Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.

A/N: I was inspired to continue this once again under tragic circumstances. So, I am dedicating this chapter and entire story to the man who brought our Goblin King to life. David Bowie, you will forever be missed. RIP.

It was late evening now and Katherine was sitting at the vanity in one of the guest bedrooms in the palace. It was her room for the duration of her stay in the Goblin Kingdom. Her handmaid and friend who accompanied her everywhere, Sandra, gently brushed her hair while telling her mistress a story about her day, as per their routine each night. For once, Katherine only half-listened, her thoughts occupied with trying to find a way to cheer up Jareth.

"My lady?"

"Hmm?" Katherine looked up to see an inquiring look on her maid's reflection in the mirror.

Sandra was an air nymph, only a few decades old. Her skin was pale, almost alabaster white and her hair a dark midnight blue. Although older than Katherine in mortal years, she acted younger, still a teenager by fae standards. Her mother had been a guardian of a gateway in one of the mountains in the Elf Kingdom, but had long since passed from a sickness not cured on time. Sandra was her successor, but the nymph was still too young and did not have complete mastery of her powers over air. So in exchange for tutelage, she served as a maid in the palace, until Katherine came along.

"I'm sorry, Sandra. I didn't hear what you said. My mind is a little… cloudy at the moment."

"Cloudy, my lady?" Sandra asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she put the brush down and began to braid her mistress' hair. "Is something bothering you?"

This was what Katherine loved about Sandra. She always knew her mood and wasn't afraid to ask. They had both become very good friends since the day her grandfather assigned the young nymph as her handmaid. They had studied and practiced bending the air to their will together. She asked Sandra once if she was ready to take her mother's place as a guardian of a gateway and the young nymph simply shook her head and said that Katherine still needed her and she would stay until the young queen got sick of her. Which could take forever since Katherine wasn't sure she wanted to let her friend go. Aside from her cousins, Sandra had become one of her closest confidants. She even knew about the young queen's affections for the Goblin King.

"It's Jareth," Katherine explained. "He's still pining over Sarah. I wish there was something I can do. It pains me to see him so miserable. It's like the sun has stopped rising for him."

She sighed heavily. "I know that he will never see me in the way he sees her," she whispered, fingers tightly clutching the skirt of her nightdress. "But I wish there was a way for me to get her to talk to him. If only I know what her feelings are for him, maybe I can somehow get them together? I mean, if it's love, then anything is possible right?"

She looked up at Sandra's reflection. The nymph calmly tied the end of the braid with a black ribbon before turning her mistress around to face her.

"Katherine," she said and the Royal smiled. She always preferred it when Sandra used her name. "There is nothing much you can do. At this point, all you can offer him is your support as his friend." She strode over to the bed and pulled back the covers. "I mean, it's not like you can invite this Sarah to the Celebration Ball next month. Then she could see the King for who he really is. A just ruler and a kind fae, no matter the unorthodox way he shows it."

At her words, it was like a light bulb lit up above Katherine's head. She stood up hastily. Sandra was a genius!

"You're a genius!" she exclaimed, rushing over to the nymph to give her a hug. "That's what I should do! I should go Above, find Sarah, explain to her everything that Jareth couldn't say, and invite her to the Ball so they can talk! It will be a wonderful surprise for Jareth!"

Sandra's eyes widened as she shook her head, waving her arms in protest. "No! Absolutely not! Have you not thought about how many things can go wrong with that idea? We don't even know if Sarah remembers the King! Even if she does, we don't even know if she feels the same way for him. What if she rejects him again? Then what? He'll be angry at you for bringing her here without his consent."

"That's why I will talk to Sarah about Jareth before inviting her," Katherine replied, shrugging out of her dressing gown and getting into bed. "If she displays hints of possibly returning his feelings, I'll invite her. If she doesn't, then I'll leave it alone. All I have to do really is to make her see that Jareth is not the villain that she thought him to be. That he is kind and generous and amazing and honorable…"

A smile found its way to her lips as she thought about her friend. The friend that she was hopelessly in love with.

Sandra pulled up the covers over her and tucked her in. "I don't know, my Lady. This could go wrong. Please don't do anything rash. Think about the consequences of such an action."

