Chapter 11.

Sarah's day as Goblin King.

The sick feeling that had come as she'd been spun around by the vortex passed. Or at least she was not spinning anymore. Now she lay on her stomach, flat on what seemed to be hard flooring. She raised her head, and blinked her eyes several times. Slowly the room came into focus, and Sarah recognized where she was. It was the throne room of the castle beyond the Goblin City. Bringing a hand to her face, she realized something else. She was now wearing leather gloves. Sitting up she looked at the hair hanging in her eyes, and yelped softly. Where there should have been long stands of thick raven now hung soft fine blond strands.

Sarah fought hard to remember her last words, and then groaned. She had said them again, the words that would cause her more problems than any other words could. She had used what the Goblins had called 'her right words', and now she was paying the consequences of having used them. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts she raised herself up off the floor. Looking down she became aware of everything about the body she was wearing. That was the only way she could think of the situation, she was wearing someone else body.

A rush of little bodies entering the room and gathering round her took her mind off the problem at hand. One little goblin attached himself to the boot on her leg and began hugging the leg and fawning over her.

"You're back," the creature kept mumbling joyously.

Looking down out of Jareth eyes, Sarah gazed at the little thing and said. "So it would seem"

Other Goblins came in and if they gave any notice to their King being there they didn't show it.

Sarah, with the Goblin attached to her leg moved toward the throne and took a seat. She wondered what the hell she was supposed to do. She had no idea of how the Goblin King spent his time when he was not pestering some poor girl running the Labyrinth. She looked down at the Goblin hugging her boot, his boot… the boot, and wondered what to do next.

In a corner goblins were fighting over some scrape of clothe or something, making a large commotion and being cheered on by on looking goblins. Sarah put the gloved hand to her eyes and groaned. Rasing the boot she spoke to Goblin still hanging on. "How long has things been like this?"

"Like this?" He asked surprised he was even being spoken to and not launched with a kick of the boot.

"Like this, a mess." She said calmly finding it strange to speak and hear his voice when she heard her own in thoughts.

"A long time." The little creature said eyes darting to and fro, expecting to be launched.

"Why?" The girl leaned the King's body closer to the goblin who backed up a tad.

"I don't know…Sire."

Sarah leaned back in the throne. "This place is disgusting." She stated. "Does the entire castle look like this?"

"You don't let us in the entire castle." The little gobbling hugging the boot said a bit too quickly then slapped hands over his mouth.

Sarah felt the quirk of a smile at the corner of her lips, his lips. "You have a name?"

The Goblin nodded. "Milo, Sire."

"Come here, Milo." Sarah patted the arm of the throne.

Timidly the little goblin crawled up the arm and sat down, he looked into the eyes of his King and gulped. "Are you going to hurt me, Sire?"

"Not at this time." Sarah promised. "I want you to do something for me."

Adoration shown on the face of the little Goblin; gazing at her with large round eyes. "Anything."

Sarah smiled, and felt what it was like to have adoring subjects. "Let's get the others attention, so I only have to give the order once." She placed fingers to her lips and let go a sharp shrill whistle. All the Goblins in the room halted in what they were doing and all eyes went to the throne. "Get your little hinnies over here." She ordered. "This throne room, does it look alright to you?"

"Yea."

"Sure."

"Looks like it always does."

She listened to the answers and frowned, seeing that her frown had more effect than words she shook her head, placed one long leather clad finger along side her nose. "Looks like hell to me."

One Goblin looked around and said suddenly. "Looks like Hell?"

"What a mess," another said.

"Bad, bad, bad." Another said.

"Is this the way you want your throne room to look, you want your King surrounded in filth?" Sarah kept the scowl and tried to sound more than exasperated.

One of the larger Goblins in the room piped up with a sharply stated. "It never bothered you before."

Sarah glared at him, "Well it bothers me now." Standing up she shouted. "Get this mess cleared up, now!" She watched as nearly a hundred goblin bodies flew into motion. She had placed a hand on the little one at her side. "Stay Milo. I want to talk to you."

Milo moaned. "Why, you never wanted to talk to me before, just kick me off your boot."

"And still you come back for more." Sarah observed.

Milo scratched his little head. "We loves the King we do." He said at last.

"And the King loves you." Sarah said remember how Jareth has spoken of the Goblins. She looked at Milo and snickered. "Milo, how do I spend my day?"

The little goblin blinked a few times, trying to understand the question. "This is a test?" He asked. "You said there would be tests…."

Sarah found she liked the little creature. "Yes, Milo, it's a test. How do I spend my day?"

"Having fun?" he asked then shook his head. "You do what you always do."

Not wanting to alert the horde cleaning to the quandary, she sighed. "I see."

Milo inched forward. "Wrong answer?"

Sarah nodded, sadly.

Milo thought harder, "King does lots of things. Sees subjects, answers questions, gives orders, eats, sings, dancing… and takes care of goblins." Milo said thoughtfully.

Sarah turned in the throne. "Sees subjects?"

"When they have problems."

She looked about. "I see them here?"

