Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.
A/N: I decided to continue this bit by bit, 'cause why the heck not?
Katherine grunted at Jareth's heavy weight against her side, his arm slung over her shoulder and her one arm around his waist to keep him steady. On his other side, one goblin was standing on top of the other. Jareth's other arm was slung on his shoulders while the goblin on the bottom did all the walking.
It was a comical picture.
During their little heart-to-heart, Jareth had finished the bottle of wine, whereas Katherine only had the one glass and didn't even finish it. He ended up passing out on the floor where they had been sitting. So now, she and two of his goblins were helping the King to this chambers.
"L-Lady?" the bottom goblin said, panting due to the weight and the fact that they were still far from the royal bedchambers. "W-Why…n-not… u-use… m-magic?"
"Because," Katherine responded, struggling to keep Jareth's head from hitting hers. He was much taller than she was. "Your king and I got into a bit of a magic war long ago after we tried to out-prank each other. He shielded himself from my magic and I did the same to his. I removed my shield, but he is yet to do the same. I think he fears that I'll try to get revenge."
"S-So… n-no… m-magic… h-help…?" the goblin on top said, wheezing.
Katherine chuckled at his tone of devastation and the other goblin's groan. "I'm sorry dears. But I'll give you each a sweet after this, I promise."
They brightened up at the prospect of candy and didn't complain the rest of the way.
Finally, they reached his chambers. They ungracefully plopped the king onto the bed. He remained unconscious. Katherine reached into her pouch to grab two pieces of candy and gave them to the two goblins.
"Thank you both," she said, giving them a kind smile. "I'll take it from here."
The two thanked her before bowing and scampering out of the room. Meanwhile, Katherine turned back to Jareth, hands on her waist. She looked at him for a few moments and chuckled. He looked so silly at the moment, sprawled out like a child on his large, four poster bed. What she would give for a camera right now. She immediately got to work.
She removed his boots and placed them next to the bed before placing both his legs onto the bed. She then dragged the rest of his body upwards so she could lay his head on the pillow. Then, she tugged on the sheets from underneath him, careful not to lodge him too much so he wouldn't wake up. He remained snoozing throughout the whole thing. With a little effort, Katherine finally managed to get him under the covers and she tugged the comforter all the way under his chin, tucking him in. Weary from the work, she allowed herself to sit on her heels on the floor next to the bed.
For a few moments, she watched him sleep. She felt a little twinge on her chest as she admired the peaceful look on his face, but dismissed it quickly. His lips were parted and even though his breath smelled awful from the wine, Katherine felt her face lower, closer…
She snapped out of it and jumped up.
Stop it Kate, she thought to herself. You're his best friend. Nothing more. Got that? Okay.
Shaking her head free of the thoughts, she patted his shoulder gently before turning towards the large bay windows. It was past noon now, way past lunch, so the sun was shining brightly in the sky. She moved to close the curtains and did the same to the glass doors leading to the balcony, placing the room in a comforting darkness. Satisfied, she headed for the doors so she could leave him to rest and she could grab some lunch.
"Sarah…"
Katherine stopped and turned towards the bed. Did Jareth wake up?
Slowly, she approached him. No, he was still asleep. She should have figured… he did call for Sarah after all…
Katherine again felt that little ache in her chest. She had known about Sarah for a long time since she was 16 when Jareth had mentioned her in a conversation with her cousins. They had been telling him about their life Aboveground and somehow, she came up. It didn't bother Katherine then. In fact, she had been fascinated with the story.
Katherine closed her eyes, as she was assaulted by the memories.
Jareth was visiting the Nymph Kingdom when news from his goblin spies informed them of a surprise attack by the Moorlanders on the small village near the borders in the next few weeks. They had all spent the day discussing evacuation plans for the residents and a surprise defense tactic. By dinner time, they were all exhausted with the planning. So the girls had invited Jareth to come into one of the sitting rooms with them to relax and tell stories.
He had spent the most of it sitting on an armchair, his legs splayed carelessly on the arm, a hand twirling one of his crystals, listening to them. Their grandfather lightly dozed by the fireplace while Josephine sat on a stool by his feet, knitting quietly. Elizabeth was at the grand piano in the corner, plucking a few keys into a soothing melody. Meanwhile, the rest of them, Katherine, Jessica, and Annalise, were all sitting cross-legged on the floor in a semi-circle around Jareth.
Katherine had her sketchbook (that a nymph had kindly retrieved from her bedroom Above) and a piece of charcoal in her hands and was sketching the landscape outside the window behind Jareth, but her ears were open to the story as she contributed a sentence or two. At the moment, they were telling him about Derek Jacobson, an old classmate, who spent every waking hour of high school trying to get Elizabeth to go out with him and wouldn't take 'no" for an answer.
"… and that is why we all hate Derek Jacobson," Annalise finished telling the story to an amused-looking Jareth.
"Because he had fallen for Elizabeth?" he said, smirking devilishly.
"Because he was a jackass!" Jessica answered, defensively. "Forcing someone to love you by being a bully is not the way to go!"
Suddenly, Jareth's amused expression fell, a pained wince replacing it. The crystal dropped to the floor as his hand began to shake. Katherine caught the crystal as it rolled in her direction. She looked up at him, scanning his face. He didn't look so good.
"Jareth? Are you all right?" she asked, tentatively as she put her drawing things away.
As quickly as it came, the pained expression left his face. He tried to smile, but it ended up as a grimace. The girls looked at each other, confused and worried. Even Elizabeth had stopped playing to glance at him and Josephine looked up from her knitting.
He laughed, but it sounded hollow. "I was just… remembering something."
"What?" Annalise asked, curiously.
"It's nothing." He waved his hand in dismissal.
"You have a story don't you?" Josephine asked, looking excited as she put her knitting aside and walked over to where they were. "Please tell us!"
"Josie!" Katherine scolded, flashing her a look. "We don't pry in other people's business." She turned to the Goblin King. "Sorry Jareth, don't mind her. You don't have to say anything."
Josephine let out a disappointed whine. The side of Jareth's lips twitched as he watched the young fae grumble that it wasn't fair.
"Alright, I'll tell the story," he finally said.
Katherine's eyes widened as Josephine whooped and plopped herself down between Annalise and Jessica. Elizabeth remained by the piano, but had turned her body fully around to watch Jareth.
"Are you sure, Jareth?" the shy blonde asked in a quiet voice. "We don't want to pry."
Katherine nodded in agreement. "You can totally ignore Josie, we all do when she says something stupid."
"Hey!" the younger girl protested.
Jareth simply chuckled as Katherine tossed the crystal back to him. He spun and juggled it, making them smile. Finally, he held it out to them and they peered into its surface. A shape was beginning to form. They saw a girl, a mortal girl. She had a heart shaped face, dark brown hair, and vibrant green eyes that reminded Katherine of emeralds. She was running in, what they assumed was Jareth's Labyrinth, a small dwarf beside her.
"Her name is Sarah Williams," Jareth began in a solemn tone. "A mortal. Her head is constantly filled with stories and fantasies about our world and our people." A smile played on his lips, a soft smile of fondness that they have never seen graze the lips of the mischievous Goblin King. "And I loved her."
