Author's Note: Just a small note, I am officially on summer break and have way more time for editing! (I'm a teacher, for those who didn't know.) So, I am going through and doing a final edit on all the remaining chapters. I will then be posting one a day until the story is done! In total, there are 18 chapters plus a short epilogue, so it won't take much longer! Thank you for reading!

"I don't get it," Toby grumbled as he stalked back and forth in front of his friend. Four days after Toby and Inara's kiss in the garden, the young boy had admitted defeat in understanding the mind of the elven princess and had gone to Palath for help. The two were currently talking in a secluded part of the camp that wasn't used because the trees grew too close together to build anything. Toby could feel the string that connected him to Inara pulled taught, but it wasn't enough to make him want to go back to the castle. In fact, he kind of hoped it would remind her that he still existed. He hadn't seen her at all over the past four days.

"What don't you understand?" Palath asked as he watched the young teen pace the length of the grove of trees.

"I don't understand how she can completely ignore what's between us! I mean, we kissed! And it was really good!" He blushed as he said this, but continued on. "She even said it was nice! But then she just got up and ran away!"

"Did she say anything before running away?"

"Yeah, something about how her mother wouldn't approve and that she was going to be expected to marry a lord or something. But I mean, no one was mentioning marriage between us! Where did that even come from?"

Palath sighed. "Have a seat, Tobias. There are some things you need to understand about the Underground, and her situation in particular." Toby jumped up to sit on a low hanging branch, his feet swinging beneath him. Palath took a step closer before he began. "From what I understand, humans can and do switch between romantic partners often."

"Well yeah, some do," he shrugged.

"For an elf from the Sylvan Forest, such as Inara, that is not the way of things. Sylvan Forest elves find their match and remain with that match for the rest of their lives. Even if one of them should die unnaturally early, they will never take another partner. Some may form close friendships to replace the bond, but never to the extent of a partner."

"But what about if like they stop getting along? What if one is abusive to the other? Can't they divorce?"

Palath nodded. "In a way. They can discontinue sharing a life with their partner, but they still won't take another. This is because of the way they bond when they perform the marriage ceremony. Their magics must be compatible because they will intertwine and are then incapable of being separated again. This is why elves often remain unattached until they are sure of their match."

"Huh… that's interesting, I guess."

"Yes, though I must stress that for Princess Inara, this process is layered even further. Because of her station, she will be expected to find a match among the nobility."

"Well that's just dumb," Toby interjected. "I mean, eventually you will run out of nobility who aren't already part of your family in some way."

"Not as soon as you may think, because of the length of their lives, elves would take a partner less frequently than humans."

"So she can't even date?"

"It is not a tradition among the elves," Palath shook his head. "They are often partnered through a matchmaker who can detect if the pairs' magic is compatible. Age, family history, and interests of the pair are also taken into consideration."

"Okay, I kinda get it now. But what about the bond we already have? Wouldn't that mess things up?"

"I will admit that your situation is entirely unique. Princess Inara has already formed a bond with you. However to what degree the bond is connecting you both, may determine if it can be severed. You do not have much magical energy, but because of your time in the Underground, you do have some."

"This isn't helping a whole lot," Toby looked down at his boots. "I mean, I'm not a lord and I don't have a whole lot of magic." He slumped and his feet still underneath him. "Maybe I should just give up on her. I don't know why she would choose me anyway."

Palath smiled and placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "I did not tell you these things to discourage you, Tobias. I told them to you so you would know what to expect. Princess Inara does have feelings for you. I have seen this with my own eyes."

He looked up at his friend, a small measure of hope in his eyes. "Really? You think so?"

He nodded. "I do think so. And now that you know as much, you can form a plan to acquire her affections and win her over."

"But what about her mother? I mean, I really am not a lord. I'm just a kid from the suburbs of Boston. Not exactly royalty."

Palath chuckled and let his hand fall back to his side. "You may not be of noble birth, but you have been accepted as a member of the centaur herd due to heroic deeds resulting in saving the life of one of our most important generals. Additionally, you are the younger sibling of the Lady of the Labyrinth. You may not have a title, Tobias, but you certainly come with unique qualifications that few others can lay claim to. I would not dismiss these so lightly, and I imagine that once Princess Inara and her mother, Queen Ioelena are reminded of this, they may see you in a new light as well."

Toby laughed. "Well yeah, you make it sound really awesome. But really it was just me being stupid for one of them and being lucky for the other."

"And what is a noble birth if not luck? At least with your accomplishments, it speaks to your and your family's abilities. In the centaur world, that would count for far more than being lucky enough to be born to a noble family."

Toby quirked his mouth sideways as he thought. "I guess you have a point there," he admitted. "But I still don't see how that will help me convince Inara."

