《The Goblin And The Duke's Daughter》


 Chapter 1

    After sixteen days of captivity the little goblin had been let out of his cage. Hours blurred by in fearful confusion until he realized that none of the new humans around him seemed to want to explicitly hurt him. Not like the other humans who had been rough with him. These humans were weird and dressed in odd black and white uniforms. The little goblin was brought to a very large human home full of dozens upon dozens of humans, guided through lavishly decorated hallway after hallway, and then finally into a room.


    The first thing the goblin noticed when he was brought into the human''s room was that it was red and big. The second thing he noticed was a distinct lack of weapons that he could use to defend himself. The third and final thing he noticed was the human woman sitting on her sofa, looking him up and down with her ruby-red eyes. Her dress was pale, and her hair was as white as snow. It almost glistened like snow in a certain light too... by human standards she was utterly gorgeous. By goblin standards? The little goblin wasn''t sure.


    The goblin stared up at her. He''d seen a human with white hair like that before, hadn''t he? The human that had bought him from the slavers. Only that human had been an actual man, not a woman. And the man had cold blue eyes like frozen ice. Was it possible that the two humans could have been from the same tribe? Did humans have tribes? Over two weeks ago the goblin had never seen a human before.


    Over two weeks ago the little goblin had only heard stories about humans from the few goblins in the tribe who had experienced encounters with humans. Most of those encounters happened to be less than favorable. In some instances, the tales the little goblin had been told about had been downright horrendous. At least in the past two weeks since meeting his first humans, this little goblin had not been tortured. He''d only been starved and beaten and even whipped on one defiant occasion.


    "So, you''re the new toy father brought me," the woman said, finally breaking the silence after the goblin was brought in to where she sat. She leaned down and lifted the little goblin''s chin with her fan, examining its face with a curious glint in her eyes. "Father did well¡­ he knows I am a sucker for pretty faces." The goblin was meant to be a birthday gift from her father¡­ It appeared to be a female. The poor thing looked starved and weak. The goblin was so tiny, it must¡¯ve felt terrified. Even with the goblin''s poor state it was adorable, big red eyes meeting back with hers. Just looking down at her like that gave her the urge to pick her up into her arms and hold her, telling her everything would be alright now¡­ but she knew better than that. She wasn¡¯t na?ve. As cute as this creature may seem, she was a goblin. Violent and savage creatures to be wary of, she wouldn¡¯t let its cute appearance trick her.


    "Pretty? Me?" The little goblin asked, poking his cheek. He had been captured and sold off, told that he was to be this girl''s slave. From one handler to the next. Maybe this wouldn''t be so bad.


    "Well yes my dear, you are adorable," the girl said with a chuckle and she brought the fan back up to her face, studying the goblin with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. The little goblin was dangerously cute, she would give it that much. She always did have a weak spot for cute things. If it hadn¡¯t been her father who brought the little goblin in, she would have been more suspicious of the goblin and its intentions. "What''s your name?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. Her perceptive eyes never once leaving the goblin''s.


    The goblin blinked and shook his head. "Have no name. Mean man called me Badtoe. Tribe called me Badtoe." His own red eyes watched her moving the fan with curious wonder. What was that thing in her hand? Some kind of weapon? And who was this girl? She was so nice compared to any human that he had met before. Actually, she was nicer than almost anyone the little goblin had ever met. His cheeks felt warm. He was even blushing at her compliments. There was a warm sensation flooding him and it felt so foreign and new... but he kind of liked the feeling.


    Badtoe? What sort of name even was that¡­ It was so unfeminine. "Hm. Well what would you like to be called then, is there a name in particular you like?"


    "I not know." The goblin shook his head again. Was she offering to give him a name? Goblins didn''t just receive names for being born. Goblins could earn nicknames like Badtoe. But real names had to be earned in the eyes of the tribe. And this human was going to give him a name? This girl just kept getting better and better. First, she gave him compliments now she was giving him his very own name? Could she give him a name? Only the chieftain or shaman of a tribe could give a goblin a genuine name. And yet he was not in the tribe anymore. In fact there was the possibility that he would never see his tribe again.


    The woman pondered for a bit as she eyed the goblin over. Badtoe¡­ it was ironic enough her father happened to come across the goblin right on her birthday, almost as the little female goblin had been a gift from god itself. Her father didn¡¯t have any intentions of buying any slaves that day yet he had taken pity on the little thing. Having made the decision to gift the goblin to his daughter to care for. Almost like fate. A gift from god. That would suit her¡­ err¡­ now that she looked a little more closely¡­ she might actually be a he. She couldn¡¯t really tell too well but that name really didn¡¯t sound like a girl¡¯s¡­ might as well risk it.


    "What do you think about¡­ Theo?"


    "Theo?" The goblin tried tasting the name on his lips. "Theo. Theo." The name sounded a lot better than Badtoe. A nickname he had earned back in his tribe after he had stubbed his toe on a rock. It had really hurt and the little goblin had gone around cursing out rocks and their very stupid existence. A lot of goblins had laughed at him and had thus started calling him Badtoe ever since. Now he had a real name if he accepted it. It went against normal goblin traditions but... he liked it. The little goblin suddenly beamed up at the human woman with his fangs. A mouthful of sharp and pointed goblin teeth prominently on display. "Me like Theo!"


    The woman chuckled and patted his little bald head. Her pale white skin brushed over his green scalp. His pointed ears twitched upwards and he leaned into her touch ever so slightly. Her touch felt nice. It was nothing like the rough touch of another goblin. Nor was it like how the slavers had treated him when he had been trapped in his cage. The woman had yet to raise her voice or strike at him with a whip. The slavers liked doing that, especially the bad man. Theo shivered at the memories of the bad man.


    She smiled warmly. Good. He didn¡¯t correct her or complain about the name so the goblin must truly be a guy. "That''s good to hear. Then tell me, Theo, are you hungry?"


    "Yes. Hungry. Feed Theo?" He looked up at her with wide eyes in astonishment. Now she was going to give him food? This human appeared to be quite generous and giving. Theo wasn''t about to start complaining. If this human wanted to give him things he would gladly take all that she''d give. What would she give him next?


    "Well of course." She then gestured over at the maids who brought in a cart full of food. "This is all for you, Theo."


    "For me? All?" Theo''s eyes watched the strange contraption, a metallic table on little wheels. Theo knew that humans liked their wheels. Then his nose visibly twitched as he caught a whiff of the food on the cart. Theo stared with wonder at the food. He''d never seen so much food offered to him. Nor had he ever smelled food that smelled quite like this. The scent that was wafting into his nostrils caused his mouth to water. He cautiously lifted a finger, reaching out towards the food only to pause and glance towards the human woman. She said all of this food was for him. But what about her? Had she already eaten? Did she plan on eating something better? Did she just want him to put some meat on his bones? Theo felt a little apprehensive. "What about you?"


    "Don''t worry about me dear. I ate plenty earlier, just enjoy your meal." She waved her fan dismissively.


    Whether she was telling the truth or not. The little goblin was being offered food after suffering for sixteen days in a cage. Theo turned back to the food on the cart and he rushed for it without a moment of hesitation this time. He grabbed at delicious-looking food with both hands, shoveling as much as he could fit into his mouth. Which turned out to be quite a bit. Goblin jaws were made to open wider than human jaws after all. Theo made an absolute mess. Crumbs and sauces of different colors stained his green cheeks as he dug into the food cart. There was so much food. And it was all his. This was incredible!