He told the story then of how he used to watch and observe her from the shadows when he visited the Aboveground... How her antics and passion for fairy tales amused him... How she wished away her brother and ran his labyrinth to get him back… How he did everything he could to make her fail so she could stay with him because he had unexpectedly fallen for her... How he offered her everything…
"I begged her to fear me, love me, do as I say, and I would be her slave," Jareth said. "But she didn't understand. She only saw me as the villain. And so… she rejected me… told me I had no power of her… there is nothing else I can do… but only watch and long for her from afar."
Katherine felt something wet trickle down her cheek and she reached up to touch it. A tear. Beside her, Jessica's brows were furrowed in a frown. The younger girl refused to cry, but the red on her nose indicated that she was close to it. Annalise and Josephine were both freely crying and a sniffle was heard from Elizabeth.
"Well, in her defense, asking her to do as you say doesn't sound very pleasant," Jessica said, quietly. "It was kind of creepy, Goblin King. No offense."
"But he did say he would be her slave," the ever romantic Elizabeth pointed out. She was usually quiet, but when it came to matters of the heart, she had a lot to say. "It seemed like a fair deal to obey him if he promised to serve her as well." But then, she looked at Jareth with skepticism. "But then again, Jareth, you could have gone about it a different way. She was just a kid, like us. That whole phrase can be interpreted as either good or bad."
He nodded in understanding at her explanation. "I know that now. Even though I offered her everything, it was too much for someone as young as her to take in. And now, I have that to regret for the rest of my existence."
"We're sorry, Jareth," Katherine said, reaching out to take his hand.
He chuckled, darkly before patting her hand on his. "It's all in the past now. We must move on at some point."
"But you haven't moved on yet… have you?" she said, morosely.
"Ahhh Katherine," he said. "So wise beyond your years."
He didn't answer her question at all. Instead, he released her hand before standing up. "Well, it's late now. You all should head to bed. Let's wake your grandfather shall we?"
The five girls could only watch as the Goblin King lost the spark in his steps that they had always known him for. And they all wondered what they could do to make him feel better.
Well, tried as they could to cheer him up, he wouldn't let them and avoided the subject each time they brought it up, pushing them further into their training and their studies. Eventually, they gave up and stopped asking, but they never forgot.
Besides, there had been other pressing matters that were more important that required their attention.
The Moorlanders have been lying low for some months now. There had been no attacks on any of the villages and they seemed to have been holding back during the last battle, nearly three months ago. But despite this, King Atticus knew he wasn't supposed to let his guard down. And despite being in the midst of war, King Atticus still found it important to take some time out to hold court and listen to the concerns of his subjects. The young princesses were always found seated next to him, observing, taking notes, and sometimes offering their own thoughts. After all, when the time came, they would be the ones holding them, and the earlier they learned, the better.
On that day, they were listening to an elder fae, a farmer, rant about how his neighbor's animals would come to his fields to eat his crops. He wanted compensation for the damages and his loss of profit. But before any of them could respond to his request, the doors to the throne room burst open and in came Jareth, adorned in black armor, two goblins at his heels.
"We found them," he stated, simply, stopping in front of the thrones next to the farmer.
Surprised at his entrance, the royals didn't move. They hadn't known he was coming. That could either be a good thing or a bad thing.
"Them?" Atticus finally asked.
"Your daughters," the other responded, impatiently. "These two found the prison."
That immediately caused an uproar as their subjects began to talk and wail and some cheered. The royals were much too stunned to move. They haven't had news about the elder princesses and their husbands in close to a year now.
Katherine felt something drip down from her eyes to her cheeks. She knew she was crying and without needing to look, she knew her cousins and grandfather were feeling emotional as well.
"Court is done for today," her grandfather announced, standing up. "And I please ask you not to say a word of what you have heard today until everything has been confirmed."
"Yes, your majesty," their subjects responded.
But everyone knew there was going to gossip going around and the royals were prepared for it. For now, there were more important matters at hand.
"Armand?"
His royal adviser came rushing forward. "Yes, your majesty?"
"Gather all the council members into the meeting room. We have important matters to discuss. Quickly now."
Armand rushed off as the guards herded their subjects out the door.
Atticus turned to Jareth. "Tell us everything you know when everyone has arrived. My granddaughters, do you wish to take part in the discussion?"
His question finally snapped them out of their daze and they all nodded. He always let them choose to attend council meetings if they so wished and they often did. Today, especially, was no exception.
During the council meeting, Jareth relayed to them all the information his goblins told him. The princesses and their husbands were kept in an underground prison made from iron, the weakness of a fae. It weakened their magic and burned them when they touched it. Every day, they were pressed for information on the kingdom and on their daughters. They refused to speak so whippings for their fathers were initiated as their mothers watched. Josephine's mother, Diana, who had been gifted with the powers to heal, was using her gifts to heal their husbands, but her powers were draining due to the extent of the injuries, not to mention the effects of the iron.
The five princesses tried to hold back their tears at this information, but could not do so. But no one was in an even greater despair than their grandfather, who was doing his best to remain strong. But, he was a father. And hearing how his daughters were suffering at the hands of the enemy drained him mentally and emotionally.
But, Jareth had a plan. His goblins knew were the prison was and with just the right number of knights with him, he would be able to get them out.
"We'll help too," Jessica piped up. "They're our parents and we want to rescue them."
"It's going to be dangerous, my lady," one of the councilmen pointed out. "Not to mention, you could be captured. You are the ones they want, not your mothers."
"We don't care," the normally quiet Elizabeth spoke up. "We'll die trying."
"Hopefully, it doesn't come to that," Annalise added quickly. "But my cousins are right. Our parents rescued us when they sent us through the gateway alone. It's our turn to save them."
Josephine nodded, lips quivering. "Please, let us go and get them back. We want our parents back."
Atticus turned to the eldest. "Katherine? Child, what is your view on this?"
Katherine had been staring at the table, unseeing. Jessica placed a hand on her arm.
"Kate?"
She looked up, eyes blazing.
"I agree. We're all going to save them and that is that. Our parents need us. We have been training with our magic and battle skills for ten months now. We're ready. This is not a matter to be discussed any further," she said, commandingly, surprising her cousins and the councilmen.
But, her grandfather looked worried. "Katherine-."
"I know you're worried, grandpa," she said, turning to him. "But, Jareth will be there with us. I trust him to make sure we all get out of there alive. Right Jareth?"
She turned to the Goblin King, who looked extremely pleased at her. He nodded.
"My plan is simple," he said. "If all goes well, we will bring the princesses and their husbands home."
For the next few days, the girls trained with their weapons and practiced their magic day in and day out. Their tutelage in Underground politics was put on hold until the completion of the rescue mission.
Three days later, accompanied by half a dozen knights, two goblin spies, and Jareth, they set off for the Moor lands. It was a three day journey on horseback through the lower town and the thick forest to get to the borders. From there, they cracked an opening in the shield. They left their horses and two knights there to guard and make sure no resident of the Moor lands found it. From there, they journeyed to the prisons. They couldn't use their magic for fear that their essence might alert the Unseelie. They avoided passing through the main town and the village, opting for a longer route through a forest and a dangerous cliff.
Finally, they reached the prison only a few hours before sunset on the third day. They knew they were there because why would there be guards keeping watch over an empty patch of land? There were only four guards. They suspected that the ruler of the Moor Lands didn't want to draw too much attention to the area by placing too many guards. Upon closer inspection, they discovered a trapdoor was hidden among the brown grass and the weeds.
