[Lerune]: 6.Odd Writings.Goblin King

In the cool mist of the morning, she sat, straightening her auburn tresses with a comb made of ivory. With closed eyes, she hummed a soft tune as she stepped gingerly into the crystal pool before her. The birds around her sang the same gentle melody in unison with her as she was whisked away to a memory of days long passed... A smile on her lips, a blush on her face, she thought for a moment of the song’s composer. A lone tear slipped from her emerald eyes, and she made no move to wipe it away.  As the sun rose slowly in the distance, she began to relive her fondest memories and the time she had spent with the Goblin King...


Prince Lothan had lived a pampered life. He had grown up in the largest castle in the greatest land. Even so, he was kind-hearted and gentle, and his laugh most contagious. A handsome youth, he was a prized catch for many a maid in the kingdom, as all knew that the wife he would choose for himself would one day rule beside him as Queen of the lands. As he saw more and more birthdays, his father stressed the need for the sweet Prince to take a wife. Many maidens were brought to the Prince for approval, but he could not choose. In his heart, he knew that when his eyes beheld his true love, he would know beyond any doubt that he had found his queen at last.

This dream stayed with the good Prince, and for the longest time, he waited for the face of the maiden he would love with all his heart. It became a contest throughout the land for any and all ladies to journey to the castle and meet with the charming Prince Lothan. Still, among the sea of faces that greeted him daily, he saw not one that stirred his heart.

It came to pass that the King fell ill, and within so very short a time, he passed on, leaving the rule of his Kingdom to the gentle Prince. His advisors stressed to him the need for a Queen. If the Prince did not take a wife, the people might not respect him. The people needed a traditional King and Queen to govern them. It soon became evident to Prince Lothan that his dreams would only ever be dreams...

They searched the land far and wide, but could find none that were worthy to step into the role of Queen. At long last, they received word from the neighboring lands of Prendelle, that their eldest Princess, Lyssa, was of marrying age. Reared as royalty the whole of her life, she seemed the perfect match for the Prince, and his advisors sent for her straightaway. It was early Spring when she arrived at the castle, and though the Prince’s heart was not touched by her presence, her face was most beautiful, and he felt certain that he could learn to love her over time.

The responsibilities of running the kingdom became theirs, and each of them kept to themselves as the years passed. Lothan, now King, filled his days with diplomacy and duty, and Lyssa, now Queen stepped into her royal responsibilities with ease. As time passed, King Lothan grew quite comfortable with his Queen, and thought that he surely must have loved her, as her face was the most beautiful in all the land. Not a maid in all his kingdom was not envious of her beauty and grace.

But what King Lothan did not know, was that Queen Lyssa longed not for his companionship or his kind-hearted compliments. Queen Lyssa may have been most exquisite outwardly, but inside, her heart was dark and deceitful. It was no secret that the lands the King had left Lothan were sought after by many, and Lyssa’s father was among that number. For years, she watched the good King Lothan and plotted how to take his rule from beneath him...

One late Summer evening, when the King was to attend his fencing lesson, Queen Lyssa made her move. She replaced his usual, practice weapon with one with a sharpened tip. That tip was also coated in a special poison she had acquired. As the lesson began, she sat with her hands in her lap, prepared to cheer her dear husband on. She had long been watching his skill with a blade, and knew that he was most proficient. 

As she had predicted, it was mere moments before the King had won the match. As he thrust his blade forward, it did not bend in the usual manner. Instead, it split the thin practice armor the instructor had donned, and pierced the softness of the skin above his heart. This wound alone was not enough to kill the instructor, but rather, what coated the blade was to do the job. Quickly, the poison entered his veins, and he fell lifeless to the ground, much to the astonishment of the on-looking crowd.

Many rushed to the instructor’s side as the King stood, mortified and afraid. Once the man was pronounced dead, Queen Lyssa made her way to the King’s side and pretended to comfort him. She knew the man was not truly dead, merely sleeping, but she also knew he would sleep long enough for her plan to work. In all the years she had watched King Lothan, she had only found one weakness in him. It was the one thing that people heralded as his most wonderful quality: his goodness. She knew that he would punish himself over this foul deed far greater than any one else ever could.

