*does a happy dance* a new chapter, took me a bit since it got confusing even for me...*looks into her bag o' plots* so many bishies wanting to cameo...but not this chapter, sorry guys...*snuggels up to her pet Nuada* I'm with the elf for now...
Healing, unhappiness and the Laby defending the goblin city...
The healer's tent...
Pen released Nuada's hand when he fell into a natural sleep. The healers were doing their best, and the king was improving. The head healer said her presence had done much to aid in their work as she kept his attention focused upon her while they had tended to the damage done by the queen's poisoning. She accepted the praise in stride, it would be a long time before he was going to be able to care for himself.
"...he should heal quickly, the poison is the major factor." The head healer said.
She nodded, "I will remain at his side..."
The head healer nodded, watching her fingers move in the arcane signs of the cant.
Some hours later...
The queen and her band were no further into the maze, it seemed to have twisted upon itself to trap them. Besides having her guards picked off, some had disappeared into shadows followed by chilling, wet crunching sounds. It appeared the Labyrinth had more defenses than she thought.
"Where now Goblin..." She asked Jaeren.
The goblin prince let out an intelligible murmur, the poison having robbed him of speech. He pointed to a solid wall.
"You are mad..."
Jaeren made the gesture again, they could go through.
"Very well..." She pointed at one of the remaining guard. "You go first..."
The guard trembled and obeyed, the wall parted as he approached it.
"You may save your hide yet, Goblin..." She said following close behind the guard.
Even in his deteriorating state, Jaeren knew the Maze was toying with them.
The healer's tent...
Nuada stirred, turning to look to the bedside. She was still there, her hand not far from his. He moved his hand to rest on top of hers, only to have it pulled away. Her hand moved to rest upon his cheek, her thumb brushing across the bone. He turned his head to kiss her palm. She gave him a slight smile.
"...How did I get here?" He asked softly.
"A better question would be Why..." Jareth said, frowning as he entered. "Go to break your fast, I will watch over him..."
Pen rose, stiff from sitting at Nuada's side. "I will return shortly..."
Jareth nodded, holding open the flap so she could exit.
"...She has no voice." Jareth said. "No is she likely to again..."
Nuada shook his head. "Lochain told me of her sacrifice, but why?"
"She did as her heart bade." Jareth said. "She was your heart, is she still?" The Goblin king frowned. "I saw her after you broke, she did not speak a word save when I asked her to preform for my court. Her heart was beyond broken.."
"I could not let her betrayal go." Nuada said, much too softly. "She would have killed me, if I..."
"So you tore her out of the life she was making for herself, cursed the child in her womb..." Jareth hissed. "All because of an order that was never given..."
Nuada's hand curled into a weak fist, which Jareth suspected would have been sailing to his face if the High King had been stronger.
"And yet she remains as you left her, loving and loyal. Think Silverlance, could any other woman have loved you so fiercely as to sacrifice such a valuable gift..."
Nuada turned his head to the wall of the tent, Jareth was right no other would have given up such a gift for him.
"No..." He said. "There is not..."
Jareth could see the effect his words were having upon the high King, an effect he hoped would be a lasting one.
"I have half your army outside my gates." Jareth said. "All because of your wife."
Nuada frowned, "What reason would she have...Tam Lin..."
"Yes and more so his mother." Jareth said. "Lochain lost his life seeing her and your son's safe..."
The tent flap russtled, she had returned, a tray balanced upon her hands. Jareth took the tray from her hands so she could enter.
"There is a disturbance in the labyrinth..." She signed. "the fountain runs red..."
Jareth set the tray down "I will see what it is, do not worry yourself."
Nuada gave Jareth a look before turning his attention to Pen and the food she'd brought.
In the maze...
Only the queen and Jaeren remained, the Goblin Prince near insensate from blood loss and poison. Jareth strode through one of the walls, a wicked grin on his face. This was only one of the places he planed to taunt her.
"Enjoying my Maze your majesty?" He purred.
"Where is she, you bastard." The queen hissed, still focused upon her hate.
"The Guild mistress is safely held in my castle, which you seem to have trouble finding..."
Jareth was amused, this was usually about the time he had runners begging him to show mercy.
"Tell me you bastard..."
Jareth grinned, showing off pointed teeth.
"You'll find my castle soon enough, your end waits there..." He said, sliding back through the wall. "Soon you won't have your guide...and all the better to play the game..."
The queen screamed in rage, but dared not attempt to charge the wall, several of her men had passed through and become trapped in the walls.
The other side of the wall...
Jareth turned to Hoggel, the old dwarf grinned and pointed to the doors. Jareth raised an eyebrow, cruel perhaps but quite perfect. Hoggel led the small band of goblins away, they'd harass the Queen until she came to the doors and then let the Labyrinth funnel her toward the castle. They only needed a few more hours and the queen would meet her end.
