Well, this is it, folks: the final chapter. I can't believe this story is over. It makes me sad, though it also feels awesome to have it done (finally!). I can't think of anything else to say right now, so I hope you enjoy the final chapter!
Sarah checked her hair nervously in her vanity mirror for the fourth time in a minute. Unconsciously, she straitened her coronet and smoothed the midnight blue satin of her skirt. Everything was ready for her family's arrival, and had been for several hours, but she couldn't help feeling anxious. What are they going to think? Will Jareth be able to convince them to come see me after the fiasco with Toby? I'd be surprised if Karen doesn't ground him for life for disappearing without reasonable explanation, especially after Jareth and I showed up and practically kidnapped him from the house. Not to mention seeing Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus and the goblins.
Oh Lord, I forgot about the goblins and my friends…I bet Karen thought she was imagining things, and Dad? I don't know, Dad was always better at accepting things he didn't understand but still…a group of strange creatures standing around in his son's bedroom when his daughter and her husband show up and make them all disappear? That might be a stretch, even for him.
A few weeks ago, Jareth had begun to restore the magic binding the three worlds together. Jareth and his team had begun to repair the broken relationship as Sarah had suggested; despite his hesitance, Sarah's insight proved correct and though it would take time, the breach had begun to heal. With the help of several talented young titans and titanesses and a few of the more experienced courtiers, Jareth had successfully reversed Zeus' curse and destroyed the barrier separating the Underground from the Aboveground. It was now possible for any and all of the denizens of the Underground to learn the magic necessary to cross between worlds, though such transport was heavily supervised by the Court.
All their work completed, they had returned again to the topic of Sarah's family coming to the Underground for a visit. Jareth had predictably balked at the notion, unsettled by the thought of his human in-laws being introduced to the wonders of the Underground so forcibly.
"It's the only way they will believe anything we tell them, Jareth," argued Sarah. "Humans have lived by science and reason for the past couple hundred years. They won't believe in anything so fantastical unless they see it with their own eyes and touch it with their own hands."
"You don't think it will give your step-mother a heart attack?" Jareth asked soberly.
"She might act like it will, but I believe that her hysterics are all for show, just to make sure everyone knows how upset she is. Besides, even if it does have a real heart attack, you or I can just revive her magically."
"You're quite set on this aren't you?" said Jareth,
Sarah crossed her arms and jutted her chin out defiantly, "Of course I am. It's my family and I want them to understand my life and my world."
Jareth crossed the room to Sarah, his eyes twinkling with amusement at his wife's belligerence, "Then they can come. I'll go get them myself this afternoon; they can come for dinner and decide if they would like to stay the night. I know Toby will want to, but I would like to have your father and step-mother's permission for Toby to stay with us. I was thinking maybe he could come for the rest of his summer vacation."
"Oh, he would love that, and so would I," Sarah replied, delighted that Jareth had given his approval. She would have invited her family to come either way, but she liked to have Jareth on her side, he was, after all, her husband. From his crib, Galen chirped loudly, voicing his delight at being able to meet his grandparents. "You'll be happy to see them all, won't you?" Sarah crooned. "I know they will love you very much. Who could help but love you, my handsome little boy?"
"No one could resist him," Jareth murmured into Sarah's neck. "He is my son; he has my eyes, I think." He grinned at his son, who swatted playfully at his face and, grasping a lock of Jareth's long hair, tugged it hard. "Ooh, and his mother's temper."
Sarah elbowed Jareth in the ribs but he moved aside. "I better be going, love, if I am going to be getting your parents. I'm sure they will want to speak to me before we come back."
Sarah rolled her eyes and gave a longsuffering sigh, "I'm sure they will. I'll make certain the goblins clean up the place and are on their best behavior."
"Threaten them with the Bog if you have to," Jareth teased and with a light kiss on the nose and a soft farewell, he disappeared.
That had been four hours ago and Sarah was beginning to worry that her parents had decided to call the authorities and have Jareth arrested for kidnapping or worse. Her father had never been prone to fits of insanity, but he was extraordinarily protective where she was concerned and though he had been calm on the surface when she had told them she was leaving and getting married, she knew it had torn him up inside not to know where she was.
