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 Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 3:59 pm
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 xX xX _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
【Despite the lies that you're making, your love is mine for the taking】✦┫M▪A▪R▪A▪K┣✦【I will be the one that's gonna hold you, I will be the one that you run to】 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ “ What would happen to Seylin? May I talk to him?”, Marak seemed to wordlessly know that the girl required courage to stare into her eyes, and the goblin was as understanding as goblins could be. While not giggling or allowing her mouth to curl more than a centimeter, the mischief in her eyes was less difficult to conceal. Then again, ‘he’ was raised to not conceal something unless necessary, and to never lie; and so the goblin allowed the playful demure to slip though, even though the subject was far from nonchalant. ‘What would happen to Seylin’ she certainly seemed to be asking about that man a great deal. Wouldn’t her mother be proud? The irony was too powerful not to be amusing, but the goblin took a few steps towards the jars along the wall and calmly touched the corks that sealed them. Strange goblin symbols labeling each bottle separately. Tapping her fingers over the top of the bottle, the Goblin let her hair fall in front of her face.
“ Well…there’s poison…”, Marak moved her hand to a box filled with bricks of wax that appeared to be the same consistency that was used to seal a scroll.
“ Or the stamp of truth that will prevent him from telling lies…”, Marak was not serious about such a punishment with Seylin considering that it was reserved for special occasions. In hindsight; however, Seylin was a thief, and telling the truth would make his choice of career very difficult indeed. ‘ A consideration, nothing more.’, Marak began to set her hand towards a case that could have contained a sword or an elongated object of some kind.
“ Seylin believed that trading goblin blood with your mother might be a way to bard for his curse to be removed and thus enable him to go home and make sure that his people are still living. The sea is in very poor shape, and I would be surprised if the seafolk managed to move above water and avoid being poisoned.”, Marak thoughtfully stroked her hand over the musket brown case, as if musing over a more sinister punishment.
“ As a ruler I can understand, one must do what has to be done for the well-being of your people; But regardless of the necessity of the crime, two of my subjects were slain in the process and I must exact judgement.”, The mischief was back in Marak’s eyes, only this time a hint of a goblin grin accompanied it.
“ My hope was to avoid taking Seylin’s life; but…”, The blonde Goblin King turned her head to face Linwe with an almost shrewd expression mingling with the playful glint still twinkling in her eye.
“...that depends entirely upon you little Linwe. It would be a pity for Prince Seylin to fail after wasting so many years as a weak little human. It would be a pity for me to watch the merfolk wither away like the elves. No more mermaid brides for my people…”, Marak turned her entire body around to tug at the red sleeve poking out from under the ebony cloak she wore. The metallic symbols glistening gold in the dim lighting of the second oil lamp looming overhead; bringing out the glint in her eye even more clearly.
“ I think it a fitting punishment for him to be united with one of my subjects.”, There was a look of pleasure of satisfaction of a ‘good decision’ overshadowing her face as she looked off into the distance as if seeing the future in all its radiant glory.
“ The man allowed himself to shed goblin blood, and his punishment is to guard the people he was raised to despise on pain of death. Forever in the same building with no manner of escaping his duty because of a leashing spell.”, Marak almost looked like she could not contain the laughter as the tiniest little chuckle bubbled out of her throat. Outside of revenge, Goblins adored watching the torture of others, and as that was the same (or at least a close cousin) to revenge, the goblin ruler was enjoying herself very dearly.
“ This is preferable to death…is it not?”, Marak tilted her head slightly in playful contemplation, her yellow eyes staring through Linwe as if waiting for permission to exact this judgment. As if this was a staring contest, Marak’s playful eyes barely blinked as she remained in one position and waited for the girl to respond. Obviously the goblin had something more in mind than she had revealed, and the Goblin King would have ‘her’ way. Of course Marak would send little Linwe home, in exchange for going through with the terms of an agreement. Goblins…quite barbaric weren’t they?
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xxxxxx【No, you'll never be alone; when darkness comes▬✦┫The Goblin King┣✦▬I'll light the night with stars; hear my whispers in the dark】
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:14 am
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xXxX_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
【Despite the lies that you're making, your love is mine for the taking】✦┫M▪A▪R▪A▪K┣✦【I will be the one that's gonna hold you, I will be the one that you run to】 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Marak found it a trifle difficult not to giggle or chuckle at the speechless ‘blank’ stare that he received in reply. The lady appeared absolutely clueless, like the child he had watched over the years was still growing up and maturing. The momentary lapse in understanding was entirely adorable, and Marak wasn’t sure whether she should tell her what he meant in blunt terms or pat her on the head and chuckle. As the girl was no longer a little girl, patting her head was out of the question.
“ Well…yes…but you can’t do that. It’s cruel.”, Marak raised a teasing eyebrow.
“ and murder isn’t?”, The desire to giggle nearly boiled over the pot, and Marak had to mischievously smile like the Cheshire cat just to keep from expelling a laugh at the phrase that left Linwe’s mouth. Truthfully Marak did not expect a reply to the comment, and so she waited for the girl to finish.
“ Why does this depend on me?”, Marak finally chuckled, and biting her lip to keep from expelling the sound did little to contain the joy of this long-awaited moment finally blossoming into existence. Simply because of the laughter, the goblin was unable to answer her question for nearly five minutes. Just as she attempted to form a word the ‘king’ lost control again and had to use her six fingered right hand to cover the flush that overtook her face. Simply because the child seeing her pale face a deep scarlet was hilarious for some odd reason and the expression on her face fueled his laughter.
“ Dear girl…do you want me to just tell you or shall we dance around this for another seventeen years?”, Marak felt giggles building in her throat, a burning in her cheeks, and so the Goblin turned away to allow his chest to heave and expel soundless laughter without Linwe seeing the amusement on her face.
“ Linwe…do you know why we marry outside of our race? We do so to gain strength and magical power we would otherwise not have. As for my line, brides are always stolen.”, Marak cast Linwe a serious look that still carried a tainted smile of amusement left over from the laughing fit.
“ I’m one of the most attractive goblins in the kingdom you know, at least I’m mostly symmetrical and resemble a human or elf. My father was lucky to have a human bone structure in his face as well, and if not for the blue snake scales covering his body…among other ‘deformities’ he would have been a very handsome goblin too. But even at my best…can you honestly imagine that a girl would willingly marry me?”, She let out a loud, scoff-like, laugh from her belly at how that statement no longer made sense anymore.
“ Before I was cursed, of course. The second a human were to see my face they would feel the opposite of attraction and run for the hills. What are us ugly goblins to do? Give our darlings a kiss on the cheek and meet someone else to begin the process of courtship all over again?”, Marak giggled because the idea was hilarious.
“ No we must steal our brides. Occassionally a homely dwarf might consider marrying a goblin, but that is rare indeed…so…how do we steal brides? What is the best way to bring new magic into the kingdom and ensure the bride’s happiness?”, Marak waited as if she could possibly expect Linwe to know the answer.
“ If at all possible we steal them when they’re born and raise them underground in our kingdom. They grow up with goblin friends and family, and living underground is not a disappointment to them because they feel comforted here. Loved here…”, Marak let her yellow eyes stare off to the side, as if contemplating something intimately private that perhaps brought the goblin a hint of regret or sorrow.
“ But of course, you would expect their families to rush for the gates and try and retrieve their child; yes?”, Marak stared at Linwe as if asking for her permission again.