It didn't take much to distract the guards. With a little make-up (courtesy of Elizabeth), change of clothes, a different colored contact on one eye that they "borrowed" from an Aboveground Optical clinic, and spray of Unseelie essence concocted by Jareth, Annalise managed to pass off as a seductive little Unseelie fae, who had taken a wrong turn on her way home.
For someone who happened to be the youngest among them, she was the most at ease using her feminine wiles to distract the guards and convince them to a drinking game. Seelie or Unseelie, fae loved games. Jareth had already placed a spell on Annalise so that no matter how much she drank, she remained sober.
"I'm a little uncomfortable watching this," Katherine muttered to Jareth from their hiding place in the forest.
They were watching Annalise laugh, flirt, and "drink" with the Unseelie guards.
Jareth chuckled. "What do you mean? She's a natural, the little minx."
Katherine flashed him a glare and elbowed his side. "Watch it old man, she's a child by fae and mortal standards."
Jareth only flashed her a teasing grin.
At some point, while the guards were too distracted arguing with each other about who won the last round, Annalise managed to slip a few drops of a very potent sleeping potion into their glasses. Finally, after what felt like days of waiting, with the sun sinking in the horizon, the guards were knocked out, either by the alcohol or the sleeping potion. Either way, they didn't care. This was their chance.
The goblins led them to the trapdoor. A stone staircase led down into a dark abyss. They left two more knights at the top to watch out for trouble and keep an eye on the guards in case they woke up. After reaching the bottom, they immediately felt the heaviness in the air. They felt weary all of a sudden. The fireball that Jessica had produced to give them light was weak so Jareth conjured a small lantern for it. The iron was working its magic… or rather, anti-magic. They felt exhausted just by being there. Nonetheless, they continued on until finally, they reached an occupied cell.
The sight that greeted them haunted them all for the rest of their lives.
Annalise's mother, Sophia was sitting against the wall, her husband Louis' head on her lap. Josephine's parents, Diana and Geoffrey were in a similar position. Meanwhile, Elizabeth's parents, Myrtle and Orpheus, were sitting side-by-side, her head on his shoulder and he was humming to her, softly. Belinda, Jessica's mother, was fast asleep on Minerva, Katherine's mother's lap. Their fathers, Aldrin and Philip, were sitting against the wall, quietly watching their wives.
The five girls stood frozen in place. To say that their parents looked worse for wear was an understatement. They looked like they went to hell and back and went to hell again. They were still wearing the same clothes they had been wearing above, thought dirtier and torn in some places. And they were skinnier than the girls remembered. Even through the dim light, they could see that their parents' skin looked gray and sick. Their fathers' shirts were bloody, bits and pieces of their mothers' clothing covering the deep wounds that they knew were there. Meanwhile, their mothers sported dark circles under their eyes.
Katherine could feel the rage bubble inside her and the tears prickle her eyes. These Moorlanders would pay for what they did to their beloved parents.
They must have noticed the light since the ones awake looked up. At first, all they could do was stare, as they shook awake the ones who had been resting.
Elizabeth was the first to react. "Mommy! Daddy!"
She rushed over to the cell doors.
"No, wait, Bessie, don't-," Myrtle began to say, but it was too late.
Elizabeth had already wrapped her hands around the metal bars of the cell. Not even a second later, she jumped back hissing, tears springing in her eyes as she looked at the burning flesh of her hands. Jareth was immediately at her side, wrapping a cloth around her hands.
"J-Jareth?" the older princesses whispered, in disbelief.
Jareth flashed his old friends a grin. "Nice to see you after all these years. I've had the honor of meeting all of your spawn. They're quite lovely. A job well done."
For what was the probably the first time since their capture, their parents smiled. The other girls finally approached the cells, frustrated that they couldn't get closer for the risk of getting burned. Not to mention, they could feel themselves getting weaker by the second.
"Mom… Dad…" Katherine murmured, longing to feel her mother and father's hug once more.
Her father smiled at her. "Hey, kiddo. You shouldn't have come."
"But we had to," Jessica answered. She glared at her father, Aldrin, who chuckled weakly. "You guys have a lot of explaining to do. How could you not tell me that I'm a prissy little princess, dad?"
Aldrin smiled. "Not prissy, sport. Just a princess. It's your mother here that's prissy."
In any other circumstance, they knew Belinda would have slapped Aldrin's head. But at the moment, she simply glared at him like her daughter did.
"I am not prissy!" she protested.
"Mommy, daddy, I missed you," Josephine whispered, openly crying.
"Me too," Annalise agreed, holding on to the older girl.
"We missed you too, honey," Diana said, moving closer to the cell bars.
"But we wanted you all safe," Sophia said. "You shouldn't have come."
Meanwhile, Minerva was looking at Jareth, looking a little annoyed. "How could you bring them here, Jareth? This is the last place we want them to be in!"
Jareth snorted. "Your spawns are all stubborn, just like all of you. Especially the eldest."
He moved to the cell door and tried to open it with his magic. It didn't budge.
"As I suspected, the doors will not bend to our magic," he announced.
"So now what?" Katherine asked, frustrated.
"So, time for plan B. Jessica?"
The girl nodded and handed her lantern to one of the knights. She approached the cell and crouched in front of the keyhole.
"What are you doing?" Belinda demanded. "Jessie, you are not doing what I think you're doing."
"It's the only way, mother," she responded, opening the satchel around her waist.
She pulled out a pair of leather gloves made from dragon hide. They hadn't tested out their potency against iron yet, but they were about to find out. After she put them on, she pulled out a lock-picking kit that she never went anywhere without.
"Can't believe you brought that thing in a magical land," Elizabeth commented, watching Jessica work.
"Hey, magic has its limits too," Jessica answered, her brow furrowed in concentration. "We gotta do things the mortal way sometimes. I need more light here!"
The guard moved to shine the lantern above her.
Meanwhile, Katherine stared at her mother, who stared back.
"Mom…"
Minerva smiled. "Katherine… I'm so proud of you."
Her eyes widened. "I haven't done anything," she stammered. "This is all Jareth's idea."
"That you insisted to the council that you be allowed to be a part of," Jareth added, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This one has the makings of a good queen, Minerva. All of them do."
Belinda smirked at him. "They're ours after all."
"Aha! Got it!"
The door swung open and the girls wasted no time rushing into the cell to hug their parents. Tearful "I miss you's" and "I love you's" were all they could utter in the moment. Kisses and hugs were exchanged between each family member. They had allotted only a limited number of time for this moment, but they found that they could not let go of each other.
Jareth cleared his throat. "As touching as this little reunion is, we have to get going."
Their parents were all weak, they soon discovered as the girls helped them out of the cell. They were carrying not only physical scars, but mental and emotional ones as well. Their fathers were all severely injured and Josephine's mother was too weak to walk on her own. It was a trying and slow process, but they managed to get them up the staircase. When they reached the top, the guards were still asleep. They escaped into the forest.
Their journey was slower than before. With their fathers' injuries, they couldn't move as fast. It would only be a matter of time before someone found out and raised the alarms. Hopefully, before that happened, they would be past the border.
