Chapter 7
Gaylord slowly opened his eyes to be greeted by darkness, the pain he felt earlier had subsided but he still felt weak from the potion that Waylinn had given him. He finally understood why Jareth distrusted the soothsayer the evil he saw in his eyes was pure and somehow the Goblin King had sensed it before anyone else in the kingdom. As Gaylord tried to adjust his arms to get the circulation moving he noticed that he could not move even an inch because he was chained not only to the ceiling but also the floor.
He tried to use his magic to no avail "Damn" he cursed softly, "There must be some sort of spell cast on the chains that counter any type of magic."
The little bit of exertion he used depleted what little energy he had, he relaxed for a moment before trying to break free again. After a few more tries to escape a reddish-orange light illuminated the darkness. As the room glowed with the new light he felt a bit of hope rise in his chest he was in one of Jareth's oubliettes but it was quickly extinguished when he saw the Temptress emerge from one of the darken corners.
"Hello Gaylord," she greeted him in her sultry voice and walked toward him.
As she got closer he noted that she had not changed much in the last ten years her hair was still as black as night and her violet eyes still burned brightly. Her voluptuous figure, which most men would love to get a hold of and explore, was accented perfectly in her tight blood red gown she wore. Unfortunately she knew how to use her sexuality and many of his fellow Fae men, including the Goblin King, fell into her temptation and paid dearly for their lack of control. Gaylord despised her with every fiber of his being.
"What do you want of me Temptress?" He asked venomously.
She smiled sweetly, "Now doctor is that any way to talk to someone who is going to get you out of this dingy place."
"I would prefer the darkness of this oubliette then anywhere near you Temptress."
She chuckled, "I would love to keep you in here Gaylord but that imbecile Waylinn got himself caught by Matilda and I can't have you rescued before I destroy the Goblin King and his Champion."
With a flash of red Gaylord found himself transported to Titima the fortress of the Temptress.
Jareth looked up to the sky through the trees to estimate how much more light they had before darkness enveloped the forest. The fact that he could see the sky was very promising, Christine looked up to see what her companion was looking at and asked,
"How much daylight do we have Jareth?"
He smiled at his lovely champion "Are you afraid to be in the dark with a handsome man like myself ?" with the look of exasperation on her face he chuckled and continued, "We should be out of the forest in about two hours well before dusk."
"Good, I hope that you have big bathtubs in your castle because I am going to have to soak for hours to get all this grime off my body."
He looked at her fondly, "I think you look beautiful to me grime and all."
Embarrassed Christine looked at the ground not sure what to say, soon they came to a small stream and decided to take a rest for a while before the final push to the Labyrinth. Jareth noticed Christine favoring her sore ankle more the usually and asked,
"Are you doing okay do you think you will be able to make it to the Labyrinth?"
She sat down gently on the ground and got herself a cup of Millie's herbal remedy before replying, "I think I will make it out of the forest but I am not sure I can make it through your Labyrinth."
Jareth knelt down at her feet and took off her boot and started to massage her ankle which felt heavenly to the young maiden, "When we get out of the forest hopefully my magic will return and I can transport us to the castle and you won't need to go through the Labyrinth."
As he continued to rub her ankle she felt warmth coming from his large hands andherpainfulextremityas he finished she was surprised that the stabbing pain she had felt earlier had subsided to a dull throb.
Looking up at the handsome King she asked, "How did you do that?"
He started to put back on her boots and answered her question, "The Fae race have the ability to heal our bodies and sometimes other things like our land and others. I thought that maybe since you and I are connected that I could transfer some of my inner healing power to you and dull the pain or make it go away completely."
She smiledat him she and knelt forward to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek, "It seems that you guessed right my ankle feels much better thank you."
He grabbed a hold of her hand and helped her to her feet so they could continue their journey when Christine asked, "Jareth who has blocked your magic and stranded us in the forest and why will you magic return when we get to the Labyrinth?"
He stopped a moment to get his bearings and refer to the map Milton gave him and started to walk again. Getting frustrated she asked again thinking that maybe he just didn't hear her, "Jareth who blocked your magic and brought us here to the forest?"
When he continued to walk without answer she started to get mad and rushed forward to block his path, "Jareth who blocked your magic and stranded us in this forsaken forest?"
