New Author's note; I am a lying piece of sh**, and I apologize. Please forgive my tardiness and enjoy below chapter.
(old Author's notes; I GOT A REALLY REALLY NICE REVIEW! From FelineNinjaGrace. They think I'm FUNNY!
This Scribe; Easily pleased, that one, but our appreciation for the kind review anyway. This Scribe had much less work to due to get the Author on track when she saw it, for which you have my sincere gratitude.
Author; *grumbless*Grumpy old troll )
Credit to whom credit is due,
I own nothing but my shame over the disappointed readers.
-Wild-is-good
Chapter 6
Jareth was in the garden, speaking to a group of disgruntled gardeners when Thairin found him.
"Pardon the interruption, your majesty." The courtier said, sweeping his king a quick but respectful bow. "I bring news from Lady Sarah."
Jareth nodded at him to continue, carefully concealing his anticipation. The gardeners shifted uneasily, concerned that any unfavorable news might mean weeks of rebuilding the gardens. Again.
"The Lady Sarah sends along her warm regards and sends this in response to your message." Thairin presented his king with the wild daisy. Jareth stretched out his gloved hand to accept the bloom, smirking at its meaning.
'Do not think too long, Precious. My patients cannot last forever.'
When Thairin did not excuse himself after delivering his message, Jareth lifted a brow. Thairin just looked at his monarch for a moment, as if not sure what to do. One of the dwarfs roughly cleared their throat, clearly telling the Othanos to either get on with it or get lost.
Finally, he spoke. "It would appear that the Champion has some magic of her own, my lord. She created that flower on the spot to send me off with." Jareth let surprise splash across his face before he smiled.
"Does she now?" The king looked far too pleased for the safety of anybody in the near vicinity. There was a reason he was king, and no one wanted to be on the reserving end of that smile.
Jareth dismissed the dwarfs with some final instructions then excused himself from their company. Thairin had a court to go gossip too, and Jareth had a letter to write.
...
Truly, sometimes it felt like the universe was against him. By the time Jareth made it back to his study, it was approaching nightfall.
First, he had been a pestered by members of the court, asking whether it was true the Lady of the Labyrinth was going to be visiting soon. Then, he had to deal with a dispute between a group of üghalnas and an Othånas that was about to go critical. By the end, he had tossed the lot of them into an oubliette on Higworts Thursday clearing rotation and the ringleaders into the Bog with specific instructions to Sir Didymus to not let them cross. The Bog was one of the many places in the Labyrinth that canceled out transportery magic, and Didymus, for all his quirks, was not one to be trifled with when under orders. Those two would not be leaving to bother him again anytime soon.
But before he could make his way to his haven, a blasted envoy from one of the Winter Courts came demanding to know why he was 'playing' with the time flow. He couldn't and wouldn't tell them that it was to keep time Underground in sync with Above, so as to make communication easier between himself and Sarah, so he diplomatically told them it was because he bloody well felt like it and if they didn't like it he would be more than happy to freeze time altogether for the whole of the Winter Fae.
That got them to leave nice and huffy, which helped to alleviate his bad mood somewhat, until he received a very perturbed message back from the Pixie Chieftess. Apparently, she did not appreciate her people being sprayed like common pests. His response was to tell her that he did not appreciate her people hanging around his labyrinth biting his workers and visitors, and that they were free to leave and not get sprayed anymore. He could already hear her bell like screeching.
Then he'd gotten a runner.
Jareth sank back into his chair with a heaving sigh and closed his eyes. He was seven hours in and this fool wasn't getting anywhere. Perhaps he was ruined from Sarah unparalleled run, but ever challenger he'd had since left him with a bad taste in his mouth. It wasn't that he wanted them to win, but it certainly wouldn't hurt them to actually present a challenge.
The centaur currently trying to make its way through his little 'piece of cake' (yes, he was still a little sore about that) was presenting a poor representation for its people. Jareth called up a crystal, and seeing how the idiot was still stuck in the stone portion of the maze, sent a stampede of Nok'ivavork (carnivorous horse like creatures), after him. The look of terror on the challenger's face made the Goblin King smile cruelly before the crystal winked out of existence. He could feel no pity for a creature who had knowingly wished away its own for a chance at being crowned 'Champion'.
Since his defeat at the hands of a mortal, many had tried to test and best him, thinking him now somehow weakened. He had had a flood of wished away challengers, and the Fae had been more subtly poking around for any weakness in hopes of finally crushing the Goblin Kingdom.
They were quickly corrected. The Underground had once again been reminded the Labyrinth and it King's were not to be trifled with. Still, there was an influx of idiots trying to claim the title of Champion of the Labyrinth. He felt it was almost his job to protect the title from these ingrates for Sarah, and he did so religiously.
