A/N: Hello loves. This year has been an up and down year for this story and I'm trying to get back into the swing of it, but it's taking its time. I'm struggling with a lot of my ongoing stories and this is taking the hardest hit. But I'm not giving up. Even if you might. So here's an update. Enjoy.

OOOOOOOOO

Mai walked through the castle, trying very hard to sort through her thoughts after breakfast. She wandered into the library that Jareth used as an office and saw that the Goblin King was seated at his desk, immersed in paperwork. She was relieved to see that Minthe was nowhere to be seen. Even enduring breakfast with that demigoddess and her charming personality had settled something bitter in Mai's stomach, watching her best friends swoon over the beauty's ways and kindness.

How can I even begin to tell him that I am bothered by her kindness? Mai wondered, reaching up to brush back a strand of her hair that had fallen in her face. She's been at his side longer than I have and he knows her more…maybe I can't?

"Mai," Jareth said, lifting his mismatched gaze from the papers in front of him. A smirk touched his face, revealing sharp canines. "Come to distract me?"

"Distract you?" Mai asked, moving farther into the library. "Why would I do that when you've got so much paperwork to do?"

Jareth's smirk turned feral and mischievous as the door to the library clicked shut, spooking Mai. "There's nothing that says that a king can't have breaks throughout his day." He beckoned her forward with two fingers. "Come, Mai dear. Distract this old king."

Mai moved over to the desk and kept it between them as she leaned forward slightly. "What kind of distractions are you talking about, Goblin King?"

"You know me very well, Mai. Surely you don't have to ask." He pushed himself back away from the desk and rose to his feet. His gaze slid around the room before settling on her once more. "I'm sure there are spots around here that we have not used before, but we can always rechristen them."

Mai danced back. "Naughty."

Jareth laughed and appeared in front of her. "You enjoy this side of me, Mai." He cupped her face in between his hands and pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss. "I could kiss you for days on end and never tire of it."

The Elven Princess tried to lose herself in the kiss as Jareth took it deeper for a moment, gently backing her towards the chaise that he knew she favored, but her thoughts kept circling back to their current situation. The dark one, not this fun one that came from their happiness. She kissed him softly and slid her hands over his chest, gently tapping his skin with her nails.

"Jareth, can we stop for just a moment?" Mai asked breathlessly, turning her face away which allowed Jareth to change tact and make his way to her neck instead.

"Do you really want to stop now?" Jareth murmured against her skin, teeth grazing her flesh as he pressed himself against her.

"Well, I want to talk to you about something," Mai said, trying very hard to keep herself from crying out as Jareth nipped at her flesh. "And when I talk to you, I'd very much appreciate it if I wasn't screaming in pleasure at the same time."

Jareth chuckled and pressed a kiss to her neck before parting from her. "As if you could speak after I was done with you…" He guided her to the chaise and eased her down onto it before taking a seat next to her. "Now, what is so important that you cannot allow me to distract you and vice versa?"
Mai sighed and looked down at her hands. "I think something bad is going to happen."

"You've had a vision?"

"No, I just have this gut feeling." Mai slid a hand over her stomach. "Every time I think about something – someone – I get this feeling of dread in my gut and I can't stop it. I don't know what's happening."

"Who is it?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Mai, tell me."

Mai wet her lips and met his gaze hesitantly. "It's Minthe, Jareth."

She watched as confusion hit Jareth's mismatched eyes hard and he pulled away from her slightly. "Minthe?"

"I know she just came here, Jareth, and she's been so kind, but I can't shake what I'm feeling," Mai said, looking at him. "She just gives me this weird vibe, like she's trying too hard to be good and I don't like it."

Jareth shook his head and pushed himself to his feet. "Mai, Minthe has been in service to my family for centuries. Long before your existence was even thought of. She is good."

"We thought that the triplets were good too," Mai reminded him. "And look how they turned out."

A scowl touched his lips. "Are you really comparing one of my greatest friends to those monsters that killed your parents and so many others? The ones that nearly killed you?"

"I'm just saying that there could be more to Minthe than she's letting on," Mai said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Ellie said –"

"You've been talking to Ellie about Minthe?" Jareth let out a snort. "That tells me why your head is so filled with doubt about her. Ellie has never trusted her for some reason." He put his hand on his hip and rested the other on her shoulder. "You, however, can trust Minthe, Mai dear."

Mai frowned up at him. "And what if I can't? What if there's a good reason that Ellie couldn't – can't – trust Minthe? What if she's not a good person, Jareth?"

