The clock in the hallway chimed twelve times, loudly. Its ominous sound echoed throughout the enormous castle, yet the owner of said castle and said clock paid it no mind. The Goblin King was much too busy trying to make a very important decision: what to wear.
Jareth's long fingers flicked from outfit to outfit in his exceptionally large closet. So many clothes, yet nothing seemed to match the occasion. His mismatched eyes examined a red leather jacket before replacing it back in its place. As he began his search again, he heard a small knock at his door.
"Your Majesty?" called a high-pitched goblin.
"What is it?"
"It's noon, sire."
"Yes, what of it?" he snapped.
"The meeting is going to begin. Are you nearly ready?"
"Not in the slightest." He smirked even though there was no one else in the room to see it.
"What?!" The goblin's voice became panicked. "But, but Your Majesty, you will be late!"
"Correction, dear Squeak," he began. "I will be fashionably late."
"Your Highness! The Council will be mad at you!"
"The Council is already mad at me. That's the point of this meeting."
"But what if this is serious?" The goblin continued. "Then they'll be really mad at you."
"They've summoned me over and over, Squeak, and each time they do, it's the same discussion. They can wait until I make myself presentable."
The goblin made a worried little sound before Jareth heard his stubby feet walk down the hall. He was now working towards the back of the closet. Finally, he settled on his black, form fitting shirt with the design on the front, black tights, his newly polished black boots, and the matching black cape and cowl that completed the ensemble. He examined himself in the mirror for a moment. Is this too much black? Almost looks like I'm attending a funeral. He spun in a small circle before deciding it would have to do.
Finally, after taking care of his long, blonde hair and eye makeup, he was prepared to leave. Stepping into the hall for a moment, he glanced at the clock. It was now twelve-twenty-six in the afternoon. He was late to the council meeting, which was the idea. Jareth could have easily planned an outfit beforehand or at least used his magic to get ready quicker. But given that the Council had decided to disrupt his day with a meeting only to give Jareth the same speech they always had, he figured they could wait. That and the Goblin King had never really cared for authority.
With barely a flick of his wrist, Jareth teleported to the council building. It was located in the center of the Underground, which was a few days' journey from the Labyrinth on foot. For Jareth though, it was less than a second. In a blink, he was in a large, somewhat dark room. The only light was from the torches along the stone walls. You would think they would remodel every few thousand years or so, he thought.
High above Jareth, who stood in the middle of the room, were seven large thrones. Each Councilmen was seated and, though he couldn't see them, he felt each of their eyes glaring down at him. The Councilmen wore large cloaks and hoods that covered their faces entirely. No one knew their identity nor how long they had been on the Council. There were even rumors that the members were replaced every now and again, but Jareth had never noticed anything that made him believe that.
The only way to identify and address a member of the Council was by the color of their robes: yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, green, and pink. Most people only knew a handful of things about the Council. For one, they oversaw the entire Underground and the kingdoms that resided in it. They enforced the laws of the land. And two, being summoned before the Council was not something to take lightly, for it rarely ever meant something good.
Jareth had been summoned many times.
The Councilman in the middle and tallest throne, Purple, sat forward. Over the years, Jareth had come to deduce that Purple was the "leader" of the Council. "Goblin King," he began in a loud, firm voice. "You are late."
"By nearly half an hour," added the one in orange.
"My sincerest apologies," Jareth began. "I-"
"We have heard your apology before," began Blue, who sat to the right of Purple. By the voice, it was clear Blue was a Councilwoman. "There is no need to repeat it. We have wasted enough time already."
"We have called you here to discuss a very important matter," Councilman Pink began.
"I can only imagine what it is," Jareth mumbled.
"It would be wise to hold your tongue," Councilwoman Yellow chided.
"Goblin King," Purple began again. "You have been ruler of your kingdom for thousands of years. Yet, never in all these years have you taken a queen. Why is this?"
"Why bother with questions?" Councilman Orange asked. "We have gone over this many times."
"Even so, Orange," Councilwoman Green told him. "We must go through this process no matter how many times we have done it before."