On day three of their journey, as they were resting, Katherine approached Jareth, who was in a conversation with her mother. They fell silent as she neared them.
"Mom, can I talk to Jareth real quick?" she asked.
Minerva nodded and stood up. She stepped over to Katherine and kissed her forehead, gently.
"I love you, Katherine," she whispered into her hair before walking away.
Jareth looked harried. His hair, though usually an untamed mane, was wilder than normal. Dark bags were under his eyes, and he looked worried.
"Jareth, if we move in this pace, we might not make it," Katherine said, sitting next to him. "I'm worried about our Dads and Aunt Diana. They need medical treatment."
"Don't you think I know that?" he snapped.
She glared at him in response. "I'm just saying that… I think… you need to transport them near the borders-."
"Are you trying to have us found out, girl?" Jareth hissed. "Just like how your land has alarms that detect the essence of Unseelie magic, this land might have the same spell guarding it. Sure, my magic has some Unseelie essence, but it has Seelie essence too! We can't take that risk."
"But it's the only way we can get there faster!" Katherine insisted. "It will be fine. If the alarms do go off, my cousins and I will hold them off while you and the guards get our parents to the borders-."
"Are you trying to commit suicide? You can't face an army just the five of you!"
"It will give us more time-."
"No. I won't do it."
Jareth stood up and walked away from her. She followed, grabbing his arm.
"Jareth, please!"
"No."
"We need to get them to safety."
"And we will. My way. Not yours. You are not going to kill yourself."
"We won't. We'll just give you more time."
He let out a frustrated sigh. "You know that I always value your opinion, but this is a delicate matter. Things have a fifty-fifty chance of going wrong and I can't have you putting yourselves in that kind of danger. I will not allow it."
"But-."
"End of discussion, Katherine."
He broke free of her hold and walked away from her.
But she didn't give up. The next day, she goaded him, pleaded with him. bargained with him. When she realized he wasn't going to budge, she told her cousins about her plan. They were wary of it, expressed their doubts, but agreed to help her convince Jareth. And convince him, they did. For what fight did Jareth have against five stubborn princesses, who refused to leave him alone until they got what they wanted?
Their parents were against the idea. But the girls had made up their minds. And since stubborn parents and stubborn children trying to find a compromise almost always never find one, so much time was wasted. Finally, the parents agreed to the transportation spell only if Jareth transported the girls with them.
Since being with the knights and the goblins made them too many to cast the spell on without it being too conspicuous, Jareth was going to transport them by small groups. He transported the knights and the goblins first. He sent a crystal with them to transport one goblin back to let them know if the coast was clear. They were taking a risk, a giant risk.
After the knights and goblins were gone, they waited with bated breath. After some time waiting, a goblin returned to let them know it was all fine. They lined up by families.
Katherine and her parents were the last in line. As they watched Annalise and her parents disappear first, Minerva turned to her.
"No matter what happens today, your father and I want you to know how much we love you," she said, bringing her close for a hug.
"And that we are proud of you," Phillip added, wrapping his arms around the both of them.
"Stop talking like this is the last time we'll see each other," Katherine scolded, teasingly. "When we get back, we're going to get dad patched up and as soon as this whole thing is over, mom can take her place as queen. Gramps said he's ready to retire."
Minerva's eyes began to mist. "Tell him we love him," she said. "And that you will make a wonderful queen."
"Tell him yourself, mom. And I'm not going to be queen. You are."
"Minerva, Philip, Katherine, you're next," Jareth said a few moments after Jessica and her parents disappeared.
They stepped up next to him, but then… Katherine stopped. She was feeling something at the back of her neck. Something was… off. Katherine stepped away.
"Transport them first," she said to Jareth.
He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Do it."
"Katherine-," her mother protested.
"Jareth, now."
The Goblin King sighed and threw the crystal at her parents' feet. They disappeared, their protests fading along with them. Katherine turned her head this way and that, trying to pinpoint exactly where the strange shift in the air was coming from. She felt surrounded by it.
"Katherine? What's wrong?" Jareth asked. "I have the final crystal for us both. Come-."
He stopped talking. Katherine knew that he felt what she felt too. They both unsheathed their swords, looking around, their eyes alert. Katherine stepped up next to him. Jareth was about to shatter the crystal at their feet when a dark figure darted out from the trees and tackled him. He kicked it off of him and slashed at it. More figures came out of the trees and wasted no time in attacking them.
Katherine raised her sword to block the weapons coming at her. Using what she learned from the air nymphs back at the kingdom, she called on the wind to push the enemies away from her as she blocked and parried. Though skilled, she still was not a warrior. She tripped on a rock and fell back onto the grass. An enemy loomed over her, sword raised, ready to strike.
"Katherine!"
Jareth's sword impaled the fae and he kicked the dying body aside. He grabbed her by the wrist to pull her up to her feet. Both continued to block and slash, but there were too many. As they stood back-to-back, Jareth conjured a crystal and threw it in the air. It exploded and the enemy fae shrinked back in fear. He took that chance to grab her by waist and quickly threw another crystal at the ground.
Katherine felt a pull and her head began spinning. A few seconds later, she finally felt the ground at her feet, but she still felt dizzy and swayed.
"Katherine!" her parents' voices brought her to her senses.
Jareth was looking towards the distance and Katherine finally saw the horde. An army of Unseelie soldiers were coming at them. Too many for their small party to fight. So they had no other choice but to flee the remaining distance towards the border.
"Jareth! The girls!" she heard Belinda's voice.
"Make sure the girls are safe!" That was Aldrin.
Minerva grabbed Katherine's arm and pulled her into a run, the rest following behind. She pushed her daughter ahead of her.
'I'm so stupid,' Katherine thought to herself, trying to stop the tears threatening to fall as they ran. 'I'm so freaking stupid!'
It wasn't until they were almost to the border and could see the crack in the shield that Katherine realized that her mother was no longer behind her. She slowed down to turn her head to see that their parents had all stopped running.
Her cousins must have realized this too since they all slowed. Without even thinking about it, they all began to turn back towards their parents. To their surprise, the knights and Jareth grabbed them and began to pull them away and towards the borders.
"What are you doing?!" Katherine screamed, struggling to break free from Jareth's hold.
"We have to get back to them!" Jessica was fighting the knight holding her.
"Our dads! We need to help them move!" Annalise was crying and struggling.
"Let us go!" Josephine was trying to kick the knight who had his hands wrapped around her arm, pulling her away.
"Mom! Dad!" Elizabeth called, desperately trying to pull away from the knight holding her.
They didn't know how, maybe it was a combination of adrenaline and their own determination, but they managed to break free of Jareth and the knights and ran back to their parents again. They would get to them. They would fight that whole army if they had to. But just as they neared them, they saw their parents raising their hands to the air.
The girls fell back with a sudden jolt. Confused but undeterred, they tried to run forward again, but were once again thrown back. Something was blocking them.
"What… what is this thing?" Annalise whimpered, her lip trembling.
Katherine raised her own hands to touch whatever it was in front of her. Her hand connected with something solid, but nothing was there.
"A shield," she realized, eyes wide at the realization of what their parents had done. "They made a shield!"
They began pounding on it, desperate to crack it.
"We're sorry, our darlings," Minerva called to them, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"But this is the only way to keep you safe," Belinda added.
