Tenth Kingdom and More
Introduction:
Sarah was safe at home and happy that she had escaped the nightmare of Jareth the Goblin King, with the minor exception that she now could enjoy the comfort of seeing Hoggle, Sir Diddymus, and Ludo anytime she pleased. She could care less about the man who transformed into an owl, and occasionally watched her from a tree limb outside her window. She'd seen him enough times as an owl, the two times that fateful night was enough, to know who it was and why he was there. Still, she tried to forget him, and payed no attention to his presence. Over time, his observances dwindled and she no longer had to pretend not to notice him. But Sarah was not the only one changed by the adventure through the Goblin Kingdom.
Virginia was riding her bike to work one evening, when she crashed into a dog, who turned out to not be a dog, but a prince in need of help. Tony, her father, and Elizabeth, her sister, would come along with her on this journey, though Elizabeth continually was separated from the group and always with a strange tall man with wild hair and piercing eyes.
Chapter 1:
Virginia and Elizabeth never did see eye to eye. Elizabeth was the dreamer of the family, with her head perpetually in the clouds and always wishing some handsome prince would come to whisk her away to a foreign land. Her style of dress even reflected this, but as fantastical as her beliefs, she was also the tough one. She never took it for granted that all guys are nice guys. She practiced martial arts to protect herself from the harsh life of New York City. Tall, blonde, and fair, she seemed harmless, but beneath the dainty facade, she was an amazon of a woman. She was as imaginative as the characters in her favorite book.
Liz, as Virginia called her, was sitting on the window sill reading her book when Virginia left for work.
"Make sure Dad sees his dinner, please," Virginia said.
"Yeah, Yeah," Liz replied briskly, in a "hurry and go" type of tone.
" Liz! Did you hear me?"
"Yeah, 'make sure Dad gets his dinner', you said"
"Well, pfft, you're stuck in that book again."
'That day started out like any other day', she thought as she reminisced. Nothing unusual about Virginia giving her a hard time about losing yet another job, and ignoring Dad's comments about his horrible boss, that is, until the trolls showed up and they got shoved into a magic traveling mirror into another dimension.
Now here they are, sitting in a cold forest trying to find wood for fire and shelter. Following them is this "Wolf" character, who tried to eat their grandmother. Liz still didn't trust him, most people don't have a change of heart that quickly, but if he truly cared for Virginia, perhaps he would prove himself. Still, he did help their dad escape from prison, and he did rescue Ginny from the trolls. What a stupid lot those guys were. She didn't dare sleep. She didn't know what mayhem would ensue if she closed her eyes for even just a moment.
Staring at the dog, the golden retriever lying next to her father, she wondered at her father's stupidity at not wishing that everyone could understand him. Of course, he shouldn't have eaten the dragon dung bean in the first place. Then her gaze moved to Wolf. He was gazing between both Ginny and Liz. He looked to be watchful of Liz and protective of Ginny, if not a little something else that she couldn't quite place.
"What," Wolf asked, almost insulted at the long and untrusting looks he was getting.
"I just don't trust you. I don't really know what to make of you," she said.
"Oooh, I can't help it" he snapped back.
"Well, try."
There was a deep hoot of an owl and a set of glowing eyes peering off of a branch behind Wolf and Tony seemingly staring at Liz. She pondered its watchful eyes for a moment as she took in all of its splendor. It was taller and larger than any other tyto owl that she had ever seen. It was a beautiful tan, silver, and white coloring that was somewhat unusual. Its face seemed almost human, and the eyes were a gorgeous blue. However, one eye had an enlarged pupil that made it look brown. He was a mesmerizing creature. Wolf took notice of where she was looking for a moment, marveled at the bird as she did, and then returned his attentions to Virginia.
Liz wondered where the magnificent bird came from and why it seemed so intently focused on her. After some time, she was able to take her focus off the owl and she pulled out her book. It was a fairy tale story, that she now wondered, given her current location and situation, if it were as real as the other stories seem to be in this world. The book entails a fae who falls in love with a human girl who spurns him. The girl, Liz thought, was foolish and selfish to not be able to see what the fae wanted in the first place. The legends say that the faeries are cruel and ugly creatures who steal children, and for the most part, well, minus the ugly, this is true about the king in her book. Although, the fairies in her book are not kind creatures as legend says, and thus, things not being what they seem, she knew the truth in the story of the Goblin King and Sarah.
Lost in her reverie, she thought about how there was more that met the eye with Jareth, and that he may have even been trapped or cursed in this life that he lived. She also made it a point to note that Sarah wished her brother away, and Jareth didn't steal him at all! As she often did, she imagined herself dancing with the Goblin King and making the choices that Sarah never could. One of which being that she never would have wished Virginia away, so she certainly wouldn't have wished Toby away.
Realizing that she was not reading, but daydreaming, she put the book aside and looked to the branch once more to watch the watchful owl. He was still there, but not for long. After a few moments, he took flight deep into the forest and wasn't seen again that night. When morning came, Sarah knew that food would need to be found and a fire started up again. So, she set out into the forest in search of their supplies.
She came across a clearing as she was tracking a sow through the trees. She spotted the sow at the edge of the clearing and readied herself. She was barely close enough to throw the makeshift spear she had made from a branch when she heard voices and laughter coming from behind her. In a moment of realization, she whipped around before the bandit could land their blow.
