AN: thank you very much for the reviews I have recieved. i'm sorry I can't remember specific names, but there is more to come, only half way through the story and Sarah will be making her debut v.soon. (I want to say next chapter...but not quite sure where beta divided the chapters.) :)
Chapter Six
A cold breeze rustled the trees outside of the Council Building. "Well, Cuchulain, what are your thoughts on your father's ruling?" Noble Seigfreid addressed his friend. Cuchulain's jaw jutted out at the mention of his father, the light of the dying sun matching the flame of his hair.
"He did what he thought was best, we can ask for no more."
"Except perhaps the truth." Seigfreid's wide blue eyes looked earnestly into Cuchulain's gray ones.
"Perhaps Jareth is innocent in this." Cuchulain, turned his back.
"Yes, and perhaps I am the son of Artemis!" The brown haired warrior threw his arms wide in jest.
"I understand, but what can we do? He is obviously beyond any magic we can conjure if he was able to bend the mirror to his will."
"There is a foul stench in the air, and Odin kill me if I am wrong, it comes from the Goblin Kingdom."
"Indeed, I see it smothering his land," and so there was in the distance, the Goblin Kingdom, once sparkling with vitality, was now looking quite wilted.
"The magic has been drained. But I must bide my time, warriors such as ourselves cannot act without more of a cause than suspicion."
"Then I shall wait with you my dear friend. I too believe more has happened than we know and more will come. In the meantime let us not tarry like lads." Cuchulain clapped Seigfreid's back and led him back indoors.
*~*~*~*~
Jareth paced his throne room not daring to look at the person before him. "Are you sure all of the land is affected Hoggle?"
"Yes, yer Majesty. Even the pond."
Jareth nodded his head, the news while alien to his ears was old to his heart.
"Is there anything I can do Jareth?"
"No, no, hog-brained fool that I am, this is my fault, as are you."
"Now yer highness…"
"Leave me now Hoggle, and do your best with the borders that you can. As much of a mockery to humanity that I have made you, you are the closest thing to a friend I have now, do not fail me."
"No, highness, I never would." With that the wrinkled little man left. Alone with his thoughts Jareth flopped on his throne and closed his eyes, moments later they shot open.
"I wonder where they sent Ferdinand and Lendara's little bastard." He conjured a crystal and peered into its depths, it revealed nothing but mist. Frustrated Jareth willed the crystal to show the land from whence Ferdinand hailed. He saw servants and some nobles mingling in the courtyard, but none carried what he sought. Yet again he bent the crystal to his will, he saw Ferdinand with Raiel and Rafe speaking softly in a small hut around a little fire. Raiel was leaning against Rafe looking tired but Jareth could see the happiness Lord Darez's presence gave her. The Goblin King's heart swelled with fury at this realization and he threw the crystal across the room, destroying the spell and the offensive sight.
*~*~*~*~
Ferdinand poked at the fire, stirring some of the sleeping embers. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his hair obscuring his eyes.
"Don't apologize my friend." Raiel walked over to him, placing a gentle hand on his hunched shoulder.
"Why shouldn't I?" He turned to face her, his face was worn with lines of grief. "This situation is entirely on my shoulders. I have never known such guilt."
"You were unaware of what you were doing to that woman." Lord Darez spoke softly from the corner where he was preparing a meal, he was confident in Raiel's assesment of the earthman.
"Perhaps to Renersa Dunnei, but it is the nature of the beast, is it not? This was not the first time I have committed such a crime. The other was far worse." Ferdinand's eyes misted over in deep memory.
The cell was dank and dark poorly lit by one small window, Ferdinand could feel the grime grounding against the bottom of his boots. He couldn't see his sister, his twin, the Duchess of Malfi except as a black silhouette. Her skirts rustled as did the chains that bound her to the wall as she turned to face where she heard his boot steps.
"This darkness suits you well." He whispered harshly.
"I would ask your pardon."
