Happy Anniversary

by Kayleigh J

Sarah has been The Goblin King's prisoner for one whole year. Now things are beginning to change. New people are entering the game and Sarah needs to be careful. One wrong move and everything she loves could be taken. Evil Jareth.

10. Part Three - Chapter Five

Part Three

Chapter Five

The crunch of glass under the booted feet of the Goblin King was the only sound made in the once lavish guest room as the king again knelt to examine the fine purple powder lingering on the dark wooden floor. Removing his right glove, he caressed the powder with two fingers before standing straight and bringing his hand close to his rage-darkened eyes.

He had calmed down somewhat after taking out his frustration on every piece of furniture that wasn't bolted to the floor of Sarah's room, but he was still boiling with a deep terrible rage and a hunger to make something bleed.

He had left for his kingdom the very moment he had fully understood the information in the message that had been sent to him. The scroll in question was still tightly clenched in his left fist, as it had been for the excruciatingly long journey home.

Because of the protection around his kingdom to block intruders, he could not simply materialize into her room as he wanted. No, he had to sit in a carriage and wait to pass the border through the Marshlands and pass neutral territories before he finally reached the boundary of his own kingdom. He was at the side of his head of guard almost immediately, where it had been explained that the entire castle had been searched for her, and nothing. Not wanting to waste any more time, and also not truly believing the message on the scroll to be true, he hurried to her chamber. He knew he would not believe it to be true until he reached this room to discover that she was in fact missing. What was worse, he could not feel her anywhere in his kingdom, as he had always been able to before. She was gone.

He had managed to retain enough cognitive thought to order all the guards stationed on this floor to be removed from their posts and brought down to the dungeons to be prepared for him, before examining the only evidence left of her disappearance.

He had recognised it almost at once, how could he not have; Oberon would be one of the only Fae that possessed magic capable of rivalling his own. It would have had to be something that strong to overpower the dozens of protective spells he had placed around this room, this castle and her.

The furniture had felt the wrath of Jareth's discovery that his Sarah was now in the clutches of the Seelie High King. A being with as much influence and loyal followers as the Unseelie High King himself.

Leaving her in the grasp of that almighty bastard wasn't an option, but he could not simply form an army and march on the walls. This situation needed to be handled rationally. Unfortunately, rational, was the furthest thing from his mind at that moment.

He should have anticipated this.

He knew it was too soon to allow her full access to the castle, but he had just felt so damn guilty. Honestly, guilt wasn't an emotion Jareth experienced often, or at all, and it had left an unpleasant pit in his stomach after he had seen her freezing, shivering, naked form huddled into the tree as though it were her only lifeline.

He didn't quite understand it at first, he had punished her before, and though he hated to do so, he had felt no guilt; perhaps it was only because he knew in this instance her punishment had been undeserved.

He had felt the unpleasantness as soon as the duke's son had informed him of what had really transpired after breakfast that morning, after which any lingering anger and contemplation of leaving her out there another night vanished. He had appeared in the garden and the second he had seen her pale, vulnerable form his heart had softened. Punishing her when she had earned a punishment was not something he had ever lost any sleep over, but punishing her when she had done nothing to deserve it was completely unacceptable. If he hurt her whether she had misbehaved or not, it would only teach her that anything she did would earn her punishment. Such a thing could only lead to disobedience, and he would feel even more uncomfortable at having to punish her for defiance he had inadvertently encouraged in the first place.

So he had given her full access to his castle, and was now wholeheartedly regretting that decision.

His eyes once again clouded with rage as his thoughts strayed to that... boy. It hadn't escaped his notice that the duke's son was also gone, despite another two weeks left of the Marshland dignitaries visits. The boy's father was currently joining his incompetent guards beneath the castle.

He should have known this was going to happen. He had seen the way that infernal pup had stared at her. The way he hovered around her, trying to appear inconspicuous, hoping he wouldn't notice.

Ha! He knew everything that happened in his kingdom, but he hadn't anticipated the boy coming loaded with magic far beyond his station or power.

Oberon was behind this. Whether he ordered the boy to take Sarah was a mystery, but he knew Oberon had given the boy the magic necessary to overcome all of his protective spells woven around his kingdom and just take her as though she were never even truly there.

He ground his boot into the shattered glass vial with force, crushing the fine pieces to dust.

He was going to get her back.

He didn't care how long it took or what he had to do. Or who he had to kill. He was going to find her, bring her back and make sure not another soul ever rested eyes on her again.

"I'll have you again Sarah." He growled with menace. Mark my words.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Sarah had fled from the memorial room, rushed through the halls, locked herself in the first empty bedroom she could find, threw herself on the covers and cried.

She didn't understand.

She didn't understand how things could have gone so wrong. How things could keep going so wrong.

It seemed that no matter what she did, or how hard she tried, her life just kept getting worse and worse and worse. She hadn't felt anything akin to this despair since her parents divorce. But she knew that had been a petty and vain self-pity that had consumed her when she was younger. Back then, she had convinced herself that the whole world was against her, and would have done or given anything to escape the life she had had.

Well you got your wish didn't you? She berated herself bitterly. Was it everything you ever hoped it would be?

Her own scolding only made her cry harder.

Eventually, she fell into an uneasy and restless sleep, starting awake every few moments with the image of soulless eyes branded in her mind, and phantom sensations of fingers on her skin.

By the time birds were chirping outside the windows, she had given sleep up as a bad job and decided that she should just try to walk off some of her restless frustration. She was also terribly thirsty, and while the idea of actually finding what she wanted in a castle this big seemed impossible, it would at least give her something to do.

She walked through the dimly lit halls aimlessly, silently making comparisons between Jareth's castle and this one. For one, the walls were a different colour. While Jareth's castle was mostly stone and grey and everything an ancient, olden-time castle should be, this one actually felt more contemporary. The walls were a painted off-white - but not unpleasant - colour. There were vases and random works of art around the place, and there were stain glass windows around the stairwells as she climbed higher and higher in the castle.

By the time it was getting lighter outside, exploring had become almost interesting to her. She could never go anywhere in Jareth's castle without the feeling of eyes following her every movement. Whether it was Jareth's guards or Jareth himself, she could always sense it, like unpleasant prickling on the back of her neck. But this, now, was quite possibly the only time she had felt completely alone. And while it unsettled her a little, it also left her with a strange sense of peace.

This was freedom. However brief it turned out to be; this was freedom.

Eventually, Sarah had climbed the last staircase she could find and assumed she was at the top of the castle. She found a tall clear window at the end of a passage and looked out at it.

She shook her head of dizziness. Though she knew she wasn't in the Goblin Kingdom anymore she still half expected to look out the window and see the labyrinth. Its impressive high winding walls and passages, ever changing and constantly evolving.

This window held a view of beautiful gardens, and beyond that, what looked to be a grand city.

It was different from the Goblin City. The Goblin City looked like a collection of huts made with common objects and clumsy fingers. This city looked as though it could have been built by humans. It looked sort-of medieval in its structuring, but not primitive. It was far grander then anything she had seen in the Goblin Kingdom, and it left her silently wondering what kind of king Oberon was. The city held a kind of classical charm that Sarah stared at until she noticed the sun fully raised in the sky. She was about to head back down the staircase when she heard a faint small noise behind her. She turned, confused. She had only found one door on the hall she had walked when she was searching for more stairs, and anyone who wanted to go inside the room would have had to pass her on the staircase. Unless, she mentally smacked herself, they used magic.

Suddenly becoming curious, she headed back down the hallway. When she was once again standing outside the door, she heard another faint noise. A simple shuffling sound, as though someone were walking restlessly or moving things around.

Should I knock, Sarah thought, half bringing her hand into position before she instinctively cringed away. She never would have had the nerve to knock on any closed doors in Jareth's castle. It might lead to conversation with a person who wasn't Jareth. But, she remembered again, you're not in Jareth's castle. This might be the last time you get to do something reckless, she thought almost giddily. She then had to shake her head at her own absurdity. Knocking on a door is reckless now? Jeez Sarah, how sad are you?

Spurred on by her own need to prove to herself she wasn't a coward, she brought her hand back up and knocked three times.

She shuffled awkwardly in the silence that followed and was torn between the want to be brave and stay put, or the need to run back down the hall as fast as she could, before the door opened.