As she looked for answer in his face, she saw pain reflecting from his beautiful eyes and her frustration immediately dissipated, "Does it have to do with the Temptress please tell me Jareth I really want to know?"
For a moment she thought that he would continue walking without answering her but instead he took a deep breath and sighed, "I guess that you do have a right to know. Yes, I think that the Temptress has trapped us here. The answer to your question why she did it…well lets just say it is a very long story and now is not the time to tell it. I promise when we are safe in the castle I will tell you everything. Okay?"
Christine contemplated pressing for more of an explanation but saw the plea emanating from his eyes and decided to let it go… for now. "Okay Jareth I will wait till we arrive at the castle but why will your magic return when we get to the Labyrinth?"
He sighed, relived that she accepted his promise and answered her second question, "The Labyrinth has a barrier placed around it so that my powers would not be blocked by an adversary but the shield is stationary so when were placed in the Forest of Darkness I was vulnerable and my magic was blocked."
Nodding her head she replied, "So you hope when we get to the Labyrinth the barrier will counter whatever magic is blocking your powers."
Smiling glad she understood he continued, "Exactly, but if we don't keep moving we will never get to my Kingdom on time."
Matilda sat in the Goblin King's throne room while Lady Katrina paced back and forth, before long the constant pacing started to wear on the older Fae's already frazzled nerves. It had been almost two days since she last talked to Jareth and each time she sent the goblins out to search the premises again they would return without any news. She truly felt in her heart that her King was still alive but doubt sometimes creped in.
Standing up she spoke to Lady Katrina, "Kathryn why don't we go outside to the garden and take a walk."
The younger councilwoman nodded her head and they both started to walk to the outside door. The gardens in the castle courtyard was a sanctuary away from the goblin minions that seemed to be everywhere inside the castle and continuously pestered everyone that crossed their paths. Many years ago the Goblin King made the gardens off limits for his subjects and at first many of them found themselves in the bog of eternal stench for disobeying the king's rule but over time they learned their lesson.
Lady Katrina looked around and commented, "By the Gods Mattie this place is beautiful, how does Jareth grow all these lovely flowers?"
Matilda just smiled, "The next time you see him Kathryn why don't you ask him."
As the two women sat down on a wooden bench they let all the tension leave their bodies and tried to relax for a short while. After a few moments Lady Katrina sighed,
"Mattie do you think that they are still alive?"
Matilda closed her eyes trying to find any clue within herself that would give her, the answer to the younger Fae's question. After a moment of hesitation she answered, "I think that he is alive especially since this garden is still alive."
"What do you mean Mattie?" Lady Katrina inquired.
"What I mean is that if Jareth was dead I believe that everything around us, the garden, the Labyrinth, everything would die as well. You see the Goblin King and his land are so attuned to each other that if one died the other would die also."
As the women continued to sit and enjoy the garden a slight breeze ruffled their hair and for some reason it gave them both a little bit more hope that things would work out alright.
Christine stared at the ground pushing her body to continue, her ankle started to hurt again, which made the path they were traveling on that much longer. When she looked up she saw that Jareth's head was tilted to the ground, he had a slight sheen of perspiration on his body and his snowy white hair hung limply around his face. Conversation between the two travelers had stopped a few miles back so they could focus all their energies on walking. Christine looked around her and noticed that the forest was not as dark as before it almost seemed to be thinning out a bit which gave the Champion some hope that she would make it to the edge of the Labyrinth walls.
So focused was she on getting out the forest that she didn't notice Jareth had stopped until she bumped into his back and started to fall to the ground. But before her tail end hit the hard earth she felt herself gently being lifted back to her feet again as she looked up confused she saw Jareth holding a crystal in his hands and smiling. When she took note of her surroundings she saw that they were finally out of the forest and near the gray walls of the Labyrinth then it dawned on her Jareth was able to use his magic.
She looked closely at the orb Jareth was twilling between his hands and asked, "What is that?"
He smiled and replied, "A gift for a beautiful companion who is just amazing."
With a twist of his wrist he turned the shining object into a gorgeous purple flower and placed it gently into her hair. Touched Christine said, "Thank you, but now that you have your magic back do you think you could zap us into the castle, I am exhausted."
He walked up to her and with a smile he picked her up off her feet and in a flash of royal blue color he transported them to his castle.