Jareth closed his eyes again, trying to summon up the proper mood to deal with his said wayward lady-love. She was not one to be approached without care.
His eyes snapped back open to fix a terrifying glare on an üghalnas as it made its presence known on his desk with a small 'plop'. The poor goblin cowered in fear, hiding behind a letter, with his name scrawled across the front in Sarah's handwriting, if it were a shield.
Jareth felt instantly felt the tension drain out of his body, even as a new much more pleasant one arose to coil around his insides and settle in the vicinity of his heart. He accepted the offering from the creature with a nod, letting it escape unharmed and sending a sweet along with it as an extra reward.
'I can be generous.' He thought ruefully. He glanced down at the note in his hand.
'More often than not when you are involved, love.'
He took a moment to simply take the note in, savoring the fact that it was from her and that it was for him.
He might have been otherwise concerned with how taken he was with her, but time for that had long past, and he couldn't quite find the will to care. It was rare, even among immortals, to find one's soulmate. He had almost lost her once, his over eagerness in having found her causing him to act rashly. He winced to think now of how he'd failed to take into account her youth and view of the whole situation. He would not be making the same mistake again.
Satisfied with this thought, he opened the note.
To His Majesty the Goblin King,
How are you, your Highness? My gratitude for the bouquet you sent me today. It was quite lovely, and I genuinely appreciate the fact that none of these flowers giggled.
(He smirked. 'So very hard to please, love.')
I write bearing great news:
I Got The PART!
(A real smile touched the corners his lips. Her exuberance was contagious.)
And not only that, but all my fellow cast members are skilled, competent actors and actresses whose company I can actually stand! That may not sound like much, but when you're forced to spend long, tedious hours with these people, it's a God send!
('Oh, Precious,' he thought, 'I understand all too well.' There were few things Jerath hated as much as Court Day's.)
As to you 'invitation':
Hmmm, tempting, but I will still have to think about it. I really don't fancy the idea being stuck Underground. I don't think my professors will take 'I was trapped in the fairy realm at the mercy of the Goblins' as a valid excuse, and frankly I pay to much for these classes to get dropped for poor attendance.
So because I am unable to visit for the time being, tell me, how go thing Below? You have the benefit of the üghalnas to keep you informed of happenings Above, but I have no such luck. My friends are no good, as Hoggle likes keeps his distances from the courts (for good reason), Didymus spent most of his time in the Bog, Ludo keeps to his rock, and anytime I try to ask the üghalnas they start cooing/snickering and asking me if I 'looooves' the 'Kingy'. (I swear they're like a bunch of middle schoolers)
(Jareth snorted. That was an excellent (and too kind) way of describing them.)
So, I suppose I will just have to go straight to the source. Anything particularly interesting/annoying/amusing happened of late? And how are you? If you don't mind a little friendly nosiness, what do your days look like? What is a day in the life of a Goblin King like?
Feel free to rant about whatever you want, I won't judge. No basis for comparison and all that. (Here she drew a little smiley face with its tongue sticking out)
Sincerely,
Sarah Williams
Jareth couldn't help the small smile on his face. She really was a precious thing. Bold, humorous and kind. So curious and so caring.
He was reminded all over again of that little girl who would chase off other children tormenting the swans and geese, with their own sticks.
Looking back, perhaps he shouldn't have been so surprised at the friends she'd made during her run. He felt his heart give a nearly painful thump. Her people's loss, really, for not appreciating the beautiful conundrum that was Sarah Williams. He would be more than happy to take her and do it for them.
Pulling out parchment and quill, he quickly set to writing his response.
~~~~~~J/S~~~~~~
Sarah sighed in frustration. Why was math soooooo HARD?! She flopped back into Ludos side and tried to bury herself in his fur. Anything to hide from these STUPID PROBLEMS she couldn't seem to solve. She didn't even know what she was doing wrong!
Throw her into a Labyrinth full of pitfalls, traps and deadly monsters with an unending supply of riddles and puzzles to be solved? No problem, she sees your thirteen-hour time limit and raises you ten.
Put a complex log/(fg) problem in front of her? Sit back and watch her pull her own hair out!
'Terrifying to think that all the Goblin King had to do to win was ask me to solve a math sheet. He could have given me all the resources too, and I still would have lost!'
(Sarah still refused to even think his name, so as to avoid a slip-up and say it out loud, thus inviting him to come to her. She wasn't sure if she was ready to lose that safety net, particularly after today's meeting with Thairin had reminded her that she hadn't over imagined the overwhelming aura she'd felt around Him.)
