Archive of Our Own ^beta

Four days before a wedding

The whole idea of the arranged marriage had been organized around them, with little of their own input. Hob knows this much, because he was never consulted on the betrothal and he knows Rue would never have agreed to it had it not come from higher up in the Court of Wonder. 

If somebody had asked Hob about a new possible betrothal between the Court of Wonder and the Goblin Court to mend their differences, the good Captain would’ve seen the political advantages to that. It wouldn’t have soothed every and all past hurts, but it would’ve been a show of good faith between the two Courts. But everytime Hob thought about rekindling the connection between the Court of Wonder and the Goblin Court, Hob imagined it would be, again, a match between their viscountess Grabalba and prince Apollo.

Hob had never imagined that they would take advantage of Delloso de la Rue’s lowered standing. Had Hob known that the backlash of the duel would reach Rue in the form of such punishment, he would never have made the statements he did. Connecting the duel to the refused betrothal between viscountess Grabalba and prince Apollo had seemed like a smart play at that time. He’d said it because it sounded like a good move to pull and because he honestly hadn’t wanted to out Rue’s involvement and pull them into the mix of this ugly duel. And, of course, because Hob hadn’t known - still didn’t know - the real reason for the duel. 

Hob can admit to himself that he has developed a small infatuation with the beautifully handsome Master of Ceremonies. The fey is graceful and elegant and extremely competent in and completely out of Hob’s league. Delloso de la Rue is everything a Goblin like Hob is not. 

Neither Rue nor Wuvvy, or anybody else, ever explained the true reason of the duel to him, but Hob is not completely stupid and can put two and two together: Rue must’ve felt truly outraged after their conversation in the woods. Hob is aware of the standing of the Court of Goblins in larger society, so he understands that Rue wouldn’t want to be connected to him in any way of form. 

Yet, Rue had offered to go with him into the forest and Hob had been truly and utterly out of line to invite them up into hiding and insult the Master of Ceremonies’ camouflage during their hunt. Rue must’ve sucked up their hurt from Hob’s words at that time to salvage the conversation and keep things light. And for Hob to still try and touch Rue after such a horrible social pass? No wonder the Fey had demanded a duel for their honor. Hob had crossed a line - twice- and this was only the reasonable repercussions. 

Hob had thought that refusing to name Rue in his speech after the duel had been the most worthless apology he could give the Master of Ceremonies. It was a meager and useless kindness, yet it had been the only thing Hob could offer. 

Hob knows why he did it: in the short amount of time the two of them spent in the forest, Hob had fallen in love with Delloso de la Rue. They had asked for him to join them, they had helped along with the plan and encouraged young Wuvvy to do the same, they had waited alongside Hob instead of taking the adventurous route by actively hunting the Great Hart down. 

And above all, Delloso de la Rue had seemed interested in him. Hob now knows this was untrue, but they had acted as if Hob's words had really mattered to them. As if they had truly cared about connecting with Hob. Nobody, not in the Goblin Court and especially not anywhere else, had ever wanted to connect with him like that. Other Fey only sought Hob out when there was a war to win or a princess to escort, but never for something as personal as Rue had made their stay in the forest out to be. 

Rue claimed to see a lot of themself in Hob, claimed to have gotten caught up in the fun of the Hunt. It must’ve been all for show, all a trick, just as Lady Boil had said. Because the Fey had recoiled from him and that had been the first crack in their facade. Hob should’ve known from that alone that their whole spiel about likemindedness had been fake. Nobody willingly spends time with a Goblin and nobody wants to touch a soldier aside from hitting them in battle. 

In hindsight, Hob can see that this is where he messed up again… his worthless apology after the duel had been for nothing, because it makes sense that either Wuvvy or Rue themselves must’ve shared the real reason for the duel, including Rue’s instigation, with the Archfey of the Court of Wonder anyway. 

And the Court of Wonder wouldn’t have taken kindly to any social pass: they must’ve hated Hob for his social pass in the woods, but they probably wouldn’t have been happy with the duel Rue insisted on either. 

So, when the Goblin Court demanded satisfaction and came up with the idea of an arranged marriage, the Archfey of Wonder must’ve thought this was the perfect punishment for Rue. 

The idea of an arranged marriage is presented to Hob exactly four days before the ceremony. Lord Blemish and Lady Boil have called him to their tent. In an off-handed way they tell him the truth: “Captain Hob,” the Lady starts, “your neverending efforts to help the Court have been noted.” Seamlessly, Lord Blemish picks up: “The true reason for your presence at the Bloom has always been to…fix the situation with the Court of Wonder.”

Hob nods at that. 

“You’ll be glad to hear then that the situation with the Court of Wonder has been settled. The Court of Wonder has accepted our proposal for a marriage between different -new- representatives.”

The Captain opens his mouth to ask for clarification. But there had been no opening for discussion, no way for Hob to make his own opinion on the matter known. Not that he would’ve been able to, as his Lady continues:

“ You have been chosen to be part of this new Arrangement of marriage, as you’ve done so well already to settle the disagreements with the Court of Wonder. The Court of Wonder has chosen their own new representative and they have chosen Delloso de la Rue.”

No way, Hob thinks and he can feel a depreciating laugh bubbling up. It would be very out of turn to laugh in the face of your Lord and Lady, but Hob knows there’s no way Rue would go along with this Arrangement. It would end just like the last marriage, and this time it would be Hob’s heart breaking instead of Grabalba’s. 

“The Master of Ceremonies has already accepted the offer. Will you agree as well?” Lord Blemish remarks, almost as an afterthought. And that is when Hob’s brain truly breaks into tiny salt shaker pieces. 

Three days before a wedding

The idea of a marriage must’ve come from either Blemish or Boil, maybe both of them, Rue thought. It certainly wouldn’t have come from Captain Hob himself. Rue knows this much, because the disgusted Captain probably wouldn’t even utter Rue’s name, let alone think up a marriage between them, after the horrible way the duel had ended. Rue can still remember the hurt look on his face from when their eyes met across the field. 

Everybody else in the Bloom is ruled out too, because the Captain wouldn’t have followed such an horrible order from anyone but the royal Goblins. The Captain was a proud soldier and would probably follow orders to a t. Rue imagines Captain Hob would be a sight to behold on a battlefield, tuly in his element and completely at ease - so different from his stiff posture and overly formal speech during the Bloom. This reason alone would make anyone who would even think about ordering the Captain around the greatest fool at the Bloom. Only someone on the Court of Goblins, high above Captain Hob’s rank, would get the Goblin so far as to agree with what must be the worst political strategy in the Feywild. 

The letter of Hob’s acceptance had come yesterday late evening. Rue had already accepted the marriage the day prior to that. Although the idea of a new marriage as a form of demanded satisfaction has come from the Goblin Court itself, it shows a lot about the Captain’s willingness and his inclusion in the plan that Hob’s own acceptance wasn’t already included in the original offer. The Goblin clearly wasn’t in the loop of the decision making. His own agreement to the plan must’ve been an afterthought for Lord Blemish and Lady Boil. 

Rue spent last night imagining whatever horrible retribution the two Goblin royals would’ve threatened the good and honorable Captain with had he refused to their idea. Goblins probably have weird and nasty ways to put pressure on their own. 

Or maybe the captain hadn’t needed that much added pressure; he’s a soldier after all and soldiers are nothing but diligent to do their duty. Captain Hob possibly just swallowed his pride and agreed to the marriage with a sensible ‘yessir’. 

That would mean that the late reply of acceptance from Captain Hob was nothing but show and another way for the Goblin Court to put the Court of Wonder in their place: ‘you are the ones that are so desperate to ask for another marriage, not the other way around’. 

Because marrying Rue would be nothing more than another order and duty to the Captain either way. They know that for sure, Rue would be lucky if the Captain only regarded them with mild disdain, but the truth is probably worse. The Goblin would take it upon himself to marry the socially fallen Rue to show his fealty to the Goblin Court and mend the differences with the Court of Wonder, nothing more. 

And Rue themself had made it so easy for their own Archfey of Wonder to pick them out. Their status was low enough that they couldn’t deny the highborn Fey anything. This is what you get for showing your true authentic self, Rue thinks. 

They aren’t bitter about their choice to show themself at the tea party that day. Sure, they could’ve timed it better with their crashing reputation after the duel and following struggles in the maze, but they could never regret being themself after such a long time of hiding. Their true form was nothing to be ashamed of, Rue knows that. The many good reactions had helped too: Prince Andhera and Miss Gwendolyn had both been so nice. 

