Silvy continued to glare at Zia. After a moment, she transferred her glare to me. Finally, she took a step back.
"Come in," she said.
The cheery, pleasant woman I was familiar with was gone, replaced by this version that looked ready to start stabbing with that knife in her hand. Although as I remembered her history, it made more sense.
"Just put the food over there," Silvy said, pointing at a large stone countertop in her kitchen. Her eyes stayed on Zia the whole time.
"So, Zia," Silvy said. "People don't come up here very often to speak with me, you know. They generally shun me instead, unless they want something. So, what about magic are you interested in? How are you paying?"
Zia held up a hand. "Oh, you misunderstand. I'm not here to buy magic from you. I want to learn."
Silvy gave her a flat look. "You want to learn magic? Have you lost your mind, girl?"
"Possibly," Zia replied with a shrug. "I've just always found it fascinating. I find it incredibly stupid that magic is seen as such a horrible thing, and you are shunned for using it. Especially when I look around and see how much magic has improved our lives; magic keeps our cities lit and our water clean. I can see through the lies Ralcor has woven."
"Huh," Silvy said, her face softening a bit. "At least you're not stupid."
"One would hope not," Zia replied. "I've wanted to learn magic ever since I was a little girl and my mother told me about our lights and everything else. Of course, everyone says you're some kind of monster that eats people, but once I met Aaron here I realized that wasn't true. So, here I am."
"Here you are," Silvy said flatly. She looked at me. "What did you tell her?"
"I asked for help finding food outside," I said.
Zia lowered her voice. "Also, I want to help overthrow Ralcor."
Silvy threw her hands up. "Oh, damn it, Aaron! Do you want to get us both killed? Or maybe tortured for days at a time, then killed? Because that is what's going to happen if you keep blabbing your fucking mouth."
I held up my hands to stall her tirade, but she just kept going.
"And Ralcor will make it last for days, weeks even. Everyone knows how much he loves torture, which is one of the reasons no one has even tried to stand up to him yet. You think the fact that you're a man will stop him from having his way with you, just to break your spirit? He'll do it in front of a crowd, then order each of his guards to take a turn."
"Enough," I said, my voice firm enough to cut her off. "I didn't tell her what I was doing. She figured it out herself."
"What?" Silvy asked in a flat voice, looking over at Zia.
Zia shrugged again. "Everyone knows you've been praying for more than a hundred years for the gods to send someone to kill Ralcor." She pointed at me. "When I saw this giant outside and learned he was staying with you, I put two and two together. It wasn't that hard. Seriously, Silvy, you're not that good at hiding this."
"And what makes you think I would teach you magic?" Silvy said, her voice still thick with distrust.
"Because I want to help," Zia said, her voice gaining heat. "Ralcor killed my uncle. I would do almost anything to have a chance at revenge."
Silvy barked a laugh and crossed her arms beneath her large breasts. "So you want to help us kill the king and put this man on the throne? What, do you want to be one of his wives as well?"
Zia looked over at me, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. "If that's the deal you're offering, then I accept. You let me help you, and I'll agree to be one of his wives. I'll even bring my best friend along to marry him as well."
I blinked. "Well, that escalated quickly," I said.
They both looked at me.
"Fine," Silvy said. "He's going to be training with the elves anyway. Be here each morning, ready to learn. And don't tell anyone what you're doing, or I'll strip the hide from you myself."
Zia's face lit up into a bright smile. "Oh, thank you, Silvy!" She rushed forward and hugged the woman, narrowly avoiding an accidental knife to the ribs.
"Don't thank me yet," Silvy said, awkwardly patting the woman on the back. "Tomorrow we'll see if you can even learn."
Zia released the older woman and gave me a coy look. "Don't use him up too much, either," she said to Silvy. "Make sure you leave something left for me to marry."
Silvy laughed out loud. "Aaron, is there anything you haven't told her?"
"It wasn't him," Zia said defensively. "I could smell the sex on him. Really, Silvy, if you're going to sleep with him that's fine, but have him visit the hot springs first to clean off."
I found myself blushing at how sensitive goblin noses were.
"Well, enough of that," Silvy said firmly. "On with you, girl. It's getting late and I won't let anyone interrupt my sleep."
"Thank you again, Silvy," Zia said. She turned to me and looked at me for a moment, as if trying to decide what to say. Then, she stepped close and hugged me tightly.
"What's this for?" I asked, enfolding her in my arms.
"Well, I just agreed to marry you, so I suppose I should start getting to know you now," she said.
