Two Steps forward, Three Steps Back

"Good morning, little one," Jareth greeted from his throne. "I trust you slept well?" Marie had just stumbled in beside Relde, still rubbing her eyes. Unfortunately, his voice echoed over the throne room, causing her to start and stumble before approaching the steps. Relde bowed as expected. Marie did not, though she did lower her head. He supposed he would take the compromise for now. "Apologies for startling you and for not meeting you as I said I would for the evening meal." What he could see of her too-thin face rose in color but didn't offer a response. "Will you allow me to make it up to you by accompanying you to breakfast?" She nodded jerkily and much like the day before, she flinched at the crowd of goblins when the pair arrived in the Great Hall and had to be reminded that she was no longer to sit huddled against the wall.

Jareth asked after her tour to which she responded hesitantly but with a growing enthusiasm, entertaining him for most of the meal with her descriptions of plants he'd see thousands of times. This was the first time he'd seen them through the eyes of a child and he had to admit, it was amusing listening to her. He even considered taking a turn about them himself, not having done so for at least a half-century. Her bright blue eyes shone and there was more color on her face than since her arrival. He hoped that was a result of her returning health but knew it was far too soon to be sure.

"I wanted to look around more but Relde said it wasn't safe so we came back and she showed me where my room was again. I asked her if I could draw and she found stuff for me so I did that until she said it was time to eat. We waited for you in the throne room but when you didn't come in, I thought you were done with me for the day so I ate in my room like you said I could," she finished in a breath. The amount of information she provided in such a short time would have been comical if not for the pang of guilt Jareth felt by her words.

She'd waited for him? How long? How long before she gave up, feeling rejected yet again? If only he had not lost track of time, but there was so much to be done. It couldn't be helped. Still, he should have paid her more mind. Admittedly, after she and Relde had left the day before, he gave little thought to how she would spend her time other than the garden tour. Clearly, having the child around was going to be as much a learning experience for him as it would be for her. His icy eyes met hers and he placed his left hand over the center of his chest. "I am sorry, Marie. It was never my intention to leave you like that. My work simply ran away with me and I lost track of the hour. If it happens again, you have my permission to knock at my study and interrupt me, whatever I might be doing."

"I won't be punished for disturbing you?"

"No, little one." She looked at him skeptically, as if she didn't believe him for a moment and he resisted the urge to chuckle at her doubt. "Since you do not believe me, by all means, test it out next time." He did end up laughing lightly as her doubt morphed into confusion. "You are very easy to read, child. Your thoughts and emotions are written all over your face." He was surprised but pleased when she laughed in response.

"Yeah, Big Sister was the best at hiding her feelings, not me. She tried to tell us how to do it too because the punishments didn't last as long when we did but I was never any good at it. But Big Sister was so good, she never cried out, no matter how many times she was hit." Her blue eyes shone with pride before dimming once more. "Mira always said that punishing me made the Masters happiest because I could never hide how much it hurt. Even Terra and Rachel were better at it than me and they came there after I did." Her face fell further. "It's probably because I'm the youngest."

"Were," Jareth corrected, desperate to alleviate her drastically changed mood. It seemed so many unconnected things reminded her of that place. He would have to tread very carefully with her if he ever wanted her to be comfortable in her new home. "You were the youngest. You are here now and there is no reason to hide away." 'Besides,' he thought to himself, 'I need a way to anticipate what she requires or desires until she learns to speak for herself.'

He reached out to pat her head and was immensely proud when she flinched but didn't pull back from his hand. Two pats and a light ruffle of her raven hair and he withdrew. Small steps. The poor girl hadn't known a kind hand in far too long. "Would you agree to my joining you on your walk today? I can protect you far better than Relde, allowing you to explore as you would like. Within reason, of course." A shy expression crossed her small face.

"Y-yes?" She answered uncertainly. Jareth grinned broadly and thus began their routine. They would break their fast together and then the King would take her through the different gardens, his presence alone enough to keep the dangers at bay. He would point out the different plants and she would listen with rapt attention. They would take their midday meal and part for the afternoon. He would attend to the business of the Kingdom with Miren and she would be off with Relde. At the evening bell, Jareth made sure to stop whatever they were doing to meet his young ward in the throne room. She would hesitantly tell him of her doings which mostly consisted of drawing. He learned that she had enjoyed it before the death of her parents but had to stop when she was moved to the foster 'home'. Jareth made sure she always had fresh supplies of parchment, colored ink, and quills.

When six days had passed, he was pleased to see her head straight for her place at the High Table instead of pausing and glancing at the corner first. Three days later, she asked if he would take her down to the Goblin City. He was hesitant to agree as she still flinched at large crowds and the city streets would be teeming with goblins of all kinds, but as it was the first time she requested anything, he was helpless to ignore it and feared doing so would hinder her progress. He acquiesced on the condition that she not leave his side. A needless condition, as she rarely left his side when they were together, yet one he felt the need to re-enforce.