It was frustrating to think that there was something she just couldn't wrap her mind around. She turned her head to look over at Ludo, who was curled up cat like around her in her truly humongous bean bag.
In all honesty, she had bought it for him, despite it costing a small fortune. Just like how she had bought the large, comfy arm chair that sat in the corner between her bed and the wall of bookshelves/ her desk that sat perpendicular to it for Hoggle. Didymus just like to sort of perch on things, so she hadn't gotten him anything special at his insistence.
Ludo looked back at her with sympathetic eyes. She half buried her face in his side and pouted at him.
"It's not fair…" She whispered dramatically, hiding a tiny smile. Ludo gave a small chuckle at her before curling his tail over her stomach comfortingly. That had become sort of a running joke among the four of them.
Sarah ignored the inaudible pop that signaled the arrival of another goblin. There was a whole group of them playing card games in her 'dining room', or the section of the dorm that lay parallel to the short hallway and open kitchen where she kept her dinner table (and extra bookshelves). They were being fairly noise, but that had long ago ceased to bother her. She had picked up that skill people who often dealt with small children had to tune out the chaos but be alert for anything troubling.
There was a course clearing of throats. It sounded sort of like a meat grinder filled with granite in a lower decibel. Sarah suppressed a wince, though poor Ludo shuddered, and turned to look at the creature trying to get her attention.
The goblin, or 'üghalnas' she reminded herself, in front of her was one of the medium sized ones that came up to her thigh, with a star nosed mole rat's nose and orange beady eyes. It had sparse, wiry, olive colored hair, tusks that looked like they could kill you from diseases as much as puncture wounds and its legs were inverted the way a dog or cats are.
All in all, not something you want to find under your bed.
Sarah didn't even blink. Though she did note that it was probably higher up the chain due to its ugliness. She, Sarah decided. This one was a She. As a lasting effect from the days of the Gobin hunting, üghalnas who were uglier or scarier tended to get more regard from their fellows, the way humans did with the ones they deemed attractive or smart.
The goblin presented her with a letter.
"Ffffruums Hiss Majeeeestys." Ground out the üghalnas is a harsh, ear grating voice.
Deeeeeefinitely did not want to find this one under your bed at night. Sarah smiled at her and accepted the missive with a nod.
"Are you going to stay for game night?" She invited warmly. "I think they're playing a modified Egyptian Ratscrew and Spades."
The creature smiled at her, a truly horrifying sight to see, then shook her head.
"Hasss to gggetss back to castle." With that, she bowed and popped from existence, presumably back to the Underground.
Ludo shuddered again. It was Sarah's turn to give the big guy a sympathetic smile, patting his shoulder before she turned back to the letter in hand. Again, she was confronted with what seemed to be the symbol of the Labyrinth's King.
She knew it was silly, but she truly loved the who esthetic of these notes. The fine, thick parchment, the wax seal she could just imagine getting poured over the folded letter, then pressed down with a signet ring or ornate stamp. In her mind's eye, she could even see the feather of a quill pen looping and dancing its way the page, leaving behind the thoughts and words of an immortal fairy tale king in its wake.
Not just any king though. A Goblin King. It stirred the adventurer inside her, the creature that had loved the challenge and thrived in the Labyrinth, even as her conscious mind whirled with worry and guilt over her brother.
If she were honest with herself, which she tried to be, she missed magic. The little tastes of it she got through the goblins and her friends were enough to keep her from going mad in this plain world, but she really did miss being submerged and surrounded by it.
It made His Majesty's offer all that more tempting. Sarah wasn't stupid, however. She knew better than to trust freely in a world of fantasy. Even her friends could be sly and tricksome, for all their good intentions toward her. Until she was sure she could come and go without needing of outside help, she was just going to have to be stuck on this side of the veil.
Ludo shifted underneath her, playfully grumbling and swatting her head with his furry tail. She laughed at him, batting it away and giving into her curiosity as to what the Goblin King had to say.
To my dear Champion,
Congratulations, Precious! I'm most pleased to hear of your success! I bore no doubts about it. Any creature who could look an immortal King in the eyes and tell him his Labyrinth was a 'piece of cake' without flinching is more than talented enough to win any part she desires.
(Sarah colored slightly. That one was up on her list of moments 'Sarah's Mouth Needed To NOT'.)
As to the fellow members of your cast, I understand the sentiment perfectly, Love. I dread the hours I am forced to endure Court Day. I also regret the oath I made not to Bog anyone during said meeting.