As she fought them one by one, they began to work together to flank and outnumber her. It wasn't long before she was struck on the back of the head after being sandwiched between two strong men. Just before she went unconscious, she caught another glimpse of that beautiful owl.
"Huff puff", Wolf exclaimed!
"Liz isn't here!"
"What's wrong? What happened,"asked Virginia.
"Liz took off this morning, and she hasn't come back yet. But we mustn't go after her, because those trolls are chasin' us", Wolf explained.
"Well, we can't just leaver her," shouted Tony in despair.
"We have to trust that she'll be alright, Tone. She's a capable woman, I'm sure," Wolf said.
"Alright, but if anything happens to my sister, I'm holding you responsible," Virginia whipped at Wolf.
They took off towards the direction Acorn had gone and continued on their journey, but unwillingly. This wasn't the first time she had gotten separated, they reasoned, and she would make it back again…..wouldn't she?
Jareth watched from the tree branch he was perched on as Liz valiantly fought against the bandits, but when they took her by surprise, he immediately perked his attention closer. Silently, he flew behind them following them and trying not to be seen or heard. As they neared their enclosed camp, he flew over the gate and transformed behind a tree where no one would see him. He leaned against that tree as he watched to see what would happen next.
Slowly, Liz began to stir from her concussive sleep, and look around dazed and confused. She couldn't place where she was, but the memory of fighting the bandits began to flood her memory, giving her more of a headache than the bump on her head. She was disgusted at them. They stunk, and worse, they were perverts. Always staring at her anatomy as if pieces of meat were tied there by string. She thought to herself, 'I have to get out of here, but how? My hands and feet are bound to this … thing!' She was tied down by leather straps to some sort of torture table. There seemed to be a stink of dried blood on it, and she was leaning slightly backwards at an angle. The men were gathered around her and they were laughing disgustingly and staring down at her.
"Well, well, now, fella's. I think we're gonna' get to have a bit of fun, now, ain't we?" The lead bandit was more disgusting than the rest of them. There was no way she was letting that man touch any part of her. Still, he came in closer, running his knife up and down her leg in a sexual manner. She spat on his face for touching her that way.
Jareth chuckled to himself. He could see that she was spirited and strong. She wouldn't have been in this situation if she hadn't been ambushed, but still, it was the perfect opportunity. If he helped her, she would be indebted to him. He would have the power to come and go as he wished and furthermore, to have a little fun again.
"Get away from me," Liz growled out. "I'll kill you if I have to, but you better get away from me!"
"Awwww, c'mon now poppet! You ain't goin' nowhere! I'm afraid you're just gonna' hafta stay right where you are. Me an' the boys is gonna' have fun takin' turns with ya."
She didn't say anything more. Words and threats weren't getting her out of this one. If she wanted out, she would have to be patient and crafty. So, she waited for the bandit leader to lean in close to whisper in her ear, and that's when she struck. She bit his ear until he bled and he raised his knife to run her through, but just as he did…..
"I wouldn't do that if I were you", Jareth said, now suddenly standing right next to her and staring with a cocky, yet menacing smile at the bandits.
"Oh, yeah? An' what you gonna' do about it" the leader asked.
"Release her."
"I said," he repeated himself, "What you gonna' do about it?"
Jareth didn't say a word, he simply drew his sword from his side and stood there with the same smile on his face. Before the bandits could blink, he had cut the leather straps from Liz's wrists and ankles and pushed her behind him. He was toying with her, at that, because he knew she could not only defend herself, but that she would be infuriated at being protected.
She just stood there half irked and half in awe of the spectacle taking place before her. There was violence and chaos, as the bandits tried in vain to kill the fae. Swing after swing, they missed and swing after swing, he didn't. Deep in her heart, she knew who this was who deigned to rescue her from the hands of the bandits. She had seen the drawings, and she knew the story all too well. The dialogue from the book was even markedly accurate. Suddenly, as he finalized the last blow, he turned around and posed himself with one knee bent and staff in hand. Now he was standing there, same smile on his face and staring at her staring at him.
Liz couldn't gather her thoughts for a full minute. She was ashamed of herself, to be swooning over this person standing in front of her. She may be a hopeless romantic, but she normally didn't fall for a guy that hadn't proved his intentions yet. Why should a magical fae creature be any less subject to this rule? In fact, she thought, he should have to prove himself all the more, given who he was and his way of things. Still, she couldn't stop herself from thinking that he was even more beautiful and majestic standing there as a man as he was as an owl…
Jareth quite enjoyed the dumbfounded expression on her face, even if he wasn't able to make out her thoughts at the moment. She was just standing there, slack jawed, staring at him half incredulously and half as though she wanted to run to him and throw herself in his arms. It was a welcome relief to save someone who actually wanted to be saved, still, the whole event reminded him of Sarah, and his smile seemed to dissipate.
She muttered under her breath insults towards Sarah and something about not being able to thank him for saving her. Then, she gathered her wits about her, and snapped out of it. She had to get supplies and head toward Ginny and their father quickly. She looted the camp of all of the gold Wendells that she could find, took weapons and food, and began to leave. On her way out of the camp, she spotted a weapons rack with a beautiful recurve bow sitting on it, next to a quiver of arrows. She took it and the two of them fled.
Jareth offered his aid to Liz one more time. He knew that if she continued to run on foot, the bandits would eventually catch up to them, and she was no good, or fun, to him dead.
"Come with me. We don't have time," he offered her.
"Where are you taking me?" She could see that the portal opened into a forested area that had an already prepared encampment set up.