“ We take the most human looking goblin babies and switch them after birth. Of course, enchantments help…or the parents would know that the infant is not theirs. The effects of that enchantment can last for years, decades, or even until death…when their true form takes shape only when the goblin has breathed her last breath.”, This sounded horribly barbaric, at least Marak assumed the girl would think so, and so he spoke the truth ‘matter of factly’ with a gentle tone. Not even looking into Linwe’s eye as if the subject was as casual as the weather.
“ So what are we to do if the enchantment wears off before the goblin dies? Well of course that goblin is usually cast from their family, and as much of a pity as it is for humans to so easily kick out their adopted children, they will always have a home waiting for them underground. The finest homes of course, with their original parents if possible. In that time the Marak, or in this case I would give them the chance to make the enchantment forever permanent so that they can leave and return to their families without fear of rejection. If requested, I can even erase the memories of that person to make them forget that they weren’t human, they never have a worry again. But I do have them watched child. I do care about each and every one of my subjects and I cannot send a scout into the Black Tower to protect you. Your mother never permitted my presence with a joyous heart…because she thinks you’re someone else.”, Marak was less than amused at this point, but she never lost her guiltless, remorseless, composure in addressing this barbaric matter.
“ Seylin tells me that he told you about the princess Linwe who was stolen. About Queen Anariel turning to stone from Sylvanis’ curse?”, Marak waited only long enough for the girl to show some nod of understanding before walking to a stone table and leaning one arm against the top of it. The table was purposefully raised to the height just at Marak’s upper chest level. In his natural form, it would have been a little lower as Marak was a tall goblin; but, as it was the ‘King’ accommodated to the differences in height rather well.
“ Well when I looked to be your age in appearance, the queen came to me after being barren for many years. Its something you might not understand child, but for a queen to not be able to conceive, it eventually disheartens the people and as the queen could not do anything to increase her fertility with elf magic or medicinal remedies, the queen snuck away in the night and visited my kingdom. Now there is a spring that can grant the swimmer one wish but there are disastrous side effects if the motives of that wish are…less than selfless. The queen went home soon afterwards, and I heard from my scouts above ground that it was announced that the queen was with child. But…did Seylin tell you about who your mother is?”, Marak playfully blinked, waiting for that adorable blank stare she was so very fond of.
“ Varelle was a wizard’s daughter, not at all welcome in good society, but whose mother’s family held high rank in the royal court. Varelle was meant and arranged to be queen when she came of age…but the King…he chose her lady in waiting Anariel…Because she was sweet and beautiful and thought her a compassionate choice. But Varelle was not happy to have her plans ruined, and so she left to sell her soul for unspeakable magical talent that humans cannot possess. She cursed Anariel to be barren, and it was only the dark magic of the pool that overpowered Sylvanis’ curse.”, Marak shrugged, as it regretting something in his ‘such a pity’ manner.
“ I know this, because Varelle tried to terrorize suspected goblin families to try and learn…unsightly enchantments that only I and the most magical of my race can perform. ‘last resort’ spells that I relent from ever having to cast if it can be prevented. No one wants to know these spells, in the very least, I am forever changed in knowing how terrible a few words and ingredients can be.”, Marak was almost rambling, but he kept to the point and strayed very little.
“ Sylvanis was quite distraught at that point in time. A harried woman who had in many ways lost her mind and the will to live…when she learned that her curse failed to keep Anariel from bearing the King’s child. Sylvanis left of course, under the impression that I was on her side when all I did was persuade her to try and find a new purpose in life.”, Marak laughed at the circumstances, seeing how that encouragement had worked out.
“ Only royal blood can use the elvish magic given to the Valier family, and so when Anariel’s baby was born, the King threw a banquet for the entire city because of how proud he was. Seylin already told you the rest, how the princess was stolen and the queen turned to stone. This is true…for the most part dear one.”, Marak walked forward to try and touch under Linwe’s chin in a parental way, as if she had just scraped her knee and needed something to distract her from a sharp stinging pain.
“ Sylvanis did steal a little girl, you, but…your mother is not Anariel. I took the form of a handmaiden and…exchanged Anariel’s baby with you. Your parents were human goblins, but your mother died in childbirth. Your father had already been dead, and so I did something both selfish and selfless and enchanted you just enough to look like her newborn. Fairy blessings gifted to you took care of the rest Linwe, dear. Each year your features look more and more like Anariel, but she is not your birth number.”, A deep sorrow clouded Marak’s eyes, and she turned away as if to keep from showing the temporary loss of composure to Linwe and appearing weak or human.
“ I did not know that Sylvanis would steal you child. It was my intention to give you a home that would adore and cherish you, and given how long your adoptive father has searched for you, I know he would be overjoyed to see you again…Blood does not always make a family, and regardless of appearances, you were never a subject that I was willing to ‘expel’ for collateral damage because I raised Anariel’s child to be my bride when she came of age. I care deeply of your safety, and the knowledge of what Sylvanis might do if she discovers that you aren’t the biological princess she thought she stole…I might not be around to protect you.”, Marak trailed off as if not wishing to discuss such matters with the girl who he still partially viewed as a beloved child he once taught archery to for entertainment.
“ Which leads me to Seylin’s punishment.”, Marak turned back around to face Linwe and tilted her head in serious consideration.
“ It is my desire for your happiness Linwe, but if I do not return you to your mother, I will never be able to have this curse revoked. I am sorry to burden this you’re your shoulders, but the entire goblin race will be obliterated if I cannot produce an heir. As I…am already married, I cannot even attempt to make the best of this unimagined situation by marrying a man. Adultery I will not do, it could have disastrous consequences. This might not seem important to you, as goblin affairs were never something that I shared with you in detail…but…”, Marak looked away and pursed her lip in severity of the moment.
“ But I have no choice Linwe…”, Marak had exhausted all other options, and in giving the matter a great deal of thought, finally accepted that it had to be done as quickly as possible.
“ In exchange for the return of your…human appearance…and optional memory loss of this conversation, I will return you to your mother…who is worried to the point of exhaustion, if you agree to be the goblin I unite Seylin to. If I cannot protect and guard you, then Seylin will have to be there when I cannot to guard and protect you. Your mother has enslaved him child, and she would not kill a servant who was at one time quite useful. She takes pleasure in seeing him in his cursed form. If you die, he dies…but if you do not return home willingly then I will have no choice but to keep Seylin in my kingdom…forever in that small little room down in the basement until I can come up with an alternative punishment that will not be so…agreeable to both parties.”, Marak was quite shrewd as she spoke, her heart not even the least bit troubled in letting Linwe decide Seylin’s fate. The merman did feel a friendship and odd connection with the girl that could develop into something more intimate if given the time. At least Seylin would be bound to a goblin he respected and wished to guard, as opposed to a horrendously ugly stranger. Marak did not enjoy the idea of Linwe going home on her own…especially given the ever-so-slight differences in her eye colors. Both eyes appeared different, and the left eye was an alternate hue to the right eye. Magic kept the rest of her natural face and body from ever being shown; but, those eyes. Such a pity…
“ Do not answer hastily child…More than your own life rests in your palm, and to decide quickly might lead to feelings of regret down the road. Make whatever decision you feel is best to you, but before contemplating the matter…”, Marak pointed to a curtain attached to the wall in the stairwell.
