Sequel to "Garwein", but you can read it first. Another shortstory. Have fun
As the young man stumbled into the courtyard, the loud noise broke off. All the people gathered there stared in silent wonder at the newcomer. For a few seconds, everything was quit. Then some vendors started whispering to their customers, buyers talked softly to the merchants. But the topic of the conversations was not the prize for a large black chicken or some vegetables. The whispering was all about the blond man, almost a boy still, who made his way through the crowd. He was unsure on his feet, staggering a little as if drunk. Reaching the large stairs that led to the castle entrance, he almost fell. But nobody moved to help him. He seemed to gather all his remaining strength to step up to the large doors and knock. The sound startled the onlookers, even thoug they had heard it so often before. The queen had many guests. But they all knew this visitor to be not welcome, and not expected. It had been several months ago that the young man was brought out of the Labyrinth, blindfolded so that he would be unable to ever come back. Nobody before him hade come through the maze without help. But the queen had threatened all her minions with terrible punishments if they helped her stepson. Surely nobody had dared to defy her! These thoughts were whispered from person to person as they watched the doors open to let in the crown prince of the Goblin Kingdom.
Upstairs in the throne room, Queen Creethia walked up and down furiously, her long black cape hitting the black boots at every turn. She had been riding when the news had been brought, and she still wore her purple shirt and pants. Her eyes seemed to glow with the same red light as the velvet of her garment. The servants avoided her gaze and shrank closer to the walls. If they could, they would have become statues or - better still - just parts of the wall itself. Anybody who drew the queen's attention if she was in this mood was certain to end up in the Bog of Eternal Stench. They looked at each other in amazement as they saw the young man come enter the room. He had taken a break before coming in, getting something to drink. His dirty, ragged shirt was wet from sweat and water, his formerly grey pants had stains in every color imaginable. His dark boots had holes. But still he went around with his head held high, proudly and without any sign of fear watching his stepmother.
The queen turned to him with a haughty look on her face, but he could see a hint of fear in her eyes. He smiled maliciously. "As you can see, I'm back." he stated, careful not to betray the satisfaction he was feeling. She was still more powerful than he was, and the bet wasn't won before she acknowledged it. But he would have a little game with her, that was certain.
Creethia nodded slowly and sat down. She was a tall woman, but clearly the throne had been made for a larger person. The big bones that formed the back seemed to press her down. She felt them become heavier, pushing her off the chair. She gripped the arms of the throne, but the force behind her was too strong.
"Jareth!" she whispered. How could he have become so powerful whithout her ever realizing it? She looked up at him standing at the other side of the room, looking at her, playing with a large crystal. "Jareth, please!" she said. He shrugged and let the crystal vanish. Creethia fell back when the weight behind her was gone so suddenly. Exhausted, she lay more than she sat, breathing hard. He had proven his powers. She could try to send him away, but not only was he stronger than she was, with the stupid bet he also had every right to the throne. She managed a wry smile. Even before the bet he had been crown prince. In fact, she never had the right to ascend the throne of the Goblin Kingdom. But after Garwein, her human husband and king, had died, she had send Jareth away and made herself queen. The High King of the Underground had supported her at that time, hating humans just as much as she did. But things had changed, and threatened by enemies on all sides, the High King had to assure the assistance of every single kingdom of the Underground. Garwein had not been a popular king, but his son had a good reputation. Several kings and queens had made it clear they would only defend the High King if he installed the rightful ruler in the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. Creethia knew all that. She was considered an upstart, even though her family had far better blood than this arrogant mortal she had raised.
Jareth smiled. He could see almost every thought that came to the mind of the person he had called mother. His real mother, a young mortal woman, had died giving birth to him. His childhood had been a consecutive row of nannies and teachers, hardly competent to raise and educate a future king. He couldn't remember his father very well, at least not in this function. Garwein had hated to be a mortal, he never wanted a mortal child. Jareth had been confined to his rooms most of the time. Sometimes he had sneaked out and watched his father in the throne room or out in the gardens, but the king never talked to him. If they met in one of the large corridors of the castle, Garwein had ignored Jareth. And each time, Jareth had wanted to slap that arrogant face, to kick the legs in the fine brown boots, just to make his existence known and get some attention. Later he had tried to be the best at everything he did. If his father could be proud of him, surely he would acknowledge him. But that had failed.
One day, when Jareth came home from a riding lesson on a gryphon, still dizzy from the fast flight on the large and dangerous beast, he had found his rooms occupied by maids of honor and female servants. In the throne room, behind his father, there stood a tall woman with long black hair and eyes that glowed red. Even then Garwein didn't talk to his son. A servant introduced the crown prince to the new queen. And instantly, both of them recognized the danger and the competition the other one presented. For Jareth, Creethia was competition in the fight for Garwein's attention. And it seemed as if she had already won. And for the queen, the stepson was a hindrance on her way to the throne.
While Jareth had failed to come up with a plan to drive Creethia away, she had been much more successful. After giving birth to a son herself, a son that was only half human, it would have been only a matter of time before the baby, Theregon, would become crown prince instead of the mortal boy nobody wanted. Garwein's early death had spoiled his wife's plans. But the fact that Garwein was trampled to death by the tame gryphons Jareth kept had given her a second chance. There was no proof that Jareth had a hand in his father's death, but he still was punished. Creethia had her servants bring him out of the Labyrinth. She couldn't officially ban him, but she certainly expected him to never come back. But he had. He smiled softly as he remembered how often he wanted to give up, to crawl into a corner and just die. He fought with Certain Death after failing to solve a riddle. He almost choked when wandering around the Bog of Eternal Stench. He had been distracted by the Junk Lady and the Fireys. Several days he had paced around in an oubliette before finding the hidden exit. He had practiced his magic skills and become stronger than ever before. Even stronger than Creethia, and that was more than she would ever have expected from a "mere mortal". He had surprised his dear stepmother. Surprised and scared her. He was content. Now she couldn't keep the throne from him again.
Creethia thought back to the day he had left. When her servants had tied the cloth before his eyes, he could still laugh at her. Laugh and bet he would come back. She bit her lip. Stupid to take that challenge. Even more stupid to bet her kingdom. Somehow he had managed to find his way through the twists and turns, the riddles and traps of the Labyrinth. And now he stood before her, with this arrogant smile on his face, the wild blond hair covered with dust. Creethia knew she had lost. The quesion was what would happen to her.
With a wave of his gloved hand, Jareth ordered her to leave the throne. Then he walked past her and sat down, slowly, like a wanderer in the desert savoring a cup of water. Creethia eyed him suspiciously. She had been cruel to him, he might treat her even worse. But Jareth didn't pay attention. He stroked over the arms of the chair, caressing the whitened bones that formed the back.
The former queen wanted to take her chance and sneak out, but ran into a chicken. The noise brought Jareth back to reality. He pulled a crystal out of the air and threw it at her. Creethia tried to escape. She had seen him do that with animals, and sometimes even with goblins. But it was too late. The glittering orb fell on her head, became larger and larger and she was drawn into it. She hit the walls, but nothing happened. The crystal wouldn't break until Jareth wanted it to. She saw her stepson wave a hand and the crystal lifted itself off the ground. She was slowly floating out of the room, down the stairs and into the dungeons. Inside a dark, humid cell the crystal burst and she landed on the floor. Looking up, she saw the door slam close.