Enter the King
When she swore, Jareth's eyebrows raised in mock surprise. His arrogant smirk was unchanged. "Well, well," was all he said. Children these days, he mused to himself.
Blinking several times, Faryn regained her composure, smoothing her hands down the front of her white blouse. Were it not for the curl of her hair and the colours of her eyes, Jareth would have believed it to be her mother standing before him. The clothes were the same. The broach, the nervous bravery, even the colours of the room were all the same. Of course, the room was no surprise.
"Where's Josh," she demanded, spoiling the illusion. Sarah had been more afraid of him. Still, the likeness was remarkable.
"Faryn. You know very well where he is," Jareth remarked. Beneath the condescending glower, he winced over the reused words.
She sighed, ducking her head away from him. "I don't suppose you'll believe me if I said I didn't mean it."
Jareth let out his nasal laugh. "No, you didn't," he stated matter-of- factly. "Did you?"
Faryn blinked at him a bit more, before giving him an odd look. "But I've wished him away hundreds of times before," she stumbled.
Her gray and blue eyes held such a desperate look of confusion that Jareth found himself answering before he realized it. Then, since it would look as if he'd made a mistake if he stopped, he did as any royal would. He pretended he'd intended just that to occur. "You never wished it when he was in this room, did you?"
Faryn's expression shifted then, closing to him as she adopted a look of cool distaste. "So you'd answer anyone who wished from this room, then."
It wasn't a question, yet Jareth felt like answering it all the same. "Not just anyone, Faryn," he reached his gloved hand to touch her cheek. She flinched away at the last moment, and he finished, "Only the pretty ones." The goblins stashed in the room chortled, but the brunette didn't look around.
He laughed at her sneer, putting on his arrogant facade again.
"Give him back," Faryn demanded of him.
"What's said, is said," Jareth parodied himself, smiling condescendingly at her all the while.
"Please," she sighed distractedly. "Then I'll get him back myself. You're no match for me, Jareth," she added a smirk of her own for emphasis.
The Goblin King found himself forced to restrain a natural flirtatious response. Instead, he arched one delicate brow, asking, "Isn't that my line?"
The girl gave him a mocking look of distress, tittering, "Mine, now."
A single snicker drew his attention to a dark shadow just behind Faryn's right thigh. A shadow he had dismissed lightly before, and only now noticed to be a goblin not in hiding. His hand snapped out for it, but Faryn was faster. She swept the blue goblin into her arms, then took two steps back.
"Be a dear," Jareth implored in a sickly-sweet voice, "And give me that repulsive little thing."
Faryn cuddled the goblin closer to her, giving it a soft look that seemed to promise protection. "No."
Jareth pulled his amused smile on top of the jealousy he felt. "If you don't give her to me, you'll have to keep her." He said, amazing himself at the obvious hint in his voice.
She glanced down at the female goblin and then back at him, surprise plain in her eyes. "Her?" She quickly recovered and glared at him once more, but her strange eyes seemed confused. In blue he found the depth of her indignation clearly pouring on him. From the gray, she seemed to be. enjoying the exchange.
She stiffened her neck and cradled the little goblin closer. "Then I'll take her with me." Something drained out of her in that moment, he watched the struggle in her eyes with wonder. At last, she dropped her false face of contempt and stared at him with open curiosity and delight. "Does she have a name?"
Jareth smiled genuinely. He found himself thinking that she looked far lovelier when she asked things instead of demanded them. "Yes, Ukee. She's rather a disappointment as a goblin, but I'm sure you'll love her." He almost wanted to stab himself for the last remark as he remembered his words to another goblin.
Come, come, hogbrain, are you loosing your head over a girl?
At least he had said something to that effect. He was almost certain he knew what the wart had been thinking. Instead of letting his slip show, he covered it with impatience. "We are wasting time."
