Once Upon a Goblin's Hollow

Chapter 5

             The next several days seemed to go quickly for the empress. As the child within grew more with each passing of days, as did her new found friendship with Maggie. Katella insisted Maggie have tea with her every evening. Soon she didn't see her as the servant girl anymore but a friend another born of magick like her.

Other than her beloved, the empress didn't have others she'd gotten close to. There were the creatures they helped when needed, but those were clients, not a close friend. Getting to know Maggie had truly been a blessing from the goddess. Katella was already looking forward to the nightly ritual and it was barely late afternoon in Goblin's Hollow. She had been lost in thought walking through the lavish courtyard, covering most of the horizon, then flowing into the enchanted forest, several yards from her castle's back door.

Her inner thoughts flowed from one thing to another until they stayed on her soul mate. Hoping these meetings would end soon and he could be back home to her. It had been more than a few days since he had left, it shouldn't be more than another night or two. The thought made her smile as she looked down at her belly, swollen with the spirit of life within.

"Empress, there's someone here." Maggie told her.

Katella jumped up, startled back from her inner thoughts.

"Oh, thank you. I'll meet them in the library in just a minute." She replied as Maggie dashed off to send the guest to the library.

The empress took a few minutes to prepare herself. After a few deep breaths, she headed off to the library. As she walked around the corner, she saw Maggie coming to her in the hall.

"Who's here?" She inquired.

:" One of the troll hybrids, I forgot his name, I'm sorry." The servant girl replied.

"That's alright, thanks." She said.

Maggie bowed to her then scurried off to get to her early evening chores around the castle.

Katella walked into the room to see who had stopped to see her.

She looked as the pale lavender scaled goblin- troll looked at her, his sea foam green eyes lighting up the room. The color reminded her of mermaid scales.

"Hello there." She said, greeting the short pointy eared fellow.

"Empress, where is your mate?" He asked, being slightly rude.

"Away on a business matter. I can help you if you tell me what's wrong." She said to him.

"Oh, I see. I'm Spinx. The emporor and I had a deal about a potion." He said to her.

"What's it for, maybe I can find it." She explained to him.

"I get these headaches, frequent ones that make it impossible to function." He told her.

"One moment, I think I know what he'd have given you." She told him, then got up and checked the potion supply closet in the next room.

When she returned to Spinx, the empress held up a dark blue bottle.

"Was this it?" She asked him.

"Yes, that's the one. Thank you. When Griffion returns give him my best." Sphinx told her.

"Yes of course." She said as he nodded then wobbled his way back out of the castle.

By the time the moons had risen above, there had been a few other clients, for more of the legendary potions she and her mate kept, they could fix just about anything between the two of them. Once the last customer had left, Katella rang for Maggie.

After a good ten minute wait Maggie brought in the tea for them and sat down with her.

"Oh thank you, It's been a long day." She replied.

"Yes miss, it has." She responded.

Maggie poured the tea for them and handed the first cup over to her and the empress nodded to her.

"I want to thank you for this."

"For what?' Katella asked with a puzzled expression.

"Your kind friendship, I haven't worked for anyone that truly cared as you do." Maggie told her.

"I think when people stop caring, that's when things fall apart." She said.

Maggie nodded in agreement, sitting across from the empress and sipped the tea when there was a knock on the large outer door of the castle. Maggie set the tea cup down gently and then jumped up.

"I'll get it miss," She offered then dashed off to answer the knock.