insisting she take a moment to breathe.
Karina leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she let out a long, heavy sigh. She had wanted tonight to be special. Perfect, even. She had wanted to remind Randel of how much she loved and appreciated him, to show him that she hadn't forgotten all the sacrifices he had made for their family. Instead, the evening had turned into a comedy of errors… one disaster after another until all she had left was a ruined dress, a house that still faintly smelled of smoke, and a son who had probably sworn off chocolate forever. The only blessing… if she could call it that… was that he hadn't given any of the chocolate to his sister.
Her gaze drifted to the window, where the faint light of the moon spilled into the room. "I just wanted one night," she whispered to herself. "One night to make him feel special. To make it feel like it used to."
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs. A moment later, Randel appeared in the doorway, his hair slightly mussed and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He leaned against the doorframe, a small, lopsided smile on his face.
"Kids are asleep," he said. "Kitchen's clean. Crisis averted."
Karina looked up at him, her heart aching with a mix of love and frustration. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I wanted tonight to be perfect, and instead… it was a mess. I feel like I ruined everything."
Randel crossed the room and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Kari," he said gently, "you didn't ruin anything. Sure, things didn't go as planned, but do they ever? That's just life. Messy, chaotic, and completely unpredictable."
She laughed weakly, leaning into him. "It wasn't supposed to bethisunpredictable."
"No, but that's what makes it ours," he said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.
At that, she burst into tears. His arms tightened around her, an embrace of comfort and love. "Kari… what is it? What's wrong?"
"I just… I wanted just one night when you didn't have to be… where you could just be… Randel… and not…"
"Not what? Your husband? Their father? The Lord Martial? What?" He reached up and stroked her hair. "What else would I be?"
"You didn't want this… any of this…" she said, her voice breaking.
Randel snorted, "I didn't knowwhatI wanted. My mind didn't, anyway. But…" at this, he kissed her softly. "My heart knew. Knew that you were all I would ever need… forever… always."
"Always…?" she said with a sniffle. "Even with all the chaos?"
"Especiallywith all the chaos," he said softly. "And there's not a day that goes by that I don't thank Danu that you were such a stubborn wench, to pursue me so relentlessly."
Karina gave him a tremulous smile, "Oh… is that what I did?"
"Absolutely," he said with a sly grin. "I'm surprised you didn't just club me over the head and keep me tied up in your chambers." His eyes took on a wicked gleam, "But since you're so determined to show me a good time…"
Before Karina could take another breath, Randel swept her up and dragged her back onto the pillows, rolling her under him and kissing her with a gratifying passion. "I have a few ideas about that. Want to hear them?"
"Oh yes," she answered in a sultry whisper. "I'd love to."
And with that, the night turned out to be rather wonderful after all.
Author's Notes:
Unlike Helena (who looked at cooking as a hobby and enjoyed it), Karina had very little experience in the kitchen. And it showed.
I, on the other hand, love to cook, and I don't think I'm boasting when I say I'm something of an amateur chef. My one blind spot though… the barbecue. I was trying to surprise my husband and grill some steaks for the family when my grill caught fire. By the time I got the fire out, my steaks were hardened black lumps. My daughter laughed and said "Wow, Mom… you cremated them." The hubby, who is usually the one who does all the grilling, just shook his head and drove over to Outback for curbside pickup. It has been a couple of years since the incident and not only have I not lived it down, but I am forbidden to touch the grill. Ever.
But my daughter's 'cremated' line stuck with me, and I thought I'd give it to Karina.
Her struggle is based on Randel's previous attitudes towards marriage and family. She knows that he'd changed his mind and embraced it, but she just wanted to demonstrate to him how much she appreciates him putting up with the insanity that is family life. What she didn't know was that he had come to love the chaos of it all, and didn't miss his old life in the least.
Oh, and Zander vomiting on Karina's dress… when my kids were little, my husband threatened to get me a tee shirt with a bullseye right between my breasts. This was because my daughters would aim right for that spot, without fail. They could spend hours in his arms when they weren't feeling well, only to hurl the moment I held them (and would do it multiple times in a day). So, there was definitely a little personal experience in Karina's utterly defeated demeanor at that point.