"Yes of course, we must hurry along now. Wouldn't want to waste the precious King's time, now would we, Ukee," she asked of the blue goblin, scratching its exposed belly as she spoke. Ukee let out a half growl, half giggle before noticing the look on her King's face and falling silent.
He was towering above her when Faryn looked up again. Jareth didn't miss a beat when he felt victory at her sharp intake of breath. His presence weighed on her, forcing her a step back.
"Yes, Faryn. Fear me. Remember that I am King, and I hold your fate in my hands from this moment forth."
The girl raised her chin to him in defiance, but her arms tightened about the goblin like a favoured stuffed toy.
"I'd offer you your dreams," Jareth said, calling a crystal to his fingertips. He held it before her eyes, continuing, "But we both know the result would be the same." He tossed the clear ball into the air, and it popped into nothingness, as another rolled down his opposite arm and onto his fingers. "Instead, I offer my help. I can protect you from the Labyrinth, and guide you along your mother's footsteps."
Faryn stared at the crystal, her eyes so clouded that even the Goblin King couldn't read them. He took a step closer to her, while she was dazed.
"You want it, don't you," he taunted her, forcing his voice calm even as his breath threatened to become thin with hunger. He stole closer still to her, the crystal nearly the only thing separating them.
She tore her eyes from the orb, and smirked into his face. "And in exchange Josh comes home, but I stay in your castle forever, and ever, and ever? Ha. Not on your life. I can beat you on my own, thank you very much."
"Such a pity," he whispered breathily against her cheek, his eyes half lidded. Instantly, Jareth's sneer returned, and he demanded, "Are you certain? Look on my Labyrinth," he ordered, stepping to her side, and flaring his cape out to unveil his lands as she looked.
A few awed paces forward brought Faryn willingly into the Underground. The Goblin King nearly licked his lips in victory. He cautioned himself to be patient, however. He hadn't won. Yet.
"Good goddess," she sighed in amazement. "It's huge." Jareth watched curiously as her eyes paused on the shimmering shell that encompassed the Labyrinth. Doubtless, it hadn't appeared in any of her stories.
"What is that?"
"It is a spell that keeps the creatures of the Labyrinth from leaving."
Faryn looked taken aback. He was certain that she had been told Sarah's friends had come to visit her, but abruptly stopped. "Why would you cast such a horrible thing?"
"I would not. Eric would."
"But you. Wait, Eric? My father?"
For once, Jareth didn't have to fake the look of disgust and hate that crossed his face. "For all his power, you father," he said the word venomously, "hasn't the ability to control me. However." Jareth sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "He sealed it in his human blood, and I am forbidden from breaking it."
"Forbidden? You mean you can't," Faryn chuckled triumphantly.
"Even the omnipotent have rules to which they must adhere, fledgling," the King snapped before he caught his temper. He'd forgotten how much Eric Talenka upset him. It would not happen again, Jareth vowed. "Regardless, you'll have to break it to get it, so it shan't be a problem for long."
"What does my father have to do with any of this," Faryn asked, waving her arm across the Labyrinth.
"A good deal, actually," Jareth sneered. "You'll learn a lot of things in the Labyrinth. Not all of which will be gentle lessons." He held the crystal up to her again, dropping his gaze alluringly. "You may need my help, Faryn. I'll offer it to you only once more."
Faryn shook her head smartly, and Jareth shrugged his to one side in mock regret. "Such a pity."
"Besides, your majesty, if you brought me here to break my father's spells, shouldn't you let me do it?"
The Goblin King let his nasal laugh loose again. "My little dove," he mocked her, "I believe you have a confidence issue. It is plain to even the goblin in your arms that I brought you here for no other reason than that I find you insatiably attractive." Jareth waited long enough to see her eyes widen before adding, "I would waste my time on nothing less."
When she failed to respond with anything more than a few startled blinks, Jareth laughed, shaking his head. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve my Labyrinth, and your heritage, or your brother becomes one of us, forever." He faded into the wind as he finished, ending with only a laugh.
