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Chapter Fourteen

N ight fell before she knew it, and with it came the dread. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to do everything all over again—to land in a strange world all alone.

Grim was staring at the fire, lost in thought. Maybe this time, the tale would not need the two of them to be separated for most of the quest.

She hoped so.

“It’s almost time then,” she said aloud.

He nodded, but didn’t say anything. She didn’t mind, she had become used to his silences and was learning to not take them personally.

She peered out the window, trying to take her mind off what was about to happen.

The night was taunting in its peacefulness, reminding her that the world still went on even if her life had been thrown into chaos.

Sighing, she wondered if there was enough time to make herself some tea.

Unfortunately, at that very moment, she was interrupted by the strong gust of wind that told her it was time.

The telltale signs of green smoke appeared, and she closed her eyes and braced herself to be dropped into Lore’s lair.

When the world stopped spinning, they found themselves in what looked like a barn.

Bales of hay and mounds of straw surrounded them, and in the background, came the faint chatter of horses.

The place was large and spacious, and the beams were engraved with a very large crest. She turned to Grim to remark upon this only to clap her hands to her mouth, stifling the giggle that threatened to escape her lips at the sight of him.

Because Grim, who preferred to live in black leathers, was dressed head to toe in lurid yellows and reds, wearing garb that was at least two centuries old. To top off the insult, a ridiculous looking hat was perched on top of his messy hair.

He frowned at the look on her face.

“What is it?”

Wordlessly she led him over to a nearby trough. Grim took one look at himself and yelped in a distinctly unmanly way.

She couldn’t help it anymore. She burst into peals of laughter, clutching at her belly, trying to control the waves of mirth that were overcoming her .

“Very funny,” he grumbled. “Why do you think we appeared straight in the tale and not Lore’s lair this time?”

She frowned and shrugged, having wondered that herself.

“I’m going to take a look around,” said Grim. “Maybe I can find some clues as to where we are.”

“I could come with you?” she asked hopefully, not wanting to take the chance of being separated now that they had landed in the tale together.

“No offense, but you’re not the most inconspicuous person.” He nodded at her hair.

“Says the person dressed like a court jester,” she grumbled, but nevertheless didn’t follow, as he skulked out of the barn.

She took that chance to wander around the place, taking note of how spotless it was. There were no other animals present, just horses. A stable, then. The horses had gleaming manes and shiny coats and she was inclined to think that this was a stable belonging to a nobleman, maybe even royalty.

Right as she had thought that, the door to the entrance swung open, and a large man dressed in resplendent clothes walked in.

He was surrounded by an entourage of people who were also dressed in finery, but their clothing was nothing compared to the man in the center.

He was tall and rotund, with ruddy cheeks and a balding head of red hair.

His clothes were of the finest silk she had ever seen, topped with a magnificent cape that was draped around his shoulders and pinned in place with a rather ugly looking golden brooch.

Clearly, he was fond of jewels for necklaces of rubies, emerald and sapphires hung from his neck.

Diamonds gleamed on his plump fingers, and the cuffs of his doublet sparkled even in the dim light.

The crown that sat on top of his head was a marvel in itself; it looked like it had been weaved with threads of gold to create a beautiful network of gold vines.

It was embedded with large gems, the centremost one as large as an egg.

“What, ho!” he boomed. “It seems that you still have not managed to turn the straw into gold. Was your foolish father telling a lie after all then, young maiden?”

It was the story of the Nameless Goblin, she realized.

The young maiden’s foolish father tells the king his daughter is the fairest in the land and can spin straw into gold.

The king is impressed and asks the miller to bring his daughter to the castle.

Of course, the poor girl can do no such thing and is terrified at what the king will do to her if he discovers her in the lie.

She is helped by a goblin, who in addition to a necklace and a ring, asks her to promise him her first born.

The king is greatly overjoyed to find all the gold and marries the girl.

When the goblin comes to collect her first born, she is naturally reluctant, and he agrees to let her keep the child if she can correctly guess his name.

For two nights, she is unable to, but on the third night one of her messengers comes across the goblin celebrating in his house and singing out his name.

Thus, she is able to outwit him, and he disappears, enraged.

