Author's Note: Expect me to continue with once-every-two-weeks updates for a little while longer. Life is hectic. Very sorry. I also want to apologize for any misspellings (besides the intentional ones, of course) in this chapter. My spell-checker's not working right. Stupid Microsoft Word. I KEEL YOU.
I also want to thank everyone who's taken the time to review my story. Reviews mean a lot to me, guys, really they do. Thank you so much for all the kind words =D
And no. I still don't own Jareth.
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"I was thinking that if we enchant a passageway to cause whomever steps into it to believe that he or she has made it to the end of the labyrinth first and won the pick of the prizes then---" Jareth stopped abruptly upon catching Khormich's glare. "Not still upset, are you Cousin?"
"I hate you." he hissed.
"Hate is a strong word."
"And yet, not particularly strong enough, I think."
"Don't be so bloody dramatic." Jareth snapped. "Oh, woe is me. I had to wrangle the big, bad goblins for all of four hours! The pain! The torment! I'm lucky to be alive!" he clasped his hands to his heart.
"I was exhausted, Jareth! I had to pull magic out of the ground because I had nothing left. Nothing. I couldn't have pushed a feather across a table. You can't imagine what that's like, can you? You've never been without strength a day in your whole gifted life. It was unfair of you to have pushed that off on me."
"If you didn't take every available moment to remind me how unfair it is that you have to suffer the lowly indignity of not being higher up in the magical hierarchy than your back-country, human-reared cousin, then maybe I wouldn't have felt the need."
"It's... exasperating, to tire so quickly and turn to you and see that you haven't even broken a sweat."
"That is not my fault, cousin, and you know it."
"Or maybe it is. Maybe," Khormich growled. "If you had just taken your rightful place as High King then this conversation wouldn't be necessary."
Jareth's eyes blazed. "Where would you be if I had done that?" he spat. "Second in line to the throne. A nobody. No one would even throw you a passing glance. You would be where I am, only weaker. I, at least, have power. You wouldn't even have that. Take a moment to look around you, see everything you have that others don't. That I don't have. Think, then, on what it would be to have nothing. What it would mean to be nothing. Then talk to me about my decision."
He turned heel abruptly and exited the room, leaving Khormich flabbergasted and gaping at the empty doorway.
Jareth stormed through the empty hallways, struggling to get his temper back under control. He disregarded everyone he passed in the halls, who, upon feeling the angry snap of magic in the air and the murderous expression etched across his features, had been relieved.
"Something wrong, Jareth?"
Valdrom was the only soul brave enough to approach him.
Jareth wirled around violently to face him.
"Do you know how easily I could overthrow you?" he hissed. Valdrom was taken aback.
"Far more easily than I think you even realize."
"What prompted this?" Valdrom asked calmly.
Jareth shook his head. "I am so tired of being the antagonist."
"You always will be, I am afraid, so long as you are so powerful."
Jareth sighed. "I never asked for this."
"When you gave up your birthright---"
"Would you rather I hadn't?" he demanded. "Can you look me in the eyes and say it?"
Valdrom remained silent.
"That's what I thought."
"You agonize unnecessarily. What's done is done."
Jareth sighed again. "This was all my choice." he conceded. "I was no fit ruler... I still am not a fit ruler. I do not regret my decision. I never have. I don't think I ever shall." he shrugged. "I want only to be... left alone, I suppose."
"Well, you've done a pretty good job of running everyone off."
Jareth looked around the empty hallway. "I suppose I have."
"You're off to a good start, then."
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Jareth carefully lay the magic for the illusitory spell, triple-checking the vague lines in the air around him to be sure nothing was crossed or broken. Finally, when he was satisfied, he laid the sheet of magic over the small section of stone pathway that looked to be a shortcut through the small labyrinth. He found that, though the magic was complicated and grueling, and though he could think of a thousand ways to speed up the intricate process that was completing the labyrinth, that he was rather enjoying himself. The dead silence was strangely... relaxing.
