Chapter21.
Leaving the suite of rooms his parents were to occupy, Toby wandered through the castle halls and corridors. He sulked, and he pouted, and he grumbled to himself. "I'm not the monster, Sarah is, and this is all her fault not mine." Finally the boy leaned on one dark gray stone wall and moped with a glower.
How could his own mother side with the, he paused in his thoughts. Jareth had said that Sarah had never been nor would ever be a witch. However Toby disagreed, after all had she not bewitched Jareth himself? He was playing right into her hands from where Toby stood. And he didn't like it, not at all. Instead of being overjoyed at being reunited with his heir, the King was spending time making sure that Sarah was comforted, and that Sarah was safe, and that Sarah was accepting the transition from mortal to changeling. Sarah, Sarah, SARAH!
"It's not fair," moaned the boy as he stood in the shadows of the passage. Two little goblins, which were considered unimportant and too small for real duties, watched the heir and edged closer in case he needed them~ for anything.
--
Ending the lingering kiss, Jareth leaned back against the arch, his hand holding the woman who was nearest and dearest to his heart. He was content for the moment, and at peace with Sarah, more than that he would not and could not ask for.
Sarah rested her head against him again, looking out at the Labyrinth. "It is beautiful," she murmured again.
"Yes," Jareth agreed gazing out the window. "It is." It gave him such inner joy to be able to share the vision of his kingdom with this his chosen queen. "You saw only a small portion of it upon your last visit with us." He murmured against her head. "I should like to give you a proper introduction to the Kingdom, my dear."
"We are never leaving," her voice echoed the sadness of her heart. "Are we?"
"No," he answered earnestly, saddened by the sound of disappointment. "It is not possible to allow you to leave, not now." His hand moved gently over her shoulder and arm. "Is the prospect of life here so… difficult for you to accept?"
Sarah contemplated how to answer him, coming to the response at a snail's pace. "Not so much for me, I have so little life in the above… my own choice really." She looked up at the face studying her. "I have tried to atone for my sins… but only succeeded in isolating myself from the world. No, for me being here is~ better." She looked out the window again. "I was thinking of Karen and Daddy, and Toby."
"Toby belongs to the Labyrinth Sarah," Jareth interjected solemnly. "He has since he was a babe that is moot."
"Karen and Daddy didn't, and I fear they will have a difficult time adjusting." Sarah whispered. "This is not the life they've planned."
"I will try to make the adjustment as easy on them as I can," Jareth promised.
"I've no doubt that you would," Sarah's voice sounded distant, and detached; "They are after all the parents of your heir."
Stormy eyes looked down at the girl, "Sarah, they are your parents as well."
"Had he not wished me away," she sobbed softly. "You would have stood back and let me rot above." When he tried to turn her face she added. "You said it yourself; you put a time spell on him to bring him back here when he turned twenty one. You didn't do the same for me…"
"I didn't want you to feel forced," the goblin king said in defense of his actions. "Had I thought for a moment that you'd have been willing…." He turned her, forcing her to look up into his face. "Damn it woman, I didn't want to let you go when you were fifteen… I would have…" he growled, and savagely pressed his lips to the startled young woman's. His hands now grappling with her and pull her closer, nearly toppling them both out the window.
Breathlessly she looked at him when he pulled back. "You should have done that back in the ballroom before I got scared."
"I wanted to," Jareth confessed, lowering his face to hers for another soul searching kiss.
--
Toby sniffed back the tears that were threatening to spill over. He determined to be strong and get through this insult. It was not like it was that important really, after all… he was the Heir. Sarah wasn't nor would she ever be. Having fortified himself with that actuality, he pulled away from the wall and headed toward the throne room to discuss the future with Jareth. He stopped in the entry as he saw the couple sitting on the ledge of the window, in a tender kiss. His face twisted with anger and revulsion, and betrayal. Turning on his heel he spun and headed down the corridor that lead to the lower level and the great doors of the entry to the castle.
How could Jareth not see what that witch was doing? How could the King fall into her traps, what was the matter with him, Toby wondered. The only thing he could see was that he was going to have to do something to prove that he was far more important to the Kingdom and it's King than that Witch was!
The two little goblins who had been watching the boy rushed after him as he headed out of the castle. They stayed just out of the boy's sightline but stayed with him as he moved past the village and toward the junkyard.
--
The wizard watched with feral eyes the preparations being made by the Goblin who had claimed the throne of the Mountain. He almost felt sorry for the fool, but only almost. Years of captivity had worn on him, and he'd lost some of his compassion for others. His leniency and benevolence toward the goblin race as a whole was nearly nonexistent now. He was beginning to understand why it was Oberon had insisted on Fae Kings in the Underground even over Kingdoms that had little to do with the Fae race.
He had been an outspoken opponent to the seating of Fae Kings. Now he had to admit that the old fox had known better. Oberon had been wise to insist on the ruling classes uniting. The wizard knew there were a few kingdoms that had no Fae King, but most of those held some kind of accord and treaty with the High King. The Elves had their own ruler, as did the Trolls and the inhabitants of the under the seas kingdoms. These had the wisdom to make pacts with the High King, but Dak`ar didn't have that sense. Dak`ar was hungry for what didn't belong to him.
Sensing that he was being watched, the Mountain Goblin glared at the wizard who was standing off to the side. "What is of such interest wizard?"
Moving forward, with more grace than he'd exhibited in a good many years, the old one smiled cryptically. "If I were to advise you to give up this folly what would be your reply?" His once regal robes were discolored and frayed now by the wear and tear of daily use. Still at this moment he looked more majestic and noble than he had ever appeared.
Dak`ar stared at him, blinking because of the inner glow that suddenly had appeared to surround the fallen wizard. "Is this some Fae trick," he asked under his breath.
