Chapter Ten
Jareth lifted his head as he heard footsteps approach. A smirk graced his lips as the thought of Loki surged to the forefront of his mind. The image of the tall dark-haired God filled his imagination, bright green eyes staring into his, thin pink lips parted ever so slightly…
The smirk quickly fell from his lips however; as it became apparent that the man who had appeared at the bars of his cell was not Loki but the King of Asgard.
"Alfather… though I suppose we are far beyond formalities at this point are we not… Odin?"
Odin's steely gaze did not waver. His eyes bored into Jareth with a resolve that caused him to bite back the remark that had been about to slip from lips.
"I have decided to stay your execution for the moment Goblin King but your next move shall be no being's decision but your own."
Jareth did not move, dared not even blink for in that moment he knew his fate would be decided. Alone in his cell Jareth had come to a realisation that he had grown to rather enjoy the company of Odin's adopted son and was not ready just yet to give that up because the King of Asgard and his advisors thought it was a suitable punishment for him to lose his head.
"You now have a choice you must make. Return to your Underground as its King where you will continue to rule, never to return to Asgard or…"
Jareth leaned forward in anticipation of a second option. What he had thought was a signing of his death warrant had swiftly turned into something much more promising.
"Or you can choose to remain here in Asgard, stripped of any royal title or privilege you may have once held."
Jareth raised a slender eyebrow and stared at Odin in disbelief. Surely he had heard the King wrong for he knew for a fact that such an option would never have gained approval from his advisors, most certainly not Gunlaug or Dyri who had sought his execution in the first place.
"And were I to choose to stay?"
"You would be welcomed as a member of my court but would be subjected to the constant supervision of a trusted Asgardian of my choosing until they deem you no longer a threat to Asgard or the throne."
"And the Underground?"
An awkward silence hung in the air before Odin broke it with the harsh words of reality.
"With no one to rule them its inhabitants would quickly descend into chaos. Once the goblins have consumed all of the realm's resources they will begin to turn on each other. Those that remain will eventually die out from the effects of famine and then the Underground will be nothing more than the empty world it was when the Alfather sent you there."
It was a bleak future for the world he had ruled for so many years but he had already devoted so much of his immortal life to it he was not sure he could surrender a second time to an eternity as its ruler.
"Do you wish to take some time to make this decision?"
Jareth's unfocused eyes seemed to be looking somewhere beyond the King. With a gentle shake of his head Jareth returned his focus to Odin.
"I wish to remain in Asgard and I accept your terms for my return. Too long have I ruled the Underground alone." Jareth thought of all the years spent in solidarity with no source of amusement but the games played out in his Labyrinth, games that in recent years had been become scarce and unsatisfactory.
"You will have to prove yourself worthy of this privilege."
Jareth nodded. He had no intentions of being a truly model citizen of Asgard but he knew well enough to ensure his presence was rather unremarkable.
Odin let out a long breath and responded with a single nod.
"I will make the necessary arrangements then."
"I don't imagine your royal council were particularly supportive of your decision?"
Odin paused in his stride but did not turn to face Jareth, keeping his back to the imprisoned Goblin King.
"Do not make me regret my decision Jareth."
Jareth watched in silence as Odin disappeared off down the long corridor, his guards in tow, the echo of their footsteps slowly faded away leaving Jareth alone with his thoughts and the two guards that watched over his cell. The Goblin King heaved a long sigh as he leaned back against the cold stone wall of his prison cell. Bending one knee he placed a foot flat against the wall behind him and folded his arms across his chest.
He had been the ruler of the Underground for so long now he could barely remember the man he had been before he was banished to the barren land. Now he was about to give up the life he knew as ruler of a kingdom no one cared for to be a simple citizen of possibly the greatest realm of the nine, a world he was once a prince in. His own selfish pride and greed had seen to it that this title were stripped from him and the Alfather was certainly not going to start recognising any ancient royal claim he once had. It would seem his new life in Asgard would be somewhat unremarkable.
"Deep in thought again I see."
Jareth did not start; instead he blinked once slowly and turned his head to the side as the sound of Loki's silken voice brushed his ear.
"My guards still stand watch you know."
Loki chuckled low in his throat as he leaned against the wall beside Jareth.
"I am a master sorcerer. Do you think I cannot slip unnoticed past a couple of dim-witted brutes?"
"Will they not think it strange that I speak only with myself?"
"They cannot hear us, I assure you."
The two men stood side by side in silence. Moments passing with two sets of eyes fixed on the wall opposite them.
"Odin offered you your life did he not?"
"Indeed he did. It would appear word travels fast in Asgard."
"Only when you have your ears pressed to the right places." Loki's smirk flashed white teeth in the dark. "What I do not yet know however, is the terms of his offer or the Goblin King's acceptance of them."
Jareth turned to look at Loki, his fine features barely visible in the dark but somehow more beautiful in the shadows.
"The Alfather's offer was twofold. My life was to be spared and I was granted a choice. To return to the Underground and my eternal rule, or to relinquish my realm and my title and reside here as an ordinary citizen of Asgard."
"Except that you are not ordinary." In a single motion Loki rolled himself from the wall so that he stood before the Goblin King, pressing the tall, slender blond man into the stone behind him. "A man like you will never be ordinary." Loki whispered into Jareth's ear, his warm breath brushing against the shell of his ear. The warmth of the other's body felt welcoming, pressed firmly up against him and he could feel his loins stirring.
Loki smirked and pulled back slightly so that he could look Jareth in the eyes as he continued his enquiries.
"And what was your decision…Goblin King?"