(Sarah let out a laugh. She could just see Jare- THE Goblin King- on his throne, trying desperately not to strangle or bog all the idiots before him as they fought over some prized chicken (For some reason Sarah couldn't pinpoint, lesser goblins were obsessed with them) or who bit who.)
That leads to your questioning. You are certainly right, I'm afraid you haven't any other means available to you at the moment to hear of the goings on of myself or our world (and you are not far off in your deduction on the üghalnas.)
Forgive me if I continue to hold to my aforementioned offer for information on the Underground, but really, Precious, you must leave me some leveraging room. I would, however, be more than happy to give you a view into 'a day in the life of a Goblin King', as you put it. I will do my upmost to keep ranting to a minimum, though you have picked a wonderful day to offer reception.
It has been one of those days.
I'm sure you must be familiar with them. It started out with complaints from the gardeners about the soils being too frequently shifted and üghalnas terrorism on certain plantly life of questionable edibility, and has continued on from there.
Also, it might only be fair of me to warn you that Didymus will be busy for the next several days. There was a rather volatile (and idiotic) dispute between a Courtiare and a group of üghalnas. The courtier's pride had been wounded over some practical job pulled on him, and the üghalnas did not appreciate his attempts at retaliation. The ringleader are going to keep Didymus occupied for some time while the rest have time to reflect on their own idiocy till you dwarf releases them next thursday.
(Sarah laughed. She couldn't help it. She could practically feel his seething irritation wafting up from the letters, and she did get it.)
Then, there was the odd complaint from the Pixie Chieftess, who can't seem to realise that if she and her people are going to behave like pests then they are going to be treated as such, and an unwelcome intrusion in the form of a delegation from one of the Winter Courts of Fae, fairly sums up my day. To top it all off, I have a runner who has managed to thoroughly provoke my ire.
(Was it wrong that she found his vexation to be hilarious? She didn't know, so she should probably stop laughing.)
Suffice it to say my dear, that he will NOT be completing the Labyrinth.
Do not think I blame you for this Precious, but ever since your astounding run there has been a surplus of arrogant, overeager fools who think they can replicate the feat. Placement for all these wished away has been a nightmare for my poor adviser and his stewards. It never ceases to amaze and disgust me how many will wish away another for a chance at glory.
(Sarah could feel guilt and regret beginning to claw at her stomach again.)
Perhaps I should stop here and make a point to say that I do not apply any of these things to you, dear. You were an over burdened, distressed child, and in all candor, I groomed you into doing so. I will admit, I was the one who gave you that book you so loved to plant the idea in your head.
(Sarah blink. 'What?')
Since I am being candid right now, I must admit that I intended for both you and your brother to come reside Underground as my wards. I first found you when you were little, and was enchanted by your vivid imagination and utter love of my world. Never before have I met a mortal who had not just a spark, but an inferno of dreams such as yours inside them.
I watch as you grew unhappy in your own world, and was forced to watch as it slowly tried to crush that wild fire within you. I am the King of Dreams, Love, I could not abide watching ones such as your's die. So I thought to bring you to my own world and let you have all the adventures and magic your heart desired. And if your family could not understand and appreciate you for what you are, they did not deserve the chance to ruin two children at ones.
(Sarah felt her heart lurk. While her mind was reeling from the implications of it all, deep in her heart, where her wilder dreams lay protected, her longings stirred for those things he had thought to offer her. It was a very eldritch, twisted kind of logic, to trick her and steal her from her home, but her heart understood the meanings behind it. She felt, perhaps now she knew what had been in those crystals…)
But alsa, I made the unfortunate mistake of underestimating the very one I admired so much. Rest assure, Love, I will strive never to make it again.
('Well, that's not ominous at all…')
Which brings us back to our present conundrum. Precious, your lack of faith wounds me so! I, of course, would not want you to risk your academic career nor waste the money you have invested in it. What to do? You will not trust in one of us, widely considered a wise move, and I will not simply tell you all you wish to know, rogue that I am.
(Sarah smirked. At least he didn't have any self-delusions…)
I think, Precious, the answer to our problem is closer than it appears. I have been led to believe you have developed a certain amount of your own magic. Allow me to preface now that, no, I had nothing to do with that. That has no connected to those 'certain powers' I'm sure you are thinking of.
Since it is impossible for a species to develop magic in a world without it, which is why human in your world have none, my only hypothesis as to what could have happened is exposure to the Underground seeded magic inside of you,
(As none leave it or the Underground without traces of it. It is why your people have called those who have been exposed to it being 'Touched')
and because of your very nature it bloomed into a full manifestation.
I would not be surprised at all to learn that the Labyrinth itself gifted it to you. It is quite as fond of its Champion as I am.
