Author's Note: Don't worry. Merilin isn't forgotten and thereare still a few more hidden truths that need to come out.

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"So you see, Jareth? Will it not be the best way to end this year? You will allow Toby to attend the end-of-year ball, first, yes?"

The Goblin King laughed nonchalantly and shook his head. "Toby goes where he wants, mother. He doesn't need my permission."

"Oh good." The Lady Pandora smiled her sweet smile at him. "That makes things much easier."

"Well, I wish you good luck with it," Jareth commented, getting up and stretching, "If you will excuse me, Noll is my next target for this evening."

The sweet smile faded. "You are not going to plague that poor mermaid again, are you? She barely survived educating you."

"Mother, she has vital gossip. That, and I have the feeling someone is lying to me about the activities of the water animals."

"I see." Pandora was clearly unimpressed.

Jareth didn't bother to explain it. He simply smiled, bowed and stalked away. Pandora shook her head and put his haughty behaviour down to the morning's annoyance. He was always more moody when he called Council, but this went beyond moody into blatant recklessness. Though, of course, there was still that business with Merilin to be sorted out. The elf could not be kept hidden away in a room for the rest of his life.

She needn't have worried. Jareth was making one detour before going to find Noll.

Merilin's room was on the top level of the Castle, bristling with guards. The three outside clanged a salute as soon as the Goblin King appeared in sight. The door was open instantly and the two guards inside were instantly at attention, alerting Merilin as to his guest.

Jareth raised an eyebrow when Merilin got silently to his feet and bowed. "You seem in better spirits since the last time I saw you," he murmured.

The elf looked tired and pale from lack of sufficient exposure to the outdoors. He was sitting by the window, but from the look of him he would need to be taken out in another day or so. The elves never could stand being cooped up in stone prisons. Very few of the races could.

"I apologize for the way I reacted, Your Majesty," Merilin answered, "It was unforgivable of me."

"Was it? I never noticed."

"I also apologize for any trouble I may have caused."

Jareth gazed steadily at him, hands behind his back as he waited for some signs of nervousness or anticipation. Merilin would not use such a crude means of asking for mercy. Those elvish eyes skidded away suddenly to the two guards behind him and he noticed a look of pure derision in them. Derision and hate.

"You may go," he said mildly to the two goblin guards.

The guards took a moment but they left very quickly. Jareth sent all five of them away, wishing ---- would not think quantities were as effective as quality. A good assassin would be able to finish the three outside or the two inside without worrying overmuch. Toby was right- the military could certainly use a little polishing.

Jareth did something for Merilin that he rarely did for anyone. He conjured up a crystal and turned it into a peach.

Merilin took it as a peace offering and smiled gravely in thanks. "I would offer you a seat, Your Majesty, but the hospitality is not mine to extend. But sit if you would like." Merilin waited until Jareth had decisively declined before nodding and sitting down himself.

"I have been thinking," the Goblin King began, "Of what to do with you, in particular. There are two ways to do this. I could simply report you to Council, which frankly is very convenient for me and is also required of me by law. You know that as well as I do. All treasonous and/or publicly panic-inducing tactics are to made general knowledge to the general public. As is their right. If they are to be betrayed by one of their own, they should be told of it."

The elf nodded attentively. He had the sneaking suspicion that Jareth already knew he feared that. The guards were always around and Merilin quite often spent long hours reflecting on this very issue, and who knew but that the guards had reported it to their King.

"Or," came the inevitable second option, "Or we could hammer out a deal between ourselves. I will freely admit that I like this second path much better than all the pageantry with laws and public announcements. You are far too clever to have your career cut short so acrimoniously."

Merilin didn't betray his surprise, but he did sit up straighter, the intent gleam back in his eyes.

"You have been very stupid so far. The first thing you have got to learn, is that you must always be alert. Do not fall asleep when keeping an assignation. It looks bad. The second thing you have to do, is learn to take control of a situation. Never let someone tell you their plans. Ask questions; think around the topic; push for more information than they are willing to give."

"Why are you telling me all this, Your Majesty?"

"Also keeping in mind," Jareth warned, "That you should know when to shut up and obey. Keep your contacts in their right place."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Jareth nodded, hands clasped lightly behind his back and a smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. It was all so easy, he exulted, to use power in a powerful way. He never understood why people were so apprehensive about wielding power. It gave one such a kick! "Well?"

Merilin blinked.

"Your choice, Merilin."

"I'm afraid I need more information before I can make that choice, Your Majesty. There is a lot at stake with the public trial, yes, I know. But I am certain you will ask for something hard in return for your silence."