"I will be King of the Goblins no more but an unremarkable citizen of Asgard. Though I believe Odin has invited me in as a member of his court at the very least, however I am to be chaperoned initially it would seem."
Loki chuckled as he dragged a slender finger up Jareth's chest.
"I wonder if I will be able to convince Odin to allow me to take such a delicate assignment?" Loki pressed his palm against the bare skin of Jareth's chest, having worked his hand into the open folds of his billowy white shirt. The God of Mischief cocked his head to one side and allowed his eyes to roam over Jareth's finely chiselled features before wandering down to his tightly muscled chest.
Loki paused suddenly and his eyes flicked across in the direction of the prison bars. He returned his gaze to Jareth and smirked before fading away before Jareth's eyes. The Goblin King sighed and crossed his cell to peer out through the bars as he heard hurried footsteps approaching down the corridor. Boots fell heavily against the stone floor and the clinking of armour echoed through the narrow corridor accompanied by heavy breathing.
Jareth raised an eyebrow curiously as Thor's large frame appeared. The God of Thunder looked almost unhinged, his hair was out of place and blood crept its way down his chin from a small cut to his lower lip. His eyes were wild and his fierce gaze locked on Jareth as his large strong hands flew up to grip the bars of the Goblin King's cell.
"They have taken him." Thor hissed under his breath, a tone of panic creeping into his voice.
Jareth furrowed his brow in confusion and waited for Thor to continue. Thor glanced quickly to his left and right before leaning in closer to the bars of Jareth's cell.
"We need to get you out of here."
"I believe your father is arranging for my release as we speak."
Thor's head snapped to the right as he thought he heard guards approaching down the hall. Jareth narrowed his eyes at the blond God. Something wasn't right here, Thor was on edge rather than simply fired up, his eyes were darting about far too quickly and he had been gripping the iron bars of Jareth's cell so tightly his knuckles had turned white.
"What is going on?" Jareth hissed as he lowered his own head closer to Thor's.
"They have overthrown the Allfather."
"Who has?" Jareth was confused now. Thor wasn't making any sense and the panicked tension in the air wasn't helping the situation.
"Where are the keys to your cell?"
"With your gaoler I imagine."
Thor slammed his fists against the sturdy bars of the cells, the resulting clang of flesh against metal reverberating through the dungeon. There were no keys then, Thor knew this because he had passed the two guards on duty running in the opposite direction when he had approached. He would have to find another way to release Jareth from his prison.
"Here."
A slender hand tapped a set of keys against Thor's bare arm. The God of Thunder turned to find his brother's green eyes staring back at him, his face framed by his long dark hair and a look of steely determination set on his features.
"Loki?"
"If we are going to escape before they have the guards come for us you best release him quickly".
Thor took the keys from Loki and quickly set about opening Jareth's cell.
"Are you able to shed some light on what has your brother about to leap fourth from his skin?" Jareth hissed quietly as he leaned in closer to the shadowy figure of the God of Mischief.
A loud click signalled that the key had opened Jareth's prison and Thor was swift to fling the heavy barred door open. The three men froze in unison as the door clanged loudly against the bars of the cell.
"I presume the guards would have heard that?" Thor asked, even though he knew the answer to his own question.
Loki simply narrowed his eyes is disapproval at his brother. The brut never thought about anything until after he had already bumbled his way through it. Now the palace guards would most likely be headed straight for the dungeons with little doubt as to where the princes were.
"Come."
Thor gripped Jareth's slender wrist firmly in his large rough hand and dragged him from his prison. Jareth was thankful for his sudden freedom but not overly enthralled in the manner of its obtainment. Thor and Loki both looked off down the passageway towards the exit and held their breath as they heard the heavy boot falls and clanking of armour approaching swiftly. The two men exchanged a knowing look and turned quickly on their heels. With Jareth dragged in tow by Thor the three men headed deeper into the dark of the palace dungeons, moving as swiftly and silently as possible in the hope that their movements were drowned out by the cacophony of noise being produced by the pursuing guards. Jareth glanced back over his shoulder in the direction of what he had understood to be the only entrance to and from the dungeon before turning his attention back to the seemingly eternal darkness that Thor was dragging him towards.
Loki had hurried ahead and suddenly seemed to disappear from sight. Jareth's eyes flew wide with confusion as just as suddenly as Loki had vanished half of him reappeared again.
"It's still here." Loki nodded at Thor and Thor returned the gesture.
Jareth then felt himself pulled into a crushingly narrow space. With barely enough room for his slender frame Jareth wasn't sure how Thor's bulky torso was managing to scrape through but it must have been a struggle for him. Jareth stumbled forward as he stumbled from the narrow passage having briefly lost his footing. The Goblin King blinked slowly and strained his eyes to adjust to the darkness he now found himself enveloped in. He could sense the presence of Loki and Thor nearby but he could not make them out in the inky darkness.
Jareth tensed slightly as he felt soft, slender fingers grip his arm.
"These tunnels run behind the walls of the palace and will eventually lead us out to the forest beyond the kingdom walls." Loki spoke in hushed tones, pulling Jareth closer to him as Thor leaned in so that he was able to hear his brother as well.
"Loki and I know the these tunnels well. We played in them as children."
"I do not doubt your ability to navigate through whatever secret passages you have lead us into, however would one of you kindly explain what has happened to require that we conceal ourselves in hidden tunnels rather than walk freely down the halls of your father's palace?" Jareth's voice was calm and level despite the rising level of confusion he felt regarding the current situation.
Thor looked over at Loki briefly in the darkness. Their eyes had begun to adjust to the blackness surrounding them and their gaze met for a brief moment before Thor answered Jareth.
"The Council have overthrown the Alfather and taken control of Asgard."