“ There is a mirror behind that cloth Linwe…I suggest you take a look in it.”, With those final words being spoken, Marak approached the staircase and began to climb up the flight to wait for Linwe to decide. ‘ Tick tock, tick tock, Linwe…I will wait three days at most.’ Knowing that her mother was waiting for Linwe upstairs near his/her chambers, Marak curtsied in respect before disappearing into his chambers and letting the door close behind her. The goblin had several matters to ponder in her head, and each required careful consideration without interference from his mother. At least, for the moment.
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xxxxxx【No, you'll never be alone; when darkness comes▬✦┫The Goblin King┣✦▬I'll light the night with stars; hear my whispers in the dark】
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:30 am
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Linwe waited for an answer to her question but she didn’t get it for awhile. Marak had simply started laughing at her. She was confused by his/her actions. What could possibly be so funny? They were talking about someone’s fate. That was not a laughing manor and Linwe felt angered by the fact that Marak was taking this so lightly. There was nothing she could do about it though. She was in Marak’s world and he controlled things here. If she wanted the answers then she would just have to deal with the way he acted.
”Dear girl…do you want me to just tell you or shall we dance around this for another seventeen years?” Linwe’s attention snapped to what Marak said. Here it was. She was finally going to figure out what Marak had been keeping from her for her entire life. She would learn the truth about herself, possibly her mother.
”Linwe…do you know why we marry outside of our race?” There it was again. The ‘we’ that acted as if they were connected in some way. ‘Our race’… The suspicions kept playing at her mind from before. Linwe didn’t want to focus on that now though. She thought it was crucial to listen to what Marak had to say. She didn’t want to miss any of it, for fear that it would be a key element.
She listened as he explained why Goblins married outside of their own race and how brides were stolen. The whole process seemed a bit terrifying for her. Stealing a child from their family just so they can grow up underground and marry a person that has been decided since they were brought there? That poor child would never know their true parents. They were robbed of a childhood they might have had. Still, Marak said that they feel loved growing up there. That was a plus side, Linwe supposed but it still seemed a bit horrible to here.
”But of course, you would expect their families to rush for the gates and try and retrieve their child; yes?” Linwe nodded after he said this to show that she did think this would happen. Surely their parents loved them and wouldn’t want them stolen away. They child barely being in the world as it is.
”We take the most human looking goblin babies and switch them after birth. Of course, enchantments help… or the parents would know that the infant is not theirs. The effects of that enchantment can last for years, decades, or even until death…when their true form takes shape only when the goblin has breathed her last breath.”
Linwe felt that cold feeling in her stomach once again. How could Marak do this? He sacrificed his own kind just so there would be a bride to marry years later? His own people didn’t even matter to him, just as long as there was a bride for him that wasn’t goblin. Anger was there along with the cold. She couldn’t look at Marak as he continued. The suspicion came up yet again when he said ‘the goblin has breathed her last breath’. Why had he used ‘her’ instead of ‘their’? Linwe could feel that this related to her in some way and she was almost afraid to know the true reason.
…I cannot send a scout into the Black Tower to protect you.”
Hearing that statement worried Linwe further. Why should she need protection from her mother? Her mother loved her after all. She would never harm her, would she? She looked up at Marak briefly when he asked if she had known the tale about Princess Linwe being stolen. She nodded because she had in fact been told that. Then she listened as Marak explained more about how the Queen had come to Marak so she could no longer be barren and have a child. When he asked if Seylin told her about her mother, she shook her head slightly. He had told her a tale of what her mother had done but she was sure that Marak was talking about something else.
Linwe listened as Marak talked about the woman she had come to know as her mother. What she did to the queen out of jealousy. How she terrorized goblins so she could find out horrible spells. It didn’t sound like the person who had always been there for her, who loved her and who Linwe loved in return. Still she kept hearing Marak’s voice in her mind of him saying that he couldn’t lie to her. This all was true. And now she knew the full story. But then Marak told her that there was more.
She felt Marak’s hand touch under her chin and after letting out a small sigh, she looked up at him/her. She didn’t know if she was ready to hear what was coming next though she had the feeling that all her suspicions would be confirmed once Marak finished speaking. There was no way to be fully prepared for it so Linwe just stood there as Marak finished speaking.
There it was. Her mother was not her mother and had actually stolen her, but she hadn’t been stolen from her original mother. Marak had placed her there so he could steal the true princess. Linwe had parents whom she never knew and would never know. They were gone. Marak had sent her away from the goblin kingdom. She felt this a cruel thing to do to a child who had lost her parents. Sending her away from her people to grow up with strangers. Still Marak claimed that he was trying to give her a good home. It was hard to believe it though after what had happened.
Still he was claiming that he didn’t expel her like she was something so easily thrown away. But that was how she felt after all. Hearing that her mother might do something to her once she discovered that Linwe wasn’t the true princess frightened her. Would her mother actually do something horrible out of anger? Did the years of time with her not matter in the least?
”Which leads me to Seylin’s punishment.”
Linwe tried to listen as best as she could to what Marak would say now. It was difficult learning that Marak intended for her to return back home to a person who might harm her if she discovered that Linwe was nothing more than a fake. It didn’t help that he mentioned that the entire goblin race would be obliterated if she didn’t do as he said so he could produce an heir. It basically left her with no choice. He continued talking about how he could give her memory loss so she wouldn’t remember what they had talked about. She didn’t know if she could deal with that. She wouldn’t want to be in a dangerous situation without realizing it. And now Seylin came into play. Marak intended to unite Seylin to her so he could protect her if Marak could not. Something like that would mean that if Linwe were to die then Seylin would also die. How could she allow that? Seylin would have no say in his own fate and that didn’t seem right. However the alternative seemed worse.
”Do not answer hastily child…more than you own life rests in your palm, and to decide quickly might lead to feelings of regret down the road. Make whatever decision you feel is best to you, but before contemplating the matter… There is a mirror behind that cloth, Linwe… I suggest you take a look in it.”
Linwe looked to where he pointed and wondered what this would mean. Did she look different now that she was underground? Did she look like a goblin, no longer resembling anything like herself? She turned as the door closed showing that Marak had left her alone. She had a few questions still but it was too late to ask them.
Turning her head back to the curtain, Linwe took a cautious step towards it. She had no idea what her reflection would show. With a careful hand, Linwe lifted the curtain and away a looked at herself. She looked relatively the same from when she had last looked in a mirror. There was a difference though. Her eyes. It was hard to miss that the two of them were no longer the same. Both different from the other, Linwe had never seen a person like this. Was this the way here eyes were meant to look? She looked over the other features of her body. What was she meant to look like? Would she ever know?
Linwe felt tears that had been held back the entire time Marak spoke silently fall down her cheeks. She had just been a prop for others to use. She was the prop Marak used to switch with the Princess. She was the prop Sylvansis used to get her revenge on the King and Queen. What was she other than a fake? She had no idea where this lie she had been living ended and where her true self began.
And then there was Seylin to think about. She couldn’t decide his fate on her own. He had to have a right in what his fate would be. Maybe he would rather die than be united to her. He should be able to know the options and pick himself. Whatever he decided she would go with. But how could she find out what he truly wanted. Marak had left and he seemed to be the only one to know where Seylin was being kept.
Trying her best to dry the tears from her face, Linwe took a few deep breaths to make sure that that she had her composure. Then she started up the steps not exactly sure what she was doing. The door was closed and Linwe closed her eyes to get the strength to do this. Knocking lightly on the door, she didn’t wait for the door to open or even a verbal response before speaking. ”Before I make my decision, may I speak with Seylin?”
