Answers Only Lead to Questions
Another hour and finally Relde's presence was announced. He granted entry immediately and watched the pair timidly approach him. Marie did look a sight better for having been cleaned and cleared of her injuries. Her raven hair shone in the sun that filtered through the windows and her blue eyes appeared much less lackluster. No more did she wear that filthy gown, either. She was now dressed in a simple tunic and long skirt that she kept tripping over. The girl copied the goblin's movements exactly, both kneeling before him and lowering their heads when they arrived at the stone steps that led to his throne.
"I trust you slept well?" He asked without much feeling in his voice.
"Yes, my King," she answered in her tiny voice.
"Good. And your injuries. Do you still feel any discomfort from them?" She shook her head.
"No, my King."
"I am glad to hear of it, though I expected nothing less of my healer. Has Relde been taking good care of you?" The goblin beside her tensed.
"Yes, my King." Relde breathed a sigh of relief but Jareth was growing confused. The girl had been very willing with information before. Why was she so withdrawn now? He glanced at Relde who seemed rather proud of the girl and thought he might have his answer.
"Relde," he said quietly, watching the goblin's head jerk up sharply. "You are dismissed. Leave this room at once." She squeaked.
"Y-yes, your Majesty. Right away, your Majesty." She turned ran out of the throne room.
"The rest of you as well. Be gone." Jareth cracked his riding crop across his hand as no less than six goblins followed the first. "Now then. Marie. Come here." The girl stood, trembling, keeping her head low, and tripped her way up the three steps. "Look up." He waited until her liquid pools of icy eyes met his own. He disliked the fear he saw there. "Speak freely, child. My servants and my subjects address me in that manner. You are neither. You, child, are my guest. No harm shall come to you here. Is that understood?" She nodded, still shaking. "Good. Are you ready to answer my questions now?" She nodded again, taking a shuddering breath.
"I didn't lie, sir," she assured. "I did sleep well. Better than before the Masters took me. And I really don't feel anything now. Your healer is amazing!"
Jareth chuckled at her newfound enthusiasm. "That, she is. And Relde?"
"She has been taking care of me. She taught me how you to talk to you."
"I thought as much. But you need not follow her advice in this regard. As I've stated, you are my guest, not my servant."
"I won't get in trouble if I don't call you King?" Mary asked, tilting her head.
"No, little one. Now, you must be hungry. We'll talk more after we have broken our fast." He stood and at once, they were transported to the Great Hall doors which opened upon their arrival revealing four long tables full of servants and one head table. A massive fire burned in the center of the hall; its smoke let out by a hole in the high ceiling. Hundreds of pairs of goblin eyes stared shamelessly at them, causing the girl beside him to tense and hide behind his leg. 'Not too fond of large crowds, is she?' Jareth mused, making his way to his lone seat at the head of the room. 'This could prove to be a problem.' He thought before noticing his little companion was no longer with him. A quick glance around revealed her sitting hunched over on the stone floor behind him. "What are you doing over there?" the King asked, gesturing to a small chair he had just made for her at his left. The words rang out over the silent hall, sparking his irritation. "As you were," he warned sharply. He glared at the goblins until they returned to their meals and their conversations resumed. Once he was satisfied with their behavior, he turned to the child hunched against the wall, encouraging her to answer.
"I'm supposed to sit out of the way until the Masters and Lord have finished and then I am allowed the remains of their plates if there's anything left. Usually there wouldn't be so when I took the plates to the kitchen, Big Sister always gave me some of her food."
"Is that so? However, seeing as I am neither a Lord nor a Master but a King, there is no reason for you to adhere to that regimen. It is my desire that you dine with me in the chair I have created for you. Come." He reached out a hand for her to take, only to drop it instantly when she flinched away. Instead, she cautiously stood up and stepped slowly towards the simple wooden chair he'd conjured for just her height, tripping in the process. Jareth subtly shortened the troublesome garment to the girl's ankles so that she could walk unimpeded. Once she was finally seated, he took his place and motioned for their food to be served. He scanned the hall to make sure Grybar was not shirking his punishment and was satisfied to see him sitting amongst the other goblins with a plate similar to hers.
