Princed

Chapter 11

Irenie puzzled about that, she had never thought of it that way, but goblin logic had a sort of straightforward, no-nonsense feel about it. Nothing like the terribly contrived and complex ways of people.

She sighed and rubbed her hand over her cheek as they both continued to stare into the black. It struck Irenie that this was the very first time they had actually spoken together since the goblin's arrival. She didn't really know all that much about Prince Froglip unlike most of the royals she had been forced to meet throughout her life.

"What is it like being prince of the goblins?" Irenie asked him.

Froglip blinked his bright yellow eyes before his pupil went to the corner of his vision where the princess sat.

"Boring, really," he said after a seconds-worth of reflection. "Goblins always challenging you for the throne, nothing intereth'ting happens in the goblin kingdom."

Well, not before Princess Irenie.

Then she laughed, catching him off guard.

"That isn't interesting enough?" Irenie asked. "How does it work? Do all goblins try to rule the kingdom?"

"They wouldn't dare!" Froglip said defiantly, his chest puffed out as he braced his arms on either side of them as if he were facing an opponent right there. "I am much th'tronger than any of those th'impering whelps," he said proudly. He'd knock them senseless for such a thing.

"So you fight? Physically?" Irenie asked. "Wouldn't that be frightening to have to fight for your title?" Although she silently reflected that she'd be very happy doing so the next time Jeffery made some snide comment. "I couldn't ever imagine doing that myself."

It would be unheard of for a princess to even demand the right to rule. It was her father who chose Irenie as his successor. He could have just as easily picked one of his many male nephews.

"Of cour'the not!" Froglip laughed loudly and it echoed in their little secluded section of the stairwell. "You're a thun-woman, you have a right to the throne. Goblin Prin'thes are expected to prove them'thelveth worthy by beating all other goblin challengers. Printhes aren't ath true born."

Irenie winced with a painful smile. "I have to marry. We don't believe a queen is strong enough on her own to rule."

Froglip's ears perked up, but besides that he managed to keep his interest in the princess' marriage a secret. "Well, queens are much th'tronger rulers than the kings."

"If only I'd been born a goblin," Irenie laughed absentmindedly to herself.

Becoming more confident, Froglip smirked across at Irenie and crossed his arms in front of him.

"If you had been, your hair would match your cloth, printh'eth. My mother hath hair like that." He combed his fingernails through the long braid that fell over the prince's shoulders.

Irenie paused in embarrassment and threaded her fingers together. "Pink is my favourite colour," she said with a laugh.

"No," he gasped dramatically at the princess who was always dressed from head to toe in the colour. "I had no idea."

Irenie stared back with an open-mouthed smile, her brow sitting crookedly as if she was trying to suss him out. Well, he was Prince of Goblins, he had his own mystery and allure.

"You aren't anything like I remember," Irenie whispered and she slid sideways along the step, her skirts scraping on the stone as she took a second to stare at him from a better vantage point. "You do remember that night... don't you?"