The Goblin's Crown

Chapter Six: Red Ribbon

I did not receive a warm welcome back at home. "Where have you been!" Rolland snatched me by my hair and dragged me into the house, squealing and kicking.

"I just went out for a walk! Lost track of time!" I defended, trying to pry his four fingered, grubby hand from my hair.

"For two days!" Rhys yelled from the cold hearth where he stood with Jasper, close as if they'd just moments before been plotting something. "We thought you'd been snatched! Or worse, hung for pickin' pockets!"

My eyes widened with shock and the blood froze in my veins. This was another bit of evidence that I had, in fact, spent many hours in another land. This one even more substantial than the ribbon digging into my wrist. I should not have been gone more than a few hours, but days had passed in my human world, while I flittered it away playing queen in the Underground.

They threw me down at Jasper's feet. The most beautiful of my brothers slowly turned to me, his body outlined in angry red flames from the fire in the hearth. "Where were you?" Jasper demanded. He stepped towards me, his body rigid with anger. His dark eyes were narrowed, his nostrils flared. His delicate hands were balled into fists. Next thing I knew, one of those fists cracked against my cheek. "Where were you?!" He said again, yelling. "I brought my friend here to meet you last night and you were not here! Do you realize how bad that made me look?!"

My head spun from the force of the blow. It took me a moment to think of a good lie. "I-I'm sorry...I... I fell asleep in the church. The priest chased me off this morning. I didn't mean to stay out so long."

"Shut your lying mouth!" Another blow, this one against my mouth. My lips sliced open against my teeth, spilling blood all over my rag dress.

"Jasper, calm down!" Rhys grabbed his shoulder. Rhys' eyes, so hardened by anger as they were, softened with sympathy at the sight of the blood pouring from my mouth. "She's just a girl." He said, as if that fact would save me.

Jasper grabbed my wrist, holding it up so that the twins could see the red ribbon. "She's been with a man! I can smell his cologne on her!" Jasper snarled. I'd never in my life seen him so angry. He'd never stuck me before. The twins occasionally, but never me. He looked down at me coldly. "Selling herself for ribbons, no doubt! Do they make you feel pretty, Matilda?! Do they?!" He bared his teeth. For a moment, I was afraid he would bite me next. "Were they worth soiling yourself over?"

"I did no such thing!" I yelled, blood pouring from my lip like a fountain. I sputtered, spraying blood over Jasper's too pretty face and his crisp, white frilled collar. "I found the ribbon. Must of come off some high born lord's mistress' underthings." I glared at him with disdain. I spat the remnants of blood in my mouth against the dirt floor at Jasper's feet. "I'm not you. I have greater pride than that." I took great satisfaction in seeing the color drain from his face.

Not long after our father died, Jasper had sold himself a time or two, to whomever wanted him. That was no secret. It was that ill gotten money that kept us breathing through that first winter. Now, I threw his sacrifice in his face. I flashed one of Knut's knowing grins at the pain that crossed Jasper's too perfect features. "Don't be such a hypocrite, Jasper. We all know what you're off doing so late into the night and where all that gold comes from."

Like an animal caught in a snare, Jasper looked to our brothers, for...something...I'm not sure what. Perhaps he wished for them to wallop me for even insinuating such a thing, but the twins offered him nothing. They shifted their eyes away, taking my side without even uttering a word.

"I keep you out of the brothel all these years, and this is how you repay me?" He hissed into my face, looking just as monstrous as the fiercest goblin. His breath reeked of ale. "The only reason I won't kick your face in right now is because I doubt your suitor will want a bloody corpse." He released my face roughly and turned to the twins. "Get her cleaned up. I'll be taking her to meet a friend of mine in town. She's promised to loan our darling sister a dress." The twins nodded. Rolland released my hair, but had to hold me by my arms to keep me from falling down.