And for a second, Hob had looked at them with such fondness, they think. And that had been the best reaction of all: acceptance from another person like them. Because Rue is nothing but insightful and they can see that Captain Hob struggles with similar feelings of loneliness among his own Court. The Goblin is much taller than your average Goblin and moves and acts so different from them too. He’s duty-driven and focussed on serving his Court, even though he doesn’t truly fit in with them. It takes one to know one, Rue thinks. 

Yet the Captain never let all that stop him. The Captain never hid behind glamours and facades. Captain Hob was more than just any Goblin and wore his duty and trust like medals from a hard fought battle. Just like a soldier, Hob fights to be his true authentic self, even though it chafes with expectations from society. 

Captain Hob had drawn Rue in like a moth to a flame, just by being his normal self. If Rue’s loneliness had been a frozen lake, then Hob’s trust in his own abilities was the spring thaw. If Rue’s glamours and pretending are a form of drowning, then Hob’s comfort in his own body is coming up for a fresh breath of air. 

And Rue knows it is completely their own fault that the good Captain is now chained to a marriage. After all, it had been Rue who was stupid enough to fall in love with the Captain. It had been Rue who created the dreadful business with the duel and it had been Rue who thought it had been a good idea to drop their Glamor during the tea party. 

Captain Hob had been nothing but a good, yet passive, participant in the Bloom and a dutiful soldier to the Goblin Court. Hob was at the Bloom to help Lord Blemish and Lady Boil to find a match. He probably never intended to find himself stuck in matchmaking scemes. Unfortunately, the Goblin had met Rue and Rue was nothing but disastrous when it came to their own love life, so here the two of them are. 

Rue knows the date for the wedding has been set to three days from now. The two Courts clearly want to settle this dispute over the broken marriage between viscountess Grabalba and prince Apollo before the end of this Bloom. 

Therefore, a  beautiful garden with a pristine white gazebo has been chosen as their set for the ceremony. They clearly can't very well move every participant to one of the Castles of the two Courts. And since the grounds of the Bloom are already prepared for a feast such as a wedding, it only makes sense they stay here for the occasion. 

Rue wonders what Captain Hob thinks about their very public wedding. Has the Goblin ever dreamed of his future wedding? If so, Hob probably wishes for a private, small affair back in the territory of the Goblins. As far as Rue knows, the Captain has no family present on the Bloom right now. Neither has Rue, but that is by their design and preference. The Captain never had that choice. 

Wuvvy has honorably handed Rue an metaphorical olive branch and has offered to help with the preparations of the wedding. Food, decorations and seating arrangements, it is all in the capable hands of Wuvvy. Rue has barely dared to offer any suggestions, their relationship still tense after the Command and the duel. Sure, they had made up the day after, but Rue still feels tense around basically everyone, including dear Wuvvy. Nothing had felt real after the idea of the marriage had reached their ears.

But Wuvvy’s hard work leaves Rue only with the organization of their own outfit. Four days to find an outfit for what should be the most special day in their lives sounds like a short time, but to Rue it feels like forever. The fabrics and braids are the only things that keep Rue’s thoughts from wandering back to Captain Hob and there’s only so much time in the day one can spend thinking about an outfit. 

So, the days seem to drag on… until Captain K.P. Hob corners them in private.

Two days before a wedding

Hob manages to find Rue alone by accident. Well, the Fey isn’t completely alone, yet Hob has no idea who they’re with. Hob has been told Rue and a seamstress are currently working on their wedding attire in one of the many tents of the Court of Wonder. Another Fairy has  pointed Hob to the right tent and that’s where the Captain finds himself right now.

Hob waits at the outside of the almost closed tent flap to listen in. Not to be nosy and overhear private conversations, but more with the intention as to find out if it’s alright to interrupt. The tone of voices can say a lot about a conversation and although Hob isn’t proficient in those, he’s learned a few tricks through the years.

Some might still call it eavesdropping, but Hob is still glad he does, as he manages to hear the end of what sounds like a very unpleasant conversation: 

“-might think that it’s okay for someone like you, but it is unacceptable for the Court of Wonder. You can be a monster over there, but we are respectable, Rue. You are lucky our Archfey even-”

Whatever Fey regards themselves powerful enough to talk to Rue like that never gets to finish their sentence as Hob unapologetically barges into the room with much noise, putting every practice of Rumpus to good use.  

“Good morning- oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt! So sorry, I really didn’t mean to barge in like that!” Hob gives his most exasperated Goblin salute he can think of -three stomps on the floor and a long whistle with clawed thumb and finger- and bows to the two to hide his smirk. His entrance has had the desired effect as a yellow skinned, dandelion-themed seamstress Fey startles from his interruption. She drops a skein of red yarn and abruptly snaps her mouth shut, soon moving around Hob to get out of the room. 

It’s impolite to leave company without greeting, Hob thinks and gives the Fey a pointed “have a good day” with another sarcastic bow. The seamstress doesn’t answer nor apologize and Hob’s alright with that. He’s just glad the Fey leaves so Hob doesn’t have to suppress the urge to snarl at them. Nobody should be allowed to talk to Rue like that. 

But Hob almost panics himself as he looks back towards Rue. The Master of Ceremonies has such an honest and pure look of gratitude and affection on their face it freaks Hob out just a little bit. It only lasts a moment, but then Rue seems to catch themself and recollects their posture; hiding their true emotions behind a mask of politeness again. 

Yet Hob cannot forget he just got another second of a real emotion from the Mistrex of the Bloom. He hasn’t seen many, but he already wants to hoard those true emotions nonetheless. 

But Hob also knows Rue’s true thoughts and emotions are not shared with someone like him; he has no right to call Rue their friend let alone a confidant. The knowledge that they might never freely share that together sits heavy in his stomach. Hob has to scrape his bravery from the floor to not immediately turn around and leave Rue in peace. 

Rue will be stuck with them for the rest of their lives, so Hob should give them space whenever he can. But he actually has something to share with them, so he gives Rue a moment to recollect themself, put the mask on more steadily, before he starts.  But before Hob can spring the conversation, Rue beats them to it. “How much did you hear?” they ask.

The Captain shrugs. He’d been more than happy to leave the previous conversation in the past. Rue clearly understands he overheard something , but Hob knows it’s impolite in society -society outside of the Goblin Court- to talk about information you gained through eavesdropping. 

“I heard the last bit,” Hob confesses, “I heard enough to understand that Fey shouldn’t be speaking to you like that.” 

“You don’t have to worry about the inner workings of the Court of Wonder. Any and all sour apples, I can handle myself.” Rue answers and Hob politely nods. He can spot a refusal for help like that clearly: Rue doesn’t want him meddling in their affairs. Soldier Goblins aren’t made with silver tongues, a reprimand Hob has heard before and a lesson he’s learned already.  

Instead, Hob stares at the satin white cloth pinned to a mannequin. It will probably become a veil or a cape of some kind, but Hob immediately notices the cloth will be too short to work for Rue’s true form. The mannequin is formed to look like the petite shapes of a humanoid; it would be too ill-fitted for an Owlbear. 

“Will you be wearing your glamour? During the ceremony, I mean.” Hob asks, already knowing the answer. 

Rue stares at them long and hard with an unreadable look in their eyes. Hob can only describe it as ‘drained’. He immediately knows he’s asked too much of the Fey, but he’s glad all the same when they answer. 

“Would you prefer m- it if I wore this glamour?”

I want whatever makes you happy on this day, your true form is beautiful, I always want you happy is what Hob wants to say, but he knows he’s pushing it with thoughts like that. Rue doesn’t want his affections. 

“I imagine your Court had some say in the organization?” Hob asks instead. He reaches out to touch the threads of the veil, but catches himself before his claws make contact with the garment. He doesn’t want to soil the cloth like that. 

“Yes, yes they did.” Rue tiredly answers and Hob nods and leaves it at that. He understands though: Rue didn’t have a say in which form they could show during the wedding. Being presentable and upholding is more important to the Court of Wonder.

Hob wants to assure them that the Fey would never have to hide their true form during their stay at the Goblin Court. But they never even discussed where they would go after their wedding: Goblin or Wonder. Hob assumes that, since Rue’s status, however sullied, is technically still higher than his own, they'll stay at the Court of Wonder. Most political marriages work like that. 

Rue would probably feel uncomfortable at the Goblin Court too. Yet they might not like staying with the Court of Wonder either with how they’ve been treating them recently, Hob thinks as he stares at Rue’s resigned face. 

He never voices any of this, knowing that his presence is probably further tiring and annoying the Master of Ceremonies already, yet Hob has one thing to share with the Fey; his original reason for seeking them out. 