She'd laughed at the chickens and gazed in wonder at the markets, immediately shying behind him when the King's sudden appearance caused everyone to stop and stare. He asked if she saw anything she wanted and she quickly shook her head. He took her as far as the gates, needing to see the improvements Miren had made for himself, and introduced her to his Captain of the Guard who happened to be making a routine inspection. Marie had done well, giggling when the Captain bowed low to her. It seemed as though the child in her hadn't been completely snuffed out, only buried. Jareth was satisfied by this discovery because it meant that she could, with time, return to being the child she was supposed to have been, though granted, one who was not so foolish and naïve as most children.

The one thing that plagued him with concern were the shadows under her eyes. Two weeks of regular, uninterrupted sleep and still they remained just as dark. Even her cheeks had become gradually less sunken by the end of the first fortnight. He consulted with Ghilanna on this but to no avail. She was just as baffled as he. Jareth asked Relde if she'd noticed anything out of the ordinary but it seemed the caretaker left the girl to her own devices after she was cleaned from the day and dressed for bed. He requested that she begin to check on the girl throughout the night in hopes of discovering the cause and the third day after he'd made the request, Relde had results.

"It's the same, each night, Majesty," the goblin squeaked. Marie was off in the Eastern garden, drawing as was her favorite pastime. She knew enough by this point that neither felt uncomfortable leaving her alone for a short while. "I put her to bed and leave as usual but when I go back to check on her three hours later, she's moved to the floor in a nest of blankets. The young miss is light enough that I can pick her up without a problem so I put her back in the bed. When I check on her again, two hours later, she's back on the floor. I've taken to watching her sleep and it's not peaceful. The young miss tosses and turns and cries. When I ask her why in the morning, she refuses to answer."

"Distressing news indeed. I thank you for your diligence, Relde. The girl seems to respond well to you, therefore you will continue your duties as her personal attendant."

"Yes, your Majesty. Of course, your Majesty. I admit, I've grown fond of the young miss." Jareth blinked.

"You are remarkably well-spoken for a goblin," he remarked. The goblin beamed with pride.

"I've been learning by listening to you and the young miss."

"Really? I suppose that is acceptable so long as you don't repeat anything you hear."

"Of course not, Majesty," she squeaked, her leathery, olive-colored face paling at the thought. "I would never! I only wanted to better serve you and the young miss."

"You have done well in that. Now, shall we go off in search of little Marie and find out why she has been depriving herself of her bed?" The goblin nodded, eagerly. They walked to the Eastern garden, Jareth in front and Relde six steps behind him as expected of her. They found her parchment and quill splattered by a spilled bottle of ink right at the fountain she should have been and searched for a half hour before determining she must have left. He sent Relde back to the Woodland Chamber with the completed and unsullied works to fetch her as that was the only other place he could think of that she might be. He growled lowly when she returned, fearfully stating Marie could not be found there either.

"Now, where in the Underground could that girl have gone?" It was unlike her to wander off. She was still far too timid to go anywhere alone. It figured the first time he had left her unattended, she would disappear. But where? Jareth conjured his scrying crystal and muttered her name into it.

She came into view immediately…somewhere. The background was blurry and her hair was whipping across her face as if taken in a strong wind. Her face was scrunched in what he now recognized to be fear and her eyes were covered by…something. She was struggling against whatever held her and this angered him. Suddenly the background stopped. She was in a forest, though which, he had yet to determine. He watched her scramble to her feet and rip off the wrapping, her blue eyes wide and searching and the King became even more irate. She spun around suddenly, facing the opposite direction as if she'd heard something he could not.

"Jareth, please help me," she whispered shakily, her arms coming up to wrap around herself. "I'm scared."

"'Dere's no need to be frightened," another voice sounded. The King frowned. He'd heard that voice before, but where?

"Yeah, you wit' us now! We can show you a good time!" Jareth clenched his fist. He knew where she was now. In a moment, he was in the clearing next to their pathetic fire.

"Kingy!" Several voices called in shock.

"We's in trouble now!" One of them muttered for all to hear before the culprits began laughing boisterously.

"Jareth!" Her tiny voice rose above the rest and he felt her crash into his leg. The King reached down to pick her up. The little thing trembled against him and buried her face into his neck as he turned his icy glare on the creatures who dared abuse his generosity.

"I believe you were told to never enter the city walls, were you not?" Five thick gulps could be heard as the Fireys approached the pair, with their heads hanging low. "I grant you this space and this space alone yet you defy my orders and steal from me."

"We's sorry, Kingy. We heard de rumors about de child and we wanted to play with it," Zuaci entreated, raising his arms, hands each spinning in different directions. Jareth kicked out his boot, knocking off his leg and sneered as he squawked and chased after it. That did give him an idea and he chuckled to himself as he conjured another crystal. He tossed it into the fire and it let out a billowing yellow smoke. When the fog lifted, the Fireys were all completely dismembered, their parts scattered wide across their territory. It would take them weeks to pull themselves together. He smirked, listening to their indignant groans.

