A/N: In this story, Jareth's origins are going to be what was presented in the Jim Henson Co.'s graphic novel prequel, Labyrinth: Coronation. If you have no interest in spoilers and do not want to know what happened in Coronation, please skip the middle of this chapter and head to Chapter 2. The first chapter should be the only real use of Coronation. This is going to be a sweet and hopefully adventurous J/S tale. A grateful thank you goes out to my beta for this story, Greenchimes, for finding those things that need corrected. Please leave a review of your thoughts!
Chapter 1: How the Goblin King Came to Be
"This is the pits. It's so bleeding hot." The man was out of breath and took a moment to take a swig of water from his canteen.
Tocpe couldn't have agreed more with his comrade. It was blistering hot that day on the sand dunes overlooking the Labyrinth. "What's your report?"
"He's outside the gate now. We should go. I think he's got a runner. He'd be distracted. Easy ambush."
Tocpe raised his fist for the others to see before shouting, "Move out!"
If they hurried, they might be able to overtake the Goblin King. But by the time they gathered their forces and arrived at the location, there was no sign of the king or the runner.
"Search the ground. See if anything was left behind." Tocpe ordered in frustration.
A moment after they started searching the area, one of the four shouted, "Here, three strands of hair."
"Is it his?"
"No, too long and dark."
"Ah, the runner then. It still might be useful. Keep hold of it." Tocpe suggested.
Any scrap of glitter leftover from used magic, a bit of spittle, an eyelash, or a strand of hair could be something useful when casting a spell. But the Goblin King was good. He never left anything of himself behind. But it had been windy that day and the runner left three strands of long ebony hair behind. If the runner won the child they wished away back, that runner would then have access to the Labyrinth the rest of their life. Very few knew that runners could do this as very few runners ever took advantage of it. But their employer was one of the few.
So they would wait, again. It was what they were paid to do. They didn't ask questions. They were paid handsomely, and that's all they cared about. Bounty hunters, mercenaries, bandits-call them what you will. As long as they were paid generously, they would be farmers if it suited their benefactor. Their task was to get to the center of the Labyrinth and reach the treasury within. They would do it, even if it took a century to figure out how.
Describing the Labyrinth-an ever changing maze that had existed for numerous millennia in the Underground-is quite the task. Some would say it was the most primal magic left in the Underground. More would say that because of its fickle, unpredictable nature it was the perfect place to hide things of importance. Others would say it was a gateway into the Underground for the lost and unwanted who were searching for a haven from Above. Some claim the maze even had a consciousness of its own, deciding the fates of those within and without its walls.
One thing was certain: If a human without magic wasn't under the Labyrinth's protection or the protection of its monarch, after 13 hours within its walls they would be changed, mutated into a foul creature-a goblin. To the rulers of the other kingdoms, that was a good thing. Having no magic of their own, humans had a reputation at being greedy for riches and magical things. The creatures of the Underground didn't trust humans and preferred for them to become goblins. Humans were an invasive race, only entering the Underground through the Labyrinth either by being wished there, by wishing themselves there, or wandering there in a fit of despair as they aimlessly roamed in from Above. The Labyrinth was so overrun by goblins that a city had been erected for the creatures to reside.
The Labyrinth itself was inconstant, ever fluctuating the pathways to its center. Such a trait made the castle at its center the perfect vault. One would have to navigate the lands of the maze, get past all the goblins in their city, hope to not get caught by its magical monarch, and do it all well enough to get in and out before their 13 hour time limit ran out. Oh yes, those with magic weren't immune to the power of the maze; they were simply cast out, rather painfully mind you, but still alive and unchanged. Some might say it would be easier to simply fly over the land to get to the castle, but anyone who tried was unenviably blocked by the magic of the maze. Only the monarch of the Labyrinth was able to glide over its lands, with the protection of the Labyrinth.
The Labyrinth chose its sovereign not through bloodlines, as in most kingdoms, but by letting the goblins select their monarch. The maze would honor their wishes, for it was they who were to be ruled over after all.
The Labyrinth's monarchs came and went, but they all had two main requirements: Monitor the comings and goings of the humans who ventured in from above, and maintain the valuables bequeathed by the monarchs of the other kingdoms. The magic the Labyrinth bestowed on its monarchs allowed them to live much longer lives than was natural, and as long as the monarch ruled well and the goblins were content, the Labyrinth continued to prolong the monarch's life. A few asked for death, having found contentment in this life and ready to see what happens in the next. Others found the magic entrusted to them fueling their own selfish ambitions. The Labyrinth removed its blessings from them, allowing them to grow old while giving the goblins time to find a new monarch.