“Rue,” the Captain speaks, knowing that he isn’t really allowed to use their informal name like that, yet he still loves the way their name sounds on his tongue, “I would reassure you that even though this…Arrangement is, like any other Fey deal, binding and unbreakable, I would never impose on you. I respect you and would never dare to ask anything of you that you are not comfortable giving. Or doing. Or sharing. Do you understand?”

Rue stares at him for a full minute. Their face is unreadable and Hob wishes he could read minds again. Rue turns away from him, their fingers tracing the patterns of the white veil. Their current outfit with loose, long green hair prevents Hob from seeing their face. 

“I understand, Captain. And I am glad that you…made things clear.”

“Did it?” Hob wonders if he's missed something again. Rue sounds sad all of a sudden. 

“Yes,” Rue answers with a bit too much force, “this way, we’ll both know where we stand in this…”

“Arrangement.” Hob completes their sentence. Rue gives him a look of displeasure, the first he’s spotted in their conversation, but probably not the first the Fey has shown on their face, Hob imagines. Again, he wishes he were better at conversations like this. 

“I wish you wouldn’t call it an Arrangement.” 

“What would you wish me to call it?” He makes sure to soften his posture and make it sound like a request for clarification. Be dutiful and diligent and people will like you. 

“A ‘marriage’?” Rue answers. “Even if it’s not a true love’s match, can we at least step away from the idea that it is simply a political move to further our Courts agendas?”

“If that is what you wish-” “Yes, that is what I wish.” Rue interrupts him. “We could call it my wedding gift: I wish that we could at least…pretend to be on friendly terms. I know love is too much to ask for and nobody would believe it anyway if we claimed to be in love right now. But some marriages are built on far less, so maybe over time, we could pretend to actually have some affection for each other?”

Hob has trouble following, bad at reading between the lines that he is, and Rue clearly sees it on his face. They step closer and grab both of his hands in theirs. If Rue thinks that would actually help him focus, the Fey is greatly mistaken, Hob thinks as he zones in on the feeling of their hands over his. 

“Could you at least pretend?” Rue asks with the softest plea. 

Anything for you, I am ready to give. Hob knows Rue is way better at pretending and working a Court. Any and all instructions on how Rue wants Hob to act along with their plans and facades would be most welcome. If Rue has some plan to regain their popularity and power, Hob will happily play along. 

It’s not even a difficult order: pretend to have affections for Rue. It might be the easiest order Hob has ever recieved. It might actually be a blessing, this way he wouldn’t have to hide his true feelings and he could pretend his already present affections are nothing but good acting skills. 

“Anything for you, my dearest Rue.” The endearment rolls off his tongue before Hob knows it. He squeezes Rue’s small hands in his and leaves before he can embarrass himself any further. 

One day before a wedding

It is close to midnight and Rue knows they should be sleeping. Tomorrow is a big day and they should be well rested. If not for their looks, then at least to be awake enough to keep the anxiety at bay. Instead the Master of Ceremonies finds themself writing letter after letter, before tearing them all to shreds. 

Every torn piece of paper ends as fuel for a small candle on their desk. There are ash tailings littered about, smudging fresh sheets of paper before they ever get used. All letters are addressed to a certain Goblin and Rue hates that they’re still too cowardly to actually send a letter and share their honest thoughts with the Captain of the Goblin Court. 

A knock on the door interrupts their work. Rue hides their most recent failure of a letter before opening the door: Wuvvy. Both Fey stand frozen for a second, carefully watching the other. “May I come in?” Wuvvy asks. 

Rue takes a step back and gestures for their friend to take a seat. “How have you been doing, my friend?” they ask. 

“Shouldn’t I be asking you?” Wuvvy counters. Rue’s heart aches for the care Wuvvy keeps showing them; she truly is the most wonderful Fey. 

“Actually,” Rue says with a soft smile, “we’ve been talking a lot about me in the last few days. I have been neglecting you, my dearest.”

The two Fey take a seat and curl up in one of the big couches, their knees touching lightly. Wuvvy stares at the already laid out wedding dress in the middle of the room. It stands proudly on a mannequin: it's a three piece outfit with many layers and details, truly a work to behold. 

“I've been thinking about what to do after the wedding,” Wuvvy contemplates. “I think I would want to go back to the Court of Hoof and Claw. If you’re not here, I have nothing to stay for.”

“What about the Bloom?” Rue asks and Wuvvy gives them a sympathetic look. 

“For me, there is no Bloom without you.” Wuvvy smiles at them, both sad and serious. Rue can only stare at her in wonder. How and when did they manage to find such a good friend?

“You know I love you.” is all they can say, overcome with emotion. 

“I know. Please, for me, be happy with this choice. I know it wasn’t completely your own decision, but in some ways you still got what you wanted.”

“He doesn’t.” Rue whispers, staring at the wall. 

“He doesn’t… what?” Wuvvy frowns, not understanding where the statement comes from. 

“He doesn’t want me. Doesn’t love me like that. He told me so yesterday. He came to me and told me he doesn’t expect any ‘marriage obligations’ from me. He is clearly only marrying me because his Court ordered him to and he holds no feelings for me. At all.”

Wuvvy leans forward and puts her arms around them, hugging tightly. “What did you say to him?” she asks, her cheek leaning against their shoulder. Rue knows their voice sounds hollow and broken as they explain, but this is Wuvvy; the only person who ever got close to being their confidant. “I asked if he could at least pretend to be friends, act as if there’s affection between us to lull the Courts into thinking there’s no need for war. He agreed.” 

“Well, at least he knows what’s good for him…”

“The Goblin is not stupid, Wuvvy.” Rue counters their friend, with no real heat in their voice, only sadness. “He knows that this marriage is just the first step in mending the relations between our Courts. Things can still turn sour if we don’t pretend to be happy with this new alliance. The fate of our Courts rests on our shoulders - mainly on his and his ability to pretend to like me.”

Wuvvy leans back out of the embrace and Rue already misses her presence. Instead, she grabs their shoulders, taking a deep look in their eyes. “And you are okay with this? All of this?”

“I don’t really have a choice now, do I? This whole business is basically my fault, isn’t it?”

“It’s not!” Wuvvy immediately interrupts. “You never forced this marriage business on him, his Lord and Lady did. And our Archfey chose you in some form of petty revenge. And if I were honest,” Wuvvy starts whispering at this point, “if Prince Apollo weren’t such a coward we wouldn’t even be in this situation. You and Captain Hob are more principled and noble than a true prince, if you asked me.”

Rue feels the tears coming up in their eyes. They don’t know what else to say but: “You’re my best friend.” 

“And you are mine.” Wuvvy smiles. “If you and Captain Hob ever want a break from the prying eyes of your Courts, come look me up in the Court of Hoof and Claw. I’ll always have a plate set out for you.”

Rue smiles and the two friends spend the night in Rue’s chambers. The next morning, they start early to prepare Rue for their entrance. If this is their wedding, Rue wants to make sure they’re dressed for the occasion and the chosen outfit will fit the theme of the wedding just fine. Rue knows Wuvvy made sure to match most of the decorations to their outfit, the Satyr would do nothing less. 

Close to noon, a knock sounds on the door and sweet Gwendolyn enters, dragging their Human in tow. “Hello Rue,” the Fairy hugs them softly, making sure not to wrinkle their dress. “I brought Wanessa, is that alright? The Seafoam Court was kind of done with her, but the clause in Wanessa’s contract says she cannot leave or die before the end of the Bloom. So, I have kind of been taking her everywhere. I did bring the crowns you asked me to.”

The last part is addressed to Wuvvy as the Fairy hands over an ornate silver box. Wuvvy opens the lid and shows Rue a set of silver and golden crowns. 

“Of course that’s alright, the more the merrier.” Rue nods at the Human who has placed herself in one of the corners of the room, her back to a wall. She, again, seems nervous to be close to Fey. 

“So, how will a wedding between Fey work?” Little human Wanessa asks. 

“Well, I guess it’s a lot like your weddings in the material plane.” Gwendolyn answers. “We might have a few different traditions, but nothing too strange.” Wanessa doesn’t seem convinced, but Gwendolyn doesn’t notice as she asks Rue another question: “It is a spring wedding, so your walk down to the officiant will be counterclockwise, right?” 

“Counterclockwise, yes.” Rue answers. Most Fey weddings have the soon to be wed couple approach ‘the Wedding Ground’ over a spiral path. Guests will stand along the path to greet and join the happy couple in their walk towards the Wedding Ground. Depending on the season, the path will either be clockwise or counterclockwise. 

Then there are some traditions that are selectively from the Court of Wonder: setting two white doves free -the Lords of the Wing have offered to provide the prettiest pair in their flock for the occasion- and Rue and Hob are to wear crowns made of silver flowers. 