And punish himself, he did. King Lothan slipped into dark places. His sadness seemed alive to him, and it wrapped him in a somber shroud. He quickly distanced himself from his people, from his life, and from his Queen. Queen Lyssa gleefully took up the slack he left, and her influence over the kingdom grew, unchallenged. Seeing that his lands were in capable hands, King Lothan made a dire decision. Unable to gaze upon his own reflection anymore, he left behind his land, his wealth, and his beautiful bride and donned the hideous mask that was his pain.

And fashion a mask he did. It was a ghastly mask that covered most of his handsome face in a fierce, ugly facade. He escaped to the woods in the East, and became a man of the wilds. Fleeting glimpses of his gruesome features caused quite a disturbance among the people of nearby towns. He became known as the Goblin King, and the terrible tales they told of him were used to frighten children in the evenings. Many nights, he would hide in the shadows of the wood, listening to the tales that hunters would exchange about the dreaded Goblin King. All of them were terrible, and not one of them true, but he felt that not a single one was as awful as his true story. He had murdered a man...he had taken a life. Truly, he was a monster...

And so he wandered the forests, content to be left to his own devices by the peasant-folk who feared him. His only companions were his self-pity and his sadness. He lived daily with his shame and guilt, and became quite an unpleasant creature. Everywhere he went, the small forest animals scattered before him, and even the true goblins of the wild stepped lightly when the fabled Goblin King was near.

But spoken word only travels so far, and to the enchanted beings that only live in the deepest, most secret places of the forests, spoken word is rarely heard. Such was the case for Nyrene, who had walked the lush, green wilderness for many, many years.  She was a forest nymph, and her beauty was so striking that she could blind a mortal man if he but glanced her way. As beautiful within as she was in appearance, she had been bathing in her favorite pool when the Goblin King Lothan happened upon her.

Startled, she tried to cover herself, but not before he looked her way in surprise. What he should have seen was the creamy white of her skin and the pure green of her eyes, but what greeted him instead was a brilliant, glowing light, and as he shielded his eyes, all went completely dark. Nyrene was quick to gather her garments and rush to the hideous creature that writhed in agony upon the forest floor. Lashing out at her, he screamed unintelligible curses, and she pulled away from him in fear. For long moments she watched him, and thought him a pitiful beast indeed. After he calmed, and his words became understandable again, she spoke to him.

So smooth and calming was her voice, that even the fabled Goblin King, who had long ago abandoned all thoughts of beauty or peace, was forced to listen to her words. He soon found himself desperately wanting to hear nothing else but the sweet melody of her voice. Knowing that he would die in the wild without his eyes to guide him, Nyrene offered to help care for the poor creature who gave himself no name. So began an unlikely friendship...

It was Nyrene’s loving, gentle ways that guided the Goblin King Lothan along more than just a journey to discover the importance of his other senses. He soon found within his heart the compassion he thought he had long ago abandoned. His sight seemed so unimportant, as he learned that the soft scent of her hair was more calming to him than the most beautiful sunset. Sometimes, she would describe to him the way the night sky looked, or the way a flock of geese flew in perfect formation across the heavens. Her words painted pictures for his mind, and he eventually found that he did not miss his eyes, or rather, that he would have lost his sight one hundred times over, just to be in her presence.

Sometimes, Nyrene would watch him. His mask kept so much of his face hidden, but she could always see his eyes. Though sightless, they were still bright and blue, much like the morning sky at dawn. She knew that he was more than what he seemed, and she felt he was running somehow. Running from what, she could not speculate, but she knew inside that this Goblin King was hiding behind much more than his mask.

The days they spent together found them growing closer and closer with each passing moment. They soon found that the Goblin King had a most beautiful voice, and he spent his evenings composing many a song for his unseen companion. One that he was particularly fond of, he dubbed “Nyrene’s Hymn” and she wept tears of joy each time he hummed the catchy tune. She tried to imagine her life before the company of the Goblin King, and could not remember. The Goblin King tried not to remember his life before her, as he was still running frantically from his past.