"We love you all so much," Myrtle said, her hands in her mouth.
"But you must return to the kingdom," Diana continued, also crying.
"Tell your grandfather we love him," Sophia said. "And that we're sorry we couldn't make it home."
The girls were freely crying now. This was not how things were supposed to go. They were all supposed to go home and live happily ever after. They weren't supposed to lose their parents!
"Our daughters," Minerva called again, smiling despite her tears. "Bring back peace to the land. Do not let our sacrifice be in vain."
Jareth was suddenly beside Katherine, trying to pry her hands off the offending shield.
"Jareth," Philip called out, his hand clasping his wife's. "Take care of our daughters."
"Make sure they remain strong," said Aldrin.
"Teach them everything they need to know about ruling a kingdom," said Orpheus.
"Make them the rulers that they were always destined to be," added Geoffrey.
"And please protect them for us," finished Louis.
Jareth stiffened beside Katherine before nodding at his old friends. A tear slid down his cheek.
"I will not fail you all," he promised. "They are in good hands."
For the last time, they saw their parents smile.
"Darlings," Myrtle said. "Close your eyes, fall asleep, and dream happy dreams. For the darkness will cease as long as we are always right here." She placed a hand over her heart. "And we will never leave."
Their eyes widened. They all knew the phrase, they all grew up with it. Those were words their mothers used to say to them whenever they had nightmares. And this… surely, this was just a nightmare? And they would wake up tomorrow and all would be well. Right?
Behind their parents, the army was fast approaching, their mismatched eyes rabid with desire for blood. The girls pounded even more on the shield, but they knew it was in vain.
With their husbands right behind them, the Nymph sisters held hands. Light began to emit from those entwined hands as nature around them responded to their command. The wind blew stronger, lightning flashed in the sky, the trees loomed higher, water came rushing out of the ground, and several bushes caught on fire.
Jessica screamed every curse word known to man and fae, while banging on the shield.
"What are they doing?! What are they doing?!" Annalise repeated like a mantra, slashing at the shield with her dagger, to no avail.
Josephine continued to call for their parents, her hands in fists against the shield. Elizabeth sobbed, dejectedly on the ground, hands on the shield, as if hoping it would melt away with her touch. Katherine continued to pound on the shield, screaming and begging until her throat was raw.
The light grew… became blinding until their parents were almost completely covered in the light.
Before Katherine knew what was happening, Jareth had grabbed her and spun them around, burying her head into his chest, away from the blinding light. She struggled against him, but he tightened his hold. In the corner of her eye, she could see that the knights had done the same to her cousins.
And suddenly… it ended. There was only silence.
She broke away from Jareth… turned around…
She felt herself falling on her knees to the ground. Her screams of agony filled the air.
She didn't know how, but Jareth and the knights had managed to get her and her cousins out of there, kicking and screaming and sobbing.
The funeral took place three days later. Jareth had sent his goblins to retrieve the bodies. They were taken care of and prepared for the final rites. Fae royals and nobles from all over the Underground flocked to the Nymph Kingdom to pay their respects to the fallen fae and to offer their condolence to the grieving land.
The remaining royal family and their subjects gathered at the ancient river behind the castle, where legend said the first nymphs had come to rest and decided to build a settlement by. It was said that this river, among many all over the Underground, led to the land of Elysium, where their spirits could rest in peace for all eternity.
The bodies were dressed in the finest clothing of silk and satin. Circlets of gold and expensive jewels adorned their heads, marking them as royalty. They were placed in elaborate boats made of cypress and elder, built by the wood and forest nymphs. Flower nymphs wove garlands of lilies and bluebells along with flowers only native to the Underground and placed these around the boats.
King Atticus Jove grieved openly as he said his last good-byes to his daughters and son-in-laws. His granddaughters stayed by his side, trying to remain strong despite their own tear-stained faces and aching hearts.
When the final rites were said, King Atticus bent over each body to place a kiss on their brow and whisper a blessing into each lifeless ear. With his two eldest granddaughters supporting him on either side, as he could no longer stand by himself, they watched as the river nymphs pushed the boats onto the water and waded alongside them, making sure they stayed on course for Elysium.
Soon, the ten shapes disappeared in the horizon. The mourners began to leave the site, leaving the royal family to grieve, silently.
Katherine blamed herself. Everyone kept telling her that it wasn't her fault that her plan had failed. But it was her fault. If she had only stuck to Jareth's plan… if she had only listened to him…
Since the funeral, she hadn't left her rooms. In fact, she had confined herself there for three days. She didn't even bother getting out of bed. No one questioned her actions. They simply brought her meals, but she hardly ate. Although she remained in bed, she never slept, preferring to stare at the wooden roof of her four-poster bed. Whenever she did close her eyes, all she could hear was the screaming, then the bright light, and her own voice begging for her parents to let the shield down. She always woke up screaming right after.
On the fourth day, she heard a knock on her bedroom door, but did not acknowledge it. It was most likely Sandra, her handmaid, coming to bring her lunch. The door opened, but instead of Sandra, Jareth came in, carrying a tray containing a porcelain pot, an empty bowl, a jug, and an empty crystal goblet. He approached the table in her bedroom and clucked his tongue disapprovingly at the bowl of porridge that she barely touched that morning.
"You're wasting food," he stated, placing the tray on the table.
Katherine simply turned on her side, away from him.
"Your grandfather and your cousins are worried," he continued. "They're grieving too, you know. But they're not imprisoning themselves in their rooms like you are. Annalise and Jessica are releasing their anger and grief through target practice. Elizabeth and Josephine spend their time with your grandfather. And you are here, in the solitude of your bedroom, refusing to eat. When was the last time you even slept?"
She heard his words, but did not turn to look at him. She couldn't face him, not after what she did. She heard his footsteps approach her, so she lifted the covers over her head, shielding herself from him.
"Stop being childish, Katherine," he scolded, trying to tug the covers off of her.
She held on to them tightly. When he realized that she wasn't going to budge, he sighed loudly. She heard the scraping of a chair and him sitting down. He remained quiet for a few moments, as she began to sob. Heart-wrenching sobs that made her body tremble in grief. She felt a hand on her back, trying to sooth her.
"It wasn't your fault," he said, rubbing gentle circles.
"Yes it was!" she replied, her voice muffled by the sheets.
"My plan was not foolproof. I told you that. Anything could have gone wrong."
"I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have suggested that stupid plan. I should have let you handle it."
"We learn from mistakes."
"This was one mistake that should never have been made!"
She finally emerged from the sheets and slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position. The tears were endless and Jareth only sent her a look of sympathy.
"If it wasn't for me, they'd still be alive," she whispered.
Jareth shook his head. "No. It was their time. Nothing could be done."
At that statement, her eyes blazed in anger as she brushed his hand away from her back. "That's not true! How could you say that?!" She let out a choking sob. "They could have lived! It was my fault everything went wrong!"
But Jareth shook his head again. He reached over and took her hand in his. When she refused to look at him, he placed his fingers underneath her chin to lift her head. Her eyes were still downcast.
"It was not your fault," he stated again. When she remained silent, he sighed, heavily. "Do you know about your mother's other gift? Her gift of foresight?"
Slowly, Katherine nodded. "Gramps said that she passed it on to me when I had that vision of us being attacked at Annie's."