"What is this place," she asked.
"It's a camp….. far from here. If you travel on foot, they will catch up to you. Come with me and you will buy yourself some time."
Unsure of his intent, she followed him to the prepared place and sat down at the fire. For a few moments she just stared at the man, as he was leaned against a tree also staring at her. Finally, she gathered enough courage to thank him for helping her.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"You know very well who I am, Elizabeth. Just as I know you."
"I don't like to make assumptions about people. Even if I am right," she said, trying to persuade him to tell her and ease her curiosity. She didn't know how she would react if she were right and if she presumed wrong, she would be mortified.
"I'll tell you my name, when you stop doubting yourself and your instincts." He replied. "But by then, I won't need to."
Liz was confused by the discourse, but too tired to try to argue the point or persuade him to tell her the truth. She found a spot next to the fire and lied down to get some rest. She was exhausted and too much had happened for her to even dare to process it all.
Jareth was concerned about her fatigue. She had taken a nasty hit to the back of the head that had her out for a couple of hours, and now, just an hour after waking up and fleeing the bandit camp, she was already tired again. He decided to stay and watch her to make sure that she didn't suffer any negative side effects. He couldn't understand his fascination with her, neither could he understand why he chose another mortal to test in the Labyrinth, but he did know that her reactions to him inspired his playfulness. But even as he sat there pondering his purpose in her life, he couldn't shake his own words to Hoggle when he befriended Sarah….. "Oh, come, come, come, Hogbrain! I'm surprised at you! Losing your head over a girl!" It echoed in his mind the entirety of the night.
Brody eventually awoke from his forced sleep and noticed the lump on his head that the bird man had given him. He looked around at all the still unconscious bandits in his crew that had been attacked and his heart filled with rage. He knew that he would have to kill that girl and her friend if he ever wanted to regain his dignity and trust with his men. That's when he noticed it. The magic bow he'd stolen from the Evil Queen when he was just a youth. It never failed to hit its mark. It was his prized possession and he had to get it back, no matter the cost. He summoned his men to awake and make preparations for a hunting journey.
Liz began to dream….
She was dressed in the most beautiful and flowing gown of white that glittered as though it were covered in sequins. It fell just below her shoulders and glided across her chest in a dazzling yet modest manner. She was stunning in that dress. Her beautiful blonde locks were pulled back into a French braid that was tied at the ends of her hair with a ribbon the same material as her gown. She wore the most gorgeous white shoes that made her seem even taller and stronger than she was. She spotted him across the dance floor. He was swaying with other women who were dressed extravagantly and wore their hair in fanciful styles. The music played a slow and wistful melody. It seemed to be a waltz. She made her way to the table of refreshments and took a glass of punch to drink. Her eyes never left him as she watched him move about the room. As she finished her punch, she made her way onto the dance floor. Confident that he would not even look her way until she pretended that he didn't exist, she found a young man standing alone and engaged him in the dance. Gracefully she waltzed around the dance floor happily gliding to and fro. Partner after partner she danced the night away, until finally he began to fade from her memory. At length, when the night was about spent, she felt a tap on her shoulder and herself being pulled away into another dance. His arms were strong and sturdy but vibrated with gentleness and care. It was as if she were as delicate as the crystals that he summoned and controlled. He wasn't smiling, though there was definitely something of pleasure in his eyes. No, his eyes had something else entirely held deep inside, something penetrating into the soul that made her forget that they had left the ballroom and were now dancing out on the balcony of the castle. When the music ended, he took her by the hand and walked her out to the edge of the balcony to look over the railing. Nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said. There was a mutual understanding in the air and they looked deep into the others' eyes as the night carried on behind them. Slowly he took her into his arms and held her closely. He gently caressed her face and took her chin in his forefinger and thumb. Their lips touched gingerly and for what seemed like timeless hours. The world stood still, and so did her heart.
Suddenly Liz awoke from her sleep desperate for air. That was not what she expected to dream about. She sat up in her camp site panting and looking around to see if Jareth was still there. Frantically she searched the immediate camp site to see if the sly fae was standing around with a crystal in his hand, remembering that he can see into dreams with them. She blew a deep breath out and relaxed. He was nowhere to be found. She quickly packed up camp and began to search for signs of Wolf, Ginny, and their dad. She didn't know that Jareth had been standing behind a tree watching her dream through the crystal just as she had anticipated him to. He chuckled as she walked away and began to follow her at a safe distance so she didn't notice his presence.
Throughout the night he watched her sleep and knew the exact moment that she had begun to dream. He immediately summoned a crystal ball to satisfy his curiosity and intrigue. He watched in silence as it all played out and was taken aback at his expression and demeanor when they kissed. It was not at all devious or playful, and not in his typical mode of operating. However, it was something that deep in his heart, he could sense he would do, as a deeper level of emotions hidden away from the world and even himself. He felt an odd pull at his heart as the dream ended. When she stirred, he knew that he would have to conceal himself, so he tucked behind the tree he had been leaning on.
When she packed her campsite and belongings into her stolen satchel, donned her weapons, and left, he followed her, but at a safe and unnoticeable distance. Something in his soul kept nagging him, and the word "prophecy" kept resurfacing in his mind. It was once said that a daughter of Anthony would break the cycle and end the curse, but even though Sarah was such a woman, she wasn't the woman from the prophecy. He refused to chase figments of his imagination any longer, and couldn't allow himself to believe it, or could he? Would he yet again risk his heart and kingdom for a mere mortal girl? And, why was he still following her? What was it about this woman that made him start all over just as it was years ago? His mind reeled and taunted him, playing at emotions and facts. Sooner or later, he would have to return to his kingdom if nothing more than to clear his mind.
