Disclaimer: Own nothing of the Labyrinth; doing this for fun.

Chapter 13

Darling you send me
I know you send me

Jareth paced back and forth in his office while Sarah anxiously sat in the chair across his desk, biting one of her nails- a habit she developed thanks to being around Jareth. They arrived early in the morning in the Goblin Kingdom because Sarah wanted to delay as much as possible the hectic flood of people approaching her once she made it to the Palace. Once they reached his office, she decided to tell Jareth a plan she'd been mulling over for the past few days. She still hasn't fully adjusted to making potentially high risk decisions on her own. While she felt that she did a satisfactory job following her coronation, in the clear light of day, Sarah was less sure of her idea- one more reason why she wanted Jareth's approval.

"This is a good idea, right?" she asked. "I know you would want this to go a different way, but I think this is better- more proactive."

Jareth finally stopped pacing and walked over to his desk, sitting on the edge. "You won't let me torture him again, are you?"

"No," Sarah stated, rolling her eyes. "How is that proactive?"

"I never said it was," he smirked. "But, you're right. We should be more active, and this is probably is the best way to go about it." A smile broke out across her face; she tried hard not to pat herself on the back.

"I'll head back to the Palace," she said, standing from her seat. "We should get this started as soon as possible."

"Wait until I arrive before you send someone. I would like to help oversee this," Jareth instructed. "I should arrive shortly after lunch."

"Really? I come up with the plan, but you're going to take the credit?" she asked, still smiling. "I don't think I can stand for this."

"I never said I would take the credit. I'm simply helping- forcefully," he said with a lopsided grin as he reached out to gather her in his arms. "Who said being Queen would be difficult?"

"Everyone," Sarah answered, tucking her head under his chin. "Even you said it would be hard."

"I said it would be trying at times. I simply wanted to prepare you," Jareth said, kissing her top of her head. "Be proud of yourself if this works out."

"And if it doesn't?" she asked, a spike of anxiety running through her.

"I won't make fun of you too much," he laughed.

"This is serious, Jareth," Sarah said, pulling away from him.

"And what do you want me to say instead?" Jareth asked. "No good could possible come from overthinking this and attempting to parse out what the absolute worst could be."

"You're right, I guess," she reluctantly conceded.

"Of course, I'm right," he stated. Jareth grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back to him. "You'd do well to remember that."

"I believe humility is a virtue," Sarah whispered as she felt his hands gently caress her hips. Her hands rested on his shoulders, mostly for balance.

"I never claimed to be virtuous," Jareth muttered against her lips before softly kissing them. "Stop crediting me with attributes that I don't have and, frankly, don't want."

"You're so difficult," she said, attempting to walk away from him. However, Jareth snatched her wrist and dragged her back to his chest. "What are you doing?" Sarah asked, hoping to feign annoyance, but she couldn't help by laugh.

"Where are you going?" he asked, almost as a dare, as he sat her on the edge of his desk.

"To the Palace, remember?" Sarah answered. "I'm queen. I have things to do there. We've discussed this."

"I'm not a fan of how this fabric feels," Jareth muttered as he ran his hands up and down her thighs. "I should get rid of it."

"No! Stop it!" she protested, unable to move away due to the hold he had on her legs. "I have to go to the Palace. Let me go!"

"That's what your mouth says…"

"And my body says that too," Sarah countered.

"Lies," he whispered harshly before his hand threaded into her hair as his mouth consumed hers in unrestrained desire.

"Dammit," she exhaled in defeat as she allowed Jareth to lower her on his desk.

The light shining through the balcony disturbed Tali from her sleep, causing her to turn away from the rays. She haphazardly placed her hand down on the bed, noticing the empty area. Tali's eyes snapped open to observe that her initial thought was correct: Lochlan wasn't here. She sat up in bed, allowing a loud yawn to escape. Although she wasn't accustomed to sleeping in someone's shirt, she couldn't deny how soft the fabric felt against her.

Looking straight ahead, Tali had a chance to notice his chambers fully. It was clean and simple- no ornaments or the like, except for the chandelier hanging in middle of the room. The four poster bed with black sheets loomed large in the morning light than it did the night before.

Tali saw something in the corner of her eye that wasn't there last night. She looked to her left and saw a bouquet of white roses in a vase sitting on the small table next to her. She didn't know where he got the flowers from, but the fact that he got them for her brought a smile to her face.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention as she watched Lochlan walk in carrying a large tray.