"Is all this for me?" Marie gasped a few minutes later when her plate was put before her. Jareth was not familiar with much Aboveground food so he really didn't know what all was on it but it looked to be an adequate portion for a small body. Then again, if the girl was used to table scraps, he supposed a full plate would seem like a lot by comparison. Her bulging, excited eyes and opened mouth amused him. He nodded, tucking into his own plate. "Big Sister was right. You really are a generous King."
"You mention your sister a lot," Jareth remarked drily. Who was this presumptuous relative to claim so much? When he received no answer, he turned to her and nearly laughed at her protruding cheeks stuffed full of food. His lips quirked in amusement and his eyes sparkled in a way they hadn't in years. "You may want to slow down, child. I didn't go through all the effort of having you healed only for you to choke now." Her little head bobbed as she nodded, swallowing thickly. Her eyes watered as her throat stretched to accommodate the amount of food she forced down it.
"Sorry," she whispered, clutching at her neck, wincing slightly. "I haven't had this much food since before the Masters took me away."
"I see. How long ago was that?" She put a finger to her chin, pondering.
"I don't know. The last time I was outside, it was fall and the leaves were just starting to change colors. I don't know what it is now."
"I believe it is early summer in the Aboveground." So, she had been with those cruel humans for around eight moons. "How did you come to be with these Masters?" She bit into her lower lip and brought her knees up to her chest, her arms wrapping around her.
"I…I was on my way back to the foster home from school. My foster brother usually walked with me but he had a club meeting that day. I remember…Master Thomas stopped me to ask me a question. Only I didn't know he was Master Thomas. He said he didn't know how to get somewhere so I started to show him. Then…he picked me up and everything went black. Next thing I know, I was in the room where they kept us and Big Sister was holding me. She said that if I was a good girl and did what I was told, everything would be okay." By the end of the narrative, she was shaking again. He couldn't see her face as it was buried in her knees but her quiet sniffles told him she was crying. "I tried. I tried to be a good girl. Honest."
"I have no doubt of it. For now, let us eat. We will speak more when we have finished." She nodded and tucked back into her plate, though without as much enthusiasm as before. However, whether that was due to his warnings or the topic of conversation, he knew not. A half hour passed before they had both finished their breakfast and Jareth was quick to transport them away from the prying eyes and gossiping mouths of his pesky servants, relishing in the solitude of his study.
"There now. This is much better for talking, don't you think?" He asked, resuming his place behind his large desk. Marie nodded, gazing around the circular room in awe as she padded soundlessly through it. The girl gasped and made an excited beeline for the window overlooking his Kingdom. Jareth smirked, knowing how impressive it was.
"I knew it was big," she breathed. "But I didn't think it was this big. It's huge!"
"Is that so?" He remarked, amusement tinting his voice at her obvious fascination. "And how did you come to have an idea about the size of my Labyrinth?"
"Big Sister told us so," she replied without turning her attention away from the scenery before her. "She said it goes on for miles and just when you think you're getting the hang of it, it turns you around in circles again."
"While your sister is not incorrect, I have to wonder how she has so much knowledge about my Realm."
"I don't know. They were just stories she told us to make us feel better. But she said she believed in them with all her heart because believing in stories gives them power." She still hadn't cast him so much as a glance since they'd arrived. A fact that both amused him and annoyed him.
"Really? What kind of powers?"
"She said stories have the power to take you anywhere you want to go, even if it's just for a little while. Whenever another girl was getting punished or one of us had just been punished and brought back or even if we were just scared about what was going to happen next, Big Sister would sing to us and tell us stories. The older ones don't believe in them though. They think it's just something to pass the time."
"But you did." 'Was it really that simple?'