Rue is unsure if there are many traditions from the Goblin Court they don’t know about. They should’ve asked Captain Hob about that. Oh well, too late now, Rue thinks as they turn over one small silver crown in their hands. A second crown still rests in the box. 

Captain Hob and them are supposed to help each other put on the crowns. So, as the door to their changing room opens, the Master of Ceremonies is surprised to see Lord Airavis and Lady Featherfowl enter instead of the Goblin. There are two white doves on the shoulders of Lady Featherfowl. 

More polite greetings happen as the two newcomers give their compliments on Rue’s dress and on the whole marriage in general. There’s one tense moment where Lord Airavis and Wuvvy ‘reïntroduce’ themselves to each other, this time making sure that the Lord of the Wings knows her as ‘Wuvvy’ and not ‘Rue’s assistant’. 

It is at this moment that Hob, accompanied by the Unseelie Prince Andhera, enters the dressing room at last. The Captain is also already wearing their wedding attire: it’s a complete replica of his normal uniform, but in different colors. The suit is made from a pristine white cloth, decorated with embroidered acorns, flowers, birds and stars on the hem of his sleeves and lapels. His sash is still red, but emptied of its decorations. There’s Myrtle flowers sticking out of his breast pocket and the Captain is without his hat. 

The Goblin also somehow managed to get Salt Goblin dirt tracks on his shoulder pads. Rue sees that Wuvvy spots them too, yet the Satyr politely keeps their mouth shut. 

Captain Hob seems rushed yet unsure as he keeps his eyes downcast and shuffles his feet on the spot near the door. “They forgot to warn me sooner.” the Goblin mumbles apologetically to Rue. “We are supposed to act out a tradition of your Court, if I am not mistaken?”

“Yes we are, and don’t worry, you’re not late. Could you come over here and help me, please?” Rue asks and only after this does Hob dare to look up at them. Rue clearly spots the look of admiration Hob gives them as the Captain lets his gaze drift over their attire. 

“You look stunningly beautiful, dear Rue.” Hob smiles bashfully at them. Rue blushes and sees the smiles the Lord of the Wing give each other. The two are already buying the fabricated love story it seems. Rue, too, has to admit that Hob is a good actor if he wants to be. 

 “Thank you,” Rue answers, forcing their blush away, “I have something for you…Hob.” And they hand over the second crown. The items are made of a thin, braided band of gold, decorated with tiny flowers made of glass and silver. Both of them will wear one for the ceremony; for good luck and pure love. But wearing the crowns isn’t the important part of the tradition; it’s helping each other prepare and dress that incites the true magic. 

Rue explains all of this to the Captain as they place his crown between his ears. The band is thin and almost disappears along the long tufts of fur. The Goblin has to crouch down a little bit to help Rue, their glamoured self not as tall as their Owlbear form. Then, Hob places the second crown on Rue’s head, making sure the back hides underneath their braids of hair so it looks more like a tiara. 

The other Fey in the room, Wuvvy, Gwendolyn, Prince Andhera and the Lords of the Wing -and even little Wanessa- will act as the ceremonial spectators: they have witnessed the couple act out the preparation for the wedding and will stand for the legitimacy of the upcoming ceremony. 

“I have, if you’d be amenable to it- you don’t have to, of course,” Captain Hob stumbles over his words, “I have a gift for you also, if you’d want it?” And the Goblin produces two wooden spoons from his breast pocket. The set is nicely carved from a darkish wood and the handles are painted over, both with a single purplish peonie. 

“In the Goblin Court, it is tradition to present your partner with self crafted spoons when you ask them for their hand in marriage. We kind of missed that moment, but I wanted to give you these nonetheless, if you wanted to have them?”

“You made them yourself?” Rue asks in wonder.

“Yesterday afternoon, yes.” is the answer, softly spoken. “They’re nothing like these golden crowns and they’re not worth much, but they’re useful and if you don’t like them you could use them as kindling for a campfire too.”

Rue takes the gift with a smile and courtesies the Captain. Hob offers them his arm and they gladly take it. 

“Are you ready?” the Captain asks and Rue nods. 

The wedding day

Nothing feels more like entering into battle than walking down a Spiral Path towards your own wedding. 

Hob leads Rue over the freshly laid white pebbles in the grassy field, past all the wedding guests that join behind them. There truly are a lot of Fey present during the Bloom and all of them seem to be in attendance for their wedding ceremony. 

Some of the guests offer polite wishes of happiness and health, others hold up flowers or sprinkle glitters and pure starlight over them. Everything smells and looks as magical as intended. The fresh air of the early evening tells of promises of a night spent well partying. A wedding during a Bloom sure must be the purest spring of magic around. 

Hob tries to keep an eye on Rue as they walk. When Rue’s in this form, his steps are much larger than theirs. He wants to make sure that he’s not marching too fast, nor does he want to appear hesitant to approach the Wedding Ground. Their appearance in public will decide the rumors for the next unforeseen future, so best to look proud and happy. 

Captain Hob is forcefully pulled from his thoughts when Rue actually looks up at him. They’re beautiful, as always, and Hob has difficulty not to stare. They’re wearing the most beautiful red blouse and white skirt under a long, white cape. It all looks like a mix of two styles: Wonder and Goblin. Hob wonders if Rue hates it. 

There are glimmers and sparkles and shooting stars everywhere on the cloth, the flowing of the skirt and cape make it seem as if everything moves on its own. The blouse somehow matches his own sash in color and the Fey even has a beautiful brooch pinned to their lapel. It is a silver peony and Hob is glad he correctly remembered the flowers Rue wore in their true form during the tea party. It would be embarrassing had he used a different flower on the spoons. 

They’re slowly making their rounds across the spiral path. Hob can see the small gazebo at the center and end of their path. He feels Rue hold on tighter to his arm and Hob makes sure to straighten his posture even more. He wants to show all the guests that he isn’t scared of them and would square off to any one of them if they dare cross Rue. 

They finally reach the end of the spiral in the middle of this field, the last guests step closer around the gazebo, the more important Archfey already taking their spot at the front. Lord Airvaris and Lady Featherfowl close off the cobblestone road behind the couple, giving Hob a feathered thumbs-up as he looks at them. 

Hob glances forward again as he feels a slight tug coming from Rue. The Master of Ceremonies leads him up the three small steps of the gazebo: the center and their Wedding Ground. The open garden house is actually bigger than Hob thought it would be. It’s also well-decorated with crawling ivy, glowing lightning bugs and soft smelling flowers. 

The ceremony master, some Archfey from the Court of Wonder, starts his spiel about their Arrangement and Hob tries not to zone out. He stands straight and unmoving, knowing the Goblins have always hated his refusal to twitching and fluttering, yet he cannot help it. Rue probably hates it too. He schools his face and takes steadying breaths in through his nose and out of his mouth, something he usually does before heading into battle. 

He looks at Rue and knows this Arrangement is hurting them. Hob despises it; knows that whatever happens in their Arrangement, he will do whatever it takes to keep them happy. He could never hurt Rue on purpose and Hob thinks to himself: If this is a battle, I hope I lose. 

At the same moment, Rue is thinking something eerily similar: a social gathering never felt more like a war front and I don’t want us to die. 

Rue can practically feel their heartbeat in their throat. The staring eyes don’t really help, even though some of the attendants seem genuine in their show of appreciation. One could never be certain of Fey's emotions and real thoughts, Rue knows. They themself are a great example of this, but the Archfey of Wonder are probably even better at pretending. Rue looks at them, but all Lords and Ladies in attendance seem completely happy with the preceding ceremony.

Rue wonders if the Archfey’s proficiency at pretending comes with an proficiency to spot another’s acting too. If so, are the softly happy looks Hob and Rue offer each other enough to convince the Courts that this marriage will lead to steadier times in the Feywild?

The Captain’s face is unreadable and Rue wonders what their own face is doing right now. 

I respect you, the captain had said during their conversation at the seamstress and Rue knows the Goblin spoke the truth. This knowledge twists in their stomach, that even after everything that went down, with the duel and their own refusal to speak with the Captain, Hob still holds them in good regard. 

But respect can mean many things and Rue is once again reminded that the masses said the great Captain once showed respect to lord Andhera by refusing him the killing blow on the battlefields of Briar Falls all those years ago. And the Unseelie Court had lived with that scornful and shameful ‘respect’ for years. 

So, maybe respect from a Goblin means something different to them than it does to the average Fey? Maybe respect from a Goblin is supposed to hurt. Or maybe that’s just the difference between a soldier and the civilians; Rue sure feels like there’s still a sword hanging above their head. Some say love is a battlefield, after all. 

