The new Marquess is also a chief and a princess

"What I miss?" Jack says popping his head into the tent.

"I filled her in on how you infiltrated the manor and the basic idea of everything you have done for us." My mom smiles. "Oh and apparently she is the leader of that goblin tribe your dad butt's heads with."

"Oh! Wait? Our Sophia took out that old geezer?" Jack looks back and forth from me and Rox.

"Who you calling an old geezer?!" Grandpa shouts. I about leave my skin behind from being jump scared.

Everyone looks behind me and there sits Grandpa sipping on tea. His long white hair is a slight mess and his beard is touching the floor. Which being 3ft tall doesn't make his beard very long but still.

"Are you the Roc my dad told me about?" Asks Jack.

"Most likely. Is that old fart Jackle still kicking?" Asks Grandpa.

"Yea still healthy as a horse." Jack replied.

"Huh. Well good for him I guess." He goes back to sipping on his tea.

"So Sophia holds the chief title of your tribe?" Asks Jack.

"Yes. She defeated me in a fight and earned the title of chief." 

"Well then this will be simple." Says Jack. We all look at him funny.

"Sophia I will name you Marquess over the mountains here. This way the tribe has the empire's protection and we can enter a trade agreement. How does that sound?"

"You're really just going to hand all of that to me?" I ask. It was one thing to dump the chief title on me. Granted I wanted to be with Rox so it had to happen. But Marquess?! That involves fancy diners, dresses, teas and meetings. I will have to meet the king right? Well I guess I would have to meet him one day? Maybe if he cared to meet a grand daughter? My mind is running rampant. I think I hear people talking in the background.

"Why can't I live a peaceful and quiet life with Rox?!" I snap. Spilling my tea cup in the process. "I-i'm sorry." I cower.

"No. Don't be sorry. Continue." Rox firmly tells me. "Tell us what you truly want."

I'm silent for a little bit trying to gather my thoughts and any courage to speak.

"I became Chief so Rox and I could be together. I chose to take that title. The goblins are kind, a little rough at times but they care for each other. Sometimes a little too much with their soup but I know I can not stay in high society."

"How about you are the start of a new trend in high society?" Asks Jack.

"And be ridiculed for not having running water? No." I say flatly. "The fancy dresses and food was great but now I want to live in the woods. Hunting and gathering just what we need. Surrounded by ones that love us, not surrounded by painted faces with tongues cutting your back up every time you turn around."

"Speaking of hunting." Rox speaks up. "Are you alright after taking that guys life?"

"Oh. Umm, I'm not sure. It didn't feel any worse than killing that squirrel that one time. Or the beasts or serpents we had to hunt down. I cried because I didn't like that they died but I didn't cry for him. Maybe I was too angry?" I look at everyone hoping I didn't sound like an insane murdering person.

"Alright as long as you're fine." Says Rox taking my hand. My mother apparently didn't hear I took a life because she full on hugged me. The whole time telling me how everything will be fine and how scared I must have been. I do begin to cry a little bit.

"Well if you're a Marquess no one can speak down to you. And we can deal with the ones that try."

"They will still talk behind my back. How I'm some feral animal and if it wasn't for my dad then I wouldn't even be here. Then the illegitimate child thing would get brought up. Not to mention how they might try to kill Rox thanks to the church." I pause a second. That's it! Then I shout, "the church!"

Everyone looks at me funny. Asking me what I'm talking about.

"The church! High society needs to read the whole Bible not bits and pieces! Changing their minds won't happen right away but its a start. Then we can strive for everyone in the country to be at peace." I explain.

"Maybe we should talk to your grandpa about making you queen when he passes." Jack jokes and then cowers a little from the glare I give him.

"I believe Sophia will be happiest as Chief in the mountains. She can have her peaceful life with Rox. She also is smarter than most on solving problems with little bloodshed. I found that out when I questioned her on how she would solve problems. Along with she bases most of her decisions on the long term outcomes not just here and now patches. As Chief she can keep the peace between the humans and goblins." Grandpa explains.

"I thought the chief had hours of work to do?" I ask.

"You kidding? He spends pretty much all day napping in a tree somewhere." Protests Rox.

We look at the old goblin hiding his face that probably had a smile he was trying to hide. He clears his throat. "I have honed my skills to be able to pick up any presence. Whether it's a human, orc or even my sweet grand babies trying to tie me to the tree I'm in."

"Sure, what ever you say old man." Says Rox.

Grandpa pounces on Rox saying how he needs to teach his grandson a lesson. While they roll around like children behind me I turn my attention back to my parents.

"I will stay as Chief." I tell them.

"Alright. But I was thinking Chief and Marquess are pretty much the same title. I can talk to the king and have you excused from public appearances til the churches teachings have taken hold. We can us the pretense of you're dealing with monsters for the general public to be lenient on your absence." Says Jack.

"Who you calling a monster?!" Both Rox and Grandpa yell. They have a hold of the others face so they are all squished and pulled out of proportion.

"I probably would consider your faces monster like, right now." I giggle. They look at each other and begin laughing. Jack and mom join in too.

"Alright." I say to break up the laughter. "You can call me Marquess or what ever but I'm going to do what I need to do to live a peaceful life with this man here." I get off my seat and hug him. Hugging him feels like hugging a child when he is 3ft tall though til he shifts to be bigger.

"I love you." I tell him.

"I love you too." He hugs me back.

We tell my parents goodbye before heading back to the village. They were given a map to come visit us sometime.

.     .     .     .     .

Some months have passed and I'm sitting in a maple tree on the outskirts of the village. It's spring and everything is coming alive. Today is the first day without rain in nearly 5 days. Everything is damp and I can smell the new foliage and earthworms. It's been so peaceful, pretty cold in the winter so I need to find someone to make slightly better houses around here. 

This is the life I want. I know Rox is nearby and Rogue is watching me from the distance. Rogue though has been spending more time with Dot but she also looks like she will be giving birth soon. I can't wait to see the pups.

"Oooooooh Sophia!" My brother calls out. He has been adventuring by following the breeze. Going to guilds to get just enough coin to live and making friends everywhere he goes.

"Yea?" I ask as he steps into a foot trap and is dangling upside down. "Hey I did it right!"

Rox comes out of the shadows chuckling before helping Chris down.

"What was that for?" Chris asks.

"It's how we show our love around here." I giggle.

"Tough love. Is that why the twins keep dumping water on me?!" Chris is flustered.

"Probably." I laugh.

Chris sighs and hands me the paper in his hands. My portrait is on the front. With a title reading the new Marquess, a long lost princess, the only granddaughter of the current king and Chief of the feared goblin tribe.

"What kind of title is that!?" I shout.

"You'll be both feared and loved. If you keep reading, I made sure they added that I ordained you and Rox at your wedding to keep suitors away." Chris smiles.

"You're having fun marrying people aren't you?" I ask.

"Hey free food and booze. Just need to have the church's paper." She shrugs pulling out a fresh stack of papers.

Rox and I laugh with Chris. Things are peaceful between the kingdom and village and nearby towns. Everyone is healthy and happy teaching me pranks and how to see one coming. Oh I even got a cow for my birthday so everyone can have cream and not just butter.

Little did we know of the small surprise on the way and the neighboring kingdom looking to expand.