"I think it will be fine," Katherine insisted. At the worried look Sandra was flashing her, she sighed. "Alright, if it worries you, I'll think about it. Okay?"

Sandra smiled before snuffing out the candle on Katherine's bedside and proceeded to do the same to others in the room with a wave of her hand. She left the fireplace going, knowing it would eventually die out while her mistress slept. The nymph gathered up the dressing gown and neatly draped it over the chair by the vanity. Bidding her mistress goodnight, she left the room to head for the servant's quarters.

But Katherine could barely sleep as a plan formulated in her head. A plan to entice Sarah Williams into speaking with Jareth. A plan that she hoped would make him happy, even if it broke her heart.

LABYRINTH

Three weeks later found Katherine seated at a small table in the gardens, her nose buried in a report about the nearly-completed irrigation system. There was a bit of a delay last week due to a little fistfight between some goblins, but that had been quickly resolved by the Goblin King. Other than that, it was coming along nicely and soon, it would be finished.

"My Lady, Queen Katherine?"

She looked up to see one of the fae castle guards approaching. He stopped a few feet from her and bowed as she stood up and tilted her head in acknowledgement.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, your majesty," the guard said. "But there is a young lady insisting that you are expecting her. She said she is one of your nymphs."

Katherine's eyes widened and her heart begun to beat faster. She knew who it was.

"I am indeed expecting a nymph, lead her here."

The guard bowed and left to fetch the visitor. Meanwhile, the young queen began to pace. It was a habit that she could not break out of when she was anxious. She used to bite her nails, but obviously as a queen, bitten nails were not attractive. At the moment, she had to force herself not to bring her hands up to her lips.

Finally, the guard returned, a nymph behind him. She was one of the air nymphs who guarded a gateway Aboveground. Brown-skinned with pale white hair and icy blue eyes, she wore a pale blue dress that reached only her knees, a style favored by many nymphs, especially those who guarded the gateways, both in the Above and Under. It allowed them to move more freely without tripping on the skirts. A white silk belt was wrapped around her waist, holding in place a small white pouch and a silver dagger. And just like many of these guardian nymphs, she was barefoot.

She curtseyed, respectfully before Katherine. "Your majesty."

Katherine curtseyed back, letting the nymph know that she saw her as an equal, before turning to the guard.

"Leave us please," she said. "Thank you."

The guard bowed and walked away. Katherine turned back to the nymph.

"Philomena," she greeted. "What news do you bring?"

"My queen," the nymph greeted back. "I have done what you asked. Forgive me for the delay, your request was not easy."

"I know and I'm terribly sorry for that," Katherine replied, smiling at the nymph. "Come. Sit and have some tea."

The nymph shook her head and bowed. "Forgive me, my Queen, but I cannot. I must return to my duty. I only came to give you what you requested."

She reached into the pouch around her waist and took out a folded piece of parchment. She handed to Katherine, who hesitated before reaching over and taking it.

"My brethren guarding the gateways above were reluctant," Philomena continued. "But when I told them it was her Majesty's request, they went right to work. They sought help from the winds, the waters, the earth, the animals, every aspect under their jurisdiction Above. And thus, they managed to find her."

Katherine opened the piece of parchment and scanned it, her lips upturned into a satisfied smile before looking up at the nymph.

"Thank you, Philomena. And thank your brethren as well. If there is anything they need from me, they are free to ask."

"Thank you, your Majesty, but we do these because you are our queen and are loyal to you."

"You know, I've always given you the option to deny my demands," Katherine replied, chuckling lightly. "Truly, thank you."

"It was an honor, my queen," Philomena said, bowing her head. "I must now take my leave."

"Of course," Katherine curtseyed. "And continue doing a wonderful job, Above. I'm proud of you all."

The nymph bowed again before she disappeared in a gush of wind. Katherine took a deep breath. She had never been so grateful to the wonderful beings who inhabit her kingdom.