    The woman watched Theo curiously as he ate while ever so slightly fanning herself, observing the mess the little creature was making. Perhaps he was a toddler¡­ she knew goblins were small by nature, but he even acted like a child. No matter how she looked at him, he just seemed like an innocent child that saw himself in a bad situation. So far she saw no malice in him. Theo was just a scared, malnourished, and mistreated child with no knowledge of the world. She watched as his avaricious eating slowed down until it seemed as if he couldn¡¯t take another bite. It wasn¡¯t until then that she rose from her seat and walked over to where he laid, taking a few napkins from the cart to help wipe his mouth clean.


    Theo blinked at the odd gesture human woman wiped his mouth clean with napkins once he had finished eating. Theo had not been capable of eating everything but he had tried his hardest. He sat on the food cart in a big mess of dishes and platters and disregarded utensils. Theo rubbed his belly and then he burped and giggled before rolling off the cart and landing on his feet. The goblin stumbled slightly and braced himself against one of the cart legs.


    "Let''s go give you a bath dear," said the woman as she held out her hand. He very much needed one after the mess he had made, simply wiping him clean wouldn¡¯t cut it. The little goblin was also giving off an odor that was not pleasant to intake. She supposed he was in dire need of a bath regardless, she doubted the slave traders had washed him once.


    "What''s bath?" Theo asked her. He tilted his head up at her offered hand curiously before taking it. His hand felt so small in hers. The mean man had said bad things would happen to him. But this wasn''t so bad at all. This was more than any goblin or slave could hope for in life. This girl was nice, she gave him a name and fed him. Theo sort of trusted her already. It was an uneasy trust. It was as much as a goblin could trust any stranger. He trusted that she would give him more free stuff until he was no longer worth anything in her eyes. He didn''t even understand why she was just giving him things anyways. She was a nice person. A nice human. It would be easy to take advantage of her. His crimson eyes looked up to her neck and then down to her stomach. What would be the best way to take her down if he ever had to? Not that he believed she would attack him or hurt him. No. The goblin was simply thinking about how hard it would be to kill her and steal from her to take more of that food for himself. Maybe he could even bring some back to his tribe. If he could even find his tribe ever again.


    "Well it''s how we clean up our bodies," she told him, guiding him into her private bathroom. Her private bathroom was connected to her room. The tub had been filled and prepared by the maids. It wasn¡¯t as large as the tub in the mansion¡¯s washroom but it would do for just the two of them.


    "What that?" Theo asked, pointing at the tub with a finger. It looked like a large and oddly shaped bowl. The shaman had bowls that he used to mix things with his apprentice Leafbite. The tribe also had a few bowls that some of the older goblins had stolen from humans. One of the wood carving experts in the tribe had tried to copy the shape, making wooden bowls as well as wooden plates and even wooden cups. Sometimes a goblin would cry out after getting a splinter in their lip. Theo remembered a time when Nimbledash, a female goblin who had been a little older than Theo, had ended up with a splinter in her tongue.


    "A bathtub. You have to get in there in order to get washed up. Have you ever gone swimming before dear?"


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    "Swimming?" That thing the bigger goblins and the hobs did in the river? He was never allowed into the river. None of the little goblins had been for fear of getting washed away by the current. The chieftain forbade it. The seasonal floods were bad enough.


    "Yes, it''s like swimming but without going anywhere." Had the little creature truly not even so much as gone swimming before? Just how did these goblins even keep themselves clean? She could already imagine the all the filth they must live in.


    "Can swim?" Theo asked, looking up at her with excitement. Finally, he could swim and see what all the fuss about water was. Not the bad drowning kind of fuss every time the river flooded. More like the kind of fuss where hobgoblins would throw goblins into the river to swim.


    The woman chuckled. "Something like that." The goblin was most certainly a child. The little goblin had the same curiosity and demeanor as any toddler she had previously met. At least he would be easy to take care of. She was good with kids and she liked them quite a bit.


    The little goblin blinked up at her. "You name Theo. What''s your name?"


    "My name?" The woman smiled. "Cynthia."


    "Cy... Cyn... Cynth... Cynthia? Cynnnthiiiaaa. Cynthia," Theo tried saying the name and then he nodded. "Theo. Cynthia''s slave."


    "...More like a pet really. I never did like the word slave." Slave¡­ he would hardly be considered a slave here. Cynthia never had the desire to own a slave. She never considered any of her previous pets as slaves and she never forced any of them into labor nor did she want to.


    "What''s pet?" He asked her. Cynthia seemed to be smart for a human. She knew more human words than he did. She sure liked using big words too. Then again¡­ he had only started learning the human language a little over two weeks ago when he''d first been captured as a slave. He had gone from not knowing any words in English to understanding most sentences. He still couldn''t speak all that well but he did try. It was harder than the goblin language to grasp in understanding. But he was getting better.


    "It''s a companion one takes in to take care of and have by their side," said Cynthia, feeling like she was acting as a dictionary for this kid. But it was a part of her job to be patient and take things slow with him. Theo was just a kid after all.


    Okay, that made some sense to Theo. Sort of. It was like the concept of mates. You took in a mate to have by your side. Theo had always wanted a mate. The little goblin... didn''t have much luck when it came to girls however. Only a few girls had seemed interested in him, but a bigger goblin hadn''t liked the idea of Theo getting too close to any of them. Except for Leafbite. The two had not been mates but they had mated three times before Theo''s capture. "Theo swims now?"


    Cynthia nodded. "Need help getting in?"


    He took one more look at the tub and he thought about it. The tub was taller than him. He''d have to jump up and pull himself up and over the lip of the bathtub. Theo was not that strong. He didn''t even have muscles. He was small for his age group. Small for a goblin really, he always had been. Not only that but he was skinny and his arms and legs were like small green sticks. Did she think he could get in himself?


    Theo shrugged. "Cynthia help Theo?"


    She smiled and picked him up gently and put him in the tub. "How does that feel?"


    Theo went still. How did it feel? The sensation wasn''t anything like cold droplets of rain making him shiver as he huddled against the bark of a tree for cover in the middle of a storm. It wasn''t like walking through the cool shallow spots in the river or playing with the tadpoles using his bare hands. The bath water was warm and pleasant. Theo let out a soft sigh and relaxed against the inner wall of the tub.


    "Feel nice!" Theo beamed up at her. He raised his hands and began to splash the water around. The sound was like music to his large ears. This was fun! Now he understood why the bigger goblins splashed around so much in the river, especially in the summertime. Theo had always wanted to join them¡­ but he was considered too small. Even if he was just as old as some of the other goblins who got to swim.


    Cynthia knelt next to the bathtub. She grabbed for a sponge and some soap and she started to gently scrub him clean. His green skin began to drip with soap and dirt. Everywhere she touched, the wet sponge just seemed to generate more dirt from his body. It was as if he had never washed before in his life.


    "Cynthia swims too?" Theo asked. Then he splashed her with some of the bath water just like he had seen some of the other goblins and hobs do with each other in the river back at the tribe.


    "Sure, why not?" Cynthia chuckled. She stood up and stripped. Her dress, bra, and panties were neatly laid out on the floor next to her feet. Then with little effort she stepped into the tub and then she splashed Theo back.


    Theo giggled and brought his arms up to brace against the watery attack. A happy little noise escaped from his lips and he splashed her with a counterattack. "Cynthia swim!" He cheered.