When she saw who was on the other side, she silently wished she had bolted.

Oberon opened the door to stare down in surprise at the human girl, who was in turn gaping up at him like she expected to be horsewhipped. Seeing the girl's horror-stricken expression, Oberon forced back his surprise and welcomed the girl with a small smile.

"Good morning Sarah. Can I help you with something?"

Sarah was gaping up at the king like he was Medusa and had just frozen her to stone. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea, seemed to be the only thing her brain was capable of thinking as she continued to stare open mouthed at the powerful fae who had just spoken to her.

What? She thought desperately. He just said something to you you idiot, pay attention!

"Are you alright?" King Oberon asked, regarding the girl with concern. It was clear from her expression that she expected to be punished, and her posture that she was ready to run at any moment. His sympathy for the girl seemed to increase.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I... I shouldn't have disturbed you. I'm sorry." Sarah stuttered, wishing to the gods that the floor would just open up and swallow her whole. The king didn't look at all imposing or threatening, but past experiences were forcing their way into her brain and preventing her from seeing any outcome in this scenario that wouldn't end in pain.

Thankfully, the king took pity on her.

"Not at all child, to be honest you caught me rather off guard; I'm simply not used to people knocking on my door this early. Particularly not here. This was quite unexpected."

"I'm sorry for disturbing you Your Majesty. I'll go. I'm very sorry." She repeated frantically, her eyes darting and her throat closing as sharp terror began to overload her system. Oberon was quite taken aback by the girl's response to his words, and decided to try a different approach.

"Sarah, look at me." He ordered sternly.

Sarah stopped fidgeting and snapped her eyes to his in a second. She was use to following orders.

Oberon never broke eye contact with her as he spoke to her in a calm, firm tone. "You don't have to apologise for surprising me. It is your second night in a new place and you are bound to be unsettled. I can't tell you I know what kind of treatment you're used to, because I don't. But I can assure you that no one in this kingdom, especially myself, would ever harm you. You are safe here; this on the blood of my ancestors I pledge to you."

Sarah only gaped wider at the king's words, before realising how rude she was being and snapping her mouth firmly shut.

Safe.

Safe, he had said.

Sarah hadn't felt truly safe since her birthday. The day had all been going so perfectly. She had gone shopping with her friends, been to dinner with her family, and she had ended what had been an already perfect day by attending a theatre performance of Swan Lake with her best friend Alice.

She had staggered back into the house, sleepy but satisfied. Despite it being past ten at night, both her parents and Toby were still in the living room watching television when she had walked back in. Apparently they had all been waiting for her, and immediately asked her to join them for hot chocolate and tell them how the performance went.

When she was finally too tired to string words together, she and Toby had both dragged themselves up the stairs to their rooms. She had tucked Toby in, wished him 'goodnight' and kissed his cheek before closing his bedroom door.

She had then crossed the hall to her own room.

That was when it had happened.

When she had entered her room, she hadn't looked around; she had just gone straight to her vanity to remove her jewellery, when she heard the door quietly close. She had looked around quickly, and was met with a face that never-in-a-million-years did she believe she would ever see again.

The rest of that night had taken a full year to repress the pain of, and thus was the ending of her life as a free person. From that moment on, she was a prisoner.

She didn't think she would ever be able to truly experience the concept of safe again, but here this king was, promising it. And she supposed he had no reason to lie. Jareth had done many awful things to her, but he had never lied about anything. Maybe fae simply didn't need to lie.

Without realising she was doing so, her body seemed to relax at the king's words. At least she had his pledge that she would not be harmed; though the situation was far from perfect, it was better then nothing.

"Do you understand?" She heard him say. Sarah raised her gaze from wherever she had been, and slowly nodded, too drained to speak.

"Good," Oberon said, opening the door wider. "I was just about to have some tea. Care to join me?" He asked conversationally.

Sarah was just about to respectfully decline and flee down the hallway as quickly and subtly as she could, before she actually forced herself to think about her reply. She still needed to talk to the king, and she knew she would feel better about it if it wasn't in front of an audience. Plus, she was thirsty, she remembered, swallowing instinctively, and tea sounded like a really good idea. Pleased with her reasoning, she nodded in consent before forcing herself to say, "It would be an honour. Thank you."

"Not at all child." Oberon replied, and gestured her inside.

"Please sit," he said, motioning to a chair seated opposite a grand heavy looking wooden desk. Sarah accepted the offer to sit before scanning the room shyly.

It looked like an office worthy of a catalogue. It had deep brown colouring with a wall of books to the right and a line of windows behind the king's desk. It was quite a small room, surprisingly small to be the only room on the whole floor, and Sarah wondered if the room had any special significance to the king as he sat himself behind his desk and poured them both some tea.

He passed her a cup, which she accepted with a quiet 'thank you,' and thus began the heavy awkward silence.

Well, at least it was awkward for Sarah. Oberon looked perfectly at ease as he sipped his tea from the china cup and looked over an open book on his desk. At least drinking the tea gave her something to distract herself with. She was thirsty enough to swallow it whole but forced herself to take her time, working up her courage to strike up a conversation with the man opposite her. She almost sent her tea flying in shock when the king spoke.

"Is there something you would like to talk to me about Sarah?" He asked, still sipping and reading as though they were friends who did this kind of thing every day.

Sarah placed the tea cup on the edge of his desk and knotted her fingers together nervously before working up the courage to speak.

"I... uh... well." Sarah sighed and lowered her gaze again. Great Sarah. Wait-a take charge of the situation.

Oberon put his tea down and carefully closed his book, giving the girl his full attention.

"You can ask me anything Sarah." He said, trying to appear cordial. If he was honest he was probably just as out of sorts as she was, though he was doing a marvellous job of covering it up. He was king. He had been taught that any shows of weakness, either public or private, would damage the perception of the kingdom, and though experiences and time had aged him, he still sometimes felt like the same twelve year old who had received that lesson from his father.

It had been a long time since he had spoken to a human, much less a young human woman. He knew this situation was delicate, and needed to be handled carefully.

Sarah decided to stop dancing around and just shove her words out. If he insisted, she would be abrupt.

"I need to go back to Goblin City." She said quickly.

Oberon's eyes widened too minutely for Sarah to notice. While he had expected as much, the fact that that request was the first to leave her mouth was surprising.

"I see." He said, folding his fingers together while resting his palms on the desk. "And why would that be?" He inquired. Oberon thought he knew the answer already, but wanted to sooth the girl into conversation by asking something easy.

"Did Jordan tell you about what Ja... the Goblin King, did?" She asked hesitantly, still fiddling with her fingers in her lap.

"Only what he said before you fled the Memorial Room." Oberon replied, and watched the girl eye him cautiously. "After you left, he had quite a few questions of his own."

Sarah breathed a silent breath of relief before continuing. "The Goblin King threatened to hurt my brother if I ever left Goblin City." She said. It wasn't entirely the truth, but she didn't want to be to overtly dramatic by saying 'kill.' For all she knew, this king wouldn't believe her story.

"Indeed?" Oberon asked, knowing the girl was being honest.

She nodded her head. "In my... experiences, the Goblin King does not make idle threats."

Oberon considered her words. "So I've heard." He conceded. "And just how much experience have you had?" He asked before Sarah could continue.

Sarah's brow furrowed in confusion.

Oberon elaborated. "How long have you been in the Goblin Kingdom?"

"About a year, and some change." She replied.

"A human year or a Fae year?" Oberon asked casually.

Sarah's brow furrowed harder, "What do you mean?" She asked.

Oberon's eyes widened enough for Sarah to notice this time. The girl really doesn't know?

"The Goblin King never told you?" He asked, slightly disbelieving. Sarah's increasing confusion confirmed his suspicions.

"Told me what?" Sarah asked with the slightest trace of fear.

"One year in the human world is equivalent to a hundred here. What you have been perceiving as a year could have been a century of time."

…... Wait.

What?

What?!

ONE HUNDRED YEARS!

She could have been gone for ONE HUNDRED YEARS?!

Sarah's breathing all but stopped, and she suddenly went rigid in her chair as this new information forced its way into her brain.

She thought back to the night of her nineteenth birthday. Jareth had said that it was their anniversary. That she had been with him for one year. Had he meant one of her years, or one of his?

Oh my god oh my god oh my god!