"Ah, you're awake," he said, placing the tray down by the small table setting situated against the wall.

Lochlan woke up early as he did every morning. But this morning in particular, he felt conflicted about leaving his bed. He had work to attend to but he didn't want to leave Tali's side. Holding her in his arms had him to feel as though he was coming undone, and he wasn't quite sure if he loved or hated that sensation. Probably both if he was being honest with himself. He's never had anyone in his bed before, but he realized how easily he could become accustomed to it.

"Yeah, I just woke up," Tali admitted. "Sarah's returning today. I need to return to the Palace soon."

"Running away from me already?" Lochlan accused. "Come eat before you escape from my castle."

"I'm not running away from you," she chided him as she made her way out of bed, walking toward the table. "I have obligations, remember?"

"You're saying awful and tedious words right now," he said, catching her around the waist.

Although he tried to kiss her, Tali placed her hands against his chest, keeping his mouth away from hers. "Did you bring food in here only for it to get cold?"

"You and your meals," Lochlan teased, leading her to the table.

"Your chefs make great food," she said as she sat in a chair he held out for her. "Even if the food they cook makes them seem as though they have a mental illness."

"They might," Lochlan shrugged as he as down across from her. "I've never asked any of them." Tali snickered as she began eating.

"What's this?" she asked, pointing to a very small glass filled with clear liquid next to her plate.

"Try it," Lochlan ordered with a smile.

"What. Is. It?" Tali asked again, giving him a suspicious glare. She'll eat the food that looks weird, but there was no way she would drink a strange liquid. Tali did that once during her early days working at the bar. A human introduced her to absinthe. Never again, she told herself.

"Poitín," Lochlan answered as he grabbed his glass and tossed the liquid back. His neck strained as the liquor went down, strong and smooth. "Seelie elves make wine; my elves make this. Sarah and I have finally come to an agreement to sell it throughout the Court. Try it."

Tali heard a little about poitín, but word was that the Unseelies refused to sell it to anyone. She held the glass up with caution as peered into the glass. Breathing a heavy sigh, she steadied herself before knocking the drink back. Harsh and unpleasant were the nicest things she could say about this beverage.

The burn in her throat caused her to cough while Lochlan's laughter rang out throughout the room. Tali nearly cursed him out when she realized that he was at her side, kneeling, with a chalice of water in one hand while the other soothed her back. She grabbed the cup and drank the soothing liquid before loudly placing the chalice on the table.

When she finally was able to talk, Tali turned to him and croaked out, "That wasn't nice." Against her will, tears formed and threatened to fall due to the cruelty that beverage caused her senses. Lochlan reached up and gently wiped away wetness from her eyes.

"But your face was exceptionally comical," Lochlan said as he rose to his feet and then kissed her on her forehead.

"People actually like that stuff?" she asked while he returned to his seat across from her.

"People love that stuff," he said. "Unseelies have long used poitín to lure humans and faes alike into unsavory deals."

"So why are you now going to sell it to the Seelies?" Tali asked as she started to eat again.

"If it's sold there, the need to come to Unseelies will no longer be an issue," Lochlan said.

"Why do you care about the fate of the Seelies?"

"I don't," he acknowledged. "But I care about Sarah, and she cares about her people. Plus, lining the coffers is always an incentive."

"And the dark elves are okay with this?"

"They still have the Aboveground," he said with a sly grin.

Soon, a comfortable silence stretched between them as they enjoyed their meal.

"When are you leaving with Sarah?" he inquired, not looking up from his plate as he pushed food around with his fork.

"Are you planning to stalk me?" she asked.

"It's only stalking if you don't know about it," Lochlan stated, finally looking up. "So, when do you leave?"

"Tomorrow," Tali answered. "Which is why I need to leave soon."

"Calm yourself, Little Bird," he said. "I only considered tying you to my bed once. All right, actually twice."

That seemed too measured for him. Tali didn't believe him, and her face showed it.

"Fine," he conceded. "I'm still considering it."

"You can't just keep me in here forever," she said, grinning at him.

"Is that a challenge?" Lochlan purred.

"No," she said emphatically. "I'm not challenging you to anything."

"That's a shame," he professed. "I do love confrontation."