Rue knows there’s no saving their heart in this battle; they don’t know when or why, but they’ve fully given it to Hob by now. Maybe it was the easy way Hob lives as his true self: values that are not truly accepted by the Goblins, but with mannerisms that are not fully accepted by the other fey. Yet fully and proudly themselves, something Rue only dared to try during the tea party. 

There’s no salvaging parts of Rue’s heart for another lover and Rue will forever be stuck in this place where the one they love doesn't love them back. And somehow, they feel at peace with that.

Sure, this situation is way out of their comfort zone of playing Master of Ceremonies for centuries. But maybe change can be good? Maybe this means that they can finally try to figure out who they truly are behind the masks of polite politics and glamours. Surely Captain Hob of all people wouldn’t mind if Rue tried to be themselves a bit more often? 

The ceremony of their marriage is over before Rue can fully digress it. Lord Airavis and Lady Featherfowl personally hand Rue and Hob a white dove each. The birds calmly stay with them, clearly instructed with orders to behave. For a moment, Rue fears Hob will actually eat the bird in his claws -the dove seems to think so too, judging by their wide eyes. 

Of course, Hob knows better and faces Rue. The taller and broad shouldered Captain blocks out most of Rue’s view of the guests as they lean close to each other. It feels like protection. Rue had known this moment was coming, yet they feel like they should’ve discussed this part in the ceremony with Hob beforehand: sealing their new bond with a kiss. 

Maybe the two of them should’ve discussed if Hob was comfortable with this? It certainly isn’t Rue’s first kiss, but it does feel like a marriage kiss holds more weight than random kisses during parties that happened eons ago. 

Ah, well too late to discuss boundaries now, Rue thinks as they lean forward. Hob’s gaze flickers to their lips before closing his eyes and Rue follows suit. 

The kiss is sweet and short, with just enough pressure to feel the small tusks of the Captain press against the corner of their mouth. The glamour Rue wears is strong enough to fool all senses and they hope Hob feels their smile enter their face right before they break apart. Rue makes sure to keep the smile on their face for another second or two, just so enough guests can see it too. 

Hob looks a bit nervous and Rue makes sure to smile at the Goblin: See, I am alright and happy with this, please act like you’re too. The two hold up their hands and let the white birds fly away, signaling to the visitors further away from the Wedding Ground that the marriage is official. A polite applause from the attendants and a loud hollering from the Lords of the Wing starts up. 

Rue grabs their partner's hand and Hob holds on tight. He holds on tight all through the beginning of the following party and well into the night. 

One week into a marriage

Rue and Hob start their travels towards the Goblin territory before the sun has fully risen. There are still guests partying around, the Lords of the Wing leading most of the entertainment. Prince Andhera’s singing voice sounds clear and sweet. The Prince is out of sight, but the darkness carries his voice around the field. 

Rue informs Wuvvy of the fact that they will be leaving any minute now and the two say their goodbyes in front of a small but comfortable looking carriage. Rue is sure that Wuvvy and them will see each other soon enough. They’ve been friends and working buddies for literal eons, there’s nothing that could break their bond now. They’ll see each other even without a Bloom to connect them to a common cause. 

Rue wonders if they’ll still be asked to be the Master of Ceremonies for the next Bloom, or if their dip in status and following marriage is enough to make the Court of Wonder consider another Fey for the job. Only time will tell, they know. Rue already wishes their next victim good luck with it. 

Captain Hob has informed exactly up to one little Goblin about his departure. The Captain spends fifteen minutes trying to find his Lord and Lady, with no luck. In the end, he leaves a note and informs a small Salt Goblin about their departure and orders them to return their silver crowns to Miss Gwendolyn. The crowns were loaned, after all, and the Salt Goblin salutes their Captain before starting the daunting task of dragging the heavy headpieces to Gwendolyn’s room. 

The couple travels by carriage, having decided to go to the Goblin Court first. A visit to the Court of Wonder will follow afterwards. Rue and Hob know they have to pay their respects to the inhabitants of the Court that didn’t make it to the Bloom. There are the Goblin King and the Unicorn Queen Lurue and many other Fey who deserve a personal visit to update everyone on the new alliance. 

Hob seems perfectly fine to visit his Court first. Rue is just glad that they don’t have to visit their own Court yet. The knowledge of their true form has probably already been shared with some of the non-attending Fey and Rue hopes there will be less pointed questions the longer they wait. 

“Captain Hob?” Rue asks as they watch the sunrise from the small window of their carriage. The Goblin turns towards them. “Feel free to call me ‘Hob’ if you want to. I imagine we’re past those formalities.”

“Sure, Hob .” Rue smiles at the easy way his name sounds. It already sounds like a nickname somehow, making every interaction only that more intimate and personal. “I was wondering, has your Court instructed you on…certain living arrangements?”

“How so?”

“Well, I know that it is common for a married couple to choose one Court as their new place of living. Goblin and Wonder never came to an agreement on where Viscountess Grabalba and Prince Apollo would hold their homestead, since the marriage was halted before this came on the table. So I do not know what is expected of us either. Have Lord Blemish or Lady Boil shared anything with you? Where are we expected to hold Court?”

Hob’s ears twitch in an unreadable way and the Captain seems lost in thought for a moment. “They haven’t told me anything on that matter, no. I imagine that, as long as nobody instructs us to stay somewhere, this means we get to choose for ourselves? I know most soldiers are allowed to choose, as are most other common Fey. I imagine it’s only the noble Fey who have to think about stuff like that.”

“I see,” Rue blushes in embarrassment. They don’t want Hob to think they didn’t know that. It would be bad if Hob thought they are too noble-y to know this. “Then, do you have- I mean, I imagine you would prefer to stay with the Goblin Court?”

“Not really. I haven’t been outside of Goblin territory, outside of war campaigns and Blooms. I don’t even know what most other Courts look like. I wouldn’t mind exploring.”

It is a very mild and politically polite way of saying: I don’t want to make a decision yet and accidentally insult you in doing so. Rue knows this answer from the Goblin is what they deserve, especially after the duel and all. Still, it stings not to have that trust and openness from the always honest -and sometimes blunt- Captain. 

“Traveling does have a nice ring to it,” They agree. “I spent most of my time preparing for the Blooms. I haven’t seen much of the world either. And if I remember correctly, prince Andhera has invited you to come and visit the Unseelie lands, haven’t they?”

“That is correct. You don’t have to come, of course, but would you like to visit the Prince along with me?”  Hob sounds oh so unsure when he asks them. 

“Of course, I’d love to.” Rue smiles. A long pause falls. Lords, will all of their private conversations be so stiff? It feels like they’re literally stumbling around in darkness. 

Their travels towards the domain of the Goblins takes the full day. Rue tries to engage the Captain in conversation, but the Goblin seems too nervous and dismissive to keep the exchange going. Rue stops trying sometime after lunch. 

It is late, close to sundown, when Hob breaks the silence. “There’s something I have to teach you.”

Rue turns away from the window to look at him. “When we meet the other Goblins tonight, they might act…in ways you are unfamiliar with. We should be fine if you follow my lead a bit: eat from the right pots and pans and I’ll whisper the names of any Goblins you might not recognise. There are a lot of us who have never visited the Bloom.”

Rue nods at that, it all sounds standard information: lots of friendly Fey do this for each other when visiting a new Court. Rue did it for Wuvvy when she joined the Court of Wonder. Although Captain Hob might think this isn’t as common as Rue knows it is; the Goblin Court so rarely makes contact with any other Court except for the Court of Mischief.

“There is one thing, however,” Hob continues, “where you really shouldn’t copy me. And that is when we salute the Goblin King.”

“Salute… the Goblin King?” 

“Yes, with a Goblin Salute.” Hob answers as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Whenever we greet another Goblin that has a higher status than us, you greet them with a Salute. If a Goblin from a lower standard Salutes you, it is polite to greet them back, although you are allowed to ignore them if you don’t want to speak with them. But! A Salute may never be repeated and the grandness of the Salute should fit the occasion.”

Rue has seen the Captain and other Goblins greet others with weird salutes. They had always thought the movements were at random. The fact that there are rules and levels to these Salutes… Rue feels their palms sweat up just a little bit. 

“How will I know to give the right salute? How grand should each salute be?”

“Like I said, it all depends on the severity of the situation and the person you’re speaking with. Three movements are normal for greeting any nobility, more are allowed if they have given you a favor of some kind. Four movements always felt weird to me, so I recommend going with five or six - never do only one, that is considered rude.”

“And what movements…?”

Captain Hob spends the following period demonstrating a collection of movements one could put in a Goblin Salute. Rue uses this opening to ask some more general questions about what to expect. Captain Hob turns out to have a vast understanding of the strangest rules and traditions Rue had ever heard. And Hob manages to explain them with a dictionary description, Rue is impressed. 

