Chapter 11
Disclaimer: I don't own Jareth (wish I did) or any other characters from Labyrinth. They belong to Jim Hensen and everyone responsible for making the wonderful movie. All songs used in this fic are the property of Disney and their writers and singers.
When Sarah and Alastair arrived at the Castle beyond the Goblin City, screams and shouts could be heard from the main gate. "What in the world?" Sarah summoned a crystal and tossed it up. She vanished in a shower of glitter and Alastair sighed. He knew those screams. The children were fighting again. Making his way inside, he headed for his usual room to put his things down, while Sarah dealt with today's crisis.
Sarah appeared in the hall outside the children's rooms and found Jareth standing between the two trying to referee. "That is enough!" He bellowed. "Now I don't know which of you started this, but it ends now. What would your mother say if she were here?"
"I'd say that there be a good reason for all the shouting," Sarah spoke up.
All three jumped and turned to look at the Goblin Queen, who was glaring at them with her arms crossed over her chest. "Sarah." Jareth took a step towards her. "Precious, you're home." He went to hug her, but she pushed him away with one finger jabbed in his chest.
She walked past her husband to her children. "Tara, Seule, what is the meaning of this?"
Both children were staring at the floor. "I'm sorry Mama," Tara mumbled. "He was in my room again."
"She took my swag stick!" Seule protest.
"It looks stupid!" Tara yelled at her brother. "I wasn't going to let you embarrass Papa by carrying that thing to dinner."
"Whoa, whoa!" Sarah held her hands up and separated the two. "Now what is this about taking your brother's swag stick?"
"It's just a branch he found in the forest that he glued a crystal to," Tara informed her mother.
"Did you take it?" Sarah asked in a stern voice.
"Yes." Tara hung her head.
"Go and get it," Sarah ordered before turning to her son. "Now why did you make a swag stick? Where did you even hear that term?"
"The goblins said it," Seule answered. "They said Papa used to carry his around all the time. I just wanted to be like Papa."
Jareth, who had been listening from where Sarah left him, walked up and placed his hands on Sarah's shoulders. "Of course those ridiculous goblins would mention that blasted thing." He sighed. "Seule did they even tell you what my, as they insist on calling it, swag stick really is?"
"They said it was a stick with a crystal on it." He told his Papa.
Sarah chuckled. She knew exactly where the swag stick was and why Jareth no longer carried it around. It was in a safe location in their private chambers, only being seen on special occasions. "It's your Papa's riding crop," Sarah stated. "He hasn't used it on the goblin in a very long time. He used to use it to discipline them."
Tara returned with a stick that was now in two pieces. "It was under my mattress. I guess the goblins broke it when they came to clean my room." She said apologetically.
"No! It's ruined!" Seule cried as he yanked the broken pieces from her hands.
Sarah looked at her husband and sighed. "I'll take Tara," Jareth whispered before kissing her cheek. He took Tara by the shoulder and led her down the hall.
Seule looked to his mother with tears in his eyes. Sarah knelt in front of the boy. He may have been 12, but he was still her baby. "Come stop your crying. It will be alright. Just take my hand." Sarah sang as she held her hand out to her son. "And hold it tight."
Seule took her hand and she stood and led him down the hall. "I will protect you from all around you. I will be here. Don't you cry." She stopped and wiped the tears from his eyes before she opened the door to her bedroom. She led him to the bed, where she picked him up and sat him on the edge. "For one so small, you seem so strong." She sat beside him and pulled the boy into a warm hug. "My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm."
Seule snuggled into his mother's arms just like he had always done since he was a tiny baby. "This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here. Don't you cry." Sarah took the broken pieces of the home made swag stick from her son and sat it on the bed.
"'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart." Seule watched as his mother summoned a crystal to her hand. "From this day on, now and forever more." His eyes grew wide as she pressed the crystal against the stick and it began to glow. "You'll be in my heart. No matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart." Suddenly the broken stick was whole again and no longer looked like a home made disaster. Sarah held out the small riding crop to her son as she finished her song. "Always."
Seule hugged his mother and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Mama. I love you."
"I love you too." She smiled. "No no hitting the goblins or your sister with that. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Seule called as he ran out of the room.
Across the hall, Jareth was in Tara's room with the Goblin Princess. "Now why did you feel the need to take your brother's..." he cringed at the term, "swag stick?" He'd bogged the goblin that came up with that name if he ever found them.
"You saw it, Papa. It was hideous. He planned on carrying it around with him in front of our guests. I couldn't let him embarrass you like that." Tara explained.
"Were you worried that he'd embarrass me or that you would be embarrassed?" Jareth asked his oldest child.