"Well, you're out of luck. I don't feel like deal with that today." Having finished her meal, Tali stood up which caused Lochlan to stand as well.

"You didn't finish your food," Tali pointed out.

"My affinity for food is drastically eclipsed by my affinity for you," Lochlan said. "Are you sure you don't want to stay? You look striking lying in my bed."

"Nice line," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you tell all the ladies that?"

The smile that was one Lochlan's face dropped and formed into a twisted snarl. Suddenly, he grabbed her by the shoulders, dropping her to the bed as his weight pushing her into the mattress. The shock that Tali felt was evident in her eyes, wide with alarm as she began to breathe irregular. She didn't say anything as he nipped the side of her neck until he reached her ear.

"It seems as though we have communication problem," he hissed in her ear. "You don't seem to realize how special you are to me."

"What do you mean?" Tali breathed.

Lochlan pushed against his arms, hovering a bit over her. "I don't make a habit of doing any of this, and you're the only creature besides me who has been in this bed with me."

"Oh," she whispered. "I didn't know that."

"Now, you know," he murmured as he descended back onto her.

"You make me feel special," Tali admitted quietly.

"As you should," Lochlan concurred. "So, about you staying here…"

"Whatever happened to me saying that I need to leave?" Tali said pushing him off her to the other side of the bed. "And that we're moving too fast."

"I believed those to be negotiable matters," Lochlan said as he tried to grab her by the shirt, but she rolled off the bed in time.

"Oh, Your Majesty, you're back," Cormac said as Sarah opened her chamber doors, his hand in the position to knock.

"Yeah, I'm back," she sighed, closing the door.

"May I ask if Her Majesty is planning to wear that all day?" he timidly asked.

Sarah looked down to see what he was referring to, forgetting that she was wearing jeans and t-shirt. This outfit was way better than her standard gowns-which she was not ready to return to.

"I am," she answered, knowing that Cormac found this particular part of her wardrobe odd. "I'm guessing you have a lot of work for me, since you came down here." They both walked down the hall on the way to her office.

"I was about to check if you were here," he said, trailing behind her. "There's not much for you to do, per se, mostly a lot for you to review and approve."

"Awesome," Sarah said, sarcastically, as she quickly walked down a set of stairs. "Is this concerning the excursion we have planned?"

"Yes," he replied. "Hopefully, we can get through all that in a timely manner."

"That's all I can ask for, I guess," she said. "And before I get side tracked, make sure I go to the dungeons to speak to Eòran before noon."

"Um- all right," he said, hesitantly. However, his Queen seemed confident about the request so he would be too. "Also, I'm not quite sure if you are aware of this or not, but Tali went to the Unseelie Castle yesterday, and she hasn't returned. She wasn't here for breakfast. The others were beginning to murmur. Should we be concerned?"

Sarah stopped her walking as a knowing smile formed across face. Not turning to face her advisor, she said, "No, she's fine." Sarah began walking again. "Tali's okay. No one needs to worry."

"What should I tell the others," Cormac asked, struggling to keep up as they went down another set of stairs.

"Tell them it's none of their damn business," she snapped. "She probably went to her mother's later." Sarah decided to cover for her friend in case the rumors got out of hand. "They don't get to know everything that is happening. That's my job."

"Yes, ma'am. Of course, ma'am," he said apologetically. Sarah let out frustrated grunt as she rounded the corner before turning around to face him.

"Stop calling me that!" she ordered.

"Why is that? Scared that you'll be mistaken for an elder like the rest of us?" said the amused voice behind her. Sarah spun around to see Taggert waiting by her office.

"You are nowhere close to being an elder. And, I feel like I should be knitting something for my grandchildren when someone calls me that," she said, approaching him. "How are you, Taggert?"

"If it makes you feel better, I still cringe when someone calls me 'sir'," he admitted. "And I'm doing well. Haven't seen you like this in a long time."

"You mean my clothes? Yeah, there's a hat to go with it," she said as she entered her office with him following. "Jareth refuses to let me wear it here."

"What is a met?" Taggert inquired.

"Mets. You have to say Mets. It's always plural," Sarah clarified as she sat in her chair. "It's an Aboveground sports thing. They're my brother's favorite team."

"Brother?" he said, raising a quizzical brow as he moved a chair over to sit across from her.