"You have it; For I account it the honorabl'st revenge, where I may kill to pardon. Where are your cubs?"
"Whom?"
"Call them your children; for though our national law distinguish bastards from true legitimate issue, compassionate nature makes them all equal."
"You are going to rot in hell for this, brother."
"It would have been better if you had always been kept like this, for you were always too much in the light. But no more. I have come to seal my peace with you. Here's a hand," Ferdinand thrust his hand forward, however with in it was grasped another hand, a dead man's from the wrist down, "A hand to which you have vowed much love; the ring on its finger, you gave."
"I affectionately kiss it." He could feel her hair brush his fingers as she bent with loving lips to kiss the fetid flesh of a corpse she thought was his. "You feel cold, are you not well?"
"I leave this ring, madam as an affection of my love, as well as the hand." With that he dropped the hand into hers and swept out of the room. He could hear her scream echoing as he walked the corridor back to his world of glamour and glitter.
(Adapted from Act IV scene 1)
"As you see Lord Darez, Jareth and I were well matched."
"Yes, you were indeed. I can't help but wonder though, have these events effected him as deeply as they did you? You now feel guilt, before you escaped it by loosing you mind, but now that you are in the Underground the magic has given new life to your mind, cursing your body and giving you a conscience. Does he now feel guilt?"
"Jareth is not soulless, my love." Raiel interjected. "I admit his is rather blotted, but he has felt guilt, deeply. The human child that I told you of. The one that turned into a goblin because of his magic, it has always weighed heavily with him. In you Ferdinand he had somehow hoped he had righted that, but he has not, as we all know. Indeed, the Goblin King is feeling very guilty right now, guilty and alone. However, my pity for his current state does not alleviate the anger I feel towards him for such a betrayal." The small woman's eyes lit up.
"And I believe I now know how make sure he does not forget my grievance." She turned to Ferdinand, "How are you at taking dictation?"
"Not so bad, my lady."
"Very well then, Raef if you would be so kind?"
"Anything my love." He waved his hand, a pen, inkwell and sheets of paper appeared on a desk in front of Ferdinand.
"Very well then, let's start, shall we?"
Chapter Six
A cold breeze rustled the trees outside of the Council Building. "Well, Cuchulain, what are your thoughts on your father's ruling?" Noble Seigfreid addressed his friend. Cuchulain's jaw jutted out at the mention of his father, the light of the dying sun matching the flame of his hair.
"He did what he thought was best, we can ask for no more."
"Except perhaps the truth." Seigfreid's wide blue eyes looked earnestly into Cuchulain's gray ones.
"Perhaps Jareth is innocent in this." Cuchulain, turned his back.
"Yes, and perhaps I am the son of Artemis!" The brown haired warrior threw his arms wide in jest.
"I understand, but what can we do? He is obviously beyond any magic we can conjure if he was able to bend the mirror to his will."
"There is a foul stench in the air, and Odin kill me if I am wrong, it comes from the Goblin Kingdom."
"Indeed, I see it smothering his land," and so there was in the distance, the Goblin Kingdom, once sparkling with vitality, was now looking quite wilted.
"The magic has been drained. But I must bide my time, warriors such as ourselves cannot act without more of a cause than suspicion."
"Then I shall wait with you my dear friend. I too believe more has happened than we know and more will come. In the meantime let us not tarry like lads." Cuchulain clapped Seigfreid's back and led him back indoors.
*~*~*~*~
Jareth paced his throne room not daring to look at the person before him. "Are you sure all of the land is affected Hoggle?"
"Yes, yer Majesty. Even the pond."
Jareth nodded his head, the news while alien to his ears was old to his heart.
"Is there anything I can do Jareth?"
"No, no, hog-brained fool that I am, this is my fault, as are you."
"Now yer highness…"
"Leave me now Hoggle, and do your best with the borders that you can. As much of a mockery to humanity that I have made you, you are the closest thing to a friend I have now, do not fail me."