When they reappeared Christine looked around at the room they were in it was very majestic to her eyes. On the far side of the room a fire was burning brightly in the hearth, there were two chairs in front of the fire that beckoned her to sit a relax with a good book. In the center of the room there was a large bed draped magnificently in bronze bedding that almost looked like suede, at the top of the bed was a canopy that dropped from the ceiling and looked as if it was made from a spider's web. As her eyes continued to scan the room she saw pictures on every wall that depictedlandscapes that weren't familiar to her but were beautiful to her eyes.
At her right there were two doors, she walked toward them with Jareth following closely behind and as she opened the first door she saw a humongous bathroom that had a bath tub that was deep enough that she could lay in it and stretch out completely. On the selves in the room there were so many different types of essential oils that she could never use them all in her lifetime but she couldn't wait to sample as many as she could. She looked at her image in the mirror that reached from the ceiling to the floor and smiled through the reflection at the handsome man behind her and said breathlessly,
"Oh Jareth the room is beautiful thank you so much."
She wasn't sure but it seemed to her that he breathed a sigh of relief at her thanks. As his eyes met hers he said, "I am glad you like it, the door next to this one is a closet if there is anything else you require please let me know."
Christine turned and wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug and a light kiss, as their lips connected the sensations between them was stronger and more intense then before, breathlessly she broke off the kiss with a look of confusion on her face.
When their eyes met Jareth smiled broadly, "It seems my dear that since my magic is back our connection is stronger." He leaned in to give her another kiss knowing he shouldn't but deciding to disregard his inner instincts and enjoy thewarmth of the woman before him.
As Jareth leaned in for a second kiss Christine braced herself for the emotional surge she was just about to experience. A soft moan escape from her lips and Jareth deepened the kiss, while she slowly leaned her body closer so that she could feel every muscle of his strong form, as each parther body touched his every nerve in that area seemed to be on fire.
Jareth not wanting the sensations to end slowly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her next to him and it seemed to him that their close embrace caused him to lose all sense of reality. Nervously, Jareth pulled away quickly afraid that if they continued he would lose his identity to the woman he held in his arms.
Christine looked into his eyes as they separated not sure why he pulled away and saw a wide range of emotions flicker over his angler features from confusion to fear then back to confusion. She quickly tried to get her emotions in check so not to scare off this wonderful man standing before her. As he stepped away he said quietly,
"I will let you freshen up and rest when it is time for dinner I will send Adrianna to escort you to the dinning hall until then farewell."
In a flash he disappeared from her room Christine sat on the edge of the tub confused and unsure at what was happing between them. It was almost as if he was holding back and trying to keep his distance from her but then he would change his mind. Deciding not to let things bother her and go with the flow she smiled to herself and thought, 'that man sure can kiss… I wonder what else he is good at.' she immediately stopped herself from thinking along those lines and started to fill the tub for a long overdue bath.
Jareth arrived in his own chambers trying not to think about his beautiful Champion in the next room but not succeeding very well. The kisses they share ignited feelings within him that he hadn't experienced for a very long time and they frightened him.
"Do I want to risk getting hurt again by another woman?" he questioned himself as he walked to the bathroom to clean up from his long journey.
The shower Jareth took was very refreshing to him but as he stepped into his bedroom to dress he was still no closer to answering his own question. Shaking his head he dressed in one of his favorite outfits, as he looked into the mirror he was pleased with his reflection his white shirt opened to the waist, a brown leather vest covered the shirt, which matched his pants perfectly. His high dark brown boots completed the outfit. He finally felt a bit like his old self again and the fear he experienced whenever he kissed his Champion was buried deeply within his soul once more. As he left his bed chambers to search for Gaylord he decided that he would just be patient and let things between him and Christine unfold naturally only time would tell if he was ready to love again.
Jareth started down the hallway toward the throne room when Adrianna emerge from one of the adjacent rooms and stopping in her tracks not sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her she quickly blinked and looked agian,
"Your Highness when did you return to the castle and are you all right?"
Noticing her reddened eyes and puffy cheeks he answered gently, "I am fine Adrianna but you don't look to well. Are you okay?"