[[Was kind of confused about the room and where Agatha was at this moment so I just have her knocking on Marak’s door. Hope that’s alright. If not I can change it.]
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 2:06 am
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___________________________________________
Agatha was too anxious to sit in one place, and with there being no political or social reason to hide her own feelings in the privacy of the ‘royal’ floor, the elf woman approached a door that led to a stone balcony. The balcony overlooked the entire kingdom, and the woman had been brought here on her wedding night. Unlike most King’s brides, the woman had willingly accepted marriage to the king in exchange for the King finding her lost sister…who had been stolen by a troupe of thieves who sought to use her for unspeakable things in a town near Vioden that no longer existed. At the time, Anglemar had thought that it was the goblinswho had stolen here, or she never would have tried to bargain for Sable’s freedom. Of course Anglemar was glad that she had, but giving her entire life in the ancient ruins to live away from trees for the rest of her life had been a tough burden to shoulder. Sleeping with the ‘hero’ had been the last thing of her mind, especially since Elves cared about all things beautiful, and the snake-like goblin was very ugly. She had been without sleep til they found Sable and rescued her, and the king had exacted judgement on the thieve’s troup, and so the man had brought her to this balcony. Because his mother liked watching the sunrise from underneath the lake, and he thought she would like it. She did, but it was never the same as the colors she could see before.
Even now, decades later, when her husband died and she could freely go outside again…it wouldn’t be the same anymore. She lived here now, her son was here…and the rest of her family was gone. Moved to Florin and no doubt made a life for themselves across the sea to rid themselves of goblins. ‘ I’ve picked up everything and lived in a new country before…why do it again when there is nothing waiting for me there?’, Agatha simply wished that her Marak was back. That he hadn’t chosen to enter the deep sleep early and leave this earth. It was almost funny, how much she missed that ugly goblin that teased her to no end.
Pacing back and forth a few feet from the railing, Agatha mulled to herself about Linwe’s persistence in wishing to speak with Seylin. Very first thing she asked was practically ‘where’s seylin’. What did that girl feel for the cursed prince? Agatha didn’t know anything about Linwe other than little things concerning her family and the fact that Marak visited her in the tower quite regularly. Had Seylin been living at the tower or visited her often? Such little questions fluttered about Agatha’s head, but by the time she thought that it might be reasonable to find Linwe in the front room, the woman was only greeted by a closed door that led to the King’s chambers. Marak had returned, and he/she required privacy.
At a loss; but not defeated, Agatha sat down on the little couch in the corner and pondered amongst herself until Linwe appeared and knocked upon Marak’s door.
“ Before I make my decision, may I speak with Seylin?”, Aglemar stood from her little couch and walked over before the girl could knock on the door anymore. Finding it almost poetic how the girl knocked on the door to ask about Seylin once more, the older queen was about to suggest coming by the next evening when the sound of footsteps broke through her concentration. Seeing a man-like creature that was blessed with three eyes, claws for hands, and one leg a foot longer than the other, the goblin’s hobbling over made a strange ‘sliding’ sound and it was the awkwardness of the noise that turned her attention from the door. The goblin was older, although not aged since Goblins did not show age past forty, the silvery-haired grey skinned male was a parliament official in a small group that followed the king’s command. In particular, Havis was the equivalent of a judge in the king’s high court. He was one of seven goblins in charge, more specifically, of Seylin’s fate.
“ Good evening My lady,”, The man’s voice was raspy and dry, with the after-tone of a snake hissing in the back of his vocal chords. Upon seeing Linwe, the ‘creature’ blinked wryly.
“ Linwe Val-ee-yay?”, The goblin had trouble pronouncing English words, as Goblin was his language of choice, and so the creature raised the young lady a curious eye before a contemplative expression passed over his facial features. His third eye never leaving Linwe’s face as the other eyes blinked and glanced towards both the door and the previous King’s Wife. Having overheard the girl bore little weight on the previous conversations that the man had exchanged with Marak, the older gentleman had already been told to escort the bi-colored maiden to Seylin’s chamber. Bowing in as much respect as he could with disproportionate legs, the older gentleman began to turn around; his two eyes on the old King’s Wife, and the same third eye staring directly at Linwe’s face.
“ My lady, Marak has directed me to escort Lady Linwe to the west wing of the thirtieth level. Seylin requests an audience with you…”, Haris’ other two eyes flickered towards Linwe’s face.
“ I trust his request will not go unanswered?”, The older goblin exchanged a glance with Agatha, as if to wordlessly convey that only Linwe was to be present during this conversation. Aglemar understood, and reluctantly touched her hand against Linwe’s upper arm. Caution underlining the care on the woman’s face.
“ Go and speak with him dear, I’ll wait here for you…”, and with that the older goblin began to drag his longer leg while he turned towards the door that opened and allowed them to travel magically down at least two dozen stories down the parliament/castle building. The older goblin was not too keen on conversation, so the queen doubted that there would be conversation, and in seating herself on the couch she could easily guess exactly what Linwe would go through. The older goblin would point to an area in a hallway, tell her to knock, which would create an opening that led to Seylin’s chambers. The Goblin Kingdom rarely had need to use it’s prison, and so the King usually took to keeping their ‘prisoners’ in a room with no doors, or oubliette, that was akin to any other room. Bed and chamberpot included, with even a book or two to peruse if the moment struck them. It wasn’t a jail cell, and Marak had made it a point not to keep Seylin in a jail cell personally.
The only question Anglemar could muse to herself was: ‘ How long shall this conversation take?’
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Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 5:29 am
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Linwe never got a response from Marak and it probably made sense why. He was busy with other things and couldn’t be troubled by her at this moment. Still, Linwe knew the urgency that was there for a decision to be made. Yes, she shouldn’t make it hastily but she should still make it soon. Which was why she wanted to speak with Seylin. She truly felt that if she could simply speak with him about this subject then her decision would be made shortly after.
Agatha had come to stand next to her and Linwe felt a bit of sting. This woman’s presence here meant that she shouldn’t bother Marak anymore and her request was being denied. It was not something she particularly liked but she knew there would be no reason to argue. This kept the burden on her shoulders and it seemed to grow larger the longer it was there. She waited to hear Marak’s mother say something that would lead the two of them away from the area, maybe go somewhere and talk or get some food like she spoke of earlier. But nothing was ever said.
Instead, Linwe turned her attention to a goblin that was making its way over to where the two of them were. Linwe noticed Agatha was watching him as well, probably the reason she had kept silent. Linwe tried not to be fearful of the goblin with three eyes, with a leg that was much longer than the other, although it was rather difficult. She didn’t know how to act when the goblin kept at the very least one eye on her.
When the goblin spoke her name, Linwe nodded to show she was listening. And she did listen as the goblin addressed Agatha that Seylin wanted to speak with her. She felt relief swell up inside her at this news. She would finally see Seylin after the two of them had been separated when they were brought to this place. She felt Agatha’s hand on her arm and turned her attention to the woman. She was happy that the woman wasn’t going to stop her from this, though she could feel the caution in Agatha’s touch. ”Thank you.”
Then Linwe followed the goblin. The journey wasn’t a long one. The passage they had gone through seemed to take them somewhere different entirely in just a matter of seconds. The goblin she was following didn’t speak much. In fact, the only time he did speak to her was when they were at the end of the journey and he pointed down the hallway. He told her that she would have to knock on the wall down there and a door would appear and that door would lead her to where Seylin was. She thanked the goblin for taking her there and then slowly made her way to the wall.
