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“You seem surprised to see me, Princess,” he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
I nodded, still unable to find my voice. The last time we had met, he had left me confused and unsettled. But now, as I looked at him, all those feelings seemed to fade away, replaced by a sense of longing.
“I. . . I just didn’t expect to see you here,” I managed to say finally.
He chuckled, his voice deep and rich. “I could say the same for you.”
I looked around, taking in the ruined manor house and the piece from the orchard that had turned to dust in my hands. “I was just passing through,” I said, gesturing to the landscape. “I didn’t mean to disturb anything.”
He pushed himself off the tree trunk, taking a step towards me. “You could never disturb anything, Princess. You bring life wherever you go.”
A shiver ran down my spine at his words, his voice like velvet against my skin. I wanted to step closer to him, to feel the warmth of his body against mine, but something held me back. I knew I couldn't trust him completely, not yet.
“Why are you here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. “Why, to see you, of course. I heard you were in the area and I couldn't resist.”
I felt a blush creeping up my neck, but I couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of my lips. Despite everything, I was drawn to him, and I couldn't deny it any longer.
“Well, you found me,” I said, feeling a sense of unease wash over me.
“I always do,” he said softly. “I will always find you.”
I knew he was right. No matter how hard I tried, I could never escape him. But right now, at this moment, I don't want to. I wanted to stay here, with him, forever.
My thoughts of him had altered.
Instead, I considered what his existence had been like. What was he going through? What had life been like for him up until now? Had he even been happy, had he everloved? I wanted to ask. The tears pricked behind my eyes. Was he lonely? Was that why he stole away the people from Rothnia? To have company?
He watched; his smoldering gaze holding mine. This male was not easy to read. Part of me wondered why and part of me did not care. I should ask more of my questions, ask them now.
Demand the answers.
But another question danced on my tongue, “why have you really come?”
I did not know it was even possible to render him speechless but he hesitated before answering, “I find myself unable to stay away from you.”
“Why?”
His eyes narrowed, regarding me a moment before speaking, “I do not know. In my waking hours, you haunt me. In my sleep, you plague my dreams. You are an intoxication I cannot escape and it has me confused. You. . .”
The Goblin King paused for a moment, his brows pulled together in indecision. “You do not fear me, but yet, you are an enigma.”
I watched him for a moment, frozen in front of him, in our place amongst the rotting trees of the orchard. The smell of the decaying fruit drifting on the wind. Before me stood the Goblin King, in all his glory, in all his splendor, and I was the one who confused him? I didn’t even knowthatwas possible either.
With every encounter I had with him these last days, I was left with more questions than answers. I was left with my mind spiraling down in a world of confusion and wonder. But one thing remained clear to me, one thing I knew was not all was as it seemed in this place. He was not as he seemed. This place. . . it was something different entirely.
He cleared his throat, pulling my wandering mind back to him. “How are you finding this game?” He asked.
But it was his tone that he used, how he spoke to me, it was unreadable. Strained even, like there was a waging war going on inside him. I wanted to answer, I did, but my words had left me again. His question was odd. Was this really a game? Because it did not seem like it was.
Not anymore. I looked at him, perplexed. “What game?”
“The game of wits we've been playing,” he clarified. “You and I, trying to understand each other. It's been amusing, has it not?”
I couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at his nonchalant attitude towards our interactions. I shook my head, not wanting to engage in his twisted way of thinking. “I don't find it amusing. And I don't want to play games. I want to know what you're doing. What are you up to? What’s really going on?”
The Goblin King's face hardened, his eyes narrowing as he regarded me. “And I have told you before. It is none of your concern.”