Liz was perplexed. She thought as she walked for miles, or so it seemed, and racked her brain as to who this amazing yet infuriating man was. She was sure that he was following her. The owl that he had transformed from and into man was the same owl she had seen before when at the camp with her father, sister, and wolf. It certainly had the same colors. There was something else, though, that seemed familiar about it….
"Spare me some food", she heard an old woman say.
Torn from her thoughts, she looked around to see an elderly woman in pauper's clothing holding out her hand with an innocent and honest look on her face.
She replied, "I don't have any food, and what I do have is stolen from bandits that tried to kill me, but the money probably belongs to the people anyway". She reached out her hand after digging in her bag and offered the woman some gold Wendells from a small satchel.
"Because of your kindness and valor, I will teach you a lesson," she said.
Jareth watched this interaction with anticipation and eagerness. He knew that the woman was really a sprite of wisdom that roamed the Disenchanted Forest offering wisdom to those who showed her kindness, and he also knew that Liz would help her if she could. He was curious to see what this "lesson" was.
"You will discover who you're looking for within one who travels with you. He has known you since you've known him, and his intentions will be unveiled when you choose to love him." The old woman began to walk away after she spoke, but Liz stopped her.
"Thank you. But before you go, have you seen my sister and father? They're traveling with a wolf…"Liz let her sentence trail off.
"They have passed this way. But they turned off the road, and you should too," said the woman.
Jareth's eyes narrowed at the words of the sprite, and he immediately turned to leave the forest through a portal he had summoned. The sound caught Liz's attention and as she turned to see what it was the sprite vanished from sight. Mildly vexed, she simply turned in the direction that the old woman had pointed her and began walking again, and again, she found herself lost in thought, but this time with somewhat of a direction to lose herself in.
As she tumbled the "lesson" over in her mind, she realized what was said. "He has known you since you've known him". She stopped walking and looked up at a tree with a hole in a knot in the center of the trunk. "That could be any one of the men I travel with," she thought. "All except"…..suddenly an owl roosted in the knot hole perched on the ledge, and at that precise moment a flood of images of the same exact owl that had been following her around from camp to camp burst into her mind's eye. Time and time again she would see this owl. Almost every single night since she first read the little brown book she had been given by her mother. Ever since her sixteenth birthday, when she received the book, she had seen that owl. She thought it was just her imagination at first, but she had forfeit thinking it was actually Jareth almost a week after discovering owls in New York near Central Park weren't that uncommon. To realize that it was Jareth the entire time, and that he was following her was so shocking that she had to sit down for a moment. What did that mean? What did he want?
"Oh! MY! GOSH! HE HAS HEARD EVERY WORD I HAVE EVER SAID ABOUT HIM!" She screamed in revelation. "I am so mortified! I mean, he knows how I felt about him when I thought he wasn't real. He must know how I would feel about him now that he is real!"
She sat back against the tree and let the thoughts run their due process. She was caught somewhere between shock and sanity. She was also somewhere between embarrassment and bliss. She still had a little schoolgirl crush on the character of Jareth. She never let it grow beyond that because she never thought that he was real. Now that he is, could she really love him? She always said that she would have treated him better if she were in Sarah's shoes. Now she has a chance to treat him the way that she had always wanted to. She decided that she would begin with an apology and try to be his friend. When she was used to the idea of his reality, she would venture into deeper waters, that is…. only if he was willing to go there first.
Jareth walked right through the throne room of his castle and went to the study. He had to do some reading and quickly if he wanted to stand a chance at protecting Liz. He never had a problem, like most fae, of losing power from being away from the fae world for too long, but he did have enemies that would see him fail at removing his curse and restoring his kingdom. He didn't know if he could trust her, but he did know that she wasn't like other mortal girls. There was something more about Liz that he needed to uncover, and in order to do that, he needed his books.
He wasted no time in rummaging through the organized pile of books. There were only two that he needed. One would tell him about the potential enemy that she will have to face, and soon, and the other holds a secret about her past that she has not yet uncovered herself.
He flipped through the pages of the first book going straight to the chapters on the Disenchanted Forest. He read about the past of the Evil Queens and the huntsmen that they would employ and enthrall. They were always given a magical crossbow that never missed the heart of a living thing, either plant or animal. This meant that Liz was in grave danger and needed constant protection, a worthy risk when his kingdom is doubly in danger. He paused only to ponder the ways that he would have to constantly protect her, as only magic negates magic. There was no way to protect her from the dart of the bow without putting himself at risk and constantly watching her. He would have no choice but to be man by day and owl by night.
Torn from his thoughts, he began to research her father in the other book. He was sure that he'd seen her father before, but he was so old and different now, that he wasn't sure if it was truly the same fae he'd had to face a thousand years ago. Opening the book, he combed through it. He read until he found it. "Antony the Great", it read, "Valiant Hero and Worthy of Honor". Disgusted, Jareth tightened his grip and looked down at the picture in the book. He was definitely older and fatter, but it was the same fae. He must have given his power to his daughter. There is only one way to test it, and that meant putter her in harm's way. He would have to force her to use her magic. Manipulation isn't his style, but with the huntsman on the loose after her and her sister, perhaps he wouldn't have to.