With tears forming in her eyes she ran into his arms sobbing, "Oh Jareth, Waylinn drugged Gaylord and took him away from the castle soon after you disappeared and Matilda and the others can't find him anywhere. Then the councilman showed up and we have been stalling them until your return…. things have been just awful…I can't believe you are here and safe we all were concerned that something had happened to you and the Champion."
Jareth felt her tears damping his shirt not understanding everything she said but guessing that a lot had happened since his departure. He patted the young maids back trying to sooth her the best he could, and as her sobs lessened he pulled gently away and brushed her tears from her face.
"Are you feeling better Adrianna?"
"Yes I do, I am sorry for losing control like that just so many things have happened in the last couple of days…."
"There is no need to explain my friend." He said quietly.
As the young maid stepped away she asked, "How is the Champion Jareth, is she okay as well?"
Smiling he thought of the beautiful women and answered, "Yes she is fine but when it is time for dinner could you bring her to the dining hall? She doesn't know the castle well and I don't want her to run into any mischievous goblins."
"Of course I will escort her to dinner my Lord," she replied glad he did not think less of her because of her breakdown. As she hurried down the hall Jareth smiled at his friend, glad to see a little pep return to her step as she disappeared around the corner. Soon after Jareth created a crystal to look for his friend Matilda within moments he found her and transported himself to her, to find out what had happened from a less emotional source.
In the garden Matilda and Kathryn continued to sit on the wooden bench trying desperately to calm their nerves and figure out what else they could do to find the Goblin King and his Champion when a flash of royal blue color momentarily blinded them, when their eyes came into focus again standing before them was none other then the Goblin King.
Matilda stood up from her seat and embraced him with all her might, "It is so good to see you safe and sound."
As the older Fae fretted over Jareth to make sure he was okay he started to laugh, "Mattie I am fine, stop checking me over and over again."
She continued to check him out one more time then sat down and breathed a sigh of relief then immediately she stood up again and asked, "Where is Christine? Is she okay does she need any help?"
Jareth grabbed a hold of his dear friends' shoulders and sat her down gently on the bench, "Please Mattie you are going to get yourself hurt with all your jumping around. She is fine she did hurt her ankle during our travels through the dark forest but I think she will be completely healed soon. You will see her later, I asked Adrianna to escort her to supper."
Then he turned and addressed the council woman, "Lady Katrina it is a pleasure to see you again. How have you been?"
She bowed and replied, "Very well thank you for asking your Highness. I am very happy that you have returned safe and sound as well."
As she stood up she addressed both of them, "There is much for you two to discuss I will see you at dinner farewell for now."
She started to walk back to the castle Jareth at the same time sat down next to his dear friend. "Mattie I ran into Adrianna a moment ago she was very distraught about the things that have been going on I need you to tell me everything that has happened in my absence."
Matilda nodded her headshe proceeded to tell him everything from the time Adrianna showed up in her store, to the capture of Waylinn and the continuing searches for Gaylord. As she spoke she saw many emotions flicker across the King's face from sympathy to anger, as she finished her narration she sat quietly allowing everything that was told to him to sink in.
Jareth stood up from his seat to pace and contemplate his next move. Gaylord was probably at Titima by now in the Temptress's fortress being held as a wild card by her just in case her plans failed. The fact that the council wanted proof that Christine was his Champion did not come to a surprise to him, the time allotted would be a problem but with intense training she would be ready. The only problem that remained was his former soothsayer Waylinn; maybe with a bit of fear and luck he could find out exactly what the Temptress's plans were and have an ace in his hand as well.
He turned to the older Fae and asked, "Mattie where is Waylinn being held I think I need to pay him a little visit."
"Are you sure you want to do that now Jareth maybe you should calm down a bit and see him in the morning."
"Mattie, don't worry I won't harm him… to bad but I think the sooner I question him the better. I don't think the Temptress will allow her servant to be locked up very long."
Knowing that the Goblin King was correct she answered his question, "He is in the delta oubliette. Jareth be careful he is strong and with the Temptress fueling his desire for power he can be dangerous." Nodding his head acknowledging her warning he disappeared in a flash of color to confront the man who betrayed him.
Waylinn was franticly looking for someway out of the oubliette cursing every so often because he couldn't believe he allowed himself to get caught. With another curse he started to touch the walls again looking for an exit when his hands came in contact with something warm and muscular, yelping in fear he ran to the other wall,
"Who is in here show yourself."
