Gerard was getting his latest report from the head of his spies in the Underground, frustrated at the lack of information he was receiving. It seems Jareth knew that not all of his subjects were trustworthy, he'd closed ranks, letting only those closest to him have any information regarding the upcoming war. Once again Gerard was getting second or third hand rumours and by the time the meeting ended he was furious, and his mood was not destined to get any better. No sooner had he dismissed his head spy than his mistress appeared, and she wasn't alone.
When Gerard saw the small human boy thrown unceremoniously on the floor in front of him, his spirits soared for an instant. His first thought was that his mistress had finally succumbed and brought him a fresh human child as a slave. However fear flooded his soul the second the child raised his head. This was no mere mortal, this with Sarah's brother, the infamous Toby. Jareth's magic surrounded this boy, it had infected him at such a young age that he retained a part of the Underground within him, he had an aura of magic that was unmistakable.
Gerard found himself taking steps backward, in an attempt to distance himself from the child. He was not stupid, he knew this move would have dire consequences. Nothing he had done so far would affect Sarah like the kidnapping of her younger brother. She would not take this lightly. He looked up from the child to his mistress, for once not seeing the madness in her eyes, but a strange clarity. This he could not understand, her having done this as part of a logical thought process.
"Why do this?"
"Jareth spends barely any time in the Underground, and with him guarding that bitch nothing I can do can kill her. The only chance I have at getting close to her is if she's back down here. I want her dead and what better way to kill someone than in a war? You think she's going to let dear old Toby get taken without a fight? She'll come back and when she does, this war will begin, and she will die."
It took Gerard a few moments to process her words, the fear of Sarah's retaliation still gripping him. Sarah was no weak mortal any more, she was powerful, certainly more powerful than him, maybe even more powerful than his mistress, and anger would only fuel her power. Nevertheless, with her back in the Underground there was more of a chance for her to get injured. However it was his mistress's last statement that gave him pause for thought.
"I thought you didn't want a war."
"Fool!" Her temper was swift. "I want my Kingdom! This has gone on long enough, I will not wait any longer to rule. I will take his throne, I will become High Queen, I will rule. Even if I have to wipe out the entire Royal family to do so!"
The madness was back and plain to see. Her determination to rule overrode all logical thought and left no room for fears of consequences. Yet in a way the madness was infectious. He too wanted Sarah dead, her humiliation of him and theft of his slaves and subjects would never be forgiven. He grinned back at his mistress, perfectly content to do whatever she wanted. For now at least.