Chapter Two – Jessie's Tale

"Squire Ghivae" Sir Mirya called. She was already mounted and was waiting for Marcus Ghivae, the newest squire, to appear from the stables with his pinto. Mirya cracked her neck. She had been up for nearly twenty hours and was about to start her double shift. Marcus rode out of the stables with a goblin cursing after him.

"Sorry" Marcus said.

"One thing you need to learn, young squire, is punctuality" Mirya said. "It's better to be early then to be late."

"Understandable" Marcus replied.

"Come" Mirya said. "We need to get to patrol."

They rode into the Goblin City and followed the outskirts of the city so Mirya could show Marcus where he was to patrol, if he was to patrol alone.

"If you don't mind my asking" Marcus said. "What happened to the legendary sixty knights of the Labyrinth?"

"It happened a while ago" Mirya said with a disappointed breath. "The king became very depressed and allowed his army to go to waste. We were forced to clean up their messes and deal with our own duties. It became too much for most of the knights. Some of them retired. Some of them just quit."

"Oh" Marcus said. "So, do all squires start out patrolling Goblin City?"

"No" Mirya replied. "We usually don't allow squires to be in the field until they have gone through the proper training. We're making a huge exception for you."

"Why's that?" Marcus asked.

"The king has hidden Sir Jessie Cardemus in one of his oubliettes" Mirya replied.

"Why would he do that?" Marcus asked. Mirya took a deep breath. It was early morning and they would be out until dusk. Mirya took out her canteen and took a large gulp of water.

"The king and Sir Jessie have a unique relationship" Mirya said. "You could say that she was dropped onto his doorstep. It's a long story." Marcus raised an eyebrow. "I'll tell you, but I warn you. They are both touchy about the story." Marcus nodded his head. "It happened about ten years ago. Sir Jessie was switched at birth with an Earth child. No one knows who did it and no one knows why.

"She was raised on Earth, Aboveground, in a place called London, England. She found out, early on, that she was different. She blisters in the full sun, she can see perfectly on the darkest nights, and she hungers for the fresh blood of creatures. She is half Ama'sovai, that is, half vampire.

"She has herself under control now, but when she first got here she was almost bestial. I'm getting ahead of myself though. She came to the Labyrinth when she was a child of eleven. She claims to have read a book and, being young, read aloud. I remember being on patrol with the late Sir Renaud and watching as the goblins tried to bring her in.

"She escaped from them and ran right into the morning market crowd. She hassled a goblin to figure out where she was. We allowed her to steal a blanket once I noticed that her skin was starting to blister heavily. I figured she was some sort of being, but I couldn't figure out what sort at that point. Her ears are the sort Mann, or humans, have.

"I watched as she ducked into the closest building she could find. The market crowd had turned ugly since she had taken the blanket. I tried to hold them off while Renaud took the initiative to retrieve the girl. I wasn't there when he found her inside a tavern, but I hear that she was pretty badly beaten.

"Renaud immediately took her to the king. As knights we are decreed not to interfere with the king and those he brings to the Labyrinth from Aboveground, but we are also protectors of the Labyrinth and of all the people who enter the kingdom."

"Was she okay?" Marcus asked.

"She was struck with a mild amnesia that lasted for a week" Mirya said. "By the time she was taken to the castle she was pink, covered in blisters, and was very unpleasant. The king questioned her for no more then a few minutes before she collapsed.

"The doctor checked her out and we all found out that she was half Ama'sovai. He told the king that in order for her to become better she needed a special mud bath."

"Wait" Marcus said. "Why didn't she try to just go back to Earth and why would the king care if she got better?"

"Jessie appeared right after the…Williams Incident" Mirya replied. "She wished herself away and, by his own rules, she must remain here. At this time, the king was in a state of depression. We had already lost nearly twenty knights at that point. I suppose the king needed some sort of hope and I guess he found it in her.

"Anyway, he took care of her and gave her the nickname 'London' since that was the only thing she could remember at that time. It was later that she remembered her true name. Renaud stuck around until she was fifteen to help train her for knighthood. The king actually taught her most of what she knows with the exception of all her knightly training.

"It used to be that she would search for victims to feed from in the city, but she caused a great panic and the king forbade her to ever hunt like that in his kingdom again. The king had Renaud teach her how to focus her hunger into a force to use with her fighting. She quickly became one of the most enduring and self-willed knights.

"She once told me that she was striving to be as great as the king wanted her to be. As the years went on I watched as she tried to be the best. Renaud was always there to cheer her on, but the king urged her to be better. When she was eighteen, a sergeant at the time, she had some sort of breakdown.

"There was a great fight between her and the king, over what we don't know. Neither one will talk about it. The king secluded himself in his castle for an entire year and that is when his army truly fell to pieces."

"So" Marcus said. "The king and Sir Jessie were like father and daughter?"

"I'd guess more like mentor and student" Mirya said. "Sometimes I sense the tensions that only love can bring around, but I don't think they even realize it. It took a long time before they made up, but they did. Now she is the only one who can get away with speaking up against the king without any severe punishment."

"I don't know. I wouldn't want to be in an oubliette" Marcus said.

"It could have been worse" Mirya said. "There are too many possible tortures he could have placed upon her. An oubliette is nothing."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" Jareth's voice said from out of nowhere. Jessie looked around and allowed herself to slide back down into the oubliette. She had been, for the last hour, trying to climb up the slippery tunnel that led up.

"Let me out" Jessie said.

"Why should I?" Jareth's voice asked. Jessie took a deep breath and leaned against the side of the oubliette. She slid down the slick wall until she was sitting on the ground.

"I'm so tired" Jessie whispered. She put her head in her hands and allowed her shoulders to shake with pent up angst and stress. A hand solidly touched her shoulder. She looked up to see Jareth crouching before her. She leaned forward and fell into his arms. "I'm so tired, Jareth."

"Shh" Jareth cooed. He ran his gloved hands in slow soothing motions on her back. "I am trying to find help for you and the knights. Look at me." He pushed her back so he could look into her eyes. "Just a month longer. Once you have some squires, I won't let you go to The Court except to retrieve Aftiel. You'll return after you've had a substantial break."

Jessie nodded.

"Collect yourself" Jareth said. "I hear you have a new squire. I'll send you home so you can rest. Aftiel has been returned to his stable."

"Thank you" Jessie whispered. Jareth kissed her forehead and handed her a crystal.