Important: I have a rather annoying (for the readers) tendency to change POV without telling, and then not telling who I changed it to. So just a heads up, this chapter was intentionally written without giving them a name or much of a history. If you can figure it out, which I'm sure a lot of you can, then kudos for you. If you don't, then don't get too frustrated. All will be revealed next chapter. Well, even if you can figure out who it is, then I'd bet you'd have a lot of questions too.

But rest assured, answers will be given. This mysterious and frustrating chapter is given as background, a form of answers yet to be understood, and a way to get rid of this terrible case of writer's block I've had for the last couple weeks. For that, I apologize. I hate leaving a current story alone for so long, but I'm starting to get used to it. I really should work on my other stories too...

Back to this story. I don't own anyone in it, except Aurea, no matter how much I wish I did. *looks around for glitter*

Hope you like it!

The throne room was quieter than usual; without the constant clucking and drunken-goblin sounds, I was nothing but nerves. But the hand that came into sight before me held it's rook steady. I heard the piece click down, watched the hand linger, then heard a sigh as the hand disappeared from the board again.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, running my mind through the new situation on the checker-pattern. "Is it a holiday?"

He scoffed, lounging back. I glanced up to see him leaning his head on his knuckles and looking somewhere far away beyond the doorway. I knew that look; it meant he was getting bored and we probably wouldn't even see who won this chess game.

"The closest thing to a holiday in this Labyrinth is a run." Was his only answer, so I looked back to the board and went through the motions. This game wouldn't last long, and even if it did, I wouldn't win. I rarely do.

Nevertheless, I angled my last pawn in front of my knight, taking his second pawn.

"So why's it so quiet?" I tried again.

"The party has simply moved. They don't linger all the time. Do you miss the feathers?" Even his mocking sounded half-hearted today. He took a moment to move his next piece.

"Why wouldn't I? I love finding them in my socks." I opened myself wide up for an insult on my poor humor or hygiene. But he didn't say anything. He only pulled back without touching any of the pieces, but didn't even look back to keep analyzing his next move. Looks like this game is over. After a couple moments of him just staring into space, still his turn, I got irritated.

"Jareth." He looked to me quickly, a look of irritation the only thing he was willing to show. "Are we done playing?"

"Yes. You're awful. You play the same offence every time. I thought you were going to practice with Aurea?"

"You don't have to be so rude about it." I scoffed, starting to brush all the pieces back into the wooden box. It didn't hurt my feelings, however. I was actually a little relieved; this means he isn't too out of it to not insult my chess skills. I'll be the first to admit that I'm awful at it. I was just worried that something was really bothering him enough to ignore how awful I was at this game.

The sound of me dropping each piece in was obviously getting on his nerves. He waved a hand and it all just disappeared. I had a feeling he hadn't returned it to the 'game closet'. From what I understand, he's gotten bored with a lot of our games and sent them to the Bog of Eternal Stench.

When another minute passed in silence, I stood and crossed my arms.

"Obviously I'm no longer needed here. Am I dismissed, your highness?" I curtsied sarcastically.

He narrowed his eyes at me and kept his mouth shut. So I took this as a hint to leave. Someone's certainly in a sour mood. He's got such a temper, I can't do anything but roll my eyes. He's like a big baby. 'I'm bored, show me another of your Abover's games', 'This is stupid, teach the brownies another of your Abover's dishes', 'You're so annoying, I don't want to see your face in this castle for the rest of the week'. And what have I got to say? As you wish, your nibs.

What else can I do? Not like I've got anywhere else to go at the moment.

"Wait." I heard him stop me reluctantly. I stopped in the doorway and turned to look back. I waited a moment, before raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Tell me one of your stories."

That's the first time he's requested that. Usually he gets that irritated look and sighs when I go off on my stories. He must be desperate for entertainment.

"Not today." That was one thing I didn't want to do today. My face had clammed up and my heart stilled.

"You're going to disobey me? You are aware that-" I stopped him right there, crossing my arms.

"I know full and well my situation here. But if you really are the nice guy you pretend not to be, then you'll leave it alone. Just because I act all cheery while I'm here, telling you all those stories, doesn't mean I wouldn't rather be 'collecting more' of those stories. Not today."