Okay, breathe Sarah. Just breathe!

Oberon watched as shock, panic, and fear danced around the girl's pretty features. He had no idea what she was thinking, which was quite a first for him. He was use to being one of the wisest people in the room. Age and experience had rewarded him that, but he was inexperienced when it came to humans. Many fae, even Seelie, regarded humans as lower beings. It wasn't surprising. Fae were an old, proud race and thought they were better then every race, just as humans did in their world.

Oberon could easily look down on this girl for her ignorance, but he didn't feel the urge to. She may have been young, but she wasn't unintelligent, he could tell. Her mute act was probably just a defence mechanism she had developed during her captivity. It was quite obvious to him that the Goblin King had convinced this girl that she wasn't worth anything but serving him. Or at least he had attempted to do so. It appeared this girl still had some fight left in her. For some unknown reason, the fact made Oberon smile.

Meanwhile, Sarah sat in turmoil, trying to reorder her brain to fit this information. A grainy image of Toby suddenly came to sharper focus in her mind, and before she instinctively pushed it away, she remembered that Toby had looked exactly the same as he had the night of her eighteenth birthday as he had the night of her failed escape.

That meant... that meant it really had been just one year here. She would have had no other way to be sure if it hadn't been for Toby's face. As after all, how could she count the days when all she ever saw was night?

"A year here." She finally concluded with a little more confidence than she actually felt. "It's been one year and about a month since I was taken." She added, feeling the need to confirm the time to herself as much as to Oberon. "But wait," She added before Oberon could speak, "If one hundred years is one year in my world, what's one year in your world Aboveground?" She asked the king.

Oberon thought over a way to properly explain.

"Time moves differently here than in your world Sarah. It is difficult to put time into exact measurements here as your world does. Your kind rely on maths and sciences to break down and explain almost everything, whereas here, when such a thing as time and space can be manipulated and altered with ease, it is not so simple. I suppose, if I were going to put an exact calculation to it, I would guess, guess," he stresses the word, looking Sarah straight in the eye to emphasize, "That you have been away from your world for no more than one or two hours."

A blossom of genuine hope bloomed in Sarah as she thought over the king's words. Though in no way conclusive, she was more than willing to believe the king's explanation. And if it were true, her parents probably didn't even know she was missing.

Oberon was somewhat startled at the girl's slow growing smile. Apparently, this news was pleasing to her.

"I wonder why the Goblin King didn't think to inform you of this." He questioned aloud.

A pause suddenly came over Sarah's smile and her mood darkened once more. She could only theorize as to why Jareth would have hidden such vital information, but she was pretty sure she knew exactly why.

"Because he wanted to." She replied in a sour tone. "He wanted me to think that my parents were in pain, wondering what had happened to me. Because it would cause me pain. He always went out of his way to cause me as much pain as possible; physical or mental, it didn't really matter." She said quietly, sure she was right.

"He wanted you to hate him?"

"No." Sarah replied quickly, meeting the king's eyes. "He wants me to love him. He took everything away from me, so he could be the one to give it all back." She declared with surety. It was a theory she had been working on ever since Jareth had rewarded her with a new room. That's how he had put it, a 'reward' for being 'well behaved.' It had always seemed strange, that he was so determined to take everything from her. Her freedom and free will, her family and her fight, food, sunlight, books, hot water, everything. He had taken everything. Than in one grand gesture, he had given it all back. Well, all accept her family and freedom. She believed the reason behind it was that he only wanted her to be grateful for what she was receiving, instead of bitter about what had been taken. It was the first time she had ever put her theory into words, but it did make a twisted kind of sense to her. For she had been grateful, hadn't she? She had been appreciative, and had shown her appreciation quite thoroughly. Even if her love was a lie, she had basked in the freedom that room had given her, however little freedom it had truly been.

"I could see how that would make sense." Oberon commented, hiding his surprise at the declaration of the Goblin King going to such extreme measures for love. Though he knew little of the man personally, from everything informants and spies had told him, Jareth wasn't the type to love anything. Yet here this girl sat. A human girl no less. Held captive for a year, threatened not to leave, clearly abused, and yet... and yet her testimony made sense.

The UnSeelie were an evil breed of fae, not built for real love. If Jareth had truly convinced himself he loved the girl seated before him, Oberon had no doubt that he would be selfish and cruel about his love; only wanting to keep her to himself. It would explain why informants he had had prior to Jordan hadn't informed him of the girl's existence. Though he hid it well, the fact that Jareth had gone to such lengths to keep a human girl in captivity he found very surprising. Surprising and suspicious.

Perhaps the girl was worth more than he had originally thought.

"I want to ask you something Sarah." Oberon said, sitting straighter in his seat. Sarah nodded her consent to be questioned, thinking Oberon would want to know something about Jareth.

"Have you ever heard of the UnSeelie High King?" Oberon asked.

Sarah was slightly taken aback at the question. Who? She thought. She had been expecting a question about the Goblin King or his kingdom, not that.

"Who's that?" Sarah inquired, bewildered.

Oberon immediately slumped in his chair, hope deflated.

"That's sort of the problem." Oberon replied in a dreary tone. "No one knows. Even before the war I mentioned to you in the Memorial Room, the UnSeelie High King's identity had been kept a strict secret in the UnSeelie court. No one seems to know who he is. I know that Jareth is one of the more powerful UnSeelie Kings, I was wondering, perchance, if he had mentioned him."

Sarah did a quick sweep of her brain and then shook her head. "The Goblin King didn't exactly involve me in matters of court Your Highness, he basically just..." Sarah let out a small sigh, unable and unwilling to finish those words. "Either way, I've never heard him talk about an UnSeelie High King. Who is he supposed to be, may I ask?"

Oberon gave the girl a curious look, it was getting harder the more they spoke to remember that she was human, and wasn't raised with the knowledge that most Fae children were given. "A High King has power over all in the region Sarah, every king of their kind answers to someone. All the UnSeelie royalty answer to the UnSeelie High King, therefore, the High King has all the power. Knowing who it is could be of immense assistance to our cause, but somehow, the UnSeelie have been able to keep that an incredibly well kept secret."

Sarah thought over the king's explanation carefully, fascinated. She had never thought to pick up a book about Fae politics in Jareth's castle library, and her personal library, perhaps purposefully, never made a single mention of how Fae court was supposed to work. She wondered if Jareth had gone out of his way to ensure that she wouldn't be learning things like this, and wondered exactly why.

To keep you ignorant, most likely, she thought. It's not like he needed another reason. He didn't need a smart, well educated slave, just some submissive bitch who followed orders.

Sarah pulled herself out of an upcoming spiral, she was learning a lot and it wasn't worth brooding over.

"Well then, does that mean that you have a High King?" She asked with interest.

Oberon smiled at the girl with a little too much indulgence.

"No child. I am the Seelie High King." He said.

Sarah closed her eyes out of embarrassment and blushed a deep tomato red. The way he had said that was like he was explaining two plus two to an infant. She had no way of knowing these things, but she still felt like the stupidest person in the world in that moment.

Oberon mercifully continued speaking as though there hadn't been a long, embarrassing pause. "But of course, even I don't know who the UnSeelie fae king is." He said, and Sarah was grateful at his obvious attempts at making her feel less like an idiot.

"That's why I sent Jordan to the Goblin Kingdom, to find some evidence of who the High King was. But instead, he found you." He ended with a slight smile. Sarah stiffened in her chair at the mention of the duke's son. Oberon understood the girl's reaction completely.

"He is your bonded Sarah. He was drawn to you automatically, probably without any kind of explanation as to why. You may hate him for taking you from the Goblin Kingdom without your consent, but no matter what, you two were destined to be with each other."

Sarah was immediately on the defensive. "How can that be true if I'm human? I'm not even supposed to be here."

"Why are you here?" Oberon asked, cutting her off before she could say another word. "How did you come to be here in the first place?"

Sarah cringed slightly at being asked to divulge something so secretive and personal. She had never told anyone about what had happened all those years ago. But then again, she never thought she could tell a soul about what happened to Toby, and she had managed that. And she didn't need to go into to much detail with this king; she only needed to give him the basics.

"When I was fifteen, I wished my brother to the Goblin King." She began, lowering her eyes to her knees in shame at the admittance. "I ran the labyrinth to get him back, and during my run, I ate a peach." Sarah shivered at the memory, her eyes still glued to her lap.