Their meeting with the Goblin King goes as well as could be expected. Rue’s surprised to see that the actual ‘castle’ of the Goblin Court is nothing but a group of campfires held in the ruins of an old keep. The roof is broken away and the stars and full moon shine brightly down on the wild grounds. There are so many Goblins: dancing, eating, singing and causing all kinds of Mayhem and Rumpus. 

It all gives off such Midsommar night’s dream feelings and the sounds and smells of the soft summer night make Rue want to change back into their true form. But they are too scared of the newness, so instead, they hold onto Hob’s arm like it’s a lifeline. 

The King, at least, seems impressed with Rue’s salute and greets them with a loud howl. A whole group of Goblins follow suit and that’s mostly it. The King asks Hob some more questions about the Bloom. Rue tries to follow the conversation, truly, but there’s so much happening in the Court of Goblins that it’s hard to understand. 

“Here,” Hob says to them, “let’s get something to eat, you haven’t eaten anything since lunch and it will be close to midnight for a while here. Don’t let time fool you in Goblin circles.”

The two of them make their way around one of the campfires. Rue already knew that Goblins are big on communal banquets and the hall of the Goblin King has nothing but the best. 

Rue’s picking out some vegetables while Hob goes to grab some drinks when it happens: a smaller Goblin, gray-skinned with long ears with tufts on them, makes a grab for Rue’s ankles. Before Rue understands what’s happening, they’ve crashed against the table, food spilling everywhere followed by loud Goblin snickers and laughs. 

Then, out of nowhere, Captain Hob is there. The Goblin snarls, really snarls and Rue has difficulty not to cower away from him themself. The long-eared Goblin seems pretty scared too, yet they still bare their teeth in defiance. Captain Hob’s not having it and, with incredibly fast reflexes, grabs the smaller fellow in their claws and throws him . And with a beautiful arch, the annoying little thing lands in a pile of empty pots and pans on the other side of the dancing circle. 

The resulting crash draws the attention of the full Court in attendance. “There are to be NO tricks played on Delloso de la Rue, my partner and our new connection with the Court of Wonder. The next one to try any Mayhem on them will be thrown into the Bellyfall lake. Am I understood?!” Hob yells. Nobody dares to move a finger, until some Goblins back away, one even dropping a broom they found somewhere. 

The party slowly returns to its original festivities. And Hob moves closer to Rue, even going as far as holding on to their elbow. That is one way to convince a Court of the legality and seriousness of a marriage, Rue thinks. Hob is one hell of an actor if he wants to be. 

“I’m sorry, are you alright?” The Captain asks and Rue nods. “Come on, let’s take this food and eat it at my place. We’ve shown ourselves enough for now.” 

Rue nods again, still not certain about their voice. 

Hob’s place turns out to be a ‘little treehouse he built himself’. The statement is strange enough to pull Rue from their silence. “You actually built your own house? That’s incredible!”

“It’s small and nothing like the castles you must be used to, so don’t act too excited about it.” Hob answers bashfully, yet Rue imagines he likes the compliment. “Plus, you haven’t even seen it.” Hob says as he leads Rue through the forest around a big lake - lake Bellyfall, probably. 

As they approach Hob’s treehouse, Rue comes to the conclusion that it is not so little after all. Between the branches and leaves of this giant oak, Rue can spot a two storey treehouse made from wooden planks, ropes and other material. It looks pretty sturdy and completely magical.  

“Let me just uhm, fix us a ladder for you.” Hob mumbles before he drops his backpack and takes a giant leap and disappears between the branches. Rue stays waiting on the ground with the rest of their packs. 

They take a moment to look around at the territory of Goblins. The moonlight reflects beautifully on the lake in this forest. There are sounds of wildlife everywhere and the air smells fresh and wild. The tree in front of Rue has twisting roots covered in moss and flowers. The only non-natural item in their periphery is a flat piece of wood, tied to the trunk of the big tree. It has the words welcome painted on it in orange paint. 

“Oh, yes, that.” Hob speaks as he sees them staring at it curiously. “I tried ‘private property, do not enter ’ but Salt Goblins like breaking rules too much. With this one, I haven’t had any Mayhem break-ins in ages. Us Goblins are weird with instructions like that.”  

Hob has taken down a beautiful rope ladder. Rue wants to ask again if the Captain made this by himself too, but they feel like they’re going to sound like a broken record with that question. 

Instead, they use the rope ladder to climb up into their new home for the next period of time. Hob follows them with another big leap, dragging their bags up with him. 

The ladder leads to the first floor of a twenty foot square room. It certainly is no ballroom, but Hob goes around the space to light some candles and slowly the space comes into focus. 

“I am sorry I haven’t organized better accommodations yet.” Hob mumbles as he opens the curtains to let in moonlight. There are several lightning bugs and moths immediately flying inside, drawn to the candle light. 

“Don’t apologize,” Rue stops him from speaking anymore. The place is amazing: cozy and personal and so Hob that it makes them smile. From the weird trinkets to the potted plants to the carvings on every wooden surface. Everything looks like it is lovingly worn down or self-made or both.  

The first floor of the treehouse is also the biggest one, Rue sees. There’s a small kitchen with an iron furnace and a bucket with a trolley system for pulling up water. Then there’s a big wooden table in the center of the space, completely stacked with books, maps and other items. Hob owns exactly two chairs and that’s it for sitting spaces. Then there is, stacked with pillows and blankets, a bed in the corner. Rue decides to ignore the singularity of the last item for now. 

Seven steps lead up to the second floor that extends out of the east wall, instead of above. It’s a ten by ten feet space with an honest to Gods copper bathtub with complementary items like several bars of soaps and a stack of towels. There’s also a small bookcase made out of two planks. A small mirror hangs from a branch that grows through the walls. 

It certainly is different from Rue’s old apartment in the Court of Wonder, but they cannot help but immediately like the place.  

Hob and Rue eat their dinner and drink their reheated tea in comfortable silence. The moon slowly moves behind the trees as Hob tells stories about the different parts of the forest with its old ruins and spring rivers. In return, Rue tells him about the villages of Wonder and the moorlands with wishing flowers. They talk well into the night until both start to prepare for bed. Rue takes out a sleeping bag from one of their packs and drops a pillow on the floor next to a potted plant. 

“What are you doing?” Hob asks.

“...I’m getting ready for bed?”

“Then why are you putting your stuff on the floor?” Hob has already grabbed one of the blankets from the bed and is standing in another corner. His hat and sash are already placed on the ground, next to a pillow.

Rue stares at Hob for a second before it dawns: ‘Oh! Oh- no, I am not stealing your bed from you, Hob. I am already intruding enough, you don’t have to pretend to be chivalrous in the privacy of your own home.” 

“Am not pretending to be chivalrous, I just am.” The Captain actually sounds offended. “And you’re my guest, I cannot let you sleep on a wooden floor, that’s preposterous!” 

“Well, if you’re not planning on taking the bed and I’m not stealing the bed, we’ll both just have to sleep on the floor.” Rue counters stubbornly. The snappish reply hangs frozen in the silence it leaves behind. 

Hob frowns, and Rue can almost hear his thoughts working out a plan. “I would prefer it… if we could continue pretending to be friends, even in private, if just for a little bit. May that- may that be my wedding gift?”

Rue’s confused about the turn in conversation for a second, but they understand that Hob might see Rue’s snappish yet noble gesture as a way of putting distance between them. That had been the intention, after all, but not the type of distance Rue meant, not the type of distance Hob implies. 

Hob has made it clear that they don’t want Rue in any romantic sense, so sharing a bed will probably be a no-go. Yet, letting Hob sleep on the floor feels like a great offense. Rue truly doesn’t want to impose on Hob’s life; the marriage is doing enough of that already. 

Then why the sudden demand for a wedding gift? they wonder. 

Rue had imagined that Hob would want some respite from their forced acting in public, but maybe the opposite was true. Switching between pretending and being their true self probably put a strain on the good Captain. Rue could understand, after all, they had been hiding their true self, even in private, for so long it was difficult to let go of the facade. 

Rue nods in agreement and as they do, Hob smiles wider as if his big social battle strategy is working: “And if we continue pretending, it is not done to let one's partner sleep on the floor. We are to share this place, if we are to live in the Court. I’m sure it would be inappropriate if we were to live or sleep separately so soon after our marriage. I can make another bed later this week, but for now we are stuck with just one.” Hob smiles as he speaks his last request: “And since neither of us wants to see the other sleeping on the floor, we’ll simply have to share it.”

Rue’s mouth actually drops open. That Hob is actually offering this and even being smug about it is a twist Rue had not expected. 