"It's a long story," she answered, glibly. "One day, I'll explain it all to you. So, why are you here? I see you're in a good mood. I guess that means Kalin didn't go through with her half-baked plan."

Taggert rubbed a hand across his forehead. "Shit. I didn't realize she went all the way to you with this. I doubt she had the time or thought to apologize. So let me apologize for her."

"It's fine; everything is fine," she said, trying not to laugh at the thought of those day's events. "It's all hilarious now that it's in the past."

"Kalin's a handful, that's for sure," he acknowledged. "Which is why I'm here actually."

"Okay," Sarah said suspiciously.

"No, no," he chuckled. "No reason to be concerned. The purpose for me… From what I heard, most of us are planning special events for your arrival…"

Sarah released a groan. "I only want to visit. You don't have to go overboard. No one has to do that."

"Too bad," Taggert snickered. "You already have a large crowd of royal admirers planning to follow your route to see you throughout your trip. There's no ruler in his or her right mind that would let this opportunity go to waste."

"And what do you have planned?"

"Kalin recommended a head butting contest," he replied causing Sarah to laugh.

"Please tell you'll do that," she said, trying to control herself. "If you're looking for maximum entertainment, that's what you should do."

"Actually, I do have that planned. My people are already placing wagers on the participants. But I haven't decided whether to propose in her castle or mine," Taggert said as he pulled out a piece of paper from a satchel he had slung across his back. As he handed it to Sarah, he said, "I hope you don't take offense that this might take the attention away from you for a moment." Sarah snatched the piece of paper, quickly scanning the document.

"First, I never care if attention is taken away from. In fact, I prefer it," she said, before her face lit up. "And you're going to propose! This is great. Finally, I know something before she does. How are you going to do it?"

"I haven't thought everything through, but I'll try to make it fabulous as Kalin would say," he smirked while rolling his eyes. "I better or she'll have my throat. My blacksmiths are already creating the gift I plan to present to her." Sarah signed her name to the approval letter that Taggert gave her before returning it to him. The sound of Cormac clearing his throat caught Sarah's attention.

"Your appointment, Your Majesty," he said.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, shocked that she forgot her own matter. "I'm sorry, Taggert. I have somewhere to be."

"No time for a centaur," Taggert said, feigning insult as he stood up. "I know how it is."

"Oh please, shut your face," Sarah teased. "Leave before I decide to not like you anymore."

With a small chuckle, Taggert left, leaving her with Cormac.

"Would you like me to escort you to the dungeons?" he asked.

"No, I'll be okay," she responded. "I can handle this myself."

Much to Lochlan's frustration, he couldn't convince Tali to forgo her duties and this weird notion that they were moving too fast- whatever that meant. But when she finally told him for the last time that she was leaving, Lochlan refused to have her merely leave his castle unaccompanied. He transported the two of them to the Palace gates.

Tali noticed the guards where not the Artur and Owen, which was good since she was wearing the same gown from the day before. She wasn't as familiar with these two, but she decided to wave hello to them anyway. A low growl could be heard behind her before she felt Lochlan turning her around and crashing his lips against hers. She gasped in surprised, allowing his tongue entry, tasting her. One of his hands reached around to latch onto the base of her neck, not allowing her to retreat.

When his lips left hers, she whispered, "Don't make me push you in front of the guards." Tali felt the rumbling in his chest as he pulled away from her, laughing.

"Remember that you're mine," he said seriously but still with a smile in place.

"One date doesn't make me your anything," Tali smirked as she walked toward the opened gates, resisting the urge to look back to see Lochlan's face.

"Your Majesty!" yelled a disgruntled goblin. "It all his fault!" As he pointed a gnarly finger at the other goblin he was accusing.

"I didn't done any wrong!" the other goblin screamed, defending himself.

Jareth sat in his throne, eyes staring at the ceiling, silently willing these morons to stop shouting. Then, he remembered that he could tell them to stop.

"Quiet! Both of you!" he ordered. Avitus stood to the side, taking notes as he normally did, shaking his head at the situation in front of him.

"Now, let's go about this in a more civilized manner," Jareth sighed. This was his last court issue for the day; he kept reminding himself of that fact. "What is the matter at hand again?"

The two goblins began yelling their accusations at each other at the same time again.

"Silence!" Jareth yelled. He pointed to the taller of the two goblins. "Twitch, you go first."