"Not at all," smirked the wizard who knew that his redemption was coming. Soon he'd be free, and Dak`ar and this captivity would be only a ghastly memory.
The Mountain goblin snarled, and barred his great teeth at the Fae. "I will have what should have been my by right of birth… I will rule the mountain and the Labyrinth~" he declared with vigor. "And I shall take the Fae's woman, the human called Sarah." He laughed cruelly. "Once she's born my child I shall discard her."
The wizard shook his head, he had expected the answer, yet had hoped that the goblin would sense the dangers. "This is the quest of a fool," he warned.
Dak`ar snarled, "Why don't you fear me?"
"Because your end is near Dak`ar, and it is your own greed that brings it racing to your door." The wizard answered with more calm and tranquility than he'd known in a good many years. Mountain Goblins at their posts heard and pondered the meanings of the wizard's words. Leaning on his staff he chuckled, "I could give you warns, but you would only dismiss my words and rush headlong into the fray. So go ahead, Dak`ar… bring on the end of your reign." No sneering, nor gnashing of teeth from the angry goblin could cause fear in the wizard now. He was bolstered and feeling more himself. Dak`ar leaned back in his throne, frowning.
--
Toby headed out of the gate of the Goblin City, and moved down the path that would take him around not through the junkyard. He could see the high stacks of refuse moving about, but took little notice of the eyes of the old hag that were watching him. He moved with determination past the lost souls and goblins that inhabited the junkyard. There was going to be time enough to get acquainted with those subjects later he deliberated.
The hag moved with him, staying within the bounds of the limits of the junkyard. Her eyes watched and her lips twitched. This young princeling was up to something that could be troublesome for the King. She perceived that he was on a reckless mission of youth, but she felt she should keep an eye on him. It mattered not to her that he was also being trailed by two of the worthless little guttersnipes that inhabited the castle. Agnes was one of the elders of the yard, and he was on her border, that made him her responsibility. She had been given a dressing down some sixteen years before for having allowed the Sarah to slip through her fingers. While the boy was not on yard land proper, he was within its view.
"Where are you off to my fine young prince," she asked wanting to slow his progress down.
Toby halted, turned and looked at the hag. "I'm off to prove my worth."
"Indeed," cackled the old gnarled woman. "How does our prince intend to do that?"
Pouting and crossing his arms the boy huffed. "I'm going to find away to rid our kingdom of the interference of the Mountain goblins."
Taking a seat on a stump of refuse, Agnes stared at the boy. "That's quite the undertaking, laddie."
"I have to prove that I'm more important to the King than that Witch…"
Agnes held up a hand, "Your sister," she reminded the boy. "Your sister."
"She's bewitched the King," complained the disgruntled and peeved teen. "He's spending all his time with her instead of me!"
"And this disturbs you," mused the hag. "Lad you've much to learn."
Wanting to rage at the heavens, Toby growled, "How can I learn anything when he's too busy making mooneyes to teach me?"
Shrugging, Agnes sighed. "Young prince, the King has waited for sixteen years to be with the Lady Sarah again."
"I don't see why that should concern me," he snapped waspishly.
"Has our prince not tasted love?" Agnes asked wistfully.
"Of course I have," he declared.
The hag shook her head, "No," her voice was very nearly melancholy as she recalled a lost love. "I don't think you have."
"I dated lots of girls back in the mundane world," he argued coming closer to the boundary of the yard.
"However I doubt you ever loved even one of them," Agnes challenged. Toby frowned and tightened his crossed arms. "As I thought," she sighed. "How many broken hearts have you left in your wake, I wonder?"
His arms dropped to his side as he opened his mouth to protest, but could not find the words. Toby had never contemplated what his cold reserve toward the girls who lavished attention on him had wrought. "That's not the point," he insisted in a troubled whisper. "The point is my father is… ignoring me."
"He is but your adopted father, not a birth father," cautioned Agnes with cunning. "Come changeling prince; is your birth father as standoffish?"
"No," Toby admitted unwillingly. "But he cannot do for me what Jareth can!" He kicked at the pebbles on the path. "And Jareth's too busy making kissy face with… her."
Agnes gave the boy a cockeyed smile. "Were you a tenderer child you would understand and rejoice that the King has his lady once more."
"His lady," groused the boy in a fit of temperament; "Is the reason I was not here being properly trained." He pointed to the border. "There is real danger there, in that mountain. Those goblins are not friendly or favorable toward us."
Scratching at her chin, Agnes considered the words of the changeling prince. "No, but they have never been kindly towards us since they have been ruled by Dak`ar and his ilk."
Toby looked at the shadow of the mountain in the distance. "And our King is too busy making smooching noises to worry about the dangers at hand."
Agnes suddenly understood the boy, "Prince Jarethkin!" she admonished. "Don't do this…its fool hearty and stupid."
"Are you calling me stupid?" he challenged.
"No," she said with force, "I'm saying what you're thinking about doing is stupid. There is a difference."
"Ha!" he scoffed. "What I am going to do with show the King that I'm more important than that impaired Witch!" He turned and looked at the mountain with hunger. "I will be the saving of the Kingdom."
Agnes now stood up and moved as close to the border of the path as she dared. "Don't do this boy," she warned and looked to where the two goblins were sitting taking in the boy's words. "You don't have an army," she reminded the boy.
Stretching out his hand, and willing a crystal to form the boy looked at her with the confidence of one who did not really see the dangers he was rushing into to prove himself. "I am Prince Jarethkin, I have no need of an army." Defiantly he turned and marched toward the forest.
Agnes flagged down the goblins. "Stay with the little fool, I go to the King." She turned toward the goblin city and prayed she'd be in time.