Disclaimer: The Labyrinth, its characters, songs, and phrases are
unfortunately not mine. They belong to Jim Henson Productions. However,
Ione, Apollo, and Isis are my original characters as well as the story.
Please do not use my characters without my permission.
Chapter 13: Isis
"Hello there, Princess!" Jareth said as he knelt down to be eye level with his daughter. Isis smiled and giggled before she threw her arms around her father's neck, and Jareth promptly swing her up into his arms. Isis grabbed his pendant in her fist again, and Jareth smiled at her. Ione simply watched the baby work her charms on the Goblin King.
Over the first couple of months, Jareth spent a considerable amount of time with Apollo. They took many walks together and were always met and the end of the day by Ione and Isis. Isis' rapid growth soon saw her able to talk, and one never knew what would come out of the little darling's mouth. Since her first months were spent primarily with her mother, Isis also developed into a gracious little lady. Apollo absolutely adored his little sister and did his fair share of spoiling. Soon Isis was venturing outside the castle with her mother and brother as they taught her some of the unique information of traveling considering her race. Ione spent much time in the junkyard and cautioned Isis against hurting herself with a misstep. By the time Isis' first birthday came around, she was a well- educated young lady and ready to begin her training. Not long after her birthday, Apollo had turned four. It was the first of his birthdays where his father was truly present, and that was gift enough for him. All three were active in Isis' training. Apollo took on her physical training since he was the most sport minded. Ione was the expert on her own unique talents inherited by her children, but Jareth had the best of the subjects. He would instruct his daughter in the magic for which he was famous. She had a little more trouble than her brother had in adapting to this weapon, and it was a couple months after her second birthday until she mastered it. Still, it was ahead of schedule for a centauress. She was able to move through the stair room with as much ease and agility as her family. She was indeed becoming the image of her mother.
Jareth began to realize that his feelings for Ione were changing. He'd now witnessed her as a mother, and it opened a whole new realm of her strengths and weaknesses to him. She was a very caring mother who did not attempt to overly control her children beyond teaching them right and wrong, yet she was firm and constant in her principles. Ione never wavered. It was one of her gifts. Jareth had the opportunity to see Ione punish Isis one day. The young girl had been careless in the junkyard and nearly caused herself an injury. Jareth had been walking with them and had been enjoying his daughter's antics. Isis had slipped and nearly damaged one of the shaky mounds of junk, but Ione was able to stop her just in time. Ione did not yell at the girl. Rather, she was grimly silent until they returned to the castle. When Ione had Isis in her room, she knelt down and ran her hands firmly down all four of her daughter's delicate legs. She hadn't noticed any limp as they walked back, and she didn't feel any heat now.
"Do you realize how extremely fortunate you are, young lady?" Ione asked her daughter solemnly as she held her daughter's gaze.
"I didn't damage anything!" Isis attempted. The girl soon dropped her gaze from her mother's stern stare. Ione never shouted or yelled or smacked, but Isis knew she was extremely angry.
"You know why you did no damage?"
Isis nodded.
"You stopped me."
"And if I had been looking the other way and unable to react so quickly?"
Isis bit her lip and said nothing though she was beginning to tear. Ione saw this and took one of her daughter's hands.
"Isis, I'm only concerned because I love you. You could've been badly injured if I hadn't stopped you. On top of that, I am Elder Knight of the Junkyard. Your misstep could've injured or even killed an unsuspecting goblin living inside that mound."
"I understand, Mother. I am sorry. I will never do it again."
Ione nodded.
"Since you understand the severity of what you did, you must understand why I cannot just let you off with a warning."
Isis nodded biting her lip again.
"You are grounded to your room for a week so you can think about how to be more considerate of your own life and the lives of those around you."
Isis nodded again, and Ione turned to leave motioning for Jareth to follow. Jareth followed hesitantly since his little princess had a perfectly stricken look on her face.
"Did you have to be so hard on her, Ione U? Surely she learned plenty through fright."
Ione shook her head.
"No, Jareth, wrongs bring punishment. Isis needs to remember to not do this or something more serious. She will not remember this as well if she is not consistently punished when she errs."
"But no one got hurt!"
"Only because I stopped her, Jareth. She needs to learn that there are consequences for her actions so she won't repeat them when I am not there."
Jareth sighed. Ione was right, but he could still remember the look in his daughter's eyes.
"You need to be less susceptible to the puppy eyes, Jareth," Ione said breaking him out of his thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
"You're thinking about her completely stricken look as we left. You need to be less susceptible to the puppy eyes. She would never have put on that act if it had been just me in the room."
Jareth smiled.
"Am I so easy to read?"
"No, I just know that she knows it won't work with me. You were the only other reason. It also worked."
"How?"
"You argued with me about her punishment didn't you?"