"It was only a bite, but it was enough. Apparently, it bound me to this world, because I ate something grown with magic, I still had the magic inside me when I went home. The day I came of age, the moment I was alone, that was when he came for me." Sarah said, not tempted in the slightest to look anywhere but her neatly folded hands.

Oberon absorbed this new knowledge, looking at the girl with interest.

"Perhaps he didn't wish to claim you." He suggested. "Perhaps the magic of the peach forced him to."

Sarah was quick to reject the theory, "No, it was his intent to trap me. He meant for me to eat that peach. I know because he gave it to a... friend... of mine to give it to me." Sarah said quietly, rejecting the image of her 'friend' before it could fully form in her mind. She hadn't once laid the blame of anything that happened at her 'friend's' door, but just like with her family, thinking of them hurt too much to do so. She missed them and couldn't be with them, what was the point in wallowing?

Oberon thought this over before deciding to continue his original path of thought.

"The circumstances of you being here may be grim Sarah, but I promise you this, if you were born bonded with Jordan - and you would have had to be since this kind of bond cannot be forged - then no matter what, you were always meant to find a way into the Underground. Fae cannot live in your world, for there is simply not enough magic to sustain them in your world anymore, but humans can live perfectly well here. Some, who have been here long enough, even develop powers, and all cease ageing the moment they begin to absorb the magic of this world."

Sarah had looked up at the High King's words. She was curious as to the king's explanation, and relieved the focus of the conversation was no longer on her specifically.

"If I might, just how many humans are there in this place? And what do you mean they don't age?" Sarah questioned, intrigued.

Oberon was glad he was finally getting her to talk to him, without even realising it, by expressing curiosity, she was showing her true self and not hiding behind the veil of submission she had been since he met her.

"I can't exactly say how many humans are in the Underground. No one really keeps track, and until two days ago, I didn't even know you were here. The last human I met was a few hundred years ago when I visited the kingdom of Asservaretur, the Hippogriff Kingdom. This human had been there a while; he had accidentally found a fae object which still held a great deal of magic. It was a flute if I remember correctly. Apparently the man was a Marine Geologist," the words sounded strange in the king's mouth, "Who came across the flute while exploring an underwater cavern. Once the flute was brought to the surface, the magic was activated. The man was brought before the flute's original owner before he had a chance to put the flute down. It was actually quite an amusing story at court for several years following. The flute had belonged to a young Marquess who had succeeded his father in the king's court a few years previously. Apparently he was in the middle of... intimate relations... with his wife when the man arrived. Still dripping wet, and screaming in terror because he didn't have a clue where he was."

Sarah couldn't contain the giggle that rose to her lips at Oberon's anecdote. She was too amused by the story to feel surprised at herself for genuinely giggling. She hadn't genuinely giggled in ages, but the story had her covering her mouth in amused embarrassment. She almost felt sorry for the man, and most definitely felt sorry for the Fae and his wife. She had no doubt what activity Oberon was stressing when he spoke of 'intimate relations.' A wet screaming human would sure put a damper on the mood.

Oberon smiled as well, though he had heard the tale many times, the sound of the girl's laugh was pleasing. She almost sounded like his own wife.

"Anyway," He continued as though he had been uninterrupted. "That man was given a job as the assistant to the Marquess once they had grown fond of one another. To this day, I believe they are still close friends. Though I believe his wife still holds something of a grudge."

Sarah put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing again.

"As to your other question, I suppose humans do age here, but they age like us. As one human year is equivalent to a hundred years here, you could live hundreds of years and age very slowly. Eventually, your features would mature, but it would take a great deal of time." He concluded.

Sarah absorbed this knowledge thoughtfully. So she hadn't aged at all since she had arrived Underground. If, by human terms, she was only a few hours older than eighteen, then of course she wouldn't look any different.

If she stayed, it would take centuries for her to look different.

If she stayed. There she went again, thinking as though she actually had a choice in the matter.

Oberon watched the smile melt from the girl's face, and wondered what was happening inside that head of hers. The next words she spoke brought him back to the point he had been trying to make all along.

"I don't hate Jordan for bringing me here." She finally said honestly, raising her gaze to once again stare at the High King, "But he was wrong. I know he was only trying to help, you both are, but for whatever reason you want me here, whatever... fascination you seem to have with this 'bonded' thing, it doesn't take priority with me. I'm sorry. But no matter what either of you say, my brother is in danger. Jar... the Goblin King, will only wait so long before he decides to take action, and believe me when I say this, because while I don't believe he would start a war for me, he will never stop trying to get me. If he thought, even for a moment, that I wasn't trying to get back to him as badly as he was trying to get to me, Toby would be the first casualty."

Oberon thought over her declaration thoughtfully. He had listened to Jordan beg him not to return the girl, and had listened to the girl beg to be returned. As king, it was almost his obligation to concede to the girl's please, but he also had an obligation to protect the people in his care. It wasn't really his choice to make, and yet the decision was, ultimately, his.

Perhaps if he was entirely honest with the girl, maybe then she would at least concede to giving him time to think this matter over.

"I want to tell you something Sarah. And I want you to listen, really listen, to what I have to say." He told her attentively. Sarah didn't once doubt the intensity in his stare, and as if the fact had only just occurred to her, she realised that for the past half hour or so, she had been sitting having an almost casual conversation with the most powerful Fae in, perhaps, the entire Underground.

Humbled and intrigued by this, she gave the king her full attention and nodded her head for him to continue.

"Eight-thousand years ago, the war that plagued this world for two centuries, the war that claimed the lives of countless Fae and magical creatures alike, claimed the life of my own father, started almost without warning. The relations between Seelie and UnSeelie were unstable, yes, but it had always been so. Than, one night, during a celebration in the kingdom of Tenebris, past the Northern Plains, something happened that changed everything.

"The Northlands used to be a mix of both Seelie and UnSeelie territories, and several kingdoms resided there, despite the long journey one must take over the northern oceans to reach it. King Aurum was hosting an annual... well; I suppose 'gathering' would be the correct term. It was the only real place Seelie and UnSeelie could go to mingle. The party was almost drawing to a close when out of nowhere; someone heard a scream from one of the courtyards. A body had been found there. A prince. My own brother Zoreion."

Sarah's eyes turned as big as saucers as she understood what he was telling her.

"Your brother?" She whispered, almost frightened to raise her voice any louder then a tremor.

Oberon nodded grimly.

Sarah raised her hand to cover her mouth. "I'm so sorry." She said sincerely.

Oberon gave a single nod accepting her condolences, before pushing ahead with his tale. "He was found with a dagger in his heart. A quick evaluation of the murder weapon confirmed that UnSeelie magic had been used to make the dagger, and the dagger was also coated with a poison only UnSeelie would use. My brother was the heir to the Seelie throne; his murder was a clear declaration of war."

"Did they ever find out who did it?" Sarah asked after a lengthy pause, both horrified and intrigued by the king's tale. She felt for him. She knew how hard it was to lose a brother, and technically, Toby had only been dead for a few hours. Judging by the fact that Oberon was now the High King, she could guess that no one at this party had been there to bring him back to life.

"No." Oberon answered her question shortly, bringing her focus right back to him again. "Many accusations were thrown, but the culprit was never identified. It didn't matter. It was clearly an UnSeelie who had murdered him. Not much of that night was really all that clear to me, other than the fact that the kingdom hosting the party was completely destroyed from battle. After which both Seelie and UnSeelie were forced to evacuate the island and head for their own kingdoms. The kingdoms on that island were exterminated mere hours later.

"After that, war was declared, all connection between Seelie and UnSeelie were promptly severed, and all dark creatures residing in Seelie territories were either executed or banished to the Northlands. It's been an island of dark creatures ever since." Oberon explained, taking another short rest in his tale, allowing Sarah to absorb all the new knowledge.

Sarah, for her part, was beginning to remember something she had read in one of her personal library books in Jareth's castle. Their hadn't been anything about war or fighting between Seelie and UnSeelie, but there had been an analysis of almost all mythical creatures in the Underground. The book had described, in cliff notes, the magical properties and preferred dwellings of all creatures from gnomes and fairies, to ogres and trolls. But the one that was sticking in Sarah's head now was one of her old favourites. She had had a favourite mythical creature back before she had even known any of this was actually real, and the prospect of doing real research on this animal had excited her dramatically, even during her chained captivity.