Before them, their mothers acted as keeper of the keys to the gateways Above, and the nymphs worked for them. Now, they worked for her and her cousins. Air, wind, and cloud nymph guardians like Philomena were under Katherine's command. Fire, volcano, and hearth nymph guardians were under Jessica's. Ocean, river, and lake nymph guardians were under Elizabeth's. Wood, flower, and animal nymph guardians were under Josephine's. And lighting, rain, and snow nymph guardians were under Annalise's.

Their nymphs were loyal and would do anything for the five keeper of the keys, even a little selfish request such as Katherine's. For in that little scrap of parchment was written the Aboveground address of Sarah Williams.

"Who was that?" a familiar masculine voice behind her inquired.

Quick as lightning, Katherine turned around while keeping the hand holding the parchment behind her back as she slipped it into the folds of her dress

"That was one of my nymphs," she said, honestly. "She came to give me a message."

Jareth raised an eyebrow at her. "Messages from your kingdom usually arrive by one of Josephine's dove minions."

"Well, this one is different," she responded.

He gave her a strange look, but shrugged and sat down at the table. Katherine was glad that he wasn't in a prying mood as she took her former seat in front of the pile of reports.

"So, how is everything coming along?" Jareth asked as he poured himself a cup of tea. "I just came back from visiting the school. The children love it."

The Nymph Queen smiled, proudly. The new school system was based on the one that Elizabeth had implemented back in the Nymph kingdom years ago. The school building was one of Katherine's own designs and put into blueprints by Josephine.

"I'm glad you like it," she said, pouring herself some tea as well. "And in a week, the irrigation system will be done too. I also checked on the new shield you put up around the kingdom, it's intact. Your portal in the clouds is still up and running, so no need to worry about your next summon. Josephine also said you can keep the portal she opened for you in the forest. It's a gift, but she is still stationing a wood nymph to guard it just in case."

"And are you planning on stationing a cloud nymph as well to guard my portal above?" he asked.

Katherine shrugged. "Do you want me to? You've managed to keep it safe without one until months ago. Technically, that one is not under our jurisdiction since it was made specifically for your use."

Jareth took a sip of tea. "It would be nice to have a guard," he said. "But I don't want to impose on the Nymph Queen."

"You know you can never impose on me, Jareth," she replied, smiling affectionately. "If you request it, it shall be done."

"Do not worry about it, Katherine. I'm just teasing. You fixing my portal is enough for me and I am grateful."

Jareth flashed her one of his rare true smiles and she blushed. "Anything for a friend."

As Katherine drained her cup, Jareth examined some of the documents.

"How goes the investigation on what happened to my portal, by the way?" he asked, eyes scanning her report on the week's harvest.

He hadn't had the time to go out into the fields in the last few weeks due to the amount of paperwork he had to finish for his monthly report to the High King and Queen. Katherine had volunteered to do it for him, since she had done it herself back in the Nymph Kingdom. He knew how restless she got when there was nothing else for her to do, so he agreed.

Katherine froze, not expecting the question from him. She knew it was inevitable. He had not asked in the last few months due to his busyness. She had kept the results from him until they could confirm the findings. He was not going to like it. And judging from the raised brow he was throwing her away, she knew that he must have noticed her reluctance

"Do you want to read grandfather's letter or shall I simply tell you?" she asked.

"Both," he replied, his mismatched eyes blank.

"His letter is up in my room."

"Then just tell me."

Katherine took a deep breath, her heart thumping nervously against her breast. She knew he was really not going to like it.

"As you know, we took some essence of the magic used to lock the gateway," she began. "Grandfather said he couldn't trace any nymph magic on it, so we know we haven't been betrayed by one of our own. So he tested it out with the spell he used to keep out the Moorlanders during the war."

She saw Jareth stiffen, his eyes now narrow slits as they stared at her. "And?" he urged.

She breathed deeply. "And it reacted. He wasn't sure at first, he thought it might just be some kind of dark magic. You know some Seelie fae. They may consider themselves good and pure of heart, but would dabble in dark magic if they're curious enough. But… further tests proved the first theory right… Your gateway was tampered with by Unseelie magic."

Jareth jumped out of his chair as he let out an angry roar. The sound scared some nearby chickens into screeching and running away. A few of the goblins lounging around scampered away in fear. The guards by the door visibly trembled, but remained at their post.