Within moments a torch began to burn on the wall and he finally saw his unexpected guest and as the fear started to rise in his chest the Goblin King walked toward the betraying soothsayer. Reaching out with his hands Jareth grasped the seer's shirt and flung him against the opposite wall,
"Well Waylinn it seems that your true self was revealed in my absence."
With pure hatred coming from Jareth's eyes he reached for Waylinn again and threw him to the floor, "I knew you were no good soothsayer." Jareth reached down and lifted him to his height, "Tell me Waylinn, where is Gaylord?"
The soothsayer started to laugh in the Goblin Kings face, "He is with my Mistress and you can't rescue him but I am sure that the Temptress has made him comfortable in his cell while he waits to be killed."
Anger surged through the Goblin King and without another word he dropped the betraying Fae to the ground and created a crystal to destroy him, but then he remembered his promise to Mattie and changed the spell and threw it at Waylinn in an instant he was surrounded by a sphere of energy that felt to the seer like a thousand needles being stuck in him at once.
"Tell me Waylinn where is Gaylord?" The Goblin King asked again while creating another orb of energy and threw it at him just as the pain was depleting from the first attack.
As the pain started again Jareth asked, "Where is he Waylinn?"
The old soothsayer fell to the ground and yelled with all his might, "I don't know where he is now Jareth."
Kneeling down at his side the King looked to see if the seer was telling the truth and found that he was. "If I find out you lied to me Waylinn the pain you felt today will be minor compared to the death you will suffer at my hand."
With the warning reverberating on the oubliettes walls Jareth disappeared and left Waylinn to lick his wounds. As the darkness enveloped the seer again he called out in vain for the Temptress to save him but the only answer he received was silence.
In Christine's bed chambers she was finishing up her bath wondering how her King was doing when she heard a tap on the bathroom door she called out hoping it was Jareth, "Come on in."
Adrianna walked into the bathroom and addressed the young mortal, "King Jareth asked me to escort you to dinner my Lady."
Looking outside the window in the bathroom Christine realized that she was late and hurriedly jumped out of the bathtub wrapping her self in the terry cloth robe which Adrianna held out for her. Quickly she ran to the closet to find something to wear.
The young elfin walked out behind the Champion knowing that once she looked in the closet she would need some help. Christine grabbed the door and then sat down on the floor. She had never seen so many clothes in one place there were gowns that seemed to sparkle in the firelight, shirts that she could tell were tailored just for her and pants that looked so comfortable that Christine couldn't wait to wear them. Tears came to her eyes she was extremely touched that Jareth would go to such lengths to make her comfortable.
Behind her Adrianna looked at the Champion's reaction to the clothes and smiled, if there was one thing that the Goblin King could do well it was create a wardrobe for someone, even her own closet was perfect for her down to the colors and style of clothes. Adrianna looked at her charge's face and noticed confusion and asked gently,
"My Lady would you like me to pick something out for you to wear this evening."
Relieved Christine looked at the maid and smiled her thanks, "I would be most appreciative if you would do that for me…. I am sorry I don't know your name."
The elfin maid bowed at the waist, "My name is Adrianna."
Smiling Christine held out her hand and answered, "Well it is nice to meet you Adrianna and please call me Christine."
Shaking the mortals hand Adrianna asked with a smile, "Well Christine what color do you want to wear this evening?"
"I don't have a clue but I have a feeling that you have an idea in your head already on what I should wear. So you decide."
Glad to be able to make the decision Adrianna got right to work because indeed she did have an idea on what the Champion should wear this evening and with any luck it would make the King take a second look at this beautiful women if he hadn't already.
Christine sat on the bed still in aw at the amount of clothes Jareth provided for her and as she watched Adrianna pick out a maroon dress and lay it on the bed with matching shoes she knew that if anyone could make her look gorgeous tonight it would the woman picking out her clothes.
Adrianna expertly helped get the dress on Christine, it fit snuggly around her bodice, and at the waist it flared out dramatically to the floor the sleeves were off the shoulders and the neckline accented her neck wonderfully with a V-shape. As Christine looked in the mirror at the transformation-taking place she felt for the first time she was actually the woman in the painting she saw a few days ago.