Liz pulled herself up from the ground and dusted herself off. It was a lot to take in, but somehow she was already becoming more familiar with the idea than she had anticipated. She began her trek again, but this time, as she did, she heard talking and movement coming from up ahead, and it was moving in her direction. She quickly hid behind the tree until she saw them come out from behind the bushes and brush.
"Oh my gosh! I am so glad to see you guys!", she exclaimed.
They were all startled by the sudden outburst in sound, but Virginia actually jumped.
"Don't do that! You scared Virginia," Tony said.
"Oh stop it, Tone." Wolf rolled his eyes and slightly grinned a sideways grin at the jumpy old man.
"I'm fine, Dad, she just startled me. I thought it was someone trying to kill us or something." Virginia tried to calm the mood and sooth it over as though nothing happened. Typical Virginia.
"I'm sorry. It's just been a weird journey and I have had a lot on my mind. I'll tell you later. Let's just go find somewhere to set up camp. I don't know about you, but I'm tired." That was the only response that Elizabeth had to say. With that the team just set out to find firewood and food to make camp.
Liz volunteered to help with finding firewood. She was usually the outdoors type, but she was not usually this quiet. Ginny couldn't help but notice and she immediately volunteered to help her.
"Ok. What's going on? You daydream a lot, but you're never this quiet." Ginny's inquiry poked at Liz's spirit. She was asking questions that she almost never did, personal questions. It was typical for her to leave Liz alone, but every once in a while, her care for her sister shone through.
"I don't really know. I met a woman on the road who told me that we were being followed and that 'they intend to kill you', and I just don't know what to think." Liz knew that it wasn't sufficient, but how could she tell her sister that she might be in love with a man that she thought was imaginary for the last nine years? How could she tell her that that same man is not a man but a magical fae creature? How could she tell her that she was lost somewhere between a fairy tale and reality in that she didn't know if she loved him because of the fairy tale or if it was real? She was perplexed and knew that it wasn't going to be resolved until she saw him again and spent time with him.
"Fine, you know what, don't tell me. I get it. You don't want to talk about it," Ginny knew how to push Liz into talking, and a little disinterestedness always worked.
"You really don't want to know. You wouldn't believe me, and it's one of those things that we just don't see eye to eye on," Liz was still sure that Ginny wouldn't be interested in hearing it or understand.
"Try me." Virginia spoke stern but teasingly to her.
"That owl that's been following me around? Yeah, that's Jareth. The Goblin King, you know, from my book? He's real. He's been watching me for the last nine years. Its bugging me because I know he's heard all of my swooning and childish daydreams about him. And now, now that I know he's real, I don't know if I am in love with him because of a fantasy life I created in my daydreams, or because of a real life situation. It doesn't help that he saved my life from a group of bandits. I just can't wait to see him again, so I can know for sure that I fell in love for the right reasons, and because I truly know his character as he really is.
"Wow." That was all that Ginny could muster. She even needed time to process it, but unfortunately, she didn't have the luxury of not believing her sister, as she was in a fairy tale land running through the Queen Snow White's kingdom trying to save her grandson from destruction and find a way back home. "Liz, I really can't tease you this time. I mean… look at where we are? How could you or even I have actually known he was real? I don't know anything about him, but I definitely think you shouldn't rush into anything until you know his real character. I mean, what if he's not like he is in the book?"
"That's exactly what I meant. I just want to try to befriend him, first, then see where it goes. But I have always said that I would never take him for granted. What if he really does love me? Anyway. Those are the kinds of questions I have stuck in my head right now. I just want to speak to him myself, that's all."
As they approached the camp site, firewood in hand, they saw the men sitting around the place that they had chosen for the fire. Looking up, Ginny noticed a barn owl, the same silver and white one, sitting on a branch above wolf and looking directly at her sister.
"You may get your chance," she said, "look up there." Ginny pointed out the owl only using her face.
Liz saw him. Her heart was pounding. She was both excited and nervous. What would she say to him? How would she act? Would she even be able to speak? As she was struggling to find her footing in a conversation that she was anxious to have, Jareth flew off of the branch, around her in a circle and then transformed standing directly in front of her. She wanted to faint, but she found her strength. There was a different expression on his face this time, and he seemed as though he had something to say.
He stood in front of her with his hands in fists on his hips, and his head cocked to the right. His eyes were mildly narrow, but not angry at her. He turned around and faced her father, who was staring at him in shock. It was very clear that he not only knew who this fae was, but that they didn't like each other at all.
"Antony," was all that he said, and it was said pointedly angry.
"Jareth," Tony replied with a nervous and protective tone.
"You haven't told her, have you? You have kept it a secret." Jareth was angry that she had not been trained, and his tone was accusing of the fact that Tony kept it a secret to protect her from Jareth.
"No. No. I haven't. I was trying to keep her safe. Telling her would have put her at risk. At risk for people like you to come in and take her away." Tony was almost indignant, but his cowardice was still shining through.
"People like me? And what is your opinion of people like me?" Jareth said this while walking in slow circles around Tony. He was talking low and choosing his words wisely.
"Jareth?" Liz's voice caught attention and his heart melted. He tried to hide the effect that she had on him, but after all this time of watching her, and even though he erected careful precautions against falling in love with her, something was beginning to change in his heart. He couldn't let it show.