He'd been weaving all day, layers upon layers of whispered words and heavy magic, varying so greatly that the flying ribbons of power in the air were almost visible.
And luckily for him, the goblins had been uncharacteristically quiet. If he hadn't known better, he would have said they weren't even there.
He balked as soon as the thought crossed his mind. Had he actually seen one today?
No. He hadn't.
"This cannot be a good thing." Jareth muttered, spinning abruptly on his heel and making off towards the door.
Strange that he found himself storming through the halls twice in one day. Usually he reserved that particular pastime for special occasions.
He checked the usual haunts. The kitchens, the dungeons, all rooms containing breakable objects. Not a goblin in sight.
He forced himself to take a calming breath. What was the worst they could do, after all? Knock down the palace? Clearly it was still standing. Jareth figured he could handle anything they threw at him. Whether or not he could handle that something in a tolerable amount of time, however... well, that didn't matter just then.
"As long as they appear before tomorrow." he added outloud.
He was too distracted, however, to even think of working on the labyrinth. The magic he needed to implement was entirely too complicated to risk letting his mind wander.
"Well, whatever shall I do now?" he asked the walls.
The walls, of course, had no answer.
He consitered harassing his cousin. That was always a diverting pastime. However, earlier events had indicated that harassing Khormich would not be a good idea. Jareth sighed. Perhaps Morihana would... What had made him think of Morihana? How suddenly her face appeared in his thoughts! Bizzare.
He shrugged and turned heel to find her.
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Morihana was surprised to find Jareth at her door.
"Good afternoon." he smiled brightly.
"Good afternoon." she responded, shock leaking into her voice.
"Strange, really, that at just the precice moment I walked past your door I noticed that I was without companionship." he smiled again. "Care to acompany me on a walk through the king's gardens?"
Morihana gasped. "I couldn't possibly walk through the king's private gardens."
"Of course you could. I do it all the time."
"But you are---"
"Someone who happens to know how to get through the enchanted gate."
"Oh." her eyes filled with excitement.
"Come," he held out a hand to her, which she took hesitantly.
"I don't often," ever she amended mentally. "Walk with men."
"This shall be a pleasant treat for the both of us, then, as I don't often walk with anyone."
"I should think that everyone would want to walk with you."
Jareth scoffed. "And why should anyone wish to walk with me?"
"Why shouldn't they?" Morihana countered. "You're intelligent, kind, handsome..."
"You think I'm handsome?" Jareth smiled devilishly.
"I..."
"Well, I think you're quite beautiful."
"Don't say things you don't mean."
"But I do mean it." he whirled around to face her, taking her face in his hands on an impulse. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
Morihana stared, transfixed, into his mismatched eyes.
"Jareth."
The king's voice was sharp, and the spell of the moment was broken. Jareth spun abruptly as Morihana dropped into a hasty curtsy.
"Yes, Uncle?"
"Come with me." Valdrom ordered gravely as he turned and began off down the hallway. Jareth snaked a hand around Morihana's wrist before taking off after him.
"This cannot be good." he whispered in her ear. "I wonder what has happened."
"Jareth, you should let the girl go back to her chambers. This does not concern her."
"I would rather her stay, Uncle."
Valdrom didn't respond. Instead he pushed open a door on his left and waited for the two to catch up with him. They marched through silently.
A child, a babe, very small with powerdy whisps of brown hair, lay blanket-wrapped in the arms of Marrey, Jareth's old nursemaid.
Jareth's eyes widened as he took in the babe. "I don't know who told you what, but that child is not---."
"The child is human. At least, he was."
"What are you talking about?"
"Several of your goblins traveled to the Above last night."
Jareth balked. How was it possible he had not known? He had let his focus on the goblins slip, true, because Khormich had been taking care of them. Had he slipped that much? He shook his head. This was Khormich's fault, if it was anyone's. But Khormich had been tired, and Jareth had know it when he set the goblins loose on him. "The Above? Are you certain?"