The current king was cunning, handsome, and a bit arrogant. He also had a kindness towards the goblins and a sense of duty towards the Labyrinth that had been lacking in his predecessor. And even though he called himself the Goblin King, he was human. The previous monarch had called himself the Owl King, and he was an anthropomorphic owl creature from the Underground who had somehow obtained so much power that the Labyrinth started doing his bidding. The Labyrinth didn't like the imbalance and the goblins were restless to be free, so their search began and their eyes were drawn to the Above.
And how did this human born in the Above become king of the goblins, one might ask? It is a semi-tragic tale of betrayal and love.
The Owl King could feel that his reign of a millennia was coming to an end. He had resumed aging and his magic was failing him. He could sense that the goblins had selected his replacement. He had to act quickly if he was to maintain his position indefinitely.
The goblins had chosen a human aristocrat from the Above, Lord Albert Tyton, to be their next king. They said they liked the regal look of the man's hair, his eyebrows, his chin, and even his blood. They whispered to Albert when he was alone, they came to him in his dreams, yet he had not taken their offer, thinking the life he led was better. If he only knew what was coming; he would have taken it.
The year Above was 1797, and war was swiftly approaching Venice, Italy. Albert Tyton had taken residence in the canal city, for it was an endless source of lavish parties and masquerades, a place where he could hide his carefully woven lies in order to continue a life of leisure. But with the coming war, Albert was being called home to England. He felt that the life he wanted to lead would be threatened if his noble family found out that he had produced a child out of wedlock. When he met his lover, Maria, she was working as a laundry maid. Maria had stayed by his side nearly four years, all the while he introduced her to others as his wife. They did love each other after all, even if they had no ceremony and their relationship wasn't officially sanctioned. But if Albert's affair with Maria was discovered, his family would take his title and everything else from him, disowning and disgracing him. Their son was nearly a year old and already looked so much like Albert. Maria's word could be dismissed, but their son, Jareth, was the proof that could not be denied.
Albert made his plan for escape. Maria enjoyed painting and at the latest masquerade, ladies of the court who were artists were invited to share their gift and paint during the party. Albert knew she would be distracted in making her art and would take that time to put his plan of leaving into action. But Maria knew him too well and could sense something was off with him. Seeing he was distraught, she asked if he was being plagued by 'the voices' again. For months he had been having fits where he said voices were calling to him, and these moments were happening more frequently lately. Even she had started seeing shadows. He assured her that he was fine and that she should complete her painting, which she did with reluctance. With Maria occupied, Albert fled to their Venician apartment to pack and leave with the next tide.
When Maria tried to enter the home in which she lived with Albert and was denied entry by his manservant, she had no choice but to sneak in through a side window. She may have dressed as a prim and proper lady, but she had the heart of a woman of action. Nothing would stop her from finding her husband to see what was going on. She found him hurriedly placing valuables in a traveling chest. Maria confronted Albert for an explanation as to why she couldn't enter her own home. He at first made an outburst, saying words she didn't understand about constables and lies before he calmed and simply said that where he was going, she could not follow. When she suggested they could try to live in a new city, Albert scoffed at her, saying his father wanted him to return to England and that their courtship was at an end.
When she asked what he would do with their son, Albert stated she could not keep him to use as blackmail against him. He would have the child taken by his manservant to an orphanage. Knowing his servant was a brute who would most likely harm the child, Maria took the baby and ran. Thinking Maria would use her knowledge and the child as blackmail against him, Albert sent his servant after them. In his worried state, his mind engrossed with anxiety of them not being found, he listened to the voices plaguing his mind and wished his son away. He didn't even know who he was wishing to. He just wanted to be rid of any evidence that might jeopardize his lavish lifestyle.
He didn't even know the wish had worked until the next day while he was on the ship that was nearly ready to set sail, Maria came furiously to him and asked him what he did to their son. He was in shock to see her, having been told by his manservant that she had fallen into the canal with their son and most likely both had drowned. He told her if something had happened to the boy, it was her fault for dropping him. She would have none of his lies and told him of the 'devils' that had taken their son from her arms. He then confessed of the goblins who had come to him, beseeching him to be the heir to their dying king, that he said no and gave them their son instead. When she threatened to ruin him if he didn't undo what he had done, Albert screamed into the air, begging for the boy to be returned, but the goblins didn't answer. They had gotten what they wanted.