Katherine could only stare up at him, biting her lip. She, herself, was frightened, but not of him, but for him. When Jareth flew into a rage, he often lost all incoherent thought. Right now, he was gripping the edges of the table so tightly that his knuckles were white. She wouldn't be surprised if his fingers made dents on the table.

"THAT WOMAN!" he growled, shaking with fury. "THAT INSOLENT, LITTLE-."

"Jareth!" The Nymph Queen stood up now. "We don't even know if it's Mab-."

"Oh, I know it's Mab!" He said the name with poison. He truly despised his mother. "That woman has been doing everything in her power to mess with my ruling and my duties! She has tried my patience! One more like this and I'll-."

"Jareth! Calm down! Please!"

But the Goblin King conjured a crystal and threw it at a nearby hedge. It burst into flame. The goblins, who hung around, finally fled, shrieking in their little voices. Katherine quickly raised her hand and put the fire out with a large gust of wind. She glared at Jareth, who was panting, heavily, his shoulders heaving.

"Jareth, control yourself. You know that your retaliation is what your mother wants-."

"Do not call her my mother!"

Katherine breathed in deeply. "Mab wants you to retaliate. It will give her an excuse to declare war on the Goblin Kingdom and take over. What you should do now is to let your father know what happened."

"There is no need to involve Father. This is my kingdom and I will protect it on my own."

"And your father is still High King. He would want to know what's been happening to the kingdoms under his jurisdiction. And besides, you're still his son. He wouldn't want you to do anything that would pose a danger to you or your subjects."

She walked up to him to place a hand on his shoulder. "Please, calm down," she said to him, pleading with her eyes.

He looked down at her and breathed deeply. She could feel him relax his muscles under her hand, but there was still some tension. So she reached up and fiddled with a strand of his hair, playfully. It made him laugh when she did that.

Just as she expected, the Goblin King cracked a smile. "You're right," he said, resigned.

"Of course I am!" she teased, releasing his hair.

"I should go write to Father."

"Yes, you should. While you're doing that, I'll make a quick trip to the borders to your shields and put up the same anti-Unseelie magic seal that Grandfather created back home. Do you mind?"

"Not at all, thank you, Katherine," Jareth said, smiling again and stepping over to her to plant a light kiss on her forehead. "You have been a wonderful friend."

He walked back towards the castle, pausing to give orders to a goblin to gather some goblin soldiers to accompany her to the borders. He disappeared through the door way.

"Anything for you, Goblin King," Katherine whispered to herself.

LABYRINTH

"Grandfather?"

Atticus raised his head to look at his 16-year old granddaughter, Katherine, who had paused from her sketching. She was sitting on a sofa between his other granddaughters, Elizabeth and Jessica, both occupied with a book. His two youngest granddaughters, Josephine and Annalise, were at a table by the window, playing a game of chess.

"Yes, child?" he asked.

Katherine bit her lip before lowering her charcoal. "The Goblin King. What's his story?"

Atticus raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?"

He understood their curiosity. They met Jareth just a week ago and he had quickly captured their interest. What young women would not? Despite being half-Unseelie, he was still considered one of the most beautiful fae in the Underground… and an eligible bachelor.

"Well, if he's our ally, I'd like to know a bit more about him," Katherine responded.

"I'm interested too," Jessica added, marking her book before closing it. "He's a bit mysterious."

"Wouldn't you rather ask him yourself?" he asked.

"We did," Annalise piped from where she sat. "He didn't say much except that he's half Unseelie and that his dad is Oberon and his mom is Mab. How did that happen? Isn't Oberon really faithful to Titania, or is that some kind of propaganda?"

"Oberon has been faithful to Titania since the day they proclaimed their love."

"But then, how did Mab end up having Jareth?" Katherine asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. "He wouldn't say much on it and we don't really want to pry."

"It's a very long story," Atticus replied, not really sure if he wanted to speak about the Goblin King's past.

"There's more to Jareth than what he's letting on," Katherine said, a determined look crossing her face. "We'd really like to understand."