"My silence?" Jareth echoed, raising an eyebrow in innocent enquiry. "Hardly that, Sir Merilin. I only propose to turn this to a better use than your humiliation."

"My punishment, you mean. I will be exiled."

Jareth began to smirk, and then- unable to help himself- began to laugh. He couldn't help it! It was all so very ironic and it amused him to no end to see the way things were turning out. He held up a hand and tried to stifle his sniggers. It was no use antagonizing the elf before he had even laid out his plans.

Merilin stiffened and his eyes flashed. His pride had suffered a severe blow the last time he had met this fae and he was hard-pressed not to flush at being laughed at. He set the peach down and wrapped his robe closer around himself, leaning back in his seat and watching expressionlessly as the King quietened down. He waited until Jareth pulled up a companionable chair before unbending enough to speak- "I will need to know whether my life or the lives of any of those I care for will be in danger if I accept the second choice."

Jareth tilted his head in thought. "Perhaps," he said, brutally truthful, "But not as a direct result of your acceptable of choice two. Whether you get yourself killed or not depends on your inter-personal skills."

The elf stood up. He had his suspicions about this. Jareth wouldn't put his life at risk, but he would put him in a potentially stressful situation that might result in his death. And there were very few avenues that led to that point from Merilin's point of view. He went to the window and breathed in deeply, cleansing his senses with the breathe of fresh air.

"What exactly did Luka tell you about Gildred?" Jareth asked.

"I have already told you…"

"Tell me again."

Merilin automatically felt for the bracelet that usually kept his powerstone around his wrist and grimaced when he remembered it was gone. "Luka is not concerned with Gildred but he says Madigh has insinuated himself into a position of power. Nothing can happen in the Kingdom any more without Madigh knowing. A few more years and Luka is confident that the outlaws can be held ransom to Gildred for a high enough price."

"What price is Luka going to ask for?"

"Power, naturally. Luka wants power. He says he doesn't see why he shouldn't have it."

Jareth nodded slowly to himself. "Then I must ask you once more- will you take the second option?"

Merilin weighed both. The first one, with all its legal safety, was most unappealing. He had a certain reputation, after all. To see his name dragged through the mud would be more than he wanted to have to bear. Which left him with option number two. What gave him pause with that path was the gnawing thought that Jareth had something up his sleeve that Merilin would not like.

And yet.

"Alright," he said heavily, "I accept the second option."

"Good elf," Jareth exulted, rising to his feet with an excited jerk, "Now! We have a lot to discuss, Merilin, so I suggest you prepare your mind to think very, very clearly."

The Lady Pandora was saying something quite similar to Toby. "Think very, very clearly, my dear. I want you to weigh all factors in this."

She was wringing her hands under the table though her face remained pleasantly neutral. The lace cap set just so, the ribbon around her hand discarded with all the expressive hand gestures she'd been affecting in her exuberance. Blue eyes wavering between hope and reservation.

Toby turned it over in his mind again. It was a very tempting offer, it really was. A family was always something he had wanted. And if he had to be adopted by anyone, he was happy to be adopted by the female that had brought him up. He did think of the Lady as his mother, being barely able to remember his own human mother, and he was at home in her palace and with her friends. He was smart enough to know that she was also offering him the kind of stability that most converts his age were never likely to get. As her son, he would always have connections of some kind for as long as he lived, some means by which to keep himself in the event that Jareth barred him from her estate.

Which was where the problem lay. The problem with adopting the Lady Pandora as his mother, was that he would have to adopt her children as his siblings. He didn't regard Jervohl or Jareth in any kind of filial light. He liked Jervohl well enough and he was aware that his respect for her was reciprocated. She would be a minor problem, and one that he could ignore for the most part. It was Jareth that loomed like a dark cloud on his horizon. It felt wrong somehow. He respected the Goblin King enough and he admitted that he did enjoy some of the time they spent together. But their relationship was not particularly pleasant. It bounced between brutal dislike and amiable peace. One wrong word and they were likely to be at each other's throats again.

"I know this is a lot to think about," Pandora offered, "And I will not take it as a personal slight if you refuse. You needn't think that."

"I know, My Lady, but there are other considerations. Other issues to settle."

"I will make provision for you in any case," she said, "I will give Jareth instructions to draw up a will tomorrow detailing it. I never bothered before because the law automatically passes my estate on to my eldest child and since I had thought Jareth was the only one to survive… you see my reticence. Jervohl can still take care of herself, that is true, but even if you do remain human, I will see that you are provided for. Whatever the decision you make."

