Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Labyrinth. Serina, Kelgar, Matilda, Ralir and the storyline are mine.

Chapter 19

Jareth decided to leave soon after breakfast and sent a servant to ensure that Serina was ready to go. He wasn't surprised when the servant returned a few minutes later and informed him that Lady Serina was already waiting in the Grand Hall for him. He smirked, he knew that she was anxious to return home. Setting aside his breakfast tray, Jareth rose and left his rooms. On the way to meet Serina, he detoured by the guest wing to see if Vanessa was ready yet. The woman smiled sweetly when she saw him standing outside her door. Taking his arm, they walked down to the Hall.

Serina arched her brow curiously when Jareth appeared with Lady Vanessa on his arm and she assumed that the woman was there to see Jareth off. She nodded a greeting when the couple stopped before her and she turned her head away to give them some privacy for their goodbyes, only to look back at them when Jareth asked if she was ready a second later.

"Certainly, your Majesty. I have already said my goodbyes and am merely awaiting you."

"Good, then let us be off." He nodded and produced a crystal before smiling at Vanessa. Serina caught the smile just before she was whisked away in a whirlwind of light.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

They reappeared in the throne room a few moments later and Serina heaved a sigh of relief. Suddenly a small grey form launched itself at her and knocked her backwards. With a shriek, she landed on her backside in the pit amidst loud laughter. Looking down she found a goblin attacked to her waist staring up at her apologetically and she couldn't help but laugh. Oh but it felt good to be home again. As annoying as the goblins were, she had really missed them. Jareth cleared his throat and every pair of eyes in the room turned towards him. Serina barely stifled the groan that rose in her throat when she saw the Lady Vanessa still hanging onto his arm.

Slowly, Serina climbed to her feet and the goblin let go, scrambling behind her as the king glared at them both. Lifting her head, she met his gaze, waiting for him to say something. He opened his mouth but snapped it shut as the doors behind them opened and both Ralir and Kelgar walked in, smiling. They stopped short, their faces frozen when they saw Vanessa. Instantly, both men bowed low.

"Your Majesty, we are pleased at your return." Kelgar cast a quick glance to Serina when they straightened, but all she did was shake her head mutely and kept her face carefully blank.

"It's good to be home. I trust all went well?"

"Of course my Lord. Everything is as you left it." Ralir stated.

Jareth nodded then gestured towards Vanessa. "Gentlemen, this is Lady Vanessa. She will be staying here at the castle with us for a while. If you would be so kind as to see that rooms are prepared for her while I show her about." They bowed again, welcoming the woman to the kingdom before signaling to Serina to join them. Once they were out of the throne room, they both turned to her but she shook her head again, unwilling to talk yet. She knew what they were going to ask; unfortunately, she didn't have the answers they sought.

She stopped by the kitchens to let Matilda know she had returned and ask the woman to see to the guest's rooms. By the time she got to her own rooms, Serina was fuming. Ralir and Kelgar waited outside her door for her to change. When she emerged, she was slightly calmer. Silently, she led the way back down the halls to the training rooms, knowing that as soon as the doors closed behind them, they would make her talk.

"Alright. Talk." Ralir, ever forceful, stepped in front of her before she could reach the weapon racks. Serina shot him a venomous glare and he stepped aside. Grabbing a her katanas, Serina moved to the empty hall and began her paces, the flames flaring up furiously.

"I don't know why she is here. He met her at Jancrest the first night we were there." The flames grew more intense as she parried and lunged. "They have been inseparable the whole time."

"You mean…" Kelgar started.

"That is exactly what I mean." She was furious now and they watched as she suddenly dropped her swords and threw a ball of flame against the far wall of the room where it exploded, leaving scorch marks over a good sized section. "Why in the hell did I even bother going? He had no need of a guard! Not with her around." Kelgar and Ralir looked at each other in surprise.

"Who is she?" Ralir asked quietly. He was the only one brave enough between the two of them to confront Serina when she was this furious. The woman continued to sling fireballs at the wall, scorching the wall even further. He winced, thankful there was nothing flammable there.

"According to Lisae, she's a sorceress from one of the southern kingdoms." She stopped throwing fire and picked up the swords as she turned to look at them. They paled at flames that leapt in her eyes. Kelgar shuddered as he recognized the look. "No one knows anything about her, other than she's moved quickly through the court. Lisae doesn't trust her, but as for myself; I can make no judgement."

"Why is that?" Ralir asked curiously.

"The simple fact of the matter is because I have spent little less than an hour in the woman's presence."

"Surely Jareth has told you something of her." Kelgar reasoned.

Serina snorted, "He hasn't. As it is, an hour or two is about how much time I've spent with him since they met." Both men were floored at this news. Everyone knew how much Jareth favored Serina and it was inconceivable that he would bring her to court only to abandon her the whole time. They had thought surely that Jareth intended on asking Serina to rule with him, however this changed everything.

"You can't be serious?" Ralir finally responded. Serina was saved from replying as the doors to the training room opened and Jareth entered with Vanessa on his arm. She shot Ralir a look that spoke volumes as she handed her swords to him before turning to face the king and his guest and quickly bowed before sweeping from the room.

Jareth took in the faces of the small group before him and wondered what was going on. When he saw the wall behind Serina at the far end of the room, he tensed, knowing that things were not pleasant. The amount of damage she had done to the wall was extensive, causing him to wonder what had put her into such an explosive mood.