Milo watched as the years of discarded garbage was being hauled away by other Goblins. "Yes." He looked at the King. "You use to be more…careful I think is the word…then one day… you threw your hands up in air and said you gave up."

Sarah felt a pang, "He gave up… stopped caring… oh the poor dear…"

Milo blinked. "Sire?"

The eyes, mismatched looked at the Goblin. "That was wrong of me." She said. "We'll make things better again."

"Better?" Milo was not sure what that meant.

"Milo, do you like all the garbage around the throne room? I mean does your house look like this?"

"No," the Goblin admitted. "My house is not nearly so grand."

Sarah laughed, at the sound of the Kings laugh all the Goblins in the room laughed. Sarah found herself laughing all the harder. She looked at the goblins working at clearing up the mess that had taken years to make. "Let's put this place back in order." She nudged Milo. "Want to go help your friends?"

Milo leaned toward her and whispered. "I'd rather sit here and talk with you."

"Thank you, Milo."

"Thank you sire." The goblin smiled, enjoying a moment of being important to the King.

Sarah wondered what Jareth's reaction was going to be. She had effectively come in and taken over his castle and goblins with but one order. She tapped her nose again. She wondered if she had the Kings powers of magic. Taking a long breath and releasing it slowly she flicked her wrist and thought to herself. 'crystal from the air.'

The look of wonder on the Kings face was reflected in that of the little goblin seated on the arm of the throne. The King raised the crystal and smiled softly.

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Oberon had reset his scrying pool to find both the King and the Girl. When he found Sarah, in Jareth's body, he was surprised to find her seated comfortably in the throne. He was even more surprised when he heard her order the Goblins to clean up the mess in the throne room. Then seeing her produce a crystal, he turned to his queen. "She learns."

"She's a quick study." The Queen said

The High King looked back at Seth who was now nursing his bruised ego. "Perhaps the young fool did us a favor."

"Walk a mile in my shoes?" Asked the Queen.

Oberon nodded. "This may be the best thing that could happen to them."

Morganna whispered softly. "What if…there's a …summons?"

The High King gave the matter thought. "Then young miss Williams will see and experience first hand what it's like to be The Goblin King, Collector of the Unwanted."

"She's mortal." Vivanne protested. "She should not have to experience what even we Fae dread."

Emrys, who had been silent up to now, spoke up. His voice was clear and steady. "Why? Why should she not understand the work the man she is bonded to does?" He walked toward the scrying pool carrying his cup of tea. "I say if a summons comes, she should answer it. See how it is from the other side of the wish."

Vivanne looked at her lover. "Beloved, that's viscous."

"No, that's life." The old man stated firmly. "She needs to know why Jareth is the way he is. It will make her stronger for what is to come."

Seth fumed sitting at the table. This was not what he had thought would happen. He had wanted to …what? He had wanted to punish both Jareth and Sarah. Now it seemed to be going in a direction he had never intended.

Morganna looked over at Seth, and then whispered to the High King. "Father, you'd better have words with him, he's sulking."

Oberon left the discussion at the scrying pool and moved toward the Fisher King. "You are disturbed?"

"This is not going the way I wanted it to." He sulked. Looking up at the High King he admitted. "I didn't think it out, I just acted on impulse."

"You've done that a great deal in your life, Seth." Oberon took a seat opposite his childe. "Why are you so angry, and at whom?"

Seth shrugged. "I wish I knew." He sighed. "I agree with Emrys, if a summons comes Sarah should answer it."

"I too agree." Oberon said. "Seth, impulsive or not, you may have done them a great favor."

Seth, repentant looked to the High King. "Sire…Father…I think I shouldn't watch them any longer… I act on impulse."

Oberon stood, "No, Seth. You need to watch." He motioned the young man to follow him. "You need to take responsibility."

Morganna looked at the young man following the High King.

The High Queen looked at Oberon, "And if a summons comes?"

"Then the girl answers it with the Goblins. We watch, unless we are needed or called, we do nothing." Oberon instructed. "Those who are not assigned to watching the scrying pool, get back to the work of finding out what Sarah Williams is!"

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Milo looked at the Kings face. "You… look different." He commented softly so not to offend.

"How." Sarah turned the Kings face to the little goblin.

Milo seemed to be hard at thought. "Like you were before."

"Before?"

Milo moved off the arm of the throne and suddenly clung to the King. "Before you gave up."

Sarah found it had to swallow. "Things are going to be better again, Milo. I promise."

The little goblin looked up and blinked, teary eyed. "You bring girl to be with us now?"

Sarah smiled. "Yes," she snickered. "I bring girl to be with us."

"Promise?" He begged.

"Of course." Sarah then looked at the working horde of Goblins. "How about a little music while we work." She stood up and began to sing a silly song from her childhood. The Goblins it seemed knew the words as well and joined in. From somewhere the castle walls began to ring with music. Sarah, in Jareth's body began to dance as the goblins cleaned the throne room.

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Oberon had gone to the far end of the scrying pool. "My boy, where are you?"