"Speak with her. Tell her you would like to continue to be friends. Don't put pressure on her or tell her what to think," Palath said. "Then invite her to come to the centaur city of Alendria. I guarantee, the way the centaurs treat you there will help to change her thinking of you."

"Huh, that's a good idea. Maybe we could go while we're still waiting for the reconnaissance team to get back? Would you come with? To escort us?"

"Of course, it would be my honor," Palath gave a short bow of the head.

"Okay, I'll give it a try." Toby jumped down from the branch and gave his friend a large smile. "Thank you, Palath." With that, he started back up to the castle in search of a certain elven princess.

"It's been a week, Rhihart. When will your reconnaissance team be back?" Jareth complained as he paced back and forth in his brother's study.

"It's only been four days. Patience, Jareth. Perhaps they found more to investigate than we anticipated?" King Rhihart was seated on a cushioned armchair near the fireplace, watching his brother pace to and fro. He looked over at Sarah who was seated adjacent to him sipping tea from a floral patterned teacup. "Can't you do something to him? Make him calm down?" he whispered to her.

She shrugged. "I could try, I suppose." She set her teacup down on the low table next to her and took a deep breath. She continued her deep breathing exercises and relaxing her body, until Rhihart noticed that his brother seemed to be calming as well. The Goblin King stopped his pacing and came to sit down beside his wife who looked up at him and smiled gently.

"That's cheating, Cariad," he murmured as he leaned close to her.

She leaned over and bumped his shoulder with hers. "I learned from the best."

"That was impressive," Rhihart remarked.

Jareth shot him an annoyed glare. "I'm still not happy with you."

Rhihart only chuckled and leaned back in his chair with his teacup. "Fair enough," he replied. "But going back to the matter at hand, I'm sure we'll receive word from the reconnaissance group soon." He turned towards Sarah. "How has your training been coming along?"

Sarah smiled. She and Jareth had been practicing her transformation to her wolf form. She'd gotten the actual transformation part down pretty well, but she needed practice moving and doing things in her wolf form. She wasn't used to having four legs and a tail. "It's going well," she replied. "I'm getting better at following the wolf's instincts."

"Excellent," he smiled. "I know when I first discovered my affinity for stags, it took me quite some time to adjust to being one."

"A stag? I guess I wouldn't have pictured that for you."

Rhihart shrugged. "That's only because you're not from the Underground. A stag has been part of my family's crest for ages. And both my mother and maternal grandfather had an affinity with deer as well."

"Oh, well that makes much more sense now!"

"He's also the King of the southern woodlands, Cariad," Jareth pointed out. "And a stag is considered by many cultures to be the king of the forest, including some in the Aboveground."

"Well now you're just trying make me feel dumb," she smirked at him, joking.

"Of course not. My beautiful wife could never be mistaken for anything less than wise beyond her years," Jareth leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"And now you're being sarcastic, but I will still accept your compliments," Sarah giggled.

Rhihart looked on the couple with a smile, but didn't comment on their antics. "I am glad that you are progressing with your wolf form."

"Thank you, Rhihart." She nodded.

"Perhaps we should order lunch since we cannot plan much more until the reconnaissance team sends word?" Rhihart suggested.

They all agreed and put in an order with the kitchens to have lunch delivered to the smaller dining room. Thirty minutes later, the three of them, as well as Princess Inara and Toby were gathered around the table. "Princess," Rhihart addressed her. "I am happy that you decided to join us today. We haven't seen you very often at all lately. Need we be worried?"

Inara calmly shook her head. "No need, King Rhihart. I was simply trying to get caught up in my studies. I have missed quite a lot during my time away from Avalon."

"Of course, your Highness," Rhihart nodded as a mushroom soup was served. "I do hope we have not disturbed your studies so direly? It was rather abruptly that you were pulled away from them, and I apologize for that. Had the need for your services been any less, I wouldn't have bothered you."

Sarah glanced down the table at Inara who was sitting very straight and looking at Rhihart with a cool expression. She seemed different, more closed off than only a few days ago. Sarah felt sure something had changed though when she responded to Rhihart with a simple, "That is quite alright, your Majesty. I understand the need for my services." She then looked to Toby sitting beside her. Her brother was staring resolutely into his soup, avoiding all eye contact. She frowned. Something had obviously happened between them. The rest of lunch was quiet with only Rhihart, Jareth, and Sarah holding a light conversation about Sarah adjusting to her wolf form.

Once finished, Toby rose and started to make his way over to Inara, but the Princess turned her back on him and swiftly exited the room. Toby sighed and turned to leave too, but Sarah caught him with a hand on his shoulder. "Come talk with me for a bit?" she gave him a small smile.

Toby shrugged, but nodded. Sarah then led him up to the second floor and his own suite of rooms. She figured that he would be most comfortable there. Once the door had closed, Toby flopped down on one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. Sarah sat in the other, looking over at her brother and trying to figure out what had happened. "So," she started. "What's up with you and Inara?"