"I don't understand."
"She's trying to get you to lessen her punishment. She had a better chance of softening you, and it worked. What she didn't count on is the fact that I am already wise to that game."
Jareth shook his head.
"Amazing!"
Ione simply laughed and began walking away. The smile on Jareth's face broadened when he heard a delicate hoof stamp and an agitated exclamation from his daughter's room. From that day on, Jareth never argued any punishment given by Ione. He knew she had her reasons and that she carefully explained them before handing out punishment. Jareth's respect for Ione only grew as he continued to watch her be a mother. If Isis truly did have an accident, Ione was always able to soothe her while hiding her own motherly panic. Jareth wasn't sure he'd ever be able to hide his own emotions so well, but a mother's love was amazing. Jareth began to understand more of his own problems through this phenomenon. His own mother had died not long after his birth, and an uncaring and tyrannical father had reared him. Perhaps his search for love stemmed from that missing piece of his life. But Jareth soon ceased such thoughts. It could cause him to lose his menacing power, and he wasn't ready for that. Still, Jareth wasn't sure he'd be able to thoughtlessly take from Ione again.
All too soon, Isis reached her third birthday. She had grown into a lovely young lady, and she had learned to carry herself with her mother's unassuming grace. Her mother had taught her to be the perfect lady, and her feminine features glowed with a mature innocence. Ione was prepared to leave the following day. While Jareth didn't want them to leave, he was unable to ask them to stay. Apollo felt only slight disappointment that his father couldn't find it in him to invite them to stay. Isis had only just become aware that evening that they were leaving. She looked between the three members of her family in bewilderment.
"Why?" she asked quietly.
"This is not really home, Isis," Ione replied with a sigh. "I have a home in the city. Your brother grew up there, but when I learned I was going to have you, I didn't want you to grow up without your father like Apollo did. I made a deal with your father that he would be an active part of your life until you reached maturity. You are three today so it is time for us to return home."
"You don't really love me then," Isis asked looking sadly towards her father. She was very near tears, and all three knew it. Jareth felt his heart melt toward his little girl, a very common effect of her tears.
"No, Princess! I do indeed love you and your brother, but having a real family is still strange to me. I'm just not ready for it, Isis." She nodded, but he could tell she was bitterly upset. "Isis," he said sitting beside her and taking her hand. "It's not as though you're walking out of my life. I'll be around a lot more than I was for Apollo now that I'm beginning to comprehend this fatherhood concept." Isis nodded again. She was still sad but comforted that she'd still see her father.
Chapter 13: Isis
"Hello there, Princess!" Jareth said as he knelt down to be eye level with his daughter. Isis smiled and giggled before she threw her arms around her father's neck, and Jareth promptly swing her up into his arms. Isis grabbed his pendant in her fist again, and Jareth smiled at her. Ione simply watched the baby work her charms on the Goblin King.
Over the first couple of months, Jareth spent a considerable amount of time with Apollo. They took many walks together and were always met and the end of the day by Ione and Isis. Isis' rapid growth soon saw her able to talk, and one never knew what would come out of the little darling's mouth. Since her first months were spent primarily with her mother, Isis also developed into a gracious little lady. Apollo absolutely adored his little sister and did his fair share of spoiling. Soon Isis was venturing outside the castle with her mother and brother as they taught her some of the unique information of traveling considering her race. Ione spent much time in the junkyard and cautioned Isis against hurting herself with a misstep. By the time Isis' first birthday came around, she was a well- educated young lady and ready to begin her training. Not long after her birthday, Apollo had turned four. It was the first of his birthdays where his father was truly present, and that was gift enough for him. All three were active in Isis' training. Apollo took on her physical training since he was the most sport minded. Ione was the expert on her own unique talents inherited by her children, but Jareth had the best of the subjects. He would instruct his daughter in the magic for which he was famous. She had a little more trouble than her brother had in adapting to this weapon, and it was a couple months after her second birthday until she mastered it. Still, it was ahead of schedule for a centauress. She was able to move through the stair room with as much ease and agility as her family. She was indeed becoming the image of her mother.
Jareth began to realize that his feelings for Ione were changing. He'd now witnessed her as a mother, and it opened a whole new realm of her strengths and weaknesses to him. She was a very caring mother who did not attempt to overly control her children beyond teaching them right and wrong, yet she was firm and constant in her principles. Ione never wavered. It was one of her gifts. Jareth had the opportunity to see Ione punish Isis one day. The young girl had been careless in the junkyard and nearly caused herself an injury. Jareth had been walking with them and had been enjoying his daughter's antics. Isis had slipped and nearly damaged one of the shaky mounds of junk, but Ione was able to stop her just in time. Ione did not yell at the girl. Rather, she was grimly silent until they returned to the castle. When Ione had Isis in her room, she knelt down and ran her hands firmly down all four of her daughter's delicate legs. She hadn't noticed any limp as they walked back, and she didn't feel any heat now.