I didn't even know what to say to that. I had just started to accept that I was going to have to fight Ralcor, but now I was promised to Zia. Looking down at her, it was hard to find any reason not to be with her. She was as beautiful as a woman could be, and wanted to help us fight. But the whole thing just felt strange. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her, enjoying every second of the hug. It was perfect.
Of course, then I remembered her comments about what assholes most goblin men were. No wonder she wanted to be with me.
Zia finally released me, then grabbed her canvas bag of produce and slung it over her shoulder. "I'll be here first thing tomorrow," she told Silvy. She looked at me again, and for a moment I thought she was going to try to kiss me, but instead she simply blushed and hurried out the door.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that," Silvy said, watching the door close behind Zia. "I suppose there are some benefits to being an old crone. Everyone knows I pray for the king's death, but they treat it like the ramblings of a crazy woman. Looks like at least one woman took it seriously."
I ran my fingers through my hair. "This just keeps getting stranger and stranger."
"Well, at least you have your first wife already lined up and waiting," Silvy said with a chuckle. There will be more, don't worry."
"So, let me get this straight," I said. "If I kill Ralcor and set myself up as king, I'll be expected to take multiple wives and breed with all of them?"
"That's right," Silvy said. "Your wives will be selected from among the strongest and most beautiful of us. Zia is rather nice-looking. I think she would work. Although, I'm not sure how people would react to one of your wives knowing magic."
"But you were married to the last king," I said. "And everyone knows you're strong with magic."
She nodded. "And everyone shuns me and thinks I'm a crazy woman, because Ralcor has spent so many decades telling everyone that magic is evil."
I stepped forwards and took Silvy in my arms, spinning around in the room as if I actually knew how to dance.
"Why don't I just take you as one of my wives?" I asked.
Silvy laughed, and I set her down. "Oh, Aaron. You don't want me as one of your wives. First off, I'm too old. And second, I'm flawed. I'm the crazy old witch woman that was publicly shamed by Ralcor. If you took me as a wife, everyone would just think I used magic to control your mind and force you."
I shrugged. "But if I'm king, then I get my choice, right?"
Silvy nodded, her voice turning serious. "That you do."
"So, what if I just choose you as one of my wives?"
Silvy laughed again. "I would take you for another ride, then hit you in the head with a frying pan the first time you fell asleep. I belong to no one but myself, Aaron."
"Fair enough," I told her. "Maybe I'll just keep you around as an advisor, then."
"I might agree to that," she said, giving me a sultry look. "Alright, time for more important stuff. Let's have a look at what you brought me."
We went to her kitchen counter and she upended the canvas bag. Silvy was pleased to see the weird potato things, and absolutely delighted at the blue fruit I brought. The herb, she set in a small pot filled with black soil.
"What about sunlight?" I asked. "It'll die without sunlight."
Silvy rolled her eyes at me and went into the bedroom. She came back a moment later, holding a small stone in her hand. This one was bright yellow, almost like a crystal.
"Watch and learn," she said as she moved the plant to the corner of her countertop. She held the stone above it and uttered an incantation, and a faint light began to flicker from within the stone. When she moved her hand, it stayed there, floating above the plant.
"Holy shit," I said. "Now that, I was not expecting."
"Well, it's time for some sleep, young man," she said, walking back into the bedroom.
I followed her and pulled off my shoes. "So, I'm going to the elves tomorrow, right?" I asked.
"Yes," she said as she unlaced the front of her dress. "I'll give you something that you can use as payment. The elves are generally kind people, but they won't train you for free."
She finished unlacing her dress, then pulled the top down, exposing those huge breasts of hers. She shimmied side to side as she worked the dress down over her broad hips, then neatly folded the dress and set it on a nearby table.
"Clothes off," she told me. "I can't stand the feeling of your clothes. They're awful."
She turned and climbed onto the bed, and my eyes went right to that little pink slit between her luscious, thick thighs.
"And don't get any ideas," she said as she settled onto the bed. "I'm only using you as a pillow. It's nice being next to a warm body, but that's all you're getting."
I pulled my clothes off, then tried to fold them and set them on the table next to hers. Of course, after seeing her naked I had a raging erection. Silvy saw it and rolled her eyes at me.
"Really, Aaron?" she said, grabbing the sheets and pulling them back. "Just get up here, will you?"
"Hey, I can't help it," I said. "You're absolutely gorgeous, and naked."
"Well, you had better learn to control yourself," she said, but color stained her cheeks.
I climbed onto the bed and laid on my back. Silvy made herself comfortable, resting her head on my shoulder. Her arm was across my chest and she threw a thick thigh across mine. My heart pounded at her touch.
I leaned down and kissed her on her temple. "Goodnight, Silvy," I said.
"Goodnight, Aaron," she replied sleepily.