Night Terrors

A high pitched shriek filled the castle, and jolted King Ronald and Queen Suzanne awake.

Ron let out a groan. Marianne's nightmares were making him question the proximity of his children's bedroom to his own. The girls could easily be moved to a different wing, but Suzanne would hear nothing of it. Loving wife and mother, she assured him that Marianne was simply at the right age for nightmares. It was just a passing phase. A year or two and their nights would be peaceful again, at least until Dawn reached the right age for nightmares.

Really, in the long lifespan of a fairy, anything less than ten years would barely even qualify as a phase.

"Are you going or should I?" Ron asked his wife with a tired plea. He didn't want to go, but if she told him to then he would. He might have been in charge in matters of state, but Suzanne was definitely in charge when it came to family matters.

"Something's different," Suzanne's brow furrowed. One of the king's sprites lifted it's pale green head, responding to the queen's worry.

Then the door pushed open, and both monarchs looked flabbergasted at the sight before them. "Dawn?!"

The cherub-faced blonde rushed inside, eyes wide with fright, and starting pulling at her father's night clothes. The sprites started to bluster awake. Green and violet she-sprites already coming over to fuss over the princess.

"Did you have a nightmare, sweetie?" the king cooed.

"Nnga," Dawn intoned wordlessly, not really communicating her reasons, only her emotional bluster of frustration mixed with sheer panic.

"We need to go to Marianne," Suzanne interpreted her child's distress with ease. Dawn ducked behind the queen's legs in child-like solidarity. The sprites rallied to his side. It seemed a lot of fuss for a few night terrors. With a roll of his eyes Ronald obeyed his wife's instruction, putting on his housecoat before leading the way across the hall to the bedroom that his two daughters shared.

He pushed open the door, and froze at the sight before him.

"Papa!" Marianne called, reaching out, until solid arms covered in a bark-like carapace pulled her back into a sharp embrace.

The goblin who held Marianne back was already as tall as his predecessor, but significantly thinner. Four blade-thin wings shuffled behind him, showing how the villain had entered the castle undetected. A sharp nose, steel grey eyes filled with spite, toothy grin already celebrating a victory. His skin that his carapace left exposed was a pale grey-blue, rather than the sickly muted green that Ronald was used to, but the heir to the Bog King's throne was unmistakable.

"Stay back Suzanne," King Ronald exclaimed loudly. Then he whispered to the sprites, "Sound the alarm."

"No one leaves," the new Bog King proclaimed, apparently adding sharp hearing to his new arsenal, "things might get messy while your little servants are away." He twisted a stone knife in his grip, dangerously close to the young princess's throat, to show his threat clearly.

"Let my daughter go," the Fairy King snarled, and the he-sprites gathered around him, spitting insults that anyone other than the king would only hear as chirps. The she-sprites were already headed towards the light pink sprite of their future queen, laying dazed upon the floor.

"No," the king of goblins replied simply. "I would rather hold onto my leverage during these negotiations."

"Negotiations?! This is an act of war!"

"Marching an army into Dark Forest was an act of war!" Bog snarled ferociously, his bony shoulders spiking, "A war that lasted a hundred years and cost both of our kingdoms dearly!" Then he shuffled slightly, his armoured plates settling back over his shoulders. "If I wanted to declare war on Fairy Kingdom, you would know," he almost whispered this, his eyes glinting dangerously.

King Ronald looked at the Bog King with rage boiling in his eyes. "If I had known there was an heir to that filthy thorn bush you call a kingdom I would have killed you in your crib."

The Bog King smiled, almost bemused, "Yet you're all offended by my little bit of leverage."

"My daughter is not leverage!"

"Seems I've been laying low for much too long. You don't seem the least bit scared of losing your heir. I suppose it makes sense; since you already have a spare."

Marianne's sprite bristled at that, chirping indignantly. Marianne whimpered.

The small sound weakened the King's resolve. His daughter's life was on the line, and he was acting like a petulant child. Losing one family member to his hatred of goblins was enough. "If you truly wanted to negotiate you should have come in the daylight with terms and consulates. This, sneaking in at night, kidnapping, the last Bog King would have never stooped so low."

Marianne flinched, her shoulders rising, tense, around her ears.

"He was weak," the new King hissed, "and proud. It's a new era, Ronald, I'm a whole new Bog King."

That was when Marianne screamed again. Her eyes were wild as she truly realized her peril, thrashing in her captor's arm. The stone knife brushed dangerously close to her delicate little neck, tracing a paper-thin line across her throat.

"MARIANNE!" King Ronald gasped, but his sprites clustered to hold him back.

The Bog King's grip tightened. His face closed the gap to her long pointed ear. Something was whispered directly in the princess's ear.

Then Marianne went still.

Ronald blinked in confusion.

Slowly the Bog King's grip relaxed, the arm that wasn't holding the stone knife moved away completely, yet Marianne didn't move.

"Now, dry those tears princess," the king of goblins instructed.

Marianne quietly lifted her hand, wiped her face, and then stood still as before.

The Bog King's smiled flashed victoriously at the Fairy King.

"What- what did you tell her?!"

"That," his free hand ever so slightly stroked Marianne's head, "will remain our little secret."

Fear, visceral, spine-tingling fear, ran through Ronald. His mind ran through a thousand threats, dark promises, each one more horrifying than the last, yet none he thought would pacify the fiery will of his eldest daughter. "What do you want?" his voice fell flat, sober, the previous venom completely gone.

"That's much better, negotiations go so much smoother when both parties are willing to talk rather than simply argue. All I want is your word that you will never again send or lead any army into Dark Forest."

"Meanwhile you'll be marching your own army wherever you please."

"Not at all," the Bog King sneered, "the borders will stay exactly as they are. In fact I'll even allow you to execute any of my subjects who dares to cross into Fairy Kingdom. I'll be certain to treat any wayward subjects of your with the same courtesy you extend to mine. Naturally, exceptions will be made for any future negotiations, we can send… what did you call it? Terms and consulates," his voice wrapped mockingly around the words.

"Fine, the borders will remain uncontested, now release my daughter."

"Swear to it," he hissed, "swear on something that I know you'll respect, swear on the lives of your family that your bloody crusades against Dark Forest are over."

King Ronald shuffled, his nose high, his face indignant, "I swear on the lives of my family that no army of mine will cross the border into your kingdom."

Slowly the stone blade drew back from Marianne's throat. The Bog King still watched the royal family suspiciously. "Sleep well, your majesties," he bid them adieu with a twisted smile and a half threat, before diving out the window.

"Guards!" Ron cried aloud, his he-sprites zipping away to lead.

Suzanne ran forward, with Dawn, and the she-sprites, at her heels.

Only once she was in her mother's arms did Marianne seem to come back to herself. A sharp gasp, she collapsed against her mother's shoulder. "Mama! Mama, I was so scared!"

Suzanne ushered her husband over and the whole family clustered together until the guards arrived.

The Bog King was long gone.

A/N: Thought I would let any Strange Magic fans know that there is a good portion more fan stories on the Archive of Our Own site, which includes me. Another of my Strange Love drabbles is exclusive to that site, and I'm going to be updating over there first when it comes to this particular fandom.

Yes, "Ronald" is meant to be eerily similar to "Roland" at least in name.