"Do you realize how extremely fortunate you are, young lady?" Ione asked her daughter solemnly as she held her daughter's gaze.
"I didn't damage anything!" Isis attempted. The girl soon dropped her gaze from her mother's stern stare. Ione never shouted or yelled or smacked, but Isis knew she was extremely angry.
"You know why you did no damage?"
Isis nodded.
"You stopped me."
"And if I had been looking the other way and unable to react so quickly?"
Isis bit her lip and said nothing though she was beginning to tear. Ione saw this and took one of her daughter's hands.
"Isis, I'm only concerned because I love you. You could've been badly injured if I hadn't stopped you. On top of that, I am Elder Knight of the Junkyard. Your misstep could've injured or even killed an unsuspecting goblin living inside that mound."
"I understand, Mother. I am sorry. I will never do it again."
Ione nodded.
"Since you understand the severity of what you did, you must understand why I cannot just let you off with a warning."
Isis nodded biting her lip again.
"You are grounded to your room for a week so you can think about how to be more considerate of your own life and the lives of those around you."
Isis nodded again, and Ione turned to leave motioning for Jareth to follow. Jareth followed hesitantly since his little princess had a perfectly stricken look on her face.
"Did you have to be so hard on her, Ione U? Surely she learned plenty through fright."
Ione shook her head.
"No, Jareth, wrongs bring punishment. Isis needs to remember to not do this or something more serious. She will not remember this as well if she is not consistently punished when she errs."
"But no one got hurt!"
"Only because I stopped her, Jareth. She needs to learn that there are consequences for her actions so she won't repeat them when I am not there."
Jareth sighed. Ione was right, but he could still remember the look in his daughter's eyes.
"You need to be less susceptible to the puppy eyes, Jareth," Ione said breaking him out of his thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
"You're thinking about her completely stricken look as we left. You need to be less susceptible to the puppy eyes. She would never have put on that act if it had been just me in the room."
Jareth smiled.
"Am I so easy to read?"
"No, I just know that she knows it won't work with me. You were the only other reason. It also worked."
"How?"
"You argued with me about her punishment didn't you?"
"I don't understand."
"She's trying to get you to lessen her punishment. She had a better chance of softening you, and it worked. What she didn't count on is the fact that I am already wise to that game."
Jareth shook his head.
"Amazing!"
Ione simply laughed and began walking away. The smile on Jareth's face broadened when he heard a delicate hoof stamp and an agitated exclamation from his daughter's room. From that day on, Jareth never argued any punishment given by Ione. He knew she had her reasons and that she carefully explained them before handing out punishment. Jareth's respect for Ione only grew as he continued to watch her be a mother. If Isis truly did have an accident, Ione was always able to soothe her while hiding her own motherly panic. Jareth wasn't sure he'd ever be able to hide his own emotions so well, but a mother's love was amazing. Jareth began to understand more of his own problems through this phenomenon. His own mother had died not long after his birth, and an uncaring and tyrannical father had reared him. Perhaps his search for love stemmed from that missing piece of his life. But Jareth soon ceased such thoughts. It could cause him to lose his menacing power, and he wasn't ready for that. Still, Jareth wasn't sure he'd be able to thoughtlessly take from Ione again.
All too soon, Isis reached her third birthday. She had grown into a lovely young lady, and she had learned to carry herself with her mother's unassuming grace. Her mother had taught her to be the perfect lady, and her feminine features glowed with a mature innocence. Ione was prepared to leave the following day. While Jareth didn't want them to leave, he was unable to ask them to stay. Apollo felt only slight disappointment that his father couldn't find it in him to invite them to stay. Isis had only just become aware that evening that they were leaving. She looked between the three members of her family in bewilderment.
"Why?" she asked quietly.
"This is not really home, Isis," Ione replied with a sigh. "I have a home in the city. Your brother grew up there, but when I learned I was going to have you, I didn't want you to grow up without your father like Apollo did. I made a deal with your father that he would be an active part of your life until you reached maturity. You are three today so it is time for us to return home."
"You don't really love me then," Isis asked looking sadly towards her father. She was very near tears, and all three knew it. Jareth felt his heart melt toward his little girl, a very common effect of her tears.
"No, Princess! I do indeed love you and your brother, but having a real family is still strange to me. I'm just not ready for it, Isis." She nodded, but he could tell she was bitterly upset. "Isis," he said sitting beside her and taking her hand. "It's not as though you're walking out of my life. I'll be around a lot more than I was for Apollo now that I'm beginning to comprehend this fatherhood concept." Isis nodded again. She was still sad but comforted that she'd still see her father.