A/N: This is the sequel to 'A Day at the Office' (as if you didn't know) its currently undergoing a rework so you'll all have to be nice and review if you want me to keep going with it (^_^) Also, just to warn you, this has been rated R but there are those, I'm sure, who may feel that an NC-17 rating would be more appropriate for later chapters. Just so ya know (^_~) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own Labyrinth or the Goblin King, although that would present some interesting possibilities. All other non-labyrinth characters are the productions of my warped imagination and I will not be held accountable for their actions. Please don't take them they are difficult to control.

Kara paced the length of her room restlessly. Given the room was one fit for a Princess she had ample room for it. She wondered where Hunter was and what he was doing now. If she opened the connection between them up a little she would find out but he would also find out how panic she was feeling and would be with her in a moment and right now she needed to be alone. They hadn't even set a date for the wedding yet and she was panicking, but there was so much to take in, so much she had to learn and so much that would come after, and Hunter was so busy of late that she didn't even have him to help her through it. Four months since she'd been here and she'd hardly seen Hunter for two hours together. Suddenly breathing seemed to be posing something of a problem at the moment. Repressing a scream of frustration she threw herself on top the bed and lay there in a stunned bubble that time did not penetrate, unsure whether she should scream, laugh, cry or do all three. Sitting up she pulled the velvet drapes around the bed closed before lying back down again. She closed her eyes, pressing a hand at each temple and sighing deeply. She heard the door open and close and she cringed inwardly, hoping that it would not be Hunter. The last thing se wanted right now was to explain why she was back in bed and it wasn't even lunch time yet. Although with the seemingly endless parade of duties he seemed to have pressed upon him, she sincerely doubted that it would be. Though she had noted with a certain degree of cynicism that these duties had never prevented him from running off to play in Jareth's labyrinth, before he had met her.

Though in all fairness he had explained to her that his father, Darius, the King of the Vampire realm, seemed to believe that since Hunter was now willing to take a wife he was also ready to accept his duties as heir to the kingdom. She desperately hoped that married life would not always consist of him being away on some duty or other while she found herself sitting around the castle looking pretty in case anyone should lower themselves enough to notice her. She'd learned fast that in this world being human did not recommend you to anyone. She was the first human to join the ranks of vampire nobility and until she was married and they were forced to acknowledge her position then they wouldn't, although there were a few you were civil when they met her, but most were only civil when Hunter was with her. So she had taken to spending all her time in her room except when she was forced to emerge for one of her lessons.

The discrete movements of the person in her room however told her this was a servant and not the master and, despite her earlier thought, she still felt disappointment stab at her. She rolled over so that she could peek between the drapes and saw Millie, the maid that had been assigned to her when she had arrived at Hunter's castle, picking up discarded clothing to be cleaned and quietly and unobtrusively setting the room to rights. Although Kara noted the girl did seem slightly annoyed that she had changed into her nightdress unaided yet again. Millie seemed to have some obscure notion that it was somehow improper that her mistress should be fully capable of dressing and undressing herself.

Kara pulled the drapes further aside. "Millie," she said quietly. Millie jumped a little. She'd obviously thought Kara was asleep. "Could you see to it I am not disturbed, please. I have the most dreadful headache," Kara asked.

Millie nodded her head. "As you wish m'lady." Kara lay down again and after a moment Millie left as quietly as she had entered. Kara sighed. That had been an outright lie of course. She had never been prone to headaches, but she really did not feel like seeing anyone at the moment and it seemed to be enough of an excuse for even those keeping up pretence at civility to leave her in peace. She turned on to her side, curling into a little ball and wept, though if asked she wouldn't have been able to say exactly why.

***

Hunter lounged in a chair at the head of the table, listening to the little man on his right drone on and on about some mater of state or other. He was so bored his eyes were glazing over. Fortunately though since everyone at the table would likely be at each other's throats before the speech was at an end, he very much doubted anyone would notice. Stifling a yawn he wondered why his father was so insistent lately that he be put through this trying ordeal. He did not have to assume the duties of a king until his father decided to pass the crown to him, which judging by the enthusiasm and love his father displayed for his kingdom would not be for some time yet or if his father died, well more to the point if his father was killed. Vampires could be killed, they just didn't die easily. He could understand that his father was hoping to install some sort of 'sense of responsibility' in him, but he had hoped he would be able to spend some time with his future bride. He hadn't even been given the opportunity to show her his land before he'd been whisked away to a private meeting with is father. His son's return home with the woman he announced he was going to marry in tow had been something of a shock for the old man.