"Likes I says," Twitch stated. "His fault that I fell off the bar!"

"Did you push him, Turpin?" Jareth asked turning his attention to the other goblin.

"I ain't push nobody!" Turpin countered. "I cut him off from the drinks, and he still no leave. He kept talkin' to strangers. Then, he choked on some nibbles an' passed out, fallin' to the ground."

"Blithering idiots," Jareth whispered to himself as he gazed out the window. "Is this true, Twitch?"

"That not the point," he argued. "My eye bruised for two days."

"What sort of retribution are you asking for?" Jareth sighed in exasperation.

The goblin shrugged his shoulder as though he hadn't considered the possibility of payback. "Free ale for life," Twitch said in a matter of fact tone.

"Twitch," Jareth said calmly, staring at the goblin.

"Yes?" he answered expectantly.

"Get out of my throne room!" Jareth shouted. "From now on, when someone stops serving you, you better leave."

Both goblins stood before him shaking in fear.

"Leave, both of you," Jareth ordered before seeing the two goblins run out of the throne room.

"Did you enjoy your holiday, Sire?" Avitus asked with a genuine grin on his face.

"Why did I return again?" he asked as he descended his dais.

"For the love you have for all your subjects," Avitus answered. At Jareth's questioning look, he shrugged. "Well, someone has to run this insane kingdom, and who better than you."

"Do you need me to accompany you, Your Majesty," an elf jailer asked Sarah after he gave her directions.

"He's chained and behind bars," she said. Sarah tried hard not to roll her eyes. The guard was only doing his job. "I'll be fine, Colin. Thank you."

Colin gave her a bow as she walked toward down the farthest corridor. She was told no one else was down there; her orders to have Eòran jailed alone were followed.

Sarah stood in front of the iron bars, seeing the fae lying on his bunk, gazing up at the wall, having not noticed her presence. She noticeably cleared her throat, garnering his attention.

"Your Majesty," he said more as a question than a statement. "I would never think that you would lower yourself to come visit me."

"Don't talk like that," Sarah said, dismissing his words with a wave. "I've come here to present to you a proposition. How would like the chance to commute you sentence? Let's say from treason to hooliganism- which is a fun word to say."

Eòran's eyes went wide hearing her statement. "Yes, yes. Of course," he said eagerly, approaching the cell doors. "What do you have need of me?"

"You get to play double-agent," Sarah said. "We need you to get a letter to this Sawyer."

"Tobias Robert Williams!" Karen yelled as she walked into his room, hands on her hips.

"What?" he asked, confused, removing the headphones from his ears.

"Have you even packed? We're supposed to leave for camp in an hour," she said. "Where are your bags?"

"Uh oh," Toby whispered. "I thought I was leaving Wednesday."

"Well, you're not; you leave today," Karen said, barely holding back her anger. "Don't just lay there. Hurry up. You got thirty minutes. Otherwise, we're leaving with just the clothes on your back."

"I knew you weren't being held hostage," rang the amused voice throughout the otherwise quiet library.

Tali looked up from her tome to see Sarah standing at the entrance to the library.

"Ugh, I knew I should have made it to breakfast," Tali groaned. "How bad are the rumors?"

"I tried to squash the rumors," Sarah said, sitting down at the table across from Tali. "But fair warning, the whispering has already started. Something about a kiss at the gates?"

"Whatever," she mumbled, slouching in her chair. "I don't care what they say anyway."

"This coming from the same person who was concerned about her reputation?" Sarah reminded her.

Tali didn't respond, but the rising blush on her face told Sarah all she needed to know.

"What are you reading?" Sarah asked. Tali answered by holding up the cover of the book.

"It's an encyclopedia of all the creatures in the Unseelie Kingdom," Tali responded.

"You know, that's from Lochlan's personal library," Sarah said. "All the Unseelie books before were basically horrible propaganda. So I got rid of them. All the books on the Unseelies came from him, actually."

"Hmm, that's interesting," Tali responded. "Did you know that red caps murder those who stray into their homes and then dye their hats with their victims' bloods- hence the red cap?"

"That is… not a fun fact," Sarah said, showing her distaste of that information on her face. "But thanks for telling me, I guess."

"It is very gross," Tali said quietly.

"So, are we going to sit here and pretend as though there's nothing to talk about," Sarah asked with a smile. "Or are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Really?" Tali complained.

