"Good afternoon."
Toby opened one eye and grunted questioningly.
The Goblin King chuckled and shook his head. "Get up. You've slept long enough."
"What time is it?" Toby asked, sitting up and trying to smooth his hair down. A quick feel of his jaw told him that he desperately needed to shave.
"Twelve o'clock," Jareth supplied, shifting slightly to push the tray towards him. "Go brush your teeth. I had the goblins bring us a meal."
Toby remembered that, yes, his bladder was protesting very vehemently at the abuse it was suffering and his mouth tasted terrible and he seriously needed to wash the sleep from his eyes. He never liked hangovers; they tended to be more trouble than they were worth. So he fled, stopping only to pick up a pair of breeches.
Fifteen minutes later, he reappeared to find his guardian sitting cross-legged on the bed, nibbling at a piece of grain bread and deep in some manner of thought.
"Thank you for the food," Toby began.
But Jareth held up a hand and waved him to silence. He seemed to be concentrating on something. Toby frowned slightly; he knew that look. It was one the Goblin King wore whenever he drifted off to whatever it was that occupied his mind for days on end. No one knew why he did it, but he had the habit of unexpectedly ignoring everyone else while he was at it.
So the mortal shrugged philosophically, didn't take it to heart and sat down. He picked up a cold strip of meat and a slice of bread and began to eat.
It was a few seconds only until Jareth looked up with a smile. "What were you saying?" he asked.
"Thank you for the food."
"I should hope so. I was hungry myself." Jareth got off the bed and sauntered away, calling cheerfully over his shoulder to Toby to wait where he was. A rapid-fire conversation in goblin was held in the sitting room just outside and then he returned, still looking relaxed.
Toby didn't trust that look. "What's wrong?" he asked immediately.
A dark brow rose just a little, betraying the truth more eloquently than words. "I just called a Council meeting. There is no reason to worry; just a few political pitfalls."
"I see. Sorry, I should not question you."
"By all means," Jareth snorted, "Ask anything you like. I may choose not to answer, but the freedom is yours."
Toby swallowed. "Then may I ask why you are calling a meeting?"
"I thought you would be happy to meet my mother again," his irrepressible guardian laughed.
Wrapped up in silk and brown cotton, the Goblin King didn't in the least show any sign of having been pressed up against a very sweaty mortal not three hours ago. His hair, while certainly as wild and free-floating as it had always been, showed no trace of the spikes that had formed from thick fingers threading hard through it. And certainly his mouth was no longer quite so… reddened. The most telling sign was that the gloves had been put on.
Toby had to admit that being sensible and fully conscious had been the best way to enjoy whatever it was Jareth had done with his mouth and hands. It had been… pleasant. Alright, it had been technically as perfect as it could get. But he wouldn't say so, unless asked. The Goblin King seemed far too happy with himself without such a compliment.
"I shall contrive to stay out of your way, Jareth," he commented, picking up another strip of meat and adding vegetation to it, the pulpy leaf boiled to make it edible. Wrapping them in another slice of grain bread, he chewed contentedly for a while.
Jareth kept his silence as well, until he paused in the midst of nibbling as if to add something wholly insubstantial to the conversation- "Actually you are to join me."
"Really?"
"Yes. There will be leaders of all the tribes of the Underground and quite frankly my mother claims that you are diplomatically trained and an able secretary. If I cannot trust my own ward to sit in on the meetings, whom else? You will take note of any points or agreements from the meeting and bring the notes to me when it is done. I'll authenticate them and ascribe can file them in my study."
"That sounds interesting, but I am hardly well versed in…"
"Can you write?"
"Yeah, but I should warn…"
"Can you understand most of the major languages of the Underground?"
"Yes."
"Good. I am assured you have a tolerable amount of intelligence. This should be a good lesson for you as well."
"On Underground politics?" Toby questioned dryly.
Jareth grinned slightly but shook his head in disagreement. "On the nature of the beast," he corrected, "Never are people more obvious than when they are focused on their passion. Passionate people can never hide their passions for very long. And all of these people are interested in themselves above all others."
"Perfectly understandable," Toby commented, "The land is not as large as it used to be."