Still, the sweet intoxication of her presence made his life seem less complex. With her, it seemed that the cares of his past were petty, and that all things were forgivable and no sin was too great, if the heart was truly repentant. Deep inside, he knew he could not run forever, but he also could not imagine returning to the strife of the kingdom at the cost of the friendship of his dear Nyrene. Once, he had dared to ask her to describe herself to him. Nyrene, who had never placed much importance of beauty, and had never been told by a man that she was exquisitely radiant, fumbled through a bland description of her features. To her, they were nothing more than her outward appearance: long, auburn hair, fair skin and green eyes. What she saw when she gazed into the water each morning was nothing amazing to her, and this was the picture she painted for the Goblin King...

Lothan thought back to his beloved Queen Lyssa. Her face had been most beautiful to regard, yet she had never touched his heart in the way that Nyrene could by merely brushing his arm with the softness of her skin. Many nights, the Goblin King sat awake in his unending darkness, and thought to himself that beauty was so much more than a porcelain face or a striking smile. He decided that Nyrene was the most beautiful woman he had ever known, and he had never even gazed upon her. What he had seen was her heart, and it was most wonderful.

One night, a group of hunters set up camp near their home. It was unusual for hunters to be so far in the wood, and Nyrene and the Goblin King watched from a safe distance. They soon found that the hunters had exhausted the supply of food in their own area, and were being forced further and further into the woods, at the hands of the stern Queen Lyssa. She ruled the land with an iron fist now, and her demands were grueling upon the people. The hunters themselves had eaten very little in the last month as they worked long hours to gather enough food to please the Queen. She was known for her monthly galas at the palace, often inviting royalty from her homelands to dine at the expense of her people. Each evening, she sat within the palace and supped on the finest breads and meats, while children in the small hamlets and villages went to bed with grumbling stomachs.

The Goblin King listened with a troubled heart as the hunters described his kingdom. It was now a shadow of the splendor it had been when his father had entrusted it to him. The sun never shone on a carefree morning anymore, rather, many were up working far before the sunrise to make enough to pay the high taxes Queen Lyssa demanded. Children left their dolls and make-believe worlds to weave fabric and herd sheep. Across the lands, a shadow had passed, and his people were unhappy and without hope.

The hunters mentioned a name then that he had not heard in years: King Lothan. They talked of his sudden disappearance, they talked of the fencing lesson, they talked of how the people still hoped he would return and take back the lands from the tyrant queen. He blinked his sightless eyes in amazement as they continued talking. The fencing instructor was not dead, he lived! Indeed, he was yet alive!

As he listened with great interest, he became aware that Nyrene was no longer at his side. Turning, he called out to her in a whisper, and after a moment, she replied. She had also listened to the hunters’ tale, and knew that the good King they spoke of was none other than the lost creature she had befriended years ago. With tears streaming down her face, she told the Goblin King that, for finding her home in the wood and keeping its location a secret, she could grant him one wish. She begged forgiveness through her tears for not telling him sooner, but she had never dreamed he would leave. After long moments of thought, the Goblin King removed his mask, and wished for his sight to be restored. Nyrene turned and looked upon his face fully then.  Gone was hideous green mask he had used to hide his features, instead, the kind, handsome face of King Lothan was before her.

She stared into his face and knew that this was the countenance that truly matched the soul she had come to know and love. As he wished again for his sight to return, she turned her face from him, and with a wave of her slender hand, his vision was restored. King Lothan looked around in amazement as a world of color pierced the darkness that had surrounded him for so long. He took in every sight: the trees, the leaves, the stars as they twinkled overhead, and finally, the most beautiful auburn color that he had ever known, as it cascaded down the back of the figure that walked silently away...

He began to speak, but she held up her hand. She told him that there was no time for a good-bye, that his kingdom needed his wise leadership. She also spoke of how they would meet again, but that the good King mustn’t look upon her now, for it could very well take his sight once more. The truth of the matter was that Nyrene’s heart was breaking, and her porcelain face was covered in tears. She had cured him, and had he looked upon her then, he would not have been in danger, but Nyrene knew that if King Lothan saw her tears, he would not leave her, and leaving was a thing he simply had to do. 