"Hey, I told you when you met me that I was nosy," Sarah said. "You were warned."

Tali released a loud sigh. "You're going to be very disappointed. Nothing happened."

"It's almost impossible for nothing to happen when Lochlan's around," she refuted.

"Fine, but that look on your face that displays that you think a certain something happened," Tali said. "Well, that didn't happen."

"Are you being serious right now?" Sarah asked, not believing her.

"Yes!" Tali yelled adamantly before realizing she was in the library. "Yes, okay," as she returned to her hushed voice.

"Settle down," Sarah said, laughing. "No need to get antsy."

"I'm not antsy," Tali snorted.

"You're very antsy and tightly wound, which proves you're telling the truth," Sarah said. "You definitely didn't get laid last night."

Tali's mouth dropped in disbelief. Covering her eyes with a hand, she said, "I can't believe you said that. Or maybe I should expect that. You did spend several days with just Jareth around you."

"He's a bad influence," Sarah agreed with a nod. "I appreciate that about him."

"That's obviously a family trait," Tali muttered.

"It's extremely useful that you learned that early," she said. "Makes everything much easier to deal with. Does that mean that I should be expecting Lochlan to barge through my office doors later?"

"No, he's not," Tali replied. "I told him to give me a day alone so I could get everything you need done and over with."

"And he agreed to this?" she asked, shocked that Tali was able to make such a deal with the overbearing fae.

"Well," Tali tried to explain. "I told him to leave me alone for the length of your tour…"

"He definitely wouldn't go for that," Sarah interrupted.

"That's a nice way to put it," Tali conceded. "If I can't get away for a few hours, he might just show up. You might want to warn the other royals about that."

"You're not my captive, Tali," Sarah asserted. "Feel free to go if there is nothing going on."

"Oh, okay," Tali said, a bit unsure about that. "But I'm not going to tell him that. I'll need to keep my distance for now. He overwhelms me sometimes."

"Another family trait," Sarah chuckled. "From the way Jareth speaks, I believe they got it from their mother. Or maybe their father- I forget."

"Is that so? He doesn't talk a lot about his parents," Tali admitted. "Actually he hasn't at all. He spoke a little about his uncle."

"Don't be too offended that he hasn't," Sarah said. "I had to be in a coma for a week for him to open up to me. But, I doubt you'll have to go through such an ordeal."

"So is my interrogation over?" she asked. "Or would you like to know more?"

"I always want to know more," Sarah answered. "But I'll give you a reprieve. Also, I need to you to pack my bags because I hate packing."

Tali shook her head, laughing. "No problem," she said, standing up.

"And you should pack up your room to," Sarah said. "You'll be moving."

"Where?" she asked, taken aback. "Why?"

"To the north wing," Sarah said. "I thought it was a bit crappy that my ladies were in the servants' wing. You will have a lot more room and privacy."

"That's another thing I won't tell Lochlan about yet," she said, causing Sarah to laugh.

"Did you miss me, Eòran?" Jareth sneered as he approached the jailed fae's cell.

"Stop being combative. He's already in a cell," Sarah reprimanded. "Do you have the note ready?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," he said as he held out the note toward her. However, Jareth moved between the cell bars and Sarah, snatching the letter from his hands before Eòran could get anywhere near her. Jareth quickly read over the note, ensuring the validity of what was written before handing it over to Sarah.

"Thank you for allowing me to read the note," she said, sarcastically. After reading the note, she asked Eòran, "When do you think this note will get to them?"

"We moved shortly after the…attack. But based on his last location, two days by foot," he answered. "Sawyer may have moved them again, but I wouldn't know why. May I ask who you plan to send to the camp?"

"No," Jareth responded.

Sarah sighed in response to his outburst. "Jareth wants to send a resident of his kingdom, but I haven't decided," she said, giving Jareth side eyes.

"If I may make a suggestion…"

"No, you may not," Jareth interrupted.

"What is it?" Sarah asked him, becoming more annoyed with Jareth's antics.

"I believe it would be better if you sent someone that Sawyer might know, but not well," he offered. "Maybe someone who joined the Palace guard within the past year or so."

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Because no one there would believe if someone from his kingdom did this," he said. "It would be better for someone from the Palace ranks to accomplish this, someone young and impressionable."