"Yep," she chirped proudly. "I always believe what Big Sister says."
"Why is that?" Jareth almost regretted asking as the girl's shoulders drooped and she ducked her head.
"She takes care of us. She gives us her food and tries to keep us safe from the Masters and clients."
"Clients?" Mary flinched, her voice growing softer.
"That's what Lord and the Masters call them. Big Sister would always take the really bad ones for us so we wouldn't have to. The Lord and Masters think she likes them but really, she's protecting us. She takes our punishments too if they look like they're going to be real bad."
"I see," he replied just as softly. He had a fairly good idea as to who these 'clients' were and it sickened him. "Your sister sounds like a very brave girl."
"She's the bravest person I know. But she's not just my Big Sister. She's everyone's Big Sister. She's been there longer than almost anyone except for Mira."
"Mira?" It was the first name the girl had mentioned. She nodded again.
"She's the oldest and she's been there the longest but she doesn't take care of us like Big Sister does."
"Why ever not?" Surely it should be an instinct to protect a child.
Marie's expression soured. "She thinks we need to take our own punishments and clients because that's what she and Big Sister had to do. Big Sister doesn't agree. She tries to take as much as she can so the rest of us don't have to suffer as much." The girl shivered though there was not a breeze to be found. "Goblin King?" She asked, looking at him for the first time since entering his study. "Can you help them and bring them here too?"
"I'm afraid I cannot, young one. The only time I can take someone away is if someone else wishes them away. Then I am called to that location." She looked confused.
"But no one wished me away. I did it myself."
"Ah, and therein lies the mystery with you," Jareth mused. Marie turned glistening eyes back to the window and the Labyrinth beyond it.
"It's not fair," she whispered.
"What's not fair?" He asked, smiling gently in spite of himself.
"I get to be safe and live as a goblin and the others are still stuck there."
"I have actually decided not to transform you." He made no comment to what she found unfair. What response could one give to that? He had no comfort to offer. Without being called, there really was nothing he could do for the other girls suffering such a horrid fate.
"Wh-what?" Mary stammered, her head turning to face him so sharply Jareth feared it might crack her neck, her eyes bulging out of their sockets in fear. "Bu…but why? You're n-not going to send me back, are you?" Her breathing shallowed. "Please don't make me go back, Goblin King!"
"Easy, child. Calm yourself. You're not going anywhere. Something tells me you may be important so for the time being, the castle will be your home and you will remain human."
"Oh." She turned her attention to the Labyrinth once more, her tiny hand clutching at her tunic as her breathing slowed again. "I'm sorry. I got scared."
He waved off her apology. "Entirely understandable after the ordeal you've described. Is your chest bothering you?" She shook her head, a tiny smile gracing her little face.
"You really are as nice and generous as Big Sister said you'd be."
"There are many who would disagree with you and your Big Sister," Jareth replied, wryly. "What other things did she have to say about me?"
"She said you could do magic and you were really powerful."
"Is that so," he smirked, twirling four newly-conjured crystals in one hand and chuckling at the girl's delighted gasp. This was the first time he'd held her attention that wasn't caused by morose conversation. "Catch," he said, tossing one to her lightly. The moment it touched her little fingers, it transformed into one of the many flowers that dotted the hedges of the Labyrinth.
"It's so pretty," she breathed. "Thank you!"
"You are quite welcome, young one. Now, we've been talking for a few hours. Shall I send for our midday meal?"
"You mean I get to eat twice in one day?" She gasped with a smile as big as her little mouth could make.
"Thrice, if you count your supper," Jareth replied, disconcerted. He hadn't expected the child to show so much joy and excitement over such simple things. The meals, he supposed he understood considering the life she had led before, but the flower was nothing compared to what he was truly capable of.
"But I didn't do anything to earn them," Mary stated, tilting her head in confusion.
"Food is not a thing you have to earn here."
"Then how do I know if you're happy with my behavior or not?" Jareth pondered for a moment.
