The Goblin Bride (Beneath Sands Book 1) by Emma Hamm (good short books TXT) 📕

had never entertained the thought. Her will was strong when it came to her siblings. They would always be safe and she would always be with them. Thinking any other way was walking a dangerous path.

“You are a very intriguing woman, Jane.”

She met his gaze, wondering what was going through the thoughts of this old man that had made his life down here in the caves.

“I don’t understand why.”

He only smiled. “Perhaps that is why you are so intriguing.”

“I think there’s been enough talking about my opinions of this place. What do you know about Ruric that I do not?”

He looked over his shoulder, noticing that the subject in question was walking towards them with his arms filled with food.

“Be careful with him. He is a good man and a strong warrior, but he has never given his heart away before.”

“That is useless information. What is it that you meant?”

“I have lived a long life, Jane. That man was intrigued by you when he saw you kneeling at the feet of his Queen. Whatever it was you did after that, I noticed a change in him right away. He no longer put himself in dangerous situations merely because he could. He did not start fights with other goblins. He took the time to take care of himself.”

Micah stood then, leaning across the slab to pat her shoulder.

“And that’s the real difference now. He wants to make you happy and by doing that he has started to notice that he was mistreating himself. Before you, he was heading quickly on a path to an early death. Maybe goblins are doing the same. There is no future for them. No family, no wife, no children. It is a bleak existence to watch the end of your entire race come sluggishly towards you.”

And with that he turned, reaching out a hand to clasp Ruric’s forearm.

“It has been too long since I have seen you, Micah.” Jane still shivered when she heard his voice. She could hear it crooning in her ear far too easily.

“I was talking with your lovely bride.”

Even she could see the dark stain at the tips of Ruric’s ears. “I hope she was being polite. She has a way of voicing her opinions.”

She was about to protest when Micah spoke over her.

“She is quite a lovely woman. Vocal or not.”

If they had let her get a word in edgewise, Jane would have yelled at the both of them. Yet at that moment Ruric turned to look at her. The smile on his face stopped her words in her throat.

“She is a good goblin bride.” He said.

This time she blushed, not knowing how to respond to that compliment. Ruric always gave them to her but she thought she would never get used to them. Above there was no need for compliments. Everyone worked hard and thanked the others for their help, but there were never moments where someone would compliment another on how hard they were working.

It was expected.

To be here and have compliments strewn towards her as though they were not each a precious bit of beauty was very strange indeed.

Micah cleared his throat. The knowing glance that he gave both of them was enough to tell her that they weren’t being discreet in the slightest.

“I’ll take my leave of you two. I am very pleased to see that you are getting along so well.”

They were. It was shocking, awe inspiring, and terrifying all at the same time.

Jane had never imagined that she would find someone to spend the rest of her life. Let alone one who made her feel as though there was a bird fluttering inside her chest. She had always thought at some point she would marry a man who could support her and her family. Never had she expected to feel anything but respect for him.

That wasn’t how life was Above. There were no fostering of emotions, no expectations of love. That wasn’t something that anyone felt but for their family. You loved your parents and your siblings, but anyone other than that did not deserve the responsibility of holding something that precious.

It was daunting to know that she was changing her opinions this easily.

As she sat across from Ruric and watched as he picked apart the food into bite sized bits so that she could easily eat before him, she wondered how fate had chosen this for her.

He leaned across the table with a slice of fish speared on his claw, sharp toothed grin telling her he was baiting her. He thought she wouldn’t lean forward to slide the fish off with her teeth, yet that was precisely what she did.

Ruric knew very well she had no idea what she was doing. A goblin male could only be complimented by knowing that his female was well satisfied. That meant that he had done his duty as her husband, that she was well fed, and rested. To take food from his hand was the highest respect she could give him. He knew she did not understand that, could not possibly know their customs.

It still seemed to set his body on fire.

“What did Micah have to say?” He asked while he grabbed another slice of food for her, this time a small watery vegetable that grew beside the streams deep in the mines.

“Not much really, he was just checking in.” She didn’t want to tell Ruric that she had been asking about him. Jane felt slightly embarrassed that she had been asking another about him. She didn’t want to admit knowing what he thought of her was important or that she was embarrassed to ask him for the answer.

Ruric took it for face value and they finished their meal in laughter. He teased her by pulling the food back. She teased him saying that she wasn’t going to let him eat at all.

By the time they left the hall there were many other goblins that were smiling. The two of them had a brightness about them that