Councilman Purple gestured for him to answer the question. Jareth folded his hands behind his back and cleared his throat. "I have simply not found one."
"It is very hard to find something when one does not look for it," Yellow told him.
"You were told time and time again," Purple said, "that you needed a queen. It is written in the laws of this land that every ruler must have someone at his side. You have ruled your kingdom alone for too long. Yet, even after many meetings, you are not able to produce a queen."
"Things like this cannot be rushed," Jareth defended. "You cannot expect the perfect one to fall from the sky."
"But we do expect you to obey what the Council has ordered," Councilman Red snapped. "You were made aware of this law thousands of years ago, yet you have not made an attempt at finding a queen. At this point there may well be a bigger chance at one falling from the sky than there is of you actually looking for one."
"You have been given many chances to produce a queen," Councilman Purple told him. "Now our patience has worn thin." He placed both of his hands on the arms of his throne. "Because of your failure to find a queen to rule at your side and do as we have ordered, the Council has come to question if you are fit to rule your kingdom at all."
Jareth's eyes widened. This was not the usual discussion.
"We have come to this conclusion: If you cannot find a queen by the time the next blue moon rises above the Underground, you will be stripped of your title and exiled to the outskirts of the Underground."
The cowl around his neck suddenly felt much tighter. "What?"
"Our decision is final," Purple told him sternly.
"Because I have yet to take a wife you will exile me? And just who would rule the Labyrinth?"
"It was the Council who made you Goblin King," Councilwoman Blue began. "It will be the Council who will replace you. There are many others who could take your place. Ones who would obey what we tell them."
Jareth felt like he was being suffocated. Had it gotten warmer since he'd been in the room? "This is outrageous! You think me unfit to rule because I do not wish to marry? That law is completely ridiculous. Who says I can't rule just as well without a queen?"
"The Council does!" Councilwoman Yellow yelled. "Not only have you not found yourself a queen, but you have not kept up relations with your surrounding kingdoms, you have spent your time drinking ale and throwing parties, and frankly, your arrogance and self-centered nature causes us concern! In fact, I do not think your subjects would truly mind if you were replaced!"
"A kingdom is not meant to be ruled by one," Councilman Pink explained. "This is the reason for the law. Whether you find it ridiculous or not, it will be followed."
"Goblin King," Purple began again. "The Council has made their decision and it is not open for discussion. If you have not found your queen by the time the next Blue Moon rises above your castle, you shall be stripped of your title and exiled. Either you find a queen, or we find a new ruler. It is so ordered."
"It is so ordered," the rest of the Council echoed.
Jareth opened his mouth, but closed it almost instantly. He knew there was no use in arguing. It would just waste the time he was being given. With barely a motion, he vanished from the room and appeared back in his bedroom. A few minutes passed in silence as he stood still as a statue. The past few minutes kept playing over in his head.
"Your Majesty?"
Jareth's head snapped to look at the door. He'd left it open before leaving and now Squeak was standing in it. "I did not think you would be back so soon. Was the Council angry with you?"
He blinked for a moment before plastering on an arrogant grin. "The Council doesn't know how to be anything but angry. It was the same tired tale they always give me. I told you it would be. Nothing of concern."
"Oh, of course, sire. Can I do anything for you, then?"
"I think I'll step out for some air, actually. Wonderful weather today." Of course the small-minded goblin couldn't see through the lie. The truth was that the room suddenly felt constricting and Jareth's head was going a mile a minute. Squeak nodded and began to walk down the hall. Jareth stepped over to the window and balanced his boots on the edge for a moment. In a blink, he transformed into a gold and white barn owl and took flight.
The wind soared beneath his wings as he flew high above the Labyrinth's walls. The sky was blue and cloudless and the sun shone on his back. Any other time, he would be enjoying himself. At the moment though, he was too busy trying to keep his head from exploding. Find a queen or leave the Underground? What do they expect me to do, just marry the first woman I see? It's not like there's a lot of eligible women in the Labyrinth, just the Junk Lady and a few female goblins. A shiver consumed his spine as he pictured having to marry either of those options. And now they're giving me a time limit! How do they expect me to find a suitable queen by the next Blue Moon? What, do I just walk up to some random woman, "Hey, I'm Jareth, will you marry me?"