An annoyed grunt came from Jareth. "He has a point," Sarah conceded.

"I know," he said as he walked away.

"Ugh, so difficult," she whispered to herself. "Thank you, Eòran. I believe tomorrow you should start receiving visits from your parents."

Eòran's face lit up. He had no idea that he had that privilege. "Her Majesty is most kind."

"All right, campers!" yelled one of the camp leaders. "You have one minute left to meet us outside your bunk!"

Toby groaned as he carefully hanged his bag off the side of the top bunk. An hour ago, he had been given the map to his assigned cabin. Luckily, he arrived before many of the other kids- therefore ensuring that he got the top bunk of the bed. While the parents received their own orientation about how safe camp was and how much fun their kids would absolutely have, Toby and the other campers were allowed an hour of downtime before the overly cheerful camp staff barged in. Toby has attended summer camp since he was six, so he was used to all of this. But, that didn't mean he liked all of it. There were kids who were overjoyed that they were at camp, and others who clearly abhorred it. Toby was in the middle: he wasn't thrilled with it, but it wasn't the worst way to spend a summer.

"Campers! Outside!" yelled the same camp leader. "Make sure you bring your map!"

Toby blew out a frustrated breath as he climbed down his bunk. All camp counselors were way too cheerful for him. Maybe if someone paid him, he would be overly happy to be here as well. There was no way he was going to pretend that playing flag football with strangers was the best thing that ever happened to him.

"Welcome to Camp Adirondack!" yelled the leader who ordered them out of their bunk. He was flanked by two smiling men- all three dresses the same: tan shorts and a polo with the camp logo on it. "We are the camp leaders assigned to your bunk. If you need anything, from sighing up for activities or wish to contact you parents, come to us. I'm Tyler. This is Jason, and this is Brian."

Some of the camper greeted them, but most of the others just gave a small wave, including Toby.

"All right," Tyler said. "I see some familiar faces, but I think we have a lot of new people. How many of you haven't been here before?"

Toby raised his hand as well as a few others. Following an altercation with some campers the year before, Karen decided to move him to a new camp. This one was an all-boys camp. Toby was not a fan of this camp already.

"Okay, okay," Tyler said, still smiling. "You will get a chance to see the camp fully throughout your six weeks here, but for now, we will take you on a little tour. Point out some things so you don't get lost. Follow behind us. Keep close. There will be other groups walking around as well. We hate for you to get lost on your first day."

Toby followed the group, hanging towards the back as Tyler, Jason, and Brian pointed out the mess hall, the football, lacrosse, and baseball fields, and the various aquatic areas for canoeing, fishing, and water polo. After nearly an hour of walking around, the tour came to an end.

"If you have any further questions, remember, you can always ask them," Jason said. "You guys have free reign until six thirty. Meet us at the flag pole at that time."

Toby approached Jason as the other kids ran in every other direction.

"Hey! What up, champ?" Jason asked. "Nice bracelet."

Toby had to resist rolling his eyes at the nickname. He gazed down at his wrist, nearly forgetting that he had the bracelet on.

"Thanks, it was a gift. So, um, Jason. So, I noticed the hiking trail- the map shows we can hike almost anywhere but has this part circled off." Toby handed the paper over the camp counselor, pointing out the anomaly. "So, what's up with that?"

The large smile that Toby previously believed was a permanent fixture on Jason's face fell but only a little. "Why you concerned about this? Look at all the places you can hike."

"Yeah, but if you mark something off and say I can't go there," Toby rationalized. "I'm going to want to know why."

"Ah, I get it. You're that kinda kid," Jason smirked. "Listen, some teenagers, in the past, went that way and wound up with sprained or broken legs. It's just not a safe area to hike. Like I said, you have a lot of other places to go."

"All right," Toby said, suspiciously, not trusting that answer.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jareth shouted as he walked into Sarah's office. She was behind him and moved to the side to see what caused such a commotion. Standing in the middle of her office was Lochlan, who was holding Cormac in the air by his throat, nearly two feet off the ground- the small elf clearly struggling.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here," Lochlan sighed as he carelessly released Cormac to fall on the ground.

"Urmph!" Cormac cried out as he hit the floor.

"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked as she walked around Jareth to stand in front of Lochlan. "You're not supposed to be here. Tali told me..."

"I told Tali I wouldn't bother her. I never said I would not come to the Palace at all," he clarified. "So, logically, I'm bothering you."