After the dress was on Adrianna led her to the armoire to do her hair soon after the elfin maid was done she stepped aside to allow the Champion to see the finished result. Christine could not believe that it was her in the reflection, she looked beautiful, her hair was still down but two braids on each side of here face were pulled back into a maroon clasp that matched her dress. Around her neck there were beautiful jewels that dropped dramatically to her cleavage that sparkled in the light, her makeup was perfect not to much but just enough to accent her features.
Christine turned around and gave Adrianna a big hug, "Thank you, you are amazing."
Embarrassed the young elfin bowed, "It was my pleasure. Shall we go to the dining hall we are a little late for dinner."
With a nod of her head Christine followed Adrianna into the corridor, as she walked she paid close attention to her surroundings but soon found herself confused, "How do you find your way around Adrianna? I am completely lost."
Chuckling at the Champion's comment she answered, "It took me an awhile to find my way around but most of the time people around here just materialize to wherever they want to go. But don't worry we won't let you get lost."
As they turned the last corner they came to a big double door, which marked the entrance to the dining hall. Adrianna open the door and said, "Please go on in everyone is waiting for you and enjoy your meal."
As the young maid started to walk away Christine called after her, "Aren't you going to join us?"
Shaking her head she answered sadly, "No My Lady I am not hungry, but thank you anyway."
Christine walked through the open door and when she entered all conversation that was taking place around the huge table stopped. The dining room was amazing the walls were covered with tapestries of epic stories, the fireplace was so big that Christine was sure that she could stand inside of it and not even come close to hitting her head.
Jareth stood up to greet his Champion surprised at how beautiful she looked, he must thank Adrianna the next time he saw her and as Christine walked toward the table he could not believe that she was the same women that traveled with him through the forest of darkness. He smiled at her while taking her hand in his to lead her to the empty chair next to his at the head of the table, "You look absolutely stunning my dear."
Embarrassed she replied, "Thank you Jareth but I couldn't have done it without Adrianna she is wonderful."
As they arrived at their chairs she looked to her right and saw her friend Matilda, "Oh, Mattie it is so nice to see you again you wouldn't believe the things that have happened since I left your shop just a couple of days ago…Oh my goodness has it only been a couple of days?"
Smiling at the young women Matilda was glad to see her friend still vibrant as ever especially with everything that she had to endure, "Likewise my dear I am so glad to see you alive and well. We were worried about you and Jareth. I hope you are well rested from your travels."
Christine smiled and hugged her sweet old friend, "Yes I am rested and doing well it is amazing what a long bath can do for the body and the soul."
As everyone took his or her seats Matilda questioned, "So tell me everything that happened to you both while in the forest."
Jareth and Christine took turns telling their friend about their travels. As the conversation continued Christine noticed that Jareth continued to hold hand even after they were seated she also noticed how handsome the Goblin King looked. He was dressed elegantly in a gold embroidered jacket with a white shirt underneath. His pants were white as well and his gold boots reached up to the knees, his hair framed his angular face perfectly and was adorned with golden glitter. Christine kind of wished they were in private so she could run her hands through his hair and see if the glitter would look as good on her as well. Her observations and thoughts were interrupted when Lady Katrina entered into the room as Jareth stood up to greet the new arrival his hand left hers and she longed for him to hold it again.
"Lady Katrina thank you for joining us for dinner," He bowed to her and led her to her own seat and started the introductions. "Lady Katrina may I introduce to you my Champion, Christine Avalon."
Christine acknowledged her with a nod of her head and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you."
As she watched the women sit down so gracefully she noticed how beautiful she was with her golden hair and fair skin reflecting brilliantly in the candlelight. For the first time she felt very self conscious of her own beauty wondering if Jareth still considers her beautiful next to the woman that just entered the dining room.
Jareth sat down next to her again and called for the goblins to start serving the meal.
As the meal progressed Christine enjoyed every course of food that was brought to the table the different varieties of tastes her mouth encountered were unlike anything that she had ever experienced before and she found herself wanting to explore more of the food in Jareth's kingdom. The conversation at the table moved nicely from one subject to the next and as she listened she learned even more about the world she has come to know as her own since her arrival. To soon the last course arrived.
Undeterred, Christine started to dig into the succulent dessert as Lady Katrina asked her, "What are you going to do to prove to the High Council that you can represent Jareth as his Champion?"
