Chapter Text
It was her birthday. She was turning eighteen, which was exciting! She giggled happily spinning in the air, her dress flapping around her. Marianne had decided that before she had to attend the royal celebration she wanted a little bit of time to herself. She wanted a chance to just be by herself. Damn it all! She wanted an adventure! If you had an adventure at anytime in your life, it should be on your eighteenth birthday!
She took off early that morning without a word to anyone except Dawn, her little sister. Dawn was sixteen and boy crazy, but she could be counted on to keep her sister's secret from sneaking out. The day was promising to be beautiful, sunny clear blue skies, the flowers in the fields bursting with color. She giggled happily diving and rolling in the air, not paying any attention to where she was headed. It wasn't until the light suddenly vanished that she realized something was amiss.
She stopped short in her flight, looking around frantically. Her brown eyes widened as she realized exactly where she was—The Dark Forest. She had flown right past the border! Panic started to set in, Marianne twisted around, she wanted an adventure, but she wasn't prepared for this!! At the same moment she realized she had crossed the border was the same moment she also realized that she had no idea how to get back.
Marianne cursed, her father was going to kill her! Not only was she not at home, but he had always told her stories about the horrible Dark Forest, the goblins and their terrible king and she was here! Lost!! In the DARK FOREST!
She started to zip back, hoping to retrace her flight here, trying to figure out how she had gotten in when she suddenly made a wrong turn. Marianne ran into a large spiderweb spread across a few branches. The light drifting down into the forest had been too dim for her to see it, causing her to smack right into the middle of it. She pulled away, but one of her wings got stuck. She struggled, quickly becoming hopelessly entangled as she tried to break free.
After a few panicked breaths and a good amount of frantic struggling, she stopped moving. She forced herself to calm down and take a few deep breaths. Okay, she could do this, she could get loose, she just had to calm down. That was when she realized with a sudden shock that there was someone watching her. He was hovering nearby, the sound of his strange wings the first thing she heard. The wings caught what little light their was, shimmering a blueish green. He tilted his head as he regarded her with a smirk. Her brown eyes widened, a goblin!! It had to be! There were no fairies in the Dark Forest!
“You look like you could use some help.” The goblin had an accent that was unfamiliar to Marianne, but it was oddly appealing. He was dark, sharp all over, very tall and slim, but his eyes were the most incredible shade of blue. It was still a little difficult to see him clearly as he hovered more in the shadows than the dim light, but his voice seemed nice and non-threatening and a little mocking. Marianne snarled at the stranger. “I can take care of myself. I'm fine.” She continued to struggle realizing quickly that she was not getting anywhere. The creature watching her chuckled. “Well, tough girl. If you decide you need any help, let me know.”
She narrowed her eyes at him as he drifted up, the darkness concealing him, but then she heard him say. “Though considering the size of that spider, you might change your mind.”
Marianne looked above her to see the largest, scariest spider she had ever seen. “Oh, shit!”
The stranger chuckled. “Such language from a fairy!”
Marianne growled. That was when the stranger flew down, catching the limited light in that trickled down from the forest canopy above, giving Marianne a much better look at him. He hit the spider hard, his clawed hands (which she hadn't noticed until that moment) dug into the spider's hide. His attack drew the spider's attention giving her a chance to truly work on getting free. The spider lunged at him and he twisted backwards, just barely avoiding the its mandibles. He twisted back around, slashing with his clawed hands, striking the spider hard enough that he knocked it right off the web and into the darkness below.
Marianne was equal parts impressed and surprised. The strange goblin flew closer, his wings making a strange rattling noise. This close she could get an even better look at him. His features were long and sharp, but there was something about his eyes that she found compelling. With a few good swipes of his claws, he loosened more of the webbing before he reached for her hand. His movements were oddly graceful, as if no effort needed to be made for either combat or offering her a hand. She was able to reach out and take his hand, getting a good look at the deadly claws that graced each finger, but his grip was gentle as he gave her a tug. He flew backwards and she popped free. The force of the pull and the sudden jerk of the webbing coming loose from her wings threw her into his chest. He wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her from falling.
They both looked at each other for what seemed a very long moment before they quickly pulled back somewhat.
“Uh wow, um, thank you.” Marianne blushed.
He smiled shyly displaying sharp, crooked teeth. “Yer welcome.” He noticed that he was holding her, but he couldn't seem to let go.
Marianne smiled tentatively with a questioning look. “Are you a goblin?”
He nodded as he gazed at her, thinking she was beautiful enough to be a princess. “Yer a fairy.”
She nodded. “Ummm, ah. My name is Marianne.” She put her hands on his chest and gently pushed away from him, her wings keeping her aloft, but then held out her hand.
He took it gingerly in his dangerous looking grip. “Bog.”
Her smile was bright.“Thank you for saving me, Bog.”
He chuckled, blushing. “Yer very welcome, Marianne.”
They were both awkwardly quiet. They started to speak at the same time, stopping to laugh. Bog gave her a slight bow in the air chuckling, clearly embarrassed.“You first.”
Marianne grinned. “So, Bog, I have never been in the Dark Forest, I actually didn't mean to be here this time. Do you live here?” After the question was out of her mouth, she wanted to smack her head against a tree. Duh, of course he lives here...goblin. So much for turning eighteen making her smarter!
Bog chuckled. “Aye, this is my home. I was wondering what a fairy was doing in the Dark Forest. Your kind donnae come here.”