When she swore, Jareth's eyebrows raised in mock surprise. His arrogant smirk was unchanged. "Well, well," was all he said. Children these days, he mused to himself.
Blinking several times, Faryn regained her composure, smoothing her hands down the front of her white blouse. Were it not for the curl of her hair and the colours of her eyes, Jareth would have believed it to be her mother standing before him. The clothes were the same. The broach, the nervous bravery, even the colours of the room were all the same. Of course, the room was no surprise.
"Where's Josh," she demanded, spoiling the illusion. Sarah had been more afraid of him. Still, the likeness was remarkable.
"Faryn. You know very well where he is," Jareth remarked. Beneath the condescending glower, he winced over the reused words.
She sighed, ducking her head away from him. "I don't suppose you'll believe me if I said I didn't mean it."
Jareth let out his nasal laugh. "No, you didn't," he stated matter-of- factly. "Did you?"
Faryn blinked at him a bit more, before giving him an odd look. "But I've wished him away hundreds of times before," she stumbled.
Her gray and blue eyes held such a desperate look of confusion that Jareth found himself answering before he realized it. Then, since it would look as if he'd made a mistake if he stopped, he did as any royal would. He pretended he'd intended just that to occur. "You never wished it when he was in this room, did you?"
Faryn's expression shifted then, closing to him as she adopted a look of cool distaste. "So you'd answer anyone who wished from this room, then."
It wasn't a question, yet Jareth felt like answering it all the same. "Not just anyone, Faryn," he reached his gloved hand to touch her cheek. She flinched away at the last moment, and he finished, "Only the pretty ones." The goblins stashed in the room chortled, but the brunette didn't look around.
He laughed at her sneer, putting on his arrogant facade again.
"Give him back," Faryn demanded of him.
"What's said, is said," Jareth parodied himself, smiling condescendingly at her all the while.
"Please," she sighed distractedly. "Then I'll get him back myself. You're no match for me, Jareth," she added a smirk of her own for emphasis.
The Goblin King found himself forced to restrain a natural flirtatious response. Instead, he arched one delicate brow, asking, "Isn't that my line?"
The girl gave him a mocking look of distress, tittering, "Mine, now."
A single snicker drew his attention to a dark shadow just behind Faryn's right thigh. A shadow he had dismissed lightly before, and only now noticed to be a goblin not in hiding. His hand snapped out for it, but Faryn was faster. She swept the blue goblin into her arms, then took two steps back.
"Be a dear," Jareth implored in a sickly-sweet voice, "And give me that repulsive little thing."
Faryn cuddled the goblin closer to her, giving it a soft look that seemed to promise protection. "No."
Jareth pulled his amused smile on top of the jealousy he felt. "If you don't give her to me, you'll have to keep her." He said, amazing himself at the obvious hint in his voice.
She glanced down at the female goblin and then back at him, surprise plain in her eyes. "Her?" She quickly recovered and glared at him once more, but her strange eyes seemed confused. In blue he found the depth of her indignation clearly pouring on him. From the gray, she seemed to be. enjoying the exchange.
She stiffened her neck and cradled the little goblin closer. "Then I'll take her with me." Something drained out of her in that moment, he watched the struggle in her eyes with wonder. At last, she dropped her false face of contempt and stared at him with open curiosity and delight. "Does she have a name?"
Jareth smiled genuinely. He found himself thinking that she looked far lovelier when she asked things instead of demanded them. "Yes, Ukee. She's rather a disappointment as a goblin, but I'm sure you'll love her." He almost wanted to stab himself for the last remark as he remembered his words to another goblin.
Come, come, hogbrain, are you loosing your head over a girl?
At least he had said something to that effect. He was almost certain he knew what the wart had been thinking. Instead of letting his slip show, he covered it with impatience. "We are wasting time."