Christine placed her fork on her plate and looked a Jareth questionably and replied, "I am not sure what you mean Lady Katrina."
Jareth looked at the council woman impatiently and commented, "My Champion and I just got back from the Forest of Darkness this afternoon Lady Katrina, so I have not been able to mention the full moon council meeting to her as of yet…."
Lady Katrina spoke up quickly, "But Jareth the council meeting is only a few weeks away…"
The King continued as if he was never interrupted, "But rest assure we will prove to the council that she is my Champion when the time comes, as for me there is no question in my mind and no matter what the High Council says she will represent me with or without their blessing."
Matilda smiled proudly at her King, the fact he acknowledge Christine as the Champion was a relief to her.
Christine sat quietly throughout the interchange her dessert all but forgotten; questions started to pop into her head and no matter what her questions will have to be addressed tonight, she signed to herself and wished things could be easier.
As the evening came to a close Matilda and Lady Katrina went back to their chambers leaving Jareth and Christine alone. He stood up from his chair and held his hand out to his Champion and asked, "Would you grant me a moonlit walk before we call it a night?"
Placing her hand in his she accepted, "I think that would be great." As her hand was enveloped by his, the now familiar sensations coursed through her body and caused her to look at her escort fondly.
Slowly his head came down to meet hers in a brief kiss as he commented quietly, "I am starting to like these sensations more and more my dear."
Without allowing his companion to respond he wrapped his arms around her body and disappeared in a flash of royal blue color. Adrianna soon after entered the dining room and smiled, finally her King had found love and she was happy for him.
Jareth and Christine appeared in the garden a moment later as she stepped away from her escort she shook her head and commented, "You are going to have to warn me when you transport us like that it makes me feel kind of woozy."
He chuckled "I promise I will warn you next time."
When she looked around at the garden they appeared in she was amazed at the sights surrounding her she saw a bunch of flower fairies dancing around a birdbath and small beetles playing some sort of instrument she could not hear. As she continued to look around she noticed the flowers seemed to sparkle in the silver moonlight that lit up the world she was visiting and the ground seemed to breathe as she stared at it. Amazed she knelt to smell a flower as Jareth looked on in aw at the beautiful picture that she created he tried desperately to take in every color and image so he could paint it at a later date.
Once she finished smelling the blooms she stood up to look at her escort and smiled, immediately Jareth's heart skipped a beat and swelled with emotion that he knew was love and no matter how desperately he tried to suppress the feeling he knew he was lost and his only hope was that this time he wouldn't get hurt.
So involved in his epiphany that he didn't hear his Champion speaking to him until she tapped him on the shoulder asked, "Jareth are you okay you seem a bit distracted?"
Smiling he replied, "I am fine my dear I am just enchanted by your beauty in the moonlight."
Embarrassed at such a complement she quickly changed the subject, "Jareth this place is gorgeous is this where you got the bouquet of flowers you sent to me in my room?"
"Yes this is the very place and I grew each of them from small seedlings quite a few years back." He responded with pride.
Amazed once again with the abilities of the Goblin King, she responded, "Then you must show me every part of your garden."
He took a hold of her hand and showed her his garden and as they walkedhe told her the names of each of the flowers and answered any of her questions. He was glad he thought about a moonlit walk but he knew that the peace that they were experiencing right now would be short lived. The promise he made in the forest to her would have to be fulfilled soon and he hoped that after he told her what happened ten years ago she would not despise him for his lack of foresight, but for now he would not dwell on the past.
Guessing at his thoughts Christine turned to him andspoke quietly, "I think it is time to tell me about the Temptress and what I am going to have to do as your Champion."
Guiding her arm and nodding his head he led her to a small bench in the garden, "Yes, I think the time has come…Please just listen first, then I will answer any of your questions after I am finished."
Christine got comfortable and gave her full attention to the handsome King sitting next to her, knowing that no matter what was said she could never leave his side because she knew deep in her heart that she loved him and even if her love was not reciprocated she would do anything to save him and his kingdom.
He took a deep breath and started his narration, "Ten years ago a young maiden named Sarah came to my kingdom to save her brother from being turned into a goblin she defeated me and returned back to her world, but with her victory my kingdom was almost completely destroyed. What little magic I had left I rebuilt the Labyrinth and the castle after that I was to weak to do much of anything my subjects helped me any way they could but they are goblins and a bit inept at times."