Saddened, he promised her he would return to her, but he could not tell her when. He wanted to console her, to comfort her, to thank her, but her silence spoke much to him, and he knew it best to leave quickly. He felt his heart ache as he moved away from her: his sweet, kind Nyrene, to whom he felt he owed so much... Again, he promised to return to her when he could, thought he promised this second time more for himself than for her. 

He wasted no time at all and made great haste to the castle. During his many days of travel, he thought and thought of what to say when he arrived -- of how to confront the Queen. He remembered how he had once thought her to be the most beautiful woman upon the face of the world, and now...now he was trying to grasp the notion that she was a terrible creature, capable of the darkest treachery. His heart ached for his Nyrene all the while, but his strong sense of duty still pulled him to his kingdom

It happened that he arrived at the castle late in the evening, during one of Lyssa’s many grand banquets. He watched her from the shadows, watched how she commanded the servants: good, decent folk who had served his father with pride. She treated them like beasts of burden, alive only to do her bidding. He watched the people that passed by him; he noted their bland expressions and downcast eyes. The castle was decorated for a party, but the people were not celebrating.

As he was preparing to leap from the shadows and waltz boldly into the room with the Queen, he stopped short. It was then that he noticed, among the guests, that a small boy sat. It had not been his tiny size that had caught the King’s attention, but rather the fact that he was asking permission to be excused for the night. He directed this question to his mother: Queen Lyssa.

Lothan watched in astonishment and the little boy, no more than five, excused himself from the banquet table. An older woman, apparently his governess, took his hand then, and led the sleepy-eyed child away. As they passed his place in the shadows, King Lothan gazed for the first time upon the son he had never known he had...

After composing himself, King Lothan made himself known to the astonished guests, and a very angry Queen Lyssa. They all scowled at the wild, unshaven creature that stood before them, his skin tan from the outdoors, his hair, long, and his body clad in leather. The Queen stood in accusation, but the people began to cheer. The king had returned!

Lothan accused the queen of treason, and all secrets were pulled from their shadows and all masks removed. Though he had been sent to a far away land, Lothan eventually found the fencing Instructor he thought he had killed so long ago, and brought him before the people. He was granted a generous gift from the castle’s treasury, and King Lothan’s name was forever cleared.

The Queen was banished from the Kingdom, and returned with her family to Prendelle, where they began plotting once more on how to acquire more land and material wealth. Lothan concerned himself not with her, but his days of hunting in the wilderness reminded him to keep her in check, which he did. His spies regularly traveled the lands of Prendelle, where Lyssa and her family brooded for many years, before turning their attentions away from Lothan and his people.

Alas, the story was far from over, for the good King was now faced with the daunting task of rearing his son. Each day brought them closer, and he explained to the child as much as his innocent mind could grasp about the time he had spent away from the Kingdom. Bright and intuitive for his age, the little Prince Tobias understood much and asked questions freely about that which he could not understand. Lothan loved his small son with a love he never imagined possible, and he wanted desperately to make up for the lonely life Tobias had lived in his absence.

Daily, he shared stories with the boy about his adventures in the wild. He told his son of the woodland creatures, the clear forest steams and the tall, enchanted trees that can only be found in the deepest parts of the wood. He told him of fairies dancing, of the secret language of sprites and of the pranks that pixies play in the moonlight. He told him of leaves that sang in the rustling wind, and of the fish that frolicked in the stream during midday. Little Tobias would listen with much delight and interest -- especially when Lothan spoke of the elegant creature he called Nyrene.

Little Tobias would watch his father’s face soften, and his eyes would brighten with tears as he spoke of the kind nymph that waited for his return somewhere in the deep of the forest. Many nights, the young prince would fall asleep dreaming of the wilderness and the beauty of the woodlands in the Spring. He would dream of the wind on his face and the moon so bright that it played every shadow. He would dream of a soft voice, a kind hand and a beautiful, luminous creature who was too beautiful in all ways to live with a broken heart...





I have hit a wall...what I think I want to do is have the son, Tobias, grow up with stories of this mystery woman and then, one day, the kingdom is told of the king’s untimely death, only he doesn’t die. Tobias takes up the throne and secretly sends his father to be with his one true love. I even have that though out...I just can’t get there. Help. =o(