She started to feel nervous as she drew closer. How Seylin be feeling about this entire situation? Would he be angry with her? Would he notice the change in her eyes? She wouldn’t see how he could not notice that. It was prominent change, that she was sure of. Would he then recognize her for what she was, a goblin? Would he dislike her if he knew this? He had killed a goblin family …but Marak had said it was to bargain with her mother…
There was no going back now and Linwe knew this. Taking a deep breath to help calm herself, she knocked on the wall. When the door appeared, she hesitated slightly but willed herself to enter. She wondered what condition Seylin would be in…”Seylin…?”
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Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 3:56 am
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_________________________________________________________________
Locked in his room to wait for judgment or news that Linwe had awakened, the dark-haired man was quite surprised to receive a visit from the Goblin King. Let alone see a woman instead of a man when a luxurious metallic gold cloak hood was removed. In the course of three hours Marak asked a great deal of questions, explained the situation, and concluded with the statement: Linwe will want to speak with you when our conversation is concluded. The: ‘use your time wisely’ could not have been more clear to the cursed merman who had been left alone for an entire day to ponder in his oubliette.
‘ So Linwe is a goblin.’, Out of everything he learned during the conversation with Marak, Seylin was the most taken aback by that statement. Even for a distrustful thief, Seylin knew that Goblins didn’t lie. It was far more pleasurable to just speak the truth, no matter how horrid it was. Deep down Seylin had known without uncertainty that Linwe could not have been human. At least, one of her parents or grandparents had not been human. Marak had told him that Linwe was the result of a human-bred goblin scout in his army who married another human-like goblin and settled above ground. After trying for twelve years to conceive the family was blessed with a precious girl just hours before an unfortunate thunderstorm set fire to their house; if the scout hadn’t been nearby, Linwe would never have been saved from suffocating in the smoke.
Leaning against the wall near the bed as if it was a headboard, Seylin had spent a great deal of time wondering why he found the fact so unbelievable and in the end he could only sum up one conclusion. Seylin had never felt or sensed any evil in Linwe, and the man had expected all Goblins to be evil. As startling a realization that it was, it left the man truly feeling the guilt he had kept himself from feeling before. While he didn’t truly want to murder anything, he had allowed himself to under the notion that Goblins were evil. If they weren’t, then he was a murderer, and Seylin had to accept his punishment. Be that death, or keeping Linwe safe.
When the knock finally tapped upon the wall, and the door revealed itself, Seylin sat up on the bed and smoothed the blanket in the little room to make the room seem as presentable as possible. Sitting up strait, the man cracked his knuckles to try and soothe his nerves before opening his mouth and calling out loud enough for Linwe to hear.
“ You can come in.”
[Decided to be short and sweet]
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Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:52 am
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Hearing Seylin’s voice, Linwe took a deep breath and continued into the room. One glance around the small area, and Linwe felt guilty about Seylin’s predicament. She knew she wasn’t the one who caused him to kill those goblins but he might not be stuck down here if she had never left her tower. There was no logical reasoning behind any of her thoughts at the moment. She blamed this on being underground, although, if she was a goblin she should feel comforted under here, yet that was the farthest thing she felt. Her eyes locked on Seylin, and she couldn’t keep herself from getting straight to the point, afraid they wouldn’t have enough time to converse.
”Seylin, I’m so sorry. I feel like this whole thing was my fault. Maybe you and Bringham should have just continued on your way and I could have gone off alone. Then maybe you wouldn’t be here.” After she started speaking, she found herself unable to look into his eyes as they talked. If she did she might not be able to get out everything she needed to. ”I feel even worse for having the responsibility to decide what your fate is to be. I don’t think that should be given to me and I feel like everyone deserves a say on what happens to them in their life if they can control it.”
Taking another breath, Linwe had to pause briefly. She silently wondered if anything she was saying made sense to Seylin or if he was just annoyed with her speaking. Still she had to continue on. ”One of the choices would be for you to be bonded with me. I’m not exactly sure what they would mean exactly but I do know that if I were to die then you would as well. Which isn’t fair. It would basically make you a slave your entire life and no one should have to go through that. Marak decided this so you would be able to protect me from my – well when he wouldn’t be there to help… But I just don’t know if it’s a good idea or not.”
Linwe found herself pacing as she talked; this helped calm her down some but not too much. Her eyes still could never fall on Seylin. She was worried about what kind of expression she might find there if she were to allow herself to look. ”If you don’t go with that option though, you could be killed or tortured for who knows how long. Neither option is good. I don’t want to be in charge of your fate. That choice should rest with you and that is why I felt the need to talk with you and let you decide. I don’t want you killed or tortured but I also don’t want you to be bond to someone who you don’t wish to be. Whatever one you would want I will tell Marak is my decision.”
Finally, Linwe let herself come to a stop. She had said what she came to say and now she only needed to wait for Seylin’s answer. In the back of her mind, she wondered what might have happened if the goblins hadn’t taken the two of them underground. She carefully lifted her eyes so she could look at Seylin for the first time since she had started talking. She was nervous for the expression she would find there.
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Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:25 am
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_________________________________________________________________
Throughout Linwe’s entire speech Seylin resembled a gargoyle; contemplative and brooding. In-between the occasional nods of his head to signify that he was paying attention, the man continued to stare out into space. Key phrases forced the man’s ears to motionlessly seem to turn towards Linwe’s voice; but, once the woman started talking, his mind seemed to be either elsewhere or gazing into alternate glimpses of the future.
“ If you don’t go with that option though, you could be killed or tortured for who knows how long. Neither option is good. I don’t want to be in charge of your fate. That choice should rest with you and that is why I felt the need to talk with you and let you decide. I don’t want you killed or tortured but I also don’t want you to bond to someone who you don’t wish to be. Whatever one you would want to tell Marak is my decision.”, and still; Seylin was silent. His right hand index finger softly brushing against the rim of his mouth as if the gesture could solidify his thoughts, the older man tapped the fingers of his left against his knee before expelling a breath from his nostrils and flickering his eyes towards Linwe. One tap, two, and he set his right hand around the same knee as his left like a jury smacking the podium. Soundless, but confirming whatever ponder slipped into his mind.
“ Marak arrived some time before, and we spoke in detail on the subject…”, The man still gazed into the past or the future; his head facing the wall.
“ Considering my crimes against this kingdom being what they are, Marak is a very understanding Goblin to offer any alternative to death or life in this underground kingdom.”, Bringing his right hand back up to tap his lip for a moment, his chin lowered as he stared down at his feet that would never be conjoined as a fin as if it would be the last time he would see himself as he truly was and surrendering to the decision. Raising his head and turning his neck, Seylin pinned his strange black and blue eyes into Linwe’s pretty face. Those same eyes searching as powerfully as his mind’s eye had been just moments before. For a moment regret gnawed at his belly, and it transpired to create a pained expression to taint the features of his face, but it was inspired by concern that he felt as opposed to mourning what was left of his existence.
“ The choice is still yours Linwe. I wish not to steal your mind from you simply because you don’t want to be responsible for my outcome. Even if you were to choose for us to be bonded so that I can protect you, the odds are in your mother’s favor. Chances are, I shall die trying to protect you. So if I must die, I would rather perish having done my best to protect you, and save my people. Or my past actions have been in vain.”, Glancing his eyes away for the briefest of moments, Seylin let his eyelids close before adjusting his body posture to give Linwe his full attention once more. This conversation needed to be conducted as delicate as the subject required, and the man wished to ease the process as smoothly as able.