"Can we take a walk?" She saw that the conversation between he and her father wasn't going well, and whatever secret her father had kept, it obviously caused Jareth pain. It was seeing him in that pain that shook her from her fear and awe. She leapt into action without a thought.
Without saying a word, Jareth passed one last look at Tony in anger before obliging Liz. He followed her into the woods with his hands behind his back and watched as she walked into a clearing where the crescent moon was shining down on her. She didn't notice that she was glowing herself. She was even more beautiful in the nighttime as she was in the daylight. Her long blonde hair was in a braid down her back from a ponytail. She wore a long sleeve shirt made of cotton that was fitted and purple. Purple suits her, he thought, it rings of royalty. She wore black jeans and black boots that went up to her mid-calf and zipped on one side but laced down the front. She reminded him of someone who was both a warrior and a biker. She looked strong and elegant. He suddenly got the urge to walk over to her and touch her face with his bare hands but knew that he would awaken urges that he wasn't sure he wanted to awaken if he did. He knew that she was growing in his heart, but he still wasn't sure if he was caught in lust or love with her. He knew from watching her that she would never love him if he could never bring himself past lust and into love. But he still didn't trust her not to make selfish and heartless choices as Sarah did, and other women before her.
"Jareth, I have to apologize to you for the way that I've been acting. I'd like you to understand that I wasn't aware of the magical realms being real until this last week of my life. I didn't want to assume that you were who I thought you were until I realized that you've been watching me for the last nine years. Now I am trying to figure out where I stand with you. I have had a childish daydream crush on you this whole time, and now you're real. You're here, you're right in front of me. I just want to get to know you, to trust you, as a person, a real person." Liz spoke fluently, as though she had planned the whole speech, but it all came to in the moment. It was as if her heart just poured out into his without overwhelming emotion or tension. It was fluid and peaceful.
Her words poured out on him like oil. They flowed over his heart and soul as smooth as gossamer. Immediate understanding came over him, but he still wanted to be closer to her. He moved her way and she didn't move away, but her demeanor wasn't proud. So unlike Sarah's posture and stance against him. He stood so close to her that his chest was almost touching her shoulder.
He spoke, "Elizabeth, I have always understood your position. I knew that you were brought up in a world without magic before I ever set foot in it. But there is something about you that you should know. You are not a human. Your father was a fae, but when you were born, he gave his power to you."
She could feel the heat of his chest on her shoulder. He's so close. I mean, did he have to stand so close? From this distance he made it difficult for her think let alone to conceal her emotions from him. Her heart was pounding and his breath on her neck and face was warm and sweet. His breath was like fruit and hazelnuts, but his body smelled like leather and fresh air. Does he ride horses? She was almost too distracted to notice what he said. "I am a fae?," she replied? "Why would Dad keep that from me? What was he trying to protect me from?"
Jareth moved from her left side to her right. He shifted his weight and leaned in just a bit closer and said, "from me." After he spoke, he moved around her and stood in front of her to look into her eyes. He wanted to see her reaction.
Liz didn't blink or seem the least bit phased. If she were honest with herself, she was more focused on his general splendor than the course of the conversation. He was absolutely glistening in the scant moonlight. She thought to herself that he may actually be emitting light. He was dressed in the full outfit. The one that was drawn in the little brown book that was given to her. He wore the black cape with the black peasant shirt and black leather crop. He donned the black pants, his black boots, and his black gloves. His blonde hair, which pointed straight up was absolutely gorgeous. His eye makeup made his blue eyes stand out. She began to wonder if the book's picture of him was so accurate, then what else was accurate in the portrayal of Jareth in the book's words? "Why are you so dangerous?"
"Haven't you heard?" He asked the question while moving in the circular pattern that he was previously encircling Tony with. "I steal children and turn them into goblins."
"Not because you want to. They wished their children away. How does that make you dangerous just because spoiled rotten kids who think they are entitled to everything can't handle someone needing them more than they need themselves?" She had always been upset at the picture of a villain placed on his head, when the truth is that those kids did wish Jareth to take their siblings and charges, not the other way around.
Jareth didn't say anything for a full minute. He had to catch himself. Was she really taking his side? Did she really care about him? Could she be the one who sees beyond reality and into the truth? For that minute, all he could do was stand in front of her again looking into her eyes. He noticed that they had turned from brown to green when she had faced the bandits, but now they were completely blue. How beautiful! He cocked his head and smiled slightly at her. "I have read that book you read so often, Elizabeth. I wondered at your interpretation of it. Tell me, do you think its accurate?", he asked.
"So far, I do.", she responded. "I think that so far, it speaks the truth, and I even think that you could have been the one to write it. Did you?"
"And if I did?" He walked closer to her and looked down at her eyes. He was searching for her emotions, now. He wanted to know how she really felt, what she really thought.
"Then I would ask you if you were honest with your personality and character traits in writing it," she answered.
"And if I didn't?" He was so close now, that he was tempted again to touch her on the face. It was difficult to refuse. Did she know how beautiful she was?
"I would ask you who did so I could ask them the same question," she said, "why?"
"Being a fae means that you have the ability to know secrets about people and other fae." Not able to withhold his hand from her face any longer he removed a glove and lightly touched her cheek with the back of his index finger, "I can tell that you are attracted to me and that you are fighting within yourself as to whether or not you love me."