Thinking of his minions he smiled to his self they were wonderful during those dark times and he saw his goblins differently then before, yes they were inept but they were loyal and cared for him in their own way. He looked at his companion and continued, "As my world was being rebuilt I found myself needing some assistance…Then one evening the Temptress showed up at my castle with a deal, she would help me rebuild if I would allow her to stay in the castle and once my kingdom was back to normal all she wanted was a small piece of land to call her own. I accepted her offer immediately it seemed that my wish had come true and I could finally get back on my feet again. As time went on not only did my kingdom get stronger our relationship matured from friends to lovers."
Jareth searched Christine's face for a look of disgust about the relationship he had with the Temptress but all he saw was compassion reflecting in her eyes as he continued his story, "When my kingdom was finally back to normal I was going to ask her to be my queen and let her rule by my side. But one day I returned from inspecting the outer rim of my land to an ambush, in my absences the Temptress planned an assassination attempt on my life so she could rule my kingdom. Luckily my loyal minions somehow found out about her plans and fought by my side gallantly to defeat her…"
Christine noticed tears in Jareth's eyes and her heart ached for him, she touched his arm to encourage him to continue knowing that the sooner he gets past this memory the better off he will be.
Jareth continued softly, "I lost many of my goblins that dark day but in the end we were triumphant but before we could celebrate a dark cloud covered the Labyrinth. The Temptress knew that we were coming after her and at the last moment she cast a dark spell over my kingdom. To break the spell a Champion would have to arise and defeat the Temptress within ten years or my kingdom and I would be destroyed."
He allowed everything he said to sink into his companions mind before finishing his narration, "We at first tried everything to break the dark spell without success. After we exhausted every means in our power we conceded that we would just have to search for the Champion and hope we fine him or her before it was too late. But we did find out during our research to break the spell that the Temptress was the same woman that defeated me for her brother, the girl named Sarah. We believe that she felt that the only way to save the other children that were turned into goblins by me was to tap into the dark magic of my world, but unfortunately the darkness of the magic she invoked consumed her and she ceased to be known as Sarah and became known as the Temptress."
Christine looked at him as he finished his story with the deepest of sympathy, to go through what he did and still be able to function as King amazed her but one question plagued her, "Jareth whatever happened to Sarah's brother?"
Looking sadly at the ground he answered, "When she returned to the Underground she forfeited her victory over me and her brother became one of my minions. He is the goblin named Snout. I wish she would have left well enough alone but she was foolish and didn't allow her self to be happy with what she had."
Listening to Jareth's story Christine could not find any reason to judge him badly he did what he had to do to survive. But one other question needed to be asked and she wasn't sure if she was ready for the answer. Taking a deep breath she spoke quietly, "Jareth, as your Champion what do I have to do?"
He smiled at her glad she didn't judge him for his past action and replied, "As my Champion you must learn to access your powers and prove to the council you can face the Temptress and defeat her by the Summer Solstice which marks the end of the ten year limit of the spell."
Christine looked at him and asked hesitantly, "And when exactly is the Summer Solstice?"
Knowing this question was coming he answered her uncertainly; "The Solstice takes place in three months."
"And when do I have to meet the Council?" His companion asked.
Jareth answered again apprehensively, "You will meet the Council in one month on the night of the full moon." He looked at her sadly because if she rejected her calling now all will be lost.
She stood up slowly and with tears in her eyes she said with defeat, "It can't be done there isn't enough time I can't do it ….I don't even know how to call upon my magic."
Before Jareth could answer she turned from him and ran away with tears coursing down her cheeks she wanted so badly to help him and her heart broke in two whenever she thought about him dying because she didn't have enough time to learn about her magic, she continued to run until she found a patch of flowers and fell into them crying silently onto the soft petals that surrounded her.
Jareth watched as she ran away and stood up to follow her but something held him back he knew deep in his heart that she was his Champion and even though time was not on their side he knew she would succeed in learning how to use her magic and save him and his kingdom. But he also knew no convincing on his part would help she had to believe in herself or there would be no hope. He slowly turned and walked back to the castle for a restless night of waiting for her return and hopefully her acceptance of her destiny and his love.
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