Toby jerked his head towards her. "What? What makes you think there's something with us?"

"Oh I don't know, the way you both were so quiet at lunch? The way she's been avoiding everyone for the past few days? The way you've been working on your archery for hours every day? Pick one."

Toby sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine. We had an argument."

"What about?"

"We kissed."

"What? You did? But…. how did that start an argument? Also, why did you not tell me sooner?"

He straightened and gave her an annoyed look. "I didn't tell you because it got weird and I'm trying to work things out with her now. Besides, I talked to Palath about it already."

"I'm glad you talked with Palath about it, but you can talk to me about it too, you know? Just because I'm your sister and now guardian, doesn't mean you can't."

"I know," he muttered.

"Good, so tell me! What happened? I want all the details!" She scrunched up her face then and rethought her request. "Well, most of the details…. Depending on how intimate you got."

"Sarah!" Toby blushed a bright red. "Ugh! It didn't get like that! And just… no! Ew! I do not want to talk to you about that!"

She held up her hands placatingly and chuckled. "No worries, Tobes. I really don't want to hear it. But I would like to hear generally how it went and what caused the argument."

"Fine," he sighed and adjusted himself so he was facing her better. Sarah also adjusted herself, tucking her legs under her to sit cross-legged in the armchair. "Well it started a few days ago. Inara wanted to test out our bond and its limitations. That went well and we found out some new things, like how far apart we can be for how long. Anyway, we ended up in the castle garden and well… we kissed. It was nice."

"So what happened then?"

"Then she got all weird. She said she shouldn't have done that and that her mother would never approve then she ran off. She's been avoiding me ever since." Sarah's eyes widened and she sucked in a breath to say something, but Toby interrupted her. "I already talked about this with Palath. He explained how things work for the elves in the Sylvan Forest and why she behaved the way she did. He also told me that I shouldn't give up on her if I really like her and that we should try to be friends again first."

"That's good advice," Sarah admitted. "So what are you going to do? I mean, you have a bond of sorts with her already."

"I'm going to try to get her to just be friends for now and I'm going to invite her to come with me to the centaur city of Alendria. Palath mentioned that going there might change her perception of me because of how I helped out in the Battle of the Labyrinth. I don't have a noble title, but I am an accepted member of the herd. He also said that just being your brother would help too."

"I'm pretty sure I could give you a noble title if you wanted?" she smiled. "I mean, I am the Lady of the Labyrinth and the Goblin Queen now."

"Huh…. I didn't think of that. Yeah, you probably could."

Sarah laughed and rose to her feet. She grabbed one of the pokers near the fireplace and turned to face her brother. Placing the poker gently on either shoulder, she said, "I hereby knight you, Sir Tobias Robert Williams of the Goblin Kingdom!"

Toby laughed. "I don't think that's how it works."

"Worth a try," Sarah said as she put the poker back and sat down again. "At the very least, I'm pretty sure Jareth would actually knight you to celebrate your being my sibling and for your part in the battle."

He nodded. "Yeah, if it comes to that, I'll think about it."

"So how have you tried to talk to her so far?"

"Well, just after lunch was actually going to be my first real attempt. I only talked to Palath this morning. I tried a couple of times yesterday and the day before, but I think she was using our bond to avoid me. We can kinda tell where the other one is through it. That and she can feel my emotions, so she might be able to tell when I'm looking for her."

"Hmm, that does make it difficult."

He scoffed. "You're telling me."

"What if I help you out? I could invite her to have tea with me this afternoon, and it wouldn't be too weird if my brother was having tea with me too?"

Toby scrunched his forehead in thought and nodded. "That could work. I mean, I don't want to seem like I need my sister to help me with everything, but honestly I don't know how else to talk to her if she keeps avoiding me like this."

"It's settled then. I'll send her an invitation for tea this afternoon and you will join us. It might be better if you come in after she gets here though."

"Okay, deal. Thank you, Sarah. I owe you one."

Sarah waved him off. "It's what big sisters are supposed to do." The two continued talking a bit longer about what they would do after this whole thing was done and they were free to live their lives.

Three hours later, Princess Inara entered the small conservatory where Sarah had invited her to have tea. She bowed slightly upon entering and Sarah returned it with a nod of her head. "Inara, it's good to see you. We haven't spoken much over the past few days. I was hoping to catch up with you."

"Of course," she replied. "I could hardly turn down an invitation from the Lady of the Labyrinth, could I?" Inara sat down at the small table and a servant poured tea for her. She glanced over and saw another place setting with a teacup waiting to be filled. "Are we expecting another?" she asked.

"Actually…" Sarah trailed off as Toby entered the conservatory just then. "I hoped you wouldn't mind my brother joining us."