Initially, when the goblins retrieved the child at his father's wish, the boy's mother was taken to the Underground with him as her arms would never let him go. The Owl King sent Maria back to her world but then took pity on her when she begged him to give her the opportunity to retrieve the child. So he gave her 13 hours to try. That is, after all, what the Labyrinth's monarch was tasked with; to monitor and challenge those who would run for a child wished to the Labyrinth. Since the one who made the wish refused to run for the child, having the mother take his place as the runner was a trifle matter. The Owl King had fully expected for the runner to lose no matter who did the retrieving.
Having her run the Labyrinth would be a distraction for the goblins, so the Owl King could enact his real intent with the child. He had no intention for the boy to become his successor. The Owl King had created a machine which would steal the child's youth. A machine connected to giving and taking time. This would allow him to prolong his life and rule the Labyrinth indefinitely. But the child's mother was navigating the challenges of the Labyrinth much too quickly. He sent his best monster to kill Maria, but she always found allies and ways to slip out of harm's way. Plus, she had discovered that the Labyrinth changed and figured out how it could change to her advantage. To stop her once and for all, he would give her the one thing he knew would entrap her, the thing she wanted most: A carefree life of pleasures with Albert, the man who in her heart she still loved despite everything.
Against his better judgement, Albert was feeling guilt, shame, and grief over Maria's disappearance. Just after Maria had left in search of their son, the ship set sail. No matter what, he had left her behind. While at sea, a voice stronger than any other came to him, reminding him that the child and his mother threatened his existence. The voice offered to help him obtain the life he desired if he would do one thing: Kill Maria. The Owl King thought Albert doing this would be the sure way to defeat Maria once and for all, to be free to take the youth of their child. The Owl King weaved a masquerade ball to entice and entrap Maria and used Albert as the bait and assassin.
He did not bet on Albert's love actually overcoming his selfishness. Albert set Maria free and warned her to hurry to save their son.
Maria made it to the center of the Labyrinth and confronted the Owl King, just as the last chime of the 13th hour rang through the air. She saw her son placed into the evil king's machine and sucked into a crystal, the conduit with which the Owl King could extract the child's essence. The process already begun, Maria's only choice was to destroy the machine to stop the transfer, thus defeating the Owl King. Her child was returned to her, but it was too late; he was irrevocably altered. In no way could he return to his life Above. Through crystals produced by the machine, Maria saw that should she return with her son to the above, Albert would die at sea and his father would steal her son from her to raise, leaving her destitute. Maria didn't exactly know what she was doing, but she gave herself and her baby over to the machine at the heart of the Labyrinth, for it to decide their fate. The machine, after all, had given the baby the Owl King's powers; the child was now a part of the Labyrinth.
The goblins thought that with the disappearance of Maria and the baby, they would be without a ruler and able to govern themselves. But that thought was short lived because there was a clash, a clang, and a clatter from the machine and out popped a man. A man fully grown and ready to rule. Because of this machine, the baby had no childhood-the machine made him instantly an adult. As to what happened to his mother, none dared to inquire.
The goblins accepted Jareth Tyton as their next king, no questions asked, because they liked his handsome features, which were much like those of the man they had chosen anyway. And the Labyrinth allowed him to rule, so that was that.
The lands that the Labyrinth sat upon were surrounded by other kingdoms, kingdoms of dwarves, elves, fairies, trolls, dragons, Fae and any number of other magical creatures; each mostly minding their own affairs. But they all relied on the Labyrinth for a common cause. It was the most reliable place to keep their most prized possessions and deadliest secrets.
The bandits thought the Goblin King would be weakened. The Labyrinth had been challenged, the runner had fulfilled the requirements to reclaim the child she had wished away. She wasn't the first to have ever bested the king at his own game. But she was the first to turn the king's eye. Something else had happened that had never happened before; the castle crumbled to pieces.
Seeing the chaos, the bandits thought it would be easy to invade his lands, reach the castle, and raid the vault. But when one's magic is fueled by an entity of limitless power, that person would never be weak. The Goblin King saw them coming and easily forced them out.
They would have to wait and try again.
A/N 2: I just find it cool that the authors of Coronation chose Tyton to be Jareth's last name. Tytonidae is the scientific family name for barn owls.