"Your mother had a vision," he said, dropping his hand from her chin.
Finally, she looked up, eyes wide at the information. His face was calm, his gaze piercing into hers. He wasn't lying.
"That day, before you told me of your plan, she talked to me. She's had the vision for some days already and knew that their death was coming. They were all prepared for it. She asked me to take care of all of you. She made me swear to the gods that no matter what, I was to make sure you and your cousins made it out of that place alive. And she made me swear not to tell any of you before it happened. And I am telling you now because you must stop blaming yourself for something that fate had already set in stone. You know by now that no matter how much you stop your visions from coming true, they will come into fruition one way or another. Your parents knew they were going to die, but they wanted to see you all to safety before it happened. They sacrificed their lives for the sake of you and your cousins bringing back peace one day. Do not let their deaths be in vain, Katherine."
He allowed his words to sink in. And sink in they did. Katherine cried into her hands. Cried because she couldn't save her parents from their fate. Cried because they would never be a family again. Cried because they were not going to see her be queen someday. Cried because she would never feel her mother's warm hugs or hear about her father's never-ending faith in her. Cried because fate was so cruel to them.
Through her sobs, she heard Jareth sigh as he placed a comforting hand on her back, rubbing soothingly. When she had cried her fill and her sobs reduced to soft hiccups, he let go of her.
"Come outside, you need to eat," he goaded her.
She nodded.
Slowly, he helped her out of bed and wrapped her dressing robe around her shoulders. With his arms around her waist, he led her out into her sitting room and sat her down on the table, before returning to the bedroom. He came back with the tray of food and placed it in front of her. Without a word, the Goblin King lifted the lid off the pot and ladled stew into the bowl provided.
For the first time, the aroma of food made Katherine's stomach rumble in hunger. She watched as Jareth scooped meat and vegetables into the bowl and placed it in front of her.
"Eat," he simply said, taking the seat next to her.
Slowly, she took the spoon and lifted the stew into her mouth. The sweet and salty taste overwhelmed her senses. She began to cry again, but continued to eat.
Jareth simply watched her sob as she ate. And when she finished everything in the pot as well as a goblet of water, he helped her to her feet once more and led her back to bed. He tucked her in.
"I hope you join us for dinner tonight," he said to her, patting her hand. "Your cousins are worried."
He removed a glove and placed a hand on her forehead and immediately, Katherine began to feel drowsy. Before she could thank Jareth for his kindness, she fell into a dreamless sleep.
Katherine remembered the events of that time liked it happened yesterday. She could never truly forget. She still had nightmares about their parents' death. She could still vividly remember the look of fear yet pride on their faces.
Jareth had left five days after the funeral to return to the Goblin Kingdom, but while he was still in the Nymph Kingdom, he had comforted her and her cousins in the best way he could. That was the first, and only time, they had seen Jareth act the way he did. He brushed away their tears, made them laugh, and even just listened to them as they talked about how they felt. They knew he wasn't the caring type, so to see him acting the way he did meant a lot to them.
Tentatively, Katherine reached out and brushed a stray piece of golden blonde hair away from his face. Her eyes took its fill of his pale features… the fae markings above his eyes… the slender nose… his pink lips…
Jareth was a handsome man, she couldn't deny that. He was a fair and just ruler… and a loyal friend.
Yet, he wasn't without flaws. He was arrogant and thought himself the best of the best. He had a temper that could rival a storm. Katherine had almost fled from him in terror when she encountered it the first time. He, to her surprise, apologized right after. Over the years, she had learned to stand up to Jareth when he got too much, like today when he nearly choked her. She and her cousins learned not to tolerate his abusive actions. At first, their defiance had angered him, but that anger eventually turned to respect. He also tended to treat them like children, simply because of their age in comparison to him. But, they had surprised him again, by acting like adults when the need arose. Of course, they were still children at heart, and that would never change. Even Jareth acted like a child sometimes. But they knew when it was time to act their age. They had, after all, managed to prove to the High Fae Court that they were capable of running a kingdom despite being children by fae standards.
But, Jareth also had his admirable qualities. He had been there for her through the good and bad. He had showed them the tricks he did with his crystals because he knew it amused them. He took the time to get to know each of them, their strengths and their weakness, what pleased them and what ticked them off. He had gone through battle plans with them, always asking their opinions and never dismissing their ideas as childish, like the other generals they had come to work with did. He even involved himself in their training with weapons, magic, and politics. They had earned his respect, but he had also earned theirs.
Out of the five, Katherine was the closest to Jareth. She was the one who spent the most time with him, talked to him about anything and nothing, complained to him, teased him, told him her secrets that she never told her cousins (for example, how much she didn't like Josephine's peanut butter cookies, but pretended to like them anyway so she wouldn't hurt her feelings), and had made him admit secrets he never told anyone else (like the time he put on Titania's jewelry out of curiosity when he was a young prince and had tried to pierce his own ears so he could wear the earrings… she always teased him about that). Which was the reason why he had chosen her to come to the Goblin Kingdom to help aid with the renovations.
He was a true friend.
Of course, Jareth did not realize how much this friendship meant to Katherine. In fact, the feelings of friendship she felt for the Goblin King had blossomed into something more. She knew it was foolish. He was as old as their parents and he still saw her as a child.
It was in these last few months living with him, that she had finally admitted to herself what her cousins had teased her about for ages… what she had ignored because it was silly and impossible.
She had feelings for Jareth. She didn't know how it happened or even why. She just did.
And she knew that there was no way in the Underground could he return those feelings. Besides, he was hopelessly in love with Sarah… only Sarah… and it ached her every time she remembered.
Katherine first felt that ache, three years after the war between the Nymph Kingdom and the Moor lands ended. She and her cousins had been living Aboveground and were in college. Jareth came to visit them.
It was midterm season and Katherine was in the crowded University library, sitting at a table she had reserved two weeks before, surrounded by political science textbooks and worksheets.
If she was going to be a good ruler in the Underground, she was going to make some changes in the old-fashioned system established by her predecessors. Although American law and politics were completely different from Underground law and politics, a little basis for comparison wouldn't hurt.
Atticus had been King for more than a millennium, the 5th ruler of the Nymph Kingdom. The previous ruler, a fae by the name of Alvar, had been fond of him. Alvar, like the rulers before him, was unlucky and had produced no heirs. He found it difficult maintaining all the gateways in the Underground and with no heir to help, the task was too overwhelming. As a young fae from a noble family, Atticus had been sent to help. Alvar, apparently still overwhelmed by the duties that came with being King, decided to abdicate and name the young fae his heir. Shortly after Atticus was crowned, Alvar disappeared and has not been heard from since. Meanwhile, Atticus proved himself a capable ruler, married a common forest nymph, and was blessed with five children. A rare feat. Fae had difficulty producing children and those with more than one child was so very rare. Atticus was blessed. Or was that fate's doing?
Katherine didn't really know anymore. All she knew was that when she ascended her grandfather in a few years, Katherine was going to be the 6th ruler, not to mention the youngest ever heard of in the Underground. And she was going to make a good lasting impression on the High Fae Court, even if she died trying.
She had been in the library for approximately 10 hours and 25 minutes when she got the call from Josephine. She flipped the cellphone open.