"I believe I will just tell you. Is that acceptable?" He chuckled at her eager nod. "I thought so. Relde!" He called. The goblin poked her head in from the hall.
"Yes, Sire?"
"Have Grybar serve our meal in here." She nodded in acceptance and retreated and the King turned back to his young charge. "I will have some business to attend to once we finish so for the remainder of the afternoon, I'm afraid you must find a way to keep yourself occupied until supper."
"What do you want me to do?"
"You may do whatever you like so long as you do not wander off alone. This castle is as much a Labyrinth as anything you see out there. I can have Relde show you the gardens or the library if you so desire. She will keep you out of any trouble you might otherwise come across. Come, sit."
He gestured to one of the midnight blue, plush, velvet couches that adorned the room as he flung himself lazily across another. He watched her timidly shuffle over to the couch and glance at him as if expecting to be reprimanded. "Go on, it won't bite." She carefully climbed up, and sat, bringing her knees up to her chest. Her eyes still flitted around, nervously. "I'm sure you have many questions to ask me so from now until we have finished our meal, you may do so and I will do my best to answer."
Marie's cool-colored eyes lit up and her little mouth fell open, presumably to ask the first question. She froze for a moment before snapping it shut again, the light in her eyes dying just as quickly as they had brightened and shook her head before tucking it into her drawn-up knees. Jareth wondered why that was as she had yet to show any reluctance with offering information prior. When she wasn't comparing this life to her last, she displayed a high level of enthusiasm for conversation.
"Are you sure?" She nodded. "Very well. You need only ask if you change your mind." Once again, her mouth opened and closed, worry filling her eyes. Jareth frowned. "Speak freely, child. You will not ease your mind otherwise."
Marie took a deep breath as though steeling herself. "Do you think the others are okay?" He cursed inwardly. Of all the questions she could ask, it had to be one of the few he had no way of answering. He'd expected her to ask more about his Realm above all else.
"I do apologize, but that is simply something I cannot know. I can only scry those whose faces I have already seen." He watched her shoulders slump in defeated acceptance.
"What does that mean?" She asked, crestfallen.
"Scrying is…watching someone who is in another place. Take for instance," he flicked his wrist, perhaps with a bit more flourish than was strictly necessary, summoning his scrying crystal. "Relde." As soon as he said her name, the crystal showed her walking down a corridor next to Grybar who was pushing a cart for two.
"I'm sorry," they heard her say pityingly. "I wish there was something I could do."
"Yeah, well, it's only until that little wench gets turned so with luck, this might be the last meal. And what about you? You have to babysit the brat. How are you holding up?"
"Not as bad as you might think. This one's quiet. Doesn't prattle on or cry like a lot of children do. Except when she was sleeping. She made a lot of noise then."
"Lucky," Grybar scoffed.
The crystal popped like a bubble. Jareth was fuming. How dare his servant discuss his guest in such a manner! He chanced a glance at his new young ward to see how she took the insult but he was mildly surprised to find it didn't seem to faze her. Whether it did or not, however, he would see to it that Grybar either learned his place or he would be replaced.
"So it's like spying," she surmised.
"In a way I suppose. Tell me, are you not upset by what was said?" She tilted her head in confusion. "The things you were called?" He hinted further. The girl merely shrugged.
"Not really," she replied tonelessly.
"Why not?" Jareth all but demanded. She shrugged again.
"I've been called worse," she stated, matter-of-factly. The King felt as though he had been slapped in the face for missing such an obvious explanation. Of course she had been. If one was willing to raise their hand against her, use her in that way, naturally such insults would be the least of her concerns. Well, no longer. Whether she knew it or not, he would not stand for such behavior from his own staff.
