*A/N* So, despite my haphazard updating, this story is NOT over yet. You will be seeing the wedding and the battle and I am working on more regular updates. This chapter will be slapping yet another wrench in the works, fortunately a couple of our royal couples problems will be getting solved soon. Also, for a bit of fun, I'll be posting 2 song dedications at the end of each chapter. Sort of like high school prom when you dedicate a song to someone you love... only I love my characters. Hopefully this will help you see where I get my inspiration and may even raise a little awareness for my other stories. I would so shoutouts, but I'm feeling a little lazy... Shout out to the people who reviewed especially the ones who keep me on my toes by reminded me to update.
Chapter 25
Deep within the walls of the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, Jareth lay awake, staring at the mosaic ceiling as his reflection danced before him in the flickering of the light of the candle. The candle had burned low and still Jareth could not remedy the situation that had kept him awake for hours upon hours as his beautiful fiancé slumbered beside him.
The question, of course, was how they could possibly hope to defeat not only the king of the Deepground, but a foe unlike any he'd ever faced – a foe who's power was derived from a source that Jareth could hardly understand and who knew far more about him and his world than any Deepgrounder alive. All his life, Jareth had been made very aware of the power that knowledge held to the humans ready to wield it – having been defeated by it many times before.
For now, however, there was only strategy and planning. There were councils among royals and meetings among brothers. Alliances were formed and supplies were shared – races were learning to cooperate – to become brothers-in-arms – just like their kings and queens. The Underground was becoming a force to be reckoned with.
To add to everything, he and Sarah were due to be married in just over twenty-four hours. Like everything else in the Underground, their wedding was governed closely by tradition and ritual and Sarah had quickly becoming overwhelmed by it all. Jareth had helped when he could, but he had been preoccupied with his duties in preparation for the war as he was, at least until tomorrow, the only crowned ruler of the Labyrinth. Today would be no exception. As Sarah and Rinalda spent the day making the final arrangements, Jareth would be engrossed in yet another meeting with the other royals – discussing strategy and plans and trading resources. Amongst it all, the Underground was changing – developing itself in preparation and only a week ago, Morpheus had announced his engagement to Rinalda and asked the blessings of the five kingdoms. That was, of course, another thing that Jareth would have to see to in the next few days. He had been about to give her his blessing the day when it was announced, but she stopped him and asked him to wait until Sarah was crowned Queen – so she could receive both their blessings.
In short, Jareth's life for the last two weeks had been a blur, but for now, in the dark quiet of his obsidian bedchambers, all was quiet and still. Jareth's thoughts stilled as he looked at Sarah. Beneath the dark curtain of her hair, even she was changing. She was becoming Fae and it filled him with an excitement that he'd never felt before. The mere sight of her, like the sound of her voice and the touch of her skin, calmed him and brought him back to earth as he closed his eyes and drifted away.
Jareth tapped his foot in anticipation as he waited for the other rulers to arrive. They were all staying in the castle for the remainder of the week as they waited for wedding, but, as usual, Jareth had risen with the sun and now waited as the others rose and prepared for the day. There was some sense of foreboding in the air however, and Jareth shivered as he crossed to the window and looked out. The Labyrinth felt weak and frightened and she reminded him constantly by the tingling in his consciousness. The Labyrinth was like a child – in need of constant reassurance and protection no matter how old she was.
"We will protect you." He whispered aloud, speaking to the force of magic within himself. "My uncle may have abandoned you, but I will not." She was still trembling within his mind even as he heard the insistent clicking of boots on the stairs behind him.
"Jareth, you look troubled." Jareth didn't bother to turn, his gaze simply remaining on the sandstone walls outside his window as he heard his brother Geoffry's voice.
"The Labyrinth is frightened."
"I don't blame her. She was nearly destroyed the last time the Deepgrounders attacked. Her last king abandoned her and left her to die."
"Yes, but I hope that I have proven myself to be a better man than Uncle Jareth was. I suppose…." Jareth trailed off, wondering if he truly was a better man. Sarah had called him cruel once, and he'd admitted it to her. It was amazing how easily he measured himself by her words and actions. "I believe that there is a difference between cruel and heartless Jareth. Your kingdom requires much of you – and part of that is requiring you to be cold and calculating, but you have never been a heartless man. The real you always spills through in your actions and words – I believe that is why Sarah always longed to return to you."
"Well, Sarah was different."
"Different, perhaps, but you were no less cruel to her than the others. You are not our uncle, Jareth. You are a good man."
"Thank you. Geoffry." Jareth turned at last, only to be bewildered by the sight of a breathtakingly beautiful Fae woman standing in the doorway behind his brother. He cocked his head a little, his eyes imploring, but Geoffry simply smiled in reply. Jareth took a step forward, his hand extended toward her. She looked up at him through dark eyes before taking a step toward him and taking the hand he offered, allowing him to touch his lips to her fingers.
"I don't believe we've met. I'm Jareth, Geoffry's brother and ruler of the Goblin Kingdom."
"Jocelyn, Your Majesty." Much like the first time Sarah had met Morpheus, Jocelyn moved to curtsey, but Jareth held up a hand to halt her tribute.
"I don't hold with such nonsense unless you're running my Labyrinth, Jocelyn."
"Jareth is far too practical, Love."
