Stephan couldn't help but gasp quietly, turning his head to gaze down
at Jareth. What Talius had said was beyond anything he ever thought
could ever happen in his life. With having never known his mother,
and his father dying so early in his life, his family had been Jareth
and Oberon, then Titania, after Oberon had wed. And now... He
walked over to his brother's bed, and actually took his hand
in his. Taking a deep a deep breath, he whispered, "There's no way I am
going to let you die."
Aislinn didn't know what to say. She was overcome by the emotion of
it all, and was surprised to feel tears running down her cheeks over
this man she had known for all of nine or ten days. She had always
thought she would get a chance to get to know him before...
Stephan looked up at Aislinn and then stood and walked over to her.
Taking her hand in hers, he said gently, "Aislinn, don't cry.
I don't care what the danger of that place is, I'll get the herb.
Jareth *is* going to live." Aislinn looked up and deep into
Stephan's dark emerald eyes and knew he was telling the truth.
She nodded.
* * * * *
Stephan solemnly entered the throne room and immediately, the goblins,
who had been talking noisily, stopped and stared at him expectantly.
"I suppose you want to know about Jareth," he addressed them
impatiently.
"Please, Lord Stephan," one goblin pleaded. "What's wrong with His
Majesty?"
Stephan took a deep breath and began, "He has a kind of magical
illness. There's an herb, which can help Jareth, that I'm
going to collect right now." Stephan opened his mouth to say
something else and then shut it again. He was trying, just like
Talius had done, to figure out how to tell the goblins the next part.
The goblins sensed the next part wasn't good news and sat waiting
impatiently for Stephan to continue.
"What? What's wrong Lord Stephan?"
Stephan sighed heavily and softly said, "If we don't get the herb to
my brother in thirteen hours, he has little chance of living."
The goblins gasped, murmer rushing through the crowd as they tried to
take in what their King's brother had just said. They knew Jareth
had not been well the night before,
but never had they imagined...
Suddenly the creatures started talking loudly again, this time
speaking only of what their life could be like without King Jareth.
As he listened to their words, Stephan felt his face begin to heat.
All of a sudden he burst out, "Now stop this! Jareth is *not* going
to die! How dare you even *speak* of such a thing! I'll get the herb,
Talius will give it to Jareth, and everything will be fine! Now, shut
up!"
The goblins just stared at Stephan. Never had they seen him so upset.
Stephan turned and stormed from the room. He rushed back into
Jareth's bed chambers and slammed the heavy wood door behind him.
"Stephan, my boy, you must calm down," Talius said as Stephan buried
his head in his hands. "I know you are angry, but you must forget
your anger for now and concentrate on the task at hand."
The Eastern Fey King took a deep breath. "I know. I'm sorry Talius.
I just can't stand to hear those wretched goblins speak of this as if
Jareth is already dead!"
"I know, my boy. I'll speak to the goblins. I would help you get
the herb, but I must stay here with Jareth at all times in case he
gets worse. Good luck, Stephan."
"Thank you, Talius. I'll be back as soon as I can." Stephan raised
his hand over his head and was about to disappear when Aislinn burst
out, "Wait Stephan! I want to help!"
"Aislinn... it's too dangerous."
"Please Stephan? I really want to... Please let me come."
"I know you do, but The Land of the Howlers-"
"*Please* Stephan?"
The Goblin King's brother sighed and looked over at Talius, who
nodded slowly. "Alright, Aislinn," Stephan reluncantly acknowledged.
you may come."
She smiled slightly. "Thank you, Stephan," she replied sincerely as
she came to join him.
Stephan took Aislinn's hand and once again raised his arm over his
head. As her small fingers slid between his, Stephan knew the only
reason he hadn't wanted her along was because it might be dangerous.
What other reason he wanted her there wasn't yet apparent, but he
couldn't worry about it at the moment. Stephan waved his hand and
the two vanished in a burst of azure light.
at Jareth. What Talius had said was beyond anything he ever thought
could ever happen in his life. With having never known his mother,
and his father dying so early in his life, his family had been Jareth
and Oberon, then Titania, after Oberon had wed. And now... He
walked over to his brother's bed, and actually took his hand
in his. Taking a deep a deep breath, he whispered, "There's no way I am
going to let you die."
Aislinn didn't know what to say. She was overcome by the emotion of
it all, and was surprised to feel tears running down her cheeks over
this man she had known for all of nine or ten days. She had always
thought she would get a chance to get to know him before...
Stephan looked up at Aislinn and then stood and walked over to her.
Taking her hand in hers, he said gently, "Aislinn, don't cry.
I don't care what the danger of that place is, I'll get the herb.
Jareth *is* going to live." Aislinn looked up and deep into
Stephan's dark emerald eyes and knew he was telling the truth.
She nodded.
* * * * *
Stephan solemnly entered the throne room and immediately, the goblins,
who had been talking noisily, stopped and stared at him expectantly.
"I suppose you want to know about Jareth," he addressed them
impatiently.
"Please, Lord Stephan," one goblin pleaded. "What's wrong with His
Majesty?"
Stephan took a deep breath and began, "He has a kind of magical
illness. There's an herb, which can help Jareth, that I'm
going to collect right now." Stephan opened his mouth to say
something else and then shut it again. He was trying, just like
Talius had done, to figure out how to tell the goblins the next part.
The goblins sensed the next part wasn't good news and sat waiting
impatiently for Stephan to continue.
"What? What's wrong Lord Stephan?"
Stephan sighed heavily and softly said, "If we don't get the herb to
my brother in thirteen hours, he has little chance of living."
The goblins gasped, murmer rushing through the crowd as they tried to
take in what their King's brother had just said. They knew Jareth
had not been well the night before,
but never had they imagined...
Suddenly the creatures started talking loudly again, this time
speaking only of what their life could be like without King Jareth.
As he listened to their words, Stephan felt his face begin to heat.
All of a sudden he burst out, "Now stop this! Jareth is *not* going
to die! How dare you even *speak* of such a thing! I'll get the herb,
Talius will give it to Jareth, and everything will be fine! Now, shut
up!"
The goblins just stared at Stephan. Never had they seen him so upset.
Stephan turned and stormed from the room. He rushed back into
Jareth's bed chambers and slammed the heavy wood door behind him.
"Stephan, my boy, you must calm down," Talius said as Stephan buried
his head in his hands. "I know you are angry, but you must forget
your anger for now and concentrate on the task at hand."
The Eastern Fey King took a deep breath. "I know. I'm sorry Talius.
I just can't stand to hear those wretched goblins speak of this as if
Jareth is already dead!"
"I know, my boy. I'll speak to the goblins. I would help you get
the herb, but I must stay here with Jareth at all times in case he
gets worse. Good luck, Stephan."
"Thank you, Talius. I'll be back as soon as I can." Stephan raised
his hand over his head and was about to disappear when Aislinn burst
out, "Wait Stephan! I want to help!"
"Aislinn... it's too dangerous."
"Please Stephan? I really want to... Please let me come."
"I know you do, but The Land of the Howlers-"
"*Please* Stephan?"
The Goblin King's brother sighed and looked over at Talius, who
nodded slowly. "Alright, Aislinn," Stephan reluncantly acknowledged.
you may come."
She smiled slightly. "Thank you, Stephan," she replied sincerely as
she came to join him.
Stephan took Aislinn's hand and once again raised his arm over his
head. As her small fingers slid between his, Stephan knew the only
reason he hadn't wanted her along was because it might be dangerous.
What other reason he wanted her there wasn't yet apparent, but he
couldn't worry about it at the moment. Stephan waved his hand and
the two vanished in a burst of azure light.