She remembered reading something about the Northlands, and it being the preferred habitat of...

"Dragons." Sarah breathed in an awed whisper.

Oberon's surprised smirk was something to behold.

"So you have been learning." He said, impressed.

Sarah nodded feverishly. The book she had read had spoken mostly of Wyvern: a two legged species of dragon that was smaller than typical dragon's, but had both the ability to breathe fire and poison you with a single bite. Though if the thing got a hold of you it was doubtful you would live long enough for the poison to reach your bloodstream. They were fantastic hunters, and because they were a kind of water-dragon hybrid, they were also fantastic at hiding and hunting underwater, as well as enduring harsh winters that would freeze lesser beings to ice.

The book had also stated, almost as an afterthought, that most of them now resided in the abandoned Northlands, but as hardly any went near there anymore, it was a theory that could never be fully confirmed.

Oberon saw the gleam in Sarah's eye, and knew she was intrigued. Good, it will make what I have to say next easier to understand, he thought.

"Yes, dragons. Though not many believe it, the Northlands would be an ideal place for dragons to breed, where they don't have to hunt in secret or hide from us Fae. I believe humans also have their own version of the same dragon, Wyvern?" Oberon inquired.

Sarah nodded again, to excited to form words.

"Yes well, as you may know, or may have read, all mythical creatures had counterparts that made their way into the human world at one time or another, but as you might have guessed, just like the Fae, mythical creatures do not sustain the same amount of power there as they do here. They were able to live reasonably well in the beginning of your kind's civilisation, but as time progressed and humans began to evolve, most of their power weakened. Many retreated back to this world then, which is why none of your kind has ever discovered any skeletal remains or bone fragments belonging to them. It is also why your kind speaks of the Wyvern as a lower class of dragon. Wyverns were not very powerful in your world at all, and were far inferior to typical dragons. But in this world, with magic to thrive on, Wyvern are brutal and dangerous, and have almost bred out mostly all other kind of dragon. It is said that they reside in the abandoned Northlands territories, and while some do not believe it, I do."

Sarah's eyes sparkled with interest at the king's words. Worked up, she asked, "You think dragons are still alive?"

Oberon smirked and nodded. "I do, and I also think that they have taken residence in the ruins of the kingdoms that were destroyed during the war. I even went so far as to send someone to confirm it. In fact, I've sent several people."

Sarah sat in stunned silence; she felt her heart pumping way to fast despite the fact that she had been sitting doing nothing for the past hour. The conversation was starting to have an almost intoxicating affect. She hadn't been able to talk to anyone like this in a long time. It almost felt like she was back at school, duelling with one of her old professors. The memory made her want to smile.

"Why?" She finally asked.

"Because the Wyvern have something I need. And without it, I am afraid that we may not be able to see the next generation of Seelie children grow before war is upon us again."

Sarah's heart almost beat out of her chest at his words, she unconsciously lost her well sustained posture and leaned forward in her chair, biting her lip and willing him to continue.

"I fear the time is close that another war may be upon us Sarah. Only this time we have an opportunity to defend ourselves against it. The last time this world was at war, the Seelie were victorious at keeping the throne, but that did not mean that the UnSeelie would never try again. A good few years ago I found something that may stop this approaching war before it has a chance to begin." Then he stood, completely without warning, causing Sarah to throw herself back in her seat and be dizzy for a few moments at the slight blood rush. But Oberon didn't notice as he walked around his desk and towards the wall of books. Sarah shifted in her chair to keep him in focus, ignoring the stiffness of her back from where she had been sitting in the same place for to long.

Oberon approached his library, and then turned back to the girl in the chair who was watching him intently.

"I must ask for your vow not to repeat what I am about to show you to anyone." He told her seriously.

Sarah nodded her head feverishly in consent.

Oberon turned his back on the girl and muttered a few words under his breath, waving his hand over the middle shelf of books.

Almost at once, the shelf began to haze and shift as though the very books and shelves they sat upon were melting. Sarah blinked her eyes a few times to confirm exactly what it was she was seeing.

Soon the shelves had rearranged themselves so that there was now a big gaping hole in the wall, but though Oberon's back was blocking most of the view, Sarah could see from her seat that it was not empty.
Oberon put his hand into the hazing magic and pulled out a single, small, worn leather book. As soon as he had done so, the library shifted and returned to its original form.

Green eyes followed him as he walked back to his desk, gently placing the tattered book on the desk.

"It was my ancestors." Oberon explained seeing the girl's stare. "Before my father passed on, he made a will, and in it my father insisted that I use this office for private contemplation as he, and his father before him, had done. It wasn't until I had been king for several centuries that it occurred to me that he may have been alluding to something specific. It took me decades to find this, and even longer to be able to translate it." He explained, gesturing to the tattered little red book.

Sarah had only half listened to the king's explanation, because her eyes were so effectively burning into the small book.

It couldn't be, she thought warily, half reaching out her hand to touch the battered thing.

The small red book lying on the desk, though worn with age and tattered with handling, bore a striking resemblance to a small little red book she, herself, owned.

The Labyrinth looked exactly the same as this, though this book didn't have the title, they were the exact same size, and, though it was clearly very old, it was almost exactly the same shade of red.

Her hand was almost on it before Oberon's voice grounded her.

"Don't." He said, not harshly, but still in a commanding tone. Sarah withdrew her hand as though she were burned and looked up at the king expectantly.

"The book is far too old to be handled by human hands, one must use extreme care, least the pages crumble and knowledge be lost." He said, slowly pulling the book back towards him.

"This book holds ancient information about a possible way to defeat the UnSeelie race once and for all. By the evaluation of the text, one could only theorize that it was written mere years after the birth of the race, aeons before my time."

"Do you know who wrote it?" Sarah asked at once, completely unable to conceal her excitement. She had always longed to know the name of the person who had written The Labyrinth, and though Oberon's explanation left her doubting the conclusion that the two books were connected, she still couldn't help but hope...

"No." Oberon sighed. Sarah met his gaze slowly, feeling momentary confusion before realising he had in fact answered her question.

Get a grip Sarah, this book is aeons old, and The Labyrinth had to be written fairly recently. It was in English; after all, you didn't have to take years to decrypt it.

But the nagging suspicion in her brain just kept pulsing. She had always suspected some mystical force was behind The Labyrinth tale, especially after she had discovered that everything written in the book was real. From the labyrinth, to its ruler, to the magical creatures that inhabited it.

It had also happened to provide her with the information necessary to defeat the Goblin King, of which she had always been grateful.

She had done research back home, but had never been able to find out who had written it, nor had she ever seen another copy like hers in a book-store or anywhere else.

Sarah shook her head and decided to keep her theory to herself. She had no proof, and little conviction either way. And besides, her copy of The Labyrinth was buried underneath mountains of junk in the attic of her old home. She was quickly distracted as Oberon began to speak again.

"In this book contains information about an ancient spell that, in theory, can be used to kill the Unseelie High King. But that really is only the tip of it. This book also speaks of a way to destroy the line of UnSeelie blood and eradicate the disease once and for all. Finding the man and killing him would be simple enough if we could discover who he was, but we want to do more than simply destroy the king, we want to obliterate the entire line of UnSeelie blood. It is the theory of whoever wrote this book that once the king falls, so will the bloodline. As will any creature hybrids created in darkness."

Sarah took in a sharp breath. "And you believe this theory?" She questioned, awed.

"I do not believe that my ancestors kept this book through countless generations for nothing." Oberon said with conviction that could not be argued with. "In the book, it speaks of a spell. A spell that must be built with several rare ingredients in order to defeat the UnSeelie High King and his kind. One of those ingredients is the venom of a Wyvern. A very potent magic, and possibly the most impossible to acquire on this list." He indicated the book.

Sarah sat with the king's words in silence. This conversation was almost getting to be too much for her. She could practically feel her brain sparking and swirling as all the different thoughts and possibilities crammed in her mind.

Since the king had made no opposition to her doing so, she decided to ask another question.

"So, you sent people to this island, this abandoned kingdom, to hunt dragons?" She asked hesitantly.

Oberon nodded his head in affirmation.