The healer's tent...
Nuada stretched, trying to get some movement back into his stiffened limbs. The healers had quickly purged the poison from him, but it had left him achy and stiff. He turned his head to see Pen talking to one of the healers, trying to read what she was signing. He had not realized until now how calming her voice had been to his frayed psyche. She had given that up to keep him in the living side of the veil. He could only make out one or two words, but the quiet blush to her skin said the healer was flirting with her. He let out a growl, low and rumbling. The healer quickly got the hint and fled.
That was unfair... She signed. He was only flirting, and I've made it clear I am taken.
"How so, I do not see the ring about your finger..."
His snapping tone near screamed jealousy. Her body began to shake, at first he thought it from anger until he saw the amusement in her eyes. She had not worn the ring since she ha moved into the Dublin Troll Market.
SO I have an orange eyed monster on my hands...
"I am not jealous." He said, frowning.
Yes, my dear king, you are...I have not worn it in over two years.
Her answer surprised him, though he was sure that there had been no one else vying for her affections.
"How can you claim..." Then he saw it, the pendant hanging from the band at her throat. "You kept that..."
The sliver was tarnished, but the stone near glowed in the diffuse light of the tent.
Yes, I did. In memory of the stag lord...
It had been over a decade since he'd gifted it to her upon that Samhain night, not knowing he'd sired a son. Such things were proper gifts to the mothers of Royal children. He moved toward her slowly, still a bit unsteady, and pulled her into his arms.
"Stag I may have been, but the wolf consumed my heart..." He whispered.
She tried to "Say" something, he stopped her.
"No, don't. Just let me hold on to you." He stroked over her hair, frowning at the tent flaps. "I care not who passes by..."
She sighed against his skin, he still smelled of sickness but she could catch a faint whiff of his scent beneath it. She looked up into his face, his eyes were darkened with regret.
"...Your majesty...oh, Forgive me." The healer said as he entered to see them in their embrace. "King Jareth has a bath prepared for you..."
Nuada looked down at her and then at the healer.
"A bath would be most welcome..."
The healer nodded and gave directions to where the bath had been prepared.
A short time later...
Pen poured the scented water over Nuada's head, letting the water cascade down the silken strands of his hair. She took delight in the sound he made, one of pure male contentment. She set the pitcher down and went for the paste like soap beside the tub.
"...I remember when you first did this..." He said, his eyes closed. "I must have smelled like a brew house..."
No, you smelled sick... came the faint echo. Just as you do now...
He knew it was difficult for her to use that method to communicate with him after so long, but it gave her a way to speak. He felt her fingers in his hair, working the soap down to the scalp. Her fingers paused behind his ears, perhaps expecting to find the plaits she'd fastened into his hair.
"I removed them the day I became king..." He said softly.
Her fingers continued working through the strands, pausing only to apply more soap. He found her silence to his statement disturbing.
"...it displeases you?"
More silence, only the methodical working of her fingers and then more water.
He turned, hair still slicked with soap to look at her.
"I asked..." he growled "if it displeases you..."
Is not my silence answer enough... the echo was harsh. I will leave you to finish on your own.
She rose and left, leaving him to call an attendant to finish with his bath.
A few hours later...
Nuada frowned when Pen did not come to the quarters Jareth had provided for him. He asked for directions to the Nursery, his anger simmering below the surface. He found her with Danchet and Tam Lin in her lap, "reading" to them. The elder boy looked up and froze, pressing closer to his mother. The look in her eyes told him he was not welcome and he turned and left only to run into Jareth.
"...She knows you struck Tam Lin, and you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with Danchet." Jareth said, having moved them both to his study. "...some things cannot be forgiven."
He turned and looked at Jareth. "Then I shall never know my sons..."
"At this point, it is highly likely." Jareth said. "You angered her some how this day..."
"I removed the plaits she fastened into my hair, destroyed the clasps at my wedding feast..."
Jareth frowned "An unwise choice, but what is done, is done."
He looked down into the snifter Jareth had shoved into his hand moments after they had arrived.
"What she did cost her." Jareth said. "You did not see her after what she had done, she could have been a wraith for all she spoke. She intended to make a life for herself and her child in the Dublin market, you took that from her..." The goblin king took a swallow of brandy. "Cursed her child even before he met the world..."
The glass cracked in his hand he was holding it so hard, then it shattered; driving glass and the pungent liquor into his skin. He made a noise of pain as the shards fell to the carpet.
"...Careful your majesty, you could hurt yourself further..."
He felt unsteady upon his feet, the image of the Goblin King blurring before his eyes. He only saw Jareth come toward him as everything faded to black.