Eltharion's magic reminded her of a gentle summers day, comforting and restful.
"Um, Your Majesty, I was hoping you could help Jareth?" Sarah suggested, trying to focus despite feeling wonderfully lethargic, only he didn't take the hint.
He reached out and held his right hand just to the left of her head.
"How remarkable," he said and dropped his hand to his side.
"What is?" Sarah asked and the High King just smirked at her in the exact same frustratingly knowing manner that Jareth did when he had something on her.
"Ugh, you are totally his father," she shuddered to herself.
He chuckled at that.
"You've summoned me, unrestricted, save for the iron wards which I see are for the protection of those behind them. I've not had such free access to this plain in centuries, why should I stay here and do your petty bidding?"
"I had thought you would have a modicum of fatherly concern for your son, am I wrong?" Sarah said with an edge to her tone.
"You wish for me to assist by the goodness of my heart?" he sounded incredulous.
"No, for the debt you owe your son in not raising him as your own."
She flinched back as Eltharion rounded on her, his eyes blazing and his magic whipping up like a firestorm around him.
"You accuse me of neglect?"
"You deny it?"
He glowered at her, his magic flaring in such fits and starts she expected to see it sparking any second.
"I did not know of him until he was of age and a troubadour in my own court!"
Sarah bit her tongue on the response that he'd clearly slept with Jareth's mother, as that would probably open a worse can of worms.
"Then for the years of his youth stolen from you, take care of him now. We do not know anything of fae magic, please show me how it is done to help one of your own."
"This is a personal request from you?"
"No, the payment is as stated."
"So dreary and formal," he circled her with a predatory smile.
"Wow," Sarah drawled, utterly unimpressed, "the apple does not fall far from the tree. You aren't going to wheedle anything else out of me, and that tactic doesn't work. Jareth's overused it."
He stopped in his prowl and stared down at her, then threw his head back and chortled with laughter.
"My son has found both his true love and his match," he grinned at her. "Not many can withstand the wiles of my line. Those we find we keep close and precious to us."
Sarah eyed him, supremely indifferent. Why were fae men such egotistical morons when it came to women?
"You are quite determined to make such a dull trade? Have you no requests for advancement in my court, or perhaps for Jareth's own future?"
"That's for Jareth to negotiate if he so wishes, I have stated my request."
"I see why he likes you, mortal girl." He leaned over and the scent of warm summer gardens wafted over her, dizzying her senses in wonder for a moment. His breath was hot against her ear as he whispered.
"What of the Goblin Kingdom? Would you not see it recognised among the great kingdoms?"
"We're not under your over watch, Your Majesty," Sarah reminded him coolly, "and I dislike the disorientating and coercion spells you're weaving." She waved her hand at the wonderfully warm floating golden magic all around her as if they were pesky spider webs.
He drew back thoughtfully.
"You are very closely protected, and the true love protects you from any advance other than that of your lovers. It would be a shame to try and break that. I had heard rumours of a girl who could challenge my son at full strength and walk away, that would not perhaps be you, now would it?"
"What do you think?" Sarah asked blandly. "I ask a third time, but remain polite and do not use it as a binding, will you quit prevaricating and please help your son!"
"You think to order me?"
Sarah groaned.
"I think to remind a slippery fey who thinks this is all a bloody game that his son is hurt and needs his help. We can play games later so you can save face in front of court when you relate all the little tales about us. But now, please, help Jareth!"
He straightened and brought his hand up to his mouth, his lips about his forefinger as he regarded her in a rare moment of personal rather than kingly contemplation. He looked so much like Jareth in that instant that she felt her stomach fill with butterflies.
"You'll have to bring him without the iron ring." He gestured to the grass some distance away.
.
Sarah thought for a moment then waved at her father.
"Dad, put that horse shoe in your pocket and help me carry Jareth, please."
She lifted him by his ankles as her father carried him under the arms. Howl tossed the balled up blanket directly at the spot near Eltharion and it spread out and landed on the grass ready for them when they arrived. Sarah waited until her father had set Jareth down and returned to his seat beside Karen before turning to the High King.
"This is his mother's magic," Eltharion crouched down beside her and ran his fingers through the purple flames. His own sparked blood red against it.
"She must have drawn her own geas and protections over him as a child and he grew into them as an adult. What were the words you used to release him?"
"I wish Jareth the Goblin King released from all geas and commands." Sarah repeated miserably and flinched as the purple flame flared up and around her hand as she spoke.
"You have no fear," he whispered, "and no understanding of the limits of magic."
"Yeah, I know, Howl and Jareth have both yelled in my ear over that."