Galen rolled over in his crib and touched her arm. Daddy coming, mommy, he thought at her. That instant, Sarah also had the familiar 'sense' of Jareth's magic—something she had cultivated in the past few weeks. Every magic wielder left an imprint on the magic they used, a signature by which others attuned to their magic could sense whenever the person was using magic nearby. Sarah felt, or rather heard, Jareth's magical signature—the soft flutter of wings on the wind—and an instant later he appeared, Karen and Robert on either side of him, gripping his arms as if he were a life preserver. Toby ran out from behind the threesome, gave his sister a rushed greeting and sped off in search of his friends—he wasn't one for formalities and he knew the adults were going to be awhile.
Sarah cleared her throat. "Welcome to the Underground," she said cheerily, her voice cracking slightly on 'underground.' "And welcome to my and Jareth's home here in the Goblin Kingdom. There is someone here who would like very much to meet you." Sarah picked Galen up from his crib and went over to where her father and step-mother stood rigidly at Jareth's side. Robert was gazing in awe at the cavernous space—the goblins had cleaned and 'nicened' it up, as they liked to say, to make it seem grander for the king and queen's special guests. Karen was eyeing Jareth suspiciously from the corner of her eye; she still didn't trust him.
Sarah stopped in front of her father and held her son out to him. "Dad, I'd like you to meet Galen, my son."
"Your what?!" Karen stared at the baby, shocked, immediately forgetting her suspicion and the strange, new place she found herself in.
Robert stared too, his eyes misting. "He's beautiful," he whispered hoarsely. He looked deeply into his daughter's green eyes. "Sarah—I…I always knew you were born for great things. I just never knew how great…" he trailed off, choking up with emotion. "He has your eye color, Sarah." Robert held out a finger to touch the wispy dark hair on Galen's head.
"Would you like to hold your grandson?" asked Sarah, her face filled with love for her father. Robert nodded and as Sarah handed Galen over into her father's strong arms, the little boy reached up to place his hand on his grandfather's cheek.
"He's saying hello," said Sarah, filled with motherly pride. "He likes you already."
"S-sarah?" said Karen shyly. "C-can I hold him next?" All her antipathy forgotten, Karen basked in the delight of a grandmother for a grandchild, even if only a step-grandchild. Galen, Sarah thought, my little healer.
Sarah beamed at her step-mother. "Of course you can, Karen. You need never ask; my family is your family and my home, your home." Karen teared slightly, amazed at the transformation time had wrought: from a rebellious and self-centered teenager, Sarah had grown into a strong, powerful woman with a good heart and kind spirit.
She reached out and hugged her stepdaughter spontaneously. "I'm proud of you, Sarah," said Karen softly. "I don't think I ever told you that enough. You've grown into quite a remarkable woman."
"She has, hasn't she?" Jareth interjected; his face wore a familiar mischievous smile, but his eyes were filled with loving admiration. Sarah blushed; she couldn't recall a time when her heart felt as full as it did now.
After all her trials, the Goblin Queen finally found rest, body and soul. Like the calm after a summer storm, tranquility was hard fought and long in coming, yet enjoyed by all when it came. With her husband safely at her side and her son at her bosom, the Goblin Queen surveyed her kingdom with joy, anticipating the endless years she would enjoy in this, her true home. Her faithful friends—including the restored King and Queen of the centaurs—rejoiced in her victory and of all Queens in the Underground, she alone was called both warrior and mother. Women called her blessed and men, a might to be reckoned with. No one dared challenge her courage or valor, yet she tempered her power with compassion and elegance befitting a true wife and mother.
Throughout her reign discourse between her native land and new homeland increased a hundred-fold. It was the Age of Restoration, both of the Underground itself and the three worlds together. Her King continually strove to restore and renew the magic that had once been corrupted, a great part of which involved bringing outsiders across the boundaries of both worlds and forging relationships thereby, including the Queen's own family.
While he was alive, the Goblin Queen's father visited often and himself developed a love for the land and people of his daughter. His wife came but rarely. Once, the Goblin Queen's mother came—at the time the Queen gave birth to her third child, a daughter she named Linda, after her mother—but she did not come again. The youth who had once been a prisoner of the Goblin King—the young human child Toby—came at least once every year until the day he died and passed on into the Underworld, to join his father, mother and human friends. Our Great Queen was sad that day, the passing of human life no longer a threat to her, she was still not immune to the loss of her family.