"No, highness, I never would." With that the wrinkled little man left. Alone with his thoughts Jareth flopped on his throne and closed his eyes, moments later they shot open.
"I wonder where they sent Ferdinand and Lendara's little bastard." He conjured a crystal and peered into its depths, it revealed nothing but mist. Frustrated Jareth willed the crystal to show the land from whence Ferdinand hailed. He saw servants and some nobles mingling in the courtyard, but none carried what he sought. Yet again he bent the crystal to his will, he saw Ferdinand with Raiel and Rafe speaking softly in a small hut around a little fire. Raiel was leaning against Rafe looking tired but Jareth could see the happiness Lord Darez's presence gave her. The Goblin King's heart swelled with fury at this realization and he threw the crystal across the room, destroying the spell and the offensive sight.
*~*~*~*~
Ferdinand poked at the fire, stirring some of the sleeping embers. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his hair obscuring his eyes.
"Don't apologize my friend." Raiel walked over to him, placing a gentle hand on his hunched shoulder.
"Why shouldn't I?" He turned to face her, his face was worn with lines of grief. "This situation is entirely on my shoulders. I have never known such guilt."
"You were unaware of what you were doing to that woman." Lord Darez spoke softly from the corner where he was preparing a meal, he was confident in Raiel's assesment of the earthman.
"Perhaps to Renersa Dunnei, but it is the nature of the beast, is it not? This was not the first time I have committed such a crime. The other was far worse." Ferdinand's eyes misted over in deep memory.
The cell was dank and dark poorly lit by one small window, Ferdinand could feel the grime grounding against the bottom of his boots. He couldn't see his sister, his twin, the Duchess of Malfi except as a black silhouette. Her skirts rustled as did the chains that bound her to the wall as she turned to face where she heard his boot steps.
"This darkness suits you well." He whispered harshly.
"I would ask your pardon."
"You have it; For I account it the honorabl'st revenge, where I may kill to pardon. Where are your cubs?"
"Whom?"
"Call them your children; for though our national law distinguish bastards from true legitimate issue, compassionate nature makes them all equal."
"You are going to rot in hell for this, brother."
"It would have been better if you had always been kept like this, for you were always too much in the light. But no more. I have come to seal my peace with you. Here's a hand," Ferdinand thrust his hand forward, however with in it was grasped another hand, a dead man's from the wrist down, "A hand to which you have vowed much love; the ring on its finger, you gave."
"I affectionately kiss it." He could feel her hair brush his fingers as she bent with loving lips to kiss the fetid flesh of a corpse she thought was his. "You feel cold, are you not well?"
"I leave this ring, madam as an affection of my love, as well as the hand." With that he dropped the hand into hers and swept out of the room. He could hear her scream echoing as he walked the corridor back to his world of glamour and glitter.
(Adapted from Act IV scene 1)
"As you see Lord Darez, Jareth and I were well matched."
"Yes, you were indeed. I can't help but wonder though, have these events effected him as deeply as they did you? You now feel guilt, before you escaped it by loosing you mind, but now that you are in the Underground the magic has given new life to your mind, cursing your body and giving you a conscience. Does he now feel guilt?"
"Jareth is not soulless, my love." Raiel interjected. "I admit his is rather blotted, but he has felt guilt, deeply. The human child that I told you of. The one that turned into a goblin because of his magic, it has always weighed heavily with him. In you Ferdinand he had somehow hoped he had righted that, but he has not, as we all know. Indeed, the Goblin King is feeling very guilty right now, guilty and alone. However, my pity for his current state does not alleviate the anger I feel towards him for such a betrayal." The small woman's eyes lit up.
"And I believe I now know how make sure he does not forget my grievance." She turned to Ferdinand, "How are you at taking dictation?"
"Not so bad, my lady."
"Very well then, Raef if you would be so kind?"
"Anything my love." He waved his hand, a pen, inkwell and sheets of paper appeared on a desk in front of Ferdinand.
"Very well then, let's start, shall we?"