King of the Goblins—Chapter 47

Morning came, and with it my stress and fear were amplified. My hands shook as I pulled on my clothes. In a matter of hours, I would have to fight one of the best swordsmen alive. If I failed, the women I loved would be tortured and killed.

So, needless to say, the stakes were high.

Once I got dressed, I sat on the edge of the bed for a moment with my eyes closed. I tried to think of peaceful things. Of what my life would be like once I became king. Of my wives, Tressi, Zia, and Silvy. And now, possibly Leena. Of the children we would have, and the nation I would rule over. 

And then I tried to picture all of us—Leena included—in a field in the spring, surrounded by wildflowers. We talked, we laughed, we kissed, we made love. It was a beautiful, happy moment, and I held tightly to that daydream. That was what I wanted. That was what I was fighting for.

I opened my eyes, feeling some measure of calmness. After grabbing my shield and the goblin sword—damn thing had dried blood on the blade still—I pulled the door open and walked into the living room.

Leena was the first person I saw. The kitchen was open to the living room, and she was in there preparing something to eat with her mother. At the sound of the door opening, she looked to the side and our eyes met. She smiled at me, not a flirtatious smile, but one that solidified what she had hinted at last night.

Leena wanted me.

“If that’s really what you want, you know I’ll support you,” her mother said as she kneaded a blob of dough on a wooden table. “You’ll have to convince your father, though.”

Leena whispered something, and her mother looked over at me.

“Oh, good morning, Aaron. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “Thank you for the hospitality, Alenia. This has been very nice.”

“A bit of calmness before the storm,” she said, turning back to her dough. “I do wish I could make you two breakfast, but Al refuses.”

“No eating before a fight,” Althidon said as he walked in from the bedroom. He wore simple clothes, nothing elaborate at all, and in his hands he carried armor and a sword. He set them on the nearest chair, then began sorting through them.

“Why not?” I asked. 

“That was a lesson I learned long ago, back when a few scoundrels still tried to attack us,” Althidon explained. “I saw it happen so many times. Men would eat a hearty breakfast, then go off to fight. Once the heat of battle set in, they’d puke their guts out. Hard to fight when you’re vomiting.”

“Wow. I never thought of that,” I said. But then again, war back in my world involved shooting people. Here, we were going to be swinging swords and thrusting spears into men, tearing their bodies open. Blood and guts would be everywhere. People would scream as they died, right next to me. It was going to be gruesome. 

“Help me with this, will you?” Althidon said. His voice went back to its usual, that gruff quality that reminded me of an older, high-ranking military man. The kind of voice used to barking orders and being obeyed without question.

I went over to him as he set a gambeson over his shoulders. It looked to be made of sturdy cloth with hundreds of small plates of hardened leather attached. So, flexible, reasonably lightweight, but it would still stop a slicing blade from doing damage. He adjusted it while I helped buckle the sides. 

Althidon grabbed a helmet and set it on his head, checking the fit, then nodded and removed it. I stared at it for a moment, trying to figure out what it was. It almost looked like hardened leather, just like on his armor, but it had a strange texture. Almost like veins. Almost like….

“Why does that look like it’s made out of giant leaves?” I asked, pointing at his helmet.

“Because it is,” Althidon said, holding to the side so I could look more closely. “Obviously, the leaves have been strengthened with magic, but this helmet came from the same trees that our city was built from.” He tapped himself on the chest. “My armor, as well.”

“Father, I have a question,” Leena said, walking towards us. She wiped her hands clean on a small towel.

“What is it, my dear?” Althidon asked, turning to face her.

Leena looked briefly at me, then back to her father. Her chin raised slightly in that way that I now recognized. She was going to get her way, no matter what it took.

“When you are done with this and Aaron is king, he has stated that he intends to reestablish trade and cooperation between our nations,” she began. “We haven’t traded with the goblin people in what, a hundred years now?”

“About that, yes,” Althidon said cautiously.

“Neighboring nations sometimes arrange political marriages to solidify a peaceful alliance.”

“Leena,” Althidon warned.

“I believe a marriage would help repair the bond between our two nations,” Leena said, ignoring her father’s warning. “It would tie our people together, ensuring peace for decades, centuries, even.”

