Disclaimer: See the prologue.
Author's Note: For those of you who are are
wondering, "Jareth?" Here you go. I write long stories, and the first two
chapters were important lead-ins. Don't forget to review! Enjoy!
Chapter Two: Fairy Tales and Goblin
Kings
Jareth
was laughing.
Across
the stretches of the Labyrinth and the city, gnomes, elves and faeries
alike stopped what they were doing and listened. It was such an unfamiliar
sound. Goblins cackled. Fireys often laughed- insane, maniacal fits of
insanity that frightened away the wary visitor from the Dark Woods. But
no one laughed like the Goblin King. And his majesty had not laughed since
the day that the last girl, Sarah, had defeated him, and certainly not
with a rich, satisfied undertone that said he had what he wanted in the
palm of his hand.
Until
now.
In the
throne room of the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, the King was reclining
on his throne. He had the appearance of entertaining himself in deep thought,
and one might have mistaken his gaze for meditation, were it not for the
crystal ball in his hand.
He was
looking at a young woman, more striking than simply pretty, pouring over
a book. Incidentally, it was a rare copy of the one book that told of his
existence on the earth, the book he had not written whose text he could
not alter or unravel. Nor did he want to. Now Beth L'Esperance was reading
it.
He had
finally found her.
He rolled
the ball into the folds of his cloak, as a shimmering space appeared before
him in the pit. Moments later, a redheaded youth shimmered into view.
"Ah,
my humble servant, back from the dead." Jareth smiled, not moving to turn
his head. "So, Pan, you finally succeeded. You must be in the thralls of
a jubilant state I cannot possibly imagine."
"Your
Majesty." Pan's voice was dry and cold. "Glad to see you're rejoicing in
your victory already."
"How
long did it take? I lose track of time in the human realm so often here."
He smirked picking up his favorite riding crop and tapping it against the
stone armrest, lost in thought.
"Pan
cleared his throat. "Fifteen years, missing without a trace. That is,"
he looked down, "until today."
A grin
slowly crept across Jareth's face. "Until today. Tell me," he leaned forward
eagerly, a dark gleam in his eyes, "what is she like now? You met her."
Pan
stepped back, polishing a set of pipes on the sleeve. "Jareth, I do believe
you seem more healthy, no, actually younger, if that's possible in an immortal.
However did you manage that?"
The
Goblin King stood up and walked over to a mirror on the far wall, inspecting
himself with a calm detachment. "It's part of the spell, I suppose. I choose
her and give her the ring. When she remembers me again, I become her age."
"You
look her age, that's for sure. But you're still you." Pan paced the hall
nervously. "Before I return to the other kingdom, I have a suggestion."
He paused nervously. "Forget this girl."
Jareth
didn't even turn around. "Oh? And why should I do that?"
"Beth's
different. I think she fights her dreams. She's not overly deviant, gregarious,
manipulative or cruel in any way. And she's lost her selfish streak. Somewhere
along the road, Beth lost her pride. She's humble. I just don't think she'll
appreciate you."
The
King shot him a warning look. "You don't have to list all my redeeming
qualities at once. By all means, take your time." His voice was low and
dangerous.
Pan
got the hint. "Sorry."
"Is
she stubborn?"
"Oh,
yes, but-"
"The
greater the challenge, the better. And her dreams?"
"What
of them?" Pan circumvented.
Jareth
tossed his hand impatiently. "All humans are imperfect. Beth has to have
vices, and the more repressed they are, the darker the dreams." He strolled
over to Pan, taking his time, the boots clicking slowly on the floor. "I
need someone of intelligence as well, and lo and behold! Look at the way
she surrounds herself with books." A crystal appeared floating and humming
before them.
"Now
that my connection to her has been restored, I can explore," he continued,
causing an image of her room to appear. "Tons of books. A prestigious university,
if recall my run-in with Increase Mather correctly. Movies by the score,
Renaissance clothes. It's all there. See all of the novels on Guinevere
and Lancelot? She's a romantic. And romantics have such…delicious aspirations."
Jareth smiled darkly.
"But
she's innocent."
The
Goblin King's head snapped around, and the crystal fell to the floor, shattering.
Pan knew he had overstepped when Jareth grabbed his throat with lightning
speed, slamming him into the wall and suspending him in mid-air.
"What
makes you think that doesn't turn me on to the idea even more?" he snarled.
"Humans are fools. It's in their nature. They deserve to be played
with, even to suffer when we please. I have waited centuries too long for
this, seen too many girls that disappointed me, trapped far too many souls
here with nothing to do but abuse them until they bore me to death."
He paused,
a half-amused expression crossing his face as he regarded his mischief-bred
counterpart. "You've fallen for her, haven't you?" Jareth laughed as Pan
winced. "That's why you defend her. So, the prankster has a heart after
all. Are the nymphs too dull for you?"