“ So given the circumstances princess, Marak suggested a kind alternative to suicide.”, A grin curled the corner of his mouth, but it was grim and the attempted joke did not even warm its creator.
“ Instead of returning to the tower through magic, Marak thought it would be better for our situation…If I take you to Arcwyn and tell the King that I rescued you. We would already be bonded by then, but Bingham and I already confessed to you what the reward is for bringing you home.”, Seylin raised a serious brow before his eyes flickered away for a second to wipe away the pause and continue his statement. Not thinking he needed to repeat that whomever rescued Linwe earned her hand in marriage as either King or Steward depending on the station of the ‘knight’, Seylin expelled a quiet breath and searched Linwe’s features before speaking again.
“ If we manage to Stop Sylvanis, who I am told found Bingham and the Fairy, get the pearl, then you being at the castle would be the best thing. Your mother, if all this is true, will of course return to the capital to claim you or dwell nearby. If you say the word, she will not be harmed, not that she could be defeated at the time thus. Which leads me to my next subject…”, Seylin tilted his head every to slightly to study Linwe’s features.
“ Your mother…if she choses to live with you in Arcwyn…might ask you to use a magical power called the Machdig. Because you’re…you’re truly a goblin maid, you wont be able to use it, and this is why I am to be with you at all times. Just in case…she discovers that you are not the blood princess.”, Seylin’s lip tightened uncomfortably.
“ Marak says he lately married the blood princess not long ago and sent her into hiding, but as I can lie and he…erm…she cannot, if ever the subject of your blood being goblin is to be discovered, I shall say that the blood princess dyed shortly after birth.”, Seylin truly wished not to discuss the matter of honesty at this point; simply because he hoped that Linwe’s blood never became known to either the sorceress or the royal family. Not caring about his own death excepting that he hoped it occurred swiftly after some semblance of peace returned to the kingdom so that Linwe would not be alone in some tower all alone, Seylin nodded once to himself before continuing again under the preconceived notion that Linwe would not be a widow for very long if she was the adopted princess.
“ If there is even a possibility of regaining what was stolen from me I will do whatever is necessary. Although, I hardly think that protecting you is something I would have wished to do Linwe…Marriage was something I had not thought of; but, I will be an elder brother or friend to you until, or unless, my life is ended.”, and glancing away towards that wall that represented the past and future coming together in his mind’s eye, Seylin nodded once more as if at peace in his decision. His hand once more rising to brush the sides of his left index finger against the skin of his mouth before the man glanced towards the mismatched Goblin eyes that stole away his attention completely.
[ I apologize for taking so long ^^;]
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 6:02 pm
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Linwe hated the silence that seemed to last forever after she was done speaking. The silence just made her feel exposed and lonely. She started to move her right hand up and down her left arm. The rubbing offered some kind of comfort but it was still not enough to ease the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. The need to move was quite strong but Linwe tried her best to keep herself stationary. She didn’t want to miss what Seylin would say once he did start speaking.
She was caught off guard when Seylin confessed that Marak had been by to see him. They even talked about Seylin’s fate. Why had Marak not told her of this? Then again, Marak hadn’t been completely honest all her life either. He was no stranger at keeping things from her. This caused her a bit of anger to dwell up in her but she did her best to calm herself down. She needed to focus on what Seylin was saying and not about how she truly felt.
She listened as he spoke about not wanting to take the choice from her. How could he want that? Shouldn’t he want to have a say in his own life? It didn’t make sense to her. He spoke about dying either way and wanting to protect her and help his family rather than just die at the hands of the goblin. She understood that but still didn’t like how he talked about dying. Didn’t he have any hope for himself?
”So given the circumstances, princess” Hearing that word just sent a bolt of anger coursing through Linwe. She couldn’t help it. All she could think was how that name for her was a lie. She wasn’t the princess. She was the furthest thing from being something like that. All she was was a fake. She couldn’t look at Seylin because he didn’t provide any comfort. He looked as if he was trying to distance himself from everything to make the whole situation easier. ’Of course, he would rather be far away from this place and from me.’
Linwe only slightly listened to what Marak thought the best for them to do. She already knew that she didn’t like it. Linwe didn’t want to go see this man who believed her to be his daughter. Why would she want to meet someone she would have to lie to? Just one more person who would come to hate her if he were to ever discover her true identity. Rather than feeling sad about this situation, Linwe just felt her anger growing.
”If there is even a possibility of regaining what was stolen from me I will do whatever is necessary. Although, I hardly think that protecting you is something I would have wished to do Linwe…Marriage was something I had not thought of, but, I will be an elder brother or friend to you until, or unless, me life is ended.” Linwe looked at Seylin but couldn’t hold his gaze much longer than a few seconds. Breaking the hold from the gaze, Linwe turned and walked until she came to the wall in front of her. Here, she stopped and just stared at it. Her anger was still there it kept just growing.
”I apologize that you’ll have to be forced to protect a thing like me. Trust me, I don’t want your protection. But I’m going to respect what you just told me and allow you to go with the option you would rather.” Closing her eyes, Linwe tried to focus on knowing what she wanted to say. She was angry and that wouldn’t be good if she tried to speak her mind. However, she couldn’t quite keep all the anger out of her voice.
”I would rather just have my life ended. It has no purpose anyway. I’m just a decoy for those you need me to be. Once my purpose has come to an end there is no point. But I suppose I should help. I don’t want to be responsible for the death of an entire race. That is the only reason I’m allowing myself to do this.” Once again, she walked across the small room. She still wouldn’t look at Seylin but she looked around the place. ”Let’s just get this whole thing over with.”
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Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:38 am
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Linwe felt like she had said too much of what was on her mind to Seylin. She shouldn’t have confessed that she no longer wished to be apart of this plan. She didn’t want Seylin knowing what she was thinking. Not anymore. Everything seemed so different now. There was no person that she trusted completely with her thoughts or to help her decide what the right decision would be. Her mother, who wasn’t her real mother, had stolen her away and planned to use her for her own selfish reasons. Marak used her to hide away the true princess because he had sensed what would happen. Seylin was a killer and seemed to be willing to do anything to get back to his people. She was certain that had they not been taken underground than he would have used her to do what he needed.
Linwe wasn’t someone who liked being alone. You would think she would be since she was mostly on her own her whole life. That wasn’t true. She simply became used to being alone. She preferred the company of others, whoever it may be. However, now Linwe just wished to be by herself. She didn’t want to deal with any of the others right now. Still that seemed like an impossibility. Once she was to tell Marak that she wanted Seylin bonded to her, she would never be alone.
”The sooner we do this, the better, I suppose.” Linwe wasn’t sure what better was at this point. Any option that was available didn’t seem better. Of course, she wasn’t the best one to make decisions. She wasn’t naïve to the fact that when it came to the outside world, she didn’t know much. How could she? She had been trapped in a tower her whole life. The rules of the outside world were things that she didn’t know. Still, even though she knew this fact, she wasn’t too please about it.