The Goblin King nodded and shamelessly licked his fingers. "I agree. We lost a lot of land space when we gave the quarry to the Outlaws."
"I had thought the deal was only to be the quarry itself and nothing else?"
"Ah, yes. But the quarry was shut down, remember, and those who lived near to it moved, fearing attack from Gildred's armies. Only scouting troupes and outposts exist in that area now."
That was a new way of looking at it. Which, in retrospect, should have been perfectly obvious. Gildred's armies were not known for tolerating boundaries so naturally the citizens of the Underground would not chance a quick incursion that put their lives and goods at risk. And with the quarry gone, the avenue for employment had certainly dwindled.
Toby brushed his hands and began to change, collecting his clothing so he could take a quick bath first. Jareth was already dressed and seemed to be concentrating once more on whatever was on his mind. But this time, he didn't seem to be looking inward to something only he could see, but to be thinking. Whatever it was, it seemed a grave matter.
"When is the meeting?" Toby asked quietly, quite prepared to be ignored again.
"Hmmm? Oh, in two days. Which reminds me, there are a few more things I should tell you. First, all the Council members will be there," Jareth began, "So I would appreciate it if you would act as pacifier. The Gods know why the centaurs never have gotten along with the fire sprites but they haven't. My mother will be here tomorrow as a figurehead for the Fae and Jervohl will come with her. The elves will be no trouble, neither will the rest of them."
"Buttress," Toby reminded him delicately.
"What?"
"The Elderman for the merpeople- Buttress," Toby repeated, "I have heard he has, ah, a grievance against you. There might be trouble with him."
"Really? I wonder why."
The mortal coughed in an embarrassed sort of way and replied, "You refused him permission to forbid the use of the waterways to any that did not first seek the merpeople's permission."
"Oh. I had no idea he took it so hard." Jareth rubbed his wrist for second in thought and then shrugged. "The fool should learn not to take it personally."
Toby held his tongue. He agreed with the decision, as least as far as an all-inclusive clause was concerned. Certain habitats, he could understand, but every single lake and pond and stream and river? No. So he waited.
"Come with me. Concerning what else you will be learning, there are only a few more things I can teach you." The fae led him out of the room and next door to the library. "In here are certain texts. My mother says you are extremely good at copying decaying books, so I would appreciate your assistance. Ten scribes are already at work restoring most of them, but there are a few too sensitive for their eyes. Get those done and then…" he led them both back out, "I require you to do some dreary desk work for me. I haven't the time or the inclination."
"So you pass it to me?" Toby ventured, looking thoroughly unimpressed with such a course of action.
Jareth looked quite relieved, himself. "Naturally. Any way I can get rid of it; just records that need to be checked and letters that need to be written on my behalf. I will sign the letters myself, but I hate the spadework of writing them."
"How will I know what to write?"
"The ones I give you will require a 'yes' or 'no' answer and I will have written my answer on the letter itself."
"What about reasons for refusing or agreeing?"
"The Goblin King does not need to give reasons, Toby. Whatever I decide is my decision. If they want to argue the case, they can bloody well come here. I am not here to correspond with every half-baked political or social revolutionary."
Toby wisely did not disagree. Personally, he felt it only polite to tell someone why his or her request was being refused. True, the Goblin King was generally the King only to the Goblins, but as the ruler of the Underground as chosen by the power of the Labyrinth, he had a duty to the entire country. And duty, as Toby saw it, meant being interested in the lives and needs of the people. After all, Jareth could have refused the kingship had he felt this way about it.
"Your silence is very telling," Jareth murmured unexpectedly, placing a calm hand on his shoulder, "What have I done now?"
"Nothing."
"Toby?"
"It is not my place to tell you how to be a King, Jareth."
"By which you mean that you disapprove of something I have said and want to be sure that I cannot blame you for interfering by forcing me to ask you because of my natural curiosity. Very well, then- tell me. What have I done wrong?"
"There is nothing you have done wrong," Toby protested, stopping to punctuate his opinion with gesture. "I swear it."
Dual-coloured eyes narrowed at him and Jareth cocked his head to the left, hands on his slender hips as he bit at his lower lip. It was a look of such intense disbelief and intent concentration that the mortal actually smiled. It looked like some strange, human animal that was trying to decide whether to make friends, attack or run away.
