"Her name is Sesera, your majesty," announces the court clerk.
"And what are the charges?" The queen asks.
"One count of disturbing the peace," the clerk answers, "one count of casting a love spell against a citizen, one count of casting a fire spell against the same citizen, and one count of turning that citizen into a lizard."
"Is the citizen still a lizard now?" Asks the queen.
"Yes your highness," answers a royal guard, holding up a lizard in his hand.
"So let me get this straight...wait, first, who is this citizen?"
"His name was Marvin Geckoe," announces the clerk.
"He still is, not was," corrects the queen, "now you." The queen points her finger of her upper right arm at the witch as she uses her lower right arm to lift her body into a standing position. "You there, witch!"
"My name is Sesera your majesty," interrupts the witch.
"I don't remember asking you a damned thing!" Retorts the queen.
"My queen," interrupts the great goblin king in a calming tone. The queen and king communicate telepathically, until eventually she calms down.
"Very well Sesera. Do you mind explaining to me why you were casting spells against a citizen in the royal marketplace?"
"Because your highness, I love him!" Sesera shouts into the crowd, turning her back against the monarchs in an attempt to win favor with the crowd.
"If you love him, why did you turn him into a lizard?" Asks the queen, now calm and caring, rather than harsh and disciplinary.
"Because your majesty, he cheated on me!" Sesera cries out, now turning her attention back to the queen.
"You're a witch!" Roars the king, "he's a citizen!"
"We've been seeing each other secretly for a year now," admits the witch.
"Yes, we know," interrupts the queen, "hence the charge of using a love potion against a citizen."
"But I didn't your majesty, honest!" Sesera pleads.
"I believe you," says the queen, "but we have a lizard where a man once stood and laws to prevent this very thing from ever happening."
"But I'm not the cheater," Sesera demands. The queen slaps her own forehead with one of her four hands. The king lowers his head, shaking it in disapproval.
"He's a citizen! Can't you find a wizard or warlock to cast spells on?" Asks the king.
"But you don't understand..." Sesera begins before being cut off.
"Okay, explain it to us Sesera," offers the queen.
"I didn't use love potion on him; not a year ago, not last month, not ever. We were in love. Then I found out last week he was seeing my neighbor Vanera Beesting," confesses Sesera.
"Okay stop," demands the queen. She looks over at her husband and smirks, "this sounds like an episode from one of those shows on the planet Lucifer is from. Maybe we should get him in here to decide how to proceed."
"No please your highness, I can change him back," Sesera interrupts.
"And what of the other charges?" Asks the queen.
"You threw a ball of fire at a citizen in the middle of the royal marketplace!" Roars the king. The king lifts his hand and shoots a small fireball into the royal guard's hand, who drops the lizard and steps back. The lizard grows back into Marvin Geckoe.
"You can do that?" Asks Sesera.
"Is she for real?" Asks the queen. The audience laughs.
"I'm the great goblin king! Magic is my mistress. I don't have to worry about my queen and my neighbor because I obey goblin law!" Declares the king.
"That's not fair!" Sesera cries out.
"What!" Roars the king.
"Sesera!" Marvin calls out from the back, interrupting the king's rage.
"No! You're a cheater! I saw you!" Sesera accuses.
"It's not what you think," Marvin pleads.
"Oh lord, here we go. I can't!" Interrupts the queen, "Can you?" She looks over at the king; he shakes his head. "Sesera, he was going to propose to you and sought out the help of your neighbor to pick out a ring and help set up the surprise."
"How did you know that?" Marvin asks.
"Because I'm the damned queen! Both of you get out!" Demands the queen. The king roars with laughter.
"Thank you your majesty," Sesera calls out as she runs to the back of the room towards Marvin.
"May the darkness prevail," Marvin adds as he grabs Sesera's hand and joins her in their exit.
"Get the hell out!" Roars the king.
"And what are the charges?" The queen asks.
"One count of disturbing the peace," the clerk answers, "one count of casting a love spell against a citizen, one count of casting a fire spell against the same citizen, and one count of turning that citizen into a lizard."
"Is the citizen still a lizard now?" Asks the queen.
"Yes your highness," answers a royal guard, holding up a lizard in his hand.
"So let me get this straight...wait, first, who is this citizen?"
"His name was Marvin Geckoe," announces the clerk.
"He still is, not was," corrects the queen, "now you." The queen points her finger of her upper right arm at the witch as she uses her lower right arm to lift her body into a standing position. "You there, witch!"
"My name is Sesera your majesty," interrupts the witch.
"I don't remember asking you a damned thing!" Retorts the queen.
"My queen," interrupts the great goblin king in a calming tone. The queen and king communicate telepathically, until eventually she calms down.
"Very well Sesera. Do you mind explaining to me why you were casting spells against a citizen in the royal marketplace?"
"Because your highness, I love him!" Sesera shouts into the crowd, turning her back against the monarchs in an attempt to win favor with the crowd.
"If you love him, why did you turn him into a lizard?" Asks the queen, now calm and caring, rather than harsh and disciplinary.
"Because your majesty, he cheated on me!" Sesera cries out, now turning her attention back to the queen.
"You're a witch!" Roars the king, "he's a citizen!"
"We've been seeing each other secretly for a year now," admits the witch.
"Yes, we know," interrupts the queen, "hence the charge of using a love potion against a citizen."
"But I didn't your majesty, honest!" Sesera pleads.
"I believe you," says the queen, "but we have a lizard where a man once stood and laws to prevent this very thing from ever happening."
"But I'm not the cheater," Sesera demands. The queen slaps her own forehead with one of her four hands. The king lowers his head, shaking it in disapproval.
"He's a citizen! Can't you find a wizard or warlock to cast spells on?" Asks the king.
"But you don't understand..." Sesera begins before being cut off.
"Okay, explain it to us Sesera," offers the queen.
"I didn't use love potion on him; not a year ago, not last month, not ever. We were in love. Then I found out last week he was seeing my neighbor Vanera Beesting," confesses Sesera.
"Okay stop," demands the queen. She looks over at her husband and smirks, "this sounds like an episode from one of those shows on the planet Lucifer is from. Maybe we should get him in here to decide how to proceed."
"No please your highness, I can change him back," Sesera interrupts.
"And what of the other charges?" Asks the queen.
"You threw a ball of fire at a citizen in the middle of the royal marketplace!" Roars the king. The king lifts his hand and shoots a small fireball into the royal guard's hand, who drops the lizard and steps back. The lizard grows back into Marvin Geckoe.
"You can do that?" Asks Sesera.
"Is she for real?" Asks the queen. The audience laughs.
"I'm the great goblin king! Magic is my mistress. I don't have to worry about my queen and my neighbor because I obey goblin law!" Declares the king.
"That's not fair!" Sesera cries out.
"What!" Roars the king.
"Sesera!" Marvin calls out from the back, interrupting the king's rage.
"No! You're a cheater! I saw you!" Sesera accuses.
"It's not what you think," Marvin pleads.
"Oh lord, here we go. I can't!" Interrupts the queen, "Can you?" She looks over at the king; he shakes his head. "Sesera, he was going to propose to you and sought out the help of your neighbor to pick out a ring and help set up the surprise."
"How did you know that?" Marvin asks.
"Because I'm the damned queen! Both of you get out!" Demands the queen. The king roars with laughter.
"Thank you your majesty," Sesera calls out as she runs to the back of the room towards Marvin.
"May the darkness prevail," Marvin adds as he grabs Sesera's hand and joins her in their exit.
"Get the hell out!" Roars the king.