The anger that Linwe was feeling seemed to cover her entire body but rather than send her into a upset hysteria, it calmed her. She wasn’t constantly worrying about the decisions she had to make. The anger seemed to give her the strength to put up walls around those emotions and keep them away. It was a nice feeling for Linwe. She felt strong this way. ”Do you have anything more to say before I leave to tell Marak my decision?” She was ready to walk out of the cell and back to Agatha.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:21 am
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_________________________________________________________________
“ I apologize that you’ll have to be forced to protect a thing like me. Trust me, I don’t want your protection.”, The older man thought that young Linwe was upset, but it was only a suspicion until the woman began to speak. Completely unaware of spilling forth the wrong word in his earlier confession, he found her response to be strangely painful. A sting throbbing in his chest, Seylin could only cross his arms and let his black blue eyes survey her general demeanor.
“ But I’m going to respect what you just told me and allow you to go with the option you would rather…I would rather just have my life ended.”, Again, another sting that prodded deeper in the same place like a spear being crammed into his chest to torture him. Seylin had to bite his tongue to keep from speaking in anger or being rash. His aura sensed that Linwe was not through speaking yet; and he would let her finish. After all, what kind of a consort or friend would he be if he could not do so little as listen to her speak? ‘ You have no idea how much you’re going to mean to this country, lie or not. How many people will be able to rest pleasantly in their beds at just seeing your face.’ As wise as he thought Linwe to be, she made an honest; but unforgiveable comment. Alas, her goblin blood was showing through.
“ It has no purpose anyway. I’m just a decoy for those you need me to be. Once my purpose has come to an end there is no point.”, As if someone had ripped out the spear in his chest only to slam it back into his body and rattle it around to tear the wound at the seams, Seylin stood from his place and took a step towards Linwe. Still standing behind her; lest he stand too close and invade her personal space, Seylin would have spoken if not for her tongue having a mind of its own.
“ But I suppose I should help. I don’t want to be responsible for the death of an entire race. That is the only reason I’m allowing myself to do this.”, Suddenly that spear had a name carved into it’s side, and it’s name was: worthlessness. Like the grey death it attacked his spirits and whispered of how meaningless his friendship was to people. Having not felt such an unpleasant emotion so powerfully in quite some time, Seylin was at a loss for words. Or more accurately, he was at a loss to wish to speak to Linwe. For a man that was too vain to consider the possibility of misspeaking a phrase, he assumed the girl to inherently dislike him, and let his eyelid narrow accordingly. ‘ I am truly sorry to be another burden to you. Unfortunately you are stuck with me, so best make the most of it.’
…
“ The sooner we do this, the better, I suppose.”, Linwe finally spoke after a long, contemplative, pause, and Seylin felt too bruised to offer a comment. A strange sensation indeed, and the man relished the years he had spent in oblivion to such pangs. It was more than a matter of Linwe ‘seeming’ to avoid eye-contact for the majority of her angered soliloquy, and Seylin was simply trying to be ‘kind’ by keeping his facial expressions neutral. Perhaps that calming anger was joined between them, like the emotions that Seylin tended to absorb or manipulate from those around him. Whom had been angered first no longer mattered. Seylin felt empowered and invigorated, and when Linwe spoke to ask him a question, Seylin’s cold eyes pierced her own with that same devastating spear.
“ Yes.” , Doubting that Linwe expected or anticipated any sort of answer beyond a ‘no’, Seylin stepped forward from his place to lean against the wall closest to her; To look at the young goblin woman with mismatched eyes and continue to pierce her soul with his emotions. In the effort to proclaim his earnestness, Seylin pondered on how best to word himself before finally opening his mouth to speak.
“ Linwe…you’ve been locked up in your own little world for a very long time. I think you have been adjusting very well; but, understand that I have been a part of the outside world for quite some time. There is nothing that the country wants more than to see the princess return home.”, Seylin paused, if only to let the words sink in.
“ I find you very useful indeed. As far as everyone that is to be considered is concerned, your usefulness will never end if you take the place that Marak offers you. Even if you die, they will still consider you the princess. They will have peace, in knowing what happened as opposed to a royal child always being lost. I’m sure you can’t imagine what it’s like…to always wonder if those you care for are alive and well.”, Glancing at the wall with all the prognostics of a foul day, Seylin was about to speak more heavily on the subject when the wall began to dissipate and the door resurfaced. Outside the door, Marak stood next to ‘her’ elfin mother with quite the mischievous expression.
Goblins and their love for revenge.
Why else would Marak insist on them being a married as part of his contract?
[sorry this took forever ^^;]
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:09 am
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Seylin took Linwe by surprise when he actually answered her question. She didn’t think he would say a thing to her, or even if he did, she was certain he would say no. What else could he have to tell her? He already made it perfectly clear that he would take the role in being her protector but would much rather be free to his own devices. Maybe he shouldn’t have killed others. If he hadn’t, then he wouldn’t be in this position. Linwe didn’t voice this thought out loud. She was angry and she would still list to what Seylin had to say without interrupting him.
”There is nothing that the country wants more than to see the princess return home.” Linwe wondered why he even bothered saying this. Was it to make her feel guilty so she wouldn’t be angry? She realized that they were waiting for the princess to return. Still, she wasn’t the princess. Marak had stolen the true princess a long time ago. Why was she the one left with the responsibility of taking it? Simply because Marak said so?
”I find you very useful indeed.As far as everyone that is to be considered is concerned, your usefulness will never end if you take the place that Marak offers you.” Once again, Linwe was reminded of the anger she was feeling. Though she was starting to sense that Seylin was also angry. She didn’t much care what he was thinking about all of this. Maybe it was better that the two of them were angry at each other. Now she wouldn’t feel guilty about forcing him to have to protect her, though she still didn’t like the idea herself.
All of what Seylin said just seemed to prove her point that she was being used. She wasn’t the true princess but they were going to display her as such, just so the country could sleep easily. If they really wanted the princess, why didn’t Marak just explain what he did. Then they would know. If what Seylin was saying was true they would be able to ‘rest and have peace.’ She knew that would never happen. Marak already had someone he could use as the princess. Why wreck his own little plan he had of keeping the original.
Linwe was ready to hear more from Seylin when she noticed the door appear. She decided she wasn’t going to sit and wait for Seylin to speak any more on the subject. She moved towards the door and opened it to find Marak and Agatha. ”I’ve made my decision. Have Seylin and myself bonded if you must. Just tell me what it is you would have me do so I can go through with it.” She was still angry with Marak. She blamed ‘her’ for all this confusion in her life. If Marak had been truthful, maybe things would have turned out differently.
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:28 am
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xXxX_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
【Despite the lies that you're making, your love is mine for the taking】✦┫M▪A▪R▪A▪K┣✦【I will be the one that's gonna hold you, I will be the one that you run to】 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Unaware to Seylin and Linwe, Marak had followed her ‘goblin princess’ down to the prison with a very mischievous aura pulsating around her body. Able to see perfectly in the dark, she had waited beside her mother as the expression on her face melted away from impishness to a far more serious note. Perhaps it was just being a woman that made ‘his’ emotions fluctuate and appear so easily on her face. Of course, even with the weight of knowing that the goblin race could end in ‘his’ reign, it was hard to destroy the optimism in Marak’s full confidence. ‘ I could not have exchanged a more suitable changeling.’, Marak took pride in goblins above all other races save for elves, even when the effects of her true appearance wore off from the spell, the Goblin King was pleased at the thought of Seylin being there…forever bound to protect his subject. ‘ Revenge, a dish best served cold? Not always…sometimes you let it stew after marinating it before serving it.’, A dark chuckle bubbled in Marak’s throat, and the sudden cheerfulness from her ‘son’ distracted and perturbed Agatha to the point of making an odd facial expression.