His grandchildren were a stubborn lot. If they wanted something, they did everything in their power to get it. Sometimes he admired it. And sometimes, he cursed it.

Atticus took a deep breath as he placed his book aside. "It's not the happiest of stories. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

He received his answer when the three in front of him placed their books aside and the two youngest abandoned their chess game and came to sit by their older cousins' feet. They looked up at him expectantly.

He sighed again and settled in, making himself comfortable on the armchair.

"Centuries ago," he began. "After the first rulers of the Underground passed on to the next life, the two royal fae sisters, Titania and Mab, were left to rule it together. But they were as different as day and night. Titania was kind and compassionate, but was a firm and just ruler. Meanwhile, Mab was cruel and selfish, and she treated her subjects like slaves. Titania tolerated her sister for decades, but could bear it no longer. Likewise, Mab despised her sister's ability to sympathize with their subjects. So, she demanded that they split the kingdom in two. Those loyal to Mab would follow her to the Winter Lands and those loyal to Titania would remain where they were in the Summer Lands. It pained Titania greatly, but she agreed. Much of the kingdom remained behind such as the elves, mer-folk, and nymphs, but the trolls, ogres, parts of the Brownie and Dwarf kingdom as well as some fae loyal to her followed Mab to the Winter Lands. They formed the Unseelie Court. As you already know, it was not a fair split. Many of the fae were loyal to Titania and stayed behind. This made her sister bitter. Titania's kindness kept the essence of Seelie fae pure, whereas Mab's anger and hatred corrupted the Unseelie's. It is how the difference in our essence came to be so. It is also how their eyes became mismatched.

"For decades, it was peaceful. Seelie and Unseelie tolerated each other. Titania allowed the Unseelie access to their own gateways that didn't need nymph guardians. Mab placed the trolls in charge of them. But then came the matter of heirs. They both needed heirs to keep the royal bloodline pure. In their youth, both had fallen in love with the Elf Prince, Oberon. He was considered the most beautiful of the lot, gifted as well. Both wanted him as their husband and ally. And Oberon chose Titania. You can see where this is going."

"Mab was furious then?" Elizabeth asked. "I can imagine the pain, having the one you love choose someone else over you."

"Indeed, she was," Atticus replied, morosely. He had never met Mab, personally. But he had heard enough stories from the other fae. "So furious that it prompted decades of war between the two. Under Oberon and Titania, the Seelie were victorious. After Titania gave birth to their firstborn son, Theoden, Mab's anger and jealousy was incomparable. For although she was respected and feared among the Unseelie, no fae had dared to ask for her hand in marriage, thus, leaving her without an heir. When Titania bore Oberon a second child, a daughter, Lyra, Mab began to plot.

"No one knew how, but she managed to lure Oberon out and slip him a love potion. They had one night together. Oberon remembered nothing of it. He still does not. But one night was all it took for Mab to conceive, for she had taken a fertility potion."

"Fertility potion?" Josephine interrupted, her eyebrows furrowed. Among his granddaughters, she was the one most interested in potions and magical concoctions. She occasionally visited the apothecary to learn. "I read up on that and they're extremely difficult to brew. I mean, the ingredients alone are rare to come by in the Underground."

"What are the ingredients?" Annalise asked, intrigued.

Josephine began to list them off with her fingers. "The nectar of a moon flower that blooms only every hundred years. The eggs of a silver koi, which live in the deepest parts of the Underground ocean, and are protected by the mer-folk, since they're considered sacred. Mistletoe, which don't grow down here and only in the Aboveground. The hazelnuts are probably the easiest ingredients to get, but they're poisonous to fae. Remember when we tried Nutella cookies for the first time at that bake sale back in the 7th grade and we all ended up in the hospital?"

The five girls shuddered at the memory of being rendered unable to breathe and covered in red spots.

"But those are just a few of the ingredients," Josephine continued. "There's loads more and I don't remember them all. There's also very specific instructions on how to brew them. One wrong move and the whole potion is ruined. That's why most fae don't bother with it. It takes a lot of skill, not to mention, a lot of effort to just get the stuff. Plus, do you really want to accidentally poison yourself?"