“...Okay, but that sounds like a small wedding gift.” Rue tries to lighten the mood too. “I already asked if we could pretend -and of course we can continue to do so- but it makes your wedding gift small in comparison. Don’t you have anything else to ask of me?”

Rue gives the Captain a subtle smile. They already know the Captain has no interest in them in such a way, but it’s still fun to play the game. They cannot help it. Hob blinks at them in confusion, having lost his joking mannerism. His ears turn forward, as if the extra hearing will help Hob understand Rue’s hidden meaning.  

Alarmingly enough, Hob immediately fires back at them, clearly already having thought about this for some reason.

“Yes! My wedding gift, I know what else I want: I ask you to live your life free of expectations, be whoever you want to be around me and live your life as your true self.” the Captain blurts. 

Rue’s smile immediately drops. Is the Captain serious right now or are they still making jokes?

“I don’t joke.” Hob answers, as if they were reading Rue’s mind. “Not about this.”

Rue swallows and rubs their hands over their clothing as they feel their hands getting sweatier. Nasty memories return to the front of their mind: the reaction from the Archfey on their true form after the Maze Quest had concluded, the way they hadn’t dared to drop the glamour again after the marriage proposal had reached their ears, the way a small part of them wishes they never dropped the glamour in the first place, the way they hate that part of their fears…it all swirls through Rue’s mind as they mull over Hob’s request. 

“...Please?” Hob repeats. 

Yet doesn’t Rue also secretly want this? Isn’t personal freedom, away from the judging eyes of the Court of Wonder, exactly what they wished for only hours ago? And Hob’s initial reaction had been so simple and nice when seeing Rue’s true form, he surely cannot dislike the Owlbear form if he’s asking to see it? …Right?

So, slowly, Rue drops the glamour. 

And slowly, an Owlbear appears. Dismissing a glamour is not to be compared to taking off a tight outfit, but more like how one feels as you suddenly return to land after being at sea for a while: it’s disorienting and the world wavers a bit as Rue gets refamiliarized within a different body. 

“Hello, Delloso de la Rue.” Hob greets them in a gentle tone when the transformation has been completed. 

“Hello, Captain K.P. Hob,” Rue answers, just as softly spoken. 

They sit in silence for a moment longer, both looking at the other as if they’re seeing their partner for the first time. And maybe it’s kind of the truth: Rue feels good in their larger form and Hob keeps staring at them with a soft smile. Rue is uncertain what to make of it, but it’s nice to be liked for something they are insecure about. 

“I am not small.” Rue point out. They spread their feathered arms to show it. Hob’s arms and legs might still be lankier, but Rue knows they’re actually a few inches taller than the Goblin. 

“I know,” Hob smiles like this is actually a good thing, “neither am I.”

In the end, the bed does fit both an Owlbear and a Bugbear just fine. 

Two weeks into a marriage

Every day for the next week, Hob wakes up with feathers tickling his nose. He loves it. 

They never do get a second bed as it becomes obvious that they don’t need one. Continuing the ruse in private turns out to be the best choice. Because in private, they’re allowed to stumble and actually ask the other if something’s alright and okay to do. 

Is it alright if I hold your hand as we walk to the campfire? Is it okay if I make us some tea - and how do you like your drink, with milk or sugar? Are you comfortable with dancing during that upcoming gathering? Do you prefer to sleep on the left or right side of the bed?

The learning curve is steep, but Hob finds he doesn’t mind the process of getting to know Rue. Life with the two of them becomes pretty comfortable strangely fast. Which means that their pretending in public becomes more natural too. 

This greatly helps Hob with his already problematic understanding of social rules and it also seems to help Rue with their nerves that show up in new or unrehearsed interactions with the outside world.  

Hob never would’ve guessed this, but outside of their ‘Master of Ceremonies’ pretense, Rue is actually nervous sometimes. Just as nervous as he is! Hob never would’ve imagined it, yet he thinks that it is adorable. It makes it easier to show his own weaknesses to them.

Hob has always seen himself as a protector of some kind and he knows that this is how he shows his affections too: protect the thing you love. Before, this meant ‘fight for the Court you love’, but after marriage it becomes something different. Something sweeter. Little acts of service and exchanges of help.

Rue cooks his favorite meal in the small kitchen while Hob drags up buckets of water for the Owlbear’s bath. Rue fluffs the pillows before they go to bed and Hob closes and locks down the windows and door. Rue dances with him during one of the campfire gatherings and Hob gets them drinks and snacks for the campfire stories. 

The two or three more times a Goblin tries to mess with Rue end up with two Goblins thrown into a lake and a third launched across the Piggyroll lawn. A fourth stumbles over their own feet and takes their leave before Hob can even start his offence, as Rue actually swears loudly at the Goblin to scare them away. The whole Court soon seems to understand that the relationship is serious and accept Rue as a part of the Court in turn. 

The pretending to like each other is doing its job. Hob feels like it is both exhilarating and smothering at the same time. Rue is a master at deception and plays the game extremely well: taking Hobs hand whenever they walk near nobility and laughing at his jokes just a bit too loudly when they spend their days at the lake. And slowly, Hob feels like he learns too: jokingly bowing for Rue whenever the couple enters a room so Rue can laugh at him, sharing food so they can sit close to each other during the banquets. It’s still such a blessing that ‘pretending’ to like Rue doesn’t need any acting from Hob. 

They spend fourteen days joining the Goblin King and his entourage for activities in the forest and evening gatherings at campfires. Then, both Rue and Hob decide that it’s been long enough: it’s time to make a similar visit with the Court of Wonder. 

They leave early on the morning, when not a lot of Goblins are awake yet and Hob is, again, forced to leave a note with their goodbyes. This ride in the carriage is a lot more enjoyable, both of them more comfortable in each other's company. 

During the ride, Rue shares some tips on the Court of Wonder, just as Hob had done with the Goblin Court. Hob frowns all the way through it and asks so many follow-up questions about every little detail, that even Rue doesn’t always know what to say. 

“Let’s take a break from Fairy small talk and eat lunch, shall we?” Rue interrupts another question. The Owlbear opens the carriage to enjoy the fresh air. Hob nods and smiles sheepishly at their partner. 

“I’m sorry,” Hob says, “it’s just that you’re the first person who actually knows every rule and can explain the why ’s of these rules.”

“Don’t be sorry for that,” Rue counders, “social cues and rules are kind of my expertise, as Master of Ceremonies. And remember, you did the same thing for me. We’re in this together, remember?” and Hob feels such warmth from the statement, he cannot stop smiling all through lunch. 

They’ve chosen the perfect spot: a wonderful willow tree next to a small lake. There are wild geese swimming through the water and there’s not a cloud in the sky. They’ve left the terrain of Goblins a few hours ago and nature is getting tamer and sweeter the further they get into the neutral lands. 

Rue lays back in the grass next to him, closing their eyes and enjoying the sun. They haven’t changed from their Owlbear form since that first night. Hob hopes Rue will keep being themselves, even when they get well and into the lands of Wonder. But Hob also knows two weeks of hanging out with Goblins probably won’t change somebody’s fears immediately.  

“Hob?” Rue asks, their eyes still closed. Hob humms back in response. “Have you thought about…after the next two weeks?”

“How so?”

“Well, I imagine we’ll do alright within the Court of Wonder. We show them that we’re happy with the marriage and hopefully our Courts will drop the whole business with Grabalba and Apollo. But then where would you like to go?”

Hob honestly hasn’t given it much thought. For the past two weeks, he had been living in the moment. Living with Rue. He hadn’t thought about faraway futures and apartments in the Court of Wonder. 

“I don’t know, is there enough space for a Goblin in your apartments in the Court of Wonder?” he jokes. 

A small frown appears on Rue’s face. “I don’t think there’s any room for a Goblin and an Owlbear in the Court of Wonder at all, no matter the size of the apartment.”

“And how do you feel about that?” Hob asks carefully. 

“I don’t know,” Rue shrugs nonchalantly, “but I know that I don’t want to stay somewhere if I have to pretend. I don’t want to hide anymore.”

Hob feels pride and worry bubbling up in his stomach. On one hand, he feels proud of Rue’s new confidence in their own skin; they shouldn’t have to hide like that ever again. Yet…hiding and pretending is what the both of them do on a daily basis, isn’t it? Rue hides behind forced laughs and pretends to be happy with this marriage. 

“If you don’t want to stay in the Court of Wonders, where would you like to go?” Hob asks, scared of the answer. 

A silly voice in his head wants the answer to be their treehouse in the Goblin Court, but they know that although Hob definitely sees that as home , the Owlbear probably has no real love for the place. They’ve spent less than a month living there, after all.  