"Josie, I told you, I'm not gonna be back until really late tonight," she whispered into the phone, her eyes scanning the case study in front of her.
"But Kate, you have to get back to the apartment now!" the younger girl squealed, excitedly. "We have a surprise visitor!"
Katherine groaned. "If it's Tom again, tell him I'm not interested and that the last two weeks were a big joke."
"Pfft, as if we would let that guy near you again after what he pulled," Josephine replied. "No, this is a good thing. Please."
"Why can't you just tell me right now?"
"It's a surprise! Come home, please?"
Katherine sighed and marked her page before closing the book. "Fine, I'll head back."
"Yay!" Josephine squealed. "Oh, can you pick up some Chinese on the way? The usual is fine."
Katherine rolled her eyes. "Fine. The things I do for you guys."
After they hung up, Katherine marked all her books and stuffed her worksheets and handouts into her several folders before stuffing them into her book bag along with pencils and a bunch of highlighters. She shoved the textbooks into a tote bag. Making sure she had everything, she put on her coat, left the library, and headed for the parking lot to her car.
It had been eight years since the war ended. The death of the Royal princesses and their husbands seemed to be the push that the other Underground kingdoms needed to realize how futile this war was and how it needed to end. So with their help in the form of monetary and miliary aid, the Nymph Kingdom finally defeated the Moor lands. The the fae behind everything, a traitor by the name of Warren, an ex-Captain of the Guard for the High Royal Family, was captured and tried in front of the Seelie High Fae Court. Their suspicions had been correct. The plan to take over the Nymph Kingdom was concocted by a group of Unseelie fae, led by Warren, because they had had fallen out of Queen Mab's favor. They thought that by taking over the Nymph Kingdom and possessing the keys to the gateways Aboveground, they would please her and win them her favor again. Apparently, all they did was deplete the funds given to them by the Unseelie High Fae Court. Mab had lost all interest in them towards the end of the war, didn't even try to fight to get them back during the trial. So they were all banished to somewhere called Dead Man's Land. Katherine didn't know where or what that was, but didn't want to find out. The peace that her parents had sacrificed their lives for had finally arrived.
Well, after all that, her grandfather was just about ready to step down and hand over the throne to her, since she was the eldest. Her cousins of course would be her regents and would help her run the kingdom. But, the five of them had other ideas. They asked to return to the Aboveground to finish their schooling and… well… to find out if ruling a kingdom was really what they wanted. With a heavy heart, but not wanting to force them to do something they didn't want to do, Atticus allowed them to go back. They were 16 when they first arrived in the Underground. They were 20 years old when they left it. They had missed so much of high school, but their grandfather found a way to make it as if time had never passed Above since they left. They finished the last two years of high school, pretending to be younger than they actually were and wearing a glamour to conceal the fae features that marked them when they arrived in the Underground. At the moment, they were supposed to be 19 years old and sophomores in college. It helped being princesses to a fairy kingdom. There was no need to take out loans to pay the tuition fees and the bills. The gold and rare gems, the Underground currency, were enough for that.
Arriving at her building, Katherine summoned a little bit of her wind magic to help her carry her bags as well as the box containing two paper bags of Chinese take-out up to the apartment she shared with her cousins. The place was decently-sized with three bedrooms, a living room, two bathrooms, and a kitchen. It was close to campus and allowed them to commute, rather than dorm and be stuck with strangers, who would probably freak out from all the magic they did behind closed doors.
Katherine unlocked the front door and pushed it open. "I'm home."
She finally dispelled the glamour surrounding her and instantly felt better. Wearing a glamour was tedious and it always made her feel like she should be ashamed of her true self. She didn't know how her parents managed it for years. Besides, she really liked her pointed ears.
"Kaaaate!" Josephine sung as she darted from the kitchen and grabbed the box of take-out. "Guess who's here?"
"I don't know," Katherine responded, placing her tote bag and book bag on the couch. She shrugged off her coat and threw it over the couch and rubbed her aching shoulders. "You wouldn't tell me."
"The least you can do is guess," said a new but familiar voice, teasingly.
Katherine gasped as she turned towards the kitchen door and saw a smirking Jareth, leaning against the frame. He was clad in his casual Underground attire: flowing white poet's shirt (open at the chest, of course, showing off his royal medallion), brown breeches (tight and snug, just the way he liked it), and black leather boots (perfectly shined without a mark in sight).
"Jareth!" Katherine bolted over to him, forgetting her exhaustion and aching shoulders.
Smiling widely, she wrapped her arms around his neck, tip-toeing slightly. He was much taller than she. His hug was as warm as she remembered and he smelled the same: earthy and magical with a hint of peach. He was always so fond of those fruits.
"It's good to see you, Katherine," he told her after they pulled away. He look her over before wrinkling his nose. "What on earth are you wearing?"
Katherine looked down at her faded jeans, mud-caked sneakers, and the University sweatshirt that she had been wearing for a full week.
"Um… clothes?"
He raised his eyebrows.
"Give me a break, it's midterm week!" she defended, heading into the kitchen where Josephine was setting the table. "Besides, the other four girls in this apartment are wearing the same thing."
"Not true," Josephine said, gesturing to her outfit. "I'm wearing a shirt."
Katherine rolled her eyes at the younger girl's gray long-sleeved Hello Kitty shirt. "Like what you're wearing is any better. Anyway, where's everyone else?"
"Oh, Jessie and Bess went to the store to buy some drinks 'cause we ran out. Annie just got back from her meeting right before you did and is changing in our room." She stared at the coffee stain on the older girl's sweatshirt. "Kate, gross. How long have you been wearing that thing? Look, throw it in the hamper. I'll wash it tomorrow. It's my turn to do laundry."
"You know, it is pretty warm in here," Katherine observed, pulling the sweatshirt's sleeves up to her elbows. "They actually turned on the heater?"
"Nah, Jareth made it warm."
Katherine turned to him. "Really? Thanks. The landlords don't seem to realize that autumn means the weather is getting colder."
Jareth regally sat down on one of the chairs. "I don't understand why you all are living in this… ghastly place."
"It's convenient," a new voice joined in. Annalise entered, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. "Besides, we technically just lost our parents. Suddenly having a lot of money by being able to afford both tuition and a fancy apartment would raise suspicion." She sat down next to Katherine and raised an eyebrow at her outfit. "Aren't you hot in that?"
"Yep."
Katherine placed her fingers at the hem of the sweatshirt and was about to pull it up when she noticed Jareth's wide-eyed look of horror.
"What?" she asked, mid-pull.
He clucked his tongue. "I know we are friends, Katherine, but I believe our relationship has not reached that point yet. The least you can do is let me take you out to dinner."
She kicked his leg as Josephine and Annalise burst out laughing.
"Shut up, Jareth. I'm just taking off the outer layer." She finally pulled off the sweatshirt and straightened the t-shirt she was wearing under it. "See?"
"Oh." Jareth mocked looking disappointed before grinning at her teasingly. It made her blush. "Well, in that case, what a pity."
Before she could respond, they heard the front door open and shut.
"We're home!" they heard Jessica's voice from the living room.
A few moments later, she and Elizabeth emerged, bearing bags of bottled soda and juice.
"Let's eat, I'm starving," she said, plopping the bags on the counter. "Oh hey Kate, Annie."