“ Pray, tell me what has captured your amusement?”, Agatha questioned in the belief that because Marak was the King, that she magically knew what was happening on the other side of Seylin’s prison wall. Simply tilting her head to face her mother and direct the elven woman a ‘now is not the most suitable time’ expression, Marak’s serious face almost melted away when the door finally opened and young Ms. Linwe walked forth from Seylin’s door. Seylin, like a good prisoner, stayed put behind the opening and watched from the poor vantage point that the other side of the thick wall could provide him. Marak had been about to comment a question, but alas her perfect little princess spoke first.
“ I’ve made my decision. Have Seylin and myself bonded if you must.”, But of course, that’s non negotiable…“ Just tell me what it is you would have me do so I can go through with it.”, Marak curled her mouth in a little impish smile. Linwe still believed ‘him’ to be a liar based on the look in her eyes when she gazed into ‘his’ own. Someday this ‘princess’ would understand the value of the differences between being honest and having the right whether or not to confess something. ‘ Seeing as she is to go before the King, she’ll have to learn that quickly…’, and gently attempting to lead young Linwe by tapping her wrist before walking, Marak held up two fingers to gesture the merman Seylin towards her with a ‘come hither’ gesture. Once both parties were following her, Marak led the way to a nearby room that had ceremonial bowls and tools set aside in advanced…as if the Goblin King already knew what Linwe would decide.
“ I am very pleased at your wise decision Linwe, if you would please stand here…”, Marak walked to the foot of a table and pointed with her right six-fingered hand to a spot on the floor before glancing at the taller Seylin.
“ Positions please.”, Marak gestured towards Seylin as she moved a foot to the right and pointed down towards the spot on the floor next to where Linwe was supposed to stand. Quite unlike human marriages or bindings, there was no romance in the action, everything had a practical purpose, and so without a moment further Marak picked up a pin and walked forward in the attempt to p***k Linwe’s finger with it. Glancing at Seylin next, who appeared quite unsettled at the knowledge that he was to be pricked as well, a mischievous smile curled on Marak’s mouth. For some reason the discomfort on Seylin’s face was very amusing, and with a shake of her head she just mercilessly pricked Seylin’s finger and turned around to pick up a pair of what looked to be very tiny sheep shears.
“ No don’t panic, no one is losing any limbs of extremities…”, A dry chuckle died in Marak’s throat as she walked towards Seylin and snipped a few strands of his wavy black hair. Walking over to Linwe and attempting to snip a few strands of her brown locks, the Goblin King then tied Seylin’s hair around Linwe’s wrist and let the hair dangle there. Returning to Seylin only when she used her finger to retract a droplet of blood from the p***k wound, Marak wrapped Linwe’s hair around his wrist before holding her finger over a candle and letting the flame lick at the blood dripping from her finger.
In a heartbeat the blood began to bubble into a red fog-like smoke that emanated in the air from the heat of that magical candle. A very suspicious expression blooming on Marak’s face, she let out a ‘huh’ like noise of curiosity before chasing it away and using the dust created by the red fog to brush against the wrists of both Linwe and Seylin before standing back and watching the strands of hair sink into their skin. A broad grin overshadowing her face, Marak chuckled from a comical thought before saying it out loud simply to brighten the mood.
“ I believe the human way to end this would be to say: ‘I now pronounce you man and wife’.”, While Agatha seemed torn between feeling miserable and happy for the ‘couple’ to be locked into this state as she was so many years before, Marak was gaily amused and tilted her head to glance back and forth at both shanghaied partners.
“ As is similar in all marriages, you are one flesh now…however, should one of you prove unfaithful, the strands of hair that have become part of their skin shall start to itch uncontrollably. Please do not risk embarrassment in front of the entire goblin court for me to take away the tickling sensations. Faithfulness if far less troublesome…”, speaking in earnest, Marak glanced at Seylin before looking towards Linwe and grinning like a Cheshire cat.
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xxxxxx【No, you'll never be alone; when darkness comes▬✦┫The Goblin King┣✦▬I'll light the night with stars; hear my whispers in the dark】
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Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:15 am
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Marak made a gesture that conveyed that ‘she’ wanted Linwe to follow her. It was tempting to just demand that Marak tell her what was going on before going anywhere with ‘her’. However, Linwe didn’t think that she would get anywhere trying that out. So it was pretty simple to just follow along. Out of the corner of her eye she was able to see that Seylin was following. It was pretty simple to figure out what Marak was going to have them do at this point. Though, Linwe wasn’t sure if she was ready for it yet.
” I am very please at your wise decision Linwe, if you would please stand here…” Linwe did as she was told. Throughout this whole ordeal she knew that she would be silent. There was nothing she would need to say and she wasn’t going to allow herself to protest even if she felt she had to. Things were already set in motion. There was no turning back now. Best to just keep your mouth shut and let it go.
Her eyes followed Marak as ‘she’ came towards her with a pin. She didn’t tense up or pull away when Marak made the motion of pricking her finger. She felt the sharp pain from the p***k but didn’t allow herself to make a sound. It wasn’t too bad after all and Linwe was getting sick of showing weakness around anyone. Marak spoke something of what seemed to be reassurance that they wouldn’t be maimed or anything when the shears came out. She watched as Seylin had a few strands of his hair cut and when Marak made his way towards her, she knew that the same would be done to her. She kept still, like a good little puppet.
Then Marak began to tie Seylin’s hair around her wrist. Linwe felt uneasy about this. It just seemed strange to have this done and Linwe couldn’t help but worry what would happen next. She tried her best to not let the worry show on her face but wasn’t certain if she was able to keep all of it away. She watched as her hair was tied around Seylin’s wrist and then the blood being dripped over the candle.
Linwe had never seen magic be conducted in front of her before. She knew of its existence and that her mother often did magic but she was never around to witness it. It was a strange sight seeing the red fog that came from the blood. As she watched, the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach began to grow. Before she knew it, Marak brushed some dust over her wrist and Linwe watched as the hair that was tied around her wrist sink into her skin. Her other hand instinctively went to wrap around the spot where the hair used to be. The feeling she was left with wasn’t something she necessarily liked.
” I believe the human way to end this would be to say: ‘I now pronounce you man and wife’.” Linwe knew that this meant the bonding process was over. Her hand stayed locked around her wrist. She couldn’t bring herself to move it. Looking around the place, Linwe started to wonder what her life would have been like had her true parents not have passed away. She knew that she wouldn’t be in this situation. Or what if she hadn’t been taken from the King and his wife. Would she have been happy there? It was hard to think of all the possibilities her life could have taken and now she would never know. She could feel tears come to her eyes but she still refused to let them fall.
Marak was talking again, explaining that the two of them were bonded and if either of them were unfaithful in some way then their wrists where the hair used to be will start to itch. Linwe was filled with a horrible feeling that this whole thing was a mistake but she didn’t speak her mind. It wasn’t her place to give her own opinion anymore and she might as well accept it now. Her eyes, which had been looking at the floor most of the time, came up to look at Seylin for a brief moment. She wondered what he was thinking of this whole thing.
Shaking her head slightly, Linwe did her best to blink away the bits of water that had decided to spring to her eyes. ”What will happen next?” She knew there was talk of them going to the castle and meeting the King. Having to be face to face with a man she would most certainly be lying to wasn’t exactly something she was looking forward to but she knew it couldn’t be avoided much longer.
{{Edited post....well really only an added paragraph}}
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