Page 61 of Ogres Don't Play

“Oh. Thank you,” I said, holding onto my smile. That probably meant there would be no donation from the foreign elves. Oh well. It was worth a shot.

“The music of Luthiel Slandriil is always disconcerting. You played it with a particular level of emotional imbalance that leant itself to the piece.” Now he was speaking heresy.

I frowned at him. “You don’t like Luthiel Slandriil? Say what you like about my performance, but the composer is a genius. The first time I heard it was by the Fairfold choir for the spring equinox concert. I will never forget the beauty of that moment, of the way the composer captured the essence of bursting, blooming, riotous spring, and how those musicians did it justice.”

Both of his brows rose. “Indeed? You must have some elven blood.”

I shifted before I raised my chin. Elves could be so elitist about diluted blood. “A quarter.”

“Fairfold choir works with the HOST’s, does it not? That explains your angelic blood.”

“Not a lot explains my angelic blood. It just is, like your blood, I guess. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get out on the floor to help mitigate any disasters.” Talking with some old, rich elf guy about my blood was not on my list of fun things to do in the mayor’s private box.

I’d no sooner started edging around him when the princess gasped elegantly, and the mayor said, “What in the world…” before cutting off.

I turned to see enormous creatures jogging into the stadium, easily twelve feet high, two dozen of these horned, green-gray monsters with hands the size of melons. They were followed by another monster, enormous fur swathed over her enormous body, fourteen, fifteen feet tall, and so fast for her size.

“What are trolls doing here?” the tall elf guy asked, sounding bemused.

“Where Magr?” the big troll roared, while I stared at her, still not registering her hugeness, her absolutely impossible size combined with her speed. Was she spelled? “Give me or eat all!” She opened her mouth to show her truly traumatizing dental hygiene, or lack thereof.

I stood there, frozen in place for another moment, before I moved, grabbing my harp and running out the private box and down the hall to the stairs. I went down two flights, and then I was about level with her head.

I plucked a chord that demanded attention, and she was not immune. She swung her massive head towards me, flanked by at least two dozen of the monsters. They could seriously destroy Singsong City. Each of them was like a tank, and she was a battleship.

“Welcome to the Jubilee. I’m Mirabel, Singsong City’s Music Master. You’re here for Magr? He’s the sponsor for this year’s festival. It would be inconvenient if you took him away at this time.” My voice rang, as loud as hers, and fifty times more pleasant. What in the world was I doing? She was so huge, and so incredibly vile. Everything about her aura stank of evil.

“Inconvenient?” Her growl sent goosebumps rippling over my skin, but I stayed where I was, even as she trotted over to me until she was ten feet away, within reach of her massive, long arms.

“Unless you’d like to participate in the Jubilee.”

“You want trolls sing for you?” Every word was an assault of sound that was made to hurt.

I swallowed hard because my mouth was so dry. Still, the words came out strong. “I want you to perform in a friendly little duel. I, Mirabel, the Music Master of Singsong City, challengeyou, Garnagth the mountain troll, to a battle for the ogre you seek.”

She stared at me for a long moment, then started laughing. The sound was going to break my hearing and give me nightmares for the rest of my life. “You fight me?”

The other trolls joined her in raucous laughter that was truly the worst thing I’d ever heard.

I plucked another strand of chords, and they cut off, leaving nothing but silence and one slight rumble that I’d recognize anywhere. No one else rumbled so sweetly. I wasn’t going to look at Rook or I’d start hyperventilating.

“That’s right. I’ll fight you if you have the courage to accept my challenge. Tomorrow afternoon, at five o’clock, right before the final concert.” I’d been wondering what I could fill that time slot up with. Now I had something. Was I actually doing this? Was I insane? Clearly. Hold on, did I even want to be betrothed to Rook? I was busy with the music hall, but at the same time, no one else was allowed to have him.

She laughed again and then gave me a mocking bow. “You die soon.” Her breath hit my face with the force of a thousand rotting fish.

“Same to you.” I bowed back, and then with another growl at the surrounding ogres who were trying to form a containment line, they whirled around and left me standing there on suddenly shaky knees.

It was so quiet as everyone stared at me. Was this some marketing ploy? No, those had been real trolls.

I cleared my throat and summoned a smile. “And now for one of my favorite musical troupes, the werewolves of Song.” I gestured at the large stage where the werewolves had stopped setting up to watch the train wreck.

Gavriel nodded at me and with a few words, had the werewolves belting out the first few bars of their piece. I wasstanding there, clinging to the rail, trying not to spiral into complete and utter panic when the Goblin Authority took his place to my right, like that was normal.

“She has your scent, so you can’t run,” he said conversationally. “You have no idea the mess you’ve just stepped in.”

“Thank you. I have no intention of running.” Because my knees were too shaky.

“Of course not. I forgot how foolishly brave you are. If you’re willing to attack a goblin fortress, why not challenge a mountain troll?”

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