An: yes, I changed the name. But just...think chess!

White Queen, Black Queen

Sarah felt her eyes darting between both the queens, and both sibling. So far none of them had spoken, and the nearest thing to it that she could hear would be Lenam's harsh breathing. She too was darting glances between the two women. The former Goblin Queen seemed to have no inclination to speak first, but the other grew impatient, hissing through her teeth.

"So it is here I find my child, in a crowd of hedons. And so fitting too, after what she has done!" Lenam paled, and Harrida seemed to change her whim, her voice sliding out in a husky silk.

"She ceased to be your child when you left her with my grandmother. You cannot accuse her of something you know nothing about." Jareth ruffled, and Sarah looked to him, slightly disconcerted by the steel she saw in his expression.

"And what is she accused of?"


"Jareth, this woman is-"


"Murder." the word was a sound like a whip, and the room fell into a breathless silence. Lenam staggered, and Barthael's arm slid around her waist with no second thought, despite the charge. For a moment, she stared into his eyes in wonder, then snapped her own back to her birth mother. Harrida spoke, and Sarah wondered how her voice became so hard.

"and what evidence do you have?"


"I have seen it." the crowd began to stir at this, and one elder that she suddenly desperately wished would die on the spot, terrible and plausible though it was, spoke in a thin reedy voice.

"the queen of shifting, of the unseelie shifters, has sight of many legends past." Jareth seemed not to know this, judging by the sharp jerk Sarah felt, and before she knew it they were looking at the other queen. Her eyes were like the blue of an l.e.d., manic in their luminescence. She was as beautiful as Harrida was, but in a sharper, more monochromatic way, aside from those eyes. She looked only at Jareth as he turned.

"Is this truth? You have seen my sister kill ?" Sarah darted a look at Lenam, who was as pale as death. She looked desperate to run—Barthael looked ready to facilitate the escape. Harrida's expression was pained and angry.

"Yes. I have seen it exactly."


"And who?"


"The former king. Your father." He stiffened, and Sarah parted from him to look at Lenam. She looked pale and fearful, but Barthael offered silent support at her side.

Jareth's countenance was frightening, and Sarah felt herself pull from him, a little affected. He looked stung by this, but refocused on his sister, speaking lowly.

"If this is true, I cannot overlook it--despite my hatred of him."

"I will not be sentenced before you know the whole of it. Especially with the news from the woman who gave me up. For stupid reasons!"

"You heard the man! She speaks truth!" Lenam's face looked betrayed. His trust was so easily swayed. Sarah stepped to her side.

"Jareth-don't do this. Not until you know the whole truth!" Jareth turned eyes to her, looking much as Lenam did. Sarah hated the hurt she saw, but Lenam was her friend. It wasn't unreasonable for her to want Lenam to have some say. Jareth suddenly snarled.

"You do not understand. These people—all around us, will cry for blood. I must do something—as much as I do not wish to-" Lenam snarled back, surprising all of them. Her eyes were bright, and her hair pulled out of it's arrangement. Barthael watched her in amazement, and gasped when she grabbed Sarah and him and took to the air.

"Then I will lead you away from them, brother. You want to know the truth? Then accept the challenge you have given every human. Follow us to another Labyrinth, one that will take you to the truth!" she streaked out then, Sarah gasping and squealing as they flew.

Jareth stared upward, his heart in his throat. He would have to take the challenge, if only to reclaim Sarah. He declared this much to his people, and they roared their approval. Challenges, hunts, all of these things were all devices invented to break the monotony of virtual immortality, and they were time honored. His people would watch in mirrors and lakes and crystals, aching for drama.

He, himself, wanted knowledge. How could his sister murder anyone? What secret could make her do so? He turned, looking from queen to queen. The black queen, he knew, was Nikeri. She had been his father's mistress, and was quite insane after his departure. She snarled at him as he looked at her, and spun out, her magic a whirl of shifting blue smoke, her shining black hair streaming as she left.

"She will take a different path...make a different journey." Jareth turned to the sound of his mother's voice, her golden horns winking in the light of the ballroom, like a born crown. He looked to her, his heart filling in a hole that had appeared at her death.

"And...my journey, mother? What path will I take?"