"What?" Tara was stunned. "You of course Papa. Why would it embarrass me? He's my brother. I'm not responsible for controlling his behavior."
"Oh, you're not?" Jareth raised an eyebrow. "We talked just last week about you wanting to help out and start learning the duties of a monarch. Part of being King, or in your case future Queen, is being responsible for all of your subjects, even the ones that are related to you."
"But he's just..."
"A child?" Jareth chuckled and sat on the couch with his daughter. "The same was true of you not so long ago. Do you think I hid things you made or got embarrassed when you tried to copy your mother?"
"No, you didn't. But..."
"No buts Tara." Jareth interrupted. "Some times you just have to go with the flow and let goblins or children be themselves. No matter how ridiculous they may be." He placed his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "But Seule's not the reason you're acting out is he?"
Tara stared at the floor in silence. She knew what her Papa was talking about, but she didn't want to admit it. With a heavy sigh, she looked into his mismatched eyes. "Papa are we different?"
"Different how?"
"Well Uncle Alastair, he was really their cousin, but he had insisted on them calling him Uncle, "said we might be looked down on until we prove ourselves to the court. He said it happened to him."
Nodding Jareth hugged his daughter. "To some members of the Court you and your brother aren't full blooded Fae and they may look down on you for that."
"Because Mama was born Aboveground?" Tara asked.
"Correct. Your mother was a human that turned Fae, just like your Auntie Lannie. While they were born human, they are as much Fae as you and I are. You and your brother are full blooded Fae, no matter what your mother started as. There are just the purists that forget that the change humans go through to become Fae rewrites their genetic code. So, don't let anything any one says bother you. You are my daughter, the heiress to the Goblin Throne and eldest Granddaughter of the King and Queen of the High Court. Nothing will ever change that or how much your mother and I love you."
Tara hugged her Papa. "Why does it matter to anyone where Mama was born? Shouldn't her ability to rule the Kingdom and how you feel about her be enough?"
"I wish it was Tara." He kissed her forehead and sang to her softly. "Why can't they understand the way we feel? They just don't trust what they can't explain. I know we're different, but deep inside us, we're not that different at all." He stood and held his hand out to her.
When she took his hand, Jareth pulled her to her feet and started dancing with her as he continued to sing. "And you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart. From this day on, Now and forever more." Jareth waltzed around the room with Tara. He smiled as he remembered dancing with her as a child. She would stand on his feet as he danced them around the room. Now that she was 16 and almost as tall as him, she didn't need to stand on his feet.
"Don't listen to them, 'cause what do they know? We need each other, to have, to hold. They'll see in time, I know." He stopped them in front of her vanity and let go of her hands. "When destiny calls you, you must be strong." Picking up the small tiara from the vanity he placed it on Tara's head. "I may not be with you, but you got to hold on. They'll see in time, I know. We'll show them together."
He took her hands again and waltzed with her once more. "'Cause you'll be in my heart. Believe me, you'll be in my heart. I'll be there from this day on, now and forever more. You'll be in my heart. No matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart. Always." He stopped dancing and hugged her tightly.
"Always, I'll be with you. I'll be there for you always. Always and always." He let her go and turned her towards the door. "Just look over your shoulder." He tapped her left shoulder. Tara turned to see him grinning at her. "Just look over your shoulder." Jareth tapped her on the right shoulder and she turned to see him still smiling at her. "Just look over your shoulder." He tapped the left shoulder again, but when she turned he was gone.
She turned in a complete circle and then nearly squealed when he picked up and carried her out the door. "I'll be there. Always." He sat her down in the hall and hugged her close.
"I love you, Papa." Tara whispered.
"And I love you too." Jareth kissed her forehead and then patted her on the head. "Now I think you should go and apologize to your brother."
"Yes Papa." she replied as she turned to go find Seule.
Before Jareth could take a step, the arms of his wife embraced him from behind. "All taken care of?" she asked as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"All taken care of. She'll be alright." Jareth answered.
"Good. Now, we have a little time before the others should start arriving." Sarah said with a hint of mischief in her voice.
"Do we now?" Jareth turned in her arms and wrapped his firmly around his wife's waist. "And just what did you have in mind, my Queen?"
Smirking, Sarah kissed along his jaw. "Perhaps you could put your swag stick to good use." She whispered before nipping his ear.
"Vixen." He groaned. "Are you referring to the riding crop? Or something else?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
"Perhaps I mean both." She pulled from his arms and headed toward their room. "That's if you can catch me, Goblin King." She called as she took off running.
"Challenge accepted my Queen." He said with a giant grin on his face as he chased after Sarah.