“Do you know what you’re asking?” Althidon said.

“Of course I do,” Leena said, giving one foot a little stomp. “Aaron has courage, integrity, and honor! Half of the men around here couldn’t even beat me in a sword fight. For that matter, Aaron probably couldn’t either, but at least I know he would try. And he is selfless, saving a people that aren’t even his. He’s risking his life to do what’s right.”

I blinked at that. I had never really thought about what I was doing, not in that manner at least. It just felt like the right thing to do. 

“I cannot disagree with you there,” Althidon muttered. “But you’re still so young, Leena.”

“I’m fifty-nine!” she insisted. “And you’re the Sword-Master, only a few steps below the king himself. I would be an appropriate bride for a king.”

Althidon opened his mouth to argue and Leena cut him off.

“This is what I want, father. I want an honorable man. A man with courage, like you. I want Aaron. I want to be his queen.”

Althidon frowned at her for some time, then transferred that frown to me. I met his gaze and tried not to shift. His hard stares could be unsettling.

“You don’t know him that well,” Althidon said.

“And yet you trust him,” Leena said. “You, who trusts very, very few people. That tells me a lot.” She turned to me. “Aaron, would you accept me as a bride once you become king? Would you treat me with honor and respect?”

I looked at her for a moment, in shock. She was waiting expectantly for my reply. Althidon was giving me that hard look that said he’d bury my remains if I ever mistreated his daughter. I looked over at Alenia, who frowned at me with her hands on her hips as if to say if I refused her daughter she’d beat me with a frying pan.

“I would be honored to have you as one of my queens,” I said carefully. “And I would work hard to treat you right, every day, for the rest of our lives.” I somehow managed to avoid stating that she was way out of my league.

That answer seemed to satisfy everyone. Alenia nodded in approval. Leena walked up to me and hugged me, which was slightly awkward since I had the wooden practice shield in one hand and a bloody goblin short sword in the other. Althidon’s face had cautious approval, but he had clearly been caught off guard.

“What a way to start the morning,” I said.

“You remember this when you’re fighting today,” Alenia said, still giving me that stern look. “You had better be successful. I won’t stand for you letting my daughter down after she just offered you her heart and her love..”

I almost laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. After kissing Leena’s forehead—that felt like a safe gesture—I turned to Althidon. “What’s this about you being a few steps below the king?”

Althidon frowned as if he didn’t care to talk about it. “Technically, I’m second in line, behind the king’s sons.” He looked down at the sword leaning against the chair. “It appears being good with a sword has treated me well.”

“I have a feeling you haven’t shared your full title with me,” I said. He shot me a hard look and I laughed. “Hey, if I am to be king, I need to know how to properly address you.”

“Grand Duke Althidon, Sword-Master,” he grumbled. “Which makes my wife Grand Duchess Alenia. And of course, Duchess Leena.”

“I’m a duchess,” Leena said with a satisfied nod. “Royalty belongs with royalty.”

“How did a Sword-Master get such a lofty title?” I asked. “Forgive me, I don’t understand these things. I thought you were a soldier.”

“I was,” Althidon began.

“He saved the king’s life many years ago,” Leena added. “Defended him against an assassination attempt that left ten royal guards dead. Only the king and my father survived, so the king made him a grand duke after that as a reward.” She turned to her father. “You have set the bar rather high, father. I need a man with the same kind of honor and selflessness that you have.” She shot me a proud look as if to say she already expected me to live up to her father’s standard.

Althidon sighed. “I can beat any man with a sword, but I can’t win against my daughter.” He barked a sudden laugh.

Alenia walked up to him and helped him fasten his sword belt. “Be careful, my love,” she said quietly, then kissed him. “Come back to me alive and in one piece.” It sounded like an order.

“That goes for you as well,” Leena said. She took a step closer to me, hesitated, then pecked me on the mouth. Her lips were incredibly soft and smooth, even if the kiss was a bit awkward.

“I promise,” I said. 

My head was spinning. A political marriage did make perfect sense, when I thought about it. And Zia seemed excited at the thought of elven women, so perhaps I had nothing to worry about. But I wasn’t looking forward to having that conversation.