"They have all arrived," Toby sighed, feeling far too tired as he peered in at the door.
The Goblin King grinned knowingly at him and nodded. "Run you ragged, did they? I'll be out in a minute. Ask Merilin to come here, please."
Toby looked confused, but obeyed. The elf looked far too smug as he made his soft excuses and left the Reception Hall to follow Toby up to the study. The mortal could feel sharp eyes bore into his back but chose not to say anything more than was required for him.
"Have you heard from Luka recently?" Merilin asked quietly.
"No," Toby answered, "Why? Is there news?"
"Apparently not. How is His Majesty? Treating you well?"
"We have an accord," Toby evaded. An accord! Had any more foolish word ever been used for such a circumstance of convenience?
"Ah. I am glad for you both. It would be awkward, I thought, considering his… history."
"His history is his own. It has nothing to do with me." They were almost there and Toby wished that Merilin would stop talking. The elf made him nervous at the best of times and subjects such as this were too delicate to discuss openly.
"I meant with your sister," Merilin said guilelessly. He met smouldering blue eyes with his most enigmatic smile. "Jareth did adore her. You must be a great comfort to him."
Before anger could begin, Toby's natural defence mechanisms kicked in. Instead of snarling- as he had done far too often in recent days- he tossed a bland smile down at Merilin's sleek curiosity and shrugged. "Comfort or Companionship- who knows? Ask your sister. She makes it a point to know Jareth's frame of mind at any given moment." He paused and then relished the little tip of the verbal dagger. "Or so everyone has noted."
Merilin barely faltered, but his silence was telling.
The mortal walked the last few steps to the door of the study, knocked, opened it and bowed him in.
Jareth was beginning to think that Toby could not be trusted with dealing with people. He had insulted the Duke, he had almost bitten off Ezreeka's nose over something or other and Buttress was complaining that his ward was nothing more than an uncouth savage. Now here was Merilin, a formidable influence on the elvish community, and he looked in no mood to be sweet-talked into anything. On the contrary, he looked as if he would disagree with the Labyrinth itself on principle!
"Welcome, Merilin."
The elf touched his chest and raised his fingers to his lips in a traditional salute as he bowed.
"Sit down, please."
"I had thought the rest of the Council would be called on for decisions as well," Merilin remarked acerbically.
Jareth used a momentary lull to glare at his impassive ward. There would be a talk later. For now, he had political fish to fry. Speaking of which… maybe something could be salvaged. "Come in, Toby, and shut the door."
Merilin looked even less pleased.
"Wine? Water?"
"Nothing, thank you. What is this about?"
"I have reports," Jareth began, picking up a handful of papers, "They give me sufficient news that everything in your world is calm." He picked up a box, tossed the papers in and then set the box down in front of Merilin. Without more than a glance, the papers caught fire and burnt away to ash.
Merilin raised an eyebrow and looked from the greedy flames in the box and then up to Jareth's pleasant face.
"Tell me again what the situation is," the Goblin King encouraged.
"There is nothing to tell you that you do not already know." Merilin picked his words with care. He knew Jareth too well to willingly get caught in this trap. "We are as we have always been."
"Hmmm. Interesting. I could have sworn that there was talk of meetings between you and a certain general from Gildred's army. One of his personal bodyguards if I am not mistaken."
"You are."
Jareth nodded as if to agree with some thought in his own blond head and then raised his hands. A slow, mocking smirk twisted over his mouth. He raised his hands and theatrically held each one out to show his audience that they were empty. Then he turned them over to prove the same thing. "Nothing," he announced. Leaning forward, his left fist closed on the air distressingly close to Merilin's nose. Drawing it back, he opened his hand again and offered the letter up for inspection. "Unless you know where to look."
Merilin stared warily at both letter and proffered hand.
"Open it," the fae urged.
He took it, opened it, scanned it and looked up with a semblance of polite enquiry on his face. "It is a letter from my father to his friend. Is there anything suspect in that?"
Toby was convinced that he was not supposed to be where he was. But Jareth had insisted that he sit in on every talk. There had been much dissention about it, but the Goblin King had gotten his way every time. Merilin, however, was a different person. Like Jareth, he was not as concerned with who was watching him so long as he could guarantee that he could manipulate his own decisions as final.
The elf stood up and moved around his host to place the letter on the desk, sauntering casually as if there had never been a less important meeting in the history of the Council. This time Toby watched Jareth. And he could see the Goblin King's mind picking up and discarding plans of action as Merilin chatted quite insubstantially about everything and nothing.