"What happened here?" His calm voice belied the anxiety that he was feeling.

"Nothing your Majesty. Lady Serina was merely releasing some pent up energy." Ralir hefted the swords for Jareth to see only to groan mentally when he saw the blacked blades.

"It seems that Lady Serina had more than just a little energy to release." Jareth responded as he stared at the ruined blades. "Perhaps I should speak with her." He started to turn towards Vanessa when Kelgar interrupted.

"Now might not be the best time Sire." Catching the hidden meaning to Kelgar's words, Jareth nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Lord Ralir, I want those blades replaced immediately.

"Yes, your Majesty." Ralir bowed as Jareth escorted Vanessa from the room. Ralir and Kelgar looked from the swords to one another in worry.

"Jareth," Vanessa leaned closer to him as the walked, "What is going on?"

"It's nothing to concern yourself with my dear." He soothed.

"I can not help but worry dear. Did the girl do that to the wall?"

"Yes." Vanessa paled as she saw the scorched marks in her mind. "Don't worry love, Lady Serina will not harm anyone."

"How did she do that? That is not normal magic."

Jareth sighed, not really wanting to discuss Serina but he knew that Vanessa wouldn't stop asking until she knew. "Serina can control fire."

"But no woman can do that!" She interrupted quickly.

"Serina is not fae born." This perked her attention. "She was granted the gift of fire when she was adopted into the tribe that raised her. I have been teaching her to control it along with the other magic she is gaining."

"Doesn't that make her even more dangerous to you though? Everyone knows that fire magic is deadly."

"It's also creative. It's a sign of passion and determination, much like Serina herself. I trust her with my life." Vanessa was silent for a while, then suddenly she stopped and Jareth turned to look at her. "What is it?"

"What if she harmed me though?"

"What?" He was shocked and confused by her question. "Why would Serina want to harm you?"

"Well, it's obvious that she doesn't like me. What's to keep her from trying to hurt me?"

"Serina would never intentionally harm anyone unless she had no choice." Jareth tried to make Vanessa see reason, but the woman would have none of it.

"Please Jareth, send her away."

"Vanessa, I can't. She's sworn a binding oath to remain here in the castle. I will speak with her and make sure that the two of you are never in contact with each other. Will that make you feel better?" Vanessa shook her head and Jareth was filled with dread. He didn't want to send Serina away, but it looked like he would have no choice.

"Please Jareth, for me. Send her away." He sighed, his entire body slumping tiredly.

"Very well. I will speak with her about leaving the castle."

"No Jareth. I can't stay here if she's in this kingdom. Please send her away." The fear I he saw in Vanessa's eyes done it. He knew first hand how violent Serina could be and if the wall and swords were any indication, then she had the potential to become a threat not only to Vanessa but the entire kingdom. It was not something he would risk.

"As you wish my love." He bent his head and kissed her gently.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

It was nearly a week later before Jareth was able to tell Serina that she had to leave. She had avoided him at every turn, taking her meals in her rooms when she ate a spending the rest of her time in the Labyrinth. It frustrated Jareth that the Labyrinth blocked him from finding her while she was within it's walls. He had sent summon after summon to her, but none of them ever reached the woman's ears. The goblins sent to find her always returned hours later, their missions forgotten and drunk. Every crystal he sent would burst before it left his sight.

When he had finally cornered her, their argument had been explosive and his throne room bore the results. Ralir and Kelgar had pleaded with him not to send the woman away, until finally Jareth had had enough and in a fit of anger threatened to banish them both if they didn't shut up about it. Matilda had cried for days after Serina stormed into her rooms and began throwing her clothes into a pack.

By the end of the day, the whole castle was eerily quiet. Ralir and Kelgar stood at the bottom of the castle steps, surrounded by the goblins who had come to say goodbye to Serina. Ralir had gifted her with his prized stallion, a huge horse with a silky coat of the purest black named Renor. Kelgar gave her a warm traveling cloak and several bags of healing herbs. The goblins loaded her down with gifts of food and ale as well as many trinkets. When Matilda came up to hug her goodbye, the woman had pressed a bag of coin into her hands. Serina tried to refuse, knowing that it was the woman's life savings, but she would have none of it, insisting that Serina would need it more than an old woman who's life was nearly gone.

Serina held back the tears that threatened, her eyes burning as she turned and mounted the horse. Ralir and Kelgar both came forward one last time to wish her a safe journey. They made her promise to write them when she could and not to forget them. Thankful that she had memorized the maps of the Underground, Serina finally turned her horse away and rode off. Just before she exited the city, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder to the place she had called home for the past six months.

Jareth sat in the window of his throne room, watching the scene below. He couldn't explain why it bothered him so much to send her away. It hadn't surprised him to see Ralir give her the horse in the least. He knew that everyone had grown attached to the woman, even himself. He watched as she mounted the war horse and started to ride away only to stop before the city gates. Goblins lined the road on both sides, so thick there was no way anyone could pass through them. His breath caught in his throat when she turned to gaze back at the castle. A hand on his shoulder kept him from calling out to her. Vanessa. The whole reason he was sending his warrior away. He had to keep the woman he loved safe and as long as Serina remained within the kingdom, Vanessa would be in danger.

He watched silently as his warrior rode away, the Labyrinth opening a safe passage straight through to the borders of his kingdom.