"We will make it together. Your place my son, even after all this time, is at my side. This journey will complete two stories. Efficiency is always good, no?" She extended her hand, and he tucked it firmly in his arm. The crowd roared their pleasure at this, the start of their entertainment. Lady Harrida looked amused, but soon her green eyes grew bright and wild with the promise of chase, and Jareth felt his own instinct join the song. Her next words were sharp with excitement and old magic.

"Now, after them, to the hunt. Before the trail is cold!"

Sarah was not sure where she had been left, but she was most definitely alone. It was very odd, but she felt as if she had taken Toby's original place, as if she were the prize this time. Still, there were worse places to be kept...the garden that surrounded her was beautiful, the flowers swaying gently as the breeze teased them. There was a pond in the center, and a nest of soft pillows to the side, under a soft pink cherry tree, it's branches supporting a canopy of blue gauze. 'I wonder who decorates...' it was a vague wonder, though, and she sat by the pond, trailing her fingers in it. Blinking, she looked closer, seeing Lenam's reflection. She turned, noting that her pointe shoes had been replaced with soft white boots, and her hair was a riot about her head...like Jareth's. Sarah blinked at her.


"You're not really here, are you?"


"No, Sarah, I am not." she sighed "I apologize in advance, for this. Yet another intrusion I make in your life."


"I can't bring myself to resent you for it." Sarah smiled, and Lenam gave her a tight one back. Sarah blinked. It was an expression she had not seen on Lenam's face...unfamiliar. Lenam sighed.

"You must know—that I did have a larger purpose for thrusting you back into the Underground." Sarah nodded.

"You wanted...me to be with your brother." she blushed a bit. Lenam nodded, looking grim.

"And--do you think you could stay with him?" Sarah blinked.

"Stay? I'm still here, aren't I?--"


"Sarah. I mean in the permanent sense." Lenam registered the shock on Sarah's face, her dark eyes nearly burning through her. The two were silent for several minutes, before Sarah could force herself to splutter about it. Her father! Toby! It was...it was...

What she in her selfish heart wanted.

She looked at Lenam, her green eyes wide, but sharper than they should have been for a dreamer.

"You mean...you meant to make me queen to his king?" Lenam nodded softly.

"You had it right the first time. I mean to make you the goblin Queen." Sarah couldn't help but stare slack-jawed, even as sparks seemed to glance off her skin. Her mind jumbled all the ramifications of marrying the Goblin king together...heirs...god, that meant consummation...and other less important things. She was a little frightened that the first seemed only to excite her. But it was a while before her startled brain worked out the biggest flaw. Lenam recognized the moment, smiling. 


"Clever as always, Sarah."

"But--he'll far outlive me. That's hardly fair, especially if he loves me...and if...if-" Sarah paused, looking to her friend, who laid a hand on her shoulder. She nodded, sighing a bit.


"I have thought this through. Should you choose to accept him--if all goes well--I will ensure that you live as long as he lives. That you are one of us." Sarah looked at her, reading between the lines. She was no fool, regardless of what anyone thought.

"All of this--hinges on my choice, doesn't it? But what I don't get...is why you would want him married so badly."


"I—do not want to be queen."


"Erm...why?" Lenam sighed, sitting down in the grass beside her.

"If you were Queen, Sarah, you would be relatively free. Jareth would attend to matters of state, and you would only have to do small things, and give him your love, and eventually children. With your lifespan, it would be no rush. But...If I were Queen--" here she flopped to her back. "There would be no Jareth. I would be expected to marry someone of station, or not marry at all, and I would be, in effect, alone."

Sarah processed this, noting the sorrow she heard in the word 'alone'. Again, Sarah was no fool. Lenam would be forced to hold Barthael at arms length, and no matter how she avoided the subject, this would tear her apart, when added to Jareth's death.

It seemed it was up to her, one puny mortal girl, to decide between her family and all dear to her underground. I was quite daunting...but logically, she figured, Jareth would let her visit her family. And to marry him...while being almost unimaginable, seemed like...well, it seemed like the right choice. Her heart was voting in the yes column, regardless, jumping in her breast for the opportunity. Taking a breath, she put a hand to Lenam's arm, and worked up an incredulous smile.