Liz gulped really hard. She thought that she'd hidden it better. But the illustration gave her insight into what he was talking about. She already knew his character, not from the book, but because she isn't human. She knew what he was like and how to respond to him. She didn't have to guess, or even take time to learn him. Taking time was the way a human would respond to it, but somehow, through fae magic she didn't know existed, she discovered another way.
"Fae can connect their hearts together to learn more about each other, can't they?", she asked.
"Yes." It was his only response, and he never removed his hand. In fact, he was temped to use his whole hand to touch her face. He wanted to let her in, but keep her at bay as well.
"What does being fae mean for me, Jareth?"
"It means that you must learn to defend yourself. Both with magic and with sword.", he said.
"How and when do we begin?", she asked.
"Not tonight. Tomorrow. You need rest. You have had a long day.", there was care in his voice again and his expression was sincere. He was hearing his rebuke to Hoggle in his head again, but this time, it didn't bother him as deeply as before. No, he would just ignore it this time.
In silence, they walked back to camp where Virginia, Tony, and Wolf were waiting. Tony stood up as soon as he saw them coming, preparing to defend his daughter, but was met with Liz's hand in a calming and reassuring gesture that it was not needed. Tony walked over to Liz and asked if she was alright, but she simply reassured him that she was and told him that they would speak about it soon. Temporarily satisfied with that answer, Tony watched as Jareth set to work preparing her bedding and food for her. He remained by her side the whole night and they barely spoke a word, but never had Tony seen Jareth care for someone in such a way as that night. It didn't mean that he trusted the fae with his daughter.
When Virginia first saw the owl transform from beast to man, she was in total shock. She sat there on the ground slack-jawed and wide eyed until the couple were long out of sight in the woods. When she finally shut her mouth, she looked over at Wolf, and he had already prepared the answer for her.
"That's Jareth. He's the Goblin King from the fae world. He's not a mortal being. He's…." Wolf was interrupted by Virginia…
"He's a fae. He's the man from Liz's book. She was telling me about him earlier today." She was still in shock as she spoke.
After that, nothing else was said at camp. Even after they returned, there was nothing said. The excitement had taken its toll and the shock had still not worn off. The only two people who seemed to be carrying on as usual was Elizabeth and Jareth. They seemed as though they had known each other for decades as they moved about and prepared for the night.
Jareth laid next to Liz on the ground next to her bedding. He was laying on his right side with his left leg bent and slightly upright. He was rested on his right elbow with his left arm laid across his right wrist. He was staring at her and she was staring at him. Nothing was said for a while. The other members of the party were watching in awkward silence as the two of them just stared at each other. The minds of the both of them reeling with questions about self and other. Mostly they wondered secretly whether the other loved them. They were unaware, for some brief moments, that their hearts were slowly becoming united. They stayed like that until long after the rest of their party had fallen asleep.
"You need your rest, Elizabeth,"he spoke at last, "you're in danger and need energy for training.
"Liz," she said, "call me Liz."
He reached over and touched her face again, but this time, with a still gloved hand. She took his hand in hers and removed his glove from it. Operating off of pure instinct and reflex, she took his hand and touched it palm down to her cheek. The touch of her skin, and the smell of it, as wild roses, flooded his senses with ecstasy. It was all he could do to keep himself from defying the rules of gentlemanly conduct.
She didn't want to go to sleep. The moment was too sweet, but slowly she felt her eyes beginning to close and her grip on his hand softened. She wasn't sure why she had placed his hand on her cheek, but it felt good. It felt especially good to have such a sweet and soft moment with a fae who was known for his mischief and the way he twisted words and situations around. It was her favorite part about him, though she didn't know why, and she never wanted that to change. That was her last thought as she drifted off.
She began to dream again…
Jareth was standing holding onto a beautiful young fae woman. She had long black hair was dressed provocatively. The dress she had on exposed her voluptuous features. She had an air of seduction about her, but when she addressed Jareth she put on a facade of sweetness and innocence. Jareth seemed to be in love with this woman. Sarah watched as in her dream, Jareth offered the woman flowers, favors, and bent over backwards to win her approval. Each time he courted the woman, she obliged him, but she couldn't shake the feeling of manipulation that she got from the woman's eyes. Something didn't sit well with her.
Over the course of time, she noticed that even though his attentions to her were constant and enduring, the woman refused to marry him. She would accept his gifts and attentions, but never his proposals. Her heart began to break for Jareth. How could she not see? How could she not love him?
The next scene that played through her mind was one that she would not soon forget. Jareth went to the woman's house to call on her. When she didn't answer he became concerned and entered the house. Though, through the entire dream there was no sound coming from any of it, she could tell that he was calling out her name.
When there was no response he searched the house and found her in the basement. She had a child strapped to a chair and her features were quite different. She had transformed into a hideous Baba Yaga and was about to devour the child when Jareth turned the child into a goblin.
She watched as the Baba Yaga woman turned on him and made accusations against Jareth. He was deemed dangerous and was cursed along with his land. On the council was her father, Tony. He was the one who made the final judgments against Jareth.
She watched as his heart turned cold. He began to mold the cursed land into his playground. He chose to test stubborn and arrogant children charged with watching their younger siblings with giving them the power to wish away their unwanted attachments. He challenged them to run the labyrinth and either live a life free from their siblings, or try to win them back. If they succeeded, he let them both go, but if they failed, they were both transformed into goblins. He was more cruel to teenage girls with brown hair than any others, that is, until he fell in love with Sarah. That's when stipulations were then added to the curse by the council, more specifically, by Antony, that Jareth must fall in love, and the girl love him back, so that the curse could be broken.