    "I''m swimming. I''m swimming." She smiled and continued to clean him, washing even more dirt from his body.


    Theo giggled. "Theo. Cynthia''s best pet!"


    "Yes, yes." She finished cleaning him and then she rinsed him off. "Alright, dear. You''re all done."


    "But swim fun!" Theo protested. He wanted to do this for so long¡­ and the water was amazing. Although it wasn''t quite as clear as it had once been. Now the tub water was murky and brown from all of the runoff grime.


    "Well¡­ you''ll get to swim another time," she said, rinsing herself off.


    "No! Theo wants swim!" What was this? Theo had never been allowed to swim before. And now that he could she wouldn''t let him swim for longer? How come she had let him eat all that he had wanted to, but she wouldn''t let him swim all that he wanted to?


    "Theo¡­ if you stay in the water for too long you could get sick."


    The little goblin folded his arms and pouted. "Fine. Cynthia says go. Theo go."


    "Good boy." She smiled and rubbed his bald little head under the palm of her hand.


    He climbed out of the tub and slipped on the floor when he landed. "Oof!" Theo lay there on his stomach.


    ¡°Theo!¡± she gasped in concern, quickly getting out and scooping him up into her arms. The little goblin smelled much better and his skin that had been buried under a few layers of filth, was a paler shade of green. ¡°My goodness Theo, are you okay?¡±


    "Theo fell," he said, feeling a little dazed. He looked up into her eyes as she held him. "Am okay."


    Cynthia sighed. "You got to be more careful dear."


    "Cynthia nice," Theo whispered. He felt heavy in her arms even though he was light in terms of actual weight. He felt tired. And no one had ever held him like this before. It was so¡­ caring.


    She smiled and rubbed his back. "Come, let''s get you dried up." Cynthia grabbed the towel and put it over him before heading back into her room.


    "Cynthia important?" He asked looking around the house. She must have been somewhat important to have such a large house. He guessed it was a house. Theo had heard stories of raiders from the tribe attacking human shelters before. He liked listening to those stories. Theo had often dreamed of growing big and strong like the rest of his tribe, like the ones who went out and raided. Though this seemed to be a really big house though, bigger than the ones he had heard about in the stories. It was big and filled with people and it was well decorated. Did that mean the tribe would see his worth if he led them here? If this place was better than any place the tribe had ever raided before?


    Maybe the Chieftain would give him his own name¡­ but Cynthia had already given him a name. What would his tribe think of that? They already saw him as worthless and disposable. So if he came back with a human name¡­ would he be punished? What was the protocol for goblins who got named by humans? He didn''t know. But he suspected it was a taboo of sorts.


    "Me? Well, I guess you could say that." Cynthia sat him down on the bed and began to dry him off.


    Theo patted a spot on the bed beside him. The little goblin ran his small fingertips over the soft bedsheet. "What''s this?"


    "That''s a bed dear. That''s where we sleep."


    "We sleep? Here?" Theo gave himself a little bounce on the bed and his round red eyes grew even rounder. This was a bed? It was so soft¡­ and bouncy. This would be much more comfortable than sleeping on the hard ground every night.


    Theo grabbed at the blanket and gave it a little tug. He imagined sleeping underneath the material. Something like this would keep him warm for sure. With one of these, Theo thought he''d never wake up shivering in the middle of the night ever again.


    "That''s right. It feels nice and cozy doesn''t it?"


    "Nice," Theo said with a grin. "Cynthia sleep here. All time. Not on ground?"


    "That''s right. I always sleep in a bed and from now on you do too."


    Theo''s jaw dropped. "Me too?" Did the wonders never cease around here? This bed was his now? He wished the other goblins in the tribe could be experiencing this too. This was insane! It was as if he had died in his sleep and was stuck in an endless dream of wonders.


    "That''s right. If you want, I can get you a personal bed for you and you alone."


    "Like this bed." He smiled and laid back in the bed and stretched. "Nice."


    Cynthia brought over some pajamas that might fit the little goblin. "How old are you dear?" she asked, helping Theo sit up and then she dressed him.


    "Eight. Almost nine!" Theo smiled proudly. "How old Cynthia?"


    She chuckled. "Well, how old do you think I am?"


    He studied her with his red eyes, searching every detail of her figure before shrugging. "Not know. Human age weird."


    "I''m twenty-two Theo," Cynthia laughed.


    Theo shrugged. Twenty-two sounded old. But then again, ten sounded old to most goblins. With him nearing nine, he was practically an adult. Goblins aged faster than humans so he had no idea what twenty-two meant for humans. Though¡­ wasn''t Redtear twenty-two too? That hobgoblin seemed old¡­ tired¡­ and depressed. Cynthia didn''t seem like that at all. "Cynthia adult?" Theo asked curiously.


    She smiled. "That''s right. I''m already an adult."


    "When adult?" Was she a young adult or an old one? He''d only ever known the chieftain and the grouchy old shaman. None of them were nice like Cynthia though. And Cynthia didn''t look wrinkly.


    "I turned into an adult a couple years ago."


    "Young adult," he said, finally understanding. He was practically a young adult too. Though he wouldn''t look like it because goblins stayed small. Except for those that evolved, like hobgoblins. But he didn''t think that he would ever become a hob. That was just a dream for little goblins, to one day grow as tall and taller than humans. "Me too." Theo smiled with his fangs. "Am almost nine!"


    "Really?" Cynthia chuckled. "But you''re only eight."


    "Almost nine!" Theo kicked at the bed sheets in protest. "Not eight. Almost nine!" He scowled at her. Goblins considered themselves adults around eight and nine and sometimes as late as twelve years old. The general consensus was that when a goblin was old enough to have children, they were an adult. However, there were a few odd cases with goblins making babies when they were only seven. Sometimes six at the very earliest. Some goblins just grew faster than others apparently.


    ¡°Well for humans you¡¯re considered an adult after your coming-of-age ceremony when you¡¯re sixteen," Cynthia explained to the little goblin.


    ¡°Ceremony?¡± Theo asked feeling confused. After turning sixteen? That was stupid. Humans grew too slowly. He wondered if she¡¯d still think an eleven-year-old hobgoblin taller than most humans was a child.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s to introduce you to society as someone of marriageable age.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re married?¡± When goblins married they just found someone they liked to mate with and decided to stay with them for life, or until they were caught mating with another goblin. Was Cynthia mating with other humans? Did she have a mate? Cynthia was an adult and that¡¯s what adults liked to do all the time. That and be annoying. But Cynthia wasn¡¯t annoying, she was nice.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not, but my father is looking for a suitable marriage partner for me."


    ¡°Then lots children.¡± Theo nodded. That¡¯s what mates tended to do with one another. And goblins had lots of children.


    ¡°Well sure," she chuckled. "But I wouldn¡¯t say lots, probably more like two or so if not one.¡±


    ¡°Cynthia wants one? Not lots?¡± Humans were so weird. How could she only want to have one child? Goblin women on average had around one or two babies every two years. With such a high birth rate the Creeping Water Tribe should have been overpopulated with goblins. Except for the fact that goblins had a pretty high death rate. Not many lived to be adults. And even adults didn''t live long either.


    ¡°Too many kids are hard to care for after all," said Cynthia sagely.


    ¡°Oh." And there was another difference between humans and goblins besides the difference in birth rates. Humans took too long to grow up. Too long to raise to have more than a few. Whereas goblins grew up much faster and became independent adults in less than half of that time. ¡°Humans grow slow.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Yes, we do.¡± She climbed into bed and pulled him into her arms.