“I thought, maybe the Court of Hoof and Claw?” Rue offers. “Wuvvy has moved back there and invited me to visit her. We could-”

“I see,” Hob interrupts before Rue can finish their sentence, “that sounds like an excellent idea, would you excuse me for a second?”

And before Rue knows it, the Captain has left their side. Rue blinks in confusion at the retreating backside of their partner, not knowing how Hob can feel his heart shattering in ten thousand tiny pieces.   

Two weeks and one day into a marriage

They reach the domain of the Court of Wonder the next morning. Sleeping in a carriage isn’t as comfortable, but Hob is a soft pillow to lean on. 

The Captain had been strangely silent after their conversation at the lake, yet he’d refused to talk about it more. He wasn’t angry or annoyed, just distant and, if Rue could read their partner correctly, a bit sad. 

Was Hob still emotional over his fight with Wuvvy? Was that it? Rue is uncertain.  

The first visit of the day brings them to the beautiful and cottage-like castle of the Blue Fairy and her younger sister. Gwendolyn greets them at the gate and insists the three of them walk the remaining half-mile to the house. Hob and her have created this strange bond during the Bloom and even now, the two seem thick as thieves about something, even though Gwendolyn and Rue are from the same Court and therefore should have more in common. 

Gwendolyn’s presence gets Hob out of his weird mood and soon the three of them are enjoying tea and biscuits in a beautiful garden. Some other Fey come and greet them, among the visitors are the Blue Fairy herself and the Three Grandmothers who congratulate Rue not only on the wedding but also on a splendid True Form. It makes Rue blush to be complimented on their Owlbear shape, yet Hob glows with pride along with the Three Grandmothers. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I have to take this.” Gwendolyn suddenly interrupts their conversation. She takes a small, round mirror out of her pocket and leaves Rue and Hob to their own company. 

Hob has completely relaxed by now, even though the Court of Wonder is not his favored terrain. The conversation with Gwendolyn and the polite but easy interactions with the other Fey have given him a bit of courage it seems. The Owlbear also hopes Hob knows that any nasty or complicated interactions at their Court that might still happen, Rue will make sure to protect and help Hob through them. Just as Hob guided them through the Goblin Court. 

Rue knows this is not the moment to ask Hob about his dislike for visiting the Court of Hoof and Claw, but the question is annoyingly buzzing in their mind. Strangely enough, Hob is the one to push the topic. “Rue, I am sorry for my behavior yesterday.” 

“Don’t be-”

“No, please,” Hob interrupts, “let me speak first. I have had a night to think about it and I imagine I had always known that this would happen.” Rue can hear in the lull of his voice that Hob has rehearsed this, maybe well into the night. The Goblin moves in his chair so they’re more face to face. 

“I fully understand your feelings on the matter, the whole marriage Arrangement was never your idea. Hadn’t it been for the Goblin Court to push the matter, you wouldn’t be here. In my eyes, you are without fault, always.”

“So if you wish to go to the Court of Hoof and Claw, I won’t stop you. I will hold up my end of the bargain and I can continue pretending for the both of us. You’ve taught me well and I believe I can pull such a lie off long enough for you to make your escape. I won’t demand satisfaction from the Court of Wonder, so that might just stop another war from forming. We can do our two weeks of attendance here in Wonder and then I’ll help you find Wuvvy. She can-”

“Hob! Hob, Hob, Hob, what are you talking about?” Rue puts their hands on the shoulders of the Captain, shaking him slightly to stop this madness. The whole speech is alarming, the Captain clearly thought this through, yet Rue has no idea where and why he came up with this idea. 

“Why would I need to make an escape? What am I- why do you- how?!” Rue stumbles. They shake the Goblin again for good measure. 

Hob blinks in confusion. “To get to the Court of Hoof and Claw? To find Wuvvy and escape from this Arrangement.” 

Hob wants to be gone from you and this ‘Arrangement’, they think and Rue feels the black pit of despair growing in their stomach, their nerves fan the flames and their heartbeat starts growing in volume.

“...I thought I asked you not to call it that.” Rue knows they sound emotionless. This conversation is freaking them out. Is this what Hob wants? Is he done with them? Does he want to dump Rue with Wuvvy and create another war? Is the soldier so masochistic that he’d rather go fight in a war than live married life with the Owlbear?

Hob’s face goes through a series of emotions that flash by too fast for Rue to comprehend. In the end, the Goblin looks at them with longing and tenderness. “And I thought I asked you to live life as your true self. That is my marriage present still. So, if you want to get away from me, I understand and I won’t hold it against you. I… I admire you too much for that.”

Rue stands up abruptly, their chair flipping over in the process. Hob tries to catch it but fails and Rue uses the confusion to put some space between the two of them. Lords, I need to breathe, why can’t I breathe, Rue wonders. 

“Rue?” Hob speaks, “you’re freaking me out. What did I do wrong, tell me please?”

“Do you really want to know?” they ask tensely. 

“...Yes?” Hob answers as if he’s walking into a trap. He stands up too and puts the fallen chair back on its four legs. 

“You claim you do not want to hurt me,” Hob nods at that, “yet you say such hurtful things. You say you admire me,” Rue can feel themself get angry at this, “yet you cannot wait to get away from me.”

Hob opens and closes his mouth, but doesn’t say a thing, so Rue continues. They know that it is now or never. If they don’t come clean about their true feelings, they’ll probably lose Hob forever. Sharing their true feelings might also make them lose Hob, but that’s a gamble they’ll have to make.

Rue clenches and unclenches their hands repeatedly, their head is screaming at them that this is too much, they’ll never recover from this if Hob refuses. Their heart is also freaking out, wanting and reaching for something Hob might not be willing to give.   

“I never want to go somewhere without you, ever again. I only wanted to visit the Court of Hoof and Claw if you are willing to come there with me… Whatever Court you want to visit, whatever house you want to call home. I want to be there. I’ll visit whatever Plane you want, as long as you allow me to be by your side. Please?” 

Their speech ends in the softest plea. There you have it, Hob, my heart on a silver platter, Rue thinks. And Hob takes his bloody time answering too. His face is unreadable and Rue has to suppress the impulse to make a run for it. 

Hob’s voice sounds so unsure and small when he finally answers, it shouldn't be possible for such a tall and usually imposing figure. “...I thought you wanted to get away from me.”

“No,” Rue answers, “never.”

And Rue understands why the Goblin might think that. The last time Hob had had any real contact with Wuvvy, it had been across the southern lawn in a duel. A duel the Captain thought the Master of Ceremonies had instigated. 

And that was another thing Rue should fix on the earliest convenience; they couldn’t have their best friend and their partner on bad terms with each other because of them. 

They were mean to mention visiting the Court of Hoof and Claw when Hob was still uncertain about their standing with Rue. Rue should’ve been more honest with their thoughts and feelings. They should’ve discussed where they want to go together.  

“I am sorry for thinking you had any intention of doing so.”

Rue smiles and jokes through his tears, “You really should be sorry.”

Hob smiles back at them, carefully playful and still testing the waters, Hob gives them a silly Goblin salute and pulls out the chair for them. “Then let me make it up to you? We’ll travel together, I’d quite like that.” But Rue doesn’t take the offer. 

They stay standing and stare at Hob, maybe truly seeing the Goblin for the first time. They can see it makes Hob nervous, but something still doesn’t sit right with Rue. Sure, they convinced the Goblin to stay together after their visit to the Court of Wonder, but that doesn’t clear up with what intention the two of them will stay together. 

“Hob, what did you mean when you said you were ‘happy to keep pretending for the both of us’?” Rue asks. Hob doesn’t answer immediately, but Rue knows by now to give the Captain some time to gather his words. Still, Hob doesn’t seem to understand the question, “Rue?” he asks.

“Do you think I am pretending to be in love with you?” That sentence could imply a lot of things, so Hob seems unsure how to read it. Still, Hob is way braver than Rue. They are so glad Hob dares to say what they couldn’t. 

“My dearest, two days before our wedding,” Hob starts, choosing his words carefully, “when you asked me to pretend to be in love with you. I knew then that this would be the easiest request I ever listened to… For I have been in love with you for a long time.”

Rue slowly starts to smile. For all of Rue’s bravery a second ago, they know they couldn’t dare to be the one to say it first. Hearing those words feel like fireworks are going off in their chest. It gives them the bravery to show their true feelings too. But first: getting Hob to stop his nervous confession and show him that he shouldn’t be skittish about this at all.

“I am not well versed in lying, but playing pretend with you has been the easiest lie I ever told. And, please, if saying this means I am overstepping any boundaries again-”

Hob never gets to finish his sentence as Rue runs towards him, hugs and then kisses him.