"Oh, is this Sarah?" he exclaimed, picking up the photograph from where it had been discreetly placed behind a pile of books. "How charming, Your Majesty! I had heard she was beautiful."
Jareth stilled.
"This picture doesn't do her justice, obviously," Merilin commented airily, putting back down and turning around with a soft smile. "Was there something else, Your Majesty?"
"This letter," the Goblin King returned, holding it up, "Is enough for me to walk out of this room and give orders for an investigation. My guards are not, er, very careful with other people's property or privacy. I would hate to inconvenience anyone."
"We live but to serve you, Your Majesty. Whatever you deem best."
"Good. Then you may tell your father and your father's friend to vacate their homes immediately. They are to take nothing but essentials. For safety's sake, they may stay with me. My goblins will bring them back with them after searching their dwellings. They will escort you there as well."
With each order it was clear that this was not something Merilin would want. Jareth was turning the tables on him, forcing him to either speak now or be publicly revealed. Toby noticed how the elf's hand had strayed too close to his side. It was not a movement that was necessarily very natural; unless there was something there that he was reaching more.
"I would advise you not to think of making an escape from this room," Jareth pointed out, clearly thinking the same thing, "There are two against you here and more guards outside."
Merilin looked genuinely surprised and then smiled sheepishly down at his hand as he removed it from his pocket. "I apologize," he supplied, "I meant nothing of the kind."
The Goblin King smiled and waved back to the chairs. "Then sit, Merilin. I haven't finished this talk."
"As you wish."
"Good. I like suppliance."
Toby rolled his eyes at the cheerful vanity. He remained standing, though, taking care that no one was about to get hurt.
Jareth sat down and leaned back. "There has to be some reason that this 'recent arrival' is of so much interest. Here is what I think- I think this letter was written to Madigh and details the facts surrounding my sister's return to her home. I think that this information is being bought with promises of sanctuary in the event of evasion or civil upheaval and that Gildred himself has no idea about any of it."
Toby could only see the back of Merilin's head but the elf hadn't moved a muscle to betray himself. No jerk of his head, no stiffening of his shoulders or straightening of his spine.
"It could be possible," Merilin replied, "I would not know."
"It is all speculation in any case. I can prove none of this." Jareth didn't even need proof. He was absolute ruler of the Underground. He could accuse Merilin of treason and plotting and no one would interfere. "I only wish that I did know the author of this letter."
"Why? What would you say to him?"
"Nothing of any importance. I would get rid of him and be done with the whole business. But since I do know who he is, there is little chance of that."
From the way he spoke, the Goblin King sounded as if he had no authority whatsoever. Neither of the other two males in the room bought his powerless façade. If there was one thing that Jareth exuded, it was that he was powerful and extremely ready to prove it.
"Of course, I could wish that the author of this letter would find out why exactly this information is needed. With my sister's life in the balance… you see my predicament."
Merilin sat up and stretched keenly. "Your Majesty, are you asking me to find out why Madigh has been baiting me for this information?"
"That, my friend, is exactly what I want. Ask him why he wants to know about my sister, find out whether Gildred is aware of his interest in Jervohl and then report to me on the matter. I won't ask you to act on her behalf; just gather the information."
"Fair enough. And my, er, punishment?"
The Goblin King smiled. "Do such a thing again and I will break you."
Merilin chuckled quietly and got up, turning around to get to the door. He barely glanced at the mortal but he did smile slightly, thinking of a pleasantly pointed barb he was storing up for him. Ah well. It wouldn't do to annoy the Goblin King further by insulting his ward in front of him. And since it would involve mention of Sarah Williams, well, it would be suicide to even mention it in Jareth's hearing.
The door closed and Jareth stood up as well, sighing to himself. "Something will have to be done about him," he remarked softly, conjuring up a crystal and watching the departing elf in it, "He is growing too bold."
"Strip him of power," Toby suggested, "Or make it publicly clear that he doesn't have your favour."
Jareth shook his blond head. "Not enough. There are too many who do not like me either. In which case they could seriously undermine me. Merilin is far too good at playing mind games."
"Am I listening to you fearing defeat?" Considering the sudden flame in those differently coloured eyes, Toby instantly signed his apology.
"I am not afraid of him." The soft words were clipped and sharp. "My work is done. Tell the rest that they can go home. I do not need the Council now."
"What? But you have yet to hold the meeting!"
"And I do not want to hold it. So they can go home." That was all Jareth would say on the matter. He sat down again, laid the displaced photo aside and shuffled papers into piles of some kind.
All Toby could do was grimace to himself at the expected outrage he would face on behalf of his guardian and leave.