"I see." There was a series of sharp knocks on the study doors. "Enter," he called softly. Relde came in, closely followed by Grybar pushing the cart with their meals. The goblins quickly served the two on the table between them. "You are dismissed for the next hour. Upon your return, Relde, you will show Marie around the Eastern Gardens while Grybar and I…have a little chat." The female nodded her head in acceptance as the male goblin's face went from dark to pale green. Both bowed out of the study, shutting the door behind them without a word. "I believe you will enjoy that so long as you don't wander off by yourself. If you do," he warned, "as I've mentioned, even I cannot guarantee your safety."
"I won't, I promise," she assured, wide-eyed.
"Good girl. Shall we tuck into our meals before parting for the afternoon?" She nodded eagerly and lowered herself to the floor. After casting the King a quick, nervous glance and receiving what he hoped was a look of encouragement, Marie began eating whatever was on her plate with gusto. Jareth reclined against his couch and attended his own meal at a much more sedate pace. "You need not fear, child," he said again after a few minutes had passed. The girl had been giving him those same glances frequently and he found it incredibly distracting.
"Sorry, s-sir," she replied meekly.
"I suppose," he responded, waving off her apology, "given the unusual circumstances, you may call me Jareth."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Well, normally, I would drop anyone straight into the Bog of Eternal Stench for addressing me so informally, but I believe I will make an exception for you." After all, she would need to have something to call him.
She gasped, recapturing his attention. "So that's real too?"
"Let me guess," Jareth muttered drily. "Your big sister told you about that as well." Who the hell was this human girl who knew so much about his Kingdom? It was really starting to irritate him.
"Mmm-hmm. She said the Goblin King wouldn't hesitate to dunk the Masters and Lord's whole bodies into his bog." She giggled a little before the smile fell from her face once more. "It always made us laugh." The girl pushed her food around her plate, no longer eating.
"Allow me to assure you, Marie," Jareth growled, "that should I ever get my hands on those…masters of yours, my Bog will be the least of their worries."
"And Lord too?"
"I assume this Lord is who oversaw the whole thing?" Marie nodded. "Then I have an extra special idea in mind for that one." He didn't, yet, but she needn't know that.
"Thank you," she replied softly. The King shook his head at her gratitude. He'd meant what he said. Those…humans…if one could call them such, would know no end to the tortures at his disposal. A few minutes of silence passed when Marie opened her mouth again only to quickly shut it. Her blue eyes blazed with internal conflict. Apparently, it would take more than a couple of reassurances to convince the girl she would not suffer for asking a question. He supposed it made sense. She'd spent the last eight moons expecting such. It seemed he must be the one to ask the questions if he wished to encourage her.
"Tell me more about your life before the masters," he could not mention that word without spitting it,"captured you. I believe you mentioned a brother?"
Marie shook her head. "Foster brother. I was in a foster home." She dropped her…fork, he thought it was called, entirely and drew her arms around her, holding herself close. She looked so pitiable in that moment that Jareth had to fight back a sudden urge to reach out and comfort the girl, already understanding she feared being touched.
"And what is that?" He asked, distracting himself from the strange feeling.
She looked away from him, back towards the window and replied in a voice so quiet, he had to strain his ears to hear her. "It's where you go when you don't have a home anymore."
"What do you mean?" Jareth whispered, matching her somber tone.
"My mommy and daddy…they died. I was all alone. So, I was sent to the foster home. But they didn't want me there either. I tried to stay out of the way, I really did." Her tiny voice grew even quieter if such a thing were possible. "They were probably happy I didn't come back that day."
So young to have suffered so much. Fate had certainly dealt her a raw hand too early in life. And for her to believe that her absence, especially to the place she had recently escaped, was cause for celebration…it was nearly his undoing. He clenched his fist unknowingly as he attempted to process the harshness of his young ward's reality. Such senseless misery. That settled it for him. He knew not where she would go once the Labyrinth's premonition had come to pass but the one thing he was certain of was that she would not be returning to the Aboveground. Jareth snarled at the thought. A sharp gasp brought him out of his musings. When he glanced up, she was cowering against the couch behind her, trembling in fear, tears beginning to fall down her sunken cheeks.