"They returned with the child. They've been hiding with him all day."
"I will take him back."
"You cannot. He has been here too long."
"Uncle, what---"
"Fae magic is infectious, especially to a child. After thirteen hours, the effects are irreversable."
"Has this boy turned Fae?" Jareth demanded, horrified.
"No. But he is no longer quite human, either. He will become something else. The magic will change him, now."
"Into... what?" Jareth managed, overcome with a horrible feeling.
"I do not know. But see his hands, they have already begun."
The boys hands had indeed begun to darken, his fingers elongate, his nails grow brittle.
"I will change him back."
"Even you are not powerful enough to fight this."
Morihana put a comforting hand on Jareth's shoulder.
"Where are the goblins?" His face was set, his eyes hard.
"The five responsible are in the ajoining room."
Jareth turned to the door on the opposite wall. "Morihana, perhaps it would be better if we continued our walk some other time." he threw over his shoulder numbly before shutting himself in with his goblins.
"Kingy!" one squealed.
"You Kingy today, right?"
"Quiet." Jareth hissed. "I want you to explain to me as clearly as possible what happened."
"W-well, we was playin' in da Above like we do sometimes an... an..." the goblin trailed off, sensing the danger in Jareth's eyes.
"An we hears a babe cryin an a la'y screamin'"
"An da la'y say 'I wish someones would take yous away, yous mis'rable wretch!'"
"Da la'y screamin' loud." interrupted one. "Hurty earses." she rubbed her small, leathery hands over her large, pointed ears.
"So wes take da babe, and da babe stop cryin'."
"But da la'y scream louder."
"Even doe she say 'I wish.' Why she scream? Don' everyones want theys wish a come true?"
"'Ol Snorty say Kingy wish himself aways to here when Kingy jus' a lil slippy of a boysie."
"An' look how happy Kingy be now!"
"Babe can be happy, too."
Jareth sank down into a chair and buried his face in his hands.
"Kingy sad." whispered a goblin. "Why Kingy sad?"
"Kingy, what wrong?"
Jareth sighed heavily in response. "You must understand that what you did was wrong."
"Why's wrong to grant wishy-wishes and make babes happy?"
"Because sometimes, even well-meant actions are the wrong actions to take."
There was a general pause.
"Wat dat mean?"
"Mean dat just a'cause you fink something make someone happy, don't means dat it good for to make happy." explained another in a rare moment of insight.
"Oh."
The assembled goblins turned their attention back to their meloncholy king.
"Is we in trouble?" one asked quietly.
Jareth looked up. "No. No, you aren't. Just... remember what I told you. Think on it."
The goblins nodded solemnly.
"You are dismissed." he told them.
The goblins filed out of the room, leaving him sweetly alone.
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"A goblin." Valdrom said when Jareth had pulled himself together enough to re-enter the room. "He's changing into a goblin. He was with them longest."
"What should I do with him?" Jareth asked.
"That is for you to decide."
Jareth sighed heavily, staring down at the leather toes of his boots as he thought.
"If it is any consolation to you, the child does bear marks of... mistreatment."
"Then it is better that he is here. That he is... changing." Jareth told himself firmly. "It is better."
Valdrom bowed his head.
"I will put him in the care of Broom and Chewy." said Jareth after a pause. "They will care for him the way he needs to be cared for."
"Kitchen goblins, aren't they?"
"Yes, they are."
Valdrom clapped a hand on Jareth's shoulder.
"This was not your fault."
"If I hadn't been so spiteful yesterday... if I hadn't forced Khormich to take charge..."
"You could not have stopped them. Goblin magic is fairly straightforward, you know that."
"I do know it."
"Then why do you torment yourself?"
Jareth looked away. "A life. That decision ruined a life. Destroyed a life. And it falls on my shoulders."