"No, it is a precious thing, to come late into ones magic, and yet still keep that child like wonder that allows such magnificent outworking. Was it you who called the trees of living ore into being? Dalthuran won't stop talking about it. As it is there's a twenty name petition to be the next to visit the Goblin Kingdom to see the throne room. I usually have to resort to rigged lots."
Sarah nodded, trying to picture the High King tricking his annoying nephew into drawing the short straw.
"Why is Jareth so out of it?" she asked to refocus him on his task. He was like a puppy going after the next thing that interested him.
"Can't you feel the flow of his magic?" Eltharion asked in astonishment. "Your mortal companions were right to contain it!"
Sarah placed her hand on Jareth's chest, but didn't feel anything different. She found the High King examining her with fascination.
"You're his balance," he breathed in wonder, "to have found his true love and the balance of his magic within one person."
"Can you help him?" Sarah prompted again.
"I cannot, or I will, as you so elegantly put it, place him under my over watch. I dislike what the political fallout of that will be, not to mention the personal should he decide to recruit you against me. I will give you the sentiment of the geas, but you must speak them."
Sarah nodded, feeling a little better then. She could probably undo them if Jareth didn't like them.
"The first is to reclaim all his territory, a King is oath bound to his land and people."
Sarah thought for a moment, and found the Labyrinth book supplied her with the formula. She placed a hand on Jareth's forehead.
"Through all the days of your life and to those of your heirs, take the lands granted to you by birth, conquest and gift, and rule them as a fair and wise king. For you were granted the power, wit and wisdom to manage them and none unworthy shall ever take them from you."
Sarah shuddered as she felt a tingle of power pool under her feet and tingle up all over her. She turned to the High King who was pale, and had his jaw open.
"A geas," he croaked, "I said a geas, not a blessing."
"What's a geas then?"
"A binding obligation or prohibition," he said hopelessly as Sarah firmly shook her head.
"His magic calmed down at that, see? I'm not doing anything else to muck it up."
"You live with three magic users, have none of them taught you anything?"
"I've learned my herb lore and basic spell focus!" Sarah protested. "I've only been at it the past few weeks!"
Eltharion gaped at her then began to laugh weakly.
"Try for a geas with a binding and a consequence this time," he said, though without much hope that she would get it right. "The second is his responsibility towards magic and its use."
"From the first spark through the growth and first flowering your gift was a saving grace, at its second flowering, it elucidated, and each successive growth and bloom, you have grown in strength, perception and power and wisdom. May it continue to grow as you teach, uplift and challenge others, while being strong enough to serve you in your numerous duties and to protect those lands over which you reign."
"A geas goes like this: a listed condition, or series of conditions, and then the consequence of violating that condition," Eltharion exclaimed exasperated.
"Why ever would I want to limit him?" Sarah asked in surprise.
The High King sat down hard on the grass beside her and gaped at her.
"You are not envious of his power?"
"No! It's amazing. I'm not much good at magic, but watching him wield it," she smiled dreamily then grimaced. "He can be petty at times, but he has no power over me. I can stamp down the weeds to watch the sunflowers."
"I should have snatched you away before he awoke." Eltharion sighed wistfully.
Sarah glanced down to find Jareth blinking dazedly up at them.
"Father?" He raised a hand and rubbed his eyes then lowered his hand to check. The High King still sat in his golden robe and antlered crown beside him.
The next moment there was a flash of glitter and Sarah found herself in his arms some five feet away at the end of the quilt. Jareth twitchily took in the scene about him and then gave a hefty sigh.
"This has Sarah all over it, wizard, please tell me you at least tried to gainsay her?"
"Not this time," Howl replied calmly.
Jareth hugged her tightly to his side and faced his father with a slight bow.
"Father."
The High King stood, the gold robe flowing around him in that summer breeze that seemed to accompany his magic.
"You have found a remarkable woman, both your true love and your balance. I would not risk the stability of the plains to take her from you," he said as a gesture of peace.
Jareth let rip a feral snarl and Sarah found herself bundled behind him.
"Peace. Your woman has granted me a moment of time for banter and games so that I may return to my court with tales of wit and intrigue so as not to shame someone of my station for being so unceremoniously summoned."
Jareth ducked around to look at her.
"You summoned my father?"
"Your magic went all weird when I lifted all the geas and commands off you," Sarah mumbled, not looking at him. "Sorry if he's the only magical fae we knew!"
Jareth gaped at her incredulously then slumped.
"Only you, Sarah, only you," he breathed, then he leaned over and kissed her bowed head. "I felt the words you said sink into my very being, thank you."
"I love you," she whispered back.