"Why now?" She questioned.

Oberon thought over his explanation before deciding to be completely honest. He was slightly wary of divulging absolutely everything he knew to this girl, but did truly believe that trusting her could benefit them both. He needed her trust, after all, what he was going to ask her to do...

"Because I am tired of waiting for the UnSeelie to attack us at their leisure as they did before. After the war, the old king decided to travel back to his shattered kingdom – against my father's advice – and was killed almost as soon as his feet hit solid ground."

"By dragons?" Sarah questioned.

"No." Oberon shook his head. "By magic. All magic leaves a stain. And much magic blood was spilled on that island before it was destroyed. The combination of both dark and light magic would be capable of crippling even the strongest Fae to his knees. For many centuries, no one dared travel there. Then rumours began to spread of fishing boats spotting things flying in the sky towards the north. It was than believed that dragons had taken refuge in the wreckage of the broken kingdoms of Tenebris.

"For years, no one has dared to discover if the rumours are true. But as I said, I am tired of waiting." Oberon announced. Sarah thought she had never seen anyone as regal as the man seated opposite her.

But then the king almost seemed to slump. It wasn't like any kind of lagging Sarah had ever seen. Somehow he still looked regal and proud even as he slouched in his seat.

I'd never be able to pull that off, she thought enviously.

"But that is where my brilliant vision comes to a halt, it seems. I sent a party to travel across the Northern Plains about three months ago, and have heard nothing back from the party since they past a boundary on the northern ocean. I was almost on the brink of giving up on hope completely..." and here he seemed to sit straighter again, his attention fully on her. A gleam in his eyes that made Sarah quite uncomfortable.

"And then I saw you and young Jordan join hands, and witnessed a connection my own father spoke in awe of." He said with an almost dreamy haze.

Sarah had to refrain from sagging completely in her seat. She was still in the presence of a king and had not forgotten that she should behave as such. But she still couldn't keep a small, agitated sigh from passing her lips as she flicked a stray strand of hair from her forehead and met the king's gaze with force.

"Your Highness," she sighed almost warily. "I don't know what it is that you think having this special glow is going to be able to help you with, but I can tell you now, that if it is your plan to go to war, I will be of absolutely no use to you."

Oberon regarded the girl with sympathy, but refused to be swayed. He met her sigh and spoke to her firmly.

"Sarah. Perhaps I am being irrational. Seeing a bonfire of glory when there is but a wisp of flame, but you have to understand. The last two people that shared this connection fought the war against the UnSeelie almost entirely on their own. They commanded heavy forces, yielded the loyalty of hundreds, and it was their sacrifice that led the Seelie crown to victory at the final battle at Somnum so, yes, perhaps I am putting to much pressure on yourself and Jordan, and perhaps I am simply being a sentimental old man, expecting you both to follow in the Bellator brothers footsteps, but I simply can not stop myself from having expectations."

Sarah said the first thing that came to her mind, "Sir. You keep insisting that me and Jordan have this... connection, but I can honestly tell you that all the things you were describing last night, about how your supposed to feel 'protective' and 'devoted' to the other person, I don't feel. I don't have a clue what Jordan feels, or why he is going through so much effort to keep me here, and to convince you to keep me here, but whatever it is, I don't feel it. I didn't ask for this connection, and I didn't ask to be saved, I just wanted to do my job, and be left alone!"

"Your job?" Oberon questioned, dismissing the girl's tone in favour of her distressed mind.

"Protecting my brother. That's my job. That's the only thing I'm good for, and right now I am failing. Miserably. As I said before, Jareth does not make idle threats, and whether its now or a year from now, somehow, I know he is going to get me back, whether you do as I ask or not. It's only whether Toby is still breathing that will be in question by the time that day comes." She panted and raved.

And it seemed this long conversation had come full circle.

They had hit many avenues since Sarah had sat down. Her and Jordan, the UnSeelie kingdom, war and mystical creatures. And now she was back where she had been since the start of this weekend from hell, begging to be released from a place that had actually shown her quite a lot of kindness, to return to a place she knew she would be languishing without any kindness for many years to come.

What was worse was that now she had vanished, if Jareth did get her back, she had no doubt she would have to endure a long penance for her disappearance. Even if he believed she hadn't escaped of her own accord, there was no question in Sarah's mind that it would take another few years just to claw herself back to where she had been in the first place before all this craziness had happened.

Okay, so I lied, Sarah thought as she felt the familiar treacherous prickle of tears enter her eyes, I am angry at Jordan for taking me.

Oberon sighed again at the sight of the girl's watery eyes. So, they were back to this then. The girl was clearly far too stubborn to be swayed from her duty. Protecting her brother was simply too important to her. But her claim that she did not feel the bond as he knew it should be felt, as he knew Jordan felt, was fascinating to him. She had been in the Goblin King's capture for over a year. He wondered if he had anything to do with this.

"Sarah. I know your worried about your brother, and the safety of your other family, but I am going to ask you to do something for me, and that is, give me some time. Just a little time to try and come up with some kind of solution to this problem of yours. If I am entirely honest, I do not wish for you to leave, but I will not go so far as to restrain you if you try to leave on your own. All I am asking for is a little time to sort through everything I know." He humbly pleaded with her.

Sarah was quite taken aback by the king's request. Request. He could just as easily lock me in some room somewhere if he really didn't want me to go, but instead he's asking me to stay.

But how long can you really afford to wait Sarah? You know Jareth. You know he won't stop until he gets you back, no matter what it takes. He could even use Toby to lure you out. Is it really worth the risk?

Sarah thought over her entire conversation with Oberon. He had divulged so much, even though he wasn't under any kind of obligation to her at all, he had spoken to her, had shown trust and faith in her, and even though she thought that faith was soulfully misguided, the least she could do was give the king some faith in return.

In the end, despite her fear, Sarah decided to give the king a firm deadline.

"I'll wait three days." She declared.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Sarah was starving and exhausted after leaving Oberon's office. She didn't remember the last time she had eaten, and the conversation had been both draining and strenuous. She had felt too suffocated in his presence after she had presented the king – the High King – with an ultimatum. Fix the problem or she was leaving. She wondered if she should even be attempting to dance on these eggshells, but she knew that no matter what, nothing was going to get in the way of protecting Toby. Of that she was sure.

The next two days were completely uneventful. Sarah, still way to nervous, had requested to be allowed to eat her food alone instead of in the feast halls where everyone seemed to take their meals. She felt awkward for being awkward, and was sure she was probably just drawing more attention to herself for acting this way, but she had no desire to be around the king, for she knew if she saw him she would be unable to stop herself from pestering him. She also had absolutely no desire to see Jordan again, and was therefore not entirely surprised when she ran into him in Oberon's castle library one evening.

The library was smaller then the one in Goblin City. But it was a good kind of smaller. Cosy, with the same kind of old yet contemporary charm Sarah could already see herself missing.

Jareth's castle was as soulless as him, but this place was brimming with light and life.

It had been around nine at night two days after the talk with Oberon that she stumbled across him, sitting at a library table scattered with thin, aged pages and fresh parchment he seemed to be scribing on. A small candle burning neatly beside him as he worked.

Sarah had intended to simply sneak by him completely unnoticed, but just like in everything, her attempts were futile. Perhaps it was this mystery connection he felt between them that made him look up at the exact moment she was scurrying away, or perhaps it was simply the patting of her shoes. Either way, when she heard his voice call, "Sarah," from behind her, she could only sigh in resignation and turn back to face him.

Jordan beckoned her forward, having seen hardly any of her these last few days; he was excited to be in her company again. Sarah approached him reluctantly, hoping that he would keep whatever he wanted brief.

"Won't you sit?" He asked, indicating the empty chair right beside him. Sarah internally groaned. She didn't want to sit through another mind numbingly long conversation, but, then again, this may be the last time she would ever get to speak to anyone who wasn't the Goblin King. Frustrated, she sat, but decided to take the safer seat that was on the other side of the desk. Jordan didn't comment on her choice of seat and shuffled the thin pages into a small pile.

"What are you doing anyway?" Sarah questioned, not at all comfortable to simply sit in silence with him. Sarah thought it was actually rather funny, in a sad, ironic kind of way. She had been a very social being before Jareth had kidnapped her, and now, thanks to her 'training,' she always started to get uncomfortable if she was around anyone for to long.