"So, the two of you have a lot in common, then?" Jareth laughed as he eyes met the woman who his brother fondly called 'love'. Certainly, her most striking feature was her flawless Fae beauty – but that was something Jareth had seen many times before – many times on women who were less than beautiful on the inside. "Are you twins?"
"Fraternal triplets, actually. Have you not met Morpheus yet?" Jareth asked, conjuring an additional chair and waving the pair of them to their seats.
"I haven't had the pleasure. He's your other brother?"
"Yes. I think that encounter will be quite a surprise for you. Our brother is a very… unexpected man. A good man, but unexpected." Just then, a sound down the hall announced Coeus's arrival and Jareth rose again to welcome the Centaur king.
"Coeus, my friend, good morning."
"And a good morning to you, Jareth. Who is this?"
"This is Lady Jocelyn, a guest of my brother. I believe she will be joining us for the morning, yes?"
"Just for the morning, Jareth. Then I've promised to introduce her to Lady Sarah."
"Ah. Good luck with that. She has been quite busy I'm afraid – a bit of a terror to be around if you're not an experienced wedding planner."
"Congratulations on your wedding, Jareth."
"Thank you, Jocelyn." Jareth said, his eyes skimming over her form again despite his best efforts to avoid it. "It has been a long time coming – even longer for her I'm afraid."
"Yes, Geoffry has told the story."
"Oh, I'm sure his version is quite lovely." The girl looked perplexed so Jareth continued. "Sarah is from the Aboveground, so when she first arrived, Geoffry could still see her memories. I'm sure he has some privileged information about her." His brother seemed about the object, but Ondine entered then, her blue hair shimmering in the dawn light as she stopped in her tracks and looked down at Jocelyn.
"And what is she doing here, Jareth?"
"Why don't you ask Geoffry, Ondine. She is his guest." Jareth heard Geoffry whispering to Jocelyn, probably reassuring her about Ondine, but the Fae girl rose determinedly to her feet and crossed to Ondine, dropping to her knee before the Siren Queen.
"Queen Ondine, Your Majesty." Jareth recognized that as the host he had a responsibility to intervene, but for now he was just as baffled as the rest of the room.
"I was wondering where you'd run off to, Josie. So, it was Anamnesis, eh?" The young woman nodded without rising from her prostrate position on the floor. "You knew I'd find you, Child – that I'd drag you home someday. Did you think that you could hide in the memories and pretend you were one of them?" Jocelyn didn't respond and the rest of the room, including those who had filtered in since the scene began stared awestruck. "You can go home now, Josie. I'll be back there in a few days time." Ondine moved to dismiss the girl and transport her home, but Geoffry suddenly found his voice and rose, pulled Jocelyn back toward himself. Ondine turned her fury around at the Fae king but ceased her actions.
"I don't know what's going on here, but Jocelyn is my subject, Ondine. She swore her fealty to the Fae. She does not take orders from you." The siren laughed a bitter laugh, her voice even more pitched than usual.
"So you kept it from your new king, Josie. How unloyal of you. What are you doing here, anyway?" Ondine seemed to suddenly realize that there was no logical reason for Jocelyn's presence in Jareth's throne room. It was as if Jareth's could see the facts linking up in Ondine's mind as she looked at the way Geoffry was holding Jocelyn close to himself, her face buried in his chest.
"Funny, Ondine, I'm rather certain that very question is to be the first order of business today." Jareth said, finally reining in the situation as it spiraled out of control. "Won't you sit down?" The siren queen made no motion to move even as Geoffry led Jocelyn back to the table. Ondine's rage was palpable as she stared at them – the fury shattering her beautiful features until she looked as unattractive as Jareth knew her to be capable of. "Sit down, Ondine, before things get ugly. You don't want that. I don't want that." Jareth whispered, taking a step closer to stare her down as he felt Morpheus's presence beside him – the two brothers towering over the tiny siren. She rolled her eyes, the fury dissipating only slightly as she reluctantly took her seat. "Now, Geoffry, I think you'd better take the floor." Jareth took his seat in his throne, a silent reminder the Ondine to mind her manners in his castle.
"Thank you, Jareth. Yes, I do have what has suddenly become a rather urgent topic to bring up. In case you have not already surmised as much, The Underground magic has chosen a second ruler for the City of Anamnesis, namely Lady Jocelyn." Daggers shot from Ondine's eyes as she stared down her fellow ruler. "We await the sanction of the lords of Will, Passion, Dreams, Knowledge, and Fear."
"I will not allow it, Geoffry." Geoffry rose then, but before he could speak, the earth trembled beneath them as thunder rumbled above. The Underground was angry – Jareth could feel its anger leaching into the Labyrinth's consciousness and he knew the others could feel it too.
"It seems you may not have a choice in the matter, Ondine. You cannot deny her if she is worthy in the eyes of the Underground and by the virtues of your kingdom.
"But –"
"But what, Ondine? What gives you the right to deny our Mother, the Underground?"
"She's my daughter."
Song Dedications of the Week:
Anders (from Vengeance and Archdemons): Collide by Skillet (www .youtube. com/watch?v=YTEhSrgTyuU)
Sarah (from Between the Stars): Thinking of You by Katy Perry (www. youtube. com/watch?v=hnE-h4aPVIg)