Inara's eyes narrowed and she frowned slightly. "Princess Inara," Toby said as he sat down in between the two women. "Thank you for allowing me to join your…"

"What is this?" Inara interrupted him. Toby jumped a little and his eyes widened.

Sarah took on an innocent expression and said, "What do you mean, Inara? We're here to have tea. Is there a reason you are so upset?"

"I think you know perfectly well why I might be so upset," she frowned. "I'm guessing that Toby told you what happened in the garden a few days ago and came running to you for help. You knew I wouldn't be able to turn down an invitation from you, given your position and rank, and you lured me here to try and force a discussion with him on me."

Brother and sister looked at each other for a moment with wide eyes before turning back to the elven princess whose cheeks were red and her eyebrows furrowed. "Inara, that's not what happened at all," Sarah said in a firm voice. "It is true that we hoped you would listen to Toby if invited to tea here, but that is simply because you have been avoiding him. You haven't allowed him a chance to rectify the situation."

"I thought I explained things clearly," Inara retorted. "We can't be together, because I am expected to marry a higher station. Toby does not meet the qualifications, so why bother?"

"Inara," Toby said calmly. "I talked to Palath about what happened and he explained how things work in the Sylvan Forest. Something, I might add, you didn't bother with. How was I supposed to know that it's so different than what I'm used to in the Aboveground?"

Inara looked down at her teacup. "Perhaps I should not have counted on you knowing our customs. I apologize for that, but it does not change things between us."

"May I finish?" Toby asked. Inara looked back up, a small fire burning in her eyes at being addressed so, but nodded for him to continue. "I don't expect anything from you. I understand that your culture is different from mine when it comes to relationships, and I respect that. All I'm asking is that you consider a few things."

"Such as?"

"Well, I might not have a title of noble birth, but I am the Lady of the Labyrinth and Goblin Queen's brother. If a title is all that's holding you back from even being my friend, I'm pretty sure I can get one easily."

She frowned, but her eyebrows lessened in the severity as she thought this through. "Continue."

"I also have been given the title of an honorary member of the centaur herd because of the things I did in the Battle of the Labyrinth. In fact, I was going to invite you to come with me to Alendria, the centaur city. The last time I was there, they pretty much treated me like royalty because I saved General Ardal in the battle."

"So you were going to brag?" Inara snarked.

"No! I was just trying to show you that I might not be that far off the mark with your dumb qualifications for boyfriends! Jeeze! I like you Inara! Okay?! And I want to keep trying to be your friend even if I can't be with you because you get me! We already share a bond that has affected us more than we're willing to admit to anyone outside our close friends and family, and if that doesn't automatically put me in the running for a boyfriend, I don't know what else will!" Toby stared at her, his cheeks rosy and his breathing fast.

Inara stared back, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open a little. Sarah also stared at her brother, she'd never seen him this passionate about anything before. She also suddenly felt like an intruder on their conversation. "Perhaps I should let you two talk alone?" she said quietly. She rose and pushed in her chair before quietly leaving the room.

Inara waited until she was gone before turning back to Toby. "I am not sure what exactly a boyfriend is, but I can guess based on the context. Also, I will admit that I was not aware of your exact status with the herd, nor why you were an honorary member. I apologize for that. And you're right about our bond. I don't know how a marriage bond works precisely, but given what I've heard, I think we may already be half way there. I guess…. I don't know. I guess I thought that my mother would just somehow dissolve the bond between us once she found out and it wouldn't matter anyway. But after everything you just said? Maybe there's more to consider."

Toby had been expecting more resistance than that and he was suddenly unsure of what to say next. "Well… good. Consider it." He was quiet for a moment before adding on, "And I'm sorry for shouting at you just now. I'm just really confused and frustrated at the whole situation. I thought we were friends, and then suddenly you were avoiding me. Which, I don't know about you, but it was starting to hurt a bit in my chest… being away from you so much."

She nodded. "It was hurting me too. I guess we figured out another limitation of our bond on accident." She sent him a small smile. "It was really hard to stay away from you too. Partially because of the aching, but also because I could tell you really wanted to talk to me."

"So why didn't you let me?"

"Because I thought it would be more difficult in the long run. I… I care for you too, Toby, and I thought a clean break would be better for both of us. But now… I don't know. You just might meet all of those dumb qualifications, as you put it, for a boyfriend."

"Oh," Toby's cheeks became an even deeper shade of red at her admission that she liked him. "So, do you want to go to Alendria with me? Might be fun?"

Inara laughed. "I don't think we really need to anymore. You've proven your point to me. And maybe we will go someday, but I do think we should visit my mother in Wea Allanar. I think a proper introduction is in order."

"Oh, you don't think she'll try to sever our bond still?"

"No, I think she'll give us a chance and listen to us. Besides," she smiled and her cheeks grew rosy again. "I'm finished with trying to stay away from you, and I think I may be able to convince her of your…. Qualifications."