"Let this be a warning to you," he warned an eyeless, beakless head. "Defy me again, and I will not be so lenient." Jareth readjusted the child on his hip and pat her back in an attempt to calm her as he turned and took them back to his study.

"Come now, Marie," he said softly. "Look around, you're back in the castle again. You are safe. Nothing will harm you." It took some cajoling before she could bring herself to sit up and examine her surroundings. Upon seeing herself sitting in his lap, she squeaked, jumping as far away from him as she could manage on the blue couch, her red-rimmed eyes wide. "See?" Jareth soothed, pretending not to notice her odd behavior. "You are in my study and you are safe." Marie sniffed, wiping her little nose on the sleeve of her tunic.

"W-what were dose tings?" She asked, sniffing again. Jareth reached a gloved hand towards her, slowly when she tried to flinch away and passed his fingers lightly over her face, removing all traces of her weeping.

"Better?" He asked, smiling gently at her awestruck expression. She nodded shyly, bringing her knees up to her chest again. "Now, you were saying?"

"I-I asked w-what those things were," Marie replied, her timid nature overtaking her again now that her fear had subsided.

"Fireys. Those blithering featherbrains are from the Northwestern Realm of the Birdfolk. Believe it or not, they were once held in high esteem as that Kingdom's most elite spies. However, about a hundred and thirty years ago, they were sent on a mission to obtain information from Elven Realm to the South that the Elves guarded heavily. They made the mistake of traveling through the Labyrinth as a shortcut and nearly made it through but for the mist that surrounds the Southern Gate, entrance to the harbor and Strait that would lead them directly to the Capital of the Elven Kingdom. They entered the mist and were immediately turned into the blubbering fools you met today. They lost more than just their ability to remain in one piece. The mist took their minds."

"That's awful," Marie whispered.

"You would think," Jareth replied, rolling his eyes. "were it not for the annoyingly high optimism and penchant for mischief they gained in return. I'd swear twenty percent of the goings on in this Labyrinth are caused by those five. Anything new and shiny, they go after. They are nuisances, the lot of them. The last time they were allowed in the castle, they destroyed the throne room and attempted to take my connection to the Labyrinth from my very neck. It took the goblins months to clean up their mess and they were banished beyond the city walls until it was decided what to do with them. Having spoken with the rulers of that Realm, it was agreed they would be exiled here. I even went through the trouble of designing a territory similar to their homeland after their assault on my castle and my person, yet they still seek to cause misfortune to all who happen to catch their attention." Marie giggled quietly at his obvious irritation with the Fireys. "Now then, if you've had enough of the history lesson, care to tell me what happened today?" Her brow furrowed as it usually did when she was thinking about something.

"I don't know, really. I stayed at the fountain, waiting for you or Relde to come back. I didn't go anywhere else, I swear."

"I believe you. Go on."

"Something covered my eyes." Her whole body gave a violent shudder. "It was just like when Master Thomas first took me. Sharp things grabbed me around my sides and lifted me up and then it felt like I was flying. Only it wasn't nice like I always thought it'd be. It was scary. They still had my eyes covered. And then I was dropped but it wasn't from very high up so it didn't hurt too bad. But I was holding the wing of one. Just the wing. Nothing else. And there were shadows moving around me. I screamed and threw the wing into the trees. They just laughed at me and told me I was going to have a good time with them now that they'd saved me from the 'pesky kingy'. I tried telling them I wanted to go back to the castle but they wouldn't listen. They just kept moving around in the shadows."

Jareth pinched his nose, exasperated. That did sound just like the Fireys. They find something new, they scoop it up for their own amusement. They were curious and dead-set on causing no end of mischief. It was a frustrating combination to say the least. However, hearing the encounter from the mouth of a child, he could understand why she was so frightened.

"They are annoying little pests but they are generally harmless. The most they might have done was see if your head came off like theirs do." She gasped, bringing her hands to either side of her head and Jareth chuckled. "Not to worry, little one. I've already dealt with them. They know better than to steal from me and if they wish to keep their little haven, they'll fly no closer to the city than the Valley of Lost Things. They will not bother you again, I made sure of it." She relaxed, bringing her arms around her legs.

"Thank you," she mumbled, quietly. "I'm sorry you had to come after me."

"Nonsense. I did promise you that you would not come to harm, did I not? If anything, it was my own fault for leaving you unguarded. I had something to speak with Relde about and mistakenly assumed you'd be fine on your own for a little while."

The King hesitated on bringing up the subject of the discussion. Marie had just been through quite the ordeal. Even for him, dealing with the Fireys was always exhausting. Did he really want to potentially make her ordeal worse by having to answer for her actions? He needed to understand why she refused to use her bed. If there was a problem with it, he needed to fix it so that she might rest better. Looking at her now, however, she appeared nearly as closed off as she was when she'd first arrived. Perhaps it was better left for the next day, or later at the very least.