"We're in the land of our enemy, forced here under threat," Ryel hissed. "You expect us to be at ease? To want to treat with you? Think again. We're here out of necessity, nothing else."
"Threat?" The voice made a tsking sound. "It seems my dear, horrible cousin had misled you. No, there is no threat. Kaleus, why did you lie to them?"
"Because they're wild beasts better as food and blankets," the goblin who led them to the tree sneered. "They don't know how lucky they are that we have a generous prince who would rather keep them alive."
The mysterious voice chuckled. "You are still stuck in the old ways, my dear cousin. So filled with anger. Now open the curtain and let me see my guests before I rip the warts from your ugly little face and eat them for breakfast. You've soiled this meeting enough already, haven't you?"
The goblin Kaleus hissed but did as he was bid. He scurried up a ladder on the side of the wall, which went up to a second tier in the tree's trunk that Ken hadn't noticed before. From up there, the goblin pulled on a contraption that parted the veil of leaves and stripped bark on the other side of the trunk opposite of Ken and the others.
Ken had thought it was merely decorations on the wall, but as soon as the leaves parted, he saw that they opened into another small alcove in the tree. A throne of twisting bark, leaves, and gold dominated most of the space. Upon it perched a being neither human nor goblin, garbed in green regalia. Gold trimmed the leaf-green cloak, and his spiked crown shimmered as if it was polished multiple times a day.
The prince's eyes were cold, and he smiled with a mouth of many sharp teeth. "Greetings, wolves of the Silvercoast pack. I am Theo Mesmorpheus, Prince of the Treasure Goblins. Welcome to my humble abode."
Chapter 12 - Beth
Beth stood stock-still beside Ken as she gazed upon the goblin prince, whose eyes were like glaciers as they considered the assembled wolves. Yet besides his cold, emotionless eyes, he had the fine, sharp features of a fae or elf. He was the most handsome goblin she had ever seen, more man than monster, although that wasn't saying much when compared to his ugly goblin friends.
On this throne Prince Theo relaxed at ease, slumped against one armrest as if he didn't have a care in the world, and he was merely entertained by their presence.
"Why did you bring us here?" Ryel sneered at the prince, and at the wolf pelt draped over the back of the prince's throne. "What do you want?"
"To talk, of course."
"Talk?" Ken scoffed. "We all know what goblins are good at, and it isn't talking."
"To negotiate, then." Theo tilted his head to get a better look at Ryel and Ken, but he didn't seem impressed. "Why else?"
"Wolves and goblins have been at war for almost thirty years. Nothing has changed that. Or have you conveniently decided to forget that the goblins tricked my kind into a slaughter?"
Theo's lips turned into a frown, and a tense silence followed. He was quiet while other goblins began to chatter excitedly amongst themselves. Beth glanced up to see that there were dozens of them in all shapes and sizes, and with various different skin colors too, from pale brown and gold to deep green. Her mind was racing as she tried to take in everything she was seeing. She had never imagined that such a place could exist, and yet here she was, surrounded by goblins.
This was not the hive she'd seen when she was here last, nor did it match what still lingered in her memories. That had been a cave entrance, and they'd diverted far from the mountains to delve into the trees. Did that mean there were two goblin hideouts? Or had they simply moved in the span of time that had passed?
Beth had too many questions, and the unwelcoming faces of the goblins around her didn't make her particular about wanting to voice them right away.
"We haven't forgotten," Theo said at last. "We have always been a proud and noble people, but for thousands of years, we existed under the thumb of other magical races. The trolls subjugated us, and then it was the fae, and it was not until my father's reign that we broke free of our bondage. He was the one responsible for building our race's reputation as cruel, horrible creatures to the outside world." Theo slid a dagger from a sheath at his hip, then stabbed it into the arm of his chair. "Creatures that would do anything to get what they wanted: treasure."
"And where is your father now?" Beth asked in a surprising moment of bravery. "What does any of this have to do with us?"
Theo's gaze fell on Beth, staring back at her with a look of curiosity. "It has everything to do with you, little wolf. My father, the one responsible for orchestrating the destruction of your wolf pack, and many others, is dead by my hand."
"Are we supposed to care?" Beth growled, but even as she did, her mind was racing from the implications.
"The former king was the one with the vendetta against wolves. He is the one who tortured your kin and tricked them into taking cursed treasure from our hoard. He was the one who sought to eradicate your kind with a vengeance unlike no other." Theo leaned forward, his eyes glaring into Beth's. "You should care because without him, and I am now the ruler of the goblins. I alone am the one with the power to decide the direction our race takes in the generations to come. It isIwho will decide if I should pick up my father's vendetta, or if it should be put aside to pursue a different future."
Silence stretched between the wolves, and Beth looked up to Ken. She couldn't help but feel like this was all some sort of trap, but there was a glimmer of hope in Theo's words. If what he said was true, then perhaps there could be a chance for peace between their two peoples. She had never thought peace could be possible, or that she would even want it. But since finding Ken again, and on the verge of rebuilding the family she had lost, the last thing she wanted was to worry every day if the goblins would come to attack their pack again.
If they could find a way to stop that from happening, shouldn't they take it?
The only trouble was deciding if they could trust the goblins. There was so much bad blood between the wolves and the goblins, and for Beth, it was personal. They'd taken so much from her.
"It is my hope that we can find common ground," Theo continued. "That we can put aside our differences and exist in peace."
"And why would we want to do that?" Rick demanded, taking a step forward. "You've killed dozens of wolves amongst our packs. You threatened our livelihoods for three decades. We're not going to just roll over and let you live now that we know you're here."
"Why shouldn't you?" Theo's gaze swung to Ryel and Fin. "You two have personally killedhundredsof goblins. That is reason enough to kill you where you stand. I hope that won't be necessary."
"They attackedus.Ourfamily," Ryel growled. "We were protecting ourselves."