Pourquoi?

"So, I always wondered." Mabrey began, sidling up to Marak as he poured over a book, "Why a Wal-Mart?"

"Excuse me—why a what?" Marak asked. He was startled from his read about the Marak who choked to death on a piece of mutton, mentally reminding himself to never have a death like that. It's more dignified to choke to death on a portion of venison! Now he was set on Mabrey, all thoughts of meats cast from his thought process.

"You remember. It was when we first met. I fell on you on the bus. You scared the common sense out of me, and then left me to meander over to who knows where." She rested her chin on his shoulder. "And what on earth possessed you to read this?" The King's Wife indicated the overly decorated scarlet book in his clawed hands.

"One question at a time, little cat." Marak patted his wife on the head like the animal of her nick-namesake. The woman pouted beautifully and made this conversation awfully hard to concentrate on, but once the cat wanted to claw her way for an answer, there was no turning back.

"I was actually on that bus to visit dear Gresh and Dani. The girl had a false alarm, thinking Sasha was on her way to plunder the world. Alas, as I mentioned, the situation proved the opposite. I was simply on my way back when a pretty little thing fell into my lap like a wrapped package. Almost like it was meant to occur. I couldn't let anyone else have the privilege of unwrapping that gift."

Mabrey's cheeks burned at the words. She unconsciously rubbed her bulging stomach like a touchstone. Marak, in turn, situated his black tipped ear upon his wife's belly, enticing the child that slept inside to understand that he was there.

"A daughter. Who could have ever foreseen a goblin King's Daughter? It certainly is a miracle." He murmured happily.

"Don't change the subject. What happened then?"

Marak cleared his now extremely dry throat. What happened next was his leaving her about her business and striding away. He then had noticed his dire situation. Not on the bus to rejoin Shamus, but outside a Wal-Mart with no idea where he was. So much for his mysterious but attractive exit. But he was not going to let Mabrey know, now was he?

"If I was ever to choke on mutton and died, would you quickly replace the offending item with venison?"

"What in the world are you talking about?"

And thus, Mabrey forgot any questions due to Marak's incredible smirk.

Note: Hello! I hoped you enjoyed an answer to some of your questions about the very first chapter. Anyway, I believe this is the part where I shamelessly direct you to the one-shot sequel of this story; Failing, Trying, and Failing Again. Thank you so much for your splendid support and wonderful reviews. I look forward to what the future holds!