Marianne looked embarrassed. “It's my birthday. I just wanted to have some time to myself before the birthday party.”
Bog nodded. Being the young king meant he was expected to be at every goblin celebration or party, his own birthday was something he dreaded as it was a huge celebration. Additionally, his mother had been using every opportunity to shove potential brides at him. He had only been on the throne a year!! He was not ready to get married! He was still very young by either goblin or fairy standards!
“The Dark Forest is not as bad as you fairies seem to think. It has its own beauty, if'n you be willing to see it.” Bog frowned, defending his kingdom.
“Would you show me?” Marianne blushed, her hands behind her back as her lovely purple wings moved slowly.
“Really?” Bog looked surprised, his sharp features softened with youthful pleasure, a slightly perplexed look that someone would willingly want to spend time with him, as him, not as king! This fairy didn't even know he was a king which made his smile grow.
Marianne blushed. Bog had a nice smile and he had no idea she was a princess. “Sure, why not?! I mean, we can be friends right?”
Bog grinned. “Aye, we can be friends.”
Marianne giggled pleased.
*
He took her hand in his. His fingers were very long and while the knuckles were knobby, they were surprisingly graceful. “Stay close—there are a few dangers here, but also a great deal of beauty.”
He smiled making flutters in Marianne's stomach. “Alright,” she replied.
They flew deeper into the Dark Forest, occasionally reaching out to hold hands as they had to navigate a particularly tangled area of vines. He pulled her against him spinning around upside down.
She giggled as he held her against him with his arm around her waist. She blushed thinking he was showing off a bit as he twisted them in a slow circle. “These vines flower at night,” he murmured. “When the moonlight hits them, those buds bloom into star flowers.”
“Star flowers?” She looked at the buds with curiosity.
“Yes, they are white star shaped flowers and they glow a little.” Bog glanced down at her like he just realized she was pressed against his back. He blushed nervously as they came out the other side and he released her. She stretched her wings, but didn't move far from him. Where they emerged Marianne could see a wide field that lay spread before them. Individual rays of liquid sunlight broke through the thick canopy to light the field in places. The meadow was full of flowers, dark purple blooms she had never seen before spread before her like a blanket, a hazy thin layer of fog laid over the tops of the field. The scent that filled the air was heavenly, like nothing she had ever smelled before. “Oh, Bog these are so beautiful! I have never seen flowers like this before!”
Bog gave her an adorable smile with just a hint of fanged teeth. “I doubt you have them in the fairy fields. They only bloom in shadows and little light.”
Marianne gasped.“I didn't know there were flowers that could bloom in moonlight or shadows!”
Bog reached out taking her hand, his grip was gentle despite the roughness of his hands.
“Come on!” He flew her down into the fields. She laughed as they glided among the flowers. The blossoms burst when touched, throwing what looked almost like stardust into the air. The two of them reached the edges of the field, bursting into the forest again. He grabbed her hand pulling her up and over some large rocks, surprising her when a stream was revealed before them. The dim light that managed to make it through the thick forest canopy made the water glimmer.
Bog, still holding her hand, glided over the water. She reached down running the fingers of her free hand over the water's surface. Bog laughed dipping his fingers into the water and then flicked it at her. She squealed when the drops hit her. She let go of his hand and dragged both hands into the stream throwing droplets of water back at the goblin.
Soon the two of them were flicking water at each other laughing. Bog twisted up and grabbed her around the waist making her giggle. She struggled a bit, the two them laughing, but then one of his wings caught a side branch. He lost control of his flight, and with her extra weight he couldn't regain balance, crashing to the ground. He pulled her tight against him using his body to shield her when he fell. It was not too bad of a crash. Bog immediately sat up, running a worried hand over her. “Oh, gosh. Are you alright?”
Marianne sat up, laughing, the only sign of their crash was that her hair was a bit mussed up. “Yes! That was fun.” She grinned at him, her eyes bright, dancing with warmth and pure joy. Bog stared at her, he had to force himself to snap his jaw shut. She was so pretty. Marianne was not the only one to see something new and beautiful this day.
*
By the time she few back home, it was much later than she thought and she knew she was going to be in deep trouble. There were probably guards out looking for her, but she had had the best day! Bog had shown her all sorts of things and it had been wonderful. She rolled in the air, grinning when she squeaked in surprise almost running into two of her father's guards. “Oh, thank goodness!! Princess Marianne!!! Your father has everyone searching for you!!! Are you alright?”
Marianne giggled. “Oh yes, I'm fine! Sorry!!!”
“Princess, your father is very upset. The birthday party is suppose to start soon.”
Marianne smiled. It was lovely and both guards gulped. “I am on my way!” She took off with a twist in the air.
*
Bog flew back to the castle, trying to control the grin that just wouldn't seem to stop. He had shown Marianne a couple of his favorite places. She had seemed to enjoy all of it. He flew into the entrance, landing gracefully, his staff where he had left it, but also his diminutive mother standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. “And where have you been, young goblin?” Bog held his staff in front of him. “Ah, nowhere...” She stared hard and then smiled. “Were you meeting a girl??”
“Mom!”
Griselda grinned. “You were!!! Oh, tell me all about her!!”
“MOM!!”
She threw her hands out. “Fine, fine! Keep your secret for now, but I am so happy!!”
Griselda laughed happily. Bog sighed, dropping his forehead against his staff.. He looked up after she was gone, a grin on his face. Marianne had promised to come again tomorrow. Blog blushed even though he was alone, he could not wait to see Marianne again tomorrow.