(Sarah flushed again as her memory showed her the very end of her time within the Labyrinth. The crystal ball He had thrown up had seemed to float down directly to her, and her hand had seemed to reach up of its own accord, before it popped in her fingers. Perhaps he wasn't far off.)
Whatever way it happened, it is yours, clearly to use as you please. As such, allow me to present you with these gifts. Be sure to read through them carefully, but pay extra attention to pages 246-251 of one, and page 114, third paragraph down of the other.
I look forward to hearing from, and perhaps seeing, you soon.
~Jareth, King of the Labyrinth
Sarah let out a soft 'whompf' as two ornate, beautiful, leather bound tomes dropped into her lap.
She stared at them. Her brain felt officially overloaded. It was racing in a million different directions, trying to process everything she had read.
Somehow, now that the shock had worn off, she wasn't surprised to find he'd been watching her. Actually, the more she thought about it, the less any of it surprised her. It all sounded like something straight out of a fairytale, and that's what she was dealing with. She had long ago accepted that half of her life was considered a 'fairytale'. Goblin King's stealing away young girls because he thinks she's unhappy in her own world. Sounded like something straight out of the Brothers Grimm.
'The Grimms would have had a ball with this one…' she thought distantly. Slowly her brain calmed down into a strange sort of acceptance. In the end, she decided she was still glad she won. She knew that she would have always felt a nagging guilt over her parents and for her brother, even if her heart still silently longed for all the promised adventure.
Ludo shifted underneath her.
"Srwah?" the gentle giant lowed softly, sensing his friend's distress. Sarah shook her head and glanced up at him with a smile.
"I'm ok, Ludo." Ludo smiled softly back.
"King gave Sawah pwesent." He pointed out benignly. Sarah's smile brightened.
"I know." She turned back to the books in her lap. "Let's see what he gave me!" Ludo hummed in agreement as she picked up the first of the two. It had brown leather binding with red and copper detail. The ornate title flowed and shimmied in a similar way the Goblin King's first letter had to read;
Enchiridion of Magic
Sarah smiled. Sarah smiled big. In fact, Sarah's smile was more on par with being called a sh**-eating Grin with a very capital G then it was with a smile. Glancing back at the letter, she opened it up to page 246. Teleportation - Realm Crossing stared up at her from the top of the page.
Sarah's smile got impossibly wider. From the outside viewer perspective, it lit up her whole face, leaving no room for any other emotion on it.
Ludo rumbled happily, glad to see his favorite human happy again. Sarah snuggled deeper into his side in response and pick up the other book. It was emerald green with actual pressed flowers and little jewels inlaid into the cover. Sarah could only stare at the costly gift in amazement for a moment, only then truly taking in that her pen pal was a KING. A wealthy one at that, if his casual gifts were any indication.
"Perrrrwidy" Ludo cooed.
'Prrrrrrretty indeed.' Finally, Sarah read the cover.
A Complete Compendium
of Underground Flora
She let out a tiny laugh. Still smile wide, she flipped to page 114. Inside there were pictures of flowers that, when you stared at them, seemed to grow larger and take up the whole page, but as soon as you glanced away they were back to their original size.
'Gotta love magic' Sarah thought fondly. She scanned to the third paragraph down.
It showed the image of a triplet of flowers spraying from one stock with a multitude of ruffled pansy like petals that started startling blue at their base and turned abruptly into shocking purple. That was really the only way to describe the colors. It was beautiful in a strange, almost freakish way. She turned her eyes to the information on it.
Halolaccis:
Found in the Forests of the Greenmen and in select parts of the Goblin King Jareth's' Labyrinth.
Language of Flowers: Try not my patience long love, for I hunger for your mystifying presence
'He certainly knows how to flatter a girl.' She thought bemused. Then again, maybe being able to mystify an immortal being was a compliment.
She closed the book and looked over the two side by side. She didn't bother to try and fight the smile off anymore. Ludo rumbled again at her pleasure. She turned her smile up at him.
Math homework be damned, she had some real studying to do.
Author's notes; Thank you all for your patience with me and I am so sorry for making you wait. I won't make excuses, (though there are a few reasons,) but I will say that all the reviews and support have really encouraged me to find a way to finish writing. Shout out to EVERONE who took the time to write a review. You people give me so much life. Please continue if you can and everyone have a great day! Ludo snuggles for all.
-Wild-is-good
(PS; Since school has started, my sister has been a little to busy too reliably help me edit this story, so now I'm looking for a new beta. If there is anyone out there who would like to do it, or who could tell me how to possibly get one, that would be AMAZING. There are just some things I don't catch, so it would be helpful to have a second pair of eyes on this little brain child.)