"I p—swear, that should he offer, I will take it."

Lenam smiled then, and Sarah could swear she felt the air shift, carrying the promise into permanence.

At the moment that Sarah swore, the black queen, Nikeri, was hopelessly lost. She hissed in frustration, having the distinct feeling this was purposeful. She had entered this labyrinth but an hour ago, and she was already about half done with it's deceptively beautiful facade. It was not like the goblins Labyrinth, though there were creatures lurking. It was ever fill with sun, and the glitter was there, blue this time, but everything else was utterly incomparable to it's cousin. Raising her arms, she addressed the sky, snarling like a wild cat.


"Care to tell me your game, daughter of mine?"


"Perhaps. But I am no daughter of yours, so no more of that."


"Fine. But please, indulge me."


"the whole truth-" the girl appeared, wearing white opposite to her black, smiling slightly. "is that you don't really deserve, in my opinion, to know anything." Nikeri hissed, moving to throttle her. Her hands passed through her slim neck, wringing a grin from her small mouth.

"Do you remember the prophecy that you gave the king?" this caused her to pause, her electric blue eyes sharpening.

"Yes. I remember quite well." Lenam tossed her head, grinning in a decidedly nasty way. She straightened her clothes.

"Wrong king. In truth, it was that prophecy that caused his death." Nikeri recoiled, snarling her dissent. "oh, yes, Black queen. It was your fault. And since you came all this way--I'll indulge you further. Enjoy the show-" she disappeared then, leaving the black queen to hiss at the vision that started around her.

Mother and son found the gates presently. No dwarf guarded these, only Barenwyn sat in front of them, spinning silk straight from the back of her body. Harrida caught her breath, meeting her eyes. Barenwyn said nothing, just extending a slim hand, the extra joint in her fingers making them seem appropriately spidery. Jareth understood first, ushering his mother closer. The seamstress retrieved an end of the silk, handing it to her former lady.

"Should the truth be too much, my lady." Harrida took it, and as she did, one door, small and unassuming, opened. Smiling her thanks, both of them, Jareth looking distinctly unsure for once, entered.

Jareth went first, looking about. It was not what he expected, surely. The walls were deceptively bright. Harrida was quick after him, her hand on his arm, the end of the silk in the other.

"That way, I'd wager. I wonder how she made all this-" Jareth went the suggested direction, his brow furrowing.

"I suspect it is all glamour--but it is awfully large for it." they rounded a bend, only to find a dead end. Attempting to backtrack, they found it closed. Jareth scowled, but Harrida hid a grin.

"Tricksy thing, isn't she?"


"Reminds me of someone else I know." she pursed her lips at that, turning back to the dead end. It was actually more like a circle, with a majestic fountain in the center. It poured not water, but some glittering liquid that fairly sang as it tumbled down, out of the mouth of a very distressed looking mermaid. Jareth looked as well, not batting a lash as the thing gave an audible wretch, spitting out the remaining liquid.

"Finally--that stuff tastes awful-"


"ah--you'd be a denizen of this labyrinth?" 


"ah, yes, I would. And you'd be challengers, correct?" Jareth scowled at her, but she only blinked almond eyes, her tail flopping as she adjusted. Harrida shook her head, approaching the edge of the basin at the bottom.

"Might I ask why we are trapped with you? Not that you're a punishment, mind-"

"Oh, but I am." she smirked, gesturing to the liquid. "Each of you must drink the liquid until you can see the passage. Likewise, the passage will not exist until you do." Jareth's scowl deepened, and he looked to his mother, then back to the mermaid.

"Drink, and nothing more?"


"Trust me, it's enough." Warily, both mother and son bent over the liquid. Their eyes met in the reflection, and Harrida suddenly smiled, throwing him into confusion.

"What?"

"Let us turn it into a game. Humor me-"

"Very well-"

"Very good. After each drink, we ask a question of the other-" before she said another word, he took the cup the mermaid offered, dipping it in and gulping down the liquid. He coughed at the flavor, like rotten strawberries and grass and potatoes. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't place exactly what.

"Alright mother--did you write that book? The labyrinth?"

She stared at him, the gold rings that circled her green irises glinting in the light. Her head lowered, and her golden horns shone the same way, nestled in her riot of ruby curls.