"Fantastic," Sarah groaned. "Why are you assaulting my advisor?"

"He wanted to know your tour schedule," Cormac said, massaging his throat as he retreated to the corner of the room. "And he threatened me. But no worries, My Queen, I didn't betray your confidence."

Lochlan looked over his shoulder to give the advisor a deadly glare.

"Are you okay, Cormac?" she asked him.

"Just a little out of breath," he answered, reassuring her.

"How about you not threaten my people," Sarah said, turning her ire to Lochlan.

"I didn't threaten him," Lochlan scoffed.

Sarah crossed her arms over her chest, displaying her skepticism.

"What? I didn't," Lochlan said, insulted that she doubted him. "I only told him that if he didn't tell me what I wanted to know I would throw him to a nøkken."

"How was that not a threat?" she asked, dumbfounded, arms at her side in exasperation.

"It was a joke," he reasoned with a shrug.

"How is that a joke?" Sarah asked, growing more annoyed with his antics.

"Jareth thinks it's funny," Lochlan stated as he gestured over her shoulder.

Sarah turned around to see Jareth covering his mouth with a gloved hand yet unable to hide the wide smile across his face. Her mouth frowned at the sight of his amusement.

"My laughter is not an endorsement of his actions," Jareth defending himself, struggling not to chuckle.

Words could not express how much he loved to see this side of Lochlan. Jareth imagined that he was much the same way with Sarah. Obsessiveness must have been a family trait. Once they were attracted to something, they never let it go. Funny enough, his mother told him that this habit came from his father rather than her. Thankfully, his nearly disastrous exploits with Sarah weren't well known by many people. Lochlan's actions were ensuring that both Courts would soon know he was pursuing Tali. But then again, maybe that was his goal.

"You two are terrible," Sarah said, still shooting daggers at Jareth with her eyes.

"Thank you," the brothers both said.

Sarah shook her head as she pointed to the door.

"Please leave, Cormac." The advisor wasted no time in running past all three to leave the office.

When the door closed shut, Sarah turned to the Unseelie King. "Why must you know where she will be?" Sarah asked. "She'll be with me. She's fine."

Lochlan walked over to her desk and began rummaging through her papers. "I have no doubt she'll be safe in your care…"

"Stop going through my stuff!" Sarah yelled as she pushed him away from her desk.

"The Queen doesn't like it when people touch her things," Jareth teased as he approached his brother. "It's an ongoing issue with her."

"Shut up," Sarah snapped.

"Why have you migrated back to wearing men's clothing?" Lochlan asked. "I thought that particular choice in wardrobe was simply a dreadful phase of your life."

"It's a peculiar item that women Aboveground wear," Jareth explained. "This androgynous look is tempered by the fact that it makes their bum appear exceptionally ample- which I agree with."

"One, shut it, Jareth. Two, and I hate saying this over and over again, I am not wearing men's clothing," Sarah stated. "Three, this conversation is about you, not me."

"Here, take it" Jareth said, handing a piece of paper to his brother. "Our schedule for the next few weeks."

"Why'd you just give it to him?" Sarah asked him as Lochlan eagerly read the letter.

"Learn to pick your battles, Sarah," Jareth reasoned as he dropped into a chair.

"This tour is going to take nearly a month? What the bloody hell for?" Lochlan inquired. "Just transport to the next kingdom."

"We're not going to do that," Sarah explained. "We're taking a carriage. In the Aboveground, we call it a road trip. Road trips are fun."

"How pedestrian," he mocked.

"I've never seen any of these castles, let alone the land that surrounds them," she stated. "My father and grandmother thought it was fine to rule over a land they didn't know, but I don't. Also, did I mention that road trips are fun? Jareth's excited as well."

"I've been a bumbling fool for the past week. I'm beyond thrilled," Jareth drawled, sarcastically, causing Lochlan to chuckle.

"You're planning to crown a new ruler over the elves?" Lochlan mumbled. "Interesting."

"Would you like to come?" Sarah offered. "Especially since you didn't come to mine."

"Do you really want to rehash this?" Lochlan asked.

"No, not really," she sighed. "But you're invited; you're always invited."

A/N: And I'm back! It was hard to start writing again. But, let's get this ball rolling. Hopefully, this cold I got won't slow me down.