He put his hands up in peace and waved me away. In a huff, I turned and left down the hall. I half expected him to shift the castle again, turning halls around and switching doors around, but I found my room in the same place as I had last night. No tricks, no magic, just a nice warm bed with nice thick blankets. I hadn't wanted to get out to begin with, but His Royal Nibs had me get out and entertain him with instructions for a karaoke machine he'd found in the Above. That lead to him spending an hour or two enjoying music and the likes before the goblins got ahold of it, we went to breakfast, and came back to a throne room empty of goblins and karaoke machines. That lead to checkers, then half a game of chess, and now here I am.

I sighed and ducked my head under the blankets. Now I sure hope he doesn't come up with some other scheme today, because today is one day I do not want to spend entertaining a perpetually bored, immortal king. I just want to stay in bed, and I want my baby.

... "Happy birthday to you." I sighed, having finally emerged from my room. "Happy birthday to you."

"Is it your birthday?" I jumped, hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I should be used to it now, and yet I'm not. How can you get used to a man appearing right out of the shadows?

"No. My birthday's in September. Did you want to get me a present?" I asked.

He ignored that comment and crossed his arms, just walking the other direction casually. "Then who's birthday?"

"What do you care?"

"I don't." With that, he didn't look back. I sighed and kicked at a discarded mug along the side of the hall. Stupid goblins and their stupid drinks. Stupid Goblin Kings and their stupid games.

I know. I shouldn't be so grumpy, I shouldn't take it out on the Goblin King or his minions. They didn't do this to me. They didn't make me come here, and I don't resent any of them. I'm actually pretty happy they're not so anti-human and threatening as they pretend to be. Yeah, I can see the mask on over this entire place; the cruel, evil king kidnaps babies and tortures the human parents who try so hard to save their child. Turning innocent children into goblins, playing games and toying with grieving mothers and fathers.

But he's just a big softy. I haven't gotten him to crack yet, but oh, I'm getting there.

I pushed the library doors open just far enough to enter before pulling them shut behind me.

"My Lady." A familiar voice verbally curtsied, while the figure it came from was too busy with a pile of old, moth-eaten books to even turn my direction.

"Aurea." I greeted, and we both left it at that. We have a mutual understanding today; she'd leave me alone and I'd wallow in my own self-pitty. She was busy with repairs today anyways.

So I sought out the red-leather book from the bottom shelf of the book-case along the south wall, took a quill from Aurea's desk, and sat down at my favorite lounge chair. The library was by far my favorite room here; so full of myth and wonder. It's clean and orderly- unlike the rest of the castle -for Aurea took such pride in her library. It was always peaceful, yet alive with the near-physical vibration of the potential of each word on each page of each book. It floated through the air, taunting me with so many secrets that I had no idea where to start, then hiding behind the veil of another language.

The entire Labyrinth was that way. It's exciting, and I'm positive there are secrets hidden everywhere that simply refused to reveal themselves to me. And yet, try as I may upon any given secret, I'll never uncover them. They're all of a different world than I am, a world I'd never hope to understand. Take it's king, for example.

I've known him for months already, I know he enjoys being evil, toying with humans and wreaking havoc upon the unsuspecting. He once flew to the Above as an owl just to leave droppings on a man's windshield. He's complete mayhem, and yet, he's so childish. I don't believe for a second that he's truly evil. I think he just loves his job, but at the end of the day, he's a big old softy that likes humans and is just lonely. For a while, I'd been so proud of myself for figuring this man out... until I realized I still knew nothing about him. I didn't know his motivation, his thoughts, or even if what I had already deduced was true about him.

The goblin Kingdom, and everything about it, was an enigma.

I brushed a thumb over the golden letters Aurea had helped me to engrave upon the cover of the book. I was only half-way into writing it, and I already felt disappointed in it. I've recorded my own exploration through the parts of the Labyrinth in the form of a story. It was completely fictional, and I was poking a bit of fun at the Goblin King, but I think I'd gotten him down to a tee.

The scenery, the people here, everything I seen and everyone I met I recorded in this book as the nameless protagonist progressed along her journey to regain her brother. And yet, there will always be dozens of new friends that won't make it into the book, hundreds of places I couldn't possibly put into the story. I've only got a limited amount of pages, and the plot had to move on.

"My Lady?" Aurea called for my attention. I ignored her, finishing the page before the thought escaped me, before looking up to her. She carried a new, dark covered book as she came closer.

"Yes?"

"Sire has just returned. He has brought a book for you." She held it out for me. I took it, and my heart clenched. He can't be serious?

"That bastard."

"My Lady!" Aurea sqeeked, surprised. I shut my mouth quickly.