"Indeed you are correct," Atticus said, beaming proudly at his granddaughter. "You've been studying well. Keep it up and I may as well put you in charge of the palace apothecary and the healing glade."

Josephine blushed at the praise.

"The potion, just like what Josephine said, is extremely difficult to brew. But potions were Mab's talent, as much as magic is Titania's. Our High Queen had never been skilled in potions, and that is her only flaw. Mab was able to concoct an extremely potent fertility potion. Thus, Jareth was born.

"Oberon did not know of his existence for years. Jareth grew up in the Winter Lands and Mab taught him everything she knew about potions and poisons. He was gifted in them, like she was, and Mab was pleased. She planned to use the child to gain Oberon's favor so he may one day seize the throne meant for Titania's firstborn. She had also hoped that this would strain the marriage of her sister and Oberon. She drilled it into his head that the Seelie throne belonged to him and throughout his childhood, he believed it and vowed to take it when he was of age. For years, he resented his father.

"When Titania bore Oberon two more children, Elric and Morgana, Mab decided that it was time to put her plan in motion. She introduced Jareth to the Seelie Court as Oberon's son. No one wanted to believe it. I remember my own father being furious at the nerve of the Unseelie Queen to claim that boy as the son of the High Seelie King. Eventually, magic proved that Oberon's blood ran in the boy's veins. The knowledge of the King's betrayal did indeed put a strain on the marriage of the High Rulers, but the Queen was willing to forgive. Mab insisted that Oberon take responsibility for the child and left Jareth in his care. That was her first mistake. Her abandonment caused the child to resent her. And Mab did not count on her sister's compassionate nature. That was her second mistake. Titania allowed the boy to stay in the Summer Lands.

"His life here was difficult, at first. Many fae hated him because of his Unseelie blood. Thus, he hated them in return. He even hated his half-siblings and his stepmother. He, especially, hated his father, blaming him for the reason why his mother abandoned him. But Oberon tried, the gods know he tried, so hard to establish a relationship with his new son. It was difficult for him. The boy was hot-headed, quick to temper, and had a tongue filled with poison each time he spoke to them.

"Despite all that, Jareth had proven himself a brilliant young fae. He impressed all his tutors. I taught him all about politics myself for a few years before I took the throne to this kingdom, and trust me when I say that the boy had the makings of a good ruler. But, it was his grasp of his magical abilities that caught Titania's eye. He had Unseelie magic tutors before, but they had taught him darker versions of basic magic. He struggled with this new light magic, but he always managed it in the end. The Queen was impressed. She began teaching him magic, herself. Though at first it made him uncomfortable, being taught by his aunt and the woman his father chose over his mother, his knowledge in light magic only grew. It allowed him not only to spend time with Titania, but with his brothers and sisters as well. Oberon, through Titania's encouragement, also began to foster a relationship with him. And with that, Jareth grew closer to his father, step-mother, and half-siblings. Resentment turned to affection. Affection into love. He begun to admire his father and care for his new mother. He now respected his older brother, who was to be High King when the time came. He adored his sisters and formed an affectionate rivalry with his younger brother. All thoughts of taking the High Seelie throne for himself was lost."

"How did he become the Goblin King then?" Katherine asked. "He mentioned to us that he has been the only one so far."

"Ahhh, that story itself has a hand in strengthening the enmity between Jareth and his mother," Atticus replied.

"How?" Jessica asked.

"As an adolescent, Jareth decided that he wanted to travel all over the Underground. On his journey, he stumbled upon the Goblin Kingdom. Well, back then, it was more of a wasteland. The Labyrinth did not exist. There were no towns or cities. No fields or farmlands. And the goblins ran amuck. Jareth was intrigued by it. The creatures fascinated him, so he stayed a few years there, fostering camaraderie with them. They had no ruler, no social hierarchy whatsoever, and begun to look up to Jareth for guidance and leadership. It was because of them that Jareth was introduced to the Aboveground, for they had a secret gateway to travel Above. A gateway that even the nymphs knew nothing about, for not many fae back then desired to venture into the wasteland that was the home of the goblins. Not to mention, goblins were messy and rowdy creatures. They knew nothing much about the world they lived in until Jareth came along. They were more interested in the Above, to be specific, the mortal children, for these children, acted like goblins themselves. Messy. Rowdy. And loud. Not like the quiet and pristine fae children, who behaved from infancy.