So he sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I was wondering whether you really wanted to be King, and- if you do not- whether it was fair to your people to jealously occupy that position simply because of power."
"You are accusing me of power-hunger."
"I think you enjoy your status, yes. I know you are not a bad King. I only wonder whether you are doing the best you can do for the people of the Underground."
Jareth rubbed at his forehead in distraction, composing an answer carefully in his mind. He was not angry, because there really was no point in being angry, but he needed to be firm about this. Toby could not walk into his Castle and his life and judge him on what he could not understand. "Toby, it is none of your business whether or not I am a good King."
Toby's face lost that open look and Jareth almost heard a door slam as the regular features froze into placid blankness. He sighed inwardly and moved forward, cupping the strong jaw and rising up on his toes to brush a soothing kiss to Toby's mouth.
"Stop hiding your feelings," he whispered, "I asked you. This is not a reprimand." He drew back and waited.
It took a while, but slowly Toby began to warily look curiously at him.
"Whether or not I am a good King is open to interpretation," Jareth continued slowly, firmly, "It is not your place to question me. Not because you are unequal to me in any way, but because you are not in the least aware of what I do. You see a small part. You know a little. But you cannot form a judgement on anything other than facts."
"I see."
"I hope you do." Jareth waved his hand and conjured up a clock, reading the time before dispatching it back to the ether. "Pray excuse me. I'm doing to the stables to spend some time with Serenity. You are welcome to join us if you would like."
Join 'us'? For all the world as if Serenity and Jareth were planning to go for a walk and talk of everything from clouds to their childhood! Though knowing Jareth, perhaps they really would. "Thank you, no. I'm going to go take a look at those books and plan my schedule for tomorrow. You have chastised me enough for today." He allowed his lips to twist wryly to take any harm from the words.
Jareth smirked and offered a mocking nod. Whirling around, he strode away, running lightly down the steps.
Toby watched him go, breathing a loud sigh of ease as he felt the loneliness settle in. The prospect of an ordered day on the morrow, the ability to think in peace without fear of anyone reading his facial expressions- they all contributed to make the knots loosen in his shoulders.
Though, he was forced to admit, Jareth had done a good job of loosening him in the morning. That little shimmy of his fingertips on just that spot so close to… Toby didn't even realize that he had shut his eyes until the phantom shudder rippled through his abdomen. And then he snapped back to the present, opening his eyes and roundly scolding himself for being such an idiot.
It had been good sex. That was all. Luka had been good too.
Toby spared a wistful, bitter smile for his former boyfriend. Well, he said former because he wasn't sure if there was any kind of future in it. Luka would be gone for a year and he was going through this weird twelve-months' worth of outside experience. There was no way to contact each other. Would Luka even want to come back to him?
Toby did hope so. He regretted not having settled these questions before. Luke had tried to explain, Toby had said that he could not ever excuse what Luke had done and was ashamed of him, and then Luka had left the room. For all his overly emotional ways, Toby had been very surprised to see that his lover had been straight-backed and unwavering. Pride. He'd forgotten Luka's stern pride.
Quite the same as Jareth's, he mused. The Goblin King was just as proud and unflinching. He could see Jareth being just so unyielding in the circumstance.
The library was quiet and cool, smelt of old books and the Labyrinth, and had a small desk. It was a cramped space, but large enough to serve Toby's purpose. The books Jareth had set out for him were only numbered at two- so far- and both were slim volumes. But the leather was worn, cracked and faded. The pages were ragged at the edges and tearing, they were so thin. The writing, however, was so neat, so beautifully flowing, that Toby couldn't help but to sit down and read it.
The Nature of the Chaos Stone.
Toby felt his breath lurch as he realized what he was holding. The Medallion. The pure white stone that lay just behind the metal façade against Jareth's thin white shirts or hard white chest. The stone glimpsed only once, when Jareth had been asleep and the chain had twisted around his neck to leave the latter side open to any interested gaze.
"The power… The limitations… The liability of the individual… The properties… The oath?" Toby skimmed quickly through the unfamiliar chapter. "Goblin King… oath… protect… never revealed… to what?"
"I had wondered when you would reach that chapter," Jareth's voice drawled behind him.