    Theo went still. She''d picked him up and carried her in his arms earlier. But this felt more intimate. They were so close. His skin was brushing up against hers. The heat from their bodies helped him relax against her. The little goblin laid his cheek against her soft, pale flesh. One of his ears twitched. He could hear her heartbeat when they were this close.


    ¡°It¡¯s late now dear, get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Cynthia nice,¡± he repeated that saying for maybe the third time this evening. He liked this feeling of being in someone¡¯s arms. His mother might have done that for him when he was a baby. He couldn¡¯t remember. As far back as he could remember, he didn''t have a mother. Which was a silly thought because everyone who was alive had a mother. So that could only mean that Theo''s mother simply didn''t want him or¡­ she was simply dead. Theo would not be surprised if he ever found out that his mother had rejected him for his tiny size compared to the average goblin or if she was just dead. There were many ways for goblins to die after all. The world was full of dangers for the little green people.


    Cynthia smiled and petted him. ¡°Sleep, my dear.¡±


    Theo blinked slowly. His crimson eyes glanced up at her expression. His eyelids began to droop. She was soft and warm. He felt so comfortable.


    ¡°Okay," he said quietly. He wondered how different things might¡¯ve been if he hadn¡¯t been sold off to Cynthia. He wondered how terrible his owner could have been¡­ but he''d gotten lucky hadn''t he? Cynthia was so nice¡­ he could betray her another night when she was vulnerable again. For now, he just wanted to enjoy this nicety while it lasted. Theo would be glad to have another warm meal, another warm bath, and another night snuggled up to Cynthia. He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.


    Cynthia continued to pet him until eventually dozing off herself.

 Chapter 2

    When Theo woke up, he was still being held in Cynthia''s arms. Feeling her comforting embrace, he nuzzled his cheek against her exposed skin. The little goblin wrapped his own arms around the human woman in an attempt to pull himself closer against her.


    This was a pleasant way to wake up. A much different way of waking up compared to getting kicked in the face or stomach as some goblins had woken him up before. Yes, this was much nicer.


    Once Theo had gotten his fill of cuddling with her, he wanted to get up. It would not do to lay in bed all day. That was a thing lazy goblins did. And Theo was not a lazy goblin. So at last, he regretfully withdrew from the warm embrace they shared, and he poked her in the stomach. ¡°Cynthia. Up.¡±


    "Mmmm¡­¡± She slowly blinked her eyes open and smiled down at him. ¡°Good morning little one.¡±


    He scowled at the mention of his height. ¡°Not little.¡± Theo did not like being called little. Yes, it was true that he was considered little compared to most goblin adults. The average adult goblin was around two and a half feet in height. Theo was closer to two feet. Something that other goblins his age had noticed while growing up. His height and his scrawny body type led to¡­ more than a few issues with his much larger peers while growing up. It was a sore spot for the goblin.


    She chuckled. ¡°Right, not little.¡± She sat up and started to stretch. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Hungry," he answered her plainly. ¡°Eat here?¡±


    ¡°You want to eat in bed?¡±


    Theo shook his head and got up. The little goblin stretched and let out a small yawn. ¡°Where eat?¡± He wanted to see more of this place if this was going to be his new home.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go over to the diner, shall we?¡± Cynthia suggested, picking him up.


    ¡°Can walk!¡± He protested weakly. Theo felt as if the gesture of carrying him was demeaning because he was small. But he also liked the feeling of being held and carried in her arms.


    ¡°You want to walk there?¡± Cynthia asked him.


    Theo sagged limply in her arms as if he had been deflated like a balloon. ¡°No,¡± he huffed. ¡°Cynthia warm.¡±


    ¡°Alright," Cynthia smiled, "then just hold on tight to me until we get there.¡±


    He reached up and held onto her, feeling safe. ¡°Cynthia. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me, dear.¡± They soon arrived at the diner where breakfast was already displayed, and she took a seat in one of the chairs, placing Theo on her lap. ¡°Looks like food is already served.¡±


    He looked up at her and almost threw a fit. He wasn¡¯t a baby that needed pampering. But at the same time, it felt nice. He was not a child. In human years he was an older teenager who never experienced spoiling as a kid. Goblins lived rough lives in the wilderness. All of these new things that Cynthia was letting him experience made him feel special. ¡°Lots of food. Always lots food?¡±


    ¡°Yes," Cynthia chuckled. "As much as you may want.¡±


    Theo smiled. This was the good life he had always dreamed about. ¡°Good. hungry. Theo hungry.¡±


    She took her time cutting into a pancake before skewering some with her fork and bringing it over to his mouth. ¡°Say ah.¡±


    Okay. The swimming from the night before had been fun. Sleeping on a bed and not on the hard ground was nice. Being carried and not kicked or shoved or tripped was nice. But being fed? As much as he was acting like it, he was not an infant. He was almost nine! ¡°No¡± he shook his head.


    ¡°Do you not want it?¡± Cynthia tilted her head.


    ¡°Not a child,¡± he grunted and leaned back into her, turning his head away from the pancakes in a show of defiance.


    ¡°¡­Hm in that case, would you like to feed me instead?¡±


    He turned his head back to look at her. He thought about saying no. But she was being so nice to him. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to pay her back with a little kindness. ¡°Okay. Feed Cynthia¡±


    She smiled and opened her mouth for him to feed her.


    He took the fork from her hand. Then he put the offering up to her parted lips and pushed the food gently inside of her waiting mouth.


    She happily closed her lips around the utensil and ate the pancakes. A pleased hum came from the lady as she appreciated the bite. ¡°Mmm~ now you try.¡±


    ¡°Feed me?¡± Theo asked, opening his mouth to give her access. It¡¯s different if they feed each other. It was much more like they were trading with one another.


    An amused look came over the lady''s face. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want me to feed you."


    Theo crossed his arms. ¡°Different. It different. I feed Cynthia. Cynthia feed me?¡± He asked hopefully.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s feed each other.¡±


    The goblin opened his mouth again. A row of razor-sharp teeth was on display for the lady as Theo waited on her. They looked dangerous and they were. Theo could remember all the things he''d ever bitten into and if he wanted to, he could tear the lady apart.


    Cynthia fed him, she wasn''t bothered by his teeth in the slightest. She even smiled down at him. ¡°See? Being fed isn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    He closed his mouth and chewed up the pancakes with his fangs. He swallowed and gathered up some more pancakes. Then Theo held them up to Cynthia¡¯s lips. "Here."


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± She smiled and ate the offered pancakes.


    ¡°Good. And is nice. Fed. Feeding.¡± He shrugged and opened his mouth again.


    Cynthia fed him another bite. ¡°Just let yourself be spoiled sometimes dear.¡±


    ¡°Not a baby,¡± he mumbled after he swallowed before feeding her again. The two began to fall into a rhythm of trading the fork back and forth to feed each other.


    ¡°Babies aren¡¯t the only ones that like being spoiled, you know.¡±


    ¡°Maybe girls,¡± Theo huffed


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, guys enjoy it too. They¡¯re just not as open about it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± He decided to let her have this one. It does feel nice. But it feels too nice, Theo thought to himself. He was beginning to feel guilty. He didn''t deserve all these nice things and being treated in such nice ways. At least before in the tribe he helped out and worked for the leftover scraps he had gotten.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    She smiled and petted him. ¡°You¡¯re my pet dear. Spoiling you is my job.¡±


    ¡°What my job?¡± Well if she had a job then what was Theo''s job? What was it he needed to be doing in order to be paying for all of this? He looked at her curiously.