I'm not even sure if any of the other kingdoms are looking to marry off a princess. Suppose that's what Yellow was on about me "not keeping up relations with the surrounding kingdoms". I swear, that woman has it out for me. And I don't even know who she is! But that's off topic, I suppose. I need a queen, and soon. But who? I suppose I could try to write to the other kingdoms…oh, yes, because that won't look suspicious. "Hello, it's Jareth, remember me? Yes, I know it's been a few thousand years but are any of your daughters looking to marry? Just out of curiosity?" No king is going to go for that.
Jareth was so lost in thought that he flew over the Labyrinth all the way to its entrance. Below him, he could make out the figure of Hoggle, the dwarf. The king's eyes narrowed as he resisted the urge to swoop down and scare the creature just for good measure. He'd better stay out of my way while I sort out this queen business. He's lucky he's even allowed in this kingdom! Lucky I didn't banish him or Bog him for eternity after he helped that young Sarah get to my castle and-
He nearly stopped, mid-flight. Sarah! Now there's an idea! Jareth turned and started to fly back into the Labyrinth, his mind racing. It's been so long, she must be well into adulthood now. But I have a feeling that getting older doesn't mean Sarah Willaims has grown up any. With her experiences in my Labyrinth, I bet she's still got that naivety and childhood wonder. All those books she memorized of far off lands, damsels in distress, I bet she wouldn't be surprised if a, shall we say, "Prince Charming" showed up all of a sudden. Were I to appear, be cordial, I don't think I would have much trouble convincing her to be - I can't believe I'm even considering this - Goblin Queen.
It's not like much would really change, though. In actuality she wouldn't even have to live here - which would be preferable for me. The Council told me to find a queen, they never said she had to be active in ruling the kingdom. Everything could really remain the way it is, just with the Council off my back.
Then again, this plan isn't without flaws. For one, we didn't exactly end on the...best of terms. It's going to look quite odd when I just appear after all this time. She's not going to trust me initially. And now that she is a grown woman, there's a chance she might be in a relationship already. Maybe even married herself!
Who am I kidding? Who would willingly court Madame "That's Not Fair" without the threat of exile?
Time works differently in her world, though, Jareth realized. Let's see, by the next Blue Moon, converted to her twenty-four-hour days...oh, how I despise mathematics. After running some numbers in his head, his eyes widened in horror. ...Fourty-four days. I have fourty-four days to charm and marry Sarah - who I haven't seen in years and share a very mutual dislike with - or the Council will exile me from the Underground.
His chest felt tight and for a moment it was a bit hard to take in a breath. I don't have time to waste, then. Not a second. I've got to go to Sarah and try to gain her trust before- Again, Jareth was almost thrown off his flight as he realized something important. I don't even know where she is! She'll have moved out of her childhood home. She could be anywhere!
Before the feeling of hopelessness could take hold, he quickly changed his direction and headed down into the Labyrinth's walls. I've got to find her quickly and there's only one person who might know where she'll be. After a few twists and turns Jareth finally found him. The Wise Man was asleep in his chair and the Bird Hat on his head was doing the same, snoring softly. Jareth transformed into himself again and stood before the man, clearling his throat audibly. The elder didn't stir. He leaned in and did it once more, looking for any sign of movement. He is alive, isn't he? Jareth finally reached his gloved hand out and tapped the Bird on his head a few times, impatiently. The creature's eyes opened slowly and he straightened his neck. The Bird looked at him for a moment before gasping, its eyes growing twice as large.
"Y-Your Majesty!" It said in its odd accent. "What a surprise! What brings you to-"
"I'm quite busy, I'm afraid, so if you would just wake him," Jareth told him. He folded his arms across his chest and began to tap one of his boots in the dirt. The Hat caught on quickly. He leaned down towards the old man's face and began to shout. "Hello, hello, anyone home?! The King is here to see you!"
