Barbara the Belonging

A Royal Ruse

Several hours later, Lucas took a break from all the training he's done, however, he usually feels exhausted after a big workout, but instead he feels energized and strong and he couldn't be more delighted.

Perhaps being a troll isn't so bad after all. And he has been getting used to holding up his weight and he was surprised by his new found strength.

"At first, it was hard for me to adjust to this, and I almost gave up, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. We should do this more often." Lucas spoke.

"Now that's what I like to hear. Soon you might be ready for the training course." Draal responded enthusiastically.

"You know, today may have started off bad, but I've been having a good time. I can't wait to tell Barbara all about it."

That is when Crystal walks in the Forge, only to stop when she sees the green troll and he stares back.

"It seems like the Trollhunter was telling the truth. I can't believe it's actually you." She spoke.

"Yeah, it just... happened out of nowhere. Uhh, is Barbara here?" The troll asked.

"Yes. But, she's not... feeling okay. She's with Blinky right now."

Lucas began to worry about his stepsister and decided to see her.

No matter how much she tried to stay calm, her body didn't seem to register her commands, and her mind was plagued by the events that happened hours prior.

She finally meets Strickler's assassin and he turns out to be more egregiously terrifying than she expected. And not only that, but he was clever enough to separate her from the others and trap her.

Her body can still feel the stiffness even if she is no longer trapped in that stasis trap, like it was muscle memory and it made her upset and uncomfortable.

What was worse, is that she couldn't forget that deep gravelly voice, and the disturbing words that came out of it.

'I have killed hunters in the past but never a human one. Such curious game. I have not seen a human quite as resilient and skilled as you. It's quite admirable. And because of this, I will not give the sweet release of death. Not yet. I want to relish the hunt.'

The memory of him touching her chin made her stomach drop and she couldn't breath.

She had a few tears staining her cheeks and she looked like a mess.

"Barbara?"

The woman snaps back when she hears his voice, then turns to look at him.

"Barbara. It's alright, you're still here. You were lucky to be alive." Blinky reassured her.

"True. But he spared me to only hunt me down later." Barbara replied and crossed her arms to comfort herself.

He wanted to speak, to make her feel better, but he wasn't sure how.

Instead he remained quiet, thinking for a moment, then he looked up towards her.

"This is what he wants, Lady Barbara. He wants to get under your skin, to distract you from what is important and to control your mind with fear. I know this is difficult for you, but you need to stay strong, for everyone, for yourself, for your family." Blinky reaches over to take hold of her hand and gently caresses it to comfort her.

The woman was glad to have him by her side and her heart fluttered from his soft touch.

"You're right. I just need to stay strong."

Her rosy lips formed into a genuine smile, which caused his heart to slightly race and he took a step forward, their feet nearly touching.

There was a peaceful quiet surrounding them that gave them a sense of safety and comfort.