“Well?” came the king’s voice again. “Have you no tongue, girl?”

Serena dropped into a hasty curtsy, lowering her eyes. “I assure you, Your Majesty, you shall have the gold by today.”

“Hmm...We did give you until sundown,” he grumbled. “But… Well, what is this!”

She stilled, praying Grim had not returned. Not daring to turn around, she waited with bated breath.

“You have no spinning wheel,” he cried. “How can you spin straw into gold without a spinning wheel? ”

She demurely curtsied again, thanking her lucky stars for this coincidence.

“I did not wish to offend Your Majesty by mentioning it, for you have been greatly benevolent already by letting a humble miller’s daughter into your castle and allowing her to please you,” she murmured.

“It is true that any gold I made without a spinning wheel would be of shabby quality and not worthy of your notice. To me, it seemed better to not offer you anything at all, than to give you something not worthy of your greatness.”

She could see the king swell up with pleasure at her sugary words.

“What lovely manners! What a charming young woman!” he said, clapping his hands. “Come, my dear. We shall arrange for you a room with the finest accommodation and the most magnificent spinning wheel the kingdom has to offer.”

He snapped his finger, and his attendants burst forth at a dizzying speed, surrounding her. Before she knew it, she was heralded out of the stables toward what she presumed was the castle.

Fifteen minutes later, Serena found herself inside a large lavishly decorated room, dressed in a beautiful yet simple gown of lavender, her hair swept away from her face with a thin pink ribbon.

At the center of the room was a spinning wheel as magnificent as the king had promised.

It was a beautiful contraption, made of what seemed to be fine lacquer wood, decorated with tiny engravings.

The king truly had meant it when he had said he would get her the best.

Bags of straw surrounded it, presumably for her to use and turn into gold.

She frowned, if she was the miller’s daughter, and the king had already appeared then that left-

Poof !

A cloud of smoke appeared in front of her, Grim in the middle of it, still dressed in the jester’s clothes.

“Oh my, you’re the Goblin,” she cried out in glee.

He frowned, taking in the spinning wheel and straw surrounding her. “The Nameless Goblin, you mean?”

She nodded, glad he already knew the tale.

“I must spin the straw into gold or the king will have my father’s head,” she said cheerfully.

He opened his mouth to rebuke her, but what came out instead was:

“Fear not, my maiden fair!

One with eyes like the forest, rose colored hair

Just listen to me, do as you’re told

And by morn, you will sit, surrounded by gold. ”

Serena stared at him, eyes wide.

“Where did that come from?”

He looked like he was going to be sick. “You will never speak of that again.”

She giggled, knowing fully well she was never going to let him live this down.

“Well as your maiden fair, I suppose I am going to have to ask you to help me turn this straw into gold,” she said, making doe eyes at him.

“But oh please, wicked goblin, do not ask too much of me. I cannot give you anything worthwhile in payment.”

He scowled at her.

“Well?” she said, waving her arms. “Get to it, Mr. Goblin, give me the gold.”

“I have…no clue how to do that.”

She stared at him. “What do you mean , you don’t know how? You’re the Goblin! You’re supposed to turn the straw into gold! That’s how the tale goes. ”

“I know how the tale goes,” snapped Grim. “That doesn’t mean I can turn into the Goblin.”

“Can’t you use your spirit magic thing? Some trick of the eyes hocus pocus that will make the king think you’ve turned it into gold?”

“I told you, I’m just a novice.” He sighed, massaging his temple in frustration. “In theory I could, but practically, that sort of power is beyond my skills.”

She jumped forward eagerly at that.

“In the real world, yes! But we’re in a fairytale, and you’re supposed to be a powerful goblin who has incredibly strong magic! I’m sure if you concentrate hard enough, you’ll be able to do it.”

It took him a couple of tries, at first the little spark of magic he mustered could do no more than turn the straw yellower in color. However, after a lot of grunting and heaving from Grim, the glimmer of magic grew into a large blue orb that surrounded the bale of hay he was concentrating on.

One that now gleamed a perfect gold.

“You did it!” cried Serena, jumping up and down clapping her hands.

“Now I just have to do all the rest,” said Grim looking around the room, his hands on his hips. “I already feel exhausted just looking at all of them.”