    Cynthia chuckled. ¡°To let me spoil you and give me plenty of cuddles.¡±


    He frowned. As much as he liked that. It¡¯s not what he imagined a slave would be doing for the rest of their life. Life in a tribe wasn¡¯t easy; everyone had their jobs to do. Now he was just to sit around and be spoiled. ¡°Okay," he said, already wondering if he could trick her and get away. Or if he would have to kill her¡­ but she was so nice. He didn''t want to have to kill her. And¡­ he''d never killed anyone before in his life. He wasn''t sure he could start now. Not even on the nicest human he''d ever met. Plus, this lifestyle was amazing. But it felt too amazing. It didn''t feel right. Something felt off¡­ perhaps this was all a trick, or a trap meant for Theo.  Or maybe an elaborate trap set for the tribe? Or maybe this was genuine¡­ in that case, it would be a lot easier to take advantage of her kindness. But that wouldn''t feel right either.


    Cynthia placed a finger in between his eyebrows. ¡°You were frowning there for a minute. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She noticed that? ¡°Like nice things. Like nice Cynthia. Like nice food. But¡­ too nice. It¡¯s all nice. Not. Not used. Not used nice.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s alright dear. You can start getting used to it slowly if it helps you adjust. How about you take care of me too in return?¡±


    ¡°Help Cynthia?¡± Theo asked, tilting his head to the side.


    ¡°Yes, you could help tend to me, such as washing me, assisting with my hair, getting dressed, and so on. I could have my personal maid teach you all there is to know and do about tending to me¡­ although¡­ those things may be a bit hard for you to do.¡±


    ¡°Why? Me do.¡± The goblin puffed up his chest.


    Cynthia giggled. ¡°You think you can manage?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Theo nodded enthusiastically.


    ¡°Alright then, I''ll have my maid teach you what you need to know. I do warn you, it¡¯s harder than it may appear.¡±


    He thumped his chest with a little balled green fist. ¡°Theo can do! Can do!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. From now on you must watch closely how she attends to me. You¡¯ll have morning classes on the basics. Hmm¡­ I should probably put you in other regular classes too if you¡¯re to attend to me.¡±


    ¡°Classes?¡± He watched her, curious as to what these classes were.


    ¡°Yes, such as language, math, cooking, social manners, and things of the sorts.¡±


    He scratched his head. He wasn¡¯t sure what any of those meant besides cooking. ¡°Learn cook?¡±


    "That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t worry, your teacher will teach you all there is you need to know.¡±


    He nodded. That sounds fun, Theo thought. ¡°Still. Time. Cynthia?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know if you¡¯ll still spend time with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes," he responded. He wanted to know if she could still have time to hold him and care for him... He was already getting used to this arrangement.


    "Well of course you will, dear. Classes are only in the mornings; the rest of the time you¡¯ll spend with me.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± he nodded. Theo did like to be spoiled some of the time.  So long as he was putting in the work for it and not being a lazy and useless goblin. ¡°Time with Cynthia. Time with classes. Learn cook. Learn help.¡± He waved around his hand. ¡°All too nice. Want more.¡±


    ¡°You want more? Dear, you¡¯re already doing so much though. I don¡¯t think you understand what it¡¯s like to have a pet¡­" Cynthia trailed off as she began to think to herself. Then her red eyes lit up. "Oh! I know! What if I get you a cat?¡±


    He scowled. A cat? Those furry things that were hard to catch and only really tasted good if you cooked them just right? ¡°No pet. Theo Cynthia¡¯s pet.¡±


    ¡°...You don¡¯t like cats? But they¡¯re so cute.¡±


    Cute? ¡°Cute?¡± Theo asked, wanting to know what the word cute meant.


    ¡°Yes, something really pretty and adorable you can¡¯t help but just want to hug.¡±


    Had he ever felt that way towards anything? He didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Think Theo cute?¡±


    Cynthia smiled and petted him. ¡°Of course you are.¡±


    He grunted. He didn¡¯t have much to say about that. He liked her hugs. But pretty? Adorable? Him? Was it because he was smaller than her? ¡°Not pretty.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not pretty? Why do you say so?¡±


    Because he was¡­ whatever guys were. Not pretty. That¡¯s for sure. ¡°Not pretty. Am¡­ strong?¡± He felt stupid saying that. He was just a little goblin. He would need to evolve to be truly strong.


    ¡°...Do you want to be strong Theo?¡±


    Did he? Naturally? Yes. It felt right. He didn¡¯t want to be soft. He wanted to be more. Like the hobgoblin that would throw goblins old enough to swim far out into the river. Redtear. He had been strong. ¡°Yes,¡± Theo replied after some thought.


    ¡°...Then would you like to take fighting lessons? They could be a bit rough on you, but if you¡¯d like I could arrange for them as well.¡±


    ¡°Want strong. Like hob.¡±  He didn¡¯t know how to explain to her. But he wanted to be strong, useful, and spoiled. If she would let him have all of those things.


    ¡°Then train lots so one day you can protect your mistress.¡±


    Theo nodded. ¡°Train. learn. Spoil.¡± Now this? This was a good life to have.


    ¡°Is it too much?¡±


    ¡°No, is enough. Is good.¡± He looked up to Cynthia and bared his fangs for her to see in the shape of a feral grin. ¡°Cynthia good.¡±


    Cynthia petted him. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy, you can start classes tomorrow¡±


    ¡°Classes!¡± He cheered. Maybe running away could wait. He had to experience all that he could here first.


    ¡°You must listen properly to your classes understood. You¡¯re going to be really busy starting tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Theo listens.¡± The goblin rolled his big red eyes. He listened all the time. It was important to listen. Listening was a helpful way to avoid the bigger goblins that had liked to take his food or shove him around.  ¡°Busy? Good.¡± He was a goblin, a working part of a tribe, a wheel in the machine. Given the chance to become a bigger and more useful wheel than before. And he was still going to be getting fed and carried and hugged and enjoy swimming. This really was the good life.


    She chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to read do you Theo?¡±


    ¡°What read?¡± Theo asked with a frown. Read? Like reading people¡¯s moods? Theo could tell when the adults were upset with him just as well as he could tell they were about to go off and make babies. He could tell when he might get more food because the cook was happy.


    ¡°Books Theo. Do you know what books are?¡±


    ¡°What book?¡± Okay now this was a word he had never heard before. Book. Books?


    Cynthia smiled. ¡°Come, follow me.¡±


    ¡°Carry? Theo asked hopefully, lifting his arms up.


    She chuckled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± She picked him up as he requested and carried him off towards the library.


    He grabbed onto her arms, enjoying the feeling.


    She walked inside and skimmed through the shelfs of the children¡¯s books section, picking one she thought would be interesting enough. ¡°You see this, Theo?¡± She held it up for him. ¡°This is a book.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± He looked it over. ¡°What book do?¡± Could they eat it?


    ¡°Books tell us stories and information passed down through the years¡±


    ¡°Stories?¡± Like a shaman? The Creeping Water Tribe had one shaman, Echiel. Theo didn¡¯t like listening to him. The shaman was boring, old, and grouchy. Though he could tell good stories every one in a while. Stories like The Great Goblin, The Dark One, The Pale Goblin, and many more. Sometimes even the shaman¡¯s apprentice, Leafbite. She would tell stories that she knew. But she was young with very little experience compared to the aged Echiel.