He hadn't even had the chance to entail what exactly the marriage ceremony would involve. He swallowed hard, realising that he had yet to tell her that in order for a human to wed a vampire, on their wedding night he would be bound by oath and law to make her into one of his own. Had he not been a prince of the realm then such a stringent need to upkeep that law would not have been forced upon him, he was sure. Perhaps that's why his father had him attending these duties, so that he would learn the importance of this. Though how his father ever expected any kind of ceremony to come to pass when he hadn't been able to speak more than three words to Kara at any one time in the four months since he had arrived back home with her, he could never figure out. Many nights he'd gone to her chamber, hoping she would be awake only to find her sleeping softly in the huge four-poster bed. She looked so innocent and fragile as she slept that he had trouble believing that once she knew what the ceremony involved that she would stay by his side. No, most likely she would run to Jareth and beg him to send her back to her own realm out of his reach. That thought caused memories of the pain he had felt when she almost had left him to surface and the taste of it was bitter enough that he did not wish to go through it again. What he wanted was to hold her, touch her, speak with her – none of which had proven possible in all this time. She was doors away and he couldn't reach her. He reached out to her with his mind, tentatively but the same thing happened that had been happening for the past week – he hit a wall. Kara was blocking him out and he had no idea why. It was worrying him.

The man had finished his long and, to Hunter's mind, pointless speech and as predicted Evan and Morna, two of the heads of state were arguing heatedly at the other end of the table. Sighing he braced himself for another very long day.

***

Ulrich moved silently through his forest. The fact that the forest happened to be in Jareth's land was really just a minor inconvenience to his mind. He moved through it quickly, knowing each twist and turn well though the forest never stayed the same for very long. He found the lake easily. Mostly because he knew the trick to finding the lake was to not be looking for it. He often laughed at the pathetic humans who came here seeking it who could not even grasp so simple a concept as that. He shook his head, shaking out the wild mane of hair and sniffed the air. Yes, he thought, the conditions are exactly right. He began a chant low in his throat. The sounds he made were musical, weaving words together in a complex manner until it became song like. Something that no-one would ever associate with Ulrich.

The water of the lake's surface shimmered and rippled and he stepped, barefoot into the water, continuing his chant. The water became more and more restless as he moved further in as though it resented his presence. It roes at him, lapping at his waist but due to the spell he was weaving, unable to accomplish anything more than that. As he neared the end of his chant the water began to shape and form itself, moulding into a human like form. The water entity he had summoned stood before him, shifting and wavering, collapsing only to be reformed. It looked female though it was hard to be sure as the image rippled so often and at times became wolf like in shape. Simply because it was meant to appear in a form the one summoning would recognise and since he was both wolf and man, it had a little trouble making up its mind. He completed the chant binding it in place.

"Yes lord?" it enquired, its tone, high and musical like the trickling of a gentle stream.  

"I seek information," he told it.

"Then ask?"

"The vampire prince Hunter how goes it with him and his new toy?"

"Toy?" asked the water being clearly confused by his term. It wavered, collapsed and reformed. "I sense she is no toy. The feelings of his heart run deeper than that."

Ulrich snorted. How any one could feel anything like love for a mere human was beyond comprehension. They provided food or sex and sometimes both, but they were not worthy of the love of far superior beings such as the werewolves and vampires. However he did have a valuable piece of information, the girl was definitely a way to get at the foolhardy prince. A tool he could use to hurt Hunter and maybe have a little fun of his own with her into the bargain, he mused coldly.

"Tell me, how do I get at the girl?" he demanded, sure she would most likely be under watchful eyes most of the time, but there must be some moments when she was alone and vulnerable.

The creature hesitated, "the King has bid me to refuse such questions. I cannot and will not disobey him," it replied.

Ulrich snarled in response, "You will answer to me! Despite what Jareth thinks, these woods are my realm! I hold sway here!" The being trembled, in so far as water could tremble in fear. Ulrich had it bound and as such was able to punish it severely for its lack of cooperation. It wavered, becoming wolf, and then nothing, then human once more. Its delayed response earned it the magickal equivalent of a slap to the face. If indeed it really had a face. It whimpered a little. Its nature was such that it could not endure rough handling. In his way Ulrich had been wise to call this particular creature, they were known for their gentle nature.

"Tell me!" he ordered again and it a trembling voice it did.