"I-I-I'm sorry. I-I won't talk about it ever again, I s-swear!" Jareth blinked in confusion before taking stock of himself. Upon realizing how threatening he must have appeared, he relaxed and smiled gently despite cursing inwardly for causing the girl undue panic.
"Apologies, little one. Rest assured, I will never raise a hand against you. I understand you do not believe me, but in time, I hope you come to see it for yourself. I have no intention of harming you or letting you come to harm. You are in my care now and cared for you shall remain. On this, you have my word." He stayed frozen in place until Marie had calmed down enough to ease out of her defensive position, still tense, still shaking, but no longer silently crying. Only then did Jareth move to sit up, slowly when he saw the slightest twitch caused her to flinch horridly. He frowned. "Perhaps you would feel better if we cut this meal a little short and have Relde begin your tour of the gardens? We can reconvene in the Great Hall at the evening bell if you're up to it. If not, you may of course take your supper in your chamber."
"I…I…" she stuttered, sneaking a glance towards the door but clearly too scared to express her desire for a retreat.
"Yes?" Jareth encouraged. He needed her to speak for herself. He needed her to realize her choices would not be taken from her as they had been and she would not be reprimanded for making them.
"I think…" She stopped again, biting her lower lip before a steely, determination lit her eyes. "I want to go to the garden!" Marie clasped her hands over her mouth, backing into the couch again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell," she whispered. Jareth chuckled.
"So be it. Relde." As expected, the female's olive-green face poked around the door. Jareth stood, crossing his arms. "Marie has decided she would like to visit the garden now."
"Yes, Sire," the goblin squeaked. "Would the young miss like to take the remains of her meal with us? I can pack it up as a snack for later."
Jareth looked to the girl. Marie flinched slightly under his cool gaze but a flick of her eyes towards her still-full plate was enough. He had the food neatly packaged in a convenient case faster than either could blink. "She may also request her supper be delivered to her chamber. That is acceptable as well. Now, be off with you both." He waved them out. "Marie, do try to enjoy yourself, little one. And Relde." The goblin immediately fell to her knees at his warning tone. "Need I tell you what will happen should any harm befall her?"
"Eeep! Of c-c-course not, y-your M-majesty. She'll b-be well looked after."
"See to it that she is." Relde bowed deeply again and ushered his young ward out. As the door shut behind them, Jareth all but collapsed on his couch, feeling somehow drained. As if just listening to Marie's stories of the life she'd led before were sapping his energy. Or was it his numerous attempts to reassure the girl that was causing him to be so unlike himself? He pressed his arm over his face and groaned. Then started reviewing the events of the past two days.
Marie had wished herself to his Realm to escape her prison. How? Simply believing in a story told her by some mysterious 'big sister' who somehow knew of his Kingdom? There had to be more to it than that. The Labyrinth had demanded the girl remain human in an unprecedented turn of events, stating that she was somehow vital to upcoming events where one wrong move would cause "much to be lost" and hinting that there would be more like her. When they would arrive, he had no insight. If they would arrive in the same state Marie had, he did not know.
Marie would not be returning to the Aboveground. What did that make her? What place did she have here if not as a goblin? The King was already treating her as a kind of princess, giving her her own chamber in the Wing of the Eight Realms, ensuring she had food suitable to her palate, appointing her a personal attendant to oversee her transition into his Realm. Was that his answer then? Was she to be a Princess of the Goblins and Labyrinth? Was this one of the events yet unfolded? Jareth wasn't opposed to having an heir, but he would need to consult with the Labyrinth if this were a possibility. However, it was far too soon to make such a move. Right now, he needed to focus on gaining her trust and encouraging her to gain confidence before training her as his successor. How long that would take, he had no idea. He sighed heavily.
"What do you think of all this, Miren?" His childhood best friend, confidant, and advisor stepped out of the shadows.