Toby looked up and stared incredulously at Jareth, snapping it shut as if to prevent the sentences from escaping like an evil spell.
The Goblin King was standing in the doorway, smirking in his trademark knowing way, his arm folded across his chest and one hard shoulder pressed into the wooden doorframe. The medallion plainly glittered around his neck.
"Your Majesty, I am sorry for… I think this is not…" Toby shut up, took a deep breath and tried again. "I think there has been some mistake. Clearly you have given me the wrong book."
Jareth looked at the book and then back up to Toby's eyes. "No. Those are the two books I need rewritten. Do you have any difficulties with the task?"
"Your Majesty, this is not a book I am comfortable reading," Toby protested, "This is for your eyes alone."
"And I do hate copying from one book to another. I hated it when I was a boy and my tutor was teaching me the alphabet."
"Your Majesty…"
Jareth was beside him in a blink of the eye, never having moved until he lowered himself into Toby's lap and let one hand reach up to curl around the back of the mortal's neck. Leaning his forehead against Toby's, he took the book from nerveless fingers and blindly set it down on the table behind him.
"Listen to me," he said quietly, "There is no one else I can trust. I trust you to be discreet, to never tell anyone what you read in these two books, and I trust you not to make a mess of the job. Trust me in return."
"With what?" Toby sighed. It was too much like holding Luka in his arms, on those rare occasions when the fae had been sombre and brooding.
"Trust me to steer you right. Can you do that?" The pause stretched out longer than Jareth was comfortable with. "You still cannot trust me. Why? After everything I have ever done for you, why? I saved you. Gave you protection, family, life. I opened my lands and my home to you and you still cannot trust me?"
"No."
Jareth groaned but didn't move away. Instead his hand tightened on the back of Toby's neck and he seemed almost to contemplate pressing himself closer. "Do you expect me to hurt you in some way? To humiliate you?"
"Yes. Without meaning nastiness or humiliation, I think you will." Toby could hear himself speak, was horrified that he seemed to be so talkative. He had taught himself not to do that, to show what was necessary with a look or a touch, but never openly discuss his emotions. But the shock must have loosened his tongue.
"Is there a way I can change your mind?"
Toby thought about that. "My sister…" his voice cracked ever so slightly.
Jareth softened, his eyes shutting as if to block something from his vision. "What about her?" He still wouldn't move away.
"You could tell where she was every step of the way, isn't that so? You could tell when she was losing and when she was being helped. You could tell and you never stopped her?"
"On the contrary, I helped her," Jareth confided drolly. "That trip through the catacombs? She would have gone the wrong way had I not chased her the right way with the cleaners. Even then, I almost had a heart attack when the gates were closed. I tore down the wall for her."
Toby moved away, pulled his face away from the Goblin King's and deliberately broke that intimate contact. "Why?"
"Love can make you do things like that."
"You still love her?" Toby asked awkwardly.
Jareth stayed silent for a long time, eyes trained down to the first button of Toby's shirt. When he did look up, there was a sort of melancholy in his face. "I miss her. I wish she were alive, even if she had married someone else and borne some other man's child. I wouldn't care if she never spoke to me again, so long as I could watch her sometimes with her daughter, or see her grow old, or hear her voice."
"Then promise me on whatever it is you feel for my sister, that nothing will happen here unless I am agreeable," Toby demanded, "I will not be pushed further than I can go. And there are limits to how far that is."
"As you wish. Do you miss Luka?" It was an abrupt change of topic, but one so close to Toby's train of thought that he only felt a brief moment of wonder before signing that he was undecided.
"Then we both miss someone," Jareth commented briskly, getting off Toby's lap and going back to the door, "And that is as it should be. Please do not fall in love with me. I amtired of being adulated." He vanished as suddenly as he had come.
Toby growled to himself and grimaced at the door in place of the cocky fae he wanted in its place. The remembrance that Jareth could sense everything in his Labyrinth and see it in his mind's eye should he so want to, made the walls seem too narrow and the books too leering. But only for a moment. The next moment Toby gave himself a mental slap of the back and chided himself for being so fanciful.
Really! He hadn't had this queer a day since his first arrival to the Castle at the Centre of the Labyrinth!