Bastard, she thought casually, as Jordan looked up at her and spoke.

"I'm reading all the notes King Oberon's ancestors made on Heroes Cordis, he gave them to me after you left the Memorial Room the other day." Jordan said, trying to appear casual, not wanting to overwhelm her and have her run from him as she had already done so many times before.

Knowing there was a legitimate reason as to why he had been behaving so insanely towards this girl he didn't even know, was comforting. But apparently, not to her.

A confused expression sat on the face of the green eyed girl before Jordan clarified.

"Heroes Cordis. The bond." He explained.

Sarah barely refrained from moaning as her memory registered the term. Great. I should have known we'd end up talking about this.

Jordan took in her expression and decided to try and steer the conversation into more comforting territory.

He gestured to the notebook he had been scribing in.

"I've been making notes on it myself. Most of the stuff here was written by King Oberon's father Minus. Did you know that before the Bellator brothers came before King Minus asking questions about the golden glow, pretty much every other couple who have ever had this thing, however few, were executed for it."

Sarah drew her brow as her eyes widened at the abrupt piece of knowledge. Against her will, she was intrigued.

"Executed? Why?"

Jordan shrugged one shoulder. "Fear, I suppose." He gestured to the thin stack of papers. "According to King Minus, many past kings demanded the full loyalties of every subject in their kingdoms, and, as Oberon said, when two people have this bond, their loyalty is compromised. In the past, any bonded couple found, however few over the last few millennia, were ordered beheaded by their king."

Sarah shook her head at the word 'beheaded.' Of course, she had grown up in a different world. More advanced, she often thought. People didn't go around beheading people in her world. At least not legally and certainly not with the world's approval. It was odd to think she was now practically living in the past. Where archaic rituals like that were still carried out.

"But then... what about the Bellator brothers? Why weren't they beheaded?"

Jordan hid his excitement in engaging her in a regular conversation. He allowed only a small smirk to grace his lips before once again gesturing to the papers on the desk, drawing the candle closer to him with one hand, he bent his head over the journal he had been writing in and read the notes he had made.

"Apparently, the brothers were already famous fighters before the king found out about the connection, and according to some of his personal scribing, he said that he considered having them executed as his great great grandfather had done with the last bonded couple, but refrained. Instead he decided to watch how the brothers behaved. They had already sworn loyalty to him as soldiers, so he took the risk of letting them rise in the ranks to power. When they were both elected chief lieutenants of a vital part of Minus's army, everyone expected the brothers to fight over the position, but instead, they worked together as they always had. Minus declared that he would not behead them simply for being born with something they couldn't control, and decided to tell them about the bond."

"How did they take it?" Sarah asked, unknowingly relaxing in the library chair, quietly enjoying the casualness of the conversation.

Jordan's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Better than you." He almost chuckled. Sarah huffed in irritation and rolled her eyes. He chuckled a little louder at her reaction to his words and was met with a prompt 'Shhhh' from the other side of the room. Sarah bit her lip to hold in a surprise giggle. It was almost like being back at school.

"Anyway," Jordan continued as though there had been no interruption. "The brothers, apparently, had never told anyone about the glow, not even their own father, and knew just as little about what it really did as Minus. Not one of the High Kings before Minus thought to do proper research on the phenomenon, and simply turned their backs and tried to hide from it. It was Minus who dubbed the connection 'Heroes Cordis.' It roughly translates into 'heroes heart.' He named it so after the brothers saved his life at the battle of Somnum."

Sarah almost hated her own growing interest in this, but as she had thought before, learning about this kind of stuff was what she lived for back home. If she squinted just right, she could almost convince herself that she was in her old college library, sparring with another student over different interpretations of some forgotten lore or piece of history.

The thought made her smile and frown at the same time. She needed something to distract herself with.

"How did they save him?" She asked the first question that came to mind.

Jordan answered as though unaware of the girl's confusing mood swings.

"It was an all or nothing battle. Fought on a field in one of the largest UnSeelie kingdoms, and a lot of the kings, both Seelie and UnSeelie alike, were there. Minus decided to fight with his army, knowing the outcome of this battle would result in either keeping the bulk of the Underground's power under Seelie control, or having the UnSeelie take over everything.

"They fought, and it is a little difficult to explain how fae fight in battles. Magic and spells as well as swords and weapons. I've learned bits and pieces about the war growing up, and many have written books on the subject, but I don't want to bore you with a lot of ancient literature. So I'll keep it brief. Apparently, Minus was fighting three UnSeelie kings at once. And while he could best all of them separately, it wasn't so easy three on one. He got hit with a powerful curse, and his own magic was weakened. The kings would have finished him off if not for the brothers. Both killed all three kings within moments. With swords."

Sarah stifled another small giggle at the enthralled gleam in Jordan's eyes. Dork, she thought almost affectionately.

"They were doing well, but the UnSeelie outnumbered them, soon it was only the brothers, the king, and a few other Seelie standing. And now the High King was injured, what UnSeelie left had high motivation. The brothers told the others to escort the king from the battlefield, and just before he was taken away, he turned in time to see the brothers throw down their gloves and join hands. He describes the golden glow as brighter than anything he had ever seen, and at first it didn't hurt to look, but soon it was like it was growing too largely to contain. Soon, the light consumed them, and then practically everything else on the field before the king lost consciousness. When he came to he was told that the golden glow had created a huge explosion that had killed not only every UnSeelie in the area, but the Bellator brothers as well. The king writes that somehow the men knew what to do, and what to use that strange power for when the time arose. Losing practically every reigning king crippled the Unseelie movement and they stopped advanced marches almost immediately. Soldiers were called back and all threats to the crown ended. The Seelie won, and those two brothers were responsible. Minus never told anyone about the bond, and swore those others who saw the glow to secrecy. He did give the brothers credit though, and had that portrait commissioned. Along with several statues of them scattered around the gardens. But the portrait we saw was supposed to be for his eyes only."

Sarah absorbed everything Jordan was saying with a slightly tilted head, than she smiled weakly, "Well, I guess we know why King Oberon didn't execute us." She said with distain. Jordan chuckled quietly and nodded his head in agreement.

Sarah regarded him carefully before just deciding to flat out ask, "You don't honestly believe this... thing... chooses the hearts of heroes do you? I mean, according to those," she said, gesturing to the notes Jordan had been half reciting, "The other High Kings didn't keep any other 'bonded' around long enough for them to earn that title. For all we know, the Bellator brothers were a fluke."

Jordan merely shook his head slightly in disagreement. "No. While the rest of what you said is true, I don't believe the Bellator brothers were a fluke. They were just as much in the dark about what the magic behind the golden glow did as we were, but when their hands met in the battlefield, somehow, they used that power they didn't know a thing about to end the war, sacrificing themselves in the process. The Bellator brothers were role-models for every young boy growing up after the war, myself included. Knowing that whatever it was in them that gave them the strength to take their own lives, knowing that it's now in me, I have to say... yes. Maybe I'm being brash and cocky for believing it, but whatever this thing is that chose us, it chose us. Out of hundreds of others, after actual real heroes, it chose us." He declared with dramatic intensity, willing her to believe as he did.

Sarah simply shook her head more, looking down at her hands.

Jordan decided to ask a question of his own.

"Why are you so against the belief that you have a hero's heart?" He asked her quietly. Sarah didn't even look up at him as she softly replied, "Because I'm not a hero."

Silence followed her remark before Jordan replied, "Are you sure?"

Sarah's head shot up at his slightly condescending tone.

"What do you mean, 'am I sure'?"

"Exactly what I said." Jordan replied with as much indignation as her. "You told me what the Goblin King did to you, has done to you, and yet, your still here. You survived..."

"Out of necessity. Nothing more!" Sarah was quick to cut him off; Jordan threw her an irritated look before continuing. "You've endured countless horrors at the hand of this man Sarah, and yet for the fate of another, the life of another, you're willing to throw yourself right back into the arms of the man who forced those horrors upon you. All for your brother..."

"Don't!" Sarah hissed sharply, interrupting again. The library was now virtually empty, given the lateness of the hour, and the two young people sat glaring at each other in the silence that followed.

"Don't what?" Jordan asked finally, almost snidely.