"Mai, stop. You're confused."

"I'm not," Mai said, pushing his hand off her shoulder and rising to her feet. "I know what I'm feeling and every time I look at Minthe, I feel like I'm walking on thin ice that keeps getting thinner. She's – she's hiding something, Jareth. Right in front of all of us and you're too blind to see it."

"Mai, be silent," Jareth ordered, glaring at her. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I will not be silent!" Mai snapped, glaring right back at him. "I'm telling you what I'm feeling and you know I don't go around judging people like this lightly…Jareth, please listen to me. Something is wrong with Minthe. She can't be good. She can't be."

Mai's face twisted away from Jareth as if she had been struck and she fell back onto the chaise, but Jareth had never lifted a hand to her face. His magic had been enough to do the damage. Mai touched her bottom lip to find blood staining her bottom lip and she looked at Jareth in surprise. He was breathing heavily as he stared at her, his hands balled into tight fists.

"You will respect Minthe as long as she resides in my castle, Mai," Jareth told her in a tight voice. "She is my honored guest and a respected friend. She has more status than all of us combined and she is here to help you find the person that is trying to kill you. Don't forget that, you stubborn girl."

Mai swiped her tongue over her bottom lip and let out a small growl. "Can I go, Goblin King? I believe I've distracted you enough from your very important paperwork."

Jareth waved her off. "Go."

Mai rose to her feet and walked away, her arms tucked across her stomach. She hadn't made it far from the library before she became aware that Avery was approaching her and that he was not happy.

Uh-oh…

"Princess," Avery hissed, his hand flying to her face to cup her chin and he touched his thumb to her busted lip. "Who struck you? What bastard in the kingdoms dared to put their hands on you?"

Mai drew in a sharp breath. "No one put their hands on me. He's never put his hands on me like that since that one time…"

Avery bared his fangs. "Jareth? Jareth the Goblin King struck you with magic and drew your blood?" He let out a growl and put his hand to the hilt of his sword. "I should draw his blood tenfold for doing that to you. No one attacks the one that I have taken a Blood Oath to."

The Elven Princess put her hand over his and squeezed. "Avery, please don't go after him."

"But he attacked you, Mai," Avery hissed, glaring at the blood that stained her bottom lip. "I am bound to protect you and I failed. You have to let me exact vengeance."

"I antagonized him by calling out Minthe without proof," Mai muttered, tightening her grip on his hand. "All I have is a gut feeling that she's no good and that's it. I can't explain why I feel this way and maybe I shouldn't have brought it up to Jareth, but I was told to be honest with him. And Avery, it set him off. I did this to myself. Please, just leave him alone." She made a face. "Even if I would like it for you to punch him in the face for being a bastard to me."

Avery smirked. "I would gladly rearrange his nose in a heartbeat for you, Princess."

"I'm sure." She glanced at his fangs. "Is my blood bothering you?"

"A tad, but I have fed and I can only feed from my mate now, so you're safe." He glanced past her in the direction that she had come from. "Are you sure you don't want me to deal with the Goblin King for you?"

"Leave him be." Mai crossed her arms over her chest again. "I don't even want to deal with him now. If I knew he couldn't get through a barrier that I put up in my room, I would go up there and stay there, but he's going to come bug me at some point. To get another round of "I'm Right and You're Wrong" in my face. I don't want to have to mess with him." She rolled a shoulder. "I want to paint in peace."

"Then come with me," Avery told her, putting his arm around her. "I know where you can have a moment alone without that annoying King in your presence. And if he comes at you again in anger, I will not hold back on my own. Understood, Princess?"

Mai nodded. "I understand, Blood Guard."

OOOOOOOOOO

Jareth cursed under his breath as he walked through the gardens of the Labyrinth after abandoning his paperwork. He couldn't believe that he had struck Mai in anger, but he couldn't believe her stupidity. How could she believe that there was anything wrong with Minthe without proof and simply after meeting her for just one day? He knew Minthe, he had grown up around the demigoddess. There was nothing about her that he could tell that was bad, except for her love of pickle juice and sardines.

"That infernal girl," Jareth hissed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So stubborn and childish."

I suppose you're talking about Mai, a familiar voice said as the Spirit of the Labyrinth floated over to his side. In a very rude and mean way, mind you, for a man that is supposed to love her like you do.