    Cynthia smiled. ¡°How about I read you this one and you let me know how you feel about books?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Cynthia read?¡± He was curious just what this reading concept was all about.


    She smiled, sitting down with him on her lap, opening the book on his lap so he could see the pictures as she began to read. It was a story about fairies and pirates from a far away land and the adventures they had together.


    He sat there listening to the words that seemed to just flow from her lips like a stream. He watched her turn the pages; he wondered how this book is telling her the story. Was it magic like the shaman and his fire and smoke storytelling?


    After some time of reading the story is finally brought to its happy ending. ¡°So what did you think?¡±


    ¡°Fun. How read? Magic?¡± He asked, looking from the book to her, curious about the nature of reading.


    ¡°You see these letters here?¡± Cynthia pointed at the words in one of the book¡¯s pages. ¡°They form words that you can read.¡±


    He squinted down at the little symbols. There were so many! This looked incredibly hard. ¡°What say?¡± He pointed to a pair of words.


    She chuckled softly and read the words to him. ¡°The end. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be learning how to read in your classes too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. This good. Good story.¡± Theo grabbed the book and looked at the words he didn''t know. He leaned closer and examined them, almost pressing his eye against the page itself.


    She smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll eventually be able to read these on your own too.¡±


    ¡°Read. read all?¡± Theo stared around the library. There were so many shelves and aisles filled with books and books and more books. There were so many stories. It felt like it was too much. And yet somehow not enough.


    ¡°As many as you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Really? Want read. Learn read. Tomorrow?¡± Theo asked, his crimson eyes were alight with wonder. There were so many books! Who even had the time to read them all?


    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll take a while for you to learn it all. But yes. You¡¯ll start tomorrow.¡±


    He nodded and understood that he might never learn how to read all of these books. But he sure was going to try his best. ¡°One more? Read, Cynthia?¡± he asked her.


    Cynthia smiled. ¡°One more.¡± She grabbed another book from the shelves and went back to reading to him again, this time it was a story about a prince going off on an adventure to rescue a princess.


    When he heard the word princess, he had to stop her to ask. ¡°What prince. What princess.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ how should I put it¡­ They¡¯re the children of the King and Queen, the leaders of our kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Cynthia, princess?¡± he asked, tracing the words on the page with his finger.


    She chuckled. ¡°No, not really, I¡¯m just a noble. Why? Do I look like a princess?¡±¡±


    ¡°Yes. Cynthia, princess!¡± Theo cried out, throwing his arms up. ¡°Best princess! Cynthia!¡±


    ¡°Aw, thank you dear, but I''m not a princess.¡± Cynthia smiled and shook her head.


    ¡°Are too,¡± Theo argued with her, pouting and crossing his arms in protest.


    Cynthia chuckled. ¡°Alright, alright. How about I be a princess for you then?¡±


    The goblin gaped up at her. ¡°My princess?¡± Like in the story?


    ¡°Sure, I''ll be your princess. Only for you. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Theo cheered. ¡°Cynthia, my princess!¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Yes, I''ll be your princess. So you must study hard to be able to take care of me properly alright.¡±


    Well that sounded like something he could do while he stayed here. She was so nice to him compared to what the mean man who kept him in a cage had said. So far, she hadn¡¯t put a collar on him or branded with a hot metal stick. He did owe her a lot. Or maybe he owed luck? ¡°Theo study. Theo work hard. Princess Cynthia, care!¡±


    She smiled and pulled him into a hug. ¡°Aw isn¡¯t our dear Theo the cutest~¡±


    Theo didn¡¯t grumble and he didn''t complain about being called cute this time. He returned the hug and he smiled warmly. ¡°Princess nice.¡±

 Chapter 3

    ¡°Say, Theo, wouldn¡¯t you like to go swimming in a bigger area?¡± Cynthia asked him.


    Theo blinked and glanced up at his mistress. ¡°Swim? Like in tub?¡±


    Cynthia chuckled. ¡°Think bigger dear.¡±


    ¡°Swim big? Like river?¡± Like all the older goblins and hobs? How did she know he was just about to ask if they could go outside? It was probably just a coincidence. Like unfortunately coming across a bigger goblin''s path while doing his chores. It was just bad luck that led to Theo having to start all over after being shoved down to the ground. And it was good luck that Cynthia wanted to go outside.


    In the Creeping Water Tribe, every goblin had a task for them to complete. Essential chores that kept the rest of the tribe on their feet. Theo''s job had been to collect firewood. Mainly kindling such as small sticks and brambles. He simply wasn''t strong or big enough for many other jobs. There had been plenty of times where a bigger goblin had knocked over or tripped Theo while he¡¯d been trying to work. He could remember the laughter coming from them as he knelt down to pick everything up again.


    ¡°More like a lake but you can¡¯t go in too deep alright. Be sure you can touch the ground at all times,¡± Cynthia told him.


    ¡°Okay," Theo lied. Where was the fun in that? Why go into a lot of water at all if you couldn¡¯t enjoy all of the water?


    She smiled. ¡°Good. Then let us go get changed into some more appropriate swimming attire.¡± She picked him up and stood back up. She put the book away before heading back to her room to get changed inside her closet. She came out in a pale bikini that nearly matched her hair.


    ¡°Cynthia? Where lake?¡± Theo asked as he watched her approach him in her very revealing apparel. It looked like her large chest was going to burst out of her clothing¡­ Come to think of it¡­ Theo had never seen a human with breasts that large before.


    When Cynthia began to change him out of his clothing and help him into some swimming trunks the little goblin finally snapped his gaze away from her oversized breasts and put his mind into thinking about something else. A lake¡­ It would be a nice place to sneak off to by himself if he ever needed to.. And what were these? He pulled at the swimming trunks. Didn¡¯t people just swim naked? Goblins did so all the time. And he and Cynthia had done so in the bath as well.


    Cynthia picked him up again and headed outside. ¡°It¡¯s in the woods behind the mansion.¡±


    ¡°Mansion?¡± Theo had never heard of that word either. What was a mansion?


    ¡°It¡¯s the place you¡¯re in right now. You could basically consider it a big house of sorts.¡±


    ¡°Big house. Mansion big.¡± This place was big. Bigger than any house the tribe had ever tried to raid from the stories he remembered hearing about. Maybe a hundred times larger than any of those houses.


    Redtear, a hobgoblin taller than most of the humans Theo had ever seen so far, would be sitting around on a log looking sad. He always looked sad. Other goblins had told Theo that the hobgoblin had been sad since his mate died. That was over nine years ago, before Theo had ever been born.


    The hobgoblin would tell Theo and other goblins what it was like to raid humans. Redtear would lean on his axe and close his eyes and speak to the curious listeners with memories. He would talk about what the human dwelling looked like. He would mention things like dogs and cats. He mentioned horses and cows. He talked about feathered birds that did not fly called chickens. And of course Redtear talked about the killing. What it was like to take a human life.


    Goblins raided humans. They raided farms, they raided villages, and they raided humans that simply lived alone. Goblins would scout out good targets, gather as much information as they could, then they would move in the middle of the night to lay claim to anything worth grabbing.


    Theo remembered the first time he had eaten a human body. It had been a finger. It had been small and crunchy. Nothing special. Just another kind of meat to eat.


