As I stared down at the princess, her clothed body covered in vines that twisted and coiled around her, I wondered if this was how passersby stared at my own near dead body when the first fairy queen had found me.

I was sending her back to Manoj. She could stay this way, stay here, being absorbed by the soil. With it being winter, she would wither away by spring.

The dirt moved around her, mostly disturbed by her weak attempts at crawling free. One hand stuck out, a vine dragged it back. Each plant continued to snake around, twisting and tightening in its coil.

I wanted to throw up.

She'd be gone by spring, but did she deserve to go this way? I'd imagined myself immune to passings such as these. It wasn't human death, not even mortal death, not really. For she returned to her source.

My body trembled and I found my fists balled. More than once, I had to will myself not to approach. That would be counter to Manoj. I wouldn't dare do that.

But then the crying came and I all but ran to the shield.

I'd make her a bed and bring her to Manoj faster. That way, she wouldn't suffer.

The shield, having settled into the soil, loosened with each push and pull until I dragged it out. Next was the remnants of the fur coat. That, I used to line the frigid metal. Finally, I turned to look at the princess's squirming frame yet again.

No amount of excuses would undo this. But if I headed back to Manoj, he would understand my loyalty.

However, that wasn't why it was difficult for my feet to hold me up as I approached her. This was my doing. I'd put her here and not once yanked the vines from her body. And when the plants formed faster, I'd stepped back and simply watched.

Worse yet, I'd put her in her funny clothes and wore my foolish kilt for I did not know what else to do.

And this was all my fault, I was certain, yet I didn't know why.

The moans to follow had me darting to her rescue.

I'd wanted a battle with her. Well, getting rid of the vines was just that—a fight.

Each I tore off came back faster. Finally, I reached under the princess and scooped her up. As I suspected, as soon as she was away from the soil, Manoj's power did not reach her.

The metal would take care of the rest but that did not mean she was safe. A tree, a stone, they all belonged to Manoj and as soon as she touched either again, much like the gnome she'd tried to save but met his end faster, the same would happen here.

Perhaps that was why I simply put her down. I arranged the hearthstones by her belly when she crouched up. Though I was hesitant, I climbed in as well. It took some time to take all the flowers and leaves from her hair and skin and cast them aside.

Day had come above us, yet nothing of the white against white of the sky took my particular interest. I just needed to look anywhere else but at the weak figure resting her face against my knees.

I snuggled her in the fur tight, making sure the hearthstones remained close to her skin. Color returned to her body; she was no longer purple.

"What's happening to me?" she asked in a whisper.

I hesitated only once then said, "What have you done to anger Manoj? Have you ignored his calls? Isn't there a voice in your head now and then? Have you ever answered it?"

She gripped my thighs, pulling herself closer. "I never answer it."

"But why—"

"Because it says to kill you."

This revelation stole my power of speech.

I shouldn't have been all that shocked—this was Manoj's way. Keep us at one another's throats, faithfully serving him without question.

"And I won't. I refuse," she said.

Once then twice, I hovered my hand over her shoulder, intent on touching her but couldn't. "You didn't want to fight me, so you decided to try being my lover instead?"

The way she moved told of aches and suffering but I wasn't brave enough to ask if she were still in pain even now. Because I hadn't helped her—I'd decided not to. A groggy whisper left her. "You're not so bad. I'd rather think you're quite funny if you weren't so mean all the time."

"I must take you to Manoj," I confessed.

Slumber gripped her but not before she admitted, "Yes. You've said."

But I hadn't. I'd never discussed this with her.

"When? When did I tell you?"

Each breath came more labored than the last as slumber gripped her.

"No." I couldn't allow her to sleep. I needed to understand this. "When!"

"You told me not to tell you. You told me to lie."

In this moment, I rethought all our encounters, down to the very first where I'd asked if we'd known one another.

Not in the way you'd have liked.

"Majesty," I said, leaning forward, "Did you take my memories?"

She was groggy and faded in and out of consciousness.

"Majesty!"

"Oh-pah. There we go." A head popped up out of the hole we'd fallen in. The goblin looked around then squinted before exclaiming, "Oh good. Reckon I got here right in time. Figured you woulda left for sure. Well, don't you go yet. I need yet two more scarfs and another pouch for my children. Oh wait. Is she sick?"

The goblin scrambled out of the hole then rushed us.

It exclaimed, "Reckon she'd be near dead with how much magic she poured on them elves. It won't last long but it'd get rid of alla them for at least a week. That's how much. No wonder she's trembling. So? What are your plans? Reckon them elves are gonna be right cross. And when the ogres—"

"Ogres." I regretted cutting the goblin off. "There were ogres that far underground?"

"Were there! Oh, it was a massacre. And with how much of her earth magic corrupted the elves' sun magic, they had to flee to the surface. She step even one foot in an elf's direction and I reckon she's a goner. They'll eat her for sure." After the sudden calm, the goblin's wonder truly came. "And the way you took that stab in the gut for her. That was right nice of you. Nobody expected it. Then that big ogre said to leave you...but she wouldn't."