"Of
course not," Pan gasped, choking. "I am doing this job to humor you, nothing
more." He regained his confidence and narrowed his eyes to slits. "I don't
owe you any explanations."
"Just
be sure your interests stay objective," Jareth said coolly, releasing Pan,
who rubbed his neck. "And one more thing..." He folded his arms and walked
straight into Pan's gaze, stopping inches from his face. "If you so much
as touch her hair, I'll make you wish you didn't have a thousand lifetimes
left to live."
The
youth shrugged. "She won't like you."
Jareth
tilted his head. "I was walking through the woods, not thinking about anything.
I sensed her immediately. So when I came to the clearing, I watched the
children playing, dancing." He paused, lowering his voice. "I knew who
she was right away. I could see her thoughts...her dreams. Do you know
what it is to find new worlds opening before you- in your mind? If only
she had possessed magic!" He gestured in the air, pleased with himself.
"And
she was so young! Barely a child...but I had to have her. She was the one.
I invoked the laws of the Fae and granted her wish." He smirked. "It was
too easy. But then something happened, and I lost her. I couldn't find
her." Jareth grinned. "That's where you came in, dear friend."
Jareth
spoke slowly, emphasizing every last word. "She's perfect. And she's going
to be mine."
Beth
turned each page in fascination as she halfheartedly put on her coat and
exited the library. The night air was warm, and it nuzzled her cheek, drawing
her out from the world of Sarah, her brother Toby, and a mysterious Goblin
King. She snapped out of her trance momentarily to cross the uneven Boston
streets and to go back to her room.
"Mary!
Hey, Mary!" Beth bounded into the room, refusing to catch her breath. "I
found the neatest old play at Widener today!"
"Really?"
Mary, her roommate, jumped up from the computer to look at the new treasure,
her long blond hair flowing down her back as she stood over Beth's shoulder.
Mary always reminded their of the Swiss Miss girl, only prettier.
"It's
bound with twine. Wow," she breathed, "This must be extremely old."
Beth
let her take the book over to her bed. "How medieval," she exclaimed, reading
through bits of it. "Goblins, magic, mazes... plays are never this metaphysical!"
She laughed. "Look at this passage! Ha! This is great! I wonder if this
would sell onstage?" She showed Beth a couple specific pages. "Let's act
it out. You're Toby, I'm Sarah. Then you can be the Goblin King."
Beth
rolled her eyes. "Terrific. The monologue. I'm always a boy in every play
I'm in. Figures."
"...But
what no one knew was this: the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with
the girl and given her certain powers." Mary had already begun, so Beth
sighed and played along.
"One
night, when the baby had been particularly nasty, the girl called on the
goblins to help her."
"Waah!
Waah!" Beth mumbled unenthusiastically.
Mary
grinned at her. "With FEELING, Mrs. Toby, with feeling." Beth just rolled
her eyes.
"Oh,
hell!" Beth exclaimed. "Can't just skip to the part when the kid's whisked
away so I can have a decent speaking role?"
"Fine,
you don't have to get so pushy," Mary replied, feigning hurt. "Goblin King,
Gobl- no, wait." She crept up to Beth, extending her arms like tentacles
around her roommate's shoulders from behind. "I wish... the Goblins would
come and take you away..." She grinned fiendishly. "...Right now!"
A huge
crash of lightning sounded right outside their window, the thunder booming
like a cannon. The lights went out, then back on, but Mary's room stayed
pitch-black. They both screamed in unison.
"Wow!
That was so on cue!" Mary squealed. They spoke simultaneously, both thinking
the same thing. "Like magic! Aaah! Jinx!"
Mary
won. "I'm running down to the basement to get a soda. You want one?"
"Sure."
The
door slammed shut behind her.
Beth
picked up the discarded play, flipping through the pages. She noticed an
illustration or two popping up amidst the play, and paused on one.
The
picture was of the Goblin King. He wore all black, glittering, and ornamental,
like some otherworldly king would, Beth supposed.
Beth
smiled and flipped the pages again, stopping at an interesting scene, where
Jareth, as the goblin Heggle-something-or-other had called him, was dancing
with Sarah in a ballroom. She read on, amused.
"Oh,
Jareth!" Beth began to mimic Sarah. "I don't know what to think or feel."
She danced around the room. "This is too cool."
In the
darkness of the room, Jareth smiled at Beth as she danced...
"Your
Majesty, " she exclaimed overdramatically, curtsying low. Only when she
righted herself, her back ran against something warm and tall. The silk
of someone's shirt. Beth recoiled in shock, spinning around.
"My
Queen." Jareth finished the line, his eyes glittering at her in the dark.
She
screamed.