    It had been because of Theo¡¯s first raid on humans that led to him being captured in the first place. Theo had set out with Hunter, Nimbledash, and Boghar¡­


    Theo closed his eyes as he remembered hiding and staring into Boghar¡¯s eyes as he bled out with a pitchfork buried into his neck. He recalled seeing one of the humans walking around with Nimbledash¡¯s head, dangling from his hand by one of her pigtails. Theo hadn¡¯t seen Hunter die¡­ maybe the silent goblin had gotten away. Good.


    Cynthia chuckled. ¡°That''s right. It¡¯s very big. Most nobles typically live in mansions.¡±


    Theo opened his eyes and banished the thought of the other goblins from his mind as he looked up at the human in front of him. ¡°What Cynthia do?¡± he asked. ¡°What noble do?¡± What did she do all day? What did nobles do to get such big houses? Did they steal them?


    ¡°Well once a noble lady gets married, she would be in charge of making sure the house runs well and manages the finances of the place. They take care of the household ordeals and deal with the children and set up events within the mansion while the husband works on the family businesses as well as helping to govern the land around them for the King.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Cynthia does nothing?¡± He asked with a frown. So her father and mother did all the work. And Cynthia got to do nothing?


    ¡°My job is to socialize and find a suitable husband. They are both a very important part of a noble¡¯s life. It¡¯s how we form connections and build up power within the social world.¡±


    So Cynthia talked to people. Theo could remember what the shaman called goblins that stood around talking all day doing nothing like Leafbite. ¡°Hmm. Lazy.¡±


    ¡°Lazy?¡± Cynthia burst out into laughter. ¡°Not exactly dear. The connections we form are very important, you know. So it¡¯s my duty to help my family keep a good face and to prosper in such a way. We have to be very picky about who we socialize with and what we do or don¡¯t say. One wrong move and your family¡¯s name could be tarnished. You¡¯re basically representing your family when you socialize and it¡¯s a job of its own.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Theo asked. What harm could talking do to someone and that person¡¯s family? ¡°How harm?¡± He corrected himself


    ¡°Well if you offend the wrong person or someone of higher status, it could ruin both your family and reputation. You could be outcasted from society. However, if you gain their favor it could give you plenty of benefits. We need our connections in order to prosper within the social world.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. sounds dumb.¡± Theo waved his hand around. ¡°Why not take? Talks and talks. Threats and favors. Why not just take?¡± It was a very goblin thing to ask. When a goblin tribe wanted something they didn¡¯t ask for it, they didn¡¯t try to buy or negotiate. They just took it. Theo looked around the mansion and wondered if he escaped and told his tribe, maybe told two tribes¡­ How hard would it be to raid this big house? How hard would it be to take others? ¡°Like kings, why not take?¡± Didn¡¯t humans fight each other other times for stuff? What was the point of this talking and social business, favors, and so forth? It didn¡¯t sound like something goblins did.


    ¡°Our world would be in total chaos and violence if we just took as we wanted dear. People would never be able to live in peace. No one would be safe and unnecessary innocent lives would be lost in such a hell hole.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t the world already chaotic? Wasn¡¯t the world already violent? Theo could remember all the time¡¯s he¡¯d ever been beaten. He remembered watching fights, getting into a fight himself. Hearing the stories of blood and violence and death. He remembered Boghar and Nimbledash. How come Cynthia hadn¡¯t noticed how violent and chaotic the world was? Maybe it was because she just spent her life talking to people and living in big safe and fancy houses. Maybe the violent world he knew was not here. Perhaps he had been stolen and bought into a whole new world that was oblivious to the other violent world. And what was that other new word Theo didn¡¯t know? ¡°Innocent?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°Innocent? Innocent people are people that did nothing wrong or were even involved at all. Those who are just trying to live without trouble.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Well, by that definition then innocent people got hurt all the time. What difference did it make if it was fighting for something or starving in the streets? Were all humans like Cynthia? Stuck in this little blind world of their own?


    ¡°Swim lots?¡± He didn¡¯t feel like talking with her about the issues of innocents. He doubted she¡¯s ever watched a goblin child starve and waste away because the tribe hadn¡¯t performed a raid. She wasn¡¯t like him. Or most other humans. As she said, she was a noble. And this was her life. Talking, swimming, eating, reading, and whatever else at her leisure. He doubted she had the faintest clue as to what innocent truly meant. And if she did then it was all she probably knew.


    Behind the mansion was a large open clearing with a forest further back behind it. An old and broken tower could be barely seen if you looked for it in just the right spot amongst all the trees. A large lake sat between the mansion and the woods, bright blue water that shined like a sheet of glittering crystals under the afternoon sun.


    Cynthia smiled and sat him down upon arrival at the lake. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll swim lots dear. Now remember what I told you dear?¡±


    ¡°Stay in small water.¡± Theo nodded because that¡¯s what she told him to do, He wasn¡¯t about to go against her wishes right now. Theo was growing to be quite appreciative of Cynthia and all she was doing for him.


    ¡°That''s right! Good.¡± She praised him.


    Then she moved into the water and Theo started splashing her. The two giggled and laughed as they splashed each other with cool water. Theo began trying to spit water at her, causing her to flee briefly with a squeal. Theo gave chase, spitting water at her back as best he could. The noble lady turned around and a not so noble grin came over her face as she began to splash Theo in huge waves with both arms. This time Theo was the one running away with a squeal and a giggle.


    The two played in the shallow water for a time before Cynthia wanted to try teaching Theo how to float. And so the little goblin tried his best to float by following her instructions but then Theo flailed about when he thought he was going to drown.


    "Oh goodness- let me help dear." She quickly helped level him out, putting a hand under his back and another hand under the back of his head, and lifting his face out of the water. "Float until you can do it.¡±


    Just relax she says as she held him in the water. Theo never saw any of the older goblins doing this before. He let her hold him and he didn¡¯t move this time. He didn''t even breathe. He squeezed his red eyes shut and held his breath and tried to pretend that everything was fine.


    Cynthia slowly began to let go, making sure he didn''t sink. ¡°Deep relaxing breaths dear, remember that.¡±


    He breathed in and out with slow and deep breaths like she told him to. After a few seconds he started to relax in the water.


    She let him go a little more. ¡°That¡¯s right dear, keep doing that. Slowly settle your breathing.¡±


    The water was in his ears... a cool feeling surrounding his cheeks. He flinched when it felt like he''d go under, but he didn''t react poorly. He just laid there on top of the water, floating.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it, Theo! You¡¯re floating!¡± Cynthia cheered in delight like a mother watching her child taking their first steps.


    Theo wanted to say something but he was too busy trying not to sink. Finally he shouted in triumph. ¡°Floating! Floating!"


    Cynthia giggled. ¡°How does it feel dear?¡±


    ¡°Nice. It feels nice. Thank Cynthia!¡± Theo cheered. He was already feeling a little braver than he had felt moments before.


    She smiled. ¡°Now want to see who can hold out the longest without breathing underwater?¡±


    ¡°Underwater?¡± Theo asked, still floating around her.


    ¡°Yes, you need to learn how to hold your breath first if you want to learn how to swim properly.¡±


    ¡°Hold breath?¡± Well that seemed like an easy thing to do. Theo inhaled and then puffed up his cheeks.