"Sorry. Just, no. Where is he?" I held the book downwards.

"I- in his throne room, I believe. Are you alright?"

"I'm just peachy." I muttered, storming out of the library as quickly as I could. He's gone too far now. Now I understand why he's let me be all day and been so scarce. That evil, conniving, king!

"What gives you the right to take this?" I demanded, throwing the photo album at his head. He caught it easily, twirling it in his hand like a toy.

"I thought you'd enjoy a momento."

"You did, did you?" I scoffed. If I can't go back to the life I had before, I don't want to keep pining over it! "So you decided to break into my house and take one of my photo albums?"

"Not your house any longer, is it?" He smirked at me. "And it isn't your album anymore either, then?" I glared, daring him to speak another, stupid word. He let the album fall to the arm of his throne, partly in his grip, and sighed. "Don't go and self-combust. I've only created a duplicate."

"Don't you think for a second I don't know what you're doing." I pointed right into his face. My nerves were on end, my patience run thin, and rage swam in my veins like lava. "I denied you a story earlier, and you hate being told 'no'. Don't you? You threw this in my face-"

"Actually, you threw it in mine."

"-to force me down memory lane and tell you a story. I know exactly what you're trying. You want a story? Fine. You don't really care, you just want some pittle-pattle to waste some time on to relieve the boredom for just a moment longer. That's the entire reason I'm here, and that's the reason you threw this at me! So you want a story? I'll give you a story."

"You're rather worked up, aren't you?" He looked amused. "I'm waiting."

"Once upon a time, there was a mother, and a father, and a daughter." I hissed at him. "A happy family. But one day, the mother is no longer there. The daughter grows up, and an entire year passes. Christmas, Halloween, and when the little girl's birthday comes back around, the mother is still missing. Nowhere to be found. But what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had her locked up in his castle, throwing around tragic memories in her face and constantly reminding the mother that she's missed her only daughter's seventh birthday!" I grabbed the book back from him. "The end."

"Such a sad ending..." he mused. Like you care at all. This is all entertainment for you. This is my life. "It's a shame the mother had no means to send her dear little girl a birthday present."

I glared at him.

"Because magic isn't at all within her reach." He went on.

"Don't play games right now." I narrowed my eyes farther. "I'm going back to bed."

"Then don't bother me with your self-pitty if you don't feel it necessary to take advantage of the situation."

... I sighed and shook my head.

"If you aren't playing tricks..." I hesitated. "Then I do want to send my daughter a gift."

"What sort of gift?" He wondered.

"Chocolate. She loves chocolate." I sighed, shaking my head. "Wrapped in orange ribbons. They're her favorite colour, and she'll know it's from me."

"Very well." He held up a crystal, and glanced to me with a look that told me that this wasn't going to be free. If this entire scheme was to get stories from me, without a foul temper, then he's going to get what he wants. He doesn't truly care about my daughter. He just wants what he wants, and he knows how to get it.

The orange-wrapped gift disappeared, and he waved the family album- suddenly filled with pictures definitely not from my family -in the air tauntingly. Another form of entertainment he finds in my presence; my knowledge in Aboveground legends and stories.

Why can't he just go read a book?

My usual chair appeared before his own, and I held out my hand. In it, he placed The Peach.

The Peach. The bane of my existence, and my salvation. I crossed my legs to face him, rolling The Peach over in my hands. My heart beat loudly, and I pursed my lips.

"Story time." I mused as he sat patiently. I bit into the peach and all my pent-up anger, all my impatience and fiery-fury melted away. Another twenty-four hours of life, but another twenty-four hours bound to this place.

"Please, do go on." He smirked evilly at me.

I looked down at the photo album, through which he told me what stories he wanted.

"Once upon a time..."

My daughter loves peaches.

So any guesses? I don't think it's too hard, all things considered. I actually feel like I made it too easy, but then I thought, oh well! The story is how it is, and this is the only chapter that I intend to write like that. All others will be back to Sarah's POV. I hereby swear it.

But... did you like the change at all? Does it give a bit more of their personalities? Does it give any hints as to what's really going on in the Labyrinth? Or does it just make you more frustrated with me for not updating and telling you what's going on? Hmmmm, I'm just going to say that it probably won't be as long as a wait next time.

R&R, please. I love hearing what you all think of the story, and I continue to strive for your satisfaction. Any mistakes you notice, I encourage you to point out.