Pen was sitting by the fire when Crevan returned from his meeting at the table. It had taken subtle asking to find his brothers at the castle. He shed the outer layers that kept him warm in the drafty tower room where they met and on the walk afterward. He was a bit surprised to see her there.

"...I would have thought you with his majesty tonight." He said. "Or making plans for us to return to the freehold..."

"We leave tomorrow." She said. "...and I wanted a bit of time with you. Out of bed."

He had to smile at that, sitting opposite her.

"...Tell me of Tir Na Lia." She said.

He stretched a bit. "...so my lady wishes a story like her children."

She laughed. "No, I want to know of the place I would have lived..."

She got up and came to sit in his lap, he put his arms around her.

"...There is nothing in this world that would rival it. I had quarters in one of the temples, overlooking the river, near tor Zareil. It was the most serene place. When Ciri chose exile with me to my world...we lived in the tower, two of our children were born there." he sighed. "...I knew she was not happy there, she would open portals to her world and be gone for months at a time. Our youngest was just learning to talk when she asked to dissolve our bond."

She remembered what Regis had said about a distance between them. He pulled her close, she lay her head on his shoulder.

"I wanted her to be happy...so I agreed." He said. "We lived together after that, but it was not the same. We would go to Corvo Blanco in the summer, that stopped after Geralt died. She would go to see Yen alone, then Yennifer was gone. It was not until the world she knew was gone that she stopped going. It was bright and sunny on the day she passed the vale, I held her hand to the end."

She reached up to wipe away a tear sliding down his cheek. He leaned his cheek into her palm.

"Today was the anniversary by the Aen Elle calendar." He said. "I needed a walk after the table...It is still hard..." He swallowed. "...I was a mess for a long while after. I will ask you do not leave me tonight.."

She knew he would have asked one of his brothers of the table but he was asking her. She leaned up and kissed him in answer.

#

Clothing lead from the hearth to the bed, til two bodies, slid against each other. There would be no illusion tonight. She was on top, her body moving, giving. He let her pin him, arching to her movement. Then the rhythm changed, urgent as he turned to put her beneath him.

"Forgive me..." He whispered thrusting hard.

Her nails drew scratches down his back and sides, but he could not stop. She wrapped herself around him to hold him in place, meeting his thrusts with her own. Release came and went, he only slowed to build up again.

#

Twice more release came, on the second was he spent. He looked down, at first he thought he'd hurt her. He tried to pull back, only to find her legs still locked about him. He let himself fall and lay with her hands stroking down his back over sweat-slick skin. The scratches stung, a reminder he had been rough. He let her roll him so she could lay close. Sleep came, wrapped in the arms of his queen.

#

Crevan woke to find the bed empty but the sounds from the bathing room said Pen was awake. He rolled out of bed, heading in that direction. Out of the shadows, he was tackled to the ground and some device applied to his skin and the sound of static as his muscles ceased up. A hood was thrown over his head and his wrists bound.

"Crevan..." Pen called.

The assailants hurried out of the room, carrying the sage out with them.

#

Pen came out of the bath, shocked to find Crevan gone. His clothes were still present, and she knew he did not parade around naked. She searched the suite and solar. Finding no trace she raised the alarm, sending guards scrambling to look for her companion. He was found nowhere in the castle either, a clear sign he had been taken. She knew exactly who would stoop that low.

#

Jareth frowned when he was quite abruptly summoned to the High Court that morning. He had not expected to be asked to play envoy. Pen had some idea who had taken the sage from the castle. That in itself was a high crime, add stealing a member of the court. They weren't going to see daylight at any time in the next century or more.

"...You know this favor isn't for free." Jareth said.

"What do you want, goblin king..."

Jareth grinned, she was well aware of who he had come as to Court.

"Simple...an alliance, a betrothal..." He said as he conjured up a bubble. "My son to your daughter..."

"Which son, you have several," Nuada said.

"Toby...they are of an age," Jareth said, showing a picture of the boy in the bubble. "...and a performance, Brin has wanted to hear you sing again."

"Easily done..." Pen said as she signed the parchment.

Jareth smirked, "...I'll be bringing Ludo..."

Pen smiled, she liked the creature.

#

Crevan felt dumped like a sack of potatoes upon the cold floor. He heard the chain attached to the shackles around his wrists. The hood was yanked away and Ge'els stood there, frowning at him. The other Aen Elle must have thought he was rescuing him.

"...Caught naked, in the bed of a human." Ge'els said. "...You've slipped Crevan."

"...In the bed of my queen." He corrected the Viceroy.

"Yes, the human is High queen." Ge'els said. "All the more disgraceful...if Lara could see you."

He kept his composure, the bastard had been pricking him with Lara's name for centuries.

"Or perhaps I should say Cirirella..."

He sneered at the Viceroy.

"I wonder if your human queen will come for you...or will she abandon you as Cirirella did..."

Crevan was about to lunge at him as close as the chains would allow.

#

There was a commotion out in the corridor, one of the riders flew threw the door to slam against the stone wall, sliding down to land in a heap. Something that stood near eight feet tall and covered in hair strode in shaking off the guards like water.

"...Not so rough Ludo." Jareth said as he entered, all black leather and flamboyance. "We want the place still standing. I have come in the name of the High Queen..."

"Who are you, what right..."

Jareth ignored the contempt in Ge'els voice, he liked the Aen Elle even less than the Sidhe did.

"I am Jareth, king of the goblins..." He said. "and As sovereign of the Labyrinth I have leave to work in the High queen's name..."

Crevan blinked, that male ruled the Labyrinth. He'd met Jareth earlier at the mid-winter ball but seeing him this way was a bit of a shock. The shackles fell away and he was able to cast on his clothing, now feeling a little less at a disadvantage. Jareth held out a parchment, the royal order for Crevan's return.

"Lord Crevan would you be so kind as to show your left palm," Jareth asked. "I wish to show the Viceroy proof you belong to the High Queen."

Crevan showed the still healing slash on his left hand, made with a silver blade it would be a few more days before it healed.

"A blood oath..." Jareth said. "...given three days past."

Ge'els stood there in shock.

"...with my blood and my body," Crevan said. "I made oaths to my new sovereigns..."

The viceroy had not thought Crevan would take oaths to the High court let alone a human queen. The mark in Crevan's palm said he'd been mistaken and underestimated his one-time ally.

"...The carriage to take you back to the Royal seat is waiting outside, one of my men will escort you." Jareth said. "I have a bit to finish up here..."

Crevan looked back for a moment and what he glimpsed gave him a reminder of why the other Sidhe lords did not piss off the Goblin King.

#

Pen was waiting when he was returned to the castle. She embraced him holding him tightly. He held her close for a few moments. He looked at her, knowing she'd paid for his freedom with something precious.

"...What was the price of my freedom? I know men like the Goblin king do no favors without payment."

"A betrothal." She said. "My daughter to his son." She smiled. "He won't hurt Ge'els...much."

"I know now why it is wise to be in his good graces..." Crevan said. "That thing I saw..."

Pen had to laugh, she'd met the Labyrinth spirit a long time ago and had liked the mercurial entity.

"Brin..." She said. "the Labyrinth's living Spirit. She is as mischievous as her king, and can be just as vicious." She smiled. "...I'll have to introduce you properly later...when both she and Jareth are settled down."

"What was the spirit showing Ge'els..."

"Most likely what happened to the last Monarch who pissed him off." Pen said. "...they are still picking up the bones..."

He remembered what she had said, she had seen the conflict.

"I think I'd like a bath and breakfast..." He said.

Pen pointed the way, he'd get both inside the castle.