"Take whatever you guys want," Elizabeth said as she opened the bags and took each bottle out. "We got a bit of each. Jareth, please don't be shy and get whatever you want. You're our guest."
Without wasting any more time, they got ready to eat. They placed a bit of everything on Jareth's place, who tried each delicacy with trepidation. They would have cooked him a decent meal, but since his visit was a surprise and they didn't have the time to go grocery shopping, he had to live with it.
As they ate, they talked.
"So what brings you here, Jareth?" Katherine asked, between bites of a spring roll. "You've never visited us Above before. But it's good to see you."
"Yeah," agreed Josephine. "We haven't seen you since the Yule Ball last year."
Every year, High King Oberon and High Queen Titania hosted a ball during the Midsummer and Yule season. They were the High Queen's favorite times of the year. As royals of one of the Underground kingdoms, they and their grandfather were required to attend. But at the last Midsummer Ball a few months ago, Jareth had a runner in the Labyrinth and was unable to attend. This was the first time he visited them Above. Katherine and her cousins really missed him. She wondered if he would be visiting more often now.
"Well, I came up here to see someone," he replied, poking at a piece of general tsao's chicken with his fork, not bothering to hide his disgust.
"More like watch longingly from afar," Josephine piped. Jareth glared at her and she held her hands up in surrender. "But, you know, details."
Katherine's eyebrows furrowed. "See someone? Who?"
"Sarah Williams, of course," Annalise answered before Jareth could. "Apparently it's her birthday today."
Jareth sighed in annoyance at the two younger girls, but continued his story nonetheless.
"As I was saying, I came here to visit Sarah, see how she is and everything." He smiled, a faraway look on his face. "She's an author now, did you know? Doing splendidly for herself. I don't think she's married yet. As to why, I will never understand. I mean, she is so beautiful after all."
As he talked and the other girls "awwwww-ed," Katherine felt a twinge on her chest. She began kneading at it with the palm of her hand. There was a weird ache there. She wondered what it was.
"Are you alright, Katherine?" Jareth suddenly asked, noticing her action
She blinked. "Yeah, I'm fine." Then she flashed him a teasing smirk. "So you came her to see her and not us? What are we? Chopped liver?"
His nose wrinkled again. It was adorable.
"Why on earth would you compare yourselves to liver?" he asked, looking confused.
"You wound us so, Jareth," Jessica said, dramatically, adding a pout for effect.
"How dare you," Elizabeth added, shaking her head and pretending to cry.
"We thought you loved us," Annalise joined in with her own pout.
"And I do," he responded, tapping the younger girl's nose with a gloved finger, affectionately. She giggled. "Which is why I am here today. I recalled that you all lived here now so all I had to do was track your essence and followed it here to your…. Humble… abode?"
Jessica snorted. "Yeah, yeah, we know it's a dump. Sorry we're not all living in fancy castles at the moment, your majesty."
"But you do have a fancy castle. If you all just returned home-."
"Jareth, we talked about this," Katherine interrupted, gently. "We want to finish our schooling first. Have a normal life before we decide if we really want to go back and rule."
"But you do want to go back," Jareth reminded her. "You all told me that the last time we saw each other. What is keeping you?"
The five girls flashed each other silent looks. Indeed, they wanted to go back and live in the Underground again. They missed their grandfather. They missed their handmaids, with whom they had become very good friends with. They missed their subjects. They missed the scent of magic in the air. But they had a reason for staying here.
"We just want to make sure that when we go back, we can prove ourselves to the High Fae Council," Katherine finally told him. "You don't have to tell us, but we know that the other royals look down on us, even you sometimes Jareth. Don't deny it, you know it's true," she added as he opened his mouth to protest. "You treat us like we're children. But unlike the rest of them, you believe in us and our abilities. And we want to prove to them that we can do it. We can rule despite our age and we will be good at it."
The others nodded in agreement.
"I'm an economics major," Annalisa said. "That would help me when I'm dealing with the royal treasury. Not to mention, I can take care of all the trading and mercantile matters."
"And I'm majoring in education," said Elizabeth. "We want to establish a formal school system in the kingdom. Kate said I can be in charge of that. And I've always wanted to teach too."
"I'm doing architecture," said Josephine. "I'm already drawing up plans for new structures. And possibly adding an irrigation system for the fields. It would make the lives of the farmers much easier. I'm still working on the details."
"And I'm a criminal justice major," said Jessica. "I already told Kate I want to take care of the judiciary matters back at the kingdom. I mean, I've always wanted to be a lawyer. This is the closest I can get to it. I've already looked at many of the laws regarding crime and punishment for the Nymph Kingdom. Gramps told me that some of those laws aren't working and could use some amending."
"And I'm a political science major," Katherine finished off. "If I'm going to be queen, I have to learn about setting up treaties and alliances and running a country. Well, in this case, running a kingdom. I'm also taking a few law classes on the side. But, bottom line is, we all want to do something that the Underground has never seen before. And that is make changes. It's the only way for them to realize that we are serious about ruling."
Jareth had an eyebrow raised the whole time they were explaining their case. Katherine wasn't sure if he was pleased or disbelieving. After all, Jareth was raised an Underground royal and had been ruling for much longer than they have. He knew all the laws and politics of the place and the five of them suddenly making changes to how their kingdom had been ruled for centuries would either impress or disappoint him. They hoped it was the former.
"You thought about this very thoroughly, didn't you?" he finally said after a few moments of silent staring. "Although I am a bit impressed, I must warn you. Not many of the higher class will take too kindly to these changes, especially the nobles of your kingdom. They have always had power in the kingdom and are strict about keeping tradition. The slightest change might not be appreciated. Even the peasants might be overwhelmed. Have you even talked to Atticus about these plans?"
"Well, gramps said that as long as we don't push it on them all at once, it won't be so bad," Katherine replied.
"Slowly and gradually," added Elizabeth. "Besides, we're thinking about starting off with small things like the school system and the irrigation system. Josie is already sketching out plans."
"I see." Jareth leaned back in his chair. "Well, it looks like you all have a reign on this. There's no stopping you. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help."
"Thank you, Jareth," Katherine said, smiling gratefully. "You're always there for us. We wouldn't know what to do without you."
"Well, that is why you need my charms when you make these cases to the council," he said, laughing and patting her hand. "If only these same charms worked on Sarah," he added as an afterthought.
There it was again. The weird ache in her chest. Katherine stood up from the table and excused herself, clutching her chest.
"Do we have heartburn medicine?" she asked, heading for the bathroom.
On her way there, she could hear Jareth ask, "What is heartburn?"
She had ignored the ache then. Even passed it off as heartburn every time. But then she kept feeling it in the most random and inopportune moments. She felt it when he danced and flirted with various fae women at his parents' balls. She felt it whenever he complained to her about Titania setting him up with another fae woman to be the next potential Goblin Queen. In the few and rare times Sarah's name passed Jareth's lips, she could feel the ache, as if her heart was being stabbed and torn at the same time. But she ignored it. And she certainly ignored it earlier when he was telling her about how he truly felt about Sarah, what her rejection had done to him, and how despite all that, he still loved her. He probably always would.
Sighing, Katherine straightened up again and, after flashing him once last longing look, she quickly left his bedroom, her chest feeling that familiar ache once more.