"Yes of course, we must hurry along now. Wouldn't want to waste the precious King's time, now would we, Ukee," she asked of the blue goblin, scratching its exposed belly as she spoke. Ukee let out a half growl, half giggle before noticing the look on her King's face and falling silent.
He was towering above her when Faryn looked up again. Jareth didn't miss a beat when he felt victory at her sharp intake of breath. His presence weighed on her, forcing her a step back.
"Yes, Faryn. Fear me. Remember that I am King, and I hold your fate in my hands from this moment forth."
The girl raised her chin to him in defiance, but her arms tightened about the goblin like a favoured stuffed toy.
"I'd offer you your dreams," Jareth said, calling a crystal to his fingertips. He held it before her eyes, continuing, "But we both know the result would be the same." He tossed the clear ball into the air, and it popped into nothingness, as another rolled down his opposite arm and onto his fingers. "Instead, I offer my help. I can protect you from the Labyrinth, and guide you along your mother's footsteps."
Faryn stared at the crystal, her eyes so clouded that even the Goblin King couldn't read them. He took a step closer to her, while she was dazed.
"You want it, don't you," he taunted her, forcing his voice calm even as his breath threatened to become thin with hunger. He stole closer still to her, the crystal nearly the only thing separating them.
She tore her eyes from the orb, and smirked into his face. "And in exchange Josh comes home, but I stay in your castle forever, and ever, and ever? Ha. Not on your life. I can beat you on my own, thank you very much."
"Such a pity," he whispered breathily against her cheek, his eyes half lidded. Instantly, Jareth's sneer returned, and he demanded, "Are you certain? Look on my Labyrinth," he ordered, stepping to her side, and flaring his cape out to unveil his lands as she looked.
A few awed paces forward brought Faryn willingly into the Underground. The Goblin King nearly licked his lips in victory. He cautioned himself to be patient, however. He hadn't won. Yet.
"Good goddess," she sighed in amazement. "It's huge." Jareth watched curiously as her eyes paused on the shimmering shell that encompassed the Labyrinth. Doubtless, it hadn't appeared in any of her stories.
"What is that?"
"It is a spell that keeps the creatures of the Labyrinth from leaving."
Faryn looked taken aback. He was certain that she had been told Sarah's friends had come to visit her, but abruptly stopped. "Why would you cast such a horrible thing?"
"I would not. Eric would."
"But you. Wait, Eric? My father?"
For once, Jareth didn't have to fake the look of disgust and hate that crossed his face. "For all his power, you father," he said the word venomously, "hasn't the ability to control me. However." Jareth sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "He sealed it in his human blood, and I am forbidden from breaking it."
"Forbidden? You mean you can't," Faryn chuckled triumphantly.
"Even the omnipotent have rules to which they must adhere, fledgling," the King snapped before he caught his temper. He'd forgotten how much Eric Talenka upset him. It would not happen again, Jareth vowed. "Regardless, you'll have to break it to get it, so it shan't be a problem for long."
"What does my father have to do with any of this," Faryn asked, waving her arm across the Labyrinth.
"A good deal, actually," Jareth sneered. "You'll learn a lot of things in the Labyrinth. Not all of which will be gentle lessons." He held the crystal up to her again, dropping his gaze alluringly. "You may need my help, Faryn. I'll offer it to you only once more."
Faryn shook her head smartly, and Jareth shrugged his to one side in mock regret. "Such a pity."
"Besides, your majesty, if you brought me here to break my father's spells, shouldn't you let me do it?"
The Goblin King let his nasal laugh loose again. "My little dove," he mocked her, "I believe you have a confidence issue. It is plain to even the goblin in your arms that I brought you here for no other reason than that I find you insatiably attractive." Jareth waited long enough to see her eyes widen before adding, "I would waste my time on nothing less."
When she failed to respond with anything more than a few startled blinks, Jareth laughed, shaking his head. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve my Labyrinth, and your heritage, or your brother becomes one of us, forever." He faded into the wind as he finished, ending with only a laugh.