    ¡°Alright. At the count of three we hold our breaths and open our eyes underwater. Got it?¡±


    Theo stopped floating where he could still stand in the water and he nodded at her. ¡°Okay Cynthia.¡±


    She held his hands, counted down to three, and then Cynthia dived under.


    Holding her hand and hearing the "three," the little goblin dived under with her. Theo held his breath. He opened his eyes and watched her holding her breath too.


    Cynthia smiled and then did her best to make funny faces at him.


    He almost stuck his tongue out. Instead he narrowed his eyes and poked her cheeks.


    She giggled and poked him back before rising back above the water''s surface.


    Theo smiled, laughed, and then began to choke beneath the water. He grabbed at his throat with wide eyes. He followed up after her only a second later than her. His head broke through the surface and he continued to choke and cough.


    She patted his back, giggling. ¡°Breath dear, breath.¡±


    Finally the choking sounds turned into laughter after a few minutes. He threw his head back into the water.  He didn''t know why, but he just never expected her to poke him back. It had been such a¡­ goblin thing. Because poking was easier than talking. Everyone could poke someone.


    She smiled. "So how are you liking your first time out swimming at the lake?¡±


    "Fun! " He shouted, splashing at Cynthia. "Cynthia fun. Lot''s of fun."


    Cynthia chuckled and splashed him back.


    He laughed and dropped below the water. Holding his breath and lying in wait for her.


    She smiled and followed underneath, swimming around him.


    Theo frowned; this wasn''t at all what he had planned. But he slowly started to back up towards the deeper water.


    She frowned, reaching for him and pulling him out of the water, tickling him as punishment.  "Dear, you shouldn''t be going too deep remember?" She sat him back down on his own two feet.


    Theo had planned on following Cynthia''s rules originally. However they were having so much fun in just this little corner of the lake. He wanted to see the rest of the lake. He had really wanted to go further out into the water. Maybe he could if he learned how to swim better. He knew he could drown going out there. He stopped laughing and sighed. "Small. Small Theo. Big water."


    She patted him on the head. "Don''t worry Theo. You''ll learn how to swim in no time. I''ll get you a teacher for it too and we can come here to practice whenever you want. Just make sure to tell me and I''ll come with you. Alright?"


    Theo was feeling a little rebellious. He wasn''t going to do that. He had a plan. "When lesson, tomorrow? "


    "Yes dear. Classes start tomorrow."


    He rolled his eyes. He knew that. She told him that already he''s not an idiot. "When tomorrow? "


    "You''ll start tomorrow after lunch time dear."


    He nodded. "Thanks, swim. Cynthia. Thanks." That worked out. He could sneak out early in the morning and begin¡­ begin his new day. He remembered the words of the hobs when they told the children how they got strong.  One hundred pushups, one hundred sit ups, one hundred¡­


    Cynthia smiled. "Are you ready to head back in now dear?"


    "Yes. Thanks. Fun swimming. " He smiled up at her.


    She picked him up. "Then let''s go back instead and get you dried and dressed for dinner."


    "Thanks, Cynthia. Fun. Cynthia fun. " He felt like he should tell her this fact. She could be quite fun. Despite being a lazy noble that did nothing but talk to people, she could be fun as well.


    "I''m glad you''re having fun dear." She gave his temple a kiss and carried him back inside.


    "Cynthia¡­ ha¡­hav¡­ havin¡­ Cynthia having fun?"


    ¡°Well of course I am dear. It¡¯s been a while since I last went swimming.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± he asked curiously. She seemed like she was having so much fun.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think it¡¯s been around four years?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked with some surprise in his voice. Why had she not gone swimming for four years? She lived by a lake. Theo would have been swimming every single day of those four years if he had been here... and if he knew how to swim of course.


    ¡°Well I¡¯ve just become quite busy around that time. I have been too preoccupied keeping a proper image and working. So I didn¡¯t play around like this very often.¡± She carried him back inside and sat him in the bed to help him dry up. She left him momentarily and came back with a towel around her neck and a towel in her hands. She began to gently dry the little goblin off before tending to herself.


    ¡°You had fun? Swim more," Theo said. This noble business was really stupid.


    She smiled. ¡°We can swim some more tomorrow after your classes.¡±


    Theo did not think he would enjoy swimming after tomorrow morning. He might after classes. Maybe. So that worked out for them both. ¡°Okay, more swim. Fun.¡±


    When she finished helping him dry off, she then helped get him dressed. She was too preoccupied with Theo to bother changing out of her swimming attire. ¡°Let¡¯s go get dinner before it gets cold. We¡¯ve already skipped lunch from all that playing around. I know you must be starving.¡±


    ¡°Good. Theo hungry. Cynthia hungry?¡± he looked around and memorized more of the mansion¡¯s layout.  It wouldn¡¯t do for him to waste time stumbling around like a clueless little goblin later.


    ¡°Yes, I''m quite hungry too after all that playing.¡± She petted him and carried Theo into the dining room. She took a seat with Theo sitting on her lap.


    ¡°Am¡­ good pet?¡± he asked, wondering what she thought of him.


    Cynthia smiled and gave him a squeeze in her arms. ¡°Of course, dear. You¡¯re great.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Cynthia good¡­ master?¡± Is that what she was to him? A master? That¡¯s what the man had said. The man who had sold Theo to Cynthia''s father. The man who had whipped him and threatened that Cynthia''s family would brand him with burning iron to mark him as theirs.


    ¡°... Am I not?¡± She smiled down at him.


    ¡°Am Theo¡¯s master?¡± He didn¡¯t like the word on his tongue. She said he wasn¡¯t a slave and yet sleeves had masters. At the end of the day if he stopped making her happy, would she be just like the mean man said?


    ¡°Well yes?... but that doesn¡¯t mean you should see yourself as my slave dear.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t saying no¡­ ¡°I understand.¡± He did. He was a lazy slave. For the lazy noble.  ¡°Am pet.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re my dear pet. You¡¯re basically a part of the family. So you can consider me as family too alright?¡± She began to feed him in between their conversation.


    Theo nodded. He didn''t really understand because family were your parents who birthed you and left you once you could walk. Cynthia certainly did not give birth to him. Sometimes he just felt really confused around her and other times he was having the time of his life with her.


    ¡°What are you looking forward to the most tomorrow?¡±


    He thought about it¡­ and answered honestly. ¡°Swimming, Cynthia!¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°You really like swimming huh?¡±


    ¡°Swimming with Cynthia! Cynthia fun!¡± Theo cheered before taking another bite. He had to try to eat more. He would need plenty of energy for tomorrow.


    ¡°Theo is fun to play with too.¡± She wiped at his mouth with a napkin.


    ¡°Good!¡± Theo beamed up at her. He felt pleasant. The food was good and seeing her smile felt like a different kind of a treat.


    Cynthia smiled. ¡°Now we should head back and rest up alright? You played a lot today. I''m sure you¡¯re exhausted.¡±


    The mere mention of his exhaustion brought a yawn out of him. ¡°Hmmm. Tired.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s take you back to bed shall we?¡±


    ¡°Sleep now.¡± Then all he¡¯d have to do was wake up early in the morning and sneak out to the lake. For all that entailed.


    She smiled and scooped him up. After carrying him back to the bedroom she laid down on the bed and cuddled up to him. ¡°Goodnight, dear.¡±


    ¡°Night, Cynthia¡± Theo laid his head against her and closed his eyes.


    Cynthia closed her eyes as well. She stayed up petting him until at last she passed out into a peaceful slumber.