Sarah woke up in a cold sweat. It was a lot to take in in one night. She looked over and saw that Jareth was still next to her. He had been watching her intently. He knew that she wasn't having a pleasant dream by the way that she was thrashing.
"Usually my dreams about you are more pleasant", she said.
"Oh?" He had been watching through the crystal. Love or lust, he couldn't change his mischievous nature. He had to know what was causing her to talk in her sleep.
"I saw what happened. I know what my father did," she said.
"Go back to sleep, Liz. You need your rest." He was unwilling to discuss the painful past.
She could see that he wasn't ready to discuss it, and she was too tired to press him on the subject. She fell fast asleep again, but had no more dreams. Before she knew it, the sun was rising. Jareth moved to a position where he was partially above her and extremely close to her face. He whispered her name in an attempt to rouse her from her sleep without waking the others.
"It's time, Liz. Wake up," he said.
She didn't respond with words, she just rubbed her face and eyes and rolled onto her back to look up at him. Something was different in the way he was looking at her. She shook her head in affirmation and began to move out of her bedding, but he didn't move.
Did she know how ravishing she was? How he had to restrain himself from kissing her? She was nothing like the other women, or Sarah, in features. She was blonde like him, yet something in him screamed that she was better than the lot of them combined. He thought to himself as she stared up at him.
She wanted nothing more than to just kiss him in that moment. She thought about the closeness of his mouth to hers. She thought about the way he was looking at her with desire and reflection. She thought about the new outfit he was wearing of a white peasant shirt with a low cut chest line and the black leather vest. He was wearing the crescent moon medallion around his neck and it dangled onto her shoulder as he leaned over her. He had on his grey pants and black boots. His chest was exposed. She wanted to touch him there. To just reach out and touch the chest so close to her arm. Instead, she reached up and touched a hand to his shoulder. This tore him from his reverie. Tempted as he was to kiss her, he simply told her to get up and follow him.
In the same clearing as the night before Jareth began his lessons on magic and self-defense with Liz.
"The first thing you must do is clear your mind. Close your eyes," when she obeyed he said, "Good, now defend yourself."
When she opened her eyes she saw that he had drawn his sword and was already on the attack. Quickly she dodged his swing but he spun around and attacked again.
"Defend yourself!" He yelled at her. He knew that if she were to succeed she would need to use magic to defend herself.
Startled, Liz shifted her mentality into her combat mode. At the next swing of his blade she quickly disarmed him. Even though she was successful, he just continued to attack with his bare hands. Becoming more and more violent in his attacks, he knew he would have to resort to desperate measures.
In circles they danced as she moved like water around him, dodging attacks and striking successful blows herself. But with one swift move of his feet he had her on her back and pinned her down.
"You need to defend yourself, Liz. I can't help you all the time," he said trying to warn her of the next move he would have to make.
"I am. What is it you need me to do?" She asked.
"Use your magic. This is life or death." He was very close to her face when he said this.
Without warning he summoned knife and tried to cut open her shirt. In the process he accidentally nicked her stomach. But it was just the thrust into action that she needed.
Enraged, she threw Jareth off of her and used her magic to toss him into a nearby tree. Not even realizing what she had done, she immediately healed her stomach cut and then looked in his direction. She marched over to him. By now he was already back onto his feet. He took the knife and struck again, but she made it disappear. When the knife was gone and he realized that she was using her magic, he blocked her next blow by grabbing her arm and pulling her close to his chest. With her arms pinned behind him and looking deep into her eyes, he began to soothe her temper.
"Shhhhhhh. That's enough. You've done well." He said.
"Don't ever do that again," she growled with tears in her eyes.
Even though she knew what he was trying to do, she still hadn't wanted to be reminded of that awful night.
"Where were you?" She snapped out at him. "where were you? You have all this power, and you've been watching me all this time, so where were you? Why didn't you stop him!?"
He couldn't say a word. Pain was in his heart for her. His anger was burning against the man who stole her innocence from her. He had decided to come to court her under the rouse of a normal man, when he came upon an alley bearing much commotion. As he neared the alley he saw a man running away from a disheveled young woman laying on the ground beaten and bloody. He quickly pursued the man and transformed him into a monster and sent him into his world, then ran back to help the woman. He may not trust women, but he certainly doesn't believe in the abuse and battery. When he saw that it was Elizabeth, he nearly died inside. His anger was aroused so greatly that he wished he had killed the man in cold blood. Knowing now what emotional trauma he had caused, he was seriously considering it. But he couldn't tell her he was too late. He couldn't tell her that he didn't have a good enough reason. He just stood there holding her and letting her hit him on the chest and cry.
"Why?! What could have stopped you from helping me?"
She didn't say anything else. She just stood there crying and clinging to his shirt as if it gave her some kind of comfort. He stood there holding her and allowing her to purge her emotions. It wasn't until she felt something wet hit the top of her head, that she looked up and saw tears in his own eyes. Is he crying, she thought.
He hated himself in that moment. How could he have chosen that route. He knew it would hurt her enough to spur her into action, but now seeing how much pain she had been hiding inside of her, he thought that it was careless.
"I give you my word. Never again." He said it as tenderly as he could, wanting her to know how much he cared and how much he regretted pushing her so far.
She couldn't respond. She just shook her head and looked at him with hope and trust.
"Come, that's enough for one day," he said as he led her back to the camp site.
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