"Thank you. That means more to me than I can describe. I'm sorry to sound so indecisive, but I was trying to see myself as a brother to both Jervohl and Jareth. It does not seem an easy situation."

"Why not?"

Toby scratched at his chin and wished he had thought to shave. "Jareth and I are not easy companions," he said truthfully, "Being brothers might just ruin whatever peace we do have. After all, all brothers argue."

Pandora laughed and nodded. "You should have seen Dieter and Jareth," she told him, "They fought horribly, even when they were very young. Jareth wanted complete obedience, you see, and Dieter would not give it to him. So he got tricks played on him, he got manipulated into doing silly things that got him in trouble, he got to do all the dangerous things that Jareth couldn't be bothered doing himself. Not that it was all Jareth's fault, of course. Dieter had a competitive streak that just loved a new challenge."

Toby had heard it said that the younger brother got the worst of the deal. Elban had said Dieter had never been a match for Jareth's mind, but somehow helped to sharpen the wits that the Goblin King now used to govern his kingdom. "Did Jareth like his brother, My Lady?"

"Hmmm. A good question. I think he cared for him as much as he is able to care for anyone."

"I never have understood that, My Lady. Clearly he is capable of truly caring for someone?"

"You mean that business with Sarah? That was romantic love, Toby, completely different to family affections. Jareth wouldn't risk everything he had for any of us. He would think of something that kept him safe and served his purpose as well. He always does."

"He cannot always be right."

"Well, he isn't perfect, dear. And his methods of achieving his aims are not always what I like. But when it all seems so justified by the end, can anyone really blame him?"

"Yes."

She raised an eyebrow in that familiar way and looked completely astonished. "Yes?" she echoed, "How do you mean?"

Toby wished he hadn't opened his mouth. But there was only so much that he excuse and in all honesty he didn't see why he had to make excuses for Jareth at all. He was in a bit of a quandary, here. As with Luka, Toby was very aware that Jareth didn't measure up to a few idealistic necessities. Which was fine when they were acquaintances, but as brothers? Toby wouldn't be at peace if he let this happen without saying something. And saying something would mean arguing. But as a brother he couldn't keep his mouth shut either. So he was essentially damned whether he did or didn't.

"It is not right," he muttered, shifting uncomfortably on his feet, "Jareth cannot be allowed to get away with behaviour that is inexcusable from anyone else. I hardly think it fair."

"That depends on what you consider fair."

"I consider treating people the same as fair. No rule for one that another is exempt from."

Pandora wasn't quite sure why a proposal to legally adopt her unofficially adopted son would turn into a diatribe about her biological son, but she philosophically concluded that if the topic had arisen then it was important. "I agree. But Jareth is in a class to himself."

"Why?"

"Because he never exactly acts a part. In his own way he is very honest. If he says something, it is what he wants to say at the time. If he does something, it usually feels right at the time. Unfortunately his mind keeps changing. It is impossible to predict what his motives are, or why he does what he does."

"One rule for all, My Lady. If Jareth is guilty of something, should it matter what his motives are?"

She looked at him steadily and then gave him the benefit of long years of experience- "Motives are everything. One can be guilty of a crime, but whether one is executed or merely punished is determined by how devious was one's intention to commit the crime. For an innocent person accidentally guilty of the misuse of power conducted in the heat of emotion, the Bog is suitable, or a number of months in an oubliette But a cruel, evil, vicious scandalous person will be sent by law into the Labyrinth to endure whatever the Labyrinth can device. And the Labyrinth can be just as cruel."

Toby shook his head and thought that this family was far too complex for a straight-forward discussion on equality. Besides which, he wasn't necessarily saying that the Goblin King was guilty of any great crime, but more that he didn't see why people didn't dare judge his actions. Tall tales and legends whispered behind the fae's back were surely worse than asking a few searching questions.

"You do not have to give me your answer now," Pandora resumed, "I expected that you would need time to think. I should mention, however, that both Jervohl and Jareth will be very happy to welcome you into our family."

He had upset her, he realized. Pandora had thought he would be pleased. And he was, he really was. But there were things he needed to think about, issues that needed to be weighed, consequences that needed to be properly examined… "It would make me very happy to be a part of your family, My Lady," he said formally.

She blinked and then looked at him as if she couldn't have heard right.

"I said yes," he chuckled, pulling up a seat next to her. If he winced when he sat, she didn't notice.

And besides, the whole thing made her happy and what the hell! He really was still too lethargic to think in any clear and reasonable fashion. And how bad could it be to have a brother and sister? It wouldn't make much difference to the way they already treated each other.