"On his journey Aboveground, Jareth came across a mortal mother, who was frustrated with her two young children. She wished someone would take them away from her. Seeing that brought back the feelings of resentment Jareth felt for his mother for her abandonment. In turn, he resented the mortal woman. Thus, when she turned away from her children, he took them. He returned to the Above many more times after that and each time, he returned to the goblin lands with a child or two, even dozens at some point. All unwanted and wished away by those meant to care for them.

"After many years, he returned to the Summer Lands with an appeal. He wanted to offer sanctuary to these abandoned children, possibly give them new homes with Underground families. But Oberon and Titania did not approve it. There was no place for the children, and how were they to know that the children truly were unwanted? Jareth knew nothing about how mortal minds and hearts worked. Sometimes, the two did not agree and the mind would do something the heart did not want and vice versa. So then, Jareth had an idea. He told his father of the land of goblins, how fascinated they were of mortal children. That was already where he brought the children he took, so he could offer them temporary sanctuary on that land. As for the mortal guardians, he would play a game with them, create a puzzle for them to solve. If they truly did not mean to wish a child away, they could fight for them. Thus, he built the Labyrinth. They approved it.

"The nymphs and I gifted him with a gateway in the skies for his use, for he loved flying. It was far more convenient for him than the little rabbit hole the goblins were using. It was chaotic the first few years. Your grandmother just had our fourth child, your mother Josephine, and four children and a whole kingdom kept us busy. Nonetheless, I aided Jareth as much as I could, as I had grown fond of him when he had been my student. Eventually, the goblin land got too crowded. There were too many children and the goblins could not care for them properly. Jareth got too weary traveling back and forth from the Summer Lands to the goblin land. And then, Mab discovered what he had been doing."

Atticus closed his eyes and leaned back on the chair. "She was furious because he was not trying to take the throne as she had drilled into his head when he was a child. Instead, he was running around a wasteland full of mortal children and dirty goblins. When she tried to take control of the land and attempted to take some of the mortal children to raise as slaves, Jareth had had enough of her. He took the matters to Oberon and Titania and asked for their counsel. There was nothing they could do in the situation. The goblin land was neutral territory. They did not take a side when the separation happened centuries earlier. They were neither Seelie nor Unseelie. The High Fae Council could only intervene if it was Seelie territory. That was when Jareth thought about turning the land into a kingdom, under the Seelie jurisdiction of course. All he needed now was the support of the Council. To everyone's surprise, they gave it.

"Despite their initial distrust of him due to his parentage, he had impressed them. They initially wanted to give the land to rule to Elric, but the youngest Prince refused it, insisting that he wanted to travel like his half-brother did. They could not give the land to the eldest, Theoden, because he was already acting as King Regent for the Elf Kingdom and was set to replace Oberon's father in only a few more decades. Meanwhile, Princess Lyra was determined to be a priestess for the goddess of the hunt and could not be dissuaded from her decision, and Princess Morgana was far too young to rule a kingdom. It was then that Titania decided to declare Jareth as her son and gave him the rights to the newly-established Goblin Kingdom.

"The goblins were already loyal to Jareth and accepted him wholeheartedly. He had taught them how to cultivate the fields and raise livestock for food instead of their former vulture-like habits. He discovered several mines of precious stones in the territory and taught them about the value of money, how they could use these stones to barter one thing for another, eventually establishing a trading system. He taught them how to fight in battle, how to forge armor and weapons, and how to strategize. He practically ruled the land. He had already done much of the work, so why not just give it to him altogether? It made his father proud. It made Mab angrier. Over the last millennia, she had tried everything in her power to get him back on her side, from bribery to sabotaging his rule. And Jareth still resents her for it."

The story was finished. The five girls were quiet. His story both intrigued and saddened them. The Goblin King acted high and mighty and came off as arrogant, but he had been through a lot. Sacrificed a lot. Just to be the accepted and respected king he was now.

They could not help but admire him all the more.