"Don't start with me," Jareth commanded, glancing at the Spirit. "It's bad enough that Mai has brought up something that irked me and I really don't need you on my case about how I treat my fiancé. I will speak about her how I want. And she is childish and stubborn." He folded his arms over his chest and looked out at the world around him. "I cannot believe her sometimes."

Tell me what has you thinking this of her, Jareth.

"Mai has it in her head that Minthe is a bad person, with absolutely no proof to back up her words or feelings."

The Spirit shook her head. Even I haven't liked Minthe, Jareth, but I've known her for almost as long as you have. It does not please me that you have allowed her to stay in my walls, in your castle and continue to let her reside there for as long as you feel it necessary. I am in agreement with Mai. Minthe is a bad person, under that guise of good.

"Not you too, Spirit," Jareth complained, looking at the Spirit fully. "What is it with you people? What have you gotten into your heads that makes you think of Minthe as a bad person? She has done nothing to your walls and to your creatures to make you hate her. Ellie has never been wronged by her, so she has no reason to mistrust her. And Mai has just met her. What justification do you lot have to mistrust Minthe?"

The Spirit looked at him with glowing blue-white eyes. Jareth, think of it. Have you ever been misled by us three? Ellie is your Healer and advisor, the daughter of your most trusted advisor in history. I am the Spirit of your home, your Kingdom. And Mai, she has never once lied to you about her feelings towards a person. When she feels like something is wrong, she tells you. Yes, there are times that she shuts herself down and hides things, but with gentle nudging, she does tell you what she feels. And she is telling you that she believes there is a wolf in your home right now that could be waiting to strike before you can stop her. Minthe may not be the woman that we were all led to believe that she is and you would rather stand here and grumble about how Mai is childish and stubborn and infernal, than listen to her concerns.

She drew back a little and looked at him hard. You didn't actually strike her with your magic, did you?

Jareth winced. "I did…"

Goblin King…Somewhere in the Labyrinth a wall toppled over as the Spirit lost control of her emotions for a moment. She shook her head and rotated her shoulders. You had better make it up to her without making a mess of things. Because if you lose her again and start ruining this kingdom, I will not be happy. I cannot take the loss of more walls and the destruction of parts of me like I did last time. It took so much energy to rebuild myself and I will not do it again. I will have your father look for a new king of the Goblin City if I have to. But I pray to the Goddess that you're smarter than that.

Jareth ran a hand over his face and looked out at the world again. "What exactly am I supposed to do?" He was meant with silence and knew that the Spirit was gone. "I need to see Mai, I suppose…"

The Goblin King flicked his wrist and conjured a crystal. He thought of his fiancé, that stubborn girl that drove him wild and insane at the same time, but was met with a fog. He tried to get past that fog, but he couldn't push it aside even with his magic. It was just like when Mai had put herself in the Aboveground and hid from him. She didn't want him to see her through a crystal and that meant he had to come for her on his own, blindly.

"Stubborn, little Princess," Jareth muttered, throwing the crystal aside and watching it burst into a shower of glitter. "Always defying me."

He smirked. But perhaps that is a reason to love her?

Jareth leapt into the air and took the form of a white barn owl, flying towards the castle in the heart of the Goblin City.

OOOOOOOOOO

Mai glared at the painting that she was making of Jareth and listened to the music resounding around the room that Avery had led her to. It was loud and the beat pulsed around the room, hurting his ears, she was sure, but he wasn't complaining as she slashed her paintbrush at the background of the painting and avoided getting it on the figure at the foreground.

"It looks just like him," Taryn commented from the side where she was dancing. "Grumpy face and all." She twirled. "Maybe you should give him horns and call him a demon."

"Nah," Mai said, smearing some paint across her cheek as she wiped her hand over her face. "He's just a grumpy person. And why ruin a good painting with demon horns?" She took more paint to the painting. "I think I'm almost done with the Grump King's painting."

"Yay, not." Taryn said, wiggling her finger. She smiled. "I like this Aboveground music." Her blue eyes turned to Avery. "Can we have this music too? Please?"

Avery let out a growl and he pushed himself away from the wall as something landed in the room. "What the hell are you doing in here, Goblin King?"

Mai let out a small humph and kept her back to him as she painted.

"Mai, can we talk?" Jareth's voice asked, sounding hurt.

OOOOOOOOO

A/N: I'm going to try to keep this story going until I can get to the ending that I intended, so I don't know when that will come. I'm working on the plotline and getting to that point a little by little. Let me know how I'm doing, please. And have a happy holiday season. Thank you. -Scarlet