Once Upon a Goblin's Hollow

Chapter 6

    A few minutes later Maggie ran into the library, a look of horror upon her face.

"Miss you had better come out here in the hallway." Maggie said, on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong? Who's at the door?" She said with worry in her heart.

"It's the Goblin General, Meryle.

The empress slowly got up. This can't be a good thing, she thought. Slowly stepping into the hallway, then looked to the general.

"What is it?' She said, fearing the answer.

She knew it was something horrid by the solemn look on his leathery face. He didn't need to tell her it was awful news.

"There was an attack at the meetings, we were ambushed by the gremlins.... 'I'm so sorry empress, one of them killed Griffion. He's gone, miss." He said in a soft tone, holding back the urge to weep.

Dropping to her knees, the empress let out a scream that sounded like a half demon banshee in agony. Shaking and weeping on the black and white marble floor, Maggie escorted the goblin out of the castle and then quickly went back to the grief stricken empress, still in the fetal position on the cold floor of the hall.

"Miss, is there anything I can do? I'm so sorry. " She blurted out.

"No." She replied in more of a growl, then continued to weep and weep.

Maggie crouched down on the floor beside the devastated empress.

"May I help you up to your chambers?" She asked as politely as possible, understanding how fragile the empress was now.

"Okay, yes." She said after a long moment of silence.

Maggie held out her hand, helping Katella off the floor, then walking with her up the stairs at a slowed pace until they reached the door of her bed chamber.

"Thank you." The empress said to her.

"Yes miss. Will you be okay?" Maggie asked.

"I don't know. I don't know what I'm going to do without him." She said looking at Maggie.

"Right now we need to rest, I'll help you figure things out later. You and the child need sleep." She said.

The empress nodded, too drained to argue, the numbness in her soul wouldn't let her. Hanging her head low as her world felt upside down and shattered, the empress went into her bedroom and shut the door.

"Ring if you need me," Maggie called as the door swung shut with a thud.

Crawling onto the huge king-sized bed, she could control her grief no longer. Laying on her left side the empress sobbed into the pillow until eventually sleep gave her a small escape from this living nightmare.