"Don't make it sound like it was some grand, selfless, heroic gesture. It was my fault he was here in the first place! It was my fault Jareth did what he did to him!" She yelled as loudly as she could through the broken tear-cracked whimper in her voice.

Jordan refused to give in to her tears. Though it hurt him to see them, he was desperate to try and break through this submissive pretence she had. He had seen flashes of her fire, in the woods and in the Memorial Room, but what he really wanted was for it to be blazing from her eyes without being obstructed by all that pain.

"How was it your fault?" He inquired in a slightly raised voice. He wanted her to be angry, with him, with anyone, it didn't matter. He saw the most of her fire when she was angry.

"Because I did it! I wished him away. I gave Toby to that monster! My own brother!" She screamed hysterically, throwing library etiquette to the wind, not caring if anyone heard them. "And I meant it." She continued bitterly, glaring at an empty patch of wood on the desk between them. "I may not have known the magic was real, or that someone would come for him, but in the moment I wished him away I meant it. Everything that's happened. To me, to Toby, it's all my fault" She whimpered tearfully, but with conviction. In her grief, she once again admitted something to the boy she never thought she could say to anyone. "I deserve this."

Jordan's mouth, which had been opened, ready to retort, hung open at her sad words.

Sarah continued to speak her truth, oblivious to anything around her. "I deserve everything that's happened to me. Everything he's done to me. Before I ran his labyrinth I was a petulant spoiled conceited selfish brat who took out all her woes on a small child who couldn't even defend himself. I wished him away to that monster, and I meant every word of the wish. Words have power. He wouldn't have answered my call if I hadn't meant it." She concluded, slumping in her chair and burying her face in her hands in an obvious attempt to mask her tears.

Jordan regarded her small form in the dim lighting of the few candles still burning in the library. She was so beautiful, even like this. Tear-stained and crying and completely helpless. He truly did wish he had known the person she was before Jareth had wormed his way into her head.

Without thought, he stood up, walked around the table to crouch down in front of her. Keeping his voice soft he said, "Sarah, look at me."

As a reflex, Sarah reluctantly raised her head at the command, and was shocked to see him so close. Without thinking at all, Jordan reached up and wiped her tears gently away from her cheeks. Sarah recoiled slightly at his touch, as though expecting to be punished for letting her tears flow, as she had been many times in the past. Jordan misread her reaction as discomfort to him being so close to her and leaned back a bit, but kept himself crouched before her. Looking up into her watery green eyes he said, "There is nothing in this world you could have done that would have been bad enough to deserve what he did to you Sarah." He said with conviction, Sarah wanted to look away from him, but his eyes burned with an intensity that demanded to be paid attention to. "You say you meant it when you wished Toby away? But that didn't stop you from beating the labyrinth to get him back. And do you want to know something Sarah?" He asked rhetorically, Sarah still didn't look away. "Do you know how many people have won the labyrinth? None." He declared with certainty. Sarah's eyes grew as wide as saucers but Jordan ploughed on before she could interrupt. "I've learnt a lot about the UnSeelie kings and their kingdoms Sarah. When I was a child and my father use to beat the crap out of my mother and me, and lock me in my room, sometimes for days at a time, reading was all I could do. And I've learnt a lot over the years. As you might of guessed, I'm not very old, in fact, in human years, I'd say that I am perhaps little older than yourself, but I do know things. I know that there has never been a recording of anyone else ever defeating the labyrinth, with Jareth on the throne or any other before him. And, while there is also no documentation of your run, I believe that is only because the Goblin King didn't want anyone to know he was planning on holding you hostage in his castle. By all the laws of the labyrinth, the runner is supposed to be safe. The ruler of the labyrinth may try to divert the runner from reaching their destination, but they are technically protected by the labyrinth. What he has done to you is as close to illegal as anything I can think of. But despite how many other people have ran and failed, you succeeded. And that must have meant that you were a hell of a lot more determined to retrieve your brother then any other wisher before you. You were a fighter Sarah, you still are. I know that part of you is still in there somewhere, squirming to be free again. You beat him once Sarah. Don't sit in front of me now and tell me that just because it is your own life you're fighting for, that you can't defeat him again!"

Sarah couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. Jordan's words had burned themselves into her brain along with the startling conviction behind them. He really does believe in me doesn't he? Way more than I believe in myself. Is this the bond talking, or is this just him? Sarah wanted to say something, anything to escape the piercing faith that shone from his wide blue eyes. He was so close to her, and the way he was staring at her... it was with a burning passion she had never seen or felt before. Ever.

But before she could say anything, the intense intimacy of the moment was abruptly shredded to pieces as a voice of a stranger said, "Lady Sarah?"

Sarah jumped halfway out of her chair and Jordan quickly stood to assess the threat of the intruder. His stance relaxed slightly as he saw it was one of Oberon's messengers, but his frame remained rigid as he addressed the man. "Yes? What is it?" His tone was sharp and clipped.

The messenger regarded Jordan with something close to contempt before once again addressing Sarah, "Lady Sarah, King Oberon requests your presence in the Throne Room. Now." The messenger said.

Sarah, still a little shocked from the backlash of her conversation with Jordan, had to take some time for the messenger's words to register in her mind. Thankfully, Jordan saved her from making herself look anymore slow or stupid. Holding out his hand for her to take, he murmured comfortingly, "Come."

Sarah looked at his hand, and saw it as a challenge. Seeing that he was – once again – adorning his gloves, she hesitantly placed her hand in his and let him glide her out of her seat. He squeezed her hand lightly in his own, and for whatever reason, the gesture made her feel safe.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Did the king mention what this was about?" Sarah questioned the messenger as she and Jordan followed him down the hall hand in hand. The messenger shook his head. "No my lady, just that he needed to speak with you urgently. I was only supposed to escort you, but I had a little trouble finding you." The man said, probably explaining why they seemed to be rushing down the hallway instead of moving at a smooth pace.

I wonder if this is about what we talked about two days ago, Sarah thought. She hadn't forgotten she had given the king a deadline to come up with some alternative way to keep Toby safe without her returning to the Goblin Kingdom. She hadn't forgotten that tomorrow would make it day three and the end of his deadline. She had meant what she had said, though after her conversation with Jordan she was beginning to second guess herself. What if... what if she did stay? What if she did choose to fight instead of choosing the easy option of giving up? What if, instead of succumbing to the instincts of compliance that Jareth had forced upon her, she instead chose to embrace the person she had once been? The person who, apparently, Jordan saw better than she, herself, did.

What if, what if, what if... It all swirled around her head in a whirlwind of sickening confusion.

She had always thought her intentions for staying with Jareth, for willingly submitting to him, was to keep her baby brother safe. But after her little shouting match with Jordan, she wasn't so sure. Was she really only choosing to submit to Jareth as some kind of self punishment? Because she felt like she deserved to be punished? That was what she had said. She had never said it before, nor thought it, but there was something about being around Jordan that made her want to be disgustingly honest. Not just with him, but also herself.

Maybe you do think you deserve everything he's done to you. But perhaps Jordan's right. You may believe you deserve it, but then, you might actually not.

Sarah was so entangled in her own mind that she almost walked right into the messenger who had stopped in front of the Throne Room's impressive main entrance doors. It was only Jordan's hand in hers sharply pulling her back that shook her out of her mind-state.

The messenger was just about to knock, when one of the large double doors suddenly opened, and Oberon stepped out, closing the door firmly behind him.

When he spoke, his voice was rushed and breathless.

"Sarah." He said, his gaze burning into hers with an impressive intensity. Her focus was fully on him within milliseconds. "I promised you that I would not stop looking for a solution to your problem and I have not. I do not wish to alarm you, but there is someone behind this door whom would very much like to see you."

And before Sarah could open her mouth to ask what the hell he was talking about, did he turn to face the doors that were both now opening to accommodate the king. She shared one last confused look with Jordan, who mirrored her expression but squeezed her hand comfortingly, before they both stepped into the room following the king.

When Sarah saw who was in the room waiting for her, she lost her balance, dropped to her knees and swayed. One single solitary word passing through her lips before the world went black.

"Toby."

---

Okay, so end of Part Three. Finally! I really wanted to get a lot of the talking out of the way because future chapters are going to have a lot more action, so I hope this wasn't to long or to boring. In any case, R&R! Tell me what you think! Always interested! See you next week.