"yes, I did." she scooped up some of the liquid, dumping it into her mouth. To her it tasted like a hunk of raw, rancid meat. "what is it you really want to know, my son?" he stared at her still, mismatched eyes sharp on her face, or what he could see through her hair.

"Oh, many things, mother." he took another swig, his mouth twisting "let us start with this: how exactly did you make it come true, and why?" She looked up then, smiling a bit easier. The mermaid looked amused.

"Oh, that. I didn't mean to, at first. But as I wrote, I wished so hard that it would be true-" she bit her lip, looking up to the sky. "and then I gave it a terrible ending. I'm sorry. I think...that I was trying to teach you. That love cannot be demanded." she scooped another cup to her mouth, barely reacted to the taste. "What is the other question?" Jareth said nothing, instead scooping more of the liquid, which had been vastly increasing in disgusting taste since his first drink. His face was twisted with distaste, so much like his father that lady Harrida flinched imperceptibly.

"You disappeared. Why? Where did you go?" the mermaid looked ready to protest the extra question, but Harrida held her hand up, her eyes gleaming wetly. She set her cup aside, her lips pressed white and thin.

"I have no grand answer to that. It had much to do with premonition…and much to do with my own cowardice. And I cannot pretend that I deserve to be forgiven." Jareth stared at her, but she gestured. There behind them, was an ornate door. He took a step toward it, and Harrida stepped to his side.

"I have a feeling, my son, that much of what I am alluding to will be revealed in your sister's game." Jareth opened the door, his eyes unreadable.

"Let us hope so."

Lenam, the real, breathing, princess, sat on a bower of honeysuckle at the top of the Labyrinth, in a garden seemingly conjured up out of nowhere. Barthael stayed at her side, marveling at her work. She tapped oval nails against the heel of her boot. Every now and then, the scent of her knight's magic would stir her from her brooding, or his fur would brush her neck, and eventually she lifted her hands and tangled her hands in it, and plunked her face into the softness on his arm. He stared at her for a moment, and then he was kneeling next to her, moving her grips and her face to his soft neck.

"My lady--what is wrong?"
"Oh, Barthael--you bat no eye, flinch no muscle at my guilt. Tell, me what have I ever done to deserve so much devotion?"
"There are many answers I could give," he lifted her face, to look into dark eyes. "But the true one is one you know already, if you wish to see it." She stared at him, and then scrambled in a flurry of movement, kicking a hole into the delicate seat as she went. With a jerk she collided into him, knocking them both to the blue-green grass. His eyes widened at this, and he could only blame this on his surprise for a few seconds before he could think of nothing but her. It was inevitable- she had managed in that move to lay atop him, and her hair, wild about her face and shot through with light from the artificial sun, intoxicated him as it curtained around his face. He blinked, once, twice, before her eyes caught his, and he could look nowhere else.

"My head is ever full of you." She held the stare, and his breath caught in his large chest. She was so small in comparison, but possessed him like no other. Her eyes were searching now, lustrous as dew. "Always full of you. And you never told me-"

"Lenam-"

"Ah, say it again-"
"Lenam, my lady, I….didn't dare to hope. I haven't any right." He would have protested more, but her mouth covered his, and all rational thought once again flew. His heart beat like a caged bird, and hers did too, when he responded. It did not work smoothly, but it was right, and this helped things. Her mouth was soft, and when he gave into the temptation to flick his tongue across it she made a soft sound, which nearly undid him.

Lenam dug her fingers into his mane, nipping his mouth. She was pleased to hear his low rumble, and sank her fingers deeper to drag her nails across his scalp, silently urging him to touch her, that he more than allowed such things. He responded as she wished, but even so she wasn't prepared. His large hands glided up her small spine, bringing with them a wave of fire, and she pulled back to hiss out a breath. He watched her, knowing that this kiss had ended. She looked to him, her mouth swollen and her cheeks flushed.

"This is why I must win. To love you." His heart stuttered in time with the chime of a clock. The final puzzle had begun.

an: oh geeez….I'm sorry it's been so long. But I've been in college and sick and, well, etc. we're getting near the end though! I promise you one more romantic scene with Jareth and Sarah, if not more. I like those ;)