The old man snorted and his eyes opened, slowly. "Hmm?" His wrinkled face turned to face Jareth. "Oh, Your Highness! I did not expect to see you. How can I be of service to you?"
"I need you to find out where the girl who beat the Labyrinth lives now," he told him.
"Girl?" he repeated. "What girl?"
"The one who beat the Labyrinth, he just said that!" The Bird Hat told him, sharply. "You know, long hair, white clothes-"
"Oh, oh, that girl! You wish to find her?"
"That's correct." Jareth had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping. It wasn't the man's fault he was old and slow, after all.
"Well, let me just...find my staff...hmm, now where did I put-"
"It's in your hand."
"Hmm?"
"Your hand." Jareth pointed to the man's left arm. "You are holding your staff in your hand."
"Oh! There it is! Thank you, Your Majesty. I swear, a few more years and I'll forget where I put my own head." The elder slowly started to get off his chair, his joints cracking audibly. Jareth watched anxiously as the man got to his feet and raised the staff up into the breeze. The blue orb on top of it began to glow.
"I think we found her!" the Bird hat exclaimed. Jareth's body lost some of its tension.
"And it is day where she is?" he asked. He assumed randomly showing up in the middle of the night wouldn't sit well with Sarah.
"It is. I can send you to her whereabouts, my King. Are you prepared to leave?"
"Ye- no!" Jareth caught himself, quickly. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I've neglected something. Are you able to hold it for a few minutes?"
"As long as you need, sire."
"Good. I will return shortly." And without another word, Jareth materialized back in his bedroom. Quickly, he opened the doors to his enormous closet and looked for a new change of clothes. His current attire was the very same outfit he'd worn when Sarah had called on him to take her brother away. He didn't want to remind her of that interaction.
Once he'd found something more fitting, he returned to the Wiseman. The old man raised the glowing staff again and a beam of light struck the king in his chest. The second it made contact, Jareth suddenly felt as if he was falling. He felt the wind passing through his hair, blowing it every which way. His body felt weightless.
When Jareth opened his eyes again, he realized that he was, in fact, falling.
He opened his mouth but his voice caught in his throat. His body started to flail in a panic, but just before he met the ground beneath him, Jareth was able to pull himself together enough to transform into his owl form. As he hovered over the grass, his wings beating at his sides, his heart felt like it was beating straight out of his chest. Are those two trying to kill me?! He mentally shouted. I told them to bring me to Sarah's location, not suspend me outside her bloody window! They didn't have to do it exactly, they could have very easily put me here on the sidewalk! That is the last time I accept a spell from that old man!
Once his heart stopped pounding, Jareth noticed the rain. It was striking his wings at a frantic pace, and he heard thunder over his head. The winds made it harder to fly. I need to find Sarah. Where in the world did that spell even bring me? He examined his new surroundings and found himself in front of a tall, red brick building. It was about six stories tall. Assuming that spell actually worked, she must live somewhere in this place. I've got a feeling she's in the window I just about fell to my death from. He looked up at the row of windows in front of him and estimated how far he'd just freefell. The window on the fifth floor was wide open even with the strong storm.
That seemed fairly typical for Sarah Williams.
Jareth gathered himself and flew up towards the window. Showing up in the middle of her house isn't exactly the best way to begin this, but let's be honest: Would she really open the door to me if I knocked on it?
As he flew through the window, he caught a glimpse of a figure racing into the room. Once inside, he landed on the vanity and flapped his wings a bit to get rid of some of the water. The window closed with a loud, triumphant noise. Jareth looked over as the woman turned back to face him. Sarah's eyes widened dramatically at the sight of him.
A/N: Happy Fourth of July! You ever have such a busy weekend that you forget that you can finally post your fanfiction? Yeah, that was me. Anyway, here it is! I'm so excited. I'm going to do my best to post a chapter every week sometime between Friday and Sunday. Wish I could narrow that down more, but my job doesn't really help with that. I hope you are all ready for a fun ride! :)