"Wyrn...." Now, I was the one whispering this word.

"That his name?" The goblin paused and considered it. "Reckon he do look like a Wyrn. Well, Wyrn said to leave you. She cussed him out, spread her wings wide, they nearly touched the walls. And I seen her; even her skin glowed with white light when she dragged you by both arms and flew out here. It was—it was quite a show."

I welcomed the silence to follow but it didn't last long.

"Never seen an ogre that big. Think he's dangerous? He was plenty angry—"

"He's her husband.

Those words made the goblin switch tears. "Oh? Then how come she's here with you?" Before I could seek out an answer, the goblin pointed and said, "She don't look all right."

No, she didn't. And she'd also been a liar. I told myself to put her down and wash my hands of everything. Yet I jumped up instead, and picked up the shield, princess and all.

"Oww. What you planning to do?" the goblin asked. "Reckon it's something mean? A mean story might have some value. Reckon I could come along? Don't got much reason to leave the underground. I—"

In one go, I hoisted the huge shield above my head, threw it out onto the snow with both hands, then jumped out.

Snow stretched in all directions. And that wasn't all—some threatened to fall soon.

To my surprise, the goblin jumped out, too, pleased. "Well, would you look at that. It's as cold out here as the fairy king's beady heart." At my silence, it nudged me. 'Get it—?"

"If you're not of any use, then go away." When I reached the shield, I considered the best course of action. North would lead to Manoj. But west....

"Oh. You heading to the fates then? I know a shortcut. For a fee o'course. Wouldn't mind even dragging ya ifin you look after my offspring.

I set my mouth to say no but those weren't the words to leave me. "Thank you."

Before long, the princess slept, curled up with three waning hearthstones and a fur pouch filled with little goblin babies. And I? I stared back at her as I held on to the leather reins provided by the goblin who fell on all fours, pulling us in the shield like a sled.

All alone, I could argue having only the ability to follow inclines but now with a goblin to pull me in any direction, there was no longer an excuse nor a need for pretense.

I was defying Manoj

I wanted to understand who this queen was to me—and why I'd allowed her to take my memories away.

Few mortals could appreciate the fates. Even though it was a wall of magic, tended to by blind hags who meticulously drew each and every vent, it only mattered to me. Because they only documented the life of the fairy king, and nothing more. They resided at the edge of the forest. At this moment, I worried less about how I'd tricked them into my servitude, and more about their work ethic now with a new ruler who didn't threaten to their lips together and light them on fire for sloppy records.

The wall was sizeable, and I searched for it against the snow as we gained speed. A hand held my foot and I looked down to the princess who pulled herself closer to me.

What was I doing with this cursed queen? The kilt on my hip swayed against the biting wind. Her skin still held some color at least.

I took her in and thought to sit and give some comfort, but the land stretched out before me and I was in awe. This didn't look anything like the forest I'd left behind. Houses were supposed to be a rarity, but we passed several. And not only magical creatures lived there, humans did as well.

"What is the meaning of this?" Invaders living on Manoj's land. Did they pay proper tribute? And often? Did they sacrifice animals to him?

Now, I doubted the speed of my rebirth. I was locked away somehow. Otherwise, the world wouldn't have been allowed to change such as this.

One thing remained a constant—the fates. That wall closed in and a calm fell over me.

In this moment, I allowed myself to sit. The princess pressed her cheek to my leg.

"I'm sorry about this."

Our eyes met. I did not understand her meaning until she traced the right side of my upper thigh with a smile. A red bruise ran up my thigh.

"But it was rather funny."

No smile was quite as radiant. "I'm sorry, Majesty. You've taken my memories. I do not know I came by this."

Little by little the smile faded when she realized we were roaming free. "No," she moaned. "You've left the enclave. Why?"

"To find out what you did to me," I told her. The anger bubbling up inside me was unfair—I had no proof that she caused this, no proof that she'd lied. And yet...everything in me said she had.

But instead of arguing, she stared up at me. Whatever she opened her mouth to say drown in the goblin's sudden halt which yanked the shield.

"Oh-ha. This—you won't like this, sir," the goblin called back.

The princess strained in her turn. Once she achieved it, she also let out an audible gasp.

The wall, which was once as wide as five elephants put side by side, and equally as tall, lay in rubble.

I dismounted the shield, slow in my approach for fear I'd faint. My thoughts. My history. My comings and goings for two thousand years...gone.

Each pictogram was small but would enlarge when touched.

This was no random break or act of the divine because a part in the middle and at the end remained erect.

I walked in a trance, disbelieving the world I was cast into and went to the latest entry. The goblin unhooked itself and hurried beside me. "Who would do this? Reckon someone'll know? If they hide—"

"They're not hiding." When I reached the wall, there was no need to enlarge the final entry, it had been left that way on my behalf. Etched into it, that massive ogre from my vision stared back at me, standing beside a broken wall. "Wyrn."