Yet, like all Queens of the Underground, she did not reign forever. Indeed, after several millennia as Queen of the Goblin Kingdom—a rule filled with its share of joys and sorrows—she and her King relinquished their thrones to their eldest son Galen—a man of his father's power and mother's strength. With their reign over the Kingdom at an end, Goblin King and Queen retired to the Court of the Wise, taking an honored place beside their predecessors. The Goblin King's considerable talent for negotiation and argumentation fostered creative thinking and healthy debate and our Great Queen's experience and wisdom tempered the small-minded, narrow perspectives of the older generations. How long they shall remain with us at Court, we do not know, but the passing of years weighs no heavier upon them as it does upon all who bear the mantle of authority. Who knows now whether they might some day pass on into the wilds of the Underground to join the former King and Queen of heaven in their solitude and enjoy each other for eternity.
Thus ends the travails of the Goblin Queen. Before her there had never arisen a Queen like her, nor since has there ever been one to rival her in strength, perseverance, beauty and wisdom. This tale is now at an end and should any wish any further knowledge of the Goblin King, Goblin Queen and their children, one may consult the Annals and Histories contained within the Court archives.
——Excerpt from "The Travails of the Goblin Queen," Appendixed to the Annals of the Court of the Wise by Asenath, Court Scribe, in the year 7534, Age of Restoration
Thank you all for bearing with my writing and being so patient as I completed my work. I have greatly enjoyed interacting with you and hearing your perspectives. In my last chapter, I forgot to thank KawaiiScorpio for her idea regarding sending Ammon and the rest to the Bog of Eternal Stench—thanks so much for your great idea!
I would like to personally thank all of you who reviewed my story while it was in process. I deeply appreciate all your encouragement, insight, and fun notes. It helped me get things done so much faster knowing you were anticipating it. So thank you Ferlinda the Dreamweaver, hazlgrnLizzy, Gaming Girl, MyraValhalla, Shiroikami, Miyokoshape, notwritten, samjosam, GoblinPrincessAza, Arrna, AmarieElfMaiden, Opal Roses, Jane Owen, WhySoSerious1992, ChilaliSnowbird, zanygerbil, xVAMPIRExEMPRESSx, KawaiiScorpio, Xena505, daughterofthe1king, Echelon4eva, owls-love, liza29, GLR97, Trosteule, Mommys-Little-Nightmare, , trampymctramp, shadow-fae, ksbubbleskg, jamielouise, Princess of the Fae, spihh110, triona, The Labyrinths Scribe, LadyKate24, Dancequeen105, Artemis Queen of the Stars, under00z, Daughter of Inis, Princess Bel, gyrohare, jengrl44, Mint Tea Rose, SarahV, Lady Kurina, strangefish, Outsidersluver1992, lanabyte, Everything you know is fangirl, My Silver Angel Wings, Julianna Tala, and tomoe-gozen52. I can't thank you enough! Your reviews mean so much.
Thank you also to everyone who favorited this story; I'm delighted that you consider it one of your favs: Abe Lincoln Equals Scotland, Adria491, alkaidx10, AmethystLainey, Angelstar, anorien7, Archon1, Artemis Queen of the Stars, AsuCagafan, Blue Symphony, C-Perey, Clara Clog, clara954, CMaddict07, CynthiaStar, daughterofthe1king, Defying Definition, DovesCry, Enelen, Esmerelda Calicofury, Etel, GoblinPrincessAza, Julianna Tala, KawaiiScorpio, Kita Kudai, ksbubbleskg, Lady Kurina, lanabyte, mariacat, Miyokoshape, My Silver Angel Wings, MyraValhallah, nicdag, Opal Roses, owls-love, Princess Bel, Princess of the Fae, RevengeOfEnvy, Sakura Maxwell-Minamino, samjosam, Serenity458, TinkLuvr16, Trosteule, WhySoSerious1992, Xena505, and xVAMPIRExEMPRESSx.
You are all such wonderful readers, an aspiring author couldn't ask for more! And in case you are wondering, I do plan on writing more stories, but I'm going to take a little break for a